Friday, May 31, 2013
EPA Finalizes Cleanup Plan to Remove Lead at Raritan Bay Superfund Site in Old Bridge and Sayreville, New Jersey
EPA Press Release:
EPA Finalizes Cleanup Plan to Remove Lead at Raritan Bay Superfund Site
in Old Bridge and Sayreville, New Jersey
$79 Million Cleanup Will Remove Lead from Popular Beach and Public Park
Contact: John J. Martin, (212) 637-3662, martin.johnj@epa.gov, 646-256-6710 cell
(New York, N.Y. – May 31, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a plan to clean up lead contamination at the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site in Old Bridge and Sayreville, New Jersey. EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck announced the plan today at the site in Old Bridge, New Jersey. She was joined by Congressmember Frank Pallone and Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry. Lead is a toxic metal that is especially dangerous to children because their growing bodies can absorb more of it than adults. Lead in children can result in I.Q. deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, reduced attention spans, hyperactivity and other behavioral problems. The plan requires the removal of contaminated material and its replacement with clean material to make the beach and jetty areas accessible to the public. The Raritan Bay Slag site was significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy, but work to address those impacts is under way and has not altered EPA’s plans for an overall cleanup at the site.
The EPA held a public meeting in Old Bridge, New Jersey on October 17, 2012 after it proposed the cleanup plan. The EPA accepted public comments for 60 days and considered public input before finalizing its decision.
“Lead can cause serious health problems, especially in young children, which makes it so important to clean up this area where children regularly play,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “The cleanup plan announced today is a major step that brings us closer to a restoration that will make it possible for everyone to enjoy the beach safely. No one should have to worry about being exposed to toxic substances when they visit a public beach.”
The cleanup of the Raritan Bay Slag site will be conducted in three sectors that contain lead slag, a byproduct of metal smelting. The lead slag was used to construct a seawall in the 1960s and a jetty along the southern shore of the Raritan Bay in Old Bridge and Sayreville. The first sector includes the Laurence Harbor seawall adjacent to the Old Bridge Waterfront Park in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge Township. The second sector consists of the western jetty in Sayreville and extends from the Cheesequake Creek Inlet into Raritan Bay. The third sector is approximately 50 acres of Margaret’s Creek and has elevated lead levels along with areas of slag and battery casings. The estimated cost of the cleanup plan is $79 million.
For both the Laurence Harbor seawall and the western jetty sectors, contaminated soil, sediment and waste including slag and battery casings will be dug up or dredged, and the material will be disposed of at facilities licensed to handle hazardous waste. Excavated areas will be restored with clean material.
Within the Margaret’s Creek sector, the EPA will remove slag and battery casings, along with areas of contaminated soil associated with these materials. Clean material will be placed as needed in the excavated areas. Throughout the cleanup, monitoring and testing will be conducted to ensure that public health and the environment are protected.
In 2007, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection found high levels of lead along the southern shoreline of the Raritan Bay adjacent to the Old Bridge Waterfront Park. As a result of these findings, NJDEP worked with Old Bridge officials to notify the public about health concerns stemming from the lead waste material and restricted access through signs and some fencing. The EPA added the Raritan Bay Slag site to the federal Superfund site list in 2009 after sampling confirmed contamination. The EPA installed a security fence in contaminated areas to keep people, especially children, out of those areas and placed signs in English and Spanish warning the public of the hazards.
Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge resulted in significant damage to the site. The peninsula at Margaret’s Creek was severely eroded, the top of the seawall at Old Bridge Waterfront Park was damaged, approximately 2,000 feet of security fence and many of the warning signs were destroyed. Hundreds of tons of potentially contaminated debris and sand were deposited onto areas of the park. Immediately following the storm, the EPA began to clean up and repair damage from the storm. The EPA sampled the sand for lead in over 100 locations within the site, including at a playground, the restricted beach at Old Bridge Waterfront Park, the beaches east of Cheesequake Creek, the beach at Margaret’s Creek and areas in the vicinity of the western jetty located in Sayreville. The sampling results were posted online and shared with the Community Advisory Group. Lead was identified at concentrations above the residential limit at several locations. The EPA used the sampling results to determine where to re-position the fence and warning signs. In addition, the EPA installed new mulch in the playground, removed debris and filled-in eroded areas at the top of the seawall with the sand that washed onto the Old Bridge Waterfront Park.
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. NL Industries has been identified as potentially liable for the cost of cleanup. The EPA will require that the cleanup be carried out and paid for by those responsible for the contamination at the site.
For more information on the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund Site, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/raritanbayslag.
13-053 # # #
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. to pay penalty for chemical reporting violations at Aragonite, Utah facility
EPA Press Release:
(Denver, CO. – May 30, 2013) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)today announced an agreement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. (Clean Harbors) based in Norwell, Mass., resolving alleged violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) at its industrial waste incineration facility in Aragonite, Utah. As part of the settlement, Clean Harbors has agreed to pay a penalty of $39,900 and correct violations associated with the failure to appropriately report chemicals manufactured and used on site.
Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. to pay penalty for chemical reporting violations at Aragonite, Utah facility
Industrial waste incinerator resolves failure to report chemicals to Toxic Release Inventory
Contact: David Cobb, 303-312-6592; Matthew Allen, 303-312-6085
(Denver, CO. – May 30, 2013) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)today announced an agreement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. (Clean Harbors) based in Norwell, Mass., resolving alleged violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) at its industrial waste incineration facility in Aragonite, Utah. As part of the settlement, Clean Harbors has agreed to pay a penalty of $39,900 and correct violations associated with the failure to appropriately report chemicals manufactured and used on site.
“The failure of a facility to appropriately file toxic release forms deprives the public its right to know and undermines efforts to prevent pollution and respond to potential emergencies,” said Mike Gaydosh, EPA’s enforcement director in Denver. “EPA will take steps to ensure that companies provide citizens, elected officials, and public safety personnel with information about the chemicals they use and generate.”
Today’s agreement stems from an EPA inspection of the Clean Harbors facility on December 14, 2011 which found the facility manufactured and/or used sixteen regulated chemicals in excess of established reporting thresholds. EPA determined that Clean Harbors did not correctly report the presence or emissions of these chemicals at the Utah facility in 2010 by failing to file required Toxic Release Inventory forms for specific chemicals and providing inaccurate emission data. Clean Harbors has since addressed these deficiencies.
Community right- to-know requirements defined under EPCRA provide the public with critical information regarding the presence, use, and disposal of toxic chemicals in communities and help inform important pollution prevention and emergency response activities. EPA’s action is expected to improve compliance with EPCRA reporting requirements and ensure that facilities provide specific information about chemicals they process, manufacture, or otherwise use on site.
Reddy Ice Corporation to pay penalty and improve accident prevention and preparedness at Denver facility
EPA Press Release:
Reddy Ice Corporation to pay penalty and improve accident prevention and preparedness at Denver facility
Ice manufacturer to pay $61,500, improve management of anhydrous ammonia
Ice manufacturer to pay $61,500, improve management of anhydrous ammonia
Contact: David Cobb 303-312-6592; Mathew Allen 303-312-6085
(Denver, Colo. – May 30, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a Clean Air Act settlement in which the Reddy Ice Corporation (Reddy Ice), based in Dallas, Texas, has agreed to pay a $61,500 penalty and correct deficiencies associated with the risk management program at its facility in Denver, Colo.
According to the settlement, Reddy Ice allegedly violated the risk management plan provisions of the Clean Air Act by failing to ensure storage vessels containing hazardous chemicals were constructed according to industry standards and providing insufficient documentation in plans designed to mitigate on-site hazards. These deficiencies were discovered during an EPA inspection of the ice manufacturer’s facility in north Denver on December 5, 2010.
“Facilities that use chemicals and substances that pose a potential danger are responsible for having a robust risk management program in place,” said Mike Gaydosh, director of EPA’s enforcement program in Denver. “Failure to do so places the environment, employees, and nearby communities at risk.”
The Reddy Ice facility is subject to the risk management provisions of the Clean Air Act due to its on-site quantity of anhydrous ammonia, an acutely toxic chemical. As a result of the agreement, the company will take steps to ensure that process vessels containing ammonia are properly constructed and will update the facility’s risk management plan. Ready Ice has agreed to correct the deficiencies within 60 days.
Under the Clean Air Act, operations such as the Reddy Ice facility must develop and implement a risk management plan to assist with emergency preparedness, chemical release prevention, and minimization of releases that occur. EPA Inspectors found that the facility had not adequately implemented these regulations.
EPA’s action will benefit residents, including significant low-income and minority populations, in the vicinity of the Reddy Ice facility by reducing the possibility of exposure to anhydrous ammonia. This settlement will also ensure proper safety practices are in place to protect employees and first responders from the threat of dangerous chemical releases.
Tesoro to Pay $1.1 Million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations
EPA Press Release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 30, 2013
Tesoro to Pay $1.1 Million to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Tesoro Corporation, Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC, and Tesoro Alaska Company have agreed to pay a $1.1 million penalty to resolve claims that Tesoro failed to comply with requirements under the Clean Air Act (CAA) at four of its refining facilities that produce conventional gasoline.
In its complaint, EPA alleged that Tesoro failed to comply with recordkeeping, reporting, sampling, and testing requirements at its facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah; Mandan, N.D.; Anacortes, WA; and Kenai, AK.
"EPA’s fuels regulations are vital safeguards that protect our nation’s air quality,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "By taking action against violations of these regulations, EPA is not only protecting people’s health, but is also ensuring a level playing field for refiners that play by the rules."
The settlement requires that Tesoro implement an environmental compliance and auditing plan which is designed to prevent future violations and ensure compliance with EPA’s fuels regulations.
The EPA’s fuel regulations require that all fuel produced, imported and sold in the United States meet certain standards. Fuel that does not meet the applicable standards could lead to an increase in emissions of harmful pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds and cancer-causing air toxics.
The sampling, testing, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements of the fuels program provide the foundation for EPA’s compliance program. Refiners that violate these requirements undermine the integrity of the fuel regulations and hinderthe Agency’s ability to ensure gasoline complies with fuel quality and performance standards, potentially leading to an increase in harmful air pollution.
Public Comments Sought on Proposed Coal Ash Cleanup Settlement with Rotary Drilling Supply in Jefferson County, Mo.
EPA Press Release:
Environmental News
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7
11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
Public Comments Sought on Proposed Coal Ash Cleanup Settlement with Rotary Drilling Supply in Jefferson County, Mo.
Contact Information: David Bryan, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Lenexa, Kan., May 30, 2013) - EPA Region 7 and Rotary Drilling have reached a proposed agreement to address environmental impacts from the unauthorized disposal of approximately 140,000 tons of coal ash from the Rush Island Power Plant owned and operated by Union Electric Company (d/b/a Ameren Missouri). EPA is accepting public comment on the settlement pursuant to the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
In an administrative order on consent (AOC), EPA alleges that the dumping of the coal ash on property owned by Rotary Drilling Supply, Inc., located in Jefferson County, Mo., impacted wetlands, an unnamed tributary to Plattin Creek, and a portion of Willers Lake. The coal ash contains environmentally harmful metals that migrate into adjacent surface waters.
Between October 2004 and September 2008, Rotary Drilling and another company, Mineral Resource Technologies, Inc., contracted with Kleinschmidt Trucking, Inc., to haul and dispose of approximately 95,000 tons of coal ash to the Rotary Drilling site. During that time period, Mineral Resource Technologies, Inc., contracted with Union Electric Company to find and secure locations for coal ash disposal. In 2007, Union Electric contracted directly with Kleinschmidt Trucking, Inc., to haul and dispose of approximately 45,000 tons of coal ash from the Rush Island Power Plant at Rotary Drilling’s property.
EPA’s proposed settlement, issued pursuant to federal RCRA authority, requires Rotary Drilling to abate impacts of the coal ash disposal by placing a protective cap over the coal ash piles and installing controls to prevent the continued migration of coal ash constituents into wetlands and other surface waters.
Additionally, Rotary Drilling must mitigate for lost wetland functions by purchasing wetland mitigation bank credits. Wetland mitigation bank credits involve the restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation of a wetland, stream, or habitat conservation area to offset adverse impacts to similar nearby ecosystems. The goal is to replace the function and value of the specific wetland habitats that have been adversely impacted.
A copy of the Administrative Record is located at the Crystal City Public Library, 736 Mississippi Ave., Crystal City, MO 63019. EPA invites the public to comment on the AOC. The 30-day public comment period opens on May 30, 2013, and runs through June 28, 2013.
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EPA Recognizes U.S. Coast Guard for Efficient, Green Cleanup of Curtis Bay Yard Superfund Site
EPA Press Release:
EPA Recognizes U.S. Coast Guard for Efficient, Green Cleanup
of Curtis Bay Yard Superfund Site
BALTIMORE (May 30, 2013) - The U.S. Coast Guard has completed cleanup construction activity at the Curtis Bay Yard Superfund site in Anne Arundel County, Md., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.
EPA provided oversight of the massive 11-year cleanup project and the U.S. Coast Guard led the cleanup effort, which included excavating thousands of tons of contaminated soil and sediment while making use of innovative green practices.
“This cleanup will ensure a healthy environment for the Curtis Bay Yard and the surrounding community, and help with Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Not only did the Coast Guard work quickly and efficiently at this site, but its use of green practices proudly reflects the Coast Guard’s commitment to environmental stewardship.”
The contaminants of concern at the site included semi-volatile organic compounds, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxin.
The Coast Guard’s green remediation included recycling materials, creating green space and minimizing hazardous waste. Overall during the cleanup, 2,616 tons of concrete were recycled and about 25,000 tons of contaminated soil were treated onsite so it could be shipped to a non-hazardous waste landfill. This saved more than 500,000 truck miles and approximately
$6 million compared to sending the soil to a hazardous waste landfill. In addition, approximately 20 tons of steel were recycled.
"Eleven years ago, the Coast Guard Yard was placed on the National Priorities List to address contamination from past practices going all the way back to the Yard's start in 1899,” said Captain Richard K. Murphy, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Yard. “This began a very productive partnership with EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment culminating in the remediation of all identified sites. Today, the Yard is a leader in the field of environmental management, and we continue to partner with the EPA and MDE to ensure a healthy environment for the Yard, our neighbors, as well as protecting the vital ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay."
The Chesapeake Bay benefits from this cleanup in several ways. Low impact storm water designs were used to help absorb water into the ground during heavy rains instead of uncontrolled run-off with potential pollutants. These designs replace solid concrete with porous pavers and add more green space with grass, trees and shrubs.
In addition to using innovative remediation, the Coast Guard also chose to clean up the Yard to the more stringent residential cleanup standards rather than using the industrial standards. This creates more options for future use of the property.
The Coast Guard Yard, located six miles southeast of downtown Baltimore, is a 113-acre ship repair facility used to design, build and repair state-of-the-art ships and boats. The facility incorporates many sustainable manufacturing practices including creating its own electricity from landfill gas at an on-site co-generation plant. The crane electrification project further reduces the Yard’s carbon footprint.
EPA to Make Major Announcement about Raritan Bay Superfund Site
EPA Press Release:
EPA to Make Major Announcement about Raritan Bay Superfund Site
At Laurence Harbor
RESCHEDULED EVENT TO BE HELD TOMORROW
Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664 office, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov or Jennifer May, 212-637-3658 office, 646-369-0039 cell
(New York, NY – May 30, 2013) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck will be joined by Congressmember Frank Pallone and Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry to a major announcement about the cleanup of lead contamination at the Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site in Old Bridge and Sayreville, New Jersey. The Raritan Bay Slag site was significantly impacted by Hurricane Sandy, but work to address those impacts is under way and has not altered EPA’s plans for an overall cleanup at the site.
What: Raritan Bay Slag Superfund site announcement
Who: Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator
Congressmember Frank Pallone
Old Bridge Mayor Owen Henry
When/Where:
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 10:30 am
Beach front at 1 Laurence Parkway, Laurence Harbor, NJ
(Venue is located behind Hoffman’s deli/pharmacy)
Rain location: Recreation Center at the same location.
13-052 # # #
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
EPA Proposes Rules to Protect Americans from Exposure to Formaldehyde
EPA News Release:
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed two rules to help protect Americans from exposure to the harmful chemical formaldehyde, consistent with a Federal law unanimously passed by Congress in 2010. These rules ensure that composite wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States meet the formaldehyde emission standards established by Congress.
Formaldehyde is used in adhesives to make a wide range of building materials and products. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause adverse public health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, other respiratory symptoms and, in certain cases, cancer.
“The proposed regulations announced today reflect EPA’s continued efforts to protect the public from exposure to harmful chemicals in their daily lives,” said James J. Jones, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Once final, the rules will reduce the public’s exposure to this harmful chemical found in many products in our homes and workplaces."
In 2010, Congress passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, or Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which establishes emission standards for formaldehyde from composite wood products and directs EPA to propose rules to enforce the act’s provisions. EPA’s proposed rules align, where practical, with the requirements for composite wood products set by the California Air Resources Board, putting in place national standards for companies that manufacture or import these products. EPA’s national rules will also encourage an ongoing industry trend towards switching to no-added formaldehyde resins in composite wood products.
EPA's first proposal limits how much formaldehyde may be emitted from hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and finished goods, that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, manufactured, or imported in the United States. The emitted formaldehyde may be left over from the resin or composite wood making process or be released when the resin degrades in the presence of heat and humidity. This proposal also includes testing requirements, laminated product provisions, product labeling requirements, chain of custody documentation, recordkeeping, a stockpiling prohibition, and enforcement provisions. It also includes a common-sense exemption from some testing and record-keeping requirements for products made with no-added formaldehyde resins.
The second proposal establishes a third-party certification framework designed to ensure that manufacturers of composite wood products meet the TSCA formaldehyde emission standards by having their composite wood products certified though an accredited third-party certifier. It would also establish eligibility requirements and responsibilities for third-party certifier's and the EPA-recognized accreditation bodies who would accredit them. This robust proposed third-party certification program will level the playing field by ensuring composite wood products sold in this country meet the emission standards in the rule regardless of whether they were made in the United States or not.
More on Formaldehyde Proposals: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/formaldehyde/index.html
More on EPA’s TSCA Work Plan chemical effort: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/workplans.html
R100
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 29, 2013
EPA Proposes Rules to Protect Americans from Exposure to Formaldehyde
May 29, 2013
EPA Proposes Rules to Protect Americans from Exposure to Formaldehyde
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed two rules to help protect Americans from exposure to the harmful chemical formaldehyde, consistent with a Federal law unanimously passed by Congress in 2010. These rules ensure that composite wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States meet the formaldehyde emission standards established by Congress.
Formaldehyde is used in adhesives to make a wide range of building materials and products. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause adverse public health effects including eye, nose and throat irritation, other respiratory symptoms and, in certain cases, cancer.
“The proposed regulations announced today reflect EPA’s continued efforts to protect the public from exposure to harmful chemicals in their daily lives,” said James J. Jones, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Once final, the rules will reduce the public’s exposure to this harmful chemical found in many products in our homes and workplaces."
In 2010, Congress passed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, or Title VI of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which establishes emission standards for formaldehyde from composite wood products and directs EPA to propose rules to enforce the act’s provisions. EPA’s proposed rules align, where practical, with the requirements for composite wood products set by the California Air Resources Board, putting in place national standards for companies that manufacture or import these products. EPA’s national rules will also encourage an ongoing industry trend towards switching to no-added formaldehyde resins in composite wood products.
EPA's first proposal limits how much formaldehyde may be emitted from hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and finished goods, that are sold, supplied, offered for sale, manufactured, or imported in the United States. The emitted formaldehyde may be left over from the resin or composite wood making process or be released when the resin degrades in the presence of heat and humidity. This proposal also includes testing requirements, laminated product provisions, product labeling requirements, chain of custody documentation, recordkeeping, a stockpiling prohibition, and enforcement provisions. It also includes a common-sense exemption from some testing and record-keeping requirements for products made with no-added formaldehyde resins.
The second proposal establishes a third-party certification framework designed to ensure that manufacturers of composite wood products meet the TSCA formaldehyde emission standards by having their composite wood products certified though an accredited third-party certifier. It would also establish eligibility requirements and responsibilities for third-party certifier's and the EPA-recognized accreditation bodies who would accredit them. This robust proposed third-party certification program will level the playing field by ensuring composite wood products sold in this country meet the emission standards in the rule regardless of whether they were made in the United States or not.
More on Formaldehyde Proposals: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/chemtest/formaldehyde/index.html
More on EPA’s TSCA Work Plan chemical effort: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/workplans.html
R100
EPA to announce Coast Guard’s Completion of Superfund Cleanup at Curtis Bay Yard That Emphasized Green Technologies
EPA News Release:
May 29, 2013
EPA to announce Coast Guard’s Completion of Superfund Cleanup
at Curtis Bay Yard That Emphasized Green Technologies
When: 11 a.m., Thursday, May 30, 2013
W here: U.S Coast Guard Yard – Curtis Bay
2401 Hawkins Point Road, Baltimore, Md. (located in Anne Arundel County, off Exit #1, I-695)
On a “ship-lift” near the water with a ships in the background
Who:
EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin
Rear Admiral Ronald J. Rábago, Assistant Commandant for Engineering & Logistics, USCG
Maryland Department of the Environment Director of the Land Management Administration Horacio Tablada
What:
The U.S. EPA will announce the U.S. Coast Guard’s completed remediation of the final contamination site at the Curtis Bay Yard Superfund Site, which begins the process of removing the site from the EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL), commonly known as the Superfund Program. The ceremony will also recognize the Coast Guard for its use of green technologies to clean up waste from contaminated sites within the shipyard’s 113-acres that required remediation over the past 11 years. The Coast Guard will highlight additional projects at the Yard that reflect their commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Logistics:
Enter at the main, and only, entrance. Security will direct you to Building #1 where you can park in front of the building.
Aerial Survey Shows Radiological Wastes Contained in Secure Areas of West Lake Landfill; No Public Health Risks Posed
EPA Press Release:
Environmental News
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7
11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
Aerial Survey Shows Radiological Wastes Contained in Secure Areas of West Lake Landfill; No Public Health Risks Posed
Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Lenexa, Kan., May 29, 2013) - A March 2013 aerial survey of the West Lake Landfill at Bridgeton, Mo., has determined that radiologically-contaminated wastes buried there in the 1970s remain contained within secure, fenced areas of the Superfund site, and do not pose public health risks, according to a report issued today by EPA Region 7.
Region 7 requested the survey, which was conducted March 8 by EPA’s Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology (ASPECT) Program, to gather data to help inform future decisions about the Superfund site. An ASPECT airplane with a pilot, co-pilot, technician and scientific equipment on board flew multiple low-altitude passes over the site and adjacent residential and industrial properties to identify surface areas that emit gamma radiation.
“The results of the ASPECT survey are consistent with previous studies that indicate the site’s radiological wastes remain contained inside Operable Unit 1,” EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said. “The site is securely fenced and clearly marked with warning signs. Under these conditions, this material poses no health risks to the public. A person would have to illegally trespass onto the site to be exposed to elevated levels of radiation.”
Previous radiation screening surveys of the site, performed in 1994 and 1995, used ground-based detection equipment. Due to the overgrowth of small trees and heavy vegetation on significant portions of the site since those surveys, Region 7 chose instead to conduct an aerial survey using the ASPECT airplane.
The ASPECT survey is part of EPA’s work to update information collected through prior investigations. The 200-acre site encompasses several inactive areas of closed sanitary and demolition fills, including two areas where leached barium sulfate waste from World War II-era nuclear weapons manufacturing was buried in the 1970s; and the separate Bridgeton Sanitary Landfill.
EPA added the West Lake Landfill Site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1990. In 2008, the Agency signed a Record of Decision (ROD) which selected a remedy of containing the radiologically-contaminated material in place, constructing an engineered protective earthen cap for the landfill, installing and operating a system of groundwater monitoring wells around the site’s perimeter, institutional (or land use) controls, and long-term maintenance of the remedy.
After the ROD was signed, EPA continued to receive public comments about the selected remedy. In response to those comments, in 2010 EPA tasked the four Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) – the U.S. Department of Energy, Cotter Corporation, Bridgeton Landfill LLC and Rock Road Industries LLC – to conduct a Supplemental Feasibility Study (SFS). This study further evaluated EPA’s selected remedy, and alternatives involving excavation of the radiologically-contaminated landfill material and disposal of it at a permitted off-site facility or in a new, secured on-site disposal cell.
Because the estimated costs for each alternative remedy outlined by the SFS exceeded a $25 million threshold, Region 7 was required to consult with EPA’s National Remedy Review Board (NRRB). In 2012, the NRRB suggested additional groundwater sampling, a more detailed study of a partial excavation remedy, and a more detailed analysis of potential treatment technologies for use on the radiologically-contaminated landfill material. EPA Region 7 has tasked the PRPs to perform the additional sampling and analyses.
Region 7 requested the March 2013 ASPECT survey to gather additional data as it reconsiders the final remedy selected for the site. EPA also tasked the PRPs to conduct four seasonal rounds of groundwater sampling. The first round of groundwater sampling was made public in January. The second round was completed in April, and the results from that sampling analysis are currently being reviewed. The third and fourth rounds of groundwater sampling are expected to be completed by the end of 2013.
Region 7 will hold a public meeting next month to further discuss the results of the ASPECT survey, the second round of groundwater sampling, and plans for further investigation of West Lake Landfill. The meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 25, in the auditorium at Pattonville High School, 2497 Creve Coeur Road, Maryland Heights, Mo., 63043.
Full text of the ASPECT survey report and results of previous groundwater sampling at the site are available online at www.epa.gov/region7/cleanup/npl_files/index.htm#westlake.
# # #
Farm Services Cooperative, of Shelby, Iowa, to Pay $21,450 Civil Penalty for Sale of Restricted Use Pesticides
EPA Press Release:
Environmental News
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7
11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
Farm Services Cooperative, of Shelby, Iowa, to Pay $21,450 Civil Penalty for Sale of Restricted Use Pesticides
Contact Information: Ben Washburn, 913-551-7364, washburn.ben@epa.gov
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Lenexa, Kan., May 29, 2013) - Farm Services Cooperative, of Shelby, Iowa, has agreed to pay a $21,450 civil penalty to the United States for the unauthorized sales of restricted use pesticides.
According to an administrative consent agreement filed by EPA Region 7 in Lenexa, Kan., Farm Services Cooperative on three occasions sold restricted use pesticides to an individual that was not certified to apply such pesticides, violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship conducted an inspection of the Shelby facility on Nov. 19, 2012. The inspector documented the sale of the restricted use pesticides Atrazine and Grazon to persons not certified to apply such pesticides on three occasions in May and June of the same year.
Restricted use pesticides are highly toxic chemicals whose misuse may pose significant potential harm to human health or to the environment. Under FIFRA, a restricted use pesticide shall be applied only by or under the direct supervision of a certified applicator. Sale or distribution of restricted use pesticides to persons not certified to apply such products and their subsequent misuse or misapplication may result in environmental harm or in injury or death to persons.
As part of its settlement with the EPA, Farm Services Cooperative has certified that it is presently in compliance with FIFRA and its regulations.
# # #
Bootbay.com
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Endangered Sea Turtle Feeding Grounds Discovered in Gulf
USGS Press Release:
Endangered Sea Turtle Feeding Grounds Discovered in Gulf
Turtles dine in waters affected by oil spills, fishing and oxygen depletion
Released: 5/28/2013 1:08:56 PM
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Links and contacts within this release are valid at the time of publication.
Endangered Sea Turtle Feeding Grounds Discovered in Gulf
Turtles dine in waters affected by oil spills, fishing and oxygen depletion
Released: 5/28/2013 1:08:56 PM
| Contact Information: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communications and Publishing 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119 Reston, VA 20192 | Donna Shaver Phone: 361-949-8173, ext. 226 Kristen Hart  Phone: 954-236-1067 |
| CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The favored feeding grounds of the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle coincide with some Gulf of Mexico waters that are subject to oil spills, extensive commercial fishing and oxygen depletion. These first-of-their kind details on foraging locations and migration patterns of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle are from a new National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey study, providing resource managers new information on how best to manage the species. Scientists do not know why the turtles feed where they do, how human influences may affect turtle health or behavior, or whether human impacts on their chosen feeding areas might change their future foraging behavior. The researchers identified the feeding grounds of the Kemp’s ridley, considered the most endangered and smallest hard-shelled sea turtle in the world, by analyzing 13 years of satellite-tracking data. The researchers tagged turtles at nesting sites between 1998 and 2011 and tracked them as they went on to foraging locations throughout the Gulf. Turtles from two major nesting sites in the study fed at specific locations off the coasts of Louisiana and Mississippi and at other locations in the Gulf. Donna Shaver, chief of the National Park Service’s Sea Turtle Science and Recovery Division at Padre Island National Seashore, said, “Protecting feeding grounds for adult female sea turtles is important for the recovery of the species and this new information is important for future planning and restoration decisions.” Cooperative efforts between Mexico and several U.S. agencies have helped increase the population of this species of sea turtle. Species support includes protection of nesting turtles and their eggs on nesting beaches and reducing threats from fishing. The number of Kemp’s ridleys nesting in the region has increased from 702 nests in 1985 to about 22,000 in 2012. The research, in which dozens of adult female sea turtles were tagged after they nested on the beach at Padre Island National Seashore offers a “first glimpse” of how and when the turtles feed, said Kristen Hart, a research ecologist for the USGS Southeast Ecological Science Center. “We were able to decipher Kemp’s ridleys foraging behavior in space and time using a combination of satellite telemetry and new statistical techniques.” Previous tracking studies generally showed Kemp’s ridley migration from nesting beaches along the Gulf of Mexico coastline to northern Texas and Louisiana with some turtles migrating as far as peninsular Florida. Until the current study, it was not known whether turtles displayed movement behavior indicative of foraging or migration at a particular location. The modeling done as part of the study has allowed scientists to pinpoint where these turtles may be feeding, a key finding in terms of identifying important at-sea habitats for these imperiled turtles. In addition to tagging turtles at Padre Island, Shaver said the researchers tagged turtles at nesting sites in Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, about 200 miles south of Padre Island. Shaver added, “This is the first time we’ve tracked the Mexican turtles to habitats in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.” The feeding habitat discovery came when scientists differentiated time the sea turtles spent in feeding or breeding mode from the time spent migrating. Once scientists located when and where the turtles were feeding, they were also able to coarsely profile what type of habitat offered the best feeding grounds for Kemp’s ridleys. “We have a lot more to learn about how and why Kemp’s ridleys use their foraging sites,” Hart said. “We don’t know enough about individual turtles yet to draw conclusions about their behavioral responses to conditions at foraging grounds, and we are just beginning to understand differences among different sea turtles species. For example, Kemp’s ridleys appear to migrate, then feed, and then migrate to a final feeding destination. Loggerheads, in contrast, seem to head straight for feeding hotpots.” Hart added, “We plan to continue fleshing out the major scientific gaps that managers need addressed in order to develop long-term survival and recovery plans for Kemp’s ridleys.” Read the study, “Foraging area fidelity for Kemp’s ridleys in the Gulf of Mexico,” in the journal Ecology and Evolution. About Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles The Kemp''s ridley turtles are considered the smallest sea turtle in the world, with adults reaching about 2 feet long and weighing up to 100 pounds. They are found in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic seaboard and feed primarily on crab species living on the sea floor (or benthos) of shallow waters. Their name comes from a fisherman named Richard Kemp of Key West, Florida, who provided the specimen used to describe the species in 1880. They are related to olive ridleys, another small sea turtle found around the world. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are listed in the U.S. and internationally as endangered throughout their range due to dramatic population declines in the 20th century. The vast majority of Kemp’s ridleys converge on three major sites in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico every year to nest. In the early 1960s, a film was discovered that showed an estimated 40,000 females nesting at one particular site – Rancho Nuevo – on one day. Threats to Kemp’s ridleys once included egg collection, overhunting, and unintentional capture during fisheries operations. Today, most of their nesting occurs on protected lands. Nonetheless, nesting habitat is still sometimes disturbed by natural and human events such as hurricanes, oil spills, or erosion. Also, activities that affect the seafloor (what scientists call benthic habitat) can disturb their feeding habitat. This includes bottom trawling and dredging. Another known threat is incidental capture, or unintentional by-catch, in fishing gear. Although conservation efforts began in the 1960s, the number of nesting females continued to decline. By 1978, the U.S. and Mexico started a multi-agency effort to safeguard Kemp’s ridleys from extinction by encouraging nesting at Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. Biologists have since been monitoring nesting activity, and there has been an increase in the number of nests since 1985. END About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov. |
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