Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
EPA Takes Action Against New Jersey Importer of Illegal Pesticides
EPA News Release:
EPA Takes Action Against New Jersey Importer of Illegal Pesticides
Contact: John Martin, (212) 637-3662, martin.johnj@epa.gov
(New York, N.Y. – April 23, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a legal complaint against the Caribbean Corp. of Little Ferry, New Jersey for violating federal pesticides law. The company faces fines of up to $51,200 for importing pesticides into the United States from Mexico without first properly notifying the EPA, and for importing, selling and distributing unregistered and misbranded pesticides. Under federal law, products used to kill pests, including antibacterial cleaners and disinfectants, must be registered with the EPA and contain labels written in English with instructions on their proper use.
"Pesticides can make people sick, particularly if they are not used according to instructions,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “Companies that import pesticides into the United States without making sure these products are properly labeled put people’s health and safety at risk. It is imperative that importers and store owners remove unregistered or mislabeled pesticides from their shelves to help protect the health of their customers.”
EPA inspections of the Caribbean Corp.’s Little Ferry facility in May 2012 revealed the company was selling bottles of “Fabuloso,” a liquid cleaner, and “Clorox,” a liquid bleach, that had not been registered with the EPA. Although many Clorox products are registered with EPA, these particular bottles were not. In addition, the labels on these products were in Spanish, and not in English, as required. The labels on the bottles of Fabuloso stated it was antibacterial and the labels on the Clorox products stated it was a disinfectant, making both products subject to federal pesticide law.
Before a pesticide product is registered, the producer of the product must provide data from tests conducted according to EPA guidelines to ensure that the product will not be harmful to people’s health. The EPA examines the ingredients and the way in which the product will be used, and assesses a wide variety of potential human health and environmental effects associated with its use. Distributors and retailers are responsible for ensuring that all pesticides distributed and sold fully comply with the law.
The federal pesticides law additionally requires the filing of a "Notice of Arrival" prior to the arrival of all imported pesticides into the United States. Companies must submit detailed information on the Notice of Arrival form to allow the EPA to determine if the pesticide is approved for use in the United States or meets one of the few allowable exemptions. Products not registered with the EPA for use in the United States are denied entry and destroyed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or sent back to their country of origin under Customs supervision.
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page,http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.
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EPA Holds Hearings to Gather Public Comments on Vehicle and Gasoline Standards
EPA News Release:
April 24: Philadelphia, PA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 23, 2013
EPA Holds Hearings to Gather Public Comments on Vehicle and Gasoline Standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold two public hearings in April on the Tier 3 proposed rulemaking aimed at addressing the impacts of motor vehicles on air quality and public health. The program proposes to set new vehicle emissions standards and lower the sulfur content of gasoline beginning in 2017.
The proposed vehicle standards would reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger cars, light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles. By 2030, EPA estimates that the proposed cleaner fuels and cars program will annually prevent up to 2,400 premature deaths, 23,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children, 3,200 hospital admissions and asthma-related emergency room visits, and 1.8 million lost school days, work days and days when activities would be restricted due to air pollution. Total health-related benefits in 2030 will be between $8 and $23 billion annually.
WHAT: Public hearings on proposed Tier 3 vehicle emissions and fuel standards
WHEN: April 24 and 29, 2013
EPA Holds Hearings to Gather Public Comments on Vehicle and Gasoline Standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold two public hearings in April on the Tier 3 proposed rulemaking aimed at addressing the impacts of motor vehicles on air quality and public health. The program proposes to set new vehicle emissions standards and lower the sulfur content of gasoline beginning in 2017.
The proposed vehicle standards would reduce both tailpipe and evaporative emissions from passenger cars, light-duty trucks, medium-duty passenger vehicles, and some heavy-duty vehicles. By 2030, EPA estimates that the proposed cleaner fuels and cars program will annually prevent up to 2,400 premature deaths, 23,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children, 3,200 hospital admissions and asthma-related emergency room visits, and 1.8 million lost school days, work days and days when activities would be restricted due to air pollution. Total health-related benefits in 2030 will be between $8 and $23 billion annually.
WHAT: Public hearings on proposed Tier 3 vehicle emissions and fuel standards
WHEN: April 24 and 29, 2013
Each hearing will begin at 10 a.m. local time
WHERE:
WHERE:
April 24: Philadelphia, PA
The Sonesta Hotel—Philadelphia
1800 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
April 29: Chicago, IL
1800 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
April 29: Chicago, IL
The Doubletree—Magnificent Mile
300 E. Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611
The public may register to speak at either hearing by contacting JoNell Iffland, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), at (734) 214-4454 or Iffland.jonell@epa.gov.
EPA also will accept written comments on the proposed standards before June 13, 2013. All comments should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0135 and submitted by one of the following methods:
E-mail:A-and-R-Docket@epa.gov
Mail:
Environmental Protection Agency Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102T) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20460
Hand Delivery: EPA West building EPA Docket Center (Room 3340) 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
More information on proposed Tier 3 rulemaking can be found at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3.htm
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300 E. Ohio Street
Chicago, IL 60611
The public may register to speak at either hearing by contacting JoNell Iffland, EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ), at (734) 214-4454 or Iffland.jonell@epa.gov.
EPA also will accept written comments on the proposed standards before June 13, 2013. All comments should be identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0135 and submitted by one of the following methods:
E-mail:A-and-R-Docket@epa.gov
Mail:
Environmental Protection Agency Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102T) 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20460
Hand Delivery: EPA West building EPA Docket Center (Room 3340) 1301 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC
More information on proposed Tier 3 rulemaking can be found at http://www.epa.gov/otaq/tier3.htm
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Northwest federal agencies are combating climate change - reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy, water, waste efficiency improvements
EPA News Release:
Northwest federal agencies are combating climate change - reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy, water, waste efficiency improvements
Contact: Suzanne Skadowski, EPA Region 10, 206-553-6689, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov
(Seattle – April 23, 2013) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 recognized federal agencies in the Northwest and Alaska as Federal Green Challenge winners for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions 5 percent or more in two target areas - energy, electronics, transportation, waste, water, or purchasing.
The combined efforts of 47 participants, 100s of facilities, and more than 100,000 federal employees in the Northwest and Alaska saved over $3.5 million for U.S. taxpayers by:
- Saving more than 32,000 gallons of fuel oil
- Saving 10 million cubic feet of natural gas
- Reducing potable water use by 166 million gallons
- Diverting more than 38,766 tons of waste from landfills
- Recycling nearly 1,200 tons of end-of-life electronics
EPA recognized these Region 10 Federal Green Challenge Award winners at today’s 5th annual symposium in Seattle:
Energy & Water Award
Department of Homeland Security - - U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle, Washington
- Reducing water consumption by 59 percent and energy consumption by 25 percent
Waste Award
U.S. Postal Service - - Anchorage Processing and Distribution Center, Alaska
- Expanding waste recycling to 70 percent of all solid waste from the Anchorage plant and its nine feeder offices
Waste Award
Bureau of Land Management - - Robert Duncan Plaza, Portland, Oregon
- Increasing waste diversion by 12 percent through recycling and office clean up
Education and Outreach Award
Presented to the Green Team located in the Federal Office Building and Jackson Federal Building, Seattle, Washington
National Park Service, Housing and Urban Development, Bonneville Power Administration, General Services Administration - Office of High Performance Buildings, U.S. Geological Survey - - Federal Office Building
Department of Commerce - Economic Development Association, U.S. Coast Guard District 13, Federal Trade Commission, Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, Department of Commerce - Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education – Office for Civil Rights, Veterans Affairs – Veterans Benefits Administration, General Services Administration, Internal Revenue Service - - Jackson Federal Building
- E-Cycle events recycled 13,200 lbs of E-waste; Resolve to Revolve Campaign increased revolving door use 3 percent over less energy efficient doors; Green Pages Quarterly news; environmental stewardship training
Federal Green Challenge: http://www.epa.gov/fgc/awards/
Follow @EPAnorthwest on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAnorthwest
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