Many older ballasts contain PCBs that can leak when the ballasts fail, leading to elevated levels of PCBs in the air of schools. While the elevated PCB levels should not represent an immediate threat, they could pose health concerns if they persist over time. Leaking ballasts must be removed and properly disposed of along with any part of the fixture that has been contaminated with PCBs. In schools across the country, most PCB-containing fluorescent light ballasts have exceeded their life span and are beginning to leak and smoke. The guidance is part of the EPA’s ongoing efforts to address potential PCB exposures in schools.
More than 150 incidents of leaking or smoking ballasts have been reported to the EPA from New York and New Jersey schools over the past 15 months. PCBs may cause cancer and have been shown to cause a number of serious non-cancer health effects in animals, including effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system.
Lighting ballasts regulate the current to the lamps in fluorescent lights and provide sufficient voltage to start the lamps. Prior to 1979, PCBs were commonly used as an insulator in ballasts. In 1979, the EPA banned the processing or use of PCBs, except in totally enclosed equipment. However, a large number of fluorescent light ballasts that were installed prior to the ban or that were stored and used after the 1979 phase-out, may contain PCBs and may still be in use in the US.
The most likely way that people are exposed to PCBs from the ballasts is through breathing PCB-contaminated air or, if the ballast ruptures, by touching PCB-contaminated materials. When they remain in place, leaking ballasts can continue to release PCBs over several years and create elevated levels of PCBs in the air that students, teachers, and other school workers breathe. The EPA recommends removing PCB-containing ballasts from buildings as soon as possible to prevent exposure.
Removal of PCB-containing fluorescent light ballasts, as part of lighting upgrades or a stand-alone project, is an investment that may pay off with long-term benefits to students, school staff, the community and the environment. A complete lighting retrofit eliminates the PCB hazards and increases energy efficiency by 30-50%. Lighting retrofits to eliminate PCB-containing fluorescent light ballasts should be considered as a component of any remodeling effort. The cost of replacing these fixtures can typically be recouped in less than seven years depending upon hours of operation and local energy costs.
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How to Implement OSHA’s Globally Harmonized Hazard Communication Standard
OSHA has issued a final rule revising its Hazard Communication Standard, aligning it with the United Nations’ globally harmonized system (GHS) for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals. This means that virtually every product label, material safety data sheet (now called “safety data sheet” or SDS), and written hazard communication plan must be revised to meet the new standard. Worker training must be updated so that workers can recognize and understand the symbols and pictograms on the new labels as well as the new hazard statements and precautions on SDSs.
EPA Takes Action to Protect Farm Workers in Puerto Rico from Pesticides
The EPA has reached an agreement with Bayer CropScience LP, a company that operates a research facility and nursery in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, to correct violations of federal regulations governing the use of pesticides on farms. The company failed to follow federal rules aimed at reducing or eliminating the exposure of farm workers to chemicals. Under the terms of the agreement, the company will take a number of steps to better protect the health of the workers at its facilities and come into full compliance with federal pesticide law.
“Exposure to pesticides can have serious effects on people’s health,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “This legal action will protect the health of the workers and reminds owners of agricultural businesses that they must be proactive in educating workers and protect them against potentially harmful pesticides.”
In April 2012, inspectors from the EPA and the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture visited the Sabana Grande farm to evaluate compliance with federal pesticide law at this location. The inspection, which included interviews with farm employees and a review of the farm’s pesticide application records, revealed that Bayer CropScience had failed to comply with numerous provisions of the federal pesticide law’s worker protection standards. Bayer CropScience failed to have an ample supply of water, soap, and towels for routine washing, as well as an emergency decontamination area for workers. In addition, Bayer CropScience used pesticides in a manner inconsistent with label requirements. When a pesticide is used in a manner not described on its label, the health of workers handling such pesticides and others can be put at risk.
Bayer CropScience has initiated changes to its procedures at the Sabana Grande farm and at other company facilities to bring it into compliance with federal pesticide law designed to protect workers. Such measures include the installation of permanent decontamination stations at the Sabana Grande farm and the construction of a portable shower unit that can be brought directly to employees working at the company’s farms. The company has also begun a review of its standard operating procedures at all of its research farms. The company has also agreed to pay a $53,000 penalty.
Worker protection provisions of the federal pesticide law are designed to reduce the risk of illness or injury resulting from agricultural field workers’ occupational exposure to pesticides. They govern pesticide use and require that workers and pesticide handlers be given training, equipment, and information. Workers may be injured from direct spray, drift or residue left by pesticides applications; handlers face additional risks from spills, splashes, inhalation, and inadequate protective equipment.
Fuel Economy of New Vehicles Sets Record
The report shows that model year 2012 vehicles achieved an all-time high fuel economy of 23.6 miles per gallon (mpg). This represents a 1.2 mpg increase over the previous year, making it the second largest annual increase in the last 30 years. Fuel economy has now increased in seven of the last eight years.
“Today’s new vehicles are cleaner and more fuel efficient than ever, saving American families money at the gas pump and helping to keep the air that we breathe cleaner,” said Janet McCabe, Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “Each year new technologies are coming on line to keep driving these positive trends toward greater and greater efficiency.”
Fuel economy will continue to improve under the Obama administration’s historic National Clean Car Program standards. The program doubles fuel economy standards by 2025 and cuts vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by half. The standards will save American families $1.7 trillion dollars in fuel costs, and by 2025 will result in an average fuel savings of more than $8,000 per vehicle. The program will also save 12 billion barrels of oil, and by 2025 will reduce oil consumption by more than 2 million barrels a day—as much as half of the oil imported from OPEC every day.
The large fuel economy improvement in model year 2012 is consistent with longer-term trends. Fuel economy has increased by 2.6 mpg, or 12%, since 2008, and by 4.3 mpg, or 22%, since 2004. The average carbon dioxide emissions of 376 grams per mile in model year 2012 also represented a record low. While EPA does not yet have final data for model year 2013, preliminary projections are that fuel economy will rise by 0.4 mpg, and carbon dioxide emissions will decrease by 6 grams per mile in 2013.
EPA’s annual “Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2013” attributes much of the recent improvement to the rapid adoption of more efficient technologies such as gasoline direct injection engines, turbochargers, and advanced transmissions.
Consumers have many more high fuel economy choices due to these and other technologies, such as hybrid, diesel, electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Consumers can choose from five times more car models with a combined city/highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or more, and from twice as many SUVs that achieve 25 mpg or more, compared to just five years ago.
EPA Honors Texas Company for Designing Greener Chemicals
Life Technologies developed a more efficient, less wasteful way to manufacture key chemicals used to perform genetic testing.
“Companies, such as Life Technologies, demonstrate that using green chemicals can lower greenhouse has emissions and toxicity while also significantly lowering operating cost,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “The process created by Life Technologies will prevent 1.5 million lb of hazardous waste a year.”
During the 18 years of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge program, EPA has received about 1500 nominations and presented awards to 93 technologies. Winning technologies over the lifetime of the program are responsible for reducing the use or generation of more than 826 million lb of hazardous chemicals, saving 21 billion gallons of water, and eliminating 7.8 billion lb of carbon dioxide equivalent releases to air.
The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are presented in five categories: academic, small business, greener synthetic pathways, greener reaction conditions, and designing greener chemicals. The awardees will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC.
EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Program award winners have significantly reduced the hazards associated with designing, manufacturing, and using chemicals. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute selected the 2013 winners from among scores of nominated technologies.
California’s Carbon Footprint Calculator Ready for Download in Google Play and iTunes
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has released a mobile application for both iTunes and Android platforms that aims to inspire people and small businesses to reduce their carbon footprints.
Using the calculator is simple. App users respond to a number of questions, such as: How many miles per gallon does your car get? How much do you spend per month on electricity and gas? How much trash do you throw away instead of recycling? The result is calculated in the amount of carbon pollution generated in one year by those inputs. The app, which is compatible with Apple and Android devices, features green-living tips and allows users to share personal stories about how they’re reducing their climate impact—in the app or on Facebook or Twitter. Sharing personal stories with friends and family helps to guide behavior change and promote peer-to-peer environmental awareness.
Like the app, the full calculator is an interactive tool that enables individuals and small businesses to calculate their carbon footprint and make pledges to reduce it. Either calculator—the app or more comprehensive calculator—shows users who make pledges what the resulting emissions reductions will be.
The goal is to inspire app users to make as many as 21 climate-friendly pledges and to check out the Carbon Calculator on their computer, laptop, or tablet.
Because voluntary actions are an important element in California’s climate plan, ARB has developed a variety of tools and resources to support these non-regulatory efforts.
CoolCalifornia.org provides all Californians, including small businesses and cities, with the tools they need to make greener decisions and take climate-friendly actions to reduce their impact on the planet.
Engaging small businesses, households, and others is an essential part of the state’s ability to achieve the long-term climate goals of reducing GHG emissions and moving us away from our dependence on fossil fuels. ARB commissioned the mobile calculator to inspire voluntary changes that will reduce carbon footprints on a household and individual basis, and foster green economic development.
The CoolCalifornia app was developed by MDS Digital Communicators, with offices in Santa Monica and Bogota, Colombia, in partnership with University of California at Berkeley, for the ARB. It is the first app developed by the ARB that is available on iTunes and Google Play.
Long-Term Warming and Environmental Change Trends Persist in the Arctic in 2013
According to a new report released recently by NOAA and its partners, cooler temperatures in the summer of 2013 across the central Arctic Ocean, Greenland, and northern Canada moderated the record sea ice loss and extensive melting that the surface of the Greenland ice sheet experienced last year. Yet there continued to be regional extremes, including record low May snow cover in Eurasia and record high summer temperatures in Alaska.
“The Arctic caught a bit of a break in 2013 from the recent string of record-breaking warmth and ice melt of the last decade,” said David M. Kennedy, NOAA’s deputy under secretary for operations, during a press briefing at the American Geophysical Union annual meeting in San Francisco. “But the relatively cool year in some parts of the Arctic does little to offset the long-term trend of the last 30 years: the Arctic is warming rapidly, becoming greener and experiencing a variety of changes, affecting people, the physical environment, and marine and land ecosystems.”
Kennedy joined other scientists to release the Arctic Report Card 2013, which has, since 2006, summarized changing conditions in the Arctic. One hundred forty-seven authors from 14 countries contributed to the peer-reviewed report. Major findings of this year’s report include:
- Air temperatures: While Eurasia had spring air temperatures as much as 7?F above normal, central Alaska experienced its coldest April since 1924 with birch and aspen trees budding the latest (May 26) since observations began in 1972. Summer across a broad swath of the Arctic was cooler than the previous six summers, when there had been pronounced retreat of sea ice. However, Fairbanks, just below the Arctic Circle in Alaska, experienced a record 36 days with temperatures at or exceeding 80?F.
- Snow cover: The snow extent in May and June across the Northern Hemisphere (when snow is mainly located over the Arctic) was below average in 2013. The North American snow cover during this period was the fourth lowest on record. A new record low was reached in May over Eurasia.
- Sea ice: Despite a relatively cool summer over the Arctic Ocean, the extent of sea ice in September 2013 was the sixth lowest since observations began in 1979. The seven lowest recorded sea ice extents have occurred in the last seven years.
- Ocean temperature and salinity: Sea surface temperatures in August were as much as 7?F higher than the long-term average of 1982-2006 in the Barents and Kara Seas, which can be attributed to an early retreat of sea ice cover and increased solar heating. Twenty-five percent more heat and freshwater is stored in the Beaufort Gyre, a clockwise ocean current circulating north of Alaska and Canada, since the 1970s.
- Greenland ice sheet: During a summer when air temperatures were near the long-term average, melting occurred across as much as 44% of the surface of the Greenland ice sheet, close to the long-term average but much smaller than the record 97% in 2012.
- Vegetation: The Arctic is greening as vegetation responds to warmer conditions and a longer growing season. Since observations began in 1982, Arctic-wide tundra vegetation productivity (greenness) has increased, with the growing season length increasing by 9 days each decade.
- Wildlife: Large land mammal populations continued trends seen over the last several decades. Muskox numbers have increased since the 1970s, in part due to conservation and introduction efforts, while caribou and reindeer herds continue to have unusually low numbers.
For the first time, scientists also released new information on marine fishes and black carbon with highlights that include:
- Marine fishes: The long-term warming trend, including the loss of sea ice and warming of waters, is believed to be contributing to the northward migration into the Arctic of some fish such as Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic cod, capelin, eelpout, sculpin, and salmonids.
- Black carbon: While black carbon (soot) originating from outside the Arctic has decreased by 55% since the early 1990s, primarily due to economic collapse in the former Soviet Union, increasing numbers of wildfires fueled by greater amounts of vegetation in a warmer, drier climate have the potential to increase atmospheric black carbon in the high latitudes.
“The Arctic Report Card presents strong evidence of widespread, sustained changes that are driving the Arctic environmental system into a new state and we can expect to see continued widespread and sustained change in the Arctic,” said Martin Jeffries, principal editor of the 2013 Report Card, science adviser for the US Arctic Research Commission, and research professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “But we risk not seeing those changes if we don’t sustain and add to our current long-term observing capabilities. Observations are fundamental to Arctic environmental awareness, government and private sector operations, scientific research, and the science-informed decision-making required by the US National Strategy for the Arctic.”
In 2006, NOAA’s Climate Program Office introduced the State of the Arctic Report, which established a baseline of conditions at the beginning of the 21st century.
Husqvarna Professional Products Fined $1,038,000 for Sales of Uncertified Engines in California
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) recently announced that Husqvarna Professional Products has agreed to a fine of $1,038,000 for violations of air quality laws related to the sale of uncertified small off-road engines in California.
In announcing the settlement, ARB enforcement Chief James Ryden noted that, “Husqvarna promptly conducted an internal investigation and fully cooperated in the resolution of this matter,” but added that, “violations of the basic elements of California’s anti-pollution requirements, especially certification of engines prior to sale in our state, have serious consequences.”
An ARB investigation discovered that over a period of three model years, spanning from 2011 to 2013, Husqvarna Professional Products staff failed to obtain certification for nine different small off-road engine families prior to their sale in California. These engines powered thousands of hand-held consumer power products such as line trimmers, leaf blowers, and chain saws.
Husqvarna fully cooperated with ARB in the investigation and resolution of this matter. Based on the information learned in its internal investigation, Husqvarna has implemented new administration procedures related to emissions certification and has improved management oversight of the process. These actions help ensure that all future engines are fully compliant with certification requirements prior to being offered for sale in California.
California law requires manufacturers to certify compliance of all new products prior to sale because engines that do not meet emissions standards pose a real health danger to California residents. They create higher amounts of smog-forming pollutants, which can exacerbate respiratory ailments and negatively affect other health conditions.
Funds collected will be paid to the California Air Pollution Control Fund, established to decrease air pollution through education and the advancement and use of cleaner technologies.
San Diego Water Board Issues $801,000 Penalty to City of La Mesa for Sewage Discharges
The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board recently assessed an $801,462 penalty against the City of La Mesa for spilling more than 1.3 million gallons of raw sewage into local waters in December of 2010.
As a condition of the settlement, nearly half the penalty ($387,606) will be suspended if the city successfully completes a wetland restoration project in Alvarado Channel—one of the two areas where the spills occurred. The city’s wetland restoration project will remove a segment of concrete channel bank, as well as trash and invasive plant species, and replant the area with native plants to improve water quality and wildlife uses.
“We think this project will be an asset to the local community,” said David Gibson, the San Diego Water Board’s executive officer. “One that can help people appreciate the value of wetland restoration in an area where the streams have been undergrounded, channelized, and marginalized from past development practices.”
Multiple sewer overflows resulted in more than one million gallons of raw sewage being discharged to Chollas Creek, which drains to San Diego Bay, and 306,700 gallons of raw sewage being discharged to Alvarado Creek, which drains to the San Diego River.
The overflows occurred because the city’s sewer collection system was not properly sized or designed to prevent stormwater from entering during heavy rains. As a result, during the December 2010 storms, rainwater entered the sewage collection system, overwhelming its carrying capacity and causing sewer overflows in multiple locations.
Both Chollas Creek and the San Diego River are ecologically sensitive water bodies that can be adversely affected by sewage, according to the San Diego Water Board’s list of impaired water bodies. These water bodies also support vibrant recreation, wildlife, and commercial uses.
Lahontan Water Board and Dairy Owners Reach Settlement over Water Code Violations
The Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (Lahontan Water Board) has reached a settlement agreement with Neil and Mary de Vries, owners of the N&M Dairy in San Bernardino County, California. The agreement resolves violations of Lahontan Water Board orders, calls for elimination of nuisance conditions, and protects water quality and beneficial uses of water at the dairy, which is located along the Mojave River, near the unincorporated community of Helendale.
Under the settlement agreement, the dairy must pay $188,425 to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) and establish a 300-acre conservation easement consisting largely of Mojave River channel and floodplain habitat located on the dairy property. Failure to establish a 300-acre conservation easement by August 2014 will result in the de Vries paying an additional $188,425 to the State Water Board.
The conservation easement will allow the land to return to a naturally functioning river floodplain and adjacent habitat area. No development, including farming, is allowed in the conservation easement. Habitat restoration and preservation along the Mojave River is important since development along the river, including farming, has eliminated or reduced habitat for desert wildlife, including the endangered California desert tortoise, and has disrupted the river’s natural flow patterns, causing erosion and loss of native vegetation.
The settlement agreement resolves violations of Lahontan Water Board Cleanup and Abatement Orders that were issued in 2010 and 2011. The Lahontan Water Board adopted the Orders in response to inadequately managed waste discharges, including cow manure and urine, dairy wash water, and stormwater runoff generated at the 909-acre dairy. Improper management of the wastes resulted in groundwater pollution in some nearby residential wells and in significant fly infestations and odors at neighboring residences. The Orders required replacement drinking water for residents with affected domestic wells, improvements to manure management and removal practices, and dairy wash water treatment and disposal to correct nuisance conditions (odors and flies).
During settlement negotiations, the dairy closed and cleanup activities are underway. The dairy closure and cleanup activities have eliminated the fly and odor problems and additional waste discharges to the environment, which will result in water quality improvement. The de Vries will continue to be under a Lahontan Water Board Order requiring them to provide replacement water to affected domestic wells until specific criteria are satisfied.
Connecticut Joins Multi-State Action to Require Upwind States to Reduce Air Pollution
Governor Dannel P. Malloy recently announced that Connecticut is sending a powerful message to upwind states: Stop dumping your air pollution on us—it’s time to clean up your act.
To address this issue, the Governor says Connecticut is joining a multi-state action to require upwind states to our south and west to reduce pollution that is carried here by prevailing winds—a move aimed at better protecting the health of our residents and leveling the playing field for our businesses.
“Connecticut is tired of serving as the tailpipe of America,” Governor Malloy said. “We’re paying a steep public health and economic price for the failure of upwind states to make investments needed to operate power plants and industrial facilities in a clean and efficient manner. Now is the ideal time to get the upwind polluters to take action.”
The multi-state action is aimed at requiring nine upwind states to be good neighbors by reducing their air pollution emissions. The petition seeks long overdue commitments from the upwind states to protect the health of downwind residents and to level the playing field for businesses—as industries in their states have long benefited from cheap power produced by dirty, uncontrolled coal plants
The petition asks EPA to require the nine upwind states to join them in what is known as the Ozone Transport Region (OTR). Under the federal Clean Air Act (CAA), states added to the OTR would have to take actions consistent with the air pollution efforts of the downwind states through use of readily available control technologies and reliance on cleaner fuels to generate power.
States joining Connecticut in filing the petition—all current members of the OTR—are: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Upwind states they are asking EPA to add to the OTR are: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
“For far too long, prevailing wind patterns have carried pollution generated elsewhere across our borders and into our lives and lungs,” Governor Malloy said. “If we eliminated all of our ‘home grown’ air pollution, the air in parts of Connecticut would still be dangerously polluted and fail to meet federal standards—because of the inter-state transport of pollution.”
More than 90% of ozone levels in southwest Connecticut and more than 80% of ozone levels in some remaining parts of the state result from pollution that originates in areas located out of Connecticut’s jurisdiction and control. In 2013, for instance, monitoring equipment showed that air entering Connecticut already exceeded ozone standards on 16 of the 18 days when air quality here failed to meet federal standards.
Connecticut’s industries and electric power plants have invested heavily in pollution control technologies and additional emissions reductions in-state would come from smaller sources at greater cost. The cost of removing an additional ton of pollution here is estimated at between $10,000 to $40,000—compared to as little as $500 a ton in upwind states, where even some basic control technologies have not been installed.
“Over the last several decades Connecticut has done more than its fair share to reduce our pollution levels and we have most recently expanded our horizons to include energy efficiency, green energy, and zero emissions vehicles as new ways to improve both our environment and our economy,” Commissioner Daniel C. Esty of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said. “Yet, at the same time, upwind states have failed to take even the most basic steps that we took long ago. They now have the opportunity to step up and do what’s right.”
The petition filed by the six states is authorized by Section 176A of the federal CAA, which permits states to petition the EPA to add any state to an air quality region such as the OTR if there is reason to believe it is the source of pollution causing violations of air quality standards elsewhere. The EPA Administrator is required to approve or disapprove of such a petition within 18 months.
“I applaud the Governor for filing this petition and strongly believe the EPA should approve it. Both the science and the law are clear. Air pollution from these nine states is migrating to Connecticut, causing potential health problems and costs here. The EPA has the authority under the Clean Air Act to address the problem, as it should have done decades ago,” Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said. “Asthma rates in our state remain a significant concern despite actions to control our own in-state air pollution sources, and Connecticut has long been forced to cope with the downwind emissions of other states. The EPA should ensure that these states take responsibility for their pollution, rather than passing the buck to Connecticut. Not only is this fair, it is cost effective—it imposes far more costs on Connecticut’s economy to deal with this problem here than it would to address it at the source of the pollution.”
Waste Hauler to Pay More than $93,000 for Illegal Dumping of Construction Waste
A waste hauling firm based in Essex, Massachusetts, will pay more than $93,000 to settle claims that it illegally dumped multiple loads of construction and demolition waste at an unpermitted site in Methuen, Massachusetts, Attorney General Martha Coakley announced recently.
According to the complaint, Dynamic Waste Systems, Inc., violated Massachusetts’ solid waste disposal laws by dumping more than 115 loads of construction and demolition waste, including concrete, brick, and stone, at the site over a period of 70 days.
“We will vigorously pursue those who fail to follow the Commonwealth’s solid waste laws and regulatory requirements,” Attorney General Coakley said. “This settlement sends a strong message that haulers who improperly dispose of waste will be forced to clean up illegal dumping grounds.”
According to the complaint, Thomas Battye, the owner of the Methuen site, never applied for or received an assignment to operate a solid waste facility from the Methuen Board of Health or a solid waste management facility permit from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
“Illegal dumping of solid waste undermines the protection of the Commonwealth’s natural resources, and it won’t be tolerated,” said MassDEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell. “Disposal of materials must be done at properly approved or permitted facilities without exception.”
The consent judgment requires that Dynamic Waste Systems pay a total of $90,000 into a special fund established by the Commonwealth to help with the cost of site evaluation and subsequent cleanup work at the Battye site. Under the judgment, Dynamic will also pay a $3,750 civil penalty.
Battye is the subject of a separate, pending action brought by the Commonwealth related to solid waste violations at the Methuen site. The Attorney General’s Office is also pursuing claims against additional waste haulers and demolition contractors who dumped or contracted for solid waste disposal at the Battye site.
Massachusetts Issues Final RGGI Revisions to Dramatically Lower Power Plant GHG Emissions
Massachusetts’ Patrick Administration recently issued final amendments to a regulation that will reduce up to 90 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants across nine New England and mid-Atlantic states during the next six years.
Power plants in the RGGI states must purchase “allowances” that allow them to emit carbon dioxide. The states auction off these allowances and use the proceeds for public purposes, especially investments in energy efficiency, which create jobs and keep energy spending local.
The revisions to Massachusetts’ RGGI program, as well as similar changes in the other eight states, will lower the existing “cap” on power plant emissions in the RGGI states from the current level of 165 million tons per year to 91 million tons per year starting in 2014. The cap will then be lowered by 2.5% each year thereafter until 2020. This reduction will ensure that in 2020, power plant emissions from these nine states will be half of what they were in 2005, when RGGI was initiated.
The lower cap is also expected to generate an estimated $350 million in additional revenue for the Commonwealth by 2020.These revenues will be invested primarily in programs to improve energy efficiency in Massachusetts’ municipalities, businesses and residences, which will, in turn, reduce energy costs and lower carbon dioxide emissions.
“Massachusetts has benefitted greatly from our participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “The program has cut more than 10 million tons of pollutants from our air, invested more than $252 million in energy efficiency improvements and generated thousands of clean-tech jobs.”
Buoyed by the program’s success, the nine RGGI states have also called upon the EPA to embrace regional cap-and-trade programs when it issues federal rules to cut carbon emissions from power plants.
“RGGI has been an unqualified success as the nation’s first market-based program to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, and these program revisions are a perfect match to President Obama’s climate change goals,” said Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). “Massachusetts and our RGGI partners have created a model for states across the nation, and federal officials should consider it as an option for compliance with the upcoming national rules.”
“Massachusetts has invested RGGI proceeds wisely, with nation-leading results,” said Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “We have directed the vast majority into the Mass Save® energy efficiency programs, as well as Green Communities grants, providing billions in benefits to businesses, individuals and municipalities. We look forward to continued economic and environmental contributions from RGGI.”
While the price for allowances is expected to rise under the new cap, the revisions call for the establishment of a “cost containment reserve” that would stabilize allowance prices in unforeseen circumstances, such as a shortage of natural gas. The cost containment reserve would inject additional allowances into the marketplace if allowance prices reach certain triggers ($4 per ton in 2014, $6 in 2015, $8 in 2016, and $10 in 2017, rising by 2.5%, to account for inflation, each year thereafter).
Before making these revisions, the RGGI states conducted extensive modeling on the impacts of these changes on consumers. The modeling shows that the impacts of the reduced emissions cap will be very modest, less than 1% in consumer bills. The average Massachusetts residential customer’s monthly electric bill of $72 will rise by 39 cents; the average commercial customer’s monthly bill of $455 will rise by $3.89; and the average industrial customer’s monthly bill of $6,659 will rise by $83.
Montana DEQ Launches Hazardous Materials Notification Program
Responders to emergencies involving hazardous materials will now be able to use a web-based data center to access instant information about facilities where hazardous chemicals are used or stored.
"Minutes matter in any emergency so having this information available at or even before an incident can save the lives of our professional and volunteer emergency responders", said Tracy Stone-Manning, Director of Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). "E-Plan will also enhance the safety of company employees and citizens near these facilities."
The DEQ decided this year to begin using E-Plan for EPCRA (Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act) chemical storage reporting. E-Plan was developed and funded by EPA and Homeland Security at the University of Texas at Dallas. E-Plan is used by state agencies, local governments, and fire departments for emergency response at hazardous chemical facilities. The system is used for incident pre-planning, management of hazardous chemical site information, and risk and vulnerability analysis.
E-Plan collects and makes available hazardous materials reports, called Tier II reports, filed by chemical plants, refineries, pipelines, and hazardous material storage facilities easily available 24 hours a day. Montana and the EPA worked with E-Plan administrators to enter all facility data from 2012 annual reports so the data is up to date for 2013 annual reports. Almost 1,200 Montana facilities are entered into the system and are ready to be accessed by emergency responders.
"E-Plan is a step in the right direction", said Patrick Lonergan, Gallatin County Emergency Manager, "The result will be a much more efficient process for both government and the companies filing reports."
E-Plan also makes it easier for industry to file their required reports. Before E-Plan, companies were required to submit reports to individual states. The information was submitted by hard copy, email, or faxes and then stored. Now companies can simply enter or upload their reports to E-Plan.
In addition to Tier II data, E-Plan makes available other important information instantly, such as: maps of the area surrounding a fixed facility showing schools, hospitals, other Tier II reporting facilities, etc., facility emergency response plans, facility diagrams and building floor plans, and safety data sheets.
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Trivia Question of the Week
What is the average annual carbon footprint of a typical US household?
a. 48 tons
b. 27 tons
c. 180 tons
d. 89 tons