CLEANUP AND NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT REACHED AT ASHLAND LAKEFRONT SUPERFUND SITE IN WISCONSIN

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DOJ (202) 514-2007

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2012 TTY (202) 544-5309

WWW.JUSTICE.GOV EPA (800) 223-0423

CLEANUP AND NATURAL RESOURCES IMPROVEMENT AGREEMENT REACHED AT ASHLAND LAKEFRONT SUPERFUND SITE IN WISCONSIN

WASHINGTON – Northern States Power Co. will begin cleanup of the Ashland/Northern States Power Lakefront Superfund Site in Northwestern Wisconsin under a settlement the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The 40-acre site is located on the shore of Chequamegon Bay in Lake Superior and was used for various industrial purposes for more than a century, resulting in the release of volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, and semivolatile organic compounds, such as naphthalene, at the site.

           Under the agreement, filed today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., Northern States Power will design, construct and implement the cleanup plan for the on-land portion of the site. The on-land cleanup is expected to cost approximately $40 million. The United States will also require additional cleanup of sediments in Chequamegon Bay, and expects that Northern States Power and any other responsible parties will perform the rest of the cleanup. That work is not part of the agreement filed with the Court today.

           Today’s agreement also requires Northern States Power to transfer approximately 990 acres of land along the Iron River to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and 400 acres within the reservation of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians to the Bad River tribe. These parcels, worth about $1.9 million, will be preserved by the state and the Bad River tribe to enhance natural resources in the area that have been harmed by pollution from the site, such as fisheries in Chequamegon Bay and its rivers. In addition, the state of Wisconsin will transfer 114 acres of land to the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. That land will also be managed to preserve natural resources. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also serve as trustees for natural resources in the area and joined the settlement on behalf of the United States.

“This agreement will begin the long-awaited cleanup of contamination at the Ashland Lakefront site,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The agreement will result in the preservation of land in the Chequamegon Bay watershed, including tribal lands, to conserve and enhance natural resources and aquatic habitat that have been harmed by more than a century of pollution at the site.”

“Chequamegon Bay and Lake Superior will be better protected as a result of this agreement,” said EPA Region 5 Regional Administrator Susan Hedman. “Removing the most highly contaminated soil from the site and controlling the flow of contaminated groundwater will prevent polluted water from entering the bay and harming fisheries.”

For more than a century, the Ashland site has been home to various industrial uses, including sawmills, railroads, and a city wastewater treatment plant. The primary source of pollution at the site was the manufactured gas plant operated by Northern States Power’s predecessor company between 1885 and 1947. Pollution from the manufactured gas plant contaminated both the on-land portion of the site and the sediment in the bay.

           The on-land cleanup will include removal of source material and impacted soil in Kreher Park and the adjacent bluff area and recovery wells designed to remove pollution from the Copper Falls aquifer. The work Northern States Power will perform under this agreement is expected to take approximately two to three years.

EPA will oversee the work to ensure that it follows the cleanup plan and complies with the agreement signed by the parties. The state of Wisconsin will support EPA in overseeing the work.

The proposed consent decree will be subject to public comment for 30 days prior to entry in federal court. The consent decree will be available at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.

EPA Seeks IDNR Action to Correct Deficiencies in Iowa’s CAFO Permitting and Compliance Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

EPA Seeks IDNR Action to Correct Deficiencies in Iowa’s CAFO Permitting and Compliance Program

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, 913-551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov/

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., July 12, 2012) - EPA’s initial findings from an informal investigation of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (IDNR) permit program for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) disclose several correctable deficiencies.

EPA’s investigation was carried out in response to a petition for withdrawal of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program authorization from IDNR that was filed in 2007 by the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Sierra Club and the Environmental Integrity Project. Federal regulations allow interested parties to file these petitions when they are concerned that a state is not meeting the minimum NPDES program requirements.

EPA’s initial findings identify deficiencies in IDNR’s NPDES program that the state agency will need to correct. Among others, EPA found that IDNR does not have an adequate program to assess whether unpermitted CAFOs need NPDES permits. The findings also note that IDNR must clarify its authority to issue NPDES permits to confinement (roofed) CAFOs that discharge.

EPA also found that in a number of cases involving Clean Water Act (CWA) violations, IDNR failed to take timely and adequate enforcement actions, and assess adequate penalties. The report containing the initial findings is available at www.epa.gov/region7/water.

“Although today’s report highlights areas for improvement, IDNR has made substantial strides in identifying large open feedlots and requiring those operators to apply for permits,” said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 Administrator. “As a national leader in beef, swine and poultry production, with roughly 7,000 animal feeding operations, it is imperative that Iowa have an NPDES permitting, compliance and enforcement program that complies with federal law and protects the quality of Iowa’s rivers, lakes and streams.”

The issuance of the initial report is the first step in the process in which EPA will work with IDNR to correct the deficiencies. EPA has asked that IDNR provide a written response to the report, within 60 days, describing the actions IDNR has taken or will take to correct the deficiencies, including a proposed plan and timeline to address the deficiencies. EPA intends to provide an opportunity for the public to comment on IDNR proposals to correct the deficiencies.

Any discharge of pollutants into a river or stream is a violation of the Clean Water Act unless the discharge is authorized by an NPDES permit. NPDES, a part of the Clean Water Act, requires CAFOs that discharge to obtain a permit from EPA or authorized states. The Clean Water Act also requires EPA and authorized states to assess whether CAFOs discharge and need an NPDES permit.

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Hinkson Creek Meeting Scheduled March 28 in Columbia, MO

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

Hinkson Creek Meeting Scheduled March 28 in Columbia, Mo.

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, 913-551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

Environmental News

NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY

(Kansas City, Kan., March 20, 2012) - Representatives of EPA; Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Boone County, Mo., Commission; City of Columbia, Mo.; and University of Missouri will host a public informational meeting on March 28 in Columbia, Mo., about an innovative partnership to carry out a pollutant reduction plan to restore Hinkson Creek’s water quality.

A cooperative agreement will be announced which lays out goals and objectives to improve the creek’s water quality. The agreement aims to use each entity’s specific authority to produce a healthy stream attaining all of its designated beneficial uses.

WHAT: Public informational meeting on Hinkson Creek pollutant reduction plan

WHEN: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 28, 2012; and remarks at 5:15 p.m.

WHERE: Activity and Recreation Center, Room A, 1701 West Ash Street, Columbia, Mo. 65203

WHO: Remarks by EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks; Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Sarah Parker Pauley; Boone County Presiding Commissioner Dan Atwill; Boone County Commissioner Karen Miller; and Mayor of Columbia Bob McDavid.

EPA established a Total Maximum Daily Load, or pollutant reduction plan, for Hinkson Creek on January 28, 2011. The plan calls for significant pollutant reductions to improve the stream’s water quality, as required by the Clean Water Act.

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Two Grants that May Be of Interest in Yakima

$15 Million Multi-Agency Challenge to Spur Job Creation in Rural Communities

Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Rural Jobs Accelerator is expected to give out approximately 20 awards to spur job creation and economic growth in distressed rural communities. Applications due by May 9.  Informational webinar on March 20, 3:00 – 4:30 pm EDT. See here for more information.

The Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge leverages existing financial and technical assistance resources from 13 federal agencies and bureaus to spur economic growth in rural areas in approximately 20 regions to be selected through a competitive inter-agency grant process. The Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement will open from March 8, 2012 to May 9, 2012.

Funds awarded to the winning applicants can be used to support and accelerate a range of projects including improving rural communities’ capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or economic and community development along with creation of regional linkages that connect communities with innovation clusters and regional opportunities leading to job creation, expanded markets, and economic growth.

Roadmaps to Health: Community Grants (application deadline May 2, 2012)

http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21390&cid=XEM_A5734

The program will support communities to implement policy or system changes to address one of the social or economic factors that, as defined by the County Health Rankings, most strongly influence health outcomes in their community. These include education; employment and income; family and social support; and community safety. Applicants must secure 100 percent matching support, including a cash match of at least 50 percent with the balance as in-kind support. Grantees will receive awards of up to $200,000 each for up to 24 months to implement their proposed policy or system change strategy.

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