Public Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region III
Water Protection Division
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

PUBLIC NOTICE ISSUE DATE:  January 25, 2010

 

In accordance with Section 402(a)(1) of the Clean Water Act (the “Act”), 33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq., notice is hereby given that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to reissue a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to the United States National Park Service for their facility (World War II Memorial Site) which is located at 17th Street and Independence Avenue in the southwest section of Washington, D.C.   The Permit would allow continuation of a comingled discharge of treated groundwater, fountain water and storm water to the Tidal Basin, an impoundment bordering the Middle Potomac River and the Washington Ship Channel.   Specific details concerning the decision rationale for reissuing the NPDES Permit as well as special conditions and terms requiring actions by the Permittee are described in the attached draft NPDES Permit and the draft fact sheet. 

 

OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON PROPOSED PERMIT:Persons wishing to comment on the proposed permit are invited to submit a statement to the EPA Regional Administrator, attention of the EPA contact listed below, within 30 days. 

 

The public comment and review period extends from January 25, 2010, to February 23, 2010.

 

AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION:  Information relevant to the proposed permit may be requested through the EPA contact.  Copies of the draft permit, draft fact sheet and draft administrative record are located at the EPA Regional Office in Philadelphia and are available for public inspection during normal business hours.  In addition, copies of the draft permit, draft fact sheet and draft administrative record are available for inspection at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Public Library, Room 307 (Washingtoniana Division), 901 G Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20001.

 

Permit Factsheet (PDF) 4pg, 53K About PDF

Draft Permit (PDF) 16pg, 111K About PDF

 

EPA CONTACT:
Garrison D. Miller

miller.garrison @epa.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3
1650 Arch Street (3WP41)
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
215-814-5745

 

 

State Correctional Institution at Dallas

NOTICE OF INTENT TO ASSESS ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY
AND
OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY--REGION III
Office of Enforcement, Compliance, and Environmental Justice (3EC00)
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

In accordance with Sections 309(g)(4) and 311(b)(6)of the Clean Water Act (CWA), 33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(g)(4) and 1321(b)(6), notice is hereby given that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region III, is proposing an administrative civil penalty against the Respondent named below, for alleged violations at the facility listed below.

 

RESPONDENT:
Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
2520 Lisburn Road
P.O. Box 598
Camp Hill, PA  17001-0598

FACILITY:

State Correctional Institution at Dallas
1000 Follies Road
Dallas, PA  18612

SUMMARY OF VIOLATIONS: Respondent violated the terms of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit by exceeding its permit limit for various parameters on a number of occasions.  These exceedances constitute a violation Sections 301(a) and 402 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a) and 1342.  Also, Respondent violated requirements of the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure regulations, which are intended, in relevant part, to prevent discharges of oil from onshore facilities, in violation of Section 311 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. § 1321.  These violations were discovered as part of a multimedia inspection of the State Correctional Institution at Dallas, Pennsylvania, by EPA.  In addition to the CWA violations discussed above, the proposed penalty assessment will include penalties pursuant to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA).

 

PROPOSED ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY: Based on the foregoing and having taken into account the penalty factors set forth in Sections 309(g) and 311(b)(8) of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1319(g) and 1321(b)(8), EPA Region III proposes to assess an administrative civil penalty against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.  Moreover, EPA proposes to assess an administrative civil penalty against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections pursuant to RCRA, CAA, and the statutory penalty factors contained therein.  The total proposed penalty to be assessed is $183,467.00 and is consistent with 40 C.F.R. Part 19.

 

OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT: Persons wishing to comment on the amount or basis of the proposed assessment are invited to submit a statement to the EPA Regional Administrator, addressed to the attention of the Regional Hearing Clerk (address below), within forty (40) days of the date of this public notice. Comments received within this forty (40) day period will be considered in the formulation of the final penalty assessment order. All comments must include the name, address, and telephone number of the writer and concise statement of the basis for any comment and any relevant facts on which it is based.

Comments are being accepted until March 2, 2010. 

All comments should be addressed to:
Regional Hearing Clerk (3RC00)
U.S. EPA, Region III
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029 

AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION: Information relevant to the proposed penalty assessment may be requested through the Regional Hearing Clerk.

REGISTER OF INTERESTED PERSON: Any person interested in a particular case or group of cases may leave his/her name, address, and telephone number on a registry of interested persons which will be maintained in each file. The list of names will be maintained as a means for persons with an interest in the case to contact others with the same interest.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. Interested parties may contact the following EPA representative to learn more about this action.

 

Garth Connor (3WP42)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA  19103-2029
215-814-3209
connor.garth@epa.gov

 

 

Bull Creek Channel Restoration Project

NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

 

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY-- REGION 3
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

 

Date of Finding of No Significant Impact:  December 23, 2009

Comments Due By:  February 11, 2010

 

NOTICE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 3, has concluded that the following project will not result in significant adverse impact to the natural and human environment.  Consequently, a preliminary decision not to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement has been made.  The following further identifies the case and should be included in any written comments submitted:

 

Official Project Name:
Bull Creek Channel Restoration Project
Tarentum Borough
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Project Applicant:
Mr. Ron Sander, Project Manager
Allegheny County Department of Public Works
514A County Office Building
542 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania  15219-2904

Property Location:
Tarentum Borough
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
                     

NEED AND DESCRIPTION: Tarentum Borough is located in the eastern portion of Allegheny County, north and east of Pittsburgh and adjacent to the Allegheny River.  Bull Creek is a small stream that runs through the Borough which ends at the confluence with the Allegheny River in the Borough.  Severe flooding of Bull Creek occurred on September 17, 2004 from Hurricane Ivan which was deemed a 500-year storm, causing significant property damage to residential and commercial properties along the Creek in the Borough.  The flooding of Bull Creek resulted in damage to the existing stream banks plus sediment and debris accumulations in the stream channel.  The damaged stream banks resulted in erosion which are susceptible to further damage with any rain event.  Also, sediment from the eroded banks has led to the ongoing degradation of stream habitat.

The County proposes to undertake stream bank restoration and complete channel dredging in Bull Creek in the area directly impacted by Hurricane Ivan.  This will consist of the installation of rock slope erosion protection in three locations on the stream banks, installation of a gabion wall on the eastern bank between the railroad bridge and the Fourth Avenue Bridge crossings, planting native species of grass along the eastern bank adjacent to the boat launch between the Fourth Avenue Bridge, and placing rip-rap along each bridge abutment to deter further scour.  Dredging will restore the channel to its original pre-500 year storm cross sectional area and profile grade.  Dredging will occur from beneath the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge south underneath the Fourth Avenue Bridge to 600’ from the mouth of the Allegheny River.  Approximately 1,100 cubic yards of the stream will be dredged, an area approximately 2.3’ deep, 25’ wide, and 515’ long.  The estimated cost of the project is $250,000, not including the habitat mitigation plan which is required by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and still under development.

 

Bull Creek Stream Restoration - Environmental Assessment

 

OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT:   Title 40 Part 6.400(d) requires EPA to provide sufficient opportunity for public review of a preliminary Finding of No Significant Impact before the decision becomes effective.  Written supporting or disagreeing comment to this preliminary decision may be submitted for consideration.

 

Comments should be sent to:

Smith.Brucea@epa.gov
Office of Infrastructure and Assistance (3WP50)
EPA Region 3
1650 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Bruce A. Smith

Interested parties may contact the above EPA representative to learn more about this action.