ENSO CEO on Pioneering Clean Tires

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Releases New Science-Based Recommendations to Help More States, Tribes, and Territories Reduce Exposure to PFAS in Fish

WASHINGTON – Today, July 11, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued updated recommendations under the Clean Water Act for contaminants that states, Tribes, and territories should consider monitoring in locally caught, freshwater fish. For the first time, EPA has added several per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) to the contaminant list alongside lead, three cyanotoxins, a flame retardant, and amphetamine. The recommendation to monitor for twelve PFAS fulfills a key commitment in Administrator Regan’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and helps protect communities from exposure to these “forever chemicals.”

“It’s important for EPA to continue advancing the science on PFAS as part of our comprehensive effort to protect the public from these harmful substances,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “By considering the latest science in their local advisories and testing for PFAS in fish at a local level, states and Tribes can protect subsistence, recreational, and sport fishers.”

States, Tribes, and territories monitor and analyze contaminants in fish and shellfish caught in local, fresh waterbodies. When they find contaminants at concentrations that can negatively impact people’s health, they issue consumption advisories. Some state and territorial programs that issue fish and shellfish advisories rely on EPA’s recommendations to determine which contaminants to monitor.   

Many states are already monitoring for certain PFAS in fish and using local data to issue fish consumption advisories where appropriate. Examples of states that have advisories in place include Alabama, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin.

With this announcement, EPA is suggesting that states, Tribes, and territories monitor for twelve PFAS and other contaminants including lead, cyanotoxins, a flame retardant, and amphetamine. This update comes after reviewing scientific literature, analyzing data, and seeking external peer review of the agency’s analysis, and it will help ensure that state and Tribal fish advisories consider the latest science. 

EPA’s most recent National Aquatic Resource Survey, which monitors fish tissue from lakes and streams across the country, and numerous other studies have found PFAS in freshwater fish and shellfish at levels that may impact human health. These studies indicate the presence of PFAS in fish, but they do not give enough information at a local level to inform public health decisions, which is why the role of states, Tribes, and territories in gathering local data is essential.

EPA recommends that people who eat locally-caught, freshwater fish and shellfish caught in local rivers and lakes consult their state, Tribe, or territory to determine the safe amount of those fish and shellfish to eat.

View EPA’s lists of contaminants to monitor and learn more about EPA Guidance for Developing Fish Advisories.

For further information: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Invests $20 Million in Water Workforce Training and Career Development as Part of Investing in America Agenda

WASHINGTON – Today, July 11, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing over $20 million to 13 workforce development organizations across the nation under its Innovative Water Workforce Development Grant Program, which supports expanding career opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector. This announcement comes as White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su travel to Philadelphia today to host the inaugural convening of the city’s Investing in America Workforce Hub. The Philadelphia Workforce Hub will support the workforce needed to deliver on the city’s water and transportation projects spurred by the President’s Investing in America agenda.

“In every community in America, water and wastewater utility workers are unsung heroes ensuring that families and businesses have access to reliable, clean and safe water services,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Bruno Pigott. “As the water sector faces a wave of retirements, EPA is prioritizing the sustainability of the water workforce and the resilience of our water systems and communities with this $20 million program.”

Across the country, water infrastructure workers make possible the delivery of clean, safe water services to millions of Americans. EPA’s Innovative Water Workforce Development Grant Program complements the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to create good-paying, family-supporting jobs in the communities they serve. The grant program also develops the apprenticeship programs, labor standards, and other tools needed to ensure a strong pipeline of workers and high-quality jobs. 

EPA is selecting 13 recipients at regional and national organizations to implement a broad range of programs under the Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant Program:

• Multiplier/WaterNow Alliance (CA): $760,463.31
• American Water Works Association (CO): $1,000,000
• Rural Community Assistance Partnership (DC): $852,500
• The Water Tower Institute, Inc (GA): $1,942,378
• Pacific International Center for High Technology Research (HI): $1,000,000
• Wichita State University (KS): $414,250
• Baltimore City Department of Public Works (MD): $914,500
• Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. (MD): $999,520
• Grand Rapids Community College (MI): $1,000,000
• Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education (NV): $999,153
• University of New Mexico (NM): $600,000
• National Rural Water Association (OK): $5,594,000
• Energy Innovation Center Institute, Inc. (PA): $4,900,000

The grants will expand public awareness about job opportunities in the drinking water and wastewater utility sector and will address the workforce needs of drinking water and wastewater utilities. Activities that will be funded under this competition include:

• Targeted internship, apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and post-secondary bridge programs.
• Education programs designed for elementary, secondary, and higher education students.
• Regional industry and workforce development collaborations to address water utility employment needs and coordinate candidate development.
• Integrated learning laboratories in secondary educational institutions.
• Leadership development, occupational training, mentoring, or cross-training programs that ensure incumbent drinking water and wastewater utility workers are prepared for higher-level supervisory or management-level positions.

EPA plans to award the recipients a grant once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. Funding this program furthers the agency’s goals of a cleaner, healthier environment for all Americans and future generations.

Learn more about EPA’s Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Program.

For further information: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Invites Public Comment on Review that Shows Progress and Need for More Data After Historic Hudson River PCB Cleanup

EPA to hold a virtual informational meeting on August 21; Public can comment on draft report until October 8

Contact: Larisa Romanowski, (518)-407-0400, romanowski.larisa@epa.gov  

NEW YORK (July 10, 2024) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its third review of the cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Upper Hudson River. The EPA’s review concludes that PCB levels in water and fish are going down overall, but the EPA needs more years of fish data to determine if the cleanup is meeting the expectations of the original cleanup plan. The EPA will issue an addendum to the current five-year review report as soon as sufficient fish data is available, as early as next year. The EPA expects to issue the addendum no later than the end of 2027. The report also contains the EPA’s proposal for expanded monitoring and special studies to bolster the data on which to base its conclusions. The EPA is accepting public comment on the draft report until October 8 to ensure maximum transparency.

“The EPA continues to work on multiple fronts to address the contamination throughout the Upper and Lower Hudson River and will ensure General Electric Company (GE) remains accountable for the PCBs that came from their manufacturing plants in Hudson Falls and Fort Edward, New York,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Today we are announcing a 90-day public comment period on the latest five-year review and appreciate the intense public interest and continued input as we work to clean up the Hudson River.”

The EPA’s draft Five-Year Review is based on sound scientific analysis and an extensive evaluation of the data. The EPA looked at all the water, fish and sediment data collected between 2016-2021, and the preliminary fish data from 2022.

Consistent with conclusions in the Agency’s last review, the EPA needs a minimum of eight years of fish data after dredging to begin to draw science-based conclusions about the rate of recovery in the fish. The eighth year of fish sampling will be completed this fall. The results of that sampling will be available in 2025.

The EPA also needs more years of data to fully evaluate the PCB levels in the river bottom sediment. The next sediment sampling is in 2026. The EPA could make a protectiveness determination sooner based on the fish data.

“The extensive dredging project set the course, but the road to recovery for the Hudson River is long,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Over the next few years, we expect to have the data we need to identify reliable trends. If the fish data shows that the recovery isn’t happening as quickly as we expected, we will take the necessary actions to improve it.”  

The EPA collects and reviews monitoring data every year to evaluate how the river is recovering since dredging ended in 2015. Because the latest report identifies several uneven patterns of recovery in fish, the EPA is looking more closely at water, fish and sediment in specific areas of the river. The five-year review includes these special studies as a series of recommendations and follow-up items in the report. Some of these studies are already underway. The data they collect will help the EPA understand how well the river is recovering and guide the Agency’s next steps. The EPA expects GE’s continued cooperation with the ongoing evaluation of the recovery of the river.  

The EPA selected its two-part cleanup plan for the Upper Hudson River in 2002, which called for dredging to remove approximately 2.7 million cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment from the river bottom, followed by an extended period of natural recovery – a gradual period of improvement in water, fish and sediment that the EPA projected would occur over a more than 50-year timeframe. The primary purpose of the cleanup is to reduce PCB levels in fish to protect people and wildlife that eat the fish. The cleanup plan also included reconstructing habitats impacted by the dredging, which included extensive seeding and planting.

Fish consumption restrictions and advisories are a part of the cleanup plan the EPA selected for the Upper Hudson River and will continue to be necessary to protect people’s health. The restrictions and advisories are designed to help inform people about the risks from eating fish contaminated with PCBs to reduce the risk from people eating the fish that they catch. The restrictions in the Upper Hudson River will need to remain in place until PCB levels in fish are reduced and New York State determines that changes can be made to the restrictions.  

It’s important that people are aware of and follow the fishing restrictions and fish consumption advisories set by New York State. The EPA is working closely with the New York State Department of Health to support their education and outreach program to inform area newcomers and others who may be looking to the river as a food source.  

The EPA is actively working in all parts of the river to study and address PCBs. In the Upper Hudson River, an extensive floodplain study is underway to evaluate PCB contamination in soil in shoreline areas along a 43-mile stretch of river between Hudson Falls and Troy, NY. The Agency is also overseeing the deconstruction of the Powerhouse and Allen Mill in Hudson Falls, NY – two structures located adjacent to the former GE Hudson Falls plant. Last spring, the EPA began an investigation in the lower Hudson River under a new agreement with GE which includes extensive fish, water and sediment sampling between Troy and the Battery in New York City.

The third Five-Year Review report is available on the EPA Hudson River PCBs site webpage.

During the 90-day public comment period, which runs to October 8, comments can be sent by mail or email to:

Gary Klawinski, Director

EPA Region 2, Hudson River Office

187 Wolf Road, Suite 303

Albany, NY 12205

Email comments to epahrfo@outlook.com

The EPA will hold a virtual public information meeting on August 21 at 6 p.m. EST to discuss the five-year review process, findings, and determination. For more information and to register.

Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

24-053

 EPA Press Release:

Clearwater Paper to pay over $367,000 for failing to properly report extremely hazardous chlorine releases

Contact: R10 Public Affairs Office, R10_Press_Team@epa.gov

SEATTLE (July 09, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Clearwater Paper Corporation of Lewiston, Idaho, will pay a combined $367,088 in penalties for failing to properly report releases of hazardous chlorine emissions that occurred in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Multiple unexpected releases of chlorine gas occurred at Clearwater’s Lewiston facility that resulted in hundreds of pounds of this toxic chemical being emitted into the air. Chlorine is used at the facility to process pulp for paper production.

Some of these releases were large enough to cause evacuations at the facility and resulted in employees seeking medical attention after exposure.

“Communities and first responders near facilities using deadly chemicals have a need and a legal right to know when releases occur,” said EPA Region 10 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “These are not simple paperwork issues; the safety of workers, first responders, and residents rests on a company’s compliance with these requirements.”

The company was issued a $84,769 penalty under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and an additional $237,319 penalty under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act for its failure to immediately notify officials and provide timely follow-up reports regarding these releases.

The company was also issued an additional $45,000 penalty under EPCRA, for failure to properly report numerous releases in its annual Toxics Release Inventory reporting.

Additional details are available in the following documents:

• Consent Agreement and Final Order (EPCRA-10-2024-0110)
• Consent Agreement and Final Order (EPCRA-10-2024-0033)

 EPA Press Office:

Biden-Harris Administration Establishes Four Stormwater Centers of Excellence with $5 Million in Grants under Investing in America Agenda

WASHINGTON – Today, July 9, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it would award $5 million in grants to establish four new Centers of Excellence for Stormwater Control Infrastructure Technologies and a national clearinghouse for new and emerging stormwater control technologies. The Centers of Excellence will play an important role in improving stormwater infrastructure across the country by conducting research and providing technical assistance to State, Tribal and local governments. 

“Our waterways are treasured resources and economic engines for communities, and at EPA we strive to make sure waterways are both fishable and swimmable,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott. “Stormwater runoff carries pollution from streets and land into our waterways and poses a significant challenge for water quality. Thanks to this investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are working with our partners to advance critical stormwater technology and solutions that will protect communities across the country.”

The grants are made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Four of the awards are to establish new Centers of Excellence for Stormwater, which will enhance efforts to support the nation’s water infrastructure and protect water quality. EPA anticipates that once all the legal and administrative requirements are satisfied, it will award funding to establish the new Stormwater Centers of Excellence to the following recipients:

• The University of New Hampshire,
• The University of Oklahoma,
• The Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education, and
• The Center for Watershed Protection, Inc.

EPA has also selected the Center for Watershed Protection, Inc., to establish a national electronic clearinghouse that contains information about new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies and funding approaches. The national electronic clearinghouse will be populated with research, best practices, and outreach from each Center of Excellence, and promoted with other organizations to expand the availability of water technical assistance, including States, Tribes, local government and disadvantaged communities.

Stormwater is a significant source of water pollution and a threat to the health of waterways across the country. It is a complicated problem for communities to manage, however, because of the engineering and financial challenges associated with stormwater. These grant recipients will play an important role in conducting research on new and emerging stormwater control infrastructure technologies and alternative funding approaches. As Centers for Excellence, they will also provide technical assistance and support stormwater infrastructure improvements that safeguard the environment, improve stormwater management and climate resilience, and advance environmental justice.

Learn more about the Stormwater Centers of Excellence Request for Applications.

For further information: Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

 EPA Press Office:

U.S. EPA Signs New Bargaining Agreement with AFGE

Deal includes historic firsts for the agency and its largest union

PHILADELPHIA – Today, July 9, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed a new collective bargaining agreement with its largest union, the American Federation of Government Employees, Council 238. The new agreement was unanimously ratified by the union in May and implemented on June 14, 2024. It incorporates historic firsts for EPA and AFGE including articles dedicated to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, and Scientific Integrity.

“We are thrilled to reach an agreement with AFGE Council 238. AFGE represents over 8,400 EPA employees who work every day to improve public health and protect our environment,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “The new agreement demonstrates this Administration’s strong support of unions and our commitment to providing a work environment that attracts and retains the best qualified employees so that we can protect all of the communities that we serve.”

“We are proud of the groundbreaking firsts and other protections gained in this agreement. We need a strong workforce that has the resources and protections required to combat climate change, address natural disasters, and support affected communities,” said Marie Owens Powell, President, AFGE Council 238. “We wanted a contract that fosters a healthy work-life balance, enhances workforce retention and talent recruitment, and supports the vital work of EPA’s workforce. And we got it.”

In addition to the new DEIA and Scientific Integrity Articles, other highlights of the agreement include extensions of current procedures and requirements for remote work, telework and work schedules. The new contract expires in 2028.

More information on the agreement.

For further information: Contact: EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)