Driving a car increases global temperatures in the long run more than making the same long-distance journey by air according to a new study. However, in the short run, travelling by air has a larger adverse climate impact because airplanes strongly affect short-lived warming processes at high altitudes.
In the study, Jens Borken-Kleefeld and colleagues compare the impacts on global warming of different means of transport. The researchers used, for the first time, a suite of climate chemistry models to consider the climate effects of all long- and short-lived gases, aerosols, and cloud effects, not just carbon dioxide, resulting from transport worldwide. They concluded that in the long run the global temperature increase from a car trip will be on average higher than from a plane journey of the same distance. However, in the first years after the journey, air travel increases global temperatures four times more than car travel. Passenger trains and buses cause four to five times less impact than automobile travel for every mile a passenger travels. The findings prove robust despite the scientific uncertainties in understanding the earth’s climate system.
“As planes fly at high altitudes, their impact on ozone and clouds is disproportionately high, though short lived. Although the exact magnitude is uncertain, the net effect is a strong, short-term, temperature increase,” explains Dr. Jens Borken-Kleefeld, lead author of the study. “Car travel emits more carbon dioxide than air travel per passenger mile. As carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere longer than the other gases, cars have a more harmful impact on climate change in the long term.”
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EPA Seeks Small Businesses’ Input on Formaldehyde
The agency plans to implement regulations for the new Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, enacted in July 2010.The proposed regulation will establish limits for composite wood products (e.g., hardwood plywood, medium-density fiberboard, and particleboard) so these products meet emission standards.
Formaldehyde is a known eye, nose, and throat irritant, and in 1991, EPA classified formaldehyde as a probable human carcinogen. Formaldehyde-based resins are sometimes used as adhesives in composite wood products.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires EPA to establish a federal panel for rules that may have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small organizations. The panel will include representatives from the Small Business Administration, the Office of Management and Budget, and EPA. The panel will ask a selected group of small entity representatives (SERs) to provide advice and recommendations on behalf of their company, community, or organization to inform the panel on impacts of the proposed rule.
EPA seeks self-nominations directly from the small organizations that may be subject to the rule requirements to facilitate the selection of SERs. Self-nominations may be made following the submission instructions available at the above link, and must be received by November 2, 2010.
Standards of Performance for Sewage Sludge Incineration Units
In previous actions, EPA promulgated new source performance standards and emission guidelines for large municipal waste combustion units, small municipal waste combustion units, commercial and industrial solid waste incineration units, and other solid waste incineration units. These previous actions did not establish emission standards for sewage sludge incineration units.
EPA Wants IRIS Nominations
EPA’s IRIS is a human health assessment program that evaluates quantitative and qualitative risk information on effects that may result from exposure to specific chemical substances found in the environment. The agency is soliciting public nominations for chemical substances to be considered for an assessment or reassessment for its 2011 agenda.
Final Guidance, Federal Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting
The President’s Executive Order 13514 requires Federal agencies to measure, report, and reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It also requires the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to issue guidance establishing government-wide requirements for Federal agencies in calculating and reporting GHG emissions associated with agency operations.
New GRI Office Helps U.S. Companies Showcase Sustainability
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is launching a new office in the United States, helping U.S. companies to tell the world about their sustainability by providing support to those who produce sustainability reports.
GRI provides the world’s most widely-used framework for producing sustainability reports, also known as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reports. The framework enables large and small companies, non-profit organizations, and government bodies worldwide to assess their sustainability and disclose the results in a similar way to financial reporting. Transparency through reporting on these factors drives the sustainability of individual organizations and, ultimately, the global economy. One of GRI’s goals is to make sustainability reporting mainstream.
Each of the ‘Big Four’ accounting and professional services firms in the United States—Deloitte, Ernst & Young LLP, KPMG, and PwC U.S.—have agreed to provide donations to sponsor GRI’s new Focal Point USA for the first two years.
The Conference Board has agreed to host the GRI Focal Point USA on a pro-bono basis during that same period of time. The Conference Board has a Center for Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability and sees its relationship with GRI as an asset to the Center objective of helping make sustainability integral to core business strategies.
Many organizations around the world already produce reports on different aspects of their sustainability performance. These reports provide stakeholders with insight into key performance indicators such as energy and water use, GHG emissions, waste, and social performance indicators related to human rights issues. This information is critical for helping investors, customers, employees, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders understand a company’s ability to manage sustainability risk and compete in an increasingly resource-constrained world.
Approximately 80% of both the Global Fortune 250 companies and the 100 largest firms in the U.S. produced ESG reports in 2008/9, according to recent research. However, the prevalence of reporting amongst the Forbes Global 2000—the top 2000 companies as judged by Forbes—is much lower, at just over 30%.
GRI aims to help organizations and companies learn about reporting on their sustainability performance and to make ESG reporting a mainstream practice by 2015. This goal is supported by several policies and policy documents worldwide. For example, the guidance issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in February 2010 clarifies existing regulations stating that U.S. companies should disclose certain specific climate-related impacts. The guidance also cites GRI Guidelines as a framework for ESG reports.
One of GRI’s Organizational Stakeholders in the U.S., Baxter, explains why GRI reporting is important to them: “Baxter has used the GRI Guidelines since 1999 as a framework to guide our sustainability reporting and drive comparable disclosures across companies and industries,” said Art Gibson, Baxter Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety. “This consistency provides relevant measures to help stakeholders evaluate our progress in a holistic manner, and helps us benchmark and measure our sustainability performance and refine our strategy as we continuously improve our programs.”
Companies’ key stakeholders are increasingly looking for more meaningful information from companies, particularly around disclosure on the “triple bottom line,” which includes people, planet, and profit. In 2009, there was a 25% increase in the number of organizations worldwide using the GRI Guidelines for their ESG reporting.
Connecticut Announces GreenCircle Environmental Award Winners
Connecticut has announced the 28 civic organizations, individuals, and businesses in the state that are recipients of Connecticut’s annual GreenCircle Awards.
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) presented the GreenCircle Awards during a recent ceremony. Award winners range from a group of Milford Cub Scouts for a beach cleanup to event host, The Siemon Company, which has installed hundreds of solar panels and significantly reduced its waste going to landfills.
“The GreenCircle awards program celebrates volunteer efforts, both large and small, that make a difference in this great state of Connecticut,” Governor Rell said. “It is tremendously gratifying and educational to see how reach recipient has improved our environment. I applaud their efforts and their passion for their contributions toward a cleaner, greener Connecticut.”
Since the DEP launched the GreenCircle Award Program in 1998, more than 900 schools, institutions, civic organizations, businesses, and individuals have been recognized for over 1,300 projects that help preserve natural resources and protect the quality of the state’s air, water, and lands.
“Today’s award ceremony recognizes volunteer efforts of many groups: businesses, who are becoming ‘greener’ every day while promoting sustainable practices that are good for the environment and their bottom line; non-profits, who have worked with their constituents to become environmentally friendly; and individuals, whose unselfish acts make a positive environmental impact in their homes, schools, and communities,” DEP Commissioner Amey Marrella said.
Over the last 12 years, GreenCircle award winners have made tremendous improvements, including eliminating:
- Water use by more than 645,000,000 gallons each year (municipal, river and/or well water);
- Air emissions by 11,500,000 lb each year;
- Hazardous waste generation by more than 1,000,000 lb each year (including 750+ lb of elemental mercury);
- Spent solvents by more than 920,000 gallons each year; and
- Solid waste by more than 9,000 tons each year.
An analysis of the GreenCircle Awards shows that businesses, municipalities, civic organizations, and individuals are moving towards more environmentally friendly life decisions such as:
- Business compliance with ISO 1400l Certification requirements;
- Installation of closed loop systems to avoid the discharge of contaminants and hazardous materials into rivers and streams;
- Increased recycling of solvents, hazardous waste, solid waste, and electronic equipment;
- Major reductions in electricity consumption;
- Purchasing of green energy; and
- Construction of more environmentally friendly buildings such as LEED certified buildings.
GreenCircle recipients are presented a certificate of commendation and recognized publicly for their efforts. Some of this year’s GreenCircle Award Recipients are:
Efficient Lighting & Maintenance, Inc.—has been helping their customers recycle spent mercury-added lamps, thermostats, batteries, and ballasts containing PCBs. In 2009, they helped their customers obtain 5,712,805.404 kwh of energy savings through their energy-efficiency measures.
Branson Ultrasonics Corporation—contracted a third party energy auditor to identify energy conservation and electricity cost reduction opportunities in a manufacturing and office environment. Implementation of eleven audit action items resulted in an energy assessment action plan saving annually $61,300 and 418,700 kWh.
Pratt & Whitney—Pratt & Whitney’s team recognized the need to reduce the usage of liquid IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) at the East Hartford campus to meet established UTC corporate pollution prevention standards. They started this process on June 30, 2008 and by 2009 they observed a decrease of 51% in the use of liquid IPA.
The Hartford Courant—has consistently used newsprint for the publication of their newspaper and its alternative publications having a recycled fiber content of greater than 55% for the last three years.
Erik and Ellen Freidenfelds—have installed a 10-kW solar array at their home in order to utilize solar power for energy generation, greatly reducing their dependency on the grid. They will generate approximately 185% of their electricity needs throughout the year with this system, enabling them to send electricity back to the grid for use elsewhere.
Hospital of Central Connecticut (HCC) at the New Britain campus—implemented a xylene recycling program. HCC has reduced xylene waste from 1200 gallons in 2005 to just under 600 gallons per year. HCC at the New Britain campus eliminated the use of ethylene oxide which was used as the primary sterilizing agent for surgical tools but now the campus uses hydrogen peroxide. The HCC at the New Britain Campus grounds utilizes Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices before resorting to chemicals.
EMSAR, Torrington—recycled over 400,000 lb of plastic scrap in 2009. An outside vendor is used to grind scrap components for reuse in EMSAR’s production operations. By partnering with a new vendor, K-resin, obsolete color concentrates and quality control resins are now recycled.
The Siemon Company—launched a new waste management program on September 14, 2009 that helped the company achieve a self certified zero-landfill status (99%). They also installed 700 solar panels on their 96,000 square foot Dynamic Building. This was brought online on December 31, 2008 and generated over 216,000 Kwh of clean energy in 2009.
Settlement Reached with the Former General Motors Corporation Regarding Environmental Contamination
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) has announced it has entered into a bankruptcy settlement agreement with Motors Liquidation Company (formerly known as General Motors Corporation) as well as two related parties, Remediation and Liability Management Company Inc., and the Environmental Corporate Remediation Company Inc.
The nationwide settlement also includes the United States and 13 other states where former General Motors-owned contamination sites exist. The settlement agreement was lodged recently in federal bankruptcy court by the U.S. Department of Justice and will be subject to a 30-day period of public comment before it is considered for final approval by the court as part of Motors Liquidation Company’s Joint Chapter 11 Plan to resolve its bankruptcy. The final date when the court will consider approval of the settlement agreement as part of its Joint Chapter 11 Plan has not been set at this time.
Under the settlement, approximately $641 million will be placed into an Environmental Response Trust Fund to cleanup sites that are currently owned by Motors Liquidation Company. Of this amount, approximately $159 million will be set aside to cleanup 36 sites of environmental contamination located in Michigan. Under the terms of the settlement, all properties currently owned by Motors Liquidation Company will be transferred to the trust. The trust will be administered by an independent trustee appointed by the court.
Approving environmental cleanup plans and budgets and overseeing the environmental cleanup activities performed by the Environmental Trust at individual contamination sites in Michigan will be the responsibility of either DNRE or federal EPA.
“The DNRE looks forward to working with the trustee to assure that environmental work at these sites meets state requirements and to help facilitate appropriate redevelopment, that protects public health and the environment, while bringing needed jobs and tax base back to the affected communities,” said DNRE Director Rebecca Humphries.
In addition to performing cleanup work at each of the contaminated properties, the Environmental Trust will be responsible to maintain the properties, pay taxes, and try to sell or transfer the properties for productive or beneficial uses. When a possible sale is considered, the Environmental Trust must consider several factors including the potential to create jobs; the ability to create tax revenue, reduce blight, and provide a sense of renewal; the impact of the proposed use on the cleanup at the property; the reputation and credibility of the prospective purchaser; and the views of the state and local community.
Ohio EPA Proposes Antidegradation Rule Amendments
Ohio EPA is proposing to update a rule governing water quality pollution to address requirements from an appeal settlement. The rule is a subset of a larger antidegradation rules package that is still under review.
A hearing will be held on the proposed rule amendments on November 10, 2010, at 2 p.m. at Ohio EPA’s Central Office location in the Lazarus Government Center, conference room D, 50 West Town Street, Suite 700 in Columbus. The hearing will end after all participants have had a chance to testify or submit written comments. Comments will be accepted at the hearing or by mail and e-mail through 5 p.m. on November. 10.
The three changes are time-sensitive because they are the result of a Joint Stipulation and Settlement Agreement from an Environmental Review Appeals Commissions (ERAC) appeal. To meet requirements, three changes need to proceed through the rulemaking process ahead of the rest of the rules:
- Specifying the rule exemptions that apply when existing sources discharge to waters of the state;
- Specifying the reserve portion of a water body’s pollutant capacity allocation where outstanding state waters and superior high quality waters exist; and
- Listing specific petition procedures when revising the allowable set aside percentages for a water body’s pollutant capacity.
The antidegradation rule establishes a procedure to determine that a discharge is necessary before authorizing it. The antidegradation rule is required by the Clean Water Act (CWA) and must be part of state water quality standards. Antidegradation sets up provisions to be followed before authorizing any increase in discharges to a water body that could result in lowering the water quality, including an increase in the discharge of a regulated pollutant or activities that may significantly alter physical habitat.
Pennsylvania DEP to Hold Residual Waste Reporting Seminar
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will offer companies that generate residual waste an opportunity to learn about the commonwealth’s reporting requirements during a free seminar on Wednesday, November 17.
“Business owners and operators have many important issues demanding their time, so DEP is presenting this seminar as an aid to managers who have to follow industrial waste handling regulations,” DEP Regional Director Kelly Burch said. “This session is part of DEP’s ongoing outreach to waste generators to help them better understand our reporting requirements.”
The seminar will focus on completing the residual waste Form 26R, the Chemical Analysis of Residual Waste Annual Report by the Generator.
Residual waste generators in Pennsylvania are required to characterize annually the physical properties and chemical composition of each industrial waste that is generated. Form 26R is required to be submitted to DEP and to each solid waste management facility that accepts the waste for processing or disposal.
Pre-registration is required and there is no registration fee. Those who wish to attend should contact Cindy Fry or Robert Bechtel by Friday, November 12, at 814-332-6848. The November 17, seminar will be from 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. at the DEP Northwest Regional Office, 230 Chestnut St., Meadville. Sign-in the morning of the seminar will begin at 9 a.m.
New York Coats One Millionth Square Foot of Cool Roofs
New York City’s Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Chief Service Officer Diahann Billings-Burford, and Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri applied a reflective, white coating to the one millionth square foot of rooftop as a part of the NYC CoolRoofs program. Over the past year, more than 1,500 volunteers added a white, reflective coating to 1 million square feet of NYC rooftop to help reduce cooling costs, energy usage, and GHG emissions.
The program is one of the original initiatives of NYC Service and will help the City’s efforts to reduce GHG emissions by 30% by 2030, a primary goal of PlaNYC, the City’s comprehensive sustainability plan.
“Through NYC Service we are tapping into the incredible spirit of volunteerism in our city and harnessing that energy to tackle some of the challenges government can’t solve on its own and that includes reducing the city’s carbon footprint,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “By simply applying a reflective, white coating, we can reduce rooftop temperature by up to 60 degrees, which translates into reduced cooling costs and reduced carbon emissions—a primary goal of PlaNYC. I want to thank all 1,500 volunteers and 17 companies that made this program’s first year such a success.”
Under the NYC CoolRoofs Program, the roofs of 105 of public, private, and non-profit buildings received the reflective white coating. The full program began in May 2010, with 900,000 square feet of rooftop coated in only five months. During initial pilot program, which ran in the fall of 2009, 100,000 square feet of rooftop was coated. The program does not operate during winter months.
In 2011, NYC Service will make its volunteers available to for-profit organizations who are willing to provide energy bills to the City for the purpose of culling data to further examine the impact of white rooftops.
The NYC CoolRoofs Program is a public-private partnership that engaged 17 companies in providing volunteers and resources to coat rooftops. Con Edison, this year’s lead sponsor, was responsible for coating more than 100,000 square feet of rooftop throughout the City, including 90,000 square feet of Con Edison-owned buildings. Other companies participating in the program included: Arts & Business Council of New York; Bank of America; Bloomberg LP; Coach, Inc.; Colgate–Palmolive Company; Citigroup; Disney; Ernst & Young LLP; HSBC Group; JetBlue Airways; McGraw–Hill; Mercer; The Moody’s Foundation; New York Mets; Tishman Speyer; and the YMCA.
A roof with reflective, white coating—know as a cool roof—absorbs 80% less heat than traditional dark colored roofs and can lower roof temperatures by up to 60 degrees and indoor temperatures by 10–20 degrees on hot days. The decrease in temperature reduces the need for air conditioning, lowering electric bills and reducing energy consumption. Coating all eligible dark rooftops in New York City could result in up to a 1 degree reduction of the ambient air temperature—a significant and lasting change toward cooling the City. The decrease in energy usage from cool roofs also will help reduce the likelihood of blackouts and brownouts, as the strain on the power grid during times of peak demand will be lessened.
Financial savings from converting to a cool roof will vary from building to building, but a self-applied coating—with no labor costs—typically pays for itself after three years through energy savings. A cool roof can reduce air conditioning costs by up to 50% in a one-story building, 25% in a two-story building, and up to 10% in a five-story building. Further, cool roofs can extend the life of a roof by 5–10 years by reducing the stress caused by extreme heat.
California Looking for Organizations Who Want Grants to Purchase Hybrid Trucks
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) is soliciting a Grantee for the $19 million Hybrid Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (), the first of several projects approved by ARB in the AB 118 Air Quality Improvement Program Funding Plan for Fiscal Year 2010-11. The HVIP will help accelerate the deployment of new hybrid and zero-emission trucks and buses in California by providing vouchers for the purchase of eligible new vehicles.
This solicitation is open to individuals, federal, state, or local government entities or agencies, and organizations with California heavy-duty vehicle, vehicle incentive project, or air quality expertise. pplications are due to ARB by November 22, 2010.
Revised Rule Eliminates Duplicate Testing of Vans and Larger Pick-up Trucks in California
The California ARB voted to provide relief for fleet owners of medium-sized commercial diesel trucks by streamlining the procedures for testing their truck emissions.
ARB’s decision amended the Periodic Smoke Inspection Program (PSIP) to exempt diesel fleet owners of delivery vans and larger pick-up trucks 1998 and newer from mandatory annual smoke inspections because, under a new law, they must undergo a Smog Check every other year. ARB’s decision is expected to save industry approximately $4.2 million annually.
The streamlined approach removing the PSIP test requirement affects 77,000 lighter trucks with weights between 6,000–14,000 lb. The decision will have a negligible impact on air quality because these vehicles will remain subject to an every-other-year Smog Check, which includes a smoke inspection.
“It makes good sense to amend this regulation,” said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “Our experts believe there is little air quality benefit to be gained from performing both types of smoke inspection. The Board’s action will help many business owners save time, save money, and will still help to remove diesel pollution from the air thus protecting public health.”
Enacted in 2007, AB 1488 requires diesel passenger cars and trucks manufactured after 1997 and weighing 14,000 lb or less to be included in the California Smog Check Program, and thus be subject to biennial emissions testing starting January 1, 2010. Administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Automotive Repair with assistance from ARB, diesel smog check inspections consist of a visual inspection of the emission control devices, a check of the vehicles on-board diagnostic system, and a visual assessment of the vehicle’s smoke level.
The PSIP was signed into law in 1990 to control excess smoke emissions and tampering from fleets of heavy-duty diesel trucks and buses. The PSIP requires owners of California-based fleets with two or more diesel-powered vehicles weighing more than 6,000 lb to conduct annual smoke opacity inspections. Vehicles that fail the test must be removed from service, repaired, and retested.
With the 2010 implementation of biennial Smog Checks for lighter diesel vehicles, nearly 77,000 diesel vehicles are subject to both Smog Checks and the smoke test. Without the amendment adopted, owners of these vehicles would have to submit to both an annual PSIP test and a Smog Check every other year. Inspections under the PSIP program average $55 per test, while a Smog Check averages $47 per test.
Arctic Warms at Unprecedented Rate
According to NOAA, the Arctic region continues to heat up, affecting local populations and ecosystems as well as weather patterns in the most populated parts of the Northern Hemisphere, according to a team of 69 international scientists.
Among the 2010 highlights:
- Greenland is experiencing record-setting high temperatures, ice melt, and glacier area loss;
- Summer sea ice continues to decline—the 2009–2010 summer sea ice cover extent was the third lowest since satellite monitoring began in 1979, and sea ice thickness continues to thin. The 2010 minimum is the third lowest recorded since 1979, surpassed only by 2008 and the record low of 2007; and
- Arctic snow cover duration was at a record minimum since record-keeping began in 1966.
Winter 2009-2010 showed a link between mid-latitude extreme cold and snowy weather events and changes in the wind patterns of the Arctic, related to a phase of the Arctic Oscillation.
“To quote one of my NOAA colleagues, ‘whatever is going to happen in the rest of the world happens first, and to the greatest extent, in the Arctic,’” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Beyond affecting the humans and wildlife that call the area home, the Arctic’s warmer temperatures and decreases in permafrost, snow cover, glaciers and sea ice also have wide-ranging consequences for the physical and biological systems in other parts of the world. The Arctic is an important driver of climate and weather around the world and serves as a critical feeding and breeding ground that supports globally significant populations of birds, mammals and fish.”
In 2006, NOAA’s Climate Program Office introduced the annual Arctic Report Card, which established a baseline of conditions at the beginning of the 21st century to monitor the quickly changing conditions in the Arctic. Using a color-coded system of red to indicate consistent evidence of warming and yellow to show that warming impacts are occurring in many climate indicators and species, the Report Card is updated annually in October and tracks the Arctic atmosphere, sea ice, biology, ocean, land, and changes in Greenland.
EPA Decides Not to Update Emission Standards for Chrome Plating Facilities
On October 21, EPA issued a notice of its proposed decision not to update the emission standards for chromium electroplating plants. Chromium electroplating plants, also known as chrome platers, apply thin layers of chromium onto metal objects to increase their durability or attractiveness and in the process release chromium compounds including hexavalent chromium, an extremely potent human carcinogen that is unsafe at any level of exposure.
As the result of an Earthjustice lawsuit on behalf of Sierra Club, EPA agreed to ensure that federal standards provide an ample margin of safety nationwide. Despite evidence that chrome platers’ emissions endanger the communities where they operate, EPA proposed to find that the threats of cancer and other disease are acceptable. Although the agency acknowledged that control technologies are available, its proposed rule would not require chrome platers to use them.
According to Earthjustice, more than 1,700 chrome platers operate in the United States, and the EPA acknowledges that many of these facilities are located in urban neighborhoods and communities with significant minority and low-income populations. As a result, many chrome platers release cancer-causing pollutants within a block or less of homes, schools, and day care centers.
“Chrome plating facilities pose an unacceptable toxic threat to people living near them and are often located in neighborhoods already overburdened by toxic air pollution,” said Jane Williams, the Chair of Sierra Club’s Air Toxics Task Force.
“The action proposed today sets an ominous precedent,” said Earthjustice attorney Emma Cheuse. “We look to the EPA to seek meaningful input from local communities about the pollution they breathe every day, and then set strong final standards that actually reduce emissions from these industrial facilities. Thanks to existing technology and the important authority it has under the Clean Air Act, the EPA can still decide to issue final standards that avoid unacceptable health threats like cancer and give local communities real relief from toxic air pollution.”
Connecticut Holding Company Pays Fine for PCB Violations
The owner of an inoperative Bridgeport, Connecticut, brass facility has agreed to pay $52,000 for violating federal regulations covering the disposal, use, storage, and marking violations of polychlorinated biphenyls ().
The Fairfield-based Connecticut Transfer and Recycling Co., LLC. (CTC), owns the former Bridgeport Brass Company facility in Bridgeport. In 2008, CTC hired a waste transporter to pump out waste oil from an electrical transformer and two 55-gallon drums located at the facility. CTC’s waste oil was not initially identified as containing PCBs and was mixed with waste oil from other companies by the waste transporter and sent off to be recycled. PCBs, however, were discovered in the combined waste and eventually traced back to the waste oil from CTC’s facility.
This information prompted Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to inspect CTC’s facility for compliance with TSCA and PCB regulations.CTC has agreed to cleanup the PCB spill areas around the transformers.
Two Companies Fined for Pesticide Label Violations
An Illinois manufacturer and registrant for two disinfectant and sanitizer products, and a Missouri company that served as an authorized distributor of the products, have agreed to pay civil monetary penalties to settle allegations that they held for sale misbranded versions of the products in violation of federal pesticide regulations. Stepan Company, of Northfield, Illinois, will pay a civil penalty of $10,200, and Consolidated Products, Inc., of Pagedale, Missouri, will pay a civil penalty of $5,148, according to separate but related administrative consent agreements filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Stepan is the official EPA registrant for a veterinary disinfectant known as Kennel Clean, and for a dairy and food processing cleaner and sanitizer known as Al-Brite. Consolidated Products serves as an authorized supplemental distributor of the two products, which are regulated as pesticides.
During an inspection of Consolidated Products’ facilities in January 2010, a representative of the Missouri Department of Agriculture collected evidence that the company was holding quantities of Kennel Clean and Al-Brite for sale or distribution in packaging that did not include proper labeling. Labels for both products held for sale lacked accurate net contents statements and had precautionary statements that differed from those on the EPA-accepted labels. The label for Kennel Clean lacked complete information on the virucidal activity of the product. The label for Al-Brite lacked the required warning, “May be fatal if absorbed through skin,” and additionally lacked required first aid language from the EPA-accepted label.
Further investigation showed that the misbranded products were distributed to Consolidated Products by Stepan, in violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
The sale or distribution of misbranded or mislabeled pesticides can pose serious risks to human health, plant and animal life, and the environment. Without proper labeling or safety instructions on packaging, users can unintentionally misapply pesticides and may not have adequate information to address needs for first aid in the event of emergency.
Through their approvals of the respective settlements, Stepan and Consolidated Products have both certified that their operations are now in compliance with FIFRA and its regulations.
$350,000 Penalty for Unpermitted Emissions at Cement Plant
The settlement will resolve claims that CalPortland did not obtain permits required by the CAA. As a result, CalPortland will either upgrade equipment, such as baghouses and spraybars, to reduce particle pollution, or will install a new, state-of-the-art kiln and retire four existing kilns. In addition, the cement manufacturer must pay a $350,000 civil penalty.
“This settlement will result in cleaner air for communities affected by the CalPortland facility,” said Deborah Jordan, director of the EPA’s Air Division for the Pacific Southwest region. “To safeguard the public health, all cement plants need to be properly permitted and keep their air emissions within the limits set by federal law.”
Cement kiln operations emit particulate matter, which can cause major health problems. Concerns for human health from exposure to coarse particle pollution include: effects on breathing and respiratory systems, damage to lung tissue, cancer, and premature death. The elderly, children, and people with chronic lung disease, influenza, or asthma, are especially sensitive to the effects of particulate matter.
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Trivia Question of the Week
What untapped energy source is being used by some innovative wastewater treatment plants?
a. Human waste
b. Hydro power
c. Chemical energy
d. Buzzard collectors (or Bussard collectors)
