EPA Approves Innovative Products to Aid in Wildfire Management

 

 

 

EPA Approves Innovative Products to Aid in Wildfire Management

 

WASHINGTON (September 30, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved two new products that could prove helpful in preventing future wildfires in Western states. These innovative products contain the new microbial active ingredient Pseudomonas fluorescens strain ACK55 for use as a pre-emergent herbicide.

"In Western states these products will improve wildlife habitat and reduce flammable grasses that contribute to wildfires," said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. "The ability of this product to reduce wildfires makes it an invaluable tool for not just protecting the environment, but also for protecting public health and saving lives."

After reviewing public comments and the best available science, EPA has approved the registration of end-use product Battalion Pro (EPA Reg No. 91213-3) and a manufacturing-use product (EPA Reg No. 91213-4 ), which both contain the new active ingredient Pseudomonas fluorescens strain ACK55 (P. fluorescens ACK55). When applied, P. fluorescens ACK55 acts as a naturally occuring bacterium that becomes established in the soil. Once established, it produces a metabolite that affects the plant cell wall and membrane, which in turn reduces the plants' ability to reproduce. P. fluorescens ACK55 is not expected to be harmful to humans or non-target organisms.

The herbicide Battalion Pro has been approved for targeted application on invasive, noxious grasses in areas such as food crops, pastures, forests and recreational areas. These grasses are often associated with wildfires that can lead to increased air pollution and loss of property and habitat for native wildlife.

Since P. fluorescens ACK55 must become established in the soil to provide optimal pre-emergent herbicidal effects, suppression of certain invasive grasses may take two to five years. Additionally, dry conditions do not allow P. fluorescens ACK55 to grow in the soil and colonize various plant parts, resulting in only minimal suppression.

In concurrence with today's registration actions, EPA is also establishing a tolerance exemption for residues of P. fluorescens ACK55 in or on all food when it is used in accordance with label directions and good agricultural practices.

For more information, visit docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2017-0336 at: www.regulations.gov.

 

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United States Reaches Agreement to Protect New Orleans Waterways and Lake Pontchartrain

 

 

 

United States Reaches Agreement to Protect New Orleans Waterways and Lake Pontchartrain

 

Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company will pay a record-setting $2.7 million penalty

 

WASHINGTON (September 29, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice announced a settlement with the Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company LLC, d/b/a Fair Grounds Corporation (Fair Grounds) that will resolve years of Clean Water Act (CWA) violations at its New Orleans racetrack. Under the settlement, Fair Grounds will eliminate unauthorized discharges of manure, urine and process wastewater through operational changes and construction projects at an estimated cost of $5,600,000. The company also will pay a civil penalty of $2,790,000, the largest ever paid by a concentrated animal feeding operation in a CWA matter.

"This consent decree will halt discharges of manure, urine, and contaminated wastewater from the Fair Grounds racetrack into the London Avenue Canal, which flows into Lake Pontchartrain," said Susan Bodine, EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "As a result, we are protecting opportunities by the community to use these waters for fishing and other recreational activities."

"We are pleased to announce an agreement with Churchill Downs to address years of Clean Water Act violations at its Fair Grounds Racetrack in New Orleans," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Brightbill of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "This consent decree will stop the flow of untreated process wastewater into the local sewer system, which leads to local waters used for fishing and ultimately Lake Pontchartrain, in a way that recognizes the challenges presented by the racetrack's urban location."

"Safeguarding the environment is one of the highest priorities for the Department of Justice," said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana (EDLA), Peter G. Strasser. "The U.S. Attorney's Office, EDLA is committed to continue working with its Federal partners to investigate and hold entities accountable when they neglect their professional and legal obligations and threaten the environment, which places the public and the ecosystem in Southeastern Louisiana at risk."

The United States' complaint alleges that Fair Grounds violated the Clean Water Act, including the terms and conditions of its Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (LPDES) permit issued pursuant to Section 402 of the CWA. Specifically, the complaint alleges that, since at least 2012, Fair Grounds has regularly discharged untreated process wastewater into the New Orleans municipal separate storm sewer system, leading to the London Avenue Canal, Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River, and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. Fair Grounds' permit prohibits any discharge unless there is a significant rain event (i.e., when 10 inches of rain falls in 24 hours).

In violation of their permit, Fair Grounds has discharged wastewater after as little as a half-inch of rain, as well as in dry weather. The complaint alleges that unauthorized discharges of contaminated wastewater occurred more than 250 times between 2012 and 2018. The untreated wastewater contains manure, urine, horse wash water, and other biological materials that are "pollutants" as defined by the CWA, the facility's permit, and the applicable EPA and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) regulations.

Fair Grounds is a horse racing facility located in New Orleans, La. and is surrounded by residential neighborhoods that are considered environmental justice communities. The London Avenue Canal flows through neighborhoods that have been designated as opportunity zones.  

The Fair Grounds' New Orleans racetrack is a large CAFO, and during a typical horse racing season, Fair Grounds stables as many as 1,800 horses or more at one time. The facility includes a 38.8-acre production area that includes stables, horse stall barns and receiving barns, horse wash racks, horse walkways, manure storage areas, and storage areas for raw materials. The facility also includes a one-mile dirt racetrack and a 7/8-mile turf racetrack, the infield area, the grandstand, the casino, and associated parking areas.

As part of the settlement, Fair Grounds will implement best management practices and construction projects designed to eliminate unauthorized discharges and ensure compliance with its permit and the CWA. Fair Grounds will also perform site-specific sampling, monitoring and hydraulic modeling to help the company and EPA determine whether the remedial actions required by the consent decree are successful in eliminating unauthorized discharges. Furthermore, the consent decree includes a provision requiring Fair Grounds to implement additional remedial measures if these measures do not successfully eliminate unauthorized discharges.

This case is precedential because it includes the highest civil penalty ever collected by the EPA in a CWA enforcement action against a CAFO. In addition, this case is part of EPA's National Compliance Initiative for  Reducing Significant Noncompliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits.

The settlement was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and is subject to a 30-day public comment period. The penalty is due within 30 days of the effective date of the consent decree.

For more information about this settlement please visit:  https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/churchill-downs-louisiana-horseracing-company-llc-clean-water-act-settlement

Members of the public can help protect our environment by identifying and reporting environmental violations. Learn more here:  https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/report-environmental-violation-general-information

 

 

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EPA to Award up to $73 million for Clean Diesel Projects

 

 

 

EPA to Award up to $73 million for Clean Diesel Projects

In Minneapolis, Administrator Wheeler announced more than $800,000 to Minnesota projects

 

St. Paul, Minn. (September 29, 2020) — Today, at a press conference in Minnesota, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced over $73 million in grants and funding expected to be awarded to support numerous clean diesel programs and projects across the country at the state and local level. Over $50 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) National Grants Program funding is expected to be awarded to implement projects aimed at reducing diesel emissions from the nation's existing fleet of old, dirty engines and vehicles. Additionally, EPA anticipates providing approximately $23.5 million under DERA's 2020 State Grants program to 48 states and four territories to implement their own diesel emissions reduction programs.

"EPA is proud to support our partners as they deliver cleaner air benefits to local communities across the country," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "New diesel engines operate cleaner than older engines, and for each dollar invested in clean diesel projects, communities get $13 in cumulative health benefits."

"Reducing diesel emissions helps everyone breathe easier," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Kurt Thiede. "The cleaner air made possible through these grants will especially benefit children and other vulnerable populations."

"I am grateful to the EPA and Administrator Andrew Wheeler for this investment in Minnesota and for their commitment to the health of our communities. This funding to reduce diesel emissions will have lasting benefits to our state, Washington County, and our residents," said U.S. Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-6). "I applaud this Administration's dedicated work to provide Minnesotans the means to reduce fuel emissions and improve our environment."

Administrator Wheeler specifically highlighted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency DERA State Award, which will provide $515,073 for projects including engine retrofits, upgrades and remanufactures, cleaner fuels and additives, idle reduction technologies, engine replacements, vehicle replacements or clean alternative fuel conversions. These projects will reduce emissions, including particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.

He also announced the award of $314,365 in DERA funding to the Leonardo Academy to replace four non-Tiered diesel engine construction cranes – owned and operated by Kramer North America – with four Tier 4 diesel engine cranes. Three of the cranes are located in Hennepin and Washington Counties in Minnesota. Not only will the cranes reduce emissions along the project areas, but the projects, once completed, will reduce emissions due to less traffic idling time.

Under President Trump, the combined emission of criteria pollutants and their precursors dropped 7%. In the past three years, we saw the following drops in emissions of criteria and precursor pollutants: 

• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) ↓ 10 % 
• Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) ↓ 1 %
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) ↓ 16%
• Carbon monoxide (CO) ↓ 6%
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) ↓ 3%

Over the last three years during the Trump Administration, EPA will have awarded about $300 million in grants and rebates to modernize the diesel fleet and speed the turnover to cleaner on- and off-road heavy-duty trucks and equipment. Much of this assistance has been provided to help better protect areas of poor air quality and areas of highly concentrated diesel pollution, such as ports and distribution centers.

To support the Administrator's clean air goals, the agency anticipates awarding these grants once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. So far in 2020, EPA has finalized awards for 41 clean diesel projects and programs. The agency anticipates completing additional awards throughout the rest of the year.

The following grants have been finalized as of Monday, September 28:

As these new grants are finalized and awarded, details on recipients, funding amounts, and project types will be listed on the DERA program webpages. For more information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/dera

Background

DERA funded projects typically include retrofitting or replacing legacy school buses, transit buses, heavy-duty diesel trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and other heavy-duty equipment with new, cleaner technologies.

 

 

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EPA News: EPA awards $24.7 million to West Virginia for water quality improvement projects

 

 

 

Contact: R3press@epa.gov EPA awards $24.7 million to West Virginia for water quality improvement projects PHILADELPHIA (September 29, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced it has awarded $24.7 million to West Virginia for water quality improvement projects to address wastewater treatment and stormwater runoff. This grant, along with $4.9 million in state matching funds, further capitalizes on West Virginia's Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) Program that provides low interest loans for the construction of wastewater treatment facilities, non-point source and estuary projects, and other water quality management activities. The grant money will be combined with repayments from prior loans and interest earnings to provide direct funding to communities. "The revolving fund program is essential to providing all Americans the clean and safe water they deserve," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. "EPA is proud to support projects that will improve wastewater treatment and stormwater runoff throughout the state to help protect West Virginia's water resources and improve public health." Projects supported by the CWSRF this year include upgrades to wastewater treatment plants and collection systems, replacing failing on-site septic systems with more modern systems, and extending service to underserved communities. These projects will improve water quality throughout the state by reducing the amount of raw or poorly treated sewage entering the surface and ground water.   For more information on West Virginia's CWSRF program, visit: https://dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/SRF/Pages/default.aspx For more information about EPA's CWSRF program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/cwsrf   #          #          #

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EPA at 50: Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Efforts Help Communities Build Back More Resiliently

 

 

 

EPA at 50: Disaster Recovery and Mitigation Efforts Help Communities Build Back More Resiliently

 

WASHINGTON (September 28, 2020) — This week, as part of its 50th anniversary commemoration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Homeland Security is highlighting the agency's efforts to recover from and mitigate against natural and manmade disasters. The agency provides mitigation and recovery support to state, local, territorial, and tribal partners when needed, through a number of headquarter and regional programs and under its National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP) authority and responsibilities.

"The goal of our program is to build long-term resilience to disasters by applying EPA's expertise and streamline federal action to support communities with both pre-disaster planning and promoting sustainable and resilient rebuilding after disasters," said EPA Office of Homeland Security Associate Administrator Ted Stanich. "With the right planning and community engagement, our mitigation and recovery investments have the potential not only to strengthen resilience to disasters, but also to protect human health and the environment."

EPA and FEMA have two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) that guide the help we provide both before and after disasters.  One is to help communities hit by disasters rebuild in ways that protect the environment, create long-term economic prosperity, and enhance neighborhoods. The second is establishes a framework for the EPA funded Clean Water SRF and Drinking Water SRF programs to streamline coordination between FEMA and the SRFs to enable funding to support essential infrastructure projects to be made available as quickly as possible.

The agency focuses on linking environmental and human health within disaster mitigation and recovery by:

• Assisting federal, tribal, state, and local partners to develop better plans before disasters.
• Assessing and if necessary, responding to waste management and cleanup sites.
• Informing communities about rebuilding.
• Collaborating with other agencies to streamline federal oversight related to permitting, review, and/or enforcement requirements.
• Partnering with environmental justice communities to ensure meaningful engagement in recovery operations and planning.
• Assessing drinking water and wastewater facilities to determine operational status and environmental impacts and then provides funding for repairs through our State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) program.
• Providing analytical support, technical and scientific expertise, and tools.
• Providing funding for issues such as wastewater and drinking water infrastructure; debris management and planning; and brownfields assessment and project implementation.

This week, EPA will recognize the history, accomplishments, and benefits of the emergency response and homeland security programs by posting a variety of content on Twitter @EPAland and @EPA.

Background

As mandated under the Stafford Act, EPA utilizes our own authorities such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act to support state and local recovery and mitigation efforts. Theses authorities are used in connection with the Agency's roles and responsibilities under the National Mitigation Framework (NMF) and National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) to support Presidentially declared disasters, undeclared disasters, and to mitigate damage and impacts prior to disasters.

EPA's central hub for disaster and hurricane information is available at https://www.epa.gov/hurricanes

For information on EPA's Memorandum of Understandings with FEMA, please visit:

https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-strategies-disaster-resilience-and-recovery;

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-05/documents/mou_between_epa_and_dhs.pdf;

For more information on EPA's homeland security efforts, visit https://www.epa.gov/homeland-security.

For more on EPA's 50^th Anniversary and how the agency is protecting America's waters, land and air, visit: https://www.epa.gov/50, or follow the agency on social media using #EPAat50.

 

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EPA Announces $5 Million in Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant Winners

 

 

 

EPA Announces $5 Million in Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant Winners

 

WASHINGTON (September 28, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 11 air toxics monitoring projects to receive $5 million in funding under the agency's Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants program. These grants will help monitor and provide important information to communities on air toxics, including ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and toxic metals.

"The Trump administration has prioritized community partnerships to cut harmful air pollution, and today's announcement helps states, local, and tribal air agencies do just that," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "Collecting this information will help our local partners better understand the nature of air hazards and how best to take action against them. These grants are also a part of EPA's promise to protect human health and the environment of  all Americans, no matter their zip code."

The 11 state and local agencies selected to receive grants will conduct projects in these categories:

1.    Characterizing the impacts of air toxics in a community (community-scale monitoring).
2.    Assessing the impacts of air toxics emissions from specific sources (near-source monitoring).
3.    Evaluating new and emerging testing methods for air toxics.

Working with state, local and tribal air agencies on issues related to air quality, strengthens our collective scientific knowledge and skills and helps EPA and our partners meet the needs of the American public.

EPA anticipates providing selected agencies funding for their work in fiscal years 2021 and 2022. The selected grant recipients and anticipated award amounts are:

Region 1

*    Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management: $263,502 to characterize air toxics emissions near the Port of Providence and characterize risk to the most highly affected populations, including in environmental justice communities, and surrounding schools and hospitals.

Region 3

*    City of Philadelphia Air Management Services: $352,208 to assist in assessing the degree and extent to which air toxics from various sources, including a major oil refinery, impact the immediate community in South Philadelphia.
*    Virginia Department of Environmental Quality: $526,603 to characterize concentrations of air toxics metals and conduct health risk assessments for the Lambert's Point community in Norfolk and the Southeast community in Newport News.

Region 4

*    Georgia Department of Natural Resources: $571,670 to evaluate new technology for measuring ethylene oxide and to continue the evaluation of ambient ethylene oxide concentrations in communities in the Atlanta metropolitan area.
*    Shelby County Health Department Pollution Control Section: $353,516 to evaluate low-cost equipment for measuring and analyzing volatile and semi-volatile organic air toxics compounds in the Memphis area.
*    South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Conservation: $261,128 for monitoring and characterizing concentrations of ethylene oxide in the North Charleston area, including in environmental justice communities.

Region 5

*    Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy: $500,000 to conduct mobile monitoring to delineate local scale air toxics concentration gradients and assess the contributions of certain industrial sources to concentrations of air toxics in the outdoor air in southeast Michigan.

Region 8

*    Utah Division of Air Quality: $328,459 to conduct outdoor air quality monitoring and a health risk assessment of ethylene oxide emissions from major commercial sterilizers in Utah.

Region 9

*    Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District: $435,450 for quantifying benzene and mobile source air toxics in environmental justice communities.
*    South Coast Air Pollution Control District: $749,624 for design and development of a mobile platform for higher frequency air toxics measurements, including evaluating the performance of a new continuous ethylene oxide monitor.

Region 10

*    Puget Sound Clean Air Agency: $657,840, for an assessment to identify trends in air toxics for the Puget Sound region by monitoring VOCs, including ethylene oxide and aldehydes.

Background

As EPA pursues its mission to protect human health and the environment, the agency periodically awards grants to help state, local and tribal air agencies conduct air quality monitoring projects to address localized air toxics issues. Air toxics, also known as hazardous air pollutants, are linked to cancer or other serious health effects. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA currently regulates 187 listed air toxic pollutants.

Funding for the grants comes from State and Tribal Assistance (STAG) funding. EPA announced the grants competition February 13, 2020. The Agency held two information sessions in February for agencies considering applying for the grants and extended the application deadline to May 1, 2020 because of the impacts of the COVID-19 response.

To learn more about the Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants, visit: https://www.epa.gov/amtic/community-scale-air-toxics-ambient-monitoring-csatam.

 

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EPA News: Household & Commercial Products Association Recognized by EPA Safer Choice Program

 

 

 

CONTACT: R3press@epa.gov Household & Commercial Products Association Recognized as one of EPA's 2020 Safer Choice Partners of the Year PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 25, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Household and Commercial Products Association (HCPA), based out of Washington, D.C., today as one of 18 of the EPA's Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners. The trade association was recognized for the use of safer chemicals in the manufacture of products for human health and the environment. The announcement comes as part of Pollution Prevention (P2) week. "We are pleased today to be recognizing the leadership and accomplishments of a diverse array of organizations over the past year," said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. "This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention Act and the awardees have all contributed to source reduction, also known as pollution prevention, through the design, manufacture, selection and use of products with safer chemicals." The Safer Choice program recognized HCPA for hosting sessions on chemical ingredients that meet Safer Choice's criteria at its 2019 membership meetings.  In addition, HCPA provided a forum for manufacturers and formulators to discuss best practices for achieving Safer Choice certification of products and marketing those products to consumers. "We are proud of the commitment HCPA is making to protect our environment and its consumers," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. "Recognizing organizations like this provides an example of demonstrated steadfast commitment to reducing pollution and providing products made of safer chemicals to all our Safer Choice program partners." P2 Week celebrates diverse ways organizations can prevent pollution, furthering EPA's mission to protect public health and the environment. More information on the 2020 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of the their accomplishments are available at: http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-partner-year-awards. Follow EPA Region 3 on Twitter at https://twitter.com/eparegion3 and visit our Facebook page, at http://www.facebook.com/EPAregion3/

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EPA News: Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support gets EPA recognition

 

 

 

CONTACT: R3press@epa.gov  Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support Recognized as one of EPA's 2020 Safer Choice Partners of the Year PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 25, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recognized Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support (NAVSUP WSS), based out of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, today as one of 18 of Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners. NAVSUP WSS is lauded for its pilot program, which introduced Safer Choice to 34,000 military, DoD civilians, contractors and family members. The announcement comes as part of Pollution Prevention (P2) week. "We are pleased today to be recognizing the leadership and accomplishments of a diverse array of organizations over the past year," said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. "This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention Act and the awardees have all contributed to source reduction, also known as pollution prevention, through the design, manufacture, selection and use of products with safer chemicals." Using a pilot project in 2019, NAVSUP WSS increased the number of Safer Choice-certified products available for purchase by three-and-a-half times the current amount available.  This resulted in the various pilot sites increasing the number of Safer Choice-certified products they purchased by 15 times. NAVSUP WSS also conducted on-site communication programs educating users about the meaning of Safer Choice certification. We are proud of the commitment NAVSUP WSS is making to protect our environment, military and civilians," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. "Recognizing organizations like this provides an example of demonstrated steadfast commitment to reducing pollution and providing products made of safer chemicals to all our Safer Choice program partners." P2 Week celebrates diverse ways organizations can prevent pollution, furthering EPA's mission to protect public health and the environment. More information on the 2020 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of the their accomplishments are available at: http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-partner-year-awards. Follow EPA Region 3 on Twitter at https://twitter.com/eparegion3 and visit our Facebook page, at http://www.facebook.com/EPAregion3/

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EPA News: Berkley Green Recognized as one of EPA’s 2020 Safer Choice Partners of the Year

 

 

 

Contact: R3press@epa.gov Berkley Green Recognized as one of EPA's 2020 Safer Choice Partners of the Year PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 25, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized Berkley Green, a household and baby cleaning products company based out of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, as one of 18 of EPA's Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners today. The announcement comes as part of Pollution Prevention (P2) week. The honor recognizes businesses that use safer chemicals in the manufacture of products for human health and the environment. "We are pleased today to be recognizing the leadership and accomplishments of a diverse array of organizations over the past year," said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. "This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention Act and the awardees have all contributed to source reduction, also known as pollution prevention, through the design, manufacture, selection and use of products with safer chemicals." Since becoming a Safer Choice partner in 2007, Berkley Green has continually added new products with ingredients that meet the Safer Choice program's rigorous human health and environmental criteria. In 2019, Berkley Green certified 21 products as safer choice. The company also consistently showcases their support for Safer Choice by displaying the label on the front of all certified products. "As a repeat award winner, Berkley Green understands the importance of source reduction in the making of its products, said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. "Recognizing organizations like this provides an example of demonstrated steadfast commitment to reducing pollution and providing products made of safer chemicals to all our Safer Choice program partners." P2 Week celebrates diverse ways organizations can prevent pollution, furthering EPA's mission to protect public health and the environment. More information on the 2020 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of the their accomplishments are available at: http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-partner-year-awards. Follow EPA Region 3 on Twitter at https://twitter.com/eparegion3 and visit our Facebook page, at http://www.facebook.com/EPAregion3/

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