EPA Awards $24,000 to University of Texas at Dallas for Air Quality Sensor Project
DALLAS TEXAS (August 7, 2023)– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $24,999 for the University of Texas at Dallas for their work to develop low-cost air quality sensors for environmental justice communities as part of the Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program.
“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”
The University of Texas at Dallas, in partnership with Paul Quinn College and the Downwinders at Risk Education Fund, will provide low-cost calibrated air quality sensors that can be distributed at scale and used sustainably across predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The sensors will use observations from a satellite providing scientifically valid information for data-driven decisions by communities and residents. Learn more about the project here.
Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.
Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.
Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”
The University of Texas at Dallas, in partnership with Paul Quinn College and the Downwinders at Risk Education Fund, will provide low-cost calibrated air quality sensors that can be distributed at scale and used sustainably across predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The sensors will use observations from a satellite providing scientifically valid information for data-driven decisions by communities and residents. Learn more about the project here.
Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.
Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.
Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
ILWU Canada contract ratification ensures BC port peace
The disruption laid bare the limits the Trudeau government will exercise to push both sides to a deal that was ratified Friday by longshore union membership at the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert.
EAPA Action: Notice of Determination as to Evasion in EAPA Case 7718 – Wooden Bedroom Furniture
WASHINGTON— On July 21, 2023, CBP issued the notice of determination as to evasion for EAPA case 7718 filed by CVB Inc., dba Malouf® (“CVB Inc.”), against U.S. importer, Zinus Inc. (USA) (“Zinus US”) for evasion of the applicable AD order A-570-890…
EPA Releases Preliminary Data for 2022 Toxics Release Inventory Reporting Year
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published preliminary Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data about chemical waste management, including releases, and pollution prevention activities that occurred during 2022 at more than 20,000 industrial and federal facilities across the country.
“The information released today is one way EPA helps inform Americans about toxic chemical releases in their communities, including those that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “For the first time, these preliminary data include reporting from natural gas processing facilities and from 24 contract sterilization facilities that were required to report their ethylene oxide releases beginning this year.”
General Information on the 2022 Preliminary Data
The 2022 preliminary data were reported by facilities in covered industries that manufactured, processed or otherwise used substances on the TRI chemical list above certain threshold quantities during 2022. The preliminary data include quantities of these chemicals that facilities released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste and also include details about pollution prevention activities initiated by individual facilities during 2022.
The public can use the preliminary data to identify facilities that reported to TRI (for example, to locate facilities in a certain ZIP code locality) and learn which chemicals those facilities manage as waste and in what quantities.
The dataset released today contains the data as submitted by facilities and does not include any summary or trend analysis. While the preliminary data have not yet been through the complete TRI data quality process, the reporting software that facilities used to submit these data (TRI-MEweb) includes many automated quality checks that help prevent common mistakes during data entry. EPA is conducting additional quality checks to identify suspected reporting errors and follow up with facilities if data quality issues are identified. For details about the TRI data quality process, see the TRI Data Quality webpage.
The 2022 preliminary data will be updated periodically to reflect revisions to previously submitted data and late submissions. EPA plans to publish a revised version of the dataset in October 2023, which will include late submissions and revisions submitted by facilities. EPA will then use the revised dataset to develop the 2022 TRI National Analysis which the Agency expects to publish in early 2024.
You can explore the preliminary data by going to EPA's Envirofacts website and searching for a specific location, industry sector or facility. You can also download the data files for your own use.
Access the 2022 TRI preliminary data.
New Information from Natural Gas Processing and Contract Sterilization Facilities from the 2022 Preliminary Data
This is the first year that TRI data include reporting from natural gas processing facilities. In November 2021, EPA added natural gas processing facilities to the scope of the industrial sectors covered by the TRI. The rule expands coverage to include all natural gas processing facilities that receive and refine natural gas. Natural gas processing facilities that primarily recover sulfur from natural gas were already covered by TRI. For 2022, EPA has received 1,152 TRI reporting forms from 230 natural gas processing facilities.
This is also the first year that TRI data include reporting of ethylene oxide (EtO), a chemical that has been on the TRI chemical list since 1986, from certain contract sterilization facilities that previously had not been subject to TRI reporting requirements. These facilities release EtO or otherwise manage the chemical as waste. In December 2021, EPA issued a decision extending TRI reporting requirements to 29 sterilization facilities that were likely to exceed the 10,000 pounds per year “otherwise used” TRI reporting threshold for ethylene oxide.
As of July 12, 2023, EPA has received TRI reporting forms for EtO from 24 of the 29 contract sterilization facilities. EPA is following-up with the five contract sterilization facilities that did not submit TRI forms for EtO. The 24 contract sterilization facilities reported managing over 6 million pounds of production-related waste of EtO of which 8,863 pounds were released on-site to air during 2022.
PFAS-Related Information from the 2022 Preliminary Data
This is the third year that TRI data include reporting on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) added to the TRI list of chemicals under requirements established by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). EPA has received 120 TRI reporting forms for 46 discrete PFAS from 44 facilities. The preliminary data indicate facilities managed over 1,151,000 pounds of production-related waste of PFAS during 2022. EPA anticipates additional reporting on the quantities of PFAS released or otherwise managed as waste to begin to be made after the rule to remove applicability of the de minimis exemption for PFAS – which allows reporting on PFAS to be avoided – is finalized later this year.
“The information released today is one way EPA helps inform Americans about toxic chemical releases in their communities, including those that have been disproportionately impacted by pollution,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. “For the first time, these preliminary data include reporting from natural gas processing facilities and from 24 contract sterilization facilities that were required to report their ethylene oxide releases beginning this year.”
General Information on the 2022 Preliminary Data
The 2022 preliminary data were reported by facilities in covered industries that manufactured, processed or otherwise used substances on the TRI chemical list above certain threshold quantities during 2022. The preliminary data include quantities of these chemicals that facilities released into the environment or otherwise managed as waste and also include details about pollution prevention activities initiated by individual facilities during 2022.
The public can use the preliminary data to identify facilities that reported to TRI (for example, to locate facilities in a certain ZIP code locality) and learn which chemicals those facilities manage as waste and in what quantities.
The dataset released today contains the data as submitted by facilities and does not include any summary or trend analysis. While the preliminary data have not yet been through the complete TRI data quality process, the reporting software that facilities used to submit these data (TRI-MEweb) includes many automated quality checks that help prevent common mistakes during data entry. EPA is conducting additional quality checks to identify suspected reporting errors and follow up with facilities if data quality issues are identified. For details about the TRI data quality process, see the TRI Data Quality webpage.
The 2022 preliminary data will be updated periodically to reflect revisions to previously submitted data and late submissions. EPA plans to publish a revised version of the dataset in October 2023, which will include late submissions and revisions submitted by facilities. EPA will then use the revised dataset to develop the 2022 TRI National Analysis which the Agency expects to publish in early 2024.
You can explore the preliminary data by going to EPA's Envirofacts website and searching for a specific location, industry sector or facility. You can also download the data files for your own use.
Access the 2022 TRI preliminary data.
New Information from Natural Gas Processing and Contract Sterilization Facilities from the 2022 Preliminary Data
This is the first year that TRI data include reporting from natural gas processing facilities. In November 2021, EPA added natural gas processing facilities to the scope of the industrial sectors covered by the TRI. The rule expands coverage to include all natural gas processing facilities that receive and refine natural gas. Natural gas processing facilities that primarily recover sulfur from natural gas were already covered by TRI. For 2022, EPA has received 1,152 TRI reporting forms from 230 natural gas processing facilities.
This is also the first year that TRI data include reporting of ethylene oxide (EtO), a chemical that has been on the TRI chemical list since 1986, from certain contract sterilization facilities that previously had not been subject to TRI reporting requirements. These facilities release EtO or otherwise manage the chemical as waste. In December 2021, EPA issued a decision extending TRI reporting requirements to 29 sterilization facilities that were likely to exceed the 10,000 pounds per year “otherwise used” TRI reporting threshold for ethylene oxide.
As of July 12, 2023, EPA has received TRI reporting forms for EtO from 24 of the 29 contract sterilization facilities. EPA is following-up with the five contract sterilization facilities that did not submit TRI forms for EtO. The 24 contract sterilization facilities reported managing over 6 million pounds of production-related waste of EtO of which 8,863 pounds were released on-site to air during 2022.
PFAS-Related Information from the 2022 Preliminary Data
This is the third year that TRI data include reporting on per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) added to the TRI list of chemicals under requirements established by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). EPA has received 120 TRI reporting forms for 46 discrete PFAS from 44 facilities. The preliminary data indicate facilities managed over 1,151,000 pounds of production-related waste of PFAS during 2022. EPA anticipates additional reporting on the quantities of PFAS released or otherwise managed as waste to begin to be made after the rule to remove applicability of the de minimis exemption for PFAS – which allows reporting on PFAS to be avoided – is finalized later this year.
EPA to Hold Public Engagement Session in Detroit for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan
On Tuesday, August 15, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public engagement session in Detroit to gather public input for the new 2025-2029 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Action Plan.
As EPA and its federal partners update the Action Plan for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a key part of the process will be seeking public input. At the session, EPA will provide a quick overview of the GLRI and the purpose of the Action Plan, and then give public participants an opportunity to engage directly with EPA staff to ask questions and to provide input.
“This Action Plan will become the blueprint for our work,” said Debra Shore, EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager. “It is essential for us to take into account the priorities of the people who live, work, and play in the Great Lakes basin, especially people who live in historically underserved and overburdened communities.”
Since 2010, the GLRI has provided funding to target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate progress toward achieving long-term goals. GLRI Action Plan III was published in 2019 to guide restoration and protection through 2024. Action Plan IV will cover 2025 through 2029.
EPA and its partners are seeking public input regarding:
How can the plan be improved over previous GLRI action plans?
What key priorities should be included in the plan?
How can the plan be improved to better incorporate environmental justice and the impacts of climate change?
The public engagement session will take place in Detroit on August 15. It will begin with a brief welcome presentation followed by an interactive open house.
When: Tuesday, August 15
Time: 6 - 8 p.m. EDT
Location: DNR Outdoor Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater Street
More details are posted on the GLRI website.
As EPA and its federal partners update the Action Plan for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a key part of the process will be seeking public input. At the session, EPA will provide a quick overview of the GLRI and the purpose of the Action Plan, and then give public participants an opportunity to engage directly with EPA staff to ask questions and to provide input.
“This Action Plan will become the blueprint for our work,” said Debra Shore, EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager. “It is essential for us to take into account the priorities of the people who live, work, and play in the Great Lakes basin, especially people who live in historically underserved and overburdened communities.”
Since 2010, the GLRI has provided funding to target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate progress toward achieving long-term goals. GLRI Action Plan III was published in 2019 to guide restoration and protection through 2024. Action Plan IV will cover 2025 through 2029.
EPA and its partners are seeking public input regarding:
How can the plan be improved over previous GLRI action plans?
What key priorities should be included in the plan?
How can the plan be improved to better incorporate environmental justice and the impacts of climate change?
The public engagement session will take place in Detroit on August 15. It will begin with a brief welcome presentation followed by an interactive open house.
When: Tuesday, August 15
Time: 6 - 8 p.m. EDT
Location: DNR Outdoor Adventure Center, 1801 Atwater Street
More details are posted on the GLRI website.
Secretary Vilsack Chairs APEC Food Security Ministerial, Highlights Principles for Achieving Food Security Through Sustainable Agriculture
SEATTLE, Washington, August 3, 2023 – As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC) U.S. Host Year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today chaired the Food Security Ministerial and highlighted the relationship between agri-food systems and climate change, food security, and sustainable productivity growth.
EPA Announces Final Cleanup Plan for Drinking Water Aquifer on Tohono O’odham Nation
TUCSON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized its plan for the cleanup of the Cyprus Tohono Mine Site Basin Fill Aquifer under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund law. The newly signed Record of Decision outlines a cleanup plan which will use reverse osmosis treatment for groundwater contaminated with perchlorate, uranium, and sulfate, and will restore groundwater as a drinking water resource.
The Cyprus Tohono Mine Site is located on the Tohono O’odham Nation near the Village of North Komelik, about 30 miles south of Casa Grande, Arizona. Mine waste which caused the groundwater contamination was removed in 2008, but an approximate 4-mile-long plume of groundwater polluted by perchlorate, sulfate, and uranium remains in what is known as the Basin Fill Aquifer. This aquifer was formerly a drinking water source, but alternative drinking water is currently being supplied to nearby residents due to its contamination.
“Ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water is one of EPA’s most important missions,” said EPA Director of Region 9 Superfund and Emergency Management Division Michael Montgomery. “Today’s announcement is an essential step in reducing the burden on communities in the region, including the Tohono O’odham Nation.”
The selected cleanup plan will pump out and treat contaminated groundwater with a technology called reverse osmosis, a water treatment process that removes contaminants from water using pressure to force water through a semipermeable membrane where the contaminants are filtered out. Treated water will then be reinjected back into the aquifer or made available for other beneficial uses. Additionally, wells will be installed to monitor the site contamination to ensure it is cleaned up as intended.
While the cleanup plan selected cleans up the site in the shortest timeframe, EPA estimates it will take about 30 years to complete, with an additional 20 years of monitoring. This site is being cleaned up under what’s known as the Superfund Alternative Approach program.
The Cyprus Tohono Mine site’s contamination originally stems from copper sulfide and oxide ore mining operations in the 1880s. During the 1950s and 60s, the site included a small open pit copper oxide mine, which eventually was enlarged to remove 350,000 tons of ore. From 1975-1997, large-scale copper mining produced about 25 million tons of ore. Cyprus Tohono Corporation began operating the property in 1987. Since 2009, no active mining has occurred at the site.
Learn more by visiting EPA’s Cyprus Tohono Mine Site webpage.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
The Cyprus Tohono Mine Site is located on the Tohono O’odham Nation near the Village of North Komelik, about 30 miles south of Casa Grande, Arizona. Mine waste which caused the groundwater contamination was removed in 2008, but an approximate 4-mile-long plume of groundwater polluted by perchlorate, sulfate, and uranium remains in what is known as the Basin Fill Aquifer. This aquifer was formerly a drinking water source, but alternative drinking water is currently being supplied to nearby residents due to its contamination.
“Ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water is one of EPA’s most important missions,” said EPA Director of Region 9 Superfund and Emergency Management Division Michael Montgomery. “Today’s announcement is an essential step in reducing the burden on communities in the region, including the Tohono O’odham Nation.”
The selected cleanup plan will pump out and treat contaminated groundwater with a technology called reverse osmosis, a water treatment process that removes contaminants from water using pressure to force water through a semipermeable membrane where the contaminants are filtered out. Treated water will then be reinjected back into the aquifer or made available for other beneficial uses. Additionally, wells will be installed to monitor the site contamination to ensure it is cleaned up as intended.
While the cleanup plan selected cleans up the site in the shortest timeframe, EPA estimates it will take about 30 years to complete, with an additional 20 years of monitoring. This site is being cleaned up under what’s known as the Superfund Alternative Approach program.
The Cyprus Tohono Mine site’s contamination originally stems from copper sulfide and oxide ore mining operations in the 1880s. During the 1950s and 60s, the site included a small open pit copper oxide mine, which eventually was enlarged to remove 350,000 tons of ore. From 1975-1997, large-scale copper mining produced about 25 million tons of ore. Cyprus Tohono Corporation began operating the property in 1987. Since 2009, no active mining has occurred at the site.
Learn more by visiting EPA’s Cyprus Tohono Mine Site webpage.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
EPA penalizes Alaska homebuilder $107,000 for violations of Clean Water Act
SEATTLE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Robert Yundt, based in Wasilla, Alaska, were penalized $107,000 for violations of the Clean Water Act.
From 2019 through 2021, Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Yundt are accused of using heavy earthmoving equipment to relocate and discharge material into Wasilla Lake and Cottonwood Lake, resulting in environmental impacts along the shorelines and adjacent wetlands.
In response, EPA issued multiple administrative compliance orders on consent requiring Robert Yundt Homes, LLC to perform certain restoration and mitigation activities to remedy the harms to the environment. Robert Yundt Homes, LLC also agreed to pay $29,500 in penalties.
After Robert Yundt Homes, LLC failed to comply with the administrative compliance orders on consent, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska against Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Yundt. To resolve the violations of the administrative compliance orders and the underlying Clean Water Act violations, Robert Yundt Homes, LLC, Mr. Yundt, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Justice have agreed to a Consent Decree that requires the Defendants to conduct fill removal and habitat restoration activities along the shoreline of Wasilla Lake, restore and preserve wetlands adjacent to Cottonwood Lake in perpetuity through an environmental covenant, and pay an additional $77,500 in penalties.
“In order to protect human health and the environment it is absolutely vital that building and construction companies obtain the appropriate permits and comply with EPA administrative orders” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “As this case demonstrates, the secondary and tertiary effects of unauthorized discharges associated with construction activities can be felt by the entire community.”
“Violations of the Clean Water Act can significantly affect the lives of Alaskans, and those who partake in these unlawful actions will face consequences,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to support our partners across the nation to protect our communities and ecosystems from the effects of illegal environmental degradation, as in the case of Robert Yundt Homes, LLC.”
Wasilla Lake and Cottonwood Lake are catalogued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as waters important for anadromous fish, including spawning habitat for coho and sockeye salmon.
Opportunity for public comment
The Consent Decree is currently available for public review and comment before it is effective. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice invite all affected community members and other stakeholders to review the Consent Decree and provide any relevant comments. The public comment process is designed to help ensure that all voices are heard and that all views about the Consent Decree are considered.
To review the materials for this action and/or provide comment, please go to: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/31/2023-16084/notice-of-lodging-of-proposed-consent-decree.
The deadline to submit public comments is Aug. 30.
From 2019 through 2021, Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Yundt are accused of using heavy earthmoving equipment to relocate and discharge material into Wasilla Lake and Cottonwood Lake, resulting in environmental impacts along the shorelines and adjacent wetlands.
In response, EPA issued multiple administrative compliance orders on consent requiring Robert Yundt Homes, LLC to perform certain restoration and mitigation activities to remedy the harms to the environment. Robert Yundt Homes, LLC also agreed to pay $29,500 in penalties.
After Robert Yundt Homes, LLC failed to comply with the administrative compliance orders on consent, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska against Robert Yundt Homes, LLC and Mr. Yundt. To resolve the violations of the administrative compliance orders and the underlying Clean Water Act violations, Robert Yundt Homes, LLC, Mr. Yundt, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Justice have agreed to a Consent Decree that requires the Defendants to conduct fill removal and habitat restoration activities along the shoreline of Wasilla Lake, restore and preserve wetlands adjacent to Cottonwood Lake in perpetuity through an environmental covenant, and pay an additional $77,500 in penalties.
“In order to protect human health and the environment it is absolutely vital that building and construction companies obtain the appropriate permits and comply with EPA administrative orders” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “As this case demonstrates, the secondary and tertiary effects of unauthorized discharges associated with construction activities can be felt by the entire community.”
“Violations of the Clean Water Act can significantly affect the lives of Alaskans, and those who partake in these unlawful actions will face consequences,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to support our partners across the nation to protect our communities and ecosystems from the effects of illegal environmental degradation, as in the case of Robert Yundt Homes, LLC.”
Wasilla Lake and Cottonwood Lake are catalogued by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as waters important for anadromous fish, including spawning habitat for coho and sockeye salmon.
Opportunity for public comment
The Consent Decree is currently available for public review and comment before it is effective. EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice invite all affected community members and other stakeholders to review the Consent Decree and provide any relevant comments. The public comment process is designed to help ensure that all voices are heard and that all views about the Consent Decree are considered.
To review the materials for this action and/or provide comment, please go to: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/07/31/2023-16084/notice-of-lodging-of-proposed-consent-decree.
The deadline to submit public comments is Aug. 30.