EPA community meeting to present update on ethylene oxide risk in Sandy, Utah: October 20
Sandy, Utah -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a virtual community meeting on Thursday, October 20, at 6:30 p.m. to share information about health risks from the chemical ethylene oxide, or EtO, near the BD Medical sterilization facility at 9450 South State Street in Sandy, Utah. During the meeting, EPA will present information on lifetime risk levels for those who live in the immediate vicinity of the facility and will hear from community members and other stakeholders about their concerns. The agency will also provide a brief summary of control measures the facility is voluntarily installing to reduce EtO emissions by an estimated 90%. EPA will be joined by staff from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality and Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
Meeting Details:
Thursday, October 20, 2022; 6:30 p.m.
Virtual Zoom meeting
REGISTER HERE and learn more about the BD Medical facility.
EPA recently completed air quality modeling and risk assessments for sterilization facilities across the United States, including the BD Medical facility in Sandy. EPA’s analysis indicates that the air near the facility does not exceed short-term health benchmarks. However, the modeling results indicate that a lifetime of exposure to EtO emissions could lead to long-term health impacts if risk levels are not reduced. EPA will present this information at the October 20 meeting. In addition, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality is currently conducting an EPA-supported air quality monitoring study of EtO near the BD Medical facility and at other locations throughout the Salt Lake City area and will provide an update on the status of that study.
The October 20 meeting is part of EPA’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions of EtO from commercial sterilizers, including activities with state partners and facilities to evaluate concerns and take appropriate steps to reduce emissions. EPA joined Utah DEQ for a virtual community meeting for the Sandy community in August to provide air quality modeling results and is convening this meeting as an additional opportunity to share information and respond to questions. Specifically, EPA aims to improve public understanding of risk; help states, communities, and industry reduce risks from EtO in the near-term; and hear input as the agency continues to take steps to reduce air pollution. Later this year, EPA expects to propose an air pollution regulation to protect public health by addressing EtO emissions at commercial sterilizers.
For more detailed information visit EPA’s EtO website or contact us at eto@epa.gov.
Visit EPA’s BD Medical Sandy, Utah website.
Meeting Details:
Thursday, October 20, 2022; 6:30 p.m.
Virtual Zoom meeting
REGISTER HERE and learn more about the BD Medical facility.
EPA recently completed air quality modeling and risk assessments for sterilization facilities across the United States, including the BD Medical facility in Sandy. EPA’s analysis indicates that the air near the facility does not exceed short-term health benchmarks. However, the modeling results indicate that a lifetime of exposure to EtO emissions could lead to long-term health impacts if risk levels are not reduced. EPA will present this information at the October 20 meeting. In addition, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality is currently conducting an EPA-supported air quality monitoring study of EtO near the BD Medical facility and at other locations throughout the Salt Lake City area and will provide an update on the status of that study.
The October 20 meeting is part of EPA’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions of EtO from commercial sterilizers, including activities with state partners and facilities to evaluate concerns and take appropriate steps to reduce emissions. EPA joined Utah DEQ for a virtual community meeting for the Sandy community in August to provide air quality modeling results and is convening this meeting as an additional opportunity to share information and respond to questions. Specifically, EPA aims to improve public understanding of risk; help states, communities, and industry reduce risks from EtO in the near-term; and hear input as the agency continues to take steps to reduce air pollution. Later this year, EPA expects to propose an air pollution regulation to protect public health by addressing EtO emissions at commercial sterilizers.
For more detailed information visit EPA’s EtO website or contact us at eto@epa.gov.
Visit EPA’s BD Medical Sandy, Utah website.
EPA awards Food Lifeline $200,000 for project to reduce methane, food waste in South Seattle
SEATTLE (October 12, 2022) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Food Lifeline of Seattle approximately $200,000 to assist in the development of a community-owned anaerobic digester in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle.
Anaerobic digestion is a process in which microorganisms break down organic materials, such as food scraps, manure, and sewage sludge, in the absence of oxygen. The process produces digestate, a nutrient-rich product used for fertilizer, and captures the methane produced when organic materials decay. Rather than being released into the atmosphere as a potent greenhouse gas, the methane or “biogas” is captured in an anaerobic digester for energy production.
Food Lifeline will partner with Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association, Black Star Farmers, and Sustainable Seattle, to develop new anaerobic digester capacity for the South City Biodigester Collaboration project. This project is designed to be a demonstration of the potential for a larger scale biofuel system and serve as an example of a closed loop “circular economy.” It is also intended to help provide Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and low-income communities autonomy over their waste-to-energy cycle, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and introduce immigrant, first-generation, and BIPOC youth in the Duwamish Valley to STEM career pathways.
The demonstration project will measure specific AD deliverables, including pounds of waste diverted from landfills and large composting facilities, gallons of digestate used by Black Star Farmers in their local farms, amount of community participation and youth involvement, and number of education and engagement events held. Activities will be conducted by project partners will include:
Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association: technical expertise, youth and community network engagement, workshops and community education events, up to 200 hours of curriculum.
Black Star Farmers: technical expertise, a Black and Indigenous farmer network, use and demonstration of co-products, identification of other BIPOC farms in need of excess co-product, up to 200 hours of curriculum.
Sustainable Seattle: program oversight through up to 100 hours of relationship and project management support, promotion of classes, distribution of project information to their network.
The goal of the EPA grant is to help reduce food loss and waste, and to divert food waste from landfills and incinerators by expanding anaerobic digester capacity. The grant is one of 11 projects selected for funding in 2022 which include feasibility studies, modeling efforts, demonstration projects, as well as technical assistance and training.
“Projects like this one underscore the benefits of a collaborative, community-centered approach,” said Casey Sixkiller, regional administrator of EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle. “The EPA is excited to support this anaerobic digestion project and other efforts in the Duwamish Valley that bring people together to fight climate change, protect public health, and empower communities.”
The South City Biodigester Collaboration project will be an initial exhibition of a new technology process for the South Park community, leveraging breakthrough technology that involves the AD process coupled with very low energy inputs making it more accessible for small scale businesses and organizations. The project will evaluate the cost effectiveness of inputs and output potentials for scalability in small business and community use, leverage its findings and impact to assess the technological feasibility and cost effectiveness of a larger scale biofuel system in the South Park community, and develop a local, community based, BIPOC led farm-to-table-back-to-farm lifecycle.
For this year's grant competition, EPA evaluated applicants on how their projects addressed numerous factors resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial, and/or other actions: human health, environmental, social, climate-related, and other cumulative impacts, and accompanying economic challenges of such impacts. EPA prioritized environmental justice by ensuring nearly half of the $2 million awarded nationally under this grant program this year were to projects or recipients located in underserved communities. Specifically, EPA considered the effects of this program on People of Color, low-income, Tribal, and Indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and children.
Background
EPA awarded a nationwide total of about $110,000 in 2019 and more than $3 million in 2020 in cooperative agreements under this program. The project types selected for funding include feasibility studies, demonstration projects, workshops, as well as technical assistance and training.
More information
Resources and Funding Opportunities Related to the Food System
Anaerobic digestion is a process in which microorganisms break down organic materials, such as food scraps, manure, and sewage sludge, in the absence of oxygen. The process produces digestate, a nutrient-rich product used for fertilizer, and captures the methane produced when organic materials decay. Rather than being released into the atmosphere as a potent greenhouse gas, the methane or “biogas” is captured in an anaerobic digester for energy production.
Food Lifeline will partner with Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association, Black Star Farmers, and Sustainable Seattle, to develop new anaerobic digester capacity for the South City Biodigester Collaboration project. This project is designed to be a demonstration of the potential for a larger scale biofuel system and serve as an example of a closed loop “circular economy.” It is also intended to help provide Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and low-income communities autonomy over their waste-to-energy cycle, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and introduce immigrant, first-generation, and BIPOC youth in the Duwamish Valley to STEM career pathways.
The demonstration project will measure specific AD deliverables, including pounds of waste diverted from landfills and large composting facilities, gallons of digestate used by Black Star Farmers in their local farms, amount of community participation and youth involvement, and number of education and engagement events held. Activities will be conducted by project partners will include:
Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association: technical expertise, youth and community network engagement, workshops and community education events, up to 200 hours of curriculum.
Black Star Farmers: technical expertise, a Black and Indigenous farmer network, use and demonstration of co-products, identification of other BIPOC farms in need of excess co-product, up to 200 hours of curriculum.
Sustainable Seattle: program oversight through up to 100 hours of relationship and project management support, promotion of classes, distribution of project information to their network.
The goal of the EPA grant is to help reduce food loss and waste, and to divert food waste from landfills and incinerators by expanding anaerobic digester capacity. The grant is one of 11 projects selected for funding in 2022 which include feasibility studies, modeling efforts, demonstration projects, as well as technical assistance and training.
“Projects like this one underscore the benefits of a collaborative, community-centered approach,” said Casey Sixkiller, regional administrator of EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle. “The EPA is excited to support this anaerobic digestion project and other efforts in the Duwamish Valley that bring people together to fight climate change, protect public health, and empower communities.”
The South City Biodigester Collaboration project will be an initial exhibition of a new technology process for the South Park community, leveraging breakthrough technology that involves the AD process coupled with very low energy inputs making it more accessible for small scale businesses and organizations. The project will evaluate the cost effectiveness of inputs and output potentials for scalability in small business and community use, leverage its findings and impact to assess the technological feasibility and cost effectiveness of a larger scale biofuel system in the South Park community, and develop a local, community based, BIPOC led farm-to-table-back-to-farm lifecycle.
For this year's grant competition, EPA evaluated applicants on how their projects addressed numerous factors resulting from industrial, governmental, commercial, and/or other actions: human health, environmental, social, climate-related, and other cumulative impacts, and accompanying economic challenges of such impacts. EPA prioritized environmental justice by ensuring nearly half of the $2 million awarded nationally under this grant program this year were to projects or recipients located in underserved communities. Specifically, EPA considered the effects of this program on People of Color, low-income, Tribal, and Indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and children.
Background
EPA awarded a nationwide total of about $110,000 in 2019 and more than $3 million in 2020 in cooperative agreements under this program. The project types selected for funding include feasibility studies, demonstration projects, workshops, as well as technical assistance and training.
More information
Resources and Funding Opportunities Related to the Food System
EPA, Navy, State of California, and City of Irvine celebrate facility reuse award winner Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Today, representatives from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S Navy, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and the City of Irvine recognized the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro as a winner in the EPA’s fifth annual National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards.
“Congratulations to the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro for selection as a 2022 National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award winner,” said Dr. Carlton Waterhouse, EPA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. “These awards highlight the hard work and tremendous partnerships needed to address contaminated federal facilities and implement locally driven reuse strategies to safeguard communities and protect the environment.”
Judges for the Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award select from four categories of contaminated land at federal facilities: (1) Superfund sites; (2) Superfund Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites; (3) non-Superfund BRAC sites; and (4) non-Superfund sites. EL Toro was chosen in the Superfund BRAC Award category.
“Cleaning up and returning this closed base to productive reuse has resulted in revitalization and renewed purpose for Irvine and Orange County and represents a model for federal, state, and local collaboration,” said Michael Montgomery, EPA Pacific Southwest Region Director of the Superfund and Emergency Management Division.
Former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was decommissioned as an active base in 1999 under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act. Extensive cleanup efforts have facilitated the transformation of approximately 1,300 acres of the former military base into the Great Park.
“The Great Park demonstrates what we can achieve when all levels of government work together,” said City of Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan. “As we continue working to bring even more amenities to the Great Park, we recognize that none of this would be possible without the collaboration and commitment of the agencies that have helped us restore this site.”
The Great Park is a recreational destination that includes parks and open space, hiking trails, multi-use sport facilities, an art complex, an amphitheater, a water park, and an ice rink. The City of Irvine is developing an overarching Great Park Framework Plan that includes a world-class botanic garden and veteran memorial park; a permanent live music amphitheater; and rehabilitating existing space to facilitate cultural uses including the Flying Leatherneck air and museum concept, the California Fire Museum, and a Children’s Museum.
EPA serves the public by supporting innovative, cost-effective cleanups at federal facilities and the return of those facilities to productive use. The agency assists in the transfer of properties and provides regulatory oversight at many types of Department of Defense sites, including BRAC sites. Because these facilities often encompass hundreds of acres with buildings, roads and other infrastructure, their effective and efficient cleanup and reuse can play a pivotal role in communities’ economic development.
Learn more about the 2022 National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards and cleanups at federal facilities.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.
“Congratulations to the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro for selection as a 2022 National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award winner,” said Dr. Carlton Waterhouse, EPA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. “These awards highlight the hard work and tremendous partnerships needed to address contaminated federal facilities and implement locally driven reuse strategies to safeguard communities and protect the environment.”
Judges for the Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award select from four categories of contaminated land at federal facilities: (1) Superfund sites; (2) Superfund Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites; (3) non-Superfund BRAC sites; and (4) non-Superfund sites. EL Toro was chosen in the Superfund BRAC Award category.
“Cleaning up and returning this closed base to productive reuse has resulted in revitalization and renewed purpose for Irvine and Orange County and represents a model for federal, state, and local collaboration,” said Michael Montgomery, EPA Pacific Southwest Region Director of the Superfund and Emergency Management Division.
Former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was decommissioned as an active base in 1999 under the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act. Extensive cleanup efforts have facilitated the transformation of approximately 1,300 acres of the former military base into the Great Park.
“The Great Park demonstrates what we can achieve when all levels of government work together,” said City of Irvine Mayor Farrah N. Khan. “As we continue working to bring even more amenities to the Great Park, we recognize that none of this would be possible without the collaboration and commitment of the agencies that have helped us restore this site.”
The Great Park is a recreational destination that includes parks and open space, hiking trails, multi-use sport facilities, an art complex, an amphitheater, a water park, and an ice rink. The City of Irvine is developing an overarching Great Park Framework Plan that includes a world-class botanic garden and veteran memorial park; a permanent live music amphitheater; and rehabilitating existing space to facilitate cultural uses including the Flying Leatherneck air and museum concept, the California Fire Museum, and a Children’s Museum.
EPA serves the public by supporting innovative, cost-effective cleanups at federal facilities and the return of those facilities to productive use. The agency assists in the transfer of properties and provides regulatory oversight at many types of Department of Defense sites, including BRAC sites. Because these facilities often encompass hundreds of acres with buildings, roads and other infrastructure, their effective and efficient cleanup and reuse can play a pivotal role in communities’ economic development.
Learn more about the 2022 National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards and cleanups at federal facilities.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.
EPA Announces Opportunities for Public Input on Environmental Justice for the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host two virtual public meetings to discuss and solicit input on environmental justice considerations related to the development of the proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). These sessions will provide opportunities for EPA to share information about the upcoming LCRI rulemaking and for individuals to offer input on environmental justice considerations related to the rule.
“Our work to engage disadvantaged communities negatively impacted by lead is critical to ensuring environmental justice within the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “This is an important step towards the development of our rule improvements and towards replacing all lead service lines, a commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.”
EPA is committed to protecting families and communities from lead in drinking water. As part of the LCRI rulemaking process EPA is considering prioritizing protections for historically underserved and overburdened communities. EPA intends to propose the LCRI for public comment in 2023 and take final action by October 16, 2024. Obtaining public input on the development of the proposed LCRI is critical to the rule development process.
The two public meetings will be identical and will be held in an online-only format on October 25 (1-4 pm EDT) and November 1, 2022 (5-8 pm EDT). Members of the public interested in participating in a meeting can register here and will also have the opportunity to sign up to provide verbal remarks. EPA encourages the public to share thoughts on how to equitably address lead in drinking water issues in their communities.
EPA is also accepting written comments via the public docket at http://www.regulations.gov/, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0801 until November 15, 2022.
EPA intends to propose the LCRI for public comment in 2023 and take final action by October 16, 2024.
The public meetings on environmental justice are part of several stakeholder engagement activities and consultations that EPA is engaging in prior to proposing the LCRI. EPA is conducting a Tribal Consultation on October 27 and November 9, 2022 (learn more). EPA is also consulting with the agency’s Science Advisory Board (SAB), National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC), federal and local entities, and a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act and other federal statutes and executive orders.
Learn more about safe drinking water and the upcoming Lead and Copper Rule Improvements rulemaking and related engagements.
“Our work to engage disadvantaged communities negatively impacted by lead is critical to ensuring environmental justice within the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “This is an important step towards the development of our rule improvements and towards replacing all lead service lines, a commitment of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.”
EPA is committed to protecting families and communities from lead in drinking water. As part of the LCRI rulemaking process EPA is considering prioritizing protections for historically underserved and overburdened communities. EPA intends to propose the LCRI for public comment in 2023 and take final action by October 16, 2024. Obtaining public input on the development of the proposed LCRI is critical to the rule development process.
The two public meetings will be identical and will be held in an online-only format on October 25 (1-4 pm EDT) and November 1, 2022 (5-8 pm EDT). Members of the public interested in participating in a meeting can register here and will also have the opportunity to sign up to provide verbal remarks. EPA encourages the public to share thoughts on how to equitably address lead in drinking water issues in their communities.
EPA is also accepting written comments via the public docket at http://www.regulations.gov/, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0801 until November 15, 2022.
EPA intends to propose the LCRI for public comment in 2023 and take final action by October 16, 2024.
The public meetings on environmental justice are part of several stakeholder engagement activities and consultations that EPA is engaging in prior to proposing the LCRI. EPA is conducting a Tribal Consultation on October 27 and November 9, 2022 (learn more). EPA is also consulting with the agency’s Science Advisory Board (SAB), National Drinking Water Advisory Council (NDWAC), federal and local entities, and a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel as required under the Safe Drinking Water Act and other federal statutes and executive orders.
Learn more about safe drinking water and the upcoming Lead and Copper Rule Improvements rulemaking and related engagements.
President Biden Designates Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument
Leadville, CO, October 12, 2022 — Today, President Biden established the 53,804-acre Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in the heart of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, preserving a unique era of military history, as well as a visually and culturally rich landscape with broad recreation opportunities.
The President established the monument on lands managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, using authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
The President established the monument on lands managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, using authority under the 1906 Antiquities Act, which was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.
Biden-Harris Administration Invests $80 Million to Improve Nutrition in School Meals
Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2022 – The Biden-Harris Administration today provided $50 million in grants for schools to invest in new food service equipment that will allow them to continue serving nutritious meals. Today’s funding adds to the $30 million in equipment grants that the administration gave schools earlier this year.
USDA Invests $14M to Strengthen Hispanic-serving Higher Education Programs
SAN DIEGO, Calif., October 11, 2022 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh announced yesterday at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ 36th Annual Conference an investment of $14 million to Hispanic-serving higher education institutions to support Hispanic student learning experiences in the agricultural and human science sectors.
EPA Fines Asphalt Sales Company in Olathe, Kansas, for Alleged Clean Water Act Violations
LENEXA, KAN. (OCT. 11, 2022) – The Asphalt Sales Company in Olathe, Kansas, will pay $82,798 in civil penalties and improve pollution controls to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the company failed to adequately control stormwater runoff from its asphalt production and demolition landfill facility. EPA says these failures led to illegal discharges of pollutants into Cedar Creek.
“Uncontrolled runoff from manufacturers and landfills not only harms streams and rivers, but it also limits the public’s use and enjoyment of those waters,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “EPA’s enforcement actions demonstrate our commitment to protecting vital watersheds and creating a level playing field with businesses who are complying with the law.”
In the settlement documents, EPA alleges that the Asphalt Sales Company failed to comply with certain terms of its Clean Water Act permit, including failure to construct and/or maintain adequate stormwater controls; allowing stormwater to bypass existing stormwater controls; and failure to conduct and/or document required inspections of the facility.
In addition to paying the penalty, the company agreed to submit a plan to EPA outlining how it will return to compliance, including the installation and maintenance of effective stormwater controls at the facility.
Under the Clean Water Act, industrial facilities that propose to discharge into protected water bodies are required to obtain permits and to follow the requirements outlined in the permits to reduce pollution runoff. Failure to obtain a permit or to follow the requirements of a permit may violate federal law.
# # #
Learn more about EPA’s enforcement of Clean Water Act
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the company failed to adequately control stormwater runoff from its asphalt production and demolition landfill facility. EPA says these failures led to illegal discharges of pollutants into Cedar Creek.
“Uncontrolled runoff from manufacturers and landfills not only harms streams and rivers, but it also limits the public’s use and enjoyment of those waters,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “EPA’s enforcement actions demonstrate our commitment to protecting vital watersheds and creating a level playing field with businesses who are complying with the law.”
In the settlement documents, EPA alleges that the Asphalt Sales Company failed to comply with certain terms of its Clean Water Act permit, including failure to construct and/or maintain adequate stormwater controls; allowing stormwater to bypass existing stormwater controls; and failure to conduct and/or document required inspections of the facility.
In addition to paying the penalty, the company agreed to submit a plan to EPA outlining how it will return to compliance, including the installation and maintenance of effective stormwater controls at the facility.
Under the Clean Water Act, industrial facilities that propose to discharge into protected water bodies are required to obtain permits and to follow the requirements outlined in the permits to reduce pollution runoff. Failure to obtain a permit or to follow the requirements of a permit may violate federal law.
# # #
Learn more about EPA’s enforcement of Clean Water Act
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7