EPA Press Office:

EPA New England celebrates major milestone at Somersworth Superfund Site

Groundbreaking for the construction of a solar farm on reclaimed land is a first of its kind for New Hampshire

Contact Information: JoAnne Kittrell, (617) 918-1822, kittrell.joanne@epa.gov  SOMERSWORTH, NH (Aug. 12, 2024) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined Congressman Chris Pappas and the City of Somersworth to celebrate the groundbreaking for construction of a new solar array at the site of the former Somersworth Sanitary Landfill. This is the first time in New Hampshire that a portion of a Superfund site has been redeveloped into a solar farm. By having a portion of this site become a solar farm it upholds a key goal of the Superfund Program, to return Superfund sites to productive use. The Biden-Harris administration has set out to creating a cleaner and greener future for the country, with special consideration being taken for communities with environmental justice concerns.   The 2,577 kW-DC / 1,992 kW-AC solar PV project is expected to generate 3,523,443 kWh in Year 1 and more than 67 million kWh over the next 20 years. This renewable energy will positively impact hundreds of peoples in the Somersworth community.    “We applaud the site team for their diligent work to clean up this portion of the site – and recognize the transformative decision of the City of Somersworth to repair the harm and invest in the health of their community and environment,” said EPA New England Chief of Staff Sanjay Seth. “We thank our state and federal partners for their resolve and dedication to help make this project happen.” “Making smart investments in our clean energy infrastructure is a critical step to ensuring we continue to lower costs for Granite Staters while putting our nation on the road to a more sustainable energy future,” said U.S. Representative Chris Pappas. “I was glad to join federal, state, and local partners in Somersworth this afternoon to break ground on the future sight of this new solar array. By safely and responsibly repurposing a former landfill site, we are protecting the health and safety of our communities and environment while strengthening our clean energy infrastructure in the Seacoast. I remain committed to lowering the cost of energy and creating a clean energy future here in New Hampshire.” “Superfund sites, like the former Somersworth Sanitary Landfill, present unique challenges for Granite State communities and are often left vacant despite their high potential for redevelopment,” said U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. “I’m thrilled that with the help of federal funding from the Biden-Harris Administration, the City of Somersworth is breaking ground on a solar farm that will both repurpose their former landfill and also provide clean energy to the community.” “New Hampshire is continuing to modernize our infrastructure, including through building a new solar array at the former Somersworth Landfill,” said U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan. “This new solar array will help our state build a clean energy future that will also help lower energy costs – and by finding a way to make use of this unoccupied land, is another example of New Hampshire’s innovation and ingenuity.” “This Solar project is an important step towards increasing sustainability efforts in our Somersworth Community and aligns with other similar efforts in our Region and in our State,” said City of Somersworth Mayor Matt Gerding. “It is important that we collectively welcome green energy as another element of our collective energy portfolio. On behalf of the City of Somersworth, I want to express our excitement for this long-awaited groundbreaking as it repurposes City-owned land that otherwise had very limited use. I want to express my appreciation and sincere thanks for all the hard work, effort, and collaboration put forth by our City Council and City staff with Ameresco in reaching this public-private partnership that resulted in bringing this important Solar project to fruition. I also want to acknowledge the assistance of our regulatory partners, staff from the US EPA and NH DES, in their steadfast participation and support in moving this project to reality.” EPA will continue to work with the City of Somersworth to monitor the site.   Information about the site and contact information if you have questions can be found at: www.epa.gov/superfund/somersworth.    Background   The Site is located on Blackwater Road, about 1 mile southwest of the center of the City of Somersworth in Strafford County, New Hampshire. The Site is the location of a former sanitary landfill that accepted municipal and industrial wastes from the mid-1930s to 1981. Waste-burning activities also occurred on-site until 1958. The 26-acre landfill is located north of Blackwater Road and drains west to Peters Marsh Brook and an adjacent wetland. Waste disposal activities at the landfill resulted in contamination of groundwater with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including chlorinated ethenes.  After landfill activities ended at the Site in 1981, the City of Somersworth installed monitoring wells at the Site and identified VOC contamination in Site groundwater. As a result of the contamination, EPA added the Site to the Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. The site’s 1994 cleanup plan included use of an innovative chemical treatment wall (CTW) to detoxify VOCs as the groundwater flows through the wall, with a final cap to be determined after cleanup. Construction of the CTW finished in 2000. A permeable soil cover, which allows precipitation to flush contaminants from the landfill through the CTW, plus an infiltration gallery and a bedrock extraction well, which both help in the flushing of the contaminated groundwater, were completed in 2001. The City of Somersworth owns the landfill property and much of the wetland areas northwest of the landfill. Reuse at the Site after landfill closure began in 1978 when the city redeveloped approximately 10 acres of the eastern portion of the landfill into a recreation area, which included ball fields and basketball courts. Use of these recreation facilities was discontinued in 2011, except for a paved basketball court on the southern fringe of the landfill. The Site remained largely unused until the solar array project that breaks ground August 12, 2024. # # #   Learn more about EPA Region 1: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-1-new-england

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Seeks Input on Microbial and Disinfection Byproducts NPDWRs Rulemaking Revisions

WASHINGTON – Today, August 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invites small public water systems to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SERs) providing advice and recommendations to a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel. Building on past extensive EPA engagement with stakeholders, this SBAR Panel will focus on the agency’s development of potential revisions to one or more of the current Microbial and Disinfection Byproducts (MDBP) National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs), including Stage 1 and Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rules (D/DBPRs); Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR); Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR); and Long-Term 1 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT1).

These NPWDRs are a series of interrelated regulations that protect drinking water from microbes, disinfectants, and/or disinfection byproducts (DBPs). The rule revisions are intended to improve existing regulations based on new information on health effects, treatment technologies, analytical methods, occurrence and exposure, and implementation as determined in EPA’s third Six Year Review.

EPA has determined that revisions to the SWTRs would further reduce exposure to microbial pathogens including Cryptosporidium, Giardia lamblia, Legionella, and viruses in drinking water, which have been linked to diseases including gastrointestinal illness (such as diarrhea, vomiting, and cramps) and Legionnaire's Disease. EPA is also considering revisions to the D/DBPRs that intend to further limit exposure to DBPs, which can form in water when disinfectants used to control microbial pathogens react with natural and human-caused materials found in source water and have been linked to adverse health outcomes.

The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires agencies to establish an SBAR Panel for rules that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The SBAR Panel will include federal representatives from the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and EPA. The Panel members ask a selected group of SERs to provide advice and recommendations on behalf of their company, government, or organization to inform the Panel members about potential impacts of the proposed rule on small entities.

EPA seeks self-nominations directly from the small entities that may be subject to the rule requirements. Other representatives, such as trade associations that exclusively or at least primarily represent potentially regulated small entities, may also serve as SERs.

Self-nominations may be submitted through the link below and must be received by August 23, 2024.

Nominate yourself as a SER.

Learn more information about the MDBP rule revisions.

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

 EPA Press Office:

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Label Program to Bolster U.S. Manufacturing of Cleaner Construction Materials

Program will support the Administration’s initiative to “Buy Clean” construction materials from U.S. manufacturers as part of the Investing in America Agenda

WASHINGTON – Today, Aug. 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its plan for implementing a new label program to boost clean American manufacturing by helping federal purchasers and other buyers find and buy cleaner, more climate-friendly construction materials and products.  The label program is made possible by a $100 million investment in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and aims to cut climate pollution linked to the production of construction products and materials, which accounts for more than 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. The Inflation Reduction Act invests billions of dollars to reduce industrial emissions while supporting good union jobs, greater equity, and a strong manufacturing base, including $350 million to support EPA’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from construction materials.

“Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, America has an opportunity to lead the world in developing cleaner construction materials to cut climate pollution and reap unprecedented economic opportunities,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “By clearly labeling what ‘buy clean’ means for products like concrete, glass and steel, EPA will help accelerate demand for these materials and continue to build the clean energy economy.” 

“The Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant carbon-cutting piece of legislation in history,” said Elliot Doomes, Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service at the U.S. General Services Administration. “GSA is proud to work with the EPA, other government agencies, and private industry to use our buying power to drive the development of more sustainable building materials, create good-paying jobs, and lower operating costs for the American taxpayer. This program will accelerate our efforts to achieve a net zero federal footprint and catalyze American innovation.”

“The use of lower carbon materials, that have the durability of conventional materials while lowering greenhouse gas emissions, is one pathway that FHWA is pursing to help us achieve President Biden’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050,” said Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Associate Administrator for Infrastructure Hari Kalla. “EPA’s announcement today supports transportation agencies throughout the country with tools to ensure we are appropriately implementing low carbon materials.”

Today’s announcement builds on EPA’s selection of 38 organizations in July to collectively receive nearly $160 million to help businesses develop Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), which report climate pollution linked to the production of construction materials and products. These efforts will bolster the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers, which are among the cleanest in the world in key sectors.

The label program will define what constitutes “clean” construction materials in support of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which aims to grow the market and reward innovation for American-made, lower-carbon construction materials. EPA anticipates that labeling requirements for each product type will be periodically reviewed and updated every two to four years to respond to and drive market shifts and help users meet sustainability objectives. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use clean materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of clean construction materials in transportation projects. Federal purchasing plays a significant role in industries like concrete, as federally funded government purchases account for more than 50% of all concrete poured in the U.S. every year. Materials and products that earn the new label will be listed in a central, publicly accessible registry, making it easier to identify - and purchase - these materials.

EPA’s label program will prioritize steel, glass, asphalt and concrete, as there are significant opportunities to reduce climate pollution from these materials and they represent the vast majority of construction materials and products that government agencies purchase with federal funds.

EPA also issued several supporting documents to help implement the label program, including Product Category Rule (PCR) Criteria – guidelines for developing EPDs, the disclosures that communicate climate and other environmental impacts of products. Other documents published today outline key remaining data gaps, provide a methodology for assessing life cycle data quality, and describe other federal data quality improvement activities.

EPA developed the Label Program Approach and PCR Criteria with input from stakeholders, including the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other federal agencies. The agency also considered public comments solicited through Notices of Availability published in the Federal Register earlier this year and a 2023 Request for Information.

EPA will continue to seek stakeholder input on the ongoing development and implementation of this program. Next, EPA will request input on the draft conformity assessment system, which is a rigorous process for verifying a product or material has earned the label. EPA will also request input on the first draft product type threshold(s), which will set standards to determine which construction materials and products will be eligible to carry the label based on information from EPDs and other data sources. Manufacturers that are planning to apply for EPA’s label and want guidance in measuring the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their materials and products can contact EPA at embodiedcarbon@epa.gov or visit our website.

Learn more about the label program.

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

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Issues Emergency Order to Stop Use of Pesticide Dacthal to Address Serious Health Risk

WASHINGTON – Today, Aug. 6, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the emergency suspension of all registrations of the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). This is the first time in almost 40 years EPA has taken this type of emergency action, following several years of unprecedented efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to require the submission of long-overdue data and then assess and address the risk this pesticide poses.

EPA has taken this action because unborn babies whose pregnant mothers are exposed to DCPA, sometimes without even knowing the exposure has occurred, could experience changes to fetal thyroid hormone levels, and these changes are generally linked to low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills later in life, some of which may be irreversible.

“DCPA is so dangerous that it needs to be removed from the market immediately,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “It’s EPA’s job to protect people from exposure to dangerous chemicals. In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems. That’s why for the first time in almost 40 years, EPA is using its emergency suspension authority to stop the use of a pesticide.”

“Farmworkers face burdensome conditions in the fields and often face exposure to harmful pesticides while working to feed our nation. I applaud the emergency action by the EPA which prioritizes farmworker health and safety, especially for pregnant women, by suspending this harmful chemical from our agricultural systems. We must continue to build on this progress and ensure all farmworkers are given the protection, worker’s rights, and overtime pay they deserve,” said Congressman Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07).

“Alianza is pleased to see the EPA make this historic decision.  As an organization led by farmworker women, we know intimately the harm that pesticides, including dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal), can inflict on our bodies and communities.  This emergency decision is a great first step that we hope will be in a series of others that are based on listening to farmworkers, protecting our reproductive health, and safeguarding our families,” said Mily Treviño Sauceda, Executive Director of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas.

Background on DCPA and Biden-Harris Administration Efforts to Assess and Address Risks

DCPA is a pesticide registered to control weeds in both agricultural and non-agricultural settings, but is primarily used on crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and onions. DCPA is currently undergoing registration review, a process that requires reevaluating registered pesticides every 15 years to ensure they cause no unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment.

In deciding whether to issue today’s Emergency Order, EPA consulted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to understand how growers use DCPA and alternatives to this pesticide. In 2013, the agency issued a Data Call-In (DCI) to AMVAC Chemical Corporation, the sole manufacturer of DCPA, requiring it to submit more than 20 studies to support the existing registrations of DCPA. The required data included a comprehensive study of the effects of DCPA on thyroid development and function in adults and in developing young before and after birth, that was due by January 2016. Several of the studies that AMVAC submitted from 2013-2021 were considered insufficient to address the DCI, while the thyroid study and other studies were not submitted at all.

In April 2022, EPA issued a very rarely used Notice of Intent to Suspend the DCPA technical-grade product (used to manufacture end-use products) based on AMVAC’s failure to submit the complete set of required data for almost 10 years, including the thyroid study. While AMVAC submitted the required thyroid study in August 2022, EPA suspended the registration based solely on AMVAC’s continued failure to submit other outstanding data on Aug. 22, 2023, following an administrative hearing.  In November 2023, the data submission suspension was lifted after AMVAC submitted sufficient data. Most DCPA use on turf was voluntarily canceled by AMVAC in December 2023, but unacceptable risks from other uses remained.

In May 2023, EPA released its assessment on the risks of occupational and residential exposure to products containing DCPA, following its analysis of the thyroid study submitted by AMVAC. The assessment found health risks associated with DCPA use and application, even when personal protective equipment and engineering controls are used. The most serious risks are to the unborn babies of pregnant individuals. EPA estimates that some pregnant individuals handling DCPA products could be subjected to exposures four to 20 times greater than what EPA has estimated is safe for unborn babies.

Also of concern are risks to unborn babies of pregnant individuals entering or working in areas where DCPA has already been applied (especially post-application workers involved in tasks such as transplanting, weeding and harvesting). Current product labels specify that entry into treated fields must be restricted for 12 hours after application. However, the evidence indicates that for many crops and tasks, levels of DCPA in a treated field remain at unsafe levels for 25 days or more. Spray drift (the movement of pesticide through the air at the time of application or soon after, to any site other than the area intended) from pesticide application could also put at risk the unborn babies of pregnant individuals living near areas where DCPA is used.

Since the release of EPA’s 2023 assessment, AMVAC has proposed several changes to the DCPA registrations, including the cancellation of DCPA products registered for use on turf. Those cancellations practically eliminate exposures to DCPA from recreational activities on and around turf. But according to EPA’s analysis, AMVAC’s proposed changes to agricultural uses of DCPA do not adequately address the serious health risks for people who work with and around DCPA. 

In April 2024, EPA issued a public warning regarding the significant health risks to unborn babies of pregnant individuals exposed to DCPA and its intent to pursue action to address the serious, and in some instances, permanent, and irreversible health risks associated with the pesticide as quickly as possible. In a letter to AMVAC dated March 27, 2024, EPA restated the risks the agency found and noted that the agency would be pursuing regulatory options as soon as possible which could include cancelling the pesticide or seeking an emergency suspension.

When serious risks are identified, EPA can take action under FIFRA to suspend or cancel a pesticide. Taking such action is resource and time intensive, partly due to the procedural requirements of FIFRA. A cancellation proceeding may take at least several months (if uncontested by the registrant) or potentially several years (if contested by the registrant, thus triggering an administrative hearing and any subsequent appeal of a cancellation order). FIFRA also allows EPA to seek a suspension of a pesticide product while cancellation proceedings are ongoing if the Administrator determines it is necessary to prevent an imminent hazard.  EPA Administrator Regan has determined that, due to the serious and imminent harm posed by DCPA, an emergency exists such that this order of suspension effective immediately is necessary. EPA intends to issue a notice of intent to cancel the DCPA products within the next 90 days.

The Emergency Order is effective immediately. EPA determined that the continued sale and use of DCPA products during the time it would take to follow the normal cancellation process poses an imminent hazard to unborn babies. While AMVAC has attempted to address these concerns, EPA has determined there are no practical mitigation measures that can be put in place to allow DCPA’s continued use.

Additional information is available in the DCPA registration review docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0374.  

Read the DCPA Emergency Order.

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

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Updates the Indoor AirPlus Home Labeling Program for Healthier Indoor Air Quality

WASHINGTON — Today, Aug. 5, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing enhancements to its Indoor AirPlus home labeling program. These improvements are designed to advance indoor air quality protection and expand market accessibility.

Indoor AirPlus is a voluntary partnership and labeling program designed to improve indoor air quality in homes. Builders that participate in the program use construction practices designed to minimize exposure to airborne pollutants and contaminants in the home. Indoor AirPlus homes are healthier by design. Strategies include mold and moisture control; radon resistance; pest management; improved heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems; combustion venting; healthier building materials; and homeowner education. Labeled homes can help reduce the likelihood of common and serious health problems like infectious disease, heart disease, cancer, asthma, allergies, respiratory issues, headaches and more.

“Indoor AirPlus is the premier high-performance home certification program focusing on indoor air quality,” said Dave Rowson, Director of the Indoor Environments Division. “The program updates in Indoor AirPlus Version 2, including new recognition opportunities with a tiered certification structure, will help even more Americans protect their families with improved indoor air quality.”

EPA considered a wide range of stakeholder feedback when developing the updates. This new version encourages broad industry participation, substantially advances indoor air quality protections, and strengthens third party verification and quality assurance.

Under this program update, builders may choose to build Indoor AirPlus Certified homes, or Indoor AirPlus Gold Certified homes. With no other certification pre-requisites, the Indoor AirPlus Certified home is built with key strategies targeting improved indoor air quality. The Indoor AirPlus Gold Certified home is designed to include more advanced protections for improved indoor air quality in conjunction with the energy efficiency benefits of ENERGY STAR certification.

During the implementation phase beginning today, partners may continue to use Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications Version 1, Rev.4 or begin to use one of the new two-tier specifications. The Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications Version 1, Rev. 4 are planned to be sunset by January 2026.

More information:

• Indoor AirPlus
• Indoor AirPlus Version 2
• Find an Indoor AirPlus builder or rater in your area
• Join the Indoor AirPlus program

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

 EPA Press Office:

EPA Celebrates the 2024 Winners of the President’s Environmental Youth Award and the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators

WASHINGTON – Today, August 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, celebrated the 2024 President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) and the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) Awards Ceremony. This ceremony marks an annual recognition of outstanding youth who are dedicated to environmental stewardship and impressive teachers who have contributed significantly to environmental education.

“Educators and students across our country make remarkable contributions every day to protect the environment, and it’s an honor to celebrate them today,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “These awardees set the gold standard for environmental education as they implement innovative approaches to protect human health and tackle climate change.”

“Environmental stewardship often begins in the classroom with young people and educators who are taking our planet’s most pressing climate change and environmental justice challenges head on,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “This year’s awardees represent passionate and dedicated leaders who are tackling the climate crisis, improving public health, and delivering a more equitable future for all.”

Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with EPA to recognize young people for protecting our nation's air, water, land, and ecology. The PEYA program recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects developed by K-12 youth. This program honors and brings to light a wide variety of projects developed by these young students, school classes and clubs, youth camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental awareness and action in their schools and communities. The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation's natural resources and encourages positive community involvement.

Established by the 1990 National Environmental Education Act, the PIAEE program supports, encourages, and nationally honors outstanding educators who integrate environmental and place-based, experiential learning into school curricula and school facility management across the country. The PIAEE program supports the outstanding environmental projects performed by these innovative teachers who go beyond textbook instruction to incorporate methods and materials that utilize creative experiences and enrich student learning. The program recognizes elementary and secondary (K-12) education teachers, school administrators and their local education agencies, and provides funding to help support those educators in their environmental education work.

To read about the winning projects in detail, visit: President’s Environmental Youth Award winners and Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators winners.

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

Blood Feud (Full Episode) | Animal Fight Night