EPA Press Office:

Colorado and Montana educators receive Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators

Two winners among 11 nationwide recognized for excellence in environmental education

Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov) 

DENVER (June 29, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), announced the 2022 recipients of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) and the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). Educators Ashleigh Dewar of Westgate Community School in Thornton, Colorado and Christina Pavlovich of East Side Elementary School in Livingston, Montana are each receiving a PIAEE award.  

“The tradition of excellence in environmental education continues with this year’s winners and I am so proud of their efforts to tackle the most pressing environmental challenges we face,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’m happy to celebrate the climate action and environmental stewardship work of the dedicated youth and educators who are leaders in their classrooms and communities. Environmental education is one of the most important tools in our work to protect the environment and combat the climate crisis.” 

"We all have a role to play in finding solutions to the climate crisis and environmental injustice - including in our classrooms through environmental education and stewardship," said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. "Congratulations to these outstanding students and educators for their ideas, creativity and leadership in finding equitable solutions to address the impacts of climate change in their communities."  

The PIAEE award was established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act and seeks to recognize, support, and bring public attention to the outstanding environmental projects performed by teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning in K-12 education. CEQ, in partnership with EPA, administers this award. 

2022 PIAEE Region 8 Winners: 

Ashleigh Dewar, Westgate Community School 

Thornton, Colorado 

Christina Pavlovich, East Side Elementary School 

Livingston, Montana 

The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection. 

From across the country, 13 educators and 49 students are recognized for their leadership and commitment to environmental education and environmental stewardship. This year, 11 educators received the 2022 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators, and 2 educators were recognized with an honorable mention distinction. Winning educators demonstrated leadership by integrating environmental education into multiple subjects and using topics such as climate change, waste management, water quality, wildlife conservation, STEM education, and school gardens.  

Additionally, 47 students who worked as a team or individually on 10 projects received the President’s Environmental Youth Award; 2 students received honorable mentions. Their stewardship projects, conducted in 2021, display a commitment to advancing community garden efforts, protecting pollinators, reducing pollution, conserving water and energy, reducing food waste, and combating climate change.  

To read about the winning projects in detail, visit PEYA and PIAEE.   

Planting a Huge Load of Butterfly Bushes! 🦋🌿🦋 // Garden Answer

 EPA News Release:

EPA awards $25,000 to CU Boulder to develop drinking water risk assessment tool

CU Boulder one of 16 student teams nationwide to be awarded funding to develop innovative solutions to environmental challenges

Contact Information 

Barbara Khan (khan.barbara@epa.gov) 

720-595-8698 

Boulder, Colo. (June 28, 2022) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $25,000 to a University of Colorado (CU) Boulder student team to develop a drinking water risk assessment tool as part of the Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program. CU Boulder is one of 16 student teams being awarded $399,837 in funding for research and innovative solutions to address environmental and public health challenges. Other projects include a smartphone app to monitor household lead concentrations, a mesh material to prevent shoreline erosion, and a household heating system for Tribal communities that’s cleaner and more efficient.

“The students honored today are leading the way when it comes to developing cutting-edge research to address some of our most challenging environmental concerns,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “I’m excited to support the next generation of scientists and engineers though EPA’s P3 program.”

With the funding, the CU Boulder team will develop an alpha version of the Chemical Health Risk Identification System (CHRIS) tool to assist in rapid chemical risk assessment and treatment selection for global drinking water sources. The team, using risk factors such as known chemical occurrence, common chemical sources, and other environmental risk factors, will develop unique risk profiles for drinking water sources under a systematic review process. The tool will then suggest appropriate technologies and interventions to prevent community exposure to chemical contaminants. This alpha version will be validated against existing occurrence data for specific case studies where risk factors can be identified.

“This funding will help CU Boulder develop an initial version of a critical tool to empower people and communities to know more about the water they drink,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “Using the tool, people will be able to make better and more informed choices to protect themselves from chemical pollution.”

“Chemical pollution is a contributor to global disease burden, and the CHRIS tool will fill an important knowledge gap by providing a wide range of stakeholders with knowledge about possible chemical toxin exposures in drinking water, along with appropriate treatment techniques for mitigation,” said Dr. Karl G. Linden, Mortenson Professor in Sustainable Development in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering at CU Boulder. “Risk assessment tools such as this represent an important first step toward addressing the impacts of chemical pollutants on global health."

EPA’s P3 program is a two-phase research grant program open to teams of college and university students working to design solutions for a sustainable future. The 16 Phase I recipients announced today will receive grants of up to $25,000 each, which serve as their proof of concept. They will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their design in a real-world setting.

Learn more about the winners.

More information on the P3 Program.

 EPA News Release:

Niagara County to Receive $3.9 Million in Brownfields-Specific Funding to Address Contaminated Sites

Niagara County to Receive $3.9 Million in Brownfields-Specific Funding to Address Contaminated Sites

 

Contact Information: John Senn, 212-637-3662, senn.john@epa.gov

 
NEW YORK (June 27, 2022) – Niagara County in New York will benefit from the more than $250 million in funding recently awarded across the country to 265 communities. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia was joined today by U.S. Representative Brian Higgins to highlight the important work to be conducted in Niagara County using part of this funding. New York communities received about $10.5 of that money, including a $3.9 million grant to Niagara County. The funding is in part from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5 billion to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization, and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties.

EPA will be awarding Niagara County a Revolving Loan Fund grant that supplements previous Brownfields grant funding the Agency awarded to the County. These new funds will be used to for loans and subgrants for site cleanups throughout the County. Priority sites for this funding include a former junkyard, a vacant office building, and a former industrial building.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said, “EPA’s Brownfields Program breathes new life into communities by helping to turn contaminated and potentially dangerous sites into productive economic contributors. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are significantly ramping up our investments in communities, with the bulk of our funding going to places that have been overburdened and underserved for far too long.”

“Niagara County will benefit from the powerful tool of brownfields, which helps overburdened communities in New York address local inequities by providing a means to revitalize properties and promote environmental health, economic growth, and job creation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The Brownfields program transforms communities, and BIL gives the program a huge infusion of funding with a historic $1.5 billion dollars that will be leveraged to make a real and lasting on-the-ground difference for communities across the country.”

Brownfield projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination, to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals. Once cleaned up, former brownfield properties can be redeveloped into productive uses such as grocery stores, affordable housing, health centers, museums, parks, and solar farms.

The Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 86 percent of the communities selected to receive this funding have proposed projects in historically underserved areas. EPA’s Brownfields grants and other technical assistance programs like the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative are also helping to build the clean energy economy.

This announcement includes approximately $180 million from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help turn brownfield sites across the nation into hubs of economic growth and job creation, along with more than $75 million from Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations. The national list of the applicants selected for funding is available here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2022-brownfields-assessment-rlf-cleanup-arc-grants-and-rlf

Since its inception in 1995, EPA’s investments in brownfield sites have leveraged more than $35 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example:

• To date, this funding has led to more than 183,000 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment and more than 9,500 properties have been made ready for reuse.
• Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.43 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.
• In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15% as a result of cleanup activities.
• Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfields sites.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law that I led to passage included a historic $1.5 billion for the EPA’s Brownfields program, and now those dollars are jumpstarting long-delayed clean-ups at toxic sites from the Mohawk Valley to Niagara County,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer. “Cleaning up these polluted sites is critical to breathing new life into these communities to attract businesses and create new good-paying jobs. This $10.5 million federal investment will not only ensure that municipalities will not have to take on debt to clean up these waste sites, but will protect the health of our families, environment, and will accelerate economic recovery.”

“Brownfields are a serious threat to the environment and to public health,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. “Cleaning them up and turning them into usable spaces like parks, recreation facilities, and housing revitalizes our communities and spurs local economic development. I’m proud to have fought to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that helped provide the funding for this cleanup and I applaud EPA for working to address contamination across New York State.”

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is laying the foundation for healthier, cleaner and vibrant communities, while supporting jobs right here at home,” said Rep. Brian Higgins. “This $4 million federal investment, represents a significant boost to a program that will play a critical role in transitioning Niagara County’s old, industrial sites to destinations that are new, exciting and welcoming to the public and to economic opportunities.”

“We thank the Biden Administration, EPA Administrator Regan, and Regional Administrator Garcia for their $10 million investment in New York and supporting federal brownfield cleanup programs as critical tools to remediate pollution and revitalize communities,” New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “This federal investment will bolster New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, which continues to get stronger with unwavering support from Governor Hochul’s recent 10-year extension of the initiative. In New York we have countless examples of how Brownfield cleanups can turn formerly abandoned hazardous sites, often community eyesores, into vibrant, usable spaces for businesses, housing, and parks development. With this new influx of support, New York will continue to set an example of how investing in our communities yields valuable and timeless results.”  

Niagara County Chairwoman Rebecca Wydysh said: “Niagara County has been a leader on brownfield efforts and this grant award demonstrates our commitment and progress towards site remediation and redevelopment.”

New York State Sen. Rob Ortt said: “Niagara County and Western New York is currently in the midst of a rebirth with new and exciting projects emerging from once polluted parcels of land. Our region, which was built on the industrial sector, is still recovering from environmental mistakes of the past. But with funding from programs like the Revolving Loan Supplemental Grant Fund, and the Brownfield Tax Credit at the state level, we are making tremendous strides forward toward cleaning up our communities and repurposing once vacant land for new commercial and residential usage. I thank the bipartisan efforts at our federal level for helping to make this funding available to our county, and I look forward to the new projects that are created from this program.”

Additional Background

A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.    

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 16-19, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Conference registration is open at www.brownfields2022.org.

For more on Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

 

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 EPA Press Office:

Paterson to Benefit from Part of $6.5 Million in EPA Brownfields-Specific Funding Going to New Jersey Communities

Paterson to Benefit from Part of $6.5 Million in EPA Brownfields-Specific Funding Going to New Jersey Communities

 

Contact Information: John Senn, 212-637-3662, senn.john@epa.gov

NEW YORK (June 21, 2022) – Paterson, N.J. will benefit from the more than $250 million in funding recently awarded across the country to 265 communities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia was joined today by U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh and New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s Tim Sullivan to highlight the important work to be conducted in Paterson, N.J. using part of this funding. New Jersey communities received about $6.5 of that money, including a $2 million grant to New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to be used in communities like Paterson, N.J. The funding is in part from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides a total of $1.5 billion to advance environmental justice, spur economic revitalization, and create jobs by cleaning up contaminated, polluted, or hazardous brownfield properties.

NJEDA is receiving a $2 million grant to assess 73 contaminated sites in communities throughout the state. Brownfield sites in the 13 municipalities designated as high priority by the State of New Jersey due to historic disinvestment will be prioritized for work under this grant. In addition to Paterson, those municipalities are Atlantic City, Bayonne, Bridgeton, Camden, Jersey City, Millville, Newark, Paulsboro, Perth Amboy, Salem, Trenton, and Vineland. Grant funds also will be used to prepare cleanup and reuse plans and conduct community outreach.

The Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs to disadvantaged communities. Approximately 86 percent of the communities selected to receive funding as part of today’s announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said, “EPA’s Brownfields Program breathes new life into communities by helping to turn contaminated and potentially dangerous sites into productive economic contributors. Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are significantly ramping up our investments in communities, with the bulk of our funding going to places that have been overburdened and underserved for far too long.”

“Paterson will benefit from the powerful tool of brownfields, which helps overburdened communities in New Jersey address local inequities by providing a means to revitalize properties and promote environmental health, economic growth, and job creation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The Brownfields program transforms communities, and BIL gives the program a huge infusion of funding with a historic $1.5 billion dollars that will be leveraged to make a real and lasting on-the-ground difference for communities across the country.”

Applicants selected for funding in New Jersey this year are:

• City of Asbury Park, Cleanup Grant of $500,000
• Camden Redevelopment Agency, Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental Grant of $3,500,000
• Hamilton Township, Cleanup Grant of $500,000
• New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Assessment Grant of $2,000,000 for projects statewide

The national list of the applicants selected for funding is available here: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy-2022-brownfields-assessment-rlf-cleanup-arc-grants-and-rlf

Since its inception in 1995, EPA’s investments in brownfield sites have leveraged more than $35 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example:

• To date, this funding has led to more than 183,000 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment and more than 9,500 properties have been made ready for reuse.
• Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.43 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.
• In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15% as a result of cleanup activities.
• Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfields sites.

Sen. Cory Booker said: “During my time as Mayor and as Senator, I have seen firsthand how the Brownfields program revitalizes communities. I am proud that the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is delivering significant investment in restoring brownfield sites across New Jersey. These federal dollars will protect the health and well-being of communities and promote unrealized economic opportunity.”

Sen. Bob Menendez said: “I have long championed critical federal programs like Brownfields and Superfund that help clean up contaminated waste sites, and I’m proud to have helped secure this funding in the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Today’s announcement will help communities across the state not only protect the environment and improve public health, but also spur new growth and economic opportunity for residents. I thank the Biden Administration for their continued support for our families and their steadfast commitment to environmental justice for underserved communities and communities of color that too often shoulder the burden of legacy pollution.”

“This federal support for New Jersey is an important tool for promoting public safety and protecting our air, land, and water. At the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and all across our state, the Biden Administration and our Democratic Congress are investing in your environment and improving quality of life,” said Congressman Pascrell, a cosponsor of the Green New Deal and author of the law establishing the Great Falls as a national park. “The Great Falls’ ATP site is a prime example of a landmark in need of refurbishment and preservation. Its historic value has been clouded by years of industrial waste and decay. With this federal investment in our state, we will continue the necessary work of cleaning up sites like this for New Jerseyans. I commend our mayor, Andre Sayegh, for his leadership and perseverance on this front. I also want to thank my friends at the EPA, NJDEP, and NJEDA for all they’ve done and continue to do for our communities. This funding is tremendous news for Paterson, for New Jersey, and for our environment. Let’s get to work.”

“Our path toward continued, equitable economic growth is paved by the steps we take today to clean up and cultivate a healthy, safe environment,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “This funding will allow New Jersey to transform brownfields into vibrant, productive assets, especially in under-resourced communities. Investments in the remediation of these sites are investments in future opportunities for all New Jersey residents and businesses.”

“Economic development and environmental protection go hand-in-hand, and in New Jersey, the EPA Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant serves as a vital resource for revitalizing vacant properties,” said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “For too long, financial barriers have prevented entities from developing contaminated sites due to the limited funding available for site assessments, planning, and cleanup. Today’s funding announcement will allow the DEP and the EDA to increase current programmatic efforts to redevelop and remediate contaminated sites, sparking community-wide economic revitalization and furthering Governor Murphy’s commitment to a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy and environment.”

“Supporting communities as they work to clean up, revitalize, and redevelop contaminated properties is critical for stimulating economic growth and building a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey has made great strides to ensure the equitable environmental and economic well-being of every New Jersey resident, regardless of zip-code. Funding from the EPA Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant will allow the NJEDA to provide greater support for communities looking to remediate vacant and underutilized properties, therefore prioritizing the environmental, social, and economic needs of New Jersey’s neighborhoods and distressed communities.”

Paterson Mayor André Sayegh said: “We are extremely pleased with Paterson's ongoing partnerships with the US EPA Region 2, the NJ DEP and NJ EDA. This and other grant funding greatly assists us to take additional steps toward the reclamation of this highly significant early industrial site where Paterson started in 1792. Only through the environmental remediation of the site can it take its place as part of the Great Falls National Historical Park. This is a great step toward our shared vision and we are grateful for the continued support from our partners at the EPA, NJ DEP, and NJ EDA.”

 

Additional Background

A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.   

The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 16-19, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Conference registration is open at www.brownfields2022.org.

For more on Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

 

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 EPA Press Office:

Draft Environmental Impact Statement Released for Projects to Mitigate Transborder Water Pollution

Next step in implementing EPA’s comprehensive infrastructure solution for the San Diego-Tijuana Region

SAN DIEGO (June 17, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) invite the public to review and comment by August 1 on the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for a set of proposed projects that comprise the Comprehensive Infrastructure Solution for mitigating transborder water pollution. EPA and USIBWC will convene public information sessions to discuss the proposed projects and public meetings to accept comments.

The Tijuana River carries treated and untreated wastewater, trash, and sediment from Mexico across the border into the United States. In addition, polluted discharge into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana’s San Antonio de Los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is carried northward by ocean currents during the summer, impacting beaches in southern San Diego County. The PEIS released today is part of the environmental review process required as the next step to move forward on the infrastructure actions announced by EPA in November 2021. Completing the PEIS is necessary to initiate planning, design, and construction of an initial part of a comprehensive set of infrastructure projects in San Diego and Tijuana to stem the flow of transborder pollution.  

“The border communities share one watershed, and the solutions to reducing pollution in our shared environment require binational collaboration across all levels of government. EPA has worked closely with the USIBWC, a wide range of stakeholders, and the public to achieve today’s milestone, which demonstrates tangible progress toward reducing pollution flows,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “We look forward to continuing this collaboration and hearing directly from the communities across the watershed.”

“We look forward to working with stakeholders and EPA to address the sanitation problem at San Diego-Tijuana,” said USIBWC Commissioner Dr. Maria-Elena Giner. “I especially value the input of local community members who have firsthand experience with the region's wastewater challenges.”

The Draft PEIS, which is a required step under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), analyzes the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the proposed set of infrastructure projects, as well as alternatives, on the human, physical, and biological environment. This is an opportunity for the public to give input on the environmental analysis and alternatives within the PEIS, which EPA and USIBWC will consider in any final PEIS.

The Draft PEIS evaluates the option of taking no action, along with two alternative approaches to undertake projects to address water quality in the Tijuana River and adjacent coastal areas. Descriptions of the alternatives evaluated are in the Draft PEIS and on the project website.

 

EPA and USIBWC have established a 45-day public comment period for the Draft PEIS that concludes on August 1, 2022. EPA and USIBWC will host a virtual public information session the last week of June to share details about the PEIS. Please visit our Tijuana River watershed website for more information about the public information session.

After the public has had more time for review, two virtual public meetings will be held on July 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PDT and on July 20 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. PDT to solicit input on the Draft PEIS. Meeting materials will be presented in a bilingual written format (English and Spanish). Closed captioning (in English) and audio (with simultaneous English/Spanish interpretation services) will be available during the meetings.

For more information on how to register for the virtual public meetings, please go to our Tijuana River watershed website. In addition to attending the meetings, written comments may be submitted until 5:00 p.m. (PDT) on August 1, 2022, to this e-mail address: Tijuana-Transboundary-EIS@epa.gov.

Comments will help EPA and USIBWC further refine the analysis in the draft PEIS. EPA and USIBWC will then prepare a Final PEIS in November 2022 and will publish a Federal Register notice announcing its public availability.

Once the final PEIS is issued, EPA and USIBWC will sign a Record of Decision. Once signed, the first projects identified in the Comprehensive Infrastructure Solution may begin in early 2023, using the $300 million that Congress appropriated through the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

Learn more about the USMCA Tijuana River Watershed.

Learn more about the Tijuana River Watershed NEPA Implementation.

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

 EPA Press Office

EPA Awards over $3.7 Million to Support Wetlands Restoration in the Pacific Southwest

SAN FRANCISCO (June 16, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a total of $3,745,495 to boost programs that restore habitat, protect tribal water quality and preserve wetlands across the Pacific Southwest. The funding was awarded through EPA’s Wetland Program Development Grants.

“We are very pleased to support our partners in their efforts to improve water quality and restore wetlands in California, Hawaii, and Nevada,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman “Healthy wetlands provide numerous benefits to ecosystems and communities across the Pacific Southwest, and these grants will allow our state, local and tribal partners to make significant progress protecting these vital resources where it's needed most.”

Wetland Program Development Grants assist state, tribal, and local government agencies and interstate/intertribal entities in developing or refining programs which protect, manage, and restore wetlands.

Below are the projects funded in this year’s round of grants:

The Yurok Tribe’s Wetland Program Plan will receive $309,718 to advance preservation and restoration of headwater wetlands in response to climate change. The project will create a Wetlands Headwaters Restoration and Prioritization Plan to inform better stewardship practices through the worsening drought.

California State Coastal Conservancy will receive $365,000 to build capacity for assessing wetland recovery efforts. The project will develop a regional monitoring program for the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project.

Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk will receive $262,174 to continue to build on its 2019 Wetlands Program Plan and develop a tribal wetland inventory, monitoring and assessment program.

Southern California Coastal Water Resource Project will receive $443,005 to develop a Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Program for the Southern California Bight.

Association of Bay Area Governments will receive $569,366 for the SF Bay Wetlands Regional Monitoring Program Plan Phase III: Enhancing Community Relevance. This project will plan coordinated monitoring efforts and advance work to analyze wetland status and trends.

San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission will receive $379,622 to develop new sediment management policies for wetland restoration and climate change resilience in San Francisco Bay.

Aquatic Science Center will receive $436,969 to develop the Russian River Regional Monitoring Program, which includes a comprehensive base map of surface waters and riparian areas.

Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources will receive $264,116 to develop Hawaii’s first protection and restoration strategy for the state’s anchialine pools—enclosed water bodies or ponds with an underground connection to the ocean—and marshes. The project will convene a state advisory committee, develop a monitoring and assessment strategy, identify regulatory program needs, and distribute project outputs to partners to guide wetland restoration and protection efforts across the state. These activities were identified as priorities in Hawaii’s Wetland Program Plan developed with support from a previous EPA Wetland Program Development Grant.

Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe will receive $234,881 to continue building capacity to safeguard Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River, and to protect endangered cui-ui sucker fish, threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout, and the Tribe’s people from water pollution and its effects.

Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Division, will receive $480,644 to revise Nevada’s Wetlands Program Plan and continue the ongoing inventory, monitoring and assessment of the state’s springs.

For more information, visit EPA's wetland program development grants page.

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

 EPA Press Office:

EPA and Army Host West-Focused Virtual Regional WOTUS Roundtable

Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army (Army) (together, the agencies) will host a virtual West-focused regional roundtable on “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) on June 16, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

View the livestream for this West roundtable.

The virtual roundtable was organized by the California Farm Bureau and is one of ten roundtables intended to highlight diverse perspectives and regional experiences on WOTUS implementation. Through these engagements, the agencies will hear from participants representing agriculture, conservation groups, developers, drinking water and wastewater managers, environmental organizations, communities with environmental justice concerns, industry, Tribal nations, and state and local governments.

The regional roundtables are an important mechanism for the EPA and the Army to consider the regional issues and variation in implementation of WOTUS, given the diverse water quality and quantity conditions in different parts of the United States. The regional roundtables will provide opportunities for roundtable participants to discuss topics of their choosing, including geographic similarities and differences, particular water resources that are characteristic of or unique to each region, and site-specific feedback about the way WOTUS has been implemented by the agencies.

More information on public engagement, including links to view the roundtables.

More information on “waters of the United States.”

Background

The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants from a point source to navigable waters unless otherwise authorized under the Act. Navigable waters are defined in the Act as “the waters of the United States, including the territorial seas.” Thus, “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) is a threshold term establishing the geographic scope of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. The term “waters of the United States” is not defined by the Act but has been defined by EPA and the Army in regulations since the 1970s and jointly implemented in the agencies’ respective programmatic activities.

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Announces Available Funding for Clean School Buses

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Delivers on Promises to Protect Communities, Children

PHILADELPHIA (June 15, 2022) – To replace the nation’s fleet of school buses with clean, American-made, zero-emission buses, the U.S. EPA is currently accepting applications from school districts as part of a $500 million funding effort under the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

“This new funding can make a big difference in communities in our region, especially in school districts facing environmental justice challenges,” said EPA Mid-Alantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “We encourage every school district to apply for these funds.  These new zero emission busses will help improve air quality, reduce noise pollution, require less maintenance and will impact our communities’ overall health, safety and quality of life.”

This is only the first round of funding from the BIL, where an unprecedented $5 billion is being invested over the next five years.

The Philadelphia School District has already replaced two diesel school buses to cleaner electric school buses through the 2020 Diesel Emission Reduction Act Clean School Bus Rebate funding.

Diesel air pollution is linked to asthma and other health problems that hurt our communities and cause students to miss school, particularly in communities of color and Tribal communities.  New, zero-emission and low-emission buses will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but produce cleaner air for students, bus drivers, school staff working near the bus loading areas, and the communities that the buses drive through each day. 

These zero-emission buses cost less to operate, and the electricity stored in zero-emission school buses can transmit energy back to the power grid to meet extra energy demand or provide energy to communities during power outages.

EPA will prioritize applications that will replace buses serving high-need local education agencies, Tribal Schools, and rural areas, and it supports President Biden’s Justice40 initiative to direct at least 40% of the benefits of certain government investments to underserved communities.

Applications are being accepted until August 19, 2022.  Questions about applying may be directed to CleanSchoolBus@epa.gov.

To learn more about the rebate programs, applicant eligibility, selection process, and informational webinar dates, visit www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Announces New Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFAS Chemicals, $1 Billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Strengthen Health Protections

Agency establishes new health advisories for GenX and PFBS and lowers health advisories for PFOA and PFOS

Contact: EPA Press Office, press@epa.gov

WASHINGTON (June 15, 2022) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released four drinking water health advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the latest action under President Biden’s action plan to deliver clean water and Administrator Regan’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap. EPA also announced that it is inviting states and territories to apply for $1 billion – the first of $5 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant funding – to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water, specifically in small or disadvantaged communities. These actions build on EPA’s progress to safeguard communities from PFAS pollution and scientifically inform upcoming efforts, including EPA’s forthcoming proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation for PFOA and PFOS, which EPA will release in the fall of 2022.

“People on the front-lines of PFAS contamination have suffered for far too long. That’s why EPA is taking aggressive action as part of a whole-of-government approach to prevent these chemicals from entering the environment and to help protect concerned families from this pervasive challenge,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are also investing $1 billion to reduce PFAS and other emerging contaminants in drinking water.”

“Today’s actions highlight EPA’s commitment to use the best available science to tackle PFAS pollution, protect public health, and provide critical information quickly and transparently,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “EPA is also demonstrating its commitment to harmonize policies that strengthen public health protections with infrastructure funding to help communities—especially disadvantaged communities—deliver safe water.”

Assistant Administrator Fox announced these actions at the 3rd National PFAS Conference in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

$1 Billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding

As part of a government-wide effort to confront PFAS pollution, EPA is making available $1 billion in grant funding through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help communities that are on the frontlines of PFAS contamination, the first of $5 billion through the Law that can be used to reduce PFAS in drinking water in communities facing disproportionate impacts. These funds can be used in small or disadvantaged communities to address emerging contaminants like PFAS in drinking water through actions such as technical assistance, water quality testing, contractor training, and installation of centralized treatment technologies and systems.

EPA will be reaching out to states and territories with information on how to submit their letter of intent to participate in this new grant program. EPA will also consult with Tribes and Alaskan Native Villages regarding the Tribal set-aside for this grant program. This funding complements $3.4 billion in funding that is going through the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) and $3.2 billion through the Clean Water SRFs that can also be used to address PFAS in water this year.

Lifetime Drinking Water Health Advisories for Four PFAS

The agency is releasing PFAS health advisories in light of newly available science and in accordance with EPA’s responsibility to protect public health. These advisories indicate the level of drinking water contamination below which adverse health effects are not expected to occur. Health advisories provide technical information that federal, state, and local officials can use to inform the development of monitoring plans, investments in treatment solutions, and future policies to protect the public from PFAS exposure.

EPA’s lifetime health advisories identify levels to protect all people, including sensitive populations and life stages, from adverse health effects resulting from a lifetime of exposure to these PFAS in drinking water. EPA’s lifetime health advisories also take into account other potential sources of exposure to these PFAS beyond drinking water (for example, food, air, consumer products, etc.), which provides an additional layer of protection.   

EPA is issuing interim, updated drinking water health advisories for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) that replace those EPA issued in 2016. The updated advisory levels, which are based on new science and consider lifetime exposure, indicate that some negative health effects may occur with concentrations of PFOA or PFOS in water that are near zero and below EPA’s ability to detect at this time. The lower the level of PFOA and PFOS, the lower the risk to public health. EPA recommends states, Tribes, territories, and drinking water utilities that detect PFOA and PFOS take steps to reduce exposure. Most uses of PFOA and PFOS were voluntarily phased out by U.S. manufacturers, although there are a limited number of ongoing uses, and these chemicals remain in the environment due to their lack of degradation.

For the first time, EPA is issuing final health advisories for perfluorobutane sulfonic acid and its potassium salt (PFBS) and for hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid and its ammonium salt (“GenX” chemicals). In chemical and product manufacturing, GenX chemicals are considered a replacement for PFOA, and PFBS is considered a replacement for PFOS. The GenX chemicals and PFBS health advisory levels are well above the level of detection, based on risk analyses in recent scientific studies. 

The agency’s new health advisories provide technical information that federal, state, and local agencies can use to inform actions to address PFAS in drinking water, including water quality monitoring, optimization of existing technologies that reduce PFAS, and strategies to reduce exposure to these substances. EPA encourages states, Tribes, territories, drinking water utilities, and community leaders that find PFAS in their drinking water to take steps to inform residents, undertake additional monitoring to assess the level, scope, and source of contamination, and examine steps to reduce exposure. Individuals concerned about levels of PFAS found in their drinking water should consider actions that may reduce exposure, including installing a home or point of use filter.

Next Steps

EPA is moving forward with proposing a PFAS National Drinking Water Regulation in fall 2022. As EPA develops this proposed rule, the agency is also evaluating additional PFAS beyond PFOA and PFOS and considering actions to address groups of PFAS. The interim health advisories will provide guidance to states, Tribes, and water systems for the period prior to the regulation going into effect. 

The EPA’s work to identify and confront the risks that PFAS pose to human health and the environment is a key component in the Biden-Harris Administration whole-of-government approach to confronting these emerging contaminants. This strategy includes steps by the Food and Drug Administration to increase testing for PFAS in food and packaging, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help dairy farmers address contamination of livestock, and by the Department of Defense to clean-up contaminated military installations and the elimination of unnecessary PFAS uses. 

To receive grant funding announced today through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, states and territories should submit a letter of intent by August 15, 2022.

To provide the public with more information about these actions, EPA will be hosting a webinar on June 23, 2022 at 12:00 pm Eastern. Learn more or register for the event.

PFAS Strategic Roadmap 

Today’s actions achieve another key commitment as the agency implements the October 2021 PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Under the Roadmap, EPA is working across the agency to protect the public from the health impacts of PFAS. EPA has undertaken a number of actions to deliver progress on PFAS including: 

• Issuing the fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule to improve EPA’s understanding of the frequency that 29 PFAS are found in the nation’s drinking water systems and at what levels. 
• Issuing the first Toxic Substances Control Act PFAS test order under the National PFAS Testing Strategy;  
• Adding five PFAS to EPA’s contaminated site cleanup tables; 
• Publishing draft aquatic life water quality criteria for PFOA and PFOS; 
• Issuing a memo to proactively address PFAS in Clean Water Act permitting; and 
• Publishing a new draft total adsorbable fluorine wastewater method. 

Westlake Chemical Corporation Subsidiaries Agree to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution at Three U.S. Chemical Plants

 EPA Press Release:

Westlake Chemical Corporation Subsidiaries Agree to Reduce Harmful Air Pollution at Three U.S. Chemical Plants

Settlement Will Cut Flaring at Plants in Kentucky and Louisiana

DALLAS, TEXAS (June 13, 2022)  –Five subsidiaries of Westlake Chemical Corporation—Westlake Chemical OpCo LP, Westlake Petrochemicals LLC, Westlake Polymers LLC, Westlake Styrene LLC, and Westlake Vinyls, Inc.—have agreed to make upgrades and perform compliance measures estimated to cost $110 million to resolve allegations that they violated the Clean Air Act and state air pollution control laws at three petrochemical manufacturing facilities located in Calvert City, Kentucky, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Westlake companies will also pay a $1 million civil penalty. The settlement will eliminate thousands of tons of air pollution from flares.

According to the complaint, also filed today by the United States, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the State of Louisiana, the companies failed to properly operate and monitor their industrial flares, which resulted in excess emissions of harmful air pollution at the three facilities. The company regularly “oversteamed” the flares and failed to comply with other key operating constraints to ensure the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) contained in the gases routed to the flares are efficiently combusted. 

“This settlement—the eighth of its kind since 2013—demonstrates DOJ’s and  EPA’s continuing commitment to the addressing excessive and harmful air pollution from improperly operated petrochemical flares,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The settlement’s significant reductions of hazardous and other air pollutants and greenhouse gases will serve to reduce exposure in the vulnerable nearby communities with environmental justice concerns.”

“This settlement will require the Westlake companies to install pollution control and emissions monitoring equipment at the two facilities, reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and other harmful gases by thousands of tons per year,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Those controls, plus a requirement for fence line monitoring of benzene emissions and corrective actions when benzene readings are high, will result in significant benefits for the local communities in Kentucky and Louisiana.”

The settlement requires the two facilities to install and operate air pollution control and monitoring technology to reduce flaring and the resulting harmful air pollution from eight flares at the three facilities. Once fully implemented, the pollution controls are estimated to reduce emissions of ozone-forming VOCs by 2,258 tons per year and of toxic air pollutants, including benzene, by 65 tons per year. The settlement is also expected to reduce emissions of climate-change-causing greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and ethane, by over 50,733 tons per year.

This settlement also contains innovative injunctive relief measures that continue this Administration’s efforts to use enforcement to reduce the impacts of harmful pollutants on overburdened communities and to fight climate change by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. The significant emissions reductions of VOCs and HAPs secured at the facilities serve to reduce exposure in the community to some of the same air pollutants to which they are disproportionately exposed. The improved combustion efficiency requirements, flare gas recovery system, requirements to reduce flaring, and limits on flaring included in the settlement reduce the carbon footprint of all three facilities

The Westlake companies will perform air quality monitoring that is designed to detect the presence of benzene at the fence lines of the three covered plants. Monitoring results must be publicly posted, providing the neighboring communities with more information about their air quality. The monitoring requirements also include triggers for root cause analysis and corrective actions if fence line emissions exceed certain thresholds. Flare compliance is an ongoing priority for EPA under its Creating Clean Air for Communities National Compliance Initiative.

The pollutants addressed by the settlement can cause significant harm to public health. VOCs are a key component in the formation of smog or ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Chronic exposure to benzene, which EPA classifies as a carcinogen, can cause numerous health impacts, including leukemia and adverse reproductive effects in women. Flares are also often large sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Flares are devices used to combust waste gases that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere during certain industrial operations. Well-operated flares should have high “combustion efficiency,” meaning they combust nearly all harmful waste gas constituents, like VOCs and HAPs, and turn them into water and carbon dioxide. The agreement is designed to improve the Westlake companies’ flaring practices. First, it requires the company to minimize the amount of waste gas that is sent to the flares, which reduces the amount of flaring. Second, the company must improve the combustion efficiency of its flares when flaring is necessary.  The Westlake companies will take several steps to minimize the waste gas sent to its flares at each facility. All three facilities will operate a flare gas recovery system that recovers and “recycles” the gases instead of sending them to be combusted in a flare. The flare gas recovery system will allow Westlake to reuse these gases as a fuel at its facilities or a product for sale. For flaring that must occur, the agreement requires that the Westlake companies install and operate instruments and monitoring systems to ensure that the gases sent to its flares are efficiently combusted.

The consent decree, lodged in the Western District Court of Louisiana, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing here.

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