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DALLAS, TEXAS (July 5, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 and the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) recently posted the reports for 124 facilities the two agencies inspected in the New Mexico Permian Basin area in April. Fourteen EPA inspectors and five NMED inspectors took part in these joint inspections and concluded a total of 75 of the facilities—60 percent—had emissions of Volatile Emission Compounds (VOC) and could be subject to penalties and other enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act (CAA). VOCs contribute to the formation of ozone (smog), which can result in health problems such as asthma, lung infections, bronchitis, and cancer.  

“All companies must comply with the Clean Air Act, including those in the Permian Basin that are contributing to the energy needs of our country,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “These large-scale inspections demonstrate EPA’s commitment to preventing VOC and methane emissions in the Permian Basin.” 

“The results of our federal and state oil and gas investigations are cause for alarm, with a meager 40% compliance rate,” Environment Department Cabinet Secretary James Kenney said. “With the impacts of climate change ravaging our state and air quality degrading, we have no choice but to increase sanctions on polluters until we see a commitment to change behavior.”  

The inspections took place at eight companies with multiple facilities in the New Mexico Permian Basin area: XTO Energy, Inc, Chevron U.S.A. Inc, Permian Resources, Earthstone Energy, Inc, Tap Rock, Marathon Oil, Franklin Mountain Energy, Inc, and Kaiser Francis Oil Company. Additionally, 112 of these facilities  are located in communities with environmental justice concerns due to exposure to higher levels of pollution such as ozone. For more information on these specific inspections, please view our New Mexico enforcement webpage.  

For more information about EPA’s enforcement program and how we address pollution problems please visit the agency’s enforcement website. 

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage. 

BOSTON, MASS (July 3, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a plan to clean up the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site and will hold a public meeting and public hearing to update the community on proposed remediation plan and to accept comments.

EPA's proposed plan summarizes risks posed by contamination at the site and presents and evaluation of cleanup options. EPA also identifies the Agency's preferred cleanup alternative along with the other cleanup options considered.

The community is invited to attend the public meeting and hearing in person:

When: July 16, 2024 - 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Old Town Hall located at 531 Main St in Farmington, NH.

Those interested in attending vrtually can register at: www.epa.gov/superfund/collins.

EPA will accept public comments during a 30-day formal public comment period from July 1, 2024 – July 30, 2024.

Email comments no later than July 30, 2024, to Hull.Richard@epa.gov, or mail to:

Richard Hull
EPA Region 1 New England
5 Post Office Square, Suite 100
Mail Code: 07-1
Boston, MA 02109-3912

Additionally, verbal comments may be made during the formal public hearing following the informational meeting on July 16, 2024.

Links to Proposed Plan and Administrative Record:

Proposed Plan, 6/26/2024 (pdf) (9.3 MB).

Administrative Record for Proposed Plan

Additional information about the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) Superfund Site can be found at: www.epa.gov/superfund/collins. 

Background

The Collins & Aikman Plant (former) site is located on a 123-acre parcel in Farmington, New Hampshire. The majority of the property consists of undeveloped wooded areas and remnants of the concrete floor from the 267,000 square foot (ft2) former manufacturing building which was demolished in 2010. The former actively used area of the property reportedly occupied approximately 33 acres and included the manufacturing building, a 60,000-ft2 warehouse, and paved areas.

From 1966 to 2006, operations included the manufacturing of automotive instrument panels and other injection molded automotive interior components. Manufacturing operations included polyurethane foam molding and construction of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shells. These operations used the solvents tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE) and vinyl chloride, as well as other hazardous chemicals, some of which were released to the environment. In 1984, a water supply well operated by the Town of Farmington and located approximately 3,500 feet from the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) site was found to be contaminated with VOCs. Numerous investigation and remedial activities were undertaken prior to EPA placing the Collins & Aikman Plant (former) site on the Superfund program's National Priorities List (NPL) for cleanup in December 2013.

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced settlements of two cases involving agricultural worker protection, one with Olomana Orchids Inc., in Kaneohe, and one with Mari’s Gardens LLC, in Mililani. Both farms are located on the island of Oʻahu.

“Reducing pesticide exposure is a high priority for EPA. With our state partners, we’re focused on protecting agricultural workers and pesticide handlers,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “All farms, nurseries, and agricultural establishments must follow pesticide label instructions and ensure their workers are properly trained to safely use and apply pesticides and work in treated areas.”

“The EPA’s Worker Protection Standard helps to protect the health and safety of Hawai‘i’s agricultural workers and their families,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture. “All agricultural operations should make it a priority to ensure the proper use of pesticides and to require proper training for workers.”

Olomana Orchids will pay $2,505 for failing to ensure that two of its workers had been trained in accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Worker Protection Standard (WPS). Mari’s Gardens will pay $1,173 for failing to provide complete decontamination supplies to its handlers in accordance with the WPS. The State of Hawaiʻi conducted the inspections at each nursery in 2021 and  afterwards referred both cases to the EPA in 2023 for resolution.

Learn more about EPA’s Occupational Pesticide Safety and Health and Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS)

For more information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and regulations, visit EPA’s enforcement reporting website.

Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

WASHINGTON – Today, July 3, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that General Motors (GM) has agreed to retire approximately 50 million metric tons (megagrams) of greenhouse gas credits to resolve excess CO2 emissions identified through EPA’s light-duty vehicle in-use testing program. This agreement is the result of an EPA investigation that identified excess CO2 emissions from approximately 5.9 million 2012-2018 model year (MY) GM vehicles currently in use.

EPA light-duty vehicle standards are designed to ensure that vehicles on the road conform to the emissions performance asserted by manufacturers during EPA’s certification process. Automakers are required to test vehicles that have been on the road for one year and again at four years and submit those test results to EPA. EPA also conducts its own tests to ensure vehicles on the road are complying with emissions standards. Tests done by both EPA and GM showed the GM vehicles were emitting more than 10 percent higher CO2 on average than GM’s initial GHG compliance reports claimed.

“EPA’s vehicle standards depend on strong oversight in order to deliver public health benefits in the real world,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Our investigation has achieved accountability and upholds an important program that’s reducing air pollution and protecting communities across the country.”

This action involves approximately 4.6 million 2012-2018 full size pickups and SUVs and approximately 1.3 million 2012-2018 midsize SUVs. A list of affected vehicles is below.

The in-use program is an essential part of EPA’s work to ensure that the climate benefits of EPA’s vehicle standards are realized. That includes the recently finalized light duty vehicle standards that are expected to avoid more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions and provide nearly $100 billion of annual net benefits. EPA remains vigilant in monitoring the performance of the vehicles on the road today to ensure automakers comply and the goals of the greenhouse gas programs are achieved.

GM’s credit retirement will be reflected in EPA’s next update of the Automotive Trends and GHG Compliance Report later this year available on EPA’s Automotive Trends Report webpage.

Affected Vehicles:

Model Years Size Models Test groups Affected number of vehicles

2012 to 2017

2.4L

Chevrolet Equinox FWD, Chevrolet Captiva FWD, GMC Terrain FWD

CGMXJ02.4150, CGMXJ02.4151, CGMXJ02.4199, DGMXJ02.4151, DGMXJ02.4199, DGMXJ02.5150, EGMXJ02.4199, EGMXJ02.5150, EGMXT02.4151, FGMXJ02.4199, FGMXJ02.5150, FGMXT02.4151, GGMXJ02.4199, GGMXT02.4151, HGMXJ02.4199, HGMXT02.4151

            1,307,946

2012 to 2014

5.3L

Chevrolet K1500 TAHOE 4WD, Chevrolet C1500 TAHOE 2WD, Chevrolet K15 SILVERADO 4WD, Chevrolet C15 SILVERADO 2WD, Chevrolet C15 SILVERADO 2WD XFE,  GMC C15 SIERRA 2WD, GMC C15 SIERRA 2WD XFE, GMC K15 SIERRA 4WD, GMC K1500 YUKON 4WD, GMC K1500 YUKON XL 4WD, GMC C1500 YUKON 2WD, GMC C1500 YUKON XL 2WD, Chevrolet C1500 Suburban 2WD, Chevrolet K1500 Suburban 4WD, Chevrolet C15 Avalanche 2WD, Chevrolet K15 Avalanche 4WD

CGMXT05.3373, CGMXT05.3381, DGMXT05.3373, DGMXT05.3381, EGMXT05.3373, EGMXT05.3381

                972,895

2012 to 2014

6.2L

Cadillac ESCALADE 2WD, Cadillac ESCALADE ESV 2WD, GMC C1500 YUKON 2WD, GMC C1500 YUKON XL 2WD, Cadillac ESCALADE AWD, GMC K1500 YUKON DENLI AWD

CGMXT06.2374, CGMXT06.2375, DGMXT06.2374, DGMXT06.2375, EGMXT06.2373,

EGMXT6.2374, EGMXT06.2375

                  75,100

2014 to 2018

5.3L

Chevrolet K1500 TAHOE 4WD, Chevrolet C1500 TAHOE 2WD, Chevrolet K15 SILVERADO 4WD, Chevrolet K15 SILVERADO 4WD CAB CHASSIS, Chevrolet C15 SILVERADO 2WD, Chevrolet C15 SILVERADO 2WD CAB CHASSIS, GMC K15 SIERRA 4WD, GMC K15 SIERRA 4WD CAB CHASSIS, GMC C15 SIERRA 2WD, GMC C15 SIERRA 2WD CAB CHASSIS, GMC K1500 YUKON 4WD, GMC C1500 YUKON 2WD, Chevrolet K1500 Suburban 4WD, Chevrolet C1500 Suburban 2WD, GMC K1500 Yukon XL 4WD, GMC C1500 Yukon XL 2WD

EGMXT05.3382, FGMXT05.3382, FGMXT06.2374, GGMXT05.3382, GGMXT05.3384, HGMXT05.3382, HGMXT05.3384, JGMXT05.3382, JGMXT05.3384

            3,131,011

2014 to 2018

4.3L

Chevrolet C15 SILVERADO 2WD, GMC K15 SIERRA 4WD, Chevrolet K15 SILVERADO 4WD, GMC C15 SIERRA 2WD

EGMXT04.3187, FGMXT04.3187, GGMXT04.3187, HGMXT04.3187,

JGMXT04.3187

                396,340

SEATTLE (2 de julio de 2024) -- La Agencia de Protección Ambiental y el Ministerio de Justicia de EE. UU. solicitaron hoy al Tribunal de Distrito Este de Washington que obligue inmediatamente a tres importantes vaquerías del Bajo Valle de Yakima a someter a pruebas diversos pozos declive descendiente en un área aproximada de 5,5 kilómetros al sur y suroeste de sus establecimientos y a proporcionar suministros de agua potable alternativos a los hogares en los que el agua de pozo supera el estándar federal correspondiente a nitratos: 10 miligramos por litro.

La “moción para una orden judicial preliminar” de hoy es una medida inmediatamente posterior a la demanda que presentaron la EPA y el Ministerio de Justicia el 26 de junio, en la que aseveraban que ninguna de las tres vaquerías había controlado correctamente el nivel de contaminación con nitratos de sus establecimientos. En la querella, la EPA alega que las vaquerías (que en conjunto tienen más de 30.000 animales) no han cumplido con el acuerdo legal que formalizaron con la agencia en 2013, cuyo propósito era reducir las fugas de nitratos de sus establecimientos y proteger a los miembros de las comunidades declive abajo que sufren el problema de agua de pozo contaminada con nitratos. Las agencias creen que esta polución con nitratos puede estar contaminando los pozos de agua potable de los miembros de las comunidades cercanas.

La EPA insta a los miembros de las comunidades que utilizan pozos en un área aproximada de 5,5 kilómetros al sur y suroeste de las vaquerías a que visiten www.epa.gov/lyvgw o llamen al 509-204-1941 (llamadas locales) o al 888-508-6344 (línea gratuita) para obtener información sobre cómo someter sus pozos a pruebas de nitratos.

Los nitratos son contaminantes agudos. Una única exposición puede imponer riesgos para la salud, incluso una patología infantil que se conoce como metahemoglobinemia (también denominada “Síndrome del niño azul”) y puede ocasionar la muerte. Las embarazadas o las personas que padecen otros problemas de salud también corren un alto riesgo de sufrir otros efectos sobre su salud a raíz de la exposición a nitratos.

“Las personas que viven cerca de estas vaquerías están en riesgo”, así lo afirma Ed Kowalski, director de la División de Aplicación de la Ley y Verificación del Cumplimiento perteneciente a la Región 10 de la EPA. “Es fundamental que las vaquerías cumplan con lo que han prometido para proteger a sus vecinos. Todavía hay trabajo por hacer y la contaminación persiste”.

“Todos merecen agua potable segura”, continúa Kowalski. “Y vamos a hacer todo lo que podamos para garantizar que las personas que viven cerca de estas vaquerías la consigan lo antes posible”.

“Aplicar las leyes de salud pública y ambiental con solvencia y equidad garantiza una comunidad saludable para que todas las familias puedan vivir, aprender, divertirse y trabajar”, afirmó Vanessa R. Waldref, Fiscal de Estados Unidos a cargo del Distrito Este de Washington. “Es necesario proteger el acceso a agua potable segura para hacer posible una buena calidad de vida, además de que permite que nuestra región sea más segura y fuerte”.

Específicamente, la EPA le ha solicitado al juez federal que exija lo siguiente a las vaquerías:

• Seguir monitoreando las napas de agua en toda la extensión de sus establecimientos.

• Ofrecer pruebas de nitratos en pozos de agua potable a los miembros de las comunidades en un área aproximada de 5,5 kilómetros en declive hidrológico descendiente.

• Ofrecerse a proporcionar a los hogares afectados una unidad de tratamiento o un servicio de agua embotellada si los niveles de nitratos se encuentran por encima del nivel de contención máximo: 10 mg/L

• Ofrecer un servicio de mantenimiento profesional a todos los hogares afectados que tengan una unidad de tratamiento.

• Someter inmediatamente a pruebas un estanque revestido en busca de fugas, puesto que el revestimiento sufrió graves daños en una tormenta y la EPA sospecha que es una fuente continua de fuga de significantes cantidades de nitratos a las napas subterráneas.

Si el tribunal está de acuerdo, la EPA notificará a los hogares afectados y les explicará de qué manera podrán acceder a pruebas de pozos gratuitas y fuentes de suministro de agua alternativas, si es necesario.

Leer los documentos legales.

Antecedentes

En el año 2010, la EPA descubrió que la contaminación con nitratos en los pozos del Bajo Valle de Yakima Valley (un área históricamente sobrecargada de problemas ambientales y de salud pública) puede imponer “peligros inminentes y sustanciales para la salud humana”.

El Bajo Valle de Yakima cuenta con aproximadamente 9300 pozos en propiedades privadas que son la fuente de agua potable de los habitantes. La EPA sabe que aproximadamente 5600 de estos pozos situados en propiedades privadas se encuentran en el condado de Yakima y que alrededor de 3700 están en el condado vecino de Benton.

Es posible que los hogares que reciben agua potable proveniente de pozos residenciales (o pozos situados en propiedades privadas), estén en riesgo. Entre los pozos de agua potable residenciales hay pozos individuales que suministran agua a un hogar específico, pozos compartidos para dos casas y pozos que proporcionan agua potable a menos de 15 conexiones del servicio y a menos de 25 personas por día, considerados “Sistemas públicos de agua del Grupo B” en el estado de Washington.

Si bien a la EPA le preocupa la contaminación con nitratos de las napas subterráneas en la totalidad del Bajo Valle de Yakima, la Agencia se concentra en estas tres importantes vaquerías del área de Granger, donde los niveles de nitratos en las napas son particularmente elevados y el agua de pozo de muchos hogares declive abajo presenta alto contenido de nitratos.

Las vaquerías generan grandes cantidades de desechos animales líquidos y sólidos; estos residuos contienen nitrógeno, que puede convertirse en nitrato en el suelo. Si no se lo controla correctamente, el nitrato puede transferirse a las napas de agua.

La EPA está trabajando con agencias estatales para reducir los altos niveles de nitratos detectados en los suministros subterráneos en todo el Bajo Valle de Yakima y ha entregado fondos al Ministerio de Salud de Washington para mejorar la educación sobre la calidad de las napas subterráneas y del aire, además de tareas de extensión en el Bajo Valle de Yakima. Como parte de este esfuerzo y en sociedad con el Ministerio de Salud de Washington y el Distrito de Salud de Yakima, el condado de Yakima lanzó la Iniciativa para agua potable segura en el área de gestión de las napas subterráneas del Bajo Valle de Yakima con el fin de ofrecer pruebas de pozos sin cargo y agua potable gratuita a los hogares con pozos que superan el estándar saludable de nitratos definido por la EPA: 10 mg/L.

¿Cuáles son los riesgos para la salud que ocasionan los nitratos en el agua potable?

El exceso de nitratos en el cuerpo hace que a los glóbulos rojos les resulte más difícil transportar oxígeno; los síntomas pueden aparecer en cuestión de horas o días. Una única exposición a altos niveles de nitratos que superen el umbral máximo de contaminantes de la EPA puede causar efectos adversos para la salud en bebés, mujeres embarazadas y adultos sensibles que padecen ciertas afecciones. Si bien la mayoría de las personas se recuperan rápido, consumir agua con altos niveles de nitratos puede ser peligroso para bebés y algunos adultos.

La EPA recomienda no utilizar agua con altos niveles de nitratos para preparar leche maternizada.

Los nitratos no se absorben fácilmente a través de la piel sana; por ese motivo, se considera que es seguro nadar en agua con altos niveles de nitratos. Sin embargo, las personas a cargo de un bebé deben ser precavidas cuando lo bañen porque pueden tragar agua.

También se considera seguro lavar prendas de vestir y la mayoría de los utensilios de cocina con agua que tiene alto contenido de nitratos; sin embargo, la EPA recomienda utilizar fuentes de agua alternativas para lavar y desinfectar biberones, piezas de sacaleches, chupetes y otros artículos para alimentar bebés que se introducen en sus bocas.

Si bien se considera seguro lavar frutas y verduras en huertas domiciliarias con agua que tiene alto contenido de nitratos, la EPA insta a las personas a que recurran a fuentes alternativas para lavar la superficie de frutas y verduras antes de cocinarlas o comerlas.

Hervir agua NO reduce los niveles de nitratos. De hecho, los empeora porque parte del agua se evaporará, pero no así los nitratos. Eso aumentará la concentración de nitratos en el agua.

en Inglés

SEATTLE -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice asked the Eastern District Court of Washington to immediately force three large Lower Yakima Valley dairies to test down-gradient wells within an area approximately three-and-one-half miles south and southwest of the dairies and supply alternative drinking water to homes where well water exceeds the federal standard for nitrate of 10 milligrams per liter.

Today’s “motion for preliminary injunction” follows the lawsuit EPA and DOJ filed on June 26 claiming the three dairies have failed to adequately control nitrate contamination from their operations. In the complaint EPA alleges the dairies, which collectively have over 30,000 animals, have failed to comply with a legal agreement they entered into with EPA in 2013 which aimed to reduce nitrate leaching from their facilities and protect downgradient community members with nitrate contaminated well water. The agencies believe this nitrate contamination may be contaminating the drinking water wells of nearby community members.

EPA is urging community members using a well within approximately three-and-one-half miles south and southwest of the dairies to visit www.epa.gov/lyvgw or call 509-204-1941 (local) or 888-508-6344 (toll free) for information on how to get their wells tested for nitrate.

Nitrate is an acute contaminant. A single exposure can pose health risks, including a condition in infants known as methemoglobinemia, also known as “blue baby syndrome,” that can result in death. People who are pregnant or have other health concerns are also at high risk from other health effects from exposure to nitrate.

“People who live near these dairies are at risk,” says Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA Region 10’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “It is critical that the dairies follow through on what they promised to do to protect their neighbors. The work remains unfinished and the contamination persists.”

“Everyone deserves safe drinking water,” Kowalski continues. “And we’re going to do everything we can to ensure the people near these dairies get it sooner rather than later.”

“Strong and fair enforcement of environmental and public health laws ensures a healthy community for all families to live, learn, play, and work,” stated Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “Protecting access to safe drinking water is needed for a high quality of life and makes our region safer and stronger.”

Specifically, EPA has asked the federal judge to require the dairies to:

• Continue monitoring groundwater at their sprawling facilities
• Offer nitrate testing of drinking water wells to community members within an area approximately three-and-one-half miles hydrologically downgradient
• Offer to provide impacted homes with either a treatment unit or bottled water delivery if nitrate levels are above the maximum containment level of 10 mg/L
• Offer professional maintenance service for any impacted home with a treatment unit
• Immediately test a lined lagoon for leaks because the liner was seriously damaged during a windstorm and EPA suspects it is a source of a continuing leak of significant amounts of nitrate to groundwater

If the court agrees, EPA will notify the affected homes and will explain how affected homes can get free well testing and alternative water, if needed.

• Read the complaint
• Read the motion for preliminary injunction

Background

In 2010, EPA found that nitrate contamination of wells in the Lower Yakima Valley – an area historically overburdened by environmental and public health challenges -- may present an “imminent and substantial endangerment to human health.”

There are approximately 9,300 private wells in the Lower Yakima Valley that people rely on for drinking water. EPA understands that approximately 5,600 of these private wells are located in Yakima County and approximately 3,700 are located in neighboring Benton County.

Homes that receive drinking water from residential drinking water wells, or private wells, may be at risk. Residential drinking water wells include individual wells that serve one home, shared wells that serve two homes, and wells that provide drinking water to fewer than 15 service connections and fewer than 25 people per day, which are considered “Group B Public Water Systems” in the State of Washington.

While EPA is concerned about nitrate contamination in groundwater throughout the Lower Yakima Valley, it’s focused on these three large dairy operations concentrated in the Granger area where groundwater nitrate levels are particularly high, and the well-water of many downgradient homes has high levels of nitrates.

Dairies generate large quantities of liquid and solid animal waste, which contains nitrogen which can turn into nitrate in the soil. Nitrate can migrate into groundwater if not managed properly.

EPA is working with state agencies to reduce high levels of nitrate found in groundwater supplies throughout the Lower Yakima Valley and has provided funding to the Washington Department of Health to increase groundwater and air quality education and outreach in the Lower Yakima Valley. As part of this effort, Yakima County, in partnership with Washington Department of Health and the Yakima Health District, launched the Lower Yakima Valley Groundwater Management Area Safe Drinking Water Initiative to offer free well testing and free drinking water for homes whose wells exceed EPA’s health-based standard for nitrate of 10 mg/L.

What are the health risks from nitrate in drinking water?

Too much nitrate in your body makes it harder for red blood cells to carry oxygen, and symptoms can appear within hours or days. A single exposure to high nitrate levels above EPA's maximum contaminant level can cause health effects in babies, people who are pregnant and sensitive adult populations with certain health conditions. While most people recover quickly, consuming water with high nitrate levels can be dangerous for babies and some adults.

EPA recommends that people not use water with high nitrate levels to prepare baby formula.

Nitrate is not easily absorbed through healthy skin so bathing in water with high nitrate is generally considered safe, but caretakers should be cautious when bathing babies who can ingest water while bathing.

Washing clothes and most dishes in water with high nitrate levels is also generally considered to be safe, but EPA recommends using alternative water to wash and sanitize baby bottles, breast pump parts, pacifiers, and other infant feeding items that go into their mouths.

While it is considered safe to water fruit and vegetables in home gardens with water that is high in nitrate, EPA urges people to use alternative water to wash the surface of fruits and vegetables prior to cooking or eating.

Boiling water will NOT reduce nitrate levels. In fact, it will make the level of nitrate worse because some of the water will evaporate but the nitrate will not. This increases the concentration of nitrate in water.

en español

BOSTON (July 2, 2024) – Today, the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposed Prospective Purchaser Agreement (PPA) that is open for public comment for the Olin property – the approximately 50-acre parcel at 51 Eames Street in Wilmington, Massachusetts – where chemical manufacturing and waste disposal activities were formerly conducted. These industrial activities resulted in extensive environmental contamination that led to the Olin Chemical Superfund Site’s designation as a federal Superfund site in 2006.

A prospective purchaser agreement is the primary settlement tool used by EPA to address the liability concerns of a prospective purchaser or other third party who wants to redevelop a site. EPA’s proposed PPA is with the real estate developer Wilmington Woburn Industrial, LLC (WWI), previously Wilmington Woburn Intermodal, LLC, an affiliate of GFI Partners, LLC.

WWI has informed EPA that its planned redevelopment of the Olin property includes the construction of a 195,400 square foot warehouse facility at the main entrance to the Olin property along Eames Street.

In the PPA, WWI agrees that it will coordinate and cooperate with Olin Corporation to ensure that the construction of the project will be consistent with the requirements of EPA’s cleanup plan for the site and EPA’s legal agreement with Olin Corporation and three other parties responsible for the contamination, to conduct the cleanup and pay agency oversight costs.

The proposed PPA, signed by WWI, EPA, and the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, is subject to a 30-day public comment period. The PPA and related Site documents are available at EPA’s website https://www.epa.gov/superfund/olin.

The proposed PPA and related Site documents are also available for public inspection at the U.S. EPA, Region 1, SEMD Records and Information Center, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Boston, MA 02109 by appointment only (by calling 617-918-1440 or by emailing r1.records-sems@epa.gov).

Dates of the Public Comment Period: Tues, July 2, 2024 to Thurs, Aug. 1, 2024

To submit comments: Submit your comments online at https://www.regulations.gov (Docket ID No. EPA-R01-SFUND-2024-0214). Enter EPA-R01-SFUND-2024-0214 in the search field. Then, click on the Comment button.

EPA has prepared a fact sheet with responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the proposed PPA with WWI. The FAQ fact sheet can be found here: https://semspub.epa.gov/work/01/682867.pdf (2.5 MB).

Background:

The site includes the Olin property and the surrounding areas that have been impacted by contaminant releases from manufacturing and waste disposal activities formerly conducted at the Olin property.

Chemical manufacturing by a series of owners and operators began at the Olin property in 1953 and continued until the facility closed in 1986. Olin Corporation purchased the property in 1980. The facility was used to produce blowing agents, stabilizers, antioxidants, and other specialty chemicals for the rubber and plastics industries. Prior to the early 1970s, chemicals were discharged into several unlined pits and ponds in the central portion of the property, and later even when lined lagoons were used, leaks in the liners resulted in additional releases of fluids. As the liquid materials moved downward through the soil, they reached the groundwater table – because the liquids were denser than water, they continued to sink downward (as dense aqueous phase liquid or "DAPL"), pooling in a series of cascading depressions on the bedrock surface.

Ultimately, contaminated groundwater migrated nearly a mile to the west and northwest of the Olin property and resulted in the Town of Wilmington placing its municipal drinking water supply wells in the Maple Meadow Brook aquifer off-line due to contamination from the site.

The cleanup plan for the site was selected by EPA in 2021 (in a Record of Decision or "ROD") and includes interim actions to remove ongoing sources of contamination in groundwater and final cleanup actions for addressing contaminated soil, sediments, and surface water at the site. In parallel to the cleanup, studies are ongoing under a separate 2007 EPA settlement agreement to improve the characterization of the bedrock and further define the extent of groundwater contamination. These studies will be used to evaluate long-term groundwater cleanup options, leading to the selection in the future of a final cleanup plan for groundwater. In the near term, these aquifer studies will help identify the best places to locate groundwater extraction wells for the cleanup.

Visit: www.epa.gov/superfund/olin for more information about the site.

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Sunrise Power Company for claims of Safe Drinking Water Act violations at the company’s Sunrise Power Plant in Kern County, California. Sunrise Power has agreed to pay a penalty of $55,788 to resolve permit violations of the Underground Injection Control Program.

“Facilities operating underground injection wells must comply with all permit conditions in order to protect underground sources of drinking water,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Failure to adhere to all permit requirements risks damage to vital and limited groundwater resources.”

EPA classifies injection wells into one of six types. Sunrise Power has a permit to inject non-hazardous waste, such as plant and equipment drains wastewater, into the Upper Tulare formation via a Class I Non-Hazardous Waste Injection Well permit. EPA claims that in June 2022 Sunrise Power violated the permit and the Safe Drinking Water Act by failing to maintain the mechanical integrity of an injection well, allowing wastewater to rise to the ground surface.

Injection wells are used to place fluid underground into porous geologic formations for storage or disposal. EPA’s Underground Injection Control Program works with underground injection well owners and operators to ensure their practices do not impact underground sources of drinking water. EPA conducts regular inspections to verify injection well operations comply with the injection well permits and applicable requirements.

Read EPA's proposed settlement with Sunrise Power Company.

Learn more about EPA’s Underground Injection Control Program.

Read about EPA enforcement and how to report possible violations of environmental laws and regulations.

Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

WASHINGTON — Today, July 2, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released the Fifth Edition of Climate Change Indicators in the United States. The report highlights new data showing the continuing and far-reaching impacts of climate change on the people and environment of the United States. New to the report this year are an indicator on Marine Heat Waves (showing trends related to multi-day high ocean temperatures) and a feature on Heat-Related Workplace Deaths.

“EPA’s Climate Change Indicators report is an authoritative resource of how the climate crisis is affecting every American right now and with increasing intensity,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires have become more common, harming human health, threatening livelihoods, and causing costly damage. Regular updates to the data in the Climate Indicators website and report help us track these unprecedented changes so we are better informed in our shared work to confront the crisis.” 

The Fifth Edition presents highlights from a subset of EPA’s total of 57 indicators, which include historical data and observed trends related to either the causes or effects of climate change. The report explores the interconnected nature of observed changes in climate with chapters thematically organized around Greenhouse Gases, Heat on the Rise, Extreme Events, Water Resources at Risk, Changing Seasons, Ocean Impacts, Rising Seas, and Alaska’s Warming Climate. Since publishing the first edition in 2010, EPA has maintained an up-to-date online resource of climate change indicators and regularly released updated publications that present the latest data.

EPA partners with more than 50 data contributors from various U.S. and international government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to compile these key indicators of climate change. EPA’s indicators show multiple lines of compelling evidence that climate change is increasingly affecting people’s health, society, and ecosystems in numerous ways. For example: 

• Global and U.S. Temperature – Worldwide, 2023 was the warmest year on record, 2016 was the second warmest, and 2014–2023 was the warmest decade on record since thermometer-based observations began. In the U.S., unusually hot summer days have become more common over the last few decades, and unusually hot summer nights have increased at an even faster rate, indicating less “cooling off” at night.
• Heat Waves in U.S. Cities – Heat waves are occurring more often in major cities across the United States. Their frequency has steadily increased, from an average of two heat waves per year during the 1960s to six per year during the 2010s and 2020s. The average length of the heat wave season across the U.S. cities is 46 days longer now than it was in the 1960s and, in recent years, the average heat wave in major U.S. urban areas has lasted about four days.
• A Closer Look – Heat-Related Workplace Deaths - From 1992 to 2022, a total of 986 workers across all industry sectors in the United States died from exposure to heat of which the construction sector accounted for about 34 percent of all occupational heat-related deaths. During this time frame, 334 construction workers died due to heat exposure on the job.
• Sea Surface Temperature – Over the past century, sea surface temperature has increased and continues to rise. Sea surface temperature has been consistently higher during the past three decades than at any other time since reliable observations began in 1880.
• Marine Heat Waves – Between 1982 and 2023, the annual cumulative intensity of marine heat waves has increased in most coastal U.S. waters, with the largest changes in waters off the Northeastern U.S. and Alaskan coasts. When a location experiences an increase in annual cumulative intensity over time, that means marine heat waves are becoming either more common, longer, more intense (hotter), or some combination of the three.
• Marine Species Distribution – In conjunction with warming ocean waters, many marine species off U.S. coasts are shifting northward and are moving to deeper waters. Since the 1980s, shifts have occurred among several economically important fish and shellfish species. For example, American lobster, black sea bass, and red hake in the Northeast have moved northward by an average of 145 miles.
• Coastal Flooding – Tidal flooding is becoming more frequent along the U.S. coastline. Most sites with long-term data experienced an increase in tidal flooding since the 1950s. At more than half of these sites, floods are now at least five times more common than they were in the 1950s. The rate of increase of flood events per year is largest at most locations in Hawai'i, and along the East and Gulf coasts.
• Wildfires – The extent of area burned by wildfires in the United States has increased since the 1980s, with the largest increases occurring in the West and Southwest. Of the 10 years with the largest acreage burned, all have occurred since 2004, including peak years in 2015 and 2020. This period coincides with many of the warmest years on record nationwide.
• Length of the Growing Season – The average length of the growing season in the contiguous 48 states has increased by more than two weeks since the beginning of the 20th century. A particularly large and steady increase has occurred since the 1970s. States in the West (like Washington and California) have seen the most dramatic increase.
• Snowpack – From 1982 to 2023, the snowpack season became shorter at 80% of the sites measured. Across all sites, the length of the snowpack season decreased by an average of about 15 days and peak snowpack has shifted earlier by an average of nearly seven days since 1982.
• Arctic Sea Ice – The September 2023 sea ice extent was the fifth smallest on record. It was about 789,000 square miles less than the historical 1981-2010 average for that month – a difference almost three times the size of Texas. Since 1979, the length of the melt season for Arctic sea ice has grown by 37 days. On average, Arctic sea ice now starts melting seven days earlier and starts refreezing 30 days later than it has historically.

Understanding and addressing climate change is critical to EPA’s mission of protecting human health and the environment. Tracking observations over time reveals valuable information about what people are experiencing today and can help inform climate solutions. The Fifth Edition of the Climate Change Indicators in the United States report provides abundant evidence of how climate change is happening all around us. Taking action to fight the urgent threat of climate change is an opportunity to build more resilient infrastructure, protect public health, advance environmental justice, strengthen America's working communities, and spur American technological innovations.

Download the report.

Explore EPA’s climate change indicators.

BOSTON (July 1, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrated a $254,000 grant to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to protect the health of beachgoers. This funding is part of $9.75 million in grants, announced in June, to help coastal and Great Lakes communities. The funding will support water quality monitoring and public notification programs for beaches.

Standing with partners at King's Beach in Lynn today, EPA Regional Administrator David Cash highlighted the importance of the funding, especially for vulnerable communities.

"Beach closures and advisories are harsh realities on blistering hot summer days and the continuing concerns at King's Beach remind us there is more work to be done, " said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This grant will advance environmental justice in Massachusetts communities vulnerable to and overburdened by water quality impacts by supporting critical monitoring and notification programs. We will continue to work closely with our state, municipal and local partners to deliver information that people need to make good decisions about their health."

"It's simple—on summer days, people deserve clean, safe beaches to swim in," said Senator Edward J. Markey. "The funding announced today will ensure that real time monitoring data can inform the community when it is safe to swim. This is a positive step as we continue to work together to ensure King's Beach will remain open for recreation—because access to beautiful and swimmable Massachusetts beaches shouldn't be determined by your ZIP code."

"For too long, beachgoers risked exposure to unsafe bacteria levels when swimming at King's Beach on a hot summer day," said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. "This EPA funding will allow us to better monitor water quality and represents a first step towards transforming King's Beach into a clean, safe beach for the people of Lynn."

"As we continue our collaborative efforts to make King's Beach safe and swimmable, we must make every effort to communicate effectively with our residents," said State Senator Brendan Crighton. "Thank you to our federal partners and all stakeholders whose efforts helped secure this critical funding that will have an important impact on the wellness of our residents and beaches."

"From a public health and communication standpoint, we appreciate the testing and notification that this grant will fund," said Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson. "From a recreational and environmental justice standpoint, the water quality issues at King's Beach need to be resolved so that individuals and families can enjoy the refreshing waters every warm day. I'm grateful that the EPA, DEP, EEA, LWSC, and the Town of Swampscott along with our State and Federal Delegation remain committed to working with us to find a permanent solution in order to ensure Lynn's residents have the access to the Atlantic Ocean that they so deserve."

This grant helps fund programs to ensure beachgoers know when our coastal waters are safe for swimming and recreation.

Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, EPA awards grants to eligible state, Tribal, and territorial applicants to help them and their local government partners monitor water quality at coastal and Great Lakes beaches. When bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, these agencies or their local partners notify the public and post beach advisories or closings.

Since 2001, EPA has awarded nearly $230 million in BEACH Act grants, with about $6 million to Massachusetts and over $26 million to New England, to test beach waters for illness-causing bacteria and help with public notification and identification of the problem. This program is essential for protecting the health of beachgoers across the country.

"Protecting our beaches is truly a team effort," said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "The monitoring supported by this grant arms residents with information they can use to determine when and where to swim. And understanding where water quality is challenged allows us to focus action and investment to improve public health and the health of our ecosystems."

EPA's 2024 BEACH Act grant funding will be allocated to the following New England states, Tribes, and territories contingent upon their meeting the eligibility requirements:

EPA Region 1
Connecticut Department of Public Health - $206,000
Maine Department of Environmental Protection - $254,000
Massachusetts Department of Public Health - $254,000
New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services - $194,000
Rhode Island Department of Health - $210,000

More information on BEACH Act grants.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health Interactive Beach Water Quality Dashboard

NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has amended its administrative cleanup order for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site in Brooklyn, New York on June 27, 2024, to address the middle segment of the canal – known as Remediation Target Area (RTA) 2.

“Dredging and capping of the upper segment of the Gowanus Canal started in late 2020 and will be completed in July. This is a major milestone in cleaning up the canal and improving water quality,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “Together with the extensive dredging, capping, and bulkhead repair work that has already been completed, this order will ensure the cleanup of the next portion of the heavily contaminated Gowanus Canal, which will be a huge benefit to the Gowanus and Red Hook communities.”  

Dredging and capping of RTA 1, the upper segment of the Canal, started in late 2020 and will be completed in July. Initial RTA 2 work, which began in late June, includes access dredging to facilitate the mobilization and use of equipment needed to conduct work in this portion of the canal, followed by debris removal and bulkhead construction. The full-scale dredging and capping required by the newly amended order will follow. That work is estimated to cost $369 million and will take several years to complete. The detailed engineering and design work for RTA 2 was performed in parallel with the RTA 1 work to accelerate its progress. RTA 3, the lower segment of the Canal, is expected to be implemented after the completion of RTA2.

EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) are closely coordinating the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal and the surrounding area. EPA, NYSDEC, and the New York State Department of Health have been and will continue to oversee the work, which includes plans for community health and safety monitoring. The order amendment has been issued to six parties that EPA determined have the largest shares of responsibility for the contamination at the Gowanus Canal site: Brooklyn Union Gas Co. d/b/a National Grid New York; the City of New York; Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc.; Hess Corp.; Honeywell International Inc., and The Brooklyn Improvement Co.

More than a dozen contaminants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals, including mercury, lead, and copper, are present at high levels in the Gowanus Canal sediments. The 2013 cleanup plan for the Gowanus Canal Superfund site includes dredging to remove contaminated sediment from the bottom of the Canal that has accumulated because of industrial and combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges. Following dredging, construction of a multilayer cap in dredged areas will isolate and prevent migration of any remaining chemicals in the deep native sediment. Certain areas of the native sediment, below the original canal bottom, that contain mobile liquid tar and are too deep to excavate, will be mixed with cement and solidified to prevent the spread of the tar into the water of the Canal. Two CSO retention tanks are being constructed by the City of New York will prevent the hazardous substances found in CSO solids from re-contaminating the Canal. The current cost of the overall cleanup plan is estimated to be over $2 billion, including both the in-Canal work and CSO controls.

Visit the Gowanus Canal Superfund site profile page for additional background and site documents.

Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

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Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an agreement with Accel Schools Ohio LLC to address lead paint concerns and asbestos at three of its schools in Ohio: Youngstown Academy of Excellence (1408 Rigby St., Youngstown); Niles Preparatory Academy (45 Chestnut Ave., Niles); and STEAM Academy of Warren (261 Elm Road, Warren). Under EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act authority to address conditions which may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment, the order requires Accel to take the following actions:

• Restrict access to the school buildings. Certain areas of the buildings can begin to open once testing confirms the area is free of asbestos and lead paint hazards.
• Notify parents of the concerns.
• Fully assess and abate asbestos and lead-based paint hazards.

“EPA is holding Accel accountable to protect students and staff from asbestos and lead exposure,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore. “Children deserve healthy school environments where they can focus on learning. EPA will continue to work to reduce lead and asbestos hazards in Ohio and across the United States.” 

Blood lead testing can accurately measure children’s exposure to lead, including lead paint. EPA is working with state and local health officials to establish resources for affected families. The Youngstown City Health District hosted a free blood lead testing event on June 25 for students who attend Youngstown Academy of Excellence. Concerned parents and guardians can contact their pediatrician or primary health care provider for information on blood lead testing. 

The order sets timelines to ensure that any needed inspection, abatement, and clearance work is completed prior to allowing students, faculty, or staff to enter affected areas of the school buildings, with the goal of having this work completed by the start of the 2024/25 school year. It also requires Accel to continue reporting to EPA regarding asbestos and lead-based paint conditions at the three schools for five years after completion of the work required under the order.

On June 13, EPA issued a notice of violation under the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA, to Accel for asbestos concerns at the schools. Invoking TSCA, EPA has subpoenaed Accel for records regarding its compliance with Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, or AHERA, and lead-based paint renovation regulations in all its brick-and-mortar schools in Ohio and Michigan. AHERA requires public school districts, charter schools and schools affiliated with religious institutions to inspect their schools for asbestos, prepare management plans, and take action to prevent or reduce asbestos hazards. AHERA also requires schools to notify parents about potential hazards inside the buildings. 

Background:  

Accel is a public charter school system that operates 77 in-person charter schools, primarily in Ohio, and 15 online schools across the nation. In March 2024, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency received a complaint with concerns about asbestos at Youngstown Academy of Excellence. The state conducted a visual inspection shortly afterwards and notified EPA of the complaint and inspection findings because of EPA’s authority under AHERA. In April 2024, EPA conducted its own visual inspections at Youngstown Academy of Excellence, Niles Preparatory Academy and STEAM Academy of Warren. As a result of the inspections, EPA learned that the three schools do not have required asbestos management plans, confirmed the presence of deteriorating asbestos and suspect lead paint, informed Accel representatives of legal requirements, provided information about hazards, and recommended hiring licensed and trained contractors. 

For information on lead regulation, exposure or potential effects, contact the National Lead Information Center Hotline or visit EPA’s website.

For more information on asbestos exposure, visit the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry asbestos webpage or visit EPA’s website for information on asbestos and school buildings. 

Possible violations of the AHERA and Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule requirements can be reported through EPA’s enforcement website.

More information about the settlement is posted on the EPA website. 

LENEXA, KAN. (JUNE 28, 2024) – Today, at City Hall in Waterloo, Iowa, EPA Region 7 Brownfields and Land Revitalization Branch Supervisor Stanley Walker presented a $1 million ceremonial check to the City of Waterloo as a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant selectee.

EPA has selected the city to receive the grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. MAC Grant funds help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities. 

The multipurpose grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments and community engagement activities. This funding will also be used to clean up the 1.8-acre Altstadt and Langlas Site, located at 54 Lane Street. Additional priority sites include the Former Rath Plant at 1508 Sycamore Street; a former food warehouse at 70-80 Sycamore Street; TechWorks out-lot near 360 Westfield Avenue; and Grand Crossing 3 lot near 50 West Mullan Avenue. 

"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to the City of Waterloo," Walker said. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our communities’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development." 

"We are so thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration and the EPA for their continuing support of revitalizing often neglected areas,” said Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart. “This investment will help create the kind of change that will have generational impacts in our community." 

This funding follows Waterloo's selection as a Brownfields Cleanup Grant selectee last year. In June 2023, McCollister stopped on the Brownfields Investing in America tour to present a $642,000 ceremonial check to Mayor Hart.

Background 

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by nearly 400%.

More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.

EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities. 

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program. 

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram

Follow us on X: @EPARegion7

LENEXA, KAN. (JUNE 27, 2024) – Today, at City Hall in Keokuk, Iowa, EPA Region 7 Brownfields and Land Revitalization Branch Supervisor Stanley Walker presented a $4.48 million ceremonial check to the City of Keokuk as a Brownfields Cleanup Grant selectee.

EPA has selected the city to receive the grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. MAC Grant funds help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.

These grant funds will be used to clean up the Elkem-Carbide Site Auditor’s Parcel, located at 365 Carbide Lane. The 9.4-acre cleanup site was first used as a zinc smelter and lead alloying facility. By 1929, the site transitioned to the manufacturing of carbide, and later in the 1950s to the manufacturing of carbon products. All operations ceased in 2007 and the site has been vacant since then. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, inorganic materials, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.   

"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to the City of Keokuk," Walker said. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our communities’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development." 

“The City of Keokuk is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Brownfields Grant,” said Keokuk Mayor Kathie Mahoney. “This grant is a testament to our commitment to revitalizing and rejuvenating our community while prioritizing environmental sustainability. We are grateful for the support and recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency’s $4.48 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We are excited to embark on this journey of transforming contaminated sites into vibrant, safe spaces for our communities. This grant will enable us to not only address environmental challenges, but also create new opportunities for economic growth and community development. We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on our community and beyond.”

EPA has funded several rounds of assessments for the Elkem-Carbide Site. The City of Keokuk was a Brownfields Cleanup Grant selectee last year. In June 2023, McCollister stopped on the Brownfields Investing in America Tour to present a $2 million ceremonial check to Mayor Mahoney. In both 2010 and 2016, the city was selected for a $200,000 Brownfield Site Specific Assessment Grant.

Background  

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by nearly 400%.

More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC Grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.

EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.

# # #

Learn more about EPA Region 7

Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram

Follow us on X: @EPARegion7

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that Carlisle Construction Materials, LLC paid a $24,780 penalty for Clean Water Act violations that occurred at its former facility in McMinnville, Oregon.

In December 2021, an EPA inspector found several violations of the company’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit including:

• failure to document an undisclosed stormwater discharge source in their Stormwater Pollution Control Plan
• failure to monitor, sample, and visually inspect undisclosed stormwater discharge source
• failure to reduce exposure of crumb rubber pile against stormwater.

“EPA is committed to enforcing the stormwater rules under the Clean Water Act to protect our treasured Pacific Northwest waterbodies,” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “In this case, this enforcement action helped prevent thousands of pounds of pollution from entering the South Yamhill River.”

Due to excessive levels of dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, iron, and for high temperatures, the South Yamhill River is considered an impaired waterbody by EPA and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.  

The river is not meeting its Clean Water Act beneficial uses for fish and other aquatic life.

The Clean Water Act prohibits discharging pollutants from industrial sources into a water of the United States without a NPDES permit. Stormwater can pick up pollutants like chemicals, oils, and sediment from industrial facilities which are then carried into waterways and harm fish and other aquatic life.  The permit requires industrial sites to monitor, measure, and reduce stormwater pollution leaving their facilities.

Additional details can be found in the Expedited Settlement Agreement.

WASHINGTON – Today, June 27, at an event convening all EPA staff across headquarters and its 10 regional offices, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan delivered keynote remarks to mark historic progress achieved under President Biden’s leadership to address climate change, advance environmental justice, and highlight unprecedented investments in science and career staff expertise. Under the banner of “Bold Promises, Real Results,” Administrator Regan touted progress to advance the President’s clear vision and bold agenda set forth on Day One of his Administration.

Administrator Regan started by recounting the weight of the moment in early 2021, and the staff’s resolve to take on big challenges as the country was still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic:

While the circumstances should have felt overwhelming… they weren’t… because I know who YOU are.

Team EPA is tenacious…resilient...and fearless…

The fight, the spirit, and the perseverance of our team is unparalleled…

Because together, there is absolutely nothing we can’t accomplish…

From day one, President Biden promised a bold and ambitious environmental agenda… and EPA was at the center.

Since then, thanks to the dedicated career workforce, EPA has made remarkable strides to protect human health and the environment in a way that ensures all people – especially those that have been historically overburdened by pollution and underserved by federal investments – are protected equally under the law. To ensure these communities were at the forefront of EPA decision-making, Administrator Regan launched the Journey to Justice in 2021:

For far too long, too many communities across our country have disproportionately suffered from a lack of investment and adequate access to critical public health protections.

President Biden is fighting with the sense of urgency that pollution and the climate crisis demands…and he’s rising to the occasion to right these longstanding wrongs. 

Buoyed by his clarity of vision and strong sense of purpose, we launched our Journey to Justice tour in 2021.

I wanted to meet people in their communities…

I wanted to hear directly from some of our nation’s most neglected and underserved communities…I wanted to see what they see.

And we didn’t just visit these communities to hear about their challenges…we sought to see and feel them firsthand so that our decisions were informed by real-life experiences.

Building on these insights, EPA established the first ever Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights in September 2022. This national program office, with over 200 staff and billions in new funding to invest in community solutions, elevates environmental justice to the highest levels of the federal government, ensuring dedicated efforts to address longstanding disparities for years to come.

This ambitious agenda to protect public health and the environment has been complemented and accelerated by President Biden’s unprecedented investments in America, which charged EPA with the deployment of more than $100 billion to ensure all communities have funding to address critical infrastructure, climate and environmental justice needs:

President Biden showed even more confidence in you by securing more than $100 billion dollars through historic legislation.

These billions of dollars in resources complement our traditional mission…spurring us to move further and faster than ever before while creating jobs, growing our economy and supercharging private investment in clean technologies.

Administrator Regan also spent time highlighting the role young people have played in this movement, from the advocates at the forefront of social change, to the emerging leaders who have joined EPA’s ranks to the members of the newly established National Environmental Youth Advisory Council:

History has shown us that young people have always played a central role in demanding social and political change.

From the young leaders who peacefully protested segregated lunch counters during the civil rights movement…

To the groups of students who fought to lower the national voting age from 21 to 18…

To the college students who organized national demonstrations that led to the very first earth day… 

To the brave young folks demanding climate action NOW…

Every generation has its own defining challenge…

And just like President Biden said, the challenge of our time is climate change.

I’m grateful for the young employees who’ve joined our ranks, as well as the members of EPA’s newly launched National Environmental Youth Advisory Council—because young people deserve a seat at the table… their leadership is crucial to our future.

These young leaders will bridge the gap between EPA and the communities they represent—ensuring that the environmental issues impacting communities across the country, are heard, and addressed.

The speech concluded with a call for continued momentum and agency growth, with over 5,000 new employees onboarded since 2021, and the role of EPA in keeping the nation safe for generations to come:

America needs a strong EPA.

An EPA that can respond to the communities shattered by catastrophic wildfires and hurricanes…

An EPA that partners with the advocates who have dedicated their lives to fighting for cleaner air, safer water, and healthier communities…

An EPA that empowers the parents who are working tirelessly to protect their children from PFAS and lead exposure…

And an EPA that invests in young leaders who are dedicating their lives to protecting our planet. 

Let me tell you what I know…

I know our future is bright, and the state of EPA is stronger than ever. 

I know we won’t let up until all communities have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink…

And, I couldn’t be prouder to lead this EPA… at this critical moment in time…under this President’s leadership.

EPA remains steadfast in our mission to deliver bold and effective solutions for environmental protection and public health. These accomplishments demonstrate our agency’s dedication to embedding environmental justice in all of our work and engaging the next generation in the fight against climate change.

Additional Background on Agency Accomplishments
Climate and Air Pollution Reduction (pdf)

Environmental Justice (pdf)

Scientific Integrity (pdf)

LENEXA, KAN. (JUNE 26, 2024) – Today, at a brownfield site in Clinton, Iowa, EPA Region 7 Brownfields and Land Revitalization Branch Supervisor Stanley Walker presented a $3 million ceremonial check to the East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA) in Iowa to supplement their Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF).

In addition to the $1.8 million in EPA funds already awarded to the organization, ECIA has been selected to receive this additional $3 million in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law due to its high-performing RLF program.

Walker was joined by ECIA Brownfield Development Coordinator Dawn Danielson and Director of Special Programs Jennifer Walker, who accepted the award on behalf of ECIA. Clinton's Mayor Scott Maddasion and City Administrator Matt Brooke, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources' Solid Waste and Contaminated Sites Supervisor Mike Sullivan, also joined the event.

Funding from the ECIA Brownfields RLF has successfully led to three cleanup projects in Iowa that are either completed or in progress, including the cleanup at today’s event site. With this additional funding, ECIA will continue its momentum of providing loan assistance throughout eastern Iowa communities to assist in the cleanup of brownfield sites to make ready for reuse. Funds will be made available in Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, and Jackson counties.

"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partners at ECIA," Walker said. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."

“East Central Intergovernmental Association is excited to continue its partnership with EPA,” Danielson said. “The EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provides ECIA with critical funding for remediation of brownfield sites in rural and disadvantaged communities throughout eastern Iowa. This new EPA Brownfields supplemental funding will replenish ECIA’s revolving loan fund, enabling ECIA to disburse and revolve funds for numerous brownfield cleanup projects throughout the ECIA five-county region. Thank you, President Biden and EPA, for their commitment and investment in eastern Iowa and for selecting ECIA as a 2024 Brownfields funding recipient.”

In June 2023, EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister stopped on the Brownfields Investing in America Tour to present a $2 million ceremonial check to ECIA. The organization was selected to receive two Brownfields grants last year: a $1 million Assessment Coalition Grant, and $1 million in RLF supplemental funding.

Brownfields RLF Grants

EPA’s Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants program provides non-competitive, supplemental funding to successful and existing RLF Grant programs. RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites, allowing communities to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by those sites.

Background

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by nearly 400%.

More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.

EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities. 

Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.

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SEATTLE (June 26, 2024) – The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Washington Department of Ecology announced today that they have reached an agreement in principle with King County and the City of Seattle that commits the local governments to significant expansion of the work they agreed to perform in 2013 to reduce discharges of untreated combined sewage and stormwater into Lake Washington, Lake Union, the Duwamish River, and Puget Sound.

In 2013, Ecology and EPA found that the city and county’s interconnected combined sewer system regularly violated the state and federal clean water laws by sending hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated or undertreated wastewater into local waterways each year, and allowing sewage to back up into homes in some low-lying communities such as the Duwamish Valley. At that time, both the city and county signed consent decrees with Ecology and the United States committing to major infrastructure investments to reduce the wastewater entering local waterways and people’s homes.

Citing increasing rainfall intensity and other impacts of climate change, supply-chain disruptions, and the increased costs of construction in the Seattle area, in 2019 the city and county requested modifications to the 2013 consent decrees to allow for more time to control combined sewer overflows. The new agreements extend the completion date for some of the projects from 2030 to 2037 and commit the city and county to significant increases in wastewater storage and treatment capacity.

The additional time also enables closer coordination between the city and county, projects to reduce stormwater volumes, and additional planning and design work to ensure that new wet-weather control facilities are more resilient to a changing climate. Generally, this means that these facilities will be capable of handling larger volumes of combined sewage that will result from changing rainfall patterns in the Seattle area.

The agreed-to modifications include significant improvements to major projects including:

• King County’s Mouth of the Duwamish Wet Weather Treatment Facility
  • The facility may now include outfalls owned by the City of Seattle.
  • Options include treatment of overflows (would increase treatment capacity by more than 25% to 190 million gallons per day), storage of overflows (would increase storage to 150 million gallons), or a combination of treatment and storage.
  • Original projected completion 2030, new projected completion 2034.
• West Duwamish/Terminal 115 CSO Control Project
  • This project will store nearly one million gallons more than originally planned.
  • Delays in completion related to construction in a contaminated site.
  • Original projected completion 2025, new projected completion 2029.
• Ship Canal Water Quality Project
  • The project will reduce combined-sewer discharges to the Lake Washington Ship Canal from six separate outfalls, reducing polluted discharges to the Ship Canal by an average of 84% per year.
  • EPA provided loans under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act to the City of Seattle for $192.2 million and King County for $96.8 million for this project.
  • Delays in completion are related to Covid-19, supply chain issues, and unanticipated obstructions found during tunneling.
  • Original projected completion 2025, new projected completion 2027.
• Montlake and University
  • These storage projects may be combined or remain separate facilities. Overall, stored volumes of wastewater will increase from 7.87 million to 11 million gallons for Montlake and from 5.23 million to 16.1 million gallons for University. 
  • Original projected completion 2028, new projected completion 2037.

The agreement provides the city and county with a certain amount of flexibility to revise projects as long as they meet or exceed the original performance criteria.

“This agreement underscores what’s possible when all parties come together to advance shared values and goals,” said Casey Sixkiller, Regional Administrator for EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle. "From improving water quality in Lake Washington, the Ship Canal and Puget Sound, protecting treaty resources, and making the region’s water infrastructure more climate resilient, this agreement is a win from every angle.” 

"Climate resilience is one of our greatest environmental priorities,” said Laura Watson, director of the Washington Department of Ecology. “We want to see improvements that are future-proofed for intensifying storms. By extending the overall timeframe for this work, it means the infrastructure can better protect water quality and vulnerable neighborhoods for a lot longer.”

Investments by Washington Department of Ecology and EPA

In December 2022, King County completed its Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station which can treat up to 70 million gallons per day of combined untreated sewage and stormwater that would have otherwise flowed directly into the Duwamish River and Puget Sound. The EPA provided King County with a $134.5 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan for this project.

Since 2015, Ecology has awarded low-interest loans from its Clean Water State Revolving Fund totaling $266.5 million to Seattle and $395.3 million to King County for combined sewer overflow control projects. 

In 2024, EPA also awarded a $194 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan to King County, the majority of which will go toward various clean-water investments at West Point Treatment Plant, which cleans wastewater and stormwater. This project makes several improvements at the wastewater treatment plant, including removing corroded pipes, upgrading raw sewage pumps, and implementing structural upgrades to the administrative building to protect against future seismic events. Ecology has also committed $24.4 million in loan funding for this suite of projects. 

What’s next

The new agreements must be approved by both the King County Council and the Seattle City Council. If the councils approve the modifications, they will be lodged with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and made available for comment for 30 days. The parties could then seek approval of the modifications by the court.

DALLAS, TEXAS (June 26, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced approval of Governor Greg Abbott’s request to reclassify the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston-Brazoria and San Antonio, Texas, metro areas from moderate to serious nonattainment of the current ozone standard. These metro areas will have to implement more stringent emission control strategies and attain the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone.

“More action is needed to bring millions of Texas the improved air quality they deserve,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Reclassifying these major metro areas gives the state of Texas more time to plan for attaining the ozone standard, while still holding the state accountable for meeting Clean Air Act requirements.”

Under the moderate nonattainment classification, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria had until August 3, 2024, and San Antonio had until September 24, 2024, to attain the ozone standard. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality missed the January 1, 2023, deadline to revise the state plan to attain the ozone standard, which triggered a Clean Air Act requirement to impose highway sanctions, emissions offsets and other measures starting in 2025.

The new deadlines for attaining the standard are August 3, 2027, for Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, and September 24, 2027, for San Antonio. TCEQ must revise the state clean-air plan, with approval from EPA, to include more stringent measures for emissions control and contingency planning. The state must also still fulfill planning and control requirements for moderate nonattainment areas.

EPA proposed to approve Governor Abbott’s request in January and held a 30-day public comment period.

Ground-level ozone contributes to increased asthma attacks and many other respiratory health issues, especially for children, older adults, and those with breathing problems. For more information about ozone, including health effects, see https://www.epa.gov/ground-level-ozone-pollution.

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BOSTON (June 25, 2024) – The Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement with a seafood processor in Gloucester, Massachusetts, resolving alleged violations of the General Duty Clause of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act. The violations stem from the company's handling of anhydrous ammonia at its facility. NSDJ Real Estate, LLC, Gloucester Cold Storage, and NSD Seafood Inc. d/b/a Atlantic Fish and Seafood have agreed to pay a $25,000 penalty, finish addressing a final compliance action, and implement two Supplemental Environmental Projects ("SEPs"). The SEPs, which are estimated to cost $129,000, involve installing equipment that will eliminate a common source of ammonia leakage and donating ammonia emergency response equipment to the Gloucester Fire Department to support its chemical accident response capabilities.

"EPA's mission is rooted in safeguarding all communities from pollution, including chemical releases," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This is even more critical with the changing climate and the increased vulnerabilities associated with facilities situated in populated or hurricane-prone areas."

Atlantic Fish uses two ammonia refrigeration systems to maintain the needed temperatures for the processing and storage of seafood products. Anhydrous ammonia is an efficient refrigerant with low global warming potential, but it must be handled with care because it is toxic and highly corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs.

The facility is in an urban setting alongside Gloucester's Inner Harbor in a large and densely populated residential area. It is near hundreds of homes, restaurants and other businesses, an elementary school, and houses of worship.

An EPA inspection revealed multiple deviations from the GDC requirements to design and maintain a safe facility, taking such steps as are necessary to prevent releases, and to minimize the consequences of accidental releases that do occur. EPA consults industry standards of care to determine what it means to violate these requirements, and Respondents deviated from many of these standards. Respondents have corrected most of the deficiencies identified by EPA.

Background

The goal of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act is to prevent accidental releases of substances that can cause serious harm to the public and the environment from short-term exposures and to mitigate the severity of releases that do occur. Failure to comply with the section's General Duty Clause requirements to identify hazards, design and maintain a safe facility, and take steps to limit and mitigate the harm from accidental releases of extremely hazardous substances puts the local population and environment at risk.

More information:

EPA information on the General Duty Clause requirements of Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act: https://www.epa.gov/rmp/general-duty-clause-under-clean-air-act-section-112r1.

EPA information on Compliance Assistance Tools and Resources for the Ammonia Refrigeration Sector (pdf) (161 KB): https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-11/documents/complianceassistance-ammoniarefrigerationsector0617.pdf.