EPA Proposes First Ever Rule to Improve Transparency of Guidance

 

 

 

EPA Proposes First Ever Rule to Improve Transparency of Guidance

 

WASHINGTON (May 19, 2020) — Today, as directed by President Trump's Executive Order to promote transparency through improved agency guidance, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its first-ever proposed rule to establish consistent requirements and procedures for the issuance of guidance documents.

"For the first time ever, EPA is proposing a rule that codifies procedures to ensure the public can engage in the development and review of agency guidance," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "Historically, EPA has issued many more guidance documents than most federal agencies. Today's action is a major step toward increasing transparency in EPA processes and ensuring that EPA is not creating new regulatory obligations through guidance."

This new rule will significantly increase the transparency of EPA's practices around guidance and will improve the agency's process for managing guidance documents. When final, the rule will:

• Establish the first formal petition process for the public to request that EPA modify or withdraw a guidance document; and
• Ensure that the agency's guidance documents are developed with appropriate review and are accessible and transparent to the public; and
• Provide for public participation in the development of significant guidance documents.

On October 9, 2019, President Trump issued Executive Order 13891, Promoting the Rule of Law Through Improved Agency Guidance Documents, to promote transparency by ensuring that all active guidance documents are made available to the public. A central principle of EO 13891 is that guidance documents should only clarify existing obligations and that they should not be a vehicle for implementing new, binding requirements on the public. Guidance documents can significantly impact the public and EO 13891 recognizes that these documents warrant a thorough review prior to issuance. In addition to today's action, on February 28, 2020, EPA launched a new guidance portal that provides public access to agency guidance documents.

The proposed rule will be open for public comment 30 days after it publishes in the Federal Register.

For additional information on the proposed rule: https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/proposed-rulemaking-epa-guidance-administrative-procedures-issuance-and-public

To access the guidance portal: https://www.epa.gov/guidance

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States

EPA Proposes Relief for Small Businesses by Restoring Wood Heater

 

 

 

EPA Proposes Relief for Small Businesses by Restoring Wood Heater Sales Opportunities Lost to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency

WASHINGTON (May 15, 2020) — Due to the nation-wide spread of the COVID-19 virus, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to allow more time for retailers to sell Step 1-certified residential wood heating devices. This proposed action would give manufacturers and retailers additional time to sell wood heaters that meet the 2015 Clean Air Act emission standards after the current May 15, 2020 deadline. If finalized as proposed, it would allow sales of Step 1 devices until November 30, 2020. EPA's proposed amendment to the 2015 New Source Performance Standards for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces (collectively referred to as "wood heating devices") is in reaction to the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 public health emergency.  

"This additional time to sell Step 1-certified devices will give businesses an opportunity to recover sales that have been lost due to the coronavirus health crisis," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "More than 90 percent of manufacturers and retailers of wood heaters are small businesses, many of which have experienced significant losses in retail sales. This action will provide economic relief to these employers as America begins to reopen its businesses."

The COVID-19 public health emergency has resulted in significant losses in retail sales due to temporary closure of stores, stay at home directives and other restrictions implemented across the country and the world. As a result, vendors and retail stores have lost time they needed to sell their remaining inventory of Step 1 units before the May 15, 2020 compliance date. This proposed action, if finalized, will ensure retailers regain time for normal business operations lost due to the public health emergency.

For more information about the proposed amendment to the 2015 New Source Performance Standards for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/residential-wood-heaters

 

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States

EPA Provides $6 Million to Reduce Excess Ag Runoff to the Chesapeake Bay

 

 

EPA Provides $6 Million to Reduce Excess Ag Runoff to the Chesapeake Bay

 

WASHINGTON (May 18, 2020) - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the allocation of $6 million to Chesapeake Bay states to improve water quality by reducing excess nitrogen from agricultural operations.

"The water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed has recently reached the highest standards in more than 30 years," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "The primary focus of this funding is the continued reduction of nitrogen from agricultural sources, which has been one of the most difficult hurdles to overcome as we strive to make the Bay ever cleaner."

"We have determined where these additional funds can best be put to use to most effectively result in the greatest water quality benefits in the bay," said EPA Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. "The efforts will also help to improve local streams and rivers across the watershed."

The $6 million is part of an increase in the FY 2020 EPA Chesapeake Bay Program budget approved by Congress and signed by President Trump. The funds were designated for "state-based implementation in the most effective basins."

EPA analyses have shown that reducing nitrogen through improved agricultural practices in the bay watershed is far less costly - and more effective - than reducing phosphorus to improve water quality.

Each state in the Chesapeake Bay watershed recently submitted Phase III Watershed Implementation Plans (WIP), in which they committed to reduce nitrogen loads from the agriculture sector from 2019 to 2025. The following funding allocations were calculated as a percentage of the total of each bay jurisdictions' WIP commitments:

• Pennsylvania: $3,695,112
• Virginia: $1,110,191
• Maryland: $695,940
• Delaware: $364,540
• New York: $79,536
• West Virginia: $54,681

The District of Columbia, the remaining jurisdictional partner, does not have an agricultural commitment in its Phase III WIP.

The funding must be prioritized in each state to their most effective basins (allowing for the greatest impact from the reduction in nitrogen), and to those projects that implement "Best Management Practices" with the highest effectiveness.

Each of the 383 basins in the Chesapeake Bay watershed was evaluated as part of the relative effectiveness determination. A total of 26 of the top 30 most effective basins are located in Pennsylvania, including all of the top 15.

Pennsylvania had 61.6% of the commitments to reduce nitrogen from agricultural sources in the jurisdictions' Phase III WIPs. West Virginia, by contrast, accounted for only 0.91% of those commitments. As a result, the nearly $3.7 million in "most effective" funding is the latest EPA financial support to help Pennsylvania achieve its 2025 Bay Total Maximum Daily Load goals.  EPA is increasing its Chesapeake Bay Program funding for Pennsylvania because it has the largest commitment to reduce nitrogen.

EPA plans to add the funding to the bay states' Chesapeake Bay grants, or, in some cases, provide it to third parties through a Request for Applications. The states will be expected to track implementation activities they fund with this money.

For more information about EPA's role in the Chesapeake Bay program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-chesapeake-bay-program-office.

 

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States

EPA Takes Next Step to Implement PFAS Legislation

 

 

 

EPA Takes Next Step to Implement PFAS Legislation

 

Certain PFAS to be added into the Code of Federal Regulations for the Toxics Release Inventory

 

WASHINGTON (May 18, 2020) — ​Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took the next step to implement an important per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) requirement of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA added 172 PFAS to the list of chemicals required to be reported to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and established a 100-pound reporting threshold for these substances. The agency is publishing a final rule that officially incorporates these requirements into the Code of Federal Regulations for TRI.

"EPA continues to prioritize and make progress to protect the health and well-being of communities across the country that are working to address PFAS," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "The inclusion of these 172 PFAS on the TRI list will provide EPA and the public with important information on these emerging chemicals of concern."

As this action is being taken to conform the regulations to a Congressional legislative mandate, this rule is effective immediately. Per the NDAA requirements, the PFAS additions became effective as of January 1, 2020. Reporting forms for these PFAS will be due to EPA by July 1, 2021, for calendar year 2020 data. EPA expects to release raw data from information collected by July 31, 2021.

To provide clear information on which chemicals fall under the NDAA requirement, in February 2020, EPA released a list of 172 PFAS chemicals that are subject to TRI reporting. Facilities in TRI-covered industry sectors should track and collect data on these PFAS during 2020. All TRI reporting requirements apply to these PFAS (e.g., supplier notification) and TRI reporting exemptions, if applicable, are available for these PFAS. Note that TRI reporting requirements state that a facility should use readily available data collected pursuant to other provisions of law or, where such data are not readily available, reasonable estimates of the amounts involved.

EPA's TRI is an important tool that provides the public with information about the use of certain chemicals by tracking their management and associated activities. U.S. facilities in different industry sectors must report annually how much of each chemical is released to the environment and/or managed through recycling, energy recovery, and treatment. TRI helps support informed decision-making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the public.

To view the final rule, visit: https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/implementing-statutory-addition-certain-and-polyfluoroalkyl

Learn more about the addition of PFAS chemicals to TRI, including a list of the 172 PFAS subject to TRI reporting: https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/addition-certain-pfas-tri-national-defense-authorization-act

For more information EPA's efforts under the PFAS Action Plan: https://www.epa.gov/pfas

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States

EPA News: Harrisburg, Pa., among communities receiving assistance for community revitalization...

 

 

 

Contact: R3press@epa.gov Harrisburg, Pa., among communities receiving assistance for community revitalization, local food economy PHILADELPHIA (May15, 2020)– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, announced today that Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is among 16 communities nationwide receiving assistance to boost economic opportunities for their local farmers, while promoting clean air, safe water, open space and healthy food choices. "The Trump Administration is committed to helping communities develop and strengthen their local food economy by investing in opportunity zones in often under privileged communities, some of which have been hard hit by the coronavirus outbreak," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "Support for local food initiatives can improve access to fresh foods, support farmers, grow new businesses, keep Americans healthy and improve the environment." In Harrisburg, the Redevelopment Authority is pursuing a recommendation from EPA's brownfields program to introduce a food accelerator on a former brownfield site to educate the community on urban food solutions, provide culinary job training, and better connect stores and restaurants to local growers. The assistance is provided through the Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP) program, a federal initiative that helps communities reinvest in existing neighborhoods and improve quality of life through the sustainable development of their local food economy. "The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Harrisburg is extremely honored to be a recipient of the Local Food and Local Places Technical Assistance award," said George Payne, Projects Director for the Redevelopment Authority. "This resource will help a network of local urban produce developers, regional fresh food suppliers and community-based food outlets plan how best to circulate fresh food and produce especially in the South Allison Hill district of Harrisburg where this community based project is located." "It is encouraging and rewarding to observe how partnership efforts like Local Foods, Local Places can inspire community-driven efforts in Harrisburg to protect air and water quality, preserve open space and farmland," said EPA's Mid Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. "This project will also boost economic opportunities in central Pennsylvania for local farmers and businesses, improve access to healthy local food, and promote childhood wellness." "The assistance will further neighborhood development, promote resident entrepreneurship and jobs centered around meeting food desert needs and address EPA's goals for brownfield remediation," added Payne.  "The Authority has worked closely with the South Allison Hill Resident and Home Owners Association as well as the Community Action Agency centered in the neighborhood to bring the need and request to the EPA and we are excited to be selected." Nearly all communities selected include Opportunity Zones, in support of President Trump's Executive Order 13853. The selected communities will get access to a team of federal, state, and regional agricultural, environmental, public health, architectural and economic development experts to help develop an action plan, set goals, and identify local assets that can support the local food economy and contribute to downtown and neighborhood revitalization. For more information on LFLP, and a complete list of project summaries visit:  http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places

If you would rather not receive future communications from Environmental Protection Agency, let us know by clicking here.
Environmental Protection Agency, 1650 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029 United States

Trump Administration Provides Assistance for Community Revitalization, Local Food Economy

 

 

 

Trump Administration Provides Assistance for Community Revitalization, Local Food Economy

 

WASHINGTON (May 14, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service, is announcing assistance to help 16 communities boost economic opportunities for their local farmers, while promoting clean air, safe water, open space, and healthy food choices.

"The Trump Administration is committed to helping communities develop and strengthen their local food economy by investing in opportunity zones," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "Support for local food initiatives will improve access to fresh foods, support our local farmers, and grow new businesses, all of which lead to happier and healthier communities."

Nearly all communities selected include Opportunity Zones, in support of President Trump's Executive Order 13853. The assistance is provided through the Local Foods, Local Places (LFLP) program, a federal initiative that helps communities reinvest in existing neighborhoods and improve quality of life through the sustainable development of their local food economy.

The selected communities will get access to a team of federal, state, and regional agricultural, environmental, public health, architectural and economic development experts to help develop an action plan, set goals, and identify local assets that can support the local food economy and contribute to downtown and neighborhood revitalization.

The EPA will be flexible in working with these communities on next steps for the projects planned below, as necessary, considering that many communities are still dealing with issues related to COVID-19. Recipients and project summaries include the following:

Fayette, Alabama
The County Extension Office will work with residents to strategically relocate its local farmers market to an underutilized space downtown to increase sense of place and local food options.

Redding, California
Healthy Shasta plans to strengthen the local food system to support a more vibrant, walkable downtown, and ensure downtown residents can access affordable, fresh, and healthy food.

Springfield, Illinois
The city will explore options that will support local food entrepreneurs in need of a commercial kitchen and training center as part of broader city efforts to revitalize the historic downtown.

Evansville, Indiana
The city will transition an abandoned food bank facility, located on a Superfund site, into a multi-use food center to address food insecurity and provide resources for local food entrepreneurs.

North Lake Charles, Louisiana
The Southwest Louisiana Center for Health Services is launching a community food policy workgroup to build out a vision for the local food system to include community gardens, outreach to schools, pocket gardens, and education on the value of planting fruit trees, especially in unused land in blighted neighborhoods.

Opelousas, Louisiana
The Opelousas General Health System Foundation will build upon a recent brownfields assessment of downtown to explore how a cultural tourism hub can bridge gaps between revitalization and healthier cultural eating alternatives.

Pelican Rapids, Minnesota
The West Central Initiative is exploring options to support downtown revitalization by growing food-related assets to create an international marketplace destination reflecting and supporting the town's ethnically diverse population.

Vicksburg, Mississippi
Shape Up Mississippi wants to create an educational and economical food hub combining a farmers market, community garden, demonstration kitchen, educational center and the Catfish Row Museum that explains the local culture and its relationship to the Mississippi River.

Kansas City, Missouri
The Mattie Rhodes Center will create a viable food hub and community gardens on a cleaned-up brownfields federal facility site located in an urban food desert that is home to a large immigrant refugee population.

York, Nebraska
The County Development Corporation plans to engage the community in re-envisioning revitalization plan for green space surrounding downtown farmers market and leverage city well-field to supplement market produce supply to improve soil health and city drinking water supply.

Poughkeepsie, New York
Hudson River Housing, Inc. aims to support downtown food entrepreneurs in a former factory by adding food production and processing capacity to already existing affordable housing and commercial kitchen.

Salisbury, North Carolina
The city will focus on strengthening small retail business activity and downtown revitalization by exploring co-operative opportunities beyond a seasonal, outdoor farmers market model.

Cottage Grove, Oregon
This historic timber and mining town wants to better connect and coalesce several food and placemaking efforts including downtown revitalization, complete streets restoration, food hub support to the local immigrant community, and restoration of a former armory into a community center and commercial kitchen.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
The Redevelopment Authority is pursuing a recommendation from EPA's brownfields program to introduce a food accelerator on a former brownfield site to educate the community on urban food solutions, provide culinary job training, and better connect stores and restaurants to local growers.

Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Vision Together 2025 seeks to improve the post-steel manufacturing economy of the city by repurposing the historic downtown train station into a healthy food and transit hub that includes a farmers market and culinary institute; initiating an urban agriculture pilot on vacant downtown lot; and proceeding with an "Iron-to-Arts" corridor trail system and complete streets plan to better connect downtown assets. 

Woonsocket, Rhode Island
NeighborWorks Blackstone River Valley wants to leverage improvements initiated through a Main Street Livability Plan by redeveloping defunct mill sites undergoing brownfields clean up to establish downtown as a vibrant food hub and center for food entrepreneurs.

For more information on LFLP: https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/local-foods-local-places

 

 

 

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States

EPA Honors Small Business Champions

 

 

 

EPA Honors Small Business Champions

 

WASHINGTON (May 14, 2020) – Today, the U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced the winners of the 30^th Annual Administrator's Small Business Program Awards for outstanding small business championship in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. The 20 award recipients include businesses, state and local entities, and EPA employees who demonstrated exemplary leadership in supporting the agency's small business programs.

"In this time of unprecedented disruption for our nation's small businesses, it is more important than ever to recognize our outstanding small business support." said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "I am proud of our effective staff efforts that will ensure our partnership with small businesses remains strong and vibrant."

For the past 30 years, EPA has hosted the Administrator's Small Business Program Awards ceremony to celebrate EPA's small business support and accomplishments. This year, in accordance with existing national guidance due to the global COVID-19 public health emergency, the agency is celebrating these awards virtually through this press release.

EPA is continuing to build on its record of excellence in furthering small business contracting opportunities, scoring an "A" over the past decade on the Small Business Procurement Scorecard that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administers. In this current fiscal year, EPA has already awarded over 36 percent (approximately $260 million) of its contracting dollars to small businesses, almost twice as much as the 23 percent statutory small business contracting goal.

For example, EPA's Office of Water awarded its first enterprise-wide small business contract. The Office of Water developed this inaugural strategic small business program contract to increase small business opportunities while helping maximize the efficiency of EPA operations. Contracts were awarded to four small businesses:  Avanti Corporation (Alexandria, Va.); Great Lakes Envrionmental Center, Inc. (Traverse City, Mich.); Horsely Witten Group, Inc. (Sandwich, Mass.); and SC&A, Inc. (Arlington, Va.). The total value of this contract is up to $16.7 million.

The agency is also continuing to provide a comprehensive suite of resources and networks to help strengthen small business environmental and compliance performance, while reducing regulatory burden. Information on those resources is available here. Based on the agency's regulatory and compliance assistance efforts, EPA has earned a grade of "A" in the last 13 Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of the National Ombudsman Annual Reports to Congress.

Recipients of the Administrator's 30^th Annual Small Business Program Awards For Fiscal Year 2019

Administrator's Small Business Program Awards

Award for Outstanding Direct Procurement Program Achievement

Office of Water Small Business Vehicle Workgroup

Jezebele Alicia

Vince Allen

Ifeyinwa Davis

Damon Highsmith

David Hincks

Angela Lower

Lisa Mitchell-Flinn

Matthew Growney

Joe Jackson

Marion Kelly

Steven Moore

Venus Weaver

Jefferey Herrema

Award for Outstanding Accomplishments by a Small Business Trade Association or State Small Business Environmental Assistance Provider in Providing Technical Assistance to the

Small Business Community

Wisconsin's Small Business Environmental Assistance Program

Lisa Ashenbrenner Hunt and Renee Lesjak Bashel

Award for Outstanding Accomplishments by a Small Business

Lally Consulting, LLC

Award for Outstanding Accomplishments by a Woman Owned Small Business

Clawson Excavating, Inc.

Award for Outstanding Accomplishments by a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

Veterans Worldwide Sales and Services, LLC

Award for Outstanding Accomplishments by a HUBZone Contractor

A & M Engineering and Environmental Solutions, Inc.

OSDBU Director's Awards

Office of Mission Support

For Exceeding the Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women Owned Small Business, HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Goals

Office of the Administrator

For Exceeding the Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business,

Women Owned Small Business, and HUBZone Goals

Office of Research and Development

For Exceeding the Small Disadvantaged Business, Women Owned Small Business, HUBZone

and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Goals

Region 7

For Exceeding the Small Business, Service Disadvantaged Business, HUBZone

and Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Goals

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States

EPA Aggressively Working to Increase Research and Understand PFAS

 

 

 

EPA Aggressively Working to Increase Research and Understand PFAS

 

EPA researchers work to find solutions to address PFAS in communities across the nation

 

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues its focus on taking concrete action to address polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and protect public health. Building on the work outlined in the February 2019 PFAS Action Plan, the agency is expanding its research efforts and capabilities by launching its PFAS Innovative Treatment Team (PITT). 

"Our researchers are at the forefront of addressing PFAS issues to protect our nation's communities," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "Our world-class scientists are continuing their work under the PFAS Action Plan to understand and identify the potential health risks associated with these emerging chemicals of concern. This new approach will allow the agency to expand its efforts to develop innovative techniques to test for, remove, and destroy PFAS."

The PITT is a dedicated and full-time team that brings together a multi-disciplined research staff that will concentrate their efforts and expertise on a single problem: how to remove, destroy, and test PFAS-contaminated media and waste. Using the lean organizational, management and R&D philosophies developed as part of Kelly Johnson's Skunk Works and NASA's Swamp Works, the PITT will operate in a work environment designed to break down administrative and procedural barriers in an effort to facilitate faster results. 

PFAS chemicals have a very strong carbon-fluorine chemical bond that leads to persistence in the environment and makes their complete destruction difficult. Over the next few months, the PITT will work to achieve the following ambitious goals:

• Assess current and emerging destruction methods being explored by EPA, universities, other research organizations, and industry.
• Explore the efficacy of methods while considering by-products to avoid creating new environmental hazards.
• Evaluate methods' feasibility, performance, and costs to validate potential solutions.

This work will add practical knowledge to EPA's efforts under the PFAS Action Plan. States, tribes, and local governments will be able to use this information to select the approach that best fits their circumstances, leading to greater confidence in cleanup operations and safer communities. The results of this rapid research project are expected later this year.

Background

Besides the innovative work of PITT, EPA and its researchers continue to work hard in many other areas to help the nation address PFAS and protect public health. This work includes:

• Validating methods to detect and quantify PFAS in various environmental media, such as water, air, and biosolids. EPA has already released a number of these methods, including Methods 533 and 537.1 that together can measure 29 PFAS substances in drinking water.
• Evaluating treatment technologies that remove PFAS from drinking water. For example, researchers are investigating the effectiveness of point-of-use systems and have recently published research on commercially-available systems that use both reverse osmosis and granular activated carbon.
• Developing standard human health toxicity reference values for certain PFAS where sufficient scientific data exist. For example, researchers are working on a toxicity assessment for PFBS, GenX chemicals, and five other PFAS chemicals, which will help states, tribes, and local communities understand the toxicity of these substances so that they can make more informed choices to protect the public's health.
• Providing technical assistance to states and tribes as they work to address a variety of PFAS challenges.
• Funding external researchers to better understand the potential impacts of PFAS on water quality and availability in rural communities and agricultural operations across the United States.

EPA and its scientists in the Office of Research & Development are working hard to protect the health of Americans. This is just a small sampling of their work. To see a detailed list of their efforts and when these research products are expected, please see: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/status-epa-research-and-development-pfas.

For more information on EPA's PFAS Action Plan, please see: https://www.epa.gov/pfas.

 

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States

EPA Office of Air and Radiation Transfers Excess PPE for Use Fighting COVID-19

 

 

 

EPA Office of Air and Radiation Transfers Excess PPE for Use Fighting COVID-19

 

Vehicle and Radiation Labs to Contribute Nearly 9,500 Excess PPE for Use Fighting COVID-19

 

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) announced that it is transferring nearly 9,500 items of excess personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide emergency and health professionals on the COVID-19 frontlines. The agency maintains a supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for mission-critical work such as lab work and responding to emergencies, including chemical, oil, radiological and biological incidents.

"EPA is working hard to support our nation's first responders as they make personal sacrifices during the coronavirus pandemic," said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. "After searching our inventory of personal protective equipment, we identified excess supplies and sent them to the first responders on the frontlines of this fight."

The National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL) in Ann Arbor, MI, the National Analytical Radiation Environmental Laboratory (NAREL) in Montgomery, AL, and the National Center for Radiation Field Operations (NCRFO) in Las Vegas, NV identified nearly 9,500 pieces of excess personal protective equipment after assessing how much equipment would be needed to support EPA's essential functions. Among the items are face shields, protective disposable gloves, and full-body protective suits. EPA is transferring the excess equipment while still maintaining its emergency response readiness.

EPA is following through on an agency-wide plan for distribution of available PPE to FEMA to support ongoing COVID-19 operations.

For information about EPA's involvement with the COVID-19 response, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus

For information about OAR's laboratories, please visit:  https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-national-center-radiation-field-operations-ncrfo,  https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-epas-national-analytical-radiation-environmental-laboratory-narel,  and https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-national-vehicle-and-fuel-emissions-laboratory-nvfel

 

If you would rather not receive future communications from US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, let us know by clicking here.
US EPA, Office of Public Engagement, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 United States