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Greenbytes: September 23, 2005 Edition
In this Issue
Greetings from EPA New England. We hope you find this edition of Greenbytes useful and we encourage you to give us feedback. For information on subscribing or unsubscribing see the section at the end of this message.
Feature:
EPA Responds to Hurricane Katrina
The past month has found our country focused on news coverage from the devastation that Hurricane Katrina inflicted on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Most Greenbytes readers won’t be surprised to know that EPA personnel have been involved in responding to this human and environmental crisis. Indeed, we have deployed several individuals already from our office in New England to assist with the response effort. EPA’s deep expertise is called on to address issues including chemical and oil contamination, monitoring of water and air quality, addressing wastewater disposal and decontamination, assessing sediment left by floodwaters, etc.
EPA emergency response personnel are working in partnership with FEMA to help assess the damage and prepare for cleanup from Katrina. In emergency situations such as this, EPA serves as the lead Agency for the cleanup of hazardous materials, including oil and gasoline. Our national and regional Emergency Operations Centers are activated 24 hours a day.
EPA is the lead federal agency under the National Response Plan for Emergency Support Function (ESF) #10, which addresses hazardous materials, including oil. As such we are coordinating with state, local and other federal government agencies (especially the US Coast Guard) to prevent, minimize, or mitigate threats to public health, welfare, or the environment caused by the actual or potential release of hazardous materials. EPA has been assessing, and will continue to assess and manage, a range of environmental issues, from the disposal of small containers left by the flood waters to the evaluation of potentially impacted Superfund sites.
Because EPA was able to field staff in 67 boats during the first days after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, we joined the priority effort of rescuing flood victims and taking them to safety. To date, EPA staff have rescued close to 800 flood victims.
EPA is also one of several agencies that provide support under ESF #3, which addresses Public Works and Engineering. Specifically, EPA is working to help address health and environmental concerns with contaminated flood waters, and restoration of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Additionally, under ESF # 3, EPA has a support role working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address the proper management of debris with regard to hazardous materials. The Agency anticipates a growing role in addressing large volumes of debris from homes, buildings and other structures damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
The floodwaters of the New Orleans area are being sampled for bacteria commonly found in raw sewage, as well as for a suite of chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs), total metals, pesticides, herbicides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Sampling is being conducted by the EPA, the USGS, and Louisiana DEQ. Sampling results will be available via EPA's website once data is validated.
EPA is sampling for bacteria and over 100 priority pollutants potentially found in lakes, rivers, and wastewater effluent.
EPA is working closely with its federal and state partners to reduce and mitigate environmental impacts to Lake Pontchartrain, while flood waters are removed quickly to protect public health. As the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) continues de-watering operations, skimming booms are being deployed to remove oil and debris from water prior to pumping. After pumping, additional booms are being deployed in the canals leading to the Lake to further reduce oil, debris, and solids. Aerators are also being used in the canals to raise dissolved oxygen levels in the water, prior to outfall to the Lake.
Both damage from Hurricane Katrina and cleanup/restoration could cause releases of air toxics and other air pollutants that will affect air quality in the damaged areas and potentially in areas downwind. Sources of this air pollution include: spills of volatile chemicals; start-up releases or leaks from industrial plants; dust ( potentially including contaminants such as asbestos and lead) from building demolition and debris transport; contaminated sediments that can be resuspended as dust; and smoke from open burning of debris.
More information on EPA’s Katrina response:
- Breaking News: - http://www.epa.gov/
- National information: - http://www.epa.gov/katrina
- Louisiana & Texas: - http://www.epa.gov/region06
- Mississippi: - http://www.epa.gov/region04
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U.S., Canada Join to Cut Freight Industry Emissions and
Save Fuel
A new U.S. - Canada partnership could save up to 440 million
gallons of fuel and prevent emissions of an estimated 5 million
tons of carbon dioxide - a greenhouse gas - per year. To
achieve that goal, EPA and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
will coordinate voluntary cross-border projects with the
freight industry focusing on idle reduction, deployment of
clean technologies, and driver training and awareness. There
are 13 million truck border crossings between Canada and
the United States each year. The collaboration brings together
the complementary strengths of EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership
and NRCan's FleetSmart. SmartWay emphasizes the deployment
of innovative technologies. FleetSmart specializes in driver
education and training. Additional
information on the MOU and SmartWay is
available at: http://www.epa.gov/smartway. Additional
information on FleetSmart 
is
at: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/fleetsmart.cfm.
National Listing of Fish Advisories Released for 2004
States, tribes and territories issued 3,221 fish advisories
in 2004, according to data just released by EPA. The advisories
alert residents to the potential health risks of eating contaminated
fish caught locally in lakes, rivers and coastal waters,
but do not pertain to commercial fishing. The latest number
is an increase from the 2003 reporting period, when
3,089 advisories were issued. The number of safe-eating guidelines
issued by states continues to rise rapidly as states expand
their monitoring activities. Safe-eating guidelines inform
the public that fish from specific bodies of water or species
of fish are safe to eat. Each state sets its own criteria
and decides which bodies of water to monitor. Some measurements
involved coastal waters, rivers or lakes or a combination
of the three. Additionally, states do not always monitor
the same bodies of water from year to year. Fish advisories
are voluntary state recommendations and are not governed
by federal regulations. The consumption advisories vary but
may include recommendations to limit or avoid eating certain
fish species caught from specific bodies of water. Advisories
may be issued for the general population or for such groups
as pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children.
See: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/fish/advisories/ .
EPA Proposes Strict Ethical Safeguards on Human Studies
Research
EPA has proposed a rule that will establish stringent enforceable
ethical safeguards governing the conduct of third-party intentional
dosing research with human subjects. Among other new ethical
protections, EPA proposes to prohibit all new third-party
intentional dosing research on pesticides with children and
pregnant women intended for submission to EPA, and announced
a categorical ban that EPA will neither conduct nor support
any intentional dosing studies that involve pregnant women
or children. The rule focuses largely on pesticide studies
because such studies have elicited a strong expression of
public concern, and because the risks they potentially present
to people who volunteer to participate. The proposal is the
first in a series of potential actions that will address
the full spectrum of human studies issues at EPA. The proposal
is available for review and public comment at: http://www.epa.gov/oppfead1/guidance/human-test.htm .
New Handbook to Help Accelerate Watershed-Protection Programs
Questions about managing pollution runoff, increasing wildlife
habitat and controlling invasive species in the nation's
estuaries are among those addressed in a new EPA handbook.
While “Community-Based Watershed Management: Lessons
from the National Estuary
Program” focuses on estuaries, its principles and examples
are relevant to any organization involved in watershed management.
The 98-page handbook describes innovative approaches developed
and conducted by the 28 National Estuary Programs, which
are community-based
watershed-management organizations that restore and protect
coastal watersheds. Topics covered range from starting a
program, identifying problems and solutions to plan development
and action steps. The handbook can be downloaded at: http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/nepprimer .
Burden Reduction Rule Proposed for the Toxics Release Inventory
EPA is proposing a rule to expand the use of a shortened
TRI reporting form (Form A certification statement) for some
facilities. The proposal is expected to save 165,000 hours
per year, while still ensuring full Form R (long form) reporting
on over 99 percent of toxic releases and other waste management
activities. The proposal also provides new incentives to
facilities to emit less in order to be able to use the shorter
form. This proposed action comes after an extensive evaluation
by EPA, its stakeholders and reporting facilities to address
the concerns expressed about TRI reporting burden. The proposed
rule is part of an on-going effort to streamline TRI reporting.
EPA issued a final rule in July 2005 that revised the TRI
reporting forms to eliminate information not used, and to
make use of data already available in existing EPA information
systems. Additional information is available at:
http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/modrule/phase2 .
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Automatically receive all EPA New England news releases: http://www.epa.gov/region1/pr/pr-ne-subscribe.html
Environmental Education Grants in New England
Boston - Dana Farber Institute Volunteers for Environmental Audit
Conn. - Combined Heat & Power projects recognized
Plainfield, CT - Cleanup completed at Carvill Combing
Conn. - Additional coastal areas may be designated “no discharge”
Pittsfield, MA - New search for buried drums at GE Housatonic site
N.H. site added to NPL; MA site proposed
New Bedford, MA - Dredging resumes in harbor
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MMR
Impact Area Review Team
Tues. Sept. 27
New Bedford Harbor
- public meeting
Thurs. Sept. 29
Stamford Public
Health & Environmental community forum
Thurs. Sept. 29
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What's New on the Web
RSS Now Available for EPA New England info:
- News Releases feed
http://www.epa.gov/region1/rss/news-releases.rss - Recent Additions feed
http://www.epa.gov/region1/rss/recent-additions.rss
2004 Air Quality report available
Ocean & Coastal program - updated info
GE - Housatonic site - August monthly report
GE - Housatonic site - Interim media protection goals proposal
GE - Housatonic site - Geophysical survey (Newell St. Area II)
Somersworth landfill - Preliminary closeout report
Old Southington - 5-Year Review
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