EPA to Revise Emissions Standards for Refineries
After receiving input from stakeholders including community groups, industry, and the states, the EPA is proposing to update the toxic air pollution standards for petroleum refineries to protect neighborhoods located near refineries. The agency’s common-sense proposal would further reduce toxic pollution from flaring and other processes and includes new monitoring requirements. Exposure to toxic air pollutants, such as benzene, can cause respiratory problems and other serious health issues, and can increase the risk of developing cancer.
“This proposal will help us accomplish our goal of making a visible difference in the health and the environment of communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “The common-sense steps we are proposing will protect the health of families who live near refineries and will provide them with important information about the quality of the air they breathe.”
The proposal would also require upgraded emission controls for storage tanks including controls for smaller tanks; performance requirements for flares to ensure that waste gases are properly destroyed; and emissions standards for delayed coking units, which are currently a significant unregulated source of toxic air emissions at refineries.
When these proposed updates are fully implemented, EPA estimates toxic air emissions, including benzene, toluene, and xylene, would be reduced by 5,600 tons per year.. Additionally, these cost-effective steps will have no noticeable impact on the cost of petroleum products at the approximately 150 petroleum refineries around the country.
In a series of recent enforcement cases, EPA has compelled the use of innovative pollution control practices such as flare gas recovery and flare efficiency that are reducing toxic air pollution in communities. These efforts demonstrate that the proposed standards are practical and achievable today.
EPA will take comment on the proposal for 60 days after it is published in the Federal Register. The agency plans to hold two public hearings, near Houston and Los Angeles, and will finalize the standards in April 2015. Details on the public hearings will be available on EPA’s website shortly.
EPA’s New Solvent Wipe, Shop Towel Rule Demystified
- Does the rule apply to both cloth and paper wipes and rags?
- What solvents can be on the towels, and which are prohibited?
- Does the rule also apply to towels that contain characteristic hazardous waste?
- Can P or U-listed wastes be on the towels?
- How must the towels be stored on-site?
- Do they need to be tested for anything?
- How long can they be stored?
- How must the containers be marked or labeled?
- How must they be prepared for transportation?
- Where can you ship them and what are the disposal and recycling options?
- What are the documentation requirements?
- Can the rule be applied to uniforms or spill absorbents?
- How is the new rule impacted by current state regulations?
Baltimore RCRA, DOT, and IATA/IMO Training
Baton Rouge RCRA and DOT Training
Irvine RCRA and DOT Training
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.
Ohio Air Pollution Draft Model General Permits Available for Public Comment
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is making draft model general permits for Miscellaneous Metal Parts Coating available for public comment
EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed New Safety Measures to Protect Farm Workers from Pesticide Exposure
The EPA is extending the comment period for the proposed revisions to the agricultural Worker Protection Standard for an additional 60 days, until August 18, 2014, in response to requests from growers, industry, farmworker advocates, and states for additional time to provide input.
“The opportunity to revise the rule may not come again for some time, so we are committed to getting it right,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Updating the 20-year old regulation to provide more protections to the nation’s two million farm workers and their families from pesticide exposure is a priority for EPA.”
The proposed changes provide significant improvements to worker training regarding the safe use of pesticides, including how to prevent and effectively treat pesticide exposure. Increased training from every five years to every year and signage would help farmworkers protect themselves and their families from pesticide exposure.
Workers and others near treated fields would be better protected from pesticide overspray and fumes. In addition, the EPA has proposed that children under 16 be legally barred from handling all pesticides. These revisions protect workers while ensuring agricultural productivity and preserving the traditions of and exemptions for family members working on family farms.
EPA Issues Greenhouse Gas Permit to ExxonMobil
EPA recently issued a final notice of decision for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) for greenhouse gas (GHG) construction permit for the ExxonMobil Olefins Plant in Baytown, Texas. The company proposes to construct a new ethylene production unit consisting of eight ethylene cracking furnaces and recovery equipment to produce polymer-grade ethylene.
“We are working to control greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy in the new projects coming to communities across Texas,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “These projects show that economic development and environmental protection can go hand-in-hand.”
On November 25, 2013, EPA issued a final permit to the facility. The permit was appealed to EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board, which denied review of the petition on May 14, 2014. On May 14, EPA finalized the permit allowing ExxonMobil to begin construction of the project. The project is part of a multibillion-dollar expansion project in Baytown. It’s estimated to create 10,000 construction jobs and 350 permanent jobs.
“ExxonMobil’s petrochemical expansion, enabled by growing supplies of shale energy, will create thousands of new jobs and boost the Houston area economy and tax revenues by nearly a billion dollars a year. This export-oriented project is a powerful example of how shale energy can revitalize the US economy in an environmentally responsible manner,” said Stephen D. Pryor, president, ExxonMobil Chemical Company. In June 2010, EPA finalized national GHG regulations, which specify that beginning on January 2, 2011, projects that increase GHG emissions substantially will require an air permit.
EPA has indicated that the agency believes that states are best equipped to run GHG air-permitting programs. Texas is working with EPA to replace a federal implementation plan with its own state program, which will eliminate the need for businesses to seek air permits from EPA. This action will increase efficiency and allow for industry to continue to grow in Texas.
EPA Approves Removal of Summertime Fuel Requirements for Six Counties in Florida
This change removes Broward, Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, Palm Beach, and Pinellas counties from those that have to comply with 7.8 pounds per square inch (psi) fuel requirements for the summer time.
EPA has taken this action due to the state demonstrating that the counties are in compliance with the ozone air quality standards and removal of this requirement will not interfere with the area’s ability to remain in compliance with these standards. This action will allow greater flexibility for fuel distribution in Florida during the summer time.
“This change is a direct result of collaboration between EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to improve air quality in Florida,” said EPA Regional Administrator Heather McTeer Toney. “This action is especially important during hurricane season when greater adaptability is needed for the fuel distribution system to support an adequate supply."
Since the early 1990’s, the six counties in the Florida were subject to lower volatility fuel requirements (also known as “Reid Vapor Pressure” or “RVP”) to help the area come into, and maintain compliance with the ozone standards. These areas have attained the ozone standards.
Ground level ozone is not emitted directly into the air, but is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight. Emissions from industrial facilities and electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of NOx and VOC. Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems including chest pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. Ground level ozone also can reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs. Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue.
Chat with EPA and DOE on Climate Change
They will be chatting about climate change and the steps they are taking to reduce carbon pollution, prepare for the impacts of climate change, and build a clean energy economy—including an upcoming rule that would cut carbon pollution from existing power plants.
Have questions? Secretary Moniz and Administrator McCarthy will answer them during the event. Ask using the hashtag #WHClimateChat on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook.
Titanium Metals Corporation Fined $13.75 Million for PCB Contamination
The penalty is the largest ever imposed for violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) at a single facility.
“EPA expects the settlement to result in the removal of 84,000 lb of PCB-contaminated waste from the environment and prevent the improper disposal of 56 million lb of hazardous waste each year,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest.
“This settlement holds TIMET fully accountable for the period of its unauthorized manufacture and handling of harmful PCBs at the Henderson facility,” said Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “It will also result in substantial environmental cleanup and protection for the benefit of residents of the area, now and in the future.”
In addition to paying the penalty and performing the investigation and cleanup, the settlement requires TIMET to electronically submit monitoring data biannually to EPA for three years showing that it is appropriately managing any PCBs it generates. TIMET has also agreed to allow the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) to make public TIMET’s EPA-approved work plans and completed work reports through a dedicated website.
The company has already spent approximately $6 million on investigation, site cleanup, and compliance measures to address the potential contamination. This work has included extensive sampling; draining and relining of a surface impoundment; analyzing the extent of PCB contamination in its solid waste landfill; removing PCB waste from that landfill; and decontaminating processing equipment. In addition, TIMET estimates that it will spend at least another million dollars to complete the work required by the settlement.
TIMET processes titanium from rutile ore at its 108-acre manufacturing facility at the Black Mountain Industrial (BMI) Complex in Henderson. This process generates hazardous waste and PCBs. In the complaint, the government alleged that EPA inspections conducted in 2005, 2006, and 2008 revealed that TIMET had been unlawfully manufacturing PCBs as a by-product of its titanium manufacturing process, without an exclusion from TSCA’s ban. The 2008 EPA inspection also revealed that the company had disposed of PCB-contaminated waste in a solid waste landfill and a trench at the plant. The complaint further alleges that, on several occasions during 2005 and 2007, the company had unlawfully disposed of acidic, corrosive hazardous process wastewater into an unpermitted surface impoundment at the facility, in violation of RCRA.
Since 2007, the company has been working with EPA to bring the facility into compliance. TIMET has taken steps to reduce significantly the amount of PCBs it generates, manage appropriately the PCBs it does generate, and TIMET already has corrected the other regulatory violations cited in the complaint. TIMET is now in the process of documenting that it qualifies for an exclusion from TSCA’s ban on the manufacture of PCBs. As a part of that process, TIMET will provide required documentation to certify to EPA that it is in compliance with TSCA requirements governing the manufacture and disposal of PCBs. TIMET was purchased by Precision Castparts Corporation in 2012. Both companies have worked with EPA to achieve compliance and to clean up the operations. The EPA and NDEP will continue to oversee multiple cleanup efforts at the facility and in the BMI Complex.
PCBs are human-made organic chemicals that were widely used in paints, construction materials, plastics, and electrical equipment prior to 1978. PCBs, which are probable carcinogens, have been banned in the United States for the last 30 years, except for specific uses authorized by regulations. When released into the environment, PCBs can persist for decades because they do not break down through natural processes. Exposure to PCBs has been demonstrated to cause cancer, as well as a variety of other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system.
Because mining and mineral processing facilities have the potential to generate large volumes of toxic and hazardous waste, the Agency’s goal is to reduce the risk to human health and the environment by ensuring wastes from these facilities are properly managed.
TIMET, headquartered near Philadelphia, has been supplying nearly one-fifth of the world’s titanium demand since 1950. The company’s Henderson plant, which has been in operation since 1950, is one of the largest industrial facilities in the state. TIMET is a wholly owned subsidiary of Precision Castparts Corporation, a worldwide manufacturer of complex metal components and products based in Portland, Oregon.
The consent decree, lodged in the US District Court for the District of Nevada, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.
Tennessee Salvage Company Owner and Operator Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate the Clean Air Act
The owner and operator of a Tennessee salvage and demolition company, A&E Salvage, Inc., pleaded guilty in federal court in Greeneville, Tennessee, for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act.
Mark Sawyer pleaded guilty before US District Court Judge Greer for the Eastern District of Tennessee to one criminal felony count for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act’s “work practice standards” salient to the proper wetting, stripping, bagging, and disposal of asbestos. According to the charges, Sawyer, along with other co-conspirators, engaged in a multi-year scheme in which substantial amounts of regulated asbestos containing materials were improperly removed from components of the former Liberty Fibers Plant or were illegally left in place during demolition.
Sawyer faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss to the victims. Sawyer is the last of five charged co-defendants to plead guilty. Sawyer, Eric Gruenberg, Nick Smith, Armida DiSanti and Milto DiSanti are due to be sentenced on November 19, 2014.
Asbestos has been determined to cause lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma, an invariably fatal disease. The EPA has determined that there is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.
MassDEP Penalizes Empire Today LLC $17,050 for Asbestos Violations
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) penalized Empire Today, LLC, $17,050 for asbestos violations that were discovered during an inspection of the West Cambridge Pediatric & Adolescence Medicine Center at 575 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge. Empire Today had been hired to perform the renovation work at the property.
Samples of floor tiles collected at the Cambridge site on February 23, 2012, tested positive for asbestos, as did a second set of samples collected from a location in Framingham where floor tile material and other debris had been taken. Empire Today is the responsible party for the work that was done.
"The building owner hired Empire Today to conduct this work and it was Empire Today that failed to ensure the work was safely implemented, and this allowed the improper removal of asbestos to occur," said Eric Worrall, director of MassDEP's Northeast Regional Office in Wilmington. "It is unacceptable to have asbestos tiles removed without the proper precautions and disposed of carelessly."
The company, once informed of the violations, stopped any further work at the medical office, cleared the facility of occupancy, retained the services of a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to abate the improper removal and fully and properly completed the remaining work under applicable regulations.
Empire Today will pay $12,700 within 30 days, and thereafter, provided there are no violations of the asbestos/air regulations within the following year, the remaining $4,350 will be suspended by MassDEP.
Webinar for Utilities on Climate Adaptation
EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities program will host a webinar on May 28 at 1 to 2:15 p.m. EST on financing water sector climate adaptation strategies. Guest speakers include Dave Wright from Southern Nevada Water Authority, Jeff Hughes from the UNC's Environmental Finance Center, and Kirsten Anderer from EPA's State Revolving Fund program.
MassDEP Assesses Modern Manufacturing, Inc. $16,137 Penalty for Asbestos Violations
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has penalized Modern Manufacturing Inc. of Worcester $16,137.50 for failing to follow asbestos removal and handling regulations during a demolition and renovation project in Worcester.
During an October 2013 inspection, MassDEP inspectors observed asbestos-containing window caulking and glazing being improperly removed at a high-rise residential structure located on Southbridge Street. The company conducted a window replacement project at the site and failed to notify MassDEP in advance of the work, which involved asbestos-containing materials. Additionally, the company failed to properly remove, handle, and store the asbestos-containing materials.
MassDEP regulations require asbestos-containing materials to be removed wet, prior to commencing demolition and renovation work and to seal the asbestos waste while wet into leak-tight containers that have appropriate asbestos warning labels affixed to them. These work procedures—not followed in this case—are critical measures designed to prevent a release of asbestos fibers to the environment, to protect building occupants and the general public from exposure to asbestos fibers and to preclude other parts of the building from becoming contaminated.
Under terms of a negotiated settlement, the company will pay $10,000 of the penalty while the remaining $6,137.50 will be suspended provided that the company does not have repeat violations for one year.
"Companies conducting renovation projects must first determine if any asbestos-containing materials will be involved," said Lee Dillard Adams, director of MassDEP's Central Regional Office in Worcester. "Asbestos is a known carcinogen, and following prescribed regulatory work practices is imperative to protect workers as well as the general public. Failure to do so will result in penalties, as well as escalated cleanup, decontamination and monitoring costs."
Jamaica Plain Contractor Fined $8,312 for Asbestos Removal Violations at Home in Pittsfield
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has penalized Jamaica Plain-based contractor Envirogreen, LLC, $8,312.50 for violations of state asbestos regulations. The violations cited were improper removal and handling of asbestos transite siding from a Second Street home located in Pittsfield.
In response to a complaint filed with MassDEP, staff conducted an inspection of the work site in June 2013 at 161 Second Street in Pittsfield. During the inspection, MassDEP staff observed violations related to removal, handling, labeling, and disposal of asbestos-containing materials.
MassDEP ordered Envirogreen to clean up the property using proper procedures for removal, handling, labeling, and disposal of the material, and to pay the assessed penalty.
"This company has been penalized for similar violations in the recent past," said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP's Western Regional Office in Springfield. "Evergreen is aware of the relevant regulations, proper procedures and of their requirement to minimize asbestos exposure to the public."
Pioneer Brewing Company Fined $6,900 for Violating Industrial Wastewater Discharge Regulations
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) issued a $6,900 penalty to Pioneer Brewing Company, LLC, which operates a brewery and tasting room at 195 Arnold Road in Sturbridge, for violating industrial wastewater regulations.
During an inspection in 2011, spurred by residential complaints and a complaint filed by the Sturbridge Board of Health, MassDEP personnel found that the company was discharging brewery wastewater to the ground and surface waters near the facility without having groundwater discharge permits from MassDEP or the EPA. The brewery's groundwater discharge was a repeat violation that was the subject of a 2009 enforcement order.
A recently finalized consent order settles a previous appeals case initiated by Pioneer Brewing after MassDEP issued penalty notices to Pioneer on July 18, 2013, citing the industrial wastewater violations. The consent order requires Pioneer to comply with all applicable wastewater discharge regulations and payment of the $6,900 penalty.
"Brewery wastewaters can contain suspended solids, nutrients, and other pollutants, as well as cleaning chemicals," said Lee Dillard Adams, director of MassDEP's Central Regional Office in Worcester. "These are industrial wastewaters and as such, they cannot be discharged to the ground or into streams without a permit that would require treatment of the wastewater stream prior to its discharge."
EPA Legal Agreement with Pfizer over Clean Air Act Violations Will Protect Air Quality
The EPA announced recently that it has settled a case with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, LLC, for violations of the Clean Air Act at the company’s pharmaceutical manufacturing plant, in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. Pfizer did not have the proper air pollution controls to prevent leaks of methylene chloride gas used in the manufacturing process. In addition to coming into compliance with the leak detection requirements, Pfizer has agreed to spend $410,000 to expand the municipal recycling program in Barceloneta.
The agreement was announced recently by EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck, who was joined by Barceloneta Mayor Wanda Soler and Jes?s Rol?n, Acting Director of the Solid Waste Management Authority for the announcement.
“The community of Barceloneta will benefit greatly from this settlement, which will ensure the plant doesn’t emit methylene chloride through leaking equipment and expand recycling,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “Recycling protects the environment, saves energy and creates jobs.”
In addition to not having air pollution controls to prevent leaks of methylene chloride gas used in the manufacturing process, the company failed to test its air pollution control equipment. Methylene chloride, which is used in various industrial processes including pharmaceutical manufacturing, is a hazardous air pollutant that can cause dizziness, nausea and damage to the liver. It is likely to cause cancer in people.
The EPA has determined that leaking equipment such as valves, pumps and connectors are the largest source of emissions of hazardous air pollutants from chemical manufacturers. Facilities must monitor equipment containing hazardous air pollutants at regular intervals to identify leaks, and leaking components must then be promptly repaired or replaced.
The EPA worked with Pfizer over the past several years to bring the facility into compliance with federal regulations. The company will also pay a civil penalty of $318,000.
Under the agreement, Pfizer will purchase new recycling containers, equipment, and vehicles necessary to enhance the recycling program in Barceloneta. Municipal recycling programs are essential to the protection of people’s health and the environment and also reduce GHG emissions, conserve energy, and create jobs. Barceloneta has a population of approximately 25,000 and is located in the environmentally sensitive Karst region. In 2012, the municipality reported that it had disposed 9,474 tons of solid waste in landfills and had recycled 252 tons of solid waste, which translates into a recycling rate of only 3%. With the additional new equipment, the program will be expanded and the recycling rate will increase.
EPA Reaches Agreement with CEMEX to Protect Water Quality in Puerto Rico
The EPA inspected various CEMEX facilities and found that the companies violated the Clean Water Act at nearly all of their cement mixing facilities across the island. The agreement requires CEMEX to establish an environmental management structure that includes an Environmental Director, Environmental Coordinator and on-site managers to ensure compliance with stormwater requirements of the Clean Water Act. As part of the settlement, the companies will provide more than 400 acres of land, which will be turned over to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources to manage and preserve. The land, which is located in the North Karst region of Puerto Rico at the Espinosa and Maricao Wards of the municipality of Vega Alta, is estimated to have a market value of over $2.3 million. The companies will also pay a penalty of $360,000.“
The kind of wastewater that runs off of these facilities is caustic and can cause serious damage to water quality," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck.
Stormwater and water that runs off of trucks being washed at ready-mix concrete plants has a very high pH and contains oils, greases, and high levels of total suspended solids. When these solids settle they can form deposits on the bottom of the water bodies that destroy plants and animals and the spawning grounds of fish. The complaint alleges violations at eighteen of the companies’ facilities. The settlement requires measures to be taken to bring the companies’ nine active facilities into compliance, and would require the companies' inactive facilities to be brought into compliance if they are brought back into operation.
Between 2007 and 2010, the EPA conducted numerous inspections of CEMEX facilities to assess their compliance with their Clean Water Act permits that govern discharges into the water. Based on these inspections and requests for information sent to CEMEX, the EPA found numerous permit violations. The violations included CEMEX's failure to implement best management practices at its facilities to properly operate and maintain storm water control measures, conduct required inspections and keep up to date stormwater pollution prevention plans as required by the general permit for stormwater discharges from industrial facilities.
Each site must have a stormwater pollution prevention plan that sets guidelines and best management practices that the company will follow to prevent runoff from being contaminated by pollutants.
As part of the settlement agreement, the EPA estimates that CEMEX will invest approximately $1.8 million to bring its facilities into compliance with the Clean Water Act.
Williamsburg Gravel Pit Owner Penalized $24,000 for Wetlands Violations
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) penalized Hull Forestlands, LP $24,000 and required wetland restoration to resolve violations of the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act (WPA) related to the expansion of a gravel pit into a riverfront area in Williamsburg.
Through an ongoing review of MassGIS aerial photographs, MassDEP staff determined that the gravel pit located off Old Goshen Road had been expanded, without permits, into the riverfront area of the Mill River and Rogers Brook, both cold water fisheries that flow along the west side of the gravel pit.
In July 2013, MassDEP conducted an on-site inspection and observed that violations included clearing of vegetation and excavation of soil of approximately one acre in the riverfront area. Riverfront areas are protected under the WPA and associated regulations. Riverfront areas protect fisheries and maintain the ecological health of these waterway areas.
Although Hull had previously delineated the boundary of this riverfront area as shown on site plans, it appears that the boundary was not clearly identified in the field prior to providing contractors access to the area to cut and clear vegetation and excavate gravel. Upon learning of the violation, Hull developed a detailed restoration plan and worked with MassDEP to reach a resolution that provides for the full restoration of the impacted riverfront area.
Hull must also pay $13,800 of the penalty, and MassDEP has agreed to suspend the remaining $10,200 contingent upon Hull's compliance with the requirements of the agreement. "Had the owner clearly identified the boundaries of the riverfront area in the field prior to allowing contractors access, this violation could have been avoided," said Michael Gorski, director of MassDEP's Western Regional Office in Springfield. "Property owners must ensure that site contractors are aware of the presence of protected areas prior to beginning work and that those areas are not altered, except in accordance with permits issued allowing work in those areas."
EPA Finalizes Greenhouse Gas Permit for Indeck Wharton Energy
Recently, the EPA issued a final GHG Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) construction permit for the Indeck Wharton Energy Center in Danevang, Texas, southwest of Houston. The project proposes to construct a 650-megawatt natural gas-fired turbine and associated equipment.
"Businesses have an important role in our efforts to reduce emissions and carbon pollution,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “It's everyone's job to protect the environment and bring solutions that benefit communities.
Environmental protection and economic growth can both be accomplished when we work together.”The project will use three turbines, an emergency diesel generator, a gas pipeline heater, a firewater pump engine, and circuit breakers. The projected cost for the project is $301 million.
In June 2010, EPA finalized national GHG regulations, which specify that beginning on January 2, 2011, projects that increase GHG emissions substantially will require an air permit. EPA believes states are best equipped to run GHG air-permitting programs.
Texas is working to replace a federal implementation plan with its own state program, which will eliminate the need for businesses to seek air permits from EPA. This action will increase efficiency and allow for industry to continue to grow in Texas.
Newest Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Shows California on Course to Lower Carbon Growth Economy
The annual inventory lists the total amount of GHGs emitted from all sectors of California’s economy, compiled using regional, state, and national databases.
The inventory revealed some notable trends. The state’s gross domestic product grew by 5% from 2009 to 2012 while the carbon intensity, the amount of carbon pollution related to the state’s overall economy, has fallen steadily over the same time period.
“The latest inventory clearly demonstrates that under AB 32 California is getting more economic development every year for each ton of greenhouse gases emitted overall,” said Air Resources Board Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “That’s good news for California and the message is clear: We need to stay the course we’re on to continue to grow California’s lower carbon economy.”
After rising during the mid-2000s, the state’s GHG inventory fell in 2008 as a result of the recession. It has leveled off during the past four years while the economy recovered. The 2012 inventory of 459 million metric tons is about 2% higher than 2011 due to increased natural gas electricity generation in-state to compensate for the closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and, because of a dry winter, to make up for the drop in hydro-powered generation.
The one-year rise in in-state generation also resulted in a 1% uptick to 12.1 tons per person. The long-term trend, however, is clear with a drop of 12%—almost 2 tons of GHG emissions per person—over the past decade. Although California ranks second in the nation in terms of total GHG emissions (after Texas) only five states (all in the northeast) have lower per capita GHG emissions.
California’s cap-and-trade program will ensure that emissions in future years will continually decline, even alongside stronger economic growth and potentially drier hydrological conditions, and in the event of any additional unforeseen circumstances.
The declining cap also sets the state on a course to achieve the goal of AB 32—reaching the 1990 level of GHGs by 2020 and then maintaining it.Emissions from the transportation sector-still California’s largest single source of GHGs, contributing 36% of total emissions-declined modestly compared to 2011, although it did so while the economy grew.
The long-term direction of transportation-related GHG emissions is another clear trend, with a 12% drop over the past seven years. Part of this decrease is due to larger numbers of new fuel-efficient vehicles on California roads. The hybrid vehicle market share increased in 2012 to 7.4% from the 2011 level of 5.4%, and the Toyota Prius—with a combined mpg of 50—was the best-selling car in California in 2012.
The industrial sector emissions stayed relatively flat with some increases reflecting a recovering economy. Cement sector emissions grew 13% in 2012 as the state’s eight cement plants ramped up production.
Verified facility-specific emissions for 2013 filed under the Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting program will be released this fall.AB 32 requires overall reduction of GHGs to the 1990 level by 2020. The primary AB 32 programs are cap-and-trade, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, the Renewable Portfolio Standard and the Advanced Clean Cars program. Reductions also result from numerous energy efficiency and conservation programs.
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Trivia Question of the Week
Releases of hazardous waste or hazardous substances must be reported to the National Response Center immediately. The term immediately has been interpreted by EPA to mean within:
a. 15 minutes
b. 1 hour
c. 12 hours
d. 24 hours
Answer: