EnviroPolitics Blog

Chemical company fined $2.4M for multiple environmental violations at West Elizabeth Pa. facility

From the USEPA

PHILADELPHIA (May 25, 2023) – Eastman Chemical Resins Inc. will pay a $2.4 million penalty for environmental violations at the sprawling 56-acre manufacturing facility in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, that is now owned and operated by Synthomer Jefferson Hills, LLC, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

“Compliance with our nation’s laws that protect the environment and the health of our communities is an obligation a company can’t take lightly,” said EPA Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “The actions required by this settlement will help ensure that the facility operates in a manner that is protective of environmental resources and the health of nearby communities.”

Along with the financial penalty being paid by Eastman, Synthomer has agreed to take actions to eliminate ongoing violations and prevent future violations. This includes conducting a comprehensive review of stormwater discharges and groundwater contamination and implementing initiatives to ensure compliance with environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and parallel Pennsylvania laws.

Violations include:

Chronic Clean Water Act violations include exceeding allowable limits for zinc, xylene, and other pollutants that are discharged to the Monongahela River.
Unpermitted discharges of oil and other pollutants.
Failure to comply with operation and maintenance obligations of its Clean Water Act permit.
Violations of the facility’s Clean Air Act risk management program.
Numerous hazardous waste management violations.

The penalty will be divided equally between the United States and Pennsylvania, who are co-plaintiffs in this consent decree. Pennsylvania DEP assisted EPA in the investigation and litigation. The settlement addresses alleged federal and state environmental law violations that have occurred since 2017, which threaten to degrade receiving streams and impact public health and harm aquatic life and the environment.

The chemical-producing facility is bordered on the southeast by the Monongahela River and bisected by an unnamed tributary to that river. The proposed consent decree, filed in the federal district court in Pittsburgh, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.

A copy of the consent decree with more specifics about the violations is available online at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.

For further information: r3press@epa.gov

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Energy and environment bills up for votes in NJ Senate on Monday

The energy and environment bills below are scheduled for floor votes Monday, 5/22/23 in the New Jersey Senate

S3723 – “Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Management Act.”

SJR73 – Designates the first full week of June each year as “New Jersey Fishing and Boating Week.”

A2271 – Designates cranberry juice as State juice.

A4089 – Extends deadlines, under certain circumstances, for completion and commercial operation of certain solar electric power generation facilities.

S2732 – Extends deadlines, under certain circumstances, for completion and commercial operation of certain solar electric power generation facilities.

A4866 – Establishes Community Hazard Assistance Mitigation Program in, and authorizes the issuance of bonds by, NJ Infrastructure Bank to fund certain hazard mitigation and resilience projects; makes various changes to NJ Infrastructure Bank’s enabling act.

S3337 – Establishes Community Hazard Assistance Mitigation Program in, and authorizes the issuance of bonds by, NJ Infrastructure Bank to fund certain hazard mitigation and resilience projects; makes various changes to NJ Infrastructure Bank’s enabling act

[NOTE: Enter bill numbers here to see full versions]

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EPA finishes groundwater plant at Chem-Fab Superfund Site

From the Environmental Proection Agency

(May 19, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today the completion of the groundwater treatment system at the Chem Fab Superfund Site in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, thanks to $2.9 million under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to expedite the cleanup.

“This historic funding boost from the BIL invests $3.5 billion in Superfund cleanups nationally, making a dramatic impact on EPA’s ability to address legacy pollution that threatens the health of communities across the country,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “By expediting these cleanups, we’re ensuring the protection of affected communities and moving these sites closer in the direction for potential redevelopment.”

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The Chem Fab Superfund Site is located on North Broad Street in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. From the mid-1960s to the late 1970s, Chem Fab, Inc. operated an electroplating and metal etching facility which stored and disposed of processing chemicals on-site.

Groundwater underlying the Site is contaminated with metals, volatile organic compounds, and per-and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). The chemicals in the groundwater are commonly found in solvents and degreasers and associated with electroplating operations. Volatile organic compounds were previously detected in two municipal and several residential wells.

EPA also issued a proposed cleanup plan for public comment from May 10 through June 9 to address soil and sediment contamination on the site. This proposed cleanup plan is another step towards a final comprehensive long term site clean-up.

For more information visit: : https://www.epa.gov/superfund/chemfab

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Curbside recycling once paid for itself. Now it’s a municipal burden. No cheap solutions on the horizon

By South Jersey Times Editorial Board

It was 1981. Faced with a near-capacity landfill that would soon shut down, Woodbury became the first municipality in New Jersey — and, arguably, the nation — to adopt a mandatory curbside recycling program.

Don Sanderson, a Republican city councilman who might well be unable to win a primary election in today’s GOP, pushed hard for the program, citing both the need to preserve disposal space and the waste of tossing reclaimable glass, paper, and metals into ordinary garbage. Even 42 years ago, there was political pushback for requiring that households separate reusable items from regular trash.

The rest, as they say, is history, and mandatory recycling later became the law all over New Jersey and elsewhere.

Recycling soon became more sophisticated. Sorting centers allowed for “single stream” pickups. Participation rates improved, since metals, glass, paper, and plastic didn’t need to be separated at home.

In recent years, though, municipal programs have been threatened by a declining resale market. The programs stopped providing enough revenue to pay for themselves. The biggest jolt was a 2017 decision by China to stop taking in mixed and often dirty shiploads of U.S. paper and plastic.

Still, curbside recycling programs have survived, even if they have not thrived.

Until now, it seems.

Read the full editorial here

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Former NJDEP Commissioner Bob Shinn dies at 85

Burlington County Times obituary

Robert C. Shinn, Jr. of Hainesport, passed away at his home on Friday, May 5, 2023. He was 85.

Born in Mount Holly, Bob was a graduate of Rancocas Valley Regional High School and attended Drexel University. He served in the US Army during the Korean War.

Mr. Shinn was a lifelong politician and public servant. His distinguished career spanned more than four decades, serving the public at multiple levels of government. During that time, Shinn made immeasurable contributions to safeguarding and improving environmental quality, deeply and positively influencing countless people along the way.

He was the former Mayor of Hainesport Township in 1973-1974, served as a member of the Burlington County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1977-1985, serving twice as Freeholder Director.

Bob was a former Member of the NJ General Assembly from the 8th district from 1985-1994 and former Commissioner of the NJ DEP from 1994-2002 under Governor Christie Todd Whitman. He helped lead the “Environmental Commissioners of the 50 States” (ECOS) organization for the entire country in driving National environmental public policy in the 1990s. His knowledge of the environment and vision in addressing climate change and environmental results-based management (25 years ago) were unparalleled.

In addition to politics and environmental issues, Mr. Shinn was the founder and president of Material Handling System, S2 Concepts, and Hollyford Enterprises, Inc. He was always busy tinkering around and held two US mechanical patents. He was also a member and Past President of the Mount Holly Rotary Club. Bob was completely down to earth and treated everyone with dignity and respect. He enjoyed speaking and joking with everyone.

Bob is survived by his wife Paula of Hainesport; his daughter Debbie Shinn of Delran; step-daughter Jody Meeks of Woodland Township and step-son Scott Wiedemann of Atco; a grandson Dave Meeks. He is also survived by his sister Michelle Shinn, a nephew Nigel Encinas, and his former wife Barbara Shinn of Mount Laurel.

A Viewing will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023, from 12 pm – 3 pm at the Perinchief Chapels, 438 High St., Mount Holly. A Service will follow at 3 pm. Contributions in his memory may be made to Rancocas Valley Regional High School for a scholarship that will be started in his name.

If you liked this post you’ll love our daily environmental newsletter, EnviroPolitics. It’s packed with the latest news, commentary, and legislative updates from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware…and beyond. Don’t take our word for it, try it free for an entire month. No obligation.

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Climate change forcing some in Florida Keys to consider moving

Longtime residents of the Florida Keys are being driven out by tidal flooding, skyrocketing costs and turbo-charged hurricanes. Many want to stay, but can they survive the dual threat of rising seas and wealthy investors?

Dwayne Hope stands next to his car destroyed by Hurricane Irma on Big Pine Key, Fla., in September 2017. Hope lived on a boat for 20 years and tried to shelter in the car before retreating to a nearby house. The Category 4 hurricane took all his possessions. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

By ARIANNA SKIBELL, Politiico

Climate change is making it more dangerous — and much more expensive — to live on the subtropical islands at the southern tip of Florida.

Daniel Cusick writes that extreme heat, tidal flooding and severe hurricanes are driving out longtime residents of the Florida Keys and driving up the cost of basic needs: rent, food, water, power and gasoline.

That has meant the departure of more low- and middle-income residents, many of whom work the service and labor jobs undergirding the Keys’ multibillion-dollar tourism industry. Now people with greater wealth and more mobility are moving in, further increasing housing prices. Meanwhile, the climate clock is ticking as sea levels rise.

New affordable homes under construction at Seahorse Cottages at Big Pine Key, Fla., development site in January 2023. — New affordable homes are under construction at Seahorse Cottages at a Big Pine Key, Fla., development site in January. | Daniel Cusick/POLITICO’s E&E News

This is all happening in a state with a governor who has described himself as “not a global warming person.” Gov. Ron DeSantis, a potential Republican presidential nominee, once prefaced resilience plans for sea-level rise with assurances that Florida was just a “flood-prone state.”

Necessary retreat? The population of Big Pine Key dropped 15 percent after Hurricane Irma in 2017. The area is now home to about 4,800 people.

While Big Pine Key is rebuilding, real estate values have nearly doubled since Irma.

Read the full story here

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