Murphy: EPA Must Work With DEP

U.S. Congressman Tim Murphy says the federal Environmental Protection Agency should do a better job of communicating with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

At a Natural Gas Caucus hearing, DEP Secretary Michael Krancer said contact from the EPA has been limited to press releases, where the agency expresses its concerns about the enforcement of Marcellus Shale drilling regulations.

Murphy says the EPA has not responded to his communications in months and did not show up at the hearing.

“The EPA feels the need to continue to state that they’re going to do something, and yet we’re not sure what their concerns are,” says Murphy. “So, we did not hear from the EPA. I’m still waiting to hear, from my March question, what concerns they have about any of Pennsylvania’s regulations or enforcement thereof.”

The Republican lawmaker says the DEP is better suited to deal with drilling issues unique to Pennsylvania, and the EPA should bring any concerns straight to the state department.

EPA Needs Wastewater Disposal Information from Gas Drillers

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked six natural gas drillers operating in Pennsylvania (Atlas Resources, Talisman Energy, Range Resources, Cabot Gas and Oil, SWEPI, and Chesapeake Energy) to disclose how and where they will dispose of or recycle their wastewater once they stop using public treatment plants. The six plants are responsible for more than 50% of the drilling in the state.

In April the state’s Department of Environmental Protection asked drillers to end voluntarily their use of municipal treatment plants by May 19th because they are not equipped to remove all the contaminants found in frack water. John Capacasa, director of the Water Protection Division of the EPA in Region III, says the EPA is working closely with the DEP to ensure that the wastewater will be handled responsibly. The information requests are required by law, according to Capacasa, under the Clean Water Act and two other statutes.

While municipal plants are usually not equipped to treat drilling wastewater and simply dilute it a little bit before releasing it into waterways, Capacasa says some private facilities can provide a high level of environmental protection. The problem is there are few such plants in the state.

There is currently a moratorium on approval of permits for gas drilling in the Delaware River Basin in Eastern Pennsylvania, says Capacasa, while the Delaware River Basin Commission proposes new regulations based on the very sensitive ecosystem. He says the the Delaware River Basin Commission regulates the quantity of water withdrawal by industry, but he is unaware of any such regulations in Western Pennsylvania.

Capacasa says the EPA yesterday told Tunnelton Liquids Company, a private treatment company, to stop injecting wastewater into an abandoned mine in Saltsburg, Indiana County, because they had no permit and the mine is too shallow to protect drinking water sources.

Sierra Club Takes Stand on Mercury Pollution

Pittsburgh Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak teamed up with the Sierra Club to push for the Environmental Protection Agency regulating mercury pollution. Rudiak, and other council members and staff submitted hair samples as part of a nationwide program by the Sierra Club to raise awareness about the dangers of mercury. The element is a neurotoxin that can be detected in human hair.

Rudiak says coal-fired power plants are the main source. "They release things like mercury and arsenic into the air. And these pollutants actually rain down into our lakes and our streams. And they are eaten by fish, which consequently, we eat as well."

Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Executive Director of Women for a Healthy Environment, says mercury is know to pose health risks. "Mercury at high levels may damage the brain, kidneys and the nervous system. Mercury in the mother's body passes to the fetus via the placenta. According to the CDC and the EPA, at least one in twelve and as many as one in six American women have enough mercury in their bodies to possibly put a baby at risk."

The EPA is considering enacting tighter regulations for mercury and other air toxins. The Sierra Club and PennFuture will be sending a bus of people to Philadelphia on May 24th to for public testimony. The Sierra Club pressed the state to begin regulating mercury in 2006, but the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that it needed to be done nationally.

EPA Update on Gas Well Leak

A spokesman for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says Chesapeake Energy Inc. has informed them that the company has sent the requested information about the spill of thousands of gallons of fracking water at a Marcellus Shale drilling site in Bradford County.
David Sternberg told WDUQ News this morning that Chesapeake Energy has told the agency that they overnighted a CD with the information that was requested. The EPA had wanted the information by yesterday but Sternberg says even though they haven't received the data yet, the agency considers the company "to be in compliance" with the request.

EPA Still Waiting for Info on Marcellus Well Leak

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had wanted Chesapeake Energy to supply information by Tuesday, April 26 on the discharge of thousands of gallons of fracking fluid from a Marcellus Shale natural gas well in Bradford County. The chemically-treated wastewater spilled for more than 20 hours before it was contained but not before some flowed across farm fields and into a creek.
E.P.A. spokesman David Sternberg said as of 4 p.m. yesterday, the company had not provided the EPA with the requested information about the fracking fluids used in the drilling process; the water, land and air affected by the release; and, any private well, surface water and soil sampling data collected before and after the April 19 incident.
Sternberg said the company indicated it would provide the data...."We will evaluate this information promptly in consultation with the PA-DEP (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection) and take whatever action is needed to protect public health and the environment."

Sternberg says the agency has directed Chesapeake to provide more extensive information by May 9th regarding the timeline of the incident, source of the discharge, substances placed into or returned from the wells at the site; whether radiological compounds were present in the fracking water or sediment; effects on drinking water supplies; any other leaks, spills or releases at the site; each chemical brought to the site; and, any wastewater storage at the site.

And if the company doesn't comply by May 9th? "It would be premature to comment on potential violations and the potential of future enforcement actions. As a matter of policy, we don't comment on potential enforcement matters until they're filed or initiated."

EPA Wants Answers About Frack Spill In Bradford County

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has sent an "information request" directing Chesapeake Energy Corp. to provide information about the discharge of thousands of gallons of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluids from a natural gas well last week in Leroy Township, Bradford County.
The EPA says the state is in the lead in responding to this incident but the federal agency wants by the end of today information on the chemically-treated water used in the drilling process; the effect on water, land and air by the release; and any private well, surface water and soil sampling data collected in the area before and after the April 19 incident.

“We want a complete accounting of operations at the site to determine our next steps in this incident and to help prevent future releases of this kind,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin.

According to Garvin, Chesapeake has until May 9 to provide extensive details about the incident:
• Timelines, sources of discharge and the extent of environmental impact
• Substances placed into or returned to the surface from the wells at the site
• Whether radiological compounds are or were present in the fluids or sediment generated
• Results of any subsequent sampling data
• Effects on any drinking water supplies
• All permits or water quality standards that may have been violated
• Any other leaks, spills or releases that have occurred at wells on the drilling site
• The history of drilling operations at the well site
• Each chemical brought to the site, including type and quantities and storage, management and handling practices
• Any temporary wastewater storage impoundments on the site
• Processing of wastewater from wells at the site

Environmentalists Say Radiation Tests Not Often Enough

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection wants publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities to test for radioactive materials on a twice-monthly basis. DEP will also continue testing for radioactivity in seven rivers on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

Natural gas drilling can bring naturally-occurring radium, uranium and other radioactive elements to the surface, and there’s concern the contaminants could make their way into streams, rivers, and possibly drinking water. A New York Times series on concerns over radioactivity in fracking fluid received substantial attention in February; tests DEP released in March showed normal levels in Pennsylvania’s waterways.

Acting DEP Secretary Michael Krancer spelled out the new guidelines in a letter written to Shawn Garvin of the Environmental Protection Agency, who wrote to Krancer on March 7th to request additional tests for radiation. “Rest assured that well before receiving your letter, the DEP has been focusing on issues relating to natural gas drilling, and priorities protecting the environment and public health and safety above all else,” Krancer wrote.

Two tests a month aren’t enough for Brady Russell, the Eastern Pennsylvania Director for Clean Water Action. “A wastewater treatment plant isn’t constantly treating Marcellus wastewater,” he said. “They treat it when the trucks show up. And they show up occasionally and they treat it right away and they dump it right away. But they could go – who knows, they could go two weeks without any business from the Marcellus Shale industry, and then they get six trucks worth of it.”

Russell also doesn’t like the fact DEP is asking the treatment centers to conduct the tests themselves. “It’d be easy under the letter that Krancer has written to these wastewater treatment facilities for them to do a grab sample or a short-term sample two weeks since they’ve had any Marcellus business, and right before the next set of trucks came in. Yup, everything looks fine,” he said, continuing, “[Centers] want to keep getting this business, right? So they have every incentive to intentionally test at the wrong time.”

The EPA suggested Pennsylvania reassess the treatment facilities’ permits, now that they’re processing fracking fluid. “These permits do not now include critical provisions necessary for effective processing and treatment of wastewaters from drilling operations. Again, it is welcome that you intend to reopen these permits,” wrote EPA Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin on March 7th. Krancer said DEP won’t do that, writing back that new requirements will be added to permits “at the time of their renewal.”

New EPA Rule Would Scale Back Mercury Emissions

The Environmental Protection Agency has drafted a new rule that would require power plants to make major cutbacks on emissions of mercury, arsenic and other toxins.

Though not finalized, environmental groups lauded the proposed regulation, called the Mercury and Air Toxics Rule.

PennEnvironment Field Director Adam Garber says the EPA is estimating the standard would reduce mercury emissions by about 91% from major polluters like power plants, especially coal-fired plants.

Mercury has been shown to cause neurological damage to unborn children, and several of the other air toxins addressed by the rule are tied to cancer and asthma.

Garber says the energy industry has fought the regulation for years and will probably continue to debate it in a series of public hearings this summer.

He says if the public comment phase goes smoothly, the regulation should be in place late this year or early in 2012.

EPA: Homer City Power Plant Violates Clean Air Act

The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency have filed suit in federal court in Pittsburgh against current and former owners and operators of the coal-fired Homer City Generating Station in Indiana County for violation of the Clean Air Act. The power plant is operated by EME Homer City Generation L.P. and owned by 8 limited liability corporations. Prior owners Pennsylvania Electric and New York State Electric & Gas were also cited in the complaint.
E.P.A. spokeswoman Bonnie Smith says the owners and operators violated the Clean Air Act by making major modifications to the boiler units at the plant without obtaining the required permits and without installing the best pollution controls....
"If a power plant installs best available control technology, they would be using scrubbers that could reduce as much as 95% of the sulfur dioxide and particulate emissions coming out of a stack, coming out of a power plant."

Smith says in 2009 the Homer City plant emitted 96,000 tons of sulfur dioxide...
"If you removed 95% (from the Homer City plant) , you would be reducing by 1% all of the sulfur dioxide emitted in the United States."

The E.P.A. is asking federal court to force the owners and operators to comply with the Clean Air Act and apply for the proper permits. Smith says their penalty policy would allow for fines ranging from $27,000 to $37,000 per day over the course of several. If those fines are sought and granted, they could total in the tens of millions of dollars.
A spokesman for Edison Mission Energy told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that the violations occurred before the current owners bought the plant in 1999.
However, the lawsuit also lists violations from March 2004 till the present.

Coal Ash Hearing In Pittsburgh

A public hearing concerning coal ash regulation is being held in downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed national regulations about the disposal and management of coal ash from coal fired power plants.

The ash is the byproduct of coal and is disposed in liquid form at large surface impoundments and in solid form at landfills. It can leak into water and waft through the air. The residuals contain mercury, cadmium and arsenic.

The EPA has put forward two proposals regarding the disposal of coal ash. One would be a program of federally enforceable requirements for its management and disposal. The other option would allow the EPA to set performance standards for waste management facilities and would be enforced primarily through citizen suits. Under both approaches coal ash would be able to be recycled as a component of a product such as concrete.

Representatives from the EPA have hosted public hearings around the country. On Tuesday they were in Pittsburgh.

“We breathe, we walk in it, it’s on our clothes it’s on our body hair and even on our cars parked in the parking lot,“ said Herman Marshman Jr., President of a utility workers union, he works for First Energy in Midland. He was among dozens of speakers who spoke on Tuesday morning. He urged the EPA to make a choice that would benefit citizens and the environment first. "Everyone is responsible the EPA, the DEP, the community, the employers of these utilities, I’m not advocating either or, I just want everybody to make the right decision."

Two years ago, an impoundment holding coal ash in Kingston, Tennessee broke open and caused a massive spill that displaced people and caused serious environmental damage.

EPA Coal Ash Hearing Tuesday

Over the last few weeks the US Department of Environmental Protection has been holding a series of field hearings on regulations that cover coal ash pits. The pits are often found near power plants. The ash, mixed with water, is dumped into ponds to dry. The slurry contains high levels of several toxic chemicals and elements. Environmentalists argue that many of the pits are leaking into nearby waterways and into wells in the area. The EPA over the years has issued guidelines and standards for the ash ponds and has a long list of standards when it comes to acceptable toxin levels in ground and surface water. Many power companies argue that those regulations are enough but many environmentalists argue that the regulations to do not go far enough. In most instances it is up to the state where the power plant resides to monitor and regulate the ponds. A recent study from a group of environmental organizations finds some states are lax in their enforcement duties. Those groups have been using the hearings to call for the Federal Government to take over the regulation of the retention ponds.
The Pittsburgh EPA hearing will be held Tuesday Sept 21 at the Omni Hotel downtown. Three sessions will be held. One in the morning, another in the afternoon and a third session will be held in the evening. The first session is to begin at 10am and the last will conclude at 9pm. The other start and end times will float. Each speaker will be given 3 minutes. While all speaking slots in Pittsburgh have been filled the DEP may allow for extra speakers at the end of each session.

EPA Considers Impact of Fracking On Water Quality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is holding the third of four multi-state public information meetings this evening in Canonsburg, Washington County on a proposed study of hydraulic fracturing...fracking...and its impact on drinking water.
Pumping fracking water with chemical additives into the drilled well breaks up the shale and allows the natural gas to be extracted.
The E.P.A. will use comments and suggestions from an independent scientific advisory board and stakeholders to guide the design of the study. Earlier E.P.A. meetings were held in Colorado and Texas.
Listen for reports about this evening's session in Canonsburg from WDUQ's Mark Nootbaar tomorrow on Morning Edition.

Consent Decree for Natrona Steel Plant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Allegheny Health Department and the Department of Justice have reached a settlement with Allegheny Ludlum for alleged Clean Air Act violations at the company's Natrona silicon steel production plant. EPA Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin says the settlement will bring cleaner air to Allegheny County....."“We’re pleased that we could resolve these issues without further litigation, meaning nearby communities will benefit sooner from improved air quality.”

As part of the settlement, Allegheny Ludlum will pay a $1.6 million penalty to be divided equally between the federal government and the Allegheny County Health Department for its Clean Air Fund. The company has agreed to permanently cease steel making operations at its Natrona plant by no later than November 30, 2010. Allegheny Ludlum had already planned to shut down the Natrona facility and consolidate operations at its nearby Brackenridge plant.
Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says this agreement means a long-term commitment to cleaner air and continuing operations..."the output (from the consolidation) will be about the same and will lead to a dramatic reduction in emissions and result in cleaner air for the residents in the area."

Cole says this case dates back to "a significant number of complaints by residents" in 2007 about particulate pollution from the plant. The settlement is subject to a public comment period and final approval by federal court.

Pittsburgh Loses Worst Air Ranking

The American Lung Association has released its annual "State of the Air" report and fine particulate matter is still a problem for the Pittsburgh region. Although the area no longer has the worst air quality in the U.S. particulate matter levels are still above EPA standards. Joe Osborne of GASP, the Group Against Smog and Pollution, says that while progress has been made fine particulate matter still causes adverse health affects. Osborne says that in order for Pittsburgh to continue to improve its air quality, state and local leaders need to work to develop a solid plan that reduces the levels of particulate matter by retrofitting diesel vehicles and crafting a better plan for addressing air pollution in the Liberty-Clairton area.
According to the report, Pittsburgh is now third worst in terms of daily soot pollution behind Bakersfield and Fresno, California.

January is National Radon Action Month

This is an effort by the Environmental Protection Agency to prevent 20,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. each year—the second leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for 15% of deaths. The EPA estimates that over 8 million U.S. homes have dangerous levels of radon gas.

Radon, the "silent killer", causes more in-home deaths than fires, carbon monoxide, drowning, poisoning, falls, or guns.

Catherine Martin of Air Quality Control Agency, a company that installs mitigation systems, says radon is an odorless gas that forms when uranium in the soil decomposes and then seeks the air. If it exists under and around a home, only a mitigation system can keep it from coming inside.

Inexpensive kits are available to test for radon--based on international studies, the World Health Organization has just lowered so-called “acceptable” levels of radon from 4 to 2.7 picocuries.

Martin says a mitigation system will pull radon through a pipe to the outside, where oxygen dissolves the gas. She says systems she’s quoted in Pittsburgh range from about $695 to $895.

Lead Poisoning Prevention Week

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named the week of October 18-24 to be Lead Poisoning Prevention Week.
Spokesperson Donna Heron says the agency uses this week as a way to draw attention to the serious and ongoing problem of lead poisoning.
She says it is the number one environmental health threat to young children in the U.S., specifically 6 and younger.
Heron says the reason young children are mostly affected by lead poisoning is because they tend to put things in their mouths. She says houses built before 1978 were made with lead paint, which chips and generates dust. The paint and dust can get on a child’s clothing, toys, etc, which can then get into the child’s mouth.
She says the health effects for children exposed to lead are really significant and can include learning disabilities, hyper-activity, impaired hearing, and brain damage.
Heron says there are a number of ways parents can try to prevent this problem. First, she says they should keep their houses very clean. They should be mopping floors, washing windows and walls, and using warm water with a general all-purpose cleaner. Also, she says parents should always be sure that their child is constantly washing their hands. Another important thing is good nutrition. Heron says children should be taking in lots of iron, calcium, and vitamin C, from foods such as eggs, lean red meat, beans and dairy products. She says foods like these help prevent lead from really affecting the body.
Heron says parents should have their child checked because even a child who appears to be completely healthy can have higher blood levels than normal.
For more information visit www.epa.gov/lead

EPA Air Toxics Survey: Initial Results

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released initial data from an air toxics monitoring survey that began earlier this year. Of the 63 schools selected in 22 states, Sto Rox and South Allegheny school districts in Allegheny County were chosen. The goal is to understand whether outdoor toxic air pollution poses health concerns, especially for school children.

EPA spokeswoman Bonnie Smith says both of those schools were “below levels of short-term health concerns”, but she says there is still more testing to be done through the fall to investigate long-term health concerns. Monitors that were installed in August are to identify various air toxics, both in gas and particle form. The EPA has identified 187 distinct air toxics. Smith says none of the surveyed schools has received a result that’s above levels of short-term health concerns, but she says there is still more data to be collected. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/schoolair.