From epa.gov

Release date: 03/31/2010

Contact Information: CONTACT: Cathy Milbourn milbourn.cathy@epa.gov 202-564-7849 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON — Shell Chemical L.P. and Shell Chemical Yabucoa have agreed to install pollution reduction equipment on two petroleum refining facilities at an estimated cost of $6 million as part of two comprehensive Clean Air Act settlements, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department announced today. The two companies will also pay a combined $3.3 million civil penalty to the United States as well as to Alabama and Louisiana, and $200,000 to Louisiana organizations for environmental education and emergency operations.

Under the settlements, Shell Chemical L.P. will apply new air pollution control technologies and implement other measures to reduce emissions from some of the largest emitting units at its petroleum refining facilities in Saraland, Ala. and St. Rose, La.

“These settlements demonstrate EPA’s continuing commitment to increase compliance and reduce emissions from this industrial sector,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “As a result of today’s actions, the communities living nearby these refineries can look forward to cleaner, healthier air.”

“These two settlements are excellent examples of businesses working with government to achieve compliance at their facilities around the country, which will benefit the health of local communities and the environment,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Environment and Natural Resource Division Assistant Attorney General. “We will continue to work with industry to achieve compliance under the Clean Air Act to remove harmful pollution from the air we breathe.”

Shell Chemical Yabucoa operates a facility in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. For independent business reasons, Shell Chemical Yabucoa decided to shut down its refining operations at the facility in Puerto Rico in the summer of 2009. The company still continues to operate the existing gasoline terminal there. Collectively the three facilities had a combined production capacity of approximately 235,000 barrels per day.

In addition, the two refineries in Alabama and Louisiana, and the terminal operations in Puerto Rico will upgrade their leak-detection and repair practices to reduce harmful emissions from pumps and valves, implement programs to minimize the number and severity of flaring events and adopt new strategies for ensuring continued compliance with benzene waste requirements under the Clean Air Act.

Together, both settlements will reduce air emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other harmful pollutants by more than 1,450 tons per year.

The annual emission reductions from all three refineries, including the emissions associated with the shutdown at Yabucoa, are estimated to be approximately 645 tons of SO₂ and approximately 813 tons of NOx, as well as additional reductions of volatile organic compounds and benzene.

The settlements are the 25th and 26th in a series of “global” multi-issue, multi-facility settlements being pursued by EPA under its National Petroleum Refinery Initiative. With today’s settlements, 102 refineries operating in 30 states and territories are now covered by global settlements, representing more than 89 percent of the nation’s refining capacity.

The states of Alabama and Louisiana actively participated in and are joining in the settlement with Shell Chemical, which was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The settlement with Shell Chemical Yabucoa was filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Each settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.

More information on the settlement:http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/shellchemical.html

More information on EPA’s Petroleum Refinery Initiative:http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/oil/

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From epa.gov

Release date: 03/30/2010

Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez (212) 637-3664, rodriguez.elias@epa.gov

(Cherry Hill, N.J.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a half million dollar grant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Cherry Hill, Highland Park, and Montclair, N.J. The grant was provided to the township of Cherry Hill, as the formal applicant, under the Climate Showcase Communities program, which is designed to help local governments establish and implement initiatives that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The money will launch an initiative called the New Jersey Sustainable Energy Efficiency Demonstration (SEED) project, which is a partnership that includes the three communities, the New Jersey state Board of Public Utilities and the Municipal Land Use Center at the College of New Jersey. The Cherry Hill project was one of 25 projects nationwide to receive grants as part of the $10 million competitive grant program.

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gases. In the U.S., energy-related activities account for three-quarters of our human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels.

“Global warming is one of the most serious economic and environmental problems facing our nation. Actions to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and move toward a sustainable, clean energy future begin in our communities,” said Judith Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “The New Jersey SEED program is part of a national showcase of community actions to address climate change. Effective programs such as the one in southern New Jersey will reduce air pollution, save consumer dollars, promote innovation, create new jobs and put New Jersey on the path to a clean energy economy,” said Judith Enck.

“The essence of this federal initiative is that local governments are uniquely suited to implement job-generating programs, projects and outreach plans that will reduce energy consumption and improve alternative transit options,” said Cherry Hill Mayor Bernie Platt. “I firmly believe, as do our Climate Showcase municipal partners, New Jersey legislators and other public officials who supported the Township’s application for this innovative offering from the EPA, that the shift toward sustainability we must make as a global community must start in our local communities. Together, we are going to build an effective state model for engaging communities in the shift toward a sustainable future.”

“Within the Borough of Highland Park, we believe that good environmental stewardship is one of the best ways we can protect our air, water, land and health,” said Mayor Stephen B. Nolan. “This partnership is further evidence of our commitment to a sustainable future. Highland Park hopes to demonstrate that small communities can successfully address issues of sustainability.”

“As a NJ Clean Energy Leader and one of the charter Sustainable Jersey communities, we are pleased to be able to use this state and federal support to implement measures that will save money by reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for our residents, small businesses, and our local government,” stated Montclair Mayor Jerry Fried. “We think this project could be a model for other towns and cities around the state and across the country.”

The three communities have already demonstrated leadership in the area of sustainability and are good candidates to demonstrate green capacity building in municipalities of similar sizes. The communities in this project have populations of 75,000 (Cherry Hill), 16,000 (Highland Park) and 38,000 (Montclair). Using the grant money, the partners will demonstrate that aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are possible in small and medium-sized municipalities. Possible actions are enrollment of community members and local businesses in state and federal energy-efficiency programs, efficiency retrofits of municipal buildings, updates to local codes and policies and utilizing more energy efficient vehicles in municipal fleets.

The New Jersey SEED program will also establish a protocol for leadership in small and medium-sized municipalities through state and federal support, and share information on measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a larger audience among residents and businesses.

The project will set aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets and publicly report on each community’s progress. After one year, the project team will assess implementation efforts. Based on data gathered from project partners, changes will be identified and implemented to improve the program. Finally, the project partners will share lessons on the program through a state-wide workshop and regional workshops. The work will be integrated into New Jersey’s Sustainable Jersey certification program, a voluntary state program for municipalities that want to adopt sustainable policies and achieve cost savings.

Climate Showcase Communities grants are designed to assist local and tribal governments to identify, implement, and track policies and programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions within their operations and surrounding communities. Over the course of the grant program, EPA will offer training and technical support to grant recipients, and share lessons learned with communities across the nation.

A list of the Climate Change Showcase Communities and profiles of each recipient is available at:http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/local/showcase

An additional $10 million in funding for this program will become available in late Spring 2010. To receive notification when this funding is available, please sign up on the EPA listserv at:http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/listservs/index.html

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page,http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2

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From epa.gov

Release date: 03/29/2010

Contact Information: CONTACT: Cathy Milbourn milbourn.cathy@epa.gov 202-564-7849 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – Under a final decision issued today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) no stationary sources will be required to get Clean Air Act permits that cover greenhouse gases (GHGs) before January 2011. EPA has pledged to take sensible steps to address the billions of tons of greenhouse gas pollution that threaten Americans’ health and welfare, and is providing time for large industrial facilities and state governments to put in place cost-effective, innovative technologies to control and reduce carbon pollution. Today’s announcement is the first step in EPA’s phased in approach to addressing GHG emissions laid out by Administrator Lisa P. Jackson earlier this month.

“This is a common sense plan for phasing in the protections of the Clean Air Act. It gives large facilities the time they need to innovate, governments the time to prepare to cut greenhouse gases and it ensures that we don’t push this problem off to our children and grandchildren,” said EPA Administrator Jackson. “With a clear process in place, it’s now time for American innovators and entrepreneurs to go to work and lead us into the clean energy economy of the future.”

Today’s action determines that Clean Air Act construction and operating permit requirements for the largest emitting facilities will begin when the first national rule controlling GHGs takes effect. If finalized as proposed, the rule limiting GHG emissions for cars and light trucks would trigger these requirements in January 2011 – the earliest model year 2012 vehicles meeting the standards can be sold in the United States. The agency expects to issue final vehicle GHG standards shortly.

EPA has committed to focusing its GHG permitting requirements on the largest sources. The agency will make a decision later this spring on the amount of GHGs facilities can emit before having to include limits for these emissions in their permits.

Today’s action is the final step in EPA’s reconsideration of the December 18, 2008 memorandum entitled “EPA’s Interpretation of Regulations that Determine Pollutants Covered by Federal Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permit Program.” The final action clarifies when GHGs and other pollutants are covered under Clean Air Act permitting programs.

More information and the letter Administrator Jackson sent last month outlining this approach and timeline: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/guidance.html

Sound bites available: http://www.epa.gov/adminweb/multimedia/newscontent/2010-3-25-oa/index2.html

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From epa.gov

Release date: 03/24/2010

Contact Information: Enesta Jones, jones.enesta@epa.gov, 202-564-7873

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding three additional public hearings in April to receive more input from Floridians on the agency’s proposed Florida water quality standards. The agency held three public hearings in Florida in February on the proposed standards. The standards will protect people’s health, aquatic life and the long-term recreational uses of Florida’s waters, which are a critical part of the state’s economy.

EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed standards through April 28, and is holding public hearings on the proposed rule in three additional Florida cities to obtain input and comments on the direction of EPA’s rulemaking. The additional hearings are scheduled for:

April 13, 2010: Fort Myers
Harborside Event Center
1375 Monroe Street, Fort Myers, Fla. 33901

12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

April 14, 2010: Tampa
Hilton Tampa Airport
2225 North Lois Avenue, Tampa, Fla. 33607

12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

April 15, 2010: Jacksonville
Clarion Hotel Airport Conference Center
2101 Dixie Clipper Drive, Jacksonville, Fla. 32218

1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

In 2009, EPA entered into a consent decree with the Florida Wildlife Federation to propose limits to this pollution. The proposed action, released for public comment and developed in collaboration with the state, would set a series of numeric limits on the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen, also known as “nutrients,” that would be allowed in Florida’s lakes, rivers, streams, springs and canals.

Nutrient pollution can damage drinking water sources; increase exposure to harmful algal blooms, which are made of toxic microbes that can cause damage to the nervous system or even death; and form byproducts in drinking water from disinfection chemicals, some of which have been linked with serious human illnesses like bladder cancer. Phosphorus and nitrogen pollution come from stormwater runoff, municipal wastewater treatment, fertilization of crops and livestock manure. Nutrient problems can happen locally or much further downstream, leading to degraded lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries, and to hypoxic “dead” zones where aquatic life can no longer survive. High amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in surface water result in harmful algal blooms, dead fish, reduced spawning grounds and nursery habitats for fish.

The proposed action also introduces and seeks comment on a new adaptive management process for setting standards in a manner that drives water quality improvements in already impaired waters. The proposed new regulatory provision, called restoration standards, would be specific to nutrients in the state of Florida.

More on the proposed rule and public hearings:
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/rules/florida/

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