EPA Offers $8.5 Million to U.S. Great Lakes Shoreline Cities for Green Infrastructure Projects

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EPA Press Release:

EPA Offers $8.5 Million to U.S. Great Lakes Shoreline Cities for Green Infrastructure Projects

(Chicago – July 26, 2013)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has invited the 22 largest U.S. Great Lakes shoreline cities to apply for Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding for green infrastructure projects that will improve Great Lakes water quality.

“These Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grants will be used for green infrastructure projects to reduce urban runoff and sewer overflows that foul beaches and impair Great Lakes water quality,” said Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman.

Up to $8.5 million is available to U.S. Great Lakes shoreline cities in the following amounts:

            Population greater than 500,000                          Up to $1,000,000

            Population from 100,000 - 499,999                      Up to $500,000

            Population from 50,000 - 99,999                          Up to $250,000

Eligible cities can use the grants to cover up to 50 percent of the cost of rain gardens, bio-swales, green roofs, porous pavement, greenways, constructed wetlands, stormwater tree trenches and other green infrastructure measures installed on public property.  Detailed eligibility requirements are available at www.epa.gov/grtlakes/fund/shoreline/.

 

Cities are encouraged to work with non-governmental organizations and private sector partners on these projects.
More information about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is available at www.glri.us.

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EPA Encourages the Public to Comment on Plan for Cleanup at Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund Site in Lockport, New York

EPA Press Release:

EPA Encourages the Public to Comment on Plan for Cleanup at Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund Site in Lockport, New York

Proposal Calls for Relocation of Some Residents; Public Meeting to be Held in Lockport on August 13

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, NY – July 26, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a plan to clean up nine properties, relocate residents from five of the properties, and demolish an industrial building at the former Flintkote Plant site as part of the first phase of cleanup at the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund site in Lockport, New York. The residential properties located on Water Street are contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other contaminants, including lead and chromium. PCBs are a probable human carcinogen. PCBs can also affect the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems and cause other health effects. Lead is a toxic metal that can cause damage to a child’s ability to learn and can have serious, long-term health consequences for adults and children. Chromium may cause cancer and nervous system damage.

“This plan will take the residents with contaminated properties out of harms’ way,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “It will also allow us to remove the contamination from the area to reduce any future risk to people or the environment. I encourage the public to give us input on the proposed plan.”

In its plan, the EPA is proposing to buy six residential properties that are privately owned, permanently relocate affected residents, demolish the homes and excavate the contaminated soil. Two of the properties have the same owner. Three other properties, which are owned by the City of Lockport and are vacant and contain no buildings, will also be cleaned up. In addition, the EPA is proposing to demolish the remaining building at the former Flintkote Plant located at 300 Mill Street. This will allow the EPA to sample soil under the building to determine if it is contaminated.

The EPA will hold a public meeting on August 13, 2013 to explain the proposed plan and take public comments. The meeting will be held at 7:00 pm at the 4-H Training Center at the Niagara County Fairgrounds, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport, New York. Comments will be accepted until August 26, 2013.

Eighteen Mile Creek has a long history of industrial use dating back to the 1800’s when it was used as a source of power. The headwaters of the creek consist of an east and west branch which begin immediately north of the New York State Barge Canal in Lockport, NY. The creek flows north for approximately 15 miles and discharges into Lake Ontario in Olcott, NY. The site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List in March 2012. Investigations at the site have revealed that sediments, soil and ground water in and around the creek and nearby properties are contaminated with a combination of pollutants, including PCBs, lead and chromium.

The contaminated residential properties, along with the remaining building at the former Flintkote Plant, encompass an area of approximately 2.25 acres along Water Street. These properties are adjacent to the creek and sometimes flood. They were contaminated by fill and may be further contaminated by periodic flooding of the creek. The permanent relocation of these residents and future excavation of the contaminated materials from these properties is necessary to protect human health and the environment and would eliminate human exposure to hazardous substances.

EPA held a public meeting in early June this year and outlined the three phases of cleanup at this site. The EPA’s proposed cleanup plan released today addresses the first phase. The second phase will address contaminated creek sediments and soil at several industrial and commercial properties in the creek corridor. The third phase will address contaminated sediment in the creek from Lockport to its discharge to Lake Ontario.

The EPA is taking comments from the public on its proposed plan and is collecting information they may have about potential responsible polluters. The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters pay for the cleanup rather than passing the cost to taxpayers. EPA continues to search for parties responsible for the contamination and hold them accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups.

The proposed plan and more information about the site is available online at http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/18milecreek/.

It will also be placed in the Lockport New York Public Library, 23 East Avenue, Lockport, NY 14094.

Written comments, postmarked by August 26, 2013, may be mailed to:

Thomas Taccone, Remedial Project Manager

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2

290 Broadway, 20^th Floor

New York, NY 10007-1866

Comment may also be emailed to taccone.tom@epa.gov.

Follow EPA, Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2

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EPA Encourages Public to Comment on Plan for Ground Water Cleanup Near New Cassel Industrial Area in Nassau County, N.Y.

EPA Press Release:

EPA Encourages Public to Comment on Plan for Ground Water Cleanup Near New Cassel Industrial Area in Nassau County, N.Y.

Contact: Elias Rodriguez, (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(New York, NY – July 26, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced its proposed plan to clean up an area of contaminated ground water within the New Cassel/Hicksville Ground Water Contamination Superfund site in the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York. Ground water throughout these areas is contaminated with harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are often found in paint, solvents, aerosol sprays, cleaners, disinfectants, automotive products and dry cleaning fluids. Repeated and direct exposure to VOCs can cause serious health effects.

The Magothy aquifer, Nassau County’s primary source of drinking water, has been contaminated by the VOCs. This contaminated water is currently being treated before it is provided to area residents. The water supply is monitored regularly to ensure the water quality meets federal and state drinking water standards.

“Residents of Long Island rely on ground water as their source of drinking water, making it imperative that Long Island’s drinking water is protected from contamination,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “Ensuring that people have a safe source of drinking water is a top EPA priority. The public is encouraged to comment on the proposed cleanup plan.”

Because of the nature and complexity of the contamination at the site, the EPA is dividing the investigation and cleanup into phases. The plan announced today is the first EPA phase of the cleanup and specifically addresses one portion of the site. The EPA will hold a public meeting on August 15 at the Community Center, 141 Garden Street, Westbury, NY 11590 to explain the plan. Public comments will be received until on August 26, 2013.

Ground water testing by the EPA in 2010 confirmed the presence of elevated levels of VOCs in ground water feeding 11 public water supply wells, six in Hicksville, four in Hempstead and one in Westbury. Based on past water quality monitoring results, public water supply companies installed treatment systems that remove VOCs from the contaminated ground water. The site was added to the federal Superfund list of contaminated hazardous waste sites in 2011.

The proposed cleanup plan includes construction of a treatment plant to extract and treat ground water contaminated with VOCs above a specific level. If used to full capacity, the system will treat up to 500,000 gallons per day. In some areas, a vapor stripper that forces air through polluted ground water to remove harmful chemicals will be used on individual wells. The air causes the chemicals to change from a liquid to a gas, which is then collected and cleaned. In the most heavily contaminated areas, the ground water will be treated using a treatment process such as chemical oxidation, which uses chemicals to destroy pollution in ground water, breaking down the harmful chemicals into water and carbon dioxide. The oxidants are pumped into the ground water at different depths in the polluted area. Each injection is followed by monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment. Samples of the ground water will be collected and analyzed to ensure that the technology is fully effective.

The EPA will require periodic collection and analysis of ground water samples to verify that the levels and extent of contaminants are declining. The EPA will conduct a review every five years to ensure the effectiveness of the cleanup.

The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to taxpayers. After sites are placed on the Superfund list of the most contaminated waste sites, the EPA searches for parties legally responsible for the contamination and seeks to hold them accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups. The EPA will require that the cleanup be carried out and paid for by those responsible for the contamination at the site.

In addition to the public meeting to explain the plan and receive comments, people may submit written comments by mail or email:

Jennifer L. LaPoma

Remedial Project Manager Western New York Remediation Section

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

290 Broadway, 20th Floor

New York, New York 10007-1866

(212) 637-4328

lapoma.jennifer@epa.gov

To review the plan for the New Cassel/Hicksville Ground Water Contamination Superfund site, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/newcassel/index.html

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

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EPA Selects Eight Universities to Help Improve Public Health Data and Research

EPA Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25, 2013

EPA Selects Eight Universities to Help Improve Public Health Data and Research

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today, its selection of academic partners for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) University Challenge, a project designed to find innovative ways to increase public awareness of toxic chemical releases in their communities and around the country.

“For more than 25 years, EPA has gathered critical environmental data to provide communities with information that empowers them to protect their air, water, and land,” said Renee P. Wynn, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Environmental Information. “Through the TRI University Challenge, we hope to raise student awareness of environmental data and programs while improving research on our environmental challenges to further our work to protect Americans’ health and the environment.” 

TRI provides communities with information about toxic chemical releases to the air, water, and land and helps industry, government, non-governmental organizations, and the public make more informed decisions to protect their health and environment.

Through these partnerships, EPA will work with eight diverse academic institutions to develop practical and replicable projects focused on pollution prevention, sustainability, community engagement, and technology for improving the presentation and understanding of TRI data.

The TRI University Challenge is open to anyone connected with an accredited college or university, and project timelines are flexible. The selected projects were proposed by faculty and students from Drew University, Huston-Tillotson University, Indiana University-Bloomington, SUNY Plattsburg, University of California-Los Angeles, University of Washington-Bothell, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and Washington University in St. Louis.

While there is no financial award for this Challenge, academic partners will receive support from TRI Program staff and national recognition by being featured on the TRI website. In addition, partners will be encouraged to pursue opportunities to speak at relevant conferences and events.

The selected projects will begin in the fall of 2013 and are expected to conclude at the end of the academic school year in the summer of 2014.

More information on the TRI University Challenge: www.epa.gov/tri/university

More information about TRI: www.epa.gov/tri

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