USDA Announces Annual Consultation and Listening Session on Tribal Barriers
WASHINGTON, April 15, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces the Annual Consultation and Listening Session on Tribal Barriers: Annual Progress Report and Feedback for Next Steps, to be held April 22-26, 2024. These meetings with Tribal Nation officials will highlight historic Biden-Harris Administration investments made in response to Tribal Nation requests and discuss more ways to improve USDA service to Indian Country.
EPA Takes Action to Maintain Public Health Protections for Communities Near Stationary Combustion Turbines
WASHINGTON – Today, April 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied a petition to remove stationary combustion turbines from the list of sources subject to regulation for emissions of air toxics, maintaining public health protections for communities near these facilities. As a result of denying this petition, stationary combustion turbines will continue to be required to comply with national limits on hazardous air pollutants such as formaldehyde under section 112 of the Clean Air Act.
“Today’s action will ensure people who live, work and play near these facilities are protected from harmful air pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “EPA is committed to ensuring every community has clean air to breathe, especially those that have been overburdened and disproportionately impacted by poor air quality for too long.”
Stationary combustion turbines are typically located at power plants, compressor stations, landfills, and industrial facilities such as chemical plants. These turbines generally operate using natural gas, distillate oil, landfill gas, jet fuel, or process gas. Toxic emissions are present in the exhaust gases of these turbines and are the result of combustion of the gaseous and liquid fuels.
Today’s action supports EPA’s comprehensive approach to address climate and health-harming pollution from stationary combustion turbines. EPA is engaging with stakeholders on next steps for a broad-based approach to new and existing combustion turbines, including a proposed revision to the air toxics standards for combustion turbines as well as separate rulemakings to address ozone-forming pollution from new combustion turbines and to establish greenhouse gas emission guidelines for existing combustion turbines.
EPA’s section 112 regulations limit emissions of air toxics, also called hazardous air pollutants, such as formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, acetaldehyde, and metallic HAP (e.g., cadmium, chromium, manganese, lead, nickel). HAP are known to cause – or are suspected to cause – cancer or other serious adverse health and environmental effects. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are probable human carcinogens.
Petitioners requested EPA remove, or “delist,” combustion turbines, saying that cancer risks from this source category were below 1-in-1 million and would meet the statutory “delisting” threshold. EPA has reviewed data and analyses submitted as part of this petition as well as additional emissions testing data. EPA is denying the petition based on the agency’s determination that the petition is incomplete and because EPA cannot conclude that there are adequate data to determine that the delisting thresholds in the Clean Air Act have been met. This is primarily due to both the uncertainty in the HAP emissions from affected sources and the missing emissions data from a large number of affected sources in the petitioners’ risk analysis.
A pre-publication version of the notice and a fact sheet are available on the Stationary Combustion Turbines: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants webpage.
“Today’s action will ensure people who live, work and play near these facilities are protected from harmful air pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “EPA is committed to ensuring every community has clean air to breathe, especially those that have been overburdened and disproportionately impacted by poor air quality for too long.”
Stationary combustion turbines are typically located at power plants, compressor stations, landfills, and industrial facilities such as chemical plants. These turbines generally operate using natural gas, distillate oil, landfill gas, jet fuel, or process gas. Toxic emissions are present in the exhaust gases of these turbines and are the result of combustion of the gaseous and liquid fuels.
Today’s action supports EPA’s comprehensive approach to address climate and health-harming pollution from stationary combustion turbines. EPA is engaging with stakeholders on next steps for a broad-based approach to new and existing combustion turbines, including a proposed revision to the air toxics standards for combustion turbines as well as separate rulemakings to address ozone-forming pollution from new combustion turbines and to establish greenhouse gas emission guidelines for existing combustion turbines.
EPA’s section 112 regulations limit emissions of air toxics, also called hazardous air pollutants, such as formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, acetaldehyde, and metallic HAP (e.g., cadmium, chromium, manganese, lead, nickel). HAP are known to cause – or are suspected to cause – cancer or other serious adverse health and environmental effects. Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde are probable human carcinogens.
Petitioners requested EPA remove, or “delist,” combustion turbines, saying that cancer risks from this source category were below 1-in-1 million and would meet the statutory “delisting” threshold. EPA has reviewed data and analyses submitted as part of this petition as well as additional emissions testing data. EPA is denying the petition based on the agency’s determination that the petition is incomplete and because EPA cannot conclude that there are adequate data to determine that the delisting thresholds in the Clean Air Act have been met. This is primarily due to both the uncertainty in the HAP emissions from affected sources and the missing emissions data from a large number of affected sources in the petitioners’ risk analysis.
A pre-publication version of the notice and a fact sheet are available on the Stationary Combustion Turbines: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants webpage.
EPA Approves Plan to Remove PCB Contamination at the North Austin Community Center in Chicago
Starting last week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is overseeing the removal of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, under the parking lot and sidewalks at the North Austin Community Center, at 1841 North Laramie Ave. in Chicago. EPA expects to complete cleanup in 4-6 weeks.
Excavated areas will be backfilled using clean stone, followed by concrete, asphalt, and/or topsoil to restore the surfaces. The contaminated material will be transported off-site to permitted landfills.
EPA is requiring measures to control dust, prevent run-off and monitor air quality during the cleanup to ensure public and worker safety. The site been fenced off to limit public access. Residents can expect more truck traffic around the site.
For more information about cleanups in Chicago, please visit our website.
Excavated areas will be backfilled using clean stone, followed by concrete, asphalt, and/or topsoil to restore the surfaces. The contaminated material will be transported off-site to permitted landfills.
EPA is requiring measures to control dust, prevent run-off and monitor air quality during the cleanup to ensure public and worker safety. The site been fenced off to limit public access. Residents can expect more truck traffic around the site.
For more information about cleanups in Chicago, please visit our website.
USDA Forest Service Invests More Than $232M to Support Schools, Roads, Other Services as Part of Investing in America Agenda
WASHINGTON, April 12, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service today announced it is issuing more than $232 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services through the agency’s Secure Rural Schools program. As the Biden-Harris administration invests in ways for forests to generate more economic opportunity in rural areas, it also aims to support the quality of life in those communities through programs like Secure Rural Schools.
CBP Trade Summit in Philadelphia Highlights the Importance of Partnership
At a time when the U.S. economy is thriving, a standing-room-only crowd packed the halls of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Trade Facilitation and Cargo Security Summit on March 26-28 in Philadelphia. The three-day conference, which attracted 1…
EPA finalizes permit following public comment period to bring the largest offshore wind farm project to Virginia’s coast
PHILADELPHIA (April 12, 2024) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the final Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) air quality permit for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial (CVOW-C) project located off the coast of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Issued on April 9 following a 30-day public comment period, the permit authorizes the construction and operation of the largest offshore wind project in the U.S. and will feature up to 176 wind turbines located 26 to 38 nautical miles from the coast. Once complete, the approved project will generate roughly 2,640 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 660,000 homes, and make significant contributions toward the Biden-Harris administration's goal of generating 30 gigawatts of clean, abundant energy from offshore wind by 2030.
“To have the largest offshore wind project right here in the Mid-Atlantic is both a privilege and a responsibility – and we take our role in enabling clean energy initiatives very seriously,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This project will generate enough renewable energy to power nearly five times as many homes as there are in Richmond – all done with the environment and communities front of mind.”
The permit includes requirements such as the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting program and applicable Virginia Department of Environmental Quality requirements that regulate air pollutants from the construction and operation of the wind farm, including those from the vessels used to construct and support the project.
EPA coordinated its review of this permit in concert with other federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
The permit, response to comments document, and supporting materials are available for review on the Regulations.gov website.
Visit the EPA website to learn more about Clean Air Act Permitting.
Issued on April 9 following a 30-day public comment period, the permit authorizes the construction and operation of the largest offshore wind project in the U.S. and will feature up to 176 wind turbines located 26 to 38 nautical miles from the coast. Once complete, the approved project will generate roughly 2,640 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power 660,000 homes, and make significant contributions toward the Biden-Harris administration's goal of generating 30 gigawatts of clean, abundant energy from offshore wind by 2030.
“To have the largest offshore wind project right here in the Mid-Atlantic is both a privilege and a responsibility – and we take our role in enabling clean energy initiatives very seriously,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This project will generate enough renewable energy to power nearly five times as many homes as there are in Richmond – all done with the environment and communities front of mind.”
The permit includes requirements such as the prevention of significant deterioration (PSD) permitting program and applicable Virginia Department of Environmental Quality requirements that regulate air pollutants from the construction and operation of the wind farm, including those from the vessels used to construct and support the project.
EPA coordinated its review of this permit in concert with other federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
The permit, response to comments document, and supporting materials are available for review on the Regulations.gov website.
Visit the EPA website to learn more about Clean Air Act Permitting.
EAPA Case 7818: AMVC-Midwest LLC aka Midwest Livestock Systems, LLC (Notice of Determination as to Evasion, April 9, 2024)
EAPA Case 7818: AMVC-Midwest LLC aka Midwest Livestock Systems, LLC (Notice of Determination as to Evasion, April 9, 2024)
WASHINGTON— On April 9, 2024, CBP issued the notice of determination as to evasion for EAPA case 7818 filed by Hog Slat, Inc…
WASHINGTON— On April 9, 2024, CBP issued the notice of determination as to evasion for EAPA case 7818 filed by Hog Slat, Inc…
India-US ocean rates continue steady retreat from Red Sea-induced boost
Still, more capacity is on the way for India-US shippers, with Ocean Network Express due to start its new West India-USEC standalone connection in late May.