THE STATE OF THE
NEW ENGLAND
1970 m 1995
A REPORT OF
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FOR THE 25 ANNIVERSARY
OF EARTH DAY
-------
Tills REPORT IS INDICATED
TO THK EMPLOYEES OH EPA-NF.VV HXCII AND
- PAST AM) PRHSHNT -
AND TO OUR STATE COUNTERPARTS.
NEW ENGLAND'S SUPERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
IS THE RESULT OH YOUR COMMITMENT
TO THK ENVIRONMENT ANU YOUR HARD WORK.
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CONTENTS
John DeVillars, Regional Administrator
New England: Its Land & Its People
Our Air is Cleaner, But Challenges Still Remain
Twenty Five Years of Progress
10
8
Diverse Challenges to Preservation
12
Cleaner Cities, Healthier Buildings
15
Fewer Toxic Releases, More Recvclinti
IP
18
Improving Today's Environment, Preventing Tomorrow's Problems
19
Reinventing EPA-Ncw England
-------
'To know us,
go to our mountaintops
and ocean shores"
-WALT WHITMAN
-------
CHARTING A COURSE INTO THE FUTURE
' AIT WHITMAN WROTE OF NEW ENGLANDERS, "To know us, go to our mountaintops and ocean
shores." We are indeed a people defined by our natural resources, l-'rom the peak of Mount Washington to
our coastal islands, from Mount Katahdin to the Berkshire's, from Lake Champlain to Long Island Sound,
we look to our natural resources for our sustenance, our recreation and our livelihoods.
This report, presented for the 25th anniversary of Earth Day, takes stock of where we are in preserving and
improving those natural resources. It captures many of our successes and hard-won victories, stories that give us
cause for celebration, for we have made significant progress in restoring the New England environment.
This report also provides an honest assessment of the concerns we still face. I hope that it will help provide direc-
tion for the work that remains. Although we have made great progress through traditional approaches, and
while we need to continue much of this important work, it is clear that we have reached a nevus. The time has
come for a new generation of environmental protection.
EPA-Nevv England is charting the course tor that new approach. We are pioneering transformational change by:
* educating and empowering communities and businesses to be better environmental stewards through
programs such as the New England Environmental Assistance Team and Environmental Leadership Program -
New England;
* re-inventing and re-engineering our internal management systems, casting aside our traditional media
approach and embracing sector and place driven structures;
» promoting die region's S10 billion environmental industry and the new technologies and services it has to
offer through our Center for Environmental Industry and Technology;
» factoring market forces, better economics and sounder science into all our decision-making; and
» targeting our enforcement efforts where they can have the most impact through our Strong, Targeted
Enforcement Program (STEP-UP).
Through these and other efforts, we are dedicated to making New England a laboratory for bold experimenta-
tion in environmental protection.
This report is EPA-New England's first effort to document the region's environmental quality. I intend for this
to be the first of many annual reports. New England taxpayers, the hard-working men and women tooting the
bill for our work, are entitled to know what value they are getting for their investment in environmental protec-
tion and what we will ask them to help us tackle in the future.
Protecting New England's environment is important work. I hope this report will not only be seen as a means
by which the public can hold vis accountable tor how well we do that work, but also as an invitation to all New
Englanders to join in the effort.
John DeVillars
RI-.I;IONAI. ADMINISTRATOR
HIS STATl OF THE NEW EJIGLAID ENVIROIIMCIT
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New England: Its Land & Its People
IHVV ENGLAND IS ITS LANDSCAPE AND ITS PEOPLE.
C -raggy shores and snowfrosted hills frame a region that is
home to 13 million people and a vacationland to many
more. That same coast and those same hills are also the
home of a range of flora and fauna.
U'hile most of the landscape and the perception of the New
Kngland Yankee create an everlasting image of the region, it is
the changes in Now England which are the focus of this report.
Those changes in environmental conditions largely result from
changes in human activity.
From the first human visitation thousands of years ago. New
Englandcrs have depended on the land and sea. Early native
settlers fished icy waters and harvested forest resources for sus-
tenance and shelter. 1 he first Europeans continued harvesting
those resources and gradually expanded their resource use to
include agriculture and lumbering. In the nineteenth century,
the industrial revolution transformed the region's economy,
securing its position as the nation's commercial capital while
continuing a dependence upon natural resources. Mills sprung
up along major rivers such as the Merrimack. These mills were
fueled by raw materials from around die country as well as the
labors of its people.
Today resources still play a significant role in the economy.
More than $20 billion of New England's $300 billion econo-
my is linked to natural resources through tourism, agriculture,
forestry, and fishing. Perhaps more important than die direct
contribution to the economy, the distinct characteristics of
New England's hills and shores and its environmental quality
are reasons why growing numbers of people call New England
home (Figure 1).
THE STATE OH THE NEW ENGLAND ENVIRONMENT is a look back
at how we have done in protecting New England's environ-
ment over the past 25 years. It also represents a new approach
for the future of environmental and natural resource stcward-
FIGURE i
Growth in New England
The Economy &: Population
14
3 13
I
c
£12
Q- 11
10
' Economy
| Population
250
200 5
150 »
100
'80
90
Economic figures adjusted to 1982 doliare
ship in our region. This is the initial step in a more concerted,
organized effort to document the trends and current status of
environmental quality in New England. To that end, EPA-New
England is working with its state and tribal partners to identify
environmental goals and key indicators of environmental quali-
ty and to establish consistent state and regional monitoring
programs to track changes in environmental conditions.
This effort will enable us to judge whether our actions are hav-
ing the desired environmental effect and to adjust our
management strategies accordingly. Just as importantly, I'm
STATE OF THE NEW ENGIAND ENVIRONMENT begins the pro-
cess of communicating more clearly and accurately to the
people of New England about their environment. It is just the
first step in holding agencies more accountable to die public
for how we spend their money. At the same time, this report
will help New Englanders learn more about their own respon-
sibilities for protecting this special corner of America.
Til lITIIOIHIITil HOTICTIOI AQEKCT - IEW EifllllD
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THE STATE OF NEW ENGLAND'S
AIRaUAlITY
Our Air is Cleaner..
"Destroy a whole generation of those who bare
known how to wall; with heads erect in God's five
air, and the next generation mil rise against the
oppressors and restore freedom."
-HAROLD ICKES
fHHN CONGRESS 1'ASSKDTHH
Clean Air Act (CAA) in 1970, the
pristine environment that had
long been New England's calling
card was in peril. New England-
ers were discovering, even in remote
areas of the region, the presence of what
they had previously associated with Los
Angeles and other metropolitan areas
visible air pollution. More importantly
the air was unhealthy with violations of
air quality health standards recorded
throughout New England.
FIGURE 1
Decreasing Air Pollutants
,.. sonic taster than others
1.2
Volatile
Organic Compounds
'85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '90 '91 '92
Figures rellecl emissions in million Ions, except Lead
in thousand tons and Carbon Monoxide in ten million tons.
In the ensuing 25 years, a variety of con-
trols on industry, utilities, fuels, and
motor vehicles has led to significant
progress in solving the air quality prob-
lems that existed in New England. From
1985 to 1992 emission levels in New
England decreased tor five of the six pol-
lutants for which EPA established air
quality standards (Figure 1).
One of the nation's greatest environmen-
tal success stories is the elimination of 98
percent of the lead emissions nationally
from 1970 to 1992. Most of the credit
for this drastic reduction goes to the
phaseout of leaded gasoline. The result
has been the complete elimination of all
air quality violations for lead in New
England. While lead poisoning remains a
concern, outdoor air is no longer a sig-
nificant source of lead exposure. Con-
currently, blood lead levels have declined
significantly over the past 20 years.
Another example ot progress is the
declining number ot days exceeding air
quality standards in New England
(Figure 2). The regulation of both sta-
tionary and mobile (e.g. motor vehicles)
sources of air pollutants has eliminated
all sulfur dioxide (S()2) violations and
substantially reduced carbon monoxide
(CO) violations. This progress happened
despite significant growth in population,
industrial activity and the number of
motor vehicles.
... But Challenges Remain
Although the outdoor air levels for most
of these major pollutants have decreased
markedly, some problems still remain.
Despite some progress, ground-level
ozone is still a significant and widespread
air pollution problem throughout New
England. Ground-level ozone the
product of photochemical reactions
involving primarily volatile organic com-
pounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides
(NOx) contributes to respiratory irri-
tation and asthma, damage to sensitive
plant species, and deterioration of out-
d(x>r structures.
Today, approximately 11 million New
Englanders reside in areas not meeting
the national ozone standard. Studies
indicate a 4-19% increase in general res-
pirator)1 and asthma hospital admissions
for even1 50 parts per billion increase in
daily ozone, and similar impacts for
increases in tine airborne particles.
Despite significant advances in emission
controls, the automobile remains one of
our most significant sources ot air pollu-
tion. Motor vehicles contribute almost
60% of New England's total air pollu-
tant emissions, including a total of 1.5
million tons of VOCs and NOx per year.
Improvements in emission control tech-
nology and cleaner burning fuels have
resulted in significant decreases in the
amount of pollution emitted per car.
Today's car is designed to emit 70 to
90% less pollution than one produced in
1970 (Figure 3). These technological
advances, however, have been offset by
the growing number of cars on the road
as total miles driven by New Englanders
increased from 60 to 110 billion miles
per year between 1970 and 1992.
Addressing a Global Problem
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays has
become a major concern. The depletion
of the ozone layer in the earth's upper
FIGURE 2
Our Air is Healthier
Number of Air Violation Days
400
300
200
100
Sulfur Dioxide
Participate Matter
Carbon Monoxide
Ozone
ll
llliiliL
Paniculate Matter (PMtOf Standard promulgated in 1SBT
1895 STATI OF Til IIW ElflLAID EMfflKOIMEIT
-------
FT CURE 3
Lower Vehicle Emissions...
... but more vehicle miles are being driven
100
E 80
CO
§ 60
2
3 40
CO
.1
f»
UJ
Nitrogen Oxide
Volatile Organic Compounds
Carbon Monoxide
fc Vehicle Miles Travelled .
70 '75 '80 '85 '90
120
110
100
90
70
60
50
atmosphere has limited the earth's natu-
ral ability to filter out these harmful rays.
As the ozone concentration in the upper
atmosphere decreases, the amount of
UV radiation reaching the earth's surface
increases as does the potential incidence
of its harmful effects skin cancer and
cataracts.
The most familiar of the "ozone-deplet-
ing" chemicals are chlorotkiorocarbons
(CFCs), used extensively as a refrigerant.
Responding quickly to national and
international requirements for phasing
out the production and use of CFCs,
New England businesses have made sig-
nificant reductions in CFC emissions.
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data
show a 79% decrease in reported emis-
sions of ozone-depleting chemicals
between 1988 and 1993 (Figure 4).
F.PA-New England continues to support
the development and use of alternative
technologies and recycling options to
hasten the regeneration of the strato-
spheric ozone layer and the benefits it
provides to all New Englanders.
Looking Ahead
KPA-New England continues to work
with the states, utilities, industry and
other interested parties to solve the
region's remaining air pollution prolems.
New CAA controls for air pollutants
should reduce the incidence of a number
of human health impacts, including cer-
tain cancers, birth defects, immune
disorders, and respiratory problems.
Recognizing that motor vehicles consti-
tute the single most significant source of
air pollutants in the region, EPA-New
England is working in partnership with
other local, state, and federal organiza-
tions to reduce their emissions through:
* the adoption of stricter tailpipe emis-
sion standards and well designed
inspection and maintenance programs
FIGURE 4
Ozone Depleting Chemicals*
. ..taeilities and releases are decreasing
600
'88 '90 '92
'Freon 113 and Methyl Chloroform
to assure vehicles continue to operate
properly within design standards;
* the continued use of cleaner burning
reformulated gasoline;
* the development and use of alternative
vehicles, such as those powered by
natural gas or electricity; and
* the development and implementation
of transportation plans which promote
mass transit alternatives and other traf-
fic reduction measures such as parking
management measures, high occupan-
cy vehicle lanes, and smarter land use
planning.
ANY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CUT ACROSS
various media (air, land, water). "Acid rain" is created by
nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution
emitted into the atmosphere by power plants, industrial
processes, motor vehicles, and home heating. The polluted rain
and clouds are transported by weather systems from one region
to another and contribute to a variety of environmental prob-
lems: acidification of vulnerable lakes and streams, chemical
changes in nutrient-poor forest and mountain soils, haze, and
damage to cultural resources and building materials.
National air pollution control programs have been partly suc-
cessful in reducing the emissions that cause acid precipitation.
National emissions of SO2 have been reduced by nearly 10%
since 1980 and there has been a corresponding 10-15% decline
in amount of sulfate deposited in New England rain and snow
(Figure 5). Over this same period, however, nitrogen oxide
emissions and nitrate deposited in New England precipitation
have not declined.
Ten years ago, we found about 12.5% of our lakes were unable
to support healthy aquatic systems because of acidic precipita-
tion. Today, only 8% of our public lakes exhibit the effects of
acidity; including
declines in fish
populations and
their supporting
food chain, and
another 9% are
considered threat-
ened. In addition,
some of New
England's forests
show signs of
stress, decreased
growth, and
declining popula-
tion as the result
of acidic precipita-
tion. Additional
controls, such as
market-based trading permit programs for reducing SO2 and
NOx emissions from stationary sources, and the subsequent
decrease in NOx and SO2 emissions will continue to improve
the conditions of New England's lakes and forests.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - HEW ENCIAND
-------
THE STATH OF NEW ENGLAND'S
WATER QUALITY
Twenty Five Years of Progress
"Whiskey'sfor drinking,
water's for fighting about.'"
-Ill TWAIN
'HHN CONC'.RKSS PASSHO THH
Clean Water Act of 1972, dis-
charges from industrial and
f municipal pipes accounted for
slightly more than half of the pol-
lution problems in our public waterways
(Figure 1). In response, federal, state,
and local government initiated an aggres-
sive program for building municipal
waste-water treatment facilities. There arc-
now over 500 large and many more
smaller treatment plants in New England
which collect and treat sewage from
FIGURE 1
Polluted Runoff
...Oar Greatest Challenge
Runoff vs. Pipe Discharge, U.S.
households and businesses, and wastewa-
ter from those industries not discharging
directly into a \\aterbody. Point dis-
charges now account for less than 20%
and 15% of the pollutants entering the
nation's and New England's waters,
respectively.
The last twenty years have also seen a
continuing transition to more sophisti-
cated wastcwater treatment techniques.
A significant impact from these trends
upon water quality is the decline of bio-
chemical oxygen demanding wastes in
New England's waterways. Biochemical
oxygen demand (HOD) is a measure of
the amount of oxygen needed to break
down organic matter such as found in
sewage; high BOD indicates lower oxy-
gen available to fish and other aquatic-
life and possible bacterial contamination
from sewage. BOD declined dramatically
in the 1970s and 80s as waste-water
plants with secondary treatment facilities
came on line. Between 1988 and 1993,
BOD waste discharges in New England
decreased by nearly 25% (Figure 2).
These numbers are expected to decline
over the next five years as sewerage plant
improvements are completed in the
Boston area and other coastal communi-
ties (see The Cleanup ofliostoii Harbor).
The overall impact ofthe.se efforts has
been the significant improvement of
many New England water resources. In
1976, only half of all rivers and streams
assessed by the states met their designat-
ed water quality standard; by 1994 that
number had risen to over 90% (Figure
3). But as we have done a better job in
controlling the major, end-of-pipe
sources of water pollution, the smaller
but more ubiquitous contributions asso-
ciated with everyday human activities
have emerged as some of the most signif-
icant threats to water quality in New
England. The conditions of all New
England waters continue to be affected
by "nonpoint" sources of pollution such
as failed septic systems and runoff from
urban stormwater systems, agricultural
practices, and construction activities. The
story of water quality in New England is
thus one of both remarkable progress
and significant remaining challenges.
FIGURE 2
Biochemical Oxygen
Demanding Wastes
1990
1995
2000
'Please see "The Cleanup ol Boston Harbor"
Are the Fish Safe to Eat?
Fish and other aquatic life are often the
first affected by the substances deposited
in our waterways. Since they also are
consumed by humans, the presence and
accumulation of toxic chemicals in aquat-
ic life is a significant public health
concern. Four substances in particular
mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), chlordane, and clioxin arc-
responsible for 90% of all fish consump-
tion advisories in the United States.
These four chemicals also account lor 34
of the 38 fish consumption advisories in
New England.
These compounds can cause problems
for extended periods of time after they
FIGURE 3
Water Quality in New England
Percentage of Water Bodies Meeting Designated Uses
100%
80
60
40
20
0
Riven/Streams Lakes/Ponds Estuaries
76 78 '80 '82 '84 '86
Rivers/Streams in Miles. Lakes/Ponds in Acres, Estuaries in Square Miles.
1995 STiTI OF THE IEW ENGLAND E Hf I ROH M BIT
-------
\( i C:ALLEDTHK DIRTIEST HARBOR IN AMERICA,
Boston Harbor is well on the road to recovery. Until the
1950s, millions of gallons of untreated sewage were dis-
charged to the harbor every day, contaminating the water,
sediments, and fish. Construction or two primary wastewater
treatment plants in 1952 and 1968 improved effluent quality
although 50 tons per day of digested sludge produced by the
two treatment plants continued to be discharged into the har-
bor. Discharge of sludge ceased in 1991 and has already
resulted in substantial improvements. Clarity of harbor waters
has improved in the area of the former sludge discharge, and
the sea floor, once virtually devoid of life, has been reeolonized
by marine species. In addition, better industrial pretreatment
has reduced the discharge of toxics into the harbor, producing
significant improvements in fish health.
An antiquated combined sewer system caused additional prob-
lems. During heavy rains, stormwater and raw sewage poured
out of 84 overflow pipes leading to the harbor. This added con-
tamination caused frequent closings of bathing beaches and
shellfish beds. Improvements in pumping capacities at the treat-
ment plants, along with new combined sewer disinfection
facilities, have reduced these discharges. As a result, the number
of beach closures has been reduced 70% from 60 in 1989 to 19
in 1993.
After five years of construction, the Massachusetts Water
Resources Authority is halfway through construction of a
multi-million dollar wastewater treatment facility to serve
Boston and 42 surrounding
communities. The first phase of
the new primary plant came on
line in January 1995 and is
expected to yield water quality
improvements. When complete
in 1999, this facility will employ
state-of-the-art technology and a
9.5 mile outfall tunnel so that
treated wastewater will be dif-
fused into deep waters.
enter our water systems. Transported to
lakes, rivers and estuaries from the atmo-
sphere, runoff or pipes, they can end up
in the water and sediments. Insect larvae
and bottom-feeding fish may ingest
chemicals leading to contaminants enter-
ing the food chain as these organisms are
consumed by predators. Some chemicals
can harm aquatic organisms, even at low
levels. In addition, certain compounds
can accumulate in animal tissues, placing
humans, birds, and mammals at risk if
they cat fish or shellfish containing con-
centrations above recommended levels.
In 1993, EPA-Ncw England and the
State of Maine conducted a comprehen-
sive survey of lakes within the state to
determine levels of certain toxic com-
pounds, including mercury. Preliminary
results indicated that fish populations in
.ill lakes surveyed showed some levels of
mercury contamination and several
exceeded Maine Health Department's
levels of concern. In response, the State
of Maine issued a statewide fish con-
sumption advisory joining Connecticut,
Massachusetts, Vermont, and 27 other
states in the U.S. with fish advisories.
Additional studies conducted by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of
Maine, and EPA suggest that wildlife is
at risk due to mercury contamination.
Surveys of eagles, whose primary source
of food is fish and other fish-eating ani-
mals, found their reproduction rates to
be significantly lower than other U.S.
eagle populations and mercury levels
associated with reduced or failed repro-
ductive capacities.
New England's Overfed Waters
Manv lake, river and coastal areas in New
FIGURE 4
Eutrophication in New England Lakes
Percentage or Likes that .ire I Ic.ihhv vs. Kutrophicd
100%
80
60
40
20
0
I Healthy Eutrophied
'86
'88
'90
'92
'94
England are "overfed" by nutrients such
as phosphorus and nitrogen. This accel-
erates the aging process, known as
etitrophication, particularly in Likes
where there are several ways nutrients
can enter but few ways they can leave the
system. Increased levels of nutrients
from such activities as land clearing, fer-
tili/.er application and runoff, and sewage
discharges can lead to excessive vege-
tation, algae blms and low oxygen.
Since 1986, the percentage of New
England lakes showing signs of cutrophi-
cation has doubled from 16% to 32%
(Figure 4). Recent surveys suggest that
lakes in coastal areas are much more like-
ly to be eutrophic than lakes in upland
areas. This phenomenon appears to coin-
cide with those areas of New England's
coastline that have experienced unprece-
dented population growth and
development in the past two decades.
Is the Water Safe to Drink?
Historically, New Englanders have been
fortunate to have plentiful surface and
grotindwater available and supply sys-
tems that ensure high quality drinking
water. We can not, however, take the
quality of our drinking water for grant-
ed. Continued land development has led
to contamination and shortage of sup-
plies in some areas. In 1994, 417 (8%)
THE ENVIRONMENTS PROTECTION A8ERCT KEW EIQLAND
-------
public drinking water systems reported
drinking water quality violations, pri-
marily for bacteria (Figure 5). Most of
these systems (389), however, reported
only a single violation. These numbers
are up slightly from 1993: 385 (7%) sys-
tems reported violations with 374 ot
these systems reporting single violations.
An issue of growing concern is contami-
nation of surface water supplies from
microbial agents bacteria, viruses, and
the more recently recognized protozoans
Giardia lamblia and Cryptttsporidium
linked to waterborne disease outbreaks.
In New England, there have been a small
number (4) of outbreaks associated with
Giardia and no overt outbreaks of
CryptosporiAium. While these outbreaks
do not pose a significant threat to the
general public, they do pose a major
threat to the elderly and other persons
with weakened immune systems.
Approximately 30% of New England's
population is served by groundvvater.
Development has begun to threaten the
quality of die region's groundwater.
Major sources of groundwater contami-
nation include leaking underground
storage tanks, landfills, septic systems,
hazardous waste sites, and agricultural
practices. Once contaminated, it is diffi-
cult, if not impossible to restore
groundwater to its former quality.
Wellhead protection programs that
restrict some land usages and other activ-
ities that pose a threat to groundwater
FIGURE 5
How Safe is Our
Drinking Water?
Percent of Water Systems in Compliance
with the Sate Drinking Water Act in 1994
norganics
(1%)
Turbidity
(11%)
quality are in place for approximately
33% of community supply wells.
Looking Ahead
While continuing our efforts to control
the impacts on water quality from major
point sources of pollution, environmen-
tal managers now are focusing
heightened attention on "nonpoint"
sources of pollution. EPA-New England
is working with the states and other
stakeholders to integrate a range of activ-
ities to address these critical water quality
problems on a holistic ecosystem basis,
including:
* implementing a watershed protection
approach that integrates our water
programs such as discharge permits,
enforcement and nonpoint source
control;
» working with states to develop
Comprehensive Ground Water
Protection Programs that integrate
state ground water programs;
» continued implementation of well-
head protection programs;
* requiring communities to develop and
implement abatement plans to control
combined sewer overflows, with high-
est priority' given to protecting affect-
ed critical resource areas; and
* developing pilot nitrogen control dis-
tricts to reduce both point and non-
point nitrogen discharges to heavily
impacted waters.
Perhaps more important than any of
these efforts, successful implementation
of nonpoint control measures will
require both a greater awareness by the
many individuals contributing to these
sources and a willingness on their part to
make changes in their activities.
BUZZARDS BAY IS A MODERATELY SIZED ESTUARY
located between die western coast of Cape Cod and Rhode
Island. The Buzzards Bay Project, an EPA National Estuary
Program, was established in 1985 with the goals of preserv-
ing and protecting die resources and water quality of die bay.
One of the nation's most successful estuary programs, die
Project has achieved real environmental results through effective
implementation of its plans.
Most of Buzzards Bay pollution problems are related to small,
yet cumulatively significant land use activities, such as septic sys-
tems and stormwater runoff. These occurrences have led to
nutrient over-enrichment of many areas of the bay. Since die
regulation of land use activities and stormwater control are pri-
marily within the purview of local government, the Project
sought ways of working with the various towns to control die
cumulative impacts of their various activities. An innovative
program developed by the Project is the creation of the Butter-
milk Bay Nitrogen Overlay District in die adjacent towns of
Plymouth, Bourne and Wareham, die first district of its kind in
die nation. By controlling development dirougli changes to
local zoning regulations, it limits die amount of nitrogen enter-
ing Buttermilk Bay to a
level that die bay can
assimilate without over-
enrichment or eutroph-
ication. In recognition
of this accom- plish-
ment, die Project and
the three towns received
a National Pollution
Prevention Award in
1992.
Plymouth
New
Bedford
Cape
Cod
Ray
Buzzards
Bay
1195 STATE OF THE NEW ENGLAND ENVIRONMENT
-------
THE STATE OF NEW ENGLAND'S
& HABITATS
Diverse Challenges to Preservation
"The wind sows the seed; the sun evaporates the
sea; the wind blows the vapor to the field; the
ice on the other side of the planet condenses
rain on this; the rain feeds the plant; the plant
feeds the animal; and thus the endless circula-
tions of the divine charity nourish man"
-RALPH WALDO EMERSON
EW ENGLAND'S DIVERSE LAND-
scapes from coastal salt marshes and
eclgrass beds to the arctic environ-
ment of our highest mountains are
home to a rich biological heritage
of thousands of species of plants and ani-
mals, including, of course, humans. All
of these species and the non-living envi-
ronments they inhabit, are intricately
linked in "webs of life" called ecosys-
tems. Since its inception in 1970, EPA
has been mostly concerned with protect-
ing human health and natural systems
from the direct effects of pollution.
Recognizing that human health and wel-
fare can not ultimately be maintained in
an unhealthy natural environment and
that threats to habitats and ecosystems
are among the greatest environmental
problems we face, EPA's programs have
begun to focus more on restoring and
preserving the ecological integrity of the
environment.
Since the 1600s, New England's ecosys-
tems and their associated species have
undergone dramatic changes. Various
species such as bison, woodland caribou,
and wolves, previously common in New
England have been completely eliminat-
ed from die region. Likewise, large
amounts of once significant ecosystems
such as pine barrens, heath, and sand-
plains have been lost.
Although direct information about
ecosystem and habitat loss is scarce and
uneven, we do have some indirect mea-
RE 1
Threatened & Endangered Species
in New England
Percent of Native Species
Mammals Birds
sures of ecosystem change. This section
focuses on two general characteristics
that provide some indication of die sta-
tus of habitat in New England: the loss
of critical habitats and changes in the
region's species composition.
Losing Critical Habitats
Healthy ecosystems provide a range of
benefits to all their inhabitants, including
humans. Wetlands, for example, among
other benefits provide wildlife habitat,
floodwater storage, water purification,
nutrient cycling, and various recreation
opportunities. As wetlands are lost or
degraded, so too are the various func-
tions and benefits they provide. Loss or
degradation of these and other critical
habitats continues to be a concern in
New England as intensive human devel-
opment for roads, home building, or
commercial use reduce the land and
habitat available for ecological functions.
Beneficial uses of land diat is not devel-
oped or directly altered may suffer if
adjacent land is changed in such a way as
to isolate or degrade habitats. Habitat
fragmentation is apparent throughout
New England, especially in rural areas
seeing renewed human population
growth. Eor species that need a large
expanse of land to roam, breed, and tor-
age, fragmentation has resulted in species
decline.
While estimates of die extent of wetland
loss in New England since the 1700s
range widely, observers agree that we
have lost a substantial fraction of our
wetlands, particularly in die southern
portions of the region. We are continu-
ing to lose wedands through filling and
degradation due to development and
urban sprawl. A series of detailed local
studies of wedand modification in die
region between the mid-1970s and die
10
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY - HEW ENGLAND
-------
mid-XOs showed wetland losses or con-
versions ranging from 145 to 340 acres
in each of the four study areas. While the
losses in each study area may seem rela-
tively small when considered in isolation,
the continued incremental accumulation
of these changes across the region can be
quite significant.
Losing Natives, Adding Exotics
The growing list of threatened and
endangered species is one indicator of
ecosystem health. Many species require
very specific habitats. As critical condi-
tions within habitats change, the viability
of these species is at risk. While cyclical
changes in habitat are a part of ecological
change, the rapid and dramatic changes
associated with human activity and land
use often accelerate the process and
threaten species survival,
We are used to hearing about threats to
biodiversity in tropical rain forests and
other areas outside of New England.
Species loss, however, is not just a prob-
lem in other parts of the world. In the 6
New England states, a significant per-
centage of all native plants and animals
species are threatened, endangered, or
already extinct (Figure 1).
While threats to the health and abun-
dance of wildlife often are the result of
altered landscapes and habitat destruc-
tion, in other cases the pressures are
much more direct. Commercially valu-
able species can be overharvested beyond
the point of sustainability, resulting in
severe population declines and economic
losses to the people dependent upon the
resource. A recent study by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration oftishery resources in the
northeast found that groundfish (cod,
haddock, pollock) and flounder catches
have declined by almost 70% in the past
30 years (Figure 2). While the impacts
on coastal fishing fleets are painfully evi-
dent, the effect on the ecosystem is less
evident though not less important to
consider for the long-term health of New
England's marine fisheries.
In addition to the decline or removal of
native species, the introduction of non-
nativc or "exotic" species and their
subsequent uncontrolled growth as they
outcompete native species can also have
serious, long-term consequences for
ecosystems. Eurasian milfoil, purple
loosestrife, and zebra mussels were all
accidentally introduced and are displac-
ing native species, destroying food
sources, and affecting water quality
throughout New England. If not pre-
vented or detected early, the economic
cost to control the spread of non-native
species can be quite high and the ecolog-
ical damage extensive and, in some
instances, irreparable.
Restoring Species, Protecting
Habitats: It's Not Too Late
Just as human activities have contributed
to ecosystem alteration and the resulting
displacement of species, so t can
human actions help restore critical habi-
tats. Examples of these efforts include:
SOUTHERN COAST
The breeding populations of piping
plovers have more than doubled along
the coastal areas of Connecticut, Rhode
Island, and Massachusetts in die past 8
years. This population growth is the
result of concerted efforts to protect nest-
ing sites along critical beach habitat.
NORTHERN AREAS
Peregrine falcons have returned to
Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
This road to recovery was paved by fed-
eral actions to restrict use of DDT and
the protection of critical nesting sites.
While these positive examples provide
some hope, these after-the-fact preserva-
tion efforts are often expensive, difficult
to implement, and offer no guarantee of
successful outcomes. To more effectively
protect New England's biological diversi-
ty, we must direct more of our efforts
towards identifying critical habitats and
protecting them before degradation or
loss occurs. As a step toward this end,
EPA-New England has been working
with State Heritage Programs and the
Nature Conservancy in identifying and
classifying the diversity of New
England's ecosystems.
Looking Ahead
To more effectively address the complexi-
ty of habitat health, EPA-New England
is pursuing a series of activities to better
protect ecosystems, including:
» establishing an "Office of Ecosystem
Protection" that will set our regional
priorities and direct activities toward
ecosystem protection;
» developing a strategy of "Community-
Based Environmental Protection," a
multi-media approach focusing upon
the multiple interactions within a par-
ticular place in order to better address
the complex factors that influence
environmental quality;
* implementing the National Estuary
Program projects, including the Long
Island Sound Study, Narragansctt Hay
Project, Buzzards Bay Project, Casco
Bay Estuary Project, and Massachu-
setts Bays Program;
» conducting watershed assessment and
protection efforts including the Merr-
imack River Initiative and the Lake
Champlain Project; and
» implementing our Resource Pro-
tection Project to identify and protect
critical natural resources in New
England.
h'Uil'KE 2
Declining Northeastern Fish Stocks
Principal Cii'cHiin.tlisli ami Floundcrx, 1964-1994
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
'64
Source: National Oceanic & Atmtsp
1995 STATE OF TIC IIW 1««HID 11T110IMIB1
1 1
-------
THE STATE OF NEW ENGLAND'S
Cleaner Cities, Healthier Buildings
"The city is a fact of nature."
-1EWIS MDMFORD
ECONOMIC: DISINVESTMENT,
Absentee landlords and vacant lots
which attract illegal dumping arc-
only a few factors which have con-
tributed greatly to the deterioration
in urban neighborhoods. These factors,
combined with the increased susceptibili-
ty to environmental pollutants caused by
conditions including poor nutrition, and
the high incidence of lead poisoning and
asthma in children have brought these
areas to the forefront of environmental
concerns. To address the problems resi-
dents of urban environments face,
EPA-New England has launched the
Urban Ecosystem Initiative.
Urban Ecosystem Initiative
Through this multi-year initiative for
urban ecosystems in New England, we
intend to reduce risks to human health
from contaminants in air, soil and water
in urban communities and decrease the
stresses on the natural environment due
to die effects of urbanization. A key
component is partnerships with business-
es, national and community service
groups, neighborhood organizations, and
environmental professionals outside EPA.
We are working with communities in
Boston, Massachusetts, Providence,
Rhode Island, and Bridgeport and
Hartford, Connecticut to 1) develop sus-
tainable partnerships that will enable
communities to solve environmental
problems; 2) develop strategies to
address the most critical environmental
problems; and 3) ensure strategic envi-
ronmental and health goals support
economic development goals.
This initiative integrates three EPA-New
England programs: the regional Urban
Eead Project; the Green Spaces/Healthy
Places project; and a Brownfields project
working toward restoration of a mined
and abandoned property in a low income
neighborhood in Bridgeport.
THE URBAN LEAD PROJECT
This project's goal is to prevent lead poi-
soning, one of the top health threats
facing New Englanders, by reducing
exposures to lead sources, particularly to
those most at risk, children under six
years of age in low income and minority
urban and rural communities, through
education and awareness.
Working with state and local agencies
and organizations. Lead Project activities
have focused on improving the develop-
ment and delivery of lead poisoning
prevention education and outreach. In
addition, a pilot project is currently
underway in East Providence to develop
better ways of integrating existing feder-
al, state, and local information for more
effective targeting of screening, preven-
tion, and intervention activities.
GREEN SPACES/HEALTHY PUCES
This project currently underway in
Roxbury (Boston) and Providence wa.s
designed by EPA in response to President
Clinton's National Service Program
"AmeriCorps." AmeriCorps participants
and community members are working
on open space revirali/.ation, resource
conservation and indoor air quality. With
technical support from KPA-Ncw
England and other environmental and
public health professionals, two teams of
participants are working with communi-
ty-based groups to reduce health risks
and improve the environmental quality
of the area.
BROWNFIELD SITE REDEVELOPMENT
Cleaning up and redeveloping contain-
Esvimram JUSTICE
>H\V ENGLAND HAS A DIVERSH POPULATION TO
match its landscape. However, not all of New England's
citizens enjoy the same environmental quality. Of the 13
million New Englanders, 21% have an income below the
federal poverty line and 9% are people of color. EPA-New
England adopted an Environmental Justice Policy; die first such
policy at EPA, which outlines a strategy to ensure that "no seg-
ment of the population should bear a disproportionate share of
the consequences of environmental pollution."
EPA-New England identified potential environmental justice
areas by ranking communities based upon race and income
using 1990 U.S. Census data. Our strategy includes tripling the
number of inspections in environmental justice areas. Since
May, 1994, inspections conducted by EPA-New England in
these areas have increased almost five times. We have also
secured at least SI million in Supplemental Environmental
Projects (SEPs) through enforcement actions that will directly
benefit these communities.
12
Til EITIKOIMIITAL PIOTCCTIOI AtEICT I1W EI811ID
-------
inatcd abandoned properties is a key
component for any urban rcvitaliza-
tion effort. Bridgeport is one of three
cities in the country selected by EPA
for a pilot project to show how com-
munities can reclaim abandoned,
derelict properties and return them to
productive uses. In 1994, EPA award-
ed the city $200,000 to undertake a
comprehensive inventory and assess-
ment ot its "brownftelds" properties
and to work with a community task
force to form a public-private partner-
ship to reclaim derelict properties in
Bridgeport, provide jobs, and enhance
the economy.
The two-year project will bring togeth-
er representatives of state and local
governments, community leaders, busi-
ness representatives, academics, and
environmental experts to provide an
overview of economic development
opportunities for contaminated proper-
ties; evaluate these properties for rede-
velopment potential; produce a com-
munity supported site prioriti/.ation list
and plans to market these sites; and
develop an interactive database that is
readily available to developers. The
city will develop a detailed remediation
and redevelopment strategy for a limit-
ed number ot these properties, identi-
fying funding sources, estimated cleanup
costs, time frame and solutions.
Indoor Environments
Most people spend up to 90% of their
time indoors. Some populations that are
most susceptible to the effects of indoor
air pollutants, like infants or the elderly,
spend almost all of their time indoors. In
addition, concentrations of pollutants
can be many times greater indoors that
outdoors. As a result, some of the most
significant environmental health risks we
face are associated with the indoor envi-
ronments inside our homes, our schools,
and our workplaces (Figure 1).
domestic water systems are all factors in
one of the top health risks in New
England. While the use of lead in paint
was reduced in 1978, 51% to 72% of
New England homes were built before
that time and roughly a quarter were
built prior to 1950 when the highest lead
content paints were used.
While lead poisoning at very high levels
can result in immediate serious health
effects (e.g. convulsions), the more com-
mon concern is the adverse and
potentially permanent impacts even fairly
low blood lead levels can have upon the
mental and physical development of chil-
dren. Children continue to be exposed to
lead in dust, soil, paint, and drinking
water. Rhode Island has screened 40,000
children since 1991 and found 36%
(14,400) screened at or above the
Centers for Disease Control's bl(x>d lead
level of concern of 10 ug/dl.
FIGURE 1
Some Common Pollutants
Found in Indoor Environments
This problem is particularly pressing in
urban centers with higher densities of
deteriorating housing, limited owner
occupancy and investment, and other
complicating social factors. A recent
study by the City of Boston found that
although "only 8.7% of Massachusetts
children under the age of six reside in the
City of Boston, but in recent years
approximately 30% of the state's con-
firmed lead poisoned children came from
Boston." In addition, 73% of the city's
poisoned children come from four neigh-
borhoods Dorchester, Roxbury,
Jamaica Plain, and Mattapan with the
highest concentration of tow-income,
minority residents.
OTHER INDOOR POUDTUTTS
Some additional problems associated
with indoor environments include:
CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) Each vear
One of the most significant public health
problems facing New England and the
country is lead poisoning ot children.
The widespread use of lead-based paint
on homes, toys, and furniture before
1978, its deterioration into residential
yards, and the use of lead solder in
combustion (wood stoves, oil furnace,
kerosene heaters, gas ranges, tobacco
smoke)
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Environmental Tobacco
Smoke (ETS)
cigarettes, cigars, pipes
peeling or chipped lead-based paint
dissolved lead in tap water, glazed
pottery, toys
building materials (particle board,
plywood, urea foam insulation).
carpets, fabric
Biological Contaminants
(mold, fungi, etc.)
house dust, wet/damp materials,
standing water (humidifiers, evaporative
coolers, hot water tanks), plants, animals
household bug killers/insecticides,
rodenticides (rat poison),
disinfectants/fungicides
soil and rock, water, some building
materials
cleaning solvents, glues/adhesives,
carpet dyes and fibers, dry cleaned
clothes, paints/stains/varnishes,
air fresheners, stored oils/fuels
Volatile Organic
Compounds
(VOCs)
Itll STiTI OF Til II* III1AII IIVIItlMHT
-------
there are more than 200 carbon monox-
ide related deaths nationwide in the
home. These deaths are the most
extreme example of what can happen
when combustion appliances such as fur-
naces or stoves are improperly
maintained or vented. CO also causes
health effects such as headaches or dizzi-
ness at lower levels.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOBACCO SMOKE (ETS)
EPA has classified secondhand tobacco
smoke as a known human carcinogen,
and we estimate that it causes 3,000 lung
cancer cases in non-smokers each year.
In addition, H'l'S causes between
150,000 - 300,000 respirator,- tract
infections such as pneumonia and bron-
chitis in infants and children and is also a
major risk factor for asthmatic children.
RADON is a naturally occurring radioactive-
gas that can accumulate inside of homes
at high levels. EPA estimates that radon
causes about 13,000 lung cancer cases
each year. The potential for radon con-
tamination depends largely upon the type
of rocks and soils of a region. Areas of
New England have the geologic charac-
teristics associated with high radon levels.
These arc just a few of the many poten-
tial problems associated with indoor
environments. Others include pesticides,
asbestos, biologicals (such as mold or
dust mites), and, for large buildings, off-
gassing from building materials and poor
ventilation (often referred to as "sick
building syndrome").
Solutions Are Often Simple
In many cases, indoor environmental
problems can be greatly reduced or elim-
inated by taking some fairly simple steps.
In the home this would include having
furnaces inspected, not smoking indoors,
testing for radon (and if there are high
levels, taking the steps necessary to pre-
vent or mitigate the contamination), and
reducing exposure to lead dust. In
schools and other large buildings, it
would include ensuring that ventilation
systems are working properly, either
eliminating smoking or having a sepa-
rately ventilated smoking nx>m, and
looking for unusual problems (such as
mold from wet carpets).
Further guidance is available to both
homeowners and commercial building
owners and managers by calling the EPA
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) hotline.
.
AIAQ CLEARINGHOUSE
Questions about indoor environ-
mental problems in your home,
schcxjl or place of work? Call EPA's
Indoor Air hotline at 1-800-438-
4318 (fax: 301-588-3408). You
can talk with an IAQ information
specialist who will try and answer
your questions, discuss potential
solutions, and provide you with
written information.
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN, A FEDERALLY
-funded public corporation created for the purpose of providing low-income
housing in and around New Haven, agreed to spend at least SI 12,000 to earn'
out a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) in lieu of paving any penalty
for its violations of the PCB laws. The SEP includes training Housing Authority
personnel to identify and report environmental prob-
lems, as well as conducting an environmental audit of
the 32 properties they own and operate. The tenants,
due to the age and condition of generally available
low-income housing stock, arguably face increased
environmental hazards from pillutants commonly
associated with such housing, namely, asbestos, lead
paint, pesticides and rodenticides. The SEP should
reduce the environmental risks borne by the low-
income population served by the Housing Authority
11
THE HIIBOIHIITiL P10TECTIOI 1SIICY I1W IIIL1ID
-------
THE STATE OF NEW ENGLAND'S
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Fewer Toxic Releases, More Recycling
"The word which gives the key to the
national vice is waste."
-HUT MILLER
fK LIVE IN A COMPLEX WORLD.
Sophisticated technologies pro-
duce consumer goods ranging
from cars to cleaning fluids.
Many of these production pro-
cesses generate potentially harmful
chemical waste by-products ot one sort
or another. In 1991 New England indus-
tries generated more than two million
tons of hazardous waste. While it would
be easy to single out industry as the sole
source of the problem, the reality of the
situation is that consumers also bear part
of the responsibility: indirectly, as they
continue to demand the products the
manufacture of which creates the haz-
ardous waste, ami directly as many of
these same consumer products, such as
household cleaning fluids, paints and bat-
teries, are discarded into the
environment
Reducing Toxics
The 1986 Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act estab-
lished the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
a publicly available data base on over
300 chemicals that are manufactured,
processed or otherwise used by facilities.
Since 1988, when the Environmental
FIGURE i
Toxic Releases Are Declining
Releases to Land, Air & Water
120
Protection Agency first started receiving
reliable TRI data. New England facilities
have reduced their environmental releas-
es and emissions to air, land and water
from 105.8 million pounds to 45.9 mil-
lion in 1993 (Figure 1). This 57%
reduction is 25% better than the national
average of 43% reduction.
Since 1988, New England facilities have
also reduced the amount of waste
shipped offsite tor treatment or disposal
by over 60%, indicating that the reduc-
tions in emissions have not come about
by simply transferring wastes to other
locations. The most recent information
available (1993) indicates that New
England facilities recycled over 45% of
the toxic chemicals in their waste streams
and treated another 40% (Figure 1).
Releases accounted for 7% of the waste
stream. Air emissions accounted for 88%
of these releases, while water and land
releases account equally for the remaining
12%.
EPA and the states regulate companies
that generate, treat, store, dispose of or
transport hazardous wastes. The 1980
Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA) requires hazardous waste
1993 Waste Management
Profile of All Tbxic Wastes
100
80
60
40
20
0
Millions of Pounds
per Year
Energy
Recovery
7% (43.3)
FIGURE 2
Leaking Underground
Storage Tanks
Number ofl'ST Facilities
in New England in Thousands
'88
'91
'92
'93
Figures in parentheses relied wastes in Millions ol Pounds
handlers to track all wastes from genera-
tion to disposal and to clean up or
stabilize contaminated areas. The num-
ber of facilities that store, treat, or
incinerate hazardous waste in New
England has declined from nearly 300 in
1980 to the present number of 72. Of
the 124 facilities that disposed of haz-
ardous wastes on the land in 1980, all are
cither closed or closing. None of the
more than 2 million tons of hazardous
wastes generated in New England in
1991 were disposed of in New England
landfills.
Gleaning Up Hazardous Sites
While current activities continue to gen-
erate potentially harmful substances,
many of our most significant hazardous
waste sites are the result of past disposal
practices. At the time, many of these
practices were considered safe (e.g. plac-
ing industrial waste into unlined
community landfills), but over time
many of these sites have developed into
significant hazards to public health and
the environment To facilitate the clean-
up of these sites, protect public health
IIK STATE OF THE NEW ENGLAND ENVIRONMENT
15
-------
and restore the
environment,
Congress passed
the Comprehen-
sive Environ-
mental
Response,
Compensation,
and Liability' Act (CKRCLA), more
commonly known as "'SufH.-rfi.ind." The
most serious abandoned hazardous waste
sites are placed on EPAs National
Priorities List (NPL). In New England,
95 sites have been designated NPL sites.
Two of these have been cleaned up and
taken off the list. Cleanup plans have
been proposed or are underway at 61 ot
the existing sites. The remaining sites are
undergoing more complete assessment
to determine the nature and extent of
contamination.
In addition, EPA-New England's emer-
gency response and removal program
continues to address imminent threats to
public health and the environment. Since
1980, EPA-New England has taken 69
immediate actions at NPL sites and 213
time critical responses at hazardous waste
sites and materials spills.
Leaking underground storage tanks
(USTs) for petroleum and other haz-
ardous chemicals are a significant
potential source of environmental prob-
lems and a particular concern in New
England. Approximately 30% of New
England's population relies on ground-
water as their principal or partial source
(>t water supply, and this number is
expected to increase as surface water sup-
plies become less available. A leak of one
FIGURE 3
Landfills in New England
Total Number of Facilities
600 i
Projected
2000
gallon of gasoline can render a million
gallons of water unpalatable and may
continue to contaminate important
groundwater resources tor decades.
Beginning in 1984, a national pollution-
prevention regulatory program managed
through the states and a clean-up trust
fund have been implemented to combat
the problem. Old leak-prone bare-steel
tanks had to be registered, tested annual-
ly for leaks and eventually upgraded or
replaced by 1998. New England states
report that as of 1994, major oil compa-
nies have replaced about j of their old
tanks.
The clean-up program is expanding. The
total number of leaking tanks reported in
New England continues to grow at a rate
of approximately 1,000 per year (Figure
2). While significant progress continues
to be made in cleaning up leaking USTs
and replacing them with safer double-
walled tanks, much work remains to be
done in locating more leaking systems
and completing ongoing clean-ups more
quickly through the use of better tech-
nology.
Solid Waste
It is estimated that we as a nation gener-
ated 207 million tons per day of mun-
icipal solid waste in 1993, or 4.4 pounds
per person per day. That represents a
26% increase in solid waste generation
over the past 25 years. In New England,
in 1990 we generated 4.3 pounds per
person per day ot municipal solid waste.
How to manage our wastes has been a
problem for decades. In the early 1960s,
cities and towns across die country prac-
ticed the open burning of trash. Because
of public health and aesthetic problems
from the resulting air pollution, this
practice was discontinued by the 1970s.
The use of covered community landfills
eliminated these problems, but did not
address the problem of ground and sur-
face water contamination that can occur
as water seeps through a landfill. Today,
we are moving towards the use of lined
landfills that protect our valuable water
resources from contamination.
Since the late 1980s, the number of land-
fills in New England has declined by
FIGURE 4
Municipal Solid Waste
... where is it going?
1993
over 50% (Figure 3). Many of these have
been smaller local facilities, mostly un-
lined, pcwrly sited, and without the
resources to upgrade their facility to
meet new more protective standards.
This trend is expected to continue into
the future.
A
As space for dis-
posing our
household trash
becomes more
precious (and
costly), other
i options such as
incineration,
recycling, source reduction and biodegra-
dation have emerged as viable alter-
natives to landtilling solid waste. All
New England states have set recycling
goals for the year 2000 ranging from 40-
70% of their total waste stream. Over
the past five years, New England states
have significantly increased the portion
of their municipal solid waste stream
diverted through recycling. (Figure 4).
Due in part to lack of land, some New
England states incinerate a significant
portion of their solid wastes. Overall,
New England incinerates approximately
40% of its waste compared to the
national average of 10%.
Programs for recycling newspapers,
metal cans, glass and some plastics are
becoming more common in communi-
ties, schools and the workplace. The
number of community curbside recycling
programs in New England has increased
nearly 10-fold since 1988 from less
than 50 to the over 400 current pro-
grams serving over eight million people.
i<
Til llfllOIMIITil riOTICTIOI ifllHCT NEW II8L1ID
-------
Looking Ahead
When it comes to
wastes, each of as is
part of the problem as
well as the solution.
From gum wrappers to
used cars to household
chemicals, we exert our
personal choices in
what we purchase, how we use the prod-
uct, and how we dispose of the waste.
Some solutions are relatively simple and
include purchasing goods with less pack-
aging, maintaining and repairing
household appliances, carrying reusable
shopping bags, composting yard and
kitchen wastes, and recycling whenever
possible.
Other solutions require more support.
To help generate and implement these
solutions, F.PA-New England is working
to reduce generation of wastes and
address threats from waste contamina-
tion through various programs,
including:
* the Supcrfund Revitali/.ation initiative
to achieve taster Superfund cleanups at
sites with high economic reuse poten-
tial, ensure greater community in-
volvement in cleanup decisions, earlier
and fairer settlements for small parties
and increased development of new
technologies for improved cleanups;
* working with cities to identify and pri-
oritize properties for hazardous waste
cleanup and subsequent reuse;
addressing imminent or direct threats
to health or the environment by pro-
viding immediate response on a 24
hour a day basis to emergencies, e.g.,
chemical or oil spills, arid mitigating
other time-critical threats;
working with owners and operators of
contaminated properties to ensure the
remediation and restoration of those
properties expeditiously and to a level
consistent with their ultimate end use;
and
working with a variety of stakeholders
in a number of different ways to pro-
mote pollution prevention and recy-
cling, including:
1. providing over $600,000 for five
projects aimed at improving waste
recycling and creating stable job mar-
kets in the re-manufacturing sector;
2. targeting technical assistance and
voluntary improvements in recycling,
waste reduction, and procurement of
recycled goods by corporations; and
3. supporting the Maine, Vermont and
New Hampshire Wastecap programs
which have conducted waste audits at
nearly 200 commercial and industrial
facilities in a "business helping busi-
ness" partnership.
AT THE SACO TANNERY PITS SUPERFUND SITE, NEAR SACO MAINE,
a successful cleanup has restored this site to a useable condition. Two decades
of dumping leather tannery process wastes including solvents, acids, chromium
sludge, leather shavings and hides, resulted in contamination of 13 acres includ-
ing two two-acre lag(x>ns and 53 smaller pits. Most of the cleanup is now complete
and an additional 247 acres of threatened wetlands of nearby Saco Heath have been
preserved.
After determining that wetlands at the tanner,' site could not be fully reclaimed or
restored, an agreement was reached that allowed the state of Maine to purchase and
save valuable peariands called the Flag Pond property, part of Saco Heath, that were
destined for increased peat mining. Maine's Department of F.nvironmental
Protection developed a wetlands protection plan which placed the peatlands under
the guardianship of the Nature Conservancy, who will manage it as a preserve. The
Conservancy already manages 575 acres at the opposite end of the Heath.
111! ITiTI Of Til IIW II811IO IITIIOIHIIT
17
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Improving Today's Environment,
Preventing Tomorrow's Problems
fHII.E WE CONTINUE TO MAKE 1'ROGRESS IN CLEAN-
ing up and treating existing sources of contamination, it
is often more effective and efficient to prevent problems
before they occur. Toward this end, EPA and the New
England states have adopted pollution prevention as the
preferred method for environmental protection and improve-
ment. Pollution prevention can take a variety of forms:
changing production processes and materials to reduce or elim-
inate waste generation, exchanging toxic inputs for less
harmful substances, reusing materials, and other practices that
conserve energy and resources. Noting that pollution preven-
tion can both protect die environment and save money,
EPA-New England has implemented several innovative pollu-
tion prevention programs.
33/50 PROGRAM
EPA challenged the leaders of 7,500 U.S. companies to volun-
tarily reduce from 1988 levels their generation and release of
seventeen priority TRI chemicals by 33% in 1992 and 50% by
1995. In New England, 370 facilities and 193 parent compa-
nies from small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations
are partners in the program.
By 1991, New England facilities had already surpassed the
1992 33% reduction goal and by 1992 these same facilities
reduced toxic chemical releases and transfers by 55%, exceed-
ing the goals set for 1995. New England participants reduced
dieir emissions and waste generation of the 17 target chemicals
at mice the rate (15.3% vs. 7.8%) of other TRI chemicals and
50% faster than the national rate of 33/50 participants.
GREEN LIGHTS PROGRAM
EPA's flagship efficiency program is Green
Lights, a program that encourages the
widespread use of energy saving light bulbs and
, fluorescent tubes. New England's 140
......1 vJFCCn Green Lights participants already have
'**** LlgfltS avoided using 57 million kilowatts per
year equivalent to the energy consumption of 8,700 house-
holds. This has saved $5 million dollars per year in electricity
costs and a reduction of air pollution emissions equivalent to
taking nearly 30,000 cars off the road in New England!
Green Lights has also been at work in a special project
"Green Spaces/Healthy Places" in Boston. Participants in
City Year, a youth corps public service team working with
EPA-New England, were trained to perform Green Lights
energy audits and lighting upgrades in facilities and residences
in Roxbury, a Boston neighborhood.
SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS (SEPs)
EPA-New England's innovative enforcement policy focuses on
providing direct benefits to the environment. Increasingly, the
agency is including pollution prevention and recycling condi-
tions in enforcement settlements, both as a means of achieving
statutory compliance and as "supplemental environmental pro-
jects" (SEPs). Companies in violation of federal environmental
laws who enter into SEPs make environmentally beneficial
expenditures that provide longterm benefits to the environ-
ment beyond those required by law, reducing somewhat the
cash portion of the penalty' the company is required to pay to
the agency. EPA-New England completed 23 enforcement
actions in fiscal year 1994 which incorporated SEPs into the
settlements, resulting in a total of $7,302,896 that will be
spent by the violating facilities on environmentally beneficial
projects.
IN 1984, THE ROBBINS COMl'ANY IN ATTLEBORO,
Massachusetts was not in compliance with its water dis-
charge permit, discharging 500,000 gallons of water a week
into a small bnx>k that flows into Ten Mile River and ulti-
mately into Narragansett Bay While the company could have
installed a conventional wastewater treatment facility, they felt
this was a short-term solution at best. Instead, they worked
with Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance staff and
engineering firms to devise an innovative "closed loop" system
that would purify the water they used in manufacturing. The
new system lets them use their industrial process water over
and over again. Not only a better environmental solution, the
new system cost 75% less to build and 80% less to operate
than a conventional treatment plant. Today, Robbins
Company discharges about 500 gallons of water a week.
During the same period, they reduced their hazardous waste
from 2,600 gallons per year to 2 gallons per year.
A POSITIVE HXAMl'I.K OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT
achieved from SEPs is the settlement of a case brought
under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to
Know Act (EPCRA) against Wyman-Gordon Company
in North Grafton, Massachusetts. The company agreed to
install an acid purification and recovery system to reclaim
hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid from two of its pickle tanks,
resulting in the recovery of 80% of those acids from the facili-
ty's waste acid stream. As a result of the project, approx-
imately 130,000 gallons per year of these acids will no longer
be disposed of in a landfill as hazardous waste. The project
will cost Wyman-Gordon at least $474,000 to implement, and
the company paid a reduced penalty of SI 37,955 for its
EPCRA violations.
18
TIE EIVIKONMENTiL PROTECTION A6ENCY SEW ENGLAND
-------
NEW DIRECTIONS
Reinventing EPA-New England
"Let our ajje be the
atje of improvement."
-DAIIIL WEBSTER
fK AS A SOCIETY HAVE MADE
substantial progress in restoring
and protecting Now England's
environment over the past 25
years. At die same time, many
challenges remain before us challenges
that are both place-based, like our unfin-
ished work in New Hampshire's
Merrimack River Valley or Boston
Harbor, and operational, such as the
need to improve the way we do business
with business or our ongoing work to
combat environmental injustice.
EPA-New England recognizes the need
to do our job smarter and more efficient-
ly. To that end, we are building upon
past successes, and learning from our
shortfalls, as we forge new directions in
environmental protection.
Outlook
In 1994, EPAs budget stood at about
$6.7 billion, or 0.4% of the federal bud-
get of SI.5 trillion. EPA-New England
received $318 million in 1994, 5% of
EPAs total budget. Of EPA-New Eng-
land's share in 1994, about 50% of the
funds were passed on to the states to
operate their environmental programs,
fund water construction projects, and for
special projects. About 39% of EPA-
New England's budget was designated
by Congress for the Superfund program.
The remaining 11% supports our office
and implementation of our programs in
New England.
While EPAs budget has gradually
increased since its inception in 1970,
EPAs regulatory responsibilities have
grown substantially with the passage of
more than 12 major pieces of legislation,
including complex ver-
sions of the Clean N»
Water and Clean Air
Acts, the
Comprehensive
Environmental
Response,
FICil'RE 1
Resources & Responsibilities
for Environmental Protection
EPA Federal Budget
Clean
... Air Ad
8 1970
Safe
Drinking
Water
c Act
1974
CERCLA, or
"Superfund"
1980
'80
Budget in Constant 1982 Dollars
'90
J.' ?''-rKr\
j.,1. i JA
- ,*> -- ^
)* '> -.l-
Compensation, and Liability Act
("Superfund"), and others (Figure 1). In
short, EPAs job description has grown
much more quickly than its budget. To
respond to the necessity of doing more
with less, EPA-New England is finding
new ways to get the maximum environ-
mental protection for each dollar.
To better achieve our goal of effective
and efficient environmental protection,
EPA-New England is becoming:
* me >rc ci >llaborative and less adversarial
* more streamlined and less bogged
down by process
* more flexible and creative and less
hierarchical
» more accessible and less bureaucratic
» more focused on prevention and less
on end-of-pipe control
In broad terms, our improved approach-
es include:
* building stronger partnerships and
making our decision-making more
inclusive
» focusing on industrial sectors, not just
individual facilities
» emphasizing community-based envi-
ronmental protection
* targeting our activities on the most
serious problems
* making our decisions and setting pri-
orities based on sounder science and
better economics
New Approaches to Protecting
the New England Environment
EPA-New England is reinventing itself in
an effort to live up to the challenge
issued by President Clinton and Vice
President Gore to create a government
that works better and costs less. Each of
our reforms are consistent with goals set
on the national levels; many of these
ideas, however, represent new ways of
attaining those goals.
New approaches being implemented by
EPA-New England include:
RE ENGINEERING EPA-NEW ENGLAND'S OFFICE
EPA-New England is re-engineering its
organization to create a more sector
and community-based operation by
eliminating its media divisions air,
water, waste - and replacing them with
an Office of Environmental Stewardship
and an Office of Ecosystem Protection.
STATE-FEDERAL JOINT GOAL-SETTING
In concert with our state partners, EPA-
New England has launched a joint
goal-setting project to reduce federal
oversight, coordinate efforts better, elim-
inate duplicative activity, and offer
greater grants and program flexibility to
the states. Through this project, EPA is
providing block grants to allow states
more flexibility in directing federal
resources.
STRONG, TARGETED ENFORCEMENT
PROGRAM (STEP-UP)
EPA-New England is revamping its
enforcement efforts to focus on the areas
where human health and the environ-
ment face the greatest risk. We are
targeting four sectors public agencies,
urban cc< isystems, environmentally sig-
nificant smaller sources, and high-
priority natural resources to serve as
the focus of 80% of our enforcement
efforts.
1995 STATE OF THI IEW II911ID ERTIK01HIIT
19
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EnmomEHTAi TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE
The nation's first regional Center tor
Environmental Industry and Technology
(CEIT) opened this February at EPA-
New England. Designed to promote the
region's $10 billion, 150,000 employee
environmental industry, this center pro-
motes federal technology programs,
access to capital, demonstration and eval-
uation opportunities, reduced regulatory
barriers, and export marketing services.
NEW ENGLAND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE
TEAM (NEEATEAM)
EPA-New England is bringing three of
the six national Common Sense Initiative
target areas metals, printing, and elec-
tronics to New England in an
expanded format. This program otters
compliance and pollution prevention
assistance to the regulated community,
and helps identify opportunities for regu-
latory efficiency.
ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM-
NEW ENGLAND
Building upon the national Environ-
mental Leadership Program, the region
is offering an incentive and reward pro-
gram to companies with proven records
of environmental leadership. In return
for a commitment to institute advanced
environmental management practices,
EPA-New England will offer appropriate
incentives such as public recognition,
third-party certification, and enforcement
discretion.
COMPLIANCE LEADERSHIP THROUGH
ENFORCEMENT, AUDITS, t NEGOTIATION (GLEAN)
EPA-New England is developing a pilot
program to encourage companies to take
greater responsibility for compliance
assurance. The program involves target-
ing an industrial sector and offering a
limited period of enforcement amnesty
in return for self-auditing and implemen-
tation of corrective actions.
In all of our efforts to provide better
environmental protection at lower costs,
EPA-New England recognizes that eco-
nomic prosperity and environmental
health are complementary, not contradic-
tory. Many recent studies, including
Green and Gold by the Institute for
Southern Studies, have demonstrated a
strong correlation between those states
with the best environmental records and
those with the strongest economies
(Eigiire 2). EPA-New England will con-
tinue to work with all of our partner
states to build upon their strong perfor-
mance in both environmental protection
and economic development.
Conclusion
As we pursue innovative ways to protect
the environment, those of us at EPA-New
England are committed to improving our
relationships with our customers. We arc-
dedicated to communicating more effec-
tively our successes, clarifying our shared
environmental challenges, and engaging
the public more thoroughly in our work.
This report serves an important role in
that process.
With this report comes a firm promise:
we will continue to search tor better
ways to measure our environmental
progress. The data used to compile this
report give us a sketch of how we are
doing. Although it is clear that we have
made great strides in some areas and still
have a long way to go in others, it is not
precisely clear how great are those strides
or how much farther we have to go.
Improved environmental indicators
better measures of the condition of New
England's environment will till out
the sketch and clarify the picture, and
will give the public the means to hold us
accountable tor continuing to get the job
done well.
We encourage even-one to join us as we
seek to bring common sense to our com-
mon problems for the common gd.
EPA-New England issues this report, the
first of many, in that spirit.
FIGURE 2
The Economy & The Environment
The Relationship Between Strong Economic Growth and Sound Environmental Health
States with the best record of environmental stewardship ...
. often have the healthiest economies.
Source Institute lor Soutttern stud-es
20
TIE EITIieiMIITiL PROTECTION AflEICT - MIW EISLilD
-------
THE STATE OE THE
NEW ENGLAND
ENVIRONMENT
is published In
The Environmental Protection Agency-New Hngland
Office of Hxteni.il Programs
John H Kennedy Building
Boston, MA 02203
617-565-2713
Pro]ect Managers
Katrina Kipp, Chris fendras & Carol Wood
I.PA Ni u I-M.I \\p
ROSION. M \ss\i in SETTS
Technical Editor & Coordinator
Chris Patcrson
Tut. NORTHt ,\si t I-MI R IOK C'o.\ir\K\n\i- RISK,
\'l KMl IN 1 I..\\V S( 11001
SOI'TM ROV\I ION1, Vl KMOS I
Cover Photography
Top Left & Right: Barbara Gannon
Bottom Right: Aldcn Pellet
Bottom Lett: Richard Pasley/Stock Boston
All data is from KPA or individual New Hngland
states unless <»rher\\ ise noted.
A special thanks to the numerous EPA-Ncw Hngland
staff and to the following organizations tor providing
information presented within this report:
Biocycle
h.MM.U'S, I'1-NNS\ I \ \M \
The Institute for Southern Studies
DURHAM. NORIH C'AROI IN\
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Northeast Fisheries Science Center
WOODS 11*)! i, MASSAI nrsi ns
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
BOSTON, MASSAC m'si-ns
Tliis report \\'as printed with vegetable based inks
on recycled and recyclable pajx-r.
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