EPA Continues to Protect Community by Requiring Additional Monitoring of Emissions from Limetree Bay

CONTACT: senn.john@epa.gov EPA Continues to Protect Community by Requiring Additional Monitoring of Emissions from Limetree Bay Refinery on St. Croix NEW YORK (June 17, 2021) – In its ongoing efforts to protect overburdened communities from pollution, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it is establishing air monitoring requirements that Limetree Bay Terminals, LLC and Limetree Bay Refining, LLC must meet regarding the company's refinery on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Repeated, recent incidents at the facility have raised significant health concerns and reinforced the need for air monitors to be in place and operational. The Limetree refinery is in a community that is disproportionately affected by environmental burdens and addressing environmental justice issues is a priority for EPA. "This monitoring will provide important information about emissions coming from the operations at Limetree's refinery," said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "EPA is in close touch with this community to be responsive to serious pollution concerns, and we will not hesitate to use our authority to ensure companies like Limetree Bay come into compliance with laws that protect clean air. At the same time, we recognize the economic importance of this business on St. Croix, and EPA stands ready to assist Limetree in understanding its compliance obligations." In a June 16, 2021 letter to Limetree, issued under Section 114 of the Clean Air Act, EPA is directing Limetree to develop and submit within 15 days a plan to install, operate and maintain nine hydrogen sulfide (H2S) monitors and nine sulfur dioxide (SO2) monitors on St. Croix. Five of the SO2 monitors are already required by a preexisting permit. The other four SO2 monitors and all nine of the H2S monitors are being newly required. EPA's May 14, 2021 administrative order under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act requires Limetree to arrange for an independent auditor to evaluate the refinery's compliance with environmental requirements. EPA is working to lend relief and assistance to the surrounding St. Croix community members, many of whom have been sickened by some of the releases from the refinery. On May 12, Limetree temporarily stopped certain refinery operations following a series of incidents that included exceedances of limits for SO2 and H2S, endangering the health and welfare of nearby communities. To read the EPA directive requiring the additional monitors, visit: https://www.epa.gov/vi/limetree-bay-terminals-and-limetree-bay-refining-llc Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2 21-044                                                                         ###

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New York Ranks in Top 10 U.S. Cities with Energy Star Certified Buildings

CONTACT: mcbay.stephen@epa.gov   New York Ranks in Top 10 U.S. Cities with Energy Star Certified Buildings Energy efficiency helps cut energy costs while reducing emissions NEW YORK (June 17, 2021) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its most recent annual "Top Cities" list, spotlighting the cities with the largest number of ENERGY STAR certified commercial and multifamily buildings last year. New York made the national "Top Ten," scoring the fifth spot on the list with 276 ENERGY STAR certified buildings. "Cities and communities play an essential role in reducing energy use in commercial and multifamily buildings," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "With help from ENERGY STAR, city leaders and building owners are working together to strengthen their economies and reduce the emissions that lead to climate change." "New York City's path to carbon neutrality cannot exist without making our built environment more energy-efficient, sustainable, and comfortable for all New Yorkers," said Ben Furnas, Director of the NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Sustainability. "Being one of the leading cities in energy performance year after year reaffirms our ambitious approach to curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Thank you to the EPA for this recognition and vote of confidence." Commercial buildings are responsible for 18 percent of the nation's energy use and cost more than $190 billion per year in energy bills. ENERGY STAR certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings. First released in 2009, EPA's list of cities with the most ENERGY STAR certified buildings shows how buildings across America are embracing energy efficiency as a simple and effective way to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To create the annual list, EPA tallies the number of ENERGY STAR certified buildings within each metropolitan area, as defined by the U.S. Census. These areas include the city itself as well as surrounding suburbs. This year's Top Cities are: Rank Metro Area Building Count Last Year's Rank 1 Los Angeles 587 1 2 Washington, DC 549 2 3 San Francisco 341 6 4 Atlanta 329 4 5 New York 276 5 6 Chicago 237 7 7 Houston 195 10 8 Dallas 194 3 9 Boston 193 11 10 Denver 186 9 11 Seattle 165 13 12 San Diego 164 13 13 Riverside, Calif. 152 12 13 Tampa 152 16 15 Minneapolis 133 19 16 Phoenix 119 8 17 Austin 107 17 18 San Jose 104 18 19 Charlotte 103 23 20 Miami 87 21 20 Philadelphia 87 15 22 Sacramento 77 22 23 Portland 65 n/a 24 Raleigh 54 n/a 25 San Antonio 42 n/a Across the country, nearly 6,500 commercial buildings earned the ENERGY STAR last year. As of the end of 2020, over the lifetime of the program, more than 37,000 buildings across America had earned EPA's ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved more than $5 billion on energy bills and prevented nearly 22 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions—equal to the annual emissions of more than 2.6 million homes.  To earn EPA's ENERGY STAR, a commercial building must earn an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher on EPA's 1 – 100 scale, indicating that it is more energy efficient than 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide. When calculating a building's ENERGY STAR score, ENERGY STAR takes into account multiple factors, including hours of operation, energy use, and occupancy. This means that, despite buildings operating differently during the COVID pandemic, ENERGY STAR scores and certification still reflect actual, measured energy efficiency. About ENERGY STAR ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including nearly 40 percent of Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Together, since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs, and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions, all through voluntary action. Learn more about ENERGY STAR at https://www.energystar.gov/about More on ENERGY STAR Top Cities, including the 2021 ranking of top small and mid-sized cities, as well as last year's rankings: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/about_us/newsroom/2021_top_cities Search for ENERGY STAR certified buildings: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/reference/find-energy-star-certified-buildings-and-plants/registry-energy-star-certified-buildings More about earning the ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/building_recognition/building_certification Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2   21-043

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EPA Announces $500,000 in Supplemental Funds to Cleanup and Redevelop Contaminated Brownfields Sites

CONTACT: senn.john@epa.gov EPA Announces $500,000 in Supplemental Funds to Cleanup and Redevelop Contaminated Brownfields Sites in Niagara County NEW YORK (June 16, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing $11.6 million in supplemental funding to help transform communities by cleaning up contaminated brownfields properties with $500,000 going to the Niagara County Center for Economic Development in New York. The funding will be provided to 27 communities that have demonstrated success in using their previously awarded Brownfields Revolving Loan Funding (RLF) grants to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites, and the Niagara County Center for Economic Development is the only recipient of this type of funding in New York this year. This investment is an important part of the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to address environmental justice issues in underserved communities. "Many of the brownfields cleanups supported by EPA's Revolving Loan Funding are in economically disadvantaged communities where environmental cleanup and jobs are needed most, including in Niagara County," said EPA acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "The Niagara County Center for Economic Development has for years been dedicated to making the county's brownfields program highly-successful and a standard for others to emulate across New York." Niagara County Legislature Chairwoman Rebecca Wydysh stated: "Niagara County continues to work towards transforming our brownfields from community liabilities into assets. Through Niagara County's Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Program, 14 properties have been remediated, environmental contamination addressed, and new economic opportunities created.  The newest grant award will be used to provide low interest loans to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites in the County. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the USEPA and thank them for recognizing Niagara County's successful brownfield program." The supplemental funding awarded to Niagara County will be used for the cleanup of the former Military Road School and will result in redevelopment into the first senior assisted living complex in the Town of Niagara allowing elderly residents to stay in the community. The project will create 100 construction jobs and 20 new jobs. Green building design is proposed with pedestrian connections to a neighboring commercial plaza, town park, and community center. Brownfield RLF grants enable funding for communities to provide loans and sub-grants for cleanup activities at brownfield sites. When loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned into the fund and re-lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital within a community. To date, EPA's RLF grantees across the country have completed 794 cleanups and attracted approximately 48,000 jobs and $16.2 billion in public and private funding. Today's supplemental funds will help communities keep the cleanup momentum going so that more cleanups can be completed. Each grantee will receive from $200,000 to $500,000. Background: Since 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has provided nearly $1.6 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, these brownfields investments have leveraged more than $34.5 billion in cleanup and redevelopment in communities across the country. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding has leveraged, from both public and private sources, more than 176,800 jobs. For more information on EPA's Revolving Loan Fund program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-revolving-loan-fund-rlf-grants For more information on EPA's Brownfields program: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields   21-042                                                                                   ###

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EPA Work Continues at the Former Exide Technologies Facility in Laureldale, PA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:  R3press@epa.gov EPA Work Continues at the Former Exide Technologies Facility in Laureldale, PA PHILADELPHIA (June 16, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is continuing cleanup work at the former Exide facility in Laureldale, Pa., despite the recent bankruptcy of the property's corporate owner.  In May 2020, Exide Technologies LLC filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a result of the bankruptcy settlement in October 2020, Exide dissolved, and the court established an   Environmental Response Trust to address the environmental liabilities at the Laureldale site.  Contamination at the facility consists of elevated levels of lead and specific heavy metals in soils, sediment, and groundwater. EPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) are working with the Trustee to allocate the limited amount of money in the Trust to maintain the facility and to ensure that human health and the environment are protected.  EPA is conducting a Superfund removal action at the facility and site evaluation to determine if hazardous substances pose threats which warrant prompt response actions to protect human health and the environment. Five baghouses and associated ductwork containing high concentrations of hazardous substances are prioritized for removal response actions. The removal work is currently in the startup phase, which includes mobilizing personnel and equipment, working on health and safety and field sampling/air monitoring plans, and considering options for decontamination and demolition operations. The work to remove the five baghouses is expected to begin in mid to late June. While that work is ongoing, EPA will continue to evaluate threats and determine whether additional response actions are required to mitigate imminent and substantial endangerment to the community. EPA works to help facilities in need of cleanup to locate opportunities for safe and sustainable reuse. A Wisconsin developer, an affiliate of Phoenix Investors ("Phoenix"), has expressed interest in purchasing the former Exide Laureldale property and redeveloping a portion of it into a warehouse distribution center and potentially some light manufacturing. If Phoenix were to purchase the property, the cleanup and redevelopment of the site will proceed under the PADEP Land Recycling Program, also known as the Act 2 program. Phoenix will determine the feasibility of acquiring the property after the completion of EPA's evaluation of the property.  A public/virtual meeting will occur by the end of the summer to present the activities and status of the former Exide facility. For more information on EPA's cleanup activities at the former Exide Technologies facility go to: https://www.epa.gov/hwcorrectiveactionsites/hazardous-waste-cleanup-exide-trust-reading-aka-former-exide-technologies

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EPA Announces Winners in New York and New Jersey for the 2021 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

CONTACT: mcbay.stephen@epa.gov   EPA Announces Winners in New York and New Jersey for the 2021 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards Five winners recognized nationwide for innovative technologies that decrease hazardous chemicals, improve community health, reduce costs, and spur economic growth   NEW YORK (June 15, 2021) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the winners of the 2021 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards, including New York organization Bristol Myers Squibb and New Jersey organization Merck & Co.  Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation and use of hazardous substances. "Green chemistry is one way to provide solutions to some of the significant environmental challenges we're facing today, like exposure to toxic chemicals, dependence on non-renewable sources, and climate change," said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Michal Freedhoff. "The innovative technologies we celebrate today are great examples of how green chemistry is protecting our environment, preventing pollution at its source, and keeping U.S. business globally competitive by creating more sustainable products." The 2021 Region 2 winners are: Bristol Myers Squibb, New York, for a new class of sustainable reagents – substances used to cause a chemical reaction. These new reagents use less solvents and are derived from limonene, a waste product from discarded citrus peels, which increases sustainability and decreases environmental impact. They also can tolerate air and moisture better than traditional reagents, eliminating the need for expensive technology and specialized shipping and storage.   Merck & Co., New Jersey, for developing a green and sustainable manufacturing process for a drug used to treat chronic coughs. By incorporating green chemistry techniques into the manufacturing process, the team not only replaced two highly toxic and hazardous chemicals, it also reduced carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions. Life-cycle assessment data shows that these changes are expected to decrease the carbon footprint of manufacturing this drug by more than 80 percent. EPA recognized the winners today during the virtual American Chemical Society Green Chemistry & Engineering Conference. This year's awards have special meaning because it's also the 25th anniversary of the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. During the quarter century of the Green Chemistry program, EPA and the American Chemical Society, which co-sponsor the awards, have received more than 1,800 nominations and presented awards for 128 technologies that decrease hazardous chemicals and resources, reduce costs, protect public health and spur economic growth. Winning technologies are responsible for annually reducing the use or generation of hundreds of millions of pounds of hazardous chemicals and saving billions of gallons of water and trillions of BTUs in energy. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute formally judged the 2021 submissions and made recommendations to EPA for the 2021 winners. More information: https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2   21-041

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Enforcement of Clean Air Act Results in Settlement with Atlantic County Utilities Authority

CONTACT: John Senn, senn.john@epa.gov, 212-637-3662   Enforcement of Clean Air Act Results in Settlement with Atlantic County Utilities Authority NEW YORK (June 11, 2021) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion on June 8, 2021 to enter a settlement with the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey that resolves violations of Clean Air Act and New Jersey Air Pollution Control Act regulations at ACUA's wastewater treatment plant in Atlantic City, N.J. Under the proposed settlement, ACUA will take a series of steps to bring the facility into compliance with federal and state laws that protect clean air by reducing pollution from sewage sludge incinerators. ACUA will also pay a $75,000 civil penalty and fund a state-only project with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to install electric vehicle charging stations in Atlantic County. The State of New Jersey joined the federal government as a co-plaintiff in this case. "This settlement means cleaner air for communities in Atlantic County with ACUA improving how it manages sewage sludge at its Atlantic City facility," said acting EPA Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "If not done properly, sewage sludge incineration can pose serious public health risks and this settlement will establish critical safeguards for how ACUA manages, monitors and reports this type of activity." "This settlement is an important step in protecting the environment and public health in the Atlantic City area," said New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. "We would like to thank Acting Regional Administrator Mugdan, the Department of Justice and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General for their collaboration on this enforcement action. Improving the quality of our air and addressing sources of air pollution that impact overburdened communities is a priority for the DEP. We will continue to work with our partners at all levels to protect air for everyone in New Jersey." The federal government and the state had alleged that beginning in 2016, ACUA failed to develop required plans and operating parameters to comply with the sewage sludge incinerator requirements for the Atlantic City facility, which burns municipal sewage as a way to dispose of it. Sewage sludge can contain a range of pollutants like mercury, lead and cadmium that can pose public health threats when the sludge is burned.   Under the settlement, ACUA must take the following measures at the Atlantic City facility to bring it into compliance with federal and state clean air laws: Develop plans to manage sewage sludge, monitor for mercury emissions and prepare an annual compliance report; Establish site-specific operating limits to control air emissions and monitor compliance with those limits, and apply for a modification of its existing air emissions permit to incorporate these limits; Establish procedures to minimize and eliminate bypass events, which result in uncontrolled air emissions.   EPA estimates that the actions already taken by ACUA to comply with the Clean Air Act sewage sludge incinerator requirements prior to lodging of the settlement, and the additional actions required by the settlement, cost ACUA approximately $3 to $4 million. As part of the settlement, ACUA will also spend at least $30,000 to fund the installation of electric vehicle charging stations for public use in Atlantic County. If unable to find a government entity within Atlantic County willing to work with ACUA on the project, ACUA will instead pay $30,000 to NJDEP's "It Pay$ to Plug In" program. The state program provides grants to offset the cost of purchasing and installing electric vehicle charging stations. The charging station project was included in the proposed settlement to resolve state-law claims and will be entirely overseen by NJDEP. This settlement is part of EPA's multi-regional initiative to bring municipal sewage sludge incinerator facilities into compliance with Clean Air Act requirements. 21-040                                                                          ###

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EPA, Newark to Discuss Lead in Drinking Water

CONTACT: press@epa.gov   EPA, Newark to Discuss Lead in Drinking Water Newark (June 11, 2021) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a community roundtable discussion with organizers representing Newark, New Jersey to highlight the city's challenges with lead in drinking water. This roundtable discussion, along with nine others being held across the country, is essential to informing EPA's review of the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) revisions to ensure that the rule is grounded in the lived experience of individuals and communities that are most at-risk of exposure to lead in drinking water. "The residents of Newark have firsthand experience with how disconcerting and troubling lead in drinking water can be for people who ultimately only want to protect themselves and their families. Importantly, they also saw their local, state and federal governments combine forces to take action to respond to the crisis, so they have a unique view of what policies may be helpful to other communities that face these same issues," said EPA Region 2 Acting Regional Administrator Walter Mugdan. "Addressing a public health challenge like this requires partnerships and strong leaders and I want to thank the community groups that organized this roundtable, as well as Newark's elected officials for their leadership on this important issue." "I commend the Biden Administration and EPA for engaging communities who have been impacted by lead contamination as they work to review the Trump Administration's Lead and Copper Rule. It is vital that federal policies align with the needs of our communities, providing necessary guidance and resources to protect public health and allowing governments to be responsive to contamination when it occurs," said U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez. "Senator Booker and I have worked hard to secure federal funding to help the state and local communities provide residents access to clean and safe drinking water.  I look forward to continuing to work with the Biden Administration, my colleagues in Congress, and stakeholders in New Jersey to ensure that every American has access to clean, lead-free drinking water." "The lead crisis facing communities across our country is a threat to our public health and an issue of environmental justice," said U.S. Senator Cory Booker. "Many communities don't have access to clean drinking water, and disproportionately those communities are home to low-income people and people of color. I was proud to help deliver tens of millions of dollars to help states like New Jersey address the threat of lead in drinking water, and remain committed to fighting for federal resources to protect the health of our children and families." "I have been proud of the efforts in Newark and Essex County to replace dangerous water pipes and improve the drinking water for all residents," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.  "But now that the water is cleaner, we need to find solutions to keep it clean and avoid further contamination.  I established a program to test for lead in public schools that became law in 2016 and I'm working to create stronger measures to keep lead out of drinking water nationwide. I commend the EPA for organizing this roundtable and look forward to hearing about the results." "The City of Newark and EPA have been working closely together for many years to protect the health of Newark residents and ensure the wellbeing of our environment. I am grateful our local leaders, environmental justice advocates and community-based organizations have been included in this important rule-making process," said Mayor Ras J. Baraka. "Our city is leading the nation with our model lead service line replacement program that has removed the risk of corrosion from lead service lines through extensive local partnership building and innovative financing. We appreciate the opportunity to work with our federal partners on smart solutions that protect our residents." "The road to Newark's success was not a smooth one, first the schools then individual homes. In the end, we all worked together to leverage the funds needed to fully replace more than 18,000 lead service lines within 30 months," said Amy Goldsmith, NJ State Director, Clean Water Action. "Newark's accomplishments are unprecedented and very repeatable. We want to send a strong message to the EPA, State and Congress that we need to be as protective as possible as fast as possible when it comes to lead in drinking water. It takes both the political will and equitable funding tools to ensure that everyone regardless of their zip code, color of their skin or income has safe and affordable drinking water at the tap." The community roundtable will start at 2:00 p.m. (EDT). Participants are expected to include representatives of Clean Water Action; Newark Water and Sewer Department; City of Newark; Newark Public Schools; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; the Newark Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Urban League of Essex County; Newark Water Coalition; Newark Education Workers Caucus, South Ward Environmental Alliance and the Newark Environmental Commission. Additional information on the virtual roundtable, including how to watch, is available at: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-and-copper-rule-revisions-virtual-engagements. Background Lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement. EPA is committed to following the best science to address lead in the nation's drinking water and will take the appropriate time to review the LCR Revisions and make sure communities that have been impacted the most are protected. In March of this year, EPA announced an extension of the effective date of the Revised Lead and Copper Rule so that the agency could seek further public input on the rule. The agency hosted virtual public listening sessions on April 28, 2021, and May 5, 2021. On May 26, 2021, EPA announced the ten communities that were selected for virtual roundtable discussions on EPA's LCR Revisions. Members of the public may also submit comments via the docket at: http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255 until June 30, 2021. Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2 21-040

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