Denver-based Water Research Foundation receives $1.2 million to research viruses found in wastewater intended for reuse

 U.S. EPA News Release:

Denver-based Water Research Foundation receives $1.2 million to research viruses found in wastewater intended for reuse 

EPA grant will find project in Tucson, Arizona, among $6 million in funding provided nationwide

Contact: EPA Press Office, press@epa.gov

DENVER (October 27, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $6,198,689 in funding for five grants to support research on existing and novel surrogates for detecting and monitoring viruses that are excreted with feces in wastewater that is intended for water reuse applications.

“Safe and reliable water supplies are critical to our nation’s communities and economy,” said Dr. Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The research funded by these grants will coordinate water reuse research, help identify critical science gaps and accelerate opportunities for reuse.”

The reclamation and reuse of wastewater has the potential to significantly increase the nation’s total available water resources. When recycling wastewater, a chief public health concern is the risk posed by the presence of viruses that can infect humans, which can be difficult to reduce with traditional sewage treatment approaches. EPA expects the research from these grants will provide information that will enable wastewater operators, reuse projects, and state and local regulators to ensure the public is protected from these viruses when reusing municipal wastewater for various reuse applications.

The following groups are receiving funding under these Nationals Priorities grant awards:

• Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Mass., to identify wastewater technologies and treatment processes capable of removing viruses to allow safe reuse of the treated wastewater, and to evaluate the use of five surrogates as possible indicators for presence of human viruses during treatment processes.
• Tulane University, New Orleans, La., to develop a better understanding of viruses in different wastewater systems and design improved viral surrogate approaches that address challenges and shortcomings of current methodologies, including low concentrations of viruses in wastewater, detection, and a lack of specificity for addressing human health risk.
• University of California – Irvine, Irvine, Calif., to conduct research that will result in recommendations of the best methods for identifying the viral risk for non-potable water reuse and standard operating procedures for these methods.
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Mich., to develop surrogate-based frameworks for virus control through water recycling facilities.
• Water Research Foundation, Denver, Colo., to identify chemical and/or viral surrogates for virus reduction during wastewater treatment processes in real-world systems and create reduction methods for each treatment process.

Learn more about the grantees: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/676/records_per_page/ALL

Learn more about EPA research grants: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants

 From U.S. EPA Press Office:

Issued: Oct 27, 2021 (2:46pm EDT)

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EPA Awards $6 Million in Funding to Research Human Viruses Found in Wastewater Intended for Reuse

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $6,198,689 in funding for five grants to support research on existing and novel surrogates for detecting and monitoring viruses that are excreted with feces in wastewater that is intended for water reuse applications.

“Safe and reliable water supplies are critical to our nation’s communities and economy,” said Dr. Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The research funded by these grants will coordinate water reuse research, help identify critical science gaps and accelerate opportunities for reuse.”

The reclamation and reuse of wastewater has the potential to significantly increase the nation’s total available water resources. When recycling wastewater, a chief public health concern is the risk posed by the presence of viruses that can infect humans, which can be difficult to reduce with traditional sewage treatment approaches. EPA expects the research from these grants will provide information that will enable wastewater operators, reuse projects, and state and local regulators to ensure the public is protected from these viruses when reusing municipal wastewater for various reuse applications.

The following groups are receiving funding under these Nationals Priorities grant awards:

• Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Mass., to identify wastewater technologies and treatment processes capable of removing viruses to allow safe reuse of the treated wastewater, and to evaluate the use of five surrogates as possible indicators for presence of human viruses during treatment processes.
• Tulane University, New Orleans, La., to develop a better understanding of viruses in different wastewater systems and design improved viral surrogate approaches that address challenges and shortcomings of current methodologies, including low concentrations of viruses in wastewater, detection, and a lack of specificity for addressing human health risk.
• University of California – Irvine, Irvine, Calif., to conduct research that will result in recommendations of the best methods for identifying the viral risk for non-potable water reuse and standard operating procedures for these methods.
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Mich., to develop surrogate-based frameworks for virus control through water recycling facilities.
• Water Research Foundation, Denver, Colo., to identify chemical and/or viral surrogates for virus reduction during wastewater treatment processes in real-world systems and create reduction methods for each treatment process.

Learn more about the grantees: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/676/records_per_page/ALL

Learn more about EPA research grants: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA’s U.S.-Mexico Border 2025 Program Selects Environmental Projects for Implementation in the Border Region

Funding $552,899 for eight projects

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 27, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the North American Development Bank (NADB), has selected eight environmental and public health projects to be implemented on both sides of the border in the California/Baja California and Arizona/Sonora border regions through the new U.S.-Mexico Border 2025 program. The agency will award $552,899 for the programs, and an additional $574,949 will be matched by the recipient organizations.

The projects meet the objectives of the U.S.-Mexico Border 2025 program: to reduce air pollution; improve water quality; promote sustainable materials management and waste management; and improve joint preparedness for and responses to environmental emergencies.

“The new Border 2025 funding will improve public health and the environment for U.S. and Mexican communities within the border region, while advancing the EPA priorities of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and environmental justice,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan.

“It is an honor for NADB to continue to work on Border 2025 in collaboration with EPA and the Mexican Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT),” stated Calixto Mateos, NADB Managing Director. “We are excited to see the continuation of this successful program as well as the emphasis being placed on climate change and environmental justice.”

Border 2025 Project Descriptions

Secretaría de Salud del Estado de Baja California (Ministry of Health of Baja California) will develop a GIS-based analysis of existing air monitoring data, population information, and data from medical facilities in Mexicali and Imperial Valley. The project will help to determine the relative vulnerability of the populations and use this information to guide the development of a public health outreach campaign.

Proyecto Fronterizo de Educación Ambiental (Border Environmental Education Project), a non-profit, will develop a pilot project to prevent dumping of garbage in overburdened communities in Tijuana near the Alamar River, which connects to the Tijuana River and thus impacts San Diego County communities. The project will identify waste at its source, host community workshops to raise awareness and train community residents in the management of household waste, and implement sorted waste collection services in Colonia Anexa Miramar. 

Instituto de Planeación Ambiental y Calidad de Vida (Institute of Environmental Planning and Quality of Life) will strengthen the Solid Waste Management Plan of the Kumiai Indigenous community of San Antonio Necua, located in the Guadalupe Valley in Baja California, Mexico. The project will reduce waste burning, dumping, and implement waste alternatives like composting, as well as train waste management leaders and 80 families in the Kumaiai community.

Environmental Health Coalition, a binational non-profit, will conduct a socio-environmental vulnerability and solid waste analysis in the forested area of the Alamar River to establish an environmental management plan for the cleanup, rehabilitation, and prevention of waste along the transboundary watershed.  They will educate residents on trash mitigation through river cleanups and community presentations and will implement a plan to protect the watershed for long-term sustainability.

Arizona State University will work with emergency preparedness and response leaders and key stakeholders to evaluate and enhance six binational Sister-City Joint Contingency plans. The project will include two notification drills to test the plans for municipalities, fire departments and other key partners’ ability to make timely response with cross border counterparts.

Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano y Ecología (Urban Development and Ecology Secretariat of Sonora) will identify alternatives for water reuse to reduce heavy metals in the Nogales International Wastewater Treatment Plant in Rio Rico, Arizona. The grantee will develop a prototype for treating wastewater using green infrastructure for reuse purposes such as irrigation of green areas, construction and toilet flushing. It will also evaluate the quality of the plant discharges into the Santa Cruz River and inform a Water Reuse Master Plan for City of Nogales, Sonora. 

Cocopah Indian Tribe will assess water quality in the Colorado River upstream of Cocopah tribal lands. The tribe will also develop a design for a wetland/riparian restoration project to reuse treated water. This project will benefit the tribal community and will complement ongoing environmental efforts related to assessing climate change vulnerability and climate adaptation planning.

Borderlands Restoration Network seeks to improve best management practices for sediment control on both sides of the Arizona/Sonora border. The grantee will construct 50 erosion control structures to reduce sediment transport and reestablish native vegetation communities. The project will also include a binational watershed restoration workshop for regional practitioners and workshops for the general public.

These funds were awarded in partnership with the North American Development Bank under the Border 2025: U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program, a binational effort to protect human health and the environment in the U.S.-Mexico border region. The border region is defined as the area within 62 miles (100 kilometers) on either side of the border, as defined by the 1983 La Paz Agreement.

For more information on the Border 2025 Program, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder.

For most recent information see our newsletters here: https://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder/region-9-publications-and-successes

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

 U.S. EPA News Release:

Issued: Oct 26, 2021 (5:47pm EDT)

EPA announces Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge winners in Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Contact: Alice Corcoran, EPA Region 10, Corcoran.alice@epa.gov, 206-473-2725 SEATTLE (October 26, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the winners of the Cleaner Indoor Air During Wildfires Challenge. Challenge winners receive prizes of up to $10,000 for their proposed innovative technologies that could be used in homes to clean indoor air during wildfire smoke events. Three of the five winning projects selected nationwide are here in the Pacific Northwest, where longer and more intense wildfire seasons frequently cause unhealthy and even hazardous air quality in many communities.  “The increasing intensity of wildfires is a major public health challenge,” said Dr. Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The innovative ideas proposed by the challenge winners can further our efforts to protect public health and keep indoor air as clean as possible during wildfires and other high air pollution events.” Wildfires release many pollutants that worsen air quality in areas downwind. Particle pollution, specifically fine particulate matter (PM2.5 or particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers), is a significant component of wildfire smoke and a known health risk for people exposed to high amounts or prolonged concentrations. Wildfire smoke exposure is particularly hazardous for 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 to reduce smoke exposures during wildfires include staying indoors with doors and windows closed, when possible. Current indoor air cleaning technologies 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. The challenge winners developed detailed written proposals for affordable approaches to keep indoor air as clean as possible during periods when outdoor PM2.5 concentrations are elevated, such as during wildfire smoke events. Winners from this first phase of the challenge will be invited to submit prototypes of their technologies for evaluation in the next challenge phase. Challenge Winners in EPA’s Region 10: Low-Cost Household Air Purifier Requiring No Consumables – An air purifier that uses a method called cyclonic separation to remove smoke particles from the air, and this process would be enhanced by adding a fine mist of water to the air stream. Proposed by Charles Matlack and Liam Bradshaw, of Seattle, Wash. The Cocoon: An Accessible Low-Cost Air Cleaner for Safer Spaces During Wildfires – An air cleaner that uses a large, tube-shaped, washable fabric filter combined with a box fan to create a low-cost device. Proposed by Elliot Gall, Brett Stinson, Matthew Moore, and Warren Gunn, Portland State University, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, of Portland, Ore. Resonant Ultrasonic Scrubber for Indoor Air Filtration – An air cleaner that uses the motion created by sound waves (ultrasonic agitation) to aerosolize water and mix with smoky air to capture particles in the air. Proposed by Eric Nutsch, BOTE Innovations LLC, of Burley, Idaho. Read the full descriptions of winning and honorable mention proposals on the challenge website: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/winners-cleaner-indoor-air-during-wildfires-challenge. Learn more about EPA’s wildfire research: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/wildland-fire-research-protect-health-and-environment

EPA Announces $224 Million Water Infrastructure Loan for Climate Resilience in Los Angeles

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Announces $224 Million Water Infrastructure Loan for Climate Resilience in Los Angeles

Nationally, 60 WIFIA loans are financing over $25 billion in water infrastructure upgrades, creating 71,000 jobs

 

LOS ANGELES (Oct. 26, 2021)— Today, at a virtual event with Mayor Eric Garcetti, California Water Resources Control Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel, and other officials, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox announced a $224 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. EPA’s WIFIA loan will help finance a project to purify wastewater and replenish the San Fernando Basin to bolster precious groundwater resources in this drought-stressed region.

“This mega-drought in the west is a forceful and persistent reminder that bold action is needed to protect our communities and address the climate crisis,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “We see water infrastructure projects—like the Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility—as central to climate resiliency and we commend our state and local partners for this project.”

The City of Los Angeles’s Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) will turn the city’s wastewater into a sustainable water source to replenish the region’s groundwater and increase its resiliency to drought. Daily, 15.5 million gallons of the city’s wastewater will be purified and used to replenish the San Fernando Basin and its aquifers. EPA’s WIFIA loan will help finance construction of the AWPF and related infrastructure.

“At a time when imported water supplies have grown scarce and we’re facing a statewide drought emergency, it is critically important that we increase our local water resilience,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Through investments in the Advanced Water Purification Facility and our Donald C.Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, water credit programs like EPA’s WIFIA and the State Revolving Fund are helping to secure a sustainable water future for Los Angeles.”

“As we reconcile our 20th century infrastructure with the realities of a 21st century climate, this project is an investment in the resiliency and innovation that has and will continue to fuel Los Angeles' future,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Board.  “This critical water recycling project, and a fast-growing number throughout the state, are possible thanks to the collaboration and aligned between local, state and federal leadership, funding, and policies.”

The $224 million WIFIA loan will finance nearly half of the $458 million project costs. The remaining project costs will be funded by revenue bonds and borrower cash. This WIFIA loan is expected to save the City of Los Angeles approximately $81 million in interest costs. Project construction and operation are expected to create an estimated 1,400 jobs and construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

 

Background

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. WIFIA’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects.

The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs. With this WIFIA loan closing, EPA has announced 60 WIFIA loans that are providing $11.7 billion in credit assistance to help finance approximately over $25 billion for water infrastructure while creating approximately 71,000 jobs and saving ratepayers over $4.5 billion.

For more information about the WIFIA program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia.

 U.S. EPA News Release:

Issued: Oct 26, 2021 (1:57pm EDT)

EPA Responds to New Mexico Governor and Acts to Address PFAS Under Hazardous Waste Law

WASHINGTON (Oct. 26, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is acting upon a petition from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico to tackle PFAS contamination under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). In responding to the petition, EPA outlined plans to initiate the rulemaking process for two new actions under the hazardous waste law, reflecting the agency’s focus on using best available science and leveraging authorities to combat this shared challenge.

“We can only make progress for communities suffering from PFAS pollution if we work collaboratively across levels of government and harness our collective resources and authority,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Today, we are taking important steps toward developing new scientific approaches to confront these dangerous chemicals and strengthening the ability to clean up PFAS contamination. I thank Governor Lujan Grisham for her engagement and leadership, which will lead to better protections for people in New Mexico and across the country.”

“I applaud Administrator Regan for empowering states to follow New Mexico’s lead and hold PFAS polluters accountable,” said Governor Lujan Grisham. “By taking an urgent and science-based approach to this issue, we’re helping to protect communities in New Mexico and around the country.”

Governor Lujan Grisham’s petition requested that PFAS be identified as hazardous waste under RCRA, either as a class or as individual chemicals. In today’s response, EPA is announcing the initiation of two rulemakings. First, the agency will initiate the process to propose adding four PFAS chemicals as RCRA Hazardous Constituents under Appendix VIII, by evaluating the existing data for these chemicals and establishing a record to support such a proposed rule. The four PFAS chemicals EPA will evaluate are: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), and GenX. Adding these chemicals as RCRA Hazardous Constituents would ensure they are subject to corrective action requirements and would be a necessary building block for future work to regulate PFAS as a listed hazardous waste.

The second rulemaking effort will clarify in our regulations that the RCRA Corrective Action Program has the authority to require investigation and cleanup for wastes that meet the statutory definition of hazardous waste, as defined under RCRA section 1004(5). This modification would clarify that emerging contaminants such as PFAS can be cleaned up through the RCRA corrective action process.

These actions build on EPA’s broader strategy to comprehensively address PFAS pollution across the country, following its announcement last week of the PFAS Strategic Roadmap. The roadmap commits EPA to bold new policies to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. The actions described in the PFAS Roadmap each represent important and meaningful steps to safeguard communities from PFAS contamination. Cumulatively, these actions will build upon one another and lead to more enduring and protective solutions.

View Governor Lujan Grisham’s petition and the response: https://www.epa.gov/hw.

Learn more about EPA’s Council on PFAS: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epa-actions-address-pfas.

Background:

PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they do not break down, and they can accumulate over time. Evidence indicates that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.

Learn more about PFAS: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas.

U.S. EPA awards $2.1 million to American Samoa for environmental protection

 U.S. EPA News Release:

For Immediate Release: October 25, 2021                                                                   

U.S. EPA awards $2.1 million to American Samoa for environmental protection

HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2.1 million to the American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS-EPA) to strengthen its capacity to protect human health and the environment.

“American Samoa EPA has been a great partner in protecting the environment,” said Deborah Jordan, Acting Administrator for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “We are pleased to support AS-EPA programs that are committed to achieving a better environment for all the residents of American Samoa.”

"We welcome the news of this grant award with gratitude to U.S. EPA Region 9, which will fund our environmental enforcement programs and services for the new fiscal year,” said AS-EPA Director Fa’amao Asalele. “These programs and services affect everyone as we all benefit from the Territory's pristine environmental resources. I would be remiss if I did not thank our community who continue to participate in our programs and services, as community involvement is ultimately what gets the job done when it comes to environmental management. It is an ongoing community effort, and we value community participation.”

The AS-EPA uses U.S. EPA funding to: support air, water, and land inspections; monitor the safety of beaches and drinking water; clean up contaminated sites; inspect fuel storage tanks; improve piggery facility compliance; protect coral reefs; and respond to emergencies.

Other environmental priorities that the funds will advance include:

• Ensuring access to potable drinking water for American Samoa residents, and working to remove the need for boil-water notices on Tutuila.
• Improving watershed health, stream water quality, and coral reef health.
• Reducing potential environmental and public health harm from unsafe handling of electronic waste.
• Providing technical assistance to farmers on proper pesticide application techniques and eliminating illegal importation and use of unregistered foreign pesticides.
• Enhancing shared accountability for environmental protection and cultural preservation through intergovernmental collaborations.

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

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

Issued: Oct 25, 2021 (1:07pm EDT)

EPA Highlights Actions During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joins its federal agency partners in highlighting National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 25-29, 2021. EPA, along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are working to raise awareness, provide resources, and encourage preventive actions to decrease childhood lead exposure during the week and beyond.

“Despite all the progress we have made in reducing lead in our environment over the last 40 years, too many people in this country still face significant health risks from lead exposure, especially children who are the most vulnerable among us,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “EPA is committed to protecting the nation’s children from the harmful effects of lead, especially in overburdened and underserved communities across the country.” 

Lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement in children. While lead is dangerous to all children, not all children are equally exposed to lead, nor do they suffer the same consequences of exposure. The harmful impacts of lead disproportionately impact environmentally overburdened, low-income families and their communities.

EPA Actions:

Because children can be exposed to lead from multiple sources in their environment, EPA is taking a whole of government approach to reducing blood lead levels in children by working closely with other federal agencies such as HUD and CDC that can help address this issue, as well as with state, Tribal, and local government partners. Over the next several years, EPA will target opportunities to focus resources on the most vulnerable communities. For example:

• Releasing a National Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures: EPA will soon be releasing a "Draft Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities" for public comment. The Strategy will advance the Agency’s work to protect the public from lead with an emphasis on high-risk communities.
• Reviewing the Lead and Copper Rule: EPA is reviewing its current Lead and Copper Rule, to assure that it improves public health and reduces lead and copper in drinking water. The Agency hosted a series of virtual engagements with low-income communities and communities of color to obtain further public input on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions.
• Addressing Lead in Drinking Water: EPA will be issuing guidance to assist states and communities in identifying lead service lines, the most significant sources of lead in drinking water, and prioritizing their replacement.
• Testing for and Remediating Lead in Schools and Childcare Facilities: EPA will be working with partners to test for lead in the drinking water of schools and childcare facilities, and to provide tools and resources for remediation actions.
• Working with Drinking Water Service Providers: EPA will provide training and technical assistance to drinking water service providers to protect children and households in impacted communities and will help providers improve outreach to drinking water consumers to take actions to reduce their lead exposure.
• Cleaning up Lead at Superfund Sites: EPA has identified nearly 1,200 Superfund National Priorities List and Superfund Alternative Approach sites where lead is a contaminant of concern, potentially exposing children in communities across the country. EPA will continue working across all our national programs to reduce lead exposure at these sites with an emphasis on addressing disproportionate impacts in communities with lower socioeconomic status.
• Reducing Exposures to Lead-Based Paint Hazards: EPA will continue to reduce exposures to lead in paint and dust by raising awareness about childhood lead exposure with a nationwide education and outreach initiative in underserved communities, and revising two regulations to provide important provisions to protect children from exposure to lead dust on floors and windowsills, one of the most common sources of elevated blood lead levels in children.
• Taking Lead Enforcement Actions: EPA will continue to initiate enforcement actions to protect against children’s health hazards in areas such as exposure to lead paint, the presence of lead and other contaminants in drinking water, and particulate lead air emissions.

In addition, EPA will be carrying out the following activities during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to help a wide variety of audiences learn more about preventing lead exposure.

• Lead Awareness Curriculum Train-the-Trainer Session - Join EPA Wednesday, October 27 at 2:00 pm ET for a live discussion on how to use and modify the “Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy!” materials for any community. Register here.
• Understanding Lead Webinar – Join EPA Thursday, October 28 at 3:00 pm ET for a live presentation, featuring simultaneous Spanish interpretation, of “Module 1: Understanding Lead” from the Lead Awareness Curriculum to receive an overview of lead, its impacts and actions that can be taken to reduce potential lead exposures and lead poisoning. Register here.
• Renovation, Restoration and Painting (RRP) Trainings – EPA is also offering trainings for renovators at no cost. Learn more and register for an upcoming in-person RRP training near you. 

Background:

Established in 1999 by the US Senate, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week occurs every year during the last week in October. During this week, many states and communities offer free blood-lead testing and conduct various education and awareness events.

For more information on what EPA, HUD, and CDC are doing during NLPPW:

EPA - https://www.epa.gov/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week

HUD - https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes/nlppw

CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week.htm

 For more information on EPA and Lead: https://www.epa.gov/lead

Baltimore City Public Schools Eligible for $300,000 Electric School Bus Rebates

 U.S. EPA News Release:

Baltimore City Public Schools Eligible for $300,000 Electric  School Bus Rebates

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 25, 2021) – American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds are now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for electric school bus rebates for Baltimore City Public Schools as part of an effort to address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks to children.

The 2021 ARP Electric School Bus Rebates offers $7 million to eligible school districts and private fleet owners for the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric ones. Selected applicants that scrap and replace their old diesel buses with new electric buses will receive a rebate of $300,000 per bus. School districts must apply for the funds no later than 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 5.

Eligibility requirements must be met for school districts to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates; visit:    ARP Electric School Bus Rebates Eligibility List.

For more information visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates

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20 Pennsylvania School Districts Eligible for $300,000 Electric School Bus Rebates

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 25, 2021) – American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds are now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for electric school bus rebates as part of an effort to address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks to children in 20 Pennsylvania school districts.

The 2021 ARP Electric School Bus Rebates offers $7 million to eligible school districts and private fleet owners for the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric ones. Selected applicants that scrap and replace their old diesel buses with new electric buses will receive a rebate of $300,000 per bus. School districts must apply for the funds no later than 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 5.

Eligibility requirements must be met for school districts to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates; visit:  ARP Electric School Bus Rebates Eligibility List.

The School Districts in Pennsylvania that are eligible to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates include:

• Aliquippa School District
• Allentown City School District
• Brownsville Area School District
• Chester-Upland School District
• Clairton City School District
• Duquesne City School District
• Erie City School District PA Farrell Area School District
• Greater Johnstown School District
• Hanover Area School District
• Harrisburg City School District
• Jeannette City School District
• New Kensington-Arnold School District
• Philadelphia City School District
• Reading School District
• Salisbury-Elk Lick School District
• Steelton-Highspire School District
• Sto-Rox School District
• Wilkes-Barre Area School District
• Wilkinsburg Borough School District
• York City School District

For more information visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates

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Three West Virginia School Districts Eligible for $300,000 Electric School Bus Rebates

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 25, 2021) – American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds are now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for electric school bus rebates as part of an effort to address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks to children in three West Virginia school districts.

The 2021 ARP Electric School Bus Rebates offers $7 million to eligible school districts and private fleet owners for the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric ones. Selected applicants that scrap and replace their old diesel buses with new electric buses will receive a rebate of $300,000 per bus. School districts must apply for the funds no later than 4 p.m. Friday, November 5.

Eligibility requirements must be met for school districts to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates; visit:  ARP Electric School Bus Rebates Eligibility List.

The School Districts in West Virginia that are eligible to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates include:

McDowell County School District  

Mingo County School District

Webster County School District

For more information visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates

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Eight Virginia School Districts Eligible for $300,000 Electric  School Bus Rebates

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 25, 2021) – American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds are now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for electric school bus rebates as part of an effort to address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks to children in eight Virginia school districts.

The 2021 ARP Electric School Bus Rebates offers $7 million to eligible school districts and private fleet owners for the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric ones. Selected applicants that scrap and replace their old diesel buses with new electric buses will receive a rebate of $300,000 per bus. School districts must apply for the funds no later than 4 p.m. Friday, November 5.

Eligibility requirements must be met for school districts to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates; visit:  ARP Electric School Bus Rebates Eligibility List.

The School Districts in Virginia that are eligible to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates include:

Colonial Beach Town Public Schools

Danville City Public Schools

(Greensville) Emporia City Public Schools

Franklin City Public Schools

Galax City Public Schools

Lee County Public Schools

Martinsville City Public Schools

Petersburg City Public Schools

For more information visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates.

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Woodbridge, Delaware School District Eligible for $300,000 Electric School Bus Rebates

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 25, 2021) – American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds are now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for electric school bus rebates for communities including the Woodbridge School District in Northwestern Kent and Southwestern Sussex Counties, Delaware, as part of an effort to address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks to children.

The 2021 ARP Electric School Bus Rebates offers $7 million to eligible school districts and private fleet owners for the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric ones. Selected applicants that scrap and replace their old diesel buses with new electric buses will receive a rebate of $300,000 per bus. School districts must apply for the funds no later than 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 5.

Eligibility requirements must be met for school districts to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates; visit:  ARP Electric School Bus Rebates Eligibility List.

For more information visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebates

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District of Columbia Public Schools District Eligible for $300,000 Electric School Bus Rebates

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 25, 2021) – American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds are now available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for electric school bus rebates for District of Columbia Publc Schools as part of an effort to address disproportionate environmental or public health harms and risks to children.

The 2021 ARP Electric School Bus Rebates offers $7 million to eligible school districts and private fleet owners for the replacement of old diesel school buses with new electric ones. Selected applicants that scrap and replace their old diesel buses with new electric buses will receive a rebate of $300,000 per bus. School districts must apply for the funds no later than 4 p.m., Friday, Nov. 5.

Eligibility requirements must be met for school districts to apply for the ARP electric school bus rebates; visit:  ARP Electric School Bus Rebates Eligibility List.

For more information visit https://www.epa.gov/dera/2021-american-rescue-plan-arp-electric-school-bus-rebate

U.S. EPA fines Clean Harbors treatment facility over hazardous waste violations in San Jose

 U.S. EPA News Release:

U.S. EPA fines Clean Harbors treatment facility over hazardous waste violations in San Jose

SAN FRANCISCO (Oct. 20, 2021) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached a settlement with hazardous waste treatment company Clean Harbors for improper management of hazardous waste at its facility in San Jose, California. Improper storage and management of hazardous wastes poses threats to human health or the environment. The company has agreed to pay a $25,000 civil penalty.

“Today’s enforcement action against Clean Harbors reflects EPA’s continued commitment to protect all communities by enforcing companies’ obligations to properly manage solid and hazardous waste,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Director of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Amy Miller. “EPA takes seriously every company’s obligation to follow the requirements of their permits.”

Clean Harbors’ facility in San Jose provides wastewater treatment for generators of corrosive liquids, as well as fuel blending. EPA conducted an inspection in 2019 under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and found that the facility was operating out of compliance with their California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) hazardous waste permit by failing to replace metal tags on equipment used to transfer hazardous waste, which can help readily distinguish the equipment required to be monitored under hazardous waste management regulations. In addition, Clean Harbors failed to separate containers of incompatible hazardous waste during storage, which can lead to employee injuries or a release to the environment through fire or explosion.

For more information about the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/resource-conservation-and-recovery-act-rcra-compliance-monitoring

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

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA and USDA Announce Winners of the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge

WASHINGTON (October 20, 2021) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winners of the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge, the second of a two-part, joint EPA-US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Partnership and Competition on Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers (EEFs) to Advance Agricultural Sustainability in the United States. The goal of the competition is to improve the efficiency of fertilizers to increase crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment.

Winners of the challenge submitted concepts for novel technologies that can reduce the environmental effects of nitrogen and phosphorus from modern agriculture while maintaining or increasing crop yields. The winning solutions use nanoparticles that require less fertilizer and release nutrients on demand to growing plants, and then biodegrade into harmless substances or even nutrients; support greater plant growth from the same or less fertilizer application; and other approaches.“

“The goal of the challenge is to develop and use innovative and affordable technologies to reduce environmental impacts of modern agriculture on our air, land, and water, while maintaining agricultural productivity and profitability,” said Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for science for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “We are excited about the possibilities and continued new work in this area.”

“Farmers, ranchers, and foresters are well-positioned to be leaders in tackling climate change and other environmental effects through technological innovation,” said Acting USDA Chief Scientist Hubert Hamer. “Through programs like the Next Gen Fertilizer Innovations Challenge, USDA is partnering with the private sector to find new climate-smart solutions that are good for farmers and good for the environment.”

The winning concepts include a range of solutions that can improve environmental outcomes, including reduced nitrous oxide emissions—the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture—while maintaining or increasing crop yields. 

Winners include:

Tier 1 solutions ($17,500 prize):

• Dr. Christopher Hendrickson, Aqua-Yield Operations LLC, Draper, Utah, for a nano-smart fertilizer.
• Taylor Pursell, Pursell Agri-Tech, Sylacauga, Ala., for “Urea 2.0,” which replaces the conventional urea core with a customizable mixture of materials to provide fertilizers tailored to local needs.

Tier 2 solutions ($10,000 prize):

• Dr. Kuide Qin, Verdesian Life Sciences, Cary, N.C., for using innovative mixture technologies to improve performance of industry-standard nitrapyrin for longer effectiveness, less nitrate leaching, and prevention of farm equipment corrosion.
• Dr. Catherine Roue, Fertinagro Biotech International, Portage, Mich., for “Phosphate Liberation Booster” technology, which uses secretions from phosphate-starved plants to boost plant uptake so less fertilizer may be added, and legacy phosphorus can be accessed. 
• Chandrika Varadachari, Agtec Innovations Inc., Los Altos, Calif., for “Smart-N,” which is a smart-fertilizer that releases nutrients on-demand by the crop, and which creates a chemical “cage” for urea that dissolves into plant nutrients.

Tier 3 solutions (Honorable mention):

• Dr. Jaroslav Nisler, the Institute of Experimental Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic, for using derivatives of the plant growth hormone MTU, which helps create longer growth periods, protection from stress, larger plants, and potentially less nutrient loss per unit of fertilizer applied.
• Dr. Leanne Gilbertson, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Penn., for creating a “protected fertilizer package,” which can carry nutrients through soil pores to the area around the plant roots.
• Dr. Robert Neidermyer, Holganix LLC, Aston, Penn., for “Bio 800+,” a microbial inoculant that harnesses the power of over 800 species of soil microbes, kelp, and other soil amending ingredients to promote greater crop production and plant health.
• Paul Mullins, Brandon Products Ltd., Ireland, for “BBS-1,” a biostimulant derived from seaweed extract that is applied as a fertilizer coating to improve nitrogen-uptake in root cells.

EPA and USDA are coordinating the EEF challenges with The Fertilizer Institute (TFI), the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

The competition launched on August 26, 2020. Part two of the first challenge, “EEFs: Environmental and Agronomic Challenge,” is ongoing. More information about the winners can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/innovation/next-gen-fertilizer-innovations-challenge-winners.