U.S. EPA Region 5
FY 91: IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR
HIGHLIGHTS OF REGIONAL FIRSTS AND OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
NOVEMBER 4,1991
CHICAGO, IL
-------
HUMAN RESOURCES
Total Quality Management (TQM); Region 5 is in the forefront of
developing a strong TQM program. A prototype, integrated TQM
Strategic Plan and Action Plan for FY92 is now in place. It was
approved by senior management and has been used by Organizational
Dynamics, Inc., as a model. Our structure:
Senior staff as
Quality Steering
Committee
Regional Quality
CVyiyvH natnif
TQM
FRdLTIATGRS
Figure 1. TQM Infrastructure
Trained all 160 supervisors through the Basic TQM
coursethe first Region to do so.
Designed a special 4-hour orientation session for all
1,300 employees. Presentation will begin in December.
Invited several States to take part in our TQM
facilitator training. Indiana staff have already been
trained; four other States have asked to participate as
well.
Multicultural Diversity; The Region 5 Special Emphasis Programs
and the Human Resources Council have formed a task force to look
into issues presented by a changing workforce. Through a series
of meetings, focus groups, and seminars, Region 5 was able to put
together a creative strategy and a solid action plan that will
meet our needs well into the future.
This initiative has generated excitement and
enthusiasm among all involved. It has created an
atmosphere of trust and teamwork, which produced
excellent recommendations and proposed actions.
Page 1
-------
Region 5 will shortly begin to train all managers and
supervisors and to orient all employees to cultural
diversity issues we face as an Agency and as a Nation.
Envirofeat; Last July, Region 5 held its first Envirofest. It
was a huge success. Some 1,000 employees, their families, and
friends had gathered in Chicago's Lincoln Park. This set an all-
time attendance record for a Regional event.
Fourteen field demonstrations were set up, covering
everything from air pollution to wetlands.
Prizes were awarded for the best conceived, most
interactive, most practical, and wittiest displays.
Athletic contests, plentiful food, and music rounded
out this unique event.
Project 92; The move of nearly 1,600 EPA employees and
contractors to the new Federal building began October 11, 1991
exactly 4 days ahead of the target date set 33 months ago.
Voluminous communication efforts to keep employees
informed about this historical move--EPA's largest--
included periodic newsletters, fact sheets, memos,
Interim briefings, model workstations, and walk-through
tours.
Employee involvement included surveys on fitness
equipment, food preference, color and fabric selection
for furniture, and testing of seating and systems
workstations. Design changes were then made to
accommodate special needs.
Indian Landia Multimedia Programs Region 5 was part of a historic
firstthe awarding of one of two multimedia demonstration grants
to Indian tribes nationally. Region 5's recipient was the Bad
River Band of Lake Superior Chippewas in Wisconsin.
By the end of FY91 Region 5 had awarded nine
additional multimedia grants to tribes, for a total of
$1503,000, including OFA funds. This support was the
largest in the country. By year's end, more than half
the Region's tribes had such grants.
COMPARATIVE RISK REGIONAL PROCESS & ACTIVITIES
The Region'is comparative risk study produced a powerful tool for
redirecting work years. In FY91, the Region shifted ten percent
of its base resources to launch work on high priority risks.
Page 2
-------
Habitat Protect ion t Region 5 has developed an aggressive
stewardship-oriented program for protecting ecosystems. The
program relies heavily on Federal, State, and local agencies, as
well as on environmental groups. Region 5 has:
organized a Habitat Protection Forum with representa
tives from many diverse organizations;
established an Ecological Seminar Series and an
ecological training program;
scheduled a Midwest Environmental Roundtable of
Federal Land Managers (Nov. 12-14, 1991) to develop a
year-to-year multiagency strategy for identifying and
protecting ecosystems;
launched a geographically focused pilot project in
three key areas (Saginaw Bay, Green Bay, and hardwoods
region of southern Illinois) that augment other Great
Lakes and multimedia projects.
Global Atmosphere Initiative; Stratospheric ozone depletion and
global climatic change are problems ranked highest in Region 5's
comparative health and ecological risks analysis. The
initiative's goals are to:
increase public awareness of health and ecological
risks posed by ozone depletion and global warming;
encourage government, industry, and individuals to
take preventive steps.
Safe 8u» eampaii-pi To highlight risks of exposure to ultraviolet
radiation, Region 5 has:
issued press releases before major summer holiday
weekends to caution outdoor enthusiasts;
distributed fact sheets to all regional TV and radio
weathermen;
delivered over 300,000 "Practice Safe Sun" bookmarks
to regional bookstores and libraries.
Green Lights Program; To stress energy conservation and
pollution prevention, Region 5, in cooperation with EPA HQ, has
signed up 18 corporate partners, 40 allies, and the first city
partner in the country.
These commitments are expected to prevent annually the emission
of some 1 million tons of carbon dioxide, 5 million Ibs of sulfur
dioxide, and 3 million Ibs of nitrogen oxide.
Page 3
-------
Lead: Region 5 has taken steps to reduce emissions from 17
largest industrial sources of airborne lead. Most of them have
no legally enforceable emission limits.
«> Plant visits, which included discussion of ways to
reduce emissions, have already yielded reduction
commitments from several companies.
«> Project LEAP (Lead Education and Abatement Program)
is being carried out over a 3-year period. Its basic
components are: data analysis and targeting, pollution
prevention, education and intervention, and abatement.
l?he primary goal is to prevent lead poisoning in chil-
dren, especially those in inner cities.
State Comparative Risk Projects; As lead Region for OPPE, Region
5 held a workshop with OPPE's Regional-State Planning Branch on
State comparative risk projects. This included guidance on
methodology and process issues. All 10 EPA Regions and
representatives from 21 States attended. In addition:
<> Region 5 has started State comparative risk projects
with Michigan and Illinois.
Wisconsin Tribal Risk Project: Region 5 has developed jointly
with the tribes a comparative risk analysis for Indian lands in
Wisconsin. This project will tell us:
o how risks may differ in a minority community from the
overall patterns in the Region and the Nation;
<» how risk analysis may change where environmental and
welfare values differ.
Problem areas were discussed with tribal officials and ranked
according to human health, ecological, and socioeconomic risks.
Data Integration; To tap environmental data available at Federal
and State agencies, Region 5 has asked other EPA Regions and
Offices to identify their data needs for FY93. Six major data
sets were identified. The most important: land use/land cover
information via satellite imagery from NOAA and NASA.
GREAT LAKES
Knowledge Base;
Accelerated Remedial Action Plans (RAP's), with 19
Stage I and 4 Stage II RAP's submitted to EPA as of
June 30, 1991.
Page 4
-------
Facilitated Lakewide Management Plans (LAMP'S) for
Lakes Michigan and Ontario; draft LAMP for Lake
Michigan submitted to International Joint Commission
(IJC) July, 1991.
Completed field assessments and site-specific reports
for demonstration sites, selected treatment
technologies, and conducted pilot scale demonstrations
of five different treatment technologies.
Signed Buffalo River cleanup agreement with key
agencies.
Data Integration; Great Lakes Advisory Committee Data
Integration Work Group produced a Great Lakes Mission Needs
Report and Great Lakes Information Resources Directory.
Air Deposition; Established one U.S. and one Canadian master
station on Lakes Superior and Ontario, respectively.
Monitoring; Completed monitoring cruises to track nutrient and
trophic status in the four lower Lakes, the oxygen depletion
ratio in Lake Erie, and toxicants in Lakes Michigan and Ontario.
Risk Management;
Completed Risk Characterization Study.
Completed mapping Basin areas subject to greatest
threat from spills; identified weaknesses in prevention
and response programs.
Pollution Prevention;
Developed Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Action
Plan.
Developed binational program to protect and restore
Lake Superior.
Education and Outreach;
Completed Great Lakes teachers' curriculum, "Great
Lakes in My World," which complements "Great Minds-
Great Lakes."
Promoted public awareness through the RV Lake
Guardian goodwill tour of 15 Great Lakes ports. A
specially produced 15-min. video on the ship's mission
was shown continuously during open-house periods on
board.
Page 5
-------
Building Alliances;
Developed a Federal-State 5-year strategy for the
Great Lakes focusing on activities designed to reduce
high-priority risks. Currently under stakeholder
review.
Developed agencywide action plans and tracking
systems for FY91 and FY92.
i) Developed an integrated, multimedia, FY93 budget
request.
Cross-Program integration; Initiated a special multi-year
program to speed up measurable environmental improvement in NW
Indiana, ??his is a heavily industrialized region, with serious
air, land, and water pollution. Greatest environmental toll was
suffered by Grand Calumet River, Indiana Harbor and Canal, and
near-shore waters of Southern Lake Michigan.
ENFORCEMENT
clean Water Act; Region 5 re-
ferred 18 'percent of all CWA
civil litigation actions
nationwide. Assessed
penalties, covering 18
facilities, totalled over
$12.8 million. This regional
total exceeds the national
civil total for FY90. Stand-
out cases:
Wheeling-
Pittsburgh Steel Co.
was fined $6.2
million and had to
complete $29 million
in wastewater
FY1991 WATER REFERRALS
Figure 2. Water referrals
treatment improvements.
o USX signed a consent decree totalling $34.1 million
(including a $1.6 million civil penalty), requiring
cleanup of river sediments.
» Cerro Copper was fined $1.4 million and had to
recycle its toxic wastewater.
« Roll Coater, Inc., trial ended in a court-ordered
penalty of $2.1 million for multiple violations.
Page 6
-------
mo
Figure 3. Air referrals
Clean Air Act; Region 5 issued 34 percent of CAA referrals na-
tionwide. Assessed penalties, covering 13 facilities, totalled
over $3.4 million. Notices of Violation were issued to 17 fa-
cilities for failure to comply with the Chicago Federal ozone
plan, standout cases: FY1991 AIR REFERRALS
General Motors
Corp. was fined more
than $1.5 million
the single largest
environmenta1
penalty in Northern
District of Ohio.
It also had to
reduce VOC's from
3,400 tons to 800
tons per year.
Bethlehem Steel
Co. was fined
$60,000 and had to
improve operation and maintenance, as well as monitor
its own emissions for the life of the consent decree.
Stanson Wrecking Co. was fined $60,000 in a judicial
hearing for asbestos violations.
Superfund; Twelve consent decrees and seven unilateral orders
netted some $214 million in settlements for remedial design and
cleanup. Also:
A record 37 removal orders were issued to private
parties.
A total of $29 million in cost-recovery cases was
referred to Department of Justice.
A total of $255 million in commitments was received
from potentially responsible parties.
Ott-Story-Cordova case resulted in a $50 million
cleanup and a vital precedent; companies were held
liable not only for their own cleanup but also that of
their site predecessors and subsidiaries.
For the first time, Department of Energy acknowledged
EPA's right to assess fines, in a consent agreement to
clean up the Fernald, OH, nuclear facility.
Page 7
-------
Su)?8t:tincQ9 Control Act and Fmergencv Communit
Riqht-to-Know Act;
«> CBI Services was fined $99,000 for violations of
flection 313 (Toxic Release Inventory) .
o DeSoto Inc. was fined $469,800 for violations of
Section 5 (Manufacture without a Premanufacture
Notification) .
o Southern Indiana Gas was the first natural gas
distribution company to be fined ($53,000) for PCB
pipeline contamination. A $600,000 cleanup/abatement
program was negotiated in the final settlement.
» As part of a national asbestos enforcement (AHERA)
faction against Hall-Kimbrell Environmental
Services, Inc., Region 5 issued a $4,040,000
complaint for violations in 160 schools.
Multimedia Actions; As part of a Geographic Enforcement
Initiative (GEI) , civil cases have been filed in NW Indiana
against Inland Steel (RCRA, CWA, SDWA, CAA) , Bethlehem Steel
(RCRA, SDWA.) , and Federated Metals (RCRA) .
Three other major lawsuits in the area were pursued against City
of Gary (SDWA, TSCA, RCRA) , City of Hammond (CWA, TSCA) , and LTV
(CWA, SPCC) . Six other judicial matters were targeted and
developed.
Region 5 has expanded multimedia enforcement beyond the GEI with
seven caces under development, one case referred, and two
multimedia matters filed.
In February, Chemical Waste Management (CWM) incinerator in
Chicago was shut down due to an explosion in the kiln. Until CWM
demonstrates that the incinerator has been repaired, permission
to burn both RCRA and PCB wastes has been denied by EPA and
Illinois I!PA.
Criminal Lotions; Eleven cases referred; 11 individuals and 1
company indicted. In addition, five individuals and two
companies convicted. This is the second-highest number of
successful criminal actions in EPA. Standout cases:
« In U.S. v. Ruetz, president of analytical lab was
found guilty of 14 charges; faces up to 40 years in
jail.
* In U.S. v. Pizzuto, demolition company owner was
convicted of dumping PCB's. Sentenced to 18 months in
Page 8
-------
jail, unless he posts $1 million in escrow to clean up
the mess.
In U.S. v. U.S. Plating, two companies were fined a
total of $50,000 for discharging cyanide and toxic
metals 60 times over the limit.
FY1991 REFERRALS
R1 R2 R3 R4 RS R8 R7 R8 R» R10
Figure 4. Regional referrals
P2 ACTIVITIES
Pollution Prevention; As lead for OPPE, Region 5 has made major
inroads toward developing a fully integrated multimedia pollution
prevention program.
A cross-media Quality Action Team has been working on
a Regional 5-year pollution prevention strategy and an
FY92 pollution prevention plan.
The third Region 5 State Pollution Prevention
Roundtable Meeting was held in Madison, WI, last
August. Next meeting scheduled in Chicago, Feb. 1992.
Region 5 is represented on the advisory council of
the newly funded Pollution Prevention Center for
Curriculum Development and Dissemination at the
University of Michigan.
Page 9
-------
Region 5 h£is successfully implemented the National 33/50 program
of reducing the 17 select chemicals by one-half in 1995.
<> Coordinated with State P2 representatives to provide
outreach to industry by identifying potential
obstacles, providing technical assistance needs, and
reducing areas of possible duplication.
<» Joint 33/50 geographical initiative with Region 7 was
held in St. Louis, MO, for facilities in Madison and
,<>t. Clair Counties, XL. About 180 industry representa-
tives attended.
<» Mailed 1,500 letters to parent companies in the six
States, inviting them to participate in the 33/50
program. These companies were in addition to the 600
companies contacted by Administrator Reilly.
» In September, Region 5 coordinated a joint meeting
with Region 7 and the Special Projects Office from
headquarters with State and trade association
representatives to discuss the goals and status of the
33/50 program.
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Twinning Program; As lead Region for international activities,
Region 5 was paired with Czechoslovakia under this new EPA
initiative. The aim is to match senior EPA managers with senior
managers in ministries of each twin country. Help offered would
include human resources, technical information, and management
(risk-based planning, legislation) .
Eaatarn Europe: Water Division staff went to the U.S.S.R.,
Lithuania, and Hungary to promote water conservation. Host
countries showed great interest in environmental software as well
as in exchange of data on environmental problems.
roTunar ta i Software ; Fifteen programs developed by Purdue
University are being distributed by Region 5. The programs,
either tutorial or analytical, cover such diverse subjects as
drinking water, soil erosion, on-farm fuel storage, and
pesticides..
o The U.S. Information Agency agreed to distribute this
software to all its electronic libraries around the
world.
Page 10
-------
Work has begun with the Agency for International
Development to design software for assessing
environmental impacts in Mexico and Brazil.
Region 5 has answered requests for software from such
diverse sources as the San Antonio School District,
Canada's Alberta Dept. of the Environment, and the
Hungarian Dinosaur Youth Organization.
German Exchange on Waste Sites; Under an agreement with Germany,
an information exchange program has been set up on abandoned-site
cleanup. Region 5 is monitoring six German sites where new
technologies are being used. The Germans, in turn, are
monitoring six sites in Region 5. Emergency Response Branch
staff visited the German sites last August and was host to the
Germans in October. Region 5 has presented to the Germans
reports on each regional site where new technologies have been
used.
Books to Lithuania: Region 5 shipped about 200 cartons of books
on environmental engineering and health and safety to Lithuania
last August. Recipients were the Lithuanian EPA, the National
Library, and two universities.
International Visitors; Region 5 was host to several dozen
guests, including those from the Soviet Union, Lithuania, China,
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Pakistan, Poland, India, France,
Morocco, and Zambia.
BASE PROGRAM SUMMARIES
Region 5 has completed a study on deposition of toxicants in the
Great Lakes and on associated health impacts. The study area
covered Detroit-Port Huron in the United States and Windsor-
Sarnia in Canada. This is the first time that such a study on
deposition of toxicants was done. It is also the first study to
assess health impacts of air toxicants across an international
border.
The Federal Implementation Plan became effective July 1, 1991.
These rules on control technology for volatile organic matter
(VOM) in northeastern Illinois laid a foundation for VOM rules
nationally.
After notifying some 1,500 affected facilities,
Region 5 identified large coating operations that had
not submitted the required documents on time. Notices
of violation were issued to 17 facilities.
Page 11
-------
The Lake Michigan Ozone Study is being conducted by Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It is the result of a
settlement stemming from Wisconsin's suit against EPA.
Over 56 land-based sites operated continuously from
June 12 through end of August to collect ambient air
and meteorological data.
On 7 days of predicted high ozone concentrations, 4
boats and 7 aircraft were used to collect samples on
eind above Lake Michigan.
<> New technologies, such as three Airtrek systems
(which measure reactivity) and a UV-DIAL instrument (to
{show ozone levels in three-dimensional profile), were
employed.
<» Early data show that a total of 73 sites had recorded
ozone concentrations above the Federal standard of 0.12
ppm.
PIFRA/TSCAi!
<» For the first time, EPA Region 5, FIFRA program has
expanded its cooperative efforts to include the White
I3arth Band of Chippewa and Leech Lake Indian Tribes.
<» Through extensive planning on the Great Lakes Action
:?lan and capitalizing on some existing State programs,
the Region began to coordinate a multi-state collection
find disposition of old/canceled/suspended pesticide
products.
» Region 5 has actively encouraged Local Education
Agencies to apply for FY91 funds to control asbestos in
schools. Region 5 received $22.7 million (47.6 percent
of the total) of the $47.5 million awarded nationwide.
Waste Management!
The Region 5 Superfund program contributed about 21 percent of
the national accomplishmentwith 17 percent of the Regional
resources.
Cleanup was begun at 14 NPL sites, with twice as many
removals as were targeted. These exceeded our FY90
figures by 25 percent and 27 percent, respectively.
More records of decision were issued and more designs
and remedial actions started than ever before89
percent more than in FY90.
Page 12
-------
Remedial actions were completed at Outboard Marine,
LaSalle Electrical Utilities, Lake Sandy Jo, Forest
Waste, Cemetery Dump, Verona Well Field, Kummer
Sanitary Landfill, University of Minnesota, New
Brighton-Arden Hills, and Wausau sites.
The Region 5 RCRA program met all its permit and closure targets
and reduced the backlog of permit appeals. In addition:
RCRA enforcement issued 15 new administrative com-
plaints and settled 13 old actions.
Twelve new civil judicial complaints were filed.
A sound foundation was laid for startup of the new
RCRIS data management system.
The UST/LUST program has established a national model
for streamlining the repair process for leaking tanks.
A new UST enforcement move yielded 7 administrative
complaints.
Water;
Delegated both the Public Water System Supervision and the
Class II Underground Injection Control programs to the State of
Indiana, ending a multi-year process to develop State capability.
Improved integration in protecting ground water through the
development of a report by the Ground Water Protection Branch.
This report identifies subject areas and action steps to reduce
program overlap and improve the use of State resources to protect
ground water.
Expanded shallow injection-well control through grants for
senior citizen activities to locate endangered wells.
Reduced UIC exception-listed facilities from 509 to 195.
Approved the Illinois Wellhead Protection Program. The Illinois
Groundwater Protection Act provides a significant statutory basis
for many aspects of the program.
Assumed a national leadership role for implementing Ground-
Water Task Force recommendations at the regional level by
preparing for the first State meetings with State programs. Also
started a TQM exercise to evaluate the most efficient means for
integrating the eight ground-water grant programs in support of
the comprehensive program.
Page 13
-------
Signed regional order for ground-water data. This requires all
regional programs to develop plans for the Minimum Data Element
Setfor ground-water data as well as for other data policies.
Developedfor the first timeState profiles to determine the
extent of State ground-water protection programs as called for by
the EPA Ground-Water Task Force Report.
Made integrated program grants for over $16 million to Region 5
States and Indian tribes.
Continued the Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative. This will
provide basis for consistent water quality standards and
implementation procedures to control pollutants discharged into
the Great Lakes.
Developed strategies to carry out stormwater permitting and
sludge management programs under NPDES permits, with focus on
toxic limits.
Targeted over $10 million to prevent nonpoint pollution in
selected geographic areas.
Provided over $1.1 million to States for wetlands projects,
including the preparation of two wetlands conservation plans.
Sponsored a joint Municipal Water Pollution Prevention seminar
and awarded Ohio EPA a $50,000 grant to pilot the program.
Purdue is developing POTW analytical software for treatment plant
operators.
Proposed the establishment of a Center for Technology Transfer
and Pollution Prevention at Purdue. This will give environmental
ambassadors the tools to train environmental personnel around the
world.
Reviewed the State Revolving Fund (SRF) program on the
completed FY90 cycle. All six Region 5 States are making
progress in their programs. All have received SRF capitalization
grants, cumulatively totalling $420.6 million.
Awarded $108.9 million in residual funds for 23 grants; 147
:noved to administrative completion.
Negotiated a 5-year voluntary construction safety compliance
agreement with S.A. Healy, a major contractor, who had been cited
for safety violations.
###
------- |