California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr., 20 district attorneys, and the Los Angeles City Attorney have filed legal action against Target Corporation to block the retailer from continuing to illegally dump hazardous waste in local landfills.
Separately, Brown and the Riverside, Ventura, and San Joaquin County District Attorneys have forged a settlement with Kmart over similar claims, requiring the company to stop disposing toxic substances in landfills and pay more than $8.65 million in civil penalties, costs, and funding for projects to improve environmental protection in California.
“Target has shown a willful disregard for California’s hazardous waste laws by dumping flammable liquids and toxic chemicals in local landfills over a period of eight years,” Brown said. “If successful, this lawsuit would force Target to comply with state laws governing the lawful handling and disposal of toxic and corrosive waste.”
“By contrast, Kmart has cooperated, agreed to live up to its obligations under the law and will train its employees to properly handle and dispose of hazardous waste.”
Under California law, Target is responsible for properly handling and disposing of products that are damaged during shipping or stocking, returned to the store by customers or removed because they are past their expiration date.
Target is also required under law to employ a licensed hazardous waste hauler to pick up the waste and transport it to a hazardous waste disposal facility. This ensures that hazardous waste will not end up at local landfills where toxic chemicals can seep into California’s water supplies or emit dangerous gases.
Since 2001, however, local environmental health inspectors have served Target with more than 300 Notices of Violation (NOVs) for breaking California’s hazardous waste control laws.
In March 2006, the Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into Target’s practices in conjunction with district attorneys throughout the state after local store inspections revealed ongoing violations. Violations include:
- In May 2009, an Alameda County Target store sent flammable aerosol canisters, propane canisters, light bulbs containing mercury, corrosive spray cleaners, and medical waste to a local landfill not authorized to receive such waste.
- In March 2009, a San Bernardino County Target store sent a photo processing unit with toxic liquid and other hazardous materials to a local landfill not authorized to receive such waste.
- In December 2008, a Target employee in San Joaquin County informed county inspectors that hazardous waste, including pesticides, were routinely disposed of in the store’s trash compactor for transportation to a local landfill not authorized to receive such waste.
- In January 2008, investigators discovered that multiple Los Angeles County Target stores sent several tons of products that could not be sold, to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The shipments contained over 5,000 pounds of damaged, leaking, and unusable items with flammable, toxic, and corrosive properties. A licensed hazardous waste hauler had to be dispatched to the food bank to properly handle the hazardous waste at a cost of over $5,000.
- In March 2002, a Sacramento County Target employee dumped leaking containers of liquid pool chlorine into the store’s trash compactor. The chlorine reacted with other chemicals in the compactor and toxic fumes were released into the air. This led to the store’s evacuation, an emergency response, and several individuals were transported to local hospitals.
This joint investigation found that Target stores across California have illegally dumped thousands of pounds of hazardous waste in local landfills. Target was cited by local environmental health inspectors for violations of environmental laws as recently as last month.
Brown, the 20 district attorneys and the Los Angeles City Attorney are suing Target for:
- Intentional and negligent disposal of hazardous waste at a point not authorized in violation of California’s Health and Safety Code;
- Intentional and negligent unauthorized transportation of hazardous waste in violation of California’s Health and Safety Code;
- Intentional and negligent violations of Hazardous Waste Control Laws for Hazardous Waste Handling Training and Storage Requirements in violation of California’s Health and Safety Code;
- Knowing violations of Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventory Laws in violation of California’s Health and Safety Code; and
- Violations of Unfair Competition Laws.
This lawsuit would require Target to immediately comply with California law and start using a licensed hazardous waste hauler to pick up the waste and transport it to a hazardous waste disposal facility. Additionally, the lawsuit seeks $25,000 maximum penalties for each violation.
In 2005, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office initiated a formal investigation into Kmart’s hazardous waste handling practices. Subsequently, the Attorney General’s Office joined the investigation, which uncovered that Kmart had failed to account for most of the hazardous waste it generated between 2002 and 2007.
The investigation found that:
- In December 2006, a Kmart in Ventura County dumped liquid waste down drains.
- On two separate occasions in 2006, a San Joaquin County Kmart as well as a Ventura County Kmart sent waste oil generated at the stores to private oil change companies instead of disposing of the waste oil at an authorized disposal location.
- In 2005, a Kmart in Riverside sent 32 gallons of flammable latex paint, nine bottles of flammable STP Water Remover, 11 cans of flammable spray paint, and one can of flammable Armor All Tire Foam to a local landfill not authorized to receive such waste. Fortunately, the waste was intercepted at a transfer station.
Brown’s office contends that Kmart violated California’s:
- Hazardous Waste Control Law by sending multiple flammable and hazardous waste for disposal at local landfills and failing to properly train its employees in handling hazardous waste;
- Hazardous Materials Release Response Plans and Inventory Act by failing to submit required reporting records from 2004-2007; and
- Unfair Competition Laws.
The settlement prohibits Kmart from sending hazardous and flammable materials to landfills, and requires it to properly train its employees to comply with California’s hazardous materials and hazardous waste laws. Additionally, Kmart must properly label, segregate, and store its hazardous waste.
Under the settlement, Kmart must pay $8.65 million in civil penalties, costs, and funding for projects to improve environmental protection in California.
Senate Committee Takes Action to Restore Clean Water Act Protections Jeopardized by Supreme Court Decisions in 2007
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the Clean Water Restoration Act (CRWA), a landmark bill that reinstates Clean Water Act protections for a host of water bodies jeopardized by a pair of Supreme Court decisions. The bill, which would give EPA and the Corps of Engineers jurisdiction over all ground water in the United States, may soon be headed to the Senate floor after its recent passage in the House committee. The CWRA (Senate Bill. 787) will allow federal regulation of all waters of the U.S., a revision of the Clean Water Act which currently grants the federal government jurisdiction over navigable waters or any water that flows into navigable waters.
Jon Devine, Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Water program said, “We are grateful that the Committee has taken this critical step. Congress cannot fix the Clean Water Act soon enough, and today’s action reflects the urgency and importance of the problem. The bill is definitely a compromise, but Senators Baucus, Klobuchar, and Boxer deserve great credit for maintaining the core purpose of the legislation—returning protection to imperiled waters and charting a path forward that responds directly to claims made about the legislation. We will keep working to pass a strong bill through Congress.”
Because of the Supreme Court’s decisions, government officials had declared thousands of bodies of waters—including lakes, streams, and wetlands—outside the purview of the Clean Water Act. As a result, the people who rely on those water bodies cannot depend on the Act’s safeguards against unregulated industrial pollution and destruction. The EPA acknowledges that these decisions have undermined the agency’s enforcement of the Act. The Obama administration recently told Congress that “[i]t is essential that the Clean Water Act provide broad protection of the Nation’s waters, consistent with full Congressional authority under the Constitution.”
To address this crisis, Senator Russ Feingold and 24 other Senators sponsored the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would apply clean water protections to the kinds of water bodies historically covered by federal regulations.
The Committee acted to approve a substitute amendment to the bill championed by Senators Baucus, Klobuchar, and Boxer that adds two exemptions from the law sought by farmers and by wastewater treatment plant operators. It also removes provisions that opponents of comprehensive clean water protections had wrongly suggested expanded the scope of the law, and it specifically directs federal agencies to implement the new law consistent with the historic practice prior to the Supreme Court’s decisions.
The Committee also rejected a number of amendments that would dramatically weaken the bill by exempting certain water bodies from its coverage and by allowing a variety of polluting activities to take place without Clean Water Act scrutiny. Fortunately, the Committee voted down a series of radical amendments from Senator Barrasso, which would have excluded streams, natural ponds, and a variety of other waters from the bill.
EPA to Propose Control of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Heavy-Duty Vehicles
Within the next 12 months EPA plans issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to set national emission standards under the Clean Air Act to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from heavy duty trucks and buses. This rulemaking would significantly reduce GHG emissions from future heavy duty vehicles by setting GHG standards that would lead to the introduction of GHG-reducing vehicle and engine technologies. This action follows the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts vs. EPA and would follow EPA’s formal determination on endangerment for GHG emissions. This rulemaking also follows the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking “Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under the Clean Air Act,” (
EPA Issues Clean Energy Guidebook to Help States Save Money and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
EPA has released its first guide to help states save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by adopting clean energy practices in their facilities, operations, and vehicle fleets. States spend about 10 percent of their operating budgets on energy bills, yet these costs can be greatly reduced by implementing well-designed energy management and greenhouse gas reduction programs. For example, in New York State, where a 2001 executive order directed state agencies to reduce energy consumption by 35 percent by 2010 relative to 1990 levels, the state saved $54.4 million in energy costs from energy efficiency improvements between fiscal years 2001-2002 and 2003-2004.
EPA’s “Clean Energy Lead by Example Guide” helps states identify key strategies, resources, and tools best-suited to their energy needs. Each strategy has been tested and is proven to be cost effective.
The guide was created as part of EPA’s State Climate and Clean Energy Program, which assists states in developing and implementing clean energy policies and climate change solutions.
DOT Proposes New Tire Fuel Efficiency Ratings
The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed a new, consumer-friendly replacement tire label which would include, for the first time, information about the tire’s impact on fuel economy and CO2 emission reductions. Tires with lower rolling resistance—and proper inflation pressure—can contribute to improved fuel economy.
In addition to the new fuel efficiency ratings, the proposal by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also would provide consumers with two other key pieces of tire performance information—wet weather traction and tread wear. All three ratings would be prominently displayed on a removable label attached to the replacement tire at the point of sale.
“Today’s proposal takes the guess work out of buying the best tires for your vehicle,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Our proposal would let consumers look at a single label and compare a tire’s overall performance as it relates to fuel economy, safety and durability.”
NHTSA is required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to issue a final rule by December 2009.
American Laboratories Incorporated Agrees to Settlement of Alleged Violations of Federal Clean Air Act
American Laboratories Incorporated (ALI) processes animal byproduct materials into pharmaceutical products and dietary supplements at two plants in Omaha, Nebraska. ALI has agreed to pay $440,000 in civil penalties, has certified that it no longer uses hazardous air pollutants in the production of its pharmaceutical products, and has already installed new pollution-reducing process controls at one of its two Omaha facilities, all as parts of a legal settlement with EPA Region 7 and the City of Omaha.
ALI is spending approximately $180,710 to install the new pollution controls at its East Facility. The controls are expected to reduce ALI’s emissions of isopropyl alcohol from the facility by 56 tons per year. The facility produces pancreatin, an enzyme supplement.
According to a federal consent decree lodged by EPA Region 7 and the City of Omaha, since 1999, ALI has allegedly violated provisions of the federal Clean Air Act, Nebraska’s State Implementation Plan, and related provisions of Omaha’s Municipal Code, which regulate hazardous air pollutants.
According to the consent decree, ALI has obtained a proper operating permit from the City of Omaha for their West Facility.
The pollution controls installed by ALI at its East Facility will enable the company to capture and recycle isopropyl alcohol emissions that had been released at four stages of its production process, at a cost savings of $73,398 per year. While improving the air quality in Omaha, the controls are expected to pay for themselves in less than three years.
In addition to paying $440,000 in civil penalties to the United States and the City of Omaha, ALI has agreed to an air monitoring program that will require the company to submit monthly reports of air emissions to EPA and the City of Omaha.
EPA Fines Lockhart Chemical Over $100,000 for Hazardous Waste Violations
EPA Region 5 has fined Lockhart Chemical Company, in Flint, Michigan, $101,900 for alleged violations of federal hazardous waste regulations. The company failed to meet hazardous waste tank secondary containment, certification, and inspection requirements. Lockhart also failed to have a hazardous waste storage permit, properly label tanks, and keep proper shipping records.
The hazardous chemicals accumulated were methanol and butanol which are both ignitable. Following an EPA inspection, Lockhart modified its production process, ceased using tanks to accumulate hazardous waste, and notified EPA that it is a small quantity generator of hazardous waste.
Two Real Estate Firms Fined for Lead Paint Disclosure Violations in Four New England States
The corporate owners of numerous Coldwell Banker real estate brokerage offices in southern Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island will pay $66,700 for violations of lead paint disclosure rules. The two real estate corporations are NRT New England LLC and Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services, Inc., both doing business as Coldwell Banker Real Estate Brokerage.
EPA inspections and review of submitted information indicated that Coldwell Banker Real Estate Brokerage offices in North Haven and Fairfield, Connecticut; Lincoln and Somerville, Massachusetts; Dover and Manchester, New Hampshire; and East Providence, Rhode Island, together allegedly committed numerous violations of the Lead Disclosure Rule during multiple real estate transactions between 2005 and 2007. The companies have since certified that they are currently in full compliance with the Disclosure Rule.
Federal law requires that landlords and property owners or their agents disclose to prospective tenants or purchasers about the potential for lead paint hazards in residential properties built before 1978. Disclosure of potential lead hazards in housing to prospective tenants helps parents protect young children from lead poisoning.
EPA Reaches Agreement with Flavor Concepts on Clean-air Violations
EPA Region 5 has reached an agreement with Flavor Concepts Inc. on alleged Clean Air Act violations at the company’s food and beverage flavoring manufacturing plant in Chicago, Illinois. The agreement, which includes a $53,827 penalty, resolves EPA allegations that Flavor Concepts constructed and operated new sources of air pollution emissions and air pollution control equipment without first getting state construction and operating permits.
EPA alleges the violations occurred from January 2003 through May 30, 2008. Emissions include particulate matter (i.e., smoke, dust, ash) and volatile organic compounds.
Inhaling high concentrations of particulates can have adverse health effects, particularly in children, the elderly, and people with heart and lung disease.
Volatile organic compounds contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone (smog). Smog is formed when a mixture of pollutants react on warm, sunny days. Smog can cause respiratory problems, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. People with asthma, children, and the elderly are especially at risk, but these health concerns are important to everyone.
Idaho Construction Developer Fined Nearly $13,000 for Storm Water Violations
G.F. Barnes Construction, Inc. will pay $12,900 for allegedly mismanaging runoff from their Granite Peaks condominium construction site near Sandpoint, Idaho. The alleged violations were observed by federal and state inspectors beginning in April 2005.
The settlement resolves the developer’s alleged Clean Water Act violations that included discharging sediment from the construction site into a tributary of Schweitzer Creek and failing to obtain the proper permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
This permit requires operators of construction sites to conduct regular inspections and implement certain storm water controls in order to protect the nation’s waterways from pollutants such as sediment, oil and grease, and concrete washout.
“While many builders and developers are doing the right thing by preventing runoff from their sites, there are some who are ignoring these important storm water requirements,” said Jim Werntz, EPA’s director of Idaho operations. “We take protecting Idaho waters very seriously. Builders and developers need to get the right permits and implement runoff controls before they start work or, like Barnes Construction, they will face fines.”
According to EPA officials, Barnes Construction failed to plan and implement the necessary storm water controls.
$4,000 for Penalty for Diesel Engine Emissions Violations
The California Air Resources Board has fined the Monsanto Company $4,000 for diesel engine emissions violations that occurred in 2007 and 2008 at fleet centers in San Juan Bautista and Williams, California.
“Taking the green road in business is one of the best ways to outshine competitors,” said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. “Considering our continued air quality problems, commitment to clean air and public health should be the motto of businesses across California.”
As part of the settlement, Monsanto must:
- Guarantee employees who are responsible for the inspecting the vehicles attend a mandatory California Community College class on procedures and provide certificates of completion within one year;
- Provide documentation to ARB that the inspections are being carried out for the next four years;
- Update all applicable engines in the fleet with the latest Low-NOx (oxides of nitrogen) software programming; and,
- Ensure that all 1974 and newer diesel powered vehicles are up to federal emissions standards for the vehicle model year and are properly labeled with an engine certification label.
A decade ago, the ARB listed diesel particulate matter as a toxic air contaminant in order to protect public health. Exposure to diesel emissions can increase the risk of asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases. California has aggressively worked to cut diesel emissions by cleaning up diesel fuel, requiring cleaner engines for trucks, buses and off-road equipment, and limiting unnecessary idling.
DOE to Invest $49 Million in 24 Solar Projects and Solar Training
DOE announced on June 11 its selection of 24 projects to research, develop, and design new manufacturing and product improvements that could cut costs for a substantial segment of the solar photovoltaic industry in the near future. The competitively-selected projects will be eligible for a total of up to $22 million in Recovery Act funds, which will be matched by more than $50 million in cost-shared funding from private partners.
The projects include new manufacturing processes, films, and coatings for solar photovoltaic devices; monitoring devices that can be used to control the manufacturing process or for quality control; and entire solar power systems. The projects also include efforts to recycle scraps of solar-grade silicon produced during manufacturing, employ an ion beam to reduce the reflectance of solar modules, increase the light absorption of a solar cell by creating pits on its surface with a laser, trap light within thin crystalline silicon solar cells using diffraction gratings, and develop materials that “downshift” high-energy ultraviolet light to a lower-energy light that can be efficiently converted into electricity in a solar cell.
DOE also announced plans to offer up to $27 million to develop the nation’s infrastructure for solar installation training. DOE will fund this effort using $5 million from the Recovery Act, as well as $22 million in annual appropriations. The funds will go to a single national organization that will facilitate the development and distribution of model training curricula, best practices in training, and information on solar career pathways. A select number of regional training centers that also receive funding to offer solar instructors advanced courses on solar technologies, instructional design, and course development. The funds will help create green jobs by ensuring that a trained workforce is ready to support significant growth in solar energy.
New York State Environmental Board Approves Diesel Retrofits
The New York State Environmental Board has unanimously approved regulations that will lead to a major reduction in air pollution emitted by heavy-duty diesel trucks. The regulations require that all such vehicles owned by New York State agencies and authorities and by contractors working on behalf of the state be retrofitted to decrease emissions by December 31, 2010.
Diesel exhaust is associated with a number of health issues, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and even premature death. In addition to harmful particles that can lodge in the lungs, diesel exhaust contains a number of toxic contaminants, and is a contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone. Installation of retrofit control technology on the diesel engines in New York State will reduce emissions of both the particulate matter (PM), as well as the associated toxic contaminants. Roughly 30,000 state-owned vehicles will be impacted.
“Reducing these emissions is another step in the right direction to improve air quality in New York State and protect the health of our residents,” said Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis, who also chairs the Environmental Board. “Diesel engines are a major source of harmful particulate matter in New York State and while new engines are subject to stringent requirements for particulate matter, older, existing engines are not. Since diesel engines are very durable and function for many years, it is important to reduce emissions from these vehicles as well. These new regulations address this issue by requiring that older engines become equipped with the latest retrofit technology.”
The regulations require vehicles use the “Best Available Retrofit Technology,” which can vary with vehicle type. Depending on type, retrofitting can reduce a heavy-duty diesel’s PM emissions by 25-85 percent.
Because the state recognized that no retrofit technology exists for some vehicles, the regulations allow for owners of such vehicles to apply for a waiver from the requirements. The ability to retrofit an engine depends on a number of factors, including the engine age, engine technology, and the duty cycle of the vehicle. The regulations also require the same vehicles to use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, which will further reduce harmful emissions.
Major state agencies directly impacted by the regulations include the Department of Transportation, Office of General Services, Thruway Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Capital District Transportation Authority, Niagara Frontier Regional Transportation Authority, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, Central New York Regional Transportation Authority, and DEC, as well as their contractors.
New Report Details Value of Early, Aggressive Action on Climate Change
The report, “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States,” compiles years of scientific research and takes into account new data not available during the preparation of previous large national and global assessments. With its production and review spanning Republican and Democratic administrations, it offers a valuable, objective scientific consensus on how climate change is affecting—and may further affect—the United States.
“This new report integrates the most up-to-date scientific findings into a comprehensive picture of the ongoing as well as expected future impacts of heat-trapping pollution on the climate experienced by Americans, region by region and sector by sector,” said John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “It tells us why remedial action is needed sooner rather than later, as well as showing why that action must include both global emissions reductions to reduce the extent of climate change and local adaptation measures to reduce the damage from the changes that are no longer avoidable.”
The report, which confirms previous evidence that global temperature increases in recent decades have been primarily human-induced, incorporates the latest information on rising temperatures and sea levels; increases in extreme weather events; and other climate-related phenomena. Adding greatly to its practical value in the realm of policy and planning, it is the first such report in almost a decade to break out those impacts according to U.S. regions and economic sectors, and the first to do so in such great detail.
“This report stresses that climate change has immediate and local impacts—it literally affects people in their backyards,” said Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “In keeping with our goals, the information in it is accessible and useful to everyone from city planners and national legislators to citizens who want to better understand what climate change means to them. This is an issue that clearly affects everyone.”
A product of the interagency U.S. Global Change Research Program, the definitive 190-page report, produced under NOAA’s leadership, is written in plain language to better inform members of the public and policymakers. Commissioned in 2007 and completed this spring, the science-based report is a consensus product spanning two presidential administrations and transcends political leanings or biases. It underwent intensive review by scientists inside and outside of government and includes information more recent than that incorporated into the last major report on global climate change released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The report is not intended to direct policy makers to take any one approach over another to mitigate climate change or adapt to it. However, it does emphasize that the choices we make now will determine the severity of climate change impacts in the future. “Implementing sizable and sustained reductions in carbon dioxide emissions as soon as possible would significantly reduce the pace and the overall amount of climate change,” the report states, “and would be more effective than reductions of the same size initiated later.”
The study finds that Americans are already being affected by climate change through extreme weather, drought, and wildfire trends and it details how the nation’s transportation, agriculture, health, water, and energy sectors will be affected in the future. The study also finds that the current trend in the emission of greenhouse gas pollution is significantly above the worst-case scenario that this and other reports have considered.
Among the main findings are:
- Heat waves will become more frequent and intense, increasing threats to human health and quality of life. Extreme heat will also affect transportation and energy systems as well as crop and livestock production.
- Increased heavy downpours will lead to more flooding, waterborne diseases, negative effects on agriculture, and disruptions to energy, water, and transportation systems.
- Reduced summer runoff and increasing water demands will create greater competition for water supplies in some regions, especially in the West.
- Rising water temperatures and ocean acidification threaten coral reefs and the rich ecosystems they support. These and other climate-related impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems will have major implications for tourism and fisheries.
- Insect infestations and wildfires are already increasing and are projected to increase further in a warming climate.
- Local sea-level rise of over three feet on top of storm surges will increasingly threaten homes and other coastal infrastructure. Coastal flooding will become more frequent and severe, and coastal land will increasingly be lost to the rising seas.
By breaking out results in terms of region and economic sector, the report provides a valuable tool not just for policymakers but for all Americans who will be affected by these trends. Its information can help:
- Farmers making crop and livestock decisions, as growing seasons lengthen, insect management becomes more difficult, and droughts become more severe;
- Local officials thinking about zoning decisions, especially along coastal areas;
- Public health officials developing ways to lessen the impacts of heat waves throughout the country;
- Water resource officials considering development plans; and,
- Business owners as they consider business and investment decisions.
Responses to climate change fall into two categories. The first involves “mitigation” measures to limit climate change by reducing emissions of heat-trapping pollution or increasing their removal from the atmosphere. The second involves “adaptation” measures to improve our ability to cope with or avoid harmful impacts, and take advantage of beneficial ones. “Both of these are necessary elements of an effective response strategy,” said Jerry Melillo of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, a report co-chair.
“It shows that the choices made now will have far-reaching consequences.”
The report draws from a large body of scientific information, including the set of 21 Synthesis and Assessment reports from the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The government agencies affiliated with the program include the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Interior, State, and Transportation; the EPA; NASA; National Science Foundation; Smithsonian Institution; and the United States Agency for International Development.
Environmental Excellence Program Recognizes Industry Leaders
Sauer Danfoss in Easley, South Carolina, has been recognized as one of the newest members of the South Carolina Environmental Excellence Program (SCEEP), the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has announced.
“The facility has shown a commitment to excellence by utilizing its environmental management system to manage programs and foster continual improvement in its environmental performance,” said Bob King, DHEC’s deputy commissioner for Environmental Quality Control. “The company has recycled an estimated 700 tons of material since January 2007, which demonstrates a leadership commitment toward improving South Carolina’s environment.
“That leadership includes several initiatives to reduce the plant’s waste stream,” King said. “To further lessen its impact on the environment, the facility has instituted aggressive goals for the future, including working toward reductions of wastewater disposal by 10 percent, electrical usage by 10 percent and natural gas usage by 25 percent.”
King said SCEEP is a voluntary program recognizing South Carolina facilities that have demonstrated environmental performance through pollution prevention, energy and resource conservation, and the use of an environmental management system. Created in 1997, there are currently 33 members of SCEEP.
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Trivia Question of the Week
The RICE NESHAP applies to
a. Fugitive dust from rice milling.
b. Reactive and inert chromium emissions
c. Reciprocating internal combustion engines
d. Residual incinerator chrome exhaust