U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Proposes Stronger Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles to Promote Clean Air, Protect Communities, and Support Transition to Zero-Emissions Future

WASHINGTON (March 7, 2022) –Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing new, stronger standards to promote clean air and reduce pollution from heavy-duty vehicles and engines starting in model year (MY) 2027. The proposed standards would reduce emissions of smog- and soot-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx) from heavy-duty gasoline and diesel engines and set updated greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for certain commercial vehicle categories.  This proposed rule would ensure the heavy-duty vehicles and engines that drive American commerce and connect people across the country are as clean as possible while charting a path to advance zero-emission vehicles in the heavy-duty fleet.

“Seventy-two million people are estimated to live near truck freight routes in America, and they are more likely to be people of color and those with lower incomes. These overburdened communities are directly exposed to pollution that causes respiratory and cardiovascular problems, among other serious and costly health effects,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These new standards will drastically cut dangerous pollution by harnessing recent advancements in vehicle technologies from across the trucking industry as it advances toward a zero-emissions transportation future.”

 

Consistent with President Biden’s Executive Order, “Strengthening American Leadership in Clean Cars and Trucks,” the proposed action would reduce NOx emissions from trucks by as much as 60 percent in 2045.  It would result in widespread air quality improvements across the United States, especially in areas already overburdened by air pollution and diesel emissions. The benefits of the proposed rule would exceed its costs by billions of dollars. EPA estimates that by 2045 the most ambitious option outlined in today’s proposal would result in the following annual benefits:

• Up to 2,100 fewer premature deaths
• 6,700 fewer hospital admissions and emergency department visits 
• 18,000 fewer cases of asthma onset in children 
• 3.1 million fewer cases of asthma symptoms and allergic rhinitis symptoms
• 78,000 fewer lost days of work
• 1.1 million fewer lost school days for children

Today’s action is the first step in EPA’s “Clean Trucks Plan” – a series of clean air and climate regulations that the agency will develop over the next three years to reduce pollution from trucks and buses and to advance the transition to a zero-emissions transportation future. 

 

EPA’s goal is to deliver significant and needed public health benefits by designing a program that sets ambitious standards and that are feasible for the trucking industry after giving appropriate consideration to cost and other factors, while supporting the American economy.  To accomplish this, EPA has engaged with stakeholders and identified several options in the proposal that address the robustness of the standards, timing for phasing in the standards, options to incentivize early clean technology adoption, and improvements to emissions warranties. EPA is seeking input on these options and looking forward to continuing engagement through the public comment process.

 

The proposed revisions to existing GHG standards for MY2027 and beyond would set updated GHG emissions standards for subsectors where electrification is advancing at a more rapid pace.  These sectors include school buses, transit buses, commercial delivery trucks, and short-haul tractors. In a separate action, EPA will be setting new GHG emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles as soon as model year 2030. This action will more comprehensively address the long-term trend towards zero emissions vehicles across the heavy-duty sector.

 

Today’s proposal reflects input from stakeholders including community groups, manufacturers, and state, local, and tribal governments. EPA looks forward to hearing from all stakeholders involved in this important rulemaking. A public comment period and hearing will give stakeholders and the public an opportunity to comment on the proposal announced today and we look forward to engaging through this process.

For more information on the rule on the public comment process, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/regulations-emissions-vehicles-and-engines/proposed-rule-and-related-materials-control-air-1

 U.S. EPA News Release:

Northern Indiana Public Service Company to Clean Up Remaining Surface Contamination at the Town of Pines Superfund Site Under Federal Settlement

WASHINGTON (March 4, 2022) Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) will clean up soil contamination at individual residences within the Town of Pines Groundwater Plume Superfund site in Porter County, Indiana, at an estimated cost of $11.8 million to resolve federal and state Superfund liability. The complaint, filed simultaneously with the consent decree, alleges that the company is liable for the cleanup of coal ash from its power generation facility that it distributed as landscaping fill in the Town of Pines and its vicinity. The soils contaminated by coal ash contain hazardous substances including arsenic, thallium and lead. “This settlement requires NIPSCO to remove soil contaminated with coal ash from the utility’s power generation facility, and to monitor groundwater in and around the Town of Pines, Indiana,” said Acting Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.  “This cleanup work will help protect residents from exposure to arsenic and other hazardous substances.” “Today’s settlement requires NIPSCO to address the contamination it contributed to the Town of Pines Superfund site,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement is a critical step toward the remediation of the site and will minimize risks to owners of contaminated property and to the environment.” “This settlement will help protect the environment and the health of people in northwest Indiana by cleaning up coal ash from residential properties,” said Administrator Debra Shore of EPA Region 5. “Removing contaminated soil and monitoring groundwater at the Town of Pines site is a vital part of this settlement with NIPSCO.” “Hoosiers stand to benefit from NIPSCO’s commitment to reimburse taxpayers for public money spent during this lengthy process,” said Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita. “They stand to benefit, as well, from the company’s pledge to finish the cleanup in the Town of Pines made necessary by disposal of its coal ash in residential areas. We must always work to protect Hoosiers and uphold the rule of law.” “By entering into this settlement with EPA and the state, NIPSCO will complete the process of cleaning up and restoring residential yards impacted by the disposal of coal ash in the Town of Pines and ensure the safety of the drinking water supply by monitoring both drinking water and groundwater wells for potential contamination caused by the disposal,” said Commissioner Brian Rockensuess of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.  The consent decree requires NIPSCO to identify residential soil contamination above clean up levels from its disposal of coal ash, excavate the contaminated soils, and transport excavated contaminated soil to a licensed waste disposal facility. NIPSCO is also required to restore excavated properties using clean backfill, implement restrictions at the excavated properties where necessary to prevent exposure to any remaining contamination that might be left at depth, and monitor residential drinking water wells, groundwater monitoring wells, surface water and sediments to ensure that the contamination has not migrated to those locations. The company will also reimburse EPA a large percentage of its past costs and pay all future costs incurred by EPA and the State of Indiana in overseeing the cleanup. More information about this settlement can be found at https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0508071.

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Applauds Electronics Industry Leaders for Recycling Achievements

LG Electronics USA, Inc. and Samsung Electronics in New Jersey, and Xerox Corporation in New York are Award Winners

Contact: EPA Press Office, press@epa.gov  Tracy McIntosh, (212) 637-3633, mcintosh.tracy@epa.gov

New York (March 3, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes contributions in sustainable design and electronics recycling as part of the 8th annual Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronic Challenge awards. 

“It’s going to take all of us working together to build a sustainable future, and I applaud the organizations recognized today for their leadership in essential electronic recycling efforts,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Electronics are a global economic driver with supply chains that reach around the world and products that play a big role in our daily lives. Because of these organizations’ efforts, we’re able to recover and recycle valuable resources like precious metals, critical minerals, plastics, and glass.”

“We congratulate the companies recognized by EPA for their outstanding leadership and innovation in electronics recycling,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA). “This year’s winners demonstrate the consumer technology industry’s significant progress on reducing e-waste to create a more sustainable future for generations to come.” 

EPA SMM Electronics Challenge Gold Tier Award

EPA’s Gold Tier Award is presented to organizations with exemplary electronics collection and recycling programs. The 2021 recipients of this award are:

• Dell Technologies (Round Rock, Texas)
• LG Electronics USA, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.)
• Samsung Electronics (Montville, N.J.)
• Sony Electronics, Inc. (San Diego)
• Staples (Framingham, Mass.)
• TCL North America (Corona, Calif.)
• T-Mobile (Bellevue, Wash.)
• VIZIO, Inc. (Irvine, Calif.)
• Xerox Corporation (Webster, N.Y.)

EPA SMM Electronics Challenge Champion Award

EPA also honored LG Electronics USA, Inc. and Dell Technologies as the SMM Electronics Challenge Champion Award winners for exemplifying leadership and innovative processes and products that focus on environmentally responsible ways to best use product materials throughout their life cycle. 

• Dell is receiving the Cutting-Edge Award for prioritizing sustainability in setting a goal of creating more than half of their product content from recycled or renewable materials by 2030, such as using bioplastics from tree waste. 
• LG is receiving the Product Award this year for developing LG Sound Bars composed of recycled materials, created with a focus on reducing environmental impact in every phase of the life cycle. 

 EPA SMM Electronics Sustained Excellence Award

New this year, EPA launched an award for cutting-edge innovations that demonstrated sustained excellence since the launch of the program in 2012. 

• Dell Technologies received this award for their circular design approach to sourcing aluminum, a critical mineral, for hard drives found in certain Dell computers, resulting in a 10-percent greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. 
• EPA also presented this award to Samsung Electronics for creating a solar powered remote control composed of 24-percent recycled material, estimated to reduce 6,000 tons of GHG emissions per year and for preventing the wastage of millions of batteries each year.

EPA is strengthening efforts to reduce, reuse and recover materials and products, such as plastics, electronics, food, cement, and concrete. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are­ crucial for saving natural resources (such as timber and water), reducing pollution, and decreasing the need to create new materials. These are all important considerations to establish a circular economy, an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by design. It is a change to the model in which resources are mined, made into products, and then become waste. A circular economy reduces materials use, redesigns materials and products to be less resource-intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. This is important because natural resource extraction and processing makes up half of all GHG emissions. 

Together, the amount of GHG emissions saved through the recycling efforts of these companies is equivalent to taking more than 92,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. In 2018, the United States generated some 2.7 million tons of electronics waste. Of that amount, 38.5 percent was recycled, with the remainder combusted with energy recovery or landfilled. 

Overall, Electronics Challenge participants collectively:

• Diverted more than 158,000 tons of end-of-life electronics from landfills, 100 percent of which was sent to third-party certified recyclers, and
• Avoided the equivalent of nearly 430,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

More information for consumers to find a location to donate or recycle their electronics: 

http://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling

More information on the SMM Electronics Challenge and award winners:

http://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics

https://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/sustainable-materials-management-smm-electronics-challenge-recognition-and-awards

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

New Toxics Release Inventory Data Show Decline in Releases of Certain Toxic Chemicals

New Features to Make Data More Accessible, Help Identify Environmental Justice Concerns

NOTE: Today at 2:00 PM ET, EPA will host a press briefing to discuss the 2020 TRI National Analysis Report with EPA report lead Caitlin Briere. Press can attend the briefing here: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1600541668

WASHINGTON (March 3, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2020 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows that environmental releases of TRI chemicals by facilities covered by the program declined by 10% between 2019 and 2020. The 2020 TRI National Analysis summarizes TRI chemical waste management activities, including releases, that occurred during calendar year 2020. More than 21,000 facilities report annually on over 800 chemicals they release into the environment or otherwise manage as waste. EPA, states, and tribes receive TRI data from facilities in industry sectors such as manufacturing, mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste management.

“EPA is encouraged by the continued decrease in releases of toxic chemicals reported to the Toxics Release Inventory,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “Making this information publicly available also incentivizes companies to reduce pollution and gives communities tools to act locally – particularly underserved communities that have historically been disproportionately impacted by pollution.”

This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities, including communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level.

To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and Tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training, and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants are a critical component of the President Biden’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. As such, EPA will administer this program in accordance with this initiative to ensure at least 40% of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities.

EPA is hosting a public webinar on March 23, 2022, highlighting the findings and trends from the 2020 TRI National Analysis and explaining the interactive features of the National Analysis website. Register for the webinar.

New Tools

In addition to the new community mapping tools, the National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. The map includes information on the facility that shipped the waste, the destination country, and how the waste was managed in that country.

Additionally, the National Analysis includes a new profile of the cement manufacturing sector and the addition of greenhouse gas reporting information in certain sector profiles. Users will be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors. This section will also include information on the benefits of source reduction in these industries.

Notable Trends in 2020

Facilities that report to TRI avoided releasing into the environment more than 89 percent of the chemical-containing waste they created and managed during 2020 by using preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment.  The 2020 Analysis showcases these industry best practices for preventing waste creation and reducing pollution. Facilities reported initiating nearly 3,000 new source reduction activities. EPA encourages facilities to learn from their counterparts’ best practices by using EPA’s Pollution Prevention Search Tool and adopt additional methods for reducing pollution.

The report also includes a discussion of chemical releases into the environment, including air releases, which decreased by 52 million pounds from 2019 to 2020, continuing a long-term trend, as well as summaries of regional chemical waste management activities, illustrating the geographic diversity of U.S. industrial operations.

PFAS Reporting

The 2020 Analysis is also the first to feature reporting on the 172 per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) added to TRI by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Facilities reported managing 800,000 pounds of these chemicals in 2020, but of that, only around 9,000 lbs were reported as releases. Most of the production-related PFAS waste was reported by hazardous waste management facilities or chemical manufacturers, and most releases of PFAS were reported by the chemical manufacturing sector.

EPA continues to work to better understand the seemingly limited scope of PFAS reporting. The agency has used existing data to generate lists of potential producers and recipients of PFAS waste, and has contacted facilities with potential reporting errors, as well as those that were expected to report but did not.

EPA also plans to enhance PFAS reporting under the TRI by proposing a rulemaking this summer that would, among other changes, remove the eligibility of the de minimis exemption for PFAS. The de minimis exemption allows facilities that report to TRI to disregard certain minimal concentrations of chemicals in mixtures or trade name products. If finalized, this proposal would also make unavailable the de minimis exemption with regard to providing supplier notifications to downstream TRI facilities for PFAS and persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals.

Because PFAS are used at low concentrations in many products, the elimination of the de minimis exemption will result in a more complete picture of the releases and other waste management quantities for these chemicals.

To view the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.

Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at www.epa.gov/tri/p2.

 U.S. EPA News Release:

New EPA Toxics Release Inventory Data Show Decline in Releases of Certain Toxic Chemicals

Includes new features to make data more accessible to communities

Contact Information: David W. Bryan, APR, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov

LENEXA, KAN. (March 3, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 2020 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis, which shows that companies that manage chemicals continue to make progress in preventing pollution and reducing chemical releases into the environment. The report shows continued reductions in toxic chemical releases in EPA Region 7, and that total releases of TRI chemicals nationwide decreased by 10% from 2019 to 2020.

This 2020 Analysis includes enhancements to make data more useful and accessible to communities, including those with environmental justice concerns. EPA has added demographic information to the “Where You Live” mapping tool, making it easy to overlay maps of facility locations with maps of overburdened and vulnerable communities. Community groups, policymakers, and other stakeholders can use this information to identify potential exposures to air and water pollution, better understand which communities are experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden, and take action at the local level.

To assist communities with reducing pollution, EPA is offering $23 million in grant funding opportunities for states and tribes to develop and provide businesses with information, training and tools to help them adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices. For the first time, approximately $14 million in grant funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is available with no cost-sharing/matching requirement, increasing access to funding for all communities. These grants are also as a critical component of the president’s Justice40 initiative by providing a meaningful benefit to communities impacted by legacy pollution issues. As such, EPA will administer this program, in accordance with this initiative, to ensure at least 40% of the benefits are delivered to underserved communities.

“The TRI Analysis provides valuable and useful information for community pollution prevention practices,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “Effective management of toxic chemical waste materials provides a solid foundation for protecting human health and the environment in our communities, especially those overburdened populations near industrial facilities.

In 2020, 87% of the TRI chemical waste managed at facilities in EPA Region 7 was not released into the environment, and was instead managed using preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. Facilities in the region reported releasing 132 million pounds of TRI chemicals, an 8% decrease from 2019. The decrease was driven by reductions in the chemical manufacturing, electric utilities, and petroleum product manufacturing sectors.

From 2011 to 2020, releases in Region 7 decreased by 35.7 million pounds (21%), due primarily to reduced releases from the electric utilities, metal mining, and primary metals sectors. For 2020, 5% of Region 7 facilities reported implementing new source reduction activities.

In addition to the new community mapping tools, the TRI National Analysis also includes a new map in the data visualization dashboard that displays international transfers of chemical waste by facilities in each state. Additionally, the National Analysis includes a new profile of the cement manufacturing sector and the addition of greenhouse gas reporting information in certain sector profiles. Users will be able to track greenhouse gas emissions for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing, cement manufacturing, and other sectors. This section will also include information on the benefits of source reduction in these industries.

To access the 2020 TRI National Analysis, including local data and analyses, visit: www.epa.gov/trinationalanalysis.

Information on facility efforts to reduce TRI chemical releases is available at: www.epa.gov/tri/p2.

Background

Thanks to the passage of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), which created EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program, and the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, which expanded the program, Americans have greater awareness of how chemicals are being managed in their communities. Today, more than 21,000 facilities report annually on over 800 chemicals they release into the environment or otherwise manage as waste. EPA, states, and tribes receive TRI data from facilities in industry sectors, such as manufacturing, mining, electric utilities, and commercial hazardous waste management.

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 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Applauds Electronics Industry Leaders for Recycling Achievements

WASHINGTON (March 3, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes contributions in sustainable design and electronics recycling as part of the 8th annual Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronic Challenge awards.

“It’s going to take all of us working together to build a sustainable future, and I applaud the organizations recognized today for their leadership in essential electronic recycling efforts,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Electronics are a global economic driver with supply chains that reach around the world and products that play a big role in our daily lives. Because of these organizations’ efforts, we’re able to recover and recycle valuable resources like precious metals, critical minerals, plastics, and glass.”

“We congratulate the companies recognized by EPA for their outstanding leadership and innovation in electronics recycling,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA). “This year’s winners demonstrate the consumer technology industry’s significant progress on reducing e-waste to create a more sustainable future for generations to come.”

EPA SMM Electronics Challenge Gold Tier Award

EPA’s Gold Tier Award is presented to organizations with exemplary electronics collection and recycling programs. The 2021 recipients of this award are:

• Dell Technologies (Round Rock, Texas)
• LG Electronics USA, Inc. (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.)
• Samsung Electronics (Montville, N.J.)
• Sony Electronics, Inc. (San Diego)
• Staples (Framingham, Mass.)
• TCL North America (Corona, Calif.)
• T-Mobile (Bellevue, Wash.)
• VIZIO, Inc. (Irvine, Calif.)
• Xerox Corporation (Webster, N.Y.)

EPA SMM Electronics Challenge Champion Award

EPA also honored LG Electronics USA, Inc. and Dell Technologies as the SMM Electronics Challenge Champion Award winners for exemplifying leadership and innovative processes and products that focus on environmentally responsible ways to best use product materials throughout their life cycle.

• Dell is receiving the Cutting-Edge Award for prioritizing sustainability in setting a goal of creating more than half of their product content from recycled or renewable materials by 2030, such as using bioplastics from tree waste.
• LG is receiving the Product Award this year for developing LG Sound Bars composed of recycled materials, created with a focus on reducing environmental impact in every phase of the life cycle.

EPA SMM Electronics Sustained Excellence Award

New this year, EPA launched an award for cutting-edge innovations that demonstrated sustained excellence since the launch of the program in 2012.

• Dell Technologies received this award for their circular design approach to sourcing aluminum, a critical mineral, for hard drives found in certain Dell computers, resulting in a 10-percent greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction.
• EPA also presented this award to Samsung Electronics for creating a solar powered remote control composed of 24-percent recycled material, estimated to reduce 6,000 tons of GHG emissions per year and for preventing the wastage of millions of batteries each year.

EPA is strengthening efforts to reduce, reuse and recover materials and products, such as plastics, electronics, food, cement, and concrete. Reducing, reusing, and recycling are­ crucial for saving natural resources (such as timber and water), reducing pollution, and decreasing the need to create new materials. These are all important considerations to establish a circular economy, an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative by design. It is a change to the model in which resources are mined, made into products, and then become waste. A circular economy reduces materials use, redesigns materials and products to be less resource-intensive, and recaptures “waste” as a resource to manufacture new materials and products. This is important because natural resource extraction and processing makes up half of all GHG emissions.

Together, the amount of GHG emissions saved through the recycling efforts of these companies is equivalent to taking more than 92,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. In 2018, the United States generated some 2.7 million tons of electronics waste. Of that amount, 38.5 percent was recycled, with the remainder combusted with energy recovery or landfilled.

Overall, Electronics Challenge participants collectively:

• Diverted more than 158,000 tons of end-of-life electronics from landfills, 100 percent of which was sent to third-party certified recyclers, and
• Avoided the equivalent of nearly 430,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

More information for consumers to find a location to donate or recycle their electronics:
http://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling

More information on the SMM Electronics Challenge and award winners:

http://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics

https://www.epa.gov/smm-electronics/sustainable-materials-management-smm-electronics-challenge-recognition-and-awards

 U.S. EPA News Release:

ICYMI: EPA Administrator Regan, Regional Administrator Guzman visit Hawaii, Highlight Oversight and Drinking Water Emergency Response

WASHINGTON (February 28, 2022) – In case you missed it, Administrator Regan and Regional Administrator Martha Guzman traveled to O‘ahu, Hawaii, last week to see firsthand the ongoing work in response to the drinking water emergency and to engage directly with the community and stakeholders. While in Hawaii, the Administrator and Regional Administrator met with residents directly impacted by the drinking water emergency, toured the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, visited the Interagency Drinking Water Systems Team, visited a community assistance center, addressed the media, and met with key leaders and agencies including Governor David Ige, the Hawaii Department of Health, Senator Brian Schatz, Senator Mazie Hirono, Congressman Ed Case, local officials, and military leaders.

Administrator Regan emphasized EPA’s commitment to clean drinking water for the community and all Hawaii residents, as well as EPA’s role as an independent regulatory agency. EPA is launching an inspection of the Red Hill facility today.

Below are highlights from the Administrator and Regional Administrator’s travel to Hawaii:

AP: EPA to eye Hawaii fuel tank operations after water tainted.

The top official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday an upcoming inspection of a Navy fuel tank facility that leaked petroleum into Pearl Harbor’s tap water will look at whether the tank farm was properly operated.

“We’re going to ... really look very closely at whether or not the facility has operated within the guidelines of the law. And if it hasn’t, then we will have to make some corrections there,” Michael S. Regan, the EPA’s administrator, told reporters at a news conference.

Regan was in Hawaii for a two-day visit to see the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility and meet officials about the water contamination crisis.

The EPA’s inspection of the Red Hill tank facility is scheduled to begin next week.

“At the end of the day, no family should have to question the quality of their drinking water,” Regan said.

Read the full story from Audrey McAvoy here.

Hawaii News Now: EPA administrator visits Red Hill fuel tanks, pledges independent investigation.

The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will conduct an investigation of the fuel leak at the Navy’s Red Hill fuel storage facility that contaminated the drinking water supply.

It’s the latest in a long list of investigations at the city, state and federal levels. But the EPA is uniquely suited for the job, because it is responsible for enforcing the nation’s Clean Water Act.

“At the end of the day, no family should have to question the quality of their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan, a day after touring the facility.

Watch the full report from Hawaii News Now here.

WATCH KITV: EPA's Independent Red Hill Investigation to move forward.

Highlights from @EPAMichaelRegan and @EPAregion9:

@EPAMichaelRegan: No family should have to worry about the water coming from their tap — and the families on O‘ahu are no exception. The Interagency Drinking Water Systems Team – with experts from @USNavy, @HawaiiDOH, and @EPA – has been effective as we navigate this drinking water emergency.

@EPAregion9: Today, Regional Administrator Martha Guzman visited the Halawa Shaft with the @BWSHonolulu. This is the largest water source on O‘ahu, and connects to the precious aquifer that makes life on this island possible. Protecting groundwater is a top priority for @eparegion9.

@EPAMichaelRegan: While on O‘ahu, I spent time with people directly impacted by the drinking water crisis. No one should have to worry about the safety of their drinking water. @EPA will independently inspect the Red Hill facility and continue our interagency work to ensure clean water for all.

@EPAMichaelRegan: I am here in O’ahu, Hawaii to see firsthand the ongoing work in response to the drinking water emergency on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. EPA will continue our work to ensure safe drinking water for this community and ALL communities.