Registration is Now Open for USDA’s 100th Agricultural Outlook Forum
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2023 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today the opening of registration for the 100th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. This landmark event, titled “Cultivating the Future,” will be held in person at the Crystal City Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va., on February 15-16, 2024. All Forum sessions will also be livestreamed on a virtual platform.
New MSC-backed Baltimore container terminal on track for 2028 debut
Developers of the Sparrows Point Container Terminal are starting the permitting process with the US Army Corps of Engineers that will allow construction to begin in 2025.
Oil Recovery Operations and Mill Creek Restoration near Washington, Kansas, Are Complete
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 31, 2023) – Mill Creek, impacted by the oil spill near Washington, Kansas, in December 2022, is once again flowing naturally after EPA Region 7 confirmed that the removal of oil was complete during a final visual inspection of the creek completed on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.
Oil recovery within Mill Creek is complete and Mill Creek flow and water levels have been returned to natural conditions. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will continue inspections and monitoring of riparian restoration for the next five years or until it is determined that monitoring is no longer needed.
EPA Region 7 on-scene coordinators (OSCs) were deployed to the scene after the initial National Response Center (NRC) report on Dec. 8, 2022, to oversee oil containment and recovery operations. During the bulk oil recovery phase, operations were performed 24/7. This phase was completed on Jan. 29, 2023.
Following substantial construction and engineering projects, response personnel were able to access submerged oil impacts in Mill Creek. Oil recovery within Mill Creek continued until May 11, 2023, when response crews shifted their focus to stream restoration.
EPA staff worked more than 6,000 hours and took over 83 trips to the scene. EPA personnel from Regions 3, 5, and 6 supported Region 7, along with staff from the U.S. Coast Guard – Atlantic Strike Team.
In total, more than 54 million gallons of contaminated surface water were treated and discharged back into Mill Creek. Over 650,000 gallons of oil were recovered, including product remaining in the pipeline following the rupture. Approximately 200,000 tons of oil-impacted soil, sediment, and debris were excavated and sent off-site for disposal.
Learn more about EPA’s response operations at Mill Creek.
View photos of response operations.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
Oil recovery within Mill Creek is complete and Mill Creek flow and water levels have been returned to natural conditions. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will continue inspections and monitoring of riparian restoration for the next five years or until it is determined that monitoring is no longer needed.
EPA Region 7 on-scene coordinators (OSCs) were deployed to the scene after the initial National Response Center (NRC) report on Dec. 8, 2022, to oversee oil containment and recovery operations. During the bulk oil recovery phase, operations were performed 24/7. This phase was completed on Jan. 29, 2023.
Following substantial construction and engineering projects, response personnel were able to access submerged oil impacts in Mill Creek. Oil recovery within Mill Creek continued until May 11, 2023, when response crews shifted their focus to stream restoration.
EPA staff worked more than 6,000 hours and took over 83 trips to the scene. EPA personnel from Regions 3, 5, and 6 supported Region 7, along with staff from the U.S. Coast Guard – Atlantic Strike Team.
In total, more than 54 million gallons of contaminated surface water were treated and discharged back into Mill Creek. Over 650,000 gallons of oil were recovered, including product remaining in the pipeline following the rupture. Approximately 200,000 tons of oil-impacted soil, sediment, and debris were excavated and sent off-site for disposal.
Learn more about EPA’s response operations at Mill Creek.
View photos of response operations.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
EPA Announces Nearly $2 Million in Cleanup and Climate Grants to Choctaw Nation
DALLAS, TEXAS (October 31, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Choctaw Nation for two grants totaling nearly $2 million. The Nation received $1.57 million in Brownfields funding to assess and clean up abandoned properties and a $400,000 Climate Pollution Reduction grant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Funding for the grants come from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic Investing in America agenda.
“The Choctaw Nation is a reliable partner with a strong environmental program that is well prepared to leverage these grants, made possible by the historic amounts of funding available through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “EPA is proud to continue working with the Nation on restoring abandoned Brownfields properties and finding solutions for the climate crisis.”
“Choctaws understand the importance of being good environmental stewards,” said Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton. “Support from the EPA enables us to continue implementing sustainable practices that benefit both our tribal members and the surrounding communities, making a lasting impact on the well-being of our people and the land we call home.”
The Choctaw Nation will use the Brownfields grant for several projects, including site assessment and cleanup of the Old Talihina Indian Hospital Campus at 13012 SE 22nd Road near Talihina in Latimer County on Choctaw Nation Tribal Trust land. The 57.5-acre site is an abandoned Indian Health Service. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities. The grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Nation’s Climate Pollution Reduction grant will be used to develop plans and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions. Activities include developing capacity in climate reduction pollution strategies, contracting entities to produce a Priority Climate Action Plan and Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, conducting a GHG emissions inventory and identifying interested and/or affected communities through community engagement meetings. Funding for this grant comes from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations into all aspects of its work. Approximately 84 percent of the MARC program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include historically underserved communities.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
“The Choctaw Nation is a reliable partner with a strong environmental program that is well prepared to leverage these grants, made possible by the historic amounts of funding available through the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “EPA is proud to continue working with the Nation on restoring abandoned Brownfields properties and finding solutions for the climate crisis.”
“Choctaws understand the importance of being good environmental stewards,” said Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton. “Support from the EPA enables us to continue implementing sustainable practices that benefit both our tribal members and the surrounding communities, making a lasting impact on the well-being of our people and the land we call home.”
The Choctaw Nation will use the Brownfields grant for several projects, including site assessment and cleanup of the Old Talihina Indian Hospital Campus at 13012 SE 22nd Road near Talihina in Latimer County on Choctaw Nation Tribal Trust land. The 57.5-acre site is an abandoned Indian Health Service. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities. The grant is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Nation’s Climate Pollution Reduction grant will be used to develop plans and set goals for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)emissions. Activities include developing capacity in climate reduction pollution strategies, contracting entities to produce a Priority Climate Action Plan and Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, conducting a GHG emissions inventory and identifying interested and/or affected communities through community engagement meetings. Funding for this grant comes from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations into all aspects of its work. Approximately 84 percent of the MARC program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include historically underserved communities.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this two-phase program provides $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
City of Silex, Missouri, Agrees to Remedy Alleged Safe Drinking Water Act Violations
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 31, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached an agreement with the City of Silex, Missouri, to resolve alleged violations of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Under an Administrative Compliance Order filed on Oct. 26, 2023, the city will develop and submit plans to EPA to address radium contamination in the city’s drinking water.
“EPA is encouraged that the City of Silex has committed to short- and long-term plans to protect its citizens,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “EPA is committed to continue providing technical assistance to the city, and to keep the public informed on progress to address this problem.”
According to EPA, since 2012, Silex has reported levels of radium in its drinking water supply that exceed federal standards. Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive substance found in the subsurface. As it decays, radium emits low levels of radiation that can lead to an increased risk of cancer over long-term exposure.
EPA held a Public Meeting in Silex on Oct. 5, 2023. Representatives explained that although radium may cause health-related issues over time, the levels of radium in Silex’s drinking water do not pose a significant health risk from acute or short-term exposure, and Silex residents can continue to drink the water. However, EPA encouraged members of the Silex community who are concerned to use alternate drinking water. EPA also indicated that the Silex drinking water is safe to use for bathing, showering, hand washing, and other uses involving dermal contact.
Under the terms of the order, Silex will submit and implement a short-term plan to provide alternate drinking water to residents, while also implementing a long-term plan to bring the drinking water system into compliance with federal radium standards.
Learn more about EPA’s enforcement of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
“EPA is encouraged that the City of Silex has committed to short- and long-term plans to protect its citizens,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “EPA is committed to continue providing technical assistance to the city, and to keep the public informed on progress to address this problem.”
According to EPA, since 2012, Silex has reported levels of radium in its drinking water supply that exceed federal standards. Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive substance found in the subsurface. As it decays, radium emits low levels of radiation that can lead to an increased risk of cancer over long-term exposure.
EPA held a Public Meeting in Silex on Oct. 5, 2023. Representatives explained that although radium may cause health-related issues over time, the levels of radium in Silex’s drinking water do not pose a significant health risk from acute or short-term exposure, and Silex residents can continue to drink the water. However, EPA encouraged members of the Silex community who are concerned to use alternate drinking water. EPA also indicated that the Silex drinking water is safe to use for bathing, showering, hand washing, and other uses involving dermal contact.
Under the terms of the order, Silex will submit and implement a short-term plan to provide alternate drinking water to residents, while also implementing a long-term plan to bring the drinking water system into compliance with federal radium standards.
Learn more about EPA’s enforcement of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
EPA Grant to California Department of Health to Help Transition to Unleaded Aviation Gasoline in Disadvantaged Communities
SAN FRANCISCO – At an event today in San Jose with U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren and local officials, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff highlighted a $776,636 grant to the California Department of Public Health that will provide technical assistance to general aviation airports in California in disadvantaged communities to support the transition from leaded aviation gasoline (avgas) to unleaded avgas.
“This grant will reduce exposure to harmful pollution in disadvantaged communities across California, helping safeguard residents who have disproportionately faced health threats for too long” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA is proud to support projects that improve public health, prevent pollution at the source and advance environmental justice.”
“Growing up in an underserved community, I know firsthand how harmful pollutants can affect the health of our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. “Santa Clara County has led the nation in the transition to unleaded avgas, and I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is providing funding to build upon that work and help other communities in California protect public health. Too often, our most disadvantaged communities have also faced the burden of pollution from leaded aviation fuels, and this grant will help chart a thoughtful pathway to a cleaner future.”
“Investing in the transition to unleaded fuel is a smart and necessary move, and I commend the EPA for focusing its resources on this environmental justice issue. Recently, through a finalized endangerment finding, the EPA confirmed what families living in East San Jose sadly know all too well – leaded avgas is a dangerous pollutant. Leaders at all levels of government need to urgently act to free communities of airborne lead pollution,” said U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren.
The technical assistance California Department of Public Health will provide through the grant includes voluntary business roundtable discussions, training, and developing educational materials and case studies. The proposed project aims to improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities identified through the state’s CalEnviroScreen by reducing lead emissions that may harm them.
This grant is one of two pollution prevention grants in California that EPA will fund this year—the other going to the University of California at Los Angeles—and was made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
Background:
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt pollution prevention approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is boosting these efforts by providing a historic $100 million to support the program’s continued efforts. Thanks to this unprecedented federal investment, state and Tribal programs that are awarded grants will not be required to provide matching funds, which has helped expand access to these resources and broadened the applicant pool.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
###
“This grant will reduce exposure to harmful pollution in disadvantaged communities across California, helping safeguard residents who have disproportionately faced health threats for too long” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA is proud to support projects that improve public health, prevent pollution at the source and advance environmental justice.”
“Growing up in an underserved community, I know firsthand how harmful pollutants can affect the health of our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. “Santa Clara County has led the nation in the transition to unleaded avgas, and I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is providing funding to build upon that work and help other communities in California protect public health. Too often, our most disadvantaged communities have also faced the burden of pollution from leaded aviation fuels, and this grant will help chart a thoughtful pathway to a cleaner future.”
“Investing in the transition to unleaded fuel is a smart and necessary move, and I commend the EPA for focusing its resources on this environmental justice issue. Recently, through a finalized endangerment finding, the EPA confirmed what families living in East San Jose sadly know all too well – leaded avgas is a dangerous pollutant. Leaders at all levels of government need to urgently act to free communities of airborne lead pollution,” said U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren.
The technical assistance California Department of Public Health will provide through the grant includes voluntary business roundtable discussions, training, and developing educational materials and case studies. The proposed project aims to improve human health and the environment in disadvantaged communities identified through the state’s CalEnviroScreen by reducing lead emissions that may harm them.
This grant is one of two pollution prevention grants in California that EPA will fund this year—the other going to the University of California at Los Angeles—and was made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
EPA’s Pollution Prevention Grant Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Ensuring greater availability and use of safer and more sustainable products can reduce harmful chemical exposures in disadvantaged communities and create a more sustainable and accessible marketplace. These efforts will continue to benefit businesses and communities across the nation by capturing what works and what can be adjusted in other communities. Recipients will share successful practices that are new or not widely known, as well as lessons learned, so that future businesses and communities can continue to innovate.
Background:
Between 2011-2021, EPA’s Pollution Prevention program has issued nearly 500 grants totaling more than $50 million, which have helped businesses identify, develop and adopt pollution prevention approaches. These approaches have resulted in eliminating 19.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, saving 49 billion gallons of water, reducing 917 million pounds of hazardous materials and pollutants, and saving more than $2.2 billion for business.
President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is boosting these efforts by providing a historic $100 million to support the program’s continued efforts. Thanks to this unprecedented federal investment, state and Tribal programs that are awarded grants will not be required to provide matching funds, which has helped expand access to these resources and broadened the applicant pool.
Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on X.
###
2024 TRB Annual Meeting: Imad L. Al-Qadi Receives the Roy W. Crum Award
Named for Roy W. Crum, who served as the Board’s director from 1928 until his death in 1951, the Crum Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of transportation research. Dr. Imad L. Al-Qadi, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Founding Director of the Illinois Center for Transportation, is the 2023 recipient of the Roy W. Crum Award. He is recognized for his diverse and distinct career accomplishments that have influenced the field of tran...
EPA Advances Enforcement Actions to Protect Communities from Hazardous Lead Paint
WASHINGTON – Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a snapshot of enforcement actions taken across the country in 2023 to protect children and their families from the health hazards posed by exposure to lead-based paint. EPA enforcement actions help ensure that renovation contractors, landlords, property management companies and realtors comply with rules that protect the public from exposure to lead from lead paint.
“No family should have to suffer adverse health impacts from exposure to lead because a property manager, landlord, or renovator failed to follow lead-safe work practices,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann, for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is committed to vigorous and fair enforcement of lead paint regulations and will hold companies and individuals accountable for unsafe conditions that put children at risk.”
The federal government banned residential use of lead paint in 1978, but old lead paint remains in over 34 million older homes, including 3.3 million homes with children under the age of six, who are more vulnerable to the health impacts from lead paint. Children can be exposed to lead from lead paint dust on the floor or windowsills, chipped or peeling paint, or old layers of lead paint disturbed by renovation work. EPA rules require renovation firms to protect their customers by using certified renovators and lead-safe work practices. They also require renovators, landlords and others to tell tenants and buyers about known lead paint in a home.
The enforcement actions EPA took in 2023 reflect the agency’s continuing commitment to implementing the Federal Lead Strategy and result in reducing or eliminating lead exposures, particularly to children in communities disproportionately impacted by historic lead paint exposure.
Case Highlights
Indiana Contractor Goes to Prison for Lead Paint Violations
The U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Indiana worked with EPA criminal enforcement personnel and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to secure a 16-month prison sentence for Jeffrey Delucio for falsifying compliance records and failing to use lead-safe work practices in multiple properties, including where a child had elevated levels of lead in their blood.
EPA Settlement with Logan Square Aluminum Supply
EPA’s Region 5 and the Department of Justice settled alleged violations of lead paint renovation rules with this major Chicago-based firm. In addition to paying a $400,000 penalty and instituting a robust compliance system to protect customers, Logan Square is paying for $2 million of lead paint abatement work in lower-income properties located in Chicago and Chicago suburban communities with a high incidence of childhood lead poisoning.
Administrative Hearing with GreenBuild Design and Construction, LLCEPA’s Region 10 took this Anchorage, Alaska firm to an administrative hearing over its repeated violation of lead paint renovation rules, including work practice rules. The administrative law judge issued a decision sustaining EPA’s allegations and penalizing violator, Greenbuild, for $25,609.
EPA Settlement with APEX Building Company, Inc.
In a proposed consent decree lodged for public comment, NYC general contracting firm, Apex Building Company, Inc., agreed to pay the United States $606,706 and to implement significant injunctive relief to resolve an action brought in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) for lead paint violations involving renovations of 935 apartments in New York, many occupied by low-income tenants. In addition to ensuring future compliance, the company is required to conduct tenant and worker safety information sessions to mitigate potential harms it caused. The initial penalty assessed by the EPA was reduced, as required by statute, based on the defendant’s documented inability to pay the full penalty.
Privatized Military Housing Investigations.
EPA issued four national subpoenas to property management companies managing privatized military housing to assess compliance with the lead paint regulations and will take appropriate enforcement action as needed to ensure that our servicemembers and their families are protected from exposure to lead paint.
EPA Region 1 Settlement Leads to National TV Features on Lead Safety
On October 23 and October 30, Magnolia Network will kick off Season 11 of its popular Maine Cabin Masters series with two episodes that include information about compliance with the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule. On April 11, the podcast “From the Woodshed” featured an EPA inspector talking about the importance of compliance with RRP. This innovative outreach stems from an enforcement action EPA Region 1 settled in September 2022. The October episodes of Maine Cabin Masters air at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central.
Regional Geographic Initiatives
As part of EPA’s Strategy to Reduce Lead Disparities and Exposure in U.S. Communities, EPA Regional offices promoted Geographic Initiatives to focus on specific areas or communities with more than one source of lead exposure. In 2023, each Region directed enforcement resources to communities with environmental justice concerns. Regions relied on a combination of strategies to reduce people’s exposure to lead in homes, such as compliance outreach to renovators and apartment owners; lead awareness outreach to communities and tenants; compliance inspections and follow-up enforcement actions to ensure changes in behavior and penalties for non-compliance.
Environmental Justice Toolkit for Lead Paint Enforcement
In 2023, EPA also release an Environmental Justice Toolkit for Lead Paint Enforcement, which provides strategies, examples, and practices for federal, state, Tribal and local government enforcement practitioners to use during all stages of environmental enforcement and compliance monitoring activities designed to eliminate harmful exposures to lead paint in housing in overburdened communities.
To learn more about EPA’s lead enforcement work and for more examples of EPA lead enforcement actions in 2023, please visit EPA’s webpage on Enforcing Lead Laws and Regulations.
If you suspect a violation of the EPA’s lead paint rules, you can submit tips and complaints on the EPA’s Report a Violation website.
“No family should have to suffer adverse health impacts from exposure to lead because a property manager, landlord, or renovator failed to follow lead-safe work practices,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann, for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is committed to vigorous and fair enforcement of lead paint regulations and will hold companies and individuals accountable for unsafe conditions that put children at risk.”
The federal government banned residential use of lead paint in 1978, but old lead paint remains in over 34 million older homes, including 3.3 million homes with children under the age of six, who are more vulnerable to the health impacts from lead paint. Children can be exposed to lead from lead paint dust on the floor or windowsills, chipped or peeling paint, or old layers of lead paint disturbed by renovation work. EPA rules require renovation firms to protect their customers by using certified renovators and lead-safe work practices. They also require renovators, landlords and others to tell tenants and buyers about known lead paint in a home.
The enforcement actions EPA took in 2023 reflect the agency’s continuing commitment to implementing the Federal Lead Strategy and result in reducing or eliminating lead exposures, particularly to children in communities disproportionately impacted by historic lead paint exposure.
Case Highlights
Indiana Contractor Goes to Prison for Lead Paint Violations
The U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Indiana worked with EPA criminal enforcement personnel and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to secure a 16-month prison sentence for Jeffrey Delucio for falsifying compliance records and failing to use lead-safe work practices in multiple properties, including where a child had elevated levels of lead in their blood.
EPA Settlement with Logan Square Aluminum Supply
EPA’s Region 5 and the Department of Justice settled alleged violations of lead paint renovation rules with this major Chicago-based firm. In addition to paying a $400,000 penalty and instituting a robust compliance system to protect customers, Logan Square is paying for $2 million of lead paint abatement work in lower-income properties located in Chicago and Chicago suburban communities with a high incidence of childhood lead poisoning.
Administrative Hearing with GreenBuild Design and Construction, LLCEPA’s Region 10 took this Anchorage, Alaska firm to an administrative hearing over its repeated violation of lead paint renovation rules, including work practice rules. The administrative law judge issued a decision sustaining EPA’s allegations and penalizing violator, Greenbuild, for $25,609.
EPA Settlement with APEX Building Company, Inc.
In a proposed consent decree lodged for public comment, NYC general contracting firm, Apex Building Company, Inc., agreed to pay the United States $606,706 and to implement significant injunctive relief to resolve an action brought in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) for lead paint violations involving renovations of 935 apartments in New York, many occupied by low-income tenants. In addition to ensuring future compliance, the company is required to conduct tenant and worker safety information sessions to mitigate potential harms it caused. The initial penalty assessed by the EPA was reduced, as required by statute, based on the defendant’s documented inability to pay the full penalty.
Privatized Military Housing Investigations.
EPA issued four national subpoenas to property management companies managing privatized military housing to assess compliance with the lead paint regulations and will take appropriate enforcement action as needed to ensure that our servicemembers and their families are protected from exposure to lead paint.
EPA Region 1 Settlement Leads to National TV Features on Lead Safety
On October 23 and October 30, Magnolia Network will kick off Season 11 of its popular Maine Cabin Masters series with two episodes that include information about compliance with the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule. On April 11, the podcast “From the Woodshed” featured an EPA inspector talking about the importance of compliance with RRP. This innovative outreach stems from an enforcement action EPA Region 1 settled in September 2022. The October episodes of Maine Cabin Masters air at 9pm Eastern/8pm Central.
Regional Geographic Initiatives
As part of EPA’s Strategy to Reduce Lead Disparities and Exposure in U.S. Communities, EPA Regional offices promoted Geographic Initiatives to focus on specific areas or communities with more than one source of lead exposure. In 2023, each Region directed enforcement resources to communities with environmental justice concerns. Regions relied on a combination of strategies to reduce people’s exposure to lead in homes, such as compliance outreach to renovators and apartment owners; lead awareness outreach to communities and tenants; compliance inspections and follow-up enforcement actions to ensure changes in behavior and penalties for non-compliance.
Environmental Justice Toolkit for Lead Paint Enforcement
In 2023, EPA also release an Environmental Justice Toolkit for Lead Paint Enforcement, which provides strategies, examples, and practices for federal, state, Tribal and local government enforcement practitioners to use during all stages of environmental enforcement and compliance monitoring activities designed to eliminate harmful exposures to lead paint in housing in overburdened communities.
To learn more about EPA’s lead enforcement work and for more examples of EPA lead enforcement actions in 2023, please visit EPA’s webpage on Enforcing Lead Laws and Regulations.
If you suspect a violation of the EPA’s lead paint rules, you can submit tips and complaints on the EPA’s Report a Violation website.