Statement from Secretary Tom Vilsack
WASHINGTON, July 21, 2024 – Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement:
"In the 38 years that I have known President Biden, he has consistently and selflessly put our country first—and today is no exception. As a result, he will go down in history as one of our most consequential American presidents.
"In the 38 years that I have known President Biden, he has consistently and selflessly put our country first—and today is no exception. As a result, he will go down in history as one of our most consequential American presidents.
Q2 Asian import growth shines light on frontloading by US retailers
The threat of labor unrest and the increased transit times and costlier voyages on all-water services to the East and Gulf coasts are diverting some discretionary cargo to the West Coast.
Q2 Asian import growth shines light on frontloading by US retailers
The threat of labor unrest and the increased transit times and costlier voyages on all-water services to the East and Gulf coasts are diverting some discretionary cargo to the West Coast.
Houston gets USDA approval to handle cold-treated produce cargoes
The certification that Houston can handle cargoes treated for pests while in transit means more fresh produce such as grapes and berries can move quickly through the port.
EPA Seeks Community Input on Proposed Cleanup Plan for Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund Site in Niagara County, NY
NEW YORK – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is inviting the public to comment on its proposed cleanup plan to address contaminated creek sediment and floodplain soil along a portion of the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund site in Niagara County, New York. The 30-day public comment period runs from July 19 to August 19, 2024. EPA will host a public meeting at Newfane Townhall located at 2737 Main Street, Newfane, New York on August 1, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the cleanup plan.
“EPA’s proposed cleanup for this portion of the creek is to remove and dispose the contaminated sediment and floodplain soil that threaten human health as well as fish and wildlife,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “We encourage the public to join our meeting, ask questions and share their views on the proposed plan.”
Under the proposed cleanup plan and with EPA oversight, contractors would remove and dispose of contaminated sediment, replace clean fill and monitor sediment, surface water and fish tissue long term. The plan recommends that contractors remove and properly disposed of floodplain soil that is contaminated with lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) within a specific 11-acre area. By targeting these specific areas, the EPA can accelerate the cleanup by removing some known sources of contamination while continuing to evaluate the downstream segment of the creek. EPA will propose further cleanup for the areas of the creek not covered by this proposed plan.
Eighteen Mile Creek has a long history of industrial use dating back to the 19th century when it was used to produce hydropower. The main channel of the creek originates just south of the New York State Barge Canal and flows north for about 15 miles until it discharges to Lake Ontario in Olcott, New York. The Eighteen Mile Creek watershed includes the two main tributaries: East Branch of Eighteen Mile Creek and Gulf Creek.
EPA added the Eighteen Mile Creek site to the National Priorities List in 2012 and is cleaning up the site in several phases, or Operable Units (OUs). OU1 addressed residential soil contamination and structural hazards posed by buildings at the former Flintkote Plant property. OU2 focuses on soil cleanup at nearby commercial properties acting as sources of contamination to the Creek Corridor and sediment within the Creek Corridor. The current proposal relates to OU3 and will address contaminated sediment and the contaminated creek floodplain soil, extending roughly 5.3 miles downstream from Harwood Street. OU4 is dedicated to resolving lead contamination in residential soil near the former Flintkote Plant property. Cleanup actions for OU1, OU2, and OU4 are underway, with construction set for Summer 2024, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Written comments on the proposed plan may be submitted to Christopher O’Leary, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 19th Floor, New York, NY 10007 or via email: OLeary.Christopher@epa.gov.
For additional background and to see the proposed cleanup plan, visit the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund site profile page.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page.
For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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“EPA’s proposed cleanup for this portion of the creek is to remove and dispose the contaminated sediment and floodplain soil that threaten human health as well as fish and wildlife,” said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “We encourage the public to join our meeting, ask questions and share their views on the proposed plan.”
Under the proposed cleanup plan and with EPA oversight, contractors would remove and dispose of contaminated sediment, replace clean fill and monitor sediment, surface water and fish tissue long term. The plan recommends that contractors remove and properly disposed of floodplain soil that is contaminated with lead and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) within a specific 11-acre area. By targeting these specific areas, the EPA can accelerate the cleanup by removing some known sources of contamination while continuing to evaluate the downstream segment of the creek. EPA will propose further cleanup for the areas of the creek not covered by this proposed plan.
Eighteen Mile Creek has a long history of industrial use dating back to the 19th century when it was used to produce hydropower. The main channel of the creek originates just south of the New York State Barge Canal and flows north for about 15 miles until it discharges to Lake Ontario in Olcott, New York. The Eighteen Mile Creek watershed includes the two main tributaries: East Branch of Eighteen Mile Creek and Gulf Creek.
EPA added the Eighteen Mile Creek site to the National Priorities List in 2012 and is cleaning up the site in several phases, or Operable Units (OUs). OU1 addressed residential soil contamination and structural hazards posed by buildings at the former Flintkote Plant property. OU2 focuses on soil cleanup at nearby commercial properties acting as sources of contamination to the Creek Corridor and sediment within the Creek Corridor. The current proposal relates to OU3 and will address contaminated sediment and the contaminated creek floodplain soil, extending roughly 5.3 miles downstream from Harwood Street. OU4 is dedicated to resolving lead contamination in residential soil near the former Flintkote Plant property. Cleanup actions for OU1, OU2, and OU4 are underway, with construction set for Summer 2024, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Written comments on the proposed plan may be submitted to Christopher O’Leary, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway – 19th Floor, New York, NY 10007 or via email: OLeary.Christopher@epa.gov.
For additional background and to see the proposed cleanup plan, visit the Eighteen Mile Creek Superfund site profile page.
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page.
For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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EPA Orders the Closure of Seven Cesspools to Protect County of Maui Water
HONOLULU – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with the County of Maui to close seven Large Capacity Cesspools (Cesspools) – potential sources of harmful water contamination – on the Islands of Maui and Molokai.
Cesspools collect and release untreated raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens and harmful chemicals and pharmaceuticals can contaminate groundwater, streams, and the ocean.
Under the proposed terms, the County of Maui has agreed to close the seven Cesspools by June 30, 2025, and pay a penalty. The County will also review all County owned or operated properties to identify any additional Large Capacity Cesspools and close them within an agreed upon time frame.
“EPA is committed to protecting Hawai’i’s precious water resources and enforcing the law by closing all Large Capacity Cesspools in the state,” said Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator. “These actions taken by Maui County, as a large landowner, will ensure cleaner groundwater, surface water and beaches.”
In June 2022, EPA conducted an inspection of the wastewater disposal systems servicing the Hana Motor Vehicle and Licensing Office and the Hana Public Works Vehicle Maintenance Shop in Hana. During the inspection, EPA observed that both locations utilized cesspools for the disposal of sanitary wastewater that meet the regulatory definition of a Large Capacity Cesspool.
The County then disclosed to EPA that it found five additional Large Capacity Cesspools on properties it owned, including:
Three Cesspools servicing the Makawao Baseyard in Upcountry Maui
One Cesspool servicing the Maui Veterans Cemetary in Makawao
One Cesspool servicing the Molokai Veterans Cemetary in Molokai
EPA is authorized to issue compliance orders and/or assess penalties to violators of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s Underground Injection Control regulations which regulate large capacity cesspools. EPA has assessed a $193,247 penalty for the violations.
For more information on this settlement agreement or to provide public comment, please visit the settlement website. The comment period will be open for 40 days from the date of this notice.
Background on Large Capacity Cesspools
Large Capacity Cesspools were federally banned in 2005. Since then, more than 3,862 Cesspools in Hawai’i have been closed; however, hundreds remain in operation. Cesspools are used more widely in Hawai’i than any other state and pose a unique challenge as groundwater provides 95 percent of all water supply for the islands.
Learn more about cesspools in Hawai‘i and the federal ban and definition of a Large Capacity Cesspool.
Self-Disclosure of Illegal Large Capacity Cesspools
To encourage regulated entities to voluntarily discover, promptly disclose, and expeditiously close these pollution-causing systems, EPA provides penalty mitigation and other incentives for companies that proactively find and close Cesspools on their property. Information on how to self-disclose potential Large Capacity Cesspool violations is available here.
For more information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and regulations, visit EPA’s enforcement reporting website.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
Cesspools collect and release untreated raw sewage into the ground, where disease-causing pathogens and harmful chemicals and pharmaceuticals can contaminate groundwater, streams, and the ocean.
Under the proposed terms, the County of Maui has agreed to close the seven Cesspools by June 30, 2025, and pay a penalty. The County will also review all County owned or operated properties to identify any additional Large Capacity Cesspools and close them within an agreed upon time frame.
“EPA is committed to protecting Hawai’i’s precious water resources and enforcing the law by closing all Large Capacity Cesspools in the state,” said Martha Guzman, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator. “These actions taken by Maui County, as a large landowner, will ensure cleaner groundwater, surface water and beaches.”
In June 2022, EPA conducted an inspection of the wastewater disposal systems servicing the Hana Motor Vehicle and Licensing Office and the Hana Public Works Vehicle Maintenance Shop in Hana. During the inspection, EPA observed that both locations utilized cesspools for the disposal of sanitary wastewater that meet the regulatory definition of a Large Capacity Cesspool.
The County then disclosed to EPA that it found five additional Large Capacity Cesspools on properties it owned, including:
Three Cesspools servicing the Makawao Baseyard in Upcountry Maui
One Cesspool servicing the Maui Veterans Cemetary in Makawao
One Cesspool servicing the Molokai Veterans Cemetary in Molokai
EPA is authorized to issue compliance orders and/or assess penalties to violators of the Safe Drinking Water Act’s Underground Injection Control regulations which regulate large capacity cesspools. EPA has assessed a $193,247 penalty for the violations.
For more information on this settlement agreement or to provide public comment, please visit the settlement website. The comment period will be open for 40 days from the date of this notice.
Background on Large Capacity Cesspools
Large Capacity Cesspools were federally banned in 2005. Since then, more than 3,862 Cesspools in Hawai’i have been closed; however, hundreds remain in operation. Cesspools are used more widely in Hawai’i than any other state and pose a unique challenge as groundwater provides 95 percent of all water supply for the islands.
Learn more about cesspools in Hawai‘i and the federal ban and definition of a Large Capacity Cesspool.
Self-Disclosure of Illegal Large Capacity Cesspools
To encourage regulated entities to voluntarily discover, promptly disclose, and expeditiously close these pollution-causing systems, EPA provides penalty mitigation and other incentives for companies that proactively find and close Cesspools on their property. Information on how to self-disclose potential Large Capacity Cesspool violations is available here.
For more information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and regulations, visit EPA’s enforcement reporting website.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and X.
EPA Region 7 Presents Flint Hills Regional Council with $1.5M Check for Brownfields Grant in Kansas
LENEXA, KAN. (JULY 19, 2024) – Today, at the Kansas State University Technology Development Institute (TDI) in Manhattan, Acting EPA Region 7 Deputy Administrator DeAndré Singletary presented a $1.5 million ceremonial check to the Flint Hills Regional Council in Kansas as a Brownfields Grant selectee.
The council has been selected to receive the funding to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 30 Phase I and 27 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the brownfield site inventory, prepare nine cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities.
"EPA Region 7 is proud to present this funding to the Flint Hills region. The assessments conducted through this grant are the first step in transforming blighted properties into revitalized community assets," Singletary said. "Investing in communities to make them healthier, cleaner and more economically competitive is a top EPA priority, and it’s what our Brownfields program is all about.”
“We are deeply committed to the environmental and economic well-being of the Flint Hills region,” said Flint Hills Regional Council Board President Trish Giardano. “This grant not only supports our vision for a revitalized and thriving region, but also reinforces the trust and partnership we have cultivated with the EPA and our members.”
Proposed Kansas target areas for the coalition grant include:
West Main Street Revitalization Area in Herington.
Historic Downtown and Grant Avenue Revitalization Area in Junction City.
Central Core District Revitalization Area in Manhattan.
The Flint Hills Regional Council will work with target area communities by conducting environmental assessments to determine potential contamination at brownfield sites.
Background
EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%.
More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC Grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
To see the list of the fiscal year 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding, visit EPA’s webpage.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
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Learn more about EPA Region 7
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
The council has been selected to receive the funding to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 30 Phase I and 27 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the brownfield site inventory, prepare nine cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities.
"EPA Region 7 is proud to present this funding to the Flint Hills region. The assessments conducted through this grant are the first step in transforming blighted properties into revitalized community assets," Singletary said. "Investing in communities to make them healthier, cleaner and more economically competitive is a top EPA priority, and it’s what our Brownfields program is all about.”
“We are deeply committed to the environmental and economic well-being of the Flint Hills region,” said Flint Hills Regional Council Board President Trish Giardano. “This grant not only supports our vision for a revitalized and thriving region, but also reinforces the trust and partnership we have cultivated with the EPA and our members.”
Proposed Kansas target areas for the coalition grant include:
West Main Street Revitalization Area in Herington.
Historic Downtown and Grant Avenue Revitalization Area in Junction City.
Central Core District Revitalization Area in Manhattan.
The Flint Hills Regional Council will work with target area communities by conducting environmental assessments to determine potential contamination at brownfield sites.
Background
EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%.
More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC Grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
To see the list of the fiscal year 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding, visit EPA’s webpage.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
Houston gets USDA approval to handle cold-treated produce cargoes
The certification that Houston can handle cargoes treated for pests while in transit means more fresh produce such as grapes and berries can move quickly through the port.