EPA supports Texas with additional air monitoring equipment

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA supports Texas with additional air monitoring equipment

Media contacts: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant, R6Press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

DALLAS – (Feb. 27, 2021) To support the response to Winter Storms Uri and Viola, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deployed the Airborne Spectral Photometric Environmental Collection Technology, or ASPECT plane, staff and equipment to Southeast Texas. This support comes in response to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which then gave EPA the assignment.

The ASPECT plane will collect infrared images and air monitoring data over the Beaumont, Corpus Christi and Houston, Texas areas. The plane will conduct flyovers over each city for up to seven days.

EPA continues to support FEMA, state, local and tribal partners in response to Winter Storm Uri and Viola. EPA is taking action to ensure Superfund sites are secure following the storm, to assist public drinking water systems with rapid assessments, and to seamlessly integrate emergency response activities with Texas and other federal response agencies. EPA encourages affected communities to continue staying alert for instructions from local authorities.

More information on ASPECT can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response/aspect

For more EPA Response information, please visit: https://response.epa.gov/UriandViola

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

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U.S. Government Calls for End of Disposing Solid Waste at Puerto Rico Municipal Landfill

 U.S. EPA News Release:

U.S. Government Calls for End of Disposing Solid Waste at Puerto Rico Municipal Landfill

NEW YORK (February 25, 2021) – The U.S. Department of Justice today filed a complaint on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the District of Puerto Rico that calls for the municipality of Toa Alta to stop disposing of solid waste at its landfill and take steps to address public health and environmental threats posed by dangerous conditions at the landfill, which is being operated in violation of federal and commonwealth solid waste laws.

“The Toa Alta landfill poses a significant threat to the health of nearby communities and the local groundwater aquifer, and the municipality should stop disposing of waste there immediately,” said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. “The many problems at the landfill are well documented and the municipality must take steps to correct them to better safeguard local communities and the environment.”

The complaint also asks the court to order the municipality of Toa Alta to pay civil penalties for its violations of a 2017 EPA order that addressed problems at the landfill.

The complaint cites three central threats posed by the landfill:

• The municipality of Toa Alta is taking inadequate action to prevent large quantities of leachate – water mixed with hazardous pollutants that seeps from the landfill – from escaping into nearby neighborhoods, surface waters and the underlying groundwater aquifer.

• The landfill’s slopes in certain areas are not stable and may collapse, potentially endangering people working at the landfill and residents whose homes are near the foot of the landfill.

• The Municipality has not consistently been placing required soil on top of the waste disposed at the landfill at the end of each day’s disposal activities. Application of this soil cover – referred to as daily cover – cuts off access to landfill waste by insects, vermin, birds and trespassers and helps prevent the spread of disease, such as dengue and Zika viruses.

EPA is in communication with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources concerning the problems at this landfill. EPA is coordinating with the department in efforts to improve solid waste management in Puerto Rico.

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EPA, Ouachita Parish and others release flood resilience study

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA, Ouachita Parish and others release flood resilience study

Agency offers recommendations to improve sustainability

Contact:  Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

DALLAS (Feb. 25, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Ouachita Parish Police Jury recently completed a three-year ecosystem study of the Ouachita River. The two are now releasing a report, entitled A Deeper Look at the Ouachita River, How investment in Ouachita River infrastructure sustains human well-being in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. The report will serve as a planning roadmap for flood resilience and a decision-making guide for federal, state and local officials.

“This research is a valuable tool that will guide investment in critical infrastructure that will further protect human health and the environment so Americans may continue to enjoy the benefits of nature,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator David Gray. “By forging relationships at the ground level, we are building resiliency programs with local communities, providing the information they need to be better prepared to protect important wetlands and ecosystems when threatened with flooding.”

“Every day, we see so many benefits from the Ouachita River,” said Parish Engineer for the Ouachita Parish Police Jury Kevin E. Crosby. “EPA helped us better describe the economic, social and environmental value of the Ouachita River to the citizens of the Parish. This information will help demonstrate how investments in the river directly benefit people and maintain proper levels.”

The report provides information and guidance on increasing community flood resilience for the unincorporated areas of Ouachita Parish, Monroe and West Monroe, La. It is based on the sustainability of the Ouachita River ecosystem. The research by federal, state and local jurisdictions aims to further preparedness efforts and help communities become more resilient. In 2018, EPA conducted two in-person workshops with community members and later held an online webinar to discuss analysis and results, before finalizing the report. The final report will help advance Ouachita Parish’s roadmap to flood resilience. 

Key Highlights

• Flood control strategies on the Ouachita River should include stakeholder engagement, increase public understanding of flood control effects on important ecosystem services, and better integrate flood control options into the strategic planning processes  
• Resilience plans should account for community fundamental objectives regarding important ecosystem goods and services
• Services interact with infrastructure to support community well-being 

To read the full report, please visit: https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_Report.cfm?dirEntryId=350855&Lab=CEMM

EPA conducted this research through the Office of Research and Development’s Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling. This center conducts research to advance the EPA’s ability to measure and model contaminants in the environment, including research to provide fundamental methods and models needed to implement environmental statutes.

For more about EPA’s work in Louisiana: https://www.epa.gov/la

For more information on ORD, visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-research-and-development-ord

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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Newport Bay boat yards to pay penalties over violations of Clean Water Act

 U.S. E{A News Release:

Newport Bay boat yards to pay penalties over violations of Clean Water Act

ORANGE COUNTY – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced settlements with Basin Marine, Inc. and Balboa Boatyard of California, Inc., to resolve Clean Water Act violations for discharging contaminants into Newport Bay. Under the settlements, Basin Marine and Balboa Boatyard will pay a combined $202,132 in penalties and will maintain preventative measures to reduce the discharge of pollutants through stormwater runoff into Newport Bay, an impaired water body for numerous pollutants. The violations pertained to discharges of paint solvents, fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, and heavy metals, including lead, zinc, and copper. Stormwater discharges containing heavy metals have been found to harm aquatic life and sensitive marine ecosystems.

“It is critical for boatyard facilities to maintain adequate stormwater pollution controls to protect our coastal ecosystems,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Director of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division, Amy Miller. “These actions are part of a larger effort to ensure businesses at marinas comply with storm water requirements or face significant Clean Water Act penalties.”

EPA found Clean Water Act violations at Basin Marine during inspections in 2018 and 2019, and at Balboa Boatyard in 2019. The violations at both facilities related to regulations preventing the discharge of pollutants through stormwater as well as the failure to comply with California’s industrial stormwater permit.

At Basin Marine, EPA inspectors found the facility had failed to conduct required stormwater sampling, had not properly cleaned and disposed of identified debris near catch basins, and had exceeded limits for both copper and zinc levels in stormwater. The Balboa Boatyard facility had failed to conduct required stormwater sampling and had not identified sufficient storage capacity to contain the runoff generated during routine, seasonal rain events. Additionally, Balboa Boatyard lacked appropriate management practices to reduce pollutants associated with boat maintenance from being discharged into stormwater.

Newport Bay was first identified by California in 1996 as an impaired water body due to an elevated presence of several toxic pollutants, including metals and pesticides. EPA has worked alongside the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board to reduce these pollutants through the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads in the bay and upstream watershed. Minimizing pollutants in stormwater discharges from boatyards is critical to meeting these long-term water quality objectives.

EPA's settlements with Basin Marine for $142,224 and Balboa Boatyard for $59,908 resolve the CWA violations found at the facilities. Basin Marine’s finalized settlement is available at https://www.epa.gov/ca/consent-agreement-and-proposed-final-order-basin-marine-inc-newport-beach-ca.

EPA’s settlement with Balboa Boatyard is subject to a 30-day public comment period prior to final approval. The public notice and proposed settlement are available at https://www.epa.gov/publicnotices/notices-search/location/Southwest.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

EPA Supports Water System Recovery in Texas Communities

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Supports Water System Recovery in Texas Communities

Media contacts: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant, R6Press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

DALLAS – (Feb. 23, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deployed resources and staff to communities in Texas dealing with drinking water and wastewater system outages as a result of Winter Storm Uri. This support comes in response to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

TCEQ is conducting assessments of drinking water and wastewater systems in Texas and reporting their findings to EPA. Drinking water systems remain heavily impacted in the state with many systems not operating at all or operating with restrictions such as boil advisories and conservation measures. Please refer to TCEQ’s website for the most up-to-date information on water systems.

Upon receiving a mission assignment from FEMA, EPA dispatched three mobile drinking water laboratories to assist TCEQ and FEMA with analysis of drinking water samples. EPA’s mobile laboratories deployed from Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan., and Region 4 in Atlanta, Ga. The labs are certified to perform bacteriological analysis among other types of analyses. The mobile labs and support staff are scheduled to assist with processing drinking water samples in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston.

EPA continues to support FEMA, state, local and tribal partners in response to Winter Storm Uri. EPA is taking action to ensure Superfund sites are secure following the storm, to assist public drinking water systems with rapid assessments and analyses, and to seamlessly integrate emergency response activities with Texas, and other federal agencies. EPA encourages affected communities to continue staying alert for instructions from local authorities.

Additional information about EPA Laboratories: https://www.epa.gov/regionallabs

For information in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese on Winter Storm Safety in Texas, visit:   https://www.epa.gov/tx/water-texas

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

NEWS BRIEF: EPA raises vessel sunken in January to protect Lake Tahoe

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, weather permitting, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will raise a vessel first reported sunk in Lake Tahoe on January 15. EPA, in coordination with the El Dorado County Sheriff, the Lahontan  Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response is taking action to raise the vessel after a February 15 report indicating the vessel had begun leaking oil. 

EPA will spend approximately $20,000 to remove the vessel and associated debris from the lake and has hired High Sierra Marine Inc. to perform the work. The vessel in question, believed to be an abandoned 40-foot recreational boat, sank approximately 300 yards offshore from Pope Beach Road in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Repeated efforts by multiple agencies to identify and contact the owner of the vessel have been unsuccessful. 

The action is being taken under EPA’s emergency response authority. The agency’s emergency response program responds to oil spills; chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents; and large-scale national emergencies, including homeland security incidents. In all such incidents, EPA coordinates closely with state and local agencies.

The vessel raising is scheduled to take place at 9:00 am. Interested reporters should contact EPA for additional details and visual media opportunities. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EPA officials will not be able to give in-person interviews but will be available by phone. Please contact Margot Perez-Sullivan at perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov or 415-947-4149.

For more information on the EPA’s emergency response work, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/emergency-response

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

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EPA approves Arkansas’ clean-air plan for ozone

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA approves Arkansas’ clean-air plan for ozone

Media contacts: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at r6press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

DALLAS – (Feb. 22, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently approved the state of Arkansas’ plan for administering programs related to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone. Arkansas’ state implementation plan (SIP) demonstrates that it meets the Clean Air Act infrastructure requirements for the 2015 ozone NAAQS.

“We are pleased to continue our work with Arkansas to address provisions of the Clean Air Act,” said EPA Acting Administrator David Gray. “This plan shows the state’s continued commitment to help citizens breathe   cleaner air.”

“Arkansas is pleased to obtain this final approval. We are proud of Arkansans efforts to protect air quality and thankful to realize the benefits to our health, environment, and economy.” Becky W. Keogh, Arkansas Department of Energy & Environment Secretary. “These efforts allow us to maintain our enviable standing in achieving all national air quality standards statewide.”

In June 2020, EPA proposed to approve the state’s infrastructure SIP plan. EPA also held a 30-day public comment period. This action approves regulatory language associated with the Ark. regulations.  

This type of SIP is commonly referred to as an infrastructure SIP because it addresses the basic requirements of state air quality management programs, such as air quality monitoring and enforcement. By meeting EPA’s guidelines for these programs, states help protect public health through air quality management. States are required to submit a SIP within three years after a new or revised NAAQS to ensure the state meets its responsibilities under the federal Clean Air Act.

Ground level ozone is not emitted directly into the air but is formed when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react in the presence of sunlight. Emissions from industrial facilities and electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of NOx and VOCs. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. Ground level ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs. Children are at increased risk from exposure to ozone because their lungs are still developing.

For more information about NAAQS: https://www.epa.gov/naaqs

For information about air quality in your area: https://www.airnow.gov

For information about air quality trends: https://www.epa.gov/air-trends

For more about EPA’s work in Arkansas: https://www.epa.gov/ar

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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Delaware companies settle alleged Clean Air Act violations involving aftermarket devices for diesel trucks

 U.S. EPA News Release:

Delaware companies settle alleged Clean Air Act violations
involving aftermarket devices for diesel trucks

PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 18, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced two settlements with vehicle repair shops in Delaware that were involved in the illegal sale and installation of aftermarket devices that were designed to defeat the emissions control systems of heavy-duty diesel engines.

The companies – Delaware Speed and Custom LLC in Milton, and Bo Daddy’s Diesel and Auto Repair in Seaford – allegedly violated the Clean Air Act’s prohibition on the manufacture, sale or installation of so-called “defeat devices,” which are designed to “bypass, defeat or render inoperative” a motor vehicle engine’s air pollution control equipment or systems.

Illegally modified vehicles and engines contribute substantial excess pollution that harms public health and impedes efforts by EPA, tribes, states and local agencies to attain air quality standards.

Delaware Speed and Custom LLC paid a $12,529 penalty for allegedly selling defeat devices, and Bo Daddy’s paid a $6,000 penalty for allegedly selling and installing defeat devices.

Clean Air Act penalties take account of various factors such as the seriousness and duration of the violations, size of the business, the penalty’s impact on the business, compliance history, good faith efforts, and economic benefit of past non-compliance.

As part of the settlements, the companies have certified that they are now are in compliance with applicable requirements.

These enforcement actions are part of EPA’s National Compliance Initiative for Stopping Aftermarket Defeat Devices for Vehicles and Engines.

Today’s vehicles emit far less pollution than vehicles of the past. This is made possible by careful engine calibrations, and the use of filters and catalysts in the exhaust system. Aftermarket defeat devices undo this progress and pollute the air we breathe. EPA testing has shown that a truck’s emissions increase drastically (tens or hundreds of times, depending on the pollutant) when its emissions controls are removed.

For more information on this initiative, visit: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines .

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EPA challenge seeks innovative solutions for reducing indoor air pollution from western wildfires

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA challenge seeks innovative solutions for reducing indoor air pollution from western wildfires

 

 

Contact: Suzanne Skadowski, 206-553-2160, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov

 

SEATTLE (February 17, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal, state, local and tribal partners launched the Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge Competition. The goal of the challenge is to solicit ideas for low-cost air cleaning technologies that reduce particulate air pollutants in homes during western wildfires or other high pollution episodes. If their ideas are chosen, Challenge winners will receive prizes of up to $10,000.

 

“As we work to address the public health threat from large and more intense wildfires in our country, particularly in our western states, we call on all innovators to provide ideas and solutions for new and low-cost technologies or approaches to reduce indoor air pollution during wildfires,” said Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Research and Development and the agency’s Acting Science Advisor. “This challenge will help protect public health by stimulating the development of effective air cleaning devices that are accessible to all communities during wildfires or other air pollution events.”

 

Wildfires release many pollutants that are unsafe to breathe. Particle pollution, specifically fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), is a main component of wildfire smoke and a known health risk for people exposed to high amounts or prolonged levels. This is particularly hazardous to people with pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma or cardiovascular disease. Smoke can spread many miles during wildfires, impacting communities near and far. Recommended responses include staying indoors with doors and windows closed, when possible.

 

Current air cleaning technologies for indoor air have multiple limitations that prevent their widespread use, including the cost of purchase, operation, and maintenance, as well as dependence on electrical power, which can be disrupted by wildfires or rolling blackouts. This Challenge encourages the development of affordable and sustainable approaches, technologies, or technology combinations for keeping indoor air as clean as possible during periods when outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations are elevated, such as during smoke events caused by fires.

 

The following organizations are partnering with EPA on this challenge competition:

 

• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency; 
• Lane Regional Air Protection Agency;  
• Oregon Health Authority;  
• Missoula City-County Health Department;  
• Hoopa Valley Tribe;
• California Air Resources Board;  
• U.S. Department of State; 
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health;
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; and
• National Institute of Standards and Technology.  

 

The challenge is now open, and proposals will be accepted through May 17, 2021.

 

To learn more about the challenge and how to apply, visit: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/cleaner-indoor-air-during-wildfires-challenge

 

 

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EPA Urges Those Affected by Power Outages to Avoid Indoor Air Dangers, Use Generators Safely

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Urges Those Affected by Power Outages to
Avoid Indoor Air Dangers, Use Generators Safely  

 

Media contacts: Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard, R6Press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

 

DALLAS – (Feb. 16, 2020) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reminds communities, families and business owners to be aware of conditions that could lead to poor or dangerous indoor air quality during widespread power outages. Most importantly, always operate portable generators according to the instructions and always run them outside, far away from buildings. Running a portable generator inside or too close to your home can lead to injury or death from carbon monoxide poisoning.

 

Indoor air quality can be impacted in several ways during a power outage:

 

Use portable generators safely

Never use a portable generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds or similar areas. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide (CO) can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off. Because it is impossible to see, taste or smell the toxic fumes, CO can kill you before you are aware it is in your home. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health and the concentration and length of exposure.

 

Heating and cooking

During a power outage, do not try to heat your home by using combustion appliances including gas stoves or ovens, outdoor grills or clothes dryers. Never operate any gas-burning heater or other appliance in a poorly vented or closed room, or where you are sleeping. Do not use barbecues, hibachis, camp stoves, or any other non-vented combustion appliances to cook indoors, or for any other indoor use. Combustion appliances produce toxic fumes, including carbon monoxide (CO). While you shouldn't use any kind of combustion appliance, there are ways to cook indoors during a power outage. You can use a vented fireplace or a vented wood or other fuel burning stove, if it is set up for cooking.

 

Lighting

Use flashlights or batter powered lanterns if available. If you use candles, make sure the area is ventilated since candles emit combustion products and, if left unattended, can be a fire hazard. If available, use flashlights or battery powered lanterns instead of candles.

 

Please visit EPA’s website for more information on indoor air quality safety during emergencies:

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/emergencies-and-iaq

 

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

EPA Settles with “Texas Flip N Move” TV Show for Alleged Lead-Based Paint Violations

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Settles with “Texas Flip N Move” TV Show for Alleged Lead-Based Paint Violations

 

Media contacts: Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard, R6Press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

 

DALLAS – (Feb. 16, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with Flipnmove Productions and EQ Media, Inc. to resolve alleged violations of federal regulations intended to reduce the hazards of lead paint exposure during renovations. The companies are affiliated with the home renovation television programs “Texas Flip N Move.”

 

The alleged violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP Rule) depicted on the shows include performing home renovations for compensation without obtaining EPA renovation firm certification and failure to comply with several work practice standards required for the safe handling and disposal of lead-based paint.

 

“Renovating older homes comes with the responsibility of safeguarding residents from exposure to dust from lead-based paint, and that means following regulations and using proper guidelines,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray. “Through this settlement, Texas Flip N Move is ensuring the safety of their renovation work and helping to protect children from and educate the public about exposure to lead-based paint.”

 

Under the terms of the settlement, the companies have agreed to pay civil penalties and take steps to ensure compliance with the RRP Rule in future renovation projects. Further, the companies have agreed to complete projects to educate the public about lead-based paint hazards and the importance of using a certified renovator, including banners on existing episodes of Texas Flip N Move, developing informational webpages on their respective websites and adding links to the EPA Lead and RRP webpages, and integrating elements of the RRP Rule into future programing. The companies will also use a third-party entity to perform lead abatement in low-income target-housing residences or child-occupied facilities within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.  

 

Lead-contaminated dust generated from deteriorating chipped or peeling lead-based paint in homes built prior to 1978 or disturbance during renovation work is one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to lead paint exposure because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do, and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. They can be exposed from multiple sources and may experience irreversible and lifelong health effects.

 

About 3.6 million American households have children under 6 years of age who live in homes with lead exposure hazards. According to the CDC, about 500,000 American children ages 1-5 have blood lead levels at or above the CDC blood lead reference value (level at which CDC recommends public health actions begin).

 

For a copy of the CAFO please see: https://go.usa.gov/xAhw5

 

For more about lead-based paint: https://www.epa.gov/lead

 

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

About EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central  

 

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EPA reaches major cleanup agreement for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, 100 percent of site now in active engineering design phase

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA reaches major cleanup agreement for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, 100 percent of site now in active engineering design phase

 

Settlement with businesses, federal, state, and local agencies for remedial design of the Swan Island Basin area brings the last and largest area into active cleanup work

 

 

Contact:  Suzanne Skadowski, EPA Region 10, 206-553-2160, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov

 

PORTLAND (February 12, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finalized an agreement with 12 parties to develop detailed cleanup plans for the Swan Island Basin, completing a major milestone in the cleanup of the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. This latest cleanup agreement represents nearly 25 percent of the site’s total cleanup area, and along with earlier agreements, brings 100 percent of the site’s areas requiring active cleanup into the remedial design phase of the Superfund cleanup process.

 

EPA and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality are working with partners, including six tribes, stakeholders and 36 responsible parties to implement the 2017 Record of Decision to clean up the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, an approximately 10-mile stretch of the Lower Willamette River, in Portland, Oregon where approximately 370 acres of contaminated sediment are slated for active remediation to reduce health risks to people, fish, and wildlife.

 

“This agreement along with earlier settlements, shows a strong commitment to moving the cleanup of Portland Harbor forward,” said EPA Region 10 Acting Regional Administrator Michelle Pirzadeh. “The engineering design work now underway will lead to the active cleanup work, which will greatly improve the health of the river, reduce risks to people and the environment, and set the stage for the revitalization of the Lower Willamette River.”

 

This most recent settlement agreement, called an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent, requires the Responsible Parties to conduct “remedial design” work to develop a detailed cleanup implementation plan consistent with EPA’s 2017 Record of Decision. The signatories to the agreement include performing parties: Daimler Trucks North America LLC, Vigor Industrial LLC, Cascade General Inc., Shipyard Commerce Center LLC; and settling parties: Maritime Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, General Services Administration, Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Department of Defense (Department of the Navy, Army Corps of Engineers), State of Oregon (Department of State Lands), City of Portland, and Port of Portland.

 

The Swan Island Basin project area is among the major “hot spot” cleanup areas within the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, with high levels of contamination. Developing a detailed cleanup design for the 117-acre, mile-long area, is expected to take approximately four years, after which active cleanup will begin. The process will include a pre-design sampling investigation and report to understand the current extent of contamination and help determine the most effective cleanup technologies, consistent with the 2017 Record of Decision.

 

Since December 2019, 31 responsible parties have entered remedial design agreements for 11 project areas for in-water cleanup with EPA oversight. With these project areas, existing agreements, and areas where EPA is taking the initial lead, all the acres designated for active in-water remediation at the site are now in the remedial design phase of the cleanup process. Over the past year, working parties have made significant progress to complete remedial design, including a substantial amount of field work, design, and planning, bringing the site closer to active construction of the remedy.

 

Background

 

In 2017, EPA issued a Record of Decision, or final cleanup plan, for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site. The river sediments, surface water, and the fish that reside in the harbor have high levels of PCBs, PAHs, dioxins/furans, DDT and other pesticides which present an unacceptable risk to people’s health, especially subsistence and tribal fishers, and to the environment. The cleanup will reduce people’s exposure to high levels of contaminants, make it safer for all but the most sensitive people to eat more fish from the river more often, and make it safer for people to play on the riverbanks and beaches. Active cleanup construction, including dredging, and capping, of contaminated sediments, is expected to take about 13 years.

 

As EPA’s partner in the Superfund cleanup, Oregon DEQ is working with property owners to investigate and clean up properties along the riverbank, called “upland sites” to reduce pollution sources to the river and the potential for re-contamination of the Harbor.

 

EPA works with Oregon DEQ to engage with communities, tribal nations, state and local governments, and other stakeholders. EPA strives to encourage community involvement in the cleanup through regular meetings with community leaders and the Portland Harbor Community Advisory Group, quarterly public forums, listserv announcements, informational webinars, and other public input opportunities. EPA provides funding support to the Willamette River Advocacy Group through EPA’s technical assistance grant program.

 

Read the Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for Remedial Design at the Swan Island Basin Project Area: https://semspub.epa.gov/src/document/10/100295661

 

See EPA’s January 2021 Portland Harbor Site Updates Fact Sheet: https://semspub.epa.gov/work/10/100295085.pdf     

 

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