Significant Developments and Activities Report

LAND AND CHEMICALS DIVISION
Weekly Significant Developments and Activities Report
December 5, 2008

Site Visit to Countryside Landfill - Grayslake, IL

On November 23, 2008, MMB was notified by the Air and Radiation Division (ARD) concerning several odor complaints from residents living near the Countryside Landfill in Grayslake, IL. The 200-acre landfill is operated by Waste Management and located roughly ¾ of a mile to the west of the Prairie Crossing home development. MMB, the Lake County Health Department and IEPA conducted an announced inspection at the Countryside facility. Waste Management informed MMB staff that eight new wells will be installed in the problem cell on December 8, 2008, to increase gas extraction and will apply additional bentonite seals around well heads to secure vacuum pressure. Additionally, a compost blanket will be applied to help minimize odor releases resulting from ground emissions near the well heads.

EPA and Waste Management believe the problem is the result of the high precipitation events that occurred over the past several months. These events saturated the waste layers causing prolonged moist, anoxic conditions which allowed landfill gas to escape through the cover layers.

MMB is working closely with Lake County, IEPA and ARD to address the issue.
Contact: Jacob Hassan, 312-886-6864

Potential Disagreement on Corrective Measures – Eli Lilly & Co., Tippecanoe Laboratories

The Eli Lilly & Co. Tippecanoe Laboratories facility is located atop a terrace overlooking the Wabash River. A ground water plume of volatile and semivolatile contaminants extends from the manufacturing area, toward the river. A pump and treat extraction system was installed in 1988 and operated until 2004. In 2005, the facility shut off the system in order to determine the past effectiveness of the remedy to treat ground water contamination. Investigation of ground water contamination was completed in the Fall of 2008, and the results indicate that ground water is still contaminated.

Region 5 notified Lilly that EPA and IDEM conclude that ground water contamination at the Tippecanoe facility is not stable; i.e., contaminant concentrations beneath the main plant are clearly increasing. Lilly is required to: (1) submit a plan for restarting the extraction wells in areas that show increasing contamination levels, (2) do a monitored natural attenuation (MNA) study for contamination in and around the main plant area, (3) revise misleading ground water contamination concentration maps in the 9-30-08 report to include data from all monitoring wells, (4) address an area of high contamination beneath the Wabash River floodplain, and (5) perform an MNA study for the ground water contamination in the floodplain.

In response, Lilly has asked for a meeting to discuss corrective action alternatives. Lilly, IDEM, and EPA will meet on December 10 to discuss next steps.
Contact: Donald Heller, 312-353-1248

Coordination with the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) and the Region 5 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit (PEHSU) on Targeting Pesticide Exposure Prevention Outreach

On Dec 3, Dan Hopkins, Edward Master, Amy Mysz of (CMB) met by teleconference with Dr. Dan Hryhorczuk of the Region 5 PEHSU and Dr. Michael Wahl of the Illinois Poisoning Control Center to begin coordination and collaboration in the targeting of pesticide outreach aimed to decrease pesticide exposure and to promote the use of Integrated Pesticide Management. This productive discussion resulted in two areas of collaboration that can greatly benefit EPA, the PEHSU and IPC. First, the PEHSU will explore analysis of existing Illinois Poison Control data to identify any possible trends in reported pesticide exposures that might be useful to targeting outreach. The PEHSU will also review qualitative data related to reported poisoning to better characterize these exposures and possible areas for targeted education. Second, EPA will share with IPC outreach materials on pesticide poisoning prevention and IPM for use by IPC in pesticide outreach. IPC has a large cadre of outreach partners, including school nurses, emergency medical services professionals, and faith-based organizations that provide outreach throughout the state. IPC identified rural communities as a particular area for increased pesticide exposure prevention outreach.
Contact: Dan Hopkins, 312-886-5994

Extension to Public Comment Period for Gary Sanitary District Ralston Lagoon

Based on a request from affected citizens in Gary, Indiana, EPA has decided to extend the public comment period for its proposed plan for the Ralston Street Lagoon in Gary, Indiana, by two weeks. The public comment period, initially scheduled to close on December 5, 2008, will now run through and including Friday, December 19, 2008. Contact: Michael Mikulka, 312-886-6760

Firestone Residential Soil Remediation
One half of the Firestone residential soil remediation in Noblesville, IN has been completed. A total of 15 residential backyards have been excavated, backfilled and landscaped, in accordance with the July 11, 2008 TSCA 761.61 (c) approval. Firestone has submitted a Construction Completion Report for each of those 15 properties. As our review of each residential property report is completed, a “soil remediation complete” letter is immediately sent to the homeowner. The first completion letter was mailed on Nov 25, 2008. Those properties that are presently on the market will get our highest priority in an effort to meet the needs of the community.
Contact: Michelle Kaysen-Majack, 312-886-4253

Letters of Intent to Develop a Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Program

The Region’s Lead-based paint program received letters from the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin within the last few weeks expressing their intent to develop state programs pursuant to the EPA’s Lead-based paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) program. Once authorized by EPA, these programs would be administered by the states in lieu of the federal program. Funding for RRP has been set aside for States and Tribes by EPA HQ and will be available to Regions from October 1, 2008, through March 31, 2009. As a State or Tribe demonstrates interest in establishing an RRP program, Regions will request funds from HQ and HQ will release $75k/State and $25k/Tribe. Besides requesting funds, the letters of intent addressed criteria describing their plan to establish an RRP program.

The State of Michigan was the first state to submit a letter of intent to Region 5. They are currently drafting proposed text for its enabling legislation and regulations. HHS predicts that the whole process will take up to 12 months.

Illinois is in the process of revising the existing Illinois Lead Code and expects to promulgate proposed rules in 12 months.

Indiana is in the process of drafting proposed legislation and holding a series of stakeholder meetings on their plans in 2009. They expect to promulgate proposed rules in early 2011.

Minnesota has all ready begun the process of working with the rehabilitation industry in Minnesota and is moving forward with modifications to its current Lead Poisoning Prevention Law. The Commissioner of Health has approved a proposed bill and they are waiting for confirmation on approval from the Governor’s office.

Wisconsin already has the necessary legislation and plans to publish proposed rules in 2009 and expects the rules to become final in spring 2010.

The Toxics Section will continue to work with the State of Ohio on obtaining a similar letter.
Contact: David Turpin, 312-886-7836

Materials Management Branch Records Public Service Announcement to Promote Cell Phone Recycling

On November 25, 2008, Chris Newman of the Materials Management Branch recorded a public service announcement for the Chicago radio station WLS AM 890. The 15 and 30 second PSAs will play in regular rotation during all hours of the day, and encourage people to recycle their old cell phones. Information about the environmental benefits of cell phone recycling is also given, as well as the link to EPA’s cell phone recycling website, www.epa.gov/cellphone. The station reaches about 38 states at night, so it is expected that these PSAs can be heard over a great part of the country. These PSAs complement the printed ads that the Office of Solid Waste has posted during the holiday season on several Chicago Transit Authority bus and rail lines that encourage cell phone recycling. Recent information also indicates that these PSAs might have encouraged WLS’s sister stations to record similar PSAs in other parts of the country.
Contact: Christopher Newman, 312-353-8402

PTCS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Conducted Import Inspections of Pesticides
PTCS conducted two import inspections with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Chicago. The inspections concerned the importation of two shipments containing 60 / 600 kg "super-sacks" of the pesticide product, "MEYCHEM 95 Pct GLYPHOSATE," EPA Reg. No. 80967-2, from China, by MEY Corporation, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. PTCS selected these shipments for inspection because, prior to the inspection, the importer provided information to PTCS that indicated that the product might be mislabeled (misbranded). During the inspection however, PTCS found that the labels attached to the containers of the pesticide did correspond to the accepted labeling associated with this EPA registration. PTCS has advised U.S. Customs and Border Protection to release the two shipments for delivery to the importer of record.
Contact: Joseph Lukascyk, 312-886-6233

Region 5 SC3 Partner Removes Hazardous Chemicals from Region 8 Tribal Schools

Region 5 School Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) partner, Pollution Control Industries, East Chicago, IN (PCI), provided assistance to Region 8's Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe by removing outdated, unneeded, and inappropriate chemicals from five of their schools. These schools have a total student population of 668 that includes 561 Native Americans. More than 1,500 pounds of chemicals were removed and were properly disposed. The chemicals included neurotoxins, carcinogens, suspected carcinogens, strong oxidizers, and corrosive, caustic, toxic, ignitable, flammable, shock sensitive and potentially explosive chemicals The estimated cost of transportation and disposal services provided by PCI was $26,000.

Region 8, working in partnership with Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe – Environmental Protection Department (CRST-EPD), and EPA's Office of Solid Waste (OSW), provided technical assistance to the schools to help them improve their chemical management practices. They were unable, however, to find support for the disposal of the excess hazardous chemicals. OSW issued a "Partner Alert” requesting assistance for the Region 8 tribal schools. PCI, a member company of SC3 Charter Partner, the Cement Kiln Recycling Coalition, offered to donate the disposal services.

This is the first successful SC3 activity carried out through the national partnership alert of the SC3 Charter Partner Program. Closer to home, PCI is currently assisting a middle school and high school in East Chicago, IN to improve their chemical management practices.
Contacts: Maryann Suero, 312-886-9077; Kristina Meson, 703-308-8488

Region 5 Tribal NPEP Partner Recognized at OSWER Tribal Forum

On December 2-4 2008, EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) held a national OSWER Tribal Forum in Washington D.C. About 80 participants representing tribes and Alaskan villages attended. On December 3, EPA's National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) Program recognized the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for their recent membership with the NPEP program. Region 5 successfully partnered with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians Grand Casino (in Hinckley, MN) to be the first tribal partner in the nation to join the NPEP program. Scott Hansen, Environmental Manager for Mille Lacs, highlighted the tribe's efforts through NPEP to reduce mercury throughout the casino and with its residents. The NPEP program is a voluntary program which targets the reduction of 31 priority chemicals, specifically mercury, cadmium, PAHs and lead.
Contacts: Janet Haff, 312-353-7923; Burdell Chapman, 312-353-9654;
Dolly Tong 312-886-1019

Tribal Climate Change Symposium

On December 1st-4th, 2008, staff from the Materials Management Branch attended a portion of the Tribal Climate Change Symposium in Milwaukee, WI. The symposium announced the availability of EPA technical assistance to the Tribes. MMB offered to visit tribal casinos, hotels or other designated facilities to conduct pollution prevention and energy conservation assessments to support Tribal waste management and climate change efforts. MMB staff will follow up with interested tribes by sending letters detailing the specifics of the pollution prevention and energy conservation assessments.
Contact: Briana Bill, 312-353-6646

Tribal Pharmaceutical Waste Issues Addressed

On November 24, 2008, the tribal waste management subgroup of the Multi-Federal Agency MOU Workgroup held its first conference call to address tribal pharmaceutical waste issues. Region 5 tribes, EPA, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, and the University of Wisconsin Extension - Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center (SHWEC) participated. Tribes discussed challenges in ongoing collection, storage, transportation and disposal of pharmaceutical waste on reservations. Steve Brachman of SHWEC shared information on piloting pharmaceutical mail-back programs with various Wisconsin communities. The subgroup identified issues to pursue to help improve pharmaceutical waste collection and management with tribes, such as researching the possibility of using drop boxes for collection, and legal options for dissolving controlled substances in liquid for household hazardous waste collection.
Contact: Dolly Tong, 312-886-1019

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