EPA, Region 4 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Division Priorities. Alan Farmer, RCRA Division Director April 15, 2011

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1 EPA, Region 4 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Division Priorities Alan Farmer, RCRA Division Director April 15,

2 EPA Administrator s Priorities: Taking Action on Climate Change Improving air quality Assuring the safety of chemicals Cleaning up our communities Protecting America s water Environmental Justice Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships

3 RCRA Division EPA Region 4 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Who We Are? Brownfields/ Revitalization UST Corrective Action Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Underground Storage Tanks (USTs) Materials Management Resource Conservation Brownfields RCRA, OPA and PCB Enforcement & Compliance Reuse/Revitalization Community Engagement Support Landfill and Waste Issues during an Emergency Response Enforcement 3

4 RCRA Division Organizational Chart Alan Farmer, Division Director Dee Stewart, Deputy Director Resource Management RCRA and OPA Enforcement Branch Caroline Robinson Restoration and UST Branch Jeff Pallas RCRA Programs and Materials Management Branch Jon Johnston South Enf. & Comp. Section Larry Lamberth Corrective Action Section Karen Knight Permits and State Programs Section Otis Johnson North Enf. & Comp. Section Doug McCurry UST Section Bill Truman Brownfields Mike Norman, Acting Materials Management Section Jay Bassett October 14,

5 RCRA Program/Division Areas of Emphasis in FY11 Environmental Justice Community Engagement Sustainable Materials Management Program Brownfields/Revitalization Efforts Mineral Processing Building State and Tribal Capacity 5

6 Environmental Justice Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. EPA has this goal for all communities and persons across this Nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.

7 Environmental Justice Environmental Justice in Rulemaking Guidance Released New guidance for considering environmental justice in EPA's rulemaking process has been released.

8 Commitment to Community Engagement

9 Locations for Targeted CEI - RCRA

10 Sustainable Materials Management Knowing and reducing the lifecycle impacts across the supply chain; Using less material inputs (reduce, reuse, recycle); Using less toxic and more renewable materials; and Considering whether services can be substituted for products. 10

11 Brownfields/Revitalization: Atlanta BeltLine, D.H. Stanton Park Opening Spring 2011 Construction progress, January 2011 new little league/softball field, scenic hill with play equipment and solar panels to offset energy costs will be Atlanta s first energy costneutral park Groundbreaking, March 2010

12 Atlanta BeltLine: West End Trail 2.4-mile multi-use trail Connects historic West End neighborhood to Westview Cemetery Funded by PATH Foundation with Federal TE Grant Phase I opened 10/08; Phase II opened 06/10 Groundbreaking for Phase II, December 2009 Ribbon cutting for Phase II, June 2010

13 Atlanta BeltLine: Boulevard Crossing Park Phase I Opening Spring 2011 Groundbreaking, May 2010 Nearly complete playing field, October 2010

14 Atlanta BeltLine: Historic Fourth Ward Park Opening Spring 2011 May 2008 February 2011 May 2008 February 2011

15 Mineral Processing National Enforcement Initiative Primary focus: phosphoric acid producers 18 operating facilities nationwide (cumulative 50 billion gallons of wastewater stored in land-based impoundments: ph ~1.5, high Cd, Cr, As, Rad) 11 of the 18 facilities are located in R4 (~60% of sector)

16 CF Industries CF Industries in operation since 1962 CF has one phosphoric acid facility and 10% of U.S. fertilizer market Located in an environmental justice community 20 miles east of Tampa, Florida 308 acre gypsum stack, 93 acre cooling pond system, 800 million gallons corrosive wastewater

17 Precedent-Setting Settlement Settlement initiated in 2005 through Dept of Justice with FDEP as co-plaintiff Consent Decree Effective on September 28, 2010 Civil Penalty: $701,000 Sets industry-wide standards for: Financial assurance for closure (guaranteed $164.5 million) Site-wide groundwater monitoring Better operation/control of gypsum stacks and cooling ponds (e.g. annual assessment of water release risk, continuous improvement of water balance, install synthetic liners, etc) Closure of stacks and ponds with post-closure care for 50 years

18 Precedent-Setting Settlement Largest RCRA direct environmental benefits nationally for FY 2010 Largest RCRA direct environmental benefits since R4 began tracking: Re-engineered air pollution scrubbers to cease discharge of corrosive wastewater (annual elimination of 9.8 billion pounds of hazardous waste) Constructing a wastewater treatment system to neutralize cleaning wastes/spills (5.8 million pounds hazardous waste treated annually) Implementing BMP to track leaks/spills Install synthetic liners under chemical plants to prevent groundwater contamination

19 Commitment to Building State Partnerships Training Technical Assistance Funding 19

20 Regulatory Update Regulatory Direction Coal Combustion Residuals Rule Definition of Sold Waste Episodic Generators Amendment of the Universal Waste Rule Academic Laboratories Final Rule Spent Lead Acid Batteries Import Export Rule RCRA Technical Corrections Final Rule Withdrawal of Emission Comparable Fuel (ECF) Exclusion under RCRA Final Rule Carbon Sequestration Identification of Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials that are Solid Waste 20

21 Working with State Partners to Accomplish RCRA Goals Policy Direction Sustainable Materials Management Continued Emphasis on: Environmental Justice Community Engagement Revitalization Green Remediation Greenhouse Gas Reduction Regulatory Direction

22 Thank you! 22