Release Date: 03/09/2012Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., March 9, 2012) – EPA Region 7 is ordering Cedar Valley Electroplating L.L.C., a metal electroplating business, to take a series of immediate actions to address multiple issues with leaking tanks and containers of hazardous waste at its facility in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Under a unilateral administrative order issued by EPA in Kansas City, Kan., Cedar Valley Electroplating – and R Squared Properties, L.L.C., which owns the property at 5611 Westminster Drive in Cedar Falls where the business is located – are ordered to:

Immediately comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and its implementing regulations.
Immediately identify and contain any leaking tanks, containers or other vessels on the property.
Identify all solid and hazardous wastes currently being treated, stored or disposed at the facility.
Restrict access to solid and hazardous wastes that have been stored and/or disposed at the facility and to areas on the property where hazardous material has been released.
Develop a plan for the immediate cleanup of releases, an investigation to determine if wastes have migrated off the property, and the cleanup of the building and any surrounding areas that may have been contaminated by the releases.
Cedar Valley Electroplating is located in an industrial park area of southwest Cedar Falls, approximately 700 feet southeast of a child care facility, approximately 1,000 feet east of a stream, and approximately 1,300 feet east and southwest of the nearest residences.

EPA’s order notes that the business, which ceased operating in 2011, was inspected by EPA representatives in September 2005 and again in September 2010. The 2005 inspection resulted in the business being cited for failure to make a hazardous waste determination on 28 55-gallon containers of waste material. The 2010 inspection cited those same issues, and issues with additional containers.

EPA representatives visited the facility again last week and noted numerous totes, tanks, drums and other containers and materials stored in an unsafe manner throughout the facility, including numerous containers that were open and several that were leaking. Some of the hazardous wastes identified during the limited visit included chromium, ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide. During the visit, an EPA representative noted that the containers of chemicals cited in the 2005 and 2010 inspections were still present at the facility, but that some of the containers had since deteriorated to the point of leaking their contents.

Violations of EPA’s order could subject the respondents to civil penalties of at least $7,500 per violation per day. Violations could also trigger unilateral actions by EPA to carry out the terms of the order, under its legal authority. The Agency could also seek judicial enforcement of the order.

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Release Date: 01/20/2012Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 20, 2012) – Officials from EPA Regions 7 and 8 today hosted a meeting with the directors of state agriculture departments of Iowa, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. The meeting, held at EPA’s Region 7 building in Kansas City, Kan., provided a forum for dialogue on EPA programs and regulations as well as specific issues, interests and concerns of the agriculture sector.

EPA staff participants in the meeting included: Karl Brooks, Region 7 Administrator; Jim Martin, Region 8 Administrator; Josh Svaty, Region 7 Senior Adviser; Damon Frizzell, Region 7 Agricultural Adviser; Jennifer Schuller, Region 8 Agriculture Adviser; and Howard Cantor, Region 8 Deputy Administrator.

“Agricultural producers deserve credit for taking significant steps to protect the environment while finding innovative ways to feed millions,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks. “American farmers and ranchers have such broad impacts on everything from daily food prices to widespread environmental impacts to emerging renewable fuel technologies that EPA needs to hear the views of state agriculture directors as part of our decision making process.”

EPA recognizes that agricultural producers are on the frontline of environmental stewardship and are affected by many EPA programs. Frequent meetings with state agriculture directors are a critical way for EPA to provide outreach and receive feedback on current issues and concerns. Specific topics of today’s meeting included air quality standards for particulate matter, renewable fuels, nutrient management, water quality and concentrated animal feeding operations.
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Release Date: 03/13/2012Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183, pinkney.james@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – March. 13, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added four new hazardous waste sites in the southeast that pose risks to human health and the environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. EPA is also proposing to add another three sites to the list. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country.

The following four sites in the Southeast have been added to the National Priorities List:
• Continental Cleaners (former dry cleaners) in Miami, Fla.;
• Chemfax, Inc. (former manufacturer of synthetic resins and waxes) in Gulfport, Miss.;
• Southeastern Wood Preserving (former wood treating operation) in Canton, Miss.; and
• CTS of Asheville, Inc. (former electronics components manufacturer) in Asheville, N.C.

The following three sites have been proposed for addition to the National Priorities List:
• Fairfax St. Wood Treaters (former wood treating operation) in Jacksonville, Fla.;
• Macon Naval Ordnance Plant (former ordnance manufacturer) in Macon, Ga.; and
• Holcomb Creosote Co (former wood treating operation) in Yadkinville, N.C.

EPA is also withdrawing its earlier proposal to add the Arnold Engineering Development Center site in Coffee and Franklin Counties, Tennessee to the NPL. This site is being addressed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) program. Cleanup is progressing successfully, the migration of contaminated ground water is under control and measures have been taken that are protective of human health.

Since 1983, 1,661 sites have been listed on the NPL. Of these sites, 359 sites have been cleaned up resulting in 1,302 sites currently on the NPL (including the nine sites added today). There are 62 proposed sites (including the 10 announced today) awaiting final agency action.

Contaminants found at the sites include arsenic, benzene, cadmium, chromium, copper, creosote, dichloroethene (DCE), lead, mercury, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), pentachlorophenol (PCP), trichloroethane (TCA), trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene, uranium and zinc.

With all NPL sites, EPA works to identify companies or people responsible for the contamination at a site, and require them to conduct or pay for the cleanup. For the newly listed sites without viable potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site. Therefore, it may be several years before significant EPA clean up funding is required for these sites.

Contaminated sites may be placed on the list through various mechanisms:
· Numeric ranking established by EPA’s Hazard Ranking System
· Designation by states or territories of one top-priority site
· Meeting all three of the following requirements:

- The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued a health advisory that recommends removing people from the site;
- EPA determines the site poses a significant threat to public health; and
- EPA anticipates it will be more cost-effective to use its remedial authority than to use its emergency removal authority to respond to the site.

Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm

Information about how a site is listed on the NPL:

http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm

Superfund sites in local communities:

http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm

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Release Date: 03/12/2012Contact Information: Paula Ballentine, 617-918-1027

(Boston, Mass. – March 12, 2012) Today EPA New England kicked off national “Fix a Leak Week” at an event in Brighton, Mass. with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the city of Boston and WaterSense’s 2011 Manufacturer Partner of the Year, Delta Faucet Company. Delta and volunteer plumbers from Plumbers Local 12 will install over 375 water saving devices at two low-income housing properties the week of March 12th.

American households waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water each year due to leaky pipes, toilets, showerheads and other fixtures, but fixing leaks can be easy and inexpensive. During the 4th annual Fix a Leak Week, March 12-18, EPA’s WaterSense program is educating Americans about the importance of fixing leaks around the home, which will save water and nearly 10 percent on utility bills.

Delta Faucet Company, in partnership with EPA, GreenPlumbers USA, United Way, Ronald McDonald House, and various local water utilities and governments, will fix leaks in more than 1,000 low-income households and community facilities in Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. Delta will fix leaky toilets and faucets, and install WaterSense-labeled showerheads in each location, and estimates that these actions will save millions of gallons of water this year alone. In Boston, volunteer plumbers from Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Local 12 will be installing faucet aerators, toilet flappers, and showerheads donated by Delta. The installations will take place at two low-income properties: the Patricia White Apartments BHA property in Brighton and the Cottage Brook apartments HUD “Choice neighborhood” property in Dorchester.

“Leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water in an average home every year—enough water to wash nearly 280 loads of laundry, take more than 600 showers or meet the average family’s water needs for a month,” said Ira Leighton, Deputy Regional Administrator. “This effort today, with the generous supply contributions from Delta Faucet and labor from the Local 12 Plumbers and Pipe Fitters, will make a big dent in fixing leaks in Boston” said Leighton.

“This is a great example of how partnerships can work best. Two federal agencies working with the City of Boston, the private sector and a local union to deliver cost savings to our housing developments while also making a tremendous impact on the environment,” said Barbara Fields, HUD New England Regional Administrator. "This is a win-win situation. A special thanks to EPA, Delta and the volunteer plumbers for fitting homes at Cottage Brook and Patricia White with these water saving devices.”

“Delta Faucet Company places a high priority on providing products that address the performance needs for both water efficiency and user experience,” said Richard O’Reagan, president of Delta Faucet Company. “We value our relationship with the WaterSense program and maintain our commitment to educating consumers about the importance of water conservation. Through our Fix a Leak Week tour, we hope to establish a precedent that will benefit communities now and for generations to come.”

“If residents, businesses and local and state governments make these simple changes to their water use and take advantage of these infrastructure investments, together we can conserve a precious natural resource while cutting costs,” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “We’re proud to be part of the WaterSense partnership, whose work makes water conservation part of our everyday lives.”

“Over the past 25 years, our customers and local water departments have made major progress at reducing water waste and increasing efficiency,” said MWRA executive director Frederick A. Laskey.“ Total demand on the MWRA water system is down by over a third, helping the environment, making the system more reliable and drought resistant, and decreasing the size and cost of new facilities. Every drop counts, so we continue to ask our customers to use water wisely.”

“The City of Boston is proud to be working with EPA, HUD, Delta Faucet on this important effort that will not only help in conservation of a precious natural resource, but also ensure significant savings on utility bills.” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino, “I also want to single out the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 12 for contributing their time for the installation of these water-saving devices that will increase the efficiency and livability of residences in Patricia White and Cottage Brook.”

"Plumbers Local 12 is very happy to bring our labor expertise and help all of the various agencies involved in this worthy endeavor in the ever important mission of water conservation,” said Kevin Cotter, Business Manager of the Plumbers Local 12.

Finding and fixing leaks around the home is as easy as check, twist and replace:

- Check for leaks. Toilet leaks can be found by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and seeing if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to also check irrigation systems and spigots.
- Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save even more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator or showerhead.
- Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for the WaterSense label when replacing plumbing fixtures, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Since the program’s inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 125 billion gallons of water and more than $2 billion in water and energy bills. Consumers can find WaterSense-labeled products at thousands of retail locations across the country.

More information about finding and fixing leaks: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak

More information on WaterSense or to find a retailer in your area that carries WaterSense-labeled products: http://www.epa.gov/watersense

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Release Date: 03/27/2012Contact Information: Cathy Milbourn (News Media Only)
Milbourn.cathy@epa.gov
202-564-7849
202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – Following a 2007 Supreme Court ruling, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed the first Clean Air Act standard for carbon pollution from new power plants. EPA’s proposed standard reflects the ongoing trend in the power sector to build cleaner plants that take advantage of American-made technologies, including new, clean-burning, efficient natural gas generation, which is already the technology of choice for new and planned power plants. At the same time, the rule creates a path forward for new technologies to be deployed at future facilities that will allow companies to burn coal, while emitting less carbon pollution. The rulemaking proposed today only concerns new generating units that will be built in the future, and does not apply to existing units already operating or units that will start construction over the next 12 months.

“Today we’re taking a common-sense step to reduce pollution in our air, protect the planet for our children, and move us into a new era of American energy,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Right now there are no limits to the amount of carbon pollution that future power plants will be able to put into our skies – and the health and economic threats of a changing climate continue to grow. We’re putting in place a standard that relies on the use of clean, American made technology to tackle a challenge that we can’t leave to our kids and grandkids.”

Currently, there is no uniform national limit on the amount of carbon pollution new power plants can emit. As a direct result of the Supreme Court’s 2007 ruling, EPA in 2009 determined that greenhouse gas pollution threatens Americans’ health and welfare by leading to long lasting changes in our climate that can have a range of negative effects on human health and the environment.

The proposed standard, which only applies to power plants built in the future, is flexible and would help minimize carbon pollution through the deployment of the same types of modern technologies and steps that power companies are already taking to build the next generation of power plants. EPA’s proposal is in line with these investments and will ensure that this progress toward a cleaner, safer and more modern power sector continues. The proposed standards can be met by a range of power facilities burning different fossil fuels, including natural gas technologies that are already widespread, as well as coal with technologies to reduce carbon emissions. Even without today’s action, the power plants that are currently projected to be built going forward would already comply with the standard. As a result, EPA does not project additional cost for industry to comply with this standard.

Prior to developing this standard, EPA engaged in an extensive and open public process to gather the latest information to aid in developing a carbon pollution standard for new power plants. The agency is seeking additional comment and information, including public hearings, and will take that input fully into account as it completes the rulemaking process. EPA’s comment period will be open for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.

More information: http://epa.gov/carbonpollutionstandard/

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