EPA adds Delaware site to Superfund list

From an Environmental Protection Agency news release

PHILADELPHIA (Sept. 1, 2020) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its commitment today to clean up six new sites – including the Blades Groundwater Site in Delaware – by adding them to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).

“Cleaning up toxic sites and returning them to safe and productive reuse under the Superfund program is critical to EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “By adding these sites to the National Priorities List, we are moving forward in creating a healthier environment for the affected communities.”

The NPL is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program.

“Superfund cleanup continues to be a top priority for EPA,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “Today’s listing ensures that resources are available to take the necessary cleanup actions to address the contamination and any potential impacts on the Blades community.”

EPA originally proposed the Blades Groundwater Site, located in Sussex County, Delaware, adjacent to the Town of Seaford, to the NPL on Nov. 8, 2019. A 60-day public comment period followed, during which no adverse comments to the proposal were received. The designation is now finalized.

EPA’s next step will be to conduct a remedial investigation and feasibility study to determine the nature and extent of contamination, assess potential threats to human health and the environment, and evaluate various cleanup options after the nature and extent of contamination is understood.  Throughout the process, EPA will continue working closely with our State partner, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC).

“Today’s listing by the EPA will allow us to continue our joint work, now with Superfund authority to investigate and remediate the contamination in municipal and residential wells in Blades,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “While we have successfully treated the water supply with carbon filtration, additional remedial action will maintain the safe drinking water and protect human health and the environment in this community.”

The Blades Groundwater Site is being listed because industrial chemicals which can cause adverse effects to human health and the environment have been found in groundwater that is used as a source of drinking water.  The primary groundwater contaminants of concern in the Blades area are metals associated with electroplating compounds.  Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) have also been found in groundwater and were identified in public and residential supply wells.

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California lawmakers pass recycled content mandate but producer responsibility bills stall again

By E.A. Crunden, WasteDive

AB 793, a recycled content mandate, made it out of California’s legislature on the day’s last session. But the Circular Economy and Pollution Reduction Act (AB 1080 and SB 54), a major extended producer responsibility (EPR) packaging effort, failed for the second year in a row.

AB 793 passed the state Senate on Aug. 30 by 65-0 and is now headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Several supporters of the bill indicated they expect Newsom to sign after he vetoed a predecessor bill last year, AB 792, over concerns about burdening state regulators.

The bill would be the toughest of its kind globally per reporting by Plastics News, requiring 50% recycled content in plastic beverage bottles by 2030.

The identical EPR bills were less successful — AB 1080 passed the Senate but did not make it back for Assembly concurrence in time, while SB 54 fell shy by four Assembly votes due to moderate Democrats abstaining, according to CalMatters.

Those bills also did not make it to a final vote in 2019 amid pushback from major packaging interests and some industry players including Waste Management, despite support from Republic Services and Recology.  

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NJ to allow towns to borrow for COVID

By Daniel J. Munoz, NJBIZ

Murphy approved a bill Monday evening that will let towns, cities and counties borrow money to offset losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, and handle the cost of dealing with the virus.

The new law, Assembly Bill 3971, allows towns to borrow money equaling up to 30 percent of their budget, backed by local tax revenue and, under a request from Murphy, payable over five years rather than a decade.

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Wild and dangerous weather all around. Republican leaders stay silent

At their national convention, GOP leaders ignored the topic of climate change. They also ignored the concerns of some Republicans—especially younger voters—who want to address global warming.

BY MARIANNE LAVELLE Inside Climate News

President Donald Trump speaks on the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention with a speech delivered in front a live audience on the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 27, 2020. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty
President Donald Trump speaks on the fourth and final night of the Republican National Convention with a speech delivered in front a live audience on the South Lawn of the White House on Aug. 27, 2020. Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

As a cascade of extreme weather disasters upended life across the nation this week, there was no mention of climate change during the four days of the Republican National Convention. The only party leader to refer to “climate” was President Donald Trump, who boasted about withdrawing from the Paris climate accord.

Amid devastating California wildfires, one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast in 50 years and the fallout from an unprecedented “derecho” storm system in Iowa, GOP leaders were silent about the science linking the increased frequency and intensity of such calamities to a warming planet.

The party made clear its calculation that voters do not require any more response from the GOP other than allegiance to Trump and his signing of emergency orders, seasoned with invective toward Democrats. Trump himself provided plenty of the latter.

“How can Joe Biden claim to be an ‘ally of the light’ when his own party can’t even keep the lights on?” he asked in his acceptance speech, contending that power outages California experienced, related to an extreme heat wave, somehow were connected to Democratic energy policy. 

Trump has spent nearly four years dismantling U.S. climate policy, rolling back more than 150 environmental regulations, and opening public lands to oil and gas development. No American president has done more to eliminate environmental protection. 

But in turning a blind eye to climate change, GOP leaders are ignoring the pleas of some party activists, especially young voters. A majority of Americans say they believe climate should be a top concern for the president and Congress. And polls show that the failure to back environmental protection is a major vulnerability for Republicans heading into November.

“The perception that the Republican party does not care about the environment, and the unfortunate continued perception that it doesn’t take climate change seriously as an issue is something that’s going to hurt badly,” said Quillan Robinson, vice president of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), an advocacy group started by young Republicans.

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Three shellfishing areas temporarily closed in New York waters

New York Department of Environmental Conservation news release

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the temporary closure of three shellfishing areas on the north shore of Long Island during the upcoming Labor Day holiday period. These closures are imposed during busy holidays to protect public health from potentially contaminated shellfish associated with increased boating activity in shellfishing waters.

Boaters are reminded to use pump-out facilities to help protect these waters. When boating, DEC encourages New Yorkers to get outside safely, locally, and responsibly during the State’s response to COVID-19, and to avoid busy waters.

“DEC closes shellfishing in these waters annually during the Labor Day holiday due to the heavy increase in recreational activities,” Commissioner Seggos said. “Responsible boating plays a major role in protecting our local waterways and DEC continues to urge boaters to be aware of the no-discharge zones in New York’s coastal waters and to use pump-out facilities to prevent impacts to our natural resources and protect public health.”

Since 1995, DEC has designated these areas as temporarily uncertified for the harvest of shellfish during the Fourth of July and Labor Day holidays. During peak holiday periods, discharges from marine sanitation devices (toilets) may contaminate nearby shellfish beds with pathogenic bacteria or viruses, rendering the shellfish unsafe for human consumption.

DEC will designate the following areas, all on the north shore of Long Island, as closed to the harvest of shellfish beginning at sunrise on Friday, Sept. 4, and continuing through Wednesday, Sept. 9:

  • 445 acres in a section of Oyster Bay Harbor, town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County
  • 50 acres in the area known as the Sand Hole, town of Huntington, Suffolk County
  • 347 acres in northern Port Jefferson Harbor, town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County

Shellfish harvesting is expected to resume in these areas on Thursday, Sept. 10. If poor weather causes fewer boaters to visit these areas, DEC may rescind the closure and reopen the areas earlier to harvesting. A recorded message advising the public about temporary closures of any shellfishing areas in New York State is accessible 24 hours a day by calling (631) 444-0480. The recorded message also advises harvesters when such areas have reopened. Information, including maps showing the affected areas, is available on DEC’s website.

New York State is encouraging boaters to engage in responsible recreation during the State’s ongoing response to COVID-19. The particular practice of “rafting” where multiple vessels tie up with each other should be avoided since this can increase the chance of disease transmission. DEC recommendations incorporate guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health for reducing the spread of infectious diseases and encourage New Yorkers to recreate locally, practice physical distancing, show respect, and use common sense to protect themselves and others. For more information about engaging in responsible recreation this summer, visit DEC’s website.

Boaters should be aware that Oyster Bay Harbor, the Sand Hole, and Port Jefferson Harbor are designated as no-discharge zones in their entirety. A no-discharge zone is a designated body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated boat sewage is prohibited. Boaters in these areas should utilize the following pump-out facilities:

  • Oyster Bay Harbor (West Harbor, town of Oyster Bay): One pump-out boat is operated by the town of Oyster Bay at no cost to boaters. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Contact the pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 9 or by cell phone at (516) 375-9864. In addition, the town provides two pump-out stations on floats near the Oyster Bay Marine Center and Waterfront Park and a land-based pump-out in the town marina at Theodore Roosevelt Park.
  • The Sand Hole (Lloyd Neck, town of Huntington): Although there are no facilities within the Sand Hole, boaters should contact Town of Oyster Bay pump-out boat as noted above. There also is a land-based pump-out facility at Powle’s Marine Center in Cold Spring Harbor. In addition, boaters traveling from town of Huntington waters can request the services of the town’s pump-out boat (no fee) by calling on marine radio VHF channel 9. There are also a number of land based pump-out facilities at marinas in Northport Harbor and Huntington Harbor.
  • Port Jefferson Harbor (town of Brookhaven): The town of Brookhaven operates a pump-out boat (no fee) in Port Jefferson Harbor. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Boaters may contact the town’s pump-out boat via marine radio VHF channel 73. In addition, the town provides a pump out station on its transient dock, east of the boat launch ramp, west of the charter fishing vessels.

A full list of No Discharge Zones in New York State, including other Long Island waters, can be found on DEC’s website.

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