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| January 2004 Press Releases |
| (01/30/2004) EPA/DOJ Enforcement Case Brings Clean Air Benefits to Boston - BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice today announced that they have reached a $6 million enforcement case settlement with a local power plant that will result in significant air quality improvements for Boston school children and North Shore commuters, as well as a restored salt marsh in Chelsea and construction of a new commuter bike path across the Mystic River that will link Everett and Somerville. |
| (01/29/2004) EPA Settles Complaint With San Fernando Refrigeration Company For $37,000 - LOS ANGELES -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently reached a $37,415 settlement with Anthony International, a manufacturer of commercial refrigeration products, for failing to report the use of toxic chemicals at its San Fernando, Calif. facility. |
| (01/28/2004) EPA Seeks Fine Against West Springfield for Oil Spill at High School - BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced it has filed an enforcement complaint against the City of West Springfield regarding a 4,000 gallon oil spill last year at West Springfield High School. As part of the administrative process, EPA will be proposing a penalty which will reflect the seriousness of the violations. |
| (01/27/2004) Sloan-Kettering Fined for Failure to Properly Manage Hazardous Waste - New York, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it has cited Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for violating numerous hazardous waste management requirements. The Agency is seeking full compliance and $214,420 in penalties for the violations. |
| (01/26/2004) EPA fines Tempe company $17,500 for toxic air emissions - SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined a Tempe company $17,500 for failing to comply with federal standards for air toxics emissions from its degreasing operations. |
| (01/22/2004) EPA Issues Guidance About Landowners Whose Property May Be Contaminated by a Neighbor's Action's - EPA has issued a new policy that provides guidance on liability protection under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) for landowners who own property that is or may be contaminated by a neighbor's actions. This interim guidance discusses a new section added to the Statute by the Brownfields Amendment of 2002, Section 107(q), that is directed at contiguous property owners: landowners who own property that is or may be contaminated by hazardous substances but is not the original source of the contamination. To meet the contiguous property owner liability protection requirement, a landowner must meet statutory criteria that include but are not limited to: demonstrating that he did not cause, contribute, or consent to the release of hazardous substances; is not affiliated with a liable party in any way (familial, financial, contractual); and has taken reasonable steps to stop any continuing release, and prevent or limit human and environmental exposure to the hazardous substances. EPA's interim guidance also addresses three other issues: (1) the application of section 107(q) to current and former owners of property; (2) the relationship between new section 107(q) and EPA Residential Homeowner Policy and Contaminated Aquifers Policy; and (3) the mechanisms EPA may provide, in its discretion, to resolve the liability concerns of contiguous property owners. |
| (01/21/2004) EPA Proposes Reissuance of Teck Cominco Alaska, inc. ( Red Dog Mine ) - This Notice will serve as Public Notice Of EPA's Issuance of a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with the NPDES permit. In 1984, EPA and the U.S. Department of Interior issued an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Red Dog Mine Project. |
| (01/20/2004) U.S. EPA settles Clean Water Act case with Los Angeles developer - LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it has settled a case with a Los Angeles property developer over federal Clean Water Act stormwater runoff violations near Saugus, Calif. |
| (01/16/2004) Company and Employee Sentenced for Buying False Asbestos Training Certificates - Macsons Inc. of Norfolk, Va., and its Contract Representative, William McCloud of Chesapeake, Va., were sentenced on Jan. 7 for purchasing false asbestos training certificates which they used to obtain asbestos abatement work. Macsons was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and serve one year probation, and McCloud to pay a $12,000 fine and serve one year of probation. The defendants purchased false asbestos training certificates from F&M; Environmental Technologies Inc. These certificates were used to obtain asbestos abatement contracts at Langley Air Force Base and NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., and at a number of other federal and state facilities in the Virginia area. The contracts were then performed using untrained workers. Proper training of workers handling asbestos is necessary to prevent human exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Inhaling airborne asbestos fibers is a cause of lung cancer, the lung disease "asbestosis," and mesothelioma, a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. The case was investigated by the Washington, D.C., Area Office of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Defense Contract Audit Office and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alexandria.
Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819 / ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov |
| (01/16/2004) EPA gives $433,000 to Eureka to reduce wastewater overflows - SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded a $433,700 grant to the city of Eureka for improvements for the city's wastewater conveyance system to help reduce sewage spills. |
| (01/16/2004) Richmond Man Sentenced for Hiring Untrained Workers to Handle Asbestos During Apartment Renovation - PHILADELPHIA -- On January 14, 2004, in Richmond, Va., Manuel CedeZo was sentenced to two months of home confinement, 10 additional months of probation, and a $25,000 criminal fine for knowingly using untrained workers to handle asbestos. |
| (01/15/2004) EPA Cites Hazardous Waste Violations at Two Southeastern Pa. Foundries - PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited two metal foundries in southeastern Pennsylvania for violations of federal hazardous waste regulations. In separate complaints, EPA has proposed a $69,198 penalty against Buck Company, Inc., owner of a foundry in Quarryville, Lancaster Co., Pa, and a $16,698 penalty against Kief Industries, Inc., owner of the Excelsior Brass Works foundry in Blandon, Berks Co., Pa. |
| (01/15/2004) Emporia Foundry Settles Complaint Alleging Hazardous Waste Violations at Virginia Plant - PHILADELPHIA - Emporia Foundry has agreed to pay a $110,000 settlement and end the on-site treatment and storage of lead-containing baghouse dust. In a related settlement with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VaDEQ), the foundry will pay an additional $54,000 penalty to Virginia. VaDEQ will also review and approve closure plans for the on-site baghouse dust treatment unit and concrete pad where the treated dust was stored. |
| (01/15/2004) Portions of Rocky Mountain Arsenal deleted from Superfund - Denver -- The Environmental Protection Agency today announced the National Priority List (NPL) partial deletion of the Selected Perimeter Area (SPA) and the Surface Deletion Area (SDA) of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA). The NPL deletion is the last step in the process to remove from the federal Superfund program areas that no longer pose a significant threat to human health or the environment. |
| (01/14/2004) EPA Charges Three Companies With Stormwater Violations at Massachusetts Development - BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it has filed complaints against three New Hampshire-based companies for alleged violations of stormwater regulations at a residential development in Methuen, Massachusetts. The companies are Methuen Group Realty Trust, which owns the "Birch Hill Estates" subdivision; Ashwood Development Companies, the developer and general contractor for the development; and Park Construction Companies, the company responsible for road construction and utility installation at the site. The complaint seeks up to $137,500 for the alleged violations. |
| (01/14/2004) EPA approves partial removal of Oahu's Del Monte site from Superfund List - HONOLULU--The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently approved the removal of the Poamoho section of Del Monte Corporation's Kunia, Oahu pineapple plantation from the national Superfund list. |
| (01/13/2004) EPA Announces $48 Million Cleanup Decision for the Beede Waste Oil Superfund Site in Plaistow N.H. - BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $48 million cleanup plan for restoration of the 39-acre Beede Waste Oil Superfund site in Plaistow, N.H. |
| (01/09/2004) Superfund Cleanups in New England - Setting The Record Straight - The recent release of a long-anticipated EPA Inspector General report on Superfund cleanups, subsequent statements by members of Congress and an Associated Press news story underscores several common misunderstandings regarding EPA's program to clean toxic waste sites. This program, called Superfund, has made significant accomplishments since its inception 23 years ago and continues to identify and clean sites contaminated with toxic pollutants. Because a few cleanup sites within New England are mentioned in the report, it is important for the public to have accurate information which is not misleading. |
| (01/08/2004) EPA Orders Town of Great Barrington to Follow Clean Water Act - BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it has issued a compliance order to the Town of Great Barrington for alleged Clean Water Act violations at its wastewater treatment plant, which discharges into the Housatonic River. |
| (01/08/2004) Hudson Company Pays $82,500 Penalty to Resolve Clean Water Violations - BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced it has settled an administrative complaint issued against Hudson Lock LLC of Hudson, MA for violations of the federal Clean Water Act. |
| (01/08/2004) Port Jervis to Receive EPA Grant for Brownfields Cleanup - NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today presented a ceremonial check for grants totaling $325,000 to the city of Port Jervis, New York. The money will be used to clean up two sites, which Port Jervis has redevelopment plans for: the former Erie-Lackawanna Railroad yard and the former State Wide Oil property, both now abandoned andcontaminated with petroleum wastes. |
| (01/06/2004) U.S. EPA settles with city of Long Beach over pollution clean up costs at emergency response site - LOS ANGELES -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the city of Long Beach has settled with the agency for reimbursement of costs to clean up hazardous wastes from contaminated property in Signal Hill. |
| (01/05/2004) Assistant Administrator for Enforcement at EPA Resigns - Today, John Peter Suarez, the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, submitted his letter of resignation to President George W. Bush. |
| (01/05/2004) City and County of Honolulu to pay $82,532 for hazardous waste violations - HONOLULU --The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a settlement with the City and County of Honolulu requiring the municipality to pay $82,532 for hazardous waste violations at its maintenance yard on Oahu. |
| (01/05/2004) Investigation of Areas of Vieques Begins - (04002) Vieques, Puerto Rico -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the beginning of the investigation of areas of eastern Vieques under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). As a part of this investigation, contractors working for the U.S. Navy will be sampling surface and subsurface soil and ground water from 10 newly installed wells. EPA, in cooperation with Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board, will oversee the investigation. |
| (01/02/2004) Toolkit for Assessing Allegations for Potential Injustice - Allegations of environmental injustice describe the situations where communities, predominantly of minority and/or low-income
populations, believe that the goal has not been achieved because of their belief that there is
disproportionate exposure to environmental harms and risks. |
| (01/01/2004) Action Plans to Integrate Environmental Justice - In her August 9, 2001 memorandum, the Administrator directed EPA's senior managers to integrate environmental justice into all EPA policies, programs, and activities. In the following year, each Headquarters and Regional Office developed implementation plans to transform the Administrator's words into action, with measurable results. |
| (01/01/2004) Action Plans to Integrate Environmental Justice are now available - The "Action Plans" for integrating environmental justice into each headquarters and regional office's policies, programs, and activities, are now available. |
| (01/01/2004) FedFacs, Issue 16, Winter 2003-2004 - The newest issue of FedFacs focuses on pollution prevention and environmental stewardship activities at federal agencies. The issue features a guest editorial by Ken Zarker, Chair of the National Pollution Prevention Partnership, and other articles contributed by federal civilian and military agencies and departments. |
| (01/01/2004) Seeking Applications to Address a Training Course on Environmental Laws - CFDA 66.607 - Under CFDA 66.607, the Office of Environmental Justice, Environmental Protection Agency, is seeking a cooperative agreement with a non-profit, 501(c)(3)organization, on a continuing project to formulate and conduct a training course on environmental laws and alternative dispute resolution. Applicants must have a thorough understanding of environmental laws and their application in alternative dispute resolution. Applicants must demonstrate existing experience in designing the course curriculum and delivering this training to communities with environmental justice issues. Proposals must clearly describe the curriculum design, training logistics, training delivery, and course evaluation as the essential components. The training will take place once each year, for 3 years. The total award amount is estimated at $300,000 and period of performance is from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2006.
Applications should be submitted to Linda K. Smith, Project Officer, U.S. EPA (MC-2201A), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460 by mail or courier delivery service by midnight February 28, 2004. |
