U.S. Government Calls for End of Disposing Solid Waste at Puerto Rico Municipal Landfill

CONTACT: senn.john@epa.gov, mcbay.stephen@epa.gov    U.S. Government Calls for End of Disposing Solid Waste at Puerto Rico Municipal Landfill NEW YORK (February 25, 2021) – The U.S. Department of Justice today filed a complaint on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the District of Puerto Rico that calls for the municipality of Toa Alta to stop disposing of solid waste at its landfill and take steps to address public health and environmental threats posed by dangerous conditions at the landfill, which is being operated in violation of federal and commonwealth solid waste laws. "The Toa Alta landfill poses a significant threat to the health of nearby communities and the local groundwater aquifer, and the municipality should stop disposing of waste there immediately," said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "The many problems at the landfill are well documented and the municipality must take steps to correct them to better safeguard local communities and the environment." The complaint also asks the court to order the municipality of Toa Alta to pay civil penalties for its violations of a 2017 EPA order that addressed problems at the landfill. The complaint cites three central threats posed by the landfill: • The municipality of Toa Alta is taking inadequate action to prevent large quantities of leachate – water mixed with hazardous pollutants that seeps from the landfill – from escaping into nearby neighborhoods, surface waters and the underlying groundwater aquifer. • The landfill's slopes in certain areas are not stable and may collapse, potentially endangering people working at the landfill and residents whose homes are near the foot of the landfill. • The Municipality has not consistently been placing required soil on top of the waste disposed at the landfill at the end of each day's disposal activities. Application of this soil cover – referred to as daily cover – cuts off access to landfill waste by insects, vermin, birds and trespassers and helps prevent the spread of disease, such as dengue and Zika viruses. EPA is in communication with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources concerning the problems at this landfill. EPA is coordinating with the department in efforts to improve solid waste management in Puerto Rico. 21-007

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US EPA Extends Nomination Deadline for the President’s Environmental Student and Teacher Awards

The Environmental Protection Agency extends nominations deadline for the 2021 President's Environmental Student and Teacher Awards

WASHINGTON (February 19, 2021) — Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it's extending the nominations deadline for their Environmental Education Presidential awards program. EPAs Office of Environmental Education will now accept applications for the 2021 President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and Presidential Innovation Awards for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) through April 30, 2021.

"Investing in our nation's students and teachers by creating opportunities to engage in real world issues will help build the next generation of environmental leaders," said Rosemary Enobakhare, Associate Administrator, Office of Public Engagement and Environmental Education. "Providing an extension will allow additional time for all students and teachers to submit applications for this invaluable awards program."

Since the establishment of the original Environmental Education Act of 1970, The President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) Program has recognized outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth for over 50 years. Today, as part of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990, PEYA continues to promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement.

PIAEE recognizes outstanding K-12 grade educators who integrate environmental, place-based experiential learning into their classrooms.

Additional Information on the Awards

EPA is seeking PEYA and PIAEE award applications for projects on a variety of environmental topics, including (but not limited to), projects on: 

• Climate Change 
• Making a visible difference in Environmental Justice communities 
• Reducing food waste and loss and excess food recovery efforts
• Reducing contributions to ocean and marine litter
• Solutions in recycling
• Using science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to teach environmental education
• Environmental sustainability
• Sustainable agricultural practices
• Healthy school environments

The President's Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects from grades K-12 by promoting environmental awareness and encouraging community involvement. EPA will select up to two winners in each of EPA's 10 Regions – one regional winner for grades K-5, and one regional winner for grades 6-12. The winning projects will be highlighted on EPA's website. All student projects must be sponsored by at least one adult over the age of 21. And, if the sponsor is not a teacher, the project must have a teacher as a co-sponsor. The application and eligibility information are available on EPA's PEYA page.

The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers who employ innovative approaches to environmental education. Up to two teachers from each of EPA's 10 regions, from different states, will be selected to receive this award. Teachers will receive a Presidential plaque and an award of up to $2,500 cash to be used to further professional development in environmental education. Winning teachers' local education agencies will also receive awards of up to $2,500 cash to fund environmental educational activities and programs. Next years' winners will be highlighted on EPA's website.

The application and eligibility information are available on EPA's PIAEE page.

Applications for both awards programs are due no later than April 30, 2021.

For more information on the youth awards (PEYA), please contact: PEYA@epa.gov.

For more information on the teacher awards (PIAEE), please contact: PIAEE@epa.gov.

EPA's Office of Environmental Education (OEE) works to expand the public's environmental knowledge and enables people to effectively solve environmental problems. OEE develops training programs, provides education materials, supports environmental education publications, holds seminars and events, and administers environmental education grants and awards, please contact: education@epa.gov.

 

 

 

 

 

  

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EPA News: Del. companies settle alleged violations involving aftermarket devices for diesel trucks

CONTACT: R3press@epa.gov Delaware companies settle alleged Clean Air Act violations involving aftermarket devices for diesel trucks PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 18, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced two settlements with vehicle repair shops in Delaware that were involved in the illegal sale and installation of aftermarket devices that were designed to defeat the emissions control systems of heavy-duty diesel engines. The companies – Delaware Speed and Custom LLC in Milton, and Bo Daddy's Diesel and Auto Repair in Seaford – allegedly violated the Clean Air Act's prohibition on the manufacture, sale or installation of so-called "defeat devices," which are designed to "bypass, defeat or render inoperative" a motor vehicle engine's air pollution control equipment or systems. Illegally modified vehicles and engines contribute substantial excess pollution that harms public health and impedes efforts by EPA, tribes, states and local agencies to attain air quality standards. Delaware Speed and Custom LLC paid a $12,529 penalty for allegedly selling defeat devices, and Bo Daddy's paid a $6,000 penalty for allegedly selling and installing defeat devices. Clean Air Act penalties take account of various factors such as the seriousness and duration of the violations, size of the business, the penalty's impact on the business, compliance history, good faith efforts, and economic benefit of past non-compliance. As part of the settlements, the companies have certified that they are now are in compliance with applicable requirements. These enforcement actions are part of EPA's National Compliance Initiative for Stopping Aftermarket Defeat Devices for Vehicles and Engines. Today's vehicles emit far less pollution than vehicles of the past. This is made possible by careful engine calibrations, and the use of filters and catalysts in the exhaust system. Aftermarket defeat devices undo this progress and pollute the air we breathe. EPA testing has shown that a truck's emissions increase drastically (tens or hundreds of times, depending on the pollutant) when its emissions controls are removed. For more information on this initiative, visit: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-stopping-aftermarket-defeat-devices-vehicles-and-engines . #          #          #

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EPA Commits to Strengthening Science Used in Chemical Risk Evaluations

EPA Commits to Strengthening Science Used in Chemical Risk Evaluations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is continuing to act on the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to making evidence-based decisions and developing policies and programs that are guided by the best available scientific data. Today, EPA is announcing that the agency will refine its approach to selecting and reviewing the scientific studies that are used to inform Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) chemical risk evaluations (known as systematic review).

EPA's ongoing effort to update its systematic review approach that was issued in 2018 is also part of EPA's broader efforts to review the first 10 TSCA risk evaluations. This review will be done in accordance with the Executive Orders and other directives provided by the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure that all agency actions meet statutory obligations, be guided by the best available science, ensure the integrity of Federal decision-making, and protect human health and the environment.

"High quality, best available scientific data and studies are the foundation of our chemical risk evaluations," said Michal Freedhoff, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "Strengthening the process used to select this information will improve chemical safety and ensure our risk evaluations protect human health and the environment." 

EPA contracted with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in December 2019 to conduct a peer review of EPA's 2018 Application of Systematic Review in TSCA Risk Evaluations. The agency has received the report from the Academies and is committed to addressing their recommendations and ensuring strong science is the basis for all chemical risk evaluations.

EPA is not using, and will not again use, the systematic review approach that was reviewed by the Academies. The Application of Systematic Review document released in 2018 represented EPA's practices at that time. As acknowledged in the 2018 document, the agency's intent was to update the document based on the experience gained from the first 10 risk evaluations and stakeholder input. To that end, EPA has already begun to develop a TSCA systematic review protocol in collaboration with the agency's Office of Research and Development to incorporate approaches from the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Program, which the Academies' report strongly recommends.

EPA is committed to following an open and transparent process to review and update the agency's systematic review approach. EPA expects to publish and take public comment on a TSCA systematic review protocol that will adopt many of the recommendations in the Academies' report later this year.

View the report from the Academies: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25952/the-use-of-systematic-review-in-epas-toxic-substances-control-act-risk-evaluations

View the press release from the NAS: https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2021/02/national-academies-recommend-changes-to-epas-tsca-systematic-review-process.

Background

TSCA requires EPA to adhere to specific scientific standards including the use of the best available science and the weight of scientific evidence. To achieve this, EPA uses systematic review in the TSCA risk evaluations to identify, select, assess, and synthesize the relevant science to inform the hazard and exposure assessments.

EPA contracted with the Academies in December 2019 to conduct a peer review of its 2018 Application of Systematic Review in TSCA Risk Evaluations. The committee specifically reviewed and critiqued this systematic review document and enhancements EPA made when implementing this approach for the first 10 chemicals to undergo risk evaluation under TSCA. In addition, the committee reviewed many of the tools EPA is using to identify and extract relevant information from the scientific literature. EPA specifically asked the committee to address whether the approach to systematic review used for TSCA risk evaluations is "comprehensive, workable, objective, and transparent."

 

 

 

  

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EPA, NFWF Fund Actions to Improve Water Quality in Bay-Linked Rivers and Streams in Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3Press@epa.gov EPA, NFWF Fund Actions to Improve Water Quality in Bay-Linked Rivers and Streams in Pennsylvania PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 10, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), today announced the award of approximately $1.2 million for eight projects in Pennsylvania to improve rivers and streams that connect to the Chesapeake Bay. The funds are part of nearly $5 million provided by EPA as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 to the six Bay watershed states and the District of Columbia for the implementation of restoration projects by local governments. The Pennsylvania funds, administered by NFWF, will generate more than $2.2 million in matching contributions for a total impact of nearly $3.5 million.  Among the projects are: Implement stream restoration along a tributary of Codorus Creek in York County to remove more than a half million pounds of sediment per year. ($200,000 award; $620,757 match) Restore the floodplain of the Conewago Creek and its tributary, Brills Run, in Londonderry and Mount Joy townships (Dauphin and Lancaster counties), reducing the annual sediment load by 1,524 tons. ($200,000 award; $30,000 match) Expand a cover crop incentive program on farms in Cumberland County. ($54,600 award; $27,300 match) Install animal waste management facilities and barnyard runoff controls as part of a Plain Sect Clean Water Demonstration Farm in Paradise Township, Lancaster County. ($200,000 award; $170,000 match) A full list and descriptions of the Pennsylvania projects are available at: https://www.nfwf.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/chesapeake-pennsylvania-2020-grant-slate.pdf  . "EPA is pleased to support home-grown projects that reflect local needs and improve local water quality," said EPA Acting Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Diana Esher.  "Our success in restoring the Chesapeake Bay relies on improving the streams and rivers that connect to it.  These projects will help Pennsylvania take the next steps in meeting its shared commitment to restoring the Bay.  We appreciate the support of NFWF in this effort." "Local governments are critical partners in identifying and advancing watershed restoration efforts that align with local needs, concerns, and resources," said Amanda Bassow, NFWF's Northeast Regional Director. "NFWF is pleased to continue partnering with EPA in delivering funding and technical assistance that supports municipalities and conservation districts at the front lines of implementing our local and regional restoration goals." The Local Government Implementation (LGI) funds are part of broader grant programs funded and administered by EPA through its Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO) – the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant (CBIG), the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program (CBRAP), or both.

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EPA News: EPA settles with City of Pittsburgh, PWSA on stormwater violations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: R3press@epa.gov EPA settles with City of Pittsburgh, PWSA on stormwater violations PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 5, 2021) – The City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) are required to adhere to a schedule of corrective actions to address stormwater inspection and enforcement violations under a consent agreement announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Under the agreement, the city and PWSA are required to: submit an updated stormwater code for approval to the Pittsburgh city council by July 2021; hire additional inspectors and enforcement staff for 2022; and put management partnership procedures in place by the end of January 2022. The violations included failure to implement inspections and enforcement procedures for construction site erosion and sediment control measures, and for post-construction stormwater management best management practices. The agreement requires the city and PWSA to comply with a schedule of activities to ensure full compliance with these requirements by March 31, 2022 and to submit quarterly progress reports to EPA. EPA coordinated with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in developing the settlement. The city and PWSA are customers of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN), which serves about 825,000 people in Pittsburgh and 82 surrounding municipalities, approximately 83,000 of those in the city. ALCOSAN is subject to a federal-state-county consent decree that requires it to reduce sewage overflows into rivers and streams and end the illegal discharges from sanitary sewer outfalls. #          #          #

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