Biden-Harris Administration Announces $90 Million in Innovative Projects that Help Conserve Natural Resources and Address Climate Change as Part of Investing in America Agenda
READING, PA, July 18, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $90 million in 53 Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) projects, which support the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.
El Programa Ambiental México-Estados Unidos “Frontera 2025” publica Reporte de Logros Binacional
WASHINGTON – (18 de julio de 2024) La Agencia de Protección Ambiental de Estados Unidos de América (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés), en coordinación con la Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de México publica el Reporte de Logros de medio término del Programa Frontera 2025. Este informe destaca los logros alcanzados en el periodo de trabajo 2021-2023 ejecutado en las comunidades fronterizas, a través de las actividades del Programa.
"La EPA está orgullosa de trabajar colaborativamente con el Gobierno de México y los líderes estatales y locales para abordar productivamente los desafíos ambientales y de salud pública a lo largo de la frontera entre México y los Estados Unidos”, dijo el administrador de la EPA, Michael Regan. “En el presente informe se destacan las inversiones de la Administración Biden y el compromiso de los gobiernos estatales y locales de mejorar las condiciones de las comunidades fronterizas, en particular las comunidades desatendidas y desfavorecidas."
El Reporte de Logros resume los proyectos que abordan los objetivos del documento marco del Programa. Los cuatro objetivos incluyen reducir la contaminación del aire; mejorar la calidad del agua; promover la gestión sostenible de los materiales, la gestión de residuos y la limpieza de los sitios, así como mejorar la preparación y respuesta conjunta ante emergencias químicas ambientales. El informe también comparte el compromiso de promover los principios rectores del Programa, incluidas las prioridades de ambas naciones en materia de medio ambiente, que contemplan el componente de justicia ambiental e inclusión de las comunidades originarias de ambos países.
Este informe de logros destaca, más de 50 proyectos que abordan los desafiantes problemas ambientales y de salud que enfrentan las comunidades fronterizas e incluyen los temas de calidad del aire en Mexicali, Baja California y Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua; la reutilización de agua en tierras tribales, capacitaciones/talleres binacionales en Sonora y Arizona, mejoras en la calidad del agua y la gestión de aguas residuales mediante el uso del Fondo de Infraestructura Ambiental Fronteriza; esfuerzos de creación de capacidades, como por ejemplo a través de seminarios web sobre aspectos relacionados con los desechos, así como los ejercicios de capacitación para la preparación y respuesta ante emergencias; además de los esfuerzos de salud y justicia ambiental.
El Programa Frontera 2025 es un programa ambiental entre México y Estados Unidos que protege el medio ambiente y la salud pública de las comunidades a lo largo de los 3,100 kilómetros de frontera entre ambos países, que comprenden los 10 estados fronterizos (seis en México y cuatro en Estados Unidos), las 27 tribus reconocidas por el gobierno federal en Estados Unidos y siete comunidades indígenas y afromexicanas en México. El Programa Frontera 2025 continúa siendo un modelo de cooperación y colaboración entre naciones vecinas con el objetivo de lograr resultados tangibles en materia ambiental y de salud pública, para mejorar la calidad de vida de las comunidades fronterizas en México y Estados Unidos.
Para más información, visite: Programa Ambiental México - Estados Unidos | US EPA
"La EPA está orgullosa de trabajar colaborativamente con el Gobierno de México y los líderes estatales y locales para abordar productivamente los desafíos ambientales y de salud pública a lo largo de la frontera entre México y los Estados Unidos”, dijo el administrador de la EPA, Michael Regan. “En el presente informe se destacan las inversiones de la Administración Biden y el compromiso de los gobiernos estatales y locales de mejorar las condiciones de las comunidades fronterizas, en particular las comunidades desatendidas y desfavorecidas."
El Reporte de Logros resume los proyectos que abordan los objetivos del documento marco del Programa. Los cuatro objetivos incluyen reducir la contaminación del aire; mejorar la calidad del agua; promover la gestión sostenible de los materiales, la gestión de residuos y la limpieza de los sitios, así como mejorar la preparación y respuesta conjunta ante emergencias químicas ambientales. El informe también comparte el compromiso de promover los principios rectores del Programa, incluidas las prioridades de ambas naciones en materia de medio ambiente, que contemplan el componente de justicia ambiental e inclusión de las comunidades originarias de ambos países.
Este informe de logros destaca, más de 50 proyectos que abordan los desafiantes problemas ambientales y de salud que enfrentan las comunidades fronterizas e incluyen los temas de calidad del aire en Mexicali, Baja California y Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua; la reutilización de agua en tierras tribales, capacitaciones/talleres binacionales en Sonora y Arizona, mejoras en la calidad del agua y la gestión de aguas residuales mediante el uso del Fondo de Infraestructura Ambiental Fronteriza; esfuerzos de creación de capacidades, como por ejemplo a través de seminarios web sobre aspectos relacionados con los desechos, así como los ejercicios de capacitación para la preparación y respuesta ante emergencias; además de los esfuerzos de salud y justicia ambiental.
El Programa Frontera 2025 es un programa ambiental entre México y Estados Unidos que protege el medio ambiente y la salud pública de las comunidades a lo largo de los 3,100 kilómetros de frontera entre ambos países, que comprenden los 10 estados fronterizos (seis en México y cuatro en Estados Unidos), las 27 tribus reconocidas por el gobierno federal en Estados Unidos y siete comunidades indígenas y afromexicanas en México. El Programa Frontera 2025 continúa siendo un modelo de cooperación y colaboración entre naciones vecinas con el objetivo de lograr resultados tangibles en materia ambiental y de salud pública, para mejorar la calidad de vida de las comunidades fronterizas en México y Estados Unidos.
Para más información, visite: Programa Ambiental México - Estados Unidos | US EPA
Investing in Montague: EPA celebrates $5 million Brownfields grant for revitalization efforts
Montague, Mass. (July 18, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced nearly $5 million in EPA Brownfields grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the cleanup of the Strathmore Mill complex. EPA was joined by the Town of Montague, Senator Markey, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP), Nolumbeka Project Chairman David Brule, and others. This celebration marks a big milestone for Montague, Massachusetts, highlighting the ongoing work taking place with the Commonwealth's $35 million in EPA Brownfields grant funding, announced earlier this year, to revitalize and rehabilitate communities in Massachusetts.
"Today's celebration is a win-win. These buildings that were once home to a booming and industrious place of economic growth, have in turn led to the burden of legacy pollution and contamination, creating unsafe, and unusable spaces for New England communities. These new brownfields grants represent revolutionary change by turning blight, into might," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "With new resources in hand, the Town of Montague will be able to remediate Strathmore Mill, and use the space in a way that benefits the needs of their community. That is what Investing in America is all about."
EPA selected the Town of Montague for a $4,920,400 Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This grant funding will be used to clean up the Strathmore Mill property located at 20 Canal Road. The 1.3-acre cleanup site, constructed between 1874 and 1970 as a paper mill and consists of nine neighboring buildings, which were formerly used for manufacturing processes. These buildings are contaminated with inorganic contaminants, heavy metals, petroleum, and PCBs.
More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million nationwide) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This investment has also allowed the maximum award amounts under BIL-funded Brownfields cleanup grants to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
At the event, EPA also celebrated the $2 million Community-Wide Assessment grant awarded to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. This grant will assist MA DEP in supporting a greater range of Brownfields assessment and redevelopment by providing technical and financial resources to make Brownfields assessment a statewide priority.
What They Are Saying
"I'm delighted that we've secured the funding we need to finally clean up the former Strathmore Mill complex and restore the waterfront," said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. "This funding will help improve the lives of families in Turners Falls—and shows what government can do when federal and state partners work hand in hand."
"The remediation of Strathmore Mill will transform this site from a community eyesore to a community asset," said U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey. "Too often small communities are left without the help they need to tackle polluted or contaminated sites. But with the maximum amount of Brownfields cleanup grant funding expanded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to $5 million per award, the town of Montague will be able to use this incredible new funding to help remediate the entire Strathmore Mill complex, create a community green space, and enable waterfront access to the beautiful Connecticut River. It's a win-win-win that will build a cleaner future for Montague and the Connecticut River Valley for decades to come."
"This is a big deal for Montague. The funding that is supporting this project is a perfect example of why Congress voted to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The nearly $5 million in EPA Brownfields funding will not only address the long-standing environmental issues at the Strathmore Mill complex, it will also make a real, tangible difference in our community by transforming blighted areas into opportunities for growth and improvement," said U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern. "This is what it looks like when local, state, and federal partners come together with a vision for the future and a plan to make a positive difference in the lives of the people we work for. I am proud to support these efforts and look forward to seeing the positive impacts on our community."
"With this increase in federal funding, more brownfields will be transformed into green spaces and usable land for us all to enjoy. And with redevelopment, communities will see a boost in new jobs and tax revenue," said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. "We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, the EPA, and our Congressional delegation for the significant increase in brownfields funding for Massachusetts this year. These funds will put once-contaminated sites back into productive re-use and help revitalize communities across the state."
"Smaller cities and towns often lack the resources to clean up contaminated sites and put them to work for the community," said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and EPA for the nearly 250 percent increase in brownfields funding to Massachusetts, which will make a real difference in spurring remediation and redevelopment work across the state."
"This is a once-in a generation opportunity to redefine the community's relationship to the Connecticut River," said Montague Town Administrator Walter Ramsey. "Industrial blight will make way for riverfront recreation and improved river ecology in accordance with a community supported vision."
More information
Both Brownfields grants celebrated today—to the Town of Montague and MA DEP—are part of the most recent round of funding that sent nearly $35 million to the Commonwealth. Most recently, EPA also celebrated $7 million in Brownfields grants going to the cities of Lawrence and Lowell, and the town of Clinton. In total, nearly 20 grants—including both Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) grants, as well are supplement funding for already high-performing projects—are making their way to Massachusetts in this latest round of funding.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests more than $1.5 billion through EPA's highly successful Brownfields Program and funds over 350 programs to support planning, construction, and operation of a variety of public infrastructure projects. This investment in EPA's Brownfields Program will transform countless lives and spur life-changing revitalization in communities large and small, urban and rural; all with the same desire to keep their neighborhoods healthy, sustainable and reflective of the people who call it home.
EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield 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 the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent.
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.
Brownfields sites often lie in proximity to overburdened and vulnerable communities where people live, work, play, and pray. These funds serve to support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties and are part of a historic national EPA investment in Brownfields remediation. Brownfields funding helps begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges that have burdened these communities for far too long.
Background
Brownfields at EPA New England
2024 Massachusetts Brownfields Grants
Brownfields Success Stories
Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities
"Today's celebration is a win-win. These buildings that were once home to a booming and industrious place of economic growth, have in turn led to the burden of legacy pollution and contamination, creating unsafe, and unusable spaces for New England communities. These new brownfields grants represent revolutionary change by turning blight, into might," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "With new resources in hand, the Town of Montague will be able to remediate Strathmore Mill, and use the space in a way that benefits the needs of their community. That is what Investing in America is all about."
EPA selected the Town of Montague for a $4,920,400 Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This grant funding will be used to clean up the Strathmore Mill property located at 20 Canal Road. The 1.3-acre cleanup site, constructed between 1874 and 1970 as a paper mill and consists of nine neighboring buildings, which were formerly used for manufacturing processes. These buildings are contaminated with inorganic contaminants, heavy metals, petroleum, and PCBs.
More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million nationwide) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This investment has also allowed the maximum award amounts under BIL-funded Brownfields cleanup grants to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
At the event, EPA also celebrated the $2 million Community-Wide Assessment grant awarded to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. This grant will assist MA DEP in supporting a greater range of Brownfields assessment and redevelopment by providing technical and financial resources to make Brownfields assessment a statewide priority.
What They Are Saying
"I'm delighted that we've secured the funding we need to finally clean up the former Strathmore Mill complex and restore the waterfront," said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. "This funding will help improve the lives of families in Turners Falls—and shows what government can do when federal and state partners work hand in hand."
"The remediation of Strathmore Mill will transform this site from a community eyesore to a community asset," said U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey. "Too often small communities are left without the help they need to tackle polluted or contaminated sites. But with the maximum amount of Brownfields cleanup grant funding expanded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to $5 million per award, the town of Montague will be able to use this incredible new funding to help remediate the entire Strathmore Mill complex, create a community green space, and enable waterfront access to the beautiful Connecticut River. It's a win-win-win that will build a cleaner future for Montague and the Connecticut River Valley for decades to come."
"This is a big deal for Montague. The funding that is supporting this project is a perfect example of why Congress voted to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The nearly $5 million in EPA Brownfields funding will not only address the long-standing environmental issues at the Strathmore Mill complex, it will also make a real, tangible difference in our community by transforming blighted areas into opportunities for growth and improvement," said U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern. "This is what it looks like when local, state, and federal partners come together with a vision for the future and a plan to make a positive difference in the lives of the people we work for. I am proud to support these efforts and look forward to seeing the positive impacts on our community."
"With this increase in federal funding, more brownfields will be transformed into green spaces and usable land for us all to enjoy. And with redevelopment, communities will see a boost in new jobs and tax revenue," said Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey. "We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, the EPA, and our Congressional delegation for the significant increase in brownfields funding for Massachusetts this year. These funds will put once-contaminated sites back into productive re-use and help revitalize communities across the state."
"Smaller cities and towns often lack the resources to clean up contaminated sites and put them to work for the community," said Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. "We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration and EPA for the nearly 250 percent increase in brownfields funding to Massachusetts, which will make a real difference in spurring remediation and redevelopment work across the state."
"This is a once-in a generation opportunity to redefine the community's relationship to the Connecticut River," said Montague Town Administrator Walter Ramsey. "Industrial blight will make way for riverfront recreation and improved river ecology in accordance with a community supported vision."
More information
Both Brownfields grants celebrated today—to the Town of Montague and MA DEP—are part of the most recent round of funding that sent nearly $35 million to the Commonwealth. Most recently, EPA also celebrated $7 million in Brownfields grants going to the cities of Lawrence and Lowell, and the town of Clinton. In total, nearly 20 grants—including both Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) grants, as well are supplement funding for already high-performing projects—are making their way to Massachusetts in this latest round of funding.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests more than $1.5 billion through EPA's highly successful Brownfields Program and funds over 350 programs to support planning, construction, and operation of a variety of public infrastructure projects. This investment in EPA's Brownfields Program will transform countless lives and spur life-changing revitalization in communities large and small, urban and rural; all with the same desire to keep their neighborhoods healthy, sustainable and reflective of the people who call it home.
EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield 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 the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent.
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.
Brownfields sites often lie in proximity to overburdened and vulnerable communities where people live, work, play, and pray. These funds serve to support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties and are part of a historic national EPA investment in Brownfields remediation. Brownfields funding helps begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges that have burdened these communities for far too long.
Background
Brownfields at EPA New England
2024 Massachusetts Brownfields Grants
Brownfields Success Stories
Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities
EPA Reaches Settlement with Fuel Refiner and Distributor Over Violations of the Clean Air Act’s Fuel Requirements
WASHINGTON – Today, July 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Lupton Petroleum Products, Inc., and its affiliate Brad Hall Associates, Inc., for violations of the Clean Air Act’s conventional and renewable fuel requirements. Under this settlement, Lupton Petroleum and Brad Hall Associates will pay a civil penalty of just over $1 million. Additionally, the companies must implement several compliance measures that include maintaining equipment to monitor blendstocks and fuel volumes, implementing a facility practices plan to ensure compliance, and hiring an independent auditor to oversee compliance actions.
During settlement negotiations, Lupton Petroleum also initiated compliance by installing refinery infrastructure to facilitate fuel sampling and laboratory equipment to test fuel according to the regulatory requirements, estimated to cost approximately $200,000.
“Lupton failed to comply with gasoline and diesel fuel standards that are critical to protecting communities from harmful pollution from cars and trucks,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “At a time when climate change and increased heat make it more difficult to maintain air quality, EPA cannot allow any companies to disregard our national clean air standards.”
The EPA’s conventional fuels requirements include quality standards for gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as requirements relating to compliance demonstrations, including sampling and testing, reporting and recordkeeping. The requirements under EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard program obligate refiners and importers of non-renewable fuels to acquire and retire renewable fuel credits, known as Renewable Identification Numbers or RINs, to meet their renewable volume obligations each year.
Between 2015 and 2019, Lupton Petroleum and Brad Hall Associates produced and distributed, respectively, gasoline and diesel fuel for retail without complying with any of the EPA’s fuels regulations applicable to refiners and distributors. In particular, Lupton Petroleum and Brad Hall Associates failed to comply with various regulatory requirements such as registering, taking fuel samples, testing fuel for compliance, maintaining records, submitting reports, ensuring that the diesel fuel produced and distributed met the applicable sulfur standard, and obtaining and retiring RINs.
Lupton Petroleum and Brad Hall Associates’ actions resulted in high sulfur diesel fuel being dispensed to vehicles, potentially poisoning diesel exhaust catalysts and causing excess emissions. Additionally, Lupton’s failure to purchase and retire RINs undermined the goals of the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard program, which is designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on fossil fuels.
Lupton Petroleum operates a refinery in Lupton, Arizona, where it separates transmix – a combination of gasoline, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products that have mixed in a pipeline and no longer meet fuel specifications – back into gasoline and diesel fuel. Brad Hall Associates, a distributor of petroleum products, delivered transmix to the Lupton refinery and then transported the noncompliant gasoline and diesel fuel from the Lupton refinery to retail stations.
The proposed settlement, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on July 17, 2024, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comments is available on the Justice Department’s Proposed Consent Decree web page.
More information on the settlement is available on the EPA’s Lupton BHA Clean Air Act Settlement case summary web page.
During settlement negotiations, Lupton Petroleum also initiated compliance by installing refinery infrastructure to facilitate fuel sampling and laboratory equipment to test fuel according to the regulatory requirements, estimated to cost approximately $200,000.
“Lupton failed to comply with gasoline and diesel fuel standards that are critical to protecting communities from harmful pollution from cars and trucks,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “At a time when climate change and increased heat make it more difficult to maintain air quality, EPA cannot allow any companies to disregard our national clean air standards.”
The EPA’s conventional fuels requirements include quality standards for gasoline and diesel fuel, as well as requirements relating to compliance demonstrations, including sampling and testing, reporting and recordkeeping. The requirements under EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard program obligate refiners and importers of non-renewable fuels to acquire and retire renewable fuel credits, known as Renewable Identification Numbers or RINs, to meet their renewable volume obligations each year.
Between 2015 and 2019, Lupton Petroleum and Brad Hall Associates produced and distributed, respectively, gasoline and diesel fuel for retail without complying with any of the EPA’s fuels regulations applicable to refiners and distributors. In particular, Lupton Petroleum and Brad Hall Associates failed to comply with various regulatory requirements such as registering, taking fuel samples, testing fuel for compliance, maintaining records, submitting reports, ensuring that the diesel fuel produced and distributed met the applicable sulfur standard, and obtaining and retiring RINs.
Lupton Petroleum and Brad Hall Associates’ actions resulted in high sulfur diesel fuel being dispensed to vehicles, potentially poisoning diesel exhaust catalysts and causing excess emissions. Additionally, Lupton’s failure to purchase and retire RINs undermined the goals of the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard program, which is designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on fossil fuels.
Lupton Petroleum operates a refinery in Lupton, Arizona, where it separates transmix – a combination of gasoline, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products that have mixed in a pipeline and no longer meet fuel specifications – back into gasoline and diesel fuel. Brad Hall Associates, a distributor of petroleum products, delivered transmix to the Lupton refinery and then transported the noncompliant gasoline and diesel fuel from the Lupton refinery to retail stations.
The proposed settlement, filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on July 17, 2024, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comments is available on the Justice Department’s Proposed Consent Decree web page.
More information on the settlement is available on the EPA’s Lupton BHA Clean Air Act Settlement case summary web page.
U.S.-Mexico Border 2025 Environmental Program Releases Binational Highlights Report
WASHINGTON – Today, July 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT, acronym in Spanish), released the Border 2025 mid-term Highlights Report. This report highlights the 2021-2023 accomplishments within border communities through the Border 2025 program.
“EPA is proud to work closely and productively with the Government of Mexico and State and local leaders to improve public health along the U.S. – Mexico border,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This report highlights the investments of the Biden Administration, and the commitment of State and local governments to improve conditions for the border communities, particularly underserved and disadvantaged communities.”
The Highlights Report summarizes projects addressing the goals in the Border 2025 framework document. The four goals include reducing air pollution; improving water quality; promoting sustainable materials management, waste management, and clean sites; enhancing joint emergency preparedness for and response to hazardous chemicals. The report also conveys the commitment to promote the Border 2025 guiding principles, including the priorities of our two nations: environmental equity and climate for the U.S. and engaging the indigenous communities in Mexico.
In this highlights report, over 50 projects address the challenging environmental and health issues border communities face and include air quality in Mexicali, Baja California and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua; water reuse in Tribal Lands, binational trainings/workshops in Sonora and Arizona, water and wastewater improvements through the use of Border Environment Infrastructure Funds; capacity building efforts, such as webinars for waste-related issues, and training exercises for emergency preparedness and response; and environmental health and environmental justice efforts.
Border 2025 is a U.S.-Mexico environmental program that protects the environment and public health for communities along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border including the 10 states (four in the U.S. and six in Mexico), 27 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. and seven indigenous and afro-Mexican communities in Mexico. The Border 2025 Program continues to be a model of cooperation and collaboration between neighboring nations with a continued goal of achieving tangible, on-the-ground, environmental and public health results to improve the quality of life for US-Mexico border communities.
For more information, please visit EPA’s U.S.-Mexico Border Program webpage.
“EPA is proud to work closely and productively with the Government of Mexico and State and local leaders to improve public health along the U.S. – Mexico border,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This report highlights the investments of the Biden Administration, and the commitment of State and local governments to improve conditions for the border communities, particularly underserved and disadvantaged communities.”
The Highlights Report summarizes projects addressing the goals in the Border 2025 framework document. The four goals include reducing air pollution; improving water quality; promoting sustainable materials management, waste management, and clean sites; enhancing joint emergency preparedness for and response to hazardous chemicals. The report also conveys the commitment to promote the Border 2025 guiding principles, including the priorities of our two nations: environmental equity and climate for the U.S. and engaging the indigenous communities in Mexico.
In this highlights report, over 50 projects address the challenging environmental and health issues border communities face and include air quality in Mexicali, Baja California and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua; water reuse in Tribal Lands, binational trainings/workshops in Sonora and Arizona, water and wastewater improvements through the use of Border Environment Infrastructure Funds; capacity building efforts, such as webinars for waste-related issues, and training exercises for emergency preparedness and response; and environmental health and environmental justice efforts.
Border 2025 is a U.S.-Mexico environmental program that protects the environment and public health for communities along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border including the 10 states (four in the U.S. and six in Mexico), 27 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. and seven indigenous and afro-Mexican communities in Mexico. The Border 2025 Program continues to be a model of cooperation and collaboration between neighboring nations with a continued goal of achieving tangible, on-the-ground, environmental and public health results to improve the quality of life for US-Mexico border communities.
For more information, please visit EPA’s U.S.-Mexico Border Program webpage.
EPA Issues Order to Excell Air Filters in Ashland, Ohio, to Stop the Sale of Products using an Unregistered Pesticide
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued an order to Excell Air Filters located at 600 Union Street, Ashland, Ohio, to immediately stop the sale and distribution of two products, “Antimicrobial Filter” and “Allergen Filter” using unregistered pesticides, a violation of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
EPA issued the order to prevent further sale and distribution of these two products which are treated with unregistered pesticides and offered for sale online. Public health and safety claims, including that these products could or should be used against the COVID-19 virus, have appeared on the company’s website.
Under FIFRA, pesticides must be evaluated through EPA’s registration process to ensure that the products perform as intended prior to their distribution or sale. The agency will not register a pesticide until it is determined that the product does not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment, when used as directed. Registered products have EPA-approved labeling which provide users with important information regarding safety and application. Unregistered products have not been evaluated and may not function as advertised or even mislead consumers.
For more information on the safe use of pesticides, visit EPA’s website.
EPA issued the order to prevent further sale and distribution of these two products which are treated with unregistered pesticides and offered for sale online. Public health and safety claims, including that these products could or should be used against the COVID-19 virus, have appeared on the company’s website.
Under FIFRA, pesticides must be evaluated through EPA’s registration process to ensure that the products perform as intended prior to their distribution or sale. The agency will not register a pesticide until it is determined that the product does not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment, when used as directed. Registered products have EPA-approved labeling which provide users with important information regarding safety and application. Unregistered products have not been evaluated and may not function as advertised or even mislead consumers.
For more information on the safe use of pesticides, visit EPA’s website.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Announces Key Staff Appointments and Promotions
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the names of individuals who hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.
Eric Deeble has been promoted to Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Eric Deeble has been promoted to Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Florida to benefit from $3,551,525 in grant funding by Biden-Harris Administration to support clean U.S. manufacturing of construction materials
TALLAHASSE, Fla. (July 17, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Florida will benefit from two grants totaling approximately $3.5M to support efforts to report and reduce climate pollution from the manufacturing of construction materials. EPA estimates that the construction of buildings and other built infrastructure accounts for more than 15% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure. The U.S. leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history--will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing their products.
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood and other materials.
The University of Texas at Austin has been selected to receive $3,268,757 for work in California, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania to develop supply chain emission data sets for three salvage product categories: dimensional lumber, commercial doors and waste plastic. Using these data sets, the University intends to develop robust product category rules (PCRs) for salvaged materials and establish a framework for robust environmental product declarations (EPDs) for salvaged materials. The project also includes an open-source toolkit for computing the environmental impacts of salvaged construction products and materials.
Partnering with Urban Machine, re:3D, Doors Unhinged, The Reuse People and Florida A&M University, this project aims to develop PCRs for salvaged and remanufactured construction materials. The project seeks to quantify the greenhouse gas and air quality impacts associated with remanufacturing processes by conducting a comprehensive uncertainty assessment for materials such as dimensional lumber, commercial doors and 3D printed waste plastic. This data will help create transparent EPDs, enhancing confidence in the environmental benefits of using remanufactured materials over raw/virgin products. This project will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to support a growing marketplace for sustainable construction materials.
Ocala-based Global Bamboo Technologies, Inc. (BamCore) has been selected to receive $282,768. BamCore is a U.S.-based building components manufacturer specializing in the use of structural biogenic fibers to help drive decarbonization of the built environment. BamCore’s project will develop an industry-consensus approach for how to dynamically calculate biogenic carbon in EPDs as input into the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment’s (ACLCA’s) PCR Open Standard. As a proof of concept, the project team intends to create prototype PCRs and EPDs that conform to this new standard. The goal of the project is to increase standardization of all EPDs that leverage biogenic materials. The proposed approach will also include a mechanism for fair and accurate comparison of biogenic and non-biogenic materials.
The project will assist businesses in disclosing and verifying data by providing clear, industry-led, consensus-driven guidance on biogenic carbon accounting that will be incorporated into all PCRs and EPDs and align with the ACLCA’s PCR Open Standard. The project will also enhance the accuracy of environmental claims associated with biogenic materials and empower decision makers to make more informed choices, thus spurring market demand for low embodied carbon products.
“As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
The grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality EPDs, which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.
Billions of tons of concrete, asphalt, steel, glass and other construction materials and products are required to build, maintain and operate our country’s buildings and infrastructure. The U.S. leads the world in the production of clean construction materials, and these transformative awards from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in history--will reduce climate pollution by helping businesses measure the carbon emissions associated with extracting, transporting and manufacturing their products.
The grants will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Federal Buy Clean Initiative, which leverages the U.S. government’s sway as the largest purchaser on Earth to catalyze demand for clean construction materials used in federal buildings, highways, and infrastructure projects. The grants will be awarded to businesses, universities and nonprofit organizations serving all 50 states and will help disclose the environmental impacts associated with manufacturing concrete, asphalt, glass, steel, wood and other materials.
The University of Texas at Austin has been selected to receive $3,268,757 for work in California, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania to develop supply chain emission data sets for three salvage product categories: dimensional lumber, commercial doors and waste plastic. Using these data sets, the University intends to develop robust product category rules (PCRs) for salvaged materials and establish a framework for robust environmental product declarations (EPDs) for salvaged materials. The project also includes an open-source toolkit for computing the environmental impacts of salvaged construction products and materials.
Partnering with Urban Machine, re:3D, Doors Unhinged, The Reuse People and Florida A&M University, this project aims to develop PCRs for salvaged and remanufactured construction materials. The project seeks to quantify the greenhouse gas and air quality impacts associated with remanufacturing processes by conducting a comprehensive uncertainty assessment for materials such as dimensional lumber, commercial doors and 3D printed waste plastic. This data will help create transparent EPDs, enhancing confidence in the environmental benefits of using remanufactured materials over raw/virgin products. This project will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to support a growing marketplace for sustainable construction materials.
Ocala-based Global Bamboo Technologies, Inc. (BamCore) has been selected to receive $282,768. BamCore is a U.S.-based building components manufacturer specializing in the use of structural biogenic fibers to help drive decarbonization of the built environment. BamCore’s project will develop an industry-consensus approach for how to dynamically calculate biogenic carbon in EPDs as input into the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment’s (ACLCA’s) PCR Open Standard. As a proof of concept, the project team intends to create prototype PCRs and EPDs that conform to this new standard. The goal of the project is to increase standardization of all EPDs that leverage biogenic materials. The proposed approach will also include a mechanism for fair and accurate comparison of biogenic and non-biogenic materials.
The project will assist businesses in disclosing and verifying data by providing clear, industry-led, consensus-driven guidance on biogenic carbon accounting that will be incorporated into all PCRs and EPDs and align with the ACLCA’s PCR Open Standard. The project will also enhance the accuracy of environmental claims associated with biogenic materials and empower decision makers to make more informed choices, thus spurring market demand for low embodied carbon products.
“As America continues to build more and upgrade our nation’s infrastructure under President Biden’s leadership, cleaner construction materials like concrete and steel are increasingly essential for the nation’s prosperity,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “These historic investments will expand market access for a new generation of more climate-friendly construction materials, and further grow American jobs that are paving the way to the clean energy economy.”
The grants will help businesses develop robust, high-quality EPDs, which show environmental impacts across the life of a product and can catalyze more sustainable purchasing decisions by allowing buyers to compare. Investments in data and tools will make high-quality EPDs available for 14 material categories, which include both new and salvaged or reused materials. These efforts will help standardize and expand the market for construction products with lower greenhouse gas emissions. They will make it easier for federal, state and local governments and other institutional buyers to ensure the construction projects they fund use more climate-friendly products and materials.
EPA is also announcing expanded technical assistance opportunities to businesses, the federal government and other organizations across America. EPA will initially offer EPD development support and direct businesses to resources to help them measure and reduce the embodied carbon associated with their materials, such as those provided by the ENERGY STAR Industrial program. Federal agencies and their suppliers will be able to compare the climate impact of various materials to drive near-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Robust EPD data will be further strengthened by a new label program under development that will identify low carbon construction materials for the growing Buy Clean marketplace.
Together, the grants and technical assistance programs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support American jobs. These programs are made possible by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which creates significant investments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction, transport and manufacturing of construction materials and products. The Inflation Reduction Act also provides more than $2 billion to the General Services Administration to use low embodied carbon materials in the construction and renovation of federal buildings and $2 billion to the Federal Highway Administration to incentivize or reimburse the use of low embodied carbon construction materials in certain transportation projects.
Selections are contingent upon completion of legal and administrative requirements and grantees are tentatively expected to receive their funding in late summer.
Learn more about EPA’s Grant Program for Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gases in Construction Materials and Products.