Proposed legislation this week at the Philadelphia City Council intends to ban the use and production of hydrofluoric acid (HF). The city is in favor of the ban after the Philadelphia Energy Solutions facility explosion that resulted in a release of 5,000 pounds of the toxic chemical. At low levels of exposure, HF can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and respiratory system. Exposure to higher levels can lead to more severe health concerns to the heart and lungs. Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney is encouraging other states and the federal government to enforce similar restrictions on the chemical. Read More.
Category: News Archive
The EPA has released the 2018 Annual Toxics Release Inventory Report. Published every year, the report shows TRI reported data from manufacturing, mining, electric utilities and commercial hazardous waste facilities and analyzes trends and interprets that data. The 2018 report revealed a lower than expected release of “TRI-covered chemicals” than expected compared to economic activity and an increase in recycled chemical waste. In addition, the EPA has publish a new tool to assist in understanding the metal mining sector. Read More.
The Virginia House and Senate passed sweeping energy legislation yesterday that would overhaul how Virginia’s utilities generate electricity and moves the state to the forefront of renewable energy policy in the United States.
The measure, called the Clean Economy Act, lays out a plan to get Virginia to 100% renewable generation. Read more.
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Where is the fund in Superfund going?
President Trump has asked Congress on Monday to reduce the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget on Superfund. The Administration has created the largest backlog of cleanups in over 15 years, and now plans to reduce the Superfund Program’s budget by 10%. The Superfund is just one of many environmental programs that could receive budget cuts for the fiscal year 2021. Read More.
In 2004, Louisiana passed a bill to criminalize most acts of protest against “critical infrastructure” within the industry sector. Within the last two years, Louisiana has expanded the bill to include the trespassing and protest of pipelines in response to the North Dakota protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Over 15 years later, 10 states have adopted their own versions of the bill to make some of the most basic forms of protest a felony charge. Since the new addition to the Louisiana bill, a total of 15 people have been arrested, 14 organized protesters and 1 journalist reporting on the event. Read More.
Benzene is a federal regulated chemical that when exposed can cause blood disorders and cancer. A report released by the Environment Integrity Project examined the excessive release of Benzene from 10 facilities within the United States. The worst offending facilities were found in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. All states included one facility with benzene emittance greater than the federal regulations, with the exception of Texas with a total of 6 refineries out of compliance. Read More.
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that the state’s Environmental Facilities Corporation will direct $120 million in grant money towards assisting Long Island and villages’ water plans. Included is the Village of Mineola that currently has three major water system projects underway to help meet 1,4-dioxin and PFAS treatment requirements. 23 total grants have been given out to Long Island and villages to assist in water remediation projects. Read More.
In June of 2019, the proposed construction of a C.J. Miller asphalt plant in Buckeystown, Maryland was denied by the Frederick County Board of Zoning Appeals. The board denied the plant’s plans to build, arguing that it failed too many of the county’s required codes. The company is remaining persistent in its plans, despite a strong atmosphere of opposition from local residents, and is now asking a Frederick county judge to reexamine the board’s decision. Read More.
Frederick County Planning Committee January 2019 decision
Frederick County Board of Zoning Appeals June 2019 decision
On Friday, January 30, a judge ruled that Harris County can proceed with its lawsuit against Exxon Mobil. The lawsuit was filed on August 1, 2019 after a chemical fire in Baytown, Texas. Harris County itself was taken to court by the state’s attorney general’s office over the case that Harris County must first receive “explicit approval from county commissioners” before filing a lawsuit. Read More.
Exxon Mobil chemical plant explosion
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A Brief Look at Minden, WV
Minden, West Virginia has begged for the cleanup of its town from PCB contamination for over thirty years. In 2019, hope was found among community members when the Superfund site was placed on the EPA’s NPL list. Yet, movement for either cleanup or relocation remains stagnant. Read more about the background of contamination in Minden and the current status of its residents as they continue to fight for cleanup. Read More.