Pollution

New standard to protect millions of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens

11/17/2009 -- WASHINGTON – For the first time in nearly 40 years, EPA is proposing to strengthen the nation’s sulfur dioxide (SO2) air quality standard to protect public health. Power plants and other industrial facilities emit SO2 directly into the air. Exposure to SO2 can aggravate asthma, cause respiratory difficulties, and result in emergency room visits and hospitalization. People with asthma, children, and the elderly are especially vulnerable to SO2’s effects.    » read more »

Statement of Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO

(November 17, 2009) -- Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed new limits on the toxic air pollutant sulfur dioxide in the outdoor air. This health standard has not been revised since 1971. The American Lung Association welcomes this long overdue action and urges EPA to set a standard at a level that truly protects public health. Inhaling sulfur dioxide (SO2) makes it hard for people with asthma to breathe. High levels of SO2 force people to the emergency room and to hospitals because they have trouble breathing.    » read more »

November 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed tighter controls for dangerous sulfur dioxide emissions, winning the support of Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Clean Air and Nuclear Safety subcommittee.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a dangerous air pollutant that can travel long distances and results when sulfur-containing fuels such as coal, oil or diesel are burned. Each year, manmade sources emit more than 14 million tons of sulfur dioxide nationwide

“Current federal standards simply fail to protect public health,” said Sen. Carper. “I have long supported tighter SO2 controls that protect Americans with lung diseases like asthma, and especially children and older adults.”    » read more »

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 12, 2009) - EPA is seeking Environmental Justice Small Grant applications to support projects that address local environmental and public health issues within affected communities.

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

The Environmental Justice Small Grants (EJSG) Program is designed to help communities understand and address their exposure to multiple environmental harms and risks. The long-term goals of the EJSG Program are to help build the capacity of the affected community and create self-sustaining, community-based partnerships that will continue to improve local environments in the future.    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- Corpus Christi—The United Steelworkers Union (USW) is asking why elected officials from Corpus Christi did not appear at a community forum Nov. 11 to discuss the dangers of using hydrogen fluoride (HF) in area refineries and its alternatives.

“Their failure to appear at this forum is especially disheartening since a serious refinery accident in July that involved a fire and HF release left one worker fighting for his life,” said Jim Lefton, sub-director of USW District 13. “Residents around the refineries wondered why city and county officials deserted them.”    » read more »

Boeing remains committed to protecting Santa Susana as public open space; Cleanup will continue while court decides case

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Nov. 13, 2009 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] is asking a federal court to review a recent California law passed solely to regulate the environmental cleanup of Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former federal government rocket engine testing and energy research facility northwest of Los Angeles.

In its filing, Boeing says the recent state law changes the normal cleanup process applied throughout the state by imposing “irrational and arbitrary requirements” on Santa Susana.    » read more »

Letter Authored by Sen. Harkin (D-Iowa) Pushes for Emission Allowances That Don't Punish Mid-Western Enegy Consumers

Washington, D.C. -- Nov 12, 2009 – U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) today joined a group of 14 colleagues in asking Senate leaders to make sure that any climate and energy legislation does not unfairly or disproportionately raise electricity costs in certain regions of the country.    » read more »

November 09, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Queens) today applauded the House passage of the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2868), which would increase the security and safety of the country’s chemical plants and water facilities. Maloney is a co-sponsor of the legislation, which passed the House late Friday afternoon by a vote of 230 to 193.    » read more »

11/06/2009 -- WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new information on EPA and state enforcement of hazardous waste and air regulations. In addition, the EPA posted data that allows the public, for the first time, to compare toxic releases with compliance data from facilities. This is part of EPA’s ongoing commitment to increase transparency and promote the public’s right to know by improving access to available data.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2009 - Expanded action and increased accountability by the federal government are the focus of a draft strategy for restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay required by President Obama's Executive Order. To accelerate efforts and track progress, federal agencies are committing to meet milestones every two years, leading to all activities needed to restore the Chesapeake Bay and watershed being in place no later than 2025.    » read more »

11/04/2009 -- LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to Texaco Inc. that requires the company to assess soil and groundwater contamination and evaluate additional cleanup options, for the Pacific Coast Pipeline Superfund Site (commonly known as the “Texaco site”) in Fillmore, Calif.

“With this UAO, EPA looks forward to moving the Site cleanup into its final phase, so the property can be returned to productive reuse by the community,” said Keith Takata, Director of the Superfund program in EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. “This cooperative effort builds on prior cleanup work and will result in a protective cleanup for the community.”    » read more »

Water Quality Pilot Program Will Be Duplicated in Florida, Hawaii and Pacific Islands

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2009- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the launch of a new initiative to conserve coral reefs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide $1 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Fiscal Year 2010 to reduce sediment and nutrient run-off from the watershed to help protect near shore coral reef ecosystems in the Guánica Bay Watershed in southwest Puerto Rico.

Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Ann Mills made the announcement today on behalf of Secretary Vilsack at the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force's bi-annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico.    » read more »

Legislation seeks to expose true causes for declines of fish, return flow of water to Valley

November 3, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Dennis Cardoza introduced bipartisan legislation today that calls for a review of the federal biological opinions that have significantly reduced the amount of water flowing to San Joaquin Valley farmers. Congressmen Costa (D-Fresno) and Radanovich (R-Mariposa) joined as original cosponsors.    » read more »

11/03/2009 -- WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is adding three new hazardous waste sites that pose risks to human health and the environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country.

To date, there have been 1,610 sites listed on the NPL. Of these sites, 340 sites have been deleted resulting in 1,270 sites currently on the NPL (including the three new sites added in today’s rulemaking). There are 63 proposed sites awaiting final agency action: 58 in the general Superfund section and five in the federal facilities section. There are a total of 1,333 final and proposed sites.    » read more »

Listing makes cleanup of Tooele County facility a high priority

(Denver, Colo. -- November 2, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ), today announced it has added U.S. Magnesium, LLC, in Tooele County, Utah, to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites.

Listing U.S. Magnesium on the NPL makes the cleanup of the site a high priority nationally. It also enables EPA and UDEQ to use Superfund authority under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act to initiate and oversee the cleanup of the site. Sites listed on the NPL are among the nation’s most contaminated places.    » read more »