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>Vol. 19, No.2
April 2009
The WRAP Sheet is published by the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Program - a NIST MEP affiliate.
In this issue...
1. Pollution Prevention and Community Outreach
2. Compliance, Enforcement and Regulatory Updates
3. Compliance Training
1. Pollution Prevention and Community Outreach
World's Most Sustainable Companies List
http://greenerhealth.blogspot.com/2009/02/global-most-sustainable-corporations.html
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Jackson Announces EPA Schools Monitoring Initiative
Administrator Jackson: 'Our job is to protect the American public where they live, work and play - and that certainly includes protecting schoolchildren where they learn.'
Contact: Cathy Milbourn, 202-564-4355 / milbourn.cathy@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - March 2, 2009) Lisa Jackson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced today a new initiative to further measure levels of toxic air pollution near many schools across the country for better protection. EPA and its state partners will prioritize and monitor schools for more extensive air quality analysis, looking closely at schools located near large industries and in urban areas.
"I'm a mother first, and like all parents, I want to be sure my children are breathing healthy air at school," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Questions have been raised about air quality around some U.S. schools, and those questions merit investigation. EPA will work quickly to make assessments and take swift action where necessary. Our job is to protect the American public where they live, work and play - and that certainly includes protecting schoolchildren where they learn."
Administrator Jackson has outlined an aggressive timeline for prioritizing and monitoring schools to determine any which are exposed to high levels of toxic air pollution. EPA anticipates monitoring at some schools will begin within the next 30 days. Directed by EPA, the monitoring will be conducted primarily by state and local governments. Some states have already begun monitoring.
Recent media reports have raised critical questions about air quality outside schools near large industrial facilities. At Administrator Jackson's confirmation hearings, she was asked about this issue by Congress and pledged to take swift action to investigate and remediate if necessary any potential high-risk exposure for our nation's school children.
EPA will work with states, tribes, and local communities to ensure that monitors are deployed quickly to get high-quality data and to share results with American families. This partnership will help EPA maximize its monitoring and analytical capabilities to develop a clearer picture of any potential risks to children from toxic air pollution. This action is particularly critical in some low-income areas, which are sometimes disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation.
From 1990 to 2005, emissions of air toxics in the United States declined 41 percent. Levels of air toxics, however, can vary widely from place to place depending upon a number of factors including the amount and types of industry nearby, proximity to heavily traveled or congested roadways, and weather patterns.
More information: http://www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/newtoxics.html
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EPA Announces $211 Million of Recovery Act Funding Available to Reduce Diesel Emissions, Spur Redevelopment, and Create Jobs
State and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and tribal agencies can now apply for up to an estimated $211 million in funding that will help create jobs for redevelopment nationwide and protect communities and the environment from diesel emissions. This is EPA funding available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 that President Obama signed into law on February 17, 2009.
Diesel grantees will use the total estimated $206 million to implement clean diesel projects that would cut thousands of tons of diesel emissions, including particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. As a result, the projects would also reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.
Brownfields grantees will use the total estimated $5 million to provide training for jobs and to facilitate job creation in the assessment, remediation, or preparation of brownfields sites for sustainable reuse. EPA anticipates awarding 10-12 cooperative agreements, whose maximum value each shall not exceed $500,000.
Preference will be given to projects that can be started and completed expeditiously. EPA plans to provide the funding in June. More information on the diesel and brownfields grants is available on EPA's website.
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EPA Issues New Requirements for Energy Star Computer Monitors, Picture Frames
Contact: Enesta Jones, 202-564-4355 / 7873 / jones.enesta@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - March 30, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing new requirements for computer monitors, digital picture frames and other displays to earn the Energy Star label. On average, Energy Star qualified products will be 20 percent more energy efficient than conventional options.
If all displays sold in the United States meet this new specification, the energy savings would grow to about $1 billion each year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from nearly 1.5 million vehicles.
To earn the label, the new specification includes a revision of existing requirements for computer monitors to a more stringent level, the fifth revision since products in this category have been eligible for the Energy Star label. EPA has also expanded the range of display products eligible for the label. In addition to computer monitors, digital picture frames and large commercial displays (up to 60 inches diagonal) can now qualify for the label when demonstrated to meet the energy efficiency requirements.
Digital picture frames offer an impressive opportunity for energy savings. It is estimated that 9.3 million digital picture frames were shipped in 2008 and by 2015 the number could more than double. Savings from digital picture frames represent about 10 percent of the total potential savings in this product area. Large displays are typically used in public and private settings such as restaurants, bars, hotels, clubs, museums, and educational settings, and outdoor environments in retail or transportation signage. Savings from large displays represent about 70 percent of the total potential savings in this product area.
The specification for displays less than 30 inches diagonal will be effective October 30, 2009. The specification for displays 30-60 inches diagonal will be effective on January 1, 2010.
More information on Energy Star: http://www.energystar.gov/
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Four Pharmaceutical Plants Earn EPA's Energy Star
EPA is recognizing the first four pharmaceutical plants to earn the Energy Star for performing in the top 25% of energy performance nationwide. Compared to similar pharmaceutical plants across the country, these facilities on average use nearly 35% less energy and together prevent the equivalent of 40,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
The plants are Allergan's Waco, Texas facility; AstraZeneca's Westborough, Massachusetts plant; AstraZeneca's Newark, Delaware plant; and
Schering-Plough's Cleveland, Tennessee facility.
The pharmaceutical sector spends more than $800 million on energy annually. EPA worked in partnership with pharmaceutical companies across the United States to develop the Energy Performance Indicator, which is available to all pharmaceutical companies and enables companies to benchmark their energy performance against others in the industry.
More information on Energy Star and how this program can be applied to pharmaceutical facilities is available online at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=in_focus.bus_pharmaceutical_focus
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2. Compliance, Enforcement and Regulatory Updates
TDEC takes a wait and see approach to new USEPA definition of Solid Waste
Memo from Garey Mabry, TDEC, Division of Solid Waste
Everyone,
For those of you who are interested, I have attached information on EPA's new Definition of Solid Waste Final Rule. The DSW Rule changes the RCRA Subtitle C definition of solid waste for certain materials that are recycled and classifies them as hazardous secondary materials. Since these materials are no longer solid waste, they cannot be hazardous waste if they meet the conditions of the rule. EPA predicts that metal bearing sludges and solvents will be the most common types of materials impacted by this rule change.
The new Rule is less stringent than the current regs, so states do not have to adopt it. There is a lot of interest from industry on this subject, with most encouraging us to adopt the total Rule. Of course there is a lot of potential for impact on our generator universes, our ability to track the management of these materials and a reduction in our generator fee revenue. We are still discussing what approach we are going to take in adopting all or parts of the Rule and what changes we might propose. This will be a very sensitive issue.
Below are some links to information on this Rule. I have also attached a PowerPoint presentation that provides a brief overview of the Rule as well as the EPA Fact Sheet and Frequently Asked Questions documents. If you have any questions or comments, please communicate with either Robert or me.
Thanks,
Garey
http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/dsw/index.htm - Link to EPA's Definition
of Solid Waste page. There are a number of links to information on the new DSW on this page.
http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/dsw/rulemaking.htm - Link to EPA's
Definition of Solid Waste Rulemaking Page - there are 3 links in the middle of the page to PDF versions of the October 30, 2008 Federal
Register publication of the rule. Further down the page are links to EPA's Supporting Studies and Analyses.
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EPA Issues Latest Information on Toxic Chemical Releases
Contact: Suzanne Ackerman, 202-564-4355 / ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - March 19, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today is making available the most recent reporting on the amount of toxic chemicals released into the U.S. environment. According to the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory, the latest data, from the calendar year 2007, show an overall decrease of five percent in releases since 2006. Releases to air decreased seven percent and releases to water decreased five percent.
"This information underscores the need for fundamental transparency and provides a powerful tool for protecting public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Serving the public's right to know is the crucial first step in reducing toxic chemicals in the places where we live, work, and raise children."
"I'm also pleased," Jackson added, 'that Congress under the leadership of Senator Lautenberg took action to restore the rigorous reporting standards of this vital program."
The report shows increases in the releases of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals like lead, dioxin, mercury and PCBs. Overall PBTs releases increased one percent. The increases were primarily due to a handful of facilities, and most of the releases reported were not to the air or water.
Total disposal or other releases of mercury increased 38 percent, but air emissions of mercury were down three percent. The majority of mercury releases were reported by the mining industry.
PCB releases went up 40 percent. EPA banned the production of PCBs in the U.S. in 1979 and disposing of it safely to
permitted, hazardous waste landfills is the final important step in removing it from use. Dioxin releases or disposal increased 11 percent.
Lead releases increased by one percent. The majority of lead released was by the mining industry to land.
This year's annual publication of the data includes 650 chemicals from 22,000 facilities. TRI provides the American public with vital information on chemical releases to communities and is an important tool industry can use to gauge its progress in reducing pollution. TRI reporting includes toxics managed in landfills and underground injection wells as well as those released into water and the air.
TRI tracks the chemicals and industrial sectors specified by the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act of 1986 and its amendments. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 also mandates that TRI reports include data on toxic chemicals treated on site, recycled, and burned for energy recovery. Together, these laws require facilities in certain industries to report annually on releases, disposal and other waste management activities related to these chemicals.
Recently, TRI reporting changed with the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 11. The new law returns TRI to the more comprehensive reporting requirements that were in effect before December 21, 2006.
More information on the TRI reporting change: http://www.epa.gov/tri
TRI 2007 Public Data Release: http://www.epa.gov/tri/tridata/tri07/index.htm
TRI Explorer tool: http://www.epa.gov/triexplorer
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Delay of Effective Date for Oil Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Requirements Finalized in December 2008
Contact: Latisha Petteway, (202) 564-4355 / petteway.latisha@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - Mar. 30, 2009) EPA is delaying the effective date of the final rule that amends the Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations promulgated in the Federal Register on Dec. 5, 2008, in accordance with the memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget entitled, "Implementation of Memorandum Concerning Regulatory Review" (M-09-08, January 21, 2009). The amendments will now become effective on January 14, 2010.
Additionally, EPA is requesting public comment on whether a further delay of the effective date may be warranted.
The Dec. 5, 2008, amendments to the SPCC rule clarified regulatory requirements, tailored requirements to particular industry sectors, and streamlined certain requirements for facility owners or operators subject to the rule. With these changes, EPA expects to encourage greater compliance with the SPCC regulations, thus resulting in increased protection of human health and the environment.
The amendments did not remove any regulatory requirement for owners or operators of facilities in operation before August 16, 2002, to develop, implement, and maintain an SPCC plan in accordance with the SPCC regulations then in effect. Such facilities are still required to maintain their plans during the interim until the applicable date for revising and implementing their plans under the new amendments.
Information on the SPCC Rule: http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/spcc/index.htm
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3. Compliance Training
UT CIS offers Environmental, Health & Safety WORKSHOPS throughout the year to help meet your compliance needs. For course information, please visit our Web site, call us at 615.532.8657 or toll-free at 888.763.7439, or make sure you are on our weekly email list for upcoming courses.
The TMEP is a program of The University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, an agency of the Institute for Public Service and an affiliate of NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
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Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Program
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Phone: 615.532.8657
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