EPA Awards Over $1.1 Million to Assist In Restoration of Coastal Habitats

Press release:

EPA Awards Over $1.1 Million to Assist In Restoration of Coastal Habitats

(DALLAS – August 31, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program $597,333 each to assist in the restoration of disappearing coastal habitats along the U.S. Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas.

The National Estuary Program (NEP) was established by the federal Clean Water Act to protect and restore water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries. The Clean Water Act requires each National Estuaries Program to develop and implement a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) to address water quality, habitat, and living resources challenges within the estuary watershed.

Currently 28 estuaries along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and in Puerto Rico are under the NEP. Each estuary’s program focuses its work within a particular place or boundary which includes the estuary and surrounding watersheds.

The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium will use the funds to implement the CCMP outlined in the Barataria-Terrebone National Estuaries Program annual work plan. The Barataria-Terrebonne estuarine complex encompasses 4.2 million acres of wetlands, ridges, forests, farmlands and communities between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Basins in southeast Louisiana.

The Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program is dedicated to restoring and protecting the bays and estuaries of the Texas Coastal Bend. The mission of the Coastal Bend Bays work plan is to protect and restore the health and productivity of the bays and estuaries while supporting continued economic growth and public use of the bays. This 515 square-mile area of water includes all bays, estuaries and bayous in the Copano, Aransas, Corpus Christi, Nueces, Baffin and upper Laguna Madre Bay systems.

An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water along the coast where freshwater from rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean. Although influenced by the tides, they are protected from the full force of ocean waves, winds and storms by such land forms as barrier islands or peninsulas.

Estuaries are among the most productive areas on earth, creating more organic matter each year than comparably sized areas of forest, grassland, or agricultural land. The tidal, sheltered waters of estuaries also support unique communities of plants and animals especially adapted for life at the margin of the sea.

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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Nine Calif. Areas Meet National Air Quality Standard for Smog

Press release:


Nine Calif. Areas Meet National Air Quality Standard for Smog

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that nine areas in California have met the 1997 national health-based air quality standard for smog, also known as ground-level ozone, within their regulatory deadlines.  These areas are: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Ventura counties, as well as portions of Kern, Nevada and Sutter counties.

"Reducing smog is a major step forward in meeting Clean Air Act goals," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "Residents can breathe a little easier knowing that the air is cleaner in these counties."

EPA’s determinations are based on air quality data collected from state and local monitors that detect air pollutants throughout the state.

Notice of this attainment will be published in the Federal Register in the next few weeks and will be open for public comment.  All comments will be addressed in a public document, but, if no comments are received, the action will become final 30 days from the date of publication.

While the Federal Register notice does not address the most recent 2008 national ozone standard, Amador, Sutter, and Tuolumne counties have attained that standard as well.

For more information on ground-level ozone and the national standards, visit:   http://www.epa.gov/airquality/ozonepollution/.

For more information on the Clean Air Act, visit: http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/.

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EPA issues complaint to Tahiti Nui for failing to close cesspools

Press release:

EPA issues complaint to Tahiti Nui for failing to close cesspools

Kauai restaurant failed to respond to demands to comply with requirements

HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated an enforcement action under the Safe Drinking Water Act against Christian Marston and Tahiti Nui Enterprises, Inc. LLC for failing to close three large capacity cesspools in Hanalei, Kauai.

“EPA is committed to protecting Hawaii’s vital water resources by closing these illegal large capacity cesspools,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Although almost 3,000 cesspools have been closed, an alarming number are still in use.”

EPA has inspected Marston’s property, including the Tahiti Nui Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, multiple times and notified Marston that his establishment was in violation of the federal regulations. In 2006, the owner acknowledged the operation of large capacity cesspools and retained the services of a professional engineer to design a state-approved individual wastewater system to replace the cesspools.

However, in 2010 EPA determined that Marston had failed to comply with the requirements to close and convert the three cesspools serving his property. As a result of the continued noncompliance, EPA is now seeking penalties of up to $177,500, the amount authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act, in addition to prompt closure and replacement of the cesspools with an approved wastewater system.

The facility is located in a "priority watershed," as designated by the State of Hawaii and EPA, where use of the large capacity cesspools poses a significant risk to underground sources of drinking water and nearby surface waters.

A large capacity cesspool discharges untreated sewage from multiple dwellings, or a non-residential location that serves 20 or more people per day. EPA regulations prohibited new large capacity cesspool construction after April 2000 and required closure of existing large cesspools as of April 2005. The regulations do not apply to single-family homes connected to their own individual cesspools or to non-residential cesspools that do not have the capacity to serve 20 or more people.

Cesspools, which are used more widely in Hawaii than any other state, discharge raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens and other contaminants can pollute groundwater, streams and the ocean.  Large capacity cesspools are used by restaurants, hotels, office complexes, and multiple dwellings, such as duplexes, apartments and condominiums, to dispose their sanitary waste.

For more information on this particular complaint visit: http://www.epa.gov/region9/enforcement/pubnotices/pubnotice-tahiti-nui.html

For more information on the large capacity cesspool ban, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/groundwater/uic-hicesspools.html

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EPA Encourages the Public to Comment on Plan for Cleanup at Shenandoah Road Superfund Site in East Fishkill, New York

Press release:

EPA Encourages the Public to Comment on Plan for Cleanup at

Shenandoah Road Superfund Site in East Fishkill, New York

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – August 30, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a plan to clean up contaminated ground water at the Shenandoah Road Ground water Contamination Superfund site in a rural area of East Fishkill, New York. Past industrial activities contaminated the ground water with tetrachloroethene, commonly known as PCE, which is a volatile organic compound that can have serious health effects. The proposed plan calls for the continued operation of a system that extracts and treats ground water coupled with natural processes to reduce the contaminants in the ground water and restrictions on ground water use as well as to ensure that the remedy remains intact.

The EPA will hold a public meeting on September 12, 2012 to explain the proposed plan and is encouraging public comments. The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the East Fishkill Fire District Administration Building, 2502 Route 52, Hopewell Junction, New York. Comments will be accepted from August 29 until September 28, 2012.

Between 1965 and 1975, Jack Manne, Inc. rented a property at 7 East Hook Cross Road in East Fishkill and operated a facility there to clean and repair computer chip racks supplied to it under a contract with International Business Machines. As part of this process, solvents, including PCE, were disposed of in a septic tank and an in-ground pit located at the property.

In 2000, well sampling conducted by the New York State Department of Health indicated that residential wells in the vicinity of the facility were contaminated with PCE above the federal and state maximum contaminant level. Following this discovery, the EPA initiated an emergency response at the site and began the delivery of bottled water to affected residences. The EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation determined that the source of the PCE contamination in these nearby residential wells was the facility.

The Shenandoah site was placed on EPA's Superfund list of the nation's most hazardous waste sites in 2001, and EPA notified IBM and Jack Manne of their status as parties potentially responsible for the cleanup. Later that year, IBM entered into an agreement with the EPA to complete soil cleanup work already begun at the site by the EPA.

With EPA oversight, IBM completed the removal of the excavated sources of ground water contamination from the facility. In early November 2003, IBM presented the EPA with the alternatives for providing a permanent water supply, and the EPA subsequently selected a connection to the Fishkill municipal water supply. In March 2009, the public water supply system was completed and began to supply drinking water to the Shenandoah Road community.

In September 2002, IBM entered into a second agreement with the EPA to perform a study of the nature and extent of contamination that remained at the site as well as cleanup alternatives. The proposed plan for the next phase of the cleanup involves the continued operation of the source area ground water extraction and treatment system currently in place, and natural processes such as dilution and dispersion as well as land and ground water use restrictions. Monitoring wells will be periodically sampled to measure the effectiveness of both the source ground water extraction and treatment system and the natural processes.

The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to taxpayers. After sites are placed on the Superfund list of the most contaminated waste sites, the EPA searches for parties responsible for the contamination and holds them accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups. The cleanup of the Shenandoah Road site is expected to be performed by IBM with oversight by the EPA.

Written comments may be mailed or emailed to:

Damian Duda, Remedial Project Manager

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 2

290 Broadway – 20th Floor

New York, N.Y. 10007-1866

(212) 637-4269

duda.damian@epa.gov

For more information on the Shenandoah Road Ground water Contamination Superfund site, go to: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/shenandoah/.

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Blaze at KCK recycling plant causes $1.5 million damage - KansasCity.com

Blaze at KCK recycling plant causes $1.5 million damage - KansasCity.com

International Builder and DC-based Subsidiary Agree to Pay $270,000 to Settle Stormwater Violations at Construction Sites

Press release:

International Builder and DC-based Subsidiary Agree to Pay $270,000

to Settle Stormwater Violations at Construction Sites

 

(PHILADELPHIA, August 29, 2012) Turner Construction Co., an international builder based in New York City, and its subsidiary Tompkins Builders, Inc. of Washington, D.C., have agreed to pay $270,000 in civil penalties for alleged violations of federal stormwater regulations at construction sites throughout the mid-Atlantic region, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.    

On August 27, 2012 EPA filed two Consent Agreements and Final Orders alleging that Turner and Tompkins violated their Clean Water Act permits allowing for the discharge of stormwater from construction sites, and in other instances discharged construction stormwater without permits. The alleged violations occurred at 17 construction sites the companies operated in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. Fifteen of these sites are located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and two are in the Delaware River watershed (see attached list of construction sites).

Turner and Tompkins operated these sites for clients including federal and local governments, the Department of Defense, universities and other organizations. A construction project at Prince George’s Community College Center for Health Studies is among them, in which case unfiltered basin water flowed, absent a permit, to the storm sewer system that discharges to the Western Branch of the Patuxent River.

In the mid-Atlantic region, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania are authorized to issue CWA stormwater permits with oversight from EPA; stormwater permits in the District of Columbia are issued by EPA.

In general, the permits in this case required the companies to install controls to prevent pollutants, such as sediment, debris, and chemicals, from being discharged in stormwater into nearby waterways. These controls may include common-sense safeguards such as silt fences, phased site grading and sediment basins to prevent construction contaminants from polluting waterways.

EPA’s complaint includes allegations that at various sites the companies failed to:

•     Perform or properly document required site inspections;
•     Maintain structures and controls designed to prevent polluted stormwater from reaching streams; and,
•     Obtain CWA Permits prior to beginning construction.  

EPA worked closely with state and local environmental agencies to detect and resolve these violations. State and local personnel conducted numerous field inspections, and the agencies shared technical and legal expertise. EPA required Turner and Tompkins to provide extensive documentation concerning their construction activities at numerous locations.
In addition to paying civil penalties, Turner and Tompkins entered into an earlier settlement requiring the companies to implement a program to assure future compliance with federal construction stormwater requirements.
As part of the settlement, the companies did not admit liability for the alleged violations. To view a copy of the consent agreement http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/npdes/enforcement.html.

To learn more about EPA’s stormwater management program, http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater.

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Turner/Tompkins Construction Sites where stormwater violations occurred:

Facilities Covered	Facility Address
Sustainment Center for Excellence	Corner of Lee Avenue and A Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801
Langley Air Force Base Hospital Addition	63 Pine Road, Langley Air Force Base, VA 23665
Warrenton Training Center, Station C Firing Range	Summerduck Road, Remmington, VA
Building B-70 Warrenton Training Center	Bearwallow Road, Warrenton VA
D.C. Youth Center, Laurel, MD	8100 Main Ave, Laurel, Md 20724
Hershey Expansion Project	Hershey, PA
Martin Luther King Memorial	Ind Avenue, and West Basin Drive, SW, Washington, DC 20001
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital	Building R1450, 9025 Richmond Hwy, Fort Belvoir 22314
Prince George’s Community College Center for Health Studies	301 Hay Road, Largo, MD 20774
TRADOC Headquarters	Murphy Field, Fort Eustis, VA 23604
Franklin & Marshall University Race Street Parking Lot	415 Harrisburg Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17603
Army National Guard Readiness Center	111 S George Mason Dr., Arlington, VA 22204
Drexel University Integrated Sciences Building	33rd and Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
FDA Consolidation at White Oak – Buildings 31 & 32	10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993
Penn Park Complex	299 South 30th St. Philadelphia, PA 19104
Salamander Resort and Spa	23325 Foxcroft Rd, Middleburg, VA 20117
C4ISR Center for Excellence	2201 Averdeen Blvd. Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010

EPA, HUD, DOT and City of Atlanta Celebrate Third Anniversary of Partnership for Sustainable Communities

Press release from EPA:

ATLANTA – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming joined Mayor Kasim Reed, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Regional Administrator Dr. Yvette Taylor to celebrate the third anniversary of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (Partnership).  The Partnership is an interagency effort to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable housing, increase transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment and people’s health.

 “Three years ago, EPA embarked on this innovative partnership to change how we interact with our stakeholders and bring about change in the community,” said EPA Regional Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming.   “The programs and projects that are now in place here in Atlanta and across the Southeast, exemplify what can be accomplished when citizens, states, cities and federal agencies work together.  We look forward to continuing this partnership and assisting each of these communities in achieving its long-term economic, environmental and public health goals. 

“Atlanta’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities has really allowed us to do the kind of essential projects that invest directly in our communities, reduce transportation costs for our families, improve house affordability, save energy and increase access to work, play and home,” said Mayor Kasim Reed.  “I applaud the EPA, HUD, the Department of Transportation and Department of Labor for their tremendous efforts.  Through this partnership, we can work as a team to support ongoing initiatives, promote economic development and receive technical assistance on vital projects.”

In celebration of the local accomplishments of this partnership initiated within the city of Atlanta, a program and workshop was held today to share the partnership’s successes and plans for the future. Stakeholders, that included neighborhood, non-profit and elected leaders, shared information on what has worked in southwest Atlanta.  Representatives from nearby communities also discussed how Partnership projects are setting trends in their area.

Since announcing the partnership, the agencies have dedicated more than $2.5 billion in assistance nationally to more than 200 communities in 48 states to help meet housing and transportation goals while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and addressing the challenges of climate change. Of that funding, $238 million was focused on America’s rural communities.

The partnership, which celebrated its third anniversary in June, works to provide communities with faster, more streamlined access to federal programs and resources, and works closely with other federal agencies, states, and local governments to ensure that partnership programs use federal resources as efficiently as possible.

For more information about the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, visit: http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov/.

• Partnership4SustainableCommPR.docx

EPA's CDA Basin ROD Amendment

Press release:

EPA's final version of the Upper Coeur d'Alene River Basin cleanup plan is now available. Link to a Fact Sheet here. The interim Record of Decision Amendment (RODA) documents decisions about contamination cleanup along the river's South Fork and tributaries, as well as in the Bunker Hill "Box" where cleanup began in the 1980s. The cleanup is part of a continuing effort to reduce risks to people's health and the environment from heavy metals.

The cleanup is designed to:

• improve water quality
• protect earlier cleanup work from recontamination
• clean up contamination sources and
• help prevent contamination from moving downstream.

EPA revised the plan in part as a response to over 6700 public comments asking for changes to be made. The cleanup's cost has been reduced to about $635 million, and the cleanup's projected time frame has been reduced to about 30 years.

To read the revised plan, learn more about how we reduced the cost and time frame without compromising cleanup goals, and get on a mailing list for site updates, visit http://go.usa.gov/igD . RODA copies will soon be available at select local libraries. To request a copy on CD or locate a library, contact EPA Community Liaison Rene Gilbert at 208-659-5237.

• To read the Fact Sheet about the ROD Amendment: http://go.usa.gov/rn4R (12 pp, 1.3MB PDF)
• To read the ROD Amendment: http://go.usa.gov/rn2m (488 pp, 16.8MB PDF)
• To read more about the ROD Amendment: http://go.usa.gov/igD
• To see the press release about the ROD Amendment: http://go.usa.gov/rn4C

EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Plan for the White Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey

Press release:

EPA Extends Public Comment Period on Plan for the White Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – Aug. 29, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is extending by thirty days the public comment period for the plan it has proposed for the contaminated ground water beneath the White Chemical Corporation Superfund site in Newark, New Jersey. The ground water was contaminated with volatile organic compounds by past industrial activities at the site. Volatile organic compounds can cause serious damage to people’s health and the environment. The proposed plan calls for the injection of chemicals into the ground water that will break down the contamination. The ground water will be monitored and its use will be restricted.

The EPA held a public meeting on August 2, 2012 to explain the proposed plan. At the request of a member of the public, the agency is extending the public comment period from its original date of August 21 to a new public comment deadline of September 20, 2012.

The final phase of the cleanup, which was announced July 25 addresses the contaminated ground water. After extensive study, the EPA has concluded that it is not technically feasible to pump out and treat the contaminated ground water because of the complex rock formations underlying the site. The depth, nature and variety of the rock formations would present extreme technical challenges.

Instead, the proposed plan calls for bioremediation, the injection of chemicals into the ground water to promote the breakdown of the pollutants. The specific process to be used to inject the chemical additive will be determined by the EPA as part of the design of the cleanup. Once the process has begun, the EPA will collect samples to confirm that the bioremediation is effective. The EPA is proposing to install additional monitoring wells to monitor the ground water and to put into place restrictions that will prevent its use as a source of drinking water in the future. The EPA is requiring periodic collection and analysis of ground water samples to verify that the level and extent of contaminants are declining and that people’s health and the environment are protected.

The former White Chemical Corporation site, which covers 4.4 acres, is located at 660 Frelinghuysen Avenue in Newark, and is surrounded by many residential, commercial and industrial properties. Beginning in the 1930s, portions of the site were used by multiple businesses for industrial activities including the manufacture of acid chlorides and fire retardants. The White Chemical Corporation operated a chemical manufacturing facility at the site from 1983 to 1990 and was cited by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for multiple environmental violations before the company abandoned the facility. Thousands of drums were left behind, with many of them leaking hazardous chemicals. The site was added to the federal Superfund list of the country’s most hazardous waste sites in 1991.

Written comments may be mailed or emailed to:

Ray Klimcsak, Remedial Project Manager

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 2

290 Broadway- 19th Floor

New York, N.Y. 10007-1866

(212) 637-3916

klimcsak.raymond@epa.gov

           

For more information on the White Chemical Superfund site, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/whitechem.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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EPA proposes air permit for Capitol Power Plant

Press release:

EPA proposes air permit for Capitol Power Plant

(PHILADELPHIA --- August 29, 2012) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a proposed permit for the Capitol Power Plant in Washington, D.C. that would provide the facility with the flexibility to begin using more-efficient natural gas rather than coal as its main source of energy.

The Capitol Power Plant was built in the early 1900’s and provides steam for heat and chilled water for cooling to nearby federal buildings, including the U.S. Capitol.

The proposed Plantwide Applicability Limit permit reduces the permitting burden for the plant in exchange for limiting its ability to increase emissions. The permit would establish a site-wide emissions cap for greenhouse gases, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter at the power plant.

EPA prepared the permit in response to an application submitted by the Architect of the Capitol, which oversees the Capitol Power Plant. According to the application, the Capitol Power Plant intends to install two natural gas fired co-generation units to provide steam and electricity to the Capitol and nearby buildings.

This permit does not authorize construction of the project, but it does streamline the permitting process, which is handled by the D.C. Department of Environment.

This co-generation project will allow the Capitol Power Plant to generate its own electricity, which has not been done since 1951. The co-generation units would also improve energy efficiency.

  The proposed permit is subject to a public comment period beginning Wednesday, Aug. 29 and concluding with a public hearing from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, at the Washington Council of Governments, 777 North Capitol Street, NE, # 300. A copy of the draft permit is available online at http://www.epa.gov/reg3artd/. 

EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waiver for Louisiana

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 29, 2012


EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waiver for Louisiana

WASHINGTON - As Hurricane Isaac makes landfall in the U.S. Gulf Coast, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exercised its authority under the Clean Air Act to temporarily waive certain federal clean gasoline requirements for Louisiana. This waiver will allow greater flexibility for the fuel distribution system to support an adequate supply.

This waiver was granted by EPA in coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE), at the request of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson determined that extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist, which are likely to result in a shortage of gasoline compliant with federal regulations. The federal waiver will help ensure an adequate supply of gasoline in Louisiana until normal supply to the region can be restored.

The waiver applies to 7.8 psi low Reid vapor pressure (RVP) requirements for the State of Louisiana. The waiver is effective for 10 days and allows the sale of 9.0 psi conventional gasoline in the following fourteen Louisiana parishes: Ascension, E. Baton Rouge, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Point Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. Mary, and W. Baton Rouge. EPA is continuing to actively monitor the fuel supply situation as a result of Hurricane Isaac, and is ready to act expeditiously if extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist in other areas in Louisiana with a 7.8 psi RVP fuel requirement. As required by law, EPA and DOE evaluated the situation and determined that granting a short-term waiver was consistent with the public interest. To mitigate any impacts on air quality the Clean Air Act provides strict criteria for when fuels waivers may be granted, and requires that waivers be limited as much as possible in terms of their geographic scope and duration.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/air/fuel-waivers.html

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Painting Company Fined for Failure to Notify Customers about Lead Hazards in New England

News Release

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 28, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Painting Company Fined for Failure to Notify Customers about Lead Hazards in New England

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 28, 2012) – A national house painting company with offices in Woburn, Mass., has agreed to pay a $7,200 penalty and to spend $65,000 on an environmental project at a school in Cambridge to settle claims by the US Environmental Protection Agency that it failed to provide required lead hazard information to home owners in four New England states on 41 occasions.

According to a settlement filed recently, College Pro Painters failed to provide EPA’s lead hazard information pamphlet to at least 41 owners and adult occupants of pre-1978 housing before beginning painting projects at units in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. This was in violation of the federal Pre-Renovation Rule, and the Toxic Substances Control Act. 

In addition to paying the penalty, College Pro will spend $65,000 to replace or restore 79 windows that likely contain lead paint at Congregation Eitz Chayim (Harvard Hillel Children’s School) on Magazine Street in Cambridge, Mass.

College Pro, an interior and exterior house painting company based in Maryland, had more than 300 franchisees operating in 27 states as of 2009.  All of the work at issue in this case was performed by College Pro employees or contractors, not by franchisees.

The Pre-Renovation Rule aims to educate owners or occupants on how to minimize their exposure to hazardous lead dust that is often generated during painting projects conducted in older homes. The Rule requires that companies notify owners or occupants before starting work in homes built before 1978 that disturbs more than six square feet of interior or 20 square feet of exterior painted surface and that they provide them with an EPA-approved pamphlet with information about lead paint hazards and necessary precautions. Exposure to lead is particularly harmful to children under six years old and to pregnant women.

In June 2006, EPA’s New England office sent letters explaining the Pre-Renovation Rule to more than 600 painting companies, contractors, and remodeling firms in New England, including College Pro. In 2007, EPA began inspecting several of those entities who had received these letters.

This case stems from an Oct. 2009 inspection of College Pro’s New England offices in Woburn. EPA’s inspection and follow up information gathering showed that College Pro failed to provide the EPA lead information pamphlet to the owners or occupants (or mail the pamphlet to the owners during the time limits required) on at least 41 occasions - 28 in 2008 and 13 in 2009.

The lead abatement project in Cambridge must be completed within 150 days of the agreement.

More information: Pre-Renovation Lead Information Rule (http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadrenf.htm)

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Industrial Laundry in Lebanon, N.H. Faces Fine for Clean Water Violations

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 28, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Industrial Laundry in Lebanon, N.H. Faces Fine for Clean Water Violations

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 28, 2012) – An industrial laundry facility in Lebanon, N.H. faces a penalty of $64,000 from the US Environmental Protection Agency for several violations of federal water laws, including discharging water containing detergent to the city’s public wastewater system which caused excessive foaming in the Connecticut River.

According to a complaint filed recently by EPA’s New England office, UniFirst Corp. discharged wastewater containing industrial grade detergent into the public wastewater system in Nov. 2010 and failed to immediately notify the city of the discharge.  Both actions violated the Clean Water Act. The complaint also details that in 2011 UniFirst discharged wastewater with a high acidity, also in violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

UniFirst operates an on-site wastewater treatment system that introduces process wastewater into the City of Lebanon’s system, which in turn discharges treated wastewaters into the Connecticut River.  The detergent violations caused the city to be out of compliance with its own National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit regulating its wastewater system.

Discharges of ­­prohibited effluents from industrial users can present a risk to nearby waters and aquatic life. An industrial user’s failure to immediately notify the local wastewater treatment system and any other applicable state or federal emergency responders undermines their ability to promptly respond to a potential threat.

More information on enforcement of Clean Water Act in New England http://www.epa.gov/region1/enforcement/water/index.html

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US Coast Guard Academy in Conn. Awarded for Green Electronics

News Advisory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 28, 2012
Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017
US Coast Guard Academy in Conn. Awarded for Green Electronics
(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 28, 2012) – A federal facility in New London, Conn., was among 25 federal facilities nationally recognized for helping the federal government be greener in its buying, using and disposing of electronic equipment.
The US Coast Guard Academy in New London was one of 33 winners from 10 federal agencies nationwide to receive the 2012 Federal Electronics Challenge award, sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive.
In addition, Chris Beling, a project manager at EPA’s New England office, was among 10 individual federal employees to be recognized as a champion in the Federal Electronics Challenge.
The activities of all the winners resulted in $7.8 million in savings last year and greenhouse gas emissions reductions equivalent to taking 6,000 passenger cars off the road for a year. The federal government purchases billions of dollars worth of information technology equipment and services annually.

This year’s award winners include: 10 Platinum Awards, five Gold Awards, ten Silver Awards and eight Bronze Awards. These winners completed a variety of electronics stewardship activities in fiscal year 2011, including purchasing more than 105,000 green electronics registered with EPEAT - the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, software that compares the environmental attributes of computer desktops, laptops and monitors; enabling power saving sleep features on more than 97 percent of their computers and monitors; and recycling more than 361,000 pounds of electronics.

The US Coast Guard Academy was given a bronze medal for its success in reducing the environmental impacts of electronics.
Beling, a project manager in the EPA’s Office of Assistance and Pollution Prevention, was given a Champion Award for her dedication and support to this electronics challenge.
The Federal Electronics Challenge is a partnership program that encourages federal facilities and agencies to buy greener electronics; reduce the impacts of electronics during use and to manage the disposal of used electronics in an environmentally safe way.  Electronics includes items such as computers, printers and mobile phones.
Electronic equipment may contain toxic constituents and use significant amounts of energy. It can also present complicated disposal challenges.
“The purchasing, use, and disposition of electronics have significant environmental impacts,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England Office. “We are so proud that Chris was able to find ways to reduce the impact of electronics in our office.”

“This recognition is a testament to the efforts of Academy personnel to embrace positive practices that foster environmental awareness and support a sustainable future for the service,” said Rear Adm. Sandra L. Stosz, U.S. Coast Guard Academy Superintendent.

The complete list of winners and more information on the award are available at http://www.epa.gov/fec/awards.html#winners

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U.S. EPA Releases San Francisco Bay Delta Action Plan to Address Toxins and Stressors that Harm Fish

Press release from EPA:

U.S. EPA Releases San Francisco Bay Delta Action Plan to Address Toxins and Stressors that Harm Fish

Curbing pollution and restoring freshwater flows key to improving water quality

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released an Action Plan today that proposes seven measures for improving water quality, restoring aquatic habitat, and improving the management of the San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary.  The release of the Action Plan follows the agency’s analysis concluding that existing federal and state water quality programs are not adequately safeguarding the ecosystem. 

“California’s economic security depends on a healthy Bay Delta,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “By upholding the goals of the Clean Water Act, we can ensure that our water is fit for drinking, farming, recreation, and for fish and wildlife.”

The Action Plan responds to findings and recommendations made following EPA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 2011 that sought public input on the effectiveness of existing federal and state water quality protection programs.  The Action Plan prioritizes the following seven actions to be pursued in partnership with the State Water Resources Control Board, the Regional Water Boards for the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and numerous other state and federal agencies: 

•   By 2013, propose a standard to curb selenium discharges from cities, farms, and oil refineries;
•   By 2013, achieve organophosphate pesticide water quality goals in Sacramento County urban streams; 
•   By 2014, set new estuarine habitat standards, including salinity, to improve conditions for aquatic life;
•   By 2017 establish a monitoring and assessment program for water quality in the Delta;
•   Ensure that EPA’s pesticide regulation program more fully considers the effects that pesticides have on aquatic life;
•   Restore and rebuild wetlands and floodplains to sequester drinking water contaminants, methylmercury, and greenhouse gases and make the Delta more resilient to floods, earthquakes, and climate change;
•   Support the development and implementation of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

The Bay Delta is the hub of California’s water distribution system, providing drinking water to 25 million people, sustaining irrigation for 4 million acres of farmland, and supporting 750 different species of plants, fish, and wildlife.  The health of the ecosystem has been degraded over time by many factors, including the destruction of rivers and wetlands; the diversion of freshwater flows by federal and state water projects; the discharge of heavy metals, pesticides and nutrients; and the invasion and spread of non-native weeds and animals.  Fish populations have dwindled, and water supplies critical to public health and agriculture are at risk.
Forty years ago, against the backdrop of fires on the Cuyahoga River, the Santa Barbara oil spill and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the federal Clean Water Act was made law.  At the time, Congress charged a fledgling EPA with the goal of making the nation’s waters “fishable and swimmable.”  While the agency has made great progress toward that goal, complex problems, such as those facing the restoration of the Bay Delta, still need attention.
A copy of the Action Plan is available at:  http://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/actionplan.html. 
For more information on the Clean Water Act, please visit:  http://water.epa.gov/action/cleanwater40c/.

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EPA Announces 2012 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants to Make Beaches Safer in Michigan and Wisconsin

Press release from EPA:


 MEDIA CONTACT:  Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov
                                   
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        No. 12-OPA074

EPA Announces 2012 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants to Make Beaches Safer in Michigan and Wisconsin

Chicago (August 28, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced seven Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants, totaling over $2.6 million, to improve water quality at Great Lakes beaches in Michigan and Wisconsin. 
The grants were announced by EPA Regional Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman at Samuel Myers Park in Racine, Wisconsin, at one of the beaches targeted for work under the grants. 
“These Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants will improve water quality, allowing people to enjoy more days at Great Lakes beaches,” said Hedman.  “The projects will make beaches safer, by eliminating harmful bacteria and other sources of contamination.”
Over the last three years, GLRI has provided more than $29 million for 78 projects to protect and restore Great Lakes beaches. This funding has paid for sanitary surveys at 400 beaches, allowing beach managers to identify contamination sources and to implement projects that reduce or eliminate pollution.  The GLRI has also funded eight projects to better forecast beach conditions and to develop technologies such as Smartphone apps to issue real-time alerts about swimming bans and beach closures. 
Projects announced today include:

• $1 million (two grants of $500,000 each) to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh to redesign eight Wisconsin beaches to reduce bacteria levels, resulting in fewer swimming bans and beach closures.  The beaches are:  Red Arrow Park Beach, Marinette; Crescent Beach, Algoma; Red Arrow Park Beach, Manitowoc; Thompson West End Park, Washburn; Grant Park, South Milwaukee; Samuel Myers Park, Racine; and Simmons Island and  Eichelman Parks, Kenosha.
• $179,700 to the City of Marquette, Michigan, to lower health risks and to improve water quality at two Lake Superior beaches in Marquette by using green management practices to reduce contamination.
• $500,000 to the City of Marysville, Michigan, to install rain gardens and other green infrastructure to reduce contaminated stormwater runoff and to deter geese at Chrysler Beach on the St. Clair River.
• $500,000 to the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority for green infrastructure to reduce contaminated stormwater runoff at Lake St. Clair Metropark (Metro Beach.)
• $217,015 to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to construct rain gardens, plant native grass and install a filtration system to improve water quality and reduce health risks at Sherman Park and Four Mile beaches in Sault Ste. Marie.
• $263,188 to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to build a green stormwater infiltration system at New Buffalo City Beach to reduce bacteria and nutrient levels.

The GLRI, initially proposed by President Obama in February 2009, is the largest investment in the Great Lakes in over two decades.  EPA is one of 16 federal agencies working to implement the GLRI Action Plan, which is available at http://www.glri.us.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants to Make Beaches Safer in Michigan and Wisconsin
City of Marquette, Michigan
Making Lake Superior Beaches Safer through Green Practices
Grant awarded: $179,700
This project supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, pursuant to Public Law 112-74.   The City of Marquette - Making Beaches Safer Project will reduce risks to human health and improve water quality at two Lake Superior beaches in the City of Marquette, Michigan by implementing green management practices to reduce bacteriological, algal and chemical contamination that have been identified through the use of Great Lakes beach sanitary surveys.
City of Marysville, Michigan
Chrysler Beach Stormwater Improvements
Grant awarded: $500,000
This project supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, pursuant to Public Law 112-74.   Stormwater and excess Canada goose populations are causing elevated E. coli concentrations at Chrysler Beach on the St. Clair River.  Stormwater runoff from two beach parking lots is currently captured in traditional storm drain systems and is discharged just upstream of the beach.  Rain gardens will be installed as “green infrastructure” at both parking lots to filter the majority of stormwater runoff.  Vegetation will be planted to deter geese from congregating at the beach.  Impervious surfaces at the beach will be reduced, and the stormwater outfall that discharges to the beach will be redirected.   These activities are expected to improve the water quality and reduce the number of beach closings.
Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, Michigan
Reducing the Impact of Stormwater at Lake St. Clair Metropark (Metro Beach)
Grant awarded: $500,000
This project supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, pursuant to Public Law 112-74.  Stormwater at Lake St. Clair Metropark (Metro Beach) is currently captured in a traditional storm drain system and discharged to Lake St. Clair. Pollutants from automobiles and waterfowl that congregate in the parking lot negatively affect stormwater quality and contribute to beach closings (49 in last 3 years).  Passive biological treatment systems will be used to reduce stormwater runoff and improve water quality.   An additional 1.2 acres of pavement will be removed (11.5 acres were removed under Phase I of the project funded in 2011) and converted to panels of grass and native vegetation to capture runoff and direct it to the marsh.   Further, the applicant will construct deep swales within the parking lot below the stormwater system, cut the existing storm pipes, and intercept the water in the swales, thereby eliminating all of the stormwater directly entering Black Creek/Lake St. Clair.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
Chippewa County Beach Restoration
Grant awarded: $217,015
This project supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, pursuant to Public Law 112-74.  Implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) will restore water quality and reduce health risks at two beaches in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, that have large numbers of visitors.  BMPs to be installed include a rain garden, infiltration trenches, small dunes, plantings of native beach grass, a filtration system, and riprap.
New Buffalo Green Stormwater Project
Grant awarded: $263,188
This project supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, pursuant to Public Law 112-74.  The New Buffalo City Beach is impacted by beach closures, caused largely by excessive amounts of E. coli.  This project involves construction of a green storm water infiltration system at the beach, and will reduce E. coli and nutrients.  Runoff will be conveyed from E. coli sources to a 0.5-acre green stormwater infiltration area along the Galien River.  Drainage from the E. coli source areas is proposed to be captured through a combination of catch basins, piping and open channels.  The drainage will flow through filtration areas into a treatment area containing a variety of hydrophilic vegetation (i.e., a “rain garden”) which will capture nonpoint source stormwater runoff from the surrounding area and deter waterfowl.
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Implementation of Beach Redesigns at Northern Wisconsin Beaches
Grant awarded: $500,000
This project supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, pursuant to Public Law 112-74.   In this project, four beaches in northern Wisconsin will be redesigned to reduce any potential threats to human health caused by bacteria in the beach environment.   The redesign plans will incorporate a variety of measures, including: developing a system of swales and small dunes between parking areas and the beach  to intercept and filter contaminated stormwater runoff; raising the profile of the beach to allow the sand areas to dry out more quickly, removing jetties to reduce the presence of stagnant water near the beach, and installing vegetated areas around the parking lot area to allow runoff to infiltrate and to provide cover for waterfowl predators (thereby lessening the unsanitary impacts of gulls and other waterfowl).
Implementation of Beach Redesigns at Southern Wisconsin Beaches
Grant awarded: $500,000

This project supports the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, pursuant to Public Law 112-74.  In this project, four beaches in southern Wisconsin will be redesigned to reduce potential threats to human health caused by bacteria in the beach environment. The beach redesigns will incorporate a variety of measures, including: installing rain gardens or wetland cells to retain and filter contaminated stormwater from nearby paved surface areas; encouraging dune formation to reduce the impacts of stormwater runoff and to make the beach environment less attractive to gulls; modifying beach grooming practices to reduce the presence of bacteria; and implementing activities such as increasing the number of trash receptacles on the beach and discouraging the feeding of gulls and other waterfowl to lessen their unsanitary impacts.

EPA Requests Proposals for $216,000 Environmental Education Grant

Press release from EPA:

EPA Requests Proposals for $216,000 Environmental Education Grant

Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – Aug. 28, 2012) Through Nov. 21, EPA Region 4 will accept proposals from eligible schools and entities for a $216,000 environmental education grant to develop new programs promoting environmental stewardship across the Southeast.

The Environmental Education Regional Grants Program is a competitive program that supports EPA’s efforts to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues. The total estimated funding for this opportunity is approximately $2,160,000 nationwide. EPA expects to award 10 grants nationally—one per region—with each individual award totaling no more than $216,000.

Applications can be submitted electronically via www.grants.gov by Nov. 21, 2012, 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time. Alternately, applications may be postmarked by Nov. 21 or hand delivered by the end of the business day to the EPA Southeast Regional Office. Proposals received after the due date will not be considered.

A solicitation notice announcing the grants program is available online at www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html. In September, EPA will host two webinars for potential applicants interested in additional information about the application process. The date, time and call-in information for the webinars will be posted on the website, and interested persons can sign-up online to receive e-mail updates.

Environmental education grants provide funding to local education agencies, state education and environmental agencies; colleges and universities; not-for-profit organizations; and non-commercial broadcasting entities. Tribal education agencies controlled by an Indian tribe, band or nation, including schools and community colleges, may also apply.

Learn more about EPA’s environmental education grants: www.epa.gov/enviroed/grants.html

For additional information, contact Kathy Armstrong at armstrong.kathy@epa.gov or 404-562-8225.