EPA Orders Cabras Marine to End Poor Hazardous Waste Management

Under the authority of the Clean Water Act, the EPA is announcing an Order issued to the Cabras Marine Corporation to improve deficient operations and maintenance of their ship repair facility in Guam. Under the agreement, Cabras Marine will make various facility improvements to protect Apra Harbor.

 

“EPA will take action under federal law when we see a facility mismanaging waste that puts at risk human health and the environment,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Region Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Amy Miller. “This agreement will strengthen protection of coral reef and aquatic life in Guam.”

 

Cabras Marine operates a ship repair and maintenance facility located on Apra Harbor. On February 6, 2025, EPA conducted an inspection at the facility and found sand blast debris spilling out of the containment structure, with potential release of the debris into the stormwater and Apra Harbor. Additionally, there was a large accumulation of oily and hazardous waste materials, such as oxidizers and flammable materials, improperly labeled and incompatibly stored together. This practice posed a fire risk. During the investigation, EPA identified the buildup and improper storage of waste material as an ongoing issue for the facility since as early as 2017.

 

Under the Administrative Order on Consent being announced today, Cabras Marine has agreed to:

 

Cabras Marine Corporation can continue daily operations at the facility as it follows the order.

 

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched the Integrated Sustainability Program (ISP) at the IATA World Sustainability Symposium (WSS) in Hong Kong.

 

ISP is a certification program offering airlines a comprehensive sustainability management and assessment framework. It is designed specifically for airlines and built upon the successful IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA).

 

Along with certification, the program includes training, consulting, assessments, guidance, and tools in four critical modules: environmental management, sustainable procurement, social responsibility & sustainability performance.

 

ISP certifications and modules can be pursued individually or as a fully integrated sustainability program. Certifications are subject to a recurring 2-year cycle of independent assessments.

 

“The comprehensive ISP certification program validates that an airline is managing its sustainability efforts at the highest level and in the broadest context. It does this by integrating the monitoring of environmental, social, and governance measures and providing all stakeholders, regulators, and customers with a transparent view of the progress. This comes with the added value of being designed for airlines’ specific needs, making ISP a practical framework to inform decision-making while ensuring that airlines’ efforts are aligned with global best practices,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Sustainability and Chief Economist.

 

The four ISP modules include:

 

At the WSS in Hong Kong, it was also announced that Air New Zealand and EVA Air are the first two carriers to receive the Sustainable Procurement certification under the ISP.

 

“As New Zealand’s national airline, we’ve always had a responsibility to help our people and communities thrive. For Air New Zealand, sustainable procurement means building on the collective strength and innovation of our supplier network, and working together to create better outcomes for people and the planet. By backing IATA’s new ISP, we want to play our part to help lift standards across aviation, and demonstrate that doing what’s right is about doing good business,” said Kiri Hannifin, Air New Zealand Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer.

 

“Earning this certification marks a key milestone in EVA Air’s sustainability journey, reflecting our commitment to integrating sustainability into procurement and collaborating with partners to build a more resilient supply chain,” said Jason Liu, Chief Sustainability Officer at EVA Air.

 

ISP will evolve over time as IATA continues to work with a broad spectrum of industry participants and stakeholders to ensure that industry standards, guidance, and certifications remain practical and impactful.

 

At present, ISP is only available to airlines. However, it will evolve to ground handlers, cargo handlers, airports, MROs, and caterers.

 

 

ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar called for stronger global collaboration to ensure aviation’s growth remains safe, secure and sustainable, emphasizing that regulatory clarity and certainty are essential to reducing risks and fostering competitiveness across the air transport sector.

 

Speaking at the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) & Airline Leaders Forum 2025 in Lima, Secretary General Salazar outlined ICAO’s Long-Term Strategic Plan, endorsed by all Member States at the recent 42nd ICAO Assembly: achieving zero fatalities, net-zero carbon emissions, and air connectivity for everyone, everywhere by 2050.

 

The Secretary General underscored that progress will depend on effective risk-based oversight, modernized air navigation, and accelerated clean energy transitions through partnership among ICAO, States, and industry.

 

Mr. Salazar declared that "Together we can create the right conditions for even greater success by airlines, here in the Americas, and worldwide."

 

The Secretary General’s mission to Peru also featured the signature of an agreement with the Andean Community (CAN) in support of the sustainable development of air transport in the Andean region and enhancing air transport management and operations in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

 

Mr. Salazar also held a high-level meeting with Peru’s Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Félix Denegri. Discussions focused on several ongoing capacity building projects led by ICAO in Peru and highlighted the strong collaboration between ICAO and the State.

 

The ALTA AGM & Airline Leaders Forum 2025 was held from 19-21 October in Lima, Peru.

 

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released new and updated planning tools that water systems across the country can use to help prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents. These tools will help all public water systems protect access to safe water and aid systems conducting risk and emergency planning for cybersecurity.

 

To better address potential vulnerabilities and ensure all water systems have the best information and emergency safeguards available to maintain protections for drinking water and wastewater treatment operations, EPA has developed the following resources:

 

Cybersecurity for critical infrastructure is a human health and a national security priority. EPA will continue to fulfill its core mission of protecting human health and the environment by working with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, state programs, and water associations to help reduce cyber risks at water systems. The agency will also continue to collaborate with water systems to implement best management practices to swiftly address any cybersecurity concerns as they arise.

 

In August, the EPA announced over $9 million in grant funding for midsize and large water systems to help protect drinking water from cybersecurity threats and improve resiliency for extreme weather events. The agency also published a report highlighting 10 recommendations to strengthen resiliency to cyberattacks in the water sector.

 

Cyberattacks against water systems have increased several-fold in recent years and can disrupt or contaminate drinking water and compromise the treatment of wastewater. EPA, federal partners, and utilities have a collective responsibility to ensure that cyber threats do not imperil the critical lifeline of clean and safe water. Clean and safe water is central to strengthening the American workforce; powering industries — from auto manufacturing to Artificial Intelligence; and advancing energy dominance. In communities, it supports small businesses, hospitals, military bases, and schools.

 

 

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