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EPA Press Advisory: (1) Proposal to Remove Certain Combustion Turbines from Emissions Control; (2) Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines Can Now Earn the Energy Star; (3) New Partnership Plans to Cut Chemical Releases in Workplaces, Communities; (4) Virginia Environmental Firm Owner Convicted for use of False Training Certificates for Asbestos and Lead Removal Work; (5) Louisiana Plant and Plant Manager Plead Guilty to Releasing Hazardous Chemicals into U.S. Waters; (6) El Paso Company and Managers Indicted in Fraudulent Hazardous Waste Collection Scheme(1) Proposal to Remove Certain Combustion Turbines from Emissions Control Following a petition review and subsequent analysis, EPA has proposed to remove four of the eight subcategories of combustion turbines from emissions controls. The four subcategories include: 1) lean premix gas-fired turbines, 2) diffusion flame gas-fired turbines, 3) emergency stationary combustion turbines, and 4) stationary combustion turbines operated on the North Slope of Alaska. These turbines primarily burn natural gas and use oil as a backup to produce power. EPA reviewed exposure and health effects from these turbines submitted as part of a petition from the Gas Turbines Association. In addition to reviewing the association’s information, EPA conducted its own analysis on the source category to determine if any of the subcategories could be removed from regulatory consideration. After reviewing the industry’s request, and evaluating internal analyses, EPA has concluded that four subcategories meet the health and environmental criteria for delisting as required by the Clean Air Act. In a separate but closely related action, EPA proposed to stay, or delay, the enforcement of the combustion turbines hazardous air pollutant emissions standards for new turbines in the lean premix gas-fired turbines and diffusion flame gas-fired turbines subcategories. This action will avoid unnecessary expenditures on installation of emission controls which will not be required if these subcategories of turbines are delisted for regulation. The proposed rules and summary fact sheets are available at: http://www.epa.gov/airlinks/airlinks3.html. (2) Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines Can Now Earn the Energy Star John Millett 202-564-7842 / millett.john@epa.gov On Thursday, April 1 at the National Automatic Merchandising Association Spring Expo, EPA will announce the specifications for vending machines to earn the ENERGY STAR label. Vending machines that qualify as ENERGY STAR are 35 percent more energy efficient than standard new machine models and will save building and business owners up to $90/year in electricity costs per machine. Nearly 3.4 million refrigerated beverage vending machines are installed across the U.S.,and together consume more than 15 billion kWh/year. If all vending machines installed by 2012 have earned the ENERGY STAR, building and business owners could save $100 million dollars per year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking more than 200,000 cars off the road. The specifications will apply to new machine models. EPA is working closely with industry members to develop a refurbished (or retrofit) machine program that will allow older, less efficient machines to be upgraded to qualify as ENERGY STAR before the end of 2004. This will provide the bottler and building owner even more energy efficient options. Four manufacturers of vending machines -- Royal Vendors, Vendo, Dixie-Narco, and Crane Merchandising Systems -- have committed to manufacture and label newly qualified equipment. A number of refrigerated beverage vending machine models already qualify. Newly qualified model listings are available at: http://www.energystar.gov/products. For more information on ENERGY STAR visit: http://www.energystar.gov. (3) New Partnership Plans to Cut Chemical Releases in Workplaces, Communities Dave Ryan 202-564-7827 / ryan.dave@epa.gov Recognizing the value of cooperation to improve workplace and community safety, EPA signed an agreement on March 30 with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other chemical and safety groups establishing the Reactive Chemical Hazards Alliance to help reduce accidental chemical releases. The cooperating members will work to provide those involved in the manufacture, distribution, use and storage of chemicals with information, guidance, and access to training resources on the hazards of chemicals. Under this agreement, the members aim to: (1) increase awareness of the need to identify and manage chemical reactive hazards (CRH) among those who manufacture, distribute, use and store chemicals; (2) provide management information, methods and tools on chemical reactivity hazards to a variety of audiences in meaningful and useful forms; and (3) gain experience in the use of methods and tools to continuously improve identification and management of CRH. Specifically, the members will develop and disseminate information through print and electronic media and the internet, and make the CCPS’ publication, “ Essential Practices for Managing Chemical Reactivity Hazards,” available through web sites and other outreach media. EPA is working with the American Chemistry Council, the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), the National Association for Chemical Distributors, the Chlorine Institute, the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association, and the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center of Texas A&M University in this collaborative effort. More information about the Reactive Chemical Hazards Alliance is available at: http://www.osha.gov. Weekly Enforcement Wrap Up Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819 / ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov (4) Virginia Environmental Firm Owner Convicted for use of False Training Certificates for Asbestos and Lead Removal Work Ethel Mae Holmes, owner of Holmes Environmental, Inc., in Virginia Beach, Va., was convicted on March 23 on 12 felony counts involving conspiracy, mail fraud and filing false claims with the U.S. government. The jury convicted Holmes of buying false asbestos and lead abatement training certificates from F&M Environmental Technologies Inc., a company who pled guilty to selling false certificates in 2001. The false certificates claimed Holmes’ employees had received asbestos and lead abatement training when they were not trained. The certificates were used to fraudulently obtain licenses for Holmes’ employees to perform asbestos and lead abatement work at the Pentagon, the Virginia Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, the Virginia Employment Commission, the United States Army at Ft. Eustis and other facilities. Proper training is required to do asbestos and lead abatement work to prevent human exposure to hazardous substances. Inhaling airborne asbestos fibers is a known cause of lung cancer, the lung disease known as “asbestosis,” and mesothelioma, cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. Exposure to sufficient quantities of lead can cause neurological, learning or behavioral disorders. 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. Army Criminal Investigations Division, the Defense Criminal Investigative Services, the Defense Contract Audit Office and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Alexandria and the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. 5) Louisiana Plant and Plant Manager Plead Guilty to Releasing Hazardous Chemicals into U.S. Waters Industrial Zeolite Ltd., and Emanuel Anthony Drouin, manager of the Industrial Zeolite plant located in LeCompte, La.; both pled guilty on March 18 to charges arising from the unpermitted release of pollutants into U.S. waters. The defendants pled guilty to violating the Clean Water Act on Dec. 31, 2002 by knowingly releasing 1.1 million gallons of wastewater containing sodium hydroxide and aluminosilicate into a ditch connected to the Callahan Bayou which feeds into the Red River. In addition, Industrial Zeolite pled guilty to violating the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act between Dec. 26, 2002 and Jan. 6, 2003, by failing to report the release of up to 84,000 gallons of wastewater containing approximately 5,505 pounds of sodium hydroxide and approximately 2,000 pounds of aluminosilicate. The defendants also face charges by the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office for state environmental violations. Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic substance. The release of this chemical or aluminosilicate into surface waters can harm fish, wildlife, and aquatic life and make surface waters unsafe for human recreation and drinking. The case was investigated by the New Orleans Area Office of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Louisiana. (6) El Paso Company and Managers Indicted in Fraudulent Hazardous Waste Collection Scheme Villafam Contracting Services, LLC, of El Paso, Texas, and two of its managers, Hector I. Villa, III and Denise Y. Villa-Aceves, were each indicted on March 22 on charges that they conspired to commit mail fraud by submitting falsely inflated invoices to the city regarding the amount of hazardous waste collected and disposed of by the company. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Villafam is charged with one count of mail fraud, and Hector Villa and Denise Villa-Aceves are each charged with six counts of mail fraud. The indictment also contains a notice of forfeiture by which the government seeks to recover the alleged proceeds of the scheme, including company assets and a monetary sum of $391,393. The case was investigated by the Dallas Area Office of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in El Paso. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law. R059 ### Release date:03/31/2004 Receive our News Releases Automatically by Email
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