EPA announces LSU College of the Coast & Environment as 1st Place 2019 Gulf Guardian Winner

EPA Press Release:

EPA announces LSU College of the Coast & Environment as 1st Place 2019 Gulf Guardian Winner

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

DALLAS – (Sept. 26, 2019) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Division announced the Louisiana State University (LSU) College of the Coast & Environment as a 2nd Place Gulf Guardian winner for its EnvironMentors program to encourage interest in environmental stewardship and science careers among high school participants.

“The Gulf Guardian winners have shown a remarkable commitment to protecting a unique part of our nation that so many communities rely upon,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen.  “By watching over a vital ecological, recreational, and economic hub, the EnvironMentors program at LSU’s College of the Coast & Environment is a guardian in every sense of the word.”

“Plentiful marine resources, pristine beaches and economic vitality make the Gulf of Mexico a national treasure worthy of protection and preservation,” said Acting Gulf of Mexico Division Director, Lakeshia Robertson. “The Gulf Guardian winners embody environmental stewardship; their efforts are creating a healthy and resilient Gulf for residents and tourists alike.”

Through EnviroMentors, LSU student volunteers mentor high schoolers on a year-long scientific research project. The program focuses on underprivileged young people who are typically underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Students who complete the program increase their likelihood of graduating from high school and pursuing higher education, and their projects address real-world issues. Recent topics include effects of human impacts on plankton species, pathogens in oysters, and removing phosphorus from LSU’s University Lake.

The Gulf of Mexico Program initiated the Gulf Guardian awards in 2000 to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. First, second and third place awards are given in seven categories: individual, business/industry, youth environmental education, civic/nonprofit organizations, cultural diversity/environmental justice, partnership and bi-national efforts.

The Gulf of Mexico Program began in 1988 to protect, restore, and maintain the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem in economically sustainable ways. The Gulf of Mexico Program is underwritten by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is a non-regulatory, inclusive consortium of state and federal government agencies and representatives of the business and agricultural community, fishing industry, scientists, environmentalists, and community leaders from all five Gulf States. The Gulf Program seeks to improve the environmental health of the Gulf in concert with economic development.

For more information about the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Division go to: https://www.epa.gov/gulfofmexico.

Connect with EPA Region 6:

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

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

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

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EPA announces Texas Conservation Fund as 1st Place 2019 Gulf Guardian Winner

EPA Press Release:

EPA announces Texas Conservation Fund as
1st Place 2019 Gulf Guardian Winner

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

DALLAS – (Sept. 26, 2019) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Division announced the Texas Conservation Fund as a 1st Place Gulf Guardian winner for its River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash event to improve water quality and increase stewardship of Gulf of Mexico resources.

“Protecting the Gulf of Mexico takes innovation and teamwork,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen.  “The Texas Conservation Fund has demonstrated that it is a true guardian, protecting a unique part of our nation that so many communities rely upon.”

“Plentiful marine resources, pristine beaches and economic vitality make the Gulf of Mexico a national treasure worthy of protection and preservation,” said Acting Gulf of Mexico Division Director, Lakeshia Robertson. “The Gulf Guardian winners embody environmental stewardship; their efforts are creating a healthy and resilient Gulf for residents and tourists alike.”

More than 109,000 volunteers have participated over 25 years in the River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash, the largest single-day waterway cleanup in Texas. Founded by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and run by the Texas Conservation Fund, the Trash Bash benefits the Galveston Bay watershed with an average of 4,400 volunteers collecting up to 85 tons of trash per year and cleaning over 1,600 miles of shoreline. Every Trash Bash also includes interactive exhibits, posters, and other education materials teach participants what they can do throughout the year to improve water quality and reduce the impacts of trash on the Galveston Bay watershed.

The Gulf of Mexico Program initiated the Gulf Guardian awards in 2000 to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. First, second and third place awards are given in seven categories: individual, business/industry, youth environmental education, civic/nonprofit organizations, cultural diversity/environmental justice, partnership and bi-national efforts.

The Gulf of Mexico Program began in 1988 to protect, restore, and maintain the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem in economically sustainable ways. The Gulf of Mexico Program is underwritten by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is a non-regulatory, inclusive consortium of state and federal government agencies and representatives of the business and agricultural community, fishing industry, scientists, environmentalists, and community leaders from all five Gulf States. The Gulf Program seeks to improve the environmental health of the Gulf in concert with economic development.

For more information about the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Division go to: https://www.epa.gov/gulfofmexico.

Connect with EPA Region 6:

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

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

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

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EPA deletes Utah and Wyoming sites from Superfund list

EPA News Release:

Contact: Richard Mylott, mylott.richard@epa.gov, 303-312-6654

EPA deletes Utah and Wyoming sites from Superfund list

Deletion of sites from National Priorities List reflect new emphasis on Superfund program progress

DENVER (Sept. 24, 2019) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized the deletion of two Superfund sites in EPA Region 8 – the Mystery Bridge Road/U.S. Hwy 20 site in Natrona County, Wyoming, and the Intermountain Waste Oil Refinery, in Bountiful, Utah – from the National Priorities List (NPL) of the nation’s most contaminated sites. EPA published the deletion of these sites in September 20th Federal Register notices based on a determination that all required cleanup activities are complete at both sites.

“The deletion of these sites from the Superfund list represents the culmination of years of efforts to investigate and clean up contamination in these communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Gregory Sopkin. “We share these achievements with our partners at the State of Utah and the State of Wyoming.”

Under the Trump administration, EPA’s Superfund program has reemerged as a priority to fulfill and strengthen the agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment. In fiscal year 2018, EPA deleted all or part of 22 sites from the Superfund’s NPL, the largest number of deletions in one year since FY 2005 and a significant increase over the past few years.

Intermountain Waste Oil Refinery site, Utah

The two-acre Intermountain Waste Oil Refinery site in Bountiful, Utah, was used for various purposes over the past decades including brick manufacturing, asphalt production, waste oil refining, petroleum trucking and oil blending. These operations contaminated soil and groundwater with hazardous substances. The long-term remedies for the site included addressing risk from indoor vapors from soil and groundwater contamination using a pump-and-treat system and dual-phase extraction. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. Site cleanup also included various removal actions to address immediate threats to human health and the environment. These include the removal and disposal of numerous containers, drums and debris from various portions of the site.

EPA is finalizing the deletion of the site based on a determination that no further action is needed to protect human health and the environment. EPA and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality have determined that all appropriate Superfund response actions, other than operation and maintenance, and five-year reviews, have been completed.

For more information: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/intermountain-waste

Mystery Bridge Road site, Wyoming

The Mystery Bridge Road/U.S. Highway 20 Superfund site is located in Natrona County, just east of Casper, Wyoming. The site originally included two industrial properties and a residential area impacted by releases of contaminants, including wastewater, oils and solvents, creating two areas of soil contamination and two groundwater plumes affecting a nearby residential area. The two industrial properties were facilities formerly owned by Kinder Morgan (KMI) and Dow Chemical Company/Dowell Schlumberger, Inc. (Dow/DSI). The downgradient residential area is called the Brookhurst residential subdivision and consists of 125 lots ranging from two to five acres in size. KMI and Dow/DSI, worked with EPA to clean up the site through a series of removal and remedial actions focusing on groundwater and source contamination.

EPA is finalizing the deletion of the site based on a determination that no further action is needed to protect human health and the environment. EPA and Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality have determined that all appropriate Superfund response actions, other than maintenance of institutional controls and five-year reviews, have been completed.

For more information: www.epa.gov/superfund/mystery-bridge

EPA Announces Availability of Funding for Waterway Trash Reduction Projects in the Gulf

EPA News Release:

Applications are due no later than November 22, 2019

Media Contact: Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at 214-665-2200 or R6press@epa.gov

DALLAS — (Sept. 24, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Gulf of Mexico Division announced the availability of grant funding for innovative projects focused on reducing the amount of trash in our waterways through trash prevention and/or removal. The total estimated funding for this competitive opportunity is approximately $5 million.

“These funds will incentivize new projects to reduce marine litter and protect the health of the Gulf of Mexico and the many communities that rely upon it,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “The Trump Administration is working both domestically and internationally to elevate the issue of marine litter and help communities educate the public, clean up trash, and prevent it from reaching our oceans in the first place.”

“We need to foster broad, creative innovations to maintain the vibrancy of the Gulf of Mexico by reducing marine debris,” said EPA Region 6 Administrator Ken McQueen. “Preventing trash and debris from entering the waterway is critical to protecting the environment, wildlife, and human health.”

“EPA encourages holistic approaches that protect US waterways from trash, litter and garbage,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “Trash-free water project grants allow recipients to incorporate prevention, removal and outreach techniques that provide meaningful assistance in protecting our beaches, shorelines and waterways.”

Common trash from consumer goods makes up the majority of what eventually becomes marine debris, polluting our waterways and oceans. Plastics in the aquatic environment are of increasing concern because of their persistence and effect on the environment, wildlife, and human health. About 80% of plastics come from land-based sources carried by both wind and water.

Possible types of eligible projects include:

• Trash Prevention - Trash prevention projects focus on the reduction or elimination of trash that has the potential of entering waterways. These projects are typically focused on source reduction through innovation, industry engagement and stewardship initiatives.
• Trash Removal - Trash removal projects benefit habitat and waterways through the development and use of tools and resources that support trash assessment and stop trash from entering waterbodies and/or remove trash that has already entered the water.
• Outreach/education - Each project should incorporate education and outreach that would result in positive changes in consumer and/or business behaviors and practices to reduce trash in waterways.

Eligible applicants include state agencies, federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia, any agency or instrumentality of local governments, nonprofit organizations, interstate agencies, and colleges and universities.

EPA anticipates awarding ten or more grants under this announcement, with awards being no more than $500,000 subject to the availability of funds, quality of evaluated applications, and other applicable considerations. EPA reserves the right to make additional awards under this announcement, consistent with Agency policy, if additional funding becomes available after the original selections.

The Gulf of Mexico Division is a non-regulatory program of EPA founded to facilitate collaborative actions to protect, maintain, and restore the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico in ways consistent with the economic well-being of the region. To carry out its mission, the Gulf of Mexico Division continues to maintain and expand partnerships with state and federal agencies, federally recognized tribes, local governments and authorities, academia, regional business and industry, agricultural and environmental organizations, and individual citizens and communities.

For more information about the U.S. EPA Gulf of Mexico Division go to: https://www.epa.gov/gulfofmexico.

For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters

Connect with EPA Region 6:

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

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

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

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EPA Pollution Prevention Grant Helps Nevada Partners Launch Statewide Green Business Program

EPA Press Release:


CONTACT:
Soledad Calvino (News Media Only)
calvino.maria@epa.gov
415-972-3512

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2019

 

EPA Pollution Prevention Grant Helps Nevada Partners Launch Statewide Green Business Program

  

CARSON CITY, Nev. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is celebrating Pollution Prevention Week by highlighting partners and projects that help businesses be more competitive and sustainable. Pollution prevention means reducing or eliminating sources of pollution at the source to prevent damage to the environment while also eliminating the need for costly controls and cleanup.

Western Nevada College (WNC) and greenUP!, a Nevada nonprofit, have teamed up to launch a statewide Green Business recognition program. In the planning stages for more than two years, WNC received $180,000 in pollution prevention grant funds from EPA in 2018 to get the program off the ground. With funding in hand, the public-private partnership looks to recognize its first businesses in early 2020.

WNC and greenUp! are adapting a demonstrated model used by similar programs in six states and dozens of local governments nationwide. The program works with businesses to go beyond basic compliance. It provides assistance and recognition for making voluntary changes to reduce energy and water consumption, generation of solid and hazardous waste, and use of toxic materials. Once certified, the program publicizes participating businesses through a searchable online directory, recognition events, and a statewide marketing campaign. 

“Pollution prevention is key to saving our natural resources and moving toward sustainability,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “Nevada businesses will soon have a way to be recognized for doing good for the planet, while also improving up their bottom line.”

“This program has been proven to help businesses improve environmental performance while cutting waste and cost,” said Donna Walden, program coordinator and president of greenUp!. “Nevada has amazing businesses who want and deserve recognition for their impressive environmental commitments, and we want to help more businesses make the changes needed to get that recognition.”

GreenUp! is coordinating the effort and leveraging the talents and resources of WNC to help businesses participate in the program. WNC staff and students will be trained in pollution prevention practices and will provide technical assistance and phone support to businesses seeking certification.

“The Green Business Program advances WNC’s core values and Sustainability Policy, and there are many learning possibilities for students to get work-based experience,” says Georgia White, project director for the grant and director of professional and technical education for WNC. “WNC has a commitment to workforce development, particularly in manufacturing jobs, and we want to encourage all businesses to consider their environmental impact while streamlining their operations.”

The Nevada Green Business Program works with businesses of all types, such as food production companies, property managers, breweries, lodging facilities, distilleries and restaurants. The program will track business adoption of practices using the GreenBiz tracker, an online tool developed in California and now used across the country. The tool allows programs and businesses to convert adopted practices into environmental results, such as greenhouse gas emissions reduced, energy saved, gallons of water saved, tons of waste diverted from landfills and hazardous materials reduced.

In addition to EPA funding, the Nevada Green Business Program depends on partners in the public and private sector to succeed. Current partners include the Washoe County Health District, the City of Reno, the University of Nevada Reno Business Environmental Program, the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, and Sustainability Partners of Northern Nevada – all of whom play key roles in helping businesses become green. The Nevada onboarding effort is also receiving support from the California Green Business Program and the Green Business Engagement National Network.

EPA is featuring successful green business projects to celebrate Pollution Prevention Week, Sept. 16-20, 2019.

For more information on the Nevada Green Business Program, businesses should contact greenUp! atinfo@greenupnow.biz

Find out more about P2 Week at https://www.epa.gov/p2week.

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

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EPA Calls for Nominations for 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards​

EPA Press Release:

CONTACT:
press@epa.gov 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 18, 2019

EPA Calls for Nominations for 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards​

  

SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies or institutions that have developed a new process or product that helps protect public health and the environment.

“The Green Chemistry Challenge is an opportunity for EPA to recognize the latest and greatest in green chemistry innovations in chemical design, manufacture, and use,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “Innovations in green chemistry are an important component of pollution prevention efforts and keeping American businesses competitive in markets around the world. These innovations can turn waste materials into marketable commodities, reduce costs through material efficiency, and open new markets for products and services.”

Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce both the generation and use of chemicals that are hazardous to the environment and people’s health. Nominations for innovative technologies featuring the design of greener chemicals and products, greener chemical syntheses and reactions, or greener chemical processes are due to the agency by December 31, 2019. EPA anticipates giving awards to outstanding green chemistry technologies in five categories next June.

Since the inception of the awards more than two decades ago, EPA has received more than 1600 nominations and presented awards to 118 technologies, which reduced the use or generation of hundreds of millions of pounds of hazardous chemicals and saved billions of gallons of water and trillions of BTUs in energy.

An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute will formally judge the 2020 nominations and make recommendations to EPA for the 2020 winners.

More information on past award winners and how to submit entries can be found at: www.epa.gov/greenchemistry.

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EPA Releases Final Tar Creek Strategic Plan to Improve Cleanup Progress

EPA Press Release:

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

DALLAS – (Sept 17, 2019) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in cooperation with the state of Oklahoma and the Quapaw Nation, released the Final Tar Creek Strategic Plan to advance the cleanup of the Tar Creek Superfund site. The strategic plan provides an update on the cleanup progress and outlines how EPA, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, the Quapaw Nation, and the Tar Creek community will work to improve progress in addressing mining waste and contamination at the site. The release of the strategic plan was announced by the EPA Regional Administrator, joined by the Quapaw Chairman and the Oklahoma Secretary of Energy and Environment, at the annual Tar Creek Conference, hosted by Local Environmental Action Demanded, Inc. (the L.E.A.D. Agency).

“This strategic plan is a commitment to the communities near the Tar Creek site by EPA and our state and tribal partners to work together to accelerate the cleanup of the site and build a better future for those who call this area home,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ken McQueen.

“Great progress has been made at the Tar Creek Superfund site, but much work is yet to be done. Through the objectives outlined in the strategic plan, and with the ongoing efforts of our partners, we will continue to build on our previous accomplishments and create a better home for Tar Creek area residents,” said Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director Scott Thompson.

“The Quapaw Nation is proud of our continuing partnership with the EPA and ODEQ,” said Quapaw Nation Chairman John Berrey. “This Strategic Plan, developed with our fellow stakeholders and the fine dedicated federal team at Region 6 and the EPA central office led by Administrator Wheeler, puts on paper a collaborative plan for a positive future working together to reduce the footprint at the Tar Creek Site. Our entire team looks forward to more mission focused efforts to clean up our homeland and continue to remediate the site in the most efficient way possible—always with the environment and health and safety our priority.”

EPA gathered public feedback on the Tar Creek Strategic Plan during a 30-day comment period. The release of the strategic plan fulfills two major milestones identified for the site when it was placed on the Administrator’s Emphasis List. The first milestone required identification and evaluation of opportunities to accelerate site cleanup, and the second established a milestone for achieving long-term stewardship by implementing institutional controls on tribally-owned property to protect cleanup. To achieve this milestone, EPA worked collaboratively with the Department of Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Quapaw Nation. This resulted in the first national conservation easement recorded on tribally-owned property at a Superfund Site.

The strategic plan guides cleanup progress through identified near- and long-term actions. Some near-term cleanup actions include the partial deletion of up to 5,000 acres, amending the 2008 record of decision for mining waste, and issuing a new record of decision for the watersheds. Long-term actions include exploring innovative technologies to expedite the cleanup and identifying additional reuse opportunities. Additionally, the cleanup at the site furthers the commitment EPA made in the Federal Lead Action Plan by managing lead contamination at Superfund sites, thereby reducing exposure to community residents.

Background

Tar Creek, in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, is one of the nation’s oldest and most complex Superfund sites. For decades, EPA and partners have worked on the site and made progress in the cleanup, but much remains to be done. In 2017, the site was included on the EPA Administrator’s Emphasis List, also known as the Superfund Sites Targeted for Immediate, Intense Action, which is a targeted, dynamic list of Superfund sites that benefit from the direct involvement of the EPA Administrator to make more significant progress on cleanup.

Tar Creek Superfund site webpage: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/tar-creek

For more about EPA’s work in Oklahoma: https://www.epa.gov/ok

For more about EPA’s Federal Lead Action Plan: https://www.epa.gov/lead

Connect with EPA Region 6:

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

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

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

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