SystemThinkers: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Water News (Region 5): EPA Seeks Public Comment on Draft Permits for Romulus Hazardous Waste Underground Injection Wells

CONTACT: Peter Cassell, 312-886-6234, cassell.peter@epa.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 11-OPA027

CHICAGO (March 31, 2011) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the start of a public comment period on draft permits for two underground hazardous waste injection wells that Environmental Geo-Technologies seeks to reopen at 28470 Citrin Drive in Romulus, Michigan. The company has also applied to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for an air permit and a license to operate this facility.

U.S. EPA will accept written comments from March 31 to June 29 and at a public hearing on May 17. The Agency will host information sessions in advance of the public hearing from 10 a.m. to noon and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 16. The public hearing will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. All meetings and the public hearing will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 8000 Merriman Road, Romulus. MDEQ will be holding a public hearing on the proposed state hazardous waste facility operating license jointly with EPA’s hearing.

Comments on the U.S. EPA draft permit should be addressed to Allan Batka, UIC Branch (WU-16J), EPA Region 5, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3590 or batka.allan@epa.gov. For questions and additional information contact Allan Batka at 312-353-7316, or EPA toll-free line at 800-621-8431, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., weekdays. Draft documents and information about the public hearing and information sessions are available on EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/region5/water/uic/egt.

The official records are also available at the following libraries: Romulus Public Library, 11121 Wayne Road; Taylor Community Library, 12303 Pardee Road; Eshleman Library, Henry Ford Community College, 5101 Evergreen Road, Dearborn.

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EPA News Release (Region 3): EPA Proposes to Grant Clean Air Act Petition to Improve Air Quality in New Jersey

Contacts: Terri A. White, EPA Region 3, (215) 814-5523, white.terri-a@epa.gov

Elias Rodriguez, EPA Region 2, (212) 637-3664, Rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

EPA Proposes to Grant Clean Air Act Petition to Improve Air Quality in New Jersey

Agency action would cut transport of air pollutants from Pa. power plant

WASHINGTON (March 31, 2011) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed to grant a petition submitted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to limit sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from a Pennsylvania power plant that are adversely impacting air quality in four New Jersey counties. The proposed rule, when final, would require the Portland Generating Station in Northampton County, Pa. to reduce its SO2 emissions by 81 percent over a three-year period. Exposure to SO2 can aggravate asthma and cause other respiratory difficulties. People with asthma, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to these effects.

Under the Clean Air Act, when a facility impacts air quality in another state, the affected state can petition EPA and request that the facility be required to reduce its impact. In a September 2010 petition, New Jersey asked EPA to find that the Portland power plant is impacting the state’s air quality and to require the facility to reduce its SO2 emissions. These emission reductions can be achieved using proven and widely available pollution control methods.

New Jersey conducted several air quality modeling analyses to evaluate SO2 levels in the state. These analyses show that the level of SO2 in the air is exceeding the agency’s 1-hour national air quality standard and that the Portland plant is the main source of emissions. EPA also conducted its own modeling analyses and found the same results.

Typically a mix of sources from multiple locations is responsible for air quality issues in a specific area. However, in this case, the extensive analysis shows a clear connection between the emissions from the Portland plant alone and the elevated level of SO2 in New Jersey.

EPA will accept comment on this proposal until May 27, 2011. The agency is also holding public hearing on this proposed rule on April 27, 2011 in Oxford, N.J. The hearing will provide stakeholders with the opportunity to submit written or oral comments in person. A written record of the hearing will be compiled and submitted to the docket. Any questions posed at the hearing will be replied to in a response to comment summary issued with EPA’s final response to the petition.

More information on the petition and public hearing: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/new.html

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Air News Release (Region 2): EPA Proposes to Grant Clean Air Act Petition to Improve Air Quality in New Jersey; Agency action would cut transport of air pollutants from Pa. power plant

CONTACT:

EPA Region 2 Elias Rodriguez, (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

EPA Region 3 Terri A. White, (215) 814-5523, white.terri-a@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 31, 2011

EPA Proposes to Grant Clean Air Act Petition to Improve Air Quality in New Jersey

Agency action would cut transport of air pollutants from Pa. power plant

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed to grant a petition submitted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to limit sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from a Pennsylvania power plant that are adversely impacting air quality in four New Jersey counties. The proposed rule, when final, would require the Portland Generating Station in Northampton County, Pa. to reduce its SO2 emissions by 81 percent over a three-year period. Exposure to SO2 can aggravate asthma and cause other respiratory difficulties. People with asthma, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to these effects.

More information on the petition and public hearing: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/new.html

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EPA News Release (Region 7): Window World of St. Louis to Pay $19,529 Penalty for Failure to Notify Owners, Residents of Lead Risks Before Renovation

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

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

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

Window World of St. Louis to Pay $19,529 Penalty for Failure to Notify Owners, Residents of Lead Risks Before Renovation

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

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., March 31, 2011) - Window World of St. Louis, Inc., has agreed to pay a $19,529 civil penalty to the United States to settle allegations that it failed to notify owners and occupants of at least 20 St. Louis area residential properties built before 1978 of lead-based paint risks prior to performing renovation work at those locations.

According to an administrative consent agreement filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan., the window replacement company, located in Maryland Heights, Mo., was legally required to provide owners and residents of the properties with an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet before starting renovations at the properties.

Provision of the lead hazard information pamphlet to property owners and occupants is one requirement of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, which Congress passed in 1992 as an amendment of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The regulation is intended to protect owners and occupants of residential properties, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 from health risks associated with lead-based paint. Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in the United States in 1978. Most homes built before 1978 contain some amount of lead-based paint, and subsequent renovation activity of such properties can cause occupants to be exposed to dust, chips and debris that contain lead.

The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act requires renovators of such properties to obtain certified training, follow safe work practices, and take specific steps to make owners and occupants aware of health risks associated with lead exposure before renovation work occurs.

As part of its settlement with EPA, and in addition to paying the $19,529 civil penalty, Window World of St. Louis has agreed to perform a supplemental environmental project, through which it will spend an estimated $20,048 to replace a total of 73 old windows contaminated with lead paint at three group home facilities operated by the non-profit social services organization Youth in Need. Those facilities are located at 1420 N. 3^rd Street, 516 Jefferson Street, and 529 Jefferson Street, in St. Charles, Mo.

# # #

Learn more about EPA’s civil enforcement of the Toxic Substances Control Act

Learn more about the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992

Learn more about health risks associated with lead exposure

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