Significant Developments and Activities Report

LAND AND CHEMICALS DIVISION
Weekly Significant Developments and Activities Report
August 15, 2008

Public Meeting for Heritage-WTI in East Liverpool, Ohio

On April 22, 2008, a draft federal RCRA permit was issued to Heritage-WTI facility in East Liverpool, Ohio. Rather than a public hearing, members of Save Our County, Inc. (SOC) and concerned citizens requested an informal public meeting, to allow more free exchange of comments. The public meeting was held on August 6, 2008 from 9:30 to noon, at the Port Authority of Columbiana County. The attendees included the presidents of SOC and WTI, attorneys representing WTI and SOC, Ohio EPA staff, and concerned citizens.

No comments were made on the draft permit conditions. One person commented that the federal permit is too technical to understand. The U.S. EPA stressed the importance of this federal permit, because it incorporates industrial safety standards, which would provide additional protection to the community and the environment. Concerned citizen Sandy Estell commented that the federal permit should have been issued earlier.

Members of SOC continue to believe that the Ohio EPA has not provided adequate monitoring and enforcement at the facility. SOC president Mr. Spencer requested U.S. EPA to conduct a full investigation to determine if OEPA has adequately monitored the WTI facility in East Liverpool, Ohio. The OEPA's RCRA permit, which was issued in 2006 and appealed by Save Our County, is currently being reviewed by the Ohio Environmental Review Appeals Commission.
Contact: Wen Huang, 312-886-6191

All Six Region 5 States Receive Adequacy Determinations for Pesticide Residue Removal Programs Ahead of Schedule

On August 8, 2008, Region 5 completed its sixth and final determination on a State Lead Agency pesticide container residue removal compliance program. All six FIFRA State partners have adequate inspection and enforcement programs to ensure pesticide residue removal according to the requirements of FIFRA section 19 (f) (2). These determinations were critical for Region 5 States to retain several key pesticide authorities under FIFRA. Without adequate pesticide residue removal programs, States would not be able to exercise primary pesticide use enforcement responsibility under section 26 or certify an applicator who intends to use a restricted-use pesticide under section 11. The determinations were also time-sensitive. The adequacy determinations were required to be completed within two years of the final rule of the Pesticide Management and Disposal Standards for Pesticide Containers and Containment issued on August 16, 2006 (71 FR 47330). The policy on how the determinations were to be made was issued in mid 2007. States were asked to submit requests by January 2008 and Regions were to make the determinations by August 16, 2008. Chemicals Management Branch staff (Pesticides Section and Pesticides and Toxics Enforcement Section) in consultation with six ORC attorneys completed the work ahead of schedule. The authority for making the determinations was delegated from the EPA Administrator to the Region and further delegated to the Director, Land and Chemicals Division.
Contact: Margaret Jones, 312-353-5790

IL Structural Pest Control Act Signed

House bill 4407, the IL Structural Pest Control Act was signed by the Governor on August 7, 2008. With the passing of this bill, the IL Dept. of Public Health regains its pesticide enforcement and certification capabilities.
Contact: Heather Anhalt, 312-886-3572

Children’s Environmental Health Training to Childcare Providers at Concordia University

On August 12, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , (EPA) Region 5, children’s health staff provided training on children's environmental health to 50 child-care providers and facility owner/operators as part of the 32nd Annual Early Childhood Conference, at Concordia University, in River Forest, IL. Participants from the child-care facilities and the preschools throughout the Midwest learned about how children may be more susceptible to environmental hazards than adults. In addition, they learned about some of the major issues in children's environmental health including lead, pests and pesticides, mercury, mold, drinking water quality and indoor air quality. EPA provided additional resources to the child-care providers that they can share with their parents to help them make their homes and child-care facilities healthier and safer places for children to live, learn, and play.
Contacts: Maryann Suero, 312-886-9077; Tonesia Rouse, 312-886-7098

Green Suppliers Network Seminar at Milwaukee Area Technical College

On August 7, 2008, representatives from Baxter International Inc., University of Wisconsin Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (UW-SHWEC) and Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) participated in a two hour presentation and panel discussion on Green Supplier Network (GSN) at the Milwaukee Area Technical College. This was a kick-off event for the new Center Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing at MATC.

GSN is a cooperative effort between EPA and the Dept. of Commerce to provide Lean and Clean assessments to small and mid-sized manufacturers to reduce waste, conserve resources, and increase efficiency. Baxter International, a GSN Corporate Champion, has nominated a number of their suppliers to participate in the program. These suppliers are achieving measurable results in material conserved, waste reduced and dollars saved. The panel presented perspectives from business, a pollution prevention assistance provider and a manufacturing assistance provider. There was significant interest in the program from the 37 attendees which could result in GSN Lean and Clean assessments being performed in Wisconsin by UW-SHWEC and WMEP.
Contact: Philip Kaplan, 312-353-4669

Kick-off Planning Meeting for 2008 CARE National Training Workshop

The first National Planning Meeting was held for the 2008 Community Action for A Renewed Environment (CARE) National Training Workshop to be held in Chicago on November 18-20, 2008. CARE is a unique, community-based, community-driven, multimedia demonstration program designed to help community partnerships understand and reduce risks due to toxics and environmental pollutants from all sources. For the first time, the CARE Program and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Center for Disease Control's (CDC) Healthy Capacity Building Cooperative Agreement Program will hold their annual training workshops together, here in Chicago, to encourage networking and resource sharing in accordance with the 2007 EPA-CDC-ATSDR Memorandum of Agreement. EPA's Office of Environmental Justice's Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) recipients will also participate in the workshops. We are expecting a total of 100 communities from across the nation to attend.
Contact: Margaret Millard, 312-353-1440

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