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  • 15 Feb 2024 11:42 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    A reservoir of toxic chemicals lies below hundreds of homes in Greenpoint and East Williamsburg. The feds first need to find out if any dangerous fumes have surfaced, but that means getting property owners on board.

    By Samantha Maldonado, Photos by Ben Fractenberg and Alex Krales, The City (NY)

    Christine Facella, a homeowner in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has created a lush urban oasis in her backyard, where she grows eggplants, tomatoes and other vegetables. She even welcomes the raccoons and stray cats that come to visit. But a threat lurks underground. Her brick row house sits on top of a federal Superfund site: the Meeker Avenue Plume.

    The Environmental Protection Agency added the plume to its National Priorities List in 2022. A pool of chemicals in the groundwater and soil spans parts of Greenpoint and East Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The EPA wants to eventually clean up the area.

    For the entire article, see

    https://projects.thecity.nyc/hazard-nyc-meeker-avenue-plume/

  • 15 Feb 2024 11:40 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    February 15, 2024

    PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 15, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it will begin excavation and off-site disposal of the trichloroethylene (TCE) source area next week as part of a remediation phase at the Hidden Lane Landfill Superfund site in Sterling, Virginia.

    The excavation, scheduled to start Feb. 20, is the first phase in removing the TCE source area and marks a significant milestone in EPA’s efforts to restore the contaminated site and deliver on the agency’s commitment to protect human health and the environment.

    "We're thrilled to begin this next step in the remediation process and bring this site one step closer to being a clean and safe asset for the community," said EPA Mid-Atlantic Region Superfund and Emergency Management Division Director Paul Leonard. "This advancement reflects the hard work and determination of our EPA teammates and our valuable partners' commitment to environmental stewardship. This milestone demonstrates the strength of collaboration and a whole-of-government approach to protect our communities and leave a lasting impact for future generations."  

    EPA has partnered with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) throughout the investigation and remedy selection process. EPA will continue to oversee the activities and coordinate with local and state agencies to minimize short-term impacts on the community and ensure that environmental and work safety standards are met for a successful and safe cleanup effort.

    The excavation phase is expected to be completed later this year.

    The Hidden Lane Superfund site is one of many nationwide to receive funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which invested $3.5 billion in environmental remediation at Superfund sites on the National Priorities List.

    BIL funding will also connect a public waterline to more than 100 properties for safe drinking water in the nearby Broad Runs Farm community. Construction on the waterline is projected to begin later this year. 

    Once the excavation phase is complete, EPA will advance to the next phase, which includes using a below-ground treatment technology known as in-situ bioremediation and chemical reduction of the source material in groundwater. 

    EPA will continue to host public meetings to provide updates on the cleanup process and address any questions or concerns from the public. 

    Community members are encouraged to email r3-hidden.lane@epa.gov with any questions or concerns that they may have regarding the Superfund site cleanup process. 

    Visit the Hidden Lane Landfill Superfund site page for more information.

  • 15 Feb 2024 11:38 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    National Grid is supporting revitalization and growth in Western New York by providing more than $1 million in economic development grants to regional businesses that are redeveloping brownfield sites and historic buildings, repurposing abandoned and dilapidated properties, turning vacant stores into affordable housing units, renovating space to create a permanent home for a nonprofit organization, and more.

    Read more...

  • 13 Feb 2024 11:47 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    In a significant legislative decision, Maine's lawmakers voted against a bill aimed at limiting groundwater extraction, influenced by Poland Spring's lobbying efforts.

    Read more...

  • 13 Feb 2024 11:45 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its intention to tighten regulations on hazardous waste, specifically targeting nine ‘forever chemicals’ under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

    Read more...

  • 12 Feb 2024 11:49 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Environmental concerns are the latest hurdle developers must clear as plans progress to transform the former Allentown State Hospital site into a $1 billion mixed-use community.

    Read more...

  • 11 Jan 2024 12:20 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today announced highlights from the Office’s Environmental Protection Unit during her first year in office.

    “Vermont’s natural environment and natural resources are part of who we are as a state. I am proud of my office’s role in upholding Vermont’s environmental laws and protecting our environment for future generations,” said Attorney General Clark. 

    Read more...

  • 09 Jan 2024 12:17 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    January 9, 2024

    Contact Information

    EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

    WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the automatic addition of seven per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the list of chemicals covered by the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).  

    TRI data is reported to EPA annually by facilities in designated industry sectors and federal facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use TRI-listed chemicals above set quantities. The data include quantities of such chemicals that were released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste. Information collected through TRI allows communities to learn how facilities in their area are managing listed chemicals. The data collected is available online and helps to support informed decision-making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations and the public, and advances the Biden-Harris commitments to ensuring environmental justice through improved accountability and transparency for families, workers, and communities across the country.

    The addition of these seven PFAS helps to further the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to address the impacts of these forever chemicals, and advances EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap to confront the human health and environmental risks of PFAS.

    “With these additions to the Toxics Release Inventory, we’ll be collecting data on the release and management of almost 200 PFAS in communities across the country, furthering our efforts to better understand and protect people from these chemicals,” said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “We’ll also share this information with the public, empowering communities to engage with the facilities using these chemicals to prevent or reduce pollution.”

    These seven PFAS were added to the TRI list pursuant to the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides the framework for the automatic addition of PFAS to TRI each year in response to specified EPA activities involving such PFAS. For TRI Reporting Year 2024 (reporting forms due by July 1, 2025), reporting is required for these seven additional PFAS, bringing the total PFAS subject to TRI reporting to 196.

    Addition of PFAS with final toxicity values

    The 2020 NDAA includes a provision that automatically adds PFAS to the TRI list upon the Agency’s finalization of a toxicity value. Six PFAS were automatically added for Reporting Year 2024 due to EPA having finalized a toxicity value during 2023. Only these particular salt forms of the acids are added to the list.

    Ammonium perfluorohexanoate; Chemical Abstract Service Registration Number (CASRN) 21615-47-4

    Lithium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] azanide; CASRN 90076-65-6

    Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA); CASRN 307-24-4

    Perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA); CASRN 422-64-0

    Sodium perfluorohexanoate; CASRN 2923-26-4

    1,1,1-Trifluoro-N-[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl] methanesulfonamide; CASRN 82113-65-3

    Addition of PFAS no longer claimed as confidential business information

    Under NDAA section 7321(e), EPA must review confidential business information (CBI) claims before adding a PFAS to the TRI list if the chemical identity is subject to a claim of protection from disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(a). EPA previously identified one PFAS for addition to the TRI list based on the NDAA’s provision to include specific PFAS upon the NDAA’s enactment. However, due to CBI claims related to its identity, this PFAS was not added to the TRI list at that time. The identity of this chemical was subsequently declassified in an update to the Toxic Substances Control Act Inventory in February 2023. Because its identity is no longer confidential, the following chemical was added to the TRI list:

    Betaines, dimethyl(.gamma.-.omega.-perfluoro-.gamma.-hydro-C8-18-alkyl); CASRN 2816091-53-7 

    As of January 1, 2024, facilities that are subject to reporting requirements for these chemicals should begin tracking their activities involving these PFAS as required by Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. Reporting forms will be due by July 1, 2025.

    These seven newly added PFAS, along with the previous 189 TRI-listed PFAS, are also subject to EPA’s action in October 2023 to classify all PFAS subject to TRI reporting as chemicals of special concern. Among other impacts, this removes the use of a reporting exemption that allowed facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals were used in small concentrations.

    Read the article here...

  • 08 Jan 2024 12:21 PM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    On Jan. 2, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) rang in the new year by publishing a Proposed Rule updating the Ground Water Quality Standards (GWQS) for 65 of the 73 constituents currently regulated for Class II-A groundwater. As most readers know, the department uses the GWQS as base standards for the remediation of groundwater contamination. For most ongoing and future cleanups, the updated GWQS will apply. For previously closed sites, the impact of the Proposed Rule will depend on a number of factors, including (1) whether any of the contaminants with updated standards still exist and (2) whether the updated standards resulted in an order of magnitude change.

    Read more...

  • 05 Jan 2024 11:09 AM | Michael Lazo (Administrator)

    The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today released draft guidance for State entities to inform the investments and benefits reporting on compliance with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act’s (Climate Act) requirement that a minimum of 35 percent, with a goal of 40 percent, of the State’s clean energy investments benefit disadvantaged communities. The draft Disadvantaged Communities Investments and Benefits Reporting Guidance is a blueprint for reporting energy efficiency and clean energy programmatic investments by State entities in disadvantaged communities and will advance consistency and transparency in complying with the Climate Act’s equity provisions. 

    Read more...

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