Emergency Response and Removal Program

Emergency Response Emergency Response and Removal Program and Removal Program

Evaluate approximately 1,200 oil and Evaluate approximately 1,200 oil and chemical release notifications per yearchemical release notifications per year

Provide technical assistance by telephone Provide technical assistance by telephone or deploy to the incident to lead, assist, or deploy to the incident to lead, assist, monitor or direct the responsemonitor or direct the response

Conduct approximately 20 Superfund Conduct approximately 20 Superfund Removal Actions and obligate $10M per Removal Actions and obligate $10M per yearyear

Removal Actions contribute significantly to clean up of contaminated properties so they can be put back into productive use

Several recent Removal Action sites were identified through Brownfields assessment activities

EPA New England EPA New England Responds to National Responds to National IncidentsIncidents EPA NE OSCs and contractor personnel EPA NE OSCs and contractor personnel

have responded to the following:have responded to the following:- - World Trade Center Collapse World Trade Center Collapse - Anthrax Contamination on Capitol Hill- Anthrax Contamination on Capitol Hill- Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster- Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster- 2004 Democratic & Republican National - 2004 Democratic & Republican National ConventionsConventions- 2006 Hurricane Katrina Response- 2006 Hurricane Katrina Response

Incidents Provide staff with valuable Incidents Provide staff with valuable experience and lessons-learned that are experience and lessons-learned that are incorporated into Regional preparedness incorporated into Regional preparedness effortsefforts

Emergency Response and Emergency Response and Removal Program - 2007 Removal Program - 2007 PrioritiesPriorities Continue to train and Continue to train and

exercise to enhance response exercise to enhance response readinessreadiness

Continue to conduct Continue to conduct Superfund and Oil Removal Superfund and Oil Removal Actions to address immediate Actions to address immediate threatsthreats

Continue to work with state Continue to work with state partners to improve Regional partners to improve Regional debris management plans in debris management plans in preparation for a New preparation for a New England hurricane or avian England hurricane or avian influenza outbreakinfluenza outbreak

UST/LUST – New Energy UST/LUST – New Energy Bill Requirements for Bill Requirements for 20072007 Currently >14,000 facilities in New EnglandCurrently >14,000 facilities in New England ME, NH, RI & VT may meet inspection ME, NH, RI & VT may meet inspection

requirement with in-house staff and 3requirement with in-house staff and 3rdrd party inspectionsparty inspections

CT & MA are responsible for ~8,000 CT & MA are responsible for ~8,000 facilities and are considering 3facilities and are considering 3rdrd party party inspections to meet the three year inspections to meet the three year requirementrequirement

New England States perform ~1,500 New England States perform ~1,500 inspections per yearinspections per year

Office of Environmental Office of Environmental StewardshipStewardship

Address significant environmental, public health and Address significant environmental, public health and compliance problemscompliance problems

Use data to make strategic decisions and better direct Use data to make strategic decisions and better direct resourcesresources

Use appropriate tools to achieve best outcomeUse appropriate tools to achieve best outcome

Measure the environmental and public health impact Measure the environmental and public health impact of our actionsof our actions

Communicate outcomes to enhance effectiveness and Communicate outcomes to enhance effectiveness and to deter future violationsto deter future violations

Incorporate environmental justice into everything we Incorporate environmental justice into everything we dodo

Smart EnforcementSmart Enforcement

Tough Enforcement Alive and Tough Enforcement Alive and Well in New England – FY’06Well in New England – FY’06

Inspections up at least 20% to 2nd highest total in past 5 years Inspections up at least 20% to 2nd highest total in past 5 years

$270 million injunctive relief (work required to bring facilities $270 million injunctive relief (work required to bring facilities into compliance)into compliance)

Civil judicial referrals nearly doubledCivil judicial referrals nearly doubled

Administrative penalty cases at 2Administrative penalty cases at 2ndnd highest level in 5 years highest level in 5 years

Value of Supplemental Environmental Projects up 25% to just Value of Supplemental Environmental Projects up 25% to just under $1 millionunder $1 million

More than 60 facilities voluntarily disclosed and corrected More than 60 facilities voluntarily disclosed and corrected violationsviolations

Superfund EnforcementSuperfund Enforcement

WR Grace Site in Acton, MA -- settlement WR Grace Site in Acton, MA -- settlement agreement to generate $18 million towards agreement to generate $18 million towards site clean up site clean up

Beede Waste Oil Site in Plaistow, NH -- Beede Waste Oil Site in Plaistow, NH -- unilateral cleanup order issued to 30 parties unilateral cleanup order issued to 30 parties for $48 million remedial actionfor $48 million remedial action

Cost recovery practice generated over $10 Cost recovery practice generated over $10 millionmillion

CSO Control and EliminationCSO Control and Elimination

National and regional priority is to eliminate National and regional priority is to eliminate untreated CSO discharges untreated CSO discharges

New England has the 4New England has the 4thth largest number of largest number of permittees among EPA regionspermittees among EPA regions

Less than 30% of the CSO flow that existed in Less than 30% of the CSO flow that existed in 1990 remains1990 remains

Working towards substantial reduction in Working towards substantial reduction in those remaining flows over the next decadethose remaining flows over the next decade

Storm Water Compliance at Storm Water Compliance at Construction Sites – Expedited Construction Sites – Expedited SettlementsSettlements

Expedited settlement offers are being Expedited settlement offers are being used for storm water violations used for storm water violations associated with construction activitiesassociated with construction activities

Designed to supplement traditional Designed to supplement traditional administrative and judicial enforcement administrative and judicial enforcement optionsoptions

Provides mechanism to assess smallProvides mechanism to assess smallexpedited penalties for violations thatexpedited penalties for violations that

can can quicklyquickly be corrected be corrected

Diesel IdlingDiesel Idling

State anti-idling rules included in state State anti-idling rules included in state implementation plans are enforceable by both implementation plans are enforceable by both state and federal environmental agenciesstate and federal environmental agencies

Action taken against largest national retailer, Action taken against largest national retailer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., for idling violations in CT Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., for idling violations in CT and MAand MA– Settlement resulted in the company undertaking a Settlement resulted in the company undertaking a

national effort to reduce diesel truck idling at its national effort to reduce diesel truck idling at its 4,000 facilities nationwide4,000 facilities nationwide

– Will conserve 2.1 million gallons of fuel and reduce Will conserve 2.1 million gallons of fuel and reduce emissions of smog precursors and particulate matteremissions of smog precursors and particulate matter

Lead Paint HazardsLead Paint Hazards

Federal Lead Paint Disclosure Rule and Lead Pre-Federal Lead Paint Disclosure Rule and Lead Pre-Renovation RuleRenovation Rule

70 inspections covering close to10,000 housing 70 inspections covering close to10,000 housing units across New Englandunits across New England

10 enforcement actions taken10 enforcement actions taken

$ 74,000 paid in fines and penalties$ 74,000 paid in fines and penalties

$ 279,000 paid in SEPs and injunctive relief to be $ 279,000 paid in SEPs and injunctive relief to be used for testing and abating lead paint hazardsused for testing and abating lead paint hazards

Initiative designed to increase complianceInitiative designed to increase compliance Outreach assistance – workshops, list serverOutreach assistance – workshops, list server Grant funds provided to:Grant funds provided to:

– Reduce pharmaceutical waste in hospitals as well as Reduce pharmaceutical waste in hospitals as well as dispose of it more effectivelydispose of it more effectively

– Train inspectors from JCAHO to incorporate environmental Train inspectors from JCAHO to incorporate environmental compliance and pollution prevention into accreditation compliance and pollution prevention into accreditation processprocess

EPA’s Audit PolicyEPA’s Audit Policy– encouraging facilities to voluntarily self-policeencouraging facilities to voluntarily self-police– 30 major hospitals & 66 minor facilities under MOU30 major hospitals & 66 minor facilities under MOU

Hospitals for Healthy Environment partnersHospitals for Healthy Environment partners reduced mercury use by 380 poundsreduced mercury use by 380 pounds

www.epa.gov/region1/healthcarewww.epa.gov/region1/healthcare

Health Care IndustryHealth Care Industry

Marinas & BoatyardsMarinas & Boatyards

Integrating both assistance & enforcementIntegrating both assistance & enforcement

Partnering with states and marine trade Partnering with states and marine trade industryindustry

Four years of assistance and outreachFour years of assistance and outreach

Inspections and enforcement in ’06 shows Inspections and enforcement in ’06 shows some progress and lingering problems in some progress and lingering problems in RCRA, storm water and oil spill preventionRCRA, storm water and oil spill prevention

www.epa.gov/region1/marinaswww.epa.gov/region1/marinas

Performance TrackPerformance Track

U.S. EPA Program to: U.S. EPA Program to: – Promote Superior Environmental Performance; andPromote Superior Environmental Performance; and– Recognize Top PerformersRecognize Top Performers

To Join Performance Track, facilities must:To Join Performance Track, facilities must:– Have an operational Environmental Management System Have an operational Environmental Management System

(EMS) in place(EMS) in place– Have a history of sustained complianceHave a history of sustained compliance– Commit to 3-year environmental improvement goalsCommit to 3-year environmental improvement goals– Demonstrate a commitment to public outreachDemonstrate a commitment to public outreach

42 member facilities in New England, up 35% over past year42 member facilities in New England, up 35% over past year 16 Energy Challenge members reduced GHG emissions by 16 Energy Challenge members reduced GHG emissions by

7% over two years from 2003 baseline7% over two years from 2003 baseline www.epa.gov/region1/ems/performancetrackwww.epa.gov/region1/ems/performancetrack

Office of Ecosystem Office of Ecosystem ProtectionProtectionNew England Pollution ProfileNew England Pollution Profile Energy use largest single source of air Energy use largest single source of air

pollutionpollution Electric generationElectric generation 48% SO 48% SO22 and 8% NO and 8% NOxx

GHG emissions up by 16% since 1990 per GHG emissions up by 16% since 1990 per April 2006 US GHG emission inventory reportApril 2006 US GHG emission inventory report

Transportation sourcesTransportation sources 53% NO 53% NOxx and 21% and 21% VOCVOC

Mobile sourcesMobile sources particulates particulates high high asthma ratesasthma rates

New England Energy New England Energy Team prioritiesTeam priorities

Improve energy performance of buildingsImprove energy performance of buildings Promote clean energy technologiesPromote clean energy technologies Expedite federal review of energy projectsExpedite federal review of energy projects Educate the public about climate changeEducate the public about climate change

Diesel StrategiesDiesel Strategies

New standards for new sourcesNew standards for new sources– Heavy duty trucks and buses in 2007Heavy duty trucks and buses in 2007– Nonroad diesel engines in 2008Nonroad diesel engines in 2008– Ultra-low diesel fuel beginning October 2006Ultra-low diesel fuel beginning October 2006

Strategies for existing diesel sourcesStrategies for existing diesel sources– Voluntary pollution controls and cleaner fuels Voluntary pollution controls and cleaner fuels – Northeast Diesel Collaborative Northeast Diesel Collaborative – Best Workplace for CommutersBest Workplace for Commuters