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Greenbytes: February 12, 2007 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.
Since our last issue of Greenbytes, we have all enjoyed the holidays and gotten firmly back into the routine of work. Winter temperatures, if not much snow, has come to New England in full force. With winter weather, we always remind citizens about the need to test homes for radon; our feature article goes into some detail on this critical public safety issue.
Greenbytes readers, and especially folks in the Boston area will recall that EPA was overseeing environmental clean-up efforts in response to an explosion that occurred at an industrial facility on the evening of Nov. 22 in Danvers, Mass. Just this past week, we completed our immediate work and are proud to have transferred day to day responsibility for continued work on the site back to the property owners. Oversight of environmental operations will be done by the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection. For updated information, see: epa.gov/ne/danvers
We have completed several highly successful enforcement actions in the past month. These include air and water violations at a textile plant in Taunton, Mass. that has yielded a nearly half million dollar penalty; a formal complaint being lodged against a Maine dairy farm for alleged clean water violations; and several new actions against facilities that have violated oil spill preparedness requirements. Also, EPA’s 2005 enforcement action against the VA Hospital in White River Junction, Vt. has now been resolved in a settlement that requires the VA to develop a comprehensive waste management plan for all New England VA health care facilities.
Finally, regional staff are working hard this month to conduct compliance assistance workshops across New England to help businesses learn about their facility's obligations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). EPCRA places various planning and reporting requirements on business and industries that store and/or use certain chemicals and materials. For example, EPCRA requires facilities having such chemicals (with quantities as low as one pound) to submit annual chemical inventory reports (Tier 2 forms) for calendar year 2006 by March 1, 2007. These workshops will be only four hours long and are free. They will be held in Burlington, Vt. (Feb. 13), Portsmouth, N.H. (Feb. 14), Worcester, Mass. (Feb. 15) and in Providence, R.I. (Feb. 27).
Also, something else to keep in mind as we think ahead for spring: On April 18, EPA New England will host the Fifth Annual “Green Expo” here in our offices in Boston. The Green Expo is a vendor fair featuring energy efficient, recycled, less-toxic, organic or otherwise environmentally preferable products and services. This event focuses on consumer products and services (not institutional items) and is designed to educate and empower the purchasing decisions of over 800 EPA staff and invited guests, including all local federal agencies. The fair will provide an opportunity for local, regional and out-of-state vendors to display their products and services, to connect, network, and get an idea of what else is out there. We are actively soliciting environmentally-conscious businesses and services to plan to present their products to our employees at the Green Expo. The deadline to reserve an informational booth is March 16, and there is no charge to participate. Participants will be registered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Table and floor space will depend on the number of registered and confirmed vendors and organizations, but is typically 4 to 8 feet of table space. Vendors that are unable to attend in person, but still would like to participate are welcome to display materials. If you are interested to participate, contact Caitlyn Hunt (hunt.caitlyn@epa.gov).
Feature:
A Low Cost Radon Test Can Save Lives
By Robert Varney Regional Administrator, EPA New England
Each year, nearly 20,000 people die across the country from lung cancer caused by exposure to radon. A common, but completely avoidable, way people are exposed to radon can be in your own home - yet only one in five homeowners have actually tested for this colorless, odorless, naturally-occurring gas.
In New England alone, it is estimated that nearly a thousand preventable deaths occur each year due to this silent killer. This concern is not limited to each January, when we publicize National Radon Action Month. During all the cold weather months, EPA urges people to invest in a $25 radon test for their homes.
Radon, an invisible radioactive gas, is easy to ignore because we can’t detect it with our senses. However, radon can seep into your home from underground, reaching harmful levels if trapped indoors. Nearly 80 percent of American homes have not been tested for radon, even though a simple test costing as little as $25 can help detect a possible radon problem. The only way to know if your home contains high radon levels is to test for it.
The U.S. Surgeon General has issued a national Radon Health Advisory recommending all homes be tested and fixed when elevated radon is found. During the winter months when our boilers and furnaces work all day, and we keep windows and doors sealed shut, radon is more likely to be drawn into the home from underground sources. Testing your home is easy.
Radon is found in the soils beneath and around your home. A radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in bedrock, radon can accumulate to unsafe levels in homes by leaking in through cracks in building foundations.
If the air in your house does have radon, don’t despair - it’s not difficult to take steps to protect your family’s health. Dangerous radon levels are completely preventable and can be fixed at any time. Consult with a qualified professional who can reduce radon exposure for a cost similar to many common home improvement repairs. State experts, who work with EPA, can help you find a trained radon professional who can advise you how to reduce the radon levels in your home.
Approximately one in four homes in New England has a radon problem. If you rent, ask the landlord if your home has been tested and ask for a copy of the results. If you are buying a home, this is also a great time to test and mitigate radon problems - before you move in. Conversely, if you’re selling a home, think of the advantage being able to show prospective purchasers that your home has been tested or that the problem has been fixed.
New homes can be built with radon resistant features. Radon resistant-construction methods can be effective in reducing radon entry. When used properly, these simple and cost-effective techniques can help reduce the accumulation of radon gas in homes.
Remember - healthy homes make for healthy families. Test your home for radon. It’s a simple step to providing peace of mind and a healthy indoor environment.
For more information:
EPA info on Radon in New England
National Safety Council (1-800-SOS-Radon) offers test kits at a discounted price.
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AIR QUALITY:
EPA Publishes Updated List for Boutique Fuels
EPA has published a list of "boutique fuels" to comply with the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The list lists any unique fuel blend developed by a state or local air pollution agency and approved by EPA as part of a State Implementation Plan to support meeting national air quality standards and will serve as the basis for any future adoption of boutique fuels into State Implementation Plans.
View the boutique fuel list: www.epa.gov/otaq/boutique.htm
More information on the Boutique Fuel Task Force: www.epa.gov/otaq/boutique-task-force.htm
EPA Seeks Additional Toxic Emissions Reductions
EPA is proposing to amend what are known as the "General Provisions" to its air toxics standards in an effort to provide incentives for industrial facilities to reduce air toxic emissions and no longer be considered a “major source" of air pollution. Through the issuance of a permit, these facilities would be able to become an area source by limiting its potential to emit toxic air pollutants to below the major thresholds, and would be subject to an area source standard if there is one for the particular industry. EPA will accept comments for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.
Fact sheet: www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3/fact_sheets/OIAIpropfs.html
Read the proposal: www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3pfpr.html
Mercedes-Benz Pays $1.2 Million for Clean Air Act Violation Also Spends $59 Million for Voluntary Recall
EPA is requiring that Mercedes-Benz pay $1.2 million in civil penalties to resolve its failure to promptly notify the agency about air pollution control defects on numerous 1998 - 2006 model-year vehicles. The agreement also requires Mercedes to improve its emissions defect investigation and reporting system at an estimated cost of $1 million per year. The vehicles subject to voluntary recalls and extended warranties may have defective catalytic converters or defective air pumps. These recalls and warranties will reduce the emissions caused by the defects by over 500 tons of harmful pollutants.
More information about the Mercedes-Benz settlement: www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/mercedes.html
New Technology Cools Effect of Air Conditioners on Climate
EPA’s Mobile Air Conditioning Climate Protection Partnership has helped the automotive industry to develop new technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from car and truck air conditioning systems. Now electronic leak detectors and new recycling machines will help reduce emissions during automotive air conditioner repairs and help service professionals identify and repair very small leaks in vehicle air conditioning systems. This equipment is now commercially available and is expected to be in widespread use in repair shops within several years.
Information on EPA's Mobile Air Conditioning Climate Protection Partnership: www.epa.gov/cppd/mac
EPA Completes Second Step in Ongoing Ground-Level Ozone Air Quality Standards Review
EPA's review of national air quality standards for ozone will recommend strengthening the current ozone standards to better protect public health. The review addresses a primary standard, designed to protect public health; and a secondary standard, set to protect the public welfare, which includes crop health. This review will be available on the web on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007.
Final Ozone Staff Paper and Fact Sheet: www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_cr_sp.html
Technical Support Documents: www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/standards/ozone/s_o3_cr_td.html
COMBINED ANIMAL FEEDLOTS (CAFOs):
Updated Climate Change Web Site
EPA recently updated its Climate Change Web site. The site now contains major sections on Science, U.S. Climate Policy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Health and Environmental Effects, and What You Can Do. The website also includes an emissions calculator that readers can use to estimate the GHG emissions produced through the course of your daily activities and then identify ways to reduce their individual “carbon footprint.”
More information: EPA Climate Change web site
COMPLIANCE:
EPA Helps Farmers Turn Livestock Waste into Wealth
EPA and its partners have released guidance to help farmers manage livestock waste and boost farm earnings – all while reducing greenhouse gases. Waste methane recovery systems are estimated to be feasible at about 7,000 dairy and swine operations in the United States. The guidance, developed jointly by EPA’s AgStar Program, the Association of State Energy Research and Technology Transfer Institutions, and USDA, will provide a standardized method that will allow farm operators and investors to compare the effectiveness of available waste methane recovery systems.
Information on the AgStar Protocol: www.epa.gov/agstar/resources/protocol.html
General information on Methane to Markets Partnership: www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets
ENERGY and FUEL ISSUES:
Take Action to Save with Winter Energy-Efficiency Tips from EPA
In the face of higher energy bills this winter, EPA encourages everyone to take action in their home to be more energy efficient. The average American household spends $1500 annually on energy bills and almost half of that goes to heating and cooling your home. Lighting and appliances represent about a quarter and home electronic products like computers, TVs and cell phone chargers take a significant and growing share of what is left. For practical advice on energy savings, EPA recommends looking to five areas in your home for further reductions: sealing and insulation; heating; lighting; home electronics; and buying new products that display the Energy Star label.
For a complete list of home energy-efficiency tips, visit: www.energystar.gov/heating
EPA Working to Make Digital Television Technology Energy Efficient
In anticipation of the nationwide changeover to digital television signals in February 2009, EPA’s Energy Star program is announcing new specifications that are expected to cut the energy use of digital-to-analog converter boxes (or “DTAs”), by more than 70 percent. It is estimated that Americans will purchase 22 million DTAs to continue to receive over-the-air broadcasts after the Feb. 18, 2009. By some estimates, DTAs could consume more than 3 billion kWh/year and cost Americans $270 million more per year in higher electricity bills.
More information about the final Energy Star specification for DTAs: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=dta.pr_dta
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES:
Healthy Communities Grant Program Accepting Proposals to Support New England States
The Healthy Communities Grant Program integrates nine EPA New England programs including Assistance & Pollution Prevention, Asthma, Children’s Environmental Health, Community Air Toxics, Pesticides, Smart Growth, Tools for Schools, Toxics, and the Urban Environmental Program. The goal of the program is to combine available resources and best identify competitive projects that will achieve measurable environmental and public health results in communities across New England. The grant program will achieve this through identifying and funding projects that target resources to benefit communities at risk (environmental justice areas of potential concern, places with high risk from toxic air pollution, urban areas) and sensitive populations (e.g. children, elderly, others at increased risk).
EPA will evaluate grant proposals to ensure that they: assess, understand and reduce environmental and human health risks; increase collaboration through community-based projects; build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems; and, achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits. In order to qualify, projects must meet two criteria: (1) be located in and directly benefit one or more of the four target investment areas; and (2) achieve measurable environmental and public health results in one or more of the eight target program areas.
Target Investment Areas include Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern, Places with High Risks from Toxic Air Pollution, Sensitive Populations, and/or Urban Areas (populations of 35,000 or more). Target Program Areas include: Asthma, Capacity-Building on Environmental and Public Health Issues, Healthy Indoor/Outdoor Environments, Healthy Schools, Pollution Prevention & Recycling, Smart Growth, Urban Natural Resources and Open/Green Space, and Water Quality Monitoring or Analyses.
EPA expects to award between 20 - 25 grants, ranging from $5,000 to $35,000 for one or two year projects through this competitive program, based on availability of funding. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, local government, public and private universities and colleges, hospitals, state or regional agencies, K-12 schools or school districts and tribes.
There is a two-step process for evaluating proposals. The program requires the submission of an initial One-Page Project Summary as a first step; then applicants with the highest quality proposals will be invited to submit full proposals for consideration. The deadline for One-page Project Summaries is March 16, 2007.
To help answer questions from prospective applicants, the Healthy Communities Grant Program will sponsor six telephone conference calls before the one-page project summary is due on March 16, 2007. The informational sessions for the one-page summary outlines will be held on Feb. 14, 22, 27, 2007. These informational sessions are optional, but RSVPs are required by contacting Sandy Brownell (brownell.sandra@epa.gov, 617-918-1797).
More information: Healthy Community Grant program
EPA Request for Applications: Smart Growth Implementation Assistance
EPA recently issued a request for applications for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance program. Through this program, a team of multidisciplinary experts will provide free technical assistance to communities, regions, or states that want to develop in ways that meet environmental and other local or regional goals and are interested in building stronger neighborhoods, protecting their environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for development, but they may lack the tools, resources, or information to achieve these goals. Applications will be accepted until March 8, 2007.
More information: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia.htm.
EPA Issues Two Grant Guidelines for State Underground Storage Tank Programs
EPA has issued two final grant guidelines for states to implement key provisions of the underground storage tank amendments of the Energy Policy Act of 2005: The financial responsibility and installer certification grant and the public record grant. EPA provides funding to states through grants to regulate underground storage tanks. EPA worked with states and industry to develop the financial responsibility and installer certification grant guidelines and the public record grant guidelines.
Information on the grant guidelines: www.epa.gov/oust/fedlaws/epact_05.htm#Final
PARTNERSHIPS:
U.S. Auto Dealers, EPA Strive To Take Energy Savings to New Heights
In a first-of-its-kind partnership between automobile dealers and EPA, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) today announced at the Washington Auto Show kick-off that they are joining the Energy Star Challenge. NADA is challenging its 20,000 member dealerships to reduce energy use at more than 43,000 facilities nationwide by 10 percent or more. EPA estimates if auto dealers cut their energy use by 10 percent they would save nearly $193 million and prevent more than 1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
More information on Energy Star: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=small_business.sb_autodealer
EPA, Industry Launch Agreement for Cleaner Outdoor Wood Heaters
Under a voluntary partnership agreement with EPA, key manufacturers have agreed to make cleaner outdoor wood-fired heaters available for purchase this year. Outdoor wood-burning units provide heat and hot water for homes and other buildings. The new heaters will be about 70 percent cleaner than models currently on the market. Outdoor wood-fired heaters also are called outdoor wood boilers, outdoor wood furnaces, or outdoor wood-fired hydronic heaters.
Information about outdoor wood heaters and the voluntary partnership: www.epa.gov/woodheaters
PESTICIDES & TOXICS:
EPA Rules Out Wood Preservative ACC for Residential Use
EPA is taking legal action to deny the registration for acid copper chromate, commonly known as ACC, for residential use. EPA's scientific review process concluded that the risks associated with residential uses of ACC outweigh the minimal benefits. Under the federal pesticide law, EPA is following the administrative process to finalize this decision.
More information on Wood Preservative ACC for Residential Use
Agency Announces Proposed Decision on Rodenticides—Invites Public Comment
Rodenticides are an important tool for public health pest control, but current marketing and use practices have been associated with accidental exposures to thousands of children each year. EPA is proposing to reduce the risks associated with nine household-use rodenticides through tamper-resistant bait stations to reduce the likelihood of exposure to children. Other proposed restrictions would minimize risk to birds and other non-target mammals. EPA is seeking public comment on the proposed decision until March 19, 2007.
More information: Proposed Risk Mitigation Decision for Nine Rodenticides: www.epa.gov/pesticides/reregistration/rodenticides/
Phosmet Final Decision Released
EPA has issued final decisions on continued use of the insecticide phosmet. Specifically EPA is requiring amended restricted-entry intervals for nine uses of the organophosphate pesticide. Consistent with EPA’s June 2006 proposal, most restricted entry intervals will be lengthened and additional mitigation will be implemented to protect workers and bystanders. This risk mitigation will be included on labels of phosmet products sold or distributed by the registrant after June 2008. The nine uses include: apples (including crabapples), apricots, highbush blueberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, and prunes. Additional mitigation includes lower seasonal maximum application rates, prohibition of phosmet application until after certain high-exposure activities have occurred, a 25-foot buffer zone around occupied dwellings for ground applications, a 50-foot buffer zone around occupied dwellings for aerial applications, and health protective entry restrictions for pick-your-own operations.
More information on Phosmet: www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/phosmet.htm
RECYCLING & WASTE MANAGEMENT:
EPA Supports Electronics Recycling
Through EPA’s Plug-In To eCycling Program, retailers and electronics manufacturers voluntarily recycled more than 34 million pounds of electronics in 2006. Since 2003, Plug-In partners have recycled more than 95 million pounds of electronics. Plug-In partners have taken various approaches—either national or regional—to give individuals ecycling options including online take back or trade-in programs, creating partnerships with local organizations to facilitate collections or host collection events at retail locations, and supporting local recycling events with cities and municipalities.
More information about the Plug-In program and its partners: www.epa.gov/plugin/
More information about electronics recycling: www.epa.gov/ecycling/
UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS:
EPA Seeks Public Comment on Draft Underground Storage Tanks Grant Guidelines
EPA has released for public comment draft grant guidelines for states to report on the compliance of government underground storage tanks under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. States will have to report on the compliance status of underground storage tanks owned or operated by federal, state, and local governments. EPA worked with states and other partners to develop the grant guidelines and, when final, will incorporate them into grant agreements between EPA and states. EPA will accept public comments on the draft guidelines until Feb. 22, 2007.
More information on draft grant guidelines for state compliance report on underground storage tanks: www.epa.gov/oust/fedlaws/epact_05.htm#Drafts
WATER ISSUES:
EPA to Require Monitoring for Unregulated Contaminants
EPA is requiring that approximately 4,000 public water systems across the U.S. monitor drinking water for up to 25 unregulated chemicals. EPA currently has regulations for more than 90 contaminants and the Safe Drinking Water Act requires EPA to identify up to 30 contaminants for monitoring every five years. The first cycle, UCMR 1, was published in 1999 and covered 25 chemicals and one microorganism. The new rule requires systems to monitor for contaminants that are not regulated under existing law.
More information about the UCMR 2 rule: www.epa.gov/safewater/ucmr/ucmr2
Incentives Proposed for Clean Water Permit Fees
EPA is proposing a rule to allot up to three-percent of state water pollution control grant funds to states that have adequate National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit fee programs. The proposed NPDES Permit Fee Incentive for Clean Water Act Section 106 Grants; Allotment Formula is designed to create financial incentives to prompt more states to implement adequate fee programs and shift part of the financial burden to those who benefit from the permits.
More information on the proposed permit fee: www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/npdes-permit-fee.htm
High-Efficiency Toilets to Get WaterSense Nod
EPA is releasing a final specification for the latest generation of water-saving, high-efficiency toilets. Toilets that use less than 1.3 gallons per flush and meet performance standards for quality will qualify for EPA's WaterSense label to help consumers make informed buying decisions about water-efficient products. It is estimated that high-efficiency toilets can reduce water bills by about 10 percent and save more than 900 billion gallons of water a year.
More information on WaterSense: www.epa.gov/watersense
High-Efficiency Toilet Specification: www.epa.gov/watersense/partners/specs/het.htm
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Press Releases
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Feb. 14
Massachusetts Military Reservation Plume Cleanup Team -
Feb, 21
NETC (Newport) Restoration Advisory Board, Newport, RI -
Feb, 22
New Bedford Harbor Superfund Site Public Meeting, New Bedford, MA -
Feb. 27
MMR Impact Area Review Team
Full Index of January 2007 meetings
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What's New on the Web
NPDES - public comment periods (Quincy MA, Newport NH, Lincoln NH, Waltham MA, Somerville MA)
NPDES - proposed deepwater LNG permit site
Indoor Air - candles and incense
Northeast Gateway proposed permit
Northeast Diesel Collaborative - updated info
Lead Paint - reporting violations
GE - Housatonic site - new data and reports
Pine Street Canal - 5 year report
RSS Now Available for EPA New England info:
- News
Releases feed
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/
RSSByLocation?open&location=Region%2001 - Recent
Additions feed
http://www.epa.gov/region1/rss/recent-additions.rss
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"In The News" is a free daily service that provides links to today's top newspaper stories about the New England environment and links to related EPA New England information.
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