Agency
s'ntal Protection
Region 5
77 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60604
EPA 905-F-96-WT
1996
f/EPA TOWARD A BRIGH
EPA REGION 5
THE FIRST 25 YEARS:
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25 YEARS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROGRESS
The year 1995 marked two important milestones in environmental protection: the 25th anniversary
of Earth Day on April 22 and the 25th anniversary of EPA on December 2.
In those relatively short 25 years, great strides and dramatic improvements in pollution
control and prevention have been made.
During the first decade, U.S. Congress wasted no time in passing a battery of
environmental laws that came to grips with polluted air and water, as well as with toxic substances,
pesticides, solid wastes, hazardous wastes, ocean dumping, endangered species, shoreline
erosion, surface mining, uranium mill tailings, lead-based paint, and more.
During the second decade, additional laws were enacted or old laws amended to deal
with the realities of the day.
The second round of environmental legislation addressed, for example, such hazards as
asbestos, radon, nuclear wastes, and medical wastes. Then, in 1990, Congress passed another
far-reaching law—the National Environmental Education Act. In fact, since 1970 Congress has
passed almost 40 major Federal laws dealing with the environment.
New concepts
New concepts of environmental protection also came into being. First was the ecosystems
approach, a revolutionary idea at the time. It meant, for instance, that instead of focusing just upon
a river or a lake or the air umbrella over a particular city, we looked upon a geographical area—
such as the Great Lakes Basin—as one integrated unit.
The concept of risk assessment, still far from perfect, also became part of our
deliberations. Multimedia enforcement—where EPA issues a citation to a polluter or takes him
to court for violation of several laws—has also made its successful debut.
And pollution prevention became a keystone of EPA policy. It comes from a simple but
sober realization: that it's far easier and cheaper to prevent pollution than to chase pollutants once
, _.th§y tja^ejgjttha w.ajer pipe or gone up the smokestack.
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But—even more important, perhaps—those 25 years have changed the way America
looks at things. They have introduced the environmental ethic into all walks of life: from water-saving
showerheads and energy-saving light bulbs in the family home to far-reaching recycling decisions
in the corporate boardroom.
And at EPA there evolved a concept of environmental justice: the realization that, in
many instances and for much too long, the poor and the minorities have been bearing a
disproportionate burden of environmental pollution.
Partnerships
A number of EPA voluntary partnerships have also taken root. WasteWise, for example, is a
corporate program that aims to reduce municipal garbage and encourage recycling and the
purchase of recycled products. Another, the Brownfields program, seeks to return contaminated
or abandoned urban sites to productive use. And last year, with a grant from EPA, the Chicago
Board of Trade created a new electronic market for recyclable products.
EPA Region 5 has also awarded numerous grants under its environmental education
and environmental justice programs. The recipients were schools, Indian tribes, community
organizations, and environmental groups, ranging from Parents Against Lead in Chicago to the
Sokaogan Chippewa Community in Minnesota.
EPA Region 5, in cooperation with others, has also reached out overseas, providing
computer hardware and software to the Baltic States and 40 environmental software programs
to Indonesia.
During the past 25 years, billions of dollars were spent on pollution control. Was it
worth it? The answer is a resounding Yes!
Big business
Besides protecting human health and the environment, every billion dollars thus spent creates some
20,000 new jobs. Environmental protection has already become a $100 billion-a-year industry.
And so today, if the air is a little bit cleaner, the water a little bit clearer, and the land a little
bit greener, we can thank those 20 million Americans who stood up on that first Earth Day and
demanded that the Government do something about the environment.
And the Government listened. Out of chaos and nothingness was created a body of
environmental laws that literally changed the face of this Nation. To this day, according to a recent
survey, 78 percent of all Americans believe that their Government should do whatever it takes to
protect the environment.
As one youngster's art poster said: "The Earth Is Not Recyclable." We must never forget
that. And that's why we must continue with renewed energy, stronger commitment, and greater
use of all our resources. Our job is far from finished.
Administrator, EPA Region 5
Chicago, Illinois
Earth Day 1996
Environmental Protection Agency
5. library !ft-l2J)
77 West Jackwn BoutevanJ, !2fti floor
Chicago, H. 60604-3590
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REGIONAL STATES
25 years ago, even before the EPA itself was formed, some EPA Region 5 States—like Minnesota
and Wisconsin—already had their pollution control agencies in place. From the earliest days, the six
States of EPA Region 5—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin—were EPA's
inseparable partners in all aspects of protecting human health and the environment.
In 1979, the first of several historic agreements was signed between EPA and the six
States. Their aim was to identify environmental problems, assign priorities for action, and agree
on mutually acceptable solutions.
In 1993, another milestone in the EPA-State partnership was reached with the signing
of a joint 5-year strategy (1995-1999) to deal with regional problems.
The strategy focuses on 10 top priorities, which include such diverse subjects as pollution
prevention, ecosystem protection, reduction of toxicants, global atmospheric hazards, and more
effective public involvement.
"Clunkers" on the way to recycling.
ILLINOIS
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), founded in 1970. Mary A. Gade, Director.
Illinois has made dramatic progress during the past 25 years. The air is significantly cleaner.
Chicago, for example, now meets all national air-quality standards except for ozone. More
than 1 million Ib of PCB's were removed from Waukegan Harbor, so that salmon fishing has
become a growth industry in the once-ailing Lake Michigan.
IEPA consistently meets its goals by advocating a healthy environment without sacrificing
a healthy economy. By developing market-based programs to achieve environmental goals
at less cost, IEPA has received national recognition for its innovative efforts.
These include: the VOC (volatile organic compounds) trading program, which allows major
polluters in Chicago to buy and sell emission credits; the "Cash for Clunkers" initiative aimed
at getting old, polluting cars off Chicago-area streets; the "Clean Break" amnesty program
to encourage small businesses to comply with environmental regulations; and "Partners
in Pollution Prevention," a comprehensive planning program for Illinois industry.
IDEM Commissioner Kathy Prosser
signs Memorandum of Cooperation
of the Grand Calumet Cooperative
Project, while EPA Region 5 Adminis-
trator Valdas Adamkus looks on.
INDIANA
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), founded in 1986.
Kathy Prosser, Commissioner.
In 1990, IDEM helped pass landmark legislation to ensure that all industries incorporate
pollution prevention techniques as a preferred means to reduce waste. IDEM also led the way
in passing a historic law that required counties to form solid waste (garbage) management
districts. The aim—to achieve a 50 percent reduction of solid waste by the year 2000.
With help from IDEM, other key environmental laws have been enacted during the past 6 years.
They include a ban on yard waste in landfills, a voluntary cleanup program for property owners,
and State authority to clean up oil spills—which closes a loophole in State and Federal law.
IDEM has recently streamlined the enforcement of environmental laws and has launched
a statewide recycling campaign in offices, schools, and towns.
In addition, Indiana has adopted some of the strictest water quality standards in the Nation,
setting criteria for more than 90 chemical pollutants.
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REGIONAL STATES
MICHIGAN
Department of Environmental Quality,
designated as the State environmental agency in 1995.
Russell Harding, Director.
Michigan's early ban on phosphate detergents and phosphorus restrictions
in municipal wastewater were key factors in the dramatic recovery of Lake
Erie. Michigan was the first State to assume the wetlands protection
program, which became a national model. It also was a pioneer in
controlling toxicants in water.
In 1971, some 70 percent of the State's population lived in areas that did
not meet Federal standards for clean air. Since then, dramatic reductions
have taken place in ozone, carbon monoxide, paniculate, and sulfur dioxide
emissions. In 1995, Detroit became the largest urban area in the Nation
to attain the ozone standard.
Michigan in 1979 has led the Nation in hazardous waste regulations,
which at the outset were even tougher in several areas than the
Federal rules.
In 1994 Michigan established the first program in EPA Region 5
dedicated to technical assistance and pollution prevention. It serves
businesses and municipalities, as well as the public at large.
Detroit, Ml.
MINNESOTA
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MFCA), founded in 1967.
Charles Williams, Commissioner.
Three years before the first Earth Day, there already was an MPCA. It picked
up the environmental momentum and never stopped. During the first decade
alone, MPCA started a program for solid waste recycling and resource
recovery, banned overpackaged products, began regulating hazardous
wastes, set phosphorus limits for detergents, established noise rules, took
over the water-quality permits program from EPA, and called for a Federal
ban on PCB's.
In the 1980's, MPCA's plan to control acid rain set a national first. The
agency also took over the hazardous waste program from EPA and launched
a pilot project to collect hazardous wastes from households. The Conservation
Foundation ranked Minnesota first in the Nation for its environmental efforts.
More honors followed. In 1994, for example, MPCA was hailed for its
innovative soil cleanup methods by the Ford Foundation and Harvard
University. One of the 10 best programs in the Nation, they said.
MPCA was also recognized in 1994 for its excellence in training and
communications. It has received an award from the North American Lake
Management Society and top honors from the North American Hazardous
Materials Management Association.
Fall fishing in Superior National Forest, MN.
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REGIONAL STATES
Beach at East Harbor State Park, Port Clinton, OH.
I OHIO
£
£
| Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), founded in 1972.
" Donald R. Schregardus, Director.
Ohio is creating a host of incentives to encourage the rehabilitation of
abandoned or contaminated urban properties under the Brownfields
program. Cleanup standards will be established for such properties
according to their intended use—industrial, commercial, or residential.
Voluntary participants will be safe from future lawsuits once the property
receives a certified clean bill of health.
Ohio EPA now responds to some 200,000 requests for technical
assistance every year. With the establishment of the Small Business
Assistance Program under the Clean Air Act, that number will certainly
increase.
Over 150 companies have joined the voluntary "Ohio Prevention First"
program, aimed at reducing toxic emissions. There is also a $500,000
grant program to educate small and mid-size businesses about pollution
prevention possibilities.
In addition, Ohio has been working on a comparative risk project, with
input from thousands of citizens. The end result will be a report on the
state of Ohio's environment.
Nature class at Chiwaukee Prairie, Kenosha, Wl.
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), founded in 1968.
George E. Meyer, Secretary.
WDNR has begun a major reorganization to better serve its citizens
now and into the 21st century. Hallmarks include better customer service,
comprehensive ecosystem management, and partnerships with the public
to carry out a wide variety of environmental projects, both locally and
regionally.
Wisconsin, in cooperation with local governments, has launched in
recent years a highly successful municipal waste reduction and recycling
program. It has also developed with EPA and the neighboring States
a new computer model to track ozone formation and transport in the
Lake Michigan region.
A comprehensive set of rules to guide environmental cleanups has
been developed as well. And long-term efforts to improve water quality
in the Great Lakes and inland waters continue unabated.
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INDIAN LANDS
25 years ago, the 32 American Indian reservations within the boundaries of EPA Region 5
were not perceived as having any special environmental problems.* But they had. Often
literally "in the middle of nowhere," they lacked even the most basic infrastructure that
other, equally poor, communities took for granted: clean drinking water, sewage disposal,
and garbage collection, for instance.
The U.S. Supreme Court in 1831 declared the Indian tribes to be semi-independent
nations. In the years to come, the Indian tribes in the United States (over 500 federally
recognized tribes today) experienced everything from benign neglect to what was later to
be called actual genocide.
Environmental pollution on Indian reservations was not on anyone's priority
list...anywhere.
Indian Lands Policy
That all changed in 1984, when EPA announced its Indian
Lands Policy to deal with special concerns of Indian reservations.
It was the first Federal agency to do so.
EPA's aim was to tackle all forms of pollution on reservations
and to give tribal councils a strong say-so in what to clean up,
how to clean up, and when to clean up.
Soon after, EPA Region 5 designated its first Indian Affairs
Coordinator, who helped identify the most pressing environmental
needs on reservations.
In 1988, EPA Region 5 also appointed three American
Indians as Indian Environmental Liaisons, or ombudsmen, to
help set up pollution control programs on reservations in
Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
'The 32 reservations include three Michigan tribes that were just
recently recognized by the Federal Government: the Pokagon Band of
Potawatomi (Dowagiac), the Little River Band of Otawa (Manistee),
and the Little Traverse Band of Odawa (Petoskey).
I Indian Reservation
I Indian Reservation
I (Exact Boundary not Shown)
Major Cities
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INDIAN LANDS
EPA staffers on the Oneida Reservation demonstrate a technique
for measuring sludge levels in a lagoon.
Comparative risk project
In 1992, EPA Region 5 officially unveiled 'The Wisconsin Tribes
Comparative Risk Project." It was a unique study because, for
the first time in history, it examined the environmental risks
faced by American Indians in their own backyard.
Eleven Wisconsin tribes took part in the historic study—
collecting data, participating in work groups, running tribal
workshops, and coordinating public-comment periods. The
cooperative study served as a blueprint for future action.
Historic agreement
EPA Region 5 and 11 Indian tribes in Minnesota (see box
below) signed a historic environmental agreement in 1995. The
EPA has promised, among other things, to establish a strong
Indian office in the Region, maintain a solid environmental
presence on each reservation, and link tribal needs to the
Federal planning and budgeting process.
Robert B. Peacock, chairman, Fond du Lac Reservation, and
EPA Region 5 Administrator Valdas Adamkus sign historic agreement.
The tribes, in turn, have agreed to develop plans with EPA
help to cope with environmental emergencies on reservations.
The agreement was a national first and set a precedent for
similar agreements across the land.
Pioneering outreach
During 1994-95, EPA Region 5 took the initiative to reach out
to Indian tribes and create a highly visible national program,
copied by EPA nationwide.
As a result, a Tribal Operations Committee was created,
a National Office of Indian Affairs was established, a full-time
EPA attorney was assigned to work on Indian issues in the
Region, and a separate Indian program budget was
successfully developed.
"(Teachyour children what we
have taught our children, that the
'Earth is our mother.
'Whatever Befalls the 'Earth, befalls
the sons of the 'Earth.
If men spit upon the ground, they spit
upon themselves."
—Chief Seattle
Financial aid
EPA Region 5 grants to Indian tribes during 1994-95 were
responsible for many accomplishments, including: surface-water
and ground-water surveys, identification of underground storage
tanks for hazardous wastes, wood-burning studies, indoor air
quality workshops, creation of tribal environmental codes and
ordinances, development of water quality standards, start-up of
recycling programs, testing for radon, and completion of
environmental impact statements.
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AIR QUALITY
25 years ago, belching smokestacks and smoking auto tailpipes were considered normal in
many cities of the industrial Midwest. Chicago, for example, threatened to fine landlords who
"make smoke" as far back as 1919. But major progress began only with the historic passage
of the Clean Air Act in 1970. It was the first of our major environmental statutes (amended in
1977 and in 1990) that promised cleaner air for all Americans.
Although some stubborn pockets of pollution remain, the air—even in our cities—is
decidedly much cleaner. Today, from the top of the second-tallest building in the world—
Chicago's Sears Tower—on a crisp October day you can indeed see forever. Below is a brief
survey of the progress we have made in dealing with five major air pollutants for which
national health standards have been set by EPA.
If some gains appear modest, we must keep in mind that during the past 25 years
the population of the United States increased by 25 percent, the domestic economy grew by
71 percent, the number of motor vehicles jumped by 85 percent, and the number of miles
traveled by those vehicles skyrocketed by 104 percent.
LEAD
Lead particles—which enter the body through air, food, soil,
and dust—accumulate in blood, bone, and soft tissue. This can
cause a number of serious health problems, including seizures,
mental retardation, and behavioral disorders.
Fetuses, infants, and children are especially susceptible to
lead exposure, which can damage the central nervous system.
Sources
Today the main sources of airborne lead are smelters and
battery manufacturers. In the early 1980's, on the other hand,
motor vehicles accounted for 91 percent of all lead in the air.
Concerns over health effects and the need to protect auto
catalytic converters (which are "poisoned" by lead) brought
about regulations that reduced the lead content in gasoline.
Unleaded gasoline was introduced in 1975 and today
accounts for almost all gasoline sales in the country.
Dramatic reductions
In 1978, EPA set the national health standard for lead. At the
time, several urban areas in EPA Region 5 had lead levels
above that standard: Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Northwest
Indiana, and East St. Louis, IL.
Over the past 15 years, dramatic reductions in lead
concentrations took place in all regional States. Nationally, lead
levels in urban areas have dropped by some 89 percent. The
reductions for Chicago, between 1982 and 1994, are typical.
A young clean-air supporter, Virginia Curtis, in front of the White House.
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AIR QUALITY
Control efforts
EPA continues working with industries to reduce their
lead emissions.
In the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St.Paul), for example,
emissions from a secondary lead smelter caused a local
area to violate the national health standard. But after EPA,
the State, and the smelter worked out an agreement, lead
emissions have dropped sharply. As a result, the area
is no longer in violation.
An exception
While most areas in EPA Region 5 meet the national health
standard for particulates, some have had but little improvement.
For instance, air quality monitors show that particulates
continue to pollute the air at unhealthy levels (graph A) in the
Cleveland area.
EPA is reviewing manufacturing operations in the area and is
asking local communities to increase the frequency of street
sweeping. Surprisingly, sometimes that's all it may take.
PARTICULATES
Paniculate matter—which consists mainly of ash, soot, dust,
and other tiny bits of solid material—can cause eye, ear, nose,
and throat irritation as well as lung disease.
People with cardiovascular problems, asthma, or influenza are
especially affected. So are children and the elderly.
Sources
Common sources of particulates include diesel-powered motor
CARBON MONOXIDE
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless poisonous gas
produced by incomplete burning of fuels. When CO enters the
body, it reduces the oxygen delivered by blood to the various
organs and tissues.
The health threat is most serious for those who suffer from
lung or cardiovascular diseases.
Vast majority—77 percent—of the Nation's total CO
emissions come from autos and trucks.
Particulate Matter (PM) Trends
Carbon Monoxide (CO) Trends
84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94
GRAPHA
vehicles, steel mills, power plants, construction sites, mining
operations, residential fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, and
unpaved roads.
EPA Region 5 has been working with the States, industry, and
environmental groups to reduce the emission of particulates.
Success story
Here's but one example of what can be done to solve the
particulates problem. La Salle County, IL, was in violation of
the national health standard for particulates, caused by one
cement manufacturer. So the company installed pollution
controls at some 46 point and area sources—including its
cement production line—and hosed down its unpaved roads to
suppress the dust. Lo and behold—particulate emissions in
La Salle County have declined in recent years (graph A), as
they are declining elsewhere in the Midwest.
GRAPH B
Significant gains
Seventeen years ago, in EPA Region 5, there were 19 areas in
violation of the CO national health standard. Today there are
only four.
This success is mainly the result of efforts to clean up vehicle
emissions: catalytic converters, mandatory auto inspection and
maintenance, and cleaner-burning gasoline.
Significant reductions have also come from the installation of
pollution control equipment at industrial facilities. For example,
when CO controls were installed at a steel mill in Steubenville, OH,
there was a dramatic drop in monitored CO emissions (graph B).
OZONE
Ground-level ozone, as distinguished from stratospheric or "good"
ozone, is a noxious pollutant. It is a colorless gas formed on hot,
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AIR QUALITY
sunny summer days. And it is the main component of smog.
Ground-level ozone is mainly a product of chemical
reactions when gasoline, coal, and other fuels are burned.
Ozone-producing chemicals are also found in paints, solvents,
hairsprays, and other products.
Ozone can cause major health problems, including damage
to the respiratory system. Ozone can also damage crops, trees,
and materials such as rubber and fibers.
Overall decline
As recently as 1990, there were 49 areas in EPA Region 5
that did not meet the national health standard for ozone.
Eleven of those areas are now all right, and many more are
getting close to attaining the standard.
Graph C shows ozone levels in four areas during a 12-year
span. Overall, ozone levels are decreasing. However, there
are year-to-year variations caused by the uneven rise of
summer temperatures.
The overall decline is due to new pollution controls that have
been installed in many factories and motor vehicles.
Air toxicants can be inhaled, as well as picked up from soil by
children playing outdoors, for example. Or they can concentrate
(bioaccumulate) in fish and be ingested by people.
Downward trend
While emission trends for total air toxicants are steadily
decreasing (graph D), much work remains. EPA Region 5 is
doing several special studies to get more information on toxic
emissions and the effects of specific toxic air pollutants. These
studies will help EPA come up with better strategies to regulate
hazardous air pollutants in the future.
One such effort is the Atmospheric Deposition to Great
Lakes and Coastal Waters (Great Waters) Study. It focuses
on the potential of air toxicants to pollute water, on their
persistence in the environment, and on their bioaccumulation
in the food chain.
Mercury emissions
Mercury is one air toxicant that affects the quality of the Great
Lakes ecosystem the most.
Ozone Levels
82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94
YEAR
Air Toxicants Emissions
87
GRAPHC
Airborne transport
Although most areas are improving, some major problems
remain. In a few instances, ozone has been carried from other
areas by the wind. Such is the situation in Muskegon, Ml
(graph C), where ozone drifts over from the Milwaukee-Chicago-
Northwest Indiana area.
EPA Region 5 is working with the States to solve this problem.
AIR TOXICANTS
Toxic, or hazardous, air pollutants can cause cancer and other
serious health problems, such as birth defects and neurological
disorders.
Air toxicants include mercury, benzene, beryllium, radionuclides,
asbestos, and vinyl chloride among the 189 that Congress says
EPA must regulate.
GRAPHD
Since medical waste incinerators are significant sources of
mercury emissions in the Midwest, EPA is working with the
States and individual hospitals to reduce mercury emissions
and thus reduce the presence of mercury in the Great Lakes.
EPA is encouraging hospitals to either recycle their mercury
or to replace it with more environmentally benign compounds.
Other Sources
EPA is also working with other Federal agencies, Indian nations,
State environmental agencies, and concerned citizens to find
ways to reduce mercury air emissions from other sources, such
as copper and lead smelters and cement manufacturers.
The Great Lakes Mercury Air Workgroup was recently
formed to promote the exchange of information about mercury,
to increase public awareness, and to improve coordination of
reduction efforts.
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WATER QUALITY
25 years ago, many of our lakes, rivers, and streams foamed with chemical suds, glistened
with oil slicks, or smelled of raw sewage. And the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland was
probably the only river in the world that caught on fire—not once but several times.
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 and the Clean Water Act
of 1977 (with its three amendments) changed all that. Through successful implementation of
these keystone laws, EPA Region 5 and the States achieved some undeniable successes.
Not all waters are yet "fishable and swimmable," as Congress put it, but the trend for
the past 25 years has been definitely toward that goal.
Raffing on the Wolf River, Wl.
SURFACE WATERS
Through a combination of permits that limit the type and quantity
of pollutants to be discharged and through strict enforcement,
unmistakable gains were soon seen in the quality of surface
waters.
But EPA's construction grants program, under the Clean Water
Act, has made the greatest impact by far. Through it, EPA Region
5 has awarded more than $12 billion—roughly 20 percent of the
national total— to build or upgrade over 1,000 municipal sewage
treatment plants in the six regional States.
Today, every village, town, and city—with a population of
100,000 or more—can count on at least one modern sewage
treatment plant. There, effective, advanced biochemical treatment
is taken for granted, and the discharged wastewater no longer
poisons our lakes, rivers, and streams.
Three success stories
The positive—and sometimes downright amazing—results of
all these efforts are evident throughout EPA Region 5. Here
are but three examples:
• Grand Calumet River, in Northwest Indiana, received
a new lease on life through steadfast enforcement actions.
Estimates show that EPA's 1990 consent decree with United
States Steel (Gary Works) has cut annual discharges of ammonia
by more than 375,000 Ib and of oil and grease by 100,000 gal.
The company also plans to dredge from the contaminated river
some 30,000 tons of oil and grease and 45,000 tons of heavy
metals, such as chromium, mercury, and lead.
• Twenty-three years ago, some 20 miles of the Sangamon
River, near Decatur, IL, were badly polluted and not fit for any
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WATER QUALITY
Wastewater treatment plant, Bedford Heights, OH.
normal use. But by 1991, as a result of major improvements
at the Decatur Sanitary District, the river had almost fully
recovered.
• In the early 1970's, Fort Wayne, IN, built an advanced
sewage treatment plant, over 135 miles of sanitary sewers, and
36 miles of storm sewers. Result: By 1980 the Maumee River,
which receives the city's wastewater, once again held significant
numbers of walleye, northern pike, and bass—species not seen
in the river since 1894!
Other comebacks
Rivers in EPA Region 5 that have made early improvements—
or even dramatic comebacks—also include the Fox and the
Wisconsin Rivers in Wisconsin, the Mahoning and the Ohio
Rivers in Ohio, the Detroit River in Michigan, and the Red River
of the North in Minnesota. And let's not forget the hapless
Cuyahoga: It, too, has been cleaned up substantially.
Overall, between 1972 and 1982, more than 3,300 rivers
and streams in EPA Region 5 have improved in water quality,
Solvent extraction demonstration, Grand Calumet River, IN.
Preparing for testing stream quality.
while nearly 75,000 others steadfastedly maintained the
same quality.
WETLANDS
Wetlands—including marshes, bogs, swamps, potholes, and
mud flats—are valuable natural assets that help control floods,
decontaminate water, and provide habitat for numerous plants
and animals, among other things.
Thousands of acres of wetlands have been lost in EPA Region
5 during the past 25 years, mostly through land development.
But the dramatic increase in public appreciation of wetlands
during the last decade has often helped to halt further damage.
In Lake County, IL, for example, 14 percent of the total land
area—some 41,000 acres—have been designated as wetlands.
"No net loss" policy
Through enforcement, public education, and help to State and
local governments, EPA Region 5 has been a leader in wetlands
Restored wetland by the Des Plaines River, IL.
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WATER QUALITY
protection. It has adopted a "no net loss of wetlands" policy,
which calls for the mitigation (environmental enhancement) of
1.5 acres of wetlands for every acre of wetlands lost through
illegal filling.
During 1991-92, for instance, 144.7 acres of wetlands were
filled illegally throughout the Region. However, through its "no net
loss" enforcement policy, EPA Region 5 has managed to get
106.1 acres of wetlands restored and another 148.3 acres
mitigated.
EPA Region 5 has also sponsored eight "Advanced Identification
of Wetlands" projects, which inventory, evaluate, and map
high-quality wetlands.
DRINKING WATER
Federal standards for drinking water go as far back as 1914.
But credit for great improvements during recent decades goes
to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 (SDWA) and subsequent
amendments, which increased the number of regulated
contaminants in drinking water from 23 to over 85.
Compliance among public water systems in EPA Region 5
has been challenged as these new requirements have come
into effect. During fiscal year 1994, for instance, over 94 percent
of the Region's 18,000 residential and nonresidential water
systems—serving 37 million people—met all drinking-water
health standards. And 78 percent of the systems met all
testing requirements.
Underground injection
The SDWA established the Underground Injection Control
Program to protect underground sources of drinking water
(ground water) from contamination. Some 54,000 underground
injection wells—which take both hazardous and nonhazardous
wastes—are known to be in EPA Region 5. About half of these
wells are linked with oil and gas production. And some have
been known to leak.
Underground injection well with storage tanks in background.
EPA and the States protect ground-water supplies from
such wells through regulations and permits, which include
siting, construction requirements, limits on injection pressure,
monitoring, and periodic testing.
Because of new regulations and tougher standards, certain
well operators have either plugged their wells or have confined
injection operations to nonhazardous wastes only.
Wellhead protection
The SDWA also established the Wellhead Protection Program,
to protect from contamination surface and subsurface areas that
surround public water-supply wells. This program is now in effect
in more than 1,500 communities regionwide.
Here are two typical communities that have adopted innovative
and effective wellhead protection programs.
• In 1981, after Elkhart, IN, found that its main well field
was contaminated by trichloroethylene, it took several immediate
actions, which included passing a comprehensive wellhead
protection ordinance for the entire county. As part of the program,
Elkhart was first to enlist retired volunteers for gathering data
on land-use and on potential sources of contamination in its
wellhead area.
• Dayton, OH, developed its wellhead protection program
in 1988, in cooperation with surrounding communities. One
hallmark of the program is a local zoning ordinance and
legislation that requires businesses within the wellhead area to
report hazardous chemicals used or stored on their property.
Dayton also offers grants to businesses that move into
the wellhead area. However, a company must agree to limit its
hazardous chemicals inventory and restrict future use of such
chemicals. The greater the reduction of these chemicals, the
larger the potential grant.
In addition, the city also offers zero-percent loans to busi-
nesses doing risk-reduction projects within the wellhead area.
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GREAT LAKES
25 years ago, taconite mill tailings were poisoning Lake Superior, millions of dead alewives
(sardine-like fish) lay rotting on Lake Michigan beaches, and Lake Erie was dying...choking to
death on masses of algae that robbed the water of oxygen and in the process killed every
living thing in it.
American and Canadian efforts to protect the Great Lakes go all the way back to the
Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. However, serious efforts to clean up, restore, and maintain
the Great Lakes ecosystem began only when the two countries signed the historic Great
Lakes Water Quality Agreements in 1972 and 1978 (updated in 1987).
Toxic pollutants in the Great Lakes Basin—in the sediments, in the water, and in the
food chain, especially in fish—will haunt us for many decades to come. But it is undeniable
that great progress has been made as well. Here are some of the indicators.
Niagara Falls, NY.
PHOSPHORUS REDUCTION
One of the major early efforts in the Great Lakes Basin was the
nutrients control program, to reduce the quantity of phosphorus
entering the Lakes. Methods included the construction of hundreds
of modern sewage treatment plants, reduction of runoff from
farmlands (via conservation tillage and other farm practices), and
restrictions on phosphorus content in laundry detergents.
Michigan and Ohio, for example, cut the phosphorus content in
detergents to a barely perceptible 0.5 percent. This did very
little to remove the "ring around the collar," but it worked
wonders for Great Lakes water quality.
Lake Erie resurrected
The successful restoration of Lake Erie is a world-class
example of what a major environmental management program,
such as phosphorus reduction, can achieve.
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GREAT LAKES
All told, phosphorus loadings to Lake Erie dropped from an
estimated 28,000 metric tons in 1969 to an estimated 13,000
metric tons per year today.
Near the western shores of Lake Erie, where huge mats of
algae used to blanket everything in sight, today walleyes are
jumping in record numbers. It is considered one of the prime
fishing spots in the entire Great Lakes.
Sport and commercial fishing on Lake Erie is a $600-million-
per-year enterprise today.
Lake Ontario improves
Lake Ontario has also benefitted from nutrient reduction
programs. Total phosphorus concentrations in open waters of
Lake Ontario, for example, dropped from a high of 25 micrograms
per liter in 1973 to a low of 7 micrograms per liter by 1990—
comfortably below the international target of 10 micrograms.
Chlorophyll is another indicator of health status in a body of
water: the higher the count, the more nutrients in water, the less
healthy the lake. In Lake Ontario open waters, the chlorophyll
count was reduced from a high of 5.5 micrograms per liter in
1976 to a low of 1.3 micrograms per liter by 1992.
Lake Michigan restocked
Lake Michigan, because of nutrient reductions and innovative
fish management programs, has also improved.
Over the years, an invader—the sea lamprey—had almost
destroyed the trout population in the lake. In turn, the alewife
population exploded, because there were hardly any trout left to
feed on alewives. Then the coho and the Chinook salmon were
introduced into Lake Michigan... and they just loved alewives.
Thus the alewife population was brought under control.
In a typical commercial fishing tow, back in 1973 you would
find some 600 alewives per catch. By 1991, that number had
dropped to less than 100.
A thriving sport fishery, with charter fleets and all, quickly
developed on Lake Michigan. By the 1980's, the idea of
introducing non-native fish, such as the salmon, had spread
to the rest of the Great Lakes.
While they have other problems, Lake Superior (the cleanest
of the Great Lakes) and Lake Huron (the second cleanest)
are relatively free of nutrients.
FISH AND WILDLIFE
The reduction of toxicants in the Great Lakes ecosystem,
including cutting their concentration in fish and wildlife, has
been one of the great accomplishments of EPA and the States.
The reduced concentrations of PCB's and DDT in the tissues
of important fish and bird species is a major indicator of
progress toward making the Great Lakes truly contaminant free.
PCB's down in trout, chubs
The PCB levels in lake trout, for example, have declined by 80
percent during the past 20 years. And the PCB levels in bloater
chubs have dropped by 50 percent during that time, reaching a
new low. Since chubs are part of the trout diet, the lower the PCB
level in chubs, the smaller the PCB concentrations in trout.
The next higher species in the food chain are people...and here
is where we run into a slight problem. Concentrations of PCB's
in lake trout and other fish can still exceed the concentrations of
PCB's in water by as much as 10 million times. Therefore—
although the long-term outlook for PCB reduction is good-
continued fish advisories, especially concerned with children and
pregnant women, will have to be issued for many years to come.
DDT levels drop
DDT levels in lake trout and walleyes have declined by 50 percent
each in Lake Huron and Lake Ontario and by 85 percent in Lake
Michigan during the past 20 years or so. (In Lake Superior and
Lake Erie DDT levels were much lower to begin with, and there
was no noticeable trend during the past decade.)
However, in recent years DDT levels have refused to drop
any further in all the Lakes except in Lake Huron, where the
downward trend happily continues.
DDT concentrations in herring gull eggs—another indicator
of environmental quality—have also declined significantly since
1974, most dramatically in Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
Bald eagle is back
The re-establishment of our national symbol, the bald eagle,
in the Great Lakes Basin was greeted enthusiastically by
environmentalists and the general public alike.
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GREAT LAKES
Some 25 years ago, persistent toxic pollutants—such as
DDE, RGB's, and dieldrin—had almost wiped out the bald
eagles by spoiling their unhatched eggs. But that trend has
been reversed.
The latest available survey by the States and the U.S Fish
and Wildlife Service counted 25 nesting pairs on the U.S.
shoreline of Lake Superior, 4 pairs each on Lake Huron and
on Lake Michigan, and 12 pairs on the western shore of Lake
Erie. (There were none on Lake Ontario.)
Exotic species
One major problem in the Great Lakes is the large number of
exotic species—plants and animals not native to the region.
Most of these consist of aquatic plants (48 percent), fish (17
percent), and mollusks (7 percent). The best-known species
include the sea lamprey, the alewife, the river ruffe, and the
latest and perhaps the most destructive arrival—the zebra
mussel.
First of these invaders entered Lake Ontario via the Erie
Canal almost 200 years ago. Later, the ballast tanks of ships
and the St. Lawrence Seaway provided a handy pathway.
Some exotic invaders have made and continue to make
serious impacts on native species: by displacing them or
feeding on them, by directly competing for food and oxygen,
or by altering chemical and physical conditions.
There's also economic damage when, for example, zebra
mussels clog industrial water intakes, encrust hulls of ships,
or infiltrate their ballast and cooling systems.
BATHING BEACHES
Great Lakes bathing beaches get closed when water becomes
contaminated with bacteria from poorly treated sewage or from
sewage overflows, especially after heavy rains.
Zebra mussels in the Detroit River, Ml.
In 1983, for example, as many as 80 beaches were closed
or restricted for at least part of the year. By 1988 (latest year
available), that figure had dropped to 32.
On the other hand, the number of beaches closed for the
entire year has remained fairly steady, averaging eight beaches
a year between 1980-88.
There is one notable exception: In Green Bay, Wl, severe
bacterial contamination has forced the closure of Bay Beach to
swimmers for the past 50 years.
Hundreds of sewage treatment plants in the Great Lakes
Basin, built with EPA and State funds since 1970, continue
to upgrade their household and storm-water sewage systems.
This increases their capacity and further reduces beach
closings by preventing sewage overflows into the Lakes.
The Great Lakes represent the largest body of fresh surface water on Earth (95 percent of the U.S. total).
The Great Lakes contain 6 quadrillion gallons of water—
enough to flood the continental United States to a depth of 12 feet.
Less than 1 percent of Great Lakes water flows out into the Atlantic every year.
A drop of mercury, say, released into Lake Superior will not be flushed out for 191 years.
Almost 40 million Americans and Canadians depend on Great Lakes water: for drinking, industry,
commerce, agriculture, power generation, mining, and recreation.
The Great Lakes are home to 31 endangered species, ranging from the Michigan monkey flower to the
Kirtland's warbler and the white cat's paw pearly mussel.
When commerical fishing began around 1820, there were 180 species of fish in the Great Lakes.
Today only about a dozen remain.
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HAZARDOUS WASTES (RCRA)
25 years ago, the world of hazardous wastes was in chaos: No one was sure just how
much of these wastes was produced, or who produced them, or what ultimately
happened to them.
These wastes included hundreds ot toxic materials, such as spent solvents, strong
acids and bases, heavy metals, paint sludges, auto batteries, waste inks, benzene, toluene,
cyanide, electroplating by-products, and many more.
More ominously, some 90 percent of these wastes were dumped illegally: in unprotected
pits, ponds, lagoons, or landfills; also in fields, roadside ditches, and empty city lots.
There they often caused fires, explosions, and toxic vapors, contaminating ground water,
lakes, and streams and posing a direct danger to people as well. Something had to be done.
Pump-out facilities for collecting waste oil.
RCRA ENACTED
To avoid such disasters, Congress passed the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976. The act,
amended in 1984, authorized EPA to control hazardous wastes
"from the cradle to the grave." That is, from their production to
their final disposal.
Among other things, RCRA defined hazardous wastes, set
standards for hazardous waste generators and transporters,
and outlined permit requirements for hazardous waste
treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.
By 1993, the RCRA program began emphasizing risk-based
management standards. This included focusing on areas of
highest risk to people and the environment, working in close
cooperation with the States, and emphasizing pollution
prevention as the key to controlling hazardous wastes.
REGIONAL FACILITIES
In November 1980, RCRA regulations became effective for
all hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilites.
In EPA Region 5 at the time, there were 1,700 owners and
operators of such facilities applying for the required permits.
Over the years, however, many of these facilities have
closed, or have quit handling hazardous wastes. As of June
1995, only 779 such facilities remained in the Region.
REGIONAL GENERATORS
In 1981, EPA Region 5 had an estimated 3,240 large-quantity
generators—those that produced more than 2,200 Ib of
hazardous wastes per month.
They represented an estimated 23 percent of all such
generators in the United States and produced some 264 million
metric tons of hazardous wastes that year.
These large-quantity generators represented only 9 percent
of all waste generators nationwide, but they produced 99
percent of all hazardous wastes.
By 1993 (latest year for which figures are available), the
number of large-quantity generators in EPA Region 5 had
increased to 5,139.
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HAZARDOUS WASTES
Hazardous Waste in Region 5
70
Legend
• HW Generated f6000
• HW Generators
89
91
93
YEAR
LUST Cleanup Activity in Region 5
Through Q4 FY95
100
S 80
Legend I
Confirmed Releases I
• Cleanups Initiated I
• Cleanups Completed I
But—and this is a significant but—the total amount of
hazardous wastes generated had dropped by 220.5 million
metric tons, to 43.5 million metric tons per year.
WASTE REDUCTION
RCRA requires that large-quantity generators have an active
waste minimization, or waste reduction, program. This may
include:
• separating hazardous wastes—keeping them from
contaminating other materials;
• recycling, or recovering and returning hazardous wastes
(such as solvents, acids, and metals) to productive use;
• using raw materials that produce little or no hazardous wastes;
• changing the manufacturing process; or
• introducing products that are free of hazardous wastes
to begin with.
Almost 45 percent of all large-quantity generators today are
instituting new or expanded waste reduction programs.
This is in line with EPA's keystone policy of pollution
prevention. And it makes economic sense, too.
One printing firm in Wisconsin, for example, reduced
hazardous waste production from 16 barrels to 1 barrel per
month—and saved $500,000 a year in the process.
Overall, various waste reduction programs have cut by 17
percent the amount of hazardous wastes produced nationwide.
WASTE DISPOSAL
Still, there are millions of tons of hazardous wastes to be
dealt with.
In 1981 (when RCRA was just getting started)—as well as
in 1989—almost 96 percent of all hazardous wastes generated
were managed, or dealt with, on site.
In other words, only some 4 percent of all hazardous wastes
were shipped to another location for treatment or disposal. And of
the wastes shipped off site, only 1 percent was placed in landfills.
These EPA Region 5 figures reflect the disposal of hazardous
wastes nationwide.
For the vast majority of hazardous wastes disposed of on
site, there were a number of waste treatment technologies to
choose from, including: biological treatment, carbon adsorption,
RCRA Corrective Action
Stabilization Measures (Cumulative)
84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95
RCRA Treatment, Storage & Disposal
Facilities 1980-1995
Types of Process
I Combustion Boilers and • Other Storage and
Industrial Furances • Treatment
I Incinerators • Land Disposal
•156 of 702 facllltes taw man Him one process type
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HAZARDOUS WASTES
dechlorination, neutralization, oxidation, precipitation, incinera-
tion, and solidification-stabilization.
As to the nature of hazardous wastes, by 1993 more than
93 percent of the total consisted of wastewater—industrial water
polluted by toxic chemicals, metals, and other substances.
UNDERGROUND TANKS
RCRA amendments require that owners of underground
storage tanks (mostly for petroleum products) register their tanks
with State or local agencies and comply with leak prevention,
corrective action, and financial responsibility regulations.
The aim is to keep such tanks from contaminating ground
water or causing other health hazards.
In EPA Region 5, there were 367,888 underground storage
tanks in mid-1995. Of that total, there were 192,510 active
registered tanks and 175,378 closed tanks (left in place, yet
to be removed). Another 133,741 tanks were closed and
already removed.
CLEANUP & RECOVERY
RCRA amendments also come to grips with leaking tanks,
which represent an estimated 20 percent of all regulated tanks.
Under the Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) program
States are authorized to clean up such tanks whenever owners
cannot be found to do the cleanup themselves.
In mid-1995, EPA Region 5 was cleaning up contaminated
soil at 20,810 abandoned tank (LUST) sites and purifying
contaminated ground water at 2,890 sites.
These efforts, during Fiscal Year 95, recovered 336,818
gallons of gasoline, cleaned up 3.1 million cubic yards
of contaminated soil, and treated 2.3 billion gallons of
contaminated ground water.
These 1995 cleanup and recovery figures are signifcantly
lower than those for 1993, for instance. And properly so:
As the LUST program becomes more and more efficient
every year, there is less and less need for cleanups.
Here is one case in which diminishing returns (fewer
cleanups and recoveries) signal definite environmental
gains, rather than setbacks.
GARBAGE & RECYCLING
One segment of RCRA deals with nonhazardous waste,
which is basically municipal solid waste, or simply
household and commercial garbage.
In the United States we generate something like 4.4 Ib of
garbage per person per day. That comes to more than 207
million tons of garbage a year, with a 5 percent increase
UM1M09 CoiDM FfOflf
Paper
Yard Waste
Metals
•, leather, textiles, wood
wastes
predicted by the year 2000. That's the bad news.
The good news is that recycling is on the rise. By 1994, it
had reached 23 percent nationwide. And 41 percent of all
households had access to curbside reycling.
Since 1991, recycling and the purchase of products made
with recycled materials has been mandatory at all Federal
agencies and departments. For its part, EPA today is recycling
15 times more of waste materials than it did 10 years ago.
However, there's a lot of garbage out there, and most of it
continues to go into landfills.
Trouble is, landfills are in short supply. In EPA Region 5, the
remaining landfill capacity by end of 1995 looked slim:
Illinois—8 years, Indiana—14 years, Michigan—13 years,
Minnesota—12 years, Ohio—8 years, and Wisconsin—9 years.
All garbage disposal facilities—whether landfills, surface
impoundments, waste piles, or others—are regulated by EPA
under authority of RCRA. All must meet certain criteria to
protect the environment, prevent transmission of disease, and
ensure safety of employees and nearby residents.
Wh*r* Oarbag* OOM
IL IN
•Includes some industrial wastes
HIT
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SUPERFUND (CERCLA)
25 years ago, thousands of uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites lay like
ticking time bombs, ready to go off. It was just a matter of waiting before hazardous
waste disasters—such as those in Love Canal, New York, and in Times Beach, Missouri-
exploded into national headlines.
To deal with emergency chemical spills and to clean up the worst of abandoned
hazardous waste sites, Congress in 1980 passed the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), better known as Superfund.
It was amended in 1986, specifically to provide for public participation and to establish
the right of people to know about chemical hazards in their communities.
Creosote sludge being removed from concrete pit at Mika Timber Site, IL
THE CLEANUP PROCESS
To reduce risks posed by hazardous waste sites and to
protect people's health as well as the environment, EPA goes
through three distinct phases by which progress and long-term
successes can be measured.
1. Immediate threats. When a toxic spill occurs, or when a
hazardous waste site imminently threatens a community or the
environment, EPA goes into action without delay. The aim is to
control a problem now, until long-term cleanup can take care of
the contamination permanently.
Since the start of the Superfund program, EPA Region 5
has moved quickly to respond to emergencies at 573 sites.
It also increased security by restricting exposure to harmful
contaminants at 112 sites.
And at 35 sites, where wells were found to be contaminated,
EPA Region 5 provided to 163,000 residents an alternate
supply of safe drinking water.
2. Permanent cleanups. At most sites, the cleanup of
contaminants, the restoration of the environment, and the
protection of public health is a complicated, long-term process.
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SUPERFUND
Construction of cut-off wall, OMC/Waukegan Harbor.
After cleanup at Waukegan Harbor, fish are biting once more.
Many State and local agencies, as well as private contractors
and responsible parties, may be involved—under EPA's
oversight—at a single site.
Since hazardous wastes may contaminate not only land,
but also surface water and ground water at a given site, EPA
deals with each of these areas separately. It establishes
cleanup goals for each contaminated area, or medium, and
then custom-tailors the cleanup procedures.
To date, for instance, EPA Region 5 has fully completed
cleanup of contamination from all three areas (land, surface
water, ground water) at 43 sites and partially cleaned up one
or more of these contaminated areas at 93 sites. In all, cleanup
was under way at 132 sites in early 1996.
3. Technology in action. A critical step in every cleanup
is to select the most effective technology for the types and
amounts of contaminants to be cleaned up.
Technologies usually consist of treatment or containment,
or a combination of both. Treatment makes the contaminants
less harmful or even totally harmless. Containment, on the
other hand, involves limiting exposure hazards or erecting
barriers to prevent the contaminants from moving off site.
To date, EPA Region 5 has used treatment technologies
at 59 sites, containment technologies at 82 sites, and a
combination of the two at 115 sites.
COMPLETIONS
Cleanup of hazardous waste sites under Superfund got under
way in the early 1980's with an agonizingly slow start. The pace
has picked up over time and even increased remarkably in
the last few years.
Many factors are contributing to the faster completion rate
today. One of these is simply EPA's experience in the early
years of choosing site cleanup methods that work most
effectively. EPA can now base new cleanups on the successes
of the past.
To date, in EPA Region 5, a total of 95 sites have been
cleaned up: 7 in Illinois, 14 in Indiana, 27 in Michigan, 25 in
Minnesota, 12 in Ohio, and 10 in Wisconsin.
More and more sites are being cleaned up every year.
And every year, EPA Region 5 leads the Nation in the number
of sites cleaned up. During 1995 alone, EPA Region 5 added
65 hazardous waste sites to EPA's national Construction
Completion List.
EPA's national goal is to reach or surpass 650 hazardous
waste site completions by the year 2000. And EPA Region 5
will continue to be a major contributor toward that goal.
SUCCESSES
Each Superfund site is unique. And what makes it unique is not
only the location, but also its size, the type of facility it is, the
kind and amount of contaminants present, potential health
effects, size of population affected, and ecological concerns.
The only common denominator is the successful elimination
or prevention of threats to public health and the environment.
Here's but a small example of such successes, one from
each of our regional States.
Illinois
Outboard Marine Corp. (OMC), Waukegan. To date, over
1 million Ib of PCB-contaminated sediments and soil have been
-------
SUPERFUND
removed from Waukegan Harbor and the company's property,
making this the largest PCB cleanup of its kind.
After RGB's were removed, sediments and soil were placed
in containment cells, where they are monitored. This has greatly
cut the amount of RGB's entering Lake Michigan.
EPA had sued OMC in 1978 to get the RGB's removed, going
all the way to the Supreme Court at one point. Persistance pays.
Indiana
Lake Sandy Jo (M&M Landfill), Gary. The 40-acre site, a
former borrow pit filled with water, was used as a landfill from
1971 to 1980. Ground water, sediments, surface water, and
soils were contaminated with arsenic, beryllium, cadmium,
silver, methylene chloride, RGB's, and other toxicants.
EPA first installed a fence to prevent access, consolidated
the contaminated sediments and soil, then covered the site with
clean soil and reseeded it with natural prairie grasses.
The cleanup, which includes monitoring wells, was completed
in 1990. EPA has also extended a water line to some 60
homes affected by the site.
Michigan
Liquid Disposal, Inc., Macomb County. The mismanaged
incinerator was heavily contaminated with dangerously mixed
wastes, from paint thinners to cyanide.
EPA stabilized the site by removing 2 million gallons of
flammable liquids and sludges, then rounded up 850 parties who,
over the years, had contributed hazardous wastes to the site.
Through a series of settlements with EPA, those parties and
35 other major companies designed a cleanup plan worth an
estimated $22 million. The EPA was able to recover 7.5 million
Federal dollars for costs incurred earlier.
The entire site was capped before the massive cleanup was
completed in December 1995. Thus local watersheds and
wetlands were protected from toxic chemicals for future
generations.
Minnesota
Arrowhead Refining Co., Hermantown. Subsurface soil,
sediments, ground water, and sludge were contaminated at
this former waste-oil recycling facility with a variety of priority
pollutants, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile
organics, and lead.
Through cooperation of the EPA and the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency, responsible parties were able to come up
with an innovative recycling technology that treats sludge to
produce a saleable product. EPA, Minnesota, and the parties
also agreed on a mixed funding arrangement, whereby the
Federal Government would pay for about 45 percent of the
cleanup costs.
Lorain County pesticide cleanup. Honey bottle containing methyl
parathion mixture collected from residence for proper disposal.
Seventy-three responsible parties are doing the work.
The sludge cleanup phase should be completed in fall 1996.
Ohio
Lorain and Elyria Counties. Widespread contamination
occurred when, in 1994, an unlicensed and uncertified
pesticide applicator sprayed methyl parathion—a highly toxic
pesticide—in and around hundreds of homes.
The EPA, several Ohio agencies, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and the National Institute of
Occupational Safety & Health formed a task force to deal
with the serious problem.
Some 1,200 homes were sampled, and 20 percent
were found to be dangerously contaminated. During the
cleanup process, 233 homes were decontaminated, and 869
residents had to be temporarily relocated. All of this was
accomplished in just over a year; the cleanup was completed
in early 1996.
Wisconsin
Sheboygan River and Harbor. During 1989-90, some
5,000 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediments were
dredged from three sites at the river and placed into a confined
treatment facility for a biodegradation study.
Other sediment areas in the river were "armored" with layers
of geotextile fabric, run-of-bank material, and cobble and wire
cages filled with rock. This will keep the PCB-contaminated
sediments from moving downstream.
After further risk evaluation by EPA, another 2,700 cubic yards
of PCB-contaminated sediments were removed by the respon-
sible party in 1991 and placed in a sediment management facility.
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TOXICANTS
25 years ago, there was no coordinated control of thousands of toxic substances, or toxicants
—those that can cause disease, birth defects, or death. Most were industrial chemicals, such
as PCB's. Many were pesticides, such as DDT. And some, like asbestos and lead, were not
even chemicals. (Asbestos is a mineral fiber; lead is a heavy metal.)
Many of the toxic substances were also notorious environmental pollutants.
Out of more than 65,000 chemical substances produced commercially in the United
States today (some 100,000 worldwide), a vast majority are totally harmless.
But it's the relatively small number of toxic chemicals that Congress was worried about
when it passed milestone legislation some years ago and thus gave EPA the authority to
control them.
"Candy-stripe" emissions in early 1970's
TOXIC RELEASES
The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) was set up by EPA under
authority of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
Know Act, after a chemical disaster in Bhopal, India, killed
thousands back in 1984.
Under TRI, certain manufacturers must report annually to EPA
and the States the amounts of almost 350 toxic chemicals and 22
chemical categories that they release into the environment or
transfer to off-site facilites. EPA then makes these reports public.
The TRI chemicals represent only a small percentage of the
billions of pounds of toxic chemicals released by industry
every year.
However, because of TRI requirements, many manufacturers
have voluntarily reduced their emissions of toxic chemicals or
substituted less hazardous ones.
In EPA Region 5:
• Between 1988 (the first year of TRI reporting) and 1990,
chemical facilities have increased from 5,600 to 6,700. But—
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TOXICANTS
total toxic chemical releases have dropped dramatically: from
1.15 billion Ib to about 480 million Ib per year by 1993.
• Cumulatively since 1990, about 4.5 million Ib of toxic
chemical uses or releases were eliminated annually. This was
done mostly voluntarily or through enforcement actions, where
polluters had to complete special pollution prevention projects
as part of the settlement.
• Between 1988 and 1992, all six regional States have cut
their total emissions of toxic chemicals by an impressive
percentage:
Illinois by 22 percent, Indiana by 76 percent, Michigan by 36
percent, Minnesota by 95 percent, Ohio by 66 percent, and
Wisconsin by 41 percent.
• Almost 32 percent of industrial facilities in EPA Region 5
have participated in the 33/50 program. It's a voluntary
program, which aimed to reduce overall risks from 17 high-
priority toxic chemicals by 33 percent by 1992 and by 50
percent by 1995. Total reductions have far exceeded the goals
set by EPA for the two years.
RGB's
The manufacturing of polychlorinated biphenyls, better known
as PCB's, was banned by EPA in 1979. They can cause anything
from skin rash to cancer. Highly toxic and extremely persistent in
the environment, PCB's were used in electrical equipment as
coolants and insulators and in gas pipelines as lubricants.
The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) authorizes
EPA to test new chemicals, maintain inventory of chemicals in
commercial use, and ban those that pose an unreasonable risk
to human health and the environment.
Many of the PCB's still remain—both in industry, which is trying
to phase them out, and in the environment, which continues to be
poisoned by them. In EPA Region 5:
• More than 970,000 Ib of PCB's were removed from industrial
service between 1992 and 1994.
• More than $23 million has been spent by industry
during the past 8 years for various PCS reduction and pollution
prevention projects, as a result of EPA enforcement actions.
• Since 1990, some 164 million Ib of PCB wastes were
received by commercial storage facilities and 273 million Ib by
commercial disposal facilities. Properly stored or disposed of,
PCB's greatly reduce the threat of contamination or human
exposure.
• Since 1991, some 32,900 cubic yards of PCB-contaminated
sediments were removed and properly disposed of.
• Since 1988, almost 100 million Ib of PCB metals have been
recycled. Had they not been, they would have filled up almost
250,000 cubic yards of scarce landfill space—equal to 500
Olympic-size swimming pools.
• Under EPA's voluntary PCB phasedown program, in 1994
Northern Indiana Public Service Co. became the first utility to
formally commit itself to taking out of service the 1.4 million Ib of
PCB's it had remaining in electrical equipment.
Similar commitments are expected from the other 11 major
utilities in the Region.
ASBESTOS
Asbestos, a tough mineral fiber once widely used in construc-
tion, can cause asbestosis and cancer. It was banned by EPA in
1978, but much of it remains in schools and other buildings.
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Respose Act of 1986
(AHERA) authorizes EPA to set asbestos standards and certify
the training of asbestos inspectors and workers.
Training for asbestos removal.
In EPA Region 5:
• Under AHERA, since 1991 EPA has collected $440,000
in asbestos control and cleanup projects, thus reducing the risk
of asbestos exposure for 86,525 schoolchildren, teachers,
and other personnel.
• Under the Asbestos-in-Schools Rule of 1982, EPA's
enforcement actions during the past 5 years have yielded
over $10.45 million in asbestos control and cleanup projects,
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TOXICANTS
thus reducing the risk of asbestos exposure for 189,000
schoolchildren, teachers, and other personnel.
• Under the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act of
1984, EPA Region 5 led the Nation during the past 10 years in
providing a grand total of $190 million to schools. This reduced
the potential daily exposure to asbestos from 7 hours to zero for
424,000 schoolchildren, teachers, and other personnel.
PESTICIDES
A number of pesticides, from aldrin to toxaphene, have been
linked to a variety of ailments: from acute poisoning and birth
defects to sterility and cancer. And improperly applied or
disposed of pesticides continue to poison the environment,
including wildlife, for years to come.
People may get exposed to pesticides through pesticide
residues in food, through pesticide accumulation in the food
chain (such as chlordane in the fatty tissues of fish), or through
direct exposure, such as agricultural workers often encounter.
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of
1972, amended in 1988, gives EPA the authority to register and
classify all pesticides, set tolerance limits for pesticide residues
Rtgion 6 Agricultural Clon Swtop
1986-1994
430,000 Ib
51,465,000
400,000 Ib
52,000,000*
334,000 Ib
5918,000*
IN OH
47 000 Ib 45,000 Ib 113,000 Ib
S241.000 5200,000* 5200,000*
in food, certify applicator training, and delegate enforcement to
States under EPA-approved programs.
In EPA Region 5:
• Between 1988 and 1995, nearly 1.3 million Ib of cancelled,
suspended, or waste pesticides—such as DDT and lead
arsenate-rr-t]ave.beerj safely removed from collection points in
all six regional States. .- •-.*-
These "clean sweeps" have greatly reduced the risk of
future pesticide exposure for people and wildlife and prevented
the release of these pesticides into the environment, as often
happens during floods, for instance.
The "clean sweeps" also gave EPA and the States the
opportunity to reach out into the farming community and
provide information on pollution prevention and pesticides,
including safe transport, storage, and disposal.
• Between 1992 and 1994, nearly 500 tons of high-density
polyethylene pesticide containers have been recycled into
new containers.
This move has saved over 600,000 cubic feet of scarce
landfill space—equal to 50 Olympic-size swimming pools.
It was also an excellent opportunity to prevent the improper
disposal of such containers and to make sure that they were
triple-rinsed before recycling.
• Recent surveys of the six regional States show a
definite, overall downward trend in the use of three
pesticides known to contaminate ground water—pesticides
used heavily in corn and soybean production: alachlor,
atrazine, and metalachlor.
In some cases, the drop was very dramatic. The use of
alachlor in Illinois, for instance, has decreased from 14
million Ib per year in 1982 to less than 8 million Ib per year
in 1993.
• In 1994, all six regional States have adopted programs to
protect endangered species from pesticide exposure. Four of
the States have initiated plans for landowner agreements and
for limiting pesticide use in specific areas during certain times.
The federally listed endangered species include:
Mead's milkweed and leafy prairie clover in Illinois, clubshell
mussel and interior least tern in Indiana, Kirtland's warbler in
Michigan, piping plover and western prairie fringed orchid in
Minnesota, pink mucket pearly mussel and Scioto madtom
(a type of fish) in Ohio, and Karner blue butterfly and Fassett's
locoweed in Wisconsin.
This is but a minuscule sample of the total number affected.
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QUESTIONS? PROBLEMS?
TRY THE PHONES BELOW
Region 5 Library
EPA AND OTHER U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICES
EPA Region 5 Environmental Hotline
800-621-8431
inIL, IN, Ml, MN, OH, and Wl
312-353-2072 elsewhere
Acid Rain Hotline
202-233-9175
Asbestos Ombudsman Hotline
800-368-5888
Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Information Hotline
800-535-0202
Environmental Justice Office
202-260-6357 or
800-962-6215
Federal Register, Copies of Fed. Laws
Government Printing Office
202-512-1800
Green Lights (Energy Conserv.) Program
202-775-6650
Haz. Waste Nat'l (Spill) Response Center
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
800-424-8802 outside Washington, DC
011-202-267-2675 international
Haz. Waste Ombudsman Program
800-262-7937
Indoor Air Quality Clearinghouse
800-438-4318
Lead National Info. Center Hotline
800-532-3394
Pesticides Nat'l Comm. Network
800-858-7378 general public
800-858-7377 medical and gov't personnel
Pollution Prevention Clearinghouse
202-260-1023
Radon National Hotline & Helpline
800-SOS-RADON hotline
800-55-RADON helpline
RCRA (Haz. Waste), Superfund, and
Underground Storage Tank Hotline
800-424-9346
Risk Communication Hotline
202-260-5606
Safe Drinking Water Hotline
800-426-4791
Small-Business Ombudsman Hotline
800-368-5888
Solid Waste (Garbage) Hotline
800-677-9424
Stratospheric Ozone Info. Hotline
800-296-1996 or
301-614-3396
Technical Information Service
703-487-4650
Toxic Substances Information
202-554-1404
Water Resources Center
202-260-7786
Wetlands Information Hotline
800-832-7828
STATE AGENCIES
Illinois
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
2200 Churchill Rd., PO Box 19276
Springfield, IL 62794-9276
217-782-3397
24-hour emergency number:
217-782-3637
Indiana
Indiana Dept. of Environmental
Management
105S. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46225
317-232-8603
24-hour emergency number:
317-233-7745
Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality
Box 30473
Lansing, Ml 48909
517-373-7917
Environmental Assistance Center:
800-662-9278
24-hour emergency number (Michigan only):
800-292-4706
Minnesota
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
520 Lafayette Rd. North
St. Paul, MN 55155
612-296-6300
24-hour emergency number:
612-649-5451
800-422-0798 (MN only)
Ohio
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
1800 Watermark Dr.
Columbus, OH 43215
614-644-3020
24-hour emergency number (Ohio only):
800-282-9378
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 7921
Madison, Wl 53707
608-266-2621
After-hour emergencies:
800-943-0003
Agency
U.S. Environmental
Region 5, library (PL-124)
77 West Jackson Boulevard 12th Floor
Chicagajb 60604-359&
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