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EPA Updates Science Assessment for Dioxins / Air emissions of dioxins have decreased by 90 percent since the 1980s

February 20, 2012 Comments off

EPA Updates Science Assessment for Dioxins / Air emissions of dioxins have decreased by 90 percent since the 1980s
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its non-cancer science assessment for dioxins, which was last reviewed in the 1980s. Dioxins are toxic chemicals that naturally exist in the environment and can be released into the environment through forest fires, backyard burning of trash, certain industrial activities, and residue from past commercial burning of waste. Today’s findings show that generally, over a person’s lifetime, current exposure to dioxins does not pose a significant health risk.

Over the past two decades EPA has worked to reduce emissions from all of the major industrial sources of dioxins. As a result of efforts by EPA, state governments and industry, known and measurable air emissions of dioxins in the United States have been reduced by 90 percent from 1987 levels. The largest remaining source of dioxin emissions is backyard burning of household trash.

Most Americans have low-level exposure to dioxins. Non-cancer effects of exposure to large amounts of dioxin include chloracne, developmental and reproductive effects, damage to the immune system, interference with hormones, skin rashes, skin discoloration, excessive body hair, and possibly mild liver damage.

EPA has identified many known sources of dioxins. Working with other federal partners, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, EPA has taken steps to address dioxin. This includes supporting research on dioxin exposure and effects; assessing dioxin human health risks; measuring dioxin levels in the environment, our diet and in our bodies; and reducing exposure to dioxin.

The non-cancer health assessment for dioxin released today could be considered in a range of agency activities, from establishing cleanup levels at Superfund sites, to reviewing the dioxin drinking water standard as part of EPA’s regularly scheduled review process, to evaluating whether additional Clean Air Act limits on dioxin emissions are warranted.

+ Environmental Assessment: Dioxin

EPA Finalizes Air Toxic Emissions Standards for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Production Facilities/Standards will cut harmful emissions that impact local communities

February 17, 2012 Comments off

EPA Finalizes Air Toxic Emissions Standards for Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Production Facilities/Standards will cut harmful emissions that impact local communities
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued strong final standards requiring facilities that produce polyvinyl chloride and copolymers (PVC) to reduce harmful air emissions, which will improve air quality and protect people’s health in communities where facilities are located. Exposure to toxic air pollutants, like those emitted from PVC facilities, can cause respiratory problems and other serious health issues, and can increase the risk of developing cancer. In particular, children are known to be more sensitive to the cancer risks posed by inhaling vinyl chloride, one of the known carcinogens emitted from PVC facilities.

The final standards are based on currently available technologies and will reduce emissions of air toxics, such as dioxin and vinyl chloride. Facilities will have the flexibility to choose the most practical and cost-effective control technology or technique to reduce the emissions. Facilities will be required to monitor emissions at certain points in the PVC production process to ensure that the standards are met.

Currently, there are 17 PVC production facilities throughout the United States, with a majority of these facilities located in Louisiana and Texas. All existing and any new PVC production facilities are covered by the final rule.

+ Full Document (PDF)

EPA Finalizes 2012 Renewable Fuel Standardsw

December 29, 2011 Comments off
Source:  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized the 2012 percentage standards for four fuel categories that are part of the agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2). EPA continues to support greater use of renewable fuels within the transportation sector every year through the RFS2 program, which encourages innovation, strengthens American energy security, and decreases greenhouse gas pollution.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established the RFS2 program and the annual renewable fuel volume targets, which steadily increase to an overall level of 36 billion gallons in 2022. To achieve these volumes, EPA calculates a percentage-based standard for the following year. Based on the standard, each refiner and importer determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel that it must ensure is used in its transportation fuel.

The final 2012 overall volumes and standards are:

  • Biomass-based diesel (1.0 billion gallons; 0.91 percent)
  • Advanced biofuels (2.0 billion gallons; 1.21 percent)
  • Cellulosic biofuels (8.65 million gallons; 0.006 percent)
  • Total renewable fuels (15.2 billion gallons; 9.23 percent)

Renewable Fuels: Regulations & Standards

EPA Issues First National Standards for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants/ Historic ‘mercury and air toxics standards’ meet 20-year old requirement to cut dangerous smokestack emissions

December 28, 2011 Comments off

EPA Issues First National Standards for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants/ Historic ‘mercury and air toxics standards’ meet 20-year old requirement to cut dangerous smokestack emissions

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, the first national standards to protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution like arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide. The standards will slash emissions of these dangerous pollutants by relying on widely available, proven pollution controls that are already in use at more than half of the nation’s coal-fired power plants.

EPA estimates that the new safeguards will prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths and 4,700 heart attacks a year. The standards will also help America’s children grow up healthier – preventing 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and about 6,300 fewer cases of acute bronchitis among children each year.

+ Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS)

Gulf Coast Task Force Releases Ecosystem Restoration Strategy

October 6, 2011 Comments off

Gulf Coast Task Force Releases Ecosystem Restoration Strategy
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force has held a series of public meetings and listening sessions to gather input from local stakeholders for use in developing the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary). In addition, we have accepted online discussion in conjunction with those meetings. Public views received during this process have been presented to the Task Force Members and Staff. Beginning October 5, 2011, the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary) will be available for public review and feedback.

In order to make it easy for the public to provide feedback and make the public review process as transparent as possible, the Task Force is using the features and capabilities of Regulations.gov, an electronic public docket and on-line comment system that allows federal agencies to post documents for public review and feedback. (A docket serves as a container for information related to a particular action.) Although Regulations.gov is routinely used to obtain public comment on proposed regulatory actions, it also allows agencies to solicit and post on-line public comments on a particular agency action and/or initiative, such as the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary), which is NOT a regulatory action.

The Task Force has created a docket on Regulations.gov, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OA-2011-0798, where you can find the Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (Preliminary). As comments are received, they will be posted to this docket.

+ Full Document (PDF)

EPA Proposes Air Pollution Standards for Oil and Gas Production/Cost-effective, flexible standards rely on operators’ ability to capture and sell natural gas that currently escapes, threatens air quality

August 1, 2011 Comments off

EPA Proposes Air Pollution Standards for Oil and Gas Production/Cost-effective, flexible standards rely on operators’ ability to capture and sell natural gas that currently escapes, threatens air quality
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed standards to reduce harmful air pollution from oil and gas drilling operations. These proposed updated standards – which are being issued in response to a court order – would rely on cost-effective existing technologies to reduce emissions that contribute to smog pollution and can cause cancer while supporting the administration’s priority of continuing to expand safe and responsible domestic oil and gas production. The standards would leverage operators’ ability to capture and sell natural gas that currently escapes into the air, resulting in more efficient operations while reducing harmful emissions that can impact air quality in surrounding areas and nearby states.

“This administration has been clear that natural gas is a key component of our clean energy future, and the steps announced today will help ensure responsible production of this domestic energy source,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “Reducing these emissions will help cut toxic pollution that can increase cancer risks and smog that can cause asthma attacks and premature death – all while giving these operators additional product to bring to market.”

Today’s proposal would cut smog-forming volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from several types of processes and equipment used in the oil and gas industry, including a 95 percent reduction in VOCs emitted during the completion of new and modified hydraulically fractured wells. This dramatic reduction would largely be accomplished by capturing natural gas that currently escapes to the air and making that gas available for sale through technologies and processes already in use by several companies and required in some states.

Natural gas production in the U.S. is growing, with more than 25,000 new and existing wells fractured or re-fractured each year. The VOC reductions in the proposal are expected to help reduce ozone nonattainment problems in many areas where oil and gas production occurs. In addition, the VOC reductions would yield a significant environmental benefit by reducing methane emissions from new and modified wells. Methane, the primary constituent of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas – more than 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Today’s proposed changes also would reduce cancer risks from emissions of several air toxics, including benzene.

+ Oil and Natural Gas Air Pollution Standards

Protecting the Public’s Water: Report on Combined Sewer Overflows

August 1, 2011 Comments off

Protecting the Public’s Water: Report on Combined Sewer Overflows (PDF)
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Forty years ago, the federal Clean Water Act set the ultimate goal of achieving water quality improvements that would allow people to fish from and swim in our rivers, lakes and streams. The quality of our water is directly related to the quality of our life. It is a vital resource for human health, but water quality is often taken for granted. Forty years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, we must continue the work of enforcing the Clean Water Act while raising awareness about the activities that pollute our waterways.

Among the greatest challenges to the goals of fishable and swimmable waters are discharges and overflows of raw sewage into our waters. Many of the sewer systems in New York State and New Jersey and some in Puerto Rico are combined systems that carry sewage from homes and businesses as well as rainwater collected from street drains. When they overflow during heavy rains, the rainwater mixes with sewage and results in raw sewage being directly discharged into water bodies. This can pose serious environmental and public health risks. EPA has developed this report to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about combined sewer overflows and to raise awareness about this important water quality issue.

Excessive Heat Events Guidebook

July 16, 2011 Comments off

Excessive Heat Events Guidebook
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has produced the Excessive Heat Events Guidebook (PDF, 60 pp., 1,796 KB) with assistance from Federal, state and local and academic partners.

Designed to help community officials, emergency managers, meteorologists, and others plan for and respond to excessive heat events, the guidebook highlights best practices that have been employed to save lives during excessive heat events in different urban areas and provides a menu of options that officials can use to respond to these events in their communities.

The Guidebook was developed with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Municipal officials in both the U.S. and Canada provided useful information that can be used to help the public cope with excessive heat.

+ Full Document (PDF)

Evaluation of Household or Industrial Cleaning Products for Remediation of Chemical Agents

June 24, 2011 Comments off

Evaluation of Household or Industrial Cleaning Products for Remediation of Chemical Agents
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the primary federal agency responsible for remediation of indoor and outdoor areas in the aftermath of a terrorist incident in which chemical agents are released. Therefore, as a part of EPA’s homeland security research program, EPA conducts research to help first responders and decision-makers minimize environmental impact and human health effects following the release of a chemical agent. EPA has commissioned this evaluation into the efficacy of household or industrial cleaning products when applied to the cleanup of chemical agents. Bench-scale testing was utilized to evaluate the efficacy of household or industrial cleaning products on indoor surfaces contaminated with chemical agents agents (i.e., thickened sulfur mustard [THD], thickened soman [TGD], V-series nerve agent [VX], and sulfur mustard [HD]). The cleaning technologies evaluated were OxiClean® Versatile Stain Remover Powder, Zep® Cleaner and Degreaser Concentrate, K-O-K® Household Bleach (sodium hypochlorite, 5.25%), and Cascade® with Extra Bleach Action Gel dishwashing detergent. For cleaners that may reasonably be expected to react with chemical agents to produce toxic by-products, a qualitative assessment of decontamination by-products was performed. In addition, the corrosive and other potentially damaging effects of the cleaning technologies on the indoor materials were evaluated qualitatively by visual inspection.

+ Full Paper (PDF)

Laboratory Environmental Sample Disposal Information Document

June 22, 2011 Comments off

Laboratory Environmental Sample Disposal Information Document
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Homeland Security Research)

The document includes information regarding laboratory responsibilities, waste minimization, federal and state regulations, treatment, storage, packaging, disposal, and decontamination procedures. The information provided in this document is intended only as a guide and is based on the current federal and state regulations cited; laboratories must consult and comply with these regulations prior to initiating sample disposal activities.

+ Full Document (PDF)

Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply

June 15, 2011 Comments off

Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

This document reviews roles and responsibilities among various levels of government regarding emergency water supplies and seeks to encourage collaboration and partnership between said levels regarding emergency water supply planning.

+ Full Document (PDF)

New information underscores increased efficiency, fuel savings achieved under the Obama Administration’s historic national car rule

May 25, 2011 Comments off

New information underscores increased efficiency, fuel savings achieved under the Obama Administration’s historic national car rule
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today are unveiling new fuel economy labels that will help consumers take advantage of the increased efficiency standards achieved under the Obama Administration that will save families money at the pump starting this year. The new labels, which are the most dramatic overhaul to fuel economy labels since the program began more than 30 years ago, will provide more comprehensive fuel efficiency information, including estimated annual fuel costs, savings, as well as information on each vehicle’s environmental impact. The new labels underscore the benefits of the historic, bipartisan passenger car and truck fuel economy rule adopted under this administration by the EPA and DOT in 2010.

These improvements will give consumers better, more complete information to consider when purchasing new vehicles that are covered by the increased fuel economy standards. Starting with model year 2013, the improved fuel economy labels will be required to be affixed to all new passenger cars and trucks – both conventional gasoline powered and “next generation” cars, such as plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

Upon taking office, President Obama directed DOT and EPA to prioritize the development of new fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions standards, resulting in the historic standards that will be represented by these new labels. This is the latest step in EPA’s and DOT’s joint efforts to improve the fuel economy and environmental performance of vehicles and to provide consumers with useful information to inform their purchasing decisions.

The 2010 fuel economy rule, developed with input from major automakers, environmental groups, and the states, will dramatically increase the energy efficiency of cars and trucks built in model years 2012 through 2016, saving 1.8 billion barrels of oil over the life of the program and the average consumer $3,000 in fuel costs.
In July, the Administration plans to finalize the first-ever national fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for commercial trucks, vans and buses built in 2014 to 2018. These standards are expected to save hundreds of millions of barrels of oil over the life of the vehicles covered and promote the development and deployment of alternative fuels, including natural gas. The Administration is also developing the next generation of joint fuel economy/greenhouse gas emission standards for model year 2017-2025 passenger vehicles and expects to announce the proposal in September 2011.

The new labels announced today will help consumers take advantage of the new, more energy efficient fleet, allowing them to save money at the pump. Consumers will see the new labels in showrooms early next year, when 2013 models begin arriving. Automakers may also voluntarily adopt the new labels earlier for model year 2012 vehicles.

TTEP Technology Information Summaries

May 7, 2011 Comments off

TTEP Technology Information Summaries
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Homeland Security Research)

This is a collection of summaries of commercially available products that can be used in response to a homeland security event. The information is supplied by the vendors. TTEP is the Technology Testing and Evaluation Program of the US EPA , Office of Research and Development, National Homeland Security Research Center.

+ Technology Information Summaries

Performance Evaluation of Decontamination Technologies for Dirty Bomb Cleanup

April 28, 2011 Comments off

Performance Evaluation of Decontamination Technologies for Dirty Bomb Cleanup
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Homeland Security Research)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecting human health and the environment from the effects of accidental and intentional releases of radiological materials, including terrorist incidents such as a radiological dispersal device (RDD) or “dirty bomb”. A primary EPA responsibility is cleanup and restoration of urban areas which would be affected if such an incident were to occur. In order to prepare for such an event, the EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) is conducting performance evaluations of commercial, off-the-shelf radiological decontamination technologies, such as those originally developed for the nuclear power industry and the U.S. Department of Energy complex. Desirable decontamination technologies must not only be effective in removing threat contaminants from typical building materials, but must do so without being destructive to building surfaces. Due to the large areas likely to be affected by such an event, the time required to perform effective decontamination and the cost of deployment are significant issues as well. In FY2009, NHSRC evaluated the performance of five candidate technologies for their effectiveness in the removal of cesium from concrete through NHSRC’s Technology Testing and Evaluation Program (TTEP). An emphasis on “low-tech” methodologies led to the selection of simple, low cost, easy to use technologies which can be transported and deployed quickly, requiring only minimal support services or infrastructure. The process and results of this testing, along with an assessment of any deployment issues associated with each technology, are being made available to the larger homeland security community for use in developing clean up guidance and to support decisions concerning the selection and use of decontamination technologies for large outdoor environments contaminated with specific radiological threat agents.

Location Efficiency and Housing Type – Boiling it Down to BTUs

April 5, 2011 Comments off

Location Efficiency and Housing Type – Boiling it Down to BTUs
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

How and where we construct our communities has an enormous effect on our energy consumption. Buildings and transportation together account for about 70 percent of energy use in the United States and are responsible for about 62 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Creating more energy-efficient communities and buildings would reduce our impact on climate change and save people money on household energy costs. It could also help the U.S. to become less reliant on foreign fuel and other non-renewable sources of household energy1.

People can do many things to reduce their energy use: install energy-efficient light bulbs, carpool or walk, or buy Energy Star appliances, among other things. But the way in which we plan and build our communities also has a significant role to play in creating a more environmentally and economically sustainable future. By understanding the relative share that housing type, location, and “green” (in this case, energy- or fuel-efficient) technology have in energy consumption, communities can begin to align their policies and public investments to support a more sustainable path forward.

EPA has provided support to Jonathan Rose Companies to analyze the energy use associated with a range of development approaches. The study, Location Efficiency and Housing Type – Boiling it Down to BTUs (PDF) (17 pp, 95K, About PDF), contrasts energy use in conventional, automobile-dependent locations with more location-efficient2, transit-oriented locations; multifamily housing construction with single-family detached and attached houses; and conventional cars and homes with their energy-efficient counterparts (e.g., Energy Star homes and hybrid cars). The paper finds that housing type and location, along with energy-use features of homes and vehicles, all have an important role to play in achieving greater energy efficiency.

+ Full Paper (PDF)

Mathematically Modeling Inhalational Anthrax

March 28, 2011 Comments off

Mathematically Modeling Inhalational Anthrax
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Homeland Security Research)

This report describes how biological data/information is being used to produce mathematical models of disease progression, and how such models serve to guide further experiments aimed at characterizing the risk of inhalational anthrax to man.

+ Full Paper (American Society for Microbiology)

Chlorine inactivation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1)

February 27, 2011 Comments off

Chlorine inactivation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1)
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Homeland Security Research)

Two Asian strains of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus were studied to determine their resistance to chlorination. Experiments were conducted at two pH levels (pH 7 and 8) at 5 oC. CT (chlorine concentration x exposure time) values were calculated for different levels of inactivation. Results confirm that free chlorine concentrations typically used in drinking water treatment would be sufficient to inactivate the virus.

+ Full Paper (CDC: Emerging Infectious Diseases)

Provisional Advisory Levels for Hazardous Agents

February 21, 2011 Comments off

Provisional Advisory Levels for Hazardous Agents (PDF)
Source: U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Technical Brief

PALs are threshold exposure limits for the general public, including susceptible and sensitive subpopulations. This tiered set of values is used in conducting threat scenario health risk assessments and for developing risk-based cleanup levels that will assist with the return to normal operations.

Compilation of Available Data on Building Decontamination Alternatives

February 20, 2011 Comments off

Compilation of Available Data on Building Decontamination Alternatives (PDF)
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Technical Brief

Building decontamination information available for regulators and environmental professionals — EPA has published the Building Decontamination Alternatives report, which provides information on effectively decontaminating buildings that are contaminated with chemical or biological (CB) warfare agents or with toxic industrial compounds. The report includes the review for three categories of technologies: • Liquid • Foam and gel • Gas and vapor-phase. The following information is provided for each technology reviewed: • A description • An assessment of the technical maturity • An evaluation of existing data (wherever possible information on material compatibilities, hardware performance, and generation of by-products is provided) • The current uses in addition to building decontamination • User concerns (e.g., health and safety issues) • Advantages and disadvantages • Future research areas.

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