NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public input on its proposed cleanup plan to address contaminated groundwater, soil, bedrock, soil vapor and surface water at the Lehigh Valley Railroad site located in LeRoy, New York. A 30-day public comment period for the proposed plan begins on August 18, 2023. EPA will host a public meeting at Caledonia Mumford High School auditorium, 99 North Street, Caledonia, NY   on August 29, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. to explain the new cleanup proposal. EPA’s proposed plan for the Lehigh Valley Railroad site will address the remaining contamination from a historic train accident that spilled trichloroethylene (TCE) onto the ground and into the groundwater.

The site includes the location of a former train derailment that occurred on December 6, 1970, at the Gulf Road crossing in the Town of LeRoy. Two tank cars ruptured and spilled approximately 30,000 gallons of TCE onto the ground. A third car containing a crystalline form of cyanide was also reported to have partially spilled. The cyanide was recovered shortly after the derailment, however the TCE was flushed with water, and it seeped into the ground, resulting in a 4-mile-long plume of TCE contamination. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List in 1999 and has been cleaning the site in several stages, including early removal responses, as well as remedial actions known as operable units (OUs).

The cleanup outlined in today’s proposed plan will address the groundwater, bedrock, soil, soil vapor, and surface water. For the groundwater contamination, EPA has determined that no existing treatment methods can clean up the groundwater to meet standards in a reasonable time. Therefore, EPA proposes to monitor the groundwater and use institutional controls (ICs) to limit its use and protect people’s health over the long term.

The proposed plan also includes:

• Removing remaining contaminated soil and disposing of it off-site, followed by backfilling with clean fill.
• In-situ treatment of contaminated surface water with streambed cover, ICs, and monitoring. 
• Monitoring groundwater, surface water, soil vapor and indoor air to check the levels of contaminants.
• Maintaining and installing vapor mitigation systems for properties that are affected by soil vapor intrusion from the groundwater plume. These systems prevent harmful vapors from entering indoor spaces.
• Connecting new homes built over the groundwater plume to the public water supply system. Existing homes over the plume were connected to the public water system in 2003.
• ICs in the form of governmental controls, proprietary controls (e.g., easements in the spill area), and informational devices (e.g., notices, publications) to limit exposure to contaminated groundwater and soil vapor.

EPA also proposes changes to a 1997 cleanup plan to eliminate source control measures including bedrock vapor extraction, to update the surface water standard for TCE, and to address soil contamination beneath Gulf Road by implementing ICs to restrict access and to require proper soil management if the roadbed is disturbed in the future.

Written comments on the proposed plan may be mailed or emailed to Maria Jon, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 19th Floor, New York, NY 10007, Email: jon.maria@epa.gov.

For additional background and to see the proposed cleanup plan, visit the Lehigh Valley Railroad Superfund site profile page.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (August 18, 2023) - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $300,030 settlement with the Suncor Energy USA Inc., Commerce City Refinery (Suncor) to resolve alleged violations of toxic chemical-related regulations.

The settlement addresses chemical accident prevention, toxic chemical release reporting and community right-to-know violations at the refinery, which EPA discovered during an inspection conducted from September 14-17, 2020. Suncor will pay $60,000 in civil penalties. It will also spend at least $240,030 on emergency response equipment as a Supplemental Environmental Project to enhance the chemical release accident response capabilities of the South Adams County Fire Department in Commerce City, Colorado.

"Facilities must properly handle hazardous substances to prevent dangerous chemical accidents and follow reporting requirements when releases occur,” said KC Becker, EPA Regional Administrator. “If they don’t, EPA will hold them accountable. We are pleased that Suncor is implementing critical safety measures to protect workers and the community."

The inspection focused on the root causes related to the catalyst release that occurred on December 11, 2019, among other areas. The EPA found that Suncor violated the following regulations:

• The Risk Management Program under the Clean Air Act, which is aimed at preventing accidental releases of chemicals that can have serious consequences for public health, safety, and the environment; Specifically, Suncor failed to maintain correct process safety information, complete outstanding process hazard analyses, update operating procedures and follow management of change procedures.
   
• Toxic chemical release reporting requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and reporting requirements under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, which are designed to notify the community of toxic releases from facilities to help prepare for and protect against chemical accidents. Specifically, Suncor failed to timely report two releases and failed to report sulfuric acid in their industrial batteries to the local emergency responders.

Suncor certified that it addressed these findings.

Please see Consent Agreement and Final Order for more information.

Read more information about the Risk Management Program, Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and section 103 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act.

BOSTON —Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that University of Maine, in Orono, Maine, has been selected to receive a $1,125,000 grant funding research to address the drivers and environmental impacts of energy transitions in underserved and Tribal communities. The University of Maine Orono was one of only 11 institutions selected nationwide to share in $11 million for this initiative.

In this program, University of Maine will engage with indigenous, rural, and low-income communities in Maine to understand the role of statewide Local Energy Action Networks (LEANs) in supporting and advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency adoption.

"Addressing climate change and ensuring that historically disadvantaged communities are not overlooked as we transition to a clean energy economy is a major priority for EPA," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This research will help EPA and other entities to better understand how transitioning toward clean energy systems may impact communities, and can help pave the way to a just and equitable energy future."

"We are excited about the EPA's support for community-engaged research, which will allow us to co-develop sustainable energy knowledge and solutions with indigenous Wabanaki tribes and rural, remote Maine communities," said Sharon Klein, Project Lead and Associate Professor of Economics with the University of Maine. "We look forward to continued collaboration with multiple state and local entities to leverage the great work of the Maine Community Resilience Partnership in the pilot Maine Local Energy Action Network that is at the core of our state-level study."

"We are very excited to partner with communities across Maine to examine the benefits, challenges and effectiveness of statewide local energy action networks (LEANs) in supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency adoption," said Caroline Noblet, UMaine Associate Professor of Economics, who is partnering with Klein on the project. "We look forward to examining community engagement across national, state and community scales to understand the decision drivers for sustainable energy adoption."

Background

Energy and transportation systems are rapidly shifting away from fossil-based energy systems. These changes will help mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The evolving energy and transportation systems provide both challenges as well as opportunities to improve environmental and public health in ways that also reduce inequities such as environmental health burdens.

This EPA-funded research will increase understanding of the environmental impacts of shifting energy and transportation systems on underserved and Tribal communities as well as what drives decisions to adopt renewable energy sources, energy efficient technologies, and new transportation options. Grantees will engage with communities and Tribes in these projects, learning from their lived experience and expertise to better respond to community needs. These efforts will improve the scientific foundation for the design of robust, behaviorally informed policies and programs to support the sustainable transition to renewable and low-carbon energy systems.

More information about the University of Maine grant and other funded grant recipients.

NEW YORK (August 17, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted the Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund site in Smithtown, New York, from the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. EPA has determined all cleanup work has been completed and that no further federal action is required at the site.

“A few decades ago, people were drinking the contaminated groundwater at this site, but thanks to our Superfund program EPA was able to quickly give them a safe and permanent source of drinking water, allowing the aquifer time to recover.” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Contamination levels in the groundwater have fallen to a level that meets drinking water standards, and EPA is now removing the designation of this site as a Superfund site.”

“I applaud EPA's successful efforts to address the toxic contamination at the Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Site that has threatened the health of local residents for years. It is imperative that all New Yorkers have access to clean drinking water, and everyone deserves to know that their community is a safe place to live, work, and raise a family,” said New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “Thanks to this 24-year effort, residents of Nissequogue and Head of the Harbor can now take solace in knowing their groundwater is safe, and I will never stop fighting to ensure it remains that way.”

Groundwater at the site became contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (or PCE), a solvent used in dry cleaning and metal cleaning, though in this case EPA was not able to pinpoint specific sources of the contamination. Exposure to PCE can have serious health impacts, including liver damage and increased risk of cancer. EPA selected a cleanup plan in 2004 to clean up groundwater contaminated with PCE. The plan included providing alternate water supplies to homes affected by the contamination and relied on existing state and local regulations to restrict future groundwater use.

In 2005, EPA began installing service lines to connect people’s homes to the public water that is regulated and regularly tested. In addition, EPA extended the water main so all the impacted homes could be connected. EPA monitored groundwater using a network of monitoring wells to gauge the concentration and movement of the PCE in the groundwater over time.

When hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants remain on a site at levels that limit use and restrict exposure, EPA conducts follow-up reviews every five years. These five-year reviews, ensure that the cleanup actions continue to protect people and the environment. Several five-year reviews for the site were performed from 2011 through 2020 to ensure that contamination was not posing a risk to people. The most recent five-year review, conducted in November 2020, determined that EPA’s actions at the site protect people’s health and the environment. Levels of PCE in the groundwater have fallen to below state and federal drinking water standards. As a result, no additional five-year reviews will be required.

The NPL includes some of the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination. EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL when no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. Years, and sometimes decades, of complex investigation and cleanup work have gone into getting these sites to where they are today.   

Visit the [Smithtown Groundwater Contamination] Superfund site profile page for additional background and site documents.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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BOSTON —Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that University of Maine, in Orono, Maine, has been selected to receive a $1,125,000 grant funding research to address the drivers and environmental impacts of energy transitions in underserved and Tribal communities. The University of Maine Orono was one of only 11 institutions selected nationwide to share in $11 million for this initiative.

In this program, University of Maine will engage with indigenous, rural, and low-income communities in Maine to understand the role of statewide Local Energy Action Networks (LEANs) in supporting and advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency adoption.

"Addressing climate change and ensuring that historically disadvantaged communities are not overlooked as we transition to a clean energy economy is a major priority for EPA," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This research will help EPA and other entities to better understand how transitioning toward clean energy systems may impact communities, and can help pave the way to a just and equitable energy future."

"We are excited about the EPA's support for community-engaged research, which will allow us to co-develop sustainable energy knowledge and solutions with indigenous Wabanaki tribes and rural, remote Maine communities," said Sharon Klein, Project Lead and Associate Professor of Economics with the University of Maine. "We look forward to continued collaboration with multiple state and local entities to leverage the great work of the Maine Community Resilience Partnership in the pilot Maine Local Energy Action Network that is at the core of our state-level study."

"We are very excited to partner with communities across Maine to examine the benefits, challenges and effectiveness of statewide local energy action networks (LEANs) in supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency adoption," said Caroline Noblet, UMaine Associate Professor of Economics, who is partnering with Klein on the project. "We look forward to examining community engagement across national, state and community scales to understand the decision drivers for sustainable energy adoption."

Background

Energy and transportation systems are rapidly shifting away from fossil-based energy systems. These changes will help mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The evolving energy and transportation systems provide both challenges as well as opportunities to improve environmental and public health in ways that also reduce inequities such as environmental health burdens.

This EPA-funded research will increase understanding of the environmental impacts of shifting energy and transportation systems on underserved and Tribal communities as well as what drives decisions to adopt renewable energy sources, energy efficient technologies, and new transportation options. Grantees will engage with communities and Tribes in these projects, learning from their lived experience and expertise to better respond to community needs. These efforts will improve the scientific foundation for the design of robust, behaviorally informed policies and programs to support the sustainable transition to renewable and low-carbon energy systems.

More information about the University of Maine grant and other funded grant recipients.

SEATTLE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Multistar Industries Inc. of Othello, Washington, will pay $850,000 for violations of environmental laws. 

On Aug. 1, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington ordered Multistar to pay the penalty for five violations of the Clean Air Act Risk Management Program and two violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act. The violations relate to Multistar’s storage of a hazardous chemical called trimethylamine or TMA at its facility in Othello, Washington.  

In addition to the penalty, the Court granted EPA’s request for an injunction, which requires Multistar to come into immediate compliance with Clean Air Act requirements and submit semi-annual reports for the next five years showing ongoing compliance. In its order, the Court called Multistar’s violations “extremely serious” and stated that the company’s conduct “places workers lives at risk as well as the lives of the people in the community. ”

Multistar began storing TMA in rail cars at its facility beginning in 2017, but only took steps to come into compliance with CAA and EPCRA requirements after EPA began an investigation into the operation in 2019. Even then, the Court found that Multistar had not come fully into compliance with CAA requirements as of the time of trial. Multistar has a long history of compliance issues at the facility, with prior violations settled with EPA in 2005, 2016, 2019 and 2021. 

“This ruling was a huge win for preventing chemical accidents,” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “EPA’s Risk Management Program and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know-Act both focus on planning for and preventing accidental releases of hazardous substances, especially where there are large vulnerable populations.”

Multistar stored an average of 696,380 pounds of TMA in unmotorized rail cars since 2019. They increased their inventory capacity from an average 156,988 pounds in 2018. 

Trimethylamine is a highly flammable substance that is corrosive to the eyes, the skin, and the respiratory tract. It is commonly used in the manufacture of electronics, explosives, pharmaceuticals, paper, and is an additive in gasoline.  

Additional details can be found in the following documents:

• Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law - United States v. Multistar Industries, Inc. (pdf) (145.52 KB, August 2023)
• Order Granting Injunction - United States v. Multistar Industries, Inc. (pdf) (158.7 KB, August 2023)

NEW YORK (August 17, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted the Haviland Complex Town of Hyde Park Contamination Superfund site in Hyde Park, New York, from the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. Cleanup work at the site is complete and the levels of contamination in the groundwater have dropped to below state and federal drinking water standards.

"EPA's work here is done. Thanks to our actions, the contamination in the groundwater has dropped to the point where you can drink the water,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “I am pleased that our work with the local government and the local community at the Haviland town complex is complete, and that we are removing its designation as an active Superfund site.”

The Haviland Complex site is a 275-acre area in Hyde Park, New York, that was contaminated by Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from the septic and sewage systems of a car wash, a laundromat, a dry cleaner, and a middle school. Contamination was discovered in 1981 and the site was added to the Superfund program in 1986.

EPA selected a cleanup plan in 1987 and modified it in 1997. The plan included removing the source of contamination from the sewers and allowing the levels of VOCs to drop naturally while carefully monitoring to assess the progress.  EPA installed additional monitoring wells in 1999 to monitor levels of contamination in groundwater. The Dutchess County Department of Health installed a public water system in the area as part of a county-wide plan. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) connected the affected homes to this system in 2000. EPA transferred the oversight of the Haviland Complex site to NYSDEC in April 2011. NYSDEC continued to monitor the groundwater.

EPA has conducted reviews, called five-year reviews, to evaluate the effectiveness of the cleanup plan. These reviews ensure that the cleanup actions taken protect people's health and the environment are working effectively. Data shows that groundwater contamination has been below state and federal drinking water standards since 2015 and is expected to remain below relevant standards in the future. All of EPA’s goals have been met at the site and groundwater monitoring and five-year reviews will no longer be required there.

The NPL includes some of the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination. EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL when no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. Years, and sometimes decades, of complex investigation and cleanup work have contributed to getting these sites to where they are today. 

While EPA encourages site reuse throughout the cleanup process, deletions from the NPL can revitalize communities, raise property values, and promote economic growth by signaling to potential developers and financial institutions that cleanup is complete. Achieving this milestone can be especially impactful for disadvantaged and over-burdened communities.

Visit the [Haviland complex] Superfund site profile page for additional background and site documents.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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NEW YORK (August 17, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted the Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund site in Smithtown, New York, from the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. EPA has determined all cleanup work has been completed and that no further federal action is required at the site.

“A few decades ago, people were drinking the contaminated groundwater at this site, but thanks to our Superfund program EPA was able to quickly give them a safe and permanent source of drinking water, allowing the aquifer time to recover.” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Contamination levels in the groundwater have fallen to a level that meets drinking water standards, and EPA is now removing the designation of this site as a Superfund site.”

“I applaud EPA's successful efforts to address the toxic contamination at the Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Site that has threatened the health of local residents for years. It is imperative that all New Yorkers have access to clean drinking water, and everyone deserves to know that their community is a safe place to live, work, and raise a family,” said New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “Thanks to this 24-year effort, residents of Nissequogue and Head of the Harbor can now take solace in knowing their groundwater is safe, and I will never stop fighting to ensure it remains that way.”

Groundwater at the site became contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (or PCE), a solvent used in dry cleaning and metal cleaning, though in this case EPA was not able to pinpoint specific sources of the contamination. Exposure to PCE can have serious health impacts, including liver damage and increased risk of cancer. EPA selected a cleanup plan in 2004 to clean up groundwater contaminated with PCE. The plan included providing alternate water supplies to homes affected by the contamination and relied on existing state and local regulations to restrict future groundwater use.

In 2005, EPA began installing service lines to connect people’s homes to the public water that is regulated and regularly tested. In addition, EPA extended the water main so all the impacted homes could be connected. EPA monitored groundwater using a network of monitoring wells to gauge the concentration and movement of the PCE in the groundwater over time.

When hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants remain on a site at levels that limit use and restrict exposure, EPA conducts follow-up reviews every five years. These five-year reviews, ensure that the cleanup actions continue to protect people and the environment. Several five-year reviews for the site were performed from 2011 through 2020 to ensure that contamination was not posing a risk to people. The most recent five-year review, conducted in November 2020, determined that EPA’s actions at the site protect people’s health and the environment. Levels of PCE in the groundwater have fallen to below state and federal drinking water standards. As a result, no additional five-year reviews will be required.

The NPL includes some of the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of contamination. EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL when no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. Years, and sometimes decades, of complex investigation and cleanup work have gone into getting these sites to where they are today.   

Visit the [Smithtown Groundwater Contamination] Superfund site profile page for additional background and site documents.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is releasing the first set of data collected under the fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5). In the latest action to deliver on EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap, UCMR 5 will provide new data that will improve EPA’s understanding of the frequency that 29 PFAS and lithium are found in the nation’s drinking water systems, and at what levels. The monitoring data on PFAS and lithium will help the Agency make determinations about future actions to protect public health under the Safe Drinking Water Act. This action advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to combat PFAS pollution and safeguard drinking water for all people.

“PFAS are an urgent public health issue facing people and communities across the nation. The latest science is clear: exposure to certain PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, over long periods of time is linked to significant health risks,” said Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “That’s why the Biden-Harris Administration is leading a whole-of-government approach to address these harmful chemicals. As part of this commitment, EPA is conducting the most comprehensive monitoring effort for PFAS ever, at every large and midsize public water system in America, and at hundreds small water systems.”

The data collected under UCMR 5 will ensure science-based decision-making and help EPA better understand national-level exposure to these 29 PFAS and lithium, and whether they disproportionately impact communities with environmental justice concerns. This initial data release represents approximately 7% of the total results that EPA expects to receive over the next three years. The Agency will update the results quarterly and share them with the public in EPA’s National Contaminant Occurrence Database (NCOD) until completion of data reporting in 2026. EPA continues to conduct research and monitor advances in techniques that may improve our ability to measure these and other contaminants at even lower levels.

EPA is acting to protect peoples’ health from PFAS in drinking water. In March 2023, EPA proposed standards to limit certain PFAS in drinking water. The proposal, if finalized, would allow public water systems to use results from UCMR 5 to meet the rule’s initial monitoring requirements and to inform communities of actions that may need to be taken. In the interim period before the PFAS drinking water standard is final, EPA has established Health Advisories for four PFAS included in the UCMR 5. EPA continues to advance the science on the potential health effects of a wide range of PFAS, including many of those monitored for under this program.

EPA is moving forward to expand the investigation and cleanup of PFAS contaminated sites, including by finalizing new safeguards under Superfund to hold polluters accountable for contamination from two widely used PFAS chemicals. The Agency also recent issued its third order to require PFAS manufacturers to conduct testing under EPA’s National Testing Strategy to help EPA better confront these forever chemicals.

EPA is also deploying an unprecedented $9 billion, included in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, specifically to invest in communities with drinking water impacted by PFAS and other emerging contaminants. This includes $4 billion via the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and $5 billion through EPA’s “Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities” grant program. States, Tribes and communities can further leverage an additional nearly $12 billion in BIL DWSRF funds and billions more in annual SRF funds dedicated to making drinking water safer. These funds will help communities make important investments in solutions to remove PFAS from drinking water.

For more information visit EPA’s Ground Water and Drinking Water webpage.

Background

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) specifies that every five years EPA is required to monitor for priority contaminants that may be present in drinking water but are not yet subject to EPA drinking water regulations. EPA uses the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) to provide the agency and other interested parties with nationally representative data on the occurrence of contaminants in drinking water, the number of people potentially being exposed, and an estimate of the levels of that exposure. These data can support future regulatory determinations, the development of national primary drinking water regulations (NPDWRs), and other actions to protect public health. EPA’s Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) requires sample collection for 30 chemical contaminants (29 PFAS and lithium) between 2023 and 2025 using analytical methods developed by EPA and consensus organizations.

JACKSON, Miss. (August 17, 2023) – On August 21 – 22, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) will host three public meetings to receive comments on a stipulated order to expedite needed sewer system repairs in the City of Jackson. The terms of the agreement include appointing Ted Henifin as an interim third-party manager to manage, operate and maintain the City of Jackson’s sewer system. Priority actions required under the order are intended to address spills of raw and undertreated sewage into homes, businesses, streets, yards and waterways.

The order is an interim measure until the parties negotiate modifications to a judicially enforceable consent decree to achieve the sewer system’s long-term compliance with federal and state regulations. The order is subject to a public comment period that runs through August 31, 2023. The public meetings being held in Jackson next week are intended to provide a forum to accept comments on the order. Stakeholders may also comment in writing (see instruction below). Upon conclusion of the comment period, the parties will determine whether or not to proceed with the current version of the order based upon public input.

Public meetings to receive comments are planned as follows and participants are encouraged to register in advance at www.epa.gov/ms/jackson-ms-sewer-system. The meetings are being held on different days and times to accommodate as many interested stakeholders as possible, however, the content of all three meetings will be the same.

Public Meeting #1

August 21, 2023 6 – 8 p.m. CT
Mississippi e-Center, 1230 Raymond Road, Jackson, MS 39204

Public Meeting #2

August 22, 2023 10 a.m. – noon CT
Bennie G. Thompson Academic Center, Tougaloo Boulevard Jackson, MS 39174

Public Meeting #3

August 22, 2023 6 – 8 p.m. CT 
Bennie G. Thompson Academic Center, Tougaloo Boulevard Jackson, MS 39174

How to Submit Public Comments

A copy of the order and instructions for submitting public comments can be found at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.  All comments must be electronically submitted or postmarked by August 31, 2023.

Please submit comments via email to pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov or by mail to Assistant Attorney General, U.S. DOJ – ERND, P.O. Box 7611, Washington, DC 20044-7611. Comments must be received on or before August 31, 2023. Comments should refer to DJ# 90-5-1-1-09841 and Docket Number is 36.

More information: www.epa.gov/ms/jackson-ms-sewer-system

# # #

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives for 2024-2027, including for the first time initiatives to mitigate climate change, address exposure to PFAS contamination, and protect communities from cancer-causing coal ash. To advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protect disadvantaged communities, EPA also will integrate environmental justice considerations into each of its National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives.

Every four years, across administrations, EPA selects enforcement and compliance priorities so that the agency and its state partners can prioritize resources to address the most serious and widespread environmental problems facing the United States. In addition to climate change, PFAS contamination, and coal ash initiatives, EPA is modifying its Clean Air Act initiative to focus on hazardous toxic air pollution in overburdened communities in each EPA region and is continuing its drinking water and chemical accident prevention initiatives that began under prior administrations. 

“EPA’s new national initiatives address urgent 21st century environmental problems, while upholding the rule of law to level the playing field for law-abiding companies and promoting a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance David M. Uhlmann. “Working closely with our state partners, EPA enforcement efforts will mitigate climate change and limit exposure to the scourge of PFAS contamination, while addressing the reality that, for too long in the United States, the worst effects of pollution have plagued overburdened communities.”

In selecting initiatives for the FY 2024-2027 cycle, EPA used three criteria to evaluate existing initiatives and to consider new initiatives: (1) the need to address serious and widespread environmental issues and significant noncompliance, particularly in overburdened and disadvantaged communities; (2) a focus on areas where federal enforcement authorities, resources, and/or expertise are needed to hold polluters accountable and promote a level playing field; and (3) alignment with the EPA’s broader Strategic Plan, which includes tackling the climate crisis and advancing environmental justice.

The 2024-2027 National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives are:

Mitigating Climate Change - Tackling the climate crisis is an urgent priority. EPA will use its enforcement and compliance tools to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, helping to limit the worst effects of climate change. The initiative will focus on three separate and significant contributors to climate change: (1) methane emissions from oil and gas facilities; (2) methane emissions from landfills; and (3) the use, importation, and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). EPA has documented widespread noncompliance in all three of these areas, resulting in potentially tens of thousands of tons of unlawful emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. This initiative will help achieve EPA’s goals to combat climate change while also addressing significant noncompliance in specific industry sectors.

Addressing Exposure to PFAS - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals are toxic, persistent “forever chemicals” that have caused widespread contamination in our air, water, and land throughout the country. This initiative will focus on implementing EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap and hold responsible those who manufactured PFAS and/or used PFAS in the manufacturing process, federal facilities that released PFAS, and other industrial parties who significantly contributed to the release of PFAS into the environment. Ensuring these entities properly identify and characterize contamination, control ongoing releases, and comply with both existing and future environmental requirements will help address this larger environmental threat.   

Protecting Communities from Coal Ash Contamination - This initiative will focus on the threat presented by the hundreds of millions of pounds of coal ash, also known as coal combustion residuals (CCR), found throughout our country in on-site landfills, settling ponds, and other coal plant surface impoundments. Coal ash, a waste product from burning coal for energy, contains contaminants such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, and arsenic, which are associated with cancer and other serious health effects. This initiative will focus on the approximately 300 facilities nationwide that are collectively responsible for approximately 775 coal ash units. Neighborhoods located near these facilities are often communities with environmental justice concerns. 

Reducing Air Toxics in Overburdened Communities - This initiative will address the serious threat to communities that comes from unlawful exposure to regulated hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from nearby industry. Many of these pollutants, such as benzene, ethylene oxide, and formaldehyde, are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious neurological, reproductive, developmental, and respiratory health effects when breathed or ingested through the food chain, including harm to children. This initiative will seek to target, investigate, and address noncompliance with clean air standards designed to protect public health, with a focus on sources of HAPs in communities already highly burdened with pollution impacts.   

Increasing Compliance with Drinking Water Standards - This initiative seeks to ensure that the approximately 50,000 regulated drinking water systems that serve water to residents year-round, referred to as Community Water Systems (CWSs), comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Each year thousands of CWSs continue to violate one or more drinking water standards, exposing millions of people to potential health risks. During the next four years, EPA will ramp up its field presence, take impactful enforcement to increase compliance, and offer more compliance assistance to prevent and address public health risks.

Chemical Accident Risk Reduction - This initiative seeks to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic chemical releases, and to address the problem of avoidable chemical incidents that continue to occur throughout the country. Thousands of facilities nationwide make, use, and store extremely hazardous substances. Disastrous fires, leaks, and explosions at these facilities can result in fatalities and serious injuries, evacuations, shelter in place orders, toxic exposure, and other harm to workers, first responders, and neighboring communities. EPA has found significant noncompliance with companies who handle extremely hazardous substances and will target companies that choose not to comply with risk management requirements established to protect public health and safety from extremely hazardous chemical releases.  

To help inform the selection of the FY 2024-2027 NECIs, EPA solicited public comment via a Federal Register notice to provide ample opportunity for stakeholder input. EPA also considered input on this cycle of NECIs from states, territories, and Tribes, as well as from the public, environmental groups, and regulated entities. 

Learn more about EPA’s NECI’s for FY 2024-2027.

BOSTON (Aug. 17, 2023) – In the last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached settlements with two Maine based companies – Jasper Wyman & Son and Barber Foods – for chemical safety violations, resulting in $373,490 in combined penalties. In addition, one of the companies agreed to conduct Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs). Both companies use anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant at their facilities.

"Despite EPA's efforts to improve compliance at facilities that use anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant, our inspectors continue to see many troubling violations of the Clean Air Act's chemical accident prevention requirements – in particular, failure to identify common hazards and follow industry standards of care during the operation of these refrigeration systems," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "It's imperative that companies comply with Clean Air Act requirements in order to protect facility workers and surrounding communities. Particularly in rural areas, if a chemical accident occurs, it can take time for trained HazMat responders to arrive. We are pleased to say that, as a result of the Jasper Wyman & Son settlement's Supplemental Environmental Projects, the Cherryfield Fire Department will be better prepared to respond to chemical emergencies."

Earlier this month, Jasper Wyman & Son, a blueberry processing plant in Cherryfield, Maine, agreed to pay a penalty of $73,490 to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act's chemical accident prevention requirements at its facility. In addition, the company agreed to provide training for local emergency responders on how to address ammonia releases and to donate equipment to the Cherryfield Fire Department to improve response capabilities under a Supplemental Environmental Project, valued at approximately $65,000.

Also, in the last year, Barber Foods, LLC, a Portland based company that manufactures frozen poultry products, agreed to pay a combined penalty of $300,000 for Risk Management Plan (RMP) violations at two of its facilities. Barber Foods agreed to pay a penalty of $149,000 for alleged violations at its Milliken Street plant and $151,000 for alleged violations at its St. John's Street facility. Barber Foods is in the Tyson Foods corporate family.

EPA inspections of all three facilities identified violations of the Clean Air Act's RMP requirements. In addition, the Jasper Wyman settlement includes allegations that the company failed to comply with the Clean Air Act's General Duty Clause for one refrigeration system that had less than 10,000 lbs. of ammonia. The three cases allege failures to identify, analyze and control certain hazards, failure to document compliance with certain good engineering practices, and equipment maintenance violations.

Background

All three of these facilities use anhydrous ammonia in their refrigeration systems. Anhydrous ammonia is an energy efficient refrigerant, but it must be handled with care because it is highly corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. The chemical can cause serious, often irreversible health effects when released.

To prevent exposure to ammonia, it is important that ammonia refrigeration systems be designed to prevent the release of ammonia and minimize the effects of any release. This includes, among other things, providing for rapid detection of releases, safe shutdown of equipment, controlled containment of any releases, safe ventilation of such releases, and accessible eyewash/shower stations for employees and responders. Operators must also coordinate with emergency responders and have procedures in place for maintaining equipment and training employees.

More information

Clean Air Act's Risk Management Plan Program

Clean Air Act's General Duty Clause

Ammonia Refrigeration Compliance Assistance Resources

TAMUNING, GUAM – In response to Typhoon Mawar, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mission assignments to support the restoration of water infrastructure, including both safe drinking water and wastewater systems, and the collection and proper disposal of hazardous waste and oil on Guam.

Completion of these two mission assignments would not have been possible without the efforts of over 100 personnel from EPA, support contractors both on- and off-island, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel that deployed on-island and virtually, as well as the efforts of Guam EPA, Guam Department of Education, Guam Department of Health and Social Services (Guam DPHSS), and Guam Water Works Authority (GWA).

“EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment, and responding to disasters is a critical part of that,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Superfund and Emergency Management Division Director Mike Montgomery. “Close coordination with the Government of Guam, as well as our federal and local partners, resulted in the restoration of safe drinking water, sanitation services and the removal of dangerous waste.”

Recovery efforts required collaboration from all levels of government

EPA’s water infrastructure efforts focused primarily on working with Guam EPA, Guam DPHSS, and GWA to restore safe drinking water, sample and assess water vending machines, and inspect wastewater treatment facilities immediately after the typhoon.

Water sampling efforts

For the hazardous waste and oil mission, EPA's focus was the sorting of materials at the three debris collection sites in Dededo, Barrigada, and Tamuning. This potentially dangerous material secured and removed included paint, petroleum products, pesticides, fluorescent lightbulbs, batteries, and electronics. Two additional important elements of this mission were the assessment and removal of hazardous waste and ewaste from 41 public schools, which was critical to efforts to reopen schools in August, and damage assessments at over 150 facilities permitted to store hazardous materials. Critical support from contractors and the U.S. Coast Guard was a key piece of this mission.

Waste collection site – pictured here are pallets of car batteries in the foreground and white goods/household appliances in the background

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. 

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the removal of the radiation operable unit, or OU1, portion of the Aircraft Components Inc. Superfund site in Benton Harbor, Michigan, from the National Priorities List, or NPL. Cleanup is complete in this part of the site, but groundwater treatment and monitoring at the chemical operable unit will continue until no further cleanup is needed.

“Removing a portion of this site from the National Priorities List makes it available for redevelopment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “This site already supports a thriving business community and will continue to as we proceed with the remaining cleanup. EPA is proud to work with communities to help transform contaminated eyesores into flourishing commercial centers.”

EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL only when no further cleanup is required, and the area is ready for productive use. The 17-acre Aircraft Components Superfund site is located next to the Paw Paw River in Benton Harbor. Several manufacturing companies operated on site, including an airplane parts resale business. These aircraft parts had deteriorated, raising concerns of radioactive paint and dust in the environment.

In 2003, EPA cleaned up this portion of the Superfund site, which involved removing and disposing radiologically contaminated soil and demolishing buildings, utilities, and foundations. The chemical operable unit of the site, or OU2, will remain on the NPL until ongoing groundwater treatment and monitoring show that all regulatory standards are met. 

The site is part of a community-wide redevelopment project that includes a craft brewery warehouse and hole 14 of the Harbor Shores Golf Course. The course is also connected to the local arts community and features sculptures at each hole created by area artists.

Sites on the NPL include the nation’s most serious uncontrolled or abandoned releases of hazardous substances. EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL when no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment.

EPA encourages site reuse and deleting a site from the NPL can help revitalize communities, raise property values, and promote economic growth by signaling to potential developers and financial institutions that cleanup is complete.

Visit EPA’s website for more information.

PHILADELPHIA (August 16, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted an eight-acre portion of the Jackson Ceramix Superfund Site from the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is a list of the nation’s most contaminated hazardous sites. Portions of sites can be removed from the NPL after investigations conclude that no further action is needed to address public health.

The Jackson Ceramix Superfund Site is approximately 233 acres in both Jefferson and Clearfield Counties, Pennsylvania. EPA added the Site to the NPL in 2005 to address contamination from a former facility that manufactured china from 1917 to 1985. The portion of the Site removed from the NPL is known as the Baseball Field Area, located wholly in Jefferson County. It was initially identified as an area of concern because evidence suggested that china was buried in or near this portion during facility operations. However, after conducting a remedial investigation of the Baseball Field Area, EPA found that contaminants were not found in soils or the unsaturated subsurface at concentrations that would pose a risk to human health or the environment.

When a site - or portion of a site - meets the criteria for deletion from the NPL, EPA works with its state government partners on concurrence. In this instance, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection concurred with the partial deletion. EPA announced its intent to partially delete a portion of the Site on February 22, 2023, beginning a 30-day public comment period during which EPA received no significant comments.

EPA will use Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to continue working on the remedial actions for the Site. Additional information and updates can be found by visiting the Jackson Ceramix Superfund webpage, https://www.epa.gov/superfund/jacksonceramix.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host a virtual public information session on August 23 to discuss cleanup progress at the BASF North Works site in Wyandotte, Michigan. BASF, the responsible party, is conducting the cleanup under the direction of EPA. 

During the session, EPA and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will provide updates on the cleanup and provide information on groundwater contamination, PFAS site sampling data, and potential impacts on the Detroit River.

The information session will begin with a brief presentation, followed by questions and answers: 
 

• When:                            6-7 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Aug. 23 

• Link to event:               Microsoft Teams Meeting Link 

BASF is currently operating two wells to extract and treat groundwater which is contaminated with PFAS and PFOS before pumping it to the Downriver Utility Wastewater Authority. BASF has also proposed installing perimeter barriers and a groundwater pump-and-treatment system as interim steps while EPA and EGLE evaluate final remedy options. The federal and state agencies anticipate that these measures will become a major part of any final cleanup action for site.

Spanning roughly 230 acres, the BASF North Works facility is bound to the east by the Detroit River and is used to manufacture chemical products. The site has been used for industrial operations since the late 1800s when Detroit River marshland was drained and filled.

For more information on the BASF North Works RCRA cleanup site, click here. 
 

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to remove the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located in Kittery, Maine, from the National Priorities List (NPL), commonly referred to as Superfund. EPA has determined that the site cleanup is complete, and no further remedial action is required. Operation, maintenance, and monitoring activities will continue at the site as needed, as well as five-year reviews to ensure the remedies continue to protect human health and the environment. The agency will accept public comments on the proposed deletion until September 15, 2023.

Site Background:

The 278-acre Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a restricted access military facility located on Seavey Island in the Piscataqua River at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbor between Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Shipbuilding activities in Portsmouth Harbor date back to 1690. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established as a government facility in 1800. The first government-built submarine was designed and constructed there during World War I, and a large number of submarines have been designed, constructed, and repaired at this facility since 1917. Today, the shipyard employs approximately 5,000 civilians and approximately 200 active-duty military personnel with the primary mission being the conversion, overhaul, and repair of submarines for the US Navy.

Contamination at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard resulted from shipbuilding and submarine repair work, landfill operations, spills and leaks from industrial operations and piping, storage of batteries and other materials, filling of land, and outfalls to the river. Seven areas on and around the Shipyard have been identified for investigation. Contamination detected in groundwater, soils, and sediments include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), metals, and benzene. After the site was added to the NPL in 1994, extensive cleanup work was conducted over the following decades to address contamination issues, which have now been completed. The State of Maine has reviewed and commented on this action and concurs with EPA’s proposed deletion of this site from the National Priorities List.

Proposed Deletion Information and How to Comment:

Long-term stewardship will be ongoing to maintain institutional controls, security and ensure future land use is consistent with the remediation. EPA will continue to assess the environmental remediation work performed at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Superfund Site every five years to ensure the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment, as required by the Superfund law. A proposed or final deletion does not prevent future actions under the Superfund law.

The NPL tracks the nation’s most contaminated sites that threaten human health or the environment. Sites on the list are eligible for cleanup under the Superfund program and once all the remedies are successfully implemented, EPA removes sites or parts of sites from the list.

EPA’s 30-day public comment period on the proposed deletion will begin August 16, 2023, and will end on September 15, 2023. The public or other interested parties may submit comments by mail or email:

Mail:

Robert Lim
US EPA Region 1 Mail code: 07-1
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Boston, MA 02109-3912
Email: lim.robert@epa.gov

The Administrative Record on the Proposed Deletion can be found here: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Business-Lines/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Mid-Atlantic/Portsmouth-NSY/Administrative-Record/

All Site related materials can be found on at: https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Business-Lines/Environmental/Products-and-Services/Environmental-Restoration/Mid-Atlantic/Portsmouth-NSY/

Materials can also be accessed at:

Rice Public Library
8 Wentworth Street
Kittery, ME 03904
(207) 439-1553

Portsmouth Public Library
175 Parrott Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 427-1540

For more information or to have a hard copy sent to you, please contact: Charlotte Gray, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, gray.charlotte@epa.gov, Office: 617-918-1243, Toll free: 1-888-372-7341 ext. 8-1243

Aerial view of Portsmouth Naval Station

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $80,748 to Adamah Detroit (formerly known as Hazon Detroit) in Detroit, Michigan as part of the Environmental Education Grants Program. The funding will be used to support an interfaith climate education project.

“We know that climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time, and it demands bold and innovative solutions,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This year’s grant recipients represent some of the brightest minds from across the country, and they demonstrate what it means to couple the power of environmental education with a commitment to creating a future with clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet for all.”

“Climate impacts are affecting our daily lives like never before, yet research shows that a minority—just over 1 in 3—of us is talking about climate, even occasionally,” said Adamah Detroit Director Amit Weitzer. “Together as partners engaging diverse communities of faith, Adamah Detroit and Michigan Interfaith Power & Light are excited to use Climate Conversations as a tool to help congregations move through barriers, like feelings of powerlessness and doom, and put their collective love for Earth and their neighbors into action”.

Adamah Detroit and its partner, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, will conduct an educational series that includes 20 climate workshops. More than 240 people will participate, with members drawn from synagogues, churches and other religious groups. This educational series will discuss the realities of climate change and its disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities as well as provide a framework for individual and collective actions.

Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 million and $3.5 million in EE grant funding each year, for a total of over $91.3 million supporting more than 3,922 projects. The program traditionally provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques. For more information, visit the Environmental Education webpage. 

To learn more about current and past award winners, or to apply for future EE grant competitions, visit the Environmental Education Grants webpage. This page is updated as future competitions are announced and additional grants are awarded. 

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) marks one year of progress implementing President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the most ambitious climate law in U.S. history and a core pillar of Bidenomics and the President's Investing in America Agenda. Since the legislation was signed into law, EPA has moved swiftly to put a historic $41 billion dollars to work to reduce emissions, build a clean economy, lower energy costs for American households and businesses, create good-paying union jobs, and advance environmental justice across the country. 

“President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is the game-changer America needed for climate action,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The EPA team has been hard at work designing innovative programs to cut emissions in every sector of our economy, while empowering communities across the country with the resources to take decisive action. We are centering environmental justice in everything we do, ensuring communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis are benefiting from the public health, resilience, and economic opportunities unleashed by this transformative legislation. This is Bidenomics in action – achieving our ambitious climate and clean energy goals while investing directly in the wellbeing and prosperity of hard-working Americans.” 

EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act programs are helping meet President Biden’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% below 2005 levels in 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by no later than 2050. Along with cutting emissions, these programs are advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct at least 40% of the overall benefits of these investments in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities to combat decades of underinvestment and address disproportionate environmental burden. 

Year One in Review

In just one year, EPA has made tremendous progress designing and implementing new Inflation Reduction Act programs. In November 2022, EPA was the first federal agency to award Inflation Reduction Act dollars by announcing more than $30 million to expand community air monitoring in 37 states, followed by an additional $25 million in clean air grants to improve air quality across the country.  

At the same time, from day one, EPA has prioritized robust stakeholder engagement, listening to states, municipalities, and Tribal governments, environmental justice and climate nonprofits, labor unions, and community-based organizations to inform the development of new programs. These perspectives will ensure EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act programs meet the unique needs of stakeholders and maximize the results of this historic funding for communities and the environment.

EPA first-year Inflation Reduction Act highlights include:

Designed and launched competitions for a national-scale clean energy financing network. The Inflation Reduction Act authorized EPA to implement the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a historic $27 billion investment to mobilize financing and private capital to combat the climate crisis and bolster the clean financing market. EPA has opened all three grant competitions under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund including the $7 billion Solar for All competition, the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund, and the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. All three of the competitive grant opportunities are designed to mobilize private capital into clean technology projects, strengthen the market for project deployment, create good-paying clean energy jobs, and lower energy costs for American families, while cutting harmful pollution to protect people’s health and tackle the climate crisis. These first-of-their-kind programs also support the President’s commitment to ensuring all communities can participate in the clean energy transition, with over two-thirds of the funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund dedicated to low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Catalyzing innovative strategies to cut climate pollution and deploy clean energy solutions nationwide. EPA’s $5 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, created by the Inflation Reduction Act, is enabling states, municipalities, Tribes, and territories to develop community-driven solutions to dramatically cut climate pollution, transition key sectors, and position communities to be more resilient and sustainable. In year one of implementation, EPA made $250 million dollars available to fund the development of climate action plans, and nearly all states, plus major cities in all 50 states, have opted in to receive these flexible planning resources. This will be followed by a $4.6 billion grant competition launching in the coming weeks to fund initiatives developed under the first phase of the program. Together, these grants will catalyze transformative local climate solutions, enable communities to chart a path toward unprecedented emissions reductions, and create good-paying jobs across the country.  

Building the framework for the largest investment in environmental justice in U.S. history.

From day one of his administration, President Biden has made achieving environmental justice a top priority. The Inflation Reduction Act created a new Environmental and Climate Justice Program that EPA will launch this fall to provide more than $2 billion in grants and $200 million in technical assistance to community-based organizations to address community climate priorities. EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights has conducted months of extensive public engagement to inform the design of this program, including with the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, and hundreds of individuals from frontline communities. Under this program, disadvantaged communities will be able to apply for funding to support a vast array of community-driven priorities, from extreme heat mitigation to climate resilience to zero-emissions technologies and workforce development to expand pathways into high-quality jobs.

EPA launched competitions and will soon award funding for three new and expanded environmental justice grant programs totaling $650 million, including a $550 million  Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, a $70 million  Government-to-Government Program, and a $30 million  Collaborative Problem-Solving Program.

These Inflation Reduction Act activities build on EPA’s existing and ongoing commitment to underserved communities. Over the last year, EPA has launched and expanded innovative programs to provide more support than ever before to communities that unjustly bear the burdens of environmental harm and pollution. One highlight includes the $177 million for the creation of 16 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTACs) to remove barriers to federal resources and help communities pursue funding opportunities like those made available through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda.

Looking Ahead to Year Two

EPA made significant progress in the first year of implementing the historic Inflation Reduction Act and has laid a strong foundation to continue delivering robust results in year two. In the coming months, the agency will award billions in additional funding to states, cities, Tribal governments, community-based organizations, and other grassroots leaders on the front lines of combatting climate change and build a stronger, cleaner economy for all Americans. EPA will launch numerous additional cutting-edge Inflation Reduction Act programs to curb harmful methane emissions, reduce air pollution at ports and in surrounding communities, promote low-carbon construction materials, improve air quality at schools, and put more clean vehicles on America’s roads. EPA will remain steadfastly committed to delivering on President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure every community benefits from progress under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Americans are already witnessing how the Inflation Reduction Act is spurring private sector investment, accelerating state and local action, and delivering concrete evidence of clean energy progress across the country. Together, these investments will generate economic growth, contribute to the revitalization of American manufacturing, and create good paying union jobs that strengthen America’s middle class. This has been a historic year, and EPA will keep its pace in the second year of implementation to continue delivering on the vision and opportunities for people and the planet established by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Learn more about EPA’s implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $100,000 to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, as part of the Environmental Education Grants Program. The funding will be used to support a climate literacy project.

“We know that climate change is one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time, and it demands bold and innovative solutions,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This year’s grant recipients represent some of the brightest minds from across the country, and they demonstrate what it means to couple the power of environmental education with a commitment to creating a future with clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet for all.”

“The systemic nature of this project is very exciting,” said Ohio University project co-planner Dr. Danielle Dani. “We intend to leverage nested, place-based contexts to promote environmental education and climate literacy on a regional level: community and university-based centers and organizations as well as formal and informal educational spaces and educators. The resulting network of sites and partners will serve as resources for fostering informed decision-making and action in rural Appalachian Ohio citizens across the lifespan.”

With this funding, Ohio University will develop interactive lessons and onsite activities designed to engage students, educators and local partners. The project, “Appalachian Ohio Climate Literacy Network,” aims to foster a regional network of shared storytelling and shift the narrative surrounding Appalachian climate advocacy.

Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 million and $3.5 million in EE grant funding each year, for a total of over $91.3 million supporting more than 3,922 projects. The program traditionally provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques. For more information, visit the Environmental Education webpage. 

To learn more about current and past award winners, or to apply for future EE grant competitions, visit the Environmental Education Grants webpage. This page is updated as future competitions are announced and additional grants are awarded.