SystemThinkers: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

China Strives for Clean Waters with EPA

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01/31/2012 03:00 PM EST

By Sasha Koo-Oshima All over the world, developing countries are faced with the challenge of trying to grow their economies despite finite water resources. The U.S. government, including EPA, is helping countries address some of their most pressing clean water needs while trying to develop international markets for U.S. businesses that specialize in environmental technology. Last [...]

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News Release: EPA To Provide Nearly $10 Million to Clean Up Beaches Across the Nation

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

Denise Hawkins (Public Inquiries Only)
hawkins.denise@epa.gov
202-566-1384

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2012

EPA To Provide Nearly $10 Million to Clean Up Beaches Across the Nation

The agency launches improved website for beach advisories and closures

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will provide $9.8 million in grants to 38 states, territories and tribes to help protect the health of swimmers at America’s beaches. The agency also launched an improved website for beach advisories and closings, which will allow the public to more quickly and easily access the most current water quality and pollution testing information for more than 6,000 U.S. beaches.

The website, called BEACON, has the capability to update as frequently as every two hours based on new data provided by states, territories and tribes. Users will have access to mapped location data for beaches and water monitoring stations, monitoring results for various pollutants such as bacteria and algae, and data on public notification of beach water quality advisories and closures. For the first time, users can also access reports that combine notifications and water quality monitoring data. The enhanced system also uses enhanced map navigation and report display tools.

The majority of beach advisories and closures in the United States are due to water test results indicating bacterial contamination, which can make people sick. Bacterial contamination comes from a variety of sources. Some examples are sewer overflows, untreated stormwater runoff, boating wastes, wildlife and pet waste, and malfunctioning septic systems.

During each swimming season, state and local health and environmental protection agencies monitor the quality of water at the nation’s beaches. When bacteria levels in the water are too high, these agencies notify the public by posting beach warnings or closing the beach.

The grants will help local authorities monitor beach water quality and notify the public of conditions that may be unsafe for swimming.

This is the 12th year that EPA is providing beach grant funds, bringing the total amount EPA has made available to nearly $111 million. As a result, the number of monitored beaches has more than tripled to

more than 3,600 in 2010. Grant applications must be received within 60 days of publication of EPA’s notice in the Federal Register. EPA expects to award the grants later this year.

View EPA’s enhanced beach advisory and closing information: http://watersgeo.epa.gov/BEACON2/<http://watersgeo.epa.gov/BEACON2/>

More information on the grants: http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/beachgrants/index.cfm<http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/beachgrants/index.cfm>

R012

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News Release: SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO FOOD PROCESSING FACTORY WILL PAY NEARLY $700,000 IN PENALTIES, SPEND $6 MILLION TO UPDATE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM SAFETY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 31, 2012

DOJ (202) 514-2007 / TDD (866) 544-5309
EPA (415) 947-4270

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO FOOD PROCESSING FACTORY WILL PAY NEARLY $700,000 IN PENALTIES,
SPEND $6 MILLION TO UPDATE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM SAFETY

Upgrades at South San Francisco Salami Factory Following Hazardous Ammonia Cloud that Left 17 Hospitalized

WASHINGTON – South San Francisco food processor Columbus Manufacturing Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbus Foods LLC, has agreed to pay a penalty and make significant upgrades to settle Clean Air Act violations, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The case stems from two releases of anhydrous ammonia that occurred in 2009 at its manufacturing facility located in South San Francisco, Calif.

The releases were the result of Columbus’ failure of its general duty of care to identify hazards and to maintain a safe facility and its failure to comply with regulatory requirements for process safety management under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act.

“This settlement appropriately penalizes Columbus for violations of the Clean Air Act that resulted in two illegal releases of poisonous gas that put the community at risk, including one release that caused the hospitalization of people in the affected community,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice. “Today’s agreement will prevent future violations of the Clean Air Act safety standards by requiring Columbus to upgrade its refrigeration technology and emergency notification system.”

“Columbus is responsible for letting plumes of poisonous gas escape into the open air,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Our goal is to safeguard neighbors and workers by requiring critical improvements to the company’s plant to prevent these industrial accidents from happening again.”

As part of the consent decree announced today, Columbus will pay a penalty of $685,446 and spend approximately $6 million converting its refrigeration system to a safer technology that uses glycol and ammonia. The company will also improve its alarm and ammonia release notification procedures.

The first accidental ammonia release, in February 2009, sent 217 pounds of poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Six months later in August 2009, the plant again released an ammonia cloud, this time approximately 200 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was released into the atmosphere.

The August incident resulted in the evacuation of all facility employees and several neighboring businesses. Nearly 30 people from the downwind Genentech campus sought medical attention and 17 individuals were hospitalized. One person remained hospitalized for four days. In addition, off-ramps from Highway 101 and several local streets were shut down as a result of the release.

EPA took action following the August 2009 incident, ordering Columbus to complete initial upgrades to its ammonia refrigeration system, including the replacement of safety relief valves and components with any signs of corrosion, and the proper labeling of all its piping. In 2011, the company paid $850,000 in fines to San Mateo County as a result of the incident.

Anhydrous ammonia is considered a poisonous gas. Exposure to its vapors can cause temporary blindness and eye damage, and irritation of the skin, mouth, throat, respiratory tract and mucous membranes. Prolonged exposure to anhydrous ammonia vapor at high concentrations can lead to serious lung damage and even death. Anhydrous ammonia is one of the listed extremely hazardous substances to which Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act applies.

Enforcement of the general duty of care and of the regulatory requirements under Section 112(r)(1) and (7) of the Clean Air Act is critical to ensuring that industry focuses on the safety of the public and the environment.

For more information, including a copy of the consent decree lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, please visit: www.epa.gov/region09/superfund/emerprep.html

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Plan Federal de Acción contra el Radón

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Plan Federal de Acción contra el Radón

01/31/2012 10:20 AM EST

Por Philip Jalbert Hay un interesante proyecto en el cual un pequeño equipo y yo estamos personalmente involucrados. Este proyecto sin precedentes aborda el asunto de un serio riesgo de salud. Se trata del gas radioactivo radón. El radón causa cáncer pulmonar y mata a más de 21,0000 estadounidenses cada año. Tenía una tía que murió [...]

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