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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recorded audio versions of news announcements to provide this information in a broadcast format. To listen to an audio file, just click the file name. To download to your computer, right-click on the name and select Save... or Save Target As....

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March 2009

BP Products to Pay Penalty to Settle Environmental Violations at Texas City Refinery (1:45 min., 1.59 Mb, MP3)

BP Products North America Inc. has agreed to pay $785,662 to resolve Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) violations at its Texas City, Texas, refinery, the Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The company will pay a $420,662 civil penalty and spend $365,000 on supplemental environmental projects in Texas City.

The law requires that certain facilities that manufacture, process or use certain toxic chemicals report releases annually by July 1, for the preceding calendar year. This settlement addresses the company’s noncompliance with EPCRA reporting requirements by failing to complete and submit toxic chemical release inventory information to EPA and the State of Texas for the period 2002-2005, and failure to maintain reporting records for calendar year 2004. The toxic chemicals subject to reporting requirements included anthracene, cobalt compounds, dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, formaldehyde, lead compounds, methanol, nickel compounds, phenanthrene, and vanadium.

The $365,000 in supplemental environmental projects are intended to improve Texas City’s ability to respond to emergency releases that threaten human health or the environment and include an ambulance, upgrade of the city’s computer system, communications equipment and an Optigon system to assist with traffic control during emergencies. Also included in the projects are funds to improve the city’s Emergency Operations Center and upgrade the city’s mobile command post.

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EPA awards $200,000 to LDEQ to improve data quality (:34 sec., 518 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $200,000 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to manage enforcement and compliance programs for improved data quality. The management project will require the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to improve the flow of state data to the Airs Facility System (AFS) by pinpointing and addressing current data gaps, creating an automated process to link actions involving High Priority Violators (HPV), and establishing a tool to generate compliance status.

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Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program Now Accepting Nominations for 2009 Gulf Guardians (1:51 min., 1.68 Mb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program (GMP) partnership developed the Gulf Guardian Awards as a way to recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive.

The Gulf Guardian Award exemplifies what the Gulf of Mexico Program is all about; innovative solutions that come about when we pool resources and look for creative ways to positively impact our quality of life and economic well being. There are many companies, organizations, and individuals in the Gulf States that are "Gulf Guardians." The GMP partnership believes they should be recognized for their stewardship of this national resource from which we all derive so much benefit.

The first Gulf Guardian Award winners were recognized in 2000. Every year since, a first, second and third place award are given in seven categories: Business, Civic/Non-Profit Organization, Partnerships, Youth/Education, Individual, Government, and Bi-National.

All 21 winners in seven different categories receive an impressive marble and glass memento, press coverage on their project, and recognition by their peers. All winners receive a professional video about their project and/or effort that is presented on the evening of the Gulf Guardian Awards ceremony.

The Gulf of Mexico Program began in 1988 to protect, restore, and maintain the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem in economically sustainable ways. The Gulf of Mexico Program is underwritten by the Environmental Protection Agency and is a non-regulatory, inclusive consortium of state and federal government agencies and representatives of the business and agricultural community, fishing industry, scientists, environmentalists, and community leaders from all five Gulf States.

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EPA Orders Aspen Power to Stop Construction (1:14 min., 1.11 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has directed Aspen Power, LLC, to cease construction of its proposed power generation unit located on Kurth Drive, Lufkin, Angelina County, Texas, until a valid permit has been issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

The federal Clean Air Act has established a preconstruction review and permitting program applicable to major sources of air pollution in certain areas of the United States, which includes Southeast Texas, and allows these facilities to be constructed only after a valid permit is issued. Aspen Power, LLC, has not received the required permit from the TCEQ to proceed with construction.

An EPA inspection on February 18, 2009, found construction activities, including a concrete foundation for the boiler unit, a concrete foundation for the turbine, and construction of the boiler stack, have already been completed at the proposed Aspen Power Plant.

Based on these findings, EPA has ordered Aspen Power, LLC, to stop construction activities at the Aspen Power Plant until Aspen has obtained the required permit from the TCEQ.

Aspen Power, LLC, has also been ordered to submit written certification within ten days that construction of its proposed power plant has ceased.

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Dallas to Cut Water, Energy Use as Part of EPA Performance Track (4:43 min., 4.3 Mb, MP3)

The City of Dallas has added another support to its Green Dallas initiative and its effort to build a greener city by joining the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Performance Track program.

As part of the “green leadership” program, the City plans to lower total water use at its facilities by nearly 50 million gallons and cut its total energy use by more than 95 million kilowatt hours, or 13 percent.

“Dallas continues to raise the bar when it comes to environmental stewardship,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Larry Starfield. “Not only has it taken a program that delivers real results for the environment and made it a fundamental part of how it operates, but it is also serving as a model for how other cities can do the same.”

Specifically, Dallas has committed to do the following over the next three years:

"As a City, we believe in leading by example. So with 800 facilities, we are constantly looking for ways to make our operations greener,” said Mayor Tom Leppert. “We are thrilled the EPA is honoring the City of Dallas for these efforts by accepting us into the Performance Track program.”

Dallas is the first major city to join the Performance Track program. It is also the pilot city for EPA’s Sustainable Skylines Initiative. Sustainable Skylines involves completing several 3-year projects to reduce air emissions. The initiative is also expected to produce benefits to water and land quality. The success of the Dallas pilot is now serving as a national model for other cities. In addition to Sustainable Skylines, Dallas took the No. 1 spot on EPA’s Top 10 List of municipal green power purchasers in January 2008. Green power purchases help reduce the environmental impacts of electricity use and support the development of new renewable generation capacity nationwide. Dallas is purchasing 40 percent of its power - nearly 334 million kilowatt-hours - from renewable sources, primarily wind.

“I am extremely proud of our environmental sustainability efforts over the past several years and our ‘Green Team,’” said City Manager Mary K. Suhm. “This recognition just goes to show that our efforts are paying off.”

The Performance Track program recognizes and drives environmental excellence by encouraging facilities with strong environmental records to go above and beyond legal requirements. To earn membership, applicants must demonstrate and commit to maintaining a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance, have internal systems in place to manage environmental impacts, engage in community outreach and consistently report results.

Since the launch of the program, Performance Track membership has grown to 548 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and members have set more than 4,000 goals to benefit the environment. As a result, members have reported greenhouse gas reductions of 310,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, reductions in nitrogen oxides of 13,000 tons, and reductions of hazardous waste of 52,000 tons.

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EPA awards ADEQ more than $300,000 for water quality monitoring (:36 sec., 557 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $333,900 to the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality to conduct ambient water quality monitoring projects for improving water quality throughout Arkansas. Monitoring projects will involve collecting water samples from various lakes for information on water quality. Scientific data collected from these projects will be used to develop water quality standards and to determine the effects of impaired water bodies on aquatic life.

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EPA Unveils Top Four Texas Cities with the Most Energy Star Buildings (1:55 min., 1.77 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a list of Texas metropolitan areas with the largest number of energy efficient buildings in 2008 that have earned EPA’s Energy Star. The list is headed by Houston, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio. These four metropolitan areas had 404 Energy Star qualified buildings in 2008 which resulted in $130.7 million in energy cost savings.

“By making smart energy choices, Texans are saving millions of energy dollars each year,” said Larry Starfield, Acting EPA Regional Administrator. “Whether running a business, a school, or a household, getting the most out of our energy dollars just makes sense.”

In 2008, more than 3,300 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants earned the Energy Star – EPA’s label for high efficiency – representing savings of more than $1 billion in utility bills and more than seven million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. These buildings include schools, hospitals, office buildings, courthouses, grocery stores, retail centers and auto assembly plants.

The total number of Energy Star qualifying buildings and plants in the U.S. is now more than 6,200 with overall annual utility savings of more than $1.7 billion and the prevention of greenhouse gas emissions of more than 13 million metric tons a year – savings equal to the emissions associated with the electricity use of more than 1.8 million homes for a year.

Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and nearly half of energy consumption nationwide. For more than a decade, EPA has worked with businesses and organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve energy through this voluntary, market-based partnership.

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Silver City gets nearly $1 million for wastewater plant improvements (:36 sec., 552 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection agency has awarded $967,900 to the town of Silver City, New Mexico, to improve wastewater treatment and processing facilities within Grant County. Projects for this grant award includes rehabilitating aeration basins and retrofitting aerate digesters. Additional activities involved in the project include upgrading preliminary treatment facilities, constructing a countywide septic receiving station for processing, and treating the wastewater.

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February 2009

Oklahoma department gets more than $100,000 for technology upgrade (:42 sec., 648 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $121,543 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry to improve compliance and monitoring activities by integrating computer technology into the workflow process. The project’s goals are to develop an electronic forms database using Microsoft Access and to equip inspectors with technologies such as geographic information systems and Web services. The integration will also allow field, lab, and legal personnel to save time during inspections, maintain monitoring information, and prevent data errors.

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Burton Oil Properties Penalized for Violating the Clean Water Act (5:2 sec., 800 Kb, MP3)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has penalized Burton Oil Properties of Ratliff City, Oklahoma, $600 for violating federal Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations outlined under the Clean Water Act. A federal inspection of an oil production facility located at Highway 76 and Old Highway 76 in Fox, Carter County, Oklahoma, on December 16, 2008, found visual inspection of containers, foundation and supports were not conducted periodically for deterioration and maintenance needs, and above ground valves and pipelines were not examined periodically for general condition. As part of an Expedited Settlement Agreement with EPA, the facility has provided certification that all identified deficiencies have been corrected.

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EPA awards more than $280,000 to an Arkansas Water Authority (38 sec., 594 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $286,000 to the Ozark Mountain Regional Public Water Authority to implement a project for improving north-central Arkansas’s water supply. Implementation of the project will require Ozark Mountain Regional Public Water Authority to design and construct a raw water intake structure, water treatment plant and a new water supply transmission line. The new water supply source will service residents in Newton, Searcy, Boone and Marion counties.

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EPA awards City of Fayetteville more than $280,000 for sewer rehabilitation (:35 sec., 557 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $286,000 to the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas, to rehabilitate sanitary sewer manholes and sewer lines. Based on information gathered in the sanitary sewer evaluation study in southern Fayetteville, approximately 850 manholes and 175,000 liner feet of sewer line are subject for repair and rehabilitation. Methods used for project implementation involves open-cut replacement, cured-in-place piping, and pipe bursting methods.

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EPA awards more than $18 million to TCEQ for environmental programs (:29 sec., 467 KB, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $18,609,238 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Performance Partnership Grant (PPG) to assist in administering Texas’s environmental quality programs. TCEQ’s environmental programs aim to prevent, reduce, and eliminate water, solid waste, air, and pesticide pollution through standard-setting, monitoring, permitting and enforcement activities.

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Rubicon LLC Successfully Completes Goal for EPA Partnership Program (2:08 min., 1.94 Mb, MP3)

Rubicon LLC, a joint venture between Huntsman and Chemtura Corporation, located in Geismar, Louisiana, is being recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for completion of their National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) goal and reducing the quantity of benzene and aniline incinerated at the facility by 1.2 million pounds. Rubicon joined the program in 2005 and committed to reduce waste benzene and aniline used in their polyurethane operations.

NPEP is an EPA program that promotes the voluntary reduction of hazardous chemicals. Through work with EPA, both public and private organizations identify activities that will reduce the use of these chemicals, preventing their ability to be released into the environment and threaten public health. With over 220 partners across the country, the program continues to promote alternatives to hazardous chemical use, including recycling, substituting less hazardous alternatives, or reducing the quantities of these hazardous chemicals being used.

“More and more top facilities are finding smart, simple ways to conduct business and care for the environment at the same time,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Larry Starfield. “It is even more inspiring when industry members not only stick with their commitments to the environment, but expand on them.”

Rubicon implemented a waste minimization program in 1995, and since 1997 has been able to reduce the amount of aniline incinerated at the facility by 48%. The project for NPEP enrollment involved system upgrades that resulted in 720,000 pounds of aniline reductions and 500,000 pounds of benzene reductions.

The facility has been active in Louisiana’s Environmental Leadership Program since 1998. The facility will be recognized during an achievement award presentation by representatives from EPA and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality at the Geismar Community Center on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.

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EPA Issues Administrative Orders to Arkansas Egg Company (2 min., 1.82 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued administrative orders to three Arkansas Egg Co. facilities in Arkansas for violations of the Clean Water Act.

The facilities, Blair Farm in Benton County, and Summers Farm and Appleton Farm, both in Washington County, were found to be out of compliance with their Clean Water Act discharge permits.

In February 2008, EPA and Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) inspectors observed that all three facilities had used chicken litter in amounts exceeding those designated in their waste management plans. The facilities had also failed to operate their liquid animal waste collection and containment systems properly.

Summers and Blair Farms were also cited for failure to dispose of dead animals appropriately and maintain their carcass incinerators. Additionally, the Appleton Farm had failed to maintain the required 35 feet setback distance from streams at waste application sites.

Other violations noted included failure to maintain proper levels in waste collection systems, failure to maintain records indicating locations of fields where animal waste has been applied, and failure to properly dispose of liquid and solid animal wastes.

Based on these findings, EPA has ordered Arkansas Egg Co. to immediately remove all animal carcasses, begin utilizing proper carcass incineration and liquid waste procedures, properly remove non-contained liquid manure, and initiate application of liquid and solid wastes to land application as required by their discharge permits and waste management plans.

Arkansas Egg Co. has also been ordered to provide maps of all owned or leased liquid animal waste or solid waste application fields showing field locations, soil sample analyses for the last five years, cropping schemes, copies of calculations used for waste application, applications records, and liquid and solid manure sample analysis.

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NMED awarded more than $1 million for wetland restoration projects (48 sec., 754 K, MP3

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,036,113 to the New Mexico Environment Department to support and implement four wetland restoration and conservation projects. The first project, located in San Vicente, will survey, restore, and protect more than 30 acres of degraded wetlands. One objective of the second project is for further development of rapid assessment of wetlands in the State. The third project, located in Cebolla County, involves demonstrating innovative methods for restoring agricultural lands to natural wetland habitat. The final project involves implementing restoration and conservation measures by working with Curry County landowners to protect more than 150 acres and restore 60 acres of playa wetlands.

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EPA Orders Global Environmental Methods to Cease Operations (2:49 min., 2.59 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), has ordered Global Environmental Methods to cease all operations at their waste oil and industrial process waste management and treatment facility in New Iberia, Louisiana.

The facility, located at 4918 South Lewis Street, is in violation of its discharge permit issued by the LDEQ.

“EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through a strong enforcement program,” said EPA Region 6 Compliance Assurance and Enforcement Division Director John Blevins. “When these facilities fail to follow the rules, immediate actions will be taken to ensure compliance with the law.”

“This is an example of how state and federal government working together can improve compliance, and therefore the quality of our environment, within the state of Louisiana,” said Peggy Hatch, DEQ Assistant Secretary of the Office of Environmental Compliance. “We hope that other facilities that are willfully disobeying the environmental regulations take notice. There are so many businesses that operate within the rules. Those who don’t should expect to face the stiffest enforcement action possible.”

On February 4, 2009, EPA and LDEQ representatives conducted an inspection at the facility during which numerous deficiencies and discrepancies were observed, all in violation of the requirements of their state issued permit.

These deficiencies and discrepancies included inadequate treatment of process wastewater and waste oil, and discharge volumes significantly greater than the total available treatment and storage capacity. Inspectors also noted the current treatment process varied significantly from the treatment process described in the discharge permit application submitted to LDEQ and were unable to determine the facility’s compliance status with the permit due to lack of documentation.

Inspectors also observed twenty-seven 55-gallon drums in poor condition and some were leaking. The contents of the drums were not consistent with drum labeling. Soil staining, indicating a release of petroleum waste, was observed in several areas throughout the facility and included a path that led directly to Commercial Channel which discharges to Vermilion Bay. The facility’s wastewater treatment system was leaking pollutants suspected to be hazardous waste.

Based on these findings, EPA, in coordination with LDEQ, has ordered Global Environmental Methods to cease all operations at the facility, including discharges of wastes or any process water and stop accepting any waste material for storage or treatment.

Global Environmental Methods has also been ordered to notify EPA and the state within 15 days of the details and efforts conducted to cease and desist all operations at the facility and within 30 days submit a report to EPA and LDEQ detailing all actions to comply with the order.

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City Manager and City Supervisor to Report to Prison (2:15 min., 2.04 Mb, MP3)

Elk City, Oklahoma, City Manager Guy R. Hylton, Jr. and Elk City Supervisor Chick Arthur Little, convicted of violations of the federal Clean Air Act, will serve their sentences at the Federal Prison Camp in Big Spring, Texas.

The two were originally indicted by a federal grand jury on December 19, 2006, for using Elk City inmates to renovate the Rock Island Railroad Depot in Elk City without providing respiratory protection, protective clothing, or taking other required measures used for the removal of asbestos. Asbestos causes a wide range of illnesses, including various forms of cancer, including mesothelioma, and asbestosis, a usually fatal lung disease.

Following a trial, a jury in Oklahoma City found each man guilty of negligent endangerment by allowing the release of asbestos in a way that created a danger of death or serious bodily injury to the inmates who were working for the city as part of a work-release program. Little was additionally convicted of felony false statements related to lying to investigators conducting the criminal investigation which led to his indictment.

Last January, United States District Judge Joe Heaton ordered Hylton to serve six months in federal prison and pay a $15,000 fine. Judge Heaton ordered Little to serve eight months in federal prison, serve two years of supervised release upon release from prison and perform 104 hours of community service in lieu of a fine.

“EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through a strong enforcement program,” said EPA Special Agent in Charge Warren Amburn. “We must hold those accountable who endanger others and lie to federal officials to cover up their misconduct.”

Both men appealed their convictions to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and learned this week the court issued orders and judgments affirming their convictions and sentences. As a result of the failed appeal and his looming prison sentence, Guy Hylton resigned as Elk City’s Manager effective February 16, 2009.

Chick Arthur Little has been ordered to report to the Federal Prison Camp in Big Spring on Friday, February 20, 2009, and Guy Hylton has been ordered to report to the same facility on Friday, March 6, 2009.

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State health department gets $360,000 EPA grant for renovation projects (26 sec., 443Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $360,000 to the Texas Department of State Health Services to conduct statewide inspections of demolition and renovation projects in public buildings. Inspections for toxic air pollutants potentially present during demolitions or renovations are part of the State’s program for planning, monitoring, and enforcing National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP).

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January 2009

EPA Seeks Comment on CAFO Permit (1:02 min., 1.08Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 is proposing a general permit regulating concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) located on State lands in New Mexico.

This National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit is required by the Clean Water Act if pollutants will be discharged or proposed to be discharged from CAFOs into our nation’s waterways. These permits spell out the types of allowable discharges and are written to protect public health and the environment.

The proposed CAFO general permit continues many requirements already in place including nutrient management plans, manure and wastewater storage design, waste storage closure provisions and incorporates new requirements established in 2008.

EPA will continue its extensive coordination with the CAFO industry, New Mexico regulatory agencies, tribal and local governments, environmental groups and other interested parties to ensure the permit will be both effective and viable.

EPA will accept comments for 30 days on the proposal, then review and respond to comments and make any appropriate changes before the permit is reissued.

The proposed general permit and a fact sheet can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region6/water/index.htm

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EPA approves El Paso County’s air quality maintenance plan (1.31 min., 1.37Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a revision to the Texas State Implementation Plan (SIP) to incorporate an air maintenance plan for El Paso County. The purpose of the plan is to ensure continued attainment of the 8-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for 10 years after the effective designation date of June 15, 2004.

“Approval of these revisions to the El Paso County SIP will bring us closer to improving air quality throughout Texas,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “Residents who call El Paso County home will breathe cleaner, healthier air as a result of this revision.”

The State of Texas, through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), submitted the 8-hour ozone NAAQS maintenance plan for El Paso County to EPA on January 20, 2006. EPA approved the maintenance plan SIP revisions for El Paso County as meeting requirements of the Clean Air Act and being consistent with EPA guidance.

Only one State Implementation Plan (SIP) exists for each state. For Texas, this document was initially approved in May 1972. Rather than re-writing the entire SIP regularly, parts of the SIP are simply revised as needed. Revisions, which must be approved by the EPA, are necessary when new federal or state requirements are enacted, when new data improves modeling techniques, when a specific area's attainment status changes, or when an area fails to reach attainment.

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EPA awards $200,000 to the City of Camden (1:37 min., 1.46Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $200,000 grant to the City of Camden, Arkansas, to provide training for residents who have been impacted by redevelopment and environmental remediation of brownfields properties. Giving priority to the underemployed and unemployed, the City of Camden plans to recruit 30 students from Camden and surrounding counties, place at least 19 graduates in environmental technician jobs, and track students for one year.

“EPA is committed to providing educational and career opportunities to students who possess a desire to learn more about science, policy and the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “As a result of our commitment, the City of Camden will produce future environmental leaders who will have the knowledge and training to keep Camden environmentally safe and healthy for upcoming generations.”

Working in conjunction with Southern Arkansas University Tech and the Arkansas Workforce Center, the City of Camden will conduct three, 344-hour training cycles which includes coursework in groundwater remediation, disposal of remediated waste, and asbestos supervision. Upon completion of the training, twelve certifications will be offered and students will be placed in environmental jobs.

EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders in economic development to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields which are real properties, developments, or expansions that may be contaminated by hazardous substances and pollutants.

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EPA awards more than $75,000 to Oklahoma Tribe for air assessments (:28 sec., 4.32Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $75,071 to the Oklahoma Kaw Nation Tribe to conduct an emission inventory of air pollutants from local industries within a 50 mile radius off their air shed. Funds from the grant awarded will also be used by the Kaw Nation Tribe to develop an inventory database, conduct community outreach, and attend additional air assessment training.

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EPA Orders Arklatex Operating Company, Inc. to Cease Discharges (2:01 sec., 1.83Mb, MP3)

(Dallas, Texas - January 12, 2009) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered Arklatex Operating Company, Inc. to cease discharges of pollutants at two if its oil field production and brine disposal facilities in Arkansas.

The facilities, one located in Union County and the other in Ouachita County, were discharging oil field brine to waters of the United States in violation of the Clean Water Act.

“EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through a strong enforcement program,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility.”

On December 16, 2008, an EPA inspector observed that pollutants, primarily oil field brine generated from oil production activities, had been recently discharged from the Union County site to wetlands immediately adjacent to Smackover Creek. On the same date, the EPA inspector observed pollutants recently discharged from the Ouachita County site to Ben Davis Lake. The pollutant at the point of entry into the lake was contaminated oil field brine.

Neither facility had permit coverage under the Clean Water Act, which authorizes the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States.

Based on these findings, EPA has ordered Arklatex Operating Company, Inc. to cease all discharge of pollutants from its Union County facility, remove all brine and contaminated soils from the flow path located between the facility and the wetlands, remove brine from the wetland area north of the tank battery, and within 30 days provide written certification to EPA that these requirement has been completed..

EPA has also ordered Arklatex Operating Company, Inc. to cease all discharge of pollutants from its Ouachita County facility, remove all brine and contaminated soils from the flow path located between the facility and Ben Davis Lake, and within 45 days provide written certification to EPA that these requirements have been completed.

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North Texas, TCEQ awarded $2 million for clean diesel projects (2:05 sec., 1.89Mb, MP3)

The North Central Texas Council of Governments has been awarded $1.5 million, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will receive $500,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce diesel emissions.

EPA and the Blue Skyways Collaborative awarded the grants as part of the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

“Blue Skyways and the EPA clean diesel program are delivering cleaner engines and cleaner air for America’s heartland,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “This program gives communities another effective tool to improve air quality and public health.”

Communities will use the grants for clean diesel projects that significantly reduce emissions through the use of retrofit technologies, engine replacements, and idle reduction technologies.
Reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the country. Even with EPA's more stringent heavy-duty highway and non-road engine standards set to take effect over the next decade, millions of diesel engines already in use will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and air toxics, which contribute to serious public health problems. EPA and the Blue Skyways Collaborative provide funding for projects to help reduce these heavy-duty diesel emissions.

The Blue Skyways Collaborative is a group of businesses, communities and government agencies spanning 10 states that work together voluntarily to reduce air pollution in North America's central corridor. With its 183 partners, the collaborative is implementing about $1.1 billion in projects that use innovations in diesel engines, alternative fuels and renewable energy technologies to reduce air emissions along major transportation corridors. These innovations save 76 million gallons of fuel per year, cut 1.6 million tons per year in greenhouse gases and reduce toxic air pollutants by 51,626 tons per year.

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EPA awards $500,000 to biomedical institute for air quality research (1:53 min., 1.72 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $500,000 to the Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to develop environmental health indicators of cardiovascular disease caused by air pollution. Exposures to particulate matter, ozone, and diesel exhaust have been identified as a possible cause for cardiovascular disease in humans, but no investigation confirms that pollutants act through known markers of atherosclerosis (e.g., C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor). The Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute will conduct research to develop novel and more specific markers for acute exposure to humans.

“Gaining a better understanding of science, research, and technology is critical to our agency’s mission,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “Research conducted by this biomedical institute will provide life-saving data used to improve the quality of life and help protect our environment.”

Project activities involved in this research will include identifying susceptible individuals, classifying casual components of the complex air pollution mixture, and developing a better understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in air pollution-induced cardiovascular toxicity. As a result of data collected from this study, Lovelace hopes to identify individuals who could be at risk of developing atherosclerosis, a chronic arterial inflammatory disease which may lead to a stroke.

Funding for the grant award was provided through the EPA National Center for Environmental Research’s Science to Achieve Results or STAR program. The STAR program funds research grants and graduate fellowships in numerous environmental science and engineering disciplines through a competitive solicitation process and independent peer review.

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December 2008

EPA Issues Administrative Complaint to Moo Town Dairy (2:56 min., 2.68 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an administrative complaint and proposed a civil penalty of $157,500 to Moo Town Dairy near Sulphur Springs, Texas, for violations of the Clean Water Act.

The dairy, located about six miles southeast of Sulphur Springs, on the west side of County Road 2321, is a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO). The violation alleged is for an unauthorized discharge of pollutants to an unnamed creek, a tributary of Running Creek, which eventually discharges to Lake Fork Reservoir. The discharges resulted from improper operation and frequent overflow of a manure collection pit, storm water runoff from an open lot, a carcass disposal area, commodity storage barns, and silage bunkers.

“EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through a strong enforcement program,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “When these facilities fail to follow the rules, immediate actions will be taken to ensure compliance with the law.”

In October 2007, inspectors from EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) conducted an inspection of the facility. The inspection revealed numerous permit violations, including unauthorized discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States. On November 26, 2007, EPA issued a cease and desist administrative order which required the dairy owner to address the permit violations identified during the October 2007 inspection.

EPA and TCEQ inspectors conducted a follow-up inspection of the facility in June 2008. The inspection revealed that the facility had not addressed many of the violations identified during the previous inspection in October 2007. The new violations include continued unauthorized discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States due to improper operations and overflow of a manure collection pit.

On June 27, 2008, EPA issued a real-time cease and desist administrative order requiring the facility to immediately stop all unauthorized discharges of pollutants originating from the improperly managed and overflowing manure collection pit. The order also requires that all wastewater from the silage bunkers and commodity storage area drain to storage lagoons and the clean up of all areas where polluted water has pooled, including the facility property and the adjacent property to the west through which the unnamed tributary flows.

Based on these findings, EPA has proposed to assess a civil penalty of $157,500, and orders the owner and operator of the Moo Town Dairy to immediately take action to bring the facility into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

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North Texas loses tons (2:48 min., 2.56 MB, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has given final approval to the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) clean air plan for ozone, making the region the first in the nation to receive such an endorsement. Under the plan, ozone forming pollutants will be reduced by 88 tons per day, and officials expect air quality in the area to meet the federal ozone standard of 84 parts per billion (ppb) by 2010. 

“With this plan, more than six million residents who call the Dallas-Fort Worth area home will be breathing cleaner, healthier air,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “To be the first in the nation to develop a viable plan to reduce ozone is significant in itself.  But to have done it while also balancing the needs of a growing population and vibrant economy makes it even more remarkable.”

The clean air plan, referred to as the State Implementation Plan, or SIP, will improve air quality by more than 55 percent over 1999 levels, which, in combination with previous plans, will result in a total of 409 tons per day of ozone pollution reduction. This summer, the DFW area had the lowest levels of ozone in three decades.  This year the area had 32 fewer days when air monitors exceeded the smog standard than in the late 1990s—a reduction of 78 percent.

“Continuation of this trend in the improvement of DFW air quality puts the area on course to achieve compliance with the new health-based standards announced by the EPA Administrator earlier this year,” Greene continued.

EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality collaborated with businesses, governments, and communities from across the area to ensure the plan would achieve the needed ozone reductions.  The Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) and AirCheckTexas program were major contributors to the plan’s effectiveness. 

Together, the programs are providing more than $100 million this year to help get older, more polluting heavy-duty engines and vehicles off the road.  Since its start in 2001, TERP has provided more than $545 million in grants for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines, with another $140 million in applications under consideration.  This total is more than any other state in the nation, and TERP now serves as a national model.

Other ozone reductions in the plan came from work by the North Central Texas Council of Governments and emissions reductions from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field.  Further reductions under the plan will come from controls on thousands of North Texas natural gas compressor engines, cement plants, power plants, and back-up generators used by business and industry.

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Old sites could get new life through renewable energy projects EPA and New Mexico conduct workshop on revamping contaminated properties (2:46 min., 2.53 MB, MP3)

Environmental stakeholders from across the country will meet to discuss how to turn contaminated properties into viable sites for renewable energy projects on December 10-11 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is co-sponsoring the workshop, “Brown to Green: Make the Connection to Renewable Energy,” with the New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

“Whether it's business and government or science and academics, we all have a stake in our environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “By working together, we can find new and better ways to return problem properties to productive use.”

Workshop organizers plan to use information gained from the event to develop a best practices document with guidelines for locating renewable energy projects on contaminated sites.

The workshop will feature information on EPA’s national renewable energy development initiative, which focuses on using currently or formerly contaminated properties and mining sites for renewable energy projects.

EPA manages multiple programs such as Superfund, Brownfields, and Ready for Reuse to clean up and revitalize contaminated properties. These sites are often a good fit for renewable energy projects because they have existing transmission capacity and infrastructure in place, and most of the acreage is in non-urban areas.

Other topics to be discussed during the workshop include New Mexico’s clean energy initiatives, state and federal regulatory considerations, tribal projects, funding sources, case studies, and opportunities for developers, manufacturers, utilities and others.

"We are fortunate to have a Governor and strong leadership in New Mexico who promote our clean energy and climate change policies so they take center stage -- we continue to implement important policies to provide cleaner air and address a warming climate," said New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry. "In addition, we have been able to oversee programs and work with forward-thinking companies to convert previously contaminated properties into usable sites."

Renewable energy is obtained from sources that can be replenished continually, such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass. Using renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions, decreases dependence on foreign oil, and provides domestic economic development. Demand for renewable energy is estimated to grow by 31 percent over the next 25 years, and renewable energy generation is projected to increase by 45 percent over that same period.

“Governor Richardson’s clean energy policies have led to significant development in New Mexico’s wind resources, with biomass, solar, and geothermal primed to follow. We welcome collaboration with other government agencies and industry to strategically evaluate and re-use brownfields, and green power production should be a primary consideration,” stated Joanna Prukop, Cabinet Secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

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San Antonio Educator Receives Honor from EPA (2:19 min., 2.12 MB, MP3)

Diane Rhodes, Asthma Educator for the Department of Safe and Healthy Schools within San Antonio’s North East Independent School District, has been honored today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recognition of her outstanding commitment to a healthy school environment. EPA presented Ms. Rhodes with its National Special Achievement Award during the 9th Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington, D.C.

“EPA is honored to present this award to Ms. Rhodes for her efforts in ensuring students, teachers and staff have a healthy environment in which to learn and work,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “This award recognizes those individuals whose commitment for improved indoor air quality in schools has had a lasting impact on their school system.”

In 1995, EPA created the Tools for Schools program in response to studies highlighting the deteriorating conditions of the nation’s schools and the alarming rise in asthma cases, particularly among school and preschool age children. Asthma alone accounts for 13 million missed school days each year. Today, one out of every ten school-age children has asthma. Half of the nation’s schools are now implementing indoor air quality management programs, with 85 percent of those schools basing their efforts on the EPA’s Tools for Schools program.

Diane Rhodes said, “by systematically addressing the four components of asthma control within our school district we can achieve our goal to increase the quality of life for our 6,000 asthmatic children within NEISD. Asthma no longer has to be a disease that negatively affects attendance, performance, physical activity level, and social engagement of our children. By having the Tools for Schools program in place, the North East school district can provide an asthma/allergy friendly environment to all students as well as provide asthma management education to children, parents, staff, and the community.

As the leader of the NEISD Asthma Awareness Program, Diane Rhodes developed a framework to address the four components of asthma control: Awareness, Medication, Environment, and Education. Her efforts have lead to numerous districtwide policy changes and the creation of Asthma Blow Out events designed to provide an evening of asthma education to the community.

A special recognition ceremony and reception was held to honor recipients of the 2008 National Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools awards. To date, more than 200 schools and school districts nationwide have been recognized by EPA for their accomplishments in creating a healthy learning environment and maintaining healthy indoor air quality in their facilities.

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EPA Honors North East Independent School District for Exceptional Commitment to Indoor Air Quality (2:50 min., 2.60 MB, MP3)

San Antonio’s North East Independent School District has been honored today for implementing successful indoor air quality programs during the 9th Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington, D.C.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented Mr. Jacinto (Speedy) Gonzales, representing the North East District, with its National Excellence Award for their exemplary indoor air quality program and their exceptional commitment to good indoor air quality management within the district.

“EPA is honored to recognize the North East ISD for its efforts in implementing outstanding and effective indoor air quality programs,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “The Tools for Schools program is a common sense guide to help prevent and solve the majority of indoor air problems affecting many of our nation’s schools.”

EPA created the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program in response to studies drawing attention to the range of indoor air quality and related problems in school buildings, the alarming rise in asthma and allergies among school children, and the knowledge that indoor air pollutants can bring a variety of health effects, from respiratory problems to headaches and nausea.

Dr. Brian Gottardy, Associate Superintendent for Operations said, “the District is honored to be one of the recipients of the prestigious EPA award that is given to those school districts for implementing these national Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools guidelines. All of the departments within the Division of Operations are striving to provide a healthy learning environment for all students and staff in the District’s 67 schools and buildings.”

Superintendent Richard Middleton recognized the link between the health of the students and academic performance, and took steps towards addressing both. Superintendent Middleton set a goal to increase average daily attendance by 1 percent for the 2008-2009 school year.

To achieve this goal the district hired an Asthma Educator and created the Department of Safe and Healthy Schools, and through the execution of sound indoor air quality management practices, has experienced measurable health outcomes including a .3 percent increase in attendance from June 2007 to July 2008, and a 50 percent decrease in inhaler usage due to asthma.

A special recognition ceremony and reception was held to honor recipients of the 2008 National Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools awards. Since its beginning in 1995, the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program has recognized more than 200 schools and school districts nationwide for their accomplishments in creating a healthy learning environment and maintaining healthy indoor air quality in their facilities.

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Katy ISD Assistant Director Receives Honor from EPA (1:54 min., 1.73 MB, MP3)

Peggy Caruso, Assistant Director of Maintenance and Operations for the Katy Independent School District, has been honored today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in recognition of her outstanding commitment to a healthy school environment.

EPA presented Ms. Caruso with its National Special Achievement Award during the 9th Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium in Washington, D.C.

“Good indoor air quality contributes to a healthy learning environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “EPA is honored to recognize Ms. Caruso for her efforts in implementing outstanding and effective indoor air quality programs.”

The Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Special Achievement Award recognizes individuals and organizations from across the country whose commitment to improved school indoor environments has led to tangible, sustainable indoor air quality management programs. These individuals and organizations demonstrate a significant dedication to student and staff health and wellness and have taken steps to leave a positive, lasting impact on their school system, the staff and students, and the entire community.

“Every school district should voluntarily implement the Tools for Schools program,” said Peggy Caruso. “The program can be used to coordinate a variety of activities that impact the learning environment. It saves money, is flexible and usable. Correcting problems before they occur has a positive affect on the education process.”

Peggy Caruso is one of Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools most distinguished champions. Not only is she intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of Katy ISD’s award winning Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program, but also participates heavily in planning for major equipment overhauls, renovations to existing facilities, and construction of new buildings.

A special recognition ceremony and reception was held to honor recipients of the 2008 National Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools awards. To date, more than 200 schools and school districts nationwide have been recognized by EPA for their accomplishments in creating a healthy learning environment and maintaining healthy indoor air quality in their facilities.

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EPA enforcement in Oklahoma continues to cut pollution (3:31 min.c, 3.22 Mb, MP3)

More than $11.8 billion in environmental improvements were secured and an estimated four billion pounds of pollution were prevented as a result of enforcement actions by the Environmental Protection Agency this year. Both figures represent record highs for the agency. Results for cases with facilities in Oklahoma brought more than 49 million pounds of pollution reductions, nearly $43 million in penalties and environmental improvements, and 274 concluded enforcement actions.

“Enforcement is a vital part of EPA’s commitment to protecting the environment and public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “As a result of these efforts, communities throughout Oklahoma will benefit from less pollution and more investments by industry to better control pollutants. I commend the work of our staff and environmental partners on a job well done.”

EPA’s enforcement numbers were released today by its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance as part of its fiscal year 2008 accomplishments report. The report outlines some of the agency’s notable achievements in the areas of civil and criminal enforcement, compliance assistance, public health, environmental justice and international cooperation.

A total of $565 million in environmental improvements, 437 million pounds in pollution reductions and two billion pounds of treated or disposed hazardous waste were realized across the region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Among the agency’s enforcement achievements involving facilities in Oklahoma is the national settlement against Sinclair Oil Corporation. Under the agreement, Sinclair will pay a $2.45 million civil penalty and spend more than $72 million for new and upgraded pollution controls to reduce air pollution from its three refineries -- one located in Tulsa and two in Wyoming. In addition, the company will spend $150,000 on supplemental environmental projects in Oklahoma, including $100,000 to install new controls to reduce emissions of particulate matter from the City of Tulsa’s fleet of municipal trash trucks.

Approximately 1,100 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions and 4,600 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions will be reduced when new pollution controls required under the settlement are fully implemented. The new controls also will result in additional reductions of volatile organic compounds and particulate matter from each of the refineries.

Oklahoma was also a part of the national Home Depot settlement. Under this settlement, the company agreed to pay a $1.3 million penalty and implement a nationwide compliance program to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act at more than 30 construction sites in 28 states, including a site in Lawton, Oklahoma, where a new Home Depot store was being built. The settlement requires that Home Depot implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide program to prevent storm water pollution at each new store it builds nationwide by developing improved pollution prevention plans for each site, increasing site inspections, and promptly correcting any problems at its sites.

In addition to enforcement actions, EPA provided help to more than 12,421 regional businesses and individuals in understanding and complying with environmental responsibilities during the past year.

The EPA enforcement program is a vital tool in ensuring compliance with the nation’s environmental laws and inspiring businesses, governments and others to focus on pollution prevention.

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EPA enforcement in Texas continues to cut pollution (3:44 min., 3.42 Mb, MP3)

More than $11.8 billion in environmental improvements were secured and an estimated four billion pounds of pollution were prevented as a result of enforcement actions by the Environmental Protection Agency this year. Both figures represent record highs for the agency. Results for cases with facilities in Texas brought more than 223 million pounds of pollution reductions, more than $528 million in penalties and environmental improvements, and 206 concluded enforcement actions.

“Enforcement is a vital part of EPA’s commitment to protecting the environment and public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “As a result of these efforts, communities throughout Texas will benefit from less pollution and more investments by industry to better control pollutants. I commend the work of our staff and environmental partners on a job well done.”

EPA’s enforcement numbers were released today by its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance as part of its fiscal year 2008 accomplishments report. The report outlines some of the agency’s notable achievements in the areas of civil and criminal enforcement, compliance assistance, public health, environmental justice and international cooperation.

A total of $565 million in environmental improvements, 437 million pounds in pollution reductions and two billion pounds of treated or disposed hazardous waste were realized across the region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Among the agency’s enforcement achievements involving facilities in Texas is the treatment and disposal of 1.7 billion pounds of hazardous waste from Agrifos Fertilizer, Inc. in Pasadena. EPA issued an Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order to Agrifos and ExxonMobil to address long-term wastewater EPA enforcement in Texas continues to cut pollution management and prevent future endangerment to human health and the environment.

Agrifos operates a mineral processing facility that extracts phosphorus from mineral ores for use in commercial fertilizer. The facility accumulated excessive amounts of acidic wastewater that threatened catastrophic failure of the impoundments. An abnormal amount of rainfall caused an excess of wastewater resulting in the failure of a portion of the retaining wall, which released wastewater into a county drainage ditch, Cotton Patch Bayou, and then into the Houston Ship Channel. The overflow released approximately 54 million gallons of wastewater, and at least one fish kill was reported in the bayou.

EPA also secured an agreement with ConocoPhillips to pay a $1.2 million civil penalty for Clean Water Act violations related to more than 2,000 effluent discharges from a petroleum refinery it operates in Borger, Texas. As a result of this case, the company will monitor surrounding waters, including Dixon Creek and the Canadian River, for selenium levels and accumulation of selenium in fish tissue. ConocoPhillips is also required to maintain controls put in place to minimize its selenium discharges and to correct whole effluent toxicity violations. Lastly, the company will perform a supplemental environmental project estimated to cost approximately $600,000, which will reduce the amount of solids discharged into local waterways during storm events.

In addition to enforcement actions, EPA provided help to more than 12,421 regional businesses and individuals in understanding and complying with environmental responsibilities during the past year.

The EPA enforcement program is a vital tool in ensuring compliance with the nation’s environmental laws and inspiring businesses, governments and others to focus on pollution prevention.

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EPA enforcement in Arkansas continues to cut pollution (2:58 min., 2.72 MB, MP3)

Polluters agree to spend $11.8 billion on environmental controls and cleanup nationwide.

More than $11.8 billion in environmental improvements were secured and an estimated four billion pounds of pollution were prevented as a result of enforcement actions by the Environmental Protection Agency this year. Both figures represent record highs for the agency. Results for cases with facilities in Arkansas brought more than seven million pounds of pollution reductions, more than $542,000 in penalties and environmental improvements, and 53 concluded enforcement actions.

Enforcement is a vital part of EPA’s commitment to protecting the environment and public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “As a result of these efforts, communities throughout Arkansas will benefit from less pollution and more investments by industry to better control pollutants. I commend the work of our staff and environmental partners on a job well done.”

EPA’s enforcement numbers were released today by its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance as part of its fiscal year 2008 accomplishments report. The report outlines some of the agency’s notable achievements in the areas of civil and criminal enforcement, compliance assistance, public health, environmental justice and international cooperation. A total of $565 million in environmental improvements, 437 million pounds in pollution reductions and two billion pounds of treated or disposed hazardous waste were realized across the region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Among the agency’s enforcement achievements for Arkansas is the reduction of more than 1.5 million pounds of pollutants from Cal-Maine Food Inc., a concentrated animal feeding operation in Green Forest. Cal-Maine was issued an administrative order to cease and desist all discharges of pollutants into a tributary to Yocum Creek. As a result, the company modified its chicken composting operation to eliminate the possibility of future discharges and removed composting material from drainage pathways on the site.

EPA also helped protect Arkansas waterways through a multi-regional case against Magellan Midstream Partners. The case addressed violations that included the illegal discharge of gasoline and fuel oil from pipelines in five states, including Arkansas, into nearby waterways over a 10-year period. As a result of this national case, Magellan will pay a civil penalty of $5.3 million and spend $750,000 on removing or minimizing any external threats, such as damage from farm equipment and bulldozers, corrosion, leaks and pipeline operator error along segments of its pipeline. The company will also implement system-wide changes to improve employee training, leak response procedures, and protocols for detecting and responding to leaks and ruptures.

In addition to enforcement actions, EPA provided help to more than 12,421 regional businesses and individuals in understanding and complying with environmental responsibilities during the past year.

The EPA enforcement program is a vital tool in ensuring compliance with the nation’s environmental laws and inspiring businesses, governments and others to focus on pollution prevention.

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EPA enforcement in Louisiana continues to cut pollution (2:59 min., 2.73 MB, MP3)

Polluters agree to spend $11.8 billion on environmental controls and cleanup nationwide.

More than $11.8 billion in environmental improvements were secured and an estimated four billion pounds of pollution were prevented as a result of enforcement actions by the Environmental Protection Agency this year. Both figures represent record highs for the agency. Results for cases with facilities in Louisiana brought nearly 176 million pounds of pollution reductions, more than $183 million in penalties and environmental improvements, and 52 concluded enforcement actions.

“Enforcement is a vital part of EPA’s commitment to protecting the environment and public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “As a result of these efforts, communities throughout Louisiana will benefit from less pollution and more investments by industry to better control pollutants. I commend the work of our staff and environmental partners on a job well done.”

EPA’s enforcement numbers were released today by its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance as part of its fiscal year 2008 accomplishments report. The report outlines some of the agency’s notable achievements in the areas of civil and criminal enforcement, compliance assistance, public health, environmental justice and international cooperation. A total of $565 million in environmental improvements, 437 million pounds in pollution reductions and two billion pounds of treated or disposed hazardous waste were realized across the region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Among the agency’s enforcement achievements for Louisiana is the national E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. settlement, which will eliminate more than 13,000 tons of harmful emissions annually from four sulfuric acid production plants in Louisiana, Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Louisiana partnered with EPA and will receive $550,000 of the $4.1 million civil penalty. DuPont will also spend at least $66 million on air pollution controls by installing state-of-the-art “dual absorption” pollution control equipment at the Darrow, Louisiana, facility.

EPA also partnered with the State of Louisiana in a multi-regional case against Equistar Chemicals LP. Nationally, Equistar will spend more than $125 million on pollution controls and cleanup to address a myriad of air, water and hazardous waste violations at seven petrochemical plants in Louisiana, Texas, Illinois, and Iowa. The company’s investment in comprehensive control and operational measures is expected to significantly reduce air, water and hazardous waste pollution from the facilities. Louisiana will receive $178,600 of the $2.5 million penalty, and Equistar will pay at least $25,000 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to establish a fund to support hurricane cleanup and recovery activities.

In addition to enforcement actions, EPA provided help to more than 12,421 regional businesses and individuals in understanding and complying with environmental responsibilities during the past year.

The EPA enforcement program is a vital tool in ensuring compliance with the nation’s environmental laws and inspiring businesses, governments and others to focus on pollution prevention.

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EPA enforcement in New Mexico continues to cut pollution (2:28 min., 2.26 MB, MP3 )

Polluters agree to spend $11.8 billion on environmental controls and cleanup nationwide.

More than $11.8 billion in environmental improvements were secured and an estimated four billion pounds of pollution were prevented as a result of enforcement actions by the Environmental Protection Agency this year. Both figures represent record highs for the agency. Results for cases with facilities in New Mexico brought more than 191 million pounds of pollution reductions, more than $9 million in penalties and environmental improvements, and 46 concluded enforcement actions.

“Enforcement is a vital part of EPA’s commitment to protecting the environment and public health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “As a result of these efforts, communities throughout New Mexico will benefit from less pollution and more investments by industry to better control pollutants. I commend the work of our staff and environmental partners on a job well done.”

EPA’s enforcement numbers were released today by its Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance as part of its fiscal year 2008 accomplishments report. The report outlines some of the agency’s notable achievements in the areas of civil and criminal enforcement, compliance assistance, public health, environmental justice and international cooperation. A total of $565 million in environmental improvements, 437 million pounds in pollution reductions and 2 billion pounds of treated or disposed hazardous waste were realized across the region comprising Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Among the agency’s enforcement achievements for New Mexico is the national Home Depot settlement. Under the settlement, the company agreed to pay a $1.3 million penalty and implement a nationwide compliance program to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act at more than 30 construction sites in 28 states, including a site in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where a new Home Depot store was being built. The settlement requires that Home Depot implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide program to prevent storm water pollution at each new store it builds nationwide by developing improved pollution prevention plans for each site, increasing site inspections, and promptly correcting any problems at its sites. In addition to enforcement actions, EPA provided help to more than 12,421 regional businesses and individuals in understanding and complying with environmental responsibilities during the past year.

The EPA enforcement program is a vital tool in ensuring compliance with the nation’s environmental laws and inspiring businesses, governments and others to focus on pollution prevention.

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November 2008

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Receives $200,000 EPA Grant to Enhance Cleanup Program (:28 sec., 450 KB, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $200,000 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for continued development of its Voluntary Cleanup Program. This Voluntary Cleanup Program will support the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality by promoting healthy communities and ecosystems by assessing and cleaning Brownfields properties.

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EPA Awards Over $2 Million to TCEQ for Leaking Underground Storage Tank Corrective Action (:24 sec., 375 KB, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2,700,964 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for leaking underground storage tank corrective action. TCEQ will use the funds for investigations, emergency response, remediation, and risk assessment of leaking underground storage tanks.

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EPA Awards Over $400,000 to LDEQ for Brownfields (:26 sec., 413 KB, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $406,185 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to support its Brownfields program. Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties with redevelopment potential that suffer from known or perceived environmental contamination. LDEQ will use the funds for its Voluntary Cleanup Program and Revolving Loan Fund.

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October 2008

Blue Skyways bringing cleaner air to Alamo City and America’s heartland (3:02 min., 2.77 MB, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency is touting the San Antonio area’s clean air efforts

as a model for other cities throughout the heartland. Business leaders and environmental officials from 10 states are meeting in San Antonio October 29-31 to discuss clean air projects and progress as part of the Blue Skyways Collaborative.

“San Antonio has been an exemplary city when it comes to smart, clean air initiatives,” said EPA Region 6 Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “Now, by joining Blue Skyways, they are taking those efforts even further and inspiring other cities to do the same.”

As one of the collaborative’s newest members, San Antonio plans to aggressively implement transportation emission reduction measures, rideshare and telecommuting initiatives, gas-powered lawn mower replacements, and a truck stop anti-idling program.  These efforts are meant to help reduce ozone-causing pollutants. Since its start in 2006, Blue Skyways and it partners have cut pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by 51,626 tons per year; reduced greenhouse gases by 1.6 million tons per year; and saved 76 million gallons of fuel per year.  VOCs react with nitrogen oxides and sunlight to form ground-level ozone, or smog.  EPA strengthened the ozone standard from 0.80 parts per million (ppm) to 0.075 ppm in March of this year. Many cities, including San Antonio, are working to remain in attainment of the federal clean-air standard for ozone.  The city successfully developed an Early Action Compact air quality plan in 2002, which kept it within the previous ozone standard.

“Voluntary programs like the Blue Skyways Collaborative are making a big difference in improving air quality in communities throughout the nation’s heartland,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator John Askew.  “As our list of partners continues to grow, we are conserving more fuel, saving more money, and keeping more pollution out of the environment.”

The collaborative consists of 183 partners who work with EPA to complete projects that use innovations in diesel engines, alternative fuels, and renewable energy technologies to reduce air emissions along major transportation corridors.  To date, the partnership has implemented about $1.1 billion in projects spanning 10 states - Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas - and the areas along the borders with Mexico and Canada.  Collaborative members include a mix of private businesses, non-profits, environmental groups and government agencies. San Antonio-based retailer H-E-B joined Blue Skyways in 2006.  During the meeting, the collaborative will recognize the City of San Antonio and introduce its other new members, including the Alamo Area Council of Governments.

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As North Texas grows, air becomes cleaner (1:47 min., 1.64 MB, MP3)

As the Dallas-Fort Worth area’s economy has grown to one of the nation’s most vibrant, its citizens have also enjoyed improvements in air quality. This summer saw the lowest levels of ozone in three decades, thanks to a campaign to reduce air pollution led by the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Texas, and local governments and businesses. High readings of ozone, a compound that contributes to the formation of smog, fell to 85 parts per billion (ppb) this year, down from over 100 ppb a few years ago. Additionally, ozone levels exceeded the health-based standard of 84 ppb only nine days this summer, compared to over 40 days in the late 1990s.
“This improvement in air quality is a direct result of the collaboration of businesses, governments, and communities from across the area, and exceeds levels that Federal or State regulations could have achieved alone,” EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said. “This shows that the State clean-air plan we proposed to approve last July is benefitting DFW.”
EPA worked with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the North Central Texas Council of Governments, and local governments and business groups to drastically reduce harmful emissions from smokestacks and exhaust from cars, trucks, planes, trains, and construction equipment. Efforts such as TCEQ’s Texas Emissions Reduction Plan have helped by providing over $80 million in funding for new, cleaner-burning engines for businesses, schools, and governments. Over the next year, additional pollution reductions will be made at factories, power plants, and cement kilns, which will help DFW achieve ozone levels consistently below 85 ppb by 2010, as required by the Clean Air Act.
DFW has earned its cleaner air through hard work, and can do even more in the future to achieve newer, more stringent air quality standards and further protect the health of all the area’s citizens.

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NMED among winners of first EPA environmental justice awards (1:56 min., 1.78MB, MP3)

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is one of 12 winners of the first annual Environmental Justice (EJ) Achievement Awards announced today by the Environmental Protection Agency. The awards recognize organizations for their distinguished accomplishments in addressing environmental justice issues, ranging from reducing children’s pesticide exposure in childcare facilities to helping hurricane-displaced communities address environmental contamination so they could return home.

“EPA commends NMED and its fellow award recipients for their leadership in the field of environmental justice,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “These organizations are making a positive impact in their communities by promoting a clean and healthy environment for all people.”

Award recipients include representatives from community-based organizations; academic institutions; state and local governments; tribal governments and indigenous organizations; and non-governmental organizations and environmental groups. NMED began its environmental justice program by seeking public input about the nature and extent of environmental justice in New Mexico.  The agency later convened an Environmental Justice Planning Committee comprised of representatives of local government, American Indian tribes, industry, and grassroots and community organizations.  As a result of NMED’s environmental justice outreach, collaboration and planning, the State implemented permitting reforms, new training programs, and improved public notification, comment, and participation.  Major milestones of NMED’s efforts included the creation of the Environmental Justice Policy Committee, the Environmental Justice Task Force, and the New Mexico Environmental Justice Executive Order signed by the governor on November 18, 2005.

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Dillard University among winners of first environmental justice awards (1:30 min., 1.37MB, MP3)

Dillard University and the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice is one of 12 winners of the first annual Environmental Justice (EJ) Achievement Awards announced today by the Environmental Protection Agency. The awards recognize organizations for their distinguished accomplishments in addressing environmental justice issues, ranging from reducing children’s pesticide exposure in childcare facilities to helping hurricane-displaced communities address environmental contamination so they could return home.

“EPA commends the Deep South Center and its fellow award recipients for their leadership in the field of environmental justice,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “These organizations are making a positive impact in their communities by promoting a clean and healthy environment for all people.”

Award recipients include representatives from community-based organizations; academic institutions; state and local governments; tribal governments and indigenous organizations; and non-governmental organizations and environmental groups. Since Hurricane Katrina, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Dillard University has focused much of its work on the research, policy, and community outreach needs of the displaced minority population of New Orleans.  The center has been engaged in job training and placement related to environmental cleanups, with a focus on training displaced New Orleans residents.  As a result, the center has mobilized minority residents and minority contractors to participate in the cleanup and rebuilding of New Orleans.

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EPA Awards $110,000 to the Shawnee Tribe for General Assistance (:21 sec., 340 K, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma $110,000 to strengthen the tribe’s capacity to protect and improve the environment and public health of the tribe. The project will involve specific program activities such as obtaining environmentally related training, recycling education, and performing community outreach.

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EPA Awards $130,000 to the Kaw Nation for Environmental Protection (:22 sec., 346 K, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Kaw Nation in Oklahoma a $130,000 grant to continue developing the capacity to manage its core program for environmental protection. Activities under this grant include updating environmental codes, performing community outreach and cleaning up three illegal dump sites.

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EPA Awards $100,000 to the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council (:23 sec., 362 KB, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $100,000 to the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council for continued development of tribal underground storage tank (UST) programs. The funds will provide compliance and remediation assistance for UST activities at all Inter-Tribal Environmental Council member tribes and tribes in Oklahoma, including outreach and training.

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EPA Awards Nearly $2 Million to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (:38 sec., 597 K, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded two grants to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) totaling $1,838,819 for leaking underground storage tank compliance and corrective action. OCC will get $589,037 for use towards the state’s continued implementation of the underground storage tank program as required by the 1984 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. For corrective action, $1,249,782 will be allocated towards investigations, emergency response, remediation and risk assessment.

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Rio Grande Electric Cooperative partners with EPA (2:28 min., 2.26 MB, MP3)

Power provider to offer drop-off locations for recycling of compact fluorescent bulbs

The Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with the Rio Grande Electric Cooperative (RGEC) to reduce pollution from compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

As a member of the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP), the cooperative will provide drop-off locations at its headquarters and regional offices for recycling CFLs, which contain a small amount of mercury that if improperly disposed of can present a hazard to the environment.

"Protecting public health and the environment is a team effort,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “EPA is honored to have the Rio Grande Electric Cooperative join us and our other partners in preventing pollution and creating healthier communities.”

The NPEP program works with 175 partners across the country to promote the voluntary reduction of 31 priority chemicals. NPEP members include both public and private organizations that identify activities that will reduce the use of these chemicals, preventing their ability to accumulate in the environment and cause harm to humans and the ecosystem. In addition, the Mercury Challenge is a specially focused program within NPEP that promotes the voluntary, systematic elimination of mercury-containing equipment.

RGEC is a customer-owned electric cooperative headquartered in Brackettville, Texas, that provides electric energy to residents of South and West Texas and southern New Mexico. With service to 20 counties, RGEC provides power over a larger service area than any other cooperative in the contiguous United States. However, much of their service area is rural, where access to CFL recycling centers can be difficult for many residents. With their partnership with EPA, RGEC hopes to further promote the power-saving benefits of CFLs while also providing environmentally responsible disposal locations to their customers.

“Rio Grande Electric Co-op strives to promote sustainable rural development, and, especially in these tenuous economic times, responsible energy usage,” said RGEC’s General Manager/CEO Dan Laws. “To this end, the Co-op recommends the use of compact fluorescent bulbs, or CFLs. We would be remiss, however, if we were to succeed in saving energy and carbon emissions through the use of CFLs, without providing responsible disposal outlets. The territory we serve is diverse, rugged, and, for the most part, uniquely pristine. We are pleased to join with EPA in promoting this partnership, and encourage others to do likewise to preserve our natural resources.”

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San Benito completes model solar project (1:35 min., 1.45 MB, MP3)

System to show potential of renewable energy along US-Mexico border.

The City of San Benito, Texas, marked the completion of a $325,000 solar-powered array for its new water treatment plant with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at the facility. Funding for the photovoltaic system came from the Environmental Protection Agency through a grant to the Texas General Land Office and its Renewable Energy Program.

“Solar power pays off,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “These types of projects cut energy costs, save demand on the electricity grid, and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases going into the environment.”

The San Benito plant will filter up to six million gallons of water a day, with the photovoltaic system providing about 10 percent of the power used to filter water at the plant. The 45 kilowatt project is the largest of its kind on the Texas-Mexico border, and officials hope it will inspire more solar-powered projects throughout the border region.

EPA works with the Border Environment Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank to fund sustainable infrastructure projects along the U.S.-Mexico border. Interest in renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and geothermal power, continues to grow as more communities attempt to balance the need to cut pollution and greenhouse gases with increased demands and costs for energy. Both the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy make it attractive and practical for areas with sunny climates. Officials hope to use the San Benito facility to showcase the potential of solar power as a viable energy source.

Additional information on EPA’s renewable energy programs is available at http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/

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September 2008

Partnership Promotes Environmental Careers to American Indians (2:03 min, 1.87Mb, MP3)

A diverse workforce with increased ability to meet future needs is the goal of an agreement signed today by the Environmental Protection Agency, Haskell Indian Nations University, and the University of North Texas (UNT).

EPA and the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pledging to work together on programs that support American Indian students pursuing careers in environmental fields. The agreement was signed by EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene, Haskell President Dr. Linda Sue Warner, and UNT President Dr. Gretchen M. Bataille.

“EPA recognizes the importance of working with colleges and universities to spur interest in environmental careers,” Greene said.  “The students of today are the environmental stewards of tomorrow. With today’s agreement, we are helping ensure our health and the environment will be in good hands.”

Under the agreement, EPA will work with the universities to establish a direct track for Haskell graduates to continue environmental studies at UNT. The agreement also focuses on student employment and volunteer programs, research participation, lectures and seminars on environmental issues, and community outreach.

EPA has partnered with several academic institutions to address the shortage of students pursuing degrees in environmental sciences and to encourage the development of a diverse workforce. The purpose of today’s MOU is to reinforce the working relationship between Haskell, UNT and EPA in support of educational, research, and outreach activities with the American Indian community. It will also assist EPA in its mission of protecting human health and the environment by increasing the number of professionals in the fields of environmental research, policy and program development.

The agreement is one of many initiatives organized by EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, which exists to enhance relationships with environmental justice communities and American Indian Nations. 

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Meeting highlights US-Mexico efforts to ‘green’ border (1:11 min, 2.71 Mb, MP3)

Officials from the United States and Mexico will meet to discuss environmental issues along the border, recognize environmental accomplishments to date, and commemorate the 25th anniversary of the La Paz Agreement on September 3 through 5 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

The fifth Border 2012 National Coordinators Meeting will be hosted by Mexico’s Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and participation of the 10 border states, county and local governments, representatives from U.S. tribes and Mexico indigenous communities, and a broad array of non-governmental organizations.

“As neighbors and partners, we continue to work together to create solutions for the environmental issues of our shared border,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “Our efforts have led to significant progress in improving the environment and quality of life for the people of the region, and we look forward to even greater successes in the future.”

Border 2012 supports projects that reduce air pollution, provide safe drinking water, and improve emergency preparedness, among others.  The program is the current embodiment of the environmental partnership that began between the United States and Mexico in 1983 with the signing of the La Paz Agreement. 

Under La Paz, the United States and Mexico agreed to protect, conserve and improve the environment of the border region.  The agreement created a framework for the two governments to resolve environmental issues along the border and led to the creation of the Border XXI initiative.  Border XXI was the predecessor of the Border 2012 program.

Since its start in 2003, the Border 2012 program has worked with its partners on a broad range of pollution prevention efforts in the region. Recent program successes include:

To strengthen collaborative relationships along the border even further, SEMARNAT Secretary Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada will join EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson in signing the revised U.S.-Mexico Joint Contingency Plan during the meeting.  EPA has formed several strategic partnerships over the past two years to strengthen emergency preparedness in the region. 

These partnerships include tribal nations, the Border Governors Emergency Management Worktable, and the U.S. Northern Command.  With these partnerships, EPA is achieving the key Border 2012 objective of providing certified, standardized capacity building to border first responders.

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August 2008

Oklahoma tribe receives EPA grant for environmental management (:22 sec, 246 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $130,000 to the Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma to provide continuing support to manage environmental programs. The projects will include developing programs for recycling, identifying drinking water sources, and demonstrating alternative uses for recycled material.

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EPA Awards Over $500,000 to New Mexico Environment Department for Public Water System Supervision (:28 sec, 448 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $553,500 to the New Mexico Environment Department to continue its Public Water System Supervision program to enforce the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and ensure that water systems comply with National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. The New Mexico Environment Department also ensures that public water systems meet drinking water requirements.

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Air Quality Information In Your In-box: Louisiana Joins EnviroFlash (:57 sec, 891Kb, MP3)

Residents of Louisiana’s three largest cities can get air quality information in a flash through a free service provided by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) and Environmental Protection Agency.

EnviroFlash sends air quality information, such as forecasts and action day notifications, to subscribers via e-mail and is now available for Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport.

Based on Air Quality Index forecasts, EnviroFlash messages let subscribers know when air quality is good – or when it’s time to take steps to reduce their exposure to pollution. Subscribers can choose to get forecasts every day or only when air quality is poor.

More than 190 cities in 34 states currently use the service through EPA partnerships with state and local governments. In Louisiana, EnviroFlash messages and ozone air quality forecasts are provided by LDEQ.

Residents can sign up for EnviroFlash by visiting http://www.enviroflash.info/ and entering their name, e-mail address and zip code.

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EPA awards TCEQ $310,000 to conduct air monitoring (:33 sec., 523Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $310,000 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in a cooperative agreement to participate in a national air toxics monitoring trends network. The funding will support TCEQ operation and maintenance of air monitoring sites in Karnack and Deer Park, Texas, as part of an ongoing effort to determine national urban and rural trends in air toxics concentrations.

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Workshop to provide information on chat sales (1:03 min., 999Kb, MP3)

Chat owners and buyers can learn more about buying, selling and using chat from the Tar Creek area at a workshop scheduled for August 19, from 5-8 p.m. at the Miami Convention Center, in Miami, Oklahoma.

The intent of the workshop is to ensure chat sales from the Tar Creek Superfund site continue and comply with the federal Chat Rule. Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior and the Quapaw Tribe will present information at the workshop. 

EPA has established that chat from the Tar Creek area can be used safely as an aggregate in asphalt and cement road surfaces. Chat also has beneficial uses in non-transportation, non-residential concrete and cement projects, such as commercial foundations, side walks, and parking areas. Chat sales are a significant part of EPA cleanup plans for Tar Creek. Ottawa County, Oklahoma, contains more than 50 million tons of chat.

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EPA Awards $200,000 to the Camden Port Authority (:29 sec., 454Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $200,000 brownfields cleanup grant to the Camden Port Authority in Camden, Arkansas. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Moore/Buck site at 739 Adams Avenue, which is contaminated with benzene, toluene and other petroleum products. The site was formerly used as a stave mill and an auto repair center. Grant funds will also be used for cleanup planning and to remove and dispose of underground storage tanks.

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Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality awarded more than $13 million for water improvement projects (:29 sec., 457 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $13,151,000 in federal funds to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to improve public water systems. The funds awarded to the agency will allow the State of Oklahoma to continue implementing a revolving fund that will provide loan assistance to community drinking water systems for infrastructure projects.

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Absentee Shawnee Tribe awarded $200,000 for EPA Brownfields job training (:33 sec., 530Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $200,000 to the Oklahoma Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Indians in a cooperative agreement to assist, develop, and implement Brownfields job training. In accordance with the Brownsfields Revitalization Act of 2002 and EPA Brownfields Program National Guidance, EPA personnel will work closely with tribal members to monitor and ensure a successful training process on a variety of environmental issues.

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EPA orders Ray Hoffman, Jr. Dairy to cease and desist unauthorized discharges (1:34 min., 144Mb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a cease and desist administrative order to Ray Hoffman, Jr. Dairy in Windthorst, Texas, for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

The dairy, an unpermitted Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation, is located about five miles west of Windthorst, off Highway 25, about one-half mile south on Munchrath Road, in Archer County, Texas. 

The facility has been ordered to immediately stop all discharges of pollutants from its lagoon to waters of the United States. The dairy has been given 45 days to provide to EPA documentation that the facility has adequate lagoon capacity to contain all waste and process-generated wastewater plus storm water runoff during a 25-year, 24-hour storm event. 

The facility has also been given 45 days to develop and implement a pollution prevention plan that will include procedures for the proper utilization of nutrients generated by the dairy, proper disposal of dead animals and the proper maintenance of records, especially records documenting wastewater levels in the lagoon to minimize lagoon overflows.

In April 2008, EPA inspected the facility and determined that it did not have CAFO permit coverage. The inspection also revealed an unauthorized discharge from the dairy that entered an unnamed creek that traveled about one mile before entering Little Onion Creek. Little Onion Creek flows about three miles before it enters Onion Creek, which discharges into the Little Wichita River. The Little Wichita River flows about seven-and-one-half miles before discharging into Lake Arrowhead.

Based on these findings, the owner and operator of the dairy has been ordered to immediately take action to bring the facility into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

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EPA orders Mark Allen and Vernon Feeders to stop discharge of pollutants (1:29 min., 136Mb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a cease and desist administrative order to Mark Allen and Vernon Feeders in Vernon, Texas, for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

The cattle feeding operation, a non-permitted Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO), is located in Vernon, off Highway 287, in Wilbarger County, Texas. The facility has been ordered to immediately stop all discharges of pollutants in storm water runoff from its animal confinement areas to Paradise Creek. 

The cattle feeding operation has been given 45 days to provide to EPA documentation that it has adequate capacity to contain all waste and process-generated wastewater plus storm water generated during a 25-year, 24-hour storm event. The facility has also been given 45 days to develop and implement a pollution prevention plan that includes procedures specifically designed to minimize the discharge of pollutants from its animal confinement areas.

In June 2008, EPA conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility. The inspection revealed that this facility is not properly designed, constructed, and operated to contain all waste and process-generated wastewater plus storm water runoff. The inspection also revealed an unauthorized discharge to Paradise Creek, a tributary of the Pease River. Paradise Creek flows about half-a-mile before it discharges to Pease River, which eventually discharges to the Red River.

Based on these findings, the owner and operator of the cattle feeding operation has been ordered to immediately take action to bring the facility into compliance with the Clean Water Act. 

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EPA awards $100,000 to LDEQ for Water Quality Management Planning (:35 sec., 548 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $100,000 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to provide assistance to the State of Louisiana with water quality management planning activities in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. These funds are awarded under the authority of Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act. The funding will assist the State with measures for maintaining water quality standards and determining the cause of water quality problems through the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). The State will also update and revise existing TMDL models.

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Alamo Area COG receives EPA Ggant to improve local Independent School Districts (:47 sec., 735 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $157,259 to the San Antonio-based Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) to improve ambient air quality in four local independent school districts.  Edgewood ISD, Hunt ISD, Boerne ISD, and Harlandale ISD will participate in a project intended to reduce harmful air emissions from a fleet of older model school buses.  The project consists of two emission-reducing activities for these buses which include incorporating retrofitting technologies and replacing existing diesel operated buses. With support from the EPA, the council is committed to reducing diesel exhaust emissions to protect the health of school-aged children, educating the general public on environmental issues, and conducting outreach programs.

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July 2008

EPA Orders Mark Allen and Vernon Feeders to Stop Discharge of Pollutants (1:29 min., 1.36 MB, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a cease and desist administrative order to Mark Allen and Vernon Feeders in Vernon, Texas, for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

The cattle feeding operation, a non-permitted Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO), is located in Vernon, off Highway 287, in Wilbarger County, Texas. The facility has been ordered to immediately stop all discharges of pollutants in storm water runoff from its animal confinement areas to Paradise Creek. The cattle feeding operation has been given 45 days to provide to EPA documentation that it has adequate capacity to contain all waste and process-generated wastewater plus storm water generated during a 25-year, 24-hour storm event. The facility has also been given 45 days to develop and implement a pollution prevention plan that includes procedures specifically designed to minimize the discharge of pollutants from its animal confinement areas.

In June 2008, EPA conducted an unannounced inspection of the facility.  he inspection revealed that this facility is not properly designed, constructed, and operated to contain all waste and process-generated wastewater plus storm water runoff. The inspection also revealed an unauthorized discharge to Paradise Creek, a tributary of the Pease River. Paradise Creek flows about half-a-mile before it discharges to Pease River, which eventually discharges to the Red River.

Based on these findings, the owner and operator of the cattle feeding operation has been ordered to immediately take action to bring the facility into compliance with the Clean Water Act.

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Texas builders working to prevent storm water pollution (2:14 min., 2.05Mb, MP3)
Association signs first-of-its-kind agreement in nation with EPA and TCEQ

Keeping Texas waterways free of storm water pollution is the goal behind an agreement signed today by the Texas Association of Builders (TAB), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and Environmental Protection Agency.

The agreement is a national first and commits Texas home building companies to work together with the state and federal agencies to take steps to prevent storm water pollution.

“Small changes in the way builders do business can make a big difference when it comes to keeping pollution out of storm water,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “This project is another great example of how innovative partnerships between EPA, states, and businesses can lead to better ways to protect one of our most valuable liquid assets.”

Under the agreement, the three partners will work together on a pilot program to more fully educate, inform, and assist home builders with meeting federal and state storm water regulations.
Building new homes requires moving a lot of dirt, often tons.  When it rains, dirt and other pollutants from construction sites can get swept into storm drains.  This runoff generally flows untreated to the nearest waterway, which can lead to water quality problems and harm to fish and plants.  Education and assistance with storm water controls can help home builders reduce storm water pollution.

“It is gratifying to see government and industry working together voluntarily to protect the environment,” said TCEQ Chairman Buddy Garcia.  “This agreement will mean better compliance, and that means better protection of our precious water resources.”

Today’s agreement is expected to be another successful collaboration between the three agencies. Previously, more than 1,300 Texas builders received storm water compliance training through initiatives developed by TAB, TCEQ and EPA in 2005 and 2007.  TAB members that complete training and a self-assessment checklist will be able to display the “Storm Water Self-Certified” sticker on construction permits as part of the agreement.  Sites that display the certification sticker would be a lower priority for routine inspections.

“Our membership has worked diligently to comply with state and federal storm water regulations, and we are honored that our successful training partnership with the EPA and TCEQ has resulted in this historic agreement,” said Ron Connally, Texas Association of Builders first vice president.  “TAB is committed to providing continuing education to Texas builders to help further reduce storm water runoff and protect the environment.”

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Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Receives $480,000 for River and Stream Analysis (:37 sec., 588 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $480,000 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to perform a survey of Texas’ rivers and streams as part of a comprehensive national survey. Functioning as a follow-up to the 2004 Wadeable Streams Assessment, the analysis will allow TCEQ to manage water quality by assessing river and stream conditions, building state capacity for monitoring and assessment, and promoting collaboration across jurisdictional boundaries. Working with EPA, TCEQ’s analysis will also help establish a national baseline for future environmental evaluations.

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EPA Awards More Than $20 Million to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for Whiskey Island Restoration (:52 sec., 819 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $20,678,580 to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) to restore and protect the marshes at Whiskey Island in Terrebonne Parish. The Whiskey Island Back Barrier Marsh Creation, TE-50 project will serve several functions including the creation of a back barrier platform on which the island can migrate approximately 300 acres of coastal habitat, a minimum of three one-acre tidal ponds, 5,800 feet of tidal creeks, approximately 13,000 feet of dune, and vegetation of the completed project with smooth cordgrass.  Under the guidelines of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act and in partnership with EPA Region 6, LDNR will implement projects that create, protect, restore and enhance wetlands in coastal Louisiana.

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EPA Awards More Than $21 Million to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (:42 sec., 669 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $21,375,446 to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) to implement a project to restore and protect Louisiana’s coastal wetlands.  The goal of the Mississippi River Sediment Delivery System project is to rebuild 493 acres of emergent marsh and help demonstrate the feasibility of using Mississippi River sediment as a resource in the restoration of marsh communities and transporting the sediment by pipeline. Under the guidelines of the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act and in partnership with EPA Region 6, LDNR will implement projects that create, protect, restore and enhance wetlands in coastal Louisiana.

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EPA Awards More Than $370,000 to the Texas General Land Office (:44 sec., 687 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $379,140 to the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to monitor enterococcus bacteria levels in waters along the Texas Coast.  Enterococcus bacteria, which thrive in waters contaminated by storm or sewage runoff, will be monitored by GLO’s Texas Beach Watch program.  Utilizing grants appropriated by Congress in the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act of 2000, the Texas Beach Watch program will work in conjunction with EPA to monitor pathogen indicators at all high use beaches in the state. The program will also be required to notify the public in the event these pathogen indicators are in excess of EPA recommended criteria.

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EPA and LDEQ Celebrate Cleanup of Ruston Foundry Superfund Site (1:35 min., 1.45Mb, MP3)

Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) will join local public officials and members of the community today to celebrate the completion of the cleanup at the Ruston Foundry Superfund site in Alexandria, Louisiana.

EPA and LDEQ have completed cleanup activities at the site and determined that no further cleanup action is needed to protect public health and the environment.

Getting property back into productive use is one of our highest priorities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “Encouraging redevelopment, strengthening communities and energizing growth creates a proud legacy for everyone."

The Ruston Foundry site was an abandoned metal foundry that operated from 1908 until 1985 and is located in an urban area with mixed development within the city limits of Alexandria.  Initial site operations began with clearing activities to open up the area for cleanup. Cleanup consisted of the demolition of old site buildings and foundations, as well as the removal of an underground storage tank and closure of onsite wells. Additional cleanup included the removal of asbestos-containing material and contaminated soil.

“This is a monumental occasion,” said DEQ Secretary Harold Leggett, Ph.D. “A one-time Superfund site that is now available to be put back into commerce.  This is a great day for the state’s environment and for the business community of Alexandria. The completion of such a large project is an example of local, state and federal agencies teaming up to work for the betterment of the state.”

Now that the site has been cleaned for industrial use, Alexandria and the community may move forward with plans for redevelopment of the site and surrounding areas.

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EPA Awards Brownfields Grant to City of Alexandria (1:28 min., 1.34 Mb, MP3)
City of Alexandria to Receive $200,000 to Support Revitalization Efforts

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented the City of Alexandria, Louisiana, with a $200,000 ceremonial check for a community-wide Brownfields Hazardous Substances Assessment Grant. Funds from this grant will be used to set up a geographic information system inventory of sites in Alexandria, conduct environmental site assessments and support community outreach activities.

“EPA continues to use the brownfields program to stimulate environmental and economic success in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “This program is a great example of how federal and local groups can work together to turn contaminated properties into viable developments.”

Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties with redevelopment potential that suffer from known or perceived environmental contamination.

Since its beginning in 1995, EPA’s brownfields program has grown into a proven, results-oriented program that has changed the way contaminated property is perceived, addressed and managed. EPA’s brownfields program is designed to empower states, communities and others involved in economic redevelopment to work together to assess, clean up and reuse brownfields. EPA’s brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.  Nationally, brownfields assistance has attracted more than $11.3 billion in private investment, helped create more than 48,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment and cleanup of nearly 12,000 properties.

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EPA Awards Over $600,000 to the City of Houston for Air Toxics Monitoring Project (1:12 min., 1.1 Mb. MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $643,112 to the City of Houston for measurement and analysis of volatile organic compound (VOC) air toxics emissions in the Houston Ship Channel area using DIAL (Differenntial Absorption LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)) technology.

DIAL uses laser light in conjunction with the unique chemical properties of ambient air pollutants to identify and quantify specific VOC concentrations through large air masses with a working range of over one kilometer. DIAL has the ability to identify and measure multiple air contaminants in a single measurement.

DIAL sampling is expected to take place from January to April 2009, with a final project report expected in June 2009. The results of the DIAL measurements will be used to identify previously unknown or underestimated emissions sources, validate emissions estimates and help prioritize potential emissions reduction opportunities.

EPA had previously awarded a $500,000 grant to Houston for a mobile ambient air monitoring laboratory which is currently in use. The grant for the DIAL project further demonstrates EPA';s support for data which Houston area stakeholders can consider in making decisions to achieve improved local air quality.

Additional information on EPA grants at www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

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EPA Awards $100,000 to Texas A&M for Environmental Studies (:36 sec., 575 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $100,000 to the Texas A&M College of Agriculture Life and Sciences to develop a database and real-time monitoring system in an attempt to control the cotton bollworm. The web-based, information delivery system will monitor and analyze the effectiveness of a pyrethroid insecticide when used on the cotton bollworm.  Pyrethroid insecticides function as a toxin which paralyzes the insect.  The project will allow landowners to decide if incorporating pyrethroid insecticides is beneficial to controlling these insects while protecting the environment.

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Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Air Plan (:20 sec., 327 Kb, MP3)

Today EPA announced its proposed approval of the Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan. Combined with reductions from previous plans, this plan will improve the area's air quality by 55 percent over 1999 levels by reducing ozone pollution by a total of 409 tons per day. Dallas-Fort Worth's plan is the nation's first to gain proposed approval and meet the 8-hour federal health-based standards for ozone by 2010.

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Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan first in country proposed for EPA approval (3:23 min., 3.1 Mb, MP3)

Additional 40 tons of pollution cuts move plan across goal line.

EPA gathered local and state partners to announce its proposed approval of the Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan today. Also, EPA announced that the area achieved the previous 1-hour ozone standard through the success of earlier plans.

Under the proposed plan, ozone forming pollutants will be reduced by 88 tons per day – about 40 tons more than the plan had first proposed.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Buddy Garcia and Regional Administrator Richard Greene joined with community leaders and businesses within the nine county non-attainment area to strengthen the original plan.

The clean air plan will improve air quality by more than 55% over 1999 levels. The plan in combination with previous plans is resulting in a total of 409 tons per day of ozone pollution reduction. Dallas-Fort Worth is the first community with a clean air plan that has been proposed for approval that meets the 8-hour federal health-based standard for ozone by 2010. The plan could not have come about without the all-out efforts of local and state partners.

Of note is the North Texas effort to capture more dollars from the popular Texas Emission Reduction Plan, known as TERP, last spring. In the last six months, the DFW area beat out all other areas, two to one, with a record setting $84 million in applications from the $110 million grant budget. Another funding opportunity is planned for this fall and North Texas is well positioned to repeat its success. As much as 14 tons per day of pollution could be cut through the replacement and retrofit of old diesel engines.

AirCheckTexas brought another $21 million to North Texas to repair and replace older vehicles which typically produce more emissions than newer models. This fall, another $21 million will be available to the DFW area from AirCheckTexas.

AirCheckTexas sponsors Senator Kip Averitt and Representative Dennis Bonnen knew the program would work. North Texas' success will help guarantee this program is available in the upcoming years.

Working with the NCTCOG, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Love Field joined the campaign for clean air by refining estimates of their operations' pollution emissions. New accurate information allowed EPA and Texas air quality modeling experts to certify pollution reductions totaling almost 10 tons per day.

North Texas is also leading the nation to reduce pollution from power plants in the nine county non-attainment area. All are subject to the strictest air pollution controls required for either commercial or municipal power plants in the country. Texas also committed to restrict the amount of pollution credits, technically referred to as Discrete Emission Reduction Credits or DERCs, cutting pollution by 17 tons a day.

New regulations on back-up generators used by business and industry provided for some air quality improvements, about one ton per day. Other measures improved information used by EPA modeling experts in evaluating the plan. Better inventories of gas compressors showed their wide-spread use and resulted in an increase of three tons per day. New regulations adopted to control emissions from gas compressor engines will further improve air quality in the region.

The Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan, referred to as the State Implementation Plan (SIP), will be published in the Federal Register for public review and comment. EPA will consider all relevant information submitted during the 30-day comment period and may modify its decision to approve the plan based on new information.

EPA';s proposed approval is conditional. Texas must finalize regulations to formally reduce the amount of discrete emission credits available in the nine county non-attainment area.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area currently does not meet the federal air quality standard for ozone, which is a harmful air pollutant. Ozone forms when emissions from sources such as vehicles and industry mix with sunlight. On-road and off-road vehicles and equipment make up about 70 percent of the ozone sources in the DFW area.

The AirCheckTexas Drive a Clean Machine Program is designed to help car owners comply with ozone emissions standards. It targets the highest polluting vehicles by offering financial incentives to repair or remove them from roadways, and allows citizens to contribute to the regional air quality solution.

The Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) provides financial assistance to offset the incremental costs associated with reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from heavy-duty diesel engines. NOx are one of the primary components of ground-level ozone, or smog. TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

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June 2008

EPA Awards Over $600,000 to the City of Houston for Air Toxics Monitoring Project (1:12 min., 1.1 Mb. MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $643,112 to the City of Houston for measurement and analysis of volatile organic compound (VOC) air toxics emissions in the Houston Ship Channel area using DIAL (Differenntial Absorption LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)) technology. DIAL uses laser light in conjunction with the unique chemical properties of ambient air pollutants to identify and quantify specific VOC concentrations through large air masses with a working range of over one kilometer. DIAL has the ability to identify and measure multiple air contaminants in a single measurement. DIAL sampling is expected to take place from January to April 2009, with a final project report expected in June 2009. The results of the DIAL measurements will be used to identify previously unknown or underestimated emissions sources, validate emissions estimates and help prioritize potential emissions reduction opportunities.  EPA had previously awarded a $500,000 grant to Houston for a mobile ambient air monitoring laboratory which is currently in use.  The grant for the DIAL project further demonstrates EPA’s support for data which Houston area stakeholders can consider in making decisions to achieve improved local air quality.

Additional information on EPA grants:  http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

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Dallas-Fort Worth Clean Air Plan (:20 sec., 327 Kb, MP3)

Today EPA announced its proposed approval of the Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan. Combined with reductions from previous plans, this plan will improve the area’s air quality by 55 percent over 1999 levels by reducing ozone pollution by a total of 409 tons per day. Dallas-Fort Worth’s plan is the nation’s first to gain proposed approval and meet the 8-hour federal health-based standards for ozone by 2010.

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Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan first in country proposed for EPA approval (3:23 min., 3.1 Mb, MP3)

Additional 40 tons of pollution cuts move plan across goal line

EPA gathered local and state partners to announce its proposed approval of the Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan today. Also, EPA announced that the area achieved the previous 1-hour ozone standard through the success of earlier plans.

Under the proposed plan, ozone forming pollutants will be reduced by 88 tons per day – about 40 tons more than the plan had first proposed.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Chairman Buddy Garcia and Regional Administrator Richard Greene joined with community leaders and businesses within the nine county non-attainment area to strengthen the original plan.

The clean air plan will improve air quality by more than 55% over 1999 levels. The plan in combination with previous plans is resulting in a total of 409 tons per day of ozone pollution reduction. Dallas-Fort Worth is the first community with a clean air plan that has been proposed for approval that meets the 8-hour federal health-based standard for ozone by 2010. The plan could not have come about without the all-out efforts of local and state partners.

Of note is the North Texas effort to capture more dollars from the popular Texas Emission Reduction Plan, known as TERP, last spring. In the last six months, the DFW area beat out all other areas, two to one, with a record setting $84 million in applications from the $110 million grant budget. Another funding opportunity is planned for this fall and North Texas is well positioned to repeat its success. As much as 14 tons per day of pollution could be cut through the replacement and retrofit of old diesel engines.

AirCheckTexas brought another $21 million to North Texas to repair and replace older vehicles which typically produce more emissions than newer models. This fall, another $21 million will be available to the DFW area from AirCheckTexas.

AirCheckTexas sponsors Senator Kip Averitt and Representative Dennis Bonnen knew the program would work. North Texas’ success will help guarantee this program is available in the upcoming years.

Working with the NCTCOG, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Love Field joined the campaign for clean air by refining estimates of their operations’ pollution emissions. New accurate information allowed EPA and Texas air quality modeling experts to certify pollution reductions totaling almost 10 tons per day.

North Texas is also leading the nation to reduce pollution from power plants in the nine county non-attainment area. All are subject to the strictest air pollution controls required for either commercial or municipal power plants in the country. Texas also committed to restrict the amount of pollution credits, technically referred to as Discrete Emission Reduction Credits or DERCs, cutting pollution by 17 tons a day.
New regulations on back-up generators used by business and industry provided for some air quality improvements, about one ton per day. Other measures improved information used by EPA modeling experts in evaluating the plan. Better inventories of gas compressors showed their wide-spread use and resulted in an increase of three tons per day. New regulations adopted to control emissions from gas compressor engines will further improve air quality in the region.

The Dallas-Fort Worth clean air plan, referred to as the State Implementation Plan (SIP), will be published in the Federal Register for public review and comment. EPA will consider all relevant information submitted during the 30-day comment period and may modify its decision to approve the plan based on new information.

EPA’s proposed approval is conditional. Texas must finalize regulations to formally reduce the amount of discrete emission credits available in the nine county non-attainment area.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area currently does not meet the federal air quality standard for ozone, which is a harmful air pollutant. Ozone forms when emissions from sources such as vehicles and industry mix with sunlight. On-road and off-road vehicles and equipment make up about 70 percent of the ozone sources in the DFW area.

The AirCheckTexas Drive a Clean Machine Program is designed to help car owners comply with ozone emissions standards. It targets the highest polluting vehicles by offering financial incentives to repair or remove them from roadways, and allows citizens to contribute to the regional air quality solution.

The Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) provides financial assistance to offset the incremental costs associated with reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from heavy-duty diesel engines. NOx are one of the primary components of ground-level ozone, or smog. TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

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EPA Awards Over $3.7 Million to the State of Arkansas (:36 sec., 565 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $3,797,688 to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC).  This grant will assist the state in implementing ANRC’s non-point source management program.  The funds provided will allow the state to implement eight projects which will address a variety of non-point sources of water pollution including urban run-off, sediment and nutrients, as well as funding demonstrations of best management practices.  ANRC will also use the funds for monitoring, education and outreach activities.

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EPA to conduct disaster debris reduction pilot project (:51 sec., 798 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development and EPA Region 6 are conducting a pilot project to evaluate alternative methods for reducing large volumes of debris from Hurricane Katrina.

The project will study the use of a thermal treatment process, known as an air curtain burner, as an option to expedite debris removal in a cost-effective and environmentally sound manner. Vegetative debris and construction and demolition debris that does not contain asbestos material will be combusted during this pilot project.

The vegetative portion of the test is scheduled to occur on June 24-25. The construction and demolition debris portion is scheduled for June 26-27, weather permitting. 

Safety precautions will be taken to ensure that the project is protective of public health. The test site is located at 5022 Paris Road, Chalmette, Louisiana. EPA audio file is available at:

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May 2008

EPA Awards $50,000 to the Cherokee Nation (:17 sec., 275 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $50,000 to the Cherokee Nation. The tribe will use the funds to collect water samples and perform a baseline pesticides assessment of Saline Creek.  The tribe’s goal is to determine the levels of pesticides, if any, in the stream.

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EPA Awards Over $150,000 to the State of Arkansas (:32 sec., 507 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $152,940 to the Arkansas State Plant Board (ASPB). Under a cooperative agreement with EPA, the ASPB will ensure that pesticides are used according to label directions and that they are produced and/or distributed in Arkansas in compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The ASPB will also use the funds to enhance pesticide worker safety programs, the endangered species program, and ground water protection.

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Use less gasoline this summer (1 min., 951 Kb, MP3)

With the kids at home and vacations to plan, most Americans can’t avoid driving more during the summer. Here are some tips to improve your fuel economy and help you save money, at any time of year:

Drive more efficiently
Avoid aggressive stops and starts. Observe the speed limit: driving 70 mph instead of 60 is like paying an extra 40 cents a gallon. Also, don’t let your car become a closet. Lugging around sports equipment and other incidentals weighs your car down, making it use more gas to reach the same speed.

Keep your car in shape
Taking care of little details can really help a car’s fuel economy, so make sure your car is properly tuned, check and replace air filters regularly, and keep your tires properly inflated.

Plan and combine trips
If possible, run errands during off-peak traffic hours so you won’t waste time and fuel sitting in traffic. Combine errands to avoid cold-start trips, since a warm engine uses far less gas during start-up.

For more tips on saving fuel, and to compare fuel efficiency on different vehicles, visit www.fueleconomy.gov.

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EPA Awards Over $130,000 to the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority (:39 sec., 613 Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $139,300 to the East Baton Rouge Housing Authority to clean up 1705 Highland Road in Baton Rouge.  This Brownfields property once operated as an auto maintenance shop, tire shop, and vehicle detailing shop.  Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties where redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.  This cleanup grant will support petroleum cleanup activities and community outreach activities.  Redevelopment of the property is expected to improve the aesthetics of the neighborhood as well as public health and safety.

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North Texas power company to issue vouchers for electric lawn mowers (2 min., 1.83 Mb, MP3)

Texas Municipal Power Agency to complete project as part of settlement with EPA

Texas Municipal Power Agency (TMPA) will pay a $26,250 penalty and issue $78,750 in vouchers for electric lawn mowers to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

The violations involve operations at the power provider’s Gibbons Creek Steam Electric Station in Grimes County. TMPA has since corrected the infractions and is in compliance with the Clean Air Act.

“It is imperative that business and industry do their part to help protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “EPA will continue to ensure that companies make every effort to follow environmental laws, so that our communities have cleaner, healthier air to breathe.”

TMPA is a municipal power company serving the cities of Bryan, Denton, Garland and Greenville. The company violated the Clean Air Act by exceeding opacity emissions limits at its facility, failing to report in writing that its continuous opacity monitoring system was out of service for 397 hours, and not submitting required emissions reports to EPA.

Under a settlement with EPA, the company will pay a civil penalty and complete a supplemental environmental project that involves issuing vouchers worth $150.00 each to designated retailers in its service area. TMPA customers and city residents can use the vouchers to purchase electric lawn mowers.  

The project is aimed at helping reduce air pollution in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which currently does not meet federal requirements for ozone. Ground-level ozone, or smog, is created when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides react with sunlight. Traditional lawn mowers emit carbon monoxide, VOCs and nitrogen oxides, while electric lawn mowers produce essentially no pollution. 

The TMPA vouchers are expected to help replace 525 gasoline-powered lawn mowers, which has the potential to reduce 37 tons of greenhouse gases and other pollutants per year, or the equivalent emissions of more than 22,500 new cars, each being driven 12,000 miles.

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Facilities go for the ‘green’ as part of EPA Performance Track (2 min., 1.84 Mb, MP3)

Six facilities from Arkansas and Texas will be recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for exemplary environmental programs that reduce pollution at the 2008 National Environmental Partnership Summit in Baltimore on May 21.

The facilities are part of EPA's National Environmental Performance Track, and they include the following: Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions of Garland, Texas; Eaton Hydraulics Operation of Searcy, Arkansas; Firestone Building Products of Corsicana, Texas; Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company of Fort Worth, Texas; Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas; and Standard Aero, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas.

“Businesses that partner with the national Performance Track are leading the way when it comes to environmental stewardship,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “We are pleased to recognize these six facilities and hope they will be joined by many more.”

Members of Performance Track come into the program with strong environmental compliance records and then go beyond regulatory requirements to create superior environmental management programs. This year's national summit brings together Performance Track participants and environmental professionals to
discuss best practices and to develop successful strategies that are good for both business and the environment.

Performance Track facilities work to improve their efforts in a variety of environmental activities – such as water and energy use, land and habitat protection, air emissions, and waste reduction – throughout the product lifecycle, rather than focusing on just one specific pollutant or environmental issue. The program encourages continuous improvement through environmental management systems, community outreach, and measurable results.

Since its inception in 2000, Performance Track membership has grown to 533 members – ranging from major corporations to small businesses and representing a variety of industries across 49 states and Puerto Rico. To date, Performance Track members have collectively saved enough energy to power 46,000 homes for one year, enough greenhouse gases to offset the annual emissions of 57,000 cars, and prevented solid waste equivalent to that produced by 553,000 households yearly.

National Environmental Performance Track program: http://www.epa.gov/performancetrack/

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Mars snack food plant to get power from Waco landfill

Candy manufacturer part of EPA program that turns waste to energy (2:22 min., 216Mb, MP3)

Business at the Mars Snackfood U.S. plant in Waco has never been sweeter. Today, members of the company were joined by officials from the Environmental Protection Agency to flip the switch on its first landfill gas project, a venture that will cut the company’s energy costs and the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. 

The project will use methane gas piped in from the city landfill to power two furnaces that create steam for the plant’s candy-making operations.

“Turning waste into energy is a smart strategy for business and the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “EPA is pleased to be working with partners like the Mars Snackfood on innovative projects like this one that deliver clean, renewable sources of energy.”

In addition to saving the company $600,000 a year in energy costs, the project will also reduce more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which has the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the emissions of 1,900 cars. Methane, a primary component of landfill gas, is a greenhouse gas over 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.  

"More than being a decision about the bottom line, this project is about taking responsibility for the future – for our business, for our Associates and their children, for our community, and definitely for our environment. And the story today is not simply about Mars alone. It is a story of deep commitment and concern by multiple partners at every level in government in Texas. Again, I congratulate our partners in government, especially the City of Waco, the County of McLennan and the EPA, for their visionary leadership and dedication to a sustainable future for all,” said MARS Snackfood US President Todd Lachman.

Mars Snackfood joins a growing list of companies to complete landfill gas energy projects as part of EPA’s Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP). There are currently 21 operational projects in Texas and a total of 34 throughout the five-state area that makes up EPA Region 6. 

LMOP is a voluntary technical assistance and partnership program that helps businesses and communities reduce methane emissions from landfills by encouraging the recovery and use of landfill gas as a renewable energy source. The program also assists countries throughout the world in developing landfill methane reduction projects through the international Methane to Markets Partnership. Since 1994, LMOP has assisted in developing more than 330 landfill gas projects in the United States, reducing methane emissions by over 24 million metric tons of carbon equivalent.

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EPA Awards Nearly $30,000 to the State of Oklahoma  (:28 sec., 438Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $29,480 to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) to protect underground sources of drinking water.  The federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulates the underground disposal of hazardous wastes through deep injection wells. OCC will use the funds to issue permits, monitor the construction and operation of injection wells throughout the state and conduct field surveillance, inspections, investigations and enforcement activities. 

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April 2008

EPA Awards Over $46,000 to the State of Texas  (:28 sec., 451Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $46,068 to the Texas Railroad Commission (TX RRC) to protect underground sources of drinking water. The federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulates the underground disposal of hazardous wastes through deep injection wells. The Commission will use the funds to issue permits, monitor the construction and operation of injection wells throughout the state and conduct field surveillance, inspections, investigations and enforcement activities.

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EPA Awards Over $350,000 to the City of El Paso  (:26 sec., 406Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $350,001 to the City of El Paso. The city will use the funds to enforce federal, state and local air pollution regulations. By implementing a year round fuels program and maintaining the El Paso/Ciudad Juarez air monitoring network, the city will carry out its objective of continuing to meet federal air quality standards in El Paso.

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EPA Awards Over $45,000 to the State of Louisiana  (:31 sec., 488Kb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $45,520 to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) to protect underground sources of drinking water. The federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulates the underground disposal of hazardous wastes through deep injection wells. LDNR will use the funds to issue permits, monitor the construction and operation of injection wells throughout the state and conduct field surveillance, inspections, investigations and enforcement activities. 

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EPA Awards Over $6 Million to the State of Louisiana (34 sec.,532Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $6,555,550 to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) to administer the state's base water quality program under their Performance Partnership Grant.  LDEQ’s program aims to prevent, reduce, and eliminate water pollution through standard-setting, monitoring, permitting and enforcement activities. The funding will also assist in administering the state's environmental management programs which monitor, abate, and control hazardous and solid waste, and air pollution.

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Convention to focus on hazardous waste cleanup  (1:22 min., 1.26Mb, MP3)

EPA to host 2008 National Corrective Action Conference June 3-4 in New Orleans

The Environmental Protection Agency will host the 2008 National Corrective Action Conference June 3 and 4 in New Orleans.

The event brings together hazardous waste regulators and managers, as well as other stakeholders involved with cleanups to provide a forum for open and frank discussion on corrective action issues and for exchange of information and experiences in streamlining the corrective action process. 

“Strategies for Meeting the 2020 Corrective Action Goals” is the theme of this year’s conference. The conference will include 18 concurrent breakout sessions, with topics that include Corrective Action 101 (a basic introduction to the Corrective Action Program); a session on Vapor Intrusion and polychlorinated biphenyls; two sessions on Green Revitalization; Performance-based approaches to remedy selection; Risk-based cleanups/institutional controls; and more. Conference registration is $120.00.

For questions about the conference, contact Nick Stone at 214-665-7226 or stone.nick@epa.gov, or Karen Tomimatsu at 703-605-0698 or tomimatsu.karen@epa.gov.

More on the conference and registration: http://www.epacaconf.com/

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EPA Region 6 Announces Healthy Indoor Environments Funding Opportunity (1:41 min., 1.54Mb, MP3)
Reducing Human Health Risks posed by Contaminants in Indoor Environments

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 6 office is accepting applications for eligible entities to conduct projects in the following areas:

EPA Region 6 will award grants of $5,000 to $50,000 to up to five projects in fiscal year 2008 with a total of approximately $150,000 available for all awards. Eligible applicants include states, local governments, territories, Indian Tribes, and the possessions of the U.S., including the District of Columbia, international organizations, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, laboratories, and other public or private nonprofit institutions. Proposals must be intended to serve state, local, or tribal communities in EPA Region 6 states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma or Texas.

The closing date for applications is May 30, 2008, 11:00 p.m. CDT.

Eligible entities may submit applications by mail to:
Mr. Stacy Murphy (6PD-T)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75202-2733

or apply electronically through www.grants.gov

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J.C. Penney Company’s Home Office Recognized with Energy Star Award (1:41 min., 2.34Mb, MP3)

Company’s Efforts Are Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Today the Environmental Protection Agency presented the J.C. Penney Company, Inc. with its Energy Star award.  At a ceremony unveiling the Energy Star award plaque, the company’s Home Office was certified in the Existing Office Building category.  The Plano, Texas, based retailer was recently showcased in a report released by EPA for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. 

“We applaud JCPenney for preserving our environment and our energy resources,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “Whether you are running a business, a school, or a household, improving our nation’s environmental and energy outlook just makes sense.”

JCPenney is one of America’s leading retailers with 1,073 stores.  At its 1.9 million-square-foot Home Office in Plano, the company has implemented more than 40 energy-saving initiatives over the past five years to reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Energy Star for our Home Office reflects the foresight that went into the design of the facility when it opened in 1992, as well as our associates’ ongoing commitment to energy efficiency and conservation,” said Michael Theilman, executive vice president, chief human resources and administration officer for JCPenney.  “The Energy Star plaque serves as both a sign of our achievements and a reminder that we are continuing to find ways to do more.”

JCPenney’s energy management program has focused on continuous improvement and refining of systems and processes to increase effectiveness.  It was the first retailer to earn the Energy Star label for a retail store upon the release of EPA’s energy performance rating for retail in October 2007.  The company also is a two-time recipient of Energy Star Partner of the Year recognition.

JCPenney has been particularly successful in helping its staff be part of the solution.  Striving to make energy conservation direct, simple, and fun for the company’s 155,000 employees, the company designed an “Energy Captain” Web portal to supplement its online Energy Center.  The portal is a one-stop shop for energy reports and support materials, as well as a forum to share ideas. 

Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency.  Today, in partnership with the Department of Energy, Energy Star offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy and money, and to help protect the environment for future generations.  More than 12,000 organizations are Energy Star partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses.

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Gaylord Texan partners with EPA to reduce pollution (1:25 min., 1.3 Mb, MP3)

Resort will cut mercury as part of national environmental priorities program

The Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center will be recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for reducing mercury throughout its facility.

As part of the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP), the resort will replace the fluorescent light bulbs it currently uses in its 400,000 square feet of hotel and convention space with low-mercury bulbs.  It will also recycle the mercury from the bulbs it replaces.

"Protecting public health and the environment is a team effort," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. "EPA is pleased to have the Gaylord Texan join us in making a positive environmental impact by cutting pollution."

Located in Grapevine, the Gaylord Texan is the first hotel in the region’s five-state area to join the NPEP program. EPA will mark the hotel’s entry into the program on April 18 during Earth Day and EarthFest 2008 activities in downtown Dallas.

"Gaylord Texan is proud to be participating in the Environmental Protection Agency's NPEP program," said John Imaizumi, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center. "Our team is strongly committed to being an environmental leader in our community."

NPEP is a voluntary program with more than 150 members from private and public organizations nationwide. The goal of the program is the reduction, reuse or recycling of 31 priority chemicals. These priority chemicals have been targeted for reduction by EPA because of their ability to build up in the food chain and cause harm to humans and the ecosystem.

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"Green" teen wins presidential award (1:54 min., 1.75 Mb, MP3)

Teaching others about the environment has earned a Texas teen presidential recognition. Bianca Locke of Pasadena will be honored by President Bush today during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. Locke is part of an elite group of students from across the nation to be presented with the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA), which recognizes youth who help protect local environments and promote environmental awareness.

"Bianca and this year’s other PEYA winners show that environmental champions come in all ages," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. "It is inspiring to see such talented young people taking an active interest in the world around them and doing good things to protect its natural resources."

PEYAs are presented each year to commend young people who become an environmental force, individually or collectively, within their community.

Locke became a recognized environmental leader in her community in May 2006 when her water conservation campaign at the city’s environmental fair won first prize for the "most educational booth." She went on to develop an entire environmental education program that includes books on stormwater and recycling, presentations, activities and posters. Her presentations were designed to reach audiences of all ages and backgrounds and incorporated skits, pictures, scale models and even mascots with costumes to get her messages across. She also recruited other students and city staff to help with her work. 

Locke has taken her education program to more than 30 schools, community events and environmental workshops, just to name a few. The high school senior has spoken to groups ranging in size from 5 to 150 people. She plans on continuing her work in the environmental field after college.

The PEYA program is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency. Awards have been presented annually since 1971 to honor students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Nomination applications for the regional award program can be submitted through October 31 of each year. Additional information on the President’s Environmental Youth Award and the 2008 winners is available at http://www.epa.gov/peya

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Guapo Skateboards joins EPA pollution reduction program - Company will cut mercury as part of National Partnership for Environmental Priorities

Guapo Skateboards, LLC, is one of the newest companies to join the Environmental Protection Agency’s national program for reducing priority chemicals.

The Dallas-based company will replace fluorescent bulbs in its warehouse and skateboard park with low-mercury bulbs as part of the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP).

“Each new partner that joins the effort to reduce pollution is helping create a cleaner, healthier environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “By joining this program, Guapo Skateboards is helping change our environment for the better, while also inspiring other companies to do the same.”

Guapo Skateboards is the first skateboard company in the country to join the NPEP program. EPA will recognize the company’s efforts to reduce pollution on April 18 during Earth Day and EarthFest 2008 activities in downtown Dallas.

“Guapo Skateboard Company is committed to reducing our environmental impact,” said Al Coker, CEO and owner of Guapo. Our goal is to give back to the community and to enhance skate boarding’s image. We are committed to enhancing our ‘green’ involvement on all levels and to promoting a safe and healthy environment. It is important to our customers and the community.”

The NPEP program promotes the voluntary reduction of 31 priority chemicals. Through work with EPA, both public and private organizations identify activities that will reduce the use of these chemicals, preventing their ability to accumulate in the environment and cause harm to humans and the ecosystem.

More than 150 organizations nationwide have joined the NPEP program, which has set a goal of reducing the use or release of four million pounds of priority chemicals by 2011.

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Groups can apply for environmental justice grants  (53 sec., 828 Kb, MP3)

Groups working on solutions to local environmental and public health issues can apply for grants from the Environmental Protection Agency and its Environmental Justice Small Grants program.

Nonprofits, cities, counties and federally recognized tribes can submit grant proposals until June 30, 2008.

The EJSG program provides funding for eligible applicants working on or planning a project that addresses an environmental and public health issue within an affected community. Projects should increase understanding of issues, identify ways to address these issues at the local level, and educate and empower the community. Grant recipients can receive up to $20,000 to help with their projects.

Interested applicants can get more information on the Environmental Justice Small Grants program and how to apply for grants by contacting Shirley Quinones at (214) 665-2713 or visiting http://www.epa.gov

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Last Call for Emissions Reduction Grants is April 11 at 5 p.m. (1:51 min., 1.7 Mb, MP3)

Armed with the most money ever appropriated for emissions reduction grants, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is calling on all applicants to submit their application packages no later than Friday, April 11, at 5  p.m.

The Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP) is offering $110 million in grants to offset the incremental costs associated with reducing emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) from heavy-duty diesel engines.  NOx is one of the primary components of ground-level ozone, or smog. The grant amounts vary, depending on the amount of NOx reductions each project can achieve.

EPA challenged local leaders to use the TERP financial incentive to clean up approximately 4,500 heavy-duty diesel engines operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which could reduce ozone-forming pollution by 14 tons of NOx per day.  Local businesses have already received over $9 million in first-come first-served rebates and helped reduce a total of 931 tons of NOx over the next seven years. Since 2001, the TCEQ has awarded $506.2 million in TERP grants and rebates, covering 7,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment, for a total NOx reduction of over 125,000 tons.

TERP applications must be submitted to the TCEQ no later than 5 p.m. CDT, April 11, 2008. Applications submitted on April 11 should be dropped off at the TCEQ, Room 2202, second floor of building F, at 12100 Park 35 Circle, Austin, Texas 78753.

TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines. The Environmental Protection Agency supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

For more information, interested applicants can visit www.terpgrants.org or for immediate assistance call (800) 919-8377.

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$9 Million for Cleaner Skies (1:30 min.,1.38 Mb, MP3)

Cleaner skies are coming to North Texas thanks to the robust participation of local businesses in the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP).

TERP has awarded over $9 million in rebates to upgrade or replace 113 of the dirtiest heavy-duty diesel engines and diesel-powered equipment in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The participation of a wide array of individuals and businesses from the agricultural, construction, hauling, trucking and related sectors will make it possible for North Texans to breathe cleaner air by preventing 931 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

“North Texas is currently not meeting federal air quality standards, so every diesel engine or diesel- powered equipment that operates cleaner can make a difference to anyone who suffers from respiratory problems such as asthma,” said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager. “The state is making this financial opportunity available and local businesses are responding, which is very encouraging.” So far Texas has awarded $30 million in rebates state-wide, and is making another $110 million available in grants, but time to apply is running out.

TERP applications must be submitted by April 11, 2008.  Individual application assistance will be available until April 10 at Community Help Desks in Dallas and Denton. For more information, interested applicants can visit www.terpgrants.org or for immediate assistance call (800) 919-8377.

TERP is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and serves as a national model for replacing or retrofitting older diesel engines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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Farming Businesses Reaping Clean Air Benefits (1:40 min.,1.53 Mb, MP3)

North Texas farms and agricultural businesses are reaping the economic and environmental benefits of greening their hauling fleets, thanks to the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP).

Wright Farms of Farmersville received over $106,000 to replace an old haul truck with a cleaner, more efficient model that will reduce 10.6 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution. Melissa-based Stoney Point AgriCorp will also replace a haul truck with more than $107,000 in rebates and prevent 10.7 tons of NOx emissions. By upgrading to a cleaner model, Mitchell & Bourland of Terrell will reduce 11 tons of pollutants with a rebate of nearly $111,000. The combined benefits add up to over $324,000 in financial assistance and 32 tons of pollution prevented.

There are only three days remaining to apply for TERP grants. Applications must be submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) no later than 5:00 p.m. CDT, April 11, 2008.  Applications submitted on April 11 should be dropped off at the TCEQ, Room 2202, second floor of building F at 12100 Park 35 Circle, Austin, Texas 78753.

Individual application assistance is still available at Community Help Desks in Arlington, Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth until April 10 to help applicants with questions. For more information, interested applicants can visit www.terpgrants.org or for immediate assistance call (800) 919-8377.

TERP is managed by the TCEQ and serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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EPA approves Tulsa ozone flex agreement (2:11 min., 2 Mb, MP3)

Today the Environmental Protection Agency, in collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, announced that it has approved a new air quality plan for the Tulsa area under its 8-hour Ozone Flex program.
The ozone flex program allows communities that are currently meeting the national standard for ozone to implement proactive, voluntary measures that will reduce emissions of ozone-causing pollutants to improve air quality and stay within federal requirements. 

“EPA and the 8-hour Ozone Flex program are helping communities achieve cleaner air sooner,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “We are pleased to have cities like Tulsa working with EPA, state and industry groups to develop better solutions for a better environment.”

Tulsa’s ozone flex agreement will involve implementing five projects over the next year, including a Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority Clean Diesel Retrofit Project. The clean diesel project will retrofit 26 buses and reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 4.5 tons per year.  Nitrogen oxide combines with volatile organic compounds and sunlight to form ground-level ozone, or smog.

In addition to the clean diesel project, Terra Nitrogen, a manufacturer of nitrogen fertilizer products northeast of Tulsa, will voluntarily install ultra-low nitrogen oxide burners on one of its ammonia reformers. The $2 million project is planned for 2009 and is expected to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 425 tons per year.  Numerous other measures, including a City of Tulsa energy conservation project, will provide additional reductions in emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

The Tulsa metro area has been an ozone attainment area since 1990 and currently has an ozone design value of 0.080 ppm.  EPA approved a more protective 8-hour ozone standard of 0.075 parts per million (ppm) on March 12.  The 8-O3Flex plan will remain in effect until 2013, unless the area is reclassified under the new ozone standard.  
Oklahoma will recommend which areas should be classified as in nonattainment of the new standard in 2009, and EPA will finalize those designations in 2010.  The 8-O3Flex agreement will not prevent the region from being designated as a nonattainment area under the new standard.  However, the plan is expected to help the area reduce ozone and reach the revised standard sooner.

Additional information on the 8-hour ozone flex program is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/6pd/air/pd-l/index.htm

To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, please visit http://www.epa.gov/region6

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EPA Awards $75,000 to Texas A&M University (37 sec., 584 Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $75,000 to the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University. The institute will use this grant to study the impact of emissions from older light duty vehicles imported into Mexico. The study will be performed at the El Paso-Ciudad Juarez border in partnership with the city of Juarez and Instituto Municipal De Investigacion Y Planeacion. Study activities include quantifying the number and types of vehicles crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on a daily basis, estimating their emissions, and quantifying their emissions impact. 

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Construction Blooming Green in North Texas (1:13 min., 1.12 Mb, MP3)        

The construction industry is turning a shade of green this spring thanks to the participation of local companies in the state’s Texas Emissions Reduction Program, or TERP. This is good news for Dallas-Fort Worth, which is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country.

David Copeland Sand & Gravel was awarded $253,000 in rebates to reduce 26.3 tons of pollution from their hauling and dumping operations. Other recipients include Plano-based Chavez Construction and Southlake’s Tri Dal, Ltd., with a combined award of over $128,000 and a pollution reduction of 12.8 tons.

Businesses interested in greening their fleets still have time to apply for TERP grants by the April 11, 2008, deadline.  Individual application assistance is available at Community Help Desks in Arlington, Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth until April 10 to help applicants with questions. For more information, interested applicants can visit www.terpgrants.org or for immediate assistance call (800) 919-8377.

TERP is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines. The Environmental Protection Agency supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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Forklifts Become “Vehicles” for Clean Air (:44 sec., 691 Kb, MP3)

They have been the muscle behind manufacturing and warehousing for decades, and now forklifts are powering North Texas efforts to clean the air.

Deford Lumber, Ltd., of Dallas is one of several companies helping forklifts become the newest “vehicles” for clean air as part of the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP).  The company received more than $130,000 from the state-run program to replace the aging diesel engines in four of its forklifts and two haul trucks with cleaner, less-polluting models. In doing so, Deford will prevent more than 13 tons of nitrogen oxide from polluting North Texas air.

Other grant recipients from the Dallas-Fort Worth area include Land Lumber Co., Inc.; Mitchell and Bourland; Pam Heart; Neal Gay; James O. Worley; Robert Boyer; Bret Sapp; and Wayne Carroll. Together, their individual grants total more than $718,000 towards new engines for haul, cement, and dump trucks. They will also prevent the release of more than 71 tons of nitrogen oxide, one of the main contributors to ground-level ozone, or smog.   

Businesses interested in greening their fleets still have time to apply for TERP grants by the April 11, 2008, deadline. Individual application assistance is available at Community Help Desks in Arlington, Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth until April 10 to help applicants with questions.  For more information, interested applicants can visit www.terpgrants.org or for immediate assistance call (800) 919-8377.

TERP is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines. The Environmental Protection Agency supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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EPA Awards Over $160,000 to the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council (:44 sec., 691 Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $163,076 to the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council for its Superfund program in Oklahoma.  This award of $163,076 is the first award for fiscal year 2008 and consists of $97,850 for the Preliminary Assessment /Site Investigation program and $65,226 for the Core program.  The PA/SI program includes pre-Superfund screening, preliminary assessments, site inspections, and preparation of National Priority List ranking packages.  The Core program involves administrative and non-site specific activities.  All activities supported by this grant are aimed at remediating hazardous waste sites and restoring land to safe and productive use.

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Haul Trucks in Dallas Cleaning the Air (1:13 min., 1.12 Mb, MP3)

Seven small businesses based in Dallas will soon be operating newer haul trucks to help clear the air of 69 tons of nitrogen oxide pollutants, thanks to nearly $700,000 in rebates awarded by the state.  Over $110 million in grants through the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) is available to help other local businesses like these replace or upgrade older heavy-duty equipment and vehicles.  This funding is available only for a limited time and applications must be submitted by April 11.

Grant recipients included Cima Transportation, Saturino Rodriguez, Sandra Hernandez, Morris Hyman, David Gonzalez, Robert Earl Jones, and Donald Ray Jackson were awarded from $42,269 to over $111,000.

To help last minute applicants, a TERP assistance session will be held on April 7 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the North Central Texas Council of Governments located in Arlington at 616 Six Flags Drive.  Assistance is also available by calling the hotline at (800) 919-TERP (8377).

The TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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Oklahoma to get cleaner, greener with $2.6 million from EPA (2:01 min., 3.77 Mb, MP3)

More than $5 million in brownfields funding awarded across region

Several groups in Oklahoma will be working to transform polluted properties into community assets with the help of $2.6 million in brownfields grants from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The grants were announced today by EPA to support cleanup efforts by the Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, Cherokee Nation, Latino Community Development Agency, Love Link Ministries, Inc., and Oklahoma City Empowerment Zone.

“EPA continues to use the brownfields program to stimulate environmental and economic success in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “This program is a great example of how EPA, tribes and local groups can work together to turn contaminated properties into viable developments.”

Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties with redevelopment potential that suffer from known or perceived environmental contamination.  More than $5 million in brownfields grants were announced today across EPA Region 6, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Oklahoma’s brownfields recipients include the following:

Since the beginning of the program in 1995, EPA’s south central region has leveraged $2.3 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, helped create 10,700 jobs and supported the assessment of 750 properties.  The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.  Nationally, brownfields assistance has attracted more than $11.3 billion in private investment, helped create more than 48,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment and cleanup of nearly 12,000 properties.

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Louisiana to get cleaner, greener with $1 million from EPA (2:35 min., 2.36 Mb, MP3)

More than $5 million in brownfields funding awarded across region

Several groups in Louisiana will be working to transform polluted properties into community assets with the help of $800,000 in brownfields grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. 

The grants were announced today by EPA to support cleanup efforts in the cities of Alexandria, Lake Charles and New Orleans.

“EPA continues to use the brownfields program to stimulate environmental and economic success in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “This program is a great example of how federal and local groups can work together to turn contaminated properties into viable developments.”

Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties with redevelopment potential that suffer from known or perceived environmental contamination.  More than $5 million in brownfields grants were announced today across EPA Region 6, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Louisiana’s brownfields recipients include the following: 

Incinerator site in New Orleans.  Soil at the site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins.  Once cleanup is complete, the property with be used for single-family residences and a community garden.

Since the beginning of the program in 1995, EPA’s south central region has leveraged $2.3 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, helped create 10,700 jobs and supported the assessment of 750 properties.  The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.  Nationally, brownfields assistance has attracted more than $11.3 billion in private investment, helped create more than 48,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment and cleanup of nearly 12,000 properties.

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Houston to get cleaner, greener with $400,000 from EPA (1:24 min., 1.29 Mb, MP3)

More than $5 million in brownfields funding awarded across region

The City of Houston will be working to transform polluted properties into community assets with the help of $400,000 in brownfields grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. 

More than $5 million in brownfields grants were announced today across EPA Region 6, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

 “EPA continues to use the brownfields program to stimulate environmental and economic success in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “This program is a great example of how EPA and the City of Houston can work together to turn contaminated properties into viable developments.”

Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties with redevelopment potential that suffer from known or perceived environmental contamination. 

Houston was awarded two brownfields grants, which will be used to inventory sites with hazardous substances and potential petroleum contamination, conduct assessments, and conduct community outreach.

Since the beginning of the program in 1995, EPA’s south central region has leveraged $2.3 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, helped create 10,700 jobs and supported the assessment of 750 properties.  The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.  Nationally, brownfields assistance has attracted more than $11.3 billion in private investment, helped create more than 48,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment and cleanup of nearly 12,000 properties.

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Clovis to get cleaner, greener with $200,000 from EPA (1:28 min., 1.34 Mb, MP3)

More than $5 million in brownfields funding awarded across region

The City of Clovis will be working to transform a polluted property into a community asset with the help of $200,000 in brownfields grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. 

More than $5 million in brownfields grants were announced today across EPA Region 6, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

“EPA continues to use the brownfields program to stimulate environmental and economic success in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “This program is a great example of how federal and local groups can work together to turn contaminated properties into viable developments.”

Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties with redevelopment potential that suffer from known or perceived environmental contamination. 

Clovis will use its grant clean up the former Hotel Clovis property on North Main Street.  The site is contaminated with inorganic substances.  Once the cleanup is complete, the city plans to redevelop the property into an affordable, senior housing complex with ground-floor retail space.

Since the beginning of the program in 1995, EPA’s south central region has leveraged $2.3 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, helped create 10,700 jobs and supported the assessment of 750 properties.  The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.  Nationally, brownfields assistance has attracted more than $11.3 billion in private investment, helped create more than 48,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment and cleanup of nearly 12,000 properties.

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Arkansas to get cleaner, greener with $800,000 from EPA (2:16 min., 2.07 Mb, MP3)

More than $5 million in brownfields funding awarded across region

  Several groups in Arkansas will be working to transform polluted properties into community assets with the help of $800,000 in brownfields grants from the Environmental Protection Agency. 

EPA announced the grants today to support cleanup efforts by the Camden Port Authority, City of Pine Bluff, and Riverfront Baring Cross Neighborhood Renewal Organization.

“EPA continues to use the brownfields program to stimulate environmental and economic success in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “This program is a great example of how federal and local groups can work together to turn contaminated properties into viable developments.”

Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties with redevelopment potential that suffer from known or perceived environmental contamination. More than $5 million in brownfields grants were announced today across EPA Region 6, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Arkansas’ brownfields recipients include the following:

dispose of demolition materials and for public dumping.  Once cleanup is complete, the organization plans to incorporate the site into Rockwater Village, a planned neighborhood development.

Since the beginning of the program in 1995, EPA’s south central region has leveraged $2.3 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, helped create 10,700 jobs and supported the assessment of 750 properties.  The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.  Nationally, brownfields assistance has attracted more than $11.3 billion in private investment, helped create more than 48,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment and cleanup of nearly 12,000 properties.

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Trucking Companies Benefit from Over $526,000 (1:13 min., 1.12 Mb, MP3)

Texas recently awarded over $526,000 in rebates to four trucking companies based in North Texas.  The Texas Emissions Reduction Program  provides financial assistance to help replace or upgrade older heavy-duty equipment and vehicles that emit higher levels of nitrogen oxide pollutants.  This funding opportunity is only available until April 11.

Denton Brothers Trucking of Collinsville will replace three aging haul trucks in their fleet with newer, cleaner models.  TA Services based in Midlothian will use the rebate to replace two forklifts.  RD West Trucking of Godley and Valentine Trucking of Burleson will replace one haul truck and one dump truck respectively.  These trucking companies benefited from financial assistance to help improve the efficiency of their fleets and equipment, while preventing 59 tons of NOx from polluting the air.  Only nine days remain for North Texas businesses, local governments and others to apply for TERP assistance.  Help with the application process is available by calling the hotline at (800) 919-TERP (8377).

TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.  The Environmental Protection Agency supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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EPA Announces Federal Clean Diesel Program (1:43 min., 1.58 Mb, MP3)

Through the Federal Clean Diesel Program, the Environmental Protection Agency will award grants of more than $4 million to assist eligible partners within the ten Blue Skyways Collaborative states to achieve voluntary emission reductions more quickly than will be accomplished through new regulations that do not affect older but still viable diesel engines.  The program is expected to improve air quality and protect public health.

Eligible applicants are U.S. regional, state, local, tribal or port agencies with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality, and nonprofit organizations or institutions that represent or provide pollution reduction or educational services to persons or organizations that operate diesel fleets, or have as their principal purpose the promotion of transportation or air quality.  School districts, federally recognized Indian tribes, municipalities, metropolitan planning organizations, cities and counties are all eligible applicants under this program.

“Reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the country,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “Even with EPA’s more stringent heavy duty highway and non-road engine standards set to take effect over the next decade, more diesel emission reductions are needed.”

The following types of fleets qualify for funding:  Buses, medium or heavy-duty trucks, marine engines, locomotives or non-road engines, stationary engines, or vehicles used in construction, handling of cargo, including at a port or airport, agriculture, mining, or energy production.

At least half the national funds will be for the benefit of public fleets.  This includes private fleets contracted or leased for public purpose, such as private school buses, refuse haulers, or equipment at public ports.  For more information visit:  http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel

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EPA Recognizes Continental Airlines for Environmental Stewardship (1:37 min., 1.48 Mb, MP3)

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment Program recognized Continental Airlines for using a non-chromium surface pretreatment when painting its aircraft.  The product, PreKote, is produced by Pantheon Chemical, a recognized partner in EPA’s DfE program, and uses chemistry that is safer for the environment and human health.

Continental Airlines is the first commercial airline to test the technology using PreKote that is free of hexavalent chromium, which eliminates toxins used in the pretreatment of aircraft before repainting. In addition, the process used on Continental aircraft eliminated hazardous chemicals, improved worker health and safety conditions and reduced waste water.

“We applaud Continental Airlines for its leadership in health and environmental stewardship,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “This is an important national effort to safeguard human health and protect the environment.”

EPA’s Design for the Environment Program works in partnership with a broad range of stakeholders to reduce risk to people and the environment by preventing pollution. DfE focuses on industries that combine the potential for chemical risk reduction and improvements in energy efficiency with a strong motivation to make lasting, positive changes. EPA’s DfE program has reached more than 200,000 business facilities and approximately two million workers.

"Continental is pleased to be acknowledged by EPA for our part in using a more environmentally friendly product,” said Mark Moran, Continental’s Executive VP Operations. “Continental is always looking for ‘green’ alternatives, which not only support our commitment to the environment, but also to ensure our employees have a great place to work.”

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Is Diesel Squeezing Your Dollar? Only Ten Days Left to Get TERP Grants (1:37 min., 1.48 Mb, MP3)

With diesel prices hitting record highs near four dollars per gallon, replacing or upgrading older heavy-duty vehicles makes economic and environmental sense.  Newer, cleaner models use fuel more efficiently, which can translate to lower costs at the pump and reduced emissions of unhealthy nitrogen oxide  pollutants.

Eligible local governments, school districts, nonprofits and businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area can apply for grants to cover up to 80 percent of the replacement costs of new engines depending on how much NOx is reduced by acquiring a newer model.  Interested applicants can receive individual assistance by calling a hotline and speaking with an advisor who can help them figure out exactly how much money they may be eligible to apply for.  

In addition, Community Help Desks will remain open until April 10 to provide one-on-one assistance.  he help desk at Dallas City Hall will be open Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 am to 3 pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 3 pm, staff is available at the North Central Texas Council of Governments office in Arlington and at the Denton County courthouse. The Fort Worth help desk is available on Tuesdays at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regional office. To request an appointment simply call the hotline at (800) 919-8377 and select option four on the menu. Walk-ins are also welcome. The deadline to apply is April 11. 

The Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP) serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in DFW.

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March 2008

Excavating Companies are Going Green in Denton County (1:21 min., 1.24 Mb, MP3)

Excavating companies in Denton County are going green by upgrading their fleets to cleaner, more efficient diesel engines thanks to the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP). TERP is providing an affordable way for businesses to replace older diesel equipment that they could not otherwise afford to upgrade.

A and M Excavating, based in Lewisville, received nearly $45,000 to replace four aging dump trucks, and H & S Excavating of Carrollton received more than $67,000 to replace six aging dump trucks. By modernizing their fleets, not only are these companies becoming more competitive, they are also preventing a combined total of 63 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from polluting the air.  “It’s a way for them to keep some green in their pockets as well,” said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager.

Businesses interested in greening their fleets still have time to apply for TERP grants. The application deadline is April 11, 2008. Individual application assistance is available at Community Help Desks in Arlington, Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth until April 10 to help last minute applicants with questions. For information visit www.terpgrants.org or for immediate assistance call (800) 919-8377.

TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Environmental Protection Agency supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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EPA Awards Over $800,000 to the Rio Puerco Alliance (34 sec., 545 Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $839,727 to the Rio Puerco Alliance of Santa Fe. The Alliance proposes to implement new methods of road construction and maintenance, and install structures to decrease sedimentation and erosion.  The Alliance will also use the funds to implement vegetation and grazing management practices. Other activities under this grant will include efforts to reduce illegal dumping, develop and conduct a targeted monitoring program, and conduct education and outreach activities for the local community.

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Agricultural Businesses Receive Over $232,000 in TERP Rebates (1:43 min., 1.58 Mb, MP3)

Agricultural businesses and small land owners throughout North Texas have saved over $232,000 in purchasing cleaner, more efficient equipment through the Texas Emissions Reduction Program, or TERP. 

TERP provides rebates and grants to help replace aging diesel engines, including older agricultural tractors and haul trucks that consume more fuel and generate more pollution than newer models. Curtis Caldwell from Ovilla received over $13,000 to replace an old tractor and the McKinney Grain Corporation saved $107,000 in replacing a haul truck. Topping off the savings was the Diamond S. Land and Cattle Company with nearly $112,000 awarded to replace an aging haul truck. 

"Profit margins for small agricultural businesses and land owners can be pretty small. TERP provides the means to help these businesses improve their bottom line while doing something positive for air quality,” said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager.  “These three small businesses alone are helping to remove 23.3 tons of pollutants from the air.”

To date North Texas businesses have saved over $3.6 million while reducing pollution by 376 tons. The $30 million allocated to the rebate grants under this funding cycle has been awarded, but there is still time to apply for grants. The application deadline is April 11, 2008.  Individual application assistance is available at local TERP Community Help Desks. For information visit www.terpgrants.org or call (800) 919-8377.

TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Environmental Protection Agency supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

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Denton Businesses Save Over $276,000 While Cleaning the Air (1:43 min., 1.58 Mb, MP3)

Three small businesses in Denton County recently received over $276,000 in rebates by participating in the Texas Emissions Reduction Program, or TERP. TERP provides rebates and grants to help replace aging diesel engines that consume more fuel and generate more pollution than newer models.

Lewisville-based Pro Tow Wrecker Service received over $106,000 to replace an old haul truck with a new, more efficient model. "At a time when diesel fuel is reaching all time highs of over four dollars per gallon, it makes economic and environmental sense for businesses like Pro Tow Wrecker to participate in TERP," said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager. “This opportunity won’t last long so we encourage businesses to apply before time runs out.”

Two other Denton County businesses saved over $170,000 by using TERP to replace two older dump trucks. Don Buttress and Joel Estrada are doing their part to clean the air by operating newer vehicles that will remove 17 tons of pollutants from the air.

To date North Texas businesses have saved over $3.3 million while reducing nearly 353 tons of pollution. The $30 million allocated to the rebate grants under this funding cycle has been awarded, but there is still time to apply for grants. The application deadline is April 11, 2008. Individual application assistance is available at local TERP Community Help Desks. For information visit www.terpgrants.org or call (800) 919-8377.

TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines and is managed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Environmental Protection Agency supports local efforts to encourage participation in TERP as a way to improve air quality in DFW.

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EPA Issues Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Order to Agrifos Fertilizer, Inc. and ExxonMobil (1:58 min., 1.87 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued an administrative order on consent to Agrifos Fertilizer, Inc. and ExxonMobil Oil Corp. to address long-term wastewater management and prevent future endangerment to human health and the environment.

The Agrifos facility has been in operation since the mid 1960s and was originally constructed and operated by the Mobil Corporation.  Agrifos operates a mineral processing facility that extracts phosphorus from mineral ores for use in commercial fertilizer.  The byproduct wastes include phosphogypsum, which is accumulated in large piles of gypsum stacks, and process wastewater.  A moat that stores process wastewater surrounds each gypsum stack.

In August 2007, excessive amounts of acidic wastewater that had accumulated at the Pasadena facility put the impoundments in danger of catastrophic failure.  An abnormal amount of rain produced excess wastewater at the South Stack, causing a portion of the retaining wall to fail.  This released wastewater into a county drainage ditch, Cotton Patch Bayou, and then into the Houston Ship Channel.  The overflow released approximately 54 million gallons of wastewater between August 16 and September 7, 2007, and at least one fish kill was reported in the bayou. 

“This order is a reminder to those who own and operate these facilities of their responsibility to protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “EPA will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s environmental laws through a strong enforcement program.”
 
The EPA order requires Agrifos and ExxonMobil to promptly take steps to complete side slope closure of the gypsum stacks over the next two years and develop a corrective action plan to address soil and groundwater contamination.  Agrifos and ExxonMobil will also build a new plant to treat wastewater and dispose of acidic wastewater using the deep injection well at the facility.  The order also requires Agrifos and ExxonMobil to model a five-year plan for managing water balance during closure activities at the site.

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EPA Awards $60,000 to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas (:26 sec., 418 Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $60,000 to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe’s Water Pollution Control Program.  The tribe will use the funds for its watershed management program by assessing a series of surface-water samples. Data from these samples will illustrate any changes in the condition of the tribe's water quality, and determine the functions and health of the stream ecosystem and whether the tribe’s water quality is sufficient.

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City of Laredo breaks ground on brownfields site (1:30 min., 1.37 Mb, MP3)

(Dallas, Texas – March 26, 2008) Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency joined representatives from the City of Laredo today in a groundbreaking ceremony for a national brownfields site.

EPA awarded a $100,000 brownfields grant to the City of Laredo in 2006, which enabled it to clean up an 18-acre wetland and lake area that was the site of years of illegal dumping. The city plans to develop nature trails and park space on the site.

“Brownfields grants help convert environmental eyesores into sources of local pride,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “These grants build on EPA’s commitment of working with communities to hand down cleaner land and a healthier future to the next generation.”

Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties where redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. The Laredo site suffered from years of illegal dumping of tires and other solid waste. EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers cities and states to work together to clean up such properties and turn them into community assets.

Since the beginning of the program in 1995, EPA’s south central region has leveraged $2.3 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, helped create 10,700 jobs and resulted in the assessment of 750 properties. The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.

Nationally, brownfields assistance has attracted more than $11.3 billion in private investment, helped create more than 48,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment and cleanup of nearly 12,000 properties.

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TERP Awards Over $558,000 to Clean the Air (1:35 min., 1.46 Mb, MP3)

Texas has awarded over $558,000 in rebates to North Texas-based companies to replace four aging diesel vehicles under the Texas Emissions Reduction Program, or TERP. By upgrading to newer, less polluting vehicles these companies will prevent a combined total of 55.9 tons of nitrogen oxides from polluting North Texas skies. To date TERP has awarded over $3 million to local companies to help them reduce 325 tons of pollution.

"We commend these small business owners for doing their part to help clean the air in North Texas one engine at a time," said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager.

The recipients—Dicky J. Brown, JD Jacobs, Jr, Bob C. Beakley, Carl Davidson, and Chris Miller—were granted awards ranging from $59,735 to $218,609 each.

The $30 million allocated to the rebate grants under this funding cycle has been awarded, but there is still time to apply for the $110 million in Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants (ERIG). The application deadline is April 11, 2008. Individual application assistance is available at local TERP Community Help Desks. For information visit www.terpgrants.org or call (800) 919-8377.

The Environmental Protection Agency is working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and a host of other North Texas partners to encourage businesses to replace older trucks and equipment as a way to improve air quality in DFW. TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines. TCEQ manages the TERP program, which was approved by the Texas

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EPA Awards Over $1 million to the State of Louisiana (:27 sec., 430 Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,318,900 to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals to implement requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. LDHH will use the funds to conduct sanitary surveys and perform analyses of drinking water samples. As part of this project, LDHH will also investigate potential public health problems in the treatment or distribution of drinking water.

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TERP Awards Nearly $430,000 to Help Clean the Air (1:41 min., 1.54 Mb, MP3)

Texas has awarded almost $430,000 in rebates to four North Texas-based companies to replace aging diesel vehicles under the Texas Emissions Reduction Program, or TERP. By upgrading to newer, less polluting vehicles these companies will prevent a combined total of 43 tons of nitrogen oxides from polluting North Texas skies. To date TERP has awarded over $2.4 million to local companies to help them reduce 265.5 tons of pollution.

"Each eligible company or local government that participates in TERP brings us one engine closer to our goal of replacing 4,500 older diesel vehicles and equipment," said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager. "TERP is a great tool for our business community to use.”

The recipients — Agustin Ortiz, Alejandro Cortez, Antonio Banda and Billy W. Dodson — were awarded rebates ranging from $94,844 to $111,793.

The $30 million allocated to the rebate grants under this funding cycle has been awarded, but there is still time to apply for the $110 million in Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants. The application deadline is April 11, 2008. Individual application assistance is available at local TERP Community Help Desks. For information visit www.terpgrants.org or call (800) 919-8377.

The Environmental Protection Agency is working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and a host of other North Texas partners to improve air quality in DFW by encouraging businesses to replace older trucks and equipment. TERP serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines. TCEQ manages the TERP program, which was approved by the Texas Legislature.

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Dallas Love Field pledges to cut more pollution (2:08 min., 1.96 Mb, MP3)

After cutting 4,000 pounds of harmful chemicals at its airport, Dallas Love Field is pledging to reduce 1,000 more as part of a national program run by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The airport plans to reduce 1,000 pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, as part of the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) program. In addition, it is pledging to cut 50 pounds of mercury from light bulbs, thermometers, thermostats and other equipment under the NPEP “Mercury Challenge” campaign.

“More and more top facilities are finding smart, simple ways to conduct business and care for the environment at the same time,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “It is even more inspiring when members of industry not only stick with their commitments to the environment, but expand on them, as Dallas Love Field has done.”

The airport will replace the ballasts and mercury-containing instrumentation with modern equipment that is free of priority chemicals. It will also recycle light bulbs that contain mercury.

“Our efforts at Love Field are an extension of city-wide policies pertaining to environmental responsibility, which are implemented through our Environmental Management System,” said Director of Aviation, Daniel T. Weber. “Our success with removing harmful chemicals from the system follows our earlier program to reduce air emissions, in conjunction with our tenant airlines. Our staff will continue to work at reducing all Dallas Airport System facilities’ impacts on the environment.”

The National Partnership for Environmental Priorities promotes the voluntary reduction of 31 priority chemicals. Through work with EPA, both public and private organizations identify activities that will reduce the use of these chemicals, preventing their ability to accumulate in the environment and cause harm to humans and the ecosystem. The Mercury Challenge promotes the voluntary, systematic elimination of mercury-containing equipment.

More than 150 organizations nationwide have joined the NPEP program, which has set a goal of reducing the use or release of four million pounds of priority chemicals by 2011. Dallas Love Field is one of only four airports nationwide to join the NPEP program and is the first to add additional goals to their original commitment.

Additional information on the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities is available by contacting Rob Luschek at (214) 665-7148.

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EPA Awards Over $100,000 to the City of Albuquerque (:20 sec., 320 Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $113,322 to the City of Albuquerque. This grant will fund the city's 2008 continuing air pollution prevention and control program. The city expects to maintain national ambient air quality standards and reduce air toxics emissions.

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TERP Awards Over $1.7 Million to Help Clean the Air (1:22 min., 1.25 Mb, MP3)

Texas has awarded over $1.7 million in rebates to eight North Texas-based companies to replace 19 aging diesel vehicles under the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP).  By upgrading to newer, cleaner-running vehicles these companies will prevent a combined total of 179 tons of nitrogen oxides from polluting North Texas skies.

"By participating in TERP these companies are helping us to achieve our goal of replacing 4,500 older diesel engines," said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager.  "TERP can help local businesses stay competitive while they contribute to cleaner air.”

The eight rebate recipients—Glynn Dodson, Inc., Martinek Trucking, Denton Brothers Trucking, Inc.; JD Jacobs, Jr; Chris Strickland; David Copeland Sand & Gravel, Inc; Arturo Alaniz; and Fidelia Garza—were each awarded grants ranging from $116,000 to over $330,000.

The $30 million allocated to the rebate grants under this funding cycle has been awarded, but there is still time to apply for the Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants with $110 million to award.  The application deadline is April 11, 2008.  Individual application assistance is available at local TERP Community Help Desks.  For information visit www.terpgrants.org or call (800) 919-8377.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and a host of other North Texas partners to upgrade or replace older trucks and equipment as a way to improve air quality in the nine county area.  The Texas Emissions Reduction Program, approved by the Texas Legislature, serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines.  The TCEQ manages the TERP program.

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EPA Awards $170,000 to the City of Dallas (:29 sec., 464 Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $170,000 to the City of Dallas for Dallas Sustainable Skylines. The award will fund three studies that will support the adoption of business practices that will significantly contribute to improved air quality in the Dallas metropolitan area. The City of Dallas expects the results of the studies to be useful tools in persuading various sectors of the community to adopt more energy efficient practices and to reduce emissions.

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EPA Updates Its National Priorities List of Superfund Sites -- Three Sites Added and Two Proposed in Texas (2:09 min., 1.97 Mb, MP3)

Today the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced three sites in Texas have been added to the National Priorities List for cleanup and two are being proposed.

Donna Reservoir and Canal System in Donna, Midessa Ground Water Plume in Odessa, and the San Jacinto River Waste Pits in Harris County are the sites that were added to the program after being proposed in September 2007.

Old Esco Manufacturing in Greenville and the Attebury Grain Storage Facility in Happy, Texas, are being considered for placement in the federal cleanup program, also known as Superfund. The Superfund program investigates and cleans up the most complex contaminated waste sites in the country.

"Adding these sites to the NPL makes federal assets available to help protect the drinking water sources for thousands of Texans," EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene said.

"TCEQ and EPA work closely in this area to bring the resources of the federal government to bear on remediating these sites, which are the most complex, most polluted in the state of Texas," said TCEQ Chairman Buddy Garcia.

The Donna Reservoir and Canal System is being added to the NPL because of adverse levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in water and fish. At the Midessa Ground Water Plume site, trichloroethene and other chlorinated solvents were found in concentrations above safe drinking water maximum contamination levels. The San Jacinto River Waste Pits site is being added because of elevated levels of dioxins found in sediment, water, fish and crabs.

The Old Esco Manufacturing site is being proposed to the NPL because of polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated soil, at concentrations exceeding health-based benchmarks, on the facility property and on surrounding residential properties. The Attebury Grain Storage Facility is being proposed to the NPL because carbon tetrachloride and other solvents were found in concentrations above safe drinking water maximum contamination levels.

EPA will seek public comment on adding the Old Esco Manufacturing and Attebury Grain Storage Facility sites to the NPL for 60 days. Comments will be considered as the agency completes the final decision process. During the public comment period, EPA will continue to develop cleanup plans so that actual work may begin as quickly after NPL listing as possible.

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TERP Awards Over $388,000 to Speed Fab-Crete Corporation for Cleaner Trucks (1:28 min., 1.34 Mb, MP3)

Texas has awarded over $388,000 in rebates to Fort Worth-based Speed Fab-Crete Corporation to replace five aging diesel vehicles under the Texas Emissions Reduction Program, or TERP. By upgrading to newer, less polluting vehicles Speed Fab-Crete will prevent 47.4 tons of nitrogen oxides from polluting North Texas skies.

"We are very pleased with Speed Fab-Crete's commitment to clean air. We need about 4,500 older diesel engines to be replaced using TERP funds," said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager. "TERP speeds up vehicle replacement and makes good business sense.”

Money for the first-come-first-served rebates is going fast, but there is still time to apply for the Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants (ERIG) with $110 million to award. The application deadline is April 11, 2008. Individual application assistance is available at local TERP community help desks. For information visit www.terpgrants.org or call (800) 919-8377.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and a host of other North Texas partners to improve air quality in the nine-county area by upgrading or replacing older trucks and equipment. TERP, approved by the Texas Legislature and managed by TCEQ, serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines.

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Tough New Diesel Rule Announced in Houston (1:56 min., 1.77 Mb, MP3)

Air quality in the Houston-Galveston area got a boost today when EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson signed the Locomotive and Marine Diesel Engines Rule at a ceremony at the Port of Houston. The national rule will slash harmful diesel emissions from trains and ships and help Americans breathe cleaner air.

EPA Region 6 Administrator Richard E. Greene said, "This is another step in the continuing process to bring cleaner air to Texas and the Nation. Each step brings new achievements and cleaner technologies to improve the health of our residents and our quality of life."

EPA’s Clean Diesel Locomotive and Marine program will work in collaboration with its partners to cut emissions from all types of diesel locomotives, including line-haul, switch, and passenger rail, as well as from a wide range of marine sources, including ferries, tugboats and all types of marine auxiliary engines.

As a result of the rule, the Houston-Galveston area is expected to see reductions of nitrogen oxide emissions of more than 15,000 tons in 2020 and 32,000 tons in 2030. In 2020 the final rule will annually reduce particulate matter emissions in the Houston metro area by 560 tons, and by 2030 these reductions will double to about 1,200 tons per year.

In addition to the benefits from the locomotive and marine standards, EPA has issued a number of rules that will help Houston reduce its ozone levels. These include: the toughest ozone eight-hour standard that EPA has ever set, the Clean Air Interstate Rule to reduce ozone-forming emissions from power plants and the Clean Air Diesel Rule Program to reduce emissions from highway, non-road and stationary diesel engines.

The Port of Houston is a 25-mile-long complex of diverse public and private facilities located just a few hours’ sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. The port is ranked first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in the U.S. in total tonnage, and tenth in the world in total tonnage. The Port of Houston is made up of the Port of Houston Authority and 150-plus private industrial companies along the Houston Ship Channel.

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EPA cutting diesel emissions at their source (:21 sec., 514 Kb, MP3)

Today EPA is fitting another important piece into the clean diesel puzzle by cleaning emissions from our trains and boats. As more and more goods flow through our ports and railways, EPA is cutting diesel emissions at their source – keeping our nation on track toward a clean, healthy, productive tomorrow.

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EPA awards two Brownfields Job Training Grants (2:35 min., 2.37 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced two organizations in Louisiana selected to receive brownfields job training grants of $399,000. The grants will teach environmental assessment and cleanup skills, place graduates in environmental jobs and track students for one year.

EPA awarded $200,000 to Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana, Inc. in New Orleans, and $199,999 to Southern University at Shreveport.

"These grants are achieving results," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. "They train people for important environmental jobs - jobs that restore properties and turn them into community assets."

Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana plans to train 40 students, place 80 percent of graduates in environmental jobs or post-secondary education, and track students for one year.  The training program will consist of four 13-week, 404-hour training cycles that will offer certifications in mold, lead, and asbestos abatement, and construction safety.  Additional training will include coursework in engineering, debris removal, and federal, state, and local environmental rules and regulations.

Southern University at Shreveport plans to train 37 students, place 31 graduates in environmental jobs and track them for one year. The training program will consist of three, 121-hour training cycles comprising technical instruction, safety, asbestos abatement, CPR, and first aid. Students will be recruited from low- to moderate-income populations living in areas impacted by brownfields.

"The brownfields job training grants will benefit Louisiana by providing resources and education for mostly low-income and minority residents so they can gain the knowledge needed to enter the environmental field," said Louis Buatt, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Assistant Secretary. "These grants will provide unemployed and underemployed residents with the skills needed to sustain employment."

A brownfield is a property where expansion or reuse may be complicated by pollutants or a perception that the property is contaminated. Brownfields job training grants encourage tribal, local, state and federal agencies, communities, job training organizations, non-profit agencies and others to work together to develop and foster long term employment through environmental training.

Since 1998, EPA has awarded more than $23 million in brownfields job training funds. Approximately 4,000 people have completed training programs, with more than 2,500 obtaining employment in the environmental field.  The program is designed to ensure than the economic benefits derived from brownfields redevelopment remain in the affected communities.

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Connecting environment and culture (1:30 min, 1.37 Mb, MP3)

Students from several countries will come together on March 6 to discuss culture and the environment during a youth video conference sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the University of North Texas and the U.S. State Department.

The second International Indigenous Youth Conference on the Environment and Culture will begin at 6:45 a.m. in the UNT Gateway Center and will include students from Malaysia, Russia, and Uganda, as well as students in Oklahoma from the Kiowa, Wichita, Apache, Comanche, Osage, Lakota, Kialegee and Navajo nations.

“No matter what your age or where you call home, we can all do something positive for the environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene.  “This conference is a great opportunity to get the next generation of students discussing environmental issues and discovering how they can make a difference in their communities.”

More than 80 students are expected to participate in the video conference, which is aimed at encouraging young people to take an active role in finding solutions to environmental problems that incorporate local, regional, and cultural perspectives.  This year’s theme is “Environmental Protection and Indigenous Culture in an Age of Global Climate Change.”  The event will be Webcast live at www.unt.edu/youthcon, and will be archived for viewing following the conference.

EPA and its Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs organized the first international indigenous student video conference in March 2007.  The office works with 65 federally recognized Native Nations to address environmental issues and strengthen the relationships between tribes and EPA. 

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February 2008

EPA awards over $140,000 to the Osage Nation (24 secs, 378 KB, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $144,420 to the Osage Nation for its Underground Injection Control program. This is in addition to a previous award of $41,560 made in September 2007. The tribe will use the funds for testing and inspection, enforcement and compliance, and permitting of injection wells.

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Beaumont-Port Arthur area hits ozone mark (2:58 min, 2.72 Mb, MP3)

Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality joined representatives from the Beaumont-Port Arthur area today to celebrate the region reaching the national eight-hour standard for ozone.

"This is an important clean air milestone for everyone in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. "EPA is pleased to recognize the committed efforts of the many residents and industry leaders who have worked side-by-side with air quality staff at the local, state and federal levels to reduce ozone in the region."

"I want to congratulate all of our partners in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area for achieving this significant clean air standard," said TCEQ Chairman Buddy Garcia. "This community’s can-do spirit has produced real results that mean reduced ozone levels and improved air quality for all of the citizens in the Golden Triangle region."

The Beaumont-Port Arthur area includes Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange counties. Data from 2005 to 2007 show that the area meets both the eight-hour ozone standard and the former one-hour standard. EPA revoked the one-hour standard of .12 parts per million (ppm) in 2005 with regulations to implement the more protective eight-hour standard of .08 ppm. 

"We are proud of our local elected officials who have worked tirelessly in stressing the importance of attaining this goal and we will continue this process into the future to guarantee clean air for our region," said Shaun Davis, Executive Director, South East Texas Regional Planning Commission. "This achievement shows the commitment of our citizens, industry leaders and local government to work together through positive programs like the Ozone Action Day Program."

"The South East Texas Regional Planning Commission will continue to encourage voluntary initiatives like the Ozone Action Day Program, promotion of Alternative Fueled Vehicle use, Carpool and Vanpool programs and the Household Hazardous Waste/Scrap Tire Collection events," said Bob Dickinson, Director of Transportation & Environmental Resources, South East Texas Regional Planning Commission.

Now that the region has reached ozone attainment levels, officials will continue to work to ensure the area remains in compliance. Last year, EPA proposed to strengthen the eight-hour standard for ground-level ozone to within a range of 0.070 to 0.075 ppm.  A final decision on a new eight-hour standard is expected by March 12. 

The Beaumont-Port Arthur area is designated as a marginal eight-hour ozone nonattainment area. Although it is now in attainment for ozone, EPA proposed to reclassify the region to "moderate" in October 2007 because the region’s ozone levels averaged .085 ppm from 2004 to 2006, narrowly missing the standard by the June 15, 2007, attainment deadline. The fact that it attained the standard by the end of 2007 provides great optimism that air quality in the region is on track.

Ozone is a gas that occurs naturally in the upper atmosphere to protect the Earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. At ground level, pollutants released from vehicles, factories and other sources combine to form the ozone mixture commonly known as smog. Smog can cause respiratory problems including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain.  The risk is greatest for people with asthma, children and the elderly.

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Standard Aero, Inc. joins EPA top-performance program (2:16 min, 2.07 Mb, MP3)

Standard Aero, Inc. of San Antonio, Texas, will eliminate tons of waste and reduce energy use and noise as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s top “green leadership” program. The gas turbine engine repair and maintenance company earned its spot in the prestigious National Environmental Performance Track program by maintaining a sustained environmental compliance record and making new commitments to reduce and recycle at its facility.

"Standard Aero is proof that environmental stewardship and economic prosperity can go hand-in-hand," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. "By committing to conservation, Standard Aero demonstrates that doing what’s good for the environment is also good for business."

As part of their participation in the program, Standard Aero has committed to reducing energy consumption and waste production over the next three years in several areas. They will reduce total non-transportation energy use by 2,090 MMBTUs; optimize evaporative systems to further reduce non-hazardous waste generation by 70 tons; further reduce non-hazardous waste generation by 92 tons through recycling plastic, paper, metal, and glass from existing plant trash; and reduce outdoor engine testing by 110 hours to restrict noise.

"Standard Aero is proud to be accepted into the National Environmental Performance Track program as partners with EPA.  As part of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, Standard Aero is driven to provide timely solutions and products at the best value to our customers. Our commitment to environmental performance is an important part of this offering," said Standard Aero Corporate Director of Environmental Affairs Brian K. Skrobarcek. 

Performance Track recognizes facilities that have a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems in place to manage their environmental impacts, engage in community outreach and consistently report results.

Since the 2000 launch of this facility-based program, Performance Track membership has grown to 538 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and those members have set more than 3,500 goals to benefit the environment in both regulated and unregulated areas. Since the inception of the program, Performance Track members have reported greenhouse gas reductions of 310,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, reductions in nitrogen oxides of 13,000 tons, and hazardous waste reductions of 52,000 tons.

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Cleanup plan finalized for Tar Creek Superfund site (2:22 min, 2.17 Mb, MP3)

The Environmental Protection Agency, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Environmental Secretary, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, has completed the final cleanup plan for the Tar Creek Superfund site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma.

Components of the cleanup plan include: funding voluntary relocation of residents and businesses in Picher, Cardin and Hockerville through Oklahoma’s Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance Trust, chat sales, and disposal of source materials to reduce the overall footprint of contamination and reduce the need for land use restrictions, institutional controls, and operation and maintenance. The cost of the plan is approximately $167 million.

"This master plan will ensure a coordinated commitment to permanently clean up the Tar Creek Superfund site,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “It is a long-awaited step in finalizing work to clean up one of the nation's largest Superfund sites, and I am pleased to be part of this monumental occasion."

The final plan reaffirms years of hard work by local, tribal, state and federal partners to permanently clean up the site.  It addresses contamination posed by chat piles, other mine and mill waste, and smelter waste in the 40-square mile former lead and zinc mining area.

EPA based its decision on public comments, extensive studies of the extent of contamination, and human health and environmental risks caused by contamination at the site. More plan details are described in the record of decision, available at EPA’s Web site.

EPA has spent nearly $150 million addressing immediate threats to the residents near the site by removing lead and zinc waste, known as chat, from residential yards and from high access areas. After yard remediation and extensive health education efforts funded by EPA, a 50 percent reduction in the number of children with elevated blood lead levels has been achieved in local communities.

EPA listed the Tar Creek site on its National Priorities List in 1983. The site, in northeastern Oklahoma, is part of the 1,188 square mile former zinc and lead mines known as the Tri-State Mining District in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Mining began in the early 1900s and continued until the 1960s.

Much of the land on the Tar Creek site is allotted Indian Land. The towns of Picher, Cardin, Commerce, North Miami and Quapaw are also part of the site. Approximately 19,000 people live in the communities surrounding the site.

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EPA awards over $25,000 to Rose State College (21 secs, 335Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $25,660 to Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Wastewater Training Center will use the funds to provide no-cost, on-site technical assistance to small communities with minor wastewater discharges to help them solve operational problems.

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EPA awards over $1 million to the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (43 secs, 674Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,350,000 to the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, or BECC. The funds will allow BECC to assist communities in developing project planning studies, environmental studies, engineering design, legal and financial feasibility studies, and community participation plans. BECC will provide communities with financial assistance to help develop environmental infrastructure projects.  These funds are awarded under the 2007 Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution providing budget authority for funding the United States-Mexico Border Program.

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Gulf Guardian Awards Program now accepting applications (40 secs, 631Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program is soliciting entries for the 2008 Gulf Guardian Awards Program.  The entry deadline is May 1, 2008.  Winners will be announced in the fall and the awards ceremony will be held during December 2008.  This is the ninth year for the awards program, which was started to honor businesses, industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, individuals and partnerships striving to make an environmental difference in the Gulf of Mexico.  A first, second and third place award is given in seven different categories. 

Once the application is complete, email before May 1, 2008 to gulf.guardian@epa.gov

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EPA Awards Over $50,000 to the University of Texas at Arlington (27 secs, 437Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $58,420 to the University of Texas at Arlington through the Southwest Network for Zero Waste. Funds from this grant will be used to develop a database tool for the pretreatment industry to search for pollution prevention opportunities for their plants. The project goals are to aid in compliance with regulatory requirements and to show operators how to go beyond compliance using pollution prevention.

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Poster contest sheds light on sun safety (1:41 min, 1.54Mb, MP3)

Students can help raise awareness about sun safety and win prizes by entering the 2008 SHADE poster contest.  The annual contest, sponsored by the SHADE Foundation of America and the Environmental Protection Agency, teaches children ways to protect skin from excessive sun exposure.

Sun protection education is especially important for children because unprotected exposure puts them at an increased lifetime risk for skin cancer. Too much sun can also lead to cataracts and immune suppression.  

This year’s contest, “Limit the Sun, Not the Fun,” runs until April 1, 2008. Students in grades K-8 can submit hand-drawn posters on an 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheet of paper.  Entries should be original and creative, and should suggest ways to prevent skin cancer and raise sun safety awareness. 

Winning posters will receive state and national prizes, with the national winner receiving a trip for four to Disney World.  WeatherBug Schools will also provide a scientific-grade weather tracking station as a national prize.

EPA is co-sponsoring this year’s contest through its SunWise Program, an environmental and health education program that uses classroom and community tools to teach the public how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun.

Most of the more than one million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed yearly in the United States are considered to be sun-related, according to the American Cancer Society. The best ways to lower the risk of non-melanoma skin cancer are to avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time and to practice sun safety.

More than 50,000 students have helped spread the message of sun safety by participating in the annual contest since its creation in 2003. Additional information on SunWise and the 2008 SHADE poster contest is available at http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/

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Over $100 million available for dirty trucks (1:15 min, 1.14Mb, MP3)

Owners of older heavy-duty vehicles and equipment can get one-on-one help with grant and rebate applications under the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan, or TERP.

More than $100 million in TERP funds are available to individuals, businesses, nonprofits, school districts and government agencies that own and operate heavy-duty vehicles or equipment, ranging from delivery trucks and transit buses to cranes, forklifts and locomotives.  New and upgraded equipment pollutes less, improving the air quality in Texas.

The TERP Community Help Desks will be open on scheduled days in Arlington, Dallas, Denton and Fort Worth. Staff will answer questions and help with applying for program grants and rebates.  

To help with the application process, individuals should bring their current registration, vehicle title, pictures of the vehicle and/or equipment, and equipment bids. Applicants may schedule appointments in advance by calling 1-800-919-TERP (8377) and selecting the Dallas/Fort Worth assistance option on the menu. Walk-ins are also welcomed, but priority will be given to appointments.

The Environmental Protection Agency is working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and a host of other partners to help North Texans get money to upgrade or replace their older trucks and equipment as a way to improve area air quality.

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January 2008

EPA Awards Over $50,000 to the Pueblo of Picuris (30 secs, 471Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $59,863 to the Pueblo of Picuris to assist the Pueblo with cleanup and ecological restoration of a mica mining operation. The funds will enable the Pueblo to re-establish its traditional mica clay pottery industry.  These funds are awarded under EPA's Brownfields program which encourages redevelopment of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. 

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EPA Awards Over $50,000 to A Nurtured World Incorporated (28 secs, 452Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $53,300 to A Nurtured World Incorporated.  The funds will be used to target significant environmental issues in the City of Dallas, including air pollution, water supply and water quality.  Nurtured World will work with citizens, businesses and organizations to learn about their environmental impacts and identify ways to address them, and conduct site visit training for pollution prevention providers. 

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San Antonio health education center receives $98,000 from EPA (1:29 min, 1.36mb, MP3)

The South Central Area Health Education Center in San Antonio, Texas, will receive $98,115 from the Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce environmental risks during pregnancy. 

The center’s project, “Let’s Talk Baby-Tox: Reducing Prenatal Exposure Risks,” will focus on outreach to health care providers and families in a 12-county area. 

As part of the project, the center plans to train 70 health care providers and more than 2,700 prenatal patients on understanding how the environment affects the health of a fetus. The project will also involve delivering environmental health messages to more than 3,200 expectant families and determining if these messages result in positive changes in behavior.  Other planned activities include developing a Spanish/English novella to distribute to prenatal patients and creating materials on environmental risk assessment and intervention for health care providers and staff in five South Texas clinics.  

The goal of the project is to provide a sustainable and replicable outreach program that empowers health care providers and families to identify and reduce environmental risks including pesticides, secondhand smoke, hazardous household chemicals, indoor air, lead, and mercury exposure during pregnancy. These environmental hazards can lead to increased respiratory illnesses, cancers, and other adverse health effects in children.

EPA awards grants through its Child and Aging Health Protection Division to support programs and projects that work to protect children’s health from environmental threats. 

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EPA Awards Over $20 Million to the North American Development Bank (30 secs, 471Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $23,400,000 to the North American Development Bank. The bank will use the funds to implement the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund program which provides construction and transition assistance for eligible drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. These funds are awarded under the 2007 Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution providing budget authority for funding the United States-Mexico Border Program. 

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EPA Awards Over $1 Million to the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (38 secs, 602Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,350,000 to the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, or BECC. The funds will allow BECC to assist communities in developing project planning studies, environmental studies, engineering design, legal and financial feasibility studies, and community participation plans. BECC will provide communities with financial assistance to help develop environmental infrastructure projects. These funds are awarded under the 2007 Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution providing budget authority for funding the United States-Mexico Border Program. 

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EPA Awards Over $1 million to the University of New Orleans (27 secs, 423Kb, MP3)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,490,040 to the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation for projects in the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. These projects will focus on the reduction or elimination of sewerage related pollution and provide education and outreach to improve water quality in the basin. The grant will also fund a study of wastewater collection and treatment throughout unincorporated areas of St. Helena Parish.

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EPA Awards Over $25,000 to Southern Arkansas University Tech (27 secs, 423Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $25,660 to Southern Arkansas University Tech.  With funds from this grant the state will provide no-cost, on-site technical assistance to help communities with minor wastewater discharges solve operational problems.

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EPA  Awards $150,000 to the State of Oklahoma (27 secs, 423Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $150,000 to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for its State Environmental Response Program.  Under this cooperative agreement with EPA Region 6, commission staff will assist in identifying contamination, plan for cleanup if contaminants are found, and in some limited cases, assist in or oversee cleanup that leads to redevelopment.

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EPA Awards $200,000 to the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council – Cherokee Nation (43 secs, 673Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $200,000 to the Inter-Tribal Environmental Council - Cherokee Nation. These funds will allow the council to continue to establish and enhance its Voluntary Cleanup Program and Brownfields Site Assessment Program. Brownfields are vacant, abandoned, or under-used properties where redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of environmental contamination. Through these programs, the council will inventory, oversee or perform assessments and cleanups of Brownfields properties, and promote the program within and between its member tribes. Ultimately, this will help revitalize many of the underutilized sites in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico Indian Country.

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EPA Awards Over $300,000 to the City of Albuquerque (23 secs, 359Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $397,209 to the City of Albuquerque. This grant will fund the city's continuing air pollution prevention and control program and allow the completion of a special ENERGY STAR project. The city expects to maintain national ambient air quality standards and reduce air toxics emissions.

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EPA Awards Over $25,000 to the State of New Mexico (19 secs, 300Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $25,660 to the Regents of New Mexico State University.  Funds awarded from this grant will allow the state to provide no-cost, on-site technical assistance to small communities with minor wastewater discharges.

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EPA Awards $600,000 to the State of Texas (21 secs, 330Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $600,000 to the Texas Railroad Commission under the Underground Injection Control program.  The commission will use the funds to perform mechanical integrity tests on injection wells, and provide technical assistance to operators for drilling, completing, and reporting on injection wells.

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EPA Awards Over $100,000 to the State of Arkansas (33 secs, 520Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $132,000 to the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission.  The commission will use the funds to complete a detailed geomorphic map of the entire Coastal Plain in Arkansas.  The project will complete areas not covered in a Ouachita River Geomorphic mapping effort in 2006, and combine all Coastal Plain Geomorphic mapping in single coverage. This map will allow more accurate application of the published Coastal Plain Hydrogeomorphic Guidebook, and allow for future hydrogeomorphic mapping.

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EPA Awards Over $2,000,000 to the State of Texas (32 secs, 507Kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $2,026,097 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to administer the state's base water quality program under their Performance Partnership Grant.  TCEQ’s program aims to prevent, reduce, and eliminate water pollution through standard-setting, monitoring, permitting and enforcement activities.  The funding will also assist in administering the state's environmental management programs which monitor, abate, and control hazardous and solid waste, air pollution and pesticides

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EPA Awards $300,000 to the City of Laredo (34 secs, 545kb, MP3)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $300,000 to the city of Laredo, Texas. This grant is awarded under the Community Action for a Renewed Environment, or CARE, program, a community-based, community-driven program to help the public understand and reduce toxic risks. The Laredo Health Department will use the funds to educate school-age children and health care providers on hazardous chemicals and indoor air environmental and asthma triggers. The project will also seek to raise awareness about water quality and conservation, and solid waste issues.

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