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Shipyard CWA Settlement an Educational Experience for Many Following an inspection in 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that up until the summer of 2011, a Gloucester, Massachusetts, shipyard had directly discharged process waters from its boat-washing operations into Smith Cove, which opens into Gloucester Harbor. The discharges contained mixed wastes, including paint […]
Superfund Site Redevelopment—Removing Barriers Although the SRI has a great track record of getting Superfund sites returned to use, some sites still remain undeveloped despite being cleaned up years ago because barriers remain that hamper site desirability. To address these barriers, the SRI implemented the RTU Initiative with the goal of removing or modifying barriers […]
Superfund Site Redevelopment—Common Concerns Despite the negative connotations associated with Superfund sites, many are salvageable and reusable, not only for purposes like landfills or parking lots but also for recreational, commercial, and industrial uses. By 2014, EPA’s SRI had assisted with more than 800 sites now in continued, active, or planned reuse over its 15-year […]
Steam Electric Power Plant Proposed Rule—Before and After Right now, in the United States, there are approximately 1,200 steam electric power plants powered by nuclear or fossil fuels. Of these, about 500 are coal-fired and considered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be the primary source of the pollutants addressed by the proposed […]
Targeted Wastestreams in the Steam Electric Power Plant Proposed Rule Under the CWA, the EPA is required to periodically review ELGs to assess if revisions are necessary. However, for the steam electric power generating category, the last revisions were made in 1982. Even the EPA admits the current regulations are out of date, stating they […]
Settlement Will Substantially Slash Sulfuric Acid Emissions from Fertilizer Production Plants In a recent settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), three subsidiaries of the world’s largest fertilizer manufacturer will spend an estimated $50 million to reduce sulfuric acid (SO2) emissions at eight plants in Louisiana, […]
After the Flood: UST Response Tips Floods can be devastating events, causing billions of dollars in damage. When USTs are impacted by flooding, the damage can include releases of a variety of UST contents into the environment, adding to the destruction and the costs for USTs’ owners and operators. When a UST has been in […]
Before the Flood: UST Prep Tips One of the greatest natural threats affecting the United States is flooding that can result from a variety of events—from heavy rain to earthquakes and tsunamis to hurricanes. Floods can also result from man-made events like dam and levee breaches and poor stormwater management. Knowing what can happen and […]
2014 TSCA Work Plan Assessment Update—How It Works In the beginning, back in 2012, the EPA first used several sources to identify chemicals meeting prioritization factor criteria as potential candidates for review, a process that initially identified 1,235 chemicals. Next, the chemicals were screened to determine if any chemicals should be excluded due to other […]
EPA Levies Second Largest Civil Penalty for Alleged CWA Violations In a joint enforcement action announced in September 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) settled with a West Virginia-based oil and natural gas company for multiple violations of the CWA. […]