| For Immediate Release: August 30, 2012 Contact: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, higuchi.dean@epa.gov EPA issues complaint to Tahiti Nui for failing to close cesspools Kauai restaurant failed to respond to demands to comply with requirements
HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiated an enforcement action under the Safe Drinking Water Act against Christian Marston and Tahiti Nui Enterprises, Inc. LLC for failing to close three large capacity cesspools in Hanalei, Kauai.
“EPA is committed to protecting Hawaii’s vital water resources by closing these illegal large capacity cesspools,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Although almost 3,000 cesspools have been closed, an alarming number are still in use.”
EPA has inspected Marston’s property, including the Tahiti Nui Restaurant and Cocktail Bar, multiple times and notified Marston that his establishment was in violation of the federal regulations. In 2006, the owner acknowledged the operation of large capacity cesspools and retained the services of a professional engineer to design a state-approved individual wastewater system to replace the cesspools.
However, in 2010 EPA determined that Marston had failed to comply with the requirements to close and convert the three cesspools serving his property. As a result of the continued noncompliance, EPA is now seeking penalties of up to $177,500, the amount authorized under the Safe Drinking Water Act, in addition to prompt closure and replacement of the cesspools with an approved wastewater system.
The facility is located in a "priority watershed," as designated by the State of Hawaii and EPA, where use of the large capacity cesspools poses a significant risk to underground sources of drinking water and nearby surface waters.
A large capacity cesspool discharges untreated sewage from multiple dwellings, or a non-residential location that serves 20 or more people per day. EPA regulations prohibited new large capacity cesspool construction after April 2000 and required closure of existing large cesspools as of April 2005. The regulations do not apply to single-family homes connected to their own individual cesspools or to non-residential cesspools that do not have the capacity to serve 20 or more people.
Cesspools, which are used more widely in Hawaii than any other state, discharge raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens and other contaminants can pollute groundwater, streams and the ocean. Large capacity cesspools are used by restaurants, hotels, office complexes, and multiple dwellings, such as duplexes, apartments and condominiums, to dispose their sanitary waste.
For more information on this particular complaint visit: http://www.epa.gov/region9/enforcement/pubnotices/pubnotice-tahiti-nui.html
For more information on the large capacity cesspool ban, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/groundwater/uic-hicesspools.html
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Thursday, August 30, 2012
News Release: EPA issues complaint to Tahiti Nui for failing to close cesspools
News Release: EPA Encourages the Public to Comment on Plan for Cleanup at Shenandoah Road Superfund Site in East Fishkill, New York
| EPA Encourages the Public to Comment on Plan for Cleanup at Shenandoah Road Superfund Site in East Fishkill, New York
Contact: Elias Rodriguez, 212-637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov
(New York, N.Y. – August 30, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a plan to clean up contaminated ground water at the Shenandoah Road Ground water Contamination Superfund site in a rural area of East Fishkill, New York. Past industrial activities contaminated the ground water with tetrachloroethene, commonly known as PCE, which is a volatile organic compound that can have serious health effects. The proposed plan calls for the continued operation of a system that extracts and treats ground water coupled with natural processes to reduce the contaminants in the ground water and restrictions on ground water use as well as to ensure that the remedy remains intact.
The EPA will hold a public meeting on September 12, 2012 to explain the proposed plan and is encouraging public comments. The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the East Fishkill Fire District Administration Building, 2502 Route 52, Hopewell Junction, New York. Comments will be accepted from August 29 until September 28, 2012.
Between 1965 and 1975, Jack Manne, Inc. rented a property at 7 East Hook Cross Road in East Fishkill and operated a facility there to clean and repair computer chip racks supplied to it under a contract with International Business Machines. As part of this process, solvents, including PCE, were disposed of in a septic tank and an in-ground pit located at the property.
In 2000, well sampling conducted by the New York State Department of Health indicated that residential wells in the vicinity of the facility were contaminated with PCE above the federal and state maximum contaminant level. Following this discovery, the EPA initiated an emergency response at the site and began the delivery of bottled water to affected residences. The EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation determined that the source of the PCE contamination in these nearby residential wells was the facility.
The Shenandoah site was placed on EPA's Superfund list of the nation's most hazardous waste sites in 2001, and EPA notified IBM and Jack Manne of their status as parties potentially responsible for the cleanup. Later that year, IBM entered into an agreement with the EPA to complete soil cleanup work already begun at the site by the EPA.
With EPA oversight, IBM completed the removal of the excavated sources of ground water contamination from the facility. In early November 2003, IBM presented the EPA with the alternatives for providing a permanent water supply, and the EPA subsequently selected a connection to the Fishkill municipal water supply. In March 2009, the public water supply system was completed and began to supply drinking water to the Shenandoah Road community.
In September 2002, IBM entered into a second agreement with the EPA to perform a study of the nature and extent of contamination that remained at the site as well as cleanup alternatives. The proposed plan for the next phase of the cleanup involves the continued operation of the source area ground water extraction and treatment system currently in place, and natural processes such as dilution and dispersion as well as land and ground water use restrictions. Monitoring wells will be periodically sampled to measure the effectiveness of both the source ground water extraction and treatment system and the natural processes.
The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to taxpayers. After sites are placed on the Superfund list of the most contaminated waste sites, the EPA searches for parties responsible for the contamination and holds them accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups. The cleanup of the Shenandoah Road site is expected to be performed by IBM with oversight by the EPA.
Written comments may be mailed or emailed to: Damian Duda, Remedial Project Manager U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 2 290 Broadway – 20th Floor New York, N.Y. 10007-1866 (212) 637-4269
For more information on the Shenandoah Road Ground water Contamination Superfund site, go to: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/shenandoah/.
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EPA News Release (Region 7): Deadline November 21 for Eligible Schools, Entities to Submit Proposals for EPA’s Environmental Education Grants
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
Deadline November 21 for Eligible Schools, Entities to Submit Proposals for EPA’s Environmental Education Grants
Contact Information: Denise Morrison, 913-551-7402, morrison.denise@epa.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Kansas City, Kan., Aug. 30, 2012) - EPA Region 7 will accept proposals from eligible schools and entities through Nov. 21, 2012, for the Agency’s 2012 Environmental Education grants to develop new programs promoting environmental stewardship in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska communities.
EPA’s Environmental Education grants provide funding to local education agencies, state education and environmental agencies; colleges and universities; not-for-profit organizations; and non-commercial broadcasting entities. Tribal education agencies controlled by an Indian tribe, band or nation, including schools and community colleges, may also apply.
EPA expects to award one $216,000 grant in each of its 10 geographical regions, including Region 7, for a total of $2,160,000 in grants awarded nationwide.
Proposed projects should involve designing, demonstrating or developing innovative education tools and materials. Projects also should involve environmental education activities that go beyond disseminating information. A solicitation notice for the grants, and information about two webinars that will be held in September for interested applicants, are available online at www.epa.gov/education/grants.
In EPA Region 7, all proposals for the 2012 grants must be received by 5 p.m. (CST) on Nov. 21, 2012. Through Sept. 30, 2012, proposals should be mailed to Denise Morrison, Environmental Education Coordinator, EPA Region 7, Office of Public Affairs, 901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101. After Oct. 1, 2012, due to relocation of the EPA Regional Office, proposals should be mailed to Denise Morrison, Environmental Education Coordinator, EPA Region 7, Office of Public Affairs, 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa, KS 66219. Applicants with specific questions about the grants may contact Ms. Morrison at morrison.denise@epa.gov.
Environmental Education increases public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provides program participants the skills necessary to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions.
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Learn more about EPA’s Environmental Education Programs
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7
Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL into a browser.
View all Region 7 News Releases
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Leaving the Outhouse Behind
| You are subscribed to It All Starts With Science Blog for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. 08/30/2012 11:34 AM EDT By Lahne Mattas-Curry This week, and every Thursday that follows, I'll introduce you to the EPA scientists and engineers who work to make sure our water stays clean and that we have enough for generations to come. Today I'm kicking off a series on green infrastructure while we recognize the role of science and innovation [...]
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Where Were You That Day?
| You are subscribed to Greenversations Blog Posts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
08/30/2012 10:30 AM EDT By Lina Younes There are historic events that become engrained in our collective memories. I'm talking about those events that, even decades later, you remember exactly what you were doing when you first heard the news. Some of these events like the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Challenger disaster, or September 11 obviously [...]
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