“We are taking tough steps to prevent people from accidentally drinking paraquat and to ensure these tragic deaths become a thing of the past,” said Jim Jones, assistant administrator for the office of chemical safety and pollution prevention. “We are also putting safety measures in place to prevent worker injuries from exposure to this pesticide.”
Since 2000, there have been 17 deaths—three involving children caused by accidental ingestion of paraquat. These cases have resulted from the pesticide being illegally transferred to beverage containers and later mistaken for a drink and consumed. A single sip can be fatal. To prevent these tragedies, EPA is proposing:
- New closed-system packaging designed to make it impossible to transfer or remove the pesticide except directly into the proper application equipment
- Special training for certified applicators who use paraquat to emphasize that the chemical must not be transferred to or stored in improper containers
- Changes to the pesticide label and warning materials to highlight the toxicity and risks associated with paraquat
In addition to the deaths by accidental ingestion, since 2000 there have been three deaths and many severe injuries caused by the pesticide getting onto the skin or into the eyes of those working with the herbicide. To reduce exposure to workers who mix, load, and apply paraquat, EPA is proposing:
Prohibiting application from hand-held and backpack equipment
Restricting the use to certified pesticide applicators only (individuals working under the supervision of a certified applicator would be prohibited from using paraquat)
Paraquat is one of the most widely-used herbicides in the U.S. for the control of weeds in many agricultural and non-agricultural settings and is also used as a defoliant on crops such as cotton prior to harvest. The proposal will be available for a 60-day public comment period. EPA will consider all public comments before finalizing these proposed actions later this year.
Actions on specific pesticides are one way that EPA is protecting workers from pesticide exposure.
Hazardous Waste Generator Improvement Rule
In the first major modification to the hazardous waste regulations in over 10 years, EPA plans to modify and reorganize the hazardous waste generator rule. When adopted, the rule will provide greater flexibility in how hazardous waste is managed and close important gaps in the regulations.
Attend Environmental Resource Center’s live, online session to learn:
- New requirements for documenting hazardous waste determinations
- Revised requirements for when and how to submit the Notification of Generator Status form to EPA
- How to take advantage of the episodic generation exclusion to avoid reclassification to a larger generator status
- Definitions of important new terms – “Very Small Quantity Generator” and “Central Accumulation Area”
- How to mark containers, tanks, and containment buildings with new information required at central accumulation areas and satellites
- New conditions under which containers can be left open at satellite accumulation areas
- Updated time and volume limits for satellite accumulation areas
- New documentation requirements for contingency plans and biennial reports
- New requirements for shipping hazardous waste from a VSQG to another facility owned by the same organization
New Exclusions for Solvent Recycling and Hazardous Secondary Materials
EPA’s new final rule on the definition of solid waste creates new opportunities for waste recycling outside the scope of the full hazardous waste regulations. This rule, which went into effect on July 13, 2015, streamlines the regulatory burden for wastes that are legitimately recycled.
The first of the two exclusions is an exclusion from the definition of solid waste for high-value solvents transferred from one manufacturer to another for the purpose of extending the useful life of the original solvent by keeping the materials in commerce to reproduce a commercial grade of the original solvent product.
The second, and more wide reaching of the two exclusions, is a revision of the existing hazardous secondary material recycling exclusion. This exclusion allows you to recycle, or send off-site for recycling, virtually any hazardous secondary material. Provided you meet the terms of the exclusion, the material will no longer be hazardous waste.
Learn how to take advantage of these exclusions at Environmental Resource Center’s live webcast on February 16 where you will learn:
- Which of your materials qualify under the new exclusions
- What qualifies as a hazardous secondary material
- Which solvents can be remanufactured, and which cannot
- What is a tolling agreement
- What is legitimate recycling
- Generator storage requirements
- What documentation you must maintain
- Requirements for off-site shipments
- Training and emergency planning requirements
- If it is acceptable for the recycler to be outside the US
Charleston RCRA, DOT, and IATA Training
San Antonio RCRA and DOT Training
Jacksonville RCRA and DOT Training
EPA Issues Draft Risk Assessment for 1-Bromopropane
“This draft assessment will provide workers and consumers with critical information about the risks associated with using 1-BP in these applications,” said Jim Jones assistant administrator for the office of chemical safety and pollution prevention. “Public and scientific peer review is an integral piece to ensure we use the best available science in evaluating this chemical.”
The chemical showed acute risks to women of childbearing age from adverse developmental effects. Other non-cancer and cancer health risks were identified for workers with repeated and chronic exposures, including neurotoxicity; kidney, liver, and reproductive toxicity; and lung cancer.
In addition to EPA’s assessment, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued a draft criteria document for worker exposure to 1-BP, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) examined the hazards of 1-BP associated with different exposure durations. While each agency’s review has a distinct focus based on their mandates, they draw similar conclusions about the health hazards of 1-BP. The EPA, NIOSH, and ATSDR will continue to coordinate in addressing concerns associated with this chemical.
EPA recommends the public carefully follow product label directions and take precautions that can reduce exposures, such as using the product outside or in an extremely well ventilated area and wearing appropriate protective equipment to reduce exposure, particularly inhalation.
As EPA continues to support much needed reform of the nation’s chemicals management legislation, it continues to evaluate chemicals that may pose risks.
EPA is seeking public comment of this draft assessment for 60 days.
EPA Moves to Cancel the Insecticide Flubendiamide
Required studies showed flubendiamide breaks down into a more highly toxic material that is harmful to species that are an important part of aquatic food chains, especially for fish, and is persistent in the environment. EPA concluded that continued use of the product would result in unreasonable adverse effects on the environment. EPA requested a voluntary cancellation in accordance with the conditions of the original registration.
EPA had issued a time-limited registration to the companies with conditions that were understood and agreed upon. If unreasonable adverse effects on the environment were found by EPA, the companies would submit a request for voluntary cancellation of all flubendiamide registrations within one week of EPA notification.
After being informed of the EPA’s finding on January 29, 2016, the companies were asked to submit a request for voluntary cancellation by Friday, February 5, 2016. They rejected EPA’s request to submit a voluntary cancellation. Subsequently, EPA initiated cancellation of all currently registered flubendiamide products for the manufacturers’ failure to comply with the terms of the registration.
Flubendiamide is registered for use on over 200 crops, including soybeans, almonds, tobacco, peanuts, cotton, lettuce, alfalfa, tomatoes, watermelon, and bell peppers, with some crops having as many as 6 applications per year.
Crops that have been properly treated with flubendiamide or that may be treated with existing stocks can still be sold legally. Provisions on handling existing stocks of the pesticide will be finalized once the products have been cancelled.
The registrants or adversely affected parties have 30 days from the date of the Notice to request a hearing. Details on how to request a hearing are contained within the Notice of Intent to Cancel.
EPA Takes Action Against Illegal Methyl Bromide Use in Puerto Rico
From 2013 to early 2015, Edwin Andujar Bermudez, doing business as Truly Nolen Pest Control De Caguas, and Wilson J. Torres Rivera, the owner of Tower & Son Exterminating, Corp., fumigated residences and other unauthorized locations in several Puerto Rico municipalities with pesticides containing methyl bromide. The use of methyl bromide is restricted in the U.S. due to its acute toxicity and because it is an ozone-depleting substance. As certified applicators, Mr. Andujar and Mr. Torres face civil penalties under FIFRA, as does Mr. Torres’ company. Mr. Andujar and Tower & Son Exterminating, Corp. additionally face civil penalties under the Clean Air Act.
“Protecting people’s health in Puerto Rico is of paramount importance,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “Pesticides can be very toxic. Applying methyl bromide products in homes is dangerous and against federal law.”
The 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. Only certified applicators are allowed to use methyl bromide in certain approved locations and for purposes specified on a given product’s label; methyl bromide products are not allowed to be used in dwellings. The labels for methyl bromide pesticides also require compliance with specific monitoring, health and safety, and storage instructions. Virgin Islands fell gravely ill after being exposed to methyl bromide that was sprayed in a resort condo unit below theirs.
From March to October of 2015, investigators from the Puerto Rico Department of Agriculture and the EPA conducted inspections at M & P Pest Control, Inc., a pesticide distributor in San Juan, and at the facilities of various pesticide applicators in Puerto Rico to collect information regarding the purchase and use of pesticides containing methyl bromide. The investigation revealed that Mr. Andujar had purchased Meth-O-Gas Q, which contains Methyl Bromide, from M & P and had, on numerous occasions, improperly applied it in residences and other unauthorized locations and without following specific instructions and restrictions on the label.
The investigation further revealed that Tower & Son Exterminating had also purchased Meth-O-Gas Q, from M & P and that Mr. Torres and his company had, on numerous occasions, improperly applied it in residences and other unauthorized locations and without following specific instructions and restrictions on the label. In addition, the investigation revealed that Mr. Torres and his company had improperly stored cylinders of the pesticide in a storage area that was neither secured nor well-ventilated.
The EPA’s complaints allege that Mr. Andujar, Mr. Torres, and Mr. Torres’ company violated federal pesticide law by using a registered pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its label, and that Mr. Andujar and Tower & Sons Exterminating violated the Clean Air Act by failing to comply with that law’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Under the Clean Air Act, applicators of methyl bromide must collect and maintain documentation and make certified representations regarding their intended use of this pesticide.
Products used to kill pests must be registered with the EPA to ensure that they are safe and effective for approved uses and contain labels with detailed instructions to minimize the potential for exposure and adverse impacts to humans or the environment from their use. Applicators of restricted use pesticides (RUPs) such as those containing methyl bromide require specialized training before purchasing pesticides and need to thoroughly understand and comply with the specific instructions and restrictions on the label to ensure that the pesticide is used safely and effectively.
California Phases In Copper-Free Brake Pads
With this new law, the amount of copper, lead, hexavalent chromium, mercury, and asbestiform fibers in brake pads sold in California will be restricted to zero amounts by 2025.
New Research Uncovers Myths Behind Aviation’s Climate Change Crisis
A new study published in the journal Transportation Research Part D has explored the ways in which new technologies have been “hyped” by the aviation industry and media as the key to sustainable air travel, perpetuating a culture of non-accountability for increased emissions and subsequent environmental damage.
Researchers from the University of Surrey, in collaboration with NHTV Breda, Netherlands, and the University of Otago, New Zealand, explored how new technologies such as alternative fuels, solar flight, and a range of aircraft design options are presented by industry and media, alongside the subsequent level of success in practically applying these technologies. The researchers argue that discussion around these technologies creates “myths” of zero-emission flight, shielding the aviation industry from closer scrutiny of its sustainability policies.
“Air travel has experienced substantial growth over the last 40 years. By 2050 energy use in aviation will have tripled, accounting for 19% of all transport energy use in 2050, compared to 11% in 2006,” Dr Scott Cohen, of the University of Surrey explained.
“This is in sharp contrast to pledges by industry to reduce flight emissions through technology, aiming for ‘zero emission flight’ through overly hyped developments such as solar planes and hydrogen fuels.”
“The way in which new technologies are presented constitutes a ‘myth’, a form of propaganda which denies the truth that progress in climate policy for aviation has stalled. The use of these technology myths by industry and government relieves anxiety that nothing is being done, by pointing to future ‘miracle’ solutions, which in reality are unfeasible.”
The team analyzed how new aviation technology such as solar flight has been presented by industry as key to sustainable flight. While presented as a possible solution to high-emission flight, the research explored how in fact solar flight is highly unfeasible, with the creators of the first solar plane to fly around the clock admitting that solar planes would “never replace fuel-powered commercial flights.”
Paul Peeters, Associate Professor Sustainable Transport and Tourism, NHTV Breda: “We see a definite pattern when it comes to the hyping of these technologies. Take solar or electric flight. Through the media, the industry successfully presented these technologies as major breakthroughs that would have beneficial implications for future, zero-emission flight. In reality this is rhetoric that takes headlines away from the fact that emissions policy is failing, and continually points to a ‘better future’ just around the corner.”
“While these inventions are fascinating from a research perspective, they won’t act as a panacea for the harmful, climate damaging emissions that the aviation industry is increasingly releasing into our atmosphere. Industry will always wish to present an optimistic view of their role in this issue, but our research has also shown that some politicians are complicit in propagating these myths and need to stop relying on rhetoric and start referring to facts.”
Shipper Fined $129,500 for Violating Clean Air Regulation
The California Air Resources Board has fined the China Navigation Co. Pte. Ltd. $129,500 for failure to switch its engines over from heavy diesel bunker fuel to cleaner, low-sulfur fuel when close to the California coast, as required by state law. CARB’s Ocean-Going Vessel Fuel regulation is a critical part of California’s plan to attain air quality standards in Southern California and across the state.
On December 28, 2012, an ARB inspector found that the vessel Chenan, managed by the China Navigation Co. Pte. Ltd., operated within Regulated California Waters (i.e. 24 miles or less from the coast) on noncompliant heavy fuel oil on 12 separate days (four voyages) between August 5 and December 28, 2012, while en route to and departing from the Port of Los Angeles.
“Ships using heavy diesel fuels are a significant contributor to California’s air quality problems, even in communities located far from our coast” said ARB Enforcement Division Chief Todd Sax. “That’s why we check vessels nearly every day to ensure that they are compliant with our strict clean air laws. When we identify a violation, we educate the fleet owner and crew on how to comply with our requirements, and we assess penalties as a deterrent to future noncompliance.”
The China Navigation Co. Pte. Ltd. took prompt action after being notified of these violations and cooperated with the investigation. In addition to paying a fine, the company agreed to comply with all fuel switchover requirements and to keep accurate records going forward.
The Air Resources Board conducts an estimated 800 to 1,000 ship inspections each year, checking for proper fuel usage, record-keeping and other compliance requirements. Part of the inspection involves sampling each vessel’s fuel, and analyzing the fuel sample for compliance with ARB fuel sulfur requirements.
The Ocean Going Vessel Fuels Regulation, adopted in 2008, eliminates 15 tons of diesel exhaust—a known carcinogen—daily from ocean-going vessels, and is considered a vital tool in helping to reduce cancer rates and premature deaths associated with living near the state’s busy ports and trade corridors.
Diesel exhaust contains a variety of harmful gases and over 40 other known cancer-causing compounds. In 1998, California identified diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant based on its potential to cause cancer, premature death, and other health problems.
Walker River Paiutes to Develop Tribal Water Quality Standards
Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, presented the signed Certificate of Achievement in a meeting with the Tribal Chairman, Bobby Sanchez, at the Walker River Paiute Tribe Administration Building in Shurz, Nevada.
“The waters on this land are integral to the tribe’s health and culture.”
The EPA’s decision promotes tribal self-government, empowering the Tribe to develop water quality standards and to issue water quality certifications of federal actions on their lands in order to protect Tribal waters, which include the Walker River, Weber Reservoir and the confluence with Walker Lake. Walker River will be the second tribe in Nevada to gain this authority.
The Walker River Paiute Tribe can now develop and submit to EPA water quality standards for their waters within the Tribe’s reservation, similar to the process used by States. After the tribe develops and EPA approves the standards, the Walker Paiute Tribe will administer surface water quality standards, building upon existing successful environmental programs run by the Walker River Environmental Department.
The Walker River Paiute Reservation is located within three counties in rural Midwestern Nevada about 100 miles southeast of Reno. The land base consists of about 325,000 acres in a river valley, mostly used for grazing and ranching. The Reservation encompasses a high desert land base and is surrounded by mountains, desert lakes, and wetlands.
Converting Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Into Batteries
An interdisciplinary team of scientists has worked out a way to make electric vehicles that are not only carbon neutral, but carbon negative, capable of actually reducing the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide as they operate.
They have done so by demonstrating how the graphite electrodes used in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric automobiles can be replaced with carbon material recovered from the atmosphere. The recipe for converting carbon dioxide gas into batteries is described in the paper titled “Carbon Nanotubes Produced from Ambient Carbon Dioxide for Environmentally Sustainable Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Battery Anodes” published in the March 2 issue of the journal ACS Central Science.
The unusual pairing of carbon dioxide conversion and advanced battery technology is the result of a collaboration between the laboratory of Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Cary Pint at Vanderbilt University and Professor of Chemistry Stuart Licht at George Washington University.
The team adapted a solar-powered process that converts carbon dioxide into carbon so that it produces carbon nanotubes and demonstrated that the nanotubes can be incorporated into both lithium-ion batteries like those used in electric vehicles and electronic devices and low-cost sodium-ion batteries under development for large-scale applications, such as the electric grid.
“This approach not only produces better batteries but it also establishes a value for carbon dioxide recovered from the atmosphere that is associated with the end-user battery cost unlike most efforts to reuse CO2 that are aimed at low-valued fuels, like methanol, that cannot justify the cost required to produce them,” said Pint.
The project builds upon a solar thermal electrochemical process (STEP) that can create carbon nanofibers from ambient carbon dioxide developed by the Licht group and described in the journal Nano Letters last August. STEP uses solar energy to provide both the electrical and thermal energy necessary to break down carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen and to produce carbon nanotubes that are stable, flexible, conductive and stronger than steel.
“Our climate change solution is two fold: 1) to transform the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into valuable products and 2) to provide greenhouse gas emission-free alternatives to today’s industrial and transportation fossil fuel processes,” said Licht. “In addition to better batteries other applications for the carbon nanotubes include carbon composites for strong, lightweight construction materials, sports equipment and car, truck and airplane bodies.”
Joining forces with Pint, whose research interests are focused on using carbon nanomaterials for battery applications, the two laboratories worked together to show that the multi-walled carbon nanotubes produced by the process can serve as the positive electrode in both lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries.
In lithium-ion batteries, the nanotubes replace the carbon anode used in commercial batteries. The team demonstrated that the carbon nanotubes gave a small boost to the performance, which was amplified when the battery was charged quickly. In sodium-ion batteries, the researchers found that small defects in the carbon, which can be tuned using STEP, can unlock stable storage performance over 3.5 times above that of sodium-ion batteries with graphite electrodes. Most importantly, both carbon-nanotube batteries were exposed to about 2.5 months of continuous charging and discharging and showed no sign of fatigue.
Depending on the specifications, making one of the two electrodes out of carbon nanotubes means that up to 40% of a battery could be made out of recycled CO2, Pint estimated. This does not include the outer protective packaging but he suggested that processes like STEP could eventually produce the packaging as well.
And unlike methanol, combining batteries with solar cells provides renewable power with zero greenhouse emissions, which is needed to put an end to the current carbon cycle that threatens future global sustainability.
Licht also proposed that the STEP process could be coupled to a natural gas powered electrical generator. The generator would provide electricity, heat and a concentrated source of carbon dioxide that would boost the performance of the STEP process. At the same time, the oxygen released in the process could be piped back to the generator where it would boost the generator’s combustion efficiency to compensate for the amount of electricity that the STEP process consumes. The end result could be a fossil fuel electrical power plant with zero net CO2 emissions.
“Our efforts have shown a path to achieve such a future.”
Air Pollution Linked To Higher Risk Of Preterm Birth For Mothers With Asthma
Pregnant women with asthma may be at greater risk of preterm birth when exposed to high levels of certain traffic-related air pollutants, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions. The study was published online in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
For example, an increase of 30 parts per billion in nitrogen oxide exposure in the three months prior to pregnancy increased preterm birth risk by nearly 30% for women with asthma, compared to 8% for women without asthma. Greater carbon monoxide exposure during the same period raised preterm birth risk by 12% for asthmatic women, but had no effect on preterm birth risk for non-asthmatics.
The last six weeks of pregnancy was another critical window for women with asthma, according to the researchers.
“Preterm birth is a major public health problem in this country, affecting more than 1 in 10 infants born in the United States,” said Pauline Mendola, Ph.D., lead author and an investigator at the NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. “Our study found that air pollution appears to add to the preterm birth risk faced by women with asthma. These findings set the stage for further studies designed to help prevent preterm birth in this at-risk group.”
Maternal asthma is associated with a higher risk of pregnancy complications and health problems for infants.
While prior studies have examined the effects of various air pollutants on preterm birth risk, the research team said that its study is the first to examine whether exposure to air pollution before conception might affect later pregnancy.
“Early environmental exposures can have significant effects on later health,” said Dr. Mendola. “In this case, it may be that early exposure to air pollution sets off inflammation or other internal stresses that interfere with embryo implantation or placental development. Those disruptions could lead to preterm delivery down the road. More research will help us to better understand the potential impact of air pollution in the months surrounding conception.”
Also taking part in the study were researchers from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth; the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Oulu, Finland; the Emmes Corporation in Rockville, Maryland; and Texas A&M University in College Station.
The researchers analyzed data from a national sample of 223,502 singleton pregnancies (pregnancies with a single fetus), delivered at 19 hospitals around the country from 2002 to 2008. Electronic medical records of the women included their asthma status and date of delivery.
The team matched that data with daily measures of air quality from the regions surrounding each of the hospitals to assess the potential effects of air pollution, week by week, on preterm birth risk. They studied six pollutants and accounted for such factors as location, age, race and ethnicity, pre-pregnancy weight, smoking and alcohol use, and chronic maternal health conditions.
The research team hopes that studies like this one will one day improve the care of pregnant women with asthma and reduce their risk for preterm birth.
Meanwhile, people with asthma who are concerned about exposures to air pollution may want to limit their outdoor activity during periods when the air quality is forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, said Dr. Mendola.
ESTCP Tool for the Selection of Bioremediation Approaches at Chlorinated Solvent Sites
This research project determined the relationship between biogeochemical parameters and degradation rates for known degradation pathways of chlorinated ethenes (primarily PCE, TCE, and daughter products).
Data from 90+ sites was used to establish correlations between the naturally attained rate constant and the abundance of specific parameters. Associations were then established for parameters such as Dehalococcoides (Dhc) densities, reductase densities, dissolved oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential, magnetic susceptibility, Fe(II), Mn(II), methane, ethane, total organic carbon, and others. These associations were used to develop a quantitative framework and decision logic for the screening tool. Based on site-specific conditions, the tool will provide screening considerations to determine if monitored natural attenuation (MNA), biostimulation, biologically mediated abiotic reductive dechlorination, or bioaugmentation is the most appropriate remedial approach.
Updated Policy Re-Affirms Federal-State Collaboration on Implementing the ESA
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (together the Services) have updated a long-standing policy on the role of state fish and wildlife agencies in implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The updated policy, developed in coordination with state fish and wildlife agencies, re-affirms the commitment for engagement and collaboration between the Services and state agencies on many aspects of ESA implementation.
“State fish and wildlife agencies are essential partners in implementing the Endangered Species Act to protect our most at-risk species across the country,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “We look forward to continuing our work together on conservation successes that all Americans can be proud of.”
“The partnership between state fish and wildlife agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service, is vital to effective conservation delivery in support of the Endangered Species Act,” said Dave Chanda, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Director of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife. “State fish and wildlife agencies are highly appreciative of revisions to this policy that will strengthen collaborative planning, management, and recovery initiatives.”
The revised policy now references the suite of ESA conservation tools that were not available or in common use when the policy was originally developed in 1994. These tools include Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), Candidate Conservation Agreements with Assurances (CCAAs), and Safe Harbor Agreements.
Changes to the policy include more proactive conservation of imperiled species before they require protections of the ESA, expanded opportunities for engaging in listing and recovery activities, and improved planning with state agencies across a species’ range.
“In our continuing effort to implement the ESA in new and innovative ways, the updates to the policy we’ve announced today help ensure that states are our partners in recovering endangered species,” said Eileen Sobeck, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries.
The Endangered Species Act is an essential tool for conserving the nation’s most at-risk wildlife, as well as the land and water on which they depend for habitat. The ESA has prevented more than 99% of the species listed from going extinct, serving as the critical safety net for wildlife that Congress intended when it passed the law 40 years ago. In addition, the ESA has helped move many species from the brink of extinction to the path to recovery, including California condors, Florida panthers, and whooping cranes. The Obama Administration has delisted more species due to recovery than any prior administration, including the Oregon chub, Virginia northern flying squirrel, and brown pelican.
Franklin County, Kansas, Fined $20,000 for Clean Water Act Violations
As part of the settlement, the county is required to pay a cash penalty of $20,000.
The county also failed to conduct self-inspections, monitor stormwater quality, and conduct an annual comprehensive site evaluation.
As part of the settlement, the county is required to submit a report describing how it came into compliance with its NPDES permit within 90 days in addition to the cash penalty.
Material handling and storage, equipment maintenance and cleaning, and other activities at industrial facilities are often exposed to the weather. Runoff from rainfall or snowmelt that comes in contact with these activities can pick up pollutants, and transport them directly to a nearby river or lake, or indirectly via a storm sewer and degrade water quality. The NPDES permitting program in Kansas requires controls be in place to prevent stormwater from coming into contact with pollutants.
Compliance with the facility’s NPDES permit will help prevent unauthorized discharges into area surface waters, and help ensure the health of the watershed.
The settlement is subject to a 40-day public comment period before it becomes final.
300 Million Pounds of Electronics Recycled Through E-Cycle Washington
After seven years, Washington’s electronics recycling program, E-Cycle Washington, passed a major milestone in February, crossing 300 million lb of TVs, computers and monitors collected.
The 300 million-pound total includes an estimated 220 million lb of TVs, 56 million lb of monitors and 24 million lb worth of computers. More than 98% of the metal, glass, and plastic in those products was recycled, and 20 million lb of toxic lead was kept out of the landfill.
“Washingtonians really took to the E-Cycle program right out of the gate, and people in our state continue to do a terrific job recycling their old electronics,” said Miles Kuntz, the E-Cycle program manager. “Recycling electronics makes sense because we can both prevent waste and keep toxics out of the environment. Keep up the good work, Washington!”
Along with the estimated 6.5 million TVs, computers, and monitors that were recycled through the E-Cycle program, more than 280,000 TVs, computers, and monitors were given new life after being sold or donated through reuse organizations like Goodwill, InterConnection, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, and others.
Despite the continuing success of E-Cycle Washington, Kuntz predicts the program’s growth will slow in the coming years, at least as measured by weight. That’s because so many of the obsolete TVs with massive glass picture tubes and heavy pressboard frames have already taken their final journey to the recycling center. Newer TVs and computer monitors usually feature much lighter LED or LCD technology.
E-Cycle Washington is a product stewardship program, meaning manufacturers pay for the proper recycling or disposal of their products up front. That means consumers can recycle their used TVs, computers, laptops, tablets, monitors, e-readers, and portable DVD players at no cost.
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Trivia Question of the Week
Which of the following is not a part of EPA’s proposed hazardous waste generator improvements rule?
a) Very small quantity generators will be able to ship hazardous waste to unpermitted large quantity generators
b) Small quantity generators will be able to retain their SQG status, even if they generate over 1000 kg in a month
c) The name of the emergency coordinator will not be required to be identified in a large quantity generator’s contingency plan
d) Land disposal notices and certifications will be allowed to be submitted electronically