EPA National News: EPA Press Advisory: (1) 2002 Toxics Release Inventory Released; (2) Data Show Small Percentage of Drinking Water Systems Exceed Lead Action Level; (3) Public Comment Sought for EPA Particulate Matter Research; (4) Yarn Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Clean Water Act Charges; (5) McWane, Inc., and Four Individuals Indicted under Clean Water Act; (6) Former Alabama Plant Manager Agrees to Plead to Conspiracy Charge
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EPA Press Advisory: (1) 2002 Toxics Release Inventory Released; (2) Data Show Small Percentage of Drinking Water Systems Exceed Lead Action Level; (3) Public Comment Sought for EPA Particulate Matter Research; (4) Yarn Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Clean Water Act Charges; (5) McWane, Inc., and Four Individuals Indicted under Clean Water Act; (6) Former Alabama Plant Manager Agrees to Plead to Conspiracy Charge

Following are some Agency developments which may interest you. If you need
more information on any of these subjects, call the appropriate contact.


News for release: (Washington, D.C. -- Wednesday, June 23, 2004)


2002 Toxics Release Inventory Released


Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819/ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov



EPA issued its 15th annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) today, the annual report on the amount of toxic chemicals released into the environment by reporting facilities for calendar year 2002. Almost 25,000 facilities reported on nearly 650 chemicals. While the TRI Public Data Release will show that there was a 15 percent decrease in total disposal or other releases into the environment from 2001 to 2002, that decrease is largely attributable to a court decision that affected reporting by the metal mining sector. Without metal mining, there was a 5 percent increase from 2001 to 2002, primarily due to increases reported by one facility. Looking at the overall history of TRI, trends analysis shows chemical releases decreased 49 percent since the inception of TRI in 1988. EPA provides the American public with data on chemical emissions and releases in many formats from many different databases. TRI tracks the chemicals and industrial sectors specified by the Emergency Community Right to Know Act of 1986 and its amendments. EPA's efforts to improve TRI data quality and to make data publicly available sooner has been made possible by increased electronic reporting from the TRI community - a direct result of the advances in E-Government and called for in the President's Management Agenda. Over 23 percent of TRI reports this year were submitted electronically through EPA’s Environmental Information Exchange Network, a substantial paper burden reduction for industry. The TRI data and background information are available to the public at http://www.epa.gov/tri . Communities can also quickly and easily identify local facilities and chemical releases by using the TRI explorer mapping tool, available at: http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer .


Data Show Small Percentage of Drinking Water Systems Exceed Lead Action Level

Contact: Cathy Milbourn 202-564-7824/milbourn.cathy@epa.gov


Since 2000, fewer than 4 percent of large- and medium-sized drinking water systems have exceeded EPA’s lead action level, according to information gathered by the Agency and available online. The information represents lead monitoring conducted by 89 percent of the nation’s large and medium drinking water systems. Together these systems serve more than 200 million people. In the United States, there are 834 large water systems, which serve more than 50,000 people, and 7,833 medium systems that serve 3,300 - 50,000 people. Under EPA regulations, drinking water utilities sample water for lead from a representative cross-section of customers. If customer tap samples from more than 10 percent of the homes served by a single system exceed the15 parts per billion (ppb) action level for lead, the utility must control corrosion, increase monitoring, educate the public and, in some cases, replace lead service lines. The data received to date show that 12 large and 73 medium systems exceeded the 15 ppb lead action level in monitoring periods concluded after 2003. Since 2000, 27 large and 237 medium systems have exceeded the action level in one or more monitoring periods. The data received to date show that fewer than 4 percent of water systems have exceeded the lead action level since 2000.

EPA is conducting a review of how the national primary drinking water regulation for lead is implemented nationwide in response to elevated levels of lead in Washington, D.C. drinking water. Part of this will be to determine if the problems found in the District reflect those happening nationally. There are approximately 53,000 community water systems in the United States. EPA is continuing to collect lead-monitoring information and will update its findings throughout the summer. A summary of the findings for large and medium systems and related data is available on EPA’s Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lcrmr/implement.html .

Public Comment Sought for EPA Particulate Matter Research

Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819/ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov


To improve monitoring and regulation of air pollutants, three draft chapters of the “Air Quality Criteria for Particulate Matter(PM AQCD) were released by EPA today for public comment and review. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six principal or “criteria” pollutants, which include particulate matter (PM). Periodically, EPA reviews the scientific basis for these standards by preparing an Air Quality Criteria Document (AQCD). The AQCD is the scientific basis for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation decisions as to the adequacy of the current PM NAAQS and the appropriateness of new or revised standards for PM 2.5 (fine particles) or PM 10 (coarse particles). The draft PM AQCD Chapters 7 (Toxicology), 8 (Epidemiology), and 9 (Integrated Summary) incorporate revisions made in response to earlier external review of those chapters. On July 20 and 21, 2004, the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), an independent review committee and part of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB), will review these draft chapters at a public meeting. The draft chapters are available at:http://www.epa.gov/ncea under “What’s New.” CD-ROM and hard copies of the draft documents can also be obtained by contacting Diane Ray at 919-541-3637.


Weekly Enforcement Wrap Up

Suzanne Ackerman 202-564-7819/ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov
Yarn Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Clean Water Act Charges


Dutton Yarn company, L.P., a yarn processing facility in Lowell, Mass., agreed to plead guilty on June 10 to violations of the Clean Water Act resulting from the illicit discharge of pollutants into a local river. Under the terms of the agreement, Dutton Yarn is expected to plead guilty to a two-count information that charges the company with the negligent discharge of wastewater containing pollutants creating a bio-chemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand through an undergound pipe into the Meadowbrook River in Massachusetts. Upon entering a guilty plea, the defendant will pay a $300,000 fine and establish an environmental compliance program. Discharging wastewater with bio-chemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand into surface waters can harm fish and aquatic life. This type of discharge causes excessive amounts of oxygen to be consumed by bacteria, depriving other aquatic organisms of oxygen needed to support life. The case was investigated by the Boston Area Office of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston.

McWane, Inc., and Four Individuals Indicted under Clean Water Act


On May 26, McWane, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., and four individuals who worked at the Birmingham facility - James Delk, former Vice-President and General Manager; Charles Robinson, Vice-President for Environmental Affairs; Michael Devine, former plant manager; and Donald Bills, plant engineer - were all indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act, making false statements to EPA and Obstruction of Justice. Twenty-four additional charges were brought against some of the defendants alleging violations of the Clean Water Act, false statements and Obstruction of Justice. The charges arise from alleged discharges of process wastewater that exceeded permitted limits of oil and grease into Avondale Creek in Birmingham in 2000 and 2001. Discharging wastewater with higher than permitted levels of oil and grease creates a potential risk to fish and wildlife and may make surface waters unfit for recreational and drinking water uses. The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Area Office of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Birmingham and the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.

Former Alabama Plant Manager Agrees to Plead to Conspiracy Charge


On May 26, Donald Harbin, who held various management positions from 1995-2001 at the McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company in Birmingham, Ala. agreed to plead guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act. During his tenure at McWane, the company allegedly discharged processed wastewater into Avondale Creek in violation of a federal discharge permit. Discharging wastewater in violation of a permit creates a potential risk to fish and wildlife and may make surface waters unfit for recreational and drinking water uses. The maximum sentence for conspiracy is up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Area Office of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Birmingham and the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.


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Release date:06/23/2004 Receive our News Releases Automatically by Email

 

 
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