United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office Of The
Administrator
20Z-1003
February 1990
&EPA
EPA Scorecard
1989
The.Bush Administration's
First Year
Printed on Recycled Paper
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CONTENTS
HIGHLIGHTS 1
AIR & RADIATION 4
WATER 6
WASTE 8
PESTICIDES & TOXIC SUBSTANCES 11
ENFORCEMENT 13
POLLUTION PREVENTION & RECYCLING 16
COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW &
EMERGENCY PLANNING 17
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES 18
RESEARCH 21
OTHER ISSUES 23
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EPA HIGHLIGHTS - 1989
CLEAN AIR
o Worked with White House/other federal agencies to break legislative deadlock
by developing comprehensive legislation to reduce air pollution . The bill
attacks acid rain, smog and toxic air pollutants.
o Proposed standards to reduce jrpollutants from municipal waste incinerators .
o Set standards to reduce benzene emissions by 20,000 tons.
o Set standards to control radioactive emissions from mining and industrial
sources.
VALDEZ OIL SPILL
o Launched innovative project using bioremediation to assist in cleaning up
Prince William Sound shoreline. Coordinated long-term federal planning to
restore ecology of Prince William Sound.
POLLUTION PREVENTION
o Established goal of recycling 25 percent of all municipal solid waste by 1992.
o Drafted comprehensive legislation on pollution prevention and recycling.
ASBESTOS BAN
o Banned asbestos-containing products in U.S. over next seven years.
PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP ON INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
o Proposed full phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) by turn of century.
o Offered to host negotiations leading to framework convention on global
climate change.
o Proposed to ban exports of hazardous waste absent adequate safeguards in the
receiving country.
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PESTICIDE CANCELLATIONS
o Proposed cancellation of 45 food crop uses for three EBDC pesticides and all
food uses for a fourth.
o Prohibited use of Alar on food crops.
FOOD SAFElY
o Worked with White House, FDA, and USDA to help draft President Bush’s
plan to streamline process for canceling problem pesticides.
SUPERFUND
o Started record high 108 long-term cleanup projects in FY 89. Started 178 new
site cleanups and 358 site investigations since enactment of 1986 Superfund
Amendments Reauthorization Act. (Eighty percent of 1,219 National Priority
List sites have had emergency response or long-term cleanup started.)
o Negotiated more than $1 billion of cleanup work by responsible parties.
o Added 500 new positions to strengthen Superfund enforcement.
ENFORCEMENT
o Referred 364 civil judicial cases to Dept. of Justice for prosecution in FY 89.
o Referred 60 criminal cases (record high ) to Dept. of Justice for prosecution in
FY 89.
o Issued more than 4,000 administrative orders and more than 200 binding
settlement commitments for Superfund cleanup and removal of hazardous
wastes.
RADON
o Issued survey showing widespread elevated levels of radon in homes and
schools across the countly.
o Launched campaign with Ad Council to urge comprehensive radon testing in
homes and schools and to correct the problem where necessary.
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MEDICAL WASTE DISPOSAL
o Started two-year pilot tracking program to assure proper disposal of medical
waste.
OCEAN DUMPING
o Established schedules to end ocean dumping of sewage sludge.
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AIR & RADIATION
New Clean Air Legislation
o Broke legislative deadlock on clean air. EPA worked closely with White
House and other federal agencies to draft Administration proposal to
strengthen Clean Air Act, including:
-- market-based approach to cutting acid rain by 50 percent via innovative
emissions trading system; sharp in emissions of toxic air pollutants ;
provisions to promote use of clean alternative fuels .
-- steady progress in reducing smog and attaining urban air quality goals.
Municipal Waste Incineration
o Proposed standards to cut air emissions by 90 percent from both new and
existing municipal waste incinerators, including:
- - proposals to separate reusable components of municipal trash and limits
on toxic metals , toxic organics and acid gases.
o Represents significant step toward minimizing environmental risks from solid
waste incineration.
Urban Air Pollution
o Gasoline Vapor Pressure . Revised summertime gasoline volatility standards to
reduce compounds which form smog in urban areas by as much as 13 percent.
o Evaporative and Running Losses . Proposed new rule to cut automotive
volatile organic emissions by about five percent. To implement rule, vehicle
manufacturers likely to use larger charcoal canisters to capture vapors and
improve vapor recycling systems.
Toxic Emissions Reductions
o Set new rules for controlling radioactive emissions from over 6,00() industrial
facilities such as nuclear power plants, weapons facilities and uranium mines.
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o Industrial Benzene Emissions . Issued new rules cutting 20,000 tons of
hazardous air pollutant benzene annually from industrial sources. Proposed
rules for additional industrial sources of benzene expected to cut emissions by
another 14,000 tons annually. In total, industrial benzene emissions for
sources covered would be reduced by 90 percent from current levels.
o Commercial Cooling Units . Set new rule under Toxic Substances Control Act
prohibiting use of hexavalent chromium, a known carcinogen, in commercial
air conditioning units. Will result in eliminating about 34 tons per year of
hexavalent chromium emissions from 38,000 existing facilities nationwide.
Visibility Improvement in Grand Canyon
o Launched program to protect vistas in the Grand Canyon by reducing
emissions from the Navajo Generating Station, a large coal-fired electric power
plant in Arizona.
Radon
o Radon Survey . Completed radon survey demonstrating elevated levels of this
radioactive gas in housing across nation. Recommended school officials test
all frequently-used schoolrooms on basement and ground-floors for elevated
radon levels. Published booklet describing radon reduction techniques in
schools.
o Ad Campaign . Worked with Ad Council on national media campaign to
motivate homeowners to test for and fix radon problems. Campaign expected
to result in approximately $20 million worth of publicity donated by radio, TV
and outdoor advertising.
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
o Domestic rules took effect to scale back chiorofluorocarbon (CFC) use to 1986
levels to comply with Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the
Ozone Layer.
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WATER
Drinking Water
o Treatment Standards . Set new standards to limit toxic pollutants in water
supply systems through monitoring and application of additional treatment
technologies. Filtering of water required by rules unless specific water quality
and watershed control criteria are met.
o Pesticides Regulation . Proposed rule to regulate 17 pesticides and 21 other
contaminants in drinking water--almost doubling number of pollutants subject
to federal law nationwide. Also calls for monitoring additional 110 currently
unregulated contaminants.
Ground-Water Task Force
o Reinvigorated internal task force to formulate national strategy to protect
nation’s ground-water resources. Drafted set of principles and responsibilities
for each level of government. Started public dialogue with states, local
government, public and private interest groups and citizens in order to solicit
their views.
Wetlands Protection
o Ware Creek . Blocked use of Ware Creek (Virginia) to create a reservoir, less
environmentally damaging alternatives are available, project would have
resulted in loss of over 400 acres of diverse and unique wetlands, as well as
harming a Great Blue Heron rookery.
o Two Forks . Initiated consideration of environmental veto of construction of
Two Forks Dam and Reservoir (Colorado), citing potentially unacceptable and
unavoidable environmental effects and existence of alternative water supplies.
o Memorandum of Agreement . Signed agreement with Army Corps of
Engineers providing clarification and general guidance on mitigating wetlands
loss. Aim is to reduce delays in permit processing, minimize ambiguity in
regulations and provide field personnel with clearer, consistent understanding
of mitigation.
o “ No Net Loss. ” Developing recommendations to attain goal of “No Net Loss
of Wetlands” through Domestic Policy Council’s Inter-Agency Task Force on
Wetlands.
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Ocean Dumping
o Secured consent agreements to end ocean dumping . Agreements affect nine
remaining municipal sludge generators that ship treated sludges by barge to
ocean dump site. S ix New Jersey areas will end practice by March 1991, two
New York areas by end of 1991, and New York City by June 1992.
Pretreatment Enforcement Initiative
o Filed suits , with Enforcement Office, Dept. of Justice and states, against 61
cities for failure to control industrial discharges of toxic and hazardous
wastewaters into their sewage treatment systems.
Chesapeake Bay
o Administrator Reilly became chairman of Chesapeake Executive Council ,
comprised of chief executives of EPA, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
District of Columbia and Chesapeake Bay Commission. Reported significant
reductions in phosphorus discharges to Chesapeake Bay--nation’s largest and
most productive estuary. Progress reported in restoring striped bass
population.
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WASTE
Superfund - Strategic Redirection
o Management Review . Redirected Superfund program via intensive 90-day
review of past record and preparation of strategic plan for improvement.
o “ Enforcement First. ” Adopted new approach using broad range of
enforcement tools to increase portion of cleanup done by responsible parties.
During FY 89, responsible parties started 60 percent of new Superfund
response projects, most in project design and site cleanup. Work valued at
approximately $1 billion, a dramatic jump from previous two years. Added
500 staff to strengthen Superfund enforcement.
o “ Make Sites Safer. ” Made sites safer by evaluating sites on National Priorities
List to determine hazardous conditions requiring immediate action. Emergency
response actions started at most sites where serious problems found, with
remaining sites a top priority; actions intended as interim measures while site
investigations conducted, cleanup technologies selected, and cleanups under
way.
o “ Worst Sites First. ” Focused on worst sites first by establishing new priority
system to ensure limited resources directed toward cleaning up worst problems
at worst sites first.
Siin rfund - Improved Performance
o Site Assessment . Made major strides in evaluating sites in potential Superfund
Site Inventory. Of 32,000 sites, 93 percent now assessed; 45 percent do not
require further action. Additional sites added to National Priority List--total
now 1,222 (all final except for 220 still in proposal stage).
o Record High Superfund Starts . During FY 89, began 108 long-term cleanup
projects (record high). Total sites under construction now 264. Eighty
percent of 1,219 National Priority List sites have had emergency response or
long-term cleanup started. Treatment is part of cleanup remedy at 70 percent
of sites.
o Exceeded Congressional Targets . EPA started 178 cleanup actions vs. target
of 175, and completed 358 site investigations to determine cleanup needs vs.
target of 275, exceeding Congressionally-mandated targets for 1986 Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act.
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o Hanford Nuclear Site . Reached agreement on cleanup of Hanford Nuclear
Site in southeast Washington state in landmark multi-billion-dollar settlement
with Dept. of Energy and state of Washington. Thirty-year program required
to clean up millions of gallons of chemicals and radioactive wastes.
o Federal Facilities Cleanup . Negotiated over 30 other settlements for cleanup
of federal facilities with Dept. of Energy and Dept. of Defense, including
interagency agreement with Dept. of Energy and state of Colorado for study
and cleanup of Rocky Flats (Colorado) Nuclear Weapons Plant.
o National Contingency Plan . Revised National Contingency Plan as regulatory
blueprint for Superfund program by incorporating new emphasis on quick
action to control immediate dangers, use of treatment technologies, and
increased public participation. Creates process to ensure consistent and
realistic criteria for remedies selected.
o Innovative Technologies . Demonstrated emphasis on innovative technologies
by completing 10 field evaluations of new treatment technologies and
beginning evaluations of 18 additional technologies in Superfund Innovative
Technology Evaluation program.
o Technical Assistance Grants. Streamlined procedures for obtaining grants that
make it easier for citizen groups to understand local Superfund cleanup
activities. Reduced percent of matching funds required to make it easier for
citizen groups to participate. Grants allow groups to hire technical experts of
their own choosing to assist in community understanding and involvement.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) - Waste Management
o Medical waste tracking . Established two-year pilot tracking program to ensure
that medical waste is sent to proper disposal facilities. New Jersey, New
York, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico participating. Program applies to
physicians, dentists, veterinarians, small clinics, large health-care facilities, and
other medical waste generators.
o Land disposal restrictions . Issued final rules prohibiting land disposal of
hazardous wastes that have not been treated to meet best demonstrated
available technology standards. Proposed final phase of land disposal
restrictions. This action completes a series of Agency actions leading to the
ultimate ban by 1990 of land disposal of all currently regulated hazardous
wastes.
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RCRA Implementation Study
o Began intensive review of Agency’s hazardous waste management program.
Seeking advice from states, industry, public interest groups, and other federal
agencies. Review covers evolution of program, regulations, enforcement,
federal/state relations, manpower, permitting, and corrective action. Final
report expected Spring 1990.
Municipal Solid Waste
o Published Agenda for Action , which sets national goal of reducing municipal
waste by 25 percent by 1992 . Sets waste management hierarchy: source
reduction, recycling and, on’y as last result, landfihling or incineration.
Hazardous Waste Exports
o Developed legislative proposals to support President’s ban on all hazardous
waste exports absent an agreement to assure safe handling of such wastes.
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PESTICIDES AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES
Administration’s Food Safety Plan
o Worked with Administration, Food and Drug Administration and Dept. of
Agriculture to help draft President Bush’s plan to improve food safety :
-- calls for major revisions to existing pesticide legislation to streamline
EPA’s ability to remove problem pesticides from use.
-- Strengthens EPA enforcement of pesticide violations.
-- Eliminates long-standing inconsistency in existing laws that govern
pesticide residues in foods.
-- Designed to eliminate unacceptable risks to public health and to
provide for more orderly regulation of pesticides and their use.
EBDC Cancellation
o Proposed cancelling 45 food crop uses for three EBDC pesticides and all food
uses for a fourth.
Alar Cancellation
o Ordered prohibition on all sales, distribution and use of daminozide (trade
name, Alar) products labeled for use on food crops. Producer Uniroyal
Chemical Co. agreed to buy back all food-use stocks of substance. EPA
monitoring marketplace removal.
o Phasing Out all tolerance of Mar in imported foods by May 31, 1991.
PCB Tracking
o Put into effect new regulations under Toxic Substances Control Act that
strengthen Agency’s control over disposal and storage of polychlorinated
byphenyls (PCB5). Action establishes cradle-to-grave control of these
hazardous chemicals.
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Re-registration
o Cancelled nearly 2O OOO pesticide registrations for failure to pay new annual
registration maintenance fees.
Asbestos
o Ban on new asbestos products . Broke ten year stalemate to ban almost all
asbestos-containing products in U.S. in stages over the next seven years,
including new product manufacture, imports, and processing. Affects at least
94 percent of U.S. production and imports.
o Loans and grants . Awarded $45 million in loans and grants to help nation’s
most financially needy primary and secondary schools abate asbestos hazards.
Funds helped 231 school districts meet requirements of Asbestos Hazard
Emergency Response Act.
Endangered Species
o Proposed revised program to protect endangered species and threatened
wildlife from effects of pesticide use. Program will rank endangered and
threatened species based on status, vulnerability to pesticides, recovery
potential and other factors. With help from Fish and Wildlife Service and
Dept. of Agriculture, will identify counties in which each species is located and
evaluate uses of pesticides in these areas.
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ENFORCEMENT
Aggressive Enforcement
o Civil Cases . Referred 364 civil judicial cases of environmental law violations
to Dept. of Justice in FY ‘89. Just short of record high 372 cases in FY ‘88.
o Criminal Cases . Referred 60 criminal cases (record high ) to Dept. of Justice
in FY ‘89.
o Superfund . In Superfund enforcement, 153 cases referred, representing 4
percent increase over previous fiscal year.
o New Positions . Added 500 new positions to strengthen Superfund
enforcement.
Administrative Orders
o Record High Numbers . Issued over 4,000 administrative enforcement orders
(record high) across all programs in FY ‘89, representing increase of 33
percent over previous year.
o Monetary Penalties . Issued $34.9 million in judicial and administrative civil
penalties in FY ‘89 (second-highest total in Agency history). Included record
high $13.9 million for administrative penalties .
o Clean Water Act . More than 1,700 orders issued; more than $2.7
million recovered in 161 final penalty orders.
o Superfund . Issued over 100 unilateral administrative orders to
responsible parties requiring $211.7 million in hazardous waste site
cleanup and removal. Combined with 71 settlements for site cleanup,
result is more than $1 billion in site response work undertaken by
responsible parties at Superfund sites.
Right-to-Know Violations
o Fines . Proposed fines totalling $1.7 million on 42 companies failing to report
toxic chemical discharges as required under Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act. (Total fines of $4.5 million sought from 113
companies nationwide during first reporting year.)
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o Notices . Over 1,500 notices of noncompliance issued.
Hazardous Waste Export Regulations
o Filed first enforcement actions against four violators of hazardous waste export
regulations that require generators and transporters to obtain consent of
receiving countly before shipping hazardous waste.
Asbestos Violations
o Demolition and Renovation Suits . Filed civil lawsuits, with Dept. of Justice, in
New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle and seven other cities against 34
companies and individuals jn major initiative to halt violations of federal rules
protecting public from unlawful asbestos demolition and renovation practices.
o Schools Compliance . Announced that 94 percent of nation’s public school
districts and private schools are complying with initial requirements of
Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act to protect school children and
teachers from asbestos hazards.
Wastewater Pretreatment Violations
o Filed suits, with Dept. of Justice, against cities of Detroit, El Paso, Phoenix
and San Antonio alleging violations of Clean Water Act. Act requires cities to
control industrial discharges of toxic and hazardous wastewaters into their
sewage treatment systems. Named 57 other cities in federal and state judicial
actions and administrative orders seeking penalties for similar alleged
violations.
Landmark Settlements
o Texas Eastern . Negotiated most extensive environmental settlement ever
agreed to by single company. Texas Eastern must pay civil penalty of $15
million (record high) and expected to pay over $400 million for required
cleanup actions at 89 contaminated sites along 10,000 mile natural gas pipeline
running from Texas to New Jersey.
o Shell Oil . Negotiated settlement, along with Dept. of Justice, state of
California and five local agencies, with Shell Oil Co. requiring payment of
$19.7 million in fines and damages for spilling more than 400,000 gallons of
crude oil in April 1988 into Peyton Slough and Carquinez Strait near San
Francisco. Record high civil penalty for violation of spill prevention
regulations under Clean Water Act.
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o Cannons Engineering . Negotiated Superfund cost recovery settlement, along
with Dept. of Justice, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, requiring 59
potentially responsible parties to provide more than $33 million to clean up
three of the four Cannons Superfund sites.
o Metropolitan Denver . Negotiated consent decree, along with Dept. of Justice,
with Metropolitan Denver Sewage District No. 1, the Denver Water Board
and several other parties to pay $1.1 million penalty for illegal discharges of
sewage waste. Record high Clean Water Act civil penalty against municipality.
o Environmental Waste Control . Obtained judgement, along with Dept. of
Justice and citizens group STOP, Inc., imposing $2.8 million penalty against
Environmental Waste Control, Inc. and an order to close its Fulton, Indiana
landfill. Record high civil penalty assessed under Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act.
o Operating Industries, Inc. Superfund Site . Negotiated Superfund settlement,
along with Dept. of Justice and California, requiring over 100 companies to
contribute more than $66 million to clean up hazardous waste landfill in
Monterey Park, California, one of worst sites in U.S. Record high Superfund
cost recovery settlement from private parties.
Landmark Criminal Enforcement Cases
o Aberdeen Proving Ground . Obtained first EPA-Dept. of Justice conviction of
federal employees for environmental misconduct. Three civilian management
personnel at U.S Army facility at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland,
sentenced to three years probation and 1,000 hours community service each.
o Wetlands . Obtained fIrst EPA-Dept. of Justice wetlands conviction involving
jail term. Violators sentenced to 21 months and $5,000 fine each for
discharging dredge spills onto wetland property and carrying out unpermitted
dredging of canal in navigable waters near Pensacola, Florida.
o Pennwalt . Obtained judgement against Pennwalt Corporation, Inc. Violators
sentenced tO pay $1.1 million fine for chemical holding tank collapse and
discharge of 75,000 gallons of toxic chemical into Puget Sound, Washington.
One of largest environmental criminal fines ever imposed.
Enforcement Management Review
o Launched management review to identiI ’ opportunities to strengthen EPA
enforcement program.
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POLLUTION PREVENTION AND RECYCLING
Pollution Prevention
o Priority . Made pollution prevention a top priority and began to integrate this
approach into all Agency activities.
o Developed Program . Created distinct pollution prevention program to work
with industry and other groups to minimize waste production nationwide.
o Grants Awarded . Awarded $4 million in grants to states to assist them in
developing pollution prevention programs.
o Pollution Prevention Legislative Proposal . Drafted comprehensive legislative
proposal on pollution prevention and recycling.
Recycling
o Recycling Goal . Established goal of at least 25 percent of all municipal waste
to be recycled by 1992.
o Task Force . Formed recycling mobilization task force to coordinate
development and implementation of new ideas aimed at promoting recycling.
o Procurement Guidelines . Implemented procurement guidelines to stimulate
markets for recycled goods. Guidelines require government agencies and
contractors to buy products made of recycled materials. More than 20 states
established their own procurement programs.
o Internal Coordinator . Established position of Agency Recycling Coordinator to
facilitate recycling efforts within EPA.
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COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW AND
EMERGENCY PLANNING
Toxics Release Inventory
o Released first ever information on routine emissions of over 300 toxic
chemicals to air, land and water to strengthen citizens’ role in environmental
protection. Data obtained from more than 74,000 reports submitted by 19,000
manufacturing facilities for 1987 emissions.
Emergency Planning
o State and Local Officials . Strengthened community awareness of hazards
posed by chemical accidents and supported emergency planning activities by
working with state and local officials.
o State Emergency Response Commissions . Since Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act passed in 1986, all 56 states and territories
have established State Emergency Response Commissions. Commissions
provide oversight for more than 3,800 Local Emergency Planning Committees.
o Local Emergency Planning Committees . Local committee membership
estimated at more than 50,000 people nationwide. Approximately 85 percent
of officially designated local committees were operational in 1989.
Approximately half that total completed their community-specific plan for
addressing accidental chemical releases.
o Oil Spill Preparedness . As co-chair of National Response Team assisted Coast
Guard in drafting report on status of national preparedness for responding to
oil spills. Evaluated federal, state, local and industry contingency plans.
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INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
Stratospheric Ozone Protection
o Chiorofluorocarbon (CFC’) Phase-Out . President Bush pledged to attain a full
phase-out of CFC use by turn of century. EPA played key scientific and
policy role in work to strengthen the Montreal Protocol on Substances that
Deplete the Ozone Layer.
o Domestic Cutbacks . Implemented final domestic rules for cutbacks of CFC
use required by Montreal Protocol.
Environment Featured at Economic Summit
o Administrator Reilly accompanied President Bush to 1989 G-7 Economic
Summit in Paris (first time the head of state brought his environmental advisor
to such an event). One-third of the communique addressed global
environmental agenda.
Global Climate Change
o International initiatives . U.S. agreed to host several international events to
expand knowledge on global warming. International meeting for scientific,
environmental and economic officials to discuss global climate change issues to
be convened by White House in April 1990.
o Framework Treaty . President Bush offered to host negotiations leading to
framework treaty on global climate change after UN-sponsored
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change completes its work.
o Presidential Address to IPCC . President Bush became first head of state to
address Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in February; in
Washington, D.C.
o Research Efforts . Administration’s FY ‘91 budget proposes $1 billion in
research and monitoring to reduce scientific and economic uncertainties
surrounding climate change.
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o Domestic Initiatives . Several domestic initiatives undertaken by Administration
will also slow effects of global climate change:
-- Clean Air Proposal . Promotes energy efficiency and conservation
measures.
-- Fuel Efficiency Standards . Transportation Secretary Skinner, with EPA
support, has strengthened automobile fuel efficiency standards. Will
reduce carbon dioxide emissions more quickly in short term than any
single EPA regulatory action.
-- National Energy Strategy . Energy conservation programs in National
Energy Strategy being developed by Dept. of Energy.
-- Reforest America . President Bush’s State of the Union message
launched one billion-trees a year reforestation initiative. Measure will
store carbon, shelter buildings, reduce energy use, cut pollution and
stabilize soils.
- - Reports to Congress . EPA issued reports to Congress on anticipated
effects of climate change and on policy options to stabilize greenhouse
gases.
Bilateral Relations
o Eastern Europe . Offered technical training, help in drafting environmental
laws and regulations, and access to pollution abatement technology.
-- To support Presidential initiative, laid groundwork for Eastern European
Environmental Center in Budapest, Hungary and developed proposals to
improve air and water conditions in Krakow, Poland.
o Mexico . U.S. signed agreement to help Mexico City address air pollution
problems. Administrator Reilly participated in U.S.-Mexico Bi-National
Commission meeting, first time environment featured on Commission’s agenda.
o Soviet Union . U.S. and Soviet scientists and officials met in Washington,
where they agreed to cooperative projects on several key environmental issues-
-wetlands management, post-Chernobyl radiation monitoring, and Arctic
ecology.
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Hazardous Waste Shipment Legislation
o Worked with Administration to draft legislation to implement President Bush’s
decision to ban all hazardous waste exports absent an agreement to assure
safe handling of such wastes.
Coastal Protection
o Joined with Mexico to eliminate dumping of ship-based debris in the Gulf of
Mexico.
Chemical Accident Prevention and Emergency Response
o Worked with OECD to develop programs to define long-term policies for
chemical accident prevention and emergency response. Aim is to exchange
information on how to improve industrial safety practices and emergency plans
worldwide.
Community Awareness and Right-To-Know
o Worked with the UNEP to implement program called Awareness and
Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level. Designed to enhance
community awareness of hazardous installations, improve communication of
information, and support preparation of emergency response plans in
developing countries. Currently starting in several developing countries
including Brazil, China, Morocco and the Philippines.
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RESEARCH
Valdez Oil Spill
o Began a bioremediation research and field program to accelerate breakdown
of spilled oil by adding nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients (fertilizers) to
existing microorganisms on the beaches. Results indicate accelerated
breakdown of oil.
Acid Rain Control Technology
o Developed and tested two processes offering cost-effective control of sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen dioxide--compounds emitted from burning coal that
produce acid rain. Both technologies together--Limestone Injection Multistage
Burner and Advanced Silicate Sorbent Process--projected to achieve high sulfur
dioxide control at roughly half cost per ton of conventional scrubber
technologies. Potential to save millions of dollars in cost of air pollution
control.
Protecting Ecosystem Health
o Established new interagency Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Program to examine current condition of nation’s ecosystems and monitor
trends. Program will build on data already being collected to assess condition
of ecological resources such as estuaries, wetlands and forests and to probe
causes of adverse changes.
Biotechnology
o Suicide Gene . Responding to concern about unintended consequences of
releasing large-scale biotechnology products into the environment, developed
and tested concept of “suicide gene” that kills genetically-engineered
microorganism that has completed its intended task.
o Contaminated Groundwater . Developed and tested several methods of using
naturally occurring bacteria to clean up contaminated groundwater, including a
new technique for dealing with trichiorethylene, an industrial solvent that is a
common ground-water pollutant.
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Predicting Chemical Toxicity
o Developed new tool to provide preliminary, inexpensive chemical risk
assessments where little toxicity data is available. System uses computer
models to predict toxicological properties of compounds based only on
knowing chemical’s structure. Due to expense of existing evaluation
techniques, new system expected to play increasing role in evaluating toxicity
of new chemicals.
Innovative Technologies for Superfund Cleanups
o Completed 10 field ev Uuations of new treatment technologies and began
evaluations of 18 additional technologies in Superfund Innovative Technology
Evaluation program. Demonstrations by private sector at actual Superfund
sites and evaluations by EPA scientists and engineers provide performance and
cost information needed by federal and state programs responsible for
selecting remedies.
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OTHER ISSUES
Environmental Education
o Environmental Education Task Force . With National Governor’s Association
created task force on environmental education to oversee and encourage
environmental education activities within EPA and by external groups
promoting environmental education in schools.
o Environmental Youth Awards . President Bush awarded President’s
Environmental Youth Awards in White House ceremony to youngsters
participating in organized environmental activities.
Earth Day Celebration
o Established Earth Day \offices to coordinate -and support EPA activities in
preparation for 20th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 1990.
Outer Continental Shelf
o Worked closely with Dept. of Interior and other federal agencies as part of
Outer Continental Shelf task force. Urged adoption of stringent air quality
standards during offshore drilling activities and recommendations to prevent
and minimize potential effects of spills during drilling and shipping.
Restoration of Prince William Sound
o Following Valdez oil spill, Administrator Reilly was assigned responsibility for
coordinating federal activities for long-term restoration planning of ecology of
Prince William Sound.
Indian Program
o Made progress toward establishing operational Indian environmental programs
under Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, Superfund and Community
Right-to-Know Act. Administration’s Clean Air bill also contains provisions for
direct work with tribal governments.
o EPA Administrator Reilly met with tribal leaders and designated a Special
Assistant for Indian Programs.
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Internal Management
o Established Long Range Strategic Planning process to focus over four-year
period on actions to reduce risks and prevent pollution via budgeting,
accountability systems, and Agency priority setting.
o Began design of new Biotechnology Research Laboratory in Gulf Breeze,
Florida and new Clinical Inhalation Research Laboratory in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina. Continued design on renovation of lab at Edison, New Jersey to
accommodate Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation research.
o Achieved record high contract obligations--$ 102 million-- to minority business
community in FY ‘89--fully 10 percent of Agency obligations.
For additional information, phone (202) 382-4355 or write:
Office of Communications and Public Affairs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
March 1990
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