EPA Proposes to Expand List of TRI Chemicals

 1-Bromopropane has been classified by the National Toxicology Program in their 13th Report on Carcinogens as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” 

Learn DOT’s New Rules for Lithium Battery Shipments

 

 

• Enhance packaging and hazard communication requirements for lithium batteries transported by air
• Replace equivalent lithium content with Watt-hours for lithium ion cells and batteries
• Adopt separate shipping descriptions for lithium metal batteries and lithium ion batteries
• Revise provisions for the transport of small and medium lithium cells and batteries including cells and batteries packed with, or contained in, equipment
• Revise the exceptions for small cells and batteries in air transportation
• Revise the requirements for the transport of lithium batteries for disposal or recycling
• Harmonize the provisions for the transport of low production and prototype lithium cells and batteries with the ICAO Technical Instructions and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
• Adopt new provisions for the transport of damaged, defective, and recalled lithium batteries

If you ship batteries by ground or air, you must comply with the latest DOT and IATA/ICAO regulations that specify how the batteries must be packaged, marked, labeled, and transported. The rules apply not only to batteries, but also to equipment or vehicles that contain batteries as well as batteries packed along with equipment. Virtually all types of batteries are regulated, including lithium, lead-acid, nickel cadmium, and metal hydride alkaline. According to 49 CFR 172.704, all personnel involved in the classification, packaging, marking, labeling, or shipment of batteries must receive initial and recurrent transportation training.

 

Cary 24-Hour HAZWOPER Training

 

Tampa DOT/IATA Training

 

St. Louis RCRA and DOT Training

 

New EPA Regulations for Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals

 According to the Agency, available information demonstrates that the risks posed to human health and the environment by certain CCR management units warrant regulatory controls. EPA is finalizing national minimum criteria for existing and new CCR landfills and existing and new CCR surface impoundments and all lateral expansions consisting of location restrictions, design and operating criteria, groundwater monitoring and corrective action, closure requirements and post closure care, and recordkeeping, notification, and internet posting requirements.

The rule requires any existing unlined CCR surface impoundment that is contaminating groundwater above a regulated constituent’s groundwater protection standard to stop receiving CCR and either retrofit or close, except in limited circumstances. It also requires the closure of any CCR landfill or CCR surface impoundment that cannot meet the applicable performance criteria for location restrictions or structural integrity. Finally, those CCR surface impoundments that do not receive CCR after the effective date of the rule, but still contain water and CCR will be subject to all applicable regulatory requirements, unless the owner or operator of the facility dewaters and installs a final cover system on these inactive units no later than three years from publication of the rule. EPA is deferring its final decision on the Bevill Regulatory Determination because of regulatory and technical uncertainties that cannot be resolved at this time.

New Interactive Map and Report Identify Chemical Risks

When the West, Texas, fertilizer facility exploded on April 17, 2013, it prompted communities, advocates, and the president to call for stronger chemical safeguards. 

A total of 1,724 industrial facilities in these six states use or store more than 600 million lb of these highly dangerous chemicals. Of these facilities, 85% only report to state oversight agencies, and the remaining 15% file risk management plans with the federal EPA for other hazardous substances.

 Those commissions then share the data with local emergency planning committees to use in developing response plans.

In contrast, facilities that store significant quantities of a set of 140 dangerous chemicals are required to report them to states and the EPA under the Risk Management Program created in 1990. These facilities have to submit detailed risk management plans for surrounding communities in the event of a chemical leak, fire, or explosion and are supposed to share them with local emergency personnel.

“While the federal Risk Management Program is stronger, both approaches are incomplete,” said Katherine McFate, president and CEO of the Center for Effective Government. “The state-based reporting program under EPCRA is decentralized and complicated, and local emergency plans are focused on responding to a disaster, rather than preventing one. This continues to leave millions of Americans at risk.”

Because of widely varying disclosure practices among states, nearby communities may not even know about the dangers posed by the so-called Tier II substances reported to the states. Some states like Texas forbid agencies from releasing this information to the public. Others require requesters to show up in person, and some charge fees to access the data. And none of the state-based data is collected in a national online database.

The report provides several recommendations, including the following:

• Make state chemical reports available online. Making this information easily accessible would give first responders and residents a place to find information quickly and efficiently when an incident occurs.
• Improve local emergency planning. States can combine their data with federal Risk Management Program information to target resources toward the communities with the greatest vulnerability to chemical risks.
• Add all highly hazardous chemicals to the Risk Management Program list. EPA should work with state agencies to collect and merge their Tier II records into a national database and then identify all toxic, flammable, and volatile chemicals that should be added to the federal list. This will allow local communities to take advantage of the more in-depth planning that occurs when facilities create risk management plans under the program.

“Making these and other improvements and giving emergency planning teams the information they need can help keep us out of harm’s way and prevent the next West, Texas-type disaster,” said Sean Moulton, director of open government policy at the Center.

 

DOT Agencies Take Coordinated Actions to Increase the Safe Transportation of Energy Products

 The volume of crude oil being shipped by rail has increased exponentially in recent years, and the number of significant accidents involving trains carrying ethanol or crude oil is unprecedented.

“The boom in crude oil production, and transportation of that crude, poses a serious threat to public safety,” stated US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The measures we are announcing today are a result of lessons learned from recent accidents and are steps we are able to take today to improve safety. Our efforts in partnership with agencies throughout this Administration show that this is more than a transportation issue, and we are not done yet.”

These actions represent the latest in a series of more than two dozen that DOT has initiated over the last nineteen months to address the significant threat to public safety that accidents involving trains carrying highly flammable liquids can represent. The announcement includes one Emergency Order, two Safety Advisories, and notices to industry intended to further enhance the safe shipment of Class 3 flammable liquids. The actions include:

1. Preliminary investigation of one recent derailment indicates that a mechanical defect involving a broken tank car wheel may have caused or contributed to the incident. The Federal Railroad Administration is therefore recommending that only the highest skilled inspectors conduct brake and mechanical inspections of trains transporting large quantities of flammable liquids, and that industry decrease the threshold for wayside detectors that measure wheel impacts, to ensure the wheel integrity of tank cars in those trains.
2. Recent accidents revealed that certain critical information about the train and its cargo needs to be immediately available for use by emergency responders or federal investigators who arrive on scene shortly after an incident. 
3.  
• PHMSA is issuing a safety advisory reminding carriers and shippers of the specific types of information (*listed below) that they must make immediately available to emergency responders
• FRA and PHMSA are issuing a joint safety advisory requesting that specific information (*listed below) also be made readily available to investigators
• FRA is sending a request to the Association of American Railroads asking the industry to develop a formal process by which this specific information (*listed below) becomes available to both emergency responders and investigators within 90 minutes of initial contact with an investigator
• FRA submitted to the Federal Register a notice proposing to expand the information collected on certain required accident reports, so that information specific to accidents involving trains transporting crude oil is reported
4.  Under the EO, an affected train is one that contains:
• 20 or more loaded tank cars in a continuous block, or 35 or more loaded tank cars, of Class 3 flammable liquid
• At least one DOT Specification 111 (DOT-111) tank car (including those built in accordance with Association of American Railroads (AAR) Casualty Prevention Circular 1232 (CPC-1232)) loaded with a Class 3 flammable liquid

“These are important, common-sense steps that will protect railroad employees and residents of communities along rail lines. Taking the opportunity to review safety steps and to refresh information before moving forward is a standard safety practice in many industries and we expect the shipping and carrier industries to do the same,” said Acting FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg.

“Our first priority is to prevent these accidents from ever happening,” stated Acting PHMSA Administrator Tim Butters. “But when accidents do occur, first responders need to have the right information quickly, so we are reminding carriers and shippers of their responsibility to have the required information readily available and up to date.”

The actions coincide with actions being taken by other government agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the EPA, and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Information required by PHMSA Safety Advisory:

• Basic description and technical name of the hazardous material the immediate hazard to health
• Risks of fire or explosion
• Immediate precautions to be taken in the event of an accident
• Immediate methods for handling fires
• Initial methods for handling spills or leaks in the absence of fire
• Preliminary first aid measures
• 24-hour telephone number for immediate access to product information

Information sought by US DOT in the event of a crude-by-rail accident:

• Information on the train consist, including the train number, locomotive(s), locomotives as distributed power, end-of-train device information, number and position of tank cars in the train, tank car reporting marks, and the tank car specifications and relevant attributes of the tank cars in the train
• Waybill (origin and destination) information
•  
• Results of any product testing undertaken prior to transportation that was used to properly characterize the Class 3 flammable liquids for transportation (initial testing)
• Results from any analysis of product sample(s) (taken prior to being offered into transportation) from tank car(s) involved in the derailment
• Date of acceptance as required to be noted on shipping papers under 49 CFR 174.24
• If a refined flammable liquid is involved, the type of liquid and the name and location of the company extracting the material
• The identification of the company having initial testing performed (sampling and analysis of material) and information on the lab (if external) conducting the analysis
• Name and location of the company transporting the material from well head to loading facility or terminal
• Name and location of the company that owns and that operates the terminal or loading facility that loaded the product for rail transportation
• Name of the Railroad(s) handling the tank car(s) at any time from point of origin to destination and a timeline of handling changes between railroads

Since 2013 there have been 23 crude-related train accidents in the US with the majority of incidents occurring without the release of any crude oil product.

EPA Publishes 20th Annual US Greenhouse Gas Inventory

 

Total US greenhouse emissions were 6,673 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2013. By sector, power plants were the largest source of emissions, accounting for 31% of total US GHG pollution. The transportation sector was the second largest source, at 27%. Industry and manufacturing were the third largest source, at 21%. The increase in total national GHG emissions between 2012 and 2013 was due to increased energy consumption across all sectors in the US economy and greater use of coal for electricity generation.

 

GHG emissions are driving climate change, which threatens the health and well-being of Americans and future generations through decreased air quality; extremes in heat and other weather events; increased incidence of food-, water-, and insect-borne diseases; and other impacts. Comprehensive GHG emissions data are an essential tool to help understand the primary sources of emissions and identify cost-effective opportunities to reduce them.

 Current GHG and fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks and EPA’s proposed Clean Power Plan will eliminate billions of tons of GHG pollution, save lives through air quality benefits, and save Americans money at the pump.

The agency prepares the inventory annually in collaboration with other federal agencies, and submits the report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change every year on April 15. The Inventory presents historical emissions since 1990 and covers seven key GHGs: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride. In addition to tracking US GHG emissions, the inventory also calculates carbon dioxide that is removed from the atmosphere through the uptake of carbon in forests and other vegetation. EPA has been publishing the inventory since 1994, but tracks back to 1990.

Materials Processing LLC Fined $125,000 for Hazardous Waste Violations

 

 

The MPCA found that Materials Processing had four unpermitted sites in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. 

MPCA staff also discovered the company had stored more than 5 million lb of crushed cathode ray tubes, which are considered hazardous waste, in 128 semi-trailers. The company did not have a required hazardous waste contingency plan to help minimize the risks of contamination in an emergency, nor was there adequate space available for personnel and emergency equipment to access hazardous waste areas. The company has addressed these problems by removing the trailers and sending their contents to a permitted hazardous waste facility. Based on the violations, the company has agreed to pay a $125,000 civil penalty.

This violation serves as a reminder that companies, local governments, and other entities selecting vendors for recycling services for waste electronics should research the companies they do business with to ensure that the material is being managed responsibly and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

The agreement with Materials Processing, known as a Stipulation Agreement, is one of the tools the MPCA uses to achieve compliance with environmental laws. When calculating penalties, the agency takes into account how seriously the violation affected the environment, whether it was a first-time or repeat violation and how promptly the violation was reported to appropriate authorities. The agency also attempts to recover the calculated economic benefit gained by failure to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner.

New Standard Supports Sustainability Initiatives in the Water Treatment Chemical Industry

NSF International and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) have published the first American National Standard for assessing the sustainability of water treatment chemical products—NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416: Sustainability Assessment Standard for Water Treatment Chemical Products. Manufacturers and distributors (including repackagers and relabelers) of water treatment chemicals now have a framework for measuring and reducing the environmental impacts of their products, providing more sustainable purchase options to municipal water treatment facilities and industrial and consumer users of treatment chemicals.

To obtain certification to this standard, organizations must have implemented environmental and social management policies, and measure and document their water and energy use. They must also meet all prerequisite requirements pertaining to product design, manufacturing processes, efficacy and corporate social responsibility, as well as optional criteria in these categories. Organizations meeting these requirements can minimize the environmental and human impacts of their products and have the potential to reduce costs through more efficient use of materials, energy, and water.

“NSF International’s 70 year history of protecting and improving water quality and the environment is reflected in this new standard, NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416, which helps manufacturers of water treatment chemical products measure, manage and reduce environmental impact and reduce cost,” said Tom Bruursema, General Manager of Environmental and Sustainability Services at NSF International. “Manufacturers can reduce their material, energy and water consumption which contributes to improving sustainability.”

“Supporting the development of a standard that encourages the production and use of more sustainable treatment chemical products provides another tool for our members striving to lower the environmental impact of their operations,” said Paul Olson, Senior Manager of Standards at AWWA.

How NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416 Certification Works

The sustainability assessment criteria of NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416 are divided into five categories:

• Chemical Product Design—Encourages product designers and developers to minimize negative environmental and human impacts throughout the product life cycle
• Chemical Product Manufacturing Process—Encourages manufacturers to monitor and minimize the environmental impacts of the product’s manufacturing process
• Chemical Product Efficacy—Ensures the product performs at or above recognized industry standards
• Product End-of-Life Management—Ensures products, including their packaging, can be collected and re-processed within existing recycling infrastructure
• Corporate Governance—Encourages organizational leadership and social responsibility with a focus on occupational health and safety, data transparency, and community involvement

Certification to NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416 is based on point totals. Manufacturers or distributors working with a certified manufacturer must meet all prerequisite requirements and a minimum number of applicable optional criteria for their product to be certified. 

Johnson Foods Inc. Fined $14,000 for Wastewater Discharge Violations

Johnson Foods, Inc., of Sunnyside WA has resolved wastewater discharge violations and will participate in an environmental enhancement project to settle a penalty with the Washington Department of Ecology.

In February 2014 the company was fined $14,000 for a history of wastewater discharge violations. The company processes fruits and vegetables and sends its wastewater for treatment at the Port of Sunnyside.

Johnson Foods recently installed a system to neutralize pH in wastewater, as required by permit and cited as a problem in the penalty notice. The company was fined for several permit violations, including discharging highly acidic (low pH) wastewater that can cause costly problems for the industrial treatment plant. Excessively acidic waste can damage collection system infrastructure, increase odors and upset processing reactors and lagoons. Johnson maintains their treatment processes didn’t cause harm.

In lieu of paying the penalty, the company has agreed to purchase nearly $11,000 in water quality lab equipment for the Roza Sunnyside Board of Joint Control. The equipment will allow the joint irrigation board to monitor and improve the overall water quality in the valley through its services.

“Once we got our arms around the problem, we appreciated the help offered by Ecology,” said owner Gary Johnson. “Quite frankly, it was refreshing to work with them to solve our issues, and return to production. And help the lab at the same time.”

The new laboratory has been accredited by Ecology and is scheduled to be completed this summer.

“By working this out together, Ecology and Johnson Foods are keeping the environmental benefit of this settlement in the community,” said Elaine Brouillard, water quality supervisor for the joint board laboratory. “Roza and Sunnyside districts are grateful Mr. (Gary) Johnson is willing to provide equipment for our new water quality laboratory. Automating how glassware is cleaned frees up the staff to work on issues more relevant to the over 10,000 landowners we serve.”

The penalty will be settled once the lab equipment is delivered and Johnson Foods becomes up-to-date with its permit compliance schedule. The agreement doesn’t limit Ecology’s regulatory authority to issue administrative orders or enforcement actions for violations not addressed in this agreement.

Cal-Maine Foods Fined $475,000 for Clean Water Act Violations

 Under the settlement, Cal-Maine will bring the facility into compliance with its state-issued water discharge permit, significantly reduce nutrient pollution discharges, and improve environmental data collection and reporting practices. The company will also pay a $475,000 penalty to be split evenly between the US Federal and Mississippi governments.

 “When concentrated animal feeding operations discharge pollutants into US waters, the law requires them to have a permit and comply with it. We’re committed to enforcing the law to protect water quality for communities like the one where this facility is located.”

“The Justice Department is committed to protecting clean water for all Americans, and ensuring large concentrated animal feeding operations are good neighbors to those communities living near them like Edwards,” said Assistant Attorney General John Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement will bring Cal-Maine into compliance with state and federal laws and cut nutrient pollution discharges into area waterways.”

“This is good news for water quality and health for the residents of Edwards by requiring that Cal-Maine’s facilities operate in accordance with state and federal laws,” said US Attorney Gregory K. Davis for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The settlement also represents the commitment by the Justice Department and our federal and state partners to protect water, air and land from health hazards and pollution.”

Cal-Maine discharged pollutants from the production area into a tributary of a nearby creek without NPDES permit authorization, and applied nitrogen-laden wastewater on fields at the facility during winter months when land application was prohibited and sometimes at rates that exceeded their permit requirements. Cal-Maine also committed hundreds of water sampling, recordkeeping and reporting violations.

The facility is located in a community where close to half of the households have an annual income of less than $25,000. One of EPA’s top priorities is to protect communities that are disproportionately affected by pollution.

Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water causes algae to grow faster than ecosystems can handle. Large growths of algae, known as algal blooms, contribute to the creation of hypoxia or “dead zones” in water bodies where oxygen levels are so low that most aquatic life cannot survive. Excessive nitrogen and phosphorus that washes into water bodies and is released into the air are often the direct result of human activities, and agricultural operations are one of the major sources of nutrient pollution.

 The procedures were submitted to, and reviewed and approved by EPA and Mississippi officials over the course of settlement negotiations. Cal-Maine has begun implementing these procedures and must comply with all the terms of the settlement by April 30, 2016.

Once the pollution controls required by the settlement are implemented, EPA estimates Cal-Maine will cut discharges of nitrogen by 89,000 lb and phosphorous by 20,000 lb per year. EPA estimates it will cost Cal-Maine approximately $418,000 to implement the settlement requirements and bring the Edwards, Mississippi, facility into compliance with state and federal clean water laws.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., and Cal-Maine Farms, Inc., merged into one corporate entity called Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., effective January 1, 2015.

 

EPA Orders Gateway Parks LLC to Properly Clean Up Asbestos

A Boise, Idaho, ski and snowboard park owner and developer has received an asbestos abatement Compliance Order from the EPA following the partial demolition of the Lazy J Tavern complex near Eagle, Idaho, just northwest of Boise.

In January 2014, developer Gateway Parks, LLC, purchased a parcel of property next to an existing park near Eagle to expand operations. In May 2014, the company hired a consultant to perform asbestos inspections on eight buildings on the site to prepare for demolition of the buildings. The consultant found asbestos and submitted a bid for abatement. Gateway Parks rejected the bid, and in mid- to late 2014, some of the buildings were demolished without safely removing the asbestos or notifying the EPA as required by federal asbestos law.

EPA began an investigation in coordination with state and local authorities after receiving a public complaint in late December 2014.

EPA’s order requires Gateway Parks to clean up the contaminated debris from buildings already demolished in accordance with federal safe asbestos disposal requirements, and to follow all relevant laws and regulations for future demolitions on the property.

Gateway Parks now has to take immediate steps to control dust from the site and has 60 days to comply with the order. The company must also inform the EPA when the cleanup is complete.

Asbestos is a mineral fiber that naturally occurs in rock and soil. It was historically used in building materials and in construction for its tensile strength, fireproofing, and insulation properties. When inhaled, microscopic asbestos particles can lodge deep in the lungs, increasing risks of developing lung disease or cancer. Health risks from asbestos exposure are often made worse by smoking. In general, the greater the exposure to asbestos, the greater the chance of developing harmful health effects, with disease symptoms often developing years after exposure.

Asbestos fibers may be released into the air when asbestos-containing materials are disturbed or during product use, demolition work, building or home maintenance, repair, or remodeling. Only trained and certified asbestos abatement professionals should handle, remove and safely dispose of asbestos containing materials in licensed landfills or other approved disposal facilities.

Garden Homes Management Corp. Violates Lead Exposure Regulations

 

The Lead Paint Disclosure Rule requires landlords and property management firms to provide information about lead-based paint to their tenants upon leasing pre-1978 housing. The RRP rule is designed to ensure that painting and home renovation contractors comply with requirements designed to protect children and workers from exposure to lead-based paint during painting and other renovation activities at pre-1978 housing.

In a complaint, EPA alleged that Garden Homes failed to comply with lead disclosure requirements when it leased 18 residential units at nine Connecticut properties. The complaint also alleged that Garden Homes performed at least one renovation in a Naugatuck, Connecticut, property in violation of RRP Rule requirements for certifying renovation firms, providing lead hazard information to tenants, using only RRP-certified workers, and keeping records of compliance. The violations are alleged to have occurred from September 2010 to November 2012, based on records obtained by EPA during two separate inspections.

Under the terms of the settlement, Garden Homes will pay a $54,644 civil penalty, as well as complete a $20,000 lead risk mitigation project to remove and replace approximately 24 original, lead-paint containing windows from a 1961 Garden Homes property located in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

“Infants’ and children’s developing bodies are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead exposure, which can include lifelong impacts such as developmental impairment, learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity and behavioral problems,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “The disclosure requirements, and the safe work practices found in the RRP rule, are designed to help ensure that people are protecting their kids from suffering serious, lifelong health impacts from lead exposure.”

EPA’s Disclosure and RRP Rules are designed to prevent childhood exposure to lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards. The Disclosure Rule requires landlords and property management firms to:

• Provide a lead hazard information pamphlet to inform renters about the dangers associated with lead paint
• Include lead hazard notification language in rental forms
• Disclose any known lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in the living unit and provide available reports to renters
• Maintain records certifying compliance with federal laws for a period of three years

The RRP rule requires individuals performing renovations for compensation at most pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities to be properly trained. There are certification and training requirements for individual renovators and firms performing renovations to ensure that safe work practices are followed during renovations. EPA’s RRP Rule became effective on April 22, 2010 and allows for the assessment of penalties that may reach up to a maximum of $37,500 per violation per day.

Since 2012, EPA has pursued 18 actions in New England to enforce the RRP Rule. 

NIST Makes Bio Inspired Flame Retardants in a Jiffy

After devising several new and promising “green” flame retardants for furniture padding, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) researchers took a trip to the grocery store and cooked up their best fire-resistant coatings yet. As important, these protective coatings can be made in one straightforward step.

 In laboratory tests, six of these “bioinspired” coatings reduced the peak heat release rate—a key measure of flammability—of polyurethane foam by at least 63%, compared with untreated foam.

Encouraged by the lab results, the team subjected the top-performing mixture—starch and a boron-containing compound used in deodorant and other products—to a full-scale fire test. That entails igniting the seat cushions of entire chairs padded with treated or untreated polyurethane foam.

The untreated chair, upholstered with a synthetic fabric, was completely engulfed in flames 90 seconds after ignition and was completely consumed in less than two minutes.

In contrast, the fire in the chair treated with the NIST-devised coating remained confined to the cushion 90 seconds after ignition, even though the fabric covering had burned completely. The researchers recorded a 71% drop in the total amount of heat released, so that combustion could not be sustained and the flames did not spread.

Furniture fires are the leading cause of casualties in house fires. In 2013, they accounted for about 30% of more than 2,700 deaths in residential fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Fires that start in furniture, such as those lit by a burning cigarette or a nearby heater, account for the largest share, but furniture also serves as a major fuel source for fires that originate elsewhere.

“The results of the full-scale fire tests are very encouraging,” says NIST team leader Rick Davis. “The performance of our coating suggests that fire can be contained to burning furniture so that it does not spread, intensify to the point of flashover, and increase the risk of injury or death.”

Earlier candidates for “green” flame retardants formulated by the NIST group were made with a “layer by layer” deposition process that required repeating a series of steps to create stacks of coating layers. The newest coatings were crafted with what the researchers call a “one-pot” process: add ingredients to water, heat, stir until the solution turns to a gel, and then cool. Depending on the ingredients, preparation times ranged from about 30 minutes to two hours.

To achieve uniform coverage, foam is immersed in the solution for two minutes.

The uncomplicated process could lend itself to industry adoption. However, additional research is necessary to determine the durability of the new coatings and to assess other properties affecting performance and manufacturing applications.

In addition to furniture, chemical flame retardants are used in a variety of other consumer products. Several have been banned, and some others have been linked to human health risks and environmental problems. NIST’s bio-inspired, experimental coatings are contributing to the search for alternatives.

Getty Properties Corp. Penalized $4,882 for Violating Drinking Water Regulations

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a $4,882 penalty to Getty Properties, Corp., owner of the Chestnut Mart, which operates a public water system in Granby. Getty failed to comply with monitoring and reporting requirements for total coliform bacteria and exceeded the drinking water contaminant standard for total coliform bacteria.

Getty operates an on-site well at the Chestnut Mart, which is regulated by MassDEP as a public water system requiring regular monitoring and reporting, specifically for the absence or presence of an indicator organism, total coliform bacteria. Due to previous detection of bacteria, Getty installed equipment to disinfect the water. However, during five months in 2014, Getty failed to adequately monitor for total coliform bacteria and report monitoring results as required by regulation. Monitoring did occur in September 2014, with the results indicating coliform bacteria in the water system above drinking water standards due to a failure of the disinfection system.

As a result, MassDEP and Getty entered into a consent order that requires Getty to replace the existing disinfection system with a new disinfection system meeting current standards, prepare an operations and maintenance manual and remain in compliance with monitoring and reporting requirements. In addition, Getty will pay $1,000 of the penalty, with the remaining $3,882 suspended providing Getty remains in compliance with the order.

“Proper maintenance, monitoring and oversight of public water systems, especially those requiring disinfection, is imperative to protecting the public health and ensuring public confidence,” said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP’s Western Regional Office in Springfield.

Methyl Bromide Investigation Expands to Puerto Rico

The EPA, working with the Virgin Islands government, is investigating the March 2015 incident involving the use of a pesticide containing methyl bromide to fumigate a residence at the Sirenusa apartments on St. John in the US Virgin Islands. Methyl bromide can only be used in very limited situations, mainly for fumigation of soil and commodities.

In the course of the investigation, it has been determined that the pesticide used in the US Virgin Islands came from licensed distributors in Puerto Rico. EPA notified the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, which has direct enforcement authority for pesticide use violations. The Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture and EPA are gathering information from pesticide suppliers and applicators of methyl bromide products in Puerto Rico regarding their distribution or use of the products.

That investigation has revealed evidence that methyl bromide has been used improperly in Puerto Rico. Documents suggest that methyl bromide may have been improperly applied at various locations in Puerto Rico. EPA is working closely with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to follow up on any possible health effects.

Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture, with support from EPA, has sent inspectors to pesticide applicator companies, including Terminix. On April 14, 2015 the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture issued a legal order regarding methyl bromide in Puerto Rico. The agencies will continue their investigation to ensure that public health is protected from any further improper use of methyl bromide.

Health effects of exposure to methyl bromide are serious and include headaches, dizziness, weakness, and confusion. In severe cases exposure can cause central nervous system and respiratory system damage. Pesticides can be very toxic and it is critically important that restricted use pesticides be used only as approved by EPA.

Montana DEQ and Pioneer Technical Services Receive National Engineering Excellence Award

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Pioneer Technical Services, Inc., have received a National Recognition Award in the environmental category from the American Council of Engineering Companies 2015 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. The award is for the successful reclamation of the McLaren Abandoned Mine Site Reclamation project in Cooke City, Montana.

The competition recognizes projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement and value. Pioneer Technical Services provided engineering design and construction oversight work for the project, managed by the DEQ Abandoned Mine Lands program. The project was completed in October 2014 and included two years of investigation and design work and five years of construction work.

“Given its proximity to the park and risk for catastrophic failure, the tailings impoundment had been described as a disaster waiting to happen”, said Tom Henderson, DEQ project manager. “This award is an indication of the national significance of cleanup work. The completion of this project represents a major milestone for the area and in the restoration of abandoned mine lands across the country.”

The project successfully remediated the McLaren Abandoned Mine Site, turning a previously unusable area back to its historical landscape while cleaning up contamination in Soda Butte Creek and preserving an important fishery and the natural resources of Yellowstone National Park.

The challenges and complexity of the project were considered for this award.

“There were a lot of issues besides the technical challenges, such as transportation, wildlife, and public interaction,” said Joe McElroy, project manager for Pioneer. “DEQ’s leadership and support in dealing with these issues, and our construction partner Knife River’s planning and commitment to the project helped make it a huge success.”

Over one billion pounds of tailings were excavated from Soda Butte Creek, and approximately 100 million gallons of contaminated groundwater were treated during the project. The project was funded by a coal tax that comes from the Office of Surface Mining established to reclaim land and water resources adversely affected by past mining practices and left abandoned or inadequately restored.

“Pioneer Technical Services, Inc., is honored to be part of the team recognized by ACEC for work at the McLaren Tailings Reclamation Site,” said Brad Archibald, President/CEO. “For DEQ to have the faith in us to address the challenges at this site means a lot to us, and we are proud of what this team accomplished.”

DEQ and Pioneer will be recognized during an awards program in Washington, D.C. on April 21, 2015. The project will be part of an onstage tribute of all National Recognition award winners.

Environmental News Links

 

Trivia Question of the Week

The production of an average size serving of which beverage consumes the most water:

a) Coffee

b) Beer

c) Wine

d) Tea