Verizon Green Team Reaches 15,000 Members

Verizon’s environmental employee-volunteer group, known as the Green Team, has now reached 15,000 members. The Green Team celebrates this great milestone by planting 5,000 additional trees, and reflects on all the great work the team has done to date.

The Green Team consists of employees in 27 different countries, all united by their passion for protecting our environment. Since the team’s inception in 2009, our members have participated in more than 500 volunteer events, including habitat cleanups, tree plantings and recycling rallies. The recycling rallies and other events have enabled the company to collect and recycle over 1.5 million pounds of e-waste and 2.9 million no-longer-used phones.

Verizon Green Team Reaches 15,000 Members

EPA Awards over $131,000 to Oklahoma to Protect Groundwater

EPA Press Release:

EPA Awards over $131,000 to Oklahoma to Protect Groundwater  

DALLAS – (July 29, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) $131,843, to ensure continued protection of groundwater in Oklahoma. The EPA has delegated authority to the OCC to administer and enforce the underground injection control (UIC) program in Oklahoma. The funds will be used to issue permits for injection wells that meet program requirements and for shutting down wells when pollution has occurred. The funds will also be used to inventory injection wells, perform technical reviews of all permit applications, perform on-site field investigations and conduct interviews and visual observations for compliance assurance. 

The mission of the EPA is to protect public health. This grant helps ensure American citizens have safe sources of drinking water through a cooperative effort between the EPA, state and tribal governments. The UIC program works toward protecting underground sources of drinking water from contamination by regulating the construction and operation of injection wells. 

Connect with EPA Region 6: 
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6 
Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm

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Historic Clean Water Act settlement will prevent millions of gallons of sewage discharges into San Francisco Bay

EPA Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 28, 2014

CONTACT: Suzanne Skadowski, 415-972-3165 / 415-265-2863, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov

Historic Clean Water Act settlement will prevent millions of gallons of sewage discharges into San Francisco Bay

Seven East Bay communities, municipal utility district to repair systems, pay civil penalties

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a Clean Water Act settlement requiring the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and seven East Bay communities to conduct extensive system repairs aimed at eliminating millions of gallons of sewage discharges into San Francisco Bay. Under today’s agreement, EBMUD and the communities will assess and upgrade their 1,500 mile-long sewer system infrastructure over a 21-year period. The work is expected to cost approximately $1.5 billion. The entities will pay civil penalties of $1.5 million for past sewage discharges that violated federal environmental law.

Since 2009, EPA, state and local regulators and environmental groups have worked to reduce sewage discharges from East Bay communities. During that period, interim actions required EBMUD and the East Bay communities to improve their sewer maintenance practices and gather information to identify priorities for investment.

The San Francisco Bay covers 1,600 square miles and is the largest Pacific estuary in the Americas, a host for millions of migratory birds and a hub of commerce and recreation for more than 7 million Bay Area residents.

Unfortunately, the Bay is under threat from many sources of pollution, including crumbling wastewater infrastructure that allows sewage to escape from the system. During rainstorms, in particular, older sewer systems can be overwhelmed, releasing rivers of sewage before fully treated.

In addition to polluting waterways, raw and partially treated sewage can spread disease-causing organisms, metals, and nutrients that threaten public health. Sewage can also deplete oxygen in the bay, threatening fish, seals and other wildlife.

“For many years, the health of San Francisco Bay has been imperiled by ongoing pollution, including enormous discharges of raw and partially treated sewage from communities in the East Bay,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Many of these discharges are the result of aging, deteriorated sewer infrastructure that will be fixed under the EPA order.”

Today’s settlement is the result of a Clean Water Act enforcement action brought by the EPA, U.S. Department of Justice, State Water Resources Control Board, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board, San Francisco Baykeeper and Our Children’s Earth Foundation.

“This settlement will result in major reductions of sewage discharges into the San Francisco Bay,” said W. Benjamin Fisherow, Chief of Environmental Enforcement in the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.  “These improvements will help reach our goal of eliminating pollution in the neighborhoods in these cities and in the Bay so that citizens may rest assured that they reside in a safe, clean environment.”

The seven East Bay communities in the EBMUD settlement are:

City of Alameda

City of Albany

City of Berkeley

City of Emeryville

City of Oakland

City of Piedmont

Stege Sanitary District (serving El Cerrito, Kensington, and a portion of Richmond)

“The public has been required to repair their own sewer laterals for over two years now, so it is past time that the local agencies aggressively repair their sewer systems,” said Bruce Wolfe, Executive Officer of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board. “This settlement spells out how the agencies will work with the public over the next 21 years to do just that and protect the Bay.”

“Baykeeper will be watching the progress of these repairs closely to ensure that pollution of San Francisco Bay is reduced and eventually eliminated, and we will take action if the repairs fall short,” said Baykeeper Executive Director Deb Self. 

On an annual basis, hundreds of millions of gallons of raw and partially treated sewage are discharged directly to San Francisco Bay. Also, as much as 600,000 gallons of raw sewage from community sewer systems is first discharged onto streets and other public areas—through outlets such as manhole covers—before it drains to the Bay.

As part of the agreement, EBMUD and the seven communities will:

repair and rehabilitate old and cracked sewer pipes;

regularly clean and inspect sewer pipes to prevent overflows of raw sewage;

identify and eliminate illegal sewer connections;

continue to enforce private sewer lateral ordinances; and

ensure proactive renewal of existing sanitary sewer infrastructure.

EBMUD will also immediately begin work to offset the environmental harm caused by the sewage discharges, which are expected to continue until these sewer upgrades are completed, by capturing and treating urban runoff and contaminated water that currently flows to the Bay untreated during dry weather.

Keeping raw sewage and contaminated storm water out of the waters of the United States is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives.

The proposed settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.

Read the settlement at: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html

Learn more about EPA’s national wastewater enforcement initiative at: http://go.usa.gov/5pak

EPA is working to restore San Francisco Bay, learn more at: http://www2.epa.gov/sfbay-delta

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EPA Region 9 in California:  http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-california

Twitter!  https://twitter.com/EPAregion9

Facebook!  https://www.facebook.com/EPAregion9

Newsletter: http://www.epa.gov/region9/newsletter/index.html

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EPA cuts emissions at Navajo Generating Station, protecting public health, preserving tribal jobs and improving visibility at the Grand Canyon

EPA Press Release:

For Immediate Release: July 28, 2014

Contact:  Margot Perez-Sullivan, (415) 947-4149, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov

EPA cuts emissions at Navajo Generating Station, protecting public health, preserving tribal jobs and improving visibility at the Grand Canyon

SAN FRANCISCO –Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized its rule to reduce harmful pollution from Navajo Generating Station (NGS), the culmination of five years of efforts between the federal government and tribes, utilities, water users and environmental groups. NGS, one of the biggest sources of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in the country, is a 2,250 megawatt coal-fired power plant located on the Navajo Nation outside Page, Arizona, and less than 20 miles from the Grand Canyon.

Each year, more than 4.4 million people travel to the Grand Canyon, spending $467 million and supporting nearly 7,400 jobs. Yet, the spectacular vistas of the Grand Canyon and 10 other national parks in the region are often clouded by a veil of haze created by air pollution, including NOx. When fully implemented by 2030, the EPA plan will reduce NOx emissions by about 80 percent and the visual impairment from NGS by roughly 73 percent at 11 national parks and wilderness areas.

“By cutting pollution from NGS, millions of visitors will see the magnificent vistas of the Grand Canyon with greater clarity," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "This flexible and practical solution will also generate critical tribal revenues, improve public health, provide long-term certainty to power and water utilities and set the stage for a transition to a clean energy future."

In crafting today’s rule, EPA held five public hearings, had 50 consultations with tribes and considered 77,000 public comments. EPA’s final action on NGS follows two proposals released in 2013 to cut NOx emissions at the plant.

Navajo Generating Station, built in the mid-1970s, is owned by several entities, including the Bureau of Reclamation, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Arizona Public Service, NV Energy, Tucson Electric Project and Salt River Project, which also operates the plant.  A portion of the power generated by NGS pumps Colorado River water to tribes, agricultural users and municipalities; the remaining power is sold to support tribal water settlement agreements.

In recent years, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and NV Energy, which collectively own almost one third of the facility, announced their intentions to divest from NGS. Recognizing the importance of NGS to Arizona tribes, the EPA plan gives the remaining owners a flexible timeline to address ownership changes while meeting the emissions reductions required by the Clean Air Act.

Under the Clean Air Act, Congress set a long-term, mandatory goal of restoring natural visibility conditions in numerous national parks and wilderness areas throughout the United States, known as Class I Areas. The Clean Air Act’s Regional Haze Rule requires the use of Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) at older coal-fired power plants to reduce haze and improve visibility.

In addition to impairing visibility, NOx reacts with other airborne chemicals to form ozone and small particulates -- both harmful to human health. Ozone forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of heat and sunlight. Children, the elderly, people with lung ailments such as asthma, and people who work or exercise outside are at risk for adverse effects from ozone and particulate matter.

Acknowledging the significance of NGS to the region, EPA, Department of the Interior and Department of Energy signed a commitment last year to help develop clean, affordable and reliable power, as well as sustainable water supplies and economic development, while minimizing impacts on those who rely NGS, including municipalities, tribes and agricultural users.

For more information, please go to: http://www.epa.gov/region9/air/navajo/

EPA, Department of Justice, state, and environmental groups will announce a major Clean Water Act settlement with the East Bay Municipal Utility District and East Bay communities

EPA Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 28, 2014

MEDIA CONTACT: Suzanne Skadowski, 415-972-3165 / 265-2863, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov

***MEDIA ADVISORY***

EPA, Department of Justice, state, and environmental groups will announce a major Clean Water Act settlement with the East Bay Municipal Utility District and East Bay communities

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Justice, State and Regional Water Boards, and environmental groups will host a media conference at Crown Memorial State Beach at 11am on Monday, July 28, to announce a major Clean Water Act settlement agreement with the East Bay Municipal Utility District, Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Piedmont, and the Stege Sanitary District to stop sewage discharges to San Francisco Bay.

Who:              

Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator, US EPA Pacific Southwest Region

Ben Fisherow, Environmental Enforcement Chief, US Department of Justice

Bruce Wolfe, Executive Officer, SF Bay Regional Water Board

Deb Self, Executive Director, San Francisco Baykeeper

Annie Beaman, Our Children's Earth Foundation

When: 

Monday, July 28, 2014, 11:00 am

Where:

Crown Memorial State Beach

Westline Drive and Shoreline Drive, Alameda, CA

(Park Map and Directions)

*Event will be on the beach just south of the southernmost beach parking lot, near the corner of Westline Drive and Shoreline Drive, south of Boardsports Windsurf Rentals.

*Note: $5 state parking fee

Visuals:          

San Francisco Bay where wastewater overflows have occurred      

Beachgoers, kite boarders, windsurfers, swimmers, fishermen, boaters

Examples of deteriorated sewer pipes and new replacement sewer pipes

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EPA to Hold Public Hearings on Clean Power Plan

EPA News Release:

CONTACT:Enesta Jones (News Media only)Jones.enesta@epa.gov 202-564-7873 202-564-4355 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 28, 2014 EPA to Hold Public Hearings on Clean Power Plan Public hearings being held in Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Denver and Washington, D.C.  WASHINGTON –  Starting tomorrow, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold four, two-day public hearings, across the country on the proposed Clean Power Plan. The hearings will be held in Washington D.C., Atlanta, Denver and Pittsburgh, and will provide the opportunity for interested parties to comment on the proposed rule before it takes effect. The Washington D.C. hearing will be held on July 29 and 30. At the direction of President Obama and after an unprecedented outreach effort, EPA released the Clean Power Plan, which for the first time seeks to cut carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. EPA predicts that when the proposed plan is fully implemented in 2030, carbon emissions from these sources will be 30 percent below 2005 levels. The proposal will protect public health, move the United States toward a cleaner environment and fight climate change while supplying Americans with reliable and affordable power. EPA has received around 300,000 comments on the proposal, and anticipates hearing oral comments from about 1,600 people. Each location will have two rooms to accommodate attendees and as many speakers as possible. Speaking slots are still available in Pittsburgh; however, all speaking times for Washington, D.C., Denver and Atlanta are fully booked. People can comment on the proposal by email, fax or letter: EPA considers all comments equally, no matter how they are submitted. The comment period on the proposal is open until October 16, 2014. WHO: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency WHAT: Public hearing in Washington, D.C. on the proposed Clean Power Plan WHEN: July 29-30, 2014 The hearings will begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m. EDT WHERE: William Jefferson Clinton East Building, Room 1153 1201 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20004 MEDIA RSVP: All media who would like to attend the public hearing in Washington, D.C. should RSVP topress@epa.gov by 5 p.m. EDT on July 28, so we can include your name on our security list. Please bring picture identification and allow additional time to enter the buildings and go through security. A large number of attendees are expected, and space will be first-come, first-serve. Speaking schedules will be posted prior to the meeting. More information about the hearing closest to you as well as what constitutes valid photo identification for entering federal facilities. Staff will be available to accommodate interested attendees who need assistance with federal ID requirements: http://www2.epa.gov/carbon-pollution-standards/forms/public-hearings-clean-power-plan-proposed-rule Instructions for submitting comments in writing: http://go.usa.gov/XzNH R187

Governor Quinn Orders EPA to Stop PCB Waste Disposal at Clinton Landfill

Illinois.gov - Illinois Government News Network (IGNN) - Search the News Results

Conservation Work Restores Habitat for At-Risk Wildlife and Plants on Hawaiian Island

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Butch Haase, Molokai Land Trust, on July 28, 2014 at 11:30 AM

NRCS Soil Conservationist Jessica Ludgate with Molokai Land Trust Executive Director Butch Haase monitor growth of native plants at Hui Ho'olana’s nursery. NRCS photo. Photo used with permission.

The Molokai Land Trust (MLT) is a partner of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in its efforts to restore native landscapes on the Island of Molokai in Hawaii. MLT and NRCS have partnered together on many projects, including the one highlighted in this post. Justin Fritscher, NRCS.

The endangered wedge-tailed shearwater and other at-risk plant and wildlife species find sanctuary in the coastal dune ecosystem of Hawaii. But like many native ecosystems in the state, this one suffers from the effects of human development and invasive plants and animals.

In an effort to restore ecosystems in the region, the Molokai Land Trust, or MLT, on the Island of Molokai, is working to restore and replant native vegetation and remove threats from invasive species.

MLT is working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides technical and financial assistance for conservation improvements.

Much of the lowland and dryland areas of the Hawaiian Islands have been severely degraded by human impact and introduction of invasive plant and animal species. In many of these areas, the typical landscape is more reminiscent of dry Africa rather than Hawaii.

This change in land has serious impacts for the wedge-tailed shearwater, a seabird native to the tropical Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean regions, as well as a number of plant species.

Four years ago, MLT’s staff discovered a single endangered ohai plant growing in its Mokio Preserve just outside of the land enrolled in a conservation program offered by NRCS.

It may have been a century since the ohai plant was last documented in this area, and only two other sites further east of the Mokio Preserve have naturally occurring populations of ohai. The total number of wild plants on the island is probably less than 50.

The nursery operation produces more than 15,000 plants each year for the Molokai Land Trust. Molokai Land Trust photo. Photo used with permission.

MLT collected seeds from this one plant and cultivated the seedlings in a nursery located at a partnering nonprofit education center, Hui Ho`olana.

To re-establish populations of endangered plants in the wild, it is critical that a native ecosystem be restored. Introduced species are typically aggressive to native plants and require more water and nutrients, often crowding out native species.

The Mokio Preserve’s coastal dune ecosystem has an average canopy height of about six inches, easily overwhelmed by invasive species like kiawe, lantana and non-native grasses and forbs. These introduced species create a canopy up to 12 feet tall, shading out natives.

Additionally, introduced Axis deer also threaten the native ecosystem, preferring to browse on native plants rather than introduced plants.

With the help of NRCS, MLT removed all invasive plant materials from the area and planted the new ohai plants, grown from the collected seeds, as well as other native plants.  NRCS also provides assistance for MLT to continue to manage weeds.

Earlier this year, MLT discovered some good news – their conservation efforts are working. MLT documented the first nesting burrow of the wedge-tailed shearwater in May. They hope to continue to discover more as the landscape is restored to its natural conditions.

NRCS is working with the Molokai Land Trust to curb erosion and restore native plant communities in the interior of the Mokio Preserve, too. Molokai Land Trust photo. Photo used with permission.

From airplane graveyards to kitchens, Flight tiles have a story - Silicon Prairie News

In the hot arid desert in Tucson, Ariz., there's an airplane graveyard—thousands of retired and junked Cold War-era military aircraft waiting for disposal. Planes are getting retired faster than they could dispose of them.

And now, those same planes can be in your home, as tiles.

From airplane graveyards to kitchens, Flight tiles have a story - Silicon Prairie News

South Florida’s ‘Snake Dundee’ continues to pursue pythons in the Everglades - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

Tall, tan and tough, Ruben Ramirez has the burly build one would expect of a man who routinely wrestles with the notorious invader of the Everglades: the Burmese python. As he walks along a trail through the marsh, he scans the underbrush with his headlamp, searching for the mottled pattern of an elusive master of disguise.

“Muggy, huh?” he says.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/07/26/4257195/south-floridas-snake-dundee-continues.html#storylink=cpy

South Florida’s ‘Snake Dundee’ continues to pursue pythons in the Everglades - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

Hawaiian Canoe Carries Pledge of Conservation Around the World

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Sherri Eng, Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, on July 25, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Representatives from multiple conservation groups aboard the Hokule’a, a double-hulled voyaging canoe. The Hokule’a will carry a signed pledge promoting world conservation to its 26 ports of call. (Courtesy Hawaii Conservation Alliance)

On May 30, the double-hulled voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a set sail from the Hawaiian Islands on a more than 50,000-mile, 26-country journey around the world. The crew’s mission: to spread the word about the importance of world conservation.

The dual-masted, 62-foot Hōkūle‘a, along with her escort the voyaging canoe Hikianalia, will travel to Tahiti, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa around Cape Horn, Brazil and Florida, and through the Panama Canal before heading to Rapa Nui (Easter Island). At Rapa Nui, younger crewmembers will take the helm and sail back to Hawaii.

“This accepting and sharing of responsibility symbolizes the learning which is a cornerstone of Hōkūle‘a’s message and journey,” said Jodi Chew, the Pacific Island liaison for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region.

At each port of call, Hōkūle‘a’s crew will meet with schoolchildren and community leaders and members to share a pledge signed by the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region and more than 20 federal and state agencies and environmental groups promising to address conservation issues, such as vanishing natural resources, rising seas and changing climates.

In partnership with the Forest Service, the Hawaii Conservation Alliance supports the voyage as it furthers the organization’s core value of promoting global sustainability. The HCA is a cooperative collaboration of conservation leaders representing 23 Hawai’i focused government, education, and non-profit organizations. Collectively, HCA is responsible for managing the biodiversity of Hawai’i’s lands and waters. The Pacific Southwest Region provides funding, technical expertise and advice to resource managers in implementing Hawaii’s strategies for forest conservation, and works with organizations to engage youth in environmental stewardship.

“The Hawaiian name for this voyage, Mālama Honua, means ‘to care for our Earth’. This voyage promotes a global movement toward sustainability and the importance of working together to achieve this goal,” said Fischer. “I think every Forest Service employee is connected to this purpose.”

The Hōkūle‘a and Hikianalia are maintained by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, a Honolulu-based non-profit that seeks to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs. Hokule’a’s journey can be tracked through its website.

Longleaf Pines Flourish on an East Texas Ranch

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Beverly Moseley, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas, on July 25, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Simon Winston and his family recently won the national Leopold Conservation Award for their conservation work.

In deep East Texas, pine trees are king. Towering pines line the roads and blanket the rolling countryside and national forests. Loblolly and slash pine dominate the landscape in contrast to the area’s historic longleaf pine trees that once reigned.

The reduced number of longleaf pines has not gone unnoticed by landowners and conservationists. In response to the striking loss of longleaf pine trees from Texas to Florida, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) launched the national Longleaf Pine Initiative, which provides technical and financial assistance for conservation practices that help restore longleaf pine forests and enhance existing pine stands.

Working alongside NRCS, Simon Winston of Winston 8 Ranch of Nacogdoches, Texas, is one landowner who is doing his part to help restore longleaf pine to its native habitat. In turn, his stewardship efforts are also benefiting native grasses and wildlife populations.

“What I like about them is that when they are young you can burn in them,” Winston said. “Loblolly you can’t burn in them until they are bigger.”

Prescribed burns are a conservation practice used on longleaf pine forests. Fire reduces moisture and nutrient competition. The elimination of brush and other woody species also allows for native grasses and foraging plants to thrive. In turn, wildlife are drawn to the understory of longleaf pine forests.

“We’re getting wild plums and seeing more deer. There’s something for them to eat and for the birds to nest in,” Winston said. “Burning helps establish bluestem grasses which are good nesting habitat for turkeys and quail.”

Longleaf pine restoration continues on the Winston 8 Ranch.

But the cost of establishing longleaf pine trees can be greater than other pine species. Longleaf seedlings can cost more, and site preparation is a vital component for establishment success.

This is where NRCS in partnership with private landowners makes a difference on the landscape. Through the initiative, Winston was able to recover some of the costs associated with seedling establishment and site preparation. In fact, Winston said the financial assistance made a difference in what he was able to accomplish on his ranch.

“We’re just trying to make better conservation and do what’s right,” Winston said. “That’s what we do everyday. It’s naturally what we do.”

Winston’s dedication to environmental stewardship recently caught the attention of the Sand County Foundation, which honored Winston with the national Leopold Conservation Award.

Longleaf pine once covered 90 million acres from Texas to Florida. Today, an estimated 3 percent of these forests remain. Partnerships between NRCS and landowners like Winston can result in improved ecological diversity, wildlife habitat, and increased longleaf pine trees on the landscape of East Texas.

NRCS and its many conservation partners are working to reverse the century-long decline in longleaf pine forests through the America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative. Earlier this week, NRCS joined fellow partners in this initiative to mark the five-year anniversary of creation of the initiative’s Range-wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Jason Weller speaks at the closing ceremony of the the America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative event at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Tuesday, Jul. 22, 2014. Seated behind Weller are U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and Cynthia Dohner, Southeast Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. USDA photo by Bob Nichols.

EPA Seeks Comments on Potential Revisions to its Risk Management Program

EPA Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 24, 2014

 EPA Seeks Comments on Potential Revisions to its Risk Management Program

 WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a Request for Information (RFI) to seek comment on potential revisions to its Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations and related programs to modernize its regulations as required under Executive Order (EO) 13650: Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security.

“Chemical safety and security are a shared commitment among government, industry, public interest groups and communities,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “We are reaching out to all these partners to ask for their suggestions and comments to help us improve the Risk Management Program, and in turn improve safety and security of chemical facilities.”

During the 90-day comment period, EPA asks for information and data on specific regulatory elements and process safety management approaches to enhance public health and safety, and aid local fire, police, and emergency response personnel to prepare for and respond to chemical emergencies. The information received will be used when reviewing chemical hazards covered by the RMP and to determine how this program should be expanded to improve chemical facility safety. The RFI does not commit the agency to rulemaking.

EO 13650 requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and EPA to review the chemical hazards covered by their existing risk management programs and develop options to improve those programs. OSHA issued an RFI on potential changes to its Process Safety Management (PSM) standard on December 9, 2013. EPA’s RFI closely coordinates with the potential changes to OSHA’s PSM program for accident prevention measures.

The RFI addresses potentially updating the list of RMP regulated substances, and adjusting threshold quantities and toxic endpoints based on Acute Exposure Guideline Level (AEGL) toxicity values. The RFI seeks comment on strengthening or clarifying several existing process safety elements under the RMP including compliance audits, maintenance of safety critical equipment, managing organizational changes, emergency response capabilities, and incident investigation. It also seeks comment on adding additional risk management program elements, such as consideration of using inherently safer technology, process safety metrics, automated monitoring of releases, emergency drills, stop work authority, and addressing facility location (siting) risks.  Some of the items under consideration were discussed at the public listening sessions held on the EO or in comments received on the January 2014 EO Section 6(a) options for policy, regulations and standards modernization to improve chemical facility risk management.

To view EPA’s RFI and provide public comment, visit http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/eo_improving_chem_fac.htm

The public will have 90 days to submit written comments online, www.regulations.gov (the portal for federal rulemaking), or by mail.