Air Pollution Trends Show Cleaner Air, Growing Economy

 

Air Pollution Trends Show Cleaner Air, Growing Economy

WASHINGTON — (July 31, 2018) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual report on air quality, tracking our nation's progress in improving air quality since the passage of the Clean Air Act. "Our Nation's Air: Status and Trends Through 2017" documents the considerable improvements in air quality across America over more than 45 years.

"Through federal and state implementation of the Clean Air Act and technological advances in the private sector, America has achieved one of the great public-private successes of our time – dramatically improving air quality and public health while simultaneously growing the nation's population and economy," said Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "This report details a remarkable achievement that should be recognized, celebrated, and replicated around the world. A 73 percent reduction in any other social ill, such as crime, disease, or drug addiction, would lead the evening news."

EPA's most recent report highlights that, between 1970 and 2017, the combined emissions of six key pollutants dropped by 73 percent, while the U.S. economy grew more than three times. A closer look at more recent progress shows that between 1990 and 2017, average concentrations of harmful air pollutants decreased significantly across our nation:

• Sulfur dioxide (1-hour) ↓ 88 percent
• Lead (3-month average) ↓80 percent
• Carbon monoxide (8-hour) ↓ 77 percent
• Nitrogen dioxide (annual) ↓ 56 percent
• Fine Particulate Matter (24-hour) ↓ 40 percent
• Coarse Particulate Matter (24-hour) ↓ 34 percent and
• Ground-level ozone (8-hour) ↓ 22 percent

Even with this success, some Americans still live in areas that do not fully meet national standards and EPA continues to work with states, local governments, tribes, and citizens – to further improve air quality across the entire country.

The report includes interactive graphics that enable citizens, policymakers, and stakeholders to view and download detailed information by pollutant, geographic location, and year.

Explore the report and download graphics and data here: https://gispub.epa.gov/air/trendsreport/2018/

The Air Trends report is one of a number of EPA resources tracking pollution trends and showing U.S. progress in improving our environment. Learn more at the following sites:

Clean Air Markets Programs Progress Reports

Toxics Release Inventory Program

EPA's Report on the Environment

 

 

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EPA Deletes Fulton Terminals Site in Fulton, New York from federal Superfund list

 

 

EPA Deletes Fulton Terminals Site in Fulton, New York from federal Superfund list Contact: Mike Basile; 716-551-4410; basile.michael@epa.gov   (New York, N.Y – July 26, 2018) After cleaning up more than 10,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and approximately nine million gallons of contaminated groundwater, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted the Fulton Terminals Superfund site, located in the City of Fulton, New York, from the National Priorities List, which is the federal Superfund list of the most contaminated hazardous waste sites. "Removing sites from the federal Superfund list improves and revitalizes communities, which is a priority for this administration," said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. "EPA's mission is to protect people's health and the environment. We also want to leave a place better than we found it. When we combine our resources, like we did at the Fulton Terminals site, we achieve those goals and help to restore communities." "The EPA's de-listing of the Fulton Terminals site is another step in the process in order to redevelop this site for future use that overlooks the beautiful Oswego River and is located on the main street that runs through the City of Fulton," said Mayor Ronald L. Woodward Sr. The City of Fulton, the current owner of the former facility property, is interested in developing the land for community use. The decision to remove the site from the Superfund list comes after several reviews of the site and contamination in the groundwater beneath the site. The EPA accepted public comments on the proposed deletion for 30 days before deleting the site. Deletion of a site from the "National Priorities List" occurs when site cleanups are successfully implemented and no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment.  The Agency also deletes portions of National Priorities List sites when work at those portions is complete and other parts of the site still have ongoing actions. Background - Soil and groundwater at the site were contaminated with volatile organic compounds because of spills and leaks from storage tanks at the site. From 1972 to 1977, the property was used by Fulton Terminals, Inc. as a staging and storage area for solvents and other materials that were scheduled for processing at Pollution Abatement Services, a chemical waste incineration facility in Oswego County, which is also a federal Superfund site. The Fulton Terminals Superfund site was listed on the Superfund list in 1983. The cleanup at the site, completed in 1997, included: Excavating and treating the soil with heat to remove the volatile organic compounds Backfilling the excavated areas with clean soil Pumping and treating the contaminated groundwater The soil at the site and groundwater located under the former facility no longer pose a threat to public health or the environment. Based on an analysis of all of the data from groundwater monitoring wells, the EPA has concluded that the groundwater cleanup has achieved the required protective cleanup levels. In 2015, the EPA delisted a major portion of the Fulton Terminals site. This action removes from the NPL the remaining 50-foot section of the site between the former Fulton Terminals facility and the Oswego River where groundwater was significantly contaminated. To learn more about the Fulton Terminals Superfund site, please visit: www.epa.gov/superfund/fulton-terminals On the one-year anniversary of the EPA's Superfund Task Force Report, EPA announced significant progress in carrying out the report's recommendations. The Agency also finalized its plans for completing all 42 recommendations by the end of 2019, which are outlined in a new "2018 Update" to the Superfund Task Force recommendations. The Superfund Task Force Report included 42 recommendations in five goal areas: Expediting Cleanup and Remediation; Re-Invigorating Responsible Party Cleanup and Reuse; Encouraging Private Investment; Promoting Redevelopment and Community Revitalization; and Engaging Partners and Stakeholders. As outlined in the "2018 Update," the Agency plans to complete implementation of the Superfund Task Force recommendations by September 2019 and will have fully integrated that work into EPA's Superfund program. These achievements will provide certainty to communities, state partners, and developers that the nation's most hazardous sites will be cleaned up as quickly and safely as possible. EPA's new "Superfund Task Force Recommendations 2018 Update" is available at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations-2018-update Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2. 18-053

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DOJ, EPA, STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA SETTLE WITH CSX TRANSPORTATION OVER 2015 DERAILMENT AND OIL SPILL

Contact: David Sternberg 215-814-5548 sternberg.david@epa.gov

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, EPA, STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA SETTLE WITH CSX TRANSPORTATION OVER 2015 DERAILMENT AND OIL SPILL IN MOUNT CARBON, W. VA.

PHILADELPHIA (July 24, 2018) – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State of West Virginia announced a settlement with CSX Transportation Inc. to resolve its liability for state and federal water pollution violations related to a 2015 oil spill caused by a train derailment in Mount Carbon, West Virginia. Under the terms of the settlement, CSX Transportation will pay penalties of $1.2 million to the United States and $1 million to West Virginia.

"Federal law requires the transport of oil through communities like Mount Carbon to be done safely, whether by rail or any other mode. When accidents happen and public health or the environment is harmed, the Justice Department will respond with strong action in close coordination with our federal and state partners," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Today's settlement imposes serious fines under the Clean Water Act for the 2015 CSX train derailment in West Virginia and seeks to deter similar incidents from happening in the future. I applaud the joint efforts of DOJ, EPA, and the State of West Virginia on this case."

"The 2015 CSX train derailment in Mount Carbon, West Virginia caused significant damage and disruption to that community," said EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Assistant Administrator Susan Bodine. "Through this settlement EPA, DOJ, and the State of West Virginia are holding CSX Transportation accountable for these consequences." 

On February 16, 2015, a CSX Transportation train with 109 railcars carrying crude oil derailed in Mount Carbon. Twenty-seven tank cars, each containing approximately 29,000 gallons of Bakken crude oil, derailed, and about half of the tank cars ignited. The resulting explosions and fires destroyed an adjacent home and garage. Local officials declared a state of emergency, nearby water intakes were shut down, and residents in the area were evacuated.

EPA and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection joined with other federal, state, and local agencies in responding to the incident. In response to federal and state orders, CSX Transportation has taken steps to remedy the damage and disruption caused by the oil spill. Separately, under a state-negotiated provision, CSX Transportation will help improve surface water quality in the area impacted by the oil spill through a contribution of $500,000 to a state-administered fund to upgrade a water treatment facility in Fayette County, West Virginia.

Some of the oil discharged during and following the train derailment flowed into the Kanawha River and Armstrong Creek. Freshwater bodies are particularly sensitive to fuel spills, which may damage fish and bird habitat and threaten drinking water supplies.

The proposed settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. To view the consent decree or to submit a comment, visit the department's website at: www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.

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Progress being made in advancing Superfund cleanups in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S

 

 

CONTACT: press@epa.gov   Progress being made in advancing Superfund cleanups in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Superfund Task Force Announces one-year Anniversary Accomplishments and Plan for Year Two (New York, N.Y – July 24, 2018) On the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Superfund Task Force Report, EPA is announcing significant progress in carrying out the report's recommendations. The Agency also finalized its plans for completing all 42 recommendations by the end of 2019, which are outlined in a new "2018 Update" to the Superfund Task Force recommendations. "EPA has improved the health, living conditions, and economic opportunity of thousands of people living near Superfund sites over the past year as the Agency worked to implement the Task Force recommendations," said Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "I am proud of the accomplishments achieved by EPA's hardworking staff, and we will continue to engage directly with stakeholders and communities near Superfund sites to accelerate cleanup and promote economic revitalization. Our plan to complete Task Force recommendations by the end of 2019 will ensure this work continues as one of EPA's highest priorities." "Since the Superfund Task Force released its recommendations a year ago, we have made real progress in advancing cleanups in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands," said Pete Lopez, EPA Regional Administrator. "By actively engaging our partners and stakeholders, we have reinforced our mission of protecting public health and the environment. In the months and years ahead, we will continue to reach major remediation milestones for these sites, enabling EPA to return them to our communities for productive use." The Superfund Task Force was commissioned on May 22, 2017 to provide recommendations on how EPA could streamline and improve the Superfund program. One year ago, on July 25, 2017, EPA issued the Superfund Task Force Report, which included 42 recommendations in five goal areas:  Expediting Cleanup and Remediation;  Re-Invigorating Responsible Party Cleanup and Reuse;  Encouraging Private Investment;  Promoting Redevelopment and Community Revitalization; and  Engaging Partners and Stakeholders.  Highlights of EPA's progress in carrying out the Task Force recommendations at the one-year anniversary include: Achieving Key Milestones at Sites on the Administrator's Emphasis List. EPA released the initial Administrator's Emphasis List (AEL) on December 8, 2017, which included 21 National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund sites across the United States targeted for immediate and intense attention. Substantial progress has been made at AEL sites, and EPA will publish the list's next update at the end of July 2018. Learn more. Moving More Sites Towards Deletion/Partial Deletion. Due to more direct attention to the sites potentially eligible for partial or full deletion from the NPL, the program achieved 7 full site deletions and 2 partial deletions since EPA released the Task Force report. An additional 10 sites are proposed for partial or full deletion following public comment. Learn more. Improving Information on Human Exposure Status. EPA launched a Human Exposure Dashboard providing real-time human exposure status for all NPL sites in an easily accessible webpage. In FY2017, the Agency designated an additional 24 sites as having human exposure to contamination under control for a total of 1,493 sites under control. Learn more. Promoting Redevelopment and Community Revitalization at Targeted Sites. After releasing a Redevelopment Focus List of 31 NPL sites with the greatest reuse potential, EPA has responded to over 120 redevelopment-related prospective purchaser inquiries and created a new informational mapping tool that provides site-specific details on each of the 31 sites. Two noteworthy examples of EPA's redevelopment efforts are the Libby Asbestos site in Libby, Montana; and the Peoples National Gas site in Dubuque, Iowa. Learn more. Developing Tools and a Process to Encourage Third-Party Investment. EPA created a national team of redevelopment experts led by EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to help address liability concerns of third-party entities and developers. EPA and DOJ issued a new policy that encourages more frequent consideration of Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser Agreements and Prospective Purchaser Agreements, when appropriate, to foster cleanup and reuse of NPL sites. Engaging with Partners and Stakeholders. EPA held or participated in more than 1,370 public meetings and 3,190 in-person meetings or interviews with community members living near Superfund sites. Senior EPA leaders also met on a regular basis with environmental justice groups as well as other Federal agencies and a variety of state and tribal organizations to obtain their ongoing input on Task Force work. The Agency also conducted online "listening sessions" open to the public to obtain feedback on implementing many of the enforcement-related recommendations. As outlined in the "2018 Update," the Agency plans to complete implementation of the Superfund Task Force recommendations by September 2019 and will have fully integrated that work into EPA's Superfund program. These achievements will provide certainty to communities, state partners, and developers that the nation's most hazardous sites will be cleaned up as quickly and safely as possible.  Over the next year, EPA will: Continue to expedite cleanups and move sites towards deletion. These efforts will place a greater emphasis on the internal tracking of site progress using visual management tools to evaluate where each site is in the Superfund process, how long it has been there, and the reasons for any delays.  Use adaptive management on a more structured and broader scale and formally implement adaptive management principles at select pilot sites by the end of calendar year 2018. Collaborate with our state and tribal partners through the Environmental Council of States, Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials, and Tribal Waste and Response Steering Committee to complete a thorough evaluation of groundwater beneficial use policies with a focus on beneficial use determinations.  Continue to re-invigorate responsible party cleanup and reuse by using best practices and modifying model enforcement language to reduce responsible party cleanup negotiation timeframes and shorten PRP lead cleanups.  Encourage private investment in the cleanup and reuse of contaminated sites by finalizing guidance and developing new model work agreements and comfort letters to create certainty and assist third parties in identifying investment opportunities at Superfund sites.  Implement the Superfund Remedial Acquisition Framework to reduce cleanup costs, foster innovation, and increase efficiency.  Continue to focus on stakeholder and partner engagement during all Superfund cleanup process phases, including improving risk communication at Superfund sites with long-term stewardship requirements. EPA's new "Superfund Task Force Recommendations 2018 Update" is available at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-recommendations-2018-update  A video highlighting Superfund success stories from across the country can be found here: https://youtu.be/btUramqS7G4  The Agency's new informational mapping tool on the Redevelopment Focus List is available at: https://arcg.is/vn8H5.  EPA will continue will continue to post opportunities for external stakeholders to participate in the Task Force work on the Superfund Task Force web page at: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force-public-participation-opportunities. 18-051                                                  #   #   #

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EPA Gears Up for July 25 PFAS Community Engagement Event in Horsham, Pennsylvania

 

Contact: David Sternberg 215-814-5548 sternberg.david@epa.gov EPA Gears Up for July 25 PFAS Community Engagement Event in Horsham, Pennsylvania PHILADELPHIA (July 23, 2018) —  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the full agenda for the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) community engagement in Horsham, Pennsylvania at Hatboro-Horsham High School, 899 Horsham Road, Horsham, Pennsylvania. Following the historic National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. in May and the inaugural Community Engagement event in New Hampshire, this event allows EPA to hear directly from Pennsylvania communities, Mid-Atlantic states, local, and tribal partners on how to best help states and communities facing this issue. "The input that EPA receives on July 25 will help us develop a plan for managing PFAS," said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. "The upcoming community engagement event will enable us to hear from citizens and communities directly about their experiences with these chemicals in their community."   Additional details will be posted on the PFAS Community Engagement Website. Both sessions are open to the public and the press. If you are interested in attending the event, please register here: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/forms/pfas-community-engagement-horsham-pa. Those interested in speaking should select the option to speak while registering. NOTE:  Online registration will close on Friday, July 20, 2018 at 10:00 AM. Those unable to register online will be able to register or sign up to speak in person at the event. Registration is not required to attend or speak. Please check back at the PFAS Community Engagement website for further information leading up to the event. Citizens are also encouraged to submit written statements to the public docket at https://www.regulations.gov/ enter docket number: OW-2018-0270.  Background PFAS is a group of man-made chemicals that have been widely used in everyday products since the 1940s. But PFAS compounds also can enter the environment, raising concerns about the potential environmental and health risks.  Addressing PFAS is a national priority. At the National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. in May, EPA announced a four-step action plan: EPA will initiate steps to evaluate the need for a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for PFOA and PFOS. We will convene our federal partners and examine everything we know about PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. EPA is beginning the necessary steps to propose designating PFOA and PFOS as "hazardous substances" through one of the available statutory mechanisms, including potentially CERCLA Section 102. EPA is currently developing groundwater cleanup recommendations for PFOA and PFOS at contaminated sites and will complete this task by fall of this year. EPA is taking action in close collaboration with our federal and state partners to develop toxicity values for GenX and PFBS by this summer. EPA conducted a similar engagement with communities impacted by PFAS in New Hampshire last month, and will be headed to Colorado and North Carolina in the coming weeks. These community engagement events are critical to understand ways the Agency can best support the work that's being done at the state, local, and tribal levels. Using information from the National Leadership Summit, community engagements, and public input provided by the docket, EPA plans to develop a PFAS Management Plan for release later this year. To learn more about PFAS, please visit: www.epa.gov/pfas

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