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1. EPA PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT POLICY ISSUED; 2. EPA HOLDS MEETING ON DRAFT REPORT ON HEALTH EFFECTS FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER; 3. STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP ON THE U.S. CORAL REEFS MANAGEMENT TO BE HELD JUNE 18-20; 4. OHIO GAS COMPANY ADMITS TO ILLEGAL SEWER SYSTEM DISCHARGEPress Advisory
more information on any of these subjects, call the appropriate contact. FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2003 EPA PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT POLICY ISSUED Teresa Libera, 202 564-7873 or libera.teresa@epa.gov EPA Administrator Christie Whitman issued the new Public Involvement Policy on June 6. The updated policy gives clear guidance to EPA officials on effective ways to involve the public in its regulatory and program decision-making processes. The new policy reaffirms EPA's commitment to early and meaningful public involvement and to understanding the interests and concerns of affected people and entities. The policy recommends seven steps for effective public involvement: 1) plan and budget; 2) identify whom to involve; 3) consider providing assistance; 4) provide information; 5) conduct involvement; 6) review and use public input and provide feedback and 7) evaluate public involvement. The new policy recognizes: new statutes and regulations, expanded public participation techniques and media (e.g. Internet), emphasis on assuring compliance and increased state, tribal and local government capacity to carry out delegated programs. EPA also released “A Framework for Implementing EPA’s Public Involvement Policy" and "EPA’s Response to Public Comments on the Draft 2000 Public Involvement Policy." The policy, framework and EPA's responses are posted at: http://www.epa.gov/publicinvolvement/policy2003.htm. The policy is not a rule and is not legally enforceable. It supplements (but does not replace) public involvement requirements under existing laws and regulations and enables EPA to implement those requirements in the most effective ways. EPA HOLDS MEETING ON DRAFT REPORT ON HEALTH EFFECTS FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER DISASTER Suzanne Ackerman, 202-564-7819 or ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov On July 14 and 15, EPA will hold a peer review meeting in New York City on the draft report, “Exposure and Human Health Evaluation of Airborne Pollution from the World Trade Center Disaster,” an evaluation of the environmental levels of air pollutants to which the public could potentially have been exposed as a result of the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. The public is invited to observe the peer review conducted by an independent panel of scientific experts. In December 2002, EPA released the draft report for public review, and all public comments received by EPA were provided to the peer reviewers. Both public review and expert scientific review are customary and important steps that the Agency takes to ensure full and open participation by interested parties and that reports conform to the highest scientific standards. The draft evaluation concluded that with the exception of people exposed immediately following the collapse and perhaps during the next few days, people in the surrounding community are not likely to suffer from serious long or short term health effects from the attack on the World Trade Center. The draft document is available at: http://www.epa.gov/ncea/wtc.htm. A Federal Register notice published today provides logistical information on the meeting. Further information on attending the meeting is available at www.versar.com/epa/wtcpeerreview.htm or by calling Ms. Traci Bludis, Versar, Inc. at (703)750-3000, Ext. 449. STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP ON THE U.S. CORAL REEFS MANAGEMENT TO BE HELD JUNE 18-20 Suzanne Ackerman, 202-564-7819 or ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov EPA, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of the Interior will hold a stakeholder workshop on coral reefs, climate, and coral bleaching on June 18-20 in Oahu, Hawaii. EPA and its partner agencies are members of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, established in 1998 to lead the U.S. response to the coral reef crisis by protecting and restoring coral reef ecosystems for current and future generations. Coral reefs are an important ecosystem with great international economic and cultural value. These unique formations provide food from fisheries, protect coastal communities from storms, create income from tourism and recreation, provide novel pharmaceutical compounds, and serve as repositories for some of the greatest biological diversity in the world. The workshop will establish an integrated approach to U.S. coral reef management by developing an interdisciplinary partnership among state, territorial, and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, academic researchers, and other stakeholders to advance the science and tools for management of coral reefs in the context of climate and coral bleaching. ENFORCEMENT WRAP-UP John Millett, 202-564-7842 or millet.john@epa.gov OHIO GAS COMPANY ADMITS TO ILLEGAL SEWER SYSTEM DISCHARGE On June 9, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Biogas Energy, L.P., which operates a methane gas recovery and recycling plant in Dayton, pled guilty to two counts of negligently discharging wastewater containing ignitable methane condensate into the Montgomery County Sewer System, and two counts of negligently discharging without a permit. According to the plea agreement, on March 3 and March 14, 2000, the Moraine Fire Department responded to complaints of residents about a “foul odor” in the sewer lines at Biogas’ plant in Dayton. The situation was investigated by the Fire Department, the Ohio EPA, the U.S. EPA and other agencies. It was also independently investigated by Biogas. All parties agreed that the odor was due to the release of methane from Biogas. Releasing methane into sewers creates a fire and explosion hazard. The plea agreement recommends that Biogas pay a penalty of $100,000 per count. Biogas also agreed to pay $50,000 to the Wellfield Protection Program as a community service to benefit the Children’s Water Festival in Dayton. The exact penalty will be determined by the Court at sentencing. The case was investigated by members of the Dayton Environmental Crimes Task Force, EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, and the Ohio EPA. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. R163 # # # Release date:06/18/2003 Receive our News Releases Automatically by Email
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