Environmental

Competitive Selection for Sustainable Growth Assistance

Competitive Selection for Sustainable Growth Assistance

On September 19, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency called for communities to apply for sustainable growth assistance in their area.  In order to qualify for the assistance, the communities must show how they increased economic opportunity while protecting the health and environment in the past.

If the community is selected, the EPA will offer assistance through the Building Block for Sustainable Communities program.  This specific program offers tools with applications in rural, suburban, and urban areas.  Some of the available tools and strategies include:

·         strong growth and economic development to receive better results from public and private investments

·         “green street strategies” to manage storm water

·         land strategies for water quality protection

·         parking audits for parking in current and planned areas of land

·         community design for elderly populations to help residents live at home longer

·         “bikeshare system planning” to develop new commuting ideas

·         green building toolkits

·         small city and rural development to promote “community characteristics”

Application must be submitted to the EPA between September 26 and October 26.  The EPA is hosting a webinar about the program and application process on September 21 between 1:00 and 2:30 Eastern time.

The EPA is selecting a total amount of 44 communities in the current round of assistance.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation will make selections, and the EPA states the collaboration will manage “federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services to get better results for communities and use taxpayer money more efficiently.”

If a community is selected, the EPA will send experts to the community for a two-day workshop that explains policies and practices.  The community can also learn about smart growth development during the workshops.

The Building Blocks program began in 2010 and the EPA has received requests from over 600 communities in the last two years.  The EPA has provided assistance to 140 communities in just two years.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

Soil Cleanup to Begin in Lincklaen NY

Soil Cleanup to Begin in Lincklaen NY

On September 19, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency stated that a $10 million cleanup initiative of contaminated soil will begin mid to late September at the Superfund site called Solvent Savers.  The site is a chemical waste recovery facility located in Chenango County. 

According to the EPA, the soil and ground water is polluted with volatile organic compounds and polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs.  These chemical can cause serious damage to a person’s health.

Solvent Savers, Inc. maintained a chemical waste recovery program at the contaminated site on Union Valley Road from 1967 to 1974.  During this time, industrial solvents and other harmful chemicals were reprocessed and disposed.  Many of the chemicals—in liquid, solid, and sludge form—were buried in drums on the site. 

The EPA has removed about 160 drums and parts that were buried on the site, and much of the soil around the drums was also removed. 

The EPA has already used a “soil vapor extraction treatment system” that aims to reduce and eliminate volatile organic compounds within the soil.  The EPA estimates this process reduced the volume of contaminated soil from 135,000 cubic yards to only 6,500 cubic yards.  The rest of soil is located in two “hot spots” with PCB contamination as well. 

The soil contaminated with both volatile organic compounds and PCBS will be cleared out from the site and placed in EPA-approved areas.  Soil with high levels of PCBs will undergo a process that cements and binds the contaminants before disposal. 

About 15,000 cubic yards will be removed from the site.  The areas will be filled with clean soil and planted vegetation.  The EPA is overseeing the operation, and the following companies are paying for contamination and cleanup: General Electric Company, Inc., American Locker Group, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Inc., International Business Machines Corporation, Pass & Symour Corporation, and the United States Air Force.    

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

RI Transit Authority Wins Award

RI Transit Authority Wins Award

On September 20, 2012, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced that the RI Public Transit Authority was the recipient of the Clean Air Excellence Award along with 11 other organizations across the nation. 

The Free Zoo and Trolley Too! Under the RI Public Transit Authority was the recognized project in Rhode Island.  The program under the RIPTA allowed residents to ride free to the Roger Williams Park Zoo by running hybrid and diesel trolleys to the zoo on the first Saturday of every month.  The new transportation is much cleaner for the air, reduces noise pollution, and is estimated to reduce fuel costs by about 20 percent. 

The program encourages residents in the city of Providence to leave their cars at home and take the new form of transportation.  The state reported that the number of riders doubled on the first day of promotion. 

Cristy Raposo, the marketing coordinator for RIPTA, stated: “While our primary mission is to provide safe and efficient transportation to our riders, we recognize and value the importance of preserving and protecting our environment.  Through programs like this, we will continue to demonstrate our commitment to improving air quality for all Rhode Islanders.”

Other recipients of the award include the following:

· ReNew Air Scrubber Technology, Diversey Incorporated in Racine, Wisconsin for clean air technology

· Frazier Courtyard Homes, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity in Dallas, Texas for community action

· Electric Vehicle Ecosystem Pilot Project in the city and county of Greenville, South Carolina for community action

· Conservation and Clime Change Challenge in Broward County, Florida for education outreach

· InnerTribal Bear, Spokane Tribal Air Quality Program and KYRS Community Radio in Spokane, Washington for education outreach

· Rapid Response Notification System, Maricopa County Air Quality Department for regulation/policy innovations

· GHG Emissions Reduction Projects, Frito-Lay, Incorporated in Beloit, Wisconsin

· Leadership in Reducing Ocean-going vessel Emissions, Maersk Line/Maersk Agency USA in Charlotte, North Carolina for transportation efficiency innovations

· Climate Initiatives Program, Metropolitan Transportation Commission of San Francisco Bay Area for transportation efficiency innovations

· SC John Global Sustainability Program in Racine, Wisconsin for the Gregg Cooke Visionary Program Award

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

May Add Riverside Industrial Park to Superfund List

May Add Riverside Industrial Park to Superfund List

On September 14, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed adding the Riverside Industrial Park to the Superfund list.  The industrial park is located on the Passaic River in Newark, NJ. 

An oil spill occurred in 2009 from the industrial park.  The EPA found that chemicals like benzene, mercury, chromium and arsenic were all being stored improperly on the site and took immediate action to stop the chemicals from entering the river system.  The chemicals are extremely toxic and, apart from causing cancer, can damage the immune, reproductive, and nervous systems.  PCBs and volatile organic compounds are believed to have contaminated the soil and ground water around the park. 

Judith A. Enck, the EPA Regional Administrator, stated, “We have kept people out of immediate danger from this contaminated industrial park and can now develop long-term solutions to protect the community.” 

In its first attempts to stop contamination, the EPA capped several discharge pipes from surrounding buildings and two tanks that contain the contamination.  Additionally, the EPA found between 12,000 and 15,000 abandoned underground storage takes that still contain hazardous waste.  There is also a large amount of aboveground storage tanks containing harmful chemicals. 

The EPA has proposed to add the site to the Superfund list but needs to respond to public comment before making the final decision.  The EPA created the Superfund to take the burden off of taxpayers and find the parties responsible for the contamination.  The search for responsible parties at the Riverside Industrial Park is still going on. 

If you want to submit comments, you have several options.  You can submit comments online at the following link: https://www.regulations.gov.  You can email comments to superfund.docket@epa.gov, or you can mail comments to the following address:

Docket Coordinator, Headquarters

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

CERCLA Docket Office

1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20460

Make sure to identify your comments with the following docket number: EPHA-HQ-SFUND-2012-0603

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

Cleanup in Old Bridge New Jersey

Cleanup in Old Bridge New Jersey

On September 26, 2012, the EPA announced the finalized plan for the Evor Phillips Leasing Company Superfund site on the six-acre site in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey.  Industrial activity in the past released volatile organic compounds into groundwater. 

The Evor Phillips site was used from the 1970s until 1986 for industrial waste treatment and operations for metal recovery.  The liquid waste was treated on the site in two different waste disposal areas that neutralized acidic water.  Additionally, the site operated 19 small-scale furnaces that melted photographic film and circuit boards in order to recover silver and other metals. 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection stopped the liquid waste treatment in 1975 after it failed to meet state requirements, and all operation were shutdown in 1986. 

The site was added to the EPA Superfund list in 1983, but the cleanup process required three different phases.  The first phase required the removal of about 40 buried drums of industrial waste.  Also, the New Jersey DEP ordered several companies that were responsible for the contamination to construct a water treatment system that prevent contaminated ground water from exiting the site. 

The EPA will begin the second phase of the cleanup this fall which requires the removal of contaminated soil.  After the soil is removed, the EPA will begin the newly approved third phase.  The final phase requires the contaminated ground water to go through a process called chemical oxidation.  The process uses certain chemicals to break down the harmful chemicals in the soil and ground—only leaving behind water and carbon dioxide.  The ground water will be monitored for several years before the EPA declares decontamination. 

The EPA Regional Administrator, Judith A. Enck, stated, “The chemical in the ground water at the Evor Phillips Superfund site pose health risks.  Removing and treating them is the best way to protect the health of people who live and work in the area.”

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

New York Receives $1.4 Million for Invasive Species

New York Receives $1.4 Million for Invasive Species

On October 2, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that New York State will receive $1.4 million to combat invasive species.  The grants are a part of 21 grants offered the EPA’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.  

The grants are listed below:

1. Paul Smith’s College of Arts and Sciences will receive $399,891 for the Lake Ontario Headwaters Watercraft Inspection Program.  The project will help to prevent the spread of invasive species by allowing the College to conduct inspections on watercraft entering the western part of Adirondack Park.  

2. Central Michigan University, NY, will receive $356,154 in order to assess the risk of invasive species in the Erie Canal Corridor.  The project will catalog non-native species throughout the Mohawk-Hudson River and Lake Champlain basins.  By conducting the study, the project will try to find pathways for the invasive species.  

3. The Nature Conservancy will receive $315,059 to develop models that can forecast the spread of invasive species like Hydrilla verticillata in New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and eastern Ohio.  

4. Cornell University will receive $277,484 in order to work with government and nongovernmental agencies to raise awareness among anglers and boaters about the dangers of invasive species.  

5. SUNY-Buffalo State College will receive $99,756 to access the potential dangers of the invasive Ponto-Caspian fish from European shipping ports.  The data will be used to develop early detection techniques for the invasive fish that is capable of adapting to the waters in the Great Lakes.  

EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck stated, “Invasive species is a very serious problem facing the Great Lakes.  These EPA grants will help prevent larger costs and damage to the environment in the future and will help ensure the continued revitalization of western New York’s economy.”

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

York Company Settles Hazardous Waste Violations

York Company Settles Hazardous Waste Violations

 

On October 2, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that Bimax, Inc. in York County, Pennsylvania agreed to pay a $36,455 penalty for hazardous waste violations.  The violations occurred at the company’s chemical manufacturing facility on 158 Industrial Road in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania.  
 
Bimax has also agreed to install a system that costs $305,000 in order to reduce the hazardous emissions from the facility by 99 percent.  
 
After a compliance inspection at Bimax, the EPA found that hazardous waste was improperly stored.  Some of the hazardous chemicals were solvents, and the storage violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).  The EPA reports that the Act is in place to “protect the public health and the environment, and avoid costly cleanups, buy requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.” 
 
The EPA noted specific violations that included operating a treatment and storage facility without a proper permit.  The second violation occurred because the company failed to analyze and determine if the waste was dangerous.  The third violation occurred because the company should have received certification from a professional engineer that said the tank system was strong enough and made of the right materials to store the waste.  The last violations occurred because the company failed to monitor pump leaks every week and valves for emission leaks. 
 
After the project is completed, the company will operate above the requirements of the EPA and state environmental policies.  The air pollutants and volatile organic compounds will be reduced by 99 percent because the company is installing a thermal oxidizer.  
 
The EPA states that the settlement showcases the company’s efforts to comply with the environmental standards.  The company had not admitted or denied liability for the violations, but has simply worked with the EPA to meet current standards under the RCRA.  
 
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Two Washington Fruit Companies Violate Air Regulations

Two Washington Fruit Companies Violate Air Regulations

 

On October 2, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that two fruit companies in east Washington State failed to meet requirements under the Clean Air Act.  The violations result from the misuse of ammonia, and the two companies will have to pay fines and submit numerous reports.  
 
The EPA reached two separate settlements with the Dovex Fruit Company and the Clasen Family Company.  According to the Clean Air Act, companies that handle and store a large amount of chemicals need to form a risk management program that includes an accident prevention program as well as an emergency response plan.  The companies failed to establish such risk managements programs.  
 
According to Wally Moon, the EPA’s Pacific Northwest Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Unit Manager, “Preventing an accidental release of dangerous chemicals like ammonia protects the lives of workers, responders and nearby residents.” 
 
The EPA reports than both companies store and use over 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia.  The chemical is currently one of the most “potentially dangerous chemicals” currently used for refrigeration and agriculture.  According to the EPA, “Ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause severe burns to skin, eyes, throat, lungs, and with high enough exposure, death.” 
 
The Dovex Fruit Company is located in Wenatchee, Washington and processes fruits and vegetables.  The company is ordered to pay a fine of $134,613 to the EPA because they failed to meet risk management requirements since August of 2008.  The company was also fined $98,241 in 2008.  
 
The Clasen Family Company is located in Union Gap and Yakima, Washington.  The company stores cold fruit and they were fined $17,030 for failing to submit a risk management plan.  The company is ordered to spend at least $58,800 on the implementation of an environmental project that will reduce the risk of ammonia releasing into the air.  
 
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Finalized $14.5 Million Cleanup Plan for Holley NY

Finalized $14.5 Million Cleanup Plan for Holley NY

 

On October 3, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a finalized plan for the cleanup of contaminated soil and ground water at Diaz Chemical Corporation in Holley, New York.  The site is a Superfund site where soil and ground water were contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds.
 
The finalized plan was announced at the public meeting in Holley on September 5, 2012.  After 30 days of public comment, the EPA is going to finalize the plan.
 
The Diaz Chemical Corporation bought the site in 1974 where it then began to manufacture chemicals for agricultural, pharmaceutical, photographic, and multiple other purposes.  In January of 2002, a safety valve ruptured at the facility, and a large amount of chemicals were released in a surrounding residential area.  Many of the surrounding residents started to experience sore throats, headaches, eye irritation, rashes, and nosebleeds.
 
Some of the surrounding residents were relocated in temporary housing that was provided by Diaz Chemical.  However, the company said it would pay for the costs of housing the residents as of May in 2002.  The EPA took over the relocation costs, and Diaz Chemical filed for bankruptcy and abandoned the site in June of 2003.  The company left behind a large amount of drums and tanks, and the EPA listed the site as one of the most contaminated sites on the Superfund list in 2004.  In 2005, the EPA purchased a total of 8 vacated homes and provided financial assistance to homeowners who wanted to permanently relocate. 
 
The finalized plan for cleanup involves introducing electrodes into the ground to heat the soil and groundwater.  The heat will cause the contaminants to evaporate and turn to stream.  The EPA will then collect and treat the vapor and steam.  The EPA is going to rely on natural processes to dilute and decontaminate the ground water in order to reach federal levels for declaring a cleanup successful.  The EPA has already spent $12 million on the project already, and the total project will cost $14.5 million.
 
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Joplin Receives $2.4M for Contaminated Soil Projects

Joplin Receives $2.4M for Contaminated Soil Projects

 

On October 4, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it was providing the city of Joplin, Missouri with $2.4 million to sample and clean up contaminated soils that were displaced in May of 2011 when an EF-5 tornado tore through the city.  The contaminated soil contains lead and cadmium.  
 
On May 22, 2011, the EF-5 tornado touched down in Joplin and killed 161 people while injuring thousands of others.  As the tornado swept through the heart of the city, it destroyed 8,000 structures like homes, schools, churches, businesses, and more.  As the tornado tore up foundations, trees, and the soil itself, it exposed soil from old mine waste areas or fill from the mines that was during construction.  The cleanup efforts are also believe to have exposed contaminated soil.  
 
The new federal funding will allow the city of Joplin to replace soil at approximately 240 homes, parks, playgrounds and other areas over the next three years.  The EPA reports that it has been removing mine and smelter wastes from the city of Joplin since the mid-1990s.  Before the tornado, about 2,600 contaminated yards had been cleared of lead and cadmium.  Now, the EPA estimates that about 1,500 to 2,000 more areas now need soil remediation.  
 
Soil remediation for the cleanup efforts after the tornado began in April of 2012.  Since then, 26 yards have been completed, 21 properties are currently being worked on, and another 28 properties are approved and awaiting cleanup.
 
According to EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks, “EPA and the city of Joplin have built a long-term partnership.  For two decades, the Agency has been helping the city provide a clean and healthy environment for its residents.  When EPA’s staff and contractors mobilized within hours of the 2011 tornado to join in the recovery effort, that marked the latest chapter in the continuing story of our excellent relationship.” 
 
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency