WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the receipt of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s (NASEM) external peer review report of the draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation). Formaldehyde is a chemical intermediate used in the manufacture of many products, such as plywood adhesives and resins, insulation, and fertilizers. The IRIS assessment of formaldehyde focuses on hazard identification and dose-response assessment of the potential noncancer and cancer human health effects that may result from inhalation exposure to formaldehyde for a lifetime.

“EPA appreciates NASEM’s independent review of the IRIS assessment of formaldehyde,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “EPA looks forward to evaluating the recommendations provided in the committee’s report to further strengthen the conclusions presented in the assessment.”

EPA commissioned the NASEM to convene a committee to conduct the external peer review of the draft IRIS Toxicological Review of Formaldehyde (Inhalation). The consensus NASEM study report released today acknowledges the substantial improvements made by EPA. The NASEM committee notes that EPA’s draft “follows the advice of prior National Academies reports and that its findings on hazard and quantitative risk are supported by the evidence identified.” The primary recommendation provided by the NASEM committee is focused on improving the clarity and accessibility of the assessment’s methods.

EPA is currently assessing the recommendations provided by the NASEM committee and plans to use the report to revise the draft IRIS formaldehyde assessment prior to finalization. EPA’s program and regional offices intend to use the final assessment as part of the scientific input for developing risk assessments and as scientific information to support future risk management decisions.

Learn more information on the IRIS Formaldehyde Assessment.

View the NASEM report.

Learn more about EPA’s IRIS program.

BOSTON (Aug. 9, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the State of Vermont, set up a temporary hazardous materials collection site in Middlesex in response to the historic July flooding event. Residents and businesses can bring their flood-related hazardous materials to the State of Vermont hazardous materials collection site at the former Middlesex Police Barracks at 1078 U.S. Route 2 in Middlesex through this Saturday, August 12, 2023, at 4 PM when this temporary collection facility will be shut down for good. 

Flood-related hazardous materials must be a part of a flood clean-out. Hazardous materials can include cleaners, chemicals, paint, paint thinners/strippers, pesticides, gasoline, oil, propane and other gas cylinders, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, mercury thermostats, mercury thermometers, and other dangerous or toxic wastes. This does not include explosives, fireworks, flares, ammunition, sharps, electronics, and non-hazardous flood debris or solid waste. For flood-related explosives, fireworks, flares, and ammunition contact your local fire department or police.

Businesses with hazardous materials can bring up to ten (10) 5-gallon containers of flood-related hazardous materials to the State of Vermont collection site in Middlesex, Vermont, or call local collection locations and events to ask if they are accepting hazardous waste from businesses.

Businesses that generate hazardous waste or that have larger amounts of flood-related hazardous materials should call the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Hazardous Materials Program at (802) 828-1138 for assistance.

Other Tips for Flood Debris Management:

• Use gloves, a mask, and eye protection.
• Handle household chemicals with care.
• Secure materials from children and pets.
• If an item is leaking, place the container in a pail. 
• Do not mix chemicals
• Do not pour chemicals on the ground or put them down the drain

Residents and businesses can call the DEC Solid Waste Management Program at 802-828-1138 with questions on flood-related hazardous materials.

More information

Vermont Flood-Related Hazardous Materials Assistance

Vermont Flood Recovery Resources

EPA Flood Recovery Resources

EPA Flood Resilience Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities

BOSTON (Aug. 8, 2023) - Today, EPA New England announced the release and availability of a report (pdf) (2.5 MB) that maps "blue carbon" along the northeastern coast.

Blue carbon is the term used to describe carbon stored in coastal and marine salt marshes, seagrass, and mangroves. These aquatic habitats are much more efficient at accumulating/sequestering carbon than terrestrial habitats. An acre of forest will have less sequestered carbon in its soil than the equivalent acre of seagrass, salt marsh or mangrove.

"Healthy, growing seagrass and salt marshes are key to pulling carbon out of the atmosphere where we don't want it, and storing it in vibrant coastal ecosystems, where we do want," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "These ecosystems are important nursery habitats for many commercial fish and shellfish species. They are also the first line of defense against coastal flooding, which often impacts disadvantaged communities first and worst. The findings from this effort and resulting map products can help inform land and coastal management policies, fisheries management, and climate change mitigation practices."
The findings from this effort and resulting map products can help inform land and coastal management policies, fisheries management, and climate change mitigation practices."

The goal of this effort was to produce a baseline database and map of both vegetated blue carbon habitat acreage and sequestered carbon. Due to data limitations (e.g., sediment core samples are only to a depth of 30 centimeters), the carbon stock estimate represents a mere fraction of the actual quantity of accumulated carbon in these habitats.

• The target geographic area has an estimated 218,222 acres of eelgrass meadows and salt marsh, which are estimated to provide a reservoir of 7,523,568 megagrams of blue carbon. Using the EPA greenhouse gas equivalency calculator, this quantity of stored carbon is equivalent to:
• The emissions from 5,994,024 passenger vehicles driven in one year.
• The burning of 30,521,000,000+ pounds of coal.
• The emissions associated with the energy use of 3,474,000 homes for a year.
• The emissions offset by the operation of 7,498 wind turbines for a year.
• The quantity of carbon accumulated in one year in 32,646,000 acres of upland forest.

Sequestered carbon in New England is predominately from salt marsh habitats, which is a habitat type at great risk due to sea level rise and coastal development.

Background

During the 2017 Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premier (pdf) (1.1 MB), the management of "blue carbon resources to preserve and enhance their existing carbon reservoirs" was identified as a possible regional climate change action to mitigate and reduce greenhouse gases.

In June 2020, Region 1 initiated an effort to establish a baseline of New England's blue carbon inventory. Working with New England state and federal (USGS and USDA) agencies, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations and utilizing a contract with the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), datasets of New England's eelgrass meadows and salt marsh habitats (current and historic) and marine soil cores were identified and entered into an interactive map on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal. Soil organic carbon stocks within these marine habitats were also used to calculate blue carbon stocks. The joint effort has been detailed in the "Blue Carbon Reservoirs from Maine to Long Island NY" Report (pdf) (2.5 MB).

NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized the update to its original cleanup plan for the Matlack, Inc. Superfund site in Woolwich Township, New Jersey. The update to the plan will address a newly discovered source of contamination at the site and will ensure a comprehensive and effective cleanup.

“Following the public meeting and hearing directly from the community, EPA has finalized its cleanup decision for the Matlack, Inc. Superfund site,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This updated plan will address an additional source of contamination found at the site and will bring us closer to being able to complete the cleanup.”

As a result of past truck maintenance and tanker washing operations at the site, as well as on-site disposal of drums, the soil, sediment, surface water and groundwater are contaminated with volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, which can potentially harm people’s health.

EPA’s finalized plan for cleaning up the drum disposal area involves a technology called in-situ thermal treatment. In situ (or in place) thermal treatment methods remove harmful chemicals in soil and groundwater using heat. The chemicals move through soil and groundwater toward wells, where they are collected and piped to the ground surface to be treated using other cleanup methods. Some chemicals are destroyed underground during the heating process.

This method is separate from and in addition to EPA’s original 2017 cleanup plan.

On March 29, 2023, EPA proposed this cleanup plan to the public and held a virtual public meeting on April 12, 2023, to explain the plan and take comments. The Record of Decision Amendment released today addresses the comments received and formalizes EPA’s selected cleanup plan for the drum disposal area.

Visit the Matlack, Inc. 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 (Aug. 8, 2023) – Mewbourne Oil Company (Mewbourne) has agreed to pay a $5.5 million penalty and undertake projects expected to cost at least $4.6 million to ensure 422 of its oil and gas well pads in New Mexico and Texas comply with state and federal clean air regulations and offset past illegal emissions.

These terms are in settlement of claims alleged in a civil complaint – filed jointly by the United States, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) – which alleges that, at more than 100 of its oil and gas production operations in New Mexico and Texas, Mewbourne failed to obtain required state and federal permits; failed to capture and control air emissions from storage vessels; and failed to comply with inspection, monitoring and recordkeeping requirements. EPA and NMED identified the alleged violations through field investigations and repeated flyover surveillance conducted in 2019, 2020, and 2022. Mewbourne’s actions taken pursuant to the deal will eliminate more than 11,000 tons of harmful pollutants from the air each year.

“Today’s settlement will eliminate 11,000 tons of harmful air pollutants annually and ensure that Mewbourne complies with the Clean Air Act,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “The result will be cleaner, healthier air for communities in New Mexico and Texas.”

“Good air quality is essential to the health of our communities, and we need to ensure that oil and gas facilities are properly designed, maintained, and monitored in order to meet national standards,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will continue to work to improve air quality and public health, including holding oil and gas production operations, like Mewbourne, accountable for their violations of federal and state law.”

“Compliance with air quality regulations is essential to ensure the health of our people and the protection of our environment,” said NMED Cabinet Secretary, James Kenney. “We will continue to conduct oil and gas investigations and aggressively enforce violations.”

In addition to paying a $5.5 million fine – to be shared equally by the United States and the State of New Mexico – the consent decree, filed together with the complaint, requires the company to take numerous steps to ensure that 422 well pads covered by the Decree and located in New Mexico and Texas are operated lawfully. New Mexico’s portion of the fines will be sent to the State of New Mexico’s general fund.

Mewbourne will spend at least $3.6 million to implement extensive design, operation, maintenance, and monitoring improvements, including installing new tank pressure monitoring systems that will provide advance notification of potential emissions and allow for immediate response action by the company.

Mewbourne’s compliance with the consent decree will result in annual reductions of more than 9,900 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 1,300 tons of methane. VOCs are a key component in the formation of ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs, exacerbates diseases such as asthma, and can increase susceptibility to respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and bronchitis.

In addition, as a co-benefit of these reductions, the consent decree will result in significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. 1,300 tons of annual methane reductions equates to more than 33,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Eliminating the release of this amount of methane per year is similar to eliminating the annual use of 3.4 million gallons of gasoline. Greenhouse gases from human activities are a primary cause of climate change and global warming. This enforcement effort furthers EPA’s commitment to deliver public health protections against climate-impacting pollution and other pollutants for communities across America and helps deliver on EPA’s top commitment in its strategic plan, which is to tackle the climate crisis.

Mewbourne will also spend at least $1 million to offset the harm caused by the alleged violations by replacing over 2,000 pollutant-emitting pneumatic devices with non-emitting devices on an accelerated schedule. This offset project will reduce VOC emissions over 15 years by approximately 4,500 tons beyond that required by existing regulation.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires the EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants that are considered harmful to public health and the environment. Ozone is a criteria pollutant that is created when oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and VOC react in the atmosphere. VOC and NOx are emitted by oil and gas production facilities, such as those operated by Mewbourne. During the timeframes of Mewbourne’s alleged violations, air quality monitors in the relevant counties in New Mexico registered rising ozone concentrations exceeding 95% of the NAAQS for ozone. In counties where ozone levels reach 95% of the NAAQS, NMED is required by New Mexico state statute to take action to reduce ozone pollution.

Mewbourne is an independent oil and gas producer engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas resources in the United States. The company is a large producer in the Permian Basin, which is a shale oil and gas producing area located in southeast New Mexico and West Texas.

This settlement is part of EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative, Creating Cleaner Air for Communities by Reducing Excess Emissions of Harmful Pollutants.

The consent decree is available for public viewing on the Department of Justice website. The United States will publish a notice of the consent decree’s lodging with the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico in the Federal Register and will accept public comment for 30 days after the notice is published. The Federal Register notice will also include instructions for submitting public comment.

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Genentech, a biopharmaceutical manufacturer based in South San Francisco, for claims of hazardous waste violations at three locations at its South San Francisco facility. Genentech will pay $158,208 in civil penalties.

In August 2021, EPA inspectors found that Genentech stored waste without a permit and did not meet requirements related to monitoring hazardous waste air emissions, failed to mark equipment and record it correctly, failed to perform required inspections of emissions control equipment, and failed to maintain overfill protection controls for a hazardous waste tank. EPA inspectors also identified hazardous waste manifests that failed to include all necessary federal waste codes.

“When a company fails to comply with hazardous waste storage and monitoring requirements, that company puts workers and communities at risk of harmful exposures,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA is committed to enforce the laws that keep people safe.”

Hazardous waste that is improperly managed seriously threatens human health and the environment. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act passed in 1976, requires effective monitoring and control of air emissions from hazardous waste storage tanks, pipes, valves, and other equipment since these emissions can cause adverse health and environmental effects and contribute to climate change.

For more information on EPA enforcement of hazardous waste requirements, visit EPA’s Waste Enforcement webpage.

For more information on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, visit the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Laws and Regulations webpage.

For more information on EPA’s National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative (NECI): Reducing Hazardous Air Emissions from Hazardous Waste Facilities, visit the webpage.

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

LENEXA, KAN. (AUG. 8, 2023) – EPA has partially approved and partially disapproved Missouri’s 2022 list of impaired waters and transmitted its decision to the state. EPA’s decision document provides a more detailed description of EPA’s review and the basis for this action. The decision document, including the approved portion of the 2022 impaired waters list, is available via a link in EPA’s public notice.

EPA is partially disapproving nine water body/pollutant combinations for Missouri’s 2022 impaired waters list (see table below). These disapprovals are specific to impairments related to aquatic life for these water bodies and do not pertain to recreational use issues. Any local recommendations or advisories regarding their recreational use remain in effect.

The nine water bodies were placed on a 60-day public notice from Aug. 7 to Oct. 6, 2023. EPA requests public comment on these proposed nine water bodies only. Written comments must be sent by email to R7-WaterDivision@epa.gov on or before Oct. 6, 2023.  Following the public comment period, EPA will issue its final decision regarding these water body/pollutant combinations.

Water Body ID Number

Water Body Name 

County 

Pollutant

1706

Coldwater Creek

St. Louis

Chloride

2166

Eaton Branch

St. Francois

Lead

2168

Flat River

St. Francois

Cadmium

7147

Fountain Grove Lakes

Linn

Chlorophyll-a 

3105

Lateral #2 Main Ditch 

Stoddard

Ammonia, Total

91

Salt River

Ralls, Pike

Oxygen, Dissolved

3282

Turkey Creek

St. Francois 

Cadmium

3282

Turkey Creek

St. Francois

Zinc

1708

Watkins Creek

St. Louis

Chloride

Background/Context

One of the most important aspects of the Clean Water Act is the requirement to submit a report characterizing a state’s surface water quality and a list of every impaired water body. A water body is placed on an impaired waters list when monitoring finds that pollutant levels prevent the lake, river or stream from attaining its designated uses. Designated uses can include human recreation, fish consumption, and healthy aquatic life. Each state must provide the opportunity to engage the public through a public notice and comment process. In this way, the list incorporates public feedback in how each state sets priorities to improve water quality. Once the public participation requirements are fulfilled, a state submits the report and list of impaired waters to EPA.

The 2022 listing cycle marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, which was established in 1972 to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. The Act and its related regulations that have been established over the last five decades created a series of programs that protect local waterways through, among other things, prohibition of the discharge of pollutants into waters without regulated permits; the establishment of water quality criteria to protect designated uses; and the development of programs to control nonpoint source pollution.

Local waters have benefited from treatment plants being constructed to reduce toxic pollutants discharged from industries and privately owned treatment works; water monitoring and sampling that has allowed states to share information on the quality of waters and create plans to improve them; and the establishment of best management practices to keep stormwater from overwhelming sewers and allowing untreated sewage to reach streams and rivers.

Once a water body is included on an impaired waters list, development of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) – a budget for water pollution – is necessary. TMDLs set the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards. TMDLs also guide decision-making about how to improve water quality by looking at all the different sources of pollution. 

For additional information regarding impaired waters and TMDLs, visit EPA Region 7, EPA's How's My Waterway, or Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

# # #

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PHILADELPHIA, (Aug. 8, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of up to $206 million in funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and watershed, and advance environmental justice. EPA is seeking applications from eligible community-based organizations for two funding opportunities that will fund cooperative agreements for four years. Of the funding, $96 million will come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law while another $110 million will come from regular EPA appropriations.  

Organizations can apply for funding via two Requests for Applications (RFAs) issued by EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office; applications are due by mid-September. Both RFAs will fund the Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grant and Small Watershed Grant (SWG) programs for four years. As a result of the boost from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the $206 million from both RFAs will mark the largest single investment in these grant programs since their creation in 1999. Both programs have been integral to progress made at restoring water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed and are advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities.

“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration, we have unprecedented funding going to communities for on-the-ground projects that will improve their local environments and ultimately the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This historic funding, along with the great momentum and stronger cooperation among the many partners, is enabling us to accelerate our work to achieve clean waters and a healthier, more resilient and economically stronger Bay and watershed.”   

This program will fund principal recipients to administer the INSR and SWG grant programs, including issuance of subgrants to local, regional, and state organizations, as well as individuals in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The RFAs will close mid-September. More information regarding these RFAs can be found at grants.gov at  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=349633 and https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=349699   Questions regarding applying for these opportunities should be directed to Autumn Rose, EPA Chesapeake Bay Program Office, at rose.autumn@epa.gov.  

Background:

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a regional partnership made up of six states (Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and West Virginia) and the District of Columbia; federal agencies; local governments; academic institutions and non-governmental organizations that lead and direct the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay and its 64,000 square mile watershed. Guided by the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, Chesapeake Bay Program partners use 10 interrelated goals and 31 outcomes to collectively advance the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.

The INSR program supports efforts within the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed that use innovative strategies to vastly accelerate sub-watershed and/or regional-scale implementation of nutrient and sediment reductions with approaches demonstrated to be successful. Since 2006, the INSR Program has provided more than $133 million to 229 projects that have reduced 22 million pounds of nitrogen, 4 million pounds of phosphorus, and 971,740 tons of sediment across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The SWG Program funds community-based efforts to protect and restore the diverse and vital habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams. The SWG Program has provided more than $109 million to 496 projects that have permanently protected 169,000 acres under conservation easement, restored more than 1,550 miles of riparian habitat and 14,000 acres of wetlands, and engaged more than 125,000 watershed residents in volunteer conservation and restoration efforts. 

DALLAS TEXAS (August 7, 2023)– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $25,000 to Rice University to fund their research on treating PFAS (per- and polyfluoralkyl) waste in landfills as part of the Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program.

“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”

The Rice University team is developing a chemical-free UV unit that degrades PFAS waste leachate in landfills using boron nitride, a nontoxic chemical compound. By providing a non-toxic method to treat PFAS-containing wastewater emanating from landfills, the amount of PFAS and other organic pollutants will be reduced in the water supplies of nearby communities. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. Learn more about the team’s project here.

Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.

Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.

Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.

DALLAS TEXAS (August 7, 2023)– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $24,999 for the University of Texas at Dallas for their work to develop low-cost air quality sensors for environmental justice communities as part of the Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program.

“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”

The University of Texas at Dallas, in partnership with Paul Quinn College and the Downwinders at Risk Education Fund, will provide low-cost calibrated air quality sensors that can be distributed at scale and used sustainably across predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The sensors will use observations from a satellite providing scientifically valid information for data-driven decisions by communities and residents. Learn more about the project here.

Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.

Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.

Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.

LENEXA, KAN. (AUG. 7, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 will showcase its mission of protecting human health and the environment with a theme of “Working Together for Healthy Rural Families” at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, from Aug. 10 to 13, 2023.

The Iowa State Fair is heralded as one of the oldest and largest agricultural expositions in the United States. The first Iowa State Fair was held in 1854.

"We are thrilled to participate in the 2023 Iowa State Fair and engage with fairgoers about vital infrastructure investments and funding available to build resilient communities," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. "Our interactive space at the Fair is an excellent place for families to learn about EPA's mission."

This year, EPA will display the Region 7 Mobile Command Post and the Mobile Drinking Water Lab, both of which are routinely deployed in response to environmental emergencies. EPA Region 7 experts will be there to discuss our work with agricultural and rural communities.

EPA has a number of competitive grant funding programs underway, like Solar for All. More competitive programs are coming in the months ahead, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

WHO: EPA Region 7

WHAT: Exhibit at the Iowa State Fair

WHEN: Aug. 10-13, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily

WHERE: Booth #40470 (near Gate 11) at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 East Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

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WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Environmental Justice Toolkit for Lead Paint Enforcement Programs. The Toolkit provides strategies, examples, and other information for federal, state, Tribal and local government enforcement practitioners to use during all stages of environmental enforcement and compliance monitoring activities designed to eliminate harmful exposures to lead paint in housing. This resource is a compilation of best practices and supports commitments made in EPA’s Lead Strategy, which seeks to reduce lead exposures locally with a focus on underserved communities and promote environmental justice through a whole of government approach.

“The science is clear, there is no safe level of exposure to lead, and health impacts from exposure to lead-based paint continue to be a significant problem in the United States, particularly in underserved and overburdened communities,” said Larry Starfield, EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This Toolkit is an important new resource for enforcement personnel working with communities to reduce lead exposures.”

More than 34 million homes in the US have lead paint somewhere in the building. Of those homes, an estimated 3.3 million have children less than six years of age facing one or more lead-based paint hazards, including over 2 million low-income households. Over 1 million children in the US suffer from irreversible impacts from lead poisoning including reduced intelligence, behavioral and learning disabilities; new cases continue to be diagnosed every year. Adults with exposure to lead can develop symptoms such as high blood pressure, memory loss and reduced motor skills.

The Toolkit includes strategies for developing partnerships, conducting community engagement, and maintaining ongoing communication with the communities where enforcement activities are planned or ongoing; it provides methods for how to target inspections in overburdened communities; and information and examples on remedies available that enhance environmental justice. Recent examples of lead paint enforcement actions that exemplify these strategies include:

• An administrative settlement agreement that includes $2 million of lead-based paint abatement work in lower-income properties located in Chicago and Chicago suburbs in communities with a higher incidence of childhood lead poisoning.
• A Richmond Contractor sentenced to one year for federal lead paint law violations.
• Lead paint abatement projects completed in Fort Worth, Texas communities resulting from EPA’s settlement with HGTV’s “Texas Flip N Move.”

Learn more about EPA’s efforts to reduce lead exposure.

Members of the public can help protect children from lead paint by identifying and reporting lead paint violations.

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Hilmar Cheese Company Inc. for Safe Drinking Water Act violations at its facility in Hilmar, California, located in the San Joaquin Valley. The company will pay a $92,000 penalty for findings of permit violations related to the Underground Injection Control Program.

“Facilities that include underground injection in their operations must comply with all permit conditions in order to protect underground sources of drinking water,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division Director Amy Miller. “Ensuring that businesses comply with our regulations is critical to preserving vital groundwater resources.”

Injection wells are used to place fluid underground into porous geologic formations for storage or disposal. The Underground Injection Control Program works with injection well operators throughout the life of an injection well to confirm their practices do not contaminate drinking water. EPA conducts inspections to verify well operator compliance with the injection permit or applicable requirements.

EPA classifies injection wells into one of six types. Hilmar Cheese Company is currently permitted to operate two Class I Non-Hazardous underground injection wells at its facility and is permitted to inject non-hazardous “Class I” fluids associated with its cheesemaking operations. These non-hazardous fluids include brine (salt water), facility wastewater, concentrated salt, and chemical additives (which must be approved by EPA) for the purpose of facility and injection well operation and maintenance.

EPA performed a virtual inspection of the facility in March 2021, and made findings of permit violations that included failure to:

1. Report changes in pressure within the casing/tubing annulus for both injection wells;
2. Maintain a minimum pressure of 100 psi on the annular space of one of its injection wells;
3. Report data as required by the facility permit over two months.

This enforcement action helps ensure continued operation at the Hilmar Cheese Company’s facility complies with its underground injection control permit and avoid contamination of underground sources of drinking water.

Read the public notice for the proposed settlement here.

Learn about EPA’s Underground Injection Control Program.

Learn more about EPA Enforcement Actions and Results.

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

On Tuesday, August 15, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public engagement session in Detroit to gather public input for the new 2025-2029 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan.

As EPA and its federal partners update the Action Plan for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a key part of the process will be seeking public input. At the session, EPA will provide a quick overview of the GLRI and the purpose of the Action Plan, and then give public participants an opportunity to engage directly with EPA staff to ask questions and to provide input.    

“This Action Plan will become the blueprint for our work,” said Debra Shore, EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager. “It is essential for us to take into account the priorities of the people who live, work, and play in the Great Lakes basin, especially people who live in historically underserved and overburdened communities.”

Since 2010, the GLRI has provided funding to target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate progress toward achieving long-term goals. GLRI Action Plan III was published in 2019 to guide restoration and protection through 2024. Action Plan IV will cover 2025 through 2029.

EPA and its partners are seeking public input regarding:

• How can the plan be improved over previous GLRI action plans?
• What key priorities should be included in the plan?
• How can the plan be improved to better incorporate environmental justice and the impacts of climate change?

The public engagement session will take place in Detroit on August 15. It will begin with a brief welcome presentation followed by an interactive open house.

• When:            Tuesday, August 15
• Time:              6 - 8 p.m. EDT
• Location:        DNR Outdoor Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater Street

More details are posted on the GLRI website.

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published preliminary Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data about chemical waste management, including releases, and pollution prevention activities that occurred during 2022 at more than 20,000 industrial and federal facilities across the country.

“The information released today is one way EPA helps inform Americans about toxic chemical releases in their communities, including those that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “For the first time, these preliminary data include reporting from natural gas processing facilities and from 24 contract sterilization facilities that were required to report their ethylene oxide releases beginning this year.”

General Information on the 2022 Preliminary Data

The 2022 preliminary data were reported by facilities in covered industries that manufactured, processed or otherwise used substances on the TRI chemical list above certain threshold quantities during 2022. The preliminary data include quantities of these chemicals that facilities released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste and also include details about pollution prevention activities initiated by individual facilities during 2022.

The public can use the preliminary data to identify facilities that reported to TRI (for example, to locate facilities in a certain ZIP code locality) and learn which chemicals those facilities manage as waste and in what quantities.

The dataset released today contains the data as submitted by facilities and does not include any summary or trend analysis. While the preliminary data have not yet been through the complete TRI data quality process, the reporting software that facilities used to submit these data (TRI-MEweb) includes many automated quality checks that help prevent common mistakes during data entry. EPA is conducting additional quality checks to identify suspected reporting errors and follow up with facilities if data quality issues are identified. For details about the TRI data quality process, see the TRI Data Quality webpage.

The 2022 preliminary data will be updated periodically to reflect revisions to previously submitted data and late submissions. EPA plans to publish a revised version of the dataset in October 2023, which will include late submissions and revisions submitted by facilities. EPA will then use the revised dataset to develop the 2022 TRI National Analysis which the Agency expects to publish in early 2024.

You can explore the preliminary data by going to EPA's Envirofacts website and searching for a specific location, industry sector or facility. You can also download the data files for your own use.

Access the 2022 TRI preliminary data.

New Information from Natural Gas Processing and Contract Sterilization Facilities from the 2022 Preliminary Data

This is the first year that TRI data include reporting from natural gas processing facilities. In November 2021, EPA added natural gas processing facilities to the scope of the industrial sectors covered by the TRI. The rule expands coverage to include all natural gas processing facilities that receive and refine natural gas. Natural gas processing facilities that primarily recover sulfur from natural gas were already covered by TRI. For 2022, EPA has received 1,152 TRI reporting forms from 230 natural gas processing facilities.

This is also the first year that TRI data include reporting of ethylene oxide (EtO), a chemical that has been on the TRI chemical list since 1986, from certain contract sterilization facilities that previously had not been subject to TRI reporting requirements. These facilities release EtO or otherwise manage the chemical as waste. In December 2021, EPA issued a decision extending TRI reporting requirements to 29 sterilization facilities that were likely to exceed the 10,000 pounds per year “otherwise used” TRI reporting threshold for ethylene oxide.

As of July 12, 2023, EPA has received TRI reporting forms for EtO from 24 of the 29 contract sterilization facilities. EPA is following-up with the five contract sterilization facilities that did not submit TRI forms for EtO. The 24 contract sterilization facilities reported managing over 6 million pounds of production-related waste of EtO of which 8,863 pounds were released on-site to air during 2022. 

PFAS-Related Information from the 2022 Preliminary Data

This is the third year that TRI data include reporting on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) added to the TRI list of chemicals under requirements established by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). EPA has received 120 TRI reporting forms for 46 discrete PFAS from 44 facilities. The preliminary data indicate facilities managed over 1,151,000 pounds of production-related waste of PFAS during 2022. EPA anticipates additional reporting on the quantities of PFAS released or otherwise managed as waste to begin to be made after the rule to remove applicability of the de minimis exemption for PFAS – which allows reporting on PFAS to be avoided – is finalized later this year.

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that they have reached a settlement with Brock Maslonka, of Spokane, who has agreed to pay a $50,000 penalty for the unauthorized construction of a dam on Perkins Slough, a tributary of the Pend Oreille River. 

The unauthorized dam significantly degraded the ecosystem of Perkins Slough by reducing water quality, increasing turbidity, and inhibiting movement by important aquatic and semi-aquatic organisms, thus disrupting their life cycles.  

In 2017 EPA received complaints that a dam had been built in the slough and discovered that Maslonka had failed to apply for a Clean Water Act permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. EPA attempted to reach an agreement with Maslonka to remove the dam, repair the damage it caused, and pay a penalty. After it was unable to reach agreement with Maslonka, EPA referred the matter to the Department of Justice, which filed the case in the Eastern District of Washington in 2020.  

“In order to protect human health and the environment it is absolutely vital that individuals obtain the appropriate permits,” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. "As this case demonstrates, unauthorized discharges associated with unpermitted activities can have a negative effect on the water quality of streams EPA is charged with protecting under the Clean Water Act" 

In July the parties entered into an agreement, called a consent decree, in which Maslonka agreed to pay the $50,000 penalty, remove the fill material used to build the unauthorized dam, restore the site, improve forested riparian habitat through the installation of native plantings adjacent to Perkins Slough, and preserve nearby riparian habitat in perpetuity through deed restrictions.  

All dam removal and restoration work must be completed by June 15, 2024. Maslonka must then monitor the work and ensure that it is successful. 

The proposed settlement is open for public comment through Aug. 23 and can be viewed at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/24/2023-15622/notice-of-lodging-of-proposed-consent-decree. 

DURANGO, Colo. – This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $25,000 in funding to a team of students at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, for its proposed water bacteria detection research project.

As part of EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Program, the award will provide funding through July 31, 2024, for the students to develop a method of easily and rapidly detecting harmful waterborne bacteria in the lab. The students will test water samples from the Animas River and communicate the importance of water resource protection to communities in the Four Corners area.

“Access to clean water is critical for protecting human health and the environment,” said KC Becker, EPA Regional Administrator. “Congratulations to these Fort Lewis College students, whose proposal uses imagination and science to develop innovative solutions to water-quality challenges.”

This award is part of $523,796 in funding that EPA granted to 21 student teams across the country as Phase I of the 19th Annual P3 awards. All Phase I recipients will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.

More information about all 2023 P3 Phase I winners is available on the EPA website.

LARAMIE, Wyo.  – This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $25,000 grant for a team of students at the University of Wyoming in Laramie to develop a citizen science air quality reporting system.

As part of EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Program, the award will provide funding for the proposed project through July 31, 2024. The students will develop a mobile app that outdoor recreators in Albany County, Wyoming, can use to report air particle levels at backcountry trails. Data collected through the project will help inform safe outdoor recreation decisions during wildfires.

“Air particle pollution from wildfires is an increasing threat to human health, the environment and recreation-dependent economies,” said KC Becker, EPA Regional Administrator. “Congratulations to these University of Wyoming students, whose proposal uses imagination and science to develop an innovative solution to wildfire-related challenges.”

This award is part of $523,796 in funding that EPA granted to 21 student teams across the country. The EPA announced the winners as Phase I of the 19th Annual P3 awards. All Phase I recipients will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.

More information about all 2023 P3 Phase I winners is available on the EPA website.

FARGO, N.D. – This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted $24,982 to a team of students at North Dakota State University’s Main Campus in Fargo, N.D., for their proposed landfill pollution removal project.

As part of EPA’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Program, the award will provide funding for the project through July 31, 2024. The students will develop a process to help remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from landfill leachate. Leachate is the water that drains from a landfill, and it’s often contaminated with harmful PFAS. The proposed project aims to improve water quality in North Dakota and includes a plan to educate young people about water pollution.

“PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they’re nearly indestructible, and they have dangerous effects on human health and the environment,” said KC Becker, EPA Regional Administrator. “Congratulations to these NDSU students, whose proposal uses imagination and science to develop an innovative solution to this water-quality challenge.”

This award is part of $523,796 in funding that EPA granted to 21 student teams across the country. The EPA announced the winners as Phase I of the 19th Annual P3 awards. All Phase I recipients will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.

More information about all 2023 P3 Phase I winners is available on the EPA website.

SEATTLE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Robert Yundt, based in Wasilla, Alaska, were penalized $107,000 for violations of the Clean Water Act.

From 2019 through 2021, Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Yundt are accused of using heavy earthmoving equipment to relocate and discharge material into Wasilla Lake and Cottonwood Lake, resulting in environmental impacts along the shorelines and adjacent wetlands.

In response, EPA issued multiple administrative compliance orders on consent requiring Robert Yundt Homes, LLC to perform certain restoration and mitigation activities to remedy the harms to the environment. Robert Yundt Homes, LLC also agreed to pay $29,500 in penalties.

After Robert Yundt Homes, LLC failed to comply with the administrative compliance orders on consent, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska against Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Yundt. To resolve the violations of the administrative compliance orders and the underlying Clean Water Act violations, Robert Yundt Homes, LLC, Mr. Yundt, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Justice have agreed to a Consent Decree that requires the Defendants to conduct fill removal and habitat restoration activities along the shoreline of Wasilla Lake, restore and preserve wetlands adjacent to Cottonwood Lake in perpetuity through an environmental covenant, and pay an additional $77,500 in penalties.

“In order to protect human health and the environment it is absolutely vital that building and construction companies obtain the appropriate permits and comply with EPA administrative orders” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “As this case demonstrates, the secondary and tertiary effects of unauthorized discharges associated with construction activities can be felt by the entire community.”

“Violations of the Clean Water Act can significantly affect the lives of Alaskans, and those who partake in these unlawful actions will face consequences,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to support our partners across the nation to protect our communities and ecosystems from the effects of illegal environmental degradation, as in the case of Robert Yundt Homes, LLC.”

Wasilla Lake and Cottonwood Lake are catalogued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as waters important for anadromous fish, including spawning habitat for coho and sockeye salmon.

Opportunity for public comment

The Consent Decree is currently available for public review and comment before it is effective. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice invite all affected community members and other stakeholders to review the Consent Decree and provide any relevant comments. The public comment process is designed to help ensure that all voices are heard and that all views about the Consent Decree are considered.

To review the materials for this action and/or provide comment, please go to: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/31/2023-16084/notice-of-lodging-of-proposed-consent-decree.

The deadline to submit public comments is Aug. 30.