According to Delaware’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), industrial facilities throughout the state have considerably fallen since 2010.  Since 1990, industrial facilities throughout the state have reduced on-site releases of chemicals by 91 percent. 

TRI is required for certain industrial facilities in Delaware and the rest of the United States.  Title III, Section 313, of the Federal Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA 313) was passed in 1986 and required industrial facilities to start informing the public about toxic chemicals used around the communities.  Title III of SARA 313 is also called the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). 

During 2011, companies had to report statistics on the use of 593 individual chemicals and 30 chemical categories.  Individual chemicals include toxic and persistent compounds like mercury and other less serious chemicals, and the chemical categories include chemicals like dioxins, PCBs, and more. 

Manufacturing facilities, electric utilities run by oil and coal, and bulk petroleum companies are the most common companies required to submit a TRI.  Reporting is also necessary for companies with 10 or more employees, companies that manufacture or process over 25,000 pounds, or companies that use 10,000 pounds or more of toxic chemicals. 

The companies must report all chemicals that are released into the environment, managed on the site’s grounds, and managed off-site. 

In 2011, 63 different companies reported using 89 TRI-designated chemicals throughout Delaware.  About 3.9 million pounds of the TRI chemicals were released into the environment (2.4 million to the air, 1.2 million to the water, and 279,000 to the land).  Hydrochloric acid releases accounted for 66 percent of air releases, and the majority came from coal power plants. 

Total releases to the air decreased by 1.1 million pounds, or 31 percent.  Releases into the water actually increased by 630,000 pounds, and releases onto land increased by 68,000 pounds. 

Notable decreases in the release of hydrochloric acid were reported by NRG’s Indian River Power Plant and the Edge Moor/Hay Road Power Plant.

Carcinogen releases increased by 28,000 pounds (18 percent) in 2011, and the largest releases were reported by Formosa Plastics, River Power Plant, and the Delaware City Refinery. 

DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara stated:  “Productivity is up and emissions are down.  We are demonstrating in Delaware that we can have both a healthy environment and a strong economy – and we are committed to improving the environmental quality further by working with all industrial facilities to reduce toxic chemical emissions.”

Source: Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

As of November 13, 2012, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) now requires lobster permit holders in Lobster Conservation Management Area (LMA) 4 to perform V-notching of legal, egg-bearing female lobsters.  Also, permit holders fishing in more than one LMA must abide by the strictest V-notch rules listed in their fishing permit. 

The Notice of Adoption announced by the DEC adopted the emergency rules instituted on July 11, 2012. 

The changes to the American Lobster Fishery Management Plan (FMP) were approved by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).  The changes, referred to as Addendum XVII, hope to lower the lobster harvest by as much as 10 percent in the southern part of New England, an area that experienced a huge decrease of the lobster population in recent years.  The new rules now apply from Cape Cod to Virginia in LMA 2, 4, and 5. 

A triangular V-notch cut is placed on the tail fin of a legal female lobster bearing eggs.  It takes several molts for the cut to disappear, and the cuts help fisherman identify the lobsters.  It is illegal to take a V-notched lobster, and the female lobster is protected from harvesting for two whole years. 

Subsection (a) of §44.7 under the Environmental Conservation Law requires the V-notching in LMA 4 and states the following: “V-notches must be to the right of the center flipper as viewed from the rear of the female lobster when the underside of the lobster is down.  The V-notch should be made by means of a sharp bladed instrument, at least one quarter inch in depth and not greater than one half inch in depth and tapering to a sharp point.”

Subsection (b) of the same section requires fisherman to abide by specific V-notching rules in their LMA or the most restrictive rules if they have permits in more than one LMA.  The subsection goes on to state the following: “Any permitee who fails to designate an LMA on their application shall abide by the most restrictive of the LMAs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and Outer Cape Cod (OCC) V-notching rules.  The department shall provide license holders written notice of the current V-notching rules of LMAs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and OCC annually.”

Subsection (c) prohibits the possession or landing of V-notched female lobsters and applies to everyone except the final purchaser or consumer. 

Refer to §44.1 through §44.7 for all requirements on lobsters in New York LMAs. 

Source: New York Department of Environmental Conservation

On November 14, 2012, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported findings in a recent study that found high levels of PCBs can delay pregnancy for couples compared to couples with low amounts of the chemicals in their blood.

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are mainly used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment, but they have other purposes as well.  They classify as persistent organochlorine pollutants, which is a group of chemicals including other industrial chemicals and some pesticides.  The NIH reports that chemicals resist decaying and can remain in the soil, water, and the food chain for decades.  

The health effects of PCBs have long been recorded, but few studies have examined how the chemicals affect the chance of pregnancy.  

During the study, called the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE), 501 couples from Michigan and Texas were examined between 2005 and 2009.  The women were between 18 and 44, and all of the men were over the age of 18.  Blood samples were taken and examined for PCBs and PFCs, or perfluorochemicals.  The women were also required to keep journal entries of their menstrual cycle and results from home pregnancy tests, and the couples were followed as they tried for pregnancy up to a year.  

The study showed that the odds of pregnancy were reduced by 18 to 21 percent if females were exposed to significant levels of perfluorooctane sulfonamide and/or PCB congeners 118, 167, or 209.  Odds of pregnancy were reduced by 17 to 29 percent if males were exposed to DDE (created when DDT degrades in the environment) and/or PCB congeners 138, 156, 167, 170, 172, and 209.  

Other chemicals were not ruled out during the study, and the NIH admits that a combination of chemicals could lead to significant pregnancy delays.  Previous research by the LIFE study found that high levels of lead and cadmium in the blood can significantly delay pregnancy as well.  

Source: National Institutes of Health

Natural gas companies continue to receive penalties and fines even though the majority of states have begun to impose strict policies for natural gas production.  The Environmental Protection Agency’s latest imposed penalties involve Atlas Resources LLC.  On October 18, 2012, the EPA announced that Atlas Resources must pay a fine of $84,506 for air and hazardous chemical violations at the natural gas production facility located in Avella, Pennsylvania.  

Atlas Resources is charged with violating the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) which is a federal law that requires responders to know about toxic chemicals in the surrounding communities.  Knowing about hazardous chemicals in the community helps responders plan for an emergency.  

Atlas Resources also violated the Clean Air Act by failing to take steps to decrease the accidental release of different hazardous chemicals.

According to the EPA, Atlas Resources failed to provide state and local responders of the hazardous chemicals on the production facility in both 2008 and 2009.  When the site was investigated, it was found that Atlas Resources was not storing the natural gas correctly onsite.  After testing, it was found the production wells were releasing vapors.  

The company was ordered to stop operations and the production of natural gas until audits are completed at eight other production facilities in Washington County.  The audits are checking to make sure the other facilities have the proper equipment installed to stop air releases.  

The Atlas Resources facilities that are being audited in Washington County are located in the Hopewell Township and Cross Creek Township.  The audits have adopted revised New Source Performance Standards as well as revised National Emission Standards that address the release of air pollutants.  

The majority of gas released during the extraction and production of natural gas is methane.  

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has recently released the results of the 2011 Certified Organic Production Survey that measured and studied organic crops in different states.  The study helps the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) Risk Management Agency make changes to federal crop insurance products that are used by organic farmers.  

Hubert Hamer, the Chairperson of the NASS Agricultural Statistic Board, states: “This is the first time we have conducted a survey focused solely on the USDA-certified organic producers.  With this survey’s results, policymakers will be able to better assess the Federal Crop Insurance program and its impact on the organic industry.”  

According to the study, over $3.5 billion worth of organic products were grown in 2011.  Corn still leads in the organic industry, for about $101.5 million of organic corn was sold in 2011.  Other leaders in the organic industry included alfalfa dry hay and winter wheat.  About $69.5 million of organic alfalfa dry hay was sold in 2011, and about $54 million of organic winter wheat was sold.  

The state with the most organic acres is Wisconsin—with over 110,000 organic acres.  New York was second with over 97,000 acres of organic harvest, and California fell shortly behind New York with over 91,000 acres of organic harvest.  

The study also examined organically raised livestock.  Organically raised livestock generated $1.31 billion in sales in 2011, and organic milk was the top commodity, accounting for about $765 million in sales.  The other leading commodities in this category included organic chicken eggs and broiler chickens.  Organic chicken eggs generated about $276 million in sales, and organic broiler chickens generated about $115 million.  

Organic crops accounted for about 63 percent of all organic products.  Livestock and poultry products accounted for about 30 percent, and livestock and poultry inventory accounted for about 8 percent.  

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

On October 11, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) announced and recognized the initiatives of seven drinking water and waste water utilities throughout the state.  Some of the facilities have already begun improvements, and four of the utilities have already saved about 3,300,000 kilowatt hours and reduced 3200 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

The utilities and their estimated energy and cost savings per year are listed below:

-Caryville-Jacksboro Utilities Commission 188,000 kWh / $15,750
-City of Columbia 1,300,000 kWh / $100,000
-Fayetteville Public Utilities 517,000 kWh / $34,000
-City of Franklin 1,699,440 kWh / $194,000
-First Utility District of Knox County 710,000 kWh / $68,000
-Lenoir City Utilities Board 523,000 kWh / $42,000
-Nashville Metro Water Services 2,400,000 kWh / $210,000

The active improvements and the planned improvements will save more than 7 million kilowatt hours a year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 6,696 tons—a figure equivalent to bringing 1,190 cars off the road or providing power to about 739 homes.  Each facility is projected to save between $15,750 and $210,000 per year with an approximate combination of $633,750 in savings.  

The facilities now making improvements participated in assessments and workshops in order to determine how to reduce the overall amount of energy use.  Some of the facilities took simple initiatives like installing solar panels, while others made more sophisticated improvements like reducing the amount of UV disinfection and more.  

TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau stated, “Today’s gathering is a great example of how government partnerships can work together and we’ve been pleased to help provide these communities with energy efficiency tools, expertise and support for Tennessee’s water and wastewater utilities—assisting them in reducing costs and environmental pollution, while saving money and benefiting their ratepayers.”

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
 

On October 16, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a finalized cleanup plan for polluted groundwater at the Shenandoah Road Ground Water Contamination Superfund site located in East Fishkill, New York.  

Industrial activities in the past have contaminated ground water on the site with tetrachloroethene (PCE), a volatile organic compound.  

The site was rented by Jack Manne, Inc. from 1965 to 1975.  The company cleaned and repaired computer chip racks that were supplied by the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).  PCE and other solvents were used in the process and placed in a septic tank and another pit on the property.  

During a random sampling of residential wells in 2000, the New York State Department of Health found that PCE levels were above the maximum federal and state levels.  The EPA immediately started providing bottled water to residents with contaminated wells, and the source of contamination was discovered shortly after.  

IBM was ordered to remove sources that contributed to the water contamination.  During the same year, IBM began a study for alternative water supplies to the affected residents.  The EPA eventually approved a plan to connect the residences to the Fishkill municipal water supply.  The connection was completed in March of 2009.  

The finalized cleanup plan will continue a process that extracts contaminated ground water and treats the water before it is released back into the ground.  The finalized plan will also rely on natural processes to decontaminate the water.  

The EPA will continue to sample the groundwater and measure the effectiveness of the finalized cleanup plan.  The EPA states that the use of certain land and ground water is still restricted.  

IBM will continue with the cleanup.  The project is estimated to cost about $2.7 million, and IBM has taken responsibility for the costs.  

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency