The NSR program is a preconstruction clean air permitting program for industrial facilities that provides important public health and environmental protection.
To ensure that the public has an opportunity to fully review any recent changes that would impact the implementation of NSR, EPA has agreed to reconsider portions of the following rules:
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Nonattainment New Source Review: Reasonable Possibility in Recordkeeping
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Nonattainment New Source Review: Inclusion of Fugitive Emissions
- Implementation of the New Source Review Program for Particulate Matter Less Than 2.5 Micrometers (PM2.5)
- EPA is reconsidering these rules to ensure that the public has an opportunity to fully review any recent changes that would impact the implementation of NSR. EPA plans to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register requesting comment on certain aspects of each of these three rules.
EPA Warns Facilities: File Updated Risk Management Plans, or Face Penalties
EPA is working to ensure that facilities submit updated risk management plans (RMPs) and has announced that it is leveling fines against companies that do not comply with the law. RMPs, required under the Clean Air Act, contain information assessing plans in place to prevent and respond to accidental releases of hazardous substances from facilities. The regulations included the requirement for the plans to be updated at least every five years. About 140 facilities in EPA’s Region 2 jurisdiction, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have plans due in 2009.
In a streamlined enforcement process, EPA’s Region 2 office continually identifies facilities that currently have risk management plans in place to see which plans are overdue. Where the Agency finds facilities that have not updated their plans on time, EPA is giving that facility a chance to comply and pay a discounted penalty. This was the case recently for the Kuehne Chemical Company in South Kearny, New Jersey. As a result of EPA’s enforcement efforts, the company updated its plan and paid a $1,400 penalty for late filing. Additional enforcement actions are planned in the coming months.
EPA has developed a new method for preparing and submitting RMPs which became available on March 13, 2009.
Cities with Cleanest and Dirtiest Air Identified by American Lung Association
State of the Air 2009 acknowledges substantial progress against air pollution in many areas of the country, but finds nearly every major city still burdened by air pollution. Despite America’s growing green movement, the air in many cities became dirtier. The State of the Air report includes a national air quality “report card” that assigns A-F grades to communities across the country. The report also ranks cities and counties most affected by the three most widespread types of pollution (ozone—or smog, annual particle pollution, and 24-hour particle pollution levels) and details trends for 900 counties over the past decade.
“This should be a wakeup call. We know that air pollution is a major threat to human health,” said Stephen J. Nolan, American Lung Association National Board Chair. “When 60% of Americans are left breathing air dirty enough to send people to the emergency room, to shape how kids’ lungs develop, and to kill, air pollution remains a serious problem.”
The report finds that air pollution hovers at unhealthy levels in almost every major city, threatening people’s ability to breathe, and placing lives at risk. Some of the biggest sources of air pollution, including dirty power plants, dirty diesel engines, and ocean-going vessels also worsen global warming.
“The more we learn, the more urgent it becomes for us to take decisive action to make our air healthier,” added Nolan.
Many cities, like Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore have made considerable improvements in their air quality over the past decade. People living in some of these cities however, are breathing even dirtier air than what was reported in the Lung Association’s 2008 report.
Sixteen cities making this year’s 25 most ozone-polluted list experienced worsened ozone (smog) problems than last year’s report found. 58% of people in the United States live in counties with recorded unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution, measured against the tighter standard in effect since March 2008. The new standard showed that unhealthy ozone levels are more widespread and more severe than previously recognized. The report’s review of the past 10 years identified consistent improvements in ozone in some cities, most notably Los Angeles, which has long been recognized for its serious ozone problem. By contrast, two cities, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Las Vegas, have higher ozone levels than 10 years ago. The report reviewed all previous data against the new EPA standard to appropriately trace the trends.
Ozone is the most widespread form of air pollution. When inhaled, ozone irritates the lungs, resulting in something like a bad sunburn. The health effects of breathing ozone pollution can be immediate. Ozone can cause wheezing, coughing, and asthma attacks. Breathing ozone pollution can even shorten lives.
“More than 175 million Americans live in areas with unhealthy smog levels—that’s 80 million more than we identified in last year’s report,” explained Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. “We at the American Lung Association believe that the new ozone standard is not yet strong enough to protect human health—an opinion nearly all scientific experts share.”
State of the Air grades counties for both 24-hour and year-round particle pollution levels. Particle pollution is a toxic mix of microscopic soot, diesel exhaust, chemicals, metals, and aerosols. It is the most dangerous and deadly of the outdoor air pollutants that are widespread in America. Breathing in particle pollution can increase the risk of early death, heart attacks, strokes, and emergency room visits for asthma and cardiovascular disease.
One in six people in the United States lives in an area with unhealthy year-round levels of fine particle pollution (termed annual average levels). Nine cities in the list of the 25 most polluted by year-round particle pollution showed measurable improvement, including five cities that reported their best year-round levels since the Lung Association began tracking this pollutant: Pittsburgh; Cincinnati; Atlanta; York, Pennsylvania; and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The annual average level of particle pollution worsened in a dozen cities, including Los Angeles, Houston, and Bakersfield, California.
Roughly 3 in 10 Americans live in counties with unhealthful spikes of particle pollution which can last from hours to days (termed 24-hour levels). Thirteen cities had more days—or more severe days—of spikes than in last year’s report. Eleven cities have improved continually since the 2007 report.
Emerging research has redefined the severity and immediate health impacts of particle pollution and ozone, as well as an expanded definition of specific groups at great risk. New data show that women in their 50’s may be particularly threatened by air pollution and that diesel truck drivers and dockworkers who are forced to breathe exhaust on the job may face a greater risk of developing lung cancer or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. California researchers have tripled their estimate of the number of people that particle pollution kills each year in their state.
“The science is rock-solid. We now know that air pollution can impair the lung function of even the healthiest people,” said Norman H. Edelman, MD, American Lung Association Chief Medical Officer. “Air pollution worsens asthma and is a direct cause of heart attacks, which makes people living with lung and heart disease especially vulnerable.”
Low income people and some racial and ethnic groups often face greater risk from pollutants. Pollution sources like factories and power plants may be closer to their homes. Many live near areas with heavy highway traffic or have poor access to health care, which makes them even more vulnerable. Some racial and ethnic groups have a higher prevalence of diseases like asthma or diabetes, which compounds the ill effects of air pollution for these groups.
“We need to renew our commitment to providing healthy air for all our citizens—a commitment the United States made almost 40 years ago when Congress passed the Clean Air Act,” Connor said. “After four decades, we still have much work to do. America needs to cut emissions from big polluters like coal-fired power plants and ocean-going vessels. We need to fix old dirty diesel engines to make them cleaner and strengthen the ozone standards to better protect our health. We also need to improve the decaying infrastructure of air monitors. America must now enforce the laws that help us improve our nation’s air quality.”
As America faces the challenges of air pollution, global warming, and energy, the American Lung Association urges Congress, the EPA, and individuals to choose solutions that help solve all three challenges together. Some steps that sound like good solutions for one problem can make air pollution worse.
Americans can make personal changes to improve air quality immediately and ultimately impact climate change as well: drive less; don’t burn wood or trash; use less electricity; and make sure local school systems require clean school buses.
Cleanest U.S. Cities for Short-term Particle Pollution (24 Hour PM2.5)
*Cities below had equal scores.
Alexandria, Louisiana
Amarillo, Texas
Austin-Round Rock, Texas
Bismarck, North Dakota
Brownsville-Harlingen-Raymondville, Texas
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Corpus Christi-Kingsville, Texas
Fargo-Wahpeton, North Dakota-Minnesota
Farmington, New Mexico
Fort Collins-Loveland, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado
Longview-Marshall, Texas
Midland-Odessa, Texas
Oklahoma City-Shawnee, Oklahoma
Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, Maine
Pueblo, Colorado
Redding, California
Salinas, California
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, California
Santa Fe-Espanola, New Mexico
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Tucson, Arizona
10 Cleanest U.S. Cities for Long-term Particle Pollution (Annual PM2.5)
*Cities listed in rank order. Duplicate position numbers indicate ties.
1. Cheyenne, Wyoming
2. Santa Fe-Espanola, New Mexico
3. Honolulu, Hawaii
4. Great Falls, Montana
4. Flagstaff, Arizona
6. Farmington, New Mexico
6. Anchorage, Alaska
8. Tucson, Arizona
9. Bismarck, North Dakota
9. Salinas, California
Cleanest U.S. Cities for Ozone Air Pollution
*Cities below had equal scores.
Billings, Montana
Carson City, Nevada
Coeur D’Alene, Idaho
Fargo-Wahpeton, North Dakota-Minnesota
Honolulu, Hawaii
Laredo, Texas
Lincoln, Nebraska
Port St. Lucie-Sebastian-Vero Beach, Florida
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Short-term Particle Pollution (24 Hour PM2.5)
*Cities listed in rank order. Duplicate position numbers indicate ties.
1. Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pennsylvania
2. Fresno-Madera, California
3. Bakersfield, California
4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, California
5. Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, Alabama
6. Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield, Utah
7. Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Yuba City, California-Nevada
8. Logan, Utah
9. Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin
9. Detroit-Warren-Flint, Michigan
10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Year-Round Particle Pollution (Annual PM2.5)
*Cities listed in rank order.
1. Bakersfield, California
2. Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pennsylvania
3. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, California
4. Visalia-Porterville, California
5. Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, Alabama
6. Hanford-Corcoran, California
7. Fresno-Madera, California
8. Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
9. Detroit-Warren-Flint, Michigan
10. Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, Ohio
10 U.S. Cities Most Polluted by Ozone
*Cities listed in rank order.
1. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, California
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Visalia-Porterville, California
4. Fresno-Madera, California
5. Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, Texas
6. Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Yuba City, California-Nevada
7. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
8. Charlotte-Gastonia-Salisbury, North Carolina-South Carolina
9. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona
10. El Centro, California
Scientific Consultations Restored to Endangered Species Act
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the two departments are revoking a rule that they said would undermine Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)—the two agencies that administer the ESA—before taking any action that may affect threatened or endangered species.
“By rolling back this 11th hour regulation, we are ensuring that threatened and endangered species continue to receive the full protection of the law,” Salazar said. “Because science must serve as the foundation for decisions we make, federal agencies proposing to take actions that might affect threatened and endangered species will once again have to consult with biologists at the two departments.”
“For decades, the Endangered Species Act has protected threatened species and their habitats,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. “Our decision affirms the Administration’s commitment to using sound science to promote conservation and protect the environment.”
In March, President Obama directed the Secretaries to review the previous Administration’s Section 7 regulation of the ESA—which governs interagency consultation—and Congress, in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act, specifically authorized the Secretaries to revoke the regulation.
Locke and Salazar said the two departments will conduct a joint review of the 1986 consultation regulations to determine if any improvements should be proposed.
The ESA was signed into law in 1973 to protect imperiled species from extinction, as well as conserve the ecosystems and habitats necessary for their survival.
Greenhouse Gases Continue to Rise Despite Economic Slump
Researchers measured an additional 16.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2)—a byproduct of fossil fuel burning—and 12.2 million tons of methane in the atmosphere at the end of December 2008. This increase is despite the global economic downturn, with its decrease in a wide range of activities that depend on fossil fuel use.
“At NOAA we have monitored carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouses gases for decades and will continue to do so to help assess the situation and advise decision makers.”
Viewed another way, for every million molecules of air, another 2.1 molecules of carbon dioxide entered the atmosphere last year and stayed there—slightly less than the 2.2 parts per million (ppm) increase in 2007. Total global concentrations topped 386 ppm, compared to 280 ppm before the industrial revolution began in the 1800s.
“Think of the atmosphere and oceans taking in greenhouse gases as a bathtub filling with more water than the drain can empty, and the drain is very slow,” said Tans. “We need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the point where they match levels that can be absorbed by Earth’s ecosystems.”
The increases in CO2 and methane during 2008 are slightly less than those measured in 2007, but fall well within the range of yearly fluctuations from natural changes, according to NOAA experts.
The rise in CO2 levels varies from year to year along with plant growth and decay, wildfire activity, and changes in soil conditions. Emerging from that natural variability is a consistent upward trend produced by burning coal, oil, and gas for transportation and industry.
Methane levels rose in 2008 for the second consecutive year after a 10-year lull. Atmospheric concentrations increased by 4.4 molecules for every billion molecules of air, bringing the total global concentration up to 1788 parts per billion, according to NOAA data.
Pound for pound, methane is 25 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2, but there’s far less of it in the atmosphere and is measured in parts per billion. When related climate affects are taken into account, methane’s overall climate impact is nearly half that of carbon dioxide.
Even during the 1970s, when fossil fuel emissions dropped sharply in response to the oil crisis, emissions remained high enough that CO2 levels continued to climb exponentially, similar to the way compound interest builds.
But the CO2 record isn’t immune to temporary dips lasting several years or more. A slowdown occurred in 1930–36 after the Great Depression and again during the 1940s, possibly because of World War II. The large volcanic eruptions of Mt. Agung (Indonesia) in 1963 and Mt. Pinatubo (Philippines) in 1991 each slowed CO2 buildup for several years since volcanic emissions cool the lower atmosphere and scatter sunlight. Those changes can both reduce plant respiration, a process that releases carbon dioxide, and boost photosynthesis, which removes carbon dioxide from the air.
“Atmospheric CO2 growth is best reflected by the world population trend,” said Hofmann. “The two have tracked each other extremely well over the past century. A break in the close relation between population growth and CO2 growth would be a clear sign of progress in the inevitable need to limit atmospheric CO2.”
EPA Fines Construction Companies for Ignoring Federal Water Quality Laws
EPA has levied fines against eight construction companies in Culebra, Puerto Rico, for their failure to follow federal regulations for handling storm water run off from construction sites. The companies face fines totaling $205,500.
The eight companies failed to obtain permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), a program under the federal Clean Water Act that regulates storm water discharges associated with sewer systems, and industrial and construction activities. NPDES requires owners and operators of construction sites larger than one acre to obtain a permit and to develop and implement a storm water pollution prevention plan, including best management practices to minimize the amount of pollutants reaching waterways.
Pennsylvania DEP Fines Tucker Industries $154,500 for Toluene Emissions in Violation of Air Quality Standards
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a $154,500 penalty against Tucker Industrial Liquid Coatings, an industrial surface coating operation.
In 2006, the East Berlin-based company installed three new paint spray booths at its facility, which was not part of its DEP-authorized operating permit. Tucker uses the booths to coat and paint metal parts on contract for other companies. In 2007, because of the extra spray booths, Tucker Industries exceeded a key emission level of 10 tons of toluene, a chemical used as a cleaning solvent that federal EPA regulates as a hazardous air pollutant.
DEP confirmed these violations during an inspection in 2008. Since then, it has been working to bring the company into compliance.
Additionally, since December 31, 2007, the facility has been operating with an expired permit. The company submitted a permit application in October, 2008. During DEP’s preliminary review, inspectors determined that the facility was also in violation of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) regarding surface coating limits, due to excessive emissions of toluene.
Between July 2007 and December 2008, the company released more than 20 tons of toluene in excess of the amount allowed by the national standards.
In addition to the penalty, Tucker has since reduced toluene emissions to meet a monthly compliance limit, prescribed in the consent order with DEP. The company must maintain this lower level of emissions for a 12-month period to meet the national emission standard—which must be reached by no later than the end of 2009. The company must also obtain a construction permit for the new booths and a federal Title V permit for the entire facility.
Trident Seafoods Pays over $112,000 for Tier II Reporting Violations Under SARA Title III
Trident Seafoods Corporation (Trident) has settled with EPA and has agreed to pay a $61,354 penalty for violating the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act by failing to properly report the storage of ammonia at four Trident facilities. Specifically, Trident failed to file Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Forms (Tier II reports) with local emergency response entities in Alaska and Washington State.
In addition to paying the penalty, Trident has agreed to perform a supplemental environmental project, providing over $23,000 in emergency response equipment to first responders in Kodiak, Alaska and over $28,000 in response equipment to responders in Akutan, Alaska.
Executive VP of Chemical Company Indicted for Hazardous Chemical Release
New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced the indictment of a former executive vice president and long-time manager of the now abandoned Westwood Chemical Corporation in the town of Wallkill, New York. According to court papers between 1999 and 2004, Rocco Giovannielo, knowingly released harmful chemicals including potassium cyanide, arsenic trioxide, and toxic levels of silver from the Westwood Chemical Plant.
“For any person to knowingly release hazardous chemicals into the environment is the height of professional and personal irresponsibility,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “My office will vigorously enforce environmental laws that protect the health and safety of the people of Orange County and across New York.”
Giovannielo was charged in Orange County Supreme Court with two counts of Endangering Public Health, Safety, or the Environment in the Second Degree (D felony), two counts of Endangering Public Health, Safety, or the Environment in the Third Degree (E felony), and one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree (E felony). The charges carry a maximum penalty of 22 years in prison. He was released on his own recognizance pending a future court appearance.
Westwood manufactured and marketed chemicals for the cosmetics and water treatment industries, resulting in significant quantities of hazardous laboratory waste, chemical products, and wastewater.
The indictment follows previous action taken by the Attorney General’s Office to address environmental and public safety concerns related to Westwood. In May, 2007, the Attorney General’s Office reached a settlement with HSBC Bank USA, NA to pay $850,000 in penalties and $68,000 in reimbursements to the State for the costs incurred in cleaning up the facility after it was closed. HSBC seized Westwood’s operating funds in 2004 and the facility was subsequently forced to close its doors, leaving behind hundreds of containers of abandoned chemicals within and outside the building. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), along with EPA, then removed the chemicals. The Attorney General alleged that HSBC knew of the abandoned chemicals—as well as substantial fire and explosion risks they posed—but did not contact the DEC or any state or local emergency responder to report the threat, as required by New York law.
The charges against Giovannielo are accusations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
$4550 Fine for Illegal Pesticide Use Resulting in a Fatality
Swanson’s Pest Management, Inc., of Eugene, Oregon, has reached a $4550 settlement with EPA resulting from a pesticide exposure event that led to a woman’s death. The original complaint, filed following a review of Swanson’s use of two pesticides, named multiple violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). One of the most serious violations was linked to a death at a treated home in Florence, Oregon.
According to Scott Downey, EPA Pesticides and Toxics Unit Manager in Seattle, the facts of the case are startling…and tragic. “We expect everyone, especially professional applicators, to use special care and follow the label instructions closely,” said Downey. “In this case, we believe that three serious mistakes were made: the pesticide wasn’t mixed according to directions, it was misapplied as a fine mist instead of a coarse spray, and the home was not adequately ventilated after application. Sadly, when someone entered the home over two hours later, they were overcome by the fumes and tragically died as a result.”
Downey added that the applicator is ultimately responsible for meeting all of the use restrictions and requirements on the pesticide label. Even if the applicator enters into a contract with the homeowner outlining label requirements the homeowner agrees to undertake (such as covering food, covering dishes, washing dishes after application, ventilation, etc.), the applicator could still be held liable for tasks not performed by the homeowner.
According to documents associated with the case, six more people, including the responding paramedics, experienced respiratory distress or became ill when they entered the treated home.
EPA officials confirmed that although the consequences of Swanson’s alleged violations were extremely serious, the federal pesticide law limits the penalty EPA can seek under FIFRA to a maximum of $4550.
“It’s hard to imagine what clearer proof people might need to take pesticide use labels seriously,” said EPA’s Downey. “Pesticides are useful, effective tools, but can cause serious injury or death if used irresponsibly. We encourage people to contact their state pesticide agency or EPA if they need help in understanding pesticide label instructions.”
Asplundh Tree Company Fined Over $4,000 for Over-Applying Herbicide
Asplundh Tree Expert Company has agreed to pay $4,200 to settle eight alleged violations of FIFRA for operations in Sweetwater and Orofino, Idaho, located on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.
An inspector working on behalf of EPA from the Tribal Pesticide Circuit Rider Program found evidence that Asplundh may have improperly applied an herbicide, Dow AgroSciences Garlon 4, to control right-of-ways on at least eight occasions in 2006. In some instances, the herbicide was applied at more than eleven times the maximum rate allowed by the label. The case was referred to EPA for further investigation and enforcement.
The Tribal Pesticide Circuit Rider Program is funded by EPA and provides compliance inspections and pesticide education on six reservations, including the Nez Perce Reservation. The EPA has primary enforcement responsibility over federal pesticide laws on Indian Reservations.
Water Treatment Supervisor Pleads Guilty for Falsifying Drinking Water Safety Reports
The Justice Department has announced that Christopher Neil Gauntt, the former supervisor of the Fort Gibson Water Treatment Plant in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Muskogee, Oklahoma to falsifying a monthly operating report that certified the safety of drinking water from the facility.
Gauntt pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with a felony count of making a false statement. He admitted that on or about June 12, 2008, he submitted a monthly operating report containing false data for drinking water that is provided to residents of Fort Gibson as well as residents of Muskogee Rural Water Districts 4 and 7, Cherokee Water drinking water systems, and the water systems for Corral Creek Subdivision and Ozark Water Inc.
Under the federal Safe Water Drinking Act, which is administered and enforced by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), as well as EPA, the Fort Gibson water treatment plant must provide drinking water that meets standards to ensure that the water is safe for human consumption. Two of the standards that must be met include turbidity and chlorine. If turbidity, the measure of clarity of drinking water, or chlorine levels are not within levels required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, there is a potential risk that the water could retain microorganisms that carry waterborne diseases.
Gauntt admitted that he recorded levels in the monthly operating report submitted to Oklahoma DEQ that indicated the turbidity and chlorine levels were in compliance with required standards when he knew in fact they were not. In August 2008, Fort Gibson had sent a notice concerning this to residents who receive their drinking water from the Fort Gibson water treatment plant. Fort Gibson did not receive any information that anyone experienced any ill effects from the drinking water during that time period.
“All citizens should be confident that they are receiving drinking water that is safe for consumption. Those who knowingly compromise the regulatory protections of the Safe Drinking Water Act will be prosecuted,” said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The prosecution in this case demonstrates that the government vigorously acts to ensure all of our citizens have good drinking water and the Safe Drinking Water Act’s requirements are being complied with.”
“Accurate information is essential for the federal government and the State of Oklahoma to assure good drinking water for the public,” said Warren Amburn, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Dallas. “Individuals who submit false reports or bogus data undermine those efforts and they will be vigorously pursued.”
“Falsifying information about the safety of the drinking water supply is dangerous,” Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. “Ensuring an adequate supply of safe, clean water is an important public health issue. We will continue to work with our partners at all levels of government to protect the people of this state and the water they drink.”
As a result of the felony conviction, Gauntt could be sentenced up to five years in prison and fined up to $250,000.
Environmental News Links
Trivia Question of the Week
According to the American Lung Association, what U.S. city has the cleanest air?
a. Fairview, Oregon
b. North Star, Alaska
c. Thermal, California
d. Fargo, North Dakota