EPA Recognizes the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Washington D.C. for its Community Composting Initiative, Diverting Food Waste from Landfills

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Recognizes the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Washington D.C. for its Community Composting Initiative, Diverting Food Waste from Landfills

PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 27, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is recognizing the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in Washington, D.C., (ILSR) as an awardee in the Regional Grantee category.

The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) is a national nonprofit promoting recycling, composting, zero waste, decentralized energy, independent businesses, and other facets of a homegrown economy. Since its inception in 1974, ILSR has provided research and technical assistance to convert wastes from environmental and economic liabilities into valuable resources that create community development opportunities.

The organization continues to share lessons learned from model programs and policies to facilitate the expansion of resilient and healthy communities. ILSR’s Composting for Community initiative advances local composting to meet food recovery infrastructure needs; build a culture of composting know-how; and enhance soils for local food production, carbon sequestration, and stormwater management. ILSR’s Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders Composter Training Program, for instance, is teaching community leaders how to compost at gardens, farms, and community centers.   

“Composting can be small scale and large scale and everything in between but too often home composting, onsite composting, community scale composting, and on-farm composting are overlooked,” said Brenda Platt, Director of the ILSR Composting for Community Initiative.  

“By offering training and support to demonstration sites, we are proving that food recovery can be local and engage the community through participation and education.”

In 2020, ILSR focused its efforts on the mid-Atlantic region. In Philadelphia, it collaborated with the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department to offer training and support to its newly launched Community Compost Network Program. In Baltimore, together with the Office of Sustainability, ILSR established a dozen community-scale compost demonstration systems at urban farms and community gardens, which, when fully implemented, will serve as education sites and models for replication. In Montgomery County, Maryland, ILSR supported the development of compost education hubs. And, in the District of Columbia, ILSR worked with the D.C. Department of Public Works to run its home composting training and rebate program.   

“EPA congratulates the Institute for Local Self-Reliance for their notable achievements and innovative approach to reduce residential food waste in Philadelphia and Baltimore communities,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “By addressing food waste, there is an opportunity to lower our carbon footprint and increase climate resilience, while also addressing inequities in food security and public health.”

For more information https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-results-and-awardees

EPA Recognizes Philadelphia Department of Prisons for Diverting Food Waste from Landfills

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Recognizes Philadelphia Department of Prisons for Diverting Food Waste from Landfills

PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 27, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is recognizing the City of Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) as a national awardee in the Government and Tribal category of its Food Recovery Challenge (FRC).

In 2019 PDP diverted more than 555,000 pounds of wasted food to compost, which saved the city approximately $19,000 in landfill fees. The composted material was donated to community gardens and church groups, as well as returned to grounds for use in PDP’s orchard and greenhouses. Before composting at the PDP, the department sent food waste to local landfills or industrial garbage disposals. 

“This program enables participants to give back to the community, while obtaining new skills for potential job opportunities upon release,” said Laura Cassidy, PDP Director of Sustainability Operations.

PDP also partnered with Food Connect, a nonprofit organization and partner of Philabundance. Food Connect uses smart technology to pool resources and make deliveries efficient. They distribute organically grown food from the PDP Orchard Program to local food pantries. PDP is currently working with EPA to develop internal policies and procedures for distributing food produced at PDP facilities.  

“EPA congratulates the Philadelphia Department of Prisons and all of the Food Recovery Challenge partners for their notable achievements and innovative approaches to reduce food waste in their operations,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “By addressing food waste, there is an opportunity to lower our carbon footprint and increase climate resilience, while also addressing inequities in food security and public health.

Through the FRC, EPA has worked with organizations and businesses for the past decade to set data-driven goals, implement targeted strategies to reduce wasted food in their operations, and report results. During 2019 and 2020, FRC national awardees implemented innovative approaches and practical, cost-effective best practices to prevent and reduce wasted food. Best practices included waste audits and included custom pallet building to maintain flexibility for those picking up recovered food. Many FRC national awardees provided much-needed food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nearly 600 businesses, governments and organizations actively participated in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in 2020-2021. Since the launch of the program in 2011, FRC partners prevented and diverted over 5.5 million tons of wasted food from entering landfills or incinerators. In the most recent reporting cycle, FRC partners prevented or diverted about 1.2 million tons of food from entering landfills or incinerators, saving partners up to $61.5 million in landfill tipping fees. 

For more information https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-results-and-awardees

EPA Recognizes Sodexo for Diverting Food Waste from Landfills

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Recognizes Sodexo for Diverting Food Waste from Landfills PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 27, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is recognizing Sodexo Inc. of Gaithersburg, Maryland, as an awardee in the Regional Endorser category of its Food Recovery Challenge (FRC). Endorsers are organizations that work with and educate others to reduce their generation of wasted food and may also recruit other organizations and businesses as Food Recovery Challenge participants. Sodexo has prioritized food loss and waste reduction efforts as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility strategy for over 10 years. Ending hunger has been Sodexo’s philanthropic purpose since 1999, and the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has provided more than $35 million in grants to eradicate hunger in America. During 2020, Sodexo continued to focus on deploying technology that helped reduce food loss and waste at the source and increase participation in the Food Recovery Challenge. Sodexo also jumped into action with its key partners to save food and feed those in need as operations were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “If we have learned anything over the past 18 months, it should be that no one organization can accomplish mitigating food waste and ensuring surplus food gets to where it is needed most by itself, said Roxanne Moore, Executive Director, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation. “We need to think creatively across the entire supply chain and leverage the expertise and resources of both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. We must work together to save people and the planet.” Key results included:   FRC participation increases   A total of 340 Sodexo sites participating in FRC with a 68 percent increase; or 232 new sites in 2020.   Source reduction    Prevented 1.95 million pounds of food waste.   Saved the equivalent of 1.63 million meals.   Helped avoid 6,191 metric tons of CO2.   Food recovery through Stop Hunger   Over 200,000 meals recovered through volunteers and Sodexo’s partnership with Move for Hunger.   Over 860 volunteer hours logged by students through Sodexo’s partnership with the Food Recovery Network  “EPA congratulates Sodexo and all of the Food Recovery Challenge partners for their notable achievements and innovative approaches to reduce food waste in their operations,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “By addressing food waste, there is an opportunity to lower our carbon footprint and increase climate resilience, while also addressing inequities in food security and public health.” Through the FRC, EPA has worked with organizations and businesses for the past decade to set data-driven goals, implement targeted strategies to reduce wasted food in their operations, and report results. During 2019 and 2020, FRC national awardees implemented innovative approaches and engaged in practical, cost-effective best practices to prevent and reduce wasted food. Best practices included waste audits and an innovation included custom pallet building to maintain flexibility for those picking up recovered food. Many FRC national awardees provided much-needed food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 600 businesses, governments and organizations actively participated in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge in 2020-2021. Since the launch of the program in 2011, FRC partners prevented and diverted over 5.5 million tons of wasted food from entering landfills or incinerators. In the most recent reporting cycle, FRC partners prevented or diverted about 1.2 million tons of food from entering landfills or incinerators, saving partners up to $61.5 million in  landfill tipping fees.  For more information https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-challenge-results-and-awardees

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA and Partners Celebrate Groundbreaking for Drinking Water Projects in Vinton, Texas

 

Media contact: Jennah Durant at r6press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

DALLAS (Jan. 27, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined the North American Development Bank (NADBank) and the Village of Vinton, Texas, and other partners at a groundbreaking ceremony for two projects that will provide new drinking water distribution and wastewater collection to improve public health and water quality. The total estimated project costs of both projects is $30.33 million. 

These projects are receiving a total of $6.5 million in grants from the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF), which is funded by EPA and administered by NADBank. Other funding support was made available through the US Department of Agriculture-Rural Development and the Texas Water Development Board. These projects also serve as an example of similar work in communities across Texas that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the near future.

“Every community deserves access to clean water and a reliable wastewater system,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “EPA is proud to fund this project to help keep the residents of Vinton safe and thriving. We look forward to working with additional communities to build capacity in their water infrastructure through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”

The new drinking water system will include the installation of water distribution lines, meters, and a regional storage tank. It will increase access to safe and reliable drinking water services for more than 360 households by replacing the current substandard small water systems to provide access to a fully compliant water source and eliminate exposure to arsenic and pathogenic organisms present in the current water supply. The estimated total project cost is $10.6 million.

“Rural communities across Texas are taking the initiative to ensure they have the water they need, not only for today, but also for the future,” said Kathleen Jackson, Board Member of the Texas Water Development Board. “I applaud the Village of Vinton and congratulate them on moving these impactful infrastructure projects forward. The Village’s continued leadership and engagement is key to the success of Texas and to providing reliable water and wastewater services for future generations!”

The new wastewater collection system will provide first-time services for 506 existing homes and the decommissioning of on-site wastewater disposal systems. This will eliminate discharges of 275,000 gallons per day of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater from residential, commercial and industrial sources. The Village of Vinton will own the collection system infrastructure, including a local lift station, and El Paso Water will operate and maintain the system. The estimated total project costs are US$19.7 million.

“These two projects that are starting today represent the joint efforts of local, state and federal entities working together to provide the required funding to make possible access to quality water and wastewater services to small communities such as Vinton,” stated NADBank Managing Director Calixto Mateos Hanel. “The Bank was pleased to play a role in these infrastructure projects to benefit this community.”

Connect with EPA Region 6:

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Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm 

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EPA Recognizes the Presidio Trust in San Francisco as Federal Green Challenge Winner

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Recognizes the Presidio Trust in San Francisco as Federal Green Challenge Winner

SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 27, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing awards for federal facilities across the country, in recognition of their practical, cost-effective measures to conserve resources as part of the Federal Green Challenge. In California, EPA is recognizing the Presidio Trust—the federal agency that preserves San Francisco’s Presidio National Park—with a regional Federal Green Challenge award for its leadership in conserving resources, promoting efficiency, and building a circular economy.

The Challenge, which began in 2013, is a national effort under EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program to encourage agencies to reduce the federal government's environmental impact. Reducing the size of a facility’s environmental footprint conserves natural resources and reduces pollution that contributes to climate change. 

“It’s going to take a whole-of-government approach to build a more sustainable future, and the awardees announced today are leading the charge,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These agencies are addressing the impacts of the climate crisis by reducing the use of natural resources, resulting in an estimated cost savings across the federal government of $36 million in 2019.”  

“Congratulations to the Presidio Trust on its recognition in this year’s Federal Green Challenge,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “We applaud our federal partner for its innovative effort to reduce waste and build a circular economy, while preserving the Presidio site here in San Francisco as an enduring resource for the American people.”

The Presidio Trust reduced their Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste stream, consisting of construction materials and other bulky items related to management of residential and commercial properties within the Presidio of San Francisco. When the Presidio Trust learned that 75% of their C&D waste stream went to landfill, they worked with their waste hauler to add additional construction materials collection for recycling, hosted training for over 80 staff, and developed high quality recycling signs and maps. The Presidio Trust has recycled 56 tons of co-mingled C&D material, 56 tons of metal, 44 tons of carpet, and 7.5 tons of cardboard. Overall, the amount of material kept out of the landfill rose from 40% to 68% in the nine months post-training.

“The Presidio Trust has been a model in Federal waste reduction for over two decades. More recently, we committed to becoming a zero waste park,” said Abby Morris, Presidio Trust Zero Waste Coordinator. “Our strategies are simple: monitor our disposal to find opportunities for improvement, work with our haulers to maximize recycling opportunities, and educate the staff and community. Buy-in from our on-the-ground staff has been the key to our success.”

Caption: The Presidio Trust recycled 44 tons of carpet and carpet padding.

Over the lifespan of the program from 2013-2021, more than 400 federal agencies have made many changes to become more sustainable. Some high-level achievements have resulted in over three million tons of waste being diverted from landfills and 3,000 tons of e-waste being recycled. Agencies have avoided purchasing 15,000 pounds of office paper by switching to electronic documents. The federal government has purchased more electric and hybrid vehicles, while reducing the fleet distance traveled by 28 million miles. These efforts and more have resulted in approximately $200 million saved for American taxpayers.  

For more information on the Federal Green Challenge and this year’s winners, visit www.epa.gov/fgc. 

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

EPA fine leads to Hale Kauai and Halona Pacific cesspool closures, to protect groundwater

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA fine leads to Hale Kauai and Halona Pacific cesspool closures, to protect groundwater

HONOLULU (Jan. 27, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken enforcement actions against Hale Kauai Limited and Halona Pacific LLC to close two illegal, pollution-causing large capacity cesspools on the islands of Kauai and Oahu. EPA will collect a total of $110,000 in fines. In 2005, EPA banned water polluting large capacity cesspools under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

“Companies like Hale Kauai and Halona Pacific must do their part to protect water resources from the disease-causing pathogens found in large cesspools,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA is committed to finding and closing all remaining large capacity cesspools in Hawaii.”

In August 2020, EPA requested information about wastewater disposal at the Hale Kauai property. In March 2021, EPA requested similar information at the Halona Pacific property. The agency determined that a single cesspool operating at each property met the federal criteria to qualify as an illegal large capacity cesspool by being able to serve 20 or more people in a day.

The Hale Kauai property operates as Hardware Hawaii, a neighborhood hardware store located in Kauai’s Koloa area. Under this enforcement action, Hale Kauai Limited will pay a $40,000 fine, backfill the illegal cesspool, and install a state-approved septic system by March 15, 2023.

The Halona Pacific industrial property operates as an environmental management and construction services subsidiary located in Oahu’s Campbell Industrial Park on the leeward coast. Under this enforcement action, Halona Pacific LLC will pay a $70,000 fine, backfill the illegal cesspool, and install a state-approved septic system by January 31, 2023.

Cesspools collect and release untreated raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens and harmful chemicals can contaminate groundwater, streams, and the ocean. Since the 2005 federal ban, more than 3,600 large capacity cesspools in Hawaii have been closed; however, hundreds remain in operation.

Cesspools are used more widely in Hawaii than any other state, which poses a particular challenge as groundwater provides 95% of all local water supply for the islands. There are seven public drinking water wells in the Koloa area that risk contamination from cesspool discharge where the Hale Kauai property is located.

EPA is authorized to issue compliance orders and/or assess penalties to violators of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s cesspool regulations. However, to encourage regulated entities to voluntarily discover, promptly disclose, and expeditiously close these pollution-causing systems, EPA provides penalty mitigation and other incentives for companies that self-police, disclose, correct, and prevent violations.

 

Information on how to self-disclose potential large-capacity cesspool violations is available at: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/epas-edisclosure.

For more information on the federal ban and definition of a large-capacity cesspool, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/uic/large-capacity-cesspools.

For more information on cesspools in Hawai’i, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/uic/cesspools-hawaii.

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

Federal Government and State of Colorado settlement with Mining Companies paves way for additional cleanup at Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site

 U.S. EPA News Release:

Federal Government and State of Colorado settlement with Mining Companies paves way for additional cleanup at Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site

Contact: mylott.richard@epa.gov

DENVER (January 21, 2022) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Justice Department, the Department of Interior, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State of Colorado today announced a settlement with Sunnyside Gold Corporation and its Canadian parent company Kinross Gold Corporation resolving federal and state liability related to the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site, which includes the Gold King Mine and many other abandoned mines near Silverton, Colorado. If entered by the court, this agreement provides for the continued cleanup of mining-related contamination within the Upper Animas Watershed and will protect public health and the environment by improving water quality, stabilizing mine source areas, and minimizing unplanned releases.

Under the agreement, Sunnyside Gold Corporation and Kinross Gold Corporation will together pay $45 million to the United States and State of Colorado and the United States will dismiss its claims against Sunnyside Gold Corporation and Kinross Gold Corporation. The United States will also contribute $45 million to the continuing cleanup at the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site and Sunnyside Gold Corporation and Kinross Gold Corporation will dismiss its claims against the United States.

“This settlement addresses the cleanup responsibility of the private mining companies and the federal government and ensures that site cleanup work will continue,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Working with our state and federal government partners, the cleanup will protect the environment and the health of the people who live, work, and enjoy recreational activities in the area.”

“This settlement will allow EPA to continue our important cleanup work at the site to protect human health and the environment,” said Director Betsy Smidinger of EPA Region 8’s Superfund and Emergency Management Division. “We look forward to working with our state and local partners to use these funds which will be utilized to improve the environment for the people who work, live, and recreate in the area.”

“Today’s settlement holds these companies accountable for their past mining operations at the site,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement demonstrates the Justice Department’s and cleanup agencies’ continuing efforts, together with our state partners, to ensure that Superfund sites are investigated and remediated."

"The Gold King spill is a vivid reminder of the dangers associated with the thousands of abandoned and unclaimed hard rock mines across the United States, particularly in the West," said Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau. "Mining companies should be held accountable for these sites that put communities and tribal lands at risk of disastrous pollution. I'm proud that the Department of Interior was able to play a part in this important settlement."

“We are committed to protecting where Coloradan’s live, work, and play,” said Director Tracie White of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous Material and Waste Management Division. “This settlement will allow continued cleanup of this Superfund site, in coordination with our federal and local partners, to ensure the protection of human health and the environment for generations to come.”

EPA leads cleanup activities at the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site, and DOI and USDA retain authority on publicly managed land. Recent interim cleanup work at the site, including efforts to stabilize mine waste and reduce contaminant releases to surface waters from source areas, have improved environmental conditions and will inform the development of future cleanup remedies for the entire site under an adaptive management framework. EPA has already spent over $75 million on cleanup work at the site and expects to continue significant work at the site in the coming years. 

More information about the site and this settlement can be found at www.epa.gov/superfund/bonita-peak.

The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree will be available for viewing at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.