EPA News Release (Region 7): Environmental Justice Grants Now Available

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

 

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

 

Environmental Justice Grants Now Available

 

Contact Information: Benjamin Washburn, (913) 551-7364, washburn.ben@epa.gov

Environmental News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 31, 2011) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting grant applications for $1.2 million in funding to support projects designed to research, educate, empower and enable communities to understand and address local health and environmental issues. Eligible applicants from non-profit, faith-based and tribal organizations working in the community of the proposed project are encouraged to apply.

 

These grants are available to Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska organizations through the EPA Region 7 office in Kansas City, Kan.

 

Environmental Justice Small Grants funding is available for two categories of projects:

 

·         Forty grants of up to $25,000 each to support projects that address a community’s local environmental issues through collaborative partnerships, and;

 

·         Four grants of up to $50,000 each to gather better science on the environmental and health impacts of exposure to multiple sources of pollution in communities.

 

Environmental justice means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. Environmental justice issues often involve multiple sources of contamination, like pollution from several industrial facilities within one neighborhood, environmental hazards at the workplace or home, or contamination resulting from the consumption of fish or other foods.

 

Environmental contamination can lead to costly health risks and can discourage investments and development in low-income, minority, and indigenous communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. Understanding the impacts of multiple environmental risks can help communities develop more effective solutions to their environmental and health concerns.

 

The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Program is designed to help communities understand and address their exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks.

 

Applications must be postmarked by March 31, 2011. For more information, including eligibility requirements, purposes, goals, and general procedures, please visit www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ej-smgrants-rfp-2011.pdf

or contact EPA Region 7 toll-free at 1-800-223-0425.

 

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EPA News Release (Region 7): Orval Kent Food Company, Inc., to Pay $390,000 Civil Penalty for Industrial Wastewater Discharges at Baxter Springs, Kan.

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

 

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

 

Orval Kent Food Company, Inc., to Pay $390,000 Civil Penalty for Industrial Wastewater Discharges at Baxter Springs, Kan.

 

Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 31, 2011) - An Illinois food processing company has agreed to pay a $390,000 civil penalty to the United States to settle allegations that its Baxter Springs, Kan., processing facility overloaded the city’s wastewater treatment system with millions of gallons of industrial wastewater, at times causing pollution along a 22-mile-long section of the Spring River in southeast Kansas and northeast Oklahoma.

 

Orval Kent Food Company, Inc., headquartered in Wheeling, Ill., must also spend at least $32,500 on a project to re-stock fish in or near the watershed of the Spring River, under terms of a consent decree lodged today by the U.S. Department of Justice in Kansas City, Kan.

 

The company, which produces a variety of refrigerated salads and foods, was issued an administrative compliance order by EPA Region 7 in February 2008 after an inspection of the Baxter Springs, Kan., publicly owned wastewater treatment works found that Orval Kent’s local processing facility was routinely overloading the city’s treatment system. As a result of the overloading, the city was unable to comply with the terms of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

 

After EPA issued the order to Orval Kent in 2008, the company installed new wastewater  treatment equipment and changed its manufacturing processes to reduce waste material contained in the facility’s industrial wastewater.

 

Discharges from the Baxter Springs treatment system flow into the Spring River, which flows south from the city for about a mile before crossing the state line into northeast Oklahoma, where it continues to flow several miles through tribal lands of the Shawnee Tribe of Eastern Oklahoma.

 

Residents of Baxter Springs, tribal members and other communities downstream use the Spring River for fishing and recreation. The State of Kansas has designated the river as an “exceptional” and “special aquatic life” water, partly because of its populations of threatened or endangered species. In Oklahoma, the Spring River is designated as an “impaired water” because of turbidity and bacteria.

 

As part of the settlement, Orval Kent must conduct monitoring and reporting of its wastewater discharges to detect trends and help avoid future violations of the Clean Water Act.

 

“EPA brought this case because Orval Kent’s decisions to overload the local discharge system hurt people all along this important river, which also plays a key part in Shawnee tribal culture,” EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said. “The agency negotiated a settlement that targets relief to repair damages Orval Kent caused to the Spring River watershed. It demonstrates that companies can’t ignore their obligations to comply with the law.”

 

The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval before it becomes final.

 

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EPA News Release (Region 7): Third Round of Sampling Reveals No Indoor Air Health Concerns at Buildings 50 and 52 at the Bannister Federal Complex

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

 

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

 

Third Round of Sampling Reveals No Indoor Air Health Concerns at Buildings 50 and 52 at the Bannister Federal Complex

 

Contact Information: David Bryan, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov

Environmental News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 31, 2011) - Results of a third round of air monitoring in and around a child care facility and an adjacent building at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, Mo., do not reveal health concerns with indoor air at the facilities related to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), EPA Region 7 officials announced today.

 

EPA Region 7 and its contractors performed a series of sampling activities Aug. 6-8, 2010, at the two buildings, which are part of the General Services Administration's managed portion of the complex. Building 50 houses GSA's Kansas City South Field Office, and Building 52 houses the Bannister Complex Child Development Center, a child care facility.

 

This third round of tests was taken in the same areas of the buildings as previous tests in February and March 2010. The sampling included indoor air tests, as well as supplemental tests of outdoor air and air samples taken from beneath the concrete floor slabs of both buildings. This sampling round included additional volatile organic compounds. Indoor air samples showed no indication of health concerns related to volatile organic compounds. Results of the related sampling do not indicate migration of any vapors from beneath the building that would pose health risks.

 

EPA also conducted groundwater sampling, soil gas sampling, and soil sampling around the two buildings in December as part of an agreement between EPA and GSA. Additionally, the last of four rounds of air testing was conducted Nov. 19-21, 2010, as part of the comprehensive testing plan at these buildings.

 

An air sampling results summary is available at www.epa.gov/region07/cleanup/bannister.

 

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Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

Air News Brief (HQ): EPA Proposes to Retain National Air Quality Standards for Carbon Monoxide

CONTACTS:
Richard Yost (News Media Only)
yost.richard@epa.gov
202-564-7827
202-564-4355

Enesta Jones (News Media Only)
jones.enesta@epa.gov
202-564-7873
202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2011

EPA Proposes to Retain National Air Quality Standards for Carbon Monoxide

Air monitoring revisions would ensure people are protected

WASHINGTON – After a careful review of the best available science, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to keep the current national air quality standards for carbon monoxide (CO), while taking steps to gather additional data through more focused monitoring. The science shows that the current standards will protect people, especially those susceptible to health problems associated with breathing CO from the outdoor air. CO can cause harmful health effects by reducing oxygen delivery to the body’s organs (like the heart and brain) and tissues. At extremely high levels, CO can cause death.

The current health standards are 9 parts per million (ppm) measured over 8 hours, and 35 ppm measured over 1 hour. To ensure people are protected from high concentrations of CO and to develop better information about CO and its health impacts, EPA is proposing to revise the air monitoring requirements.  The proposed changes would require a more focused monitoring network with CO monitors placed near highly trafficked roads in urban areas with populations of 1 million or more. The data from these sites would be available for scientific studies that could help inform future reviews of the standard. 

EPA estimates that the proposal would require approximately 77 CO monitors in 53 urban areas.  EPA expects that states would not need to purchase new monitoring equipment. They could relocate some of their existing CO monitors to the near-road monitoring stations already required in connection with the revised nitrogen dioxide standards issued in January 2010. CO monitors at the new locations would be required to be operational by January 1, 2013.

The proposed rule only addresses the primary CO standards and is consistent with the advice and recommendations from the agency’s independent science advisors, the Clean Air Act Scientific Advisory Committee. 

CO is a colorless, odorless gas emitted from combustion processes.  Nationally and, particularly in urban areas, the majority of CO emissions come from motor vehicles.

EPA will accept comments for 60 days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register. If requested, the agency will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule on Feb. 18, 2011. EPA will take final action by Aug. 12, 2011.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/carbonmonoxide

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Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

EPA News Release (Region 7): Iowa Department of Transportation and Three Contractors to Pay $60,000 Civil Penalty for Construction Stormwater Violations

 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

 

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

 

Iowa Department of Transportation and Three Contractors to Pay $60,000 Civil Penalty for Construction Stormwater Violations

 

Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 31, 2011) - The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) and three of its contractors have agreed to pay a $60,000 civil penalty for violating the terms of a stormwater permit issued for the U.S. Highway 30 construction project in Tama County, Iowa.

 

IDOT, along with JB Holland Construction, Inc., of Decorah, Iowa; Peterson Contractors, Inc., of Reinbeck, Iowa; and Scheckel Construction, Inc., of Bellevue, Iowa; are the respondents named in an administrative consent agreement filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan.

 

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), as the permitting authority pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act, issued IDOT a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the construction project in July 2008, providing coverage through July 2011. The permit, which regards the three contractors as co-permittees, governs stormwater discharges associated with construction or land disturbance activity.

 

EPA inspectors visited the road construction project in September 2009 and documented several violations of the terms of the NPDES permit. According to the settlement, the respondents failed to properly design, install and maintain best management practices to control construction stormwater runoff. The respondents also failed to develop an adequate Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and failed to perform and document site inspections as required by their permit.

 

Stormwater runoff from construction sites can cause significant environmental harm. Construction activities tend to greatly increase runoff and erosion, depositing increased amounts of sediment into nearby waters. In addition to sediment, stormwater that flows over construction sites can pick up other pollutants such as debris, pesticides, petroleum residues, chemicals, solvents, asphalts and acids, all of which can contribute to water quality problems.

 

Stormwater, snow melt, drainage and runoff carries sediment and contaminants from the U.S. Highway 30 construction site into Tama Mud Creek and an unnamed tributary, which flow into the Iowa River.

 

By agreeing to the settlement, the respondents have certified that the site is now in compliance with all pertinent requirements of the federal Clean Water Act.

 

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Research News Release (HQ): Federal Agencies to Convene National Bed Bug Summit February 1-2

CONTACT:
Dale Kemery (News Media Only)
kemery.dale@epa.gov
202-536-9741 (Cell)
202-564-7839
202-564-4355

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2011

 

Federal Agencies to Convene National Bed Bug Summit February 1-2

WASHINGTON – In response to consumer concern about the rising incidence of bed bugs in the United States, the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup will hold the National Bed Bug Summit on February 1-2, 2011. During the meeting, panels will discuss bed bug initiatives, identify gaps in knowledge and outline suggested ideas for improving control on a community-wide basis. Summit participants will develop recommendations for a national strategy on bed bug control. The meeting will focus on:

• what is being done to combat the problem at federal, state and local levels
• the importance of educating consumers and workers in various sectors
• improvements in prevention and control techniques
• controlling bed bugs in structured settings, such as schools, and multi-family and public housing
• state of bed bug knowledge and research needs

This will be the second Bed Bug Summit that EPA has participated in. The first was in April 2009. Since then, the agency has helped coordinate the activities of the Federal Bed Bug Workgroup and made recommendations for research, the role of government in combating bed bugs, consumer education and communication, and the role of property owners and managers.

WHAT:        2nd National Bed Bug Summit

WHO:         Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 WHEN:       Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.
                   Wednesday, February 2, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

 WHERE:     Georgetown University Hotel & Conference Center
                    3800 Reservoir Road, N.W., Washington, D.C.

 NOTE:        The summit is open to the public but pre-registration is necessary to attend in person. To register, please email the following information (name,
 affiliation, address, phone number, and email address) to: BedBugSummit2Registration@epa.gov

                   The summit is also available via webinar. Instructions for signing on to the webinar along with the agenda are available on EPA's website at: 
 http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ppdc/bedbug-summit/2nd-bedbug-summit.html

 

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Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

EPA News Release (Region 7): Pollutant Reduction Plans Announced for Hinkson, Jordan, Pearson and Wilson Creeks in Missouri

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

 

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

 

Pollutant Reduction Plans Announced for Hinkson, Jordan, Pearson and Wilson Creeks in Missouri

 

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557 or (816) 719-6375 (cell for Jan. 31 only) lancaster.kris@epa.gov

Environmental News

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

(Kansas City, Kan., Jan. 31, 2011) - EPA is establishing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) or pollutant reduction plans for Hinkson Creek in Boone County and Jordan, Pearson and Wilson creeks in Christian and Greene County, Mo. The TMDLs call for significant pollutant reductions to improve the streams’ water quality.

 

“The plans were shaped by extensive public involvement and local and state official input, which resulted in numerous changes to the TMDLs,” EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said. “A variety of pollutants are contributing to the biological impairment of these streams, and these pollutant reduction plans chart the path toward restoring healthy streams in the Missouri counties of Boone, Christian and Greene. We all pay for polluted water through degraded water resources including drinking water and loss of fish and wildlife habitat.”

 

The TMDLs are calculations of the maximum allowable load of pollutants that a water body can receive daily and still meet water quality standards. The TMDLs are established to identify the pollutant reductions necessary to meet water quality standards and restore the water bodies. For each of the four streams, the current biological impairments cannot be attributed to a single pollutant. The impairments are attributed to multiple pollutants.

 

Polluted stormwater runoff is a leading cause of impairment to the nearly 40 percent of surveyed U.S. water bodies that do not meet water quality standards. In these instances, the TMDLs’ sources of impairments include urban stormwater runoff, which carries high levels of pollutants such as oil and grease, suspended solids, nutrients, and heavy metals.

 

Construction activity generally increases erosion and runoff, which can choke streams and lakes with sediment. Sediment-laden runoff destroys spawning beds, suffocates fish eggs, decreases oxygen levels in streams, and blocks sunlight that is essential for the growth of beneficial water grasses.

 

“Today’s plans are a key part of an intensive effort to restore four Missouri streams,” Brooks said. “We believe an iterative process will help us accomplish this goal. Now the Missouri Department of Natural Resources can implement the TMDL pollutant reduction measures to restore drainage areas, protect land from erosion and reduce stormwater runoff. The TMDL documents provide detailed plans and suggested uses of technologies for meeting water quality goals.”

 

There are a number of technologies available to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff, such as green infrastructure practices. Solutions may include permeable pavement, which allows precipitation to soak through the surface and ground; rain gardens; green roofs; and landscape features designed to remove pollutants from runoff.

 

The TMDLs are being established to address requirements of the 2001 Consent Decree, American Canoe Association, et.al. v. EPA, that TMDLs for these streams be established by December 31, 2010. The deadline was extended until January 31, 2011. These streams were first listed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) on its 1998 Impaired Waters, or 303(d), list. EPA has worked closely with MDNR using the best available data to analyze, develop and establish these TMDLs.

 

EPA will work with MDNR to ensure the impairments are addressed as required by the Clean Water Act. The Agency is working with the public, community leaders, local and state agencies to meet the growing needs and demands of our water resources.

 

EPA’s TMDL documents provide a more detailed description of EPA’s review and the basis for this action. The TMDLs are available at www.epa.gov/region07/water/apprtmdl.htm#Missouri.

 

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