EPA News: EPA awards $1.2 million to Delaware to control polluted runoff, restore water quality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov   EPA awards $1.2 million to Delaware to control polluted runoff, restore water quality   PHILADELPHIA (September 30, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $1,233,200 grant to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to improve water quality in rivers and streams throughout the state. The grant is part of EPA's Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant Program, as outlined in Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, to control water pollution. "With this funding, EPA supports the preservation and protection of Delaware's water resources for communities throughout the state," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "By working in partnership with Delaware, we can reduce nonpoint source pollution and help ensure that all Delaware residents have clean water." Nonpoint source pollution is caused when rainfall or snowmelt, moving over and through the ground, picks up and carries natural and human-made pollutants, depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and groundwater. Controlling nonpoint source pollution is especially important since one in three Americans get their drinking water from public systems that rely on seasonal and rain-dependent streams. The projects funded with this grant focus on watersheds with water quality impairments caused by polluted run-off from nonpoint sources. Nonpoint source implementation projects include structural and non-structural best management practices, watershed planning, monitoring, technology demonstrations, and a variety of education/outreach programs. Learn more about successful nonpoint source reduction projects at: https://www.epa.gov/nps #          #         #

 

 

 

 

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EPA News: EPA awards $1.8 million to West Virginia to control polluted runoff, restore water quality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov   EPA awards $1.8 million to West Virginia to control polluted runoff, restore water quality   PHILADELPHIA (September 30, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $1,855,200 grant to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to improve water quality in rivers and streams throughout the state. The grant is part of EPA's Nonpoint Source Implementation Grant Program, as outlines in Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, to control water pollution. "With this funding, EPA supports the preservation and protection of West Virginia's water resources for communities throughout the state," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "By working in partnership with West Virginia, we can reduce nonpoint source pollution and help ensure that all West Virginian's have clean water." Nonpoint source pollution is caused when rainfall or snowmelt, moving over and through the ground, picks up and carries natural and human-made pollutants, depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and groundwater. Controlling nonpoint source pollution is especially important since one in three Americans get their drinking water from public systems that rely on seasonal and rain-dependent streams. The projects funded with this grant focus on watersheds with water quality impairments caused by polluted run-off from nonpoint sources. Nonpoint source implementation projects include structural and non-structural best management practices, watershed planning, monitoring, technology demonstrations, and a variety of education/outreach programs. Learn more about successful nonpoint source reduction projects at: https://www.epa.gov/nps #          #         #

 

 

 

 

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EPA Finalizes Plan to Address Potential Contamination at Properties near the Facet Enterprises, Inc.

EPA Finalizes Plan to Address Potential Contamination at Properties near the Facet Enterprises, Inc., Superfund Site in Elmira Heights, New York Contact: Mike Basile, (716) 551-4410, basile.michael@epa.gov                Stephen McBay, (212) 637-3672, mcbay.stephen@epa.gov NEW YORK (October 29, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its plan to address vapor intrusion at certain residential and commercial properties as part of the cleanup of the Facet Enterprises, Inc., Superfund site in Elmira Heights, New York. The final decision, in the form of a Record of Decision (ROD), calls for the installation of vapor mitigation systems to vent hazardous vapors that rise through the soil which can potentially affect indoor air quality and harm human health. "EPA's decision will protect residents and workers from dangerous vapors that can potentially enter buildings through places such as cracks in the foundation and openings for utility lines," said Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "It is important to note that the systems to vent these vapors will be installed at no cost to the owners. Meanwhile, because the contamination at the site remains, EPA will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the systems and remain in close contact with property owners." To date, 264 residential and commercial properties have been sampled for vapor intrusion of volatile organic compounds, primarily trichloroethylene (known as TCE). EPA has already installed 60 mitigation systems to direct any potential vapors from under the property to the outside air and plans to install seven more systems at properties identified during recent sampling. The NYSDEC is installing an additional 11 systems. EPA will continue to sample properties in the study area and anticipates that up to an additional 75 properties could be identified as requiring mitigation. The Facet Enterprises, Inc., facility, a 31-acre parcel of land, is in the Village of Elmira Heights. The facility previously made products such as bicycle parts, automobile engine components and small arms for the military. The facility is currently operated by Motor Components LLC for the manufacture of electric fuel pumps. EPA selected a remedy in September 1992 to address the contaminated soil, sediment, and groundwater at the facility property. Purolator Products, Inc., a potentially responsible party, entered into an agreement with EPA to perform the 1992 cleanup activities. These activities included excavating contaminated soil and sediments, installing wells to extract contaminated groundwater from the aquifer at the facility property and installing a treatment system to treat the extracted groundwater using an air stripper. The groundwater pump and treat system located at the facility property has been operational since 1997. On July 22, 2021, EPA proposed this plan to the public and held an in-person and virtual public meeting on July 28, 2021, to explain the plan and take comments. The Record of Decision released today, which has the support of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, addresses the comments received and formalizes EPA's selected cleanup plan. EPA's Record of Decision and the agency's responses to public comments will be available at www.epa.gov/superfund/facet-enterprises. Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2 21-061

 

 

 

 

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Issued: Sep 27, 2021 (5:17pm EDT)

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EPA Now Hosting Biweekly National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Calls

WASHINGTON (Sept. 27, 2021) —  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invites Environmental Justice (EJ) advocates and the public to participate in the agency's National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Calls, now happening biweekly, to discuss and receive feedback on all aspects of EJ at EPA with partners and communities.

"The voice of communities is what centers and drives our efforts to advance environmental justice at EPA," said Office of Environmental Justice Director Matthew Tejada. "Our mission to protect the health and environments of everyone in the United States can only be achieved if we listen to and engage with communities who have not received the same level of protection. Given the historic mandate of the Biden-Harris Administration and Administrator Regan's leadership, these calls are a direct line for EPA to hear from communities."

By increasing the community engagement calls from quarterly to biweekly, EPA will further encourage an open dialogue with EJ leaders and advocates. These meetings not only serve as an opportunity to give an update on EPA's EJ work and its resources, but also to listen and learn from communities, partners, and stakeholders. Additionally, the biweekly community engagement calls speak to the agency's commitment to Justice40, an initiative announced by President Joe Biden, to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of relevant federal investments to disadvantaged communities.

The next national EJ community engagement call is Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/epa-national-environmental-justice-community-engagement-call-sep-28-2021-registration-173740832507.

To see the calendar for upcoming calls, register for upcoming calls, and view meeting materials for past calls, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/national-environmental-justice-community-engagement-calls. You can also follow the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice on Twitter (@EPAEnvJustice) and subscribe to the EPA's EJ listserv by sending a blank email to join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov.

 

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EPA Names Two DC-Based Trade Associations 2021 Safer Choice Partners of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: R3press@epa.gov

EPA Names Two DC-Based Trade Associations 2021 Safer Choice Partners of the Year

WASHINGTON (Sept. 24, 2021) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is recognizing 33 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 16 states and the District of Columbia for achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals, as part of Pollution Prevention Week. Among the winners were the American Cleaning Institute of Washington, D.C., and the Household and Commercial Products Association, also of Washington, D.C.

Now in its 7^th year, the Safer Choice Partner of the Year award helps consumers and purchasers for facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find products that perform and are safer for human health and the environment. This year's awardees have all shown a commitment to pollution prevention by reducing, eliminating or preventing pollution at its source prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. 

"Today, we recognize the leadership and accomplishments of Safer Choice partners and stakeholders for their work helping consumers and commercial buyers identify products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance," said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. "Additionally, I'm excited to see that the work done by many of this year's awardees support the Biden-Harris Administration's goals of addressing climate change and advancing environmental justice."

American Cleaning Institute, Washington, D.C.

American Cleaning Institute (ACI) is recognized as an outstanding Safer Choice Supporter.  ACI is a trade organization that represents the U.S. cleaning product supply chain. In 2020, ACI contributed toxicological reviews that resulted in eight chemicals being added to EPA's Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL) and was the first non-manufacturer to do so. ACI's news media coverage featuring the Safer Choice program generated a total potential reach of 11.2 million people in 2020 and highlighted that "Adding chemicals to SCIL encourages innovation and growth in safer products, increases markets for manufacturers and helps protect people and the environment."

"Many ACI member companies have products and chemistries that are recognized by the EPA Safer Choice program. The SCIL allows manufacturers the ability to offer best-in-class safer chemicals to the market that carry the robust third-party verification of the EPA," said Melissa Hockstad, ACI's President & CEO. "ACI is proud to have supported the program for the last decade through ongoing work with EPA staff, including the advocacy of science-based principles for ingredient and product criteria."

ACI also partnered with the Good Housekeeping Institute to host their first-ever cleaning summit, which included a panel on ingredient transparency that discussed how the Safer Choice program helps consumers find products with safer ingredients. Good Housekeeping shared the Summit with its more than 782,000 newsletter subscribers. Safer Choice commends ACI for their dedication to supporting the SCIL and the Safer Choice program.

 

Household & Commercial Products Association, Washington, D.C.

The Household & Commercial Products Association (HCPA) is recognized as an outstanding Safer Choice Supporter. HCPA is a trade association representing companies that manufacture and sell products used for cleaning, protecting, maintaining and disinfecting homes and commercial environments. In 2020, HCPA continued its support of the Safer Choice program by bringing stakeholders together from across HCPA's membership virtually to strengthen Safer Choice, encourage more HCPA members to get their products certified by Safer Choice, and engage in discussions with Safer Choice staff about improvements to the program. For example, HCPA convened aerosol product manufacturers and suppliers to discuss how aerosol propellant technology fits into the Safer Choice Standard. Safer Choice commends HCPA for its commitment to educating its membership and the public about safer chemical ingredients.

 

"HCPA is extremely proud to be recognized as an EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year – and for the sixth time in seven years," said Steve Caldeira, President & CEO, HCPA. "The Safer Choice program has been, and continues to be, an invaluable resource for the household and commercial products industry by working with companies to develop innovative products that possess an excellent environmental, health, and safety profile. With climate change and environmental justice emerging as top priorities for the EPA this year, HCPA is excited to facilitate productive dialogue between industry and the Agency to achieve these and other public policy goals."

Applicants for this year's awards were encouraged to show how their work with safer chemistry promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, or improves drinking water quality. The work of many of the organizations being recognized today addressed climate change, including by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, several awardees have worked to increase access to products with safer chemical ingredients in underserved communities. In the coming year, EPA hopes to build on this work by expanding the Safer Choice program to make products containing safer chemicals increasingly available to underserved communities, including communities of color and low-income communities.

The 2021 Partner of the Year award winners represent a wide variety of leadership organizations from each of the 10 EPA regions. These include businesses, comprising small- and medium-sized companies and women-owned companies; state and local governments; non-governmental organizations; associations; and others.

More information about all the 2021 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments is available at: http://www.eap.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-partner-year-awards.

 

 

 

 

 

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Issued: Sep 22, 2021 (2:10pm EDT)

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EPA Announces 2021 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award Winners

WASHINGTON (Sept. 22, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing 33 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 16 states and the District of Columbia for achievement in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals, as part of Pollution Prevention Week. The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers for facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find products that perform and are safer for human health and the environment. This year's awardees have all shown a commitment to pollution prevention by reducing, eliminating, or preventing pollution at its source prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal. 

 

"Today, we recognize the leadership and accomplishments of Safer Choice partners and stakeholders for their work helping consumers and commercial buyers identify products with safer chemical ingredients, without sacrificing quality or performance," said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. "Additionally, I'm excited to see that the work done by many of this year's awardees support the Biden-Harris Administration's goals of addressing climate change and advancing environmental justice."

 

Applicants for this year's awards were encouraged to show how their work with safer chemistry promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, or improves drinking water quality. The work of many of the organizations being recognized today addressed climate change, including by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, several awardees have worked to increase access to products with safer chemical ingredients in underserved communities. In the coming year, EPA hopes to build on this work by expanding the Safer Choice program to make products containing safer chemicals increasingly available to underserved communities, including communities of color and low-income communities.

 

The 2021 Partner of the Year award winners represent a wide variety of leadership organizations from each of the 10 EPA regions. These include businesses, comprising small- and medium-sized companies and women-owned companies; state and local governments; non-governmental organizations; associations; and others. The following organizations are being recognized this year:

• Albertsons Companies, Boise, Idaho
• American Cleaning Institute, Washington, DC
• Apple, Cupertino, Calif.
• The Ashkin Group, Channel Islands Harbor, Calif.
• BASF Home Care and I&I Cleaning Solutions, Florham Park, N.J.
• Bona, Englewood, Colo.
• Case Medical, Bloomfield, N.J.
• Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Ewing, N.J.
• The Clorox Company, Oakland, Calif.
• Defunkify, Eugene, Ore.
• Dirty Labs Inc., Portland, Ore.
• ECOS, Cypress, Calif.
• Grove Collaborative, San Francisco, Calif.
• Hazardous Waste Management Program, King County, Wash.
• The Home Depot, Atlanta, Ga.
• Household & Commercial Products Association, Washington, DC
• Jelmar, LLC, Skokie, Ill.
• Lake Monroe Sailing Association, Bloomington, Ind.
• Lemi Shine, Austin, Texas
• LightHouse For The Blind And Visually Impaired, San Francisco, Calif.
• LSI, Morristown, N.J.
• Novozymes North America, Raleigh, N.C.
• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality-Toxics Use Reduction Program, Ore.
• The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
• PurposeBuilt Brands, Gurnee, Ill.
• Roger McFadden and Associates, LLC, Canby, Ore.
• Rust-Oleum Corporation, Vernon Hills, Ill.
• Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Seattle, Wash.
• Sensitive Home, Greenbrae, Calif.
• Seventh Generation, Burlington, Vt.
• University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Continuing Education Programs, Seattle, Wash.
• Wegmans Food Markets, Rochester, N.Y.
• Wexford Labs, Inc., Kirkwood, Mo.

 

More information on the 2021 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments are available at: http://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-choice-partner-year-awards.

 

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EPA, WVDEP to Hold Public Meeting to Discuss Ethylene Oxide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: R3ress@epagov

 

EPA, WVDEP to Hold Public Meeting to Discuss Ethylene Oxide

 

PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 21, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) will hold a virtual community meeting on September 23, starting at 6 p.m.

EPA and WVDEP will provide information about ethylene oxide (EtO) to members of the community, public officials, and leaders of community organizations and answer questions about EtO, known health effects, associated risks and how it is managed in Institute and South Charleston, W.V.

Due to the current pandemic, in lieu of an in-person meeting, EPA and WVDEP have opted to hold a virtual meeting to engage with the community.  This meeting will be held online and/or over the phone via Zoom Cloud Meeting Video and Call-in Conferencing.

The meeting address is: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1607241585

Meeting ID: 160 724 1585

To dial in to the audio portion: US: +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666 or +1 669 216 1590 or +1 551 285 1373 (Zoom does not charge long-distance fees; local mobile carrier fees may vary)

All ethylene oxide related questions can be sent to: R3EthyleneOxide@epa.gov 

All news media inquiries and RSVPs should be directed to

 

 

 

 

 

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EPA News: EPA awards $1M grant to Arlington, Va. group to support small drinking water systems

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov EPA awards nearly $1 million research grant to Arlington, Va. group to support small drinking water systems PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 20, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced an award of $965,395 in research funding to the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) in Arlington, Virginia, to develop and validate approaches that states can use to obtain approval for new or alternative technologies for very small drinking water systems. "It is important that our towns and rural communities have the tools they need to maintain their water systems and provide people with clean drinking water," said Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in EPA's Office of Research and Development. "ASDWA's research will help address challenges in maintaining water quality and availability." Very small drinking water systems (serving 500 or less people) often lack the financial and technical resources to identify and implement technologies and approaches to address their most pressing challenges. Potential threats to drinking water safety come from many sources, including the presence of chemical or biological contaminants. Technological innovation can help address these challenges, but it is difficult for states to review and approve new technologies in a timely manner while ensuring these treatment technologies protect public health. ASDWA will conduct research to identify approaches to improve how states consider sources of performance data and other information to make decisions to allow innovative water technologies to be used. ASDWA will also establish effective ways for multiple states to work together to minimize state-by-state testing protocols. More information about the grant to ASDWA is available at: https://go.usa.gov/xMKp6 Learn more about EPA's research grants program: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants   All news media inquiries and RSVPs should be directed to R3press@epa.gov

 

 

 

 

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EPA Releases Case Study on Air Pollution Reductions for the New York/New Jersey Harbor Deepening

EPA Releases Case Study on Air Pollution Reductions for the New York/New Jersey Harbor Deepening Project PROJECT ACHIEVES PERMANENT AIR QUALITY BENEFITS FOR MILLIONS IN NEW YORK METRO AREA Contact Information: John Senn, senn.john@epa.gov, 212-637-3662 NEW YORK (Sept. 15, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new case study on the New York/New Jersey Harbor Deepening project, which highlights how coordination between federal, state, and local agencies led to lasting reductions in air pollution from marine vessels operating in one of America's busiest waterways. As a result of this federal, state and local partnership, an estimated 2,000 tons of nitrogen oxide were prevented from polluting the air. Nitrogen oxide reacts with other chemicals in the air to form both particulate matter and ozone, which are harmful when inhaled due to effects on the respiratory system. "Addressing air pollution at ports like the Port of New York and New Jersey is critical to protecting public health in the surrounding communities – especially those with environmental justice concerns – because poor air quality can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma," said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "This case study shows how federal, state, and local agencies can effectively partner to find and implement solutions to reduce harmful air pollution at our ports."    The case study outlines how government agencies came together during the $2.1 billion channel deepening at the Port of New York and New Jersey to ensure Clean Air Act compliance while providing lasting clean air benefits. The multi-agency team, which included EPA, put together a strategy to offset the NOx emissions that generated from harbor deepening machinery with emissions reductions projects like upgrading old engines ferries and tugboats. They also developed a process for tracking emissions and implementing changes as needed over the 12-year-long project. In total, project partners funded engine repowers and after treatment emissions controls on 36 tugs and ferries operating in the harbor. These cleaner engines offset all the emissions associated with dredging plus an additional 2,000 tons, or about the same as shutting down a local natural gas power plant for six years. The engine repowers proved very cost effective, coming in at just over $2,000 per ton of NOx reduced. The multi-agency team is still active, and their process has been successfully applied to more than 10 additional projects. The model outlined in the case study can serve as an example for other large-scale projects to determine the proper tracking, analysis, and mitigation efforts needed to ensure regulatory compliance, expedient and cost-effective project implementation, and net environmental benefits beyond compliance. Ports are critical for commerce, a keystone for economic growth, and play a significant role in the goods movement supply chain. Investing in clean port infrastructure and operations supports economic prosperity and reductions in emissions.  EPA's Ports Initiative works to improve efficiency and reduce harmful air pollution at ports by advancing next-generation, clean technologies and practices, and collaboration among stakeholders including the port industry, communities, and all levels of government. To learn more about EPA's Ports Initiative, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative. To review the case study, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative/new-york-new-jersey-harbor-deepening-project-combines-infrastructure-improvements   Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2   21-060                                                                         ###

 

 

 

 

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EPA and WVDEP to Hold Public Meeting to Discuss Ethylene Oxide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: R3press@epa.gov

EPA and WVDEP to Hold Public Meeting to Discuss Ethylene Oxide

PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 14, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) will hold a virtual community meeting on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.

EPA and WVDEP will provide information and answer questions about ethylene oxide, how it is managed, and associated risks in Institute and South Charleston. 

This meeting is for members of the community, public officials, and leaders of community organizations to inform about ethylene oxide and known health effects, uses of ethylene oxide, managed by facilities, and associated risks with ethylene oxide.   

Due to the current pandemic, in lieu of an in-person meeting, EPA and WVDEP have opted to hold a virtual meeting to engage with the community.  This meeting will be held online and/or over the phone via Zoom Cloud Meeting Video and Call in Conferencing.

The meeting address is: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1607241585

Meeting ID: 160 724 1585

To dial in to the audio portion: US: +1 669 254 5252 or +1 646 828 7666 or +1 669 216 1590 or +1 551 285 1373

Meeting ID:  160 724 1585

You can send ethylene oxide related questions to R3EthyleneOxide@epa.gov.

All news media inquiries and RSVPs should be directed to R3press@epa.gov

 

 

 

 

 

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EPA Removes Butler Mine Tunnel from List of Nation’s Most Contaminated Sites

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: R3press@epa.gov

EPA Removes Butler Mine Tunnel from List of Nation's Most Contaminated Sites

PHILADELPHIA (Sept.. 14, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it has deleted the Butler Mine Tunnel in Pittston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, from the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is a list of the nation's most contaminated hazardous waste sites.

EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL when no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. Years, and sometimes decades, of complex investigation and cleanup work have gone into getting these sites to the point where they can be deleted from the NPL.

"Deleting sites from the NPL is a major milestone for Superfund impacted communities," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher.  "An NPL deletion signals that cleanup is complete and the site no longer poses a threat to public health and the environment."

EPA published a Federal Register Notice on May 14, proposing to delete the Butler Mine tunnel site from the NPL and establishing a 30-day public comment period during which the agency did not receive any significant adverse comments.

The Butler Mine Tunnel Site was created by the illegal disposal of oily waste into abandoned underground coal mines during the late 1970s.  Waste oil discharged from the mines in 1979, and again in 1985, following heavy rains associated with Hurricane Gloria.  In each case, waste oil discharged from the mines into the Susquehanna River via the Butler Mine Tunnel.

The EPA response to the discharges included:

• Establishing an Administrative Center to monitor the site.
• Responding to flush outs with construction and equipment.
• Closing boreholes.
• Developing an operations and maintenance plan.
• Encouraging more responsible disposal of waste through a community education program.

Based on monitoring data collected, further oil flush outs associated with the original disposal activities are not expected.  The EPA response at the Butler Mine Tunnel is now complete and as a result, the Site has been deleted from the NPL.

 

 

 

 

 

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