EPA News: Armada Supply Chain Partners Recognized for Environmental Performance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov Armada Supply Chain Partners Rated Among Top Environmental Performers and Leaders for Freight Supply Chain Efficiency PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 29, 2021) – Armada Supply Chain Partners of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was honored with a SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency.  Armada was one of 12 companies in the shipper and logistic partner category to receive this distinction, representing the top performing, environmentally responsible SmartWay Partners that move more goods more miles with lower emissions and less energy.  Excellence Award recipients were announced at a virtual press event hosted by the EPA with its SmartWay Partners, key stakeholders, and media in attendance.  "For 17 years, EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership has empowered businesses to move goods in the cleanest, most energy-efficient way possible, while protecting public health and reducing air pollution." said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "We commend the innovation, drive, and collaborative spirit of our partners whose efforts are helping to meet the challenge of climate change and to create a healthier environment for us all." Demonstrating a commitment to corporate sustainability and social responsibility through SmartWay provides for a more competitive business environment, while enabling partners to make freight decisions that have a positive impact on efficiency and the environment. Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting more than 143 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2,), 2.7 million tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 112,000 tons of particulate matter (PM), while saving $44.8 billion in fuel costs and 335 million barrels of oil – equivalent to eliminating annual energy use in over 21 million homes. For more information on SmartWay, please visit: www.epa.gov/smartway/   For more information on the SmartWay Excellence Awards, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/smartway/smartway-excellence-awardees

 

 

 

 

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EPA News: Cowan Systems LLC Awarded Top Environmental Performers for Freight Supply Chain Efficiency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov Cowan Systems LLC Awarded Top Environmental Performers and Leaders for Freight Supply Chain Efficiency PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 29, 2021) – Cowan Systems LLC of Baltimore has been honored with a SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a true industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency.  Cowan was one of 60 truck and multimodal carriers to receive this distinction, representing the best environmental performers of SmartWay's nearly 4,000 Partners.  This year's awards were announced at a virtual press event hosted by the EPA with its SmartWay Partners, key stakeholders, and media in attendance. Cowan Systems, LLC President, Dennis Morgan, accepted the award on behalf of the company's 2,400 employees. Morgan said, "At Cowan Systems we believe that investing in clean technology and fuel efficient, lightweight equipment is good for business, good for our customers, and good for the environment. It's a no-brainer, really.  We are very proud of this award and truly appreciate the recognition." "For 17 years, EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership has empowered businesses to move goods in the cleanest, most energy-efficient way possible, while protecting public health and reducing air pollution." said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "We commend the innovation, drive, and collaborative spirit of our partners whose efforts are helping to meet the challenge of climate change and to create a healthier environment for us all." Cowan Systems, LLC is a full-service transportation and logistics company based in Baltimore with operations across the U.S. specializing in providing high quality dedicated fleet service for companies requiring first-rate performance. Demonstrating a commitment to corporate sustainability and social responsibility through SmartWay provides for a more competitive business environment, while enabling partners to make freight decisions that have a positive impact on efficiency and the environment. Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting more than 143 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 2.7 million tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 112,000 tons of particulate matter (PM), while saving $44.8 billion in fuel costs and 335 million barrels of oil – equivalent to eliminating annual energy use in over 21 million homes. For more information on SmartWay, please visit: www.epa.gov/smartway/ For more information about the SmartWay Excellence Awards, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/smartway/smartway-excellence-awardees

 

 

 

 

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EPA News: Penske Logistics LLC Awarded Top Environmental Leaders for Freight Supply Chain Efficiency

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: R3press@epa.gov Penske Logistics LLC Awarded Top Environmental Performers and Leaders For Freight Supply Chain Efficiency PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 29, 2021) – Penske Logistics LLC, headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, has been honored with a SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a true industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency.  Penske was one of 60 truck and multimodal carriers to receive this distinction, representing the best environmental performers of SmartWay's nearly 4,000 Partners.  This year's awards were announced at a virtual press event hosted by the EPA with its SmartWay Partners, key stakeholders, and media in attendance.    "For 17 years, EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership has empowered businesses to move goods in the cleanest, most energy-efficient way possible, while protecting public health and reducing air pollution." said EPA Mid-Atlantic Acting Regional Administrator Diana Esher. "We commend the innovation, drive, and collaborative spirit of our partners whose efforts are helping to meet the challenge of climate change and to create a healthier environment for us all." Penske has consistently demonstrated that operations know how its specialists and engineers help improve their customers' supply chain through flexibility and by using proven data collection and analysis techniques, proprietary modeling tools, and extensive experience with diverse supply chains to ultimately save time and money. Penske Logistics consultants augment supply chains by: Quickly identifying potential cost savings to operational constraints. Providing a way to quickly validate improvement opportunities. Recommending the strategy that works best with their clients and their customers. Demonstrating a commitment to corporate sustainability and social responsibility through SmartWay provides for a more competitive business environment, while enabling partners to make freight decisions that have a positive impact on efficiency and the environment. Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have avoided emitting more than 143 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) 2.7 million tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), and 112,000 tons of particulate matter (PM), while saving $44.8 billion in fuel costs and 335 million barrels of oil – equivalent to eliminating annual energy use in over 21 million homes. For more information on SmartWay, please visit: www.epa.gov/smartway/  For more information about the SmartWay Excellence Awards, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/smartway/smartway-excellence-awardees

 

 

 

 

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Issued: Oct 27, 2021 (2:46pm EDT)

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EPA Awards $6 Million in Funding to Research Human Viruses Found in Wastewater Intended for Reuse

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $6,198,689 in funding for five grants to support research on existing and novel surrogates for detecting and monitoring viruses that are excreted with feces in wastewater that is intended for water reuse applications.

"Safe and reliable water supplies are critical to our nation's communities and economy," said Dr. Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in EPA's Office of Research and Development. "The research funded by these grants will coordinate water reuse research, help identify critical science gaps and accelerate opportunities for reuse."

The reclamation and reuse of wastewater has the potential to significantly increase the nation's total available water resources. When recycling wastewater, a chief public health concern is the risk posed by the presence of viruses that can infect humans, which can be difficult to reduce with traditional sewage treatment approaches. EPA expects the research from these grants will provide information that will enable wastewater operators, reuse projects, and state and local regulators to ensure the public is protected from these viruses when reusing municipal wastewater for various reuse applications.

The following groups are receiving funding under these Nationals Priorities grant awards:

• Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Mass., to identify wastewater technologies and treatment processes capable of removing viruses to allow safe reuse of the treated wastewater, and to evaluate the use of five surrogates as possible indicators for presence of human viruses during treatment processes.
• Tulane University, New Orleans, La., to develop a better understanding of viruses in different wastewater systems and design improved viral surrogate approaches that address challenges and shortcomings of current methodologies, including low concentrations of viruses in wastewater, detection, and a lack of specificity for addressing human health risk.
• University of California – Irvine, Irvine, Calif., to conduct research that will result in recommendations of the best methods for identifying the viral risk for non-potable water reuse and standard operating procedures for these methods.
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Mich., to develop surrogate-based frameworks for virus control through water recycling facilities.
• Water Research Foundation, Denver, Colo., to identify chemical and/or viral surrogates for virus reduction during wastewater treatment processes in real-world systems and create reduction methods for each treatment process.

Learn more about the grantees: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/676/records_per_page/ALL

Learn more about EPA research grants: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants

 

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Issued: Oct 27, 2021 (2:46pm EDT)

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PREVIEW: EPA Awards $6 Million in Funding to Research Human Viruses Found in Wastewater Intended for Reuse

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $6,198,689 in funding for five grants to support research on existing and novel surrogates for detecting and monitoring viruses that are excreted with feces in wastewater that is intended for water reuse applications.

"Safe and reliable water supplies are critical to our nation's communities and economy," said Dr. Wayne Cascio, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Science in EPA's Office of Research and Development. "The research funded by these grants will coordinate water reuse research, help identify critical science gaps and accelerate opportunities for reuse."

The reclamation and reuse of wastewater has the potential to significantly increase the nation's total available water resources. When recycling wastewater, a chief public health concern is the risk posed by the presence of viruses that can infect humans, which can be difficult to reduce with traditional sewage treatment approaches. EPA expects the research from these grants will provide information that will enable wastewater operators, reuse projects, and state and local regulators to ensure the public is protected from these viruses when reusing municipal wastewater for various reuse applications.

The following groups are receiving funding under these Nationals Priorities grant awards:

• Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment and Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Mass., to identify wastewater technologies and treatment processes capable of removing viruses to allow safe reuse of the treated wastewater, and to evaluate the use of five surrogates as possible indicators for presence of human viruses during treatment processes.
• Tulane University, New Orleans, La., to develop a better understanding of viruses in different wastewater systems and design improved viral surrogate approaches that address challenges and shortcomings of current methodologies, including low concentrations of viruses in wastewater, detection, and a lack of specificity for addressing human health risk.
• University of California – Irvine, Irvine, Calif., to conduct research that will result in recommendations of the best methods for identifying the viral risk for non-potable water reuse and standard operating procedures for these methods.
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Mich., to develop surrogate-based frameworks for virus control through water recycling facilities.
• Water Research Foundation, Denver, Colo., to identify chemical and/or viral surrogates for virus reduction during wastewater treatment processes in real-world systems and create reduction methods for each treatment process.

Learn more about the grantees: https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipients.display/rfa_id/676/records_per_page/ALL

Learn more about EPA research grants: https://www.epa.gov/research-grants

 

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Issued: Oct 26, 2021 (5:00pm EDT)

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EPA Announces $224 Million Water Infrastructure Loan for Climate Resilience in Los Angeles

Nationally, 60 WIFIA loans are financing over $25 billion in water infrastructure upgrades, creating 71,000 jobs

WASHINGTON (Oct. 26, 2021)— Today, at a virtual event with Mayor Eric Garcetti, California Water Resources Control Board Chair Joaquin Esquivel, and other officials, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox announced a $224 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation. EPA's WIFIA loan will help finance a project to purify wastewater and replenish the San Fernando Basin to bolster precious groundwater resources in this drought-stressed region.

"This mega-drought in the west is a forceful and persistent reminder that bold action is needed to protect our communities and address the climate crisis," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. "We see water infrastructure projects—like the Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility—as central to climate resiliency and we commend our state and local partners for this project."

The City of Los Angeles's Donald C. Tillman Advanced Water Purification Facility (AWPF) will turn the city's wastewater into a sustainable water source to replenish the region's groundwater and increase its resiliency to drought. Daily, 15.5 million gallons of the city's wastewater will be purified and used to replenish the San Fernando Basin and its aquifers. EPA's WIFIA loan will help finance construction of the AWPF and related infrastructure.

"At a time when imported water supplies have grown scarce and we're facing a statewide drought emergency, it is critically important that we increase our local water resilience," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "Through investments in the Advanced Water Purification Facility and our Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, water credit programs like EPA's WIFIA and the State Revolving Fund are helping to secure a sustainable water future for Los Angeles."

"As we reconcile our 20th century infrastructure with the realities of a 21st century climate, this project is an investment in the resiliency and innovation that has and will continue to fuel Los Angeles' future," said E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Board.  "This critical water recycling project, and a fast growing number throughout the state, are possible thanks to the collaboration and aligned between local, state and federal leadership, funding, and policies."

The $224 million WIFIA loan will finance nearly half of the $458 million project costs. The remaining project costs will be funded by revenue bonds and borrower cash. This WIFIA loan is expected to save the City of Los Angeles approximately $81 million in interest costs. Project construction and operation are expected to create an estimated 1,400 jobs and construction is expected to be completed in 2027.

Background

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. WIFIA's aim is to accelerate investment in the nation's water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects.

The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs. With this WIFIA loan closing, EPA has announced 60 WIFIA loans that are providing $11.7 billion in credit assistance to help finance approximately over $25 billion for water infrastructure while creating approximately 71,000 jobs and saving ratepayers over $4.5 billion.

For more information about the WIFIA program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia.

 

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Issued: Oct 26, 2021 (1:57pm EDT)

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EPA Responds to New Mexico Governor and Acts to Address PFAS Under Hazardous Waste Law

WASHINGTON (Oct. 26, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is acting upon a petition from Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico to tackle PFAS contamination under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). In responding to the petition, EPA outlined plans to initiate the rulemaking process for two new actions under the hazardous waste law, reflecting the agency's focus on using best available science and leveraging authorities to combat this shared challenge.

"We can only make progress for communities suffering from PFAS pollution if we work collaboratively across levels of government and harness our collective resources and authority," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Today, we are taking important steps toward developing new scientific approaches to confront these dangerous chemicals and strengthening the ability to clean up PFAS contamination. I thank Governor Lujan Grisham for her engagement and leadership, which will lead to better protections for people in New Mexico and across the country."

"I applaud Administrator Regan for empowering states to follow New Mexico's lead and hold PFAS polluters accountable," said Governor Lujan Grisham. "By taking an urgent and science-based approach to this issue, we're helping to protect communities in New Mexico and around the country."

Governor Lujan Grisham's petition requested that PFAS be identified as hazardous waste under RCRA, either as a class or as individual chemicals. In today's response, EPA is announcing the initiation of two rulemakings. First, the agency will initiate the process to propose adding four PFAS chemicals as RCRA Hazardous Constituents under Appendix VIII, by evaluating the existing data for these chemicals and establishing a record to support such a proposed rule. The four PFAS chemicals EPA will evaluate are: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS), and GenX. Adding these chemicals as RCRA Hazardous Constituents would ensure they are subject to corrective action requirements and would be a necessary building block for future work to regulate PFAS as a listed hazardous waste.

The second rulemaking effort will clarify in our regulations that the RCRA Corrective Action Program has the authority to require investigation and cleanup for wastes that meet the statutory definition of hazardous waste, as defined under RCRA section 1004(5). This modification would clarify that emerging contaminants such as PFAS can be cleaned up through the RCRA corrective action process.

These actions build on EPA's broader strategy to comprehensively address PFAS pollution across the country, following its announcement last week of the PFAS Strategic Roadmap. The roadmap commits EPA to bold new policies to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. The actions described in the PFAS Roadmap each represent important and meaningful steps to safeguard communities from PFAS contamination. Cumulatively, these actions will build upon one another and lead to more enduring and protective solutions.

View Governor Lujan Grisham's petition and the response: https://www.epa.gov/hw.

Learn more about EPA's Council on PFAS: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/epa-actions-address-pfas.

Background:

PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they do not break down, and they can accumulate over time. Evidence indicates that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.

Learn more about PFAS: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas.

 

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EPA Highlights Actions During National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week WASHINGTON (Oct. 25, 2021) Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joins its federal agency partners in highlighting National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, October 25-29, 2021. EPA, along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are working to raise awareness, provide resources, and encourage preventive actions to decrease childhood lead exposure during the week and beyond. "Despite all the progress we have made in reducing lead in our environment over the last 40 years, too many people in this country still face significant health risks from lead exposure, especially children who are the most vulnerable among us," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "EPA is committed to protecting the nation's children from the harmful effects of lead, especially in overburdened and underserved communities across the country."  Lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement in children. While lead is dangerous to all children, not all children are equally exposed to lead, nor do they suffer the same consequences of exposure. The harmful impacts of lead disproportionately impact environmentally overburdened, low-income families and their communities. EPA Actions: Because children can be exposed to lead from multiple sources in their environment, EPA is taking a whole of government approach to reducing blood lead levels in children by working closely with other federal agencies such as HUD and CDC that can help address this issue, as well as with state, Tribal, and local government partners. Over the next several years, EPA will target opportunities to focus resources on the most vulnerable communities. For example: Releasing a National Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures: EPA will soon be releasing a "Draft Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities" for public comment. The Strategy will advance the Agency's work to protect the public from lead with an emphasis on high-risk communities. Reviewing the Lead and Copper Rule: EPA is reviewing its current Lead and Copper Rule, to assure that it improves public health and reduces lead and copper in drinking water. The Agency hosted a series of virtual engagements with low-income communities and communities of color to obtain further public input on the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. Addressing Lead in Drinking Water: EPA will be issuing guidance to assist states and communities in identifying lead service lines, the most significant sources of lead in drinking water, and prioritizing their replacement. Testing for and Remediating Lead in Schools and Childcare Facilities: EPA will be working with partners to test for lead in the drinking water of schools and childcare facilities, and to provide tools and resources for remediation actions. Working with Drinking Water Service Providers: EPA will provide training and technical assistance to drinking water service providers to protect children and households in impacted communities and will help providers improve outreach to drinking water consumers to take actions to reduce their lead exposure. Cleaning up Lead at Superfund Sites: EPA has identified nearly 1,200 Superfund National Priorities List and Superfund Alternative Approach sites where lead is a contaminant of concern, potentially exposing children in communities across the country. EPA will continue working across all our national programs to reduce lead exposure at these sites with an emphasis on addressing disproportionate impacts in communities with lower socioeconomic status. Reducing Exposures to Lead-Based Paint Hazards: EPA will continue to reduce exposures to lead in paint and dust by raising awareness about childhood lead exposure with a nationwide education and outreach initiative in underserved communities, and revising two regulations to provide important provisions to protect children from exposure to lead dust on floors and windowsills, one of the most common sources of elevated blood lead levels in children. Taking Lead Enforcement Actions: EPA will continue to initiate enforcement actions to protect against children's health hazards in areas such as exposure to lead paint, the presence of lead and other contaminants in drinking water, and particulate lead air emissions. In addition, EPA will be carrying out the following activities during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to help a wide variety of audiences learn more about preventing lead exposure. Lead Awareness Curriculum Train-the-Trainer Session - Join EPA Wednesday, October 27 at 2:00 pm ET for a live discussion on how to use and modify the "Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy!" materials for any community. Register here. Understanding Lead Webinar – Join EPA Thursday, October 28 at 3:00 pm ET for a live presentation, featuring simultaneous Spanish interpretation, of "Module 1: Understanding Lead" from the Lead Awareness Curriculum to receive an overview of lead, its impacts and actions that can be taken to reduce potential lead exposures and lead poisoning. Register here. Renovation, Restoration and Painting (RRP) Trainings – EPA is also offering trainings for renovators at no cost. Learn more and register for an upcoming in-person RRP training near you.  Background: Established in 1999 by the US Senate, National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week occurs every year during the last week in October. During this week, many states and communities offer free blood-lead testing and conduct various education and awareness events. For more information on what EPA, HUD, and CDC are doing during NLPPW: EPA - https://www.epa.gov/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week HUD - https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes/nlppw CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/national-lead-poisoning-prevention-week.htm For more information on EPA and Lead: https://www.epa.gov/lead

 

 

 

 

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