EPA Progress Report 2005
Pacific Southwest Region
f/EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Pacific Southwest/Region 9
EPA-909-R-05-001
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Dear Readers,
For those of us fortunate enough to live in the Pacific Southwest, our world often seems a study in
contradictions. We live, work and play in places that rightly boast great beauty and diverse natural
resources, along with the liveliest, fastest-growing urban centers in the country. We also have some
of the most complex environmental challenges in the nation, and their consequences are dramatic
-surging rates of asthma in our children, beach closures, loss of habitat, contamination of our
precious groundwater.
Our goals are clear — clean air, water, land and healthy communities. This, our sixth annual progress
report shows how much can be done by combining a clear focus on the bottom line with creative
partnerships with fellow regulators, advocacy groups, industry and elected officials. Strategic and
disciplined use of regulatory tools — including credible enforcement — have helped create the
platform for our innovative partnerships to speed the rate of environmental progress.
These partnerships have been the source of bold and productive approaches. To accelerate progress
in reducing the health risks of diesel emissions, EPA helped convene the West Coast Diesel Emissions
Reductions Collaborative, an ambitious partnership between federal, state, and local government,
the private sector, and environmental groups in California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Alaska, British
Columbia and Mexico. Innovative efforts to cut diesel pollution at West Coast ports and along the
busy 1-5 transportation corridor are already underway.
Along the U.S.-Mexico Border, we have continued our international collaboration with states, tribes
and the government of Mexico with fundamental public health gains. In the outer Pacific islands,
we have secured resources to begin much-needed wastewater treatment facility construction.
With members of the agricultural communities, we have tested and proven innovative methods for
improving their environmental stewardship. Our tribal partners have made great strides in building
their own capacity, and together we have brought improved public health protections to Indian
country in such basic areas as access to safe drinking water and closing open dumps.
Our partners and we have also used traditional tools to great effect. In 2004 the Los Angeles area
recorded its cleanest air since smog measurements began. These improvements are due to decades
of work to control sources of air pollution, efforts that continue in the South Coast, metropolitan areas
such as Phoenix and Las Vegas, and in other high-growth areas like the San Joaquin Valley.
On the California Coast, EPA and state and local partners began a long-awaited restoration project
for Southern California's largest remaining tidal wetland, the 1,247-acre Bolsa Chica. We settled
enforcement actions against Los Angeles and Orange County for thousands of sewage spills,
committing these urban areas to spend $2.6 billion on system improvements.
Our emergency response teams conducted 27 cleanups of oil spills, hazardous waste, mercury
contamination, naturally-occurring asbestos, and radiation across the region, protecting and restoring
the land. In support of homeland security, we continued an aggressive program of education and drills
to guarantee the strength of emergency preparedness systems.
I hope you draw from this report the same lessons I do — together we can succeed in protecting the
health of our families and the environment of this remarkable part of the world.
Wayne Nastri
Regional Administrator
EPA Pacific Southwest Region
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Contents
Clean Air
Clean Water
Clean Land
Communities and Ecosystems
Compliance and Stewardship
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Contact Information
Inside Back Cover
This report is also available on the Internet at www.epa.gov/region09/annualreport
Cover photos of Goat Rock and mouth of the Russian River, Sonoma County, California, by Dale Mead; Monument Valley, Arizona, by Michael Feeley.
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Collaborating to Reduce
Diesel Emissions
On June 15, 2004, EPA convened the first pub-
lic meeting of the West Coast Diesel Emissions
Reductions Collaborative, a consortium of fed-
eral, state and local government, industry, and
non-government organizations from California,
Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Mex-
ico. Its goals are to achieve cost-effective diesel
emission reductions in the most affected com-
munities, and to put strategies in place that work
across transportation corridors, such as the West
Coast's I-5, which stretches from Southern Cali-
fornia to Seattle. The collaborative now includes
representatives of over 300 organizations.
The West Coast has high levels of particulate pol-
lution — microscopic airborne particles, sometimes
visible as dust and soot. Diesel exhaust is a ma-
jor contributor to this problem. Particulate matter
penetrates deep into people's lungs, contributing
to respiratory and heart disease, and premature
mortality. In addition, diesel exhaust contributes to
California's ground-level ozone (better known as
smog), which is the nation's worst. Reducing diesel
emissions can yield substantial health benefits.
On September 30, EPA and other participants
announced diesel emission reduction projects at
eight locations in California, Oregon and Wash-
ington. (An event in Bakersfield, Calif., is pictured
above.) Some of the most exciting projects fo-
cused on electrification at truck stops and ports
— allowing truckers to plug into electrical outlets
for power during overnight stops, rather than run
their diesel engines, and ships to do the same
while docked at ports such as Los Angeles and
Long Beach.
The collaborative's grants funded other innovative
projects as well. Locomotives used in rail yards
spend most of their time idling, rather than moving
rail cars. This wastes fuel and pollutes the air; but
Dlean Air
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due to the nature of these engines, they cannot
simply be turned off like cars. New retrofit tech-
nology will automatically shut down the engines
most of the time the locomotives are idle. Mean-
while, in the San Francisco Bay, the collaborative
worked with the Blue and Gold ferry fleet to test
a fuel additive expected to reduce emissions that
contribute to smog.
EPA provides funding to support the collabora-
tive, also leveraging other federal, private, state,
and local government funds. The collaborative
builds on existing national strategies, like the new
diesel engine standards set to take effect over
the next few years, and voluntary programs like
the Smartway Transport Partnership and Clean
School Bus USA. It also builds on state initiatives
like California's Carl Moyer program, which funds
upgrades and replacement of diesel engines.
New Standards for Smog,
Particulates Help Protect Health
In 2004, EPA devoted significant effort nationwide
to the new 8-hour ozone and PM25 (particulate
matter 2.5 microns in diameter, or smaller) air
quality standards. Coupled with efforts to reduce
power plant and diesel emissions, the new stan-
dards are important steps toward achieving clean,
healthy air for millions of people.
In the Pacific Southwest, EPA completed 8-hour
ozone nonattainment area designations and pro-
posed PM25 nonattainment area designations,
based on monitoring data and state and tribal
recommendations (see maps).
Three areas in California — the San Joaquin Val-
ley, South Coast and San Diego — fail to meet
the new PM25 health standard, while all other
areas of the Pacific Southwest Region are in at-
tainment. These tiny particles — approximately
1/30th the thickness of a human hair (see graphic,
next page) have been scientifically linked to seri-
ous human health problems, including premature
death from heart and lung disease, aggravation of
heart and lung diseases, chronic bronchitis and
asthma, increased hospital admissions and doc-
tor and emergency room visits, and health-related
absences from work and school.
Nationwide, meeting the new particulate standard
will prevent at least 15,000 premature deaths,
75,000 cases of chronic bronchitis, 10,000 hospi-
tal admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular
disease, hundreds of thousands of occurrences
of aggravated asthma, and 3.1 million missed
work days resulting from symptoms related to
particle pollution.
The term "particulate matter" (PM) includes both
solid particles and liquid droplets. Many man-
Areas that fail to attain the
new national health standard
for ground-level ozone (smog).
GUAM
Areas that fail to attain the
new national health standard
for fine particulate pollution
(PMJ.
GUAM
Topography of California
shows how San Joaquin Valley
(in green) traps air pollution
like a bowl.
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made and natural sources emit PM directly or
emit other pollutants that react in the atmosphere
to form PM. Fine particles can be emitted directly,
as in smoke from a fire, or they can form from
chemical reactions in the air. Sources include cars,
trucks, buses, construction equipment, industrial
facilities and power plants. The major chemical
constituents of PM25 are sulfates, nitrates, and
carbon compounds.
For the 8-hour ozone, or smog, standard, EPA
worked closely with state and local partners in
California, Arizona and Nevada to designate the
areas not meeting the standard. Complex issues
involving regional boundaries or topography arose
in the Las Vegas and Phoenix areas and in five
of California's mountain counties. In each case
those partners were pleased with the successful
outcome — a boundary designation that protects
public health and the environment.
EPA developed the new national health standards
for PM25 and ozone after exhaustive reviews of
health studies in the 1990s showed that exposure
to these fine particulates, and prolonged exposure
to ozone, are hazardous to human health. The
national health standards existing prior to 2004
were based on PM10 (particulate matter between
2.5 and 10 microns in diameter), and one-hour
exposure to ozone.
For more information about air quality standards,
go to www.epa.gov/tin/naaqs
Making mulch from old orchard trees,
rather than burning them, reduces air
pollution in the San Joaquin Valley.
Air Quality Advances
Across Region
San Joaquin Valley
California's San Joaquin Valley has some of the
nation's most polluted air. After a decade of PM10
plans and litigation, EPA approved California's
PM10 plan for the valley on April 28, 2004. The
plan includes over 20 pollution control measures,
including an agricultural measure that will reduce
PM10 emissions 5% annually, and ultimately 34
tons per day (over half the reductions needed).
The PM10 plan includes the Conservation Man-
agement Practices (CMP) Program, a flexible,
menu-driven approach to reducing PM emissions
Size of fine particulates (PM25)
compared to particulates
regulated under earlier
standard (PM10), sand grains,
and a human hair.
<2.5 pm in diameter
Human Hair
-70 pm average diameter
<10 \tm in diameter
90 |jm in diameter
Fine Beach Sand
Image courtesy at EPA, Office of Wesearc/i and t
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The metropolitan Los Angeles area had its best
air quality ever in 2004.
from farms. Reduction measures will be tailored
to each farming operation, to cut pollution while
also making economic sense.
The valley's ground-level ozone, or smog, has
been a problem for the past several decades.
The valley's air exceeded the 1 -hour ozone health
standard 68 times in 2002 and 2003. In May 2004,
EPA granted the state's request to reclassify the
valley from "severe" to "extreme" nonattainment,
which extends attainment deadlines but requires
more stringent pollution control measures. In Oc-
tober, the valley's air district adopted a plan to
meet the 1 -hour ozone standard by 2010, and the
state Air Resources Board approved it.
Also helping clean up the valley's air is an enforce-
ment settlement which commits Silgan Contain-
ers Corp. to cut air emissions at six of its container
manufacturing plants by as much as 118 tons per
year, at an estimated cost of $1.57 million. The
company also paid a fine of $659,900. The six
facilities include one each in Stockton, Kingsburg,
and Riverbank, and three in Modesto. The alleged
violations involved failing to incorporate emission-
EPA is reviewing energy
companies' proposals to build
liquefied natural gas (LNG)
terminals off the Southern
California Coast.
reducing changes when installing new or modified
equipment.
California's South Coast
The South Coast (Los Angeles area), notorious for
smog but much improved over the past 20 years,
recorded its cleanest year ever in 2004, due to ad-
ditional pollution controls and favorable weather.
There were only 27 days with violations of EPA's
1-hour ozone standard, compared to 64 in 2003.
Eight-hour ozone violations also dropped.
Both the state and air district made progress in re-
ducing people's exposure to toxic diesel exhaust.
In April EPA contributed over $500,000 to expand
the district's pioneering air toxics monitoring pro-
gram. In July, EPA awarded the district $495,000
for clean school bus projects. In September, EPA
awarded a $100,000 Smartway Transport Part-
nership grant to help truckers avoid idling at truck
stops along I-5.
Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals Proposed
Energy companies are proposing to import liq-
uefied natural gas (LNG) at deepwater ports to
be developed off the Southern California coast.
The U.S. Maritime Administration and the Coast
Guard are the licensing authorities for deepwater
ports, but EPA is the air emissions and wastewa-
ter discharge permitting authority.
EPA is reviewing the permit applications for BMP
Billiton's proposed Cabrillo Port, which would be
a new deepwater port about 14 miles offshore of
Ventura County. Crystal Energy is expected to ap-
ply for permits for their proposed Clearwater Port
at the existing Grace Oil Well Platform about 12
miles offshore in the same vicinity.
The natural gas from both ports would be trans-
ported via undersea pipelines to on-shore distri-
bution in the Oxnard area. Since Ventura County
is an ozone nonattainment area, the LNG termi-
nals must offset certain air emissions by reducing
pollution from other sources in the air basin.
Natural gas supplies from the southwestern U.S.
are projected to decline over the next 20 years.
But demand is expected to grow along with pop-
ulation, since natural gas is a relatively clean fuel
for heating and generating electricity.
Other Areas
• The San Francisco Bay Area attained the
national one-hour health standard for ozone,
based on three years without violations of the
standard. EPA reviewed air emission permits
for five major Bay Area oil refineries, leading to
stricter pollution limits for the Chevron, Cono-
co-Phillips, Shell, Tesoro, and Valero facilities.
• EPA published a final rule on Aug. 11, 2004, to
reclassify the Imperial Valley nonattainment
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area to serious nonattainment for PM10. In
2005, EPA is working with Imperial County to
develop a clean air plan to attain the health
standard expeditiously.
• EPA approved Arizona's Cleaner Burning
Gasoline program, which is a major part of
the Phoenix area's plans to stay in attainment
with carbon monoxide (CO) and 1 -hour ozone
health standards. In early 2005, EPA redesig-
nated the Phoenix metropolitan area, which
has a population of three million, to attainment
of the CO health standard.
• In the Tucson, Ariz, area, EPA reviewed the
Pima County Department of Environmen-
tal Quality's program for issuing industrial air
emissions permits under Title V of the Clean
Air Act. The findings from the evaluation were
mostly positive. In 2005, EPA is evaluating
the Title V program of the Maricopa County
(Phoenix area) Environmental Services District.
These reviews are important to ensure that
large emitters follow regulations and install ap-
propriate air pollution controls.
• In Green Valley, Ariz., EPA found that min-
ing company Phelps Dodge Sierrita Inc. had
operated ore roasters without required sulfur
dioxide monitors and bypassed pollution con-
trol equipment hundreds of times in the past
decade, illegally emitting more than 1,000
tons of sulfur dioxide into the air. In settling the
case with EPA, the company agreed to install
monitors immediately, revamp its equipment
to make such bypasses impossible, and pay
a $1.4 million penalty. Sulfur dioxide emissions
can cause respiratory illnesses, acid rain, and
decreased visibility — a problem at many
national parks, including Arizona's Grand
Canyon.
• In Nevada, EPA approved Clark County's
PM10 plan, which contains precedent-setting
controls for fugitive dust sources. EPA staff
worked closely with local air district personnel
in drafting an entirely new plan for the area.
The Las Vegas area's dust control program
is now the most progressive in the country.
Meanwhile, CO levels have not exceeded
the national health standard since 1999. EPA
also worked with the county to revise its New
Source Review permitting rules, to reduce pol-
lution from new or expanded industries.
U.S.-Mexico Border
EPA's efforts to reduce air pollution impacts along
the U.S.-Mexico border in 2004 included:
• The Baja California Road Paving Project, which
is paving 2.3 million square meters of roads
in Ensenada, Mexicali, Rosarito, Tecate and
Tijuana to reduce dust. The project is financed
by 276 million pesos (about $25 million) from
EPA Peopl
While most Air Division staff are focused on the
complexities of helping to improve air quality for
millions of residents in the large urban centers of
EPA's Pacific Southwest Region, there are also
many important air quality issues affecting the
Region's 146 Indian tribes. Those
are the issues Doug McDaniel, as
Arizona project officer and EPA staff
lead for tribal air issues, has been
working on for the past eleven years.
Ensuring air quality protection in Indi-
an country is sometimes a challenge.
The Clean Air Act is designed so that
states will develop most air pollution
control regulations, and these state
regulations generally do not apply on
Indian lands; consequently, there is
sometimes a gap in air quality pro-
tection for tribes. Doug's primary ob-
jective while at EPA has been to fill this gap, by
working within EPA to develop policy and regula-
tory tools, and by working with tribal governments
to build their capacity to develop their own air
quality programs.
Currently, Doug is focused on helping the Navajo
Nation and the Gila River Indian Community devel-
op their new air programs. He also is representing
EPA on the Joint Air Toxics Assessment Project,
a groundbreaking effort to deploy an urban-scale
air toxics monitoring network oper-
ated by the state, the county and
the three Phoenix metropolitan area
£*P*' I tribes. Relying on his extensive con-
y*=S!4 I tacts with state and tribal environ-
I mental agencies in Arizona, Doug
| was instrumental in initiating this co-
operative project, one of the first of
its kind in the United States.
Over the years, Doug has developed
and provided training for tribal envi-
ronmental professionals, has repre-
sented EPA at tribal meetings and
conferences, and has contributed to
many significant initiatives aimed at protecting trib-
al air quality, including EPA's Tribal Authority Rule
and the Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center. For
many tribes he is the face of EPA's air program.
Clean Air
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the North American Development Bank (NAD-
Bank).
• The Diesel Emission Reductions for Children's
Health Project, which will retrofit at least 19
older diesel engines in Nogales, Ariz., school
buses with particulate traps and/or diesel oxi-
dation catalysts, and will make ultra-low sulfur
diesel fuel more readily available.
• A project to characterize emissions from
trucks crossing the San Diego-Tijuana border.
This project will identify truck fleets to target
for diesel emission reductions.
• Binational Air Quality Studies in the Arizona
border region, in which EPA has funded instal-
lation of numerous air quality monitoring sites
and performed emission inventories, health
risk assessments and analyses of emission
reduction techniques. The City of Agua Prieta,
for example, was recently certified for a 31 km
road paving project, based on these studies.
• A Bilingual Air Quality and Health Information
Center, which will soon provide air quality and
health information through an interactive Web
site. The center will send air quality alerts to
schools, activity centers and others when air
pollution exceeds safe levels.
Navajo Nation Becomes
First Tribe to Receive Air
Permit Delegation
On October 15, 2004, EPA delegated authority to
administer the federal Title V (industrial) air emis-
sion permits program to the Navajo Nation — the
nation's first tribal government to gain such au-
thority. Under an agreement between U.S. EPA
and the Navajo Nation EPA, the tribe will take
over Title V permitting responsibilities for twelve
existing major stationary air pollution sources on
the reservation. EPA determined that the Navajo
Nation meets the eligibility requirements for treat-
ment in the same manner as a state.
The permit fees collected by the tribe will help
support the staff and resources for its Title V ac-
tivities, an important step toward establishing a
comprehensive air quality control program. This
delegation of authority from EPA to the Navajo
Nation will improve responsiveness to the public
and regulated communities.
BioWatch Provides
Early Warning
EPA has been a key partner in the U.S. Depart-
ment of Homeland Security's BioWatch initiative.
BioWatch is an early warning system in major
urban centers to rapidly detect trace amounts of
Navajo Nation EPA officials
and U.S. EPA staff after
meeting at Window Rock,
seat of the Navajo Nation
government.
biological materials, either from natural sources or
as a result of terrorist acts. EPA leads the field
deployment of the network, and serves as the
primary liaison to state and local environmental
monitoring agencies. EPA's Emergency Response
Program coordinates emergency planning with
federal, state, and local agencies. In 2004, EPA
awarded over $2.1 million in grant funds to local
governments to deploy 45 BioWatch sampling
sites in nine cities in the Pacific Southwest.
Indoor Air Tools for Schools
EPA's Pacific Southwest Indoor Air Team devel-
oped the Student-Led Tools for Schools Program,
which involves students in tracking down sourc-
es of indoor air contaminants at their schools.
Two students from the region won awards at
the annual Tools for Schools conference in
Washington, D.C.
The California Portable Classroom Study found
that Tools for Schools is being used in 11 % of
the state's schools. Thanks to work by grantees
and partners, as well as EPA, the program was
introduced at 97 new schools in 2004. EPA's Pa-
cific Southwest Region received 23 proposals for
Tools for Schools and Asthma Management (in
schools and in homes) project grants, and funded
12, for a total of $210,000.
In California's Central Valley, the Fresno Unified
School District was forced to put their Tools for
Schools program on hold due to substantial bud-
get cuts. Later, however, the EPA team helped
convince district management of the program's
cost-effectiveness in maintaining healthful indoor
air. The school district is now moving ahead with
the program, which is especially needed in a
county with the highest asthma rates in the state.
One-third of the district's 90 schools have Tools
for Schools programs.
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Clean Water
Upgrading Sewage Systems
to Protect Public Health
$2 Billion Los Angeles Sewer Settlement
Will Prevent Spills, Overflows
In one of the largest sewage enforcement cases
in U.S. history, EPA, the Department of Justice,
the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control
Board, Santa Monica Baykeeper and a coalition
of community groups reached a $2 billion settle-
ment with the City of Los Angeles over thousands
of sewage spills and overflows that violated the
federal Clean Water Act.
Under the terms of the historic agreement, the
City of Los Angeles will rebuild at least 488 miles
of sewer lines, clean 2,800 miles of sewers an-
nually, enhance its program to control restaurant
grease discharges, increase the sewage system's
capacity, and plan for future expansion. With ap-
proximately 6,500 miles of sewer lines serving
almost 4 million residents, the city operates the
nation's largest sewage collection system. Since
1994, the city has had over 4,500 sewage spills.
Most of these spills or overflows caused raw sew-
age to flow down city streets, and in some cases
pollute waterways.
The federal government and the regional board
settled their civil penalty claims against the city
for a total of $1.6 million, with the regional board
directing its proceeds to local environmental im-
provement projects the city will perform. The
settlement is a comprehensive effort to address
all causes of sewage spills and odors in the City
of Los Angeles. The terms require new measures
to prevent blockages in the city's system, includ-
ing more aggressive maintenance to identify and
repair or replace problem sewers.
"This settlement recognizes the city's commit-
ment to repair and replace its aging sewage in-
8 Clean Water
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frastructure, to serve the needs of generations to
come," said Wayne Nastri, administrator of the
EPA's Pacific Southwest office in San Francisco.
"This investment will protect neighborhoods and
millions of beachgoers from the ill effects of sew-
age spills."
The city will perform $8.5 million worth of environ-
mental projects in addition to the work required to
improve its sewer system. These projects include
stream and wetland restoration, and systems to
capture and treat polluted storm drain flows.
Santa Monica Baykeeper filed its initial legal ac-
tion against Los Angeles in 1998. EPA, the LA.
Regional Board and the community groups filed
their action in 2001. The groups included Baldwin
Hills Estates Homeowner's Association, Inc.;
Baldwin Hills Village Garden Homes Association;
United Homeowners Association; Village Green
Owners Association; and Concerned Citizens of
South Central Los Angeles.
EPA, Santa Ana Regional Board Announce
$600 Million Sewage Treatment Upgrade
It may not have made headlines outside of Or-
ange County, but it's a big deal for the coastal
environment: EPA, the Santa Ana Regional Water
Quality Control Board, and the Orange County
Sanitation Districts finalized an agreement on Nov.
5, 2004, that commits the district to spend $600
million upgrading its two sewage treatment plants
to achieve full secondary treatment by Dec. 31,
2012. The two sewage facilities discharge treated
wastewater from 2.5 million people into coastal
waters.
The upgrade will rid the district's discharges of ap-
proximately 8,500 metric tons of total suspended
solids annually and approximately 14,700 metric
tons of oxygen-depleting nutrients. In addition to
the treatment upgrade, the district's 10-year plan
includes spending $450 million on sewer pipe
upgrades to prevent future spills and overflows.
The 10-year plan also includes a joint effort with
the county water district to construct the nation's
largest water reuse facility — costing roughly
$420 million - by July 2007. Secondary efflu-
ent currently being discharged to the ocean will
be treated to tertiary levels and pumped into the
ground to create a barrier to salt water intrusion.
EPA Wetlands Program
Protects Vital Habitat
Southern California's Biggest Wetland
Restoration Project Begins at Bolsa Chica
On October 6, 2004, officials from state and fed-
eral agencies and the City of Huntington Beach
joined with local environmental groups to break
Preparing sections of new
sewer pipe — part of Los
Angeles' effort to curb sewage
spills.
ground for the Bolsa Chica Wetland Restoration
Project — at 1,247 acres, the largest wetland
restoration in Southern California history. Once
part of an extensive wetland complex spread-
ing from Huntington Beach to Seal Beach, Bolsa
Chica remained largely undeveloped, except for
oil rigs and access roads that criss-crossed the
site. Much of the property remains wetland, and
supports waterfowl and shorebirds. The project
is especially needed because more than 90% of
Southern California's original coastal wetlands
have been lost to development, making the re-
maining wetlands critical for migratory birds along
the Pacific Flyway, wildlife and public recreation.
Prior landowners had proposed extensive filling
for urban development in the 1970s, but none of
the proposals received the needed permit under
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The law al-
lows destruction of wetlands only when there is
no practicable alternative. EPA recommended al-
ternatives to limit development to the dry upland
areas of the property. Several local groups, includ-
ing the Amigos de Bolsa Chica, Bolsa Chica Con-
servancy, and Bolsa Chica Land Trust have also
consistently supported protecting the wetlands.
EPA's 24-Year Effort Pays Off
In 1980, EPA began a three-year effort to care-
fully map the extent of the wetlands under Clean
Water Act jurisdiction. This study strengthened
the positions of federal agencies working to pro-
tect and restore the wetlands. In the mid-1990s,
EPA helped broker an interagency agreement to
use mitigation funds from the Ports of Los An-
geles and Long Beach to purchase the property
and restore it. EPA and its partners in restoring
the wetlands negotiated agreements with the oil
rig operators to shut down any remaining oil wells,
remove oil production infrastructure, and clean up
contamination from oil production.
The State Lands Commission, the Coastal Con-
servancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
developed a wetland restoration plan under the
guidance of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands Steering
Committee — eight state and federal agencies,
Clean Water 9
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Aerial view of the Bolsa Chica
wetlands as they appeared
before the restoration project.
including EPA. The plan was subject to environ-
mental impact studies, hearings, and much scru-
tiny. The $65 million project is expected to be
completed in 2007.
Regulatory agencies such as the Army Corps of
Engineers, the California Coastal Commission,
and the Regional Water Quality Control Board
played significant roles, as did resource agencies
such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National
Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of
Fish and Game, Coastal Conservancy, and State
Lands Commission. EPA officials recognized EPA
attorney Hugh Barroll and EPA wetlands expert
Tom Yocom, among others, for their outstanding
work on Bolsa Chica over the past 20 years.
How EPA Protects Wetlands
in the Pacific Southwest
Every year, EPA reviews hundreds of permit ap-
plications for projects that propose to fill wetlands
for other uses. EPA also investigates cases where
projects have already filled wetlands without the
required permits. When there is no practicable al-
ternative to filling wetlands, the Clean Water Act of
1972 requires a permit from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, which specifies mitigation—protec-
tion, restoration, or creation of similar wetlands
elsewhere. Among the wetlands issues EPA re-
solved in 2004 were:
• The proposed North Village residential and
commercial development in Solano County,
Calif., where an agreement was reached that
allows the development to go forward, but
requires the purchase of 540 acres (including
147 acres of wetlands) to expand the exist-
ing Jepson Prairie Vernal Pool Preserve in the
same county.
• In Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley,
EPA reached a settlement in a case involving
the conversion of a 240-acre tract with scat-
tered vernal pool wetlands, along Cotton-
wood Creek north of Visalia, to cultivated
Even in its present condition,
the Bolsa Chica wetlands
provide important habitat for
egrets, blue herons, and other
shorebirds.
10 Clean Water
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cropland. The landowner agreed to convey
a nearby 300-acre parcel of land, containing
rare alkali vernal pool wetlands, to a region-
al land trust for permanent protection and
management.
• In Las Vegas, EPA reached an agreement with
KB Home in which the developer will spend at
least $193,000 on riparian restoration projects
in the Bureau of Land Management's Red
Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
The agreement came after EPA learned that
KB Home had graded a 160-acre site west of
Fort Apache Road in southwestern Las Vegas,
filling tributaries of Las Vegas Wash, without
the required permit.
• In Mendocino County, Calif., EPA's review
of the proposed Willits Bypass resulted in
changes to the highway project that saved 60
acres of wetlands (see Communities and Eco-
systems, p. 21).
Protecting Rivers, Reefs by
Preventing Polluted Runoff
Polluted runoff, also known as nonpoint source
pollution, has been the nation's biggest water pol-
lution challenge for the past decade. Since it has
no single source, it is difficult to control. Pollution
prevention efforts must be tailored to specific pol-
lution sources in each watershed.
Coral Reefs
In Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, EPA is working
with other federal and local agencies to address
priority threats to coral reefs. In Hawaii, reducing
polluted runoff in three watersheds is part of a Lo-
cal Action Strategy to Address Land-Based Pollu-
tion Threats to Coral Fleets, released in April 2004.
(For more information, see EPA People, p. 13.)
EPA Nonpoint Source Grants
To help states take action, EPA also awards non-
point source grants. In 2004, EPA awarded a to-
tal of $21.9 million to the four Pacific Southwest
states and Pacific Island territories for projects
including:
• California's Middle Mattole River Restoration
in Humboldt County, which involves erosion
control measures on 85 miles of abandoned
roads, stream bank stabilization, and plant-
ing 72,000 trees along the river. The goal is to
prevent an estimated 146,000 cubic yards of
sediment from washing into the river annually,
which can smother salmon eggs before they
hatch.
• Arizona's Santa Fe Ranch Project on the Santa
Cruz River, which involves bank stabilization,
revegetation, fencing, and monitoring along
1,000 feet of the Santa Cruz River northeast
of Nogales, to prevent about 28,000 tons of
soil from choking the river each year.
Preventing polluted runoff
is an important part of
interagency efforts to protect
coral reefs from land-based
pollution.
Clean Water 11
-------
EPA funded the Pyramid Lake
Paiute Tribe's nonpoint source
project, which fenced springs
to keep out livestock and
installed solar-powered pumps
to draw well water instead.
This has reduced levels of
phosphorus, nitrates, and
sediment in the Lower Truckee
River, the main source of the
lake's water.
• Nevada's McCarran Ranch Project along the
Truckee River near Reno. This pilot project
has already restored one mile of the river, in-
cluding recontouring the channel, constructing
two wetlands and four riffle/pool sequences to
improve fish habitat, and revegetating seven
acres of flood plain. Four more miles remain to
be restored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
neers, using local matching funds.
• The Waimanalo Stream Restoration, com-
pleted in June 2004 by the University of Ha-
waii's Pacific Biomedical Research Center.
This urban project on Oahu included reveg-
etation of 750 feet of streambanks with native
sedges, and community cleanups that raised
public awareness about preventing polluted
runoff.
Ensuring Safe Drinking Water
Ensuring the purity of drinking water is one of
EPA's highest ongoing priorities. In 2004, the Pa-
cific Southwest Office took part in a nationwide
EPA effort to monitor drinking water quality on
U.S. and foreign flag airlines that fly within the
United States. In this region, EPA collected water
samples from aircraft arriving at the San Francis-
co, Ontario, John Wayne, and Los Angeles air-
ports. Of the 327 aircraft tested across the coun-
try, 15% tested positive for total coliform bacteria
in either the lavatory, galley, or both. From these
results, there was no pattern or trend to suggest
that the coliform contamination was limited to a
specific type of aircraft. The contamination was
found on U.S. flag aircraft, foreign flag planes, do-
mestic flights, international flights, and large and
small aircraft.
EPA is working to require all U.S.-based airlines
to take specific actions to ensure the drinking wa-
ter on their planes is safe to drink. The agency
will also place foreign flag carriers that provide
service within the United States under similar re-
quirements to the extent the law allows. EPA has
initiated an accelerated rule-making process to
develop specific regulations for all water onboard
aircraft.
Other actions taken by EPA's Pacific Southwest
Office in 2004 to ensure safe drinking water
include:
• An enforcement case involving the owners of
eight public water supply systems in the Mon-
terey-Salinas, Calif., area, whom EPA found to
have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act by
submitting false water sampling data to regu-
latory agencies, among hundreds of other vio-
lations from the early 1990s to 2001. To pro-
tect water consumers, a federal court ordered
the defendants, Alisal Water Corp., related
companies and Robert and Patricia Adcock,
to sell the companies. The court also imposed
a record $500,000 penalty.
• 232 inspections of underground injection well
sites, where brine from oil drilling or liquid
wastes from auto shops or large-capacity sep-
tic systems are injected into the earth for dis-
posal. Careless injection of such wastes can
be disastrous if it pollutes clean ground water,
which is used as a drinking water source by
millions of people in the Pacific Southwest. In-
spections ensure that operators of such wells
obtain and comply with Underground Injection
Control permits setting conditions for pro-
tecting drinking water sources. In one case,
Mountain States Petroleum Corp. agreed to
pay a $90,000 penalty for violations found in
an earlier inspection of its injection wells on
Navajo lands in southwest Utah.
• In response to the elevated levels of lead found
in Washington, D.C. area drinking water, EPA
worked closely with state water agencies to
assess the lead rule's effectiveness in reduc-
ing lead exposure. EPA assessed state imple-
Nogales Wash near Arizona/Sonora border. EPA grants
for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure
projects in Nogales, Sonora and Nogales, Arizona will
provide safe drinking water and reduce pollution in the
wash (see story, p. 23).
12 Clean Water
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mentation of the rule through regional data
verification audits, collected data to ensure
the completeness of lead data in the national
database, and in some cases conducted sys-
tem-specific reviews.
New Arsenic Standard
to Take Effect in January 2006
About 12% of drinking water systems in Arizona,
California, Nevada and tribal lands in these states
will need to make modifications in order to meet
the January 2006 deadline for compliance with
the new arsenic standard of 10 parts per billion.
Many will need to develop and install arsenic treat-
ment systems. Most affected are smaller systems,
where financial, technical and managerial capacity
is limited. EPA will provide training to utilities, de-
sign engineers, the Indian Health Service and the
regulatory community to assure that recent infor-
mation on arsenic treatment and waste disposal
technologies is accessible and understandable.
Financing Island Infrastructure
EPA and the Department of Interior are working
with four U.S. Island Territories (American Samoa,
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and federal
partners to explore innovative methods of financ-
ing water and solid waste infrastructure. Given the
Drinking Water Systems Out of Compliance
with the Arsenic Standard in the Pacific Southwest
-12%
Total Number
of Systems
= 6,618
under current arsenic standard
under new arsenic standard
January 2006
economic climate in the islands, combined with
the huge costs of such projects, it is very difficult
for islands to secure affordable financing.
The effort brings together federal and island
representatives with expertise in grant and loan
programs, the bond market, island infrastructure
plans, as well as an awareness of unique island
needs. Currently the group is exploring the possi-
bility of developing a region-wide bond bank and
other potential financing mechanisms, including
federal guarantees and public-private partner-
ships.
EPA People
In Hawaii and the Pacific Islands, coral reefs are
essential to food supplies, economies, indigenous
cultures, shoreline protection, and ecology. An es-
timated 20% of the world's coral reefs have already
been destroyed and about half the remaining reefs
are threatened. Dr. Wendy Wiltse,
a marine ecologist in EPA's Honolulu
office, plays a key role in EPA efforts
to protect coral reefs in the Pacific
Basin, which includes more than half
of the the nation's coral reefs.
The multi-agency Coral Reef Task
Force has identified activities harm-
ing coral reefs, such as land-based
pollution, overfishing, coral disease,
climate change, recreational overuse,
and lack of public awareness. Within
the task force, Wendy led a steering
committee to develop Hawaii's Local
Action Strategy. She also organized workshops
that brought coral reef and water quality special-
ists together from islands as distant as Guam and
Saipan to improve scientific tools for coral moni-
toring and protection.
Wendy also reviews coastal construction pro-
posals that may impact coral reefs and supports
enforcement actions involving coastal wetlands
- which include coral reefs. Developing biological
criteria guidance for coral reefs is EPA's newest ini-
tiative in coral protection. Wendy is
organizing a workshop on this topic
for the upcoming 2005 Pacific Is-
lands Environmental Conference.
EPA grants now support over $1.1
million of coral reef protection proj-
ects in Hawaii. Wendy has been in-
strumental in encouraging qualified
grant applicants. These projects in-
clude an assessment of coral reefs in
polluted waters, and efforts to con-
trol invasive non-native seaweeds
that can smother coral reefs.
Wendy enjoys the challenge of ad-
dressing environmental concerns in Hawaii, her
home for the last 12 years. "Island people care
deeply about reefs and fishing," she says. Her
leadership, local perspective, technical expertise,
and broad experience in water programs make
her an effective advocate for protecting these vital
ecosystems.
Clean Water 13
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Clean Land
Responding to Environmental
Emergencies
Readiness and Rapid Action
EPA's Emergency Response Program — with fed-
eral on-scene coordinators based in San Francis-
co and Los Angeles, Calif., and Carson City, Nev.
— responds to environmental disasters, hazard-
ous materials releases, time-critical removals, and
inland oil spills that threaten human health or the
environment. Other duties include participating in
emergency preparedness drills, counter-terrorism
drills and planning, and the Oil Spill Prevention,
Control and Countermeasures program.
In 2004, EPA's Pacific Southwest Region initiated
27 emergency cleanups of hazardous materials
posing imminent threats. In addition, EPA took
part in multi-agency drills involving a simulated
major oil spill off the Southern California Coast
and a simulated detonation of a radioactive dis-
persion device (or "dirty bomb") at the port of
LA/Long Beach. EPA also upgraded its response
readiness in the region, taking delivery of a new
mobile command post and new emergency re-
sponse equipment stationed in the San Francisco
and Los Angeles areas. Plus, EPA trained a re-
gional 12-member Incident Management Team
to support on-scene coordinators responding to
nationally-significant emergencies.
Radiation in North Hollywood
During World War II and continuing into the 1950s,
gauges in airplane instrument panels were often
painted with radioactive paint to make them glow
in the dark. The practice was discontinued when
it became clear that people painting the dials were
being dosed with dangerous levels of radiation.
But a company in North Hollywood, Calif., Pres-
ervation Aviation Inc., stockpiled over a million ra-
dioactive dials and other equipment contaminated
with radium and radon at its warehouse and yard
in a residential neighborhood. When the company
went bankrupt and abandoned the property, state
and local agencies requested EPA's help with the
14 Clean Land
-------
costly cleanup and removal of this unusual radio-
active waste. In assessing the site, EPA found
gamma radiation levels from 100 to 500 times the
ambient level nearby.
EPA completed the first phase, removal of con-
taminated materials from an open yard, in De-
cember 2004. In January 2005, workers wearing
air-purifying respirators sorted, packaged and re-
moved hundreds of thousands of the dials and
other radioactive materials inside the building.
The materials were taken to licensed radioactive
waste storage sites suitable for low, medium and
high-level waste.
As the cleanup progressed, EPA constantly moni-
tored the air at the site and took careful precau-
tions to prevent any radioactive materials, in the
form of dust or storm runoff, from moving into
the surrounding neighborhood. Decontamination
of the building and yard, including removal of ra-
dioactive soil, was expected to be completed by
May 2005.
Cleaning Up Suisun Marsh
and Preventing Future Oil Spills
On April 27, 2004, a corroded underground fuel
pipeline running through Suisun Marsh in Solano
County, Calif., ruptured and spilled over 103,000
gallons of diesel fuel into the state's largest tidal
wetland, home to migratory waterfowl and the
endangered salt marsh harvest mouse. The U.S.
Coast Guard and the pipeline owner, Kinder Mor-
gan Energy Partners, took initial measures to re-
cover the fuel and prevent it from spreading, but
called on EPA to clean up and restore the marsh.
By September, after the work was done, 616 tons
of contaminated soil had been removed. Tests
showed that the mud remaining in the marsh no
longer posed a threat to the environment. Over
the course of 2004, EPA assisted with cleanup ef-
forts in eight oil spills in the Pacific Southwest.
This new Mobile Command
Post enhances EPA's capability
to respond to environmental
emergencies in the Pacific
Southwest, including
earthquakes and terrorist
threats.
EPA took charge of the cleanup of
contaminated sediments after a major oil spill
in Suisun Marsh, one of California's largest
remaining wetlands.
The Suisun Marsh incident spotlighted the vulner-
ability of oil and fuel pipelines which crisscross the
nation unseen, just below the ground. To help pre-
vent major spills from these pipelines, oil refiner-
ies and "tank farms," EPA conducted 12 surprise
drills in 2004 at oil facilities in the region to test
their readiness—including one at a Kinder Mor-
gan facility near the Truckee River in Sparks, Nev.
The drills involved deployment of company per-
sonnel and equipment, such as floating booms to
corral oil in waterways. In the Reno/Sparks area,
EPA also worked with local agencies to develop
an emergency plan to respond to any toxic spill
along the Truckee River. An interstate freeway, a
rail line and pipelines — all of which transport fuel
or hazardous liquids — run parallel to the river.
In 2004, EPA inspected 67 oil facilities in the Pa-
cific Southwest to assess compliance with federal
Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure
(SPCC) regulations developed under the Oil Pol-
lution Act of 1990. The inspections targeted fa-
cilities with aboveground tanks near waterways.
Most of the inspections found compliance with
the regulations, indicating that these facilities can
adequately prevent or respond to spills.
However, EPA's July 2004 surprise inspection
and oil spill drill at Kinder Morgan's oil terminal in
Sparks, Nev., found that the facility failed to ad-
equately respond. A records check showed that
the facility also failed to hold oil spill drills annu-
ally, as required by SPCC regulations. EPA filed a
complaint seeking correction of the violations and
up to $157,500 in penalties.
Mercury Cleanups in Nevada
Last year, EPA assisted with two mercury clean-
ups in Nevada involving youths who found con-
tainers of the highly toxic liquid metal and played
with it, contaminating a home and a school.
In January 2004, dozens of middle school chil-
dren in Gardnerville were exposed to the element
and the vapors it gives off. Just a quarter cup of
mercury brought to the school by a student con-
taminated not only classrooms and a school bus,
but the clothing and belongings of more than 50
of his classmates. The state and federal govern-
ments spent more than $100,000 on decontami-
Clean Land 15
-------
Ground water treatment plant
under construction in the San
Gabriel Valley.
nation. The school was closed for more than a
week. Local businesses made donations to those
students whose belongings were contaminated
and had to be destroyed.
Less than a week after the Gardnerville incident,
severe poisoning from long-term exposure to mer-
cury vapor sent a 17-year-old youth in Las Vegas
to a hospital's intensive care unit for a week. The
exposure may cause lifelong health problems. EPA
and Clark County officials spent weeks decon-
taminating the boy's home because of extremely
high levels of mercury vapor. Even the family dog
suffered severe mercury poisoning.
In conjunction with the cleanup, EPA took ad-
vantage of widespread news coverage of the in-
cidents to educate Nevada residents about the
danger of mercury poisoning. In Nevada and Ari-
zona, containers of pure mercury are sometimes
found by children and teens at abandoned min-
ing operations. To learn more about mercury, its
health effects, regulations, and how to dispose of
it, go to www.epa.gov/mercury
Asbestos in El Dorado Hills
Asbestos, a known human carcinogen, occurs
naturally in certain rock and soil formations, often
near earthquake faults in California's Coast Rang-
es and Sierra Nevada foothills. This naturally-oc-
curring asbestos sometimes takes a fibrous form.
Natural weathering, excavation or bulldozing can
break the larger fibers down to microscopic fibers,
easily suspended in air. When inhaled, these thin
fibers can cause asbestos-related diseases.
Grading for soccer fields at Oak Ridge High
School in El Dorado Hills (near Sacramento, Calif.)
in 2002 disturbed a vein of naturally-occurring as-
bestos. Lack of water prevented the school dis-
trict from covering the new fields immediately with
sod, leading to concerns about dust or mud from
the fields exposing students and school employ-
ees to asbestos.
In the wet months of February and March 2004,
after assessing the problem, EPA oversaw the
landscaping of areas of exposed soil that were
of immediate concern. The next phase, cover-
ing exposed soil, took place over school vacation
in April. Bare dirt areas next to classrooms were
landscaped or paved, access roads were paved,
and bare soil within the central area of the cam-
pus was covered with concrete. By July, the work
was complete.
EPA also initiated a site assessment of three
schools and a Community Services District park
area in El Dorado Hills. The work involved activ-
ity-based air sampling and extensive coordination
with state and county agencies.
For more details on asbestos and EPA actions
in El Dorado Hills, go to www.epa.gov/region09/
toxic/noa
Cleanups Advance
at Superfund Sites
At the 124 Superfund National Priorities List
cleanup sites in the Pacific Southwest Region,
cleanup is underway at 81 % of the sites, and con-
struction of cleanup facilities has been completed
at 45%. Some highlights of recent Superfund
accomplishments:
$78.5 Million Secured
for San Bernardino Cleanup
EPA reached a $78.5 million settlement with the
City of San Bernardino, Calif., the California De-
partment of Toxic Substances Control and the
U.S. Army for cleanup of the city's water supply,
which is contaminated by the Newmark Superfund
site. The settlement provides funds for cleanup of
groundwater contamination from Army operations
in the area during World War II.
More than 25% of the water supply for San
Bernardino's 175,000 residents has been con-
taminated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
such as solvents. Under the settlement, the City
of San Bernardino will operate the Newmark site's
newly-expanded groundwater treatment system
to provide clean replacement water and prevent
the contamination from spreading.
San Gabriel Valley Cleanup Forges Ahead
After four years of negotiations, 38 parties agreed
to pay a total of $44.1 million for cleanup of
groundwater contamination in the El Monte Op-
erable Unit of the San Gabriel Valley Superfund
sites. In addition to the cleanup, the settling par-
16 Clean Land
-------
ties are required to reimburse EPA approximately
$1.9 million.
The El Monte unit, one of four in the valley, is an
area of 10 square miles of groundwater contami-
nated with VOCs in both the deep and shallow
aquifers. Businesses owned or operated by the
settling parties had used VOCs for degreasing,
metal cleaning and other purposes.
The cleanup, already underway, involves using
14 separate groundwater treatment systems to
pump approximately 2.4 million gallons per day of
contaminated groundwater and treat it to remove
VOCs and other chemicals, as necessary. This
will control the movement of VOC-contaminated
groundwater and protect downstream water sup-
ply wells.
Work Nearly Complete
in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
Most construction work at the Waste Disposal
Inc. (WDI) Superfund site in Santa Fe Springs,
Calif., is now complete. In 2004, work crews
removed waste-filled drums and debris, and in-
stalled protective capping systems to prevent rain
from seeping through buried waste and fouling
groundwater or runoff. That portion of the WDI
site is a 580-foot diameter concrete-lined reser-
voir which was used until the 1960s as a disposal
area for petroleum wastes, construction debris
and other materials.
The cleanup involved covering the buried waste
with an impermeable multi-layered cap and install-
ing a system to collect and treat liquids and gases
emanating from the site. The capping system will
isolate the waste and prevent the area groundwa-
ter from becoming contaminated. The liquid and
gas collection systems will ensure that chemical
contamination cannot reach the soil, water and air
of the surrounding community.
EPA is working with the community and the city
government to facilitate redevelopment of the
property under EPA's Revitalization Initiative.
Perchlorate Cleanup Successes
In 2004, EPA oversaw design and construction
of drinking water treatment systems to remove
perchlorate, a chemical found in rocket fuel, at
ongoing Superfund cleanups in California. These
included the NASA-Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasa-
dena, Baldwin Park in San Gabriel Valley, and
Rialto-Colton in Riverside County. In addition to
the 30 sites where EPA and state agencies have
responded to perchlorate contamination in the
Pacific Southwest, EPA worked with California
agencies to identify, prioritize and initiate site as-
sessments at nine locations using state-of-the-art
GIS mapping technology. To assist this effort, EPA
produced a comprehensive map pinpointing the
location of all known sites with perchlorate con-
tamination of groundwater.
In Nevada, EPA and the state set stricter dis-
charge limits for a perchlorate treatment system
at the Kerr-McGee site in Henderson, significantly
reducing its allowable discharges. During the last
five years, Kerr-McGee's control strategy has re-
duced releases to the Las Vegas Wash by more
than 85%, from over 900 pounds per day in 1999
to about 135 pounds per day in the second half
of 2004. This has reduced perchlorate detected
in downstream water supplies in Lake Mead and
the Colorado River.
An erosion control structure
on Las Vegas Wash, near
Las Vegas, Nev. Perchlorate
contamination levels in the
wash have decreased steadily
over the last few years (see
graph, below).
Average Daily Perchlorate Releases
in Las Vegas Wash
1,000
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Clean Land 17
-------
Acting EPA Administrator
Steve Johnson (far left)
and Regional Administrator
Wayne Nastri (second from
right) present "big checks" to
Jimmy Torio of the Anahola
Homesteaders Council, and
Kauai, Hawaii Mayor Bryan
J. Baptiste (far right) to clean
up a redevelopment site
contaminated with pesticides
and herbicides.
Pioneering Redevelopment
at Federal Facilities
At 31 closed military bases in the Pacific South-
west, 120,000 of a total 150,000 acres is now
open for redevelopment. At El Toro Naval Air
Station in Southern California, the Navy put
3,800 acres up for auction in February 2005, and
the land was purchased by a developer for $650
million. The Navy will use the money for cleanups
nationwide, including the remaining portions of El
Toro, which will cost an estimated $72 million.
At the closed Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
Superfund site in San Francisco, 76 acres known
as Parcel 1A have been declared clean and ready
for reuse — the first part of the site to be cleared
for redevelopment.
At the defunct McClellan Air Force Base near
Sacramento, Calif., EPA began discussions with
the Air Force, state, and county about a plan to
privatize a 60-acre parcel as a pilot project to
demonstrate how cleanup and redevelopment
can take place simultaneously, with the Defense
Department paying a private entity to conduct the
cleanup.
At Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, where the naval base
remains in use, the Navy used a thermal desorp-
tion process to treat over 40,000 cubic yards of
PCB-contaminated soil — saving $24 million by
avoiding the cost of transporting and disposing of
the material on the U.S. mainland.
Brownfields and Revitalization
In 2004, EPA awarded 39 grants totaling over $10
million to local governments to speed up revital-
ization of brownfields - unused commercial or in-
dustrial sites where potential contamination from
past uses hinders redevelopment.
In Anahola, Kauai, in Hawaii, an EPA grant fi-
nanced planning for a redevelopment project on
20 acres of vacant farmland used for years as an
illegal trash dump. The Anahola Homesteaders
Council's sustainable master plan calls for a se-
nior care and independent living center, a charter
school, and retail and office space, all designed
to be pedestrian-friendly, conserve energy and in-
corporate other "green building" principles. In Oc-
tober 2004, EPA announced grants for the next
phase: $200,000 to Kauai County to inventory
potential brownfields sites, do site assessments
and involve local communities, and $196,334 to
the Anahola Homesteaders Council for cleanup
of the 20 acres, which is also contaminated with
pesticides and herbicides.
A $200,000 Brownfields grant to the Wiyot Tribe
will be used to clean up a former dry dock and
ship repair site contaminated by paint, solvents,
metals, petroleum products, and pesticides. The
site, on Indian Island in Humboldt Bay on Califor-
nia's North Coast, will then be restored as part
of the tribe's sacred Tuluwat Village and dance
grounds.
Successful Brownfields grants from previous
years have been instrumental in redeveloping the
harbor area of downtown Stockton, Calif., and the
Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. The Fruitvale
project, where EPA worked with many state and
local partners, including Habitat for Humanity,
won a national Phoenix Award in 2004 for excel-
lence in redeveloping the area surrounding a Bay
Area Rapid Transit (BART) station.
Enforcing Hazwaste,
Storage Tank Rules
To protect the public and prevent costly hazard-
ous waste cleanups in the future, compliance with
federal regulations under the Resource Conserva-
tion and Recovery Act (RCRA) is essential. This
includes Underground Storage Tank (LIST) regula-
tions, which prevent leaks and spills from under-
ground fuel and chemical tanks.
United Airlines Starts Compliance System
As part of a settlement resolving hazardous waste
violations at San Francisco International Airport,
United Airlines agreed to develop an environmen-
tal compliance management system (ECMS), at
an estimated cost of $500,000. The Bay Area
facility, United's only aircraft maintenance center
in the U.S., employs 5,200 people and operates
continuously, seven days a week.
United worked with EPA to develop the ECMS and
agreed to an independent environmental audit of
the facility. (For more information on environmental
management systems, go to www.epa.gov/ems)
Violations included failure to close hazardous
waste containers, improper labeling of contain-
ers, and storage of hazardous waste for longer
18 Clean Land
-------
than allowable limits. United also agreed to pay an
$850,000 penalty.
Waste Catches Fire at Border Station
EPA charged that three hazardous waste firms,
one in Tijuana, Baja California, and two in San Di-
ego, violated federal hazardous waste law, after
the companies sent two shipments of waste that
burst into flame in transit — one at the U.S. cus-
toms port at Otay Mesa, San Diego County, and
the other on a highway in Riverside County.
The three companies — Samex Environmental
Services, Hazardous Materials Transportation,
Inc. and Servicios Ambientales Mexicanos, S.A.
de C.V — were cited for violations involving im-
properly characterizing, manifesting and packag-
ing hazardous waste that had been transported
from Mexico into the United States.
"EPA will go after any company — U.S. or foreign
— that violates hazardous waste laws in the U.S.
We won't let a border be a shield against liability,"
said Jeff Scott, Waste Management Director of
EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. The companies
paid a fine of $25,000.
Samex collects, transports and arranges for the
U.S. disposal of hazardous waste from "maqui-
ladoras," foreign-owned assembly plants in Mex-
ico. Under Mexican law, maquiladoras that obtain
their raw materials in the U.S. must dispose of
their hazardous wastes in the U.S.
EPA regulations specify that all shipments of haz-
ardous waste in the U.S. must be properly char-
acterized, packaged, labeled and manifested.
California's Gold Rush is a distant memory, but
its environmental impacts are continuing. At the
Lava Cap Mine in California's Sierra Nevada
foothills, northeast of Sacramento, mining be-
gan in 1861 and ended in 1943. Ore from the
mine was crushed and treat-
ed with cyanide to extract
gold and silver, then dumped
into a creekbed behind a log
dam. The cyanide dissipated
long ago, but the ore pile
contains high levels of the
naturally-occuring but toxic
mineral arsenic. In the mid-
1990s, the log dam gave way,
sending tons of arsenic-laced
sediment downstream every
rainy season since, contami-
nating Little Clipper Creek
and Lost Lake. In 1999, EPA
added the site to its Superfund National Priori-
ties List for cleanup.
EPA's project manager at the site is Dave Se-
ter. Originally from Chicago, Dave joined EPA's
Philadelphia office in 1987 as an environmental
engineer in the Water Management Division. He
moved to San Francisco in 1993, where he has
worked on a number of Superfund projects. As
a licensed civil engineer in the states of New
Jersey and California, he enjoys the technical
challenges the job entails.
Over the past couple of years, Dave has led
EPA's effort to protect residents living near the
mine site from the arsenic hazard, while evaluat-
ing long-term cleanup options and drawing up a
cleanup plan. In 2004, EPA relocated residents
living in two homes on the property, and installed
water filtration units at five homes nearby. The
plan includes construction of a multi-layer cap
over the tailings, surface wa-
ter diversion channels, and a
rock buttress to prevent con-
taminated runoff and keep
the waste in place. The plan
also provides for cleanup of
homes and other buildings,
and cleanup of a stretch of
creekbed below the tailings
pile. Work is scheduled to
begin this summer.
Working behind the scenes
on the Lava Cap and other
sites is Kim Muratore, one
of EPA's most experienced
Superfund enforcement case developers. Kim
has worked in EPA's Pacific Southwest office
for 22 years. Her job is to identify parties who
contributed to the hazardous waste problems
at Superfund sites. Working with EPA's attor-
neys, she helps enforce the federal Superfund
law, which requires responsible parties to clean
up their sites, or pay EPA for the cleanup. Kim
helps develop the government's case when
litigation is necessary, so taxpayers don't get
stuck with the cleanup bill. In addition, she par-
ticipates in EPA's environmental education pro-
gram, visiting classrooms to help students learn
about environmental science and EPA's work.
Clean Land 19
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Communities and Ecosystems
:,,:.
Environmental Review Fulfills
the Promise of NEPA
With its high rates of growth and high percentage
of federal lands, the Pacific Southwest is home to
a large number of water, transportation, energy,
mining and land management projects involving
the federal government. Many of these projects
have the potential to create significant environ-
mental impacts.
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(NEPA) requires federal agencies to integrate en-
vironmental values into their decisions by consid-
ering the environmental impacts of their proposed
actions, as well as reasonable alternatives. For
major actions with significant impacts, federal
agencies must prepare a detailed environmental
impact statement (EIS). EPA reviews and com-
ments on EISs prepared by other federal agen-
cies — as required by Section 309 of the Clean
Air Act — and maintains a national filing system
for all EISs.
Environmental review staff in EPA's Pacific South-
west office are responsible for about one of every
five EIS reviews performed by the agency nation-
wide. EPA reviews and rates draft EISs based on
their environmental impacts and quality of informa-
tion, and provides written comments to the lead
federal agency. EPA strives to work collaboratively
with the lead agency to ensure the completeness
of every EIS, especially regarding project alterna-
tives and mitigation to better protect the environ-
ment. For more information on the NEPA process,
go to www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa
Avoiding Wetlands Impacts of Willits Bypass
Highway projects, funded or approved by the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and fre-
quently planned by state agencies, can have sig-
nificant environmental impacts, including effects
on air quality, water quality, and environmental jus-
tice. Whenever there may be substantial wetlands
20 Communities and Ecosystems
-------
impacts in California, EPA works collaboratively
with FHWA and the state Department of Trans-
portation to integrate NEPA review with Section
404 of the Clean Water Act, which protects wet-
lands. This approach is called for in EPA's 1994
NEPA/404 Integration Memorandum of Under-
standing for Surface Transportation Projects.
This collaborative approach avoids unneces-
sary damage to public resources such as air and
water, fish and wildlife. In one project, a bypass
around the city of Willits along Highway 101 in
Mendocino County, the wetlands impacts were
expected to affect 120 acres. Working in partner-
ship, EPA and the transportation agencies iden-
tified a modified alternative that would address
community concerns, reduce wetlands impacts,
and meet transportation needs. The new alterna-
tive reduced the wetlands impacts by 60 acres
from the original proposal. Unavoidable wetlands
impacts will be addressed through compensatory
mitigation, such as restoring or preserving wet-
lands elsewhere.
Reducing Air Quality Impacts
at the Port of Long Beach
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Port
of Long Beach are planning a major expansion
of the port, dramatically increasing the number
of ships using the port each year. The construc-
tion project, and later the smokestacks of addi-
tional ships, would increase air pollution in the Los
Angeles area, which already fails to meet health
standards for particulates and ozone.
In 2004, EPA reviewed the draft EIS and made rec-
ommendations to reduce air pollution: Construc-
tion contractors should use low-sulfur diesel fuel
and electric-powered dredges, create ridesharing
programs for construction workers, and minimize
dust. The benefits of this construction mitigation
are enormous, with peak emission reductions of
430 pounds per day for nitrogen oxides, 1,900
pounds per day for particulate matter, 69 pounds
per day for carbon monoxide, 16 pounds per day
for reactive organic gases, and 500 pounds per
day for sulfur oxides.
Once operational, the expanded port agrees to
use cargo-handling equipment that meets EPA's
proposed non-road emission standards, cleaner
alternative fuels, and advanced exhaust control
technology. In addition, the port will provide elec-
trical hookups for ships so that while berthed,
ships can plug in to shore-based electric power,
which is cleaner than running onboard diesel gen-
erators. This mitigation of operational emissions
will provide peak reductions of 150 pounds per
day for nitrogen oxides and 11 pounds per day for
particulate matter.
Taken together, these measures will provide major
reductions in particulate emissions, smog-form-
ing ozone precursors, and air toxics. And the port
expansion can go forward, bringing economic
benefits to Southern California.
Tribes Get Results
EPA's Pacific Southwest Region has 146 Indian
tribes — more than any comparable area of the
U.S. Tribal lands are subject to federal as well as
tribal environmental laws, but many tribes until re-
cently have lacked the capacity or funding to carry
out environmental programs. This is changing.
Over the past 10 years, 90% of the tribes in the
region have developed environmental programs.
As of late 2004, more than 500 EPA grant-funded
projects were underway on tribal lands. EPA and
tribal partners have made significant progress in
protecting tribal lands, waters, and cultural re-
sources. EPA's stewardship responsibility involves
working with tribes as partners in compliance and
enforcement, fostering cooperative relationships
with other governments, and providing funding
and technical assistance for capacity building,
infrastructure improvements, and environmental
cleanup and restoration projects.
For more details on tribal environmental accom-
plishments in the Pacific Southwest, go to www.
epa.gov/region09/crossjor/indian/success
Safeguarding Tribal Waters
Thousands of tribal homes still lack basic running
water and sewage systems. Both must be con-
sidered, since inadequate sewage disposal can
pollute ground water used as a drinking water
source. In 2004, EPA provided funding to improve
drinking water for 4,411 tribal homes and sew-
age systems for 2,000 tribal homes. EPA also
As part of the Port of Long
Beach expansion, the port will
provide electrical hookups for
berthed ships. Air pollution will
be reduced because the ships
will no longer need to run
diesel generators for electric
power.
Communities and Ecosystems 21
-------
Water supply tank at the
Quitovac Tohono O'odham
Community in the U.S.-Mexico
border region.
provided training for 140 operators of tribal drink-
ing water programs, and helped analyze arsenic
levels in nearly 500 drinking water systems. Over
the past 15 years, EPA has funded drinking water
or sewage systems for over 33,000 tribal homes.
On the Tohono O'odham Nation, at the Santa
Rosa Village, EPA provided $779,000 to rehabili-
tate and expand the existing wastewater lagoon
system. In addition, the tribe contributed funding
for construction of bathroom additions and plumb-
ing for the community. The Santa Rosa Village la-
goon system was completed in April 2004 and
is serving 78 tribal homes. Another EPA-funded
project will bring a safer drinking water supply to
the Quitovac Tohono O'odham Community, part
of the Tohono O'odham Nation.
On the Torres-Martinez Reservation in Riverside
County, Calif., EPA issued federal drinking water
regulation compliance orders to four private trailer
park owners. EPA also assisted the Bureau of In-
dian Affairs (BIA) and the Department of Justice in
a BIA case involving another private trailer park on
the reservation with 4,000 residents who are pri-
marily migrant and service workers. BIA success-
fully settled the case, with the operator agree-
ing to get a BIA-approved lease and to bring all
structures in the trailer park, including the drinking
water and sewage systems, into compliance with
applicable laws within 18 months.
Tribes that demonstrate the capacity to run their
own programs under the Clean Water Act, like
states, may apply to EPA for authorization. For
example, EPA approved the Hualapai Tribe's
Water Quality Standards Program. The Hualapai
have lived near the Grand Canyon for centuries,
and this program will protect their water for future
generations.
In 2004, EPA assisted tribes with protecting their
rivers, streams, and wetlands through 130 grants
to 85 tribes totaling more than $12.3 million. The
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, in
the Phoenix, Ariz., area, completed two phases
of an important nonpoint source pollution control
project to improve the Salt River's water qual-
ity and riparian habitat. The community created
a treatment wetland, which prevents pollutants
from agricultural and urban runoff from washing
into the Salt River. These wetlands also provide
ideal habitat for wildlife in the desert region.
Protecting Tribal Lands
In 2004, tribes closed 60 dumps, organized 19
recycling projects, created four household haz-
ardous waste pickup projects, conducted seven
pollution prevention assessments at tribal medical
facilities, finished 11 metal waste cleanup proj-
ects, and sponsored eight abandoned auto and
trailer removal events. EPA and tribal regulators
inspected 69 gas stations and other fuel tank fa-
cilities and cleaned up five leaking underground
tank sites. For example, the Navajo Nation EPA
(the tribal agency) inspected more than 50 under-
ground tank sites. Federal and tribal regulators is-
sued 11 field citations to violating facilities.
One successful project was the Fort Indepen-
dence Tribe's new curbside recycling program at
their community in the Owens Valley, California.
The project raises enough money from recycled
materials to finance itself.
Other successes included removal and recycling
of 219 abandoned cars from Karuk tribal land
along the Klamath River near the Oregon-Cali-
fornia border, and 174 junked cars from Pit River
tribal land, in northeastern California. In Arizona
the Havasupai Tribe cleaned up a half-acre dump
on their land in the Grand Canyon using a helicop-
ter to lift heavy metal items from the dump to the
canyon rim.
Reducing Risks in Communities
In 2004, tribal staff inspected 800 agricultural pes-
ticide spraying operations to ensure compliance
with safety regulations. In addition, four tribes
used EPA grants to test the blood lead levels of
256 children and pregnant women.
In 2004, four Northern California tribes brought
together 70 tribal youth from many areas of Cen-
tral and Northern California for a series of environ-
mental summer camps on the Hoopa Reservation
and at the Black Mountain Preserve in the Sierra
Nevada. Many tribal kids also participated in trash
cleanups and recycling projects in their home
communities.
22 Communities and Ecosystems
-------
U.S.-Mexico
Border 2012 Program
EPA's 10-year Border 2012 Program focuses on
six goals: cleaner air, water and land; and improv-
ing environmental health, emergency response
and planning, and environmental stewardship.
The interagency effort encompasses a wide range
of activities, including air quality improvements
(detailed on p. 6), drinking water and wastewater
infrastructure projects, hazardous waste manage-
ment, and environmental health projects.
Improving Water Infrastructure
By the end of 2004, EPA's Pacific Southwest Re-
gion had allocated $77 million for drinking water
and wastewater infrastructure projects soon to
begin or already under construction in 10 cities in
the border area, half in the U.S. and half in Mexico
(see chart). The funds will be disbursed over sev-
eral years as construction progresses.
These 10 Border Environmental Infrastructure
Fund (BEIF) projects will benefit a total popula-
tion of over 1.9 million residents of cities where
water and sewage systems have not kept pace
with rapid growth. The lack of safe drinking water
and adequate sewage disposal systems poses
an ongoing threat to public health on both sides
of the border.
EPA is contributing $12.9 million to the Mexicali II
wastewater treatment project, which will treat up
to 20 million gallons of sewage per day before it is
discharged into the New River, which originates in
Mexicali, Baja California, crosses the U.S.-Mexico
Border, and ends at the Salton Sea in Califor-
nia's Imperial Valley. Overall, EPA has supported
over 50 drinking water and wastewater projects
along the border, benefiting some 6.5 million area
residents.
Assisting Tribal Communities
Twenty-six tribes on the U.S. side of the U .S.-Mex-
ico border have serious drinking water, sanitation,
and other environmental needs. For example, the
Tohono O'odham Tribe has health effects from E.
coli bacteria at 108 times the national average,
tuberculosis at 17 times the national average, and
shigellosis at 13 times the national average. To
help meet these challenges, EPA's Tribal Border
Infrastructure Program has brought better water
or sanitation to over 8,000 tribal homes since
1996.
Border Inspectors Stage Hazwaste Drill
U.S. federal, Arizona, and Mexican environmen-
tal and customs agencies conducted a joint ex-
ercise at the Nogales, Ariz., border port of entry
to improve coordination on inspecting hazardous
EPA Water (W) and Wastewater (WW)
Grants in CA/AZ Border Area
Gadsden, AZ
Patagonia, AZ
Somerton, AZ
Bisbee, AZ
Douglas, AZ
Nogales, Sonora, MX
San Luis Rio Col, Son., MX
Mexicali, BC, MX
Tecate, BC, MX
Tijuana, BC, MX
Project
WW
WW
WW
WW
WW
w/ww
WW
WW
WW
WW
BEIF$
$1.5M
$1.3M
$3.9M
$11. 3M
$3.7M
$14.2M
$5.9M
$12.9
$3.7M
$18M
waste shipments crossing the border. During the
drill, a truck carrying simulated liquid hazardous
waste crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in both di-
rections. The truck first crossed towards Mexico,
where Mexican customs officials stopped it so
that environmental inspectors could investigate.
They assessed the safety of the cargo area, took
samples of the waste, and interviewed the driver
as part of the simulation. The exercise was then
repeated on the U.S. side. Afterwards, a debrief-
ing session was held at the U.S. Customs com-
plex. For more information, go to www.epa.gov/
regionOQ/features/hazwaste
EPA, Mexico Collaborate on Tijuana
Hazardous Waste Cleanup
Since 1989, the community of Chilpancingo in
Tijuana, Mexico, struggled with the health haz-
ards of tons of lead-contaminated wastes from
Metales y Derivados, an abandoned battery re-
cycling operation. Metales was perceived as an
example of the adverse environmental impacts of
free trade agreements, even though the problem
began well before the 1995 effective date of the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The difficulty of cleaning up this site stemmed
from the fact that the contamination resulted from
a U.S.-owned business, yet U.S. hazardous waste
laws did not apply in Mexico. EPA's Border 2012
Program prioritized the cleanup and restoration of
sites like Metales. The Border 2012 Program is
also developing policies to prevent similar prob-
lems in the future.
Consequently, in June 2004, EPA collaborated
with Mexico to remove the hazardous waste,
dispose of it in a permitted U.S. disposal facility,
and create a technical assistance group involving
Chilpancingo residents. This action was the first
of several to reduce risks from the site and create
a framework for longer-term cleanup and resto-
ration. EPA will share with Mexico its institutional
Communities and Ecosystems 23
-------
EPA cooperated with officials
of the Mexican environmental
agency, SEMARNAT, in
overseeing the cleanup of an
abandoned battery recycling
site, Metales Derivados, in
Baja California.
Before
During
After
Mhefwi
>. - *^ .fcl'"
and technical expertise in conducting cleanups.
This involves strengthening Mexican government
capabilities with regard to cleanup technologies,
as well as legal mechanisms for defining respon-
sible party liability for cleanup costs, and commu-
nity involvement.
Agriculture
FQPA Projects Assist Farmers in
Adopting New Pesticide Strategies
EPA's Agriculture Program administers Food Qual-
ity Protection Act (FQPA) grants to help grow-
ers transition from older, more toxic pesticides
to more sustainable chemistries and practices.
These projects demonstrate ways to prevent or
reduce the movement of pesticides from agricul-
tural sites into water and air while helping farmers
remain competitive. In 2004, EPA awarded five
grants ranging from $38,000 to $50,000 to tree
fruit, almond, lettuce and alfalfa growers.
In addition, EPA's Agriculture Program led the na-
tional effort to solicit projects that leverage U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds. In 2004,
EPA awarded funds for two projects that also uti-
lize the Natural Resources Conservation Service's
Environmental Quality (EQIP) funds and USDA
Conservation Innovation Grants, helping tree fruit,
dried plum, walnut and almond growers make en-
vironmental progress in California's Central Valley.
Dairies: Preventing Pollution
Can Reduce Costs
California produces more milk and dairy products
than any other state, and most of the state's dairy
cows are in the San Joaquin Valley—but the ma-
nure from all these cows can pollute ground wa-
ter with nitrate and other salts. To help solve the
problem, EPA is collaborating with the University
of California, the dairy industry, and other agen-
cies on the Dairy Biologically Integrated Farming
System (BIFS) project. This project is demonstrat-
ing how dairies can apply the right amounts of liq-
uid manure to their forage fields to maximize plant
growth, reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, pre-
vent pollution of ground and surface waters, and
save money.
Participating dairies found they could reduce fertil-
izer use by 130 Ibs./acre of nitrogen, 70 Ibs./acre
of phosphorus, and 45 Ibs./acre of potassium, for
a savings of $57 per acre annually—over $10,000
for the average dairy—while virtually eliminating
ground water pollution.
But there's more manure in the valley than crops
there can safely use. In late 2003, EPA, the USDA
and Department of Energy, along with five state
agencies, the dairy industry, and environmen-
tal groups, formed the Dairy Manure Collabora-
tive to demonstrate ways manure can be used
a resource — not only as fertilizer, but also as
compost and organic soil amendments, and as
a source of renewable energy. One way to turn
manure into power is to ferment it anaerobically to
produce methane, which can be burned to gener-
ate electricity. Five California dairies already have
such systems in use, and 13 more were under
construction by mid-2004.
In May 2004, Marin County dairy farmer Albert
Straus switched on his new $280,000 methane
power system, the first of 14 to receive matching
funds from the California Energy Commission. His
Straus Family Dairy, small by industry standards,
has 270 cows, and generates 75 kilowatts-
enough to meet the needs of the family home, the
dairy and the associated creamery, and some-
times pump excess power into the utility grid.
24 Communities and Ecosystems
-------
Sonoma County Winegrapes
Use Fewer Pesticides
Over the last few years, the Sonoma County
Grape Growers received two FQPA grants to re-
duce the use of pesticides on winegrapes. As a
result, the grape growers reported that their pesti-
cide usage declined 16% between 1999 and 2003
while acreage increased 16%. In addition, methyl
bromide use decreased 98% during this same
period. Sulfur, a natural fungicide used by con-
ventional and organic growers, comprised 81 %
of all pesticides used in 2003. Sonoma County
grape growers are proud of their integrated pest
management regime and committed to using as
few pesticides as possible.
Protecting Farm Workers
Farm workers who apply pesticides or work in
fields that have been sprayed are especially at
risk of pesticide exposure. The federal Worker
Protection Standard contains requirements for
pesticide safety training, notification of pesticide
applications, use of protective equipment, re-
stricting reentry into fields where pesticides were
applied, and access to decontamination supplies
and emergency medical assistance. In Hawaii,
EPA worked with the state agriculture department
in 2004 to train field inspectors to check farms
for compliance. In California, EPA worked with the
state Department of Pesticide Regulation to up-
grade that state's pesticide field posting rules.
Inspecting farms to ensure
compliance with worker
protection rules.
In Arizona, EPA filed a complaint against a Scott-
sdale, Ariz.-based company for allegedly failing
to protect employees from pesticide exposure
in its lettuce fields in Olathe, Colo. EPA sought
penalties of up to $9,460 from Cactus Produce,
Inc. for failing to provide required decontamina-
tion supplies and pesticide safety information to
field workers. The complaint also alleged that the
company failed to ensure that its workers were
adequately trained in pesticide safety, and failed
to notify them about recent spraying of the fields
they worked in. The complaint was based on in-
spections done by the EPA's Colorado office and
the Arizona Department of Agriculture's follow-up
inspections. For more information on pesticides,
go to www.epa.gov/pesticides
EPA People
Nancy Levin joined EPA in 2001. As a member
of the Federal Activities Office, Nancy reviews and
comments on National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) documents prepared by the Federal High-
way Administration for transportation projects in
California. She also works extensively under an
interagency memorandum of understanding to in-
tegrate NEPA and Section 404 of the Clean Water
Act, which protects wetlands. In her work, Nan-
cy seeks to reduce environmental impacts and
streamline the environmental review process.
The Willits Bypass highway project in Mendocino
County, Calif., originally included several alterna-
tives with extensive destructive impacts to a large
wetland/marsh complex in the path of the bypass.
Working closely with EPA's Wetland Regulatory
Office, Nancy has helped to identify project modi-
fications that will meet the project purpose, but will
save up to 60 acres of wetlands. Earlier, as part of
the Lincoln Bypass Team, she earned a Regional
Administrator's Award for an innovative approach
to protect aquatic resources from indirect impacts
of a new freeway. As a result of this work, the Fed-
eral Highway Administration agreed to purchase
$3.9 million in conservation easements to pro-
tect sensitive aquatic resources in western Placer
County from growth
associated with the
freeway.
As a participant in
Mare Island Accord
initiatives, Nancy
works to advance
partnership-build-
ing and streamlining
goals among EPA,
the Federal Highway
Administration and
the California Depart-
ment of Transporta-
tion. Nancy is an ac-
tive member of the Regional Facilitator's network,
and has facilitated interagency meetings and re-
treats. She serves as regional co-chair of GLOBE,
EPA's special emphasis employee group for les-
bian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
Communities and Ecosystems 25
-------
Advancing Compliance Through
Enforcement and Assistance
Ensuring compliance with environmental laws and
regulations through strong enforcement is critical
to achieving a cleaner, healthier environment. En-
forcement actions resulting in penalties also send
a message that there are consequences for non-
compliance — leveling the playing field for those
who invest in meeting environmental require-
ments. EPA, state and tribal agencies all play im-
portant roles in inspecting facilities and enforcing
environmental laws.
In addition to enforcement, EPA collaborates with
its state, tribal, and industry partners to offer com-
pliance assistance to facilities, especially small
businesses. EPA also helps facilities find the most
cost-effective methods not just to comply, but to
set environmental goals beyond compliance that
will benefit their employees, their communities,
and their bottom line.
To learn more about EPA efforts to assist specif-
ic industry sectors, go to the agency's National
Compliance Assistance Web site, at cfpub.epa.
gov/clearinghouse
Enforcement Actions Bring
Environmental Improvements
EPA's enforcement actions completed in the Pa-
cific Southwest continued an upward trend, from
344 in 2003 to 622 in 2004. The largest settle-
ments were two Southern California cases involv-
ing thousands of sewage spills and overflows, in
which the responsible local government agencies
committed a record $2.6 billion for sewer system
upgrades to prevent future spills (see Clean Water
chapter, p. 8).
Aside from these sewage cases, responsible
parties committed over $100 million to correct
violations, restore the environment and prevent
additional damage. Some notable examples are
featured on pp. 27-29; for additional information
go to www.epa.gov/region09/en1orcement/2004.html
In addition to civil enforcement actions, EPA's re-
gional Criminal Investigation Division (CID) worked
with its federal, state and local law enforcement
partners to successfully prosecute serious en-
vironmental crimes. The CID maintains a strong
26 Compliance and Stewardship
-------
presence across the Pacific Southwest from its
offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Di-
ego, and Sacramento, Calif., Phoenix, Ariz., and
Honolulu, Hawaii. For contact information, go to
www.epa.gov/region09/enforcement/cid
Arizona Area
EPA took 97 enforcement actions against pollut-
ers in Arizona, the Navajo Nation (which includes
parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico), and
other tribal lands within Arizona in 2004. Some of
the highlights:
Mobil Settles Aneth Oil Spills Case
In a Clean Water Act settlement with EPA, Mobil
Exploration and Producing U.S. Inc. agreed to re-
duce its spills of oil and contaminated water and
build a drinking water pipeline to remote homes
in oil fields on the Navajo Nation, near Aneth in
southeastern Utah. The settlement requires the
company to spend about $4.7 million on improve-
ments in oil field operations to reduce spills and
includes a $515,000 penalty.
Mobil will also spend approximately $327,000 on
environmental improvement projects that include
sewage facilities and a drinking water pipeline ex-
tension that will provide running water to 17 re-
mote homes. Currently, residents must drive up to
an hour to fill 55-gallon drums with drinking water.
The settlement stems from 83 spills of oil and oil/
water mixtures at the company's wells along the
banks of the San Juan River and its tributaries,
on Navajo Nation lands. The tribe had requested
EPA's assistance in resolving this case.
Reducing Hazardous Waste on Gila River
Another action involved hazardous waste viola-
tions at the Firebird International Raceway on the
Gila River Indian Community in Maricopa County,
Ariz. As part of the settlement with EPA, Firebird
is required to purchase equipment to reduce haz-
ardous waste generation and contract with an in-
dependent third party to perform monthly audits
of the facility's waste management practices for
at least one year. The company is also required
to provide environmental compliance training
seminars to at least 15 professional racing teams
at the raceway. Firebird will also pay an $11,000
penalty.
California
In California, which has a larger population than
the rest of the Pacific Southwest Region com-
bined, EPA completed 437 enforcement cases in
2004, more than double the 195 cases in 2003.
Some of the highlights:
PVC Firm Pleads Guilty
to Felony Charges
A Los Angeles County company that made poly-
vinyl chloride (PVC) resin pled guilty to a series
of federal felony charges involving environmental
violations at its Saugus factory, and for lying about
its employees' over-exposure to toxic chemicals.
EPA's Criminal Investigation Division discovered
that the Keysor-Century Corp. knowingly released
toxic wastewater into the Santa Clara River, emit-
ted cancer-causing air pollutants at high levels,
and falsified emission reports to state and federal
agencies. The company also illegally stored and
handled hazardous waste, and failed to maintain
its plant safely. The company was banned from
ever again producing polyvinyl chloride resin, and
ceased operations in late 2003. Keysor-Century
also paid more than $4 million in civil and criminal
penalties and restitution.
Shipping Fleet Pleads Guilty
in Ocean Oil Dumping Case
Hoegh Fleet Services, a Norwegian operator of
a fleet of cargo ships, pled guilty in federal court
to seven felony counts in a case stemming from
a ship that was discharging oil on the high seas.
Vincent Genovana, second engineer on the MV
Hoegh Minerva, admitted that he illegally ordered
a pipefitter to create a bypass pipe to dump oil di-
rectly into the ocean, and made false entries into
a log book to conceal the discharges.
Hoegh Fleet Services was ordered to carry out an
environmental compliance plan, and spend about
$1.6 million on environmental restoration projects.
The company was also placed on probation for
four years and fined $3.5 million. Genovana was
sentenced to 30 days in prison for his role in the
offense, which was revealed by a crew member to
the U.S. Coast Guard during an annual inspection
in California.
Oil well on the Navajo Nation
in the "Four Corners" area,
where the borders of Utah,
Arizona, Colorado, and New
Mexico intersect. Under a
legal settlement with EPA, an
oil company will spend $4.7
million to prevent spills and
leaks from oil fields in this
area.
Compliance and Stewardship 27
-------
Toxic fluids in junked cars,
such as antifreeze and
mercury, can be released
to the environment unless
removed before cars are
crushed.
Preventing Pollution from
Auto Wrecking Yards
As part of an enforcement settlement, Pick Your
Part Auto Wrecking in Hayward, Calif., agreed to
spend $40,000 to remove and recycle mercury
switches from junked cars to prevent this mer-
cury from contaminating the environment. State-
wide, the company also started recycling mercury
switches from about 60,000 salvaged vehicles at
its nine junkyards, the first such program in the
state. Nationwide, an estimated 10 tons of the
silvery, highly toxic liquid metal are released each
year from mercury-containing light switches dur-
ing the shredding and crushing of old vehicles.
To prevent pollution from auto wrecking yards,
the California Auto Dismantlers Association
(SCADA) has created the "Partners in the Solution"
program to ensure that its members adhere
to strong environmental and safety standards.
EPA supports this program, which provides the
education and support needed to bring facili-
ties into compliance. Nearly 200 auto recycling
facilities currently participate. For more informa-
tion, go to www.epa.gov/region09/enforcement/
auto-compliance, html
UC Completes Hazwaste Audits
The University of California (UC) completed haz-
ardous waste, risk management, and emergency
preparedness audits of 47 facilities, including its
agricultural research stations, medical and vet-
erinary schools, and nine campuses. UC report-
ed close to 100 violations of hazardous waste
regulations, which were corrected at the time or
shortly after the audit. As a result of the audits,
UC has redirected resources to improve compli-
ance at each stage of the hazardous waste man-
agement process. The University's Environmental
Health and Safety offices devoted over 23,000
work-hours to the $1.8 million project, which was
unprecedented in scope for an academic institu-
tion. Through the audits and subsequent preven-
tive measures, the University has achieved greater
environmental compliance throughout its system,
and safer conditions for more than 200,000 stu-
dents and employees.
Ensuring Companies File Hazwaste Reports
Thirty-one California companies that use haz-
ardous materials reported more than 36 million
pounds of hazardous waste to EPA in 2004 as
a result of an innovative approach — the nation's
first expedited settlement involving failure to file
biennial reports. Making sure facilities report their
hazardous waste is important to nearby commu-
nities, especially residents of adjacent homes. The
information is also available to firefighters and lo-
cal police who are first to respond to emergencies
at such sites. After discovering that numerous fa-
cilities had failed to file their reports, EPA stream-
lined the process of settling violations in order to
increase compliance. For more information, go to
www, epa.gov/region09/enforcement/hazwaste.html
Nevada
EPA took 26 enforcement actions against pollut-
ers in Nevada in 2004. In settling these actions
with EPA, responsible parties committed $2.5 mil-
lion for improvements to prevent future violations
of environmental laws. They also paid a total of
$731,200 in civil penalties. Some highlights:
Sand Mine, Furniture Maker,
Asbestos Removal Cases
The J.R. Simplot Co. agreed to install air pollution
control equipment worth $2 million to resolve vio-
lations of the federal Clean Air Act at its silica sand
mining facility in Overton, Nev. The facility dries
silica sand in a coal-fired dryer, which generates
sulfur dioxide emissions. These emissions can
cause respiratory illnesses, and can also cause
acid rain. Acid rain damages aquatic life and veg-
etation, and also decreases visibility, which is a
problem at many national parks, including the
Grand Canyon.
EPA required Capital Cabinet Corp., a wood
furniture manufacturer in Las Vegas, to spend
$241,000 on technology to reduce emissions of
smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
by 50 tons per year. This settlement benefits the
fast-growing Las Vegas area since ozone (smog)
levels there exceed the eight-hour ozone health
standard, a violation of the Clean Air Act.
Dean Roberts, owner of Axis Environmental
of Reno, Nev., was sentenced to six months in
prison and three years of supervised release for
knowingly violating the Clean Air Act by illegally re-
moving asbestos-containing material from a com-
mercial building. Roberts also failed to notify state
inspectors about unprotected workers removing
asbestos under his supervision.
28 Compliance and Stewardship
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Hawaii And Pacific Islands
EPA completed 35 enforcement actions in Hawaii
in 2004. In settling these cases with EPA, pollut-
ers committed $80,652 to improve their facilities
to prevent future violations. EPA also collected a
total of $383,377 in civil penalties for clean wa-
ter, hazardous waste, and pesticide violations. In
the outer Pacific islands, EPA completed 27 en-
forcement actions — 14 in Guam, 11 in Ameri-
can Samoa, and two in the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands. Penalties in these ac-
tions totaled $234,204.
University of Hawaii Completes
Hazwaste Prevention Projects
The University of Hawaii has spent $1.2 million to
complete environmental projects that were part of
a 2001 settlement with EPA and the Hawaii De-
partment of Health for hazardous waste violations.
The projects reduced hazardous waste genera-
tion at the university by more than 13,000 pounds
annually. The university also reduced the amount
of chemicals it has to purchase and store, and
reduced the exposure to hazardous chemicals for
students, faculty and staff. The university convert-
ed chemistry labs to microscale, which uses small
amounts of chemicals and special glassware. The
Honolulu Community College print shop was con-
verted to a digital system, eliminating more than
11,000 pounds of silver-based developers, inks,
solvents and other printing wastes. The university
also replaced more than 1,300 pieces of equip-
ment containing a total of about 10 pounds of
highly toxic mercury, and adopted new technol-
ogy to improve paint spraying in various campus
auto body programs.
Multi-State Enforcement
Taking Action Against Mislabeled,
Unregistered Pesticides
In 2004, EPA initiated a multi-state effort to pro-
tect consumers from illegal pesticide products, ul-
timately fining companies in three western states
for trafficking counterfeit and/or unregistered pet
products.
Three companies were cited for allegedly selling
and distributing unregistered versions of "Front-
line" or "Advantage" — popular flea and tick con-
trol products used on dogs and cats. State and
federal inspectors discovered the illegal products
at various retail stores in Oregon, California, Ha-
waii, Pennsylvania and Georgia, and traced the
products to the three companies.
The counterfeit pesticides appeared to have been
unlawfully imported and packaged to look like
U.S.-registered pesticides. Packaged incorrectly
and mislabeled, these products can endanger
pets and their owners, and undercut legitimate
businesses that have registered their products
and included proper safety labeling. Registered
pesticides have an EPA registration number on
the label. EPA will register a pesticide only with
proof that it will not pose an unreasonable risk
when used as directed.
EPA sought fines of $357,000 from Rizing Sun,
LLC, in Peoria, Ariz., and $341,000 from Pang &
Son Distribution, LLC, in Honolulu, Hawaii. The
third company, Tidalwave Distribution, Inc., of
Torrance, Calif., settled a pesticide case, paying
a $50,000 penalty.
Earlier, in March 2004, EPA took actions against
56 companies in seven states, ordering them to
stop selling unregistered pesticide pet products.
"Stop Sale" orders were issued to 56 retailers and
distributors in California, Hawaii, Washington, Or-
egon, Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Preventing Pollution
Before It Occurs
It's far more cost-effective to prevent pollution
than to clean it up after the fact. EPA has a num-
ber of voluntary programs to promote pollution
prevention. Among their accomplishments in the
Pacific Southwest in 2004:
• Air toxics are a serious problem in many in-
ner-city urban areas. EPA is working with
community groups, state and local agencies,
and industries to prevent pollution through the
South Phoenix Multi-Media Toxics Reduction
Project. Forty businesses and eight agencies
are participating. The businesses have vol-
untarily agreed to reduce air emissions of 35
high-hazard chemicals by 20% between 2002
and 2007, and enhance site safety measures
to prevent chemical accidents. Also, EPA is
working with state and local partners to mea-
sure air toxics throughout the Phoenix metro-
Energy Saved
Region 9 Performance Track Members
•— 4
CO
2001 2002
2003
Fifteen facilities that are
members of EPA's National
Environmental Performance
Track in the Pacific Southwest
saved more than 108 billion
BTUs of energy in 2001 -2003
compared to their 2000 usage
— equivalent to the energy
used by 1,000 homes in a year
(see Improving Performance, p.30).
Compliance and Stewardship 29
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Event at Hoover Dam with
EPA Regional Administrator
Wayne Nastri, Administrator
Mike Leavitt and Nevada
Dept. of Conservation and
Natural Resources Director
Allen Biaggi (all sitting left
of speaker) welcoming new
Performance Track members.
politan area in the Joint Air Toxics Assessment
Project. In California, EPA is working with state
and local partners and the community of West
Oakland to reduce pollution from diesel trucks
and engines in the neighborhood.
• An energy-saving lighting demonstration proj-
ect at the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) sys-
tem's Hayward parking garage cut the station's
energy use by 25%, reducing CO2 emissions
by 130,198 pounds annually and providing an
amazingly quick 1.8-year payback. This suc-
cess is readily transferable to parking garages
throughout the nation and is being used in all
new BART construction.
• The University of Nevada, Reno, Business En-
vironmental Program, funded by an EPA grant,
helps businesses to reduce the hazardous
waste they generate. In one year, participating
companies cut their hazardous waste by over
47,000 pounds.
• The California Air Resources Board's Auto
Body Project, an EPA-initiated effort to train
body shop technicians about pollution preven-
tion practices, trained 50 people, reducing air
pollution emissions at their shops by an esti-
mated 15,000 pounds per year.
• Training efforts included EPA's pollution pre-
vention in hospitals workshop in Hawaii, at-
tended by 70 healthcare employees; and
EPA's hazardous waste training at the National
Oil Recyclers Conference in San Diego.
Managing and Reducing
Solid Waste
Ensuring proper solid waste disposal, whether
in the Nevada desert or on the wet Hawaiian is-
lands, continues to pose a challenge in the Pacific
Southwest.
Hawaii has little room for landfills, and recycling
and reuse infrastructure is badly needed. The
state's "Bottle Bill" took effect on Jan. 1, 2005.
An EPA grant is supporting administrative rule de-
velopment for the new law, which encourages the
return of all beer and soft drink containers through
a refund program. Congressional grants of over
$1 million are being spent on model waste, recy-
cling and reuse facilities on the Big Island, where
920 tons of materials were recycled last year.
Nevada has one of the lowest recycling rates in
the country, with little infrastructure or incentive for
recycling. A $60,000 EPA grant to the Clark Coun-
ty Public Education Foundation's School Reuse
project funded distribution of nearly 73,000 used
computers and other reusable items to schools in
the Las Vegas area. This kept 247,000 pounds of
material out of the landfills.
California'slocalgovernmentsmustmeetthestate's
50% recycling mandate. Last year, EPA hosted a
national Deconstruction and Building Materials
Reuse Conference in Oakland, focused on the re-
use of building waste. Two hundred participants,
including national experts in the field, shared new
and cost-effective deconstruction and reuse op-
portunities. EPA also launched a stadium recycling
partnership with the HP Pavilion in San Jose (see
www. epa.gov/region09/waste/stadiumrecycling).
The Federal Electronics Challenge encourages
federal agencies to set up state-of-the-art elec-
tronics recycling programs. The NASA Ames
Research Center and the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory in Northern California pi-
loted the project, and won awards for initiating
this difficult and innovative program as a model
for other federal agencies. For details, go to
www. federalelectronicschallenge. net
Improving Performance
with Environmental
Management Systems
The National Environmental Performance Track is
a voluntary partnership that recognizes environ-
mental leaders in the public and private sectors.
Facilities that demonstrate strong environmental
performance beyond regulatory requirements are
eligible to join. EPA's Pacific Southwest Region
helped develop this innovative program by pilot-
ing the use of Environmental Management Sys-
tems (EMSs), which are required for members.
Since the program began in 2000, membership
has grown steadily, with results ranging from air
pollution reductions to waste minimization. Many
members are leaders in water and energy con-
30 Compliance and Stewardship
-------
As Senior Counsel for Administrative Enforcement
for air and toxics in the Office of Regional Counsel,
Carol Bussey is responsible for the enforcement
of air, asbestos, lead, pesticides and toxics regula-
tions. In addition to her own extensive case load,
Carol oversees nine enforcement attorneys who
prosecute these administrative enforcement ac-
tions in EPAs Pacific Southwest Region.
Carol's tireless efforts have significantly improved
environmental compliance by the construction
industry, federal and state agencies, pesticide
manufacturers, and residential
landlords. In cooperation with
the U.S. Department of Hous-
ing and Urban Development,
Carol brought precedential
enforcement actions against
landlords that improved com-
pliance with lead disclosure
requirements in the Los Ange-
les basin, and resulted in ex-
tensive lead abatement and a
Child Health Improvement Project.
Carol's successes include innovative compliance
initiatives, settlements with far-reaching environ-
mental and community benefits, and winning fa-
vorable decisions at challenging administrative
hearings. Carol continues to receive the highest
accolades from her colleagues in both the Region
and at EPA Headquarters. The EPA Air Enforce-
ment office in Washington, D.C. praised Carol's
oral argument before the Environmental Appeals
Board as one of the best they had ever witnessed.
Carol epitomizes the professionalism and excel-
lence that characterizes EPA's workforce.
Mercury pollution in air, water and land is an issue
that is gaining more and more public attention in
recent years. EPA has proposed several new reg-
ulations regarding mercury as well as the recently
finalized "Roadmap" outlining EPA's strategy for
addressing these concerns.
In the Pacific Southwest, every EPA division is in-
volved in resolving mercury emission and contami-
nation issues, from developing cleanup plans for
mercury-polluted waters, to reducing the use of
mercury containing products and developing pol-
lution prevention efforts, including voluntary indus-
try partnerships. Lisa McClain-Vanderpool has
coordinated this regional mercury team's efforts
with EPA's National Mercury Workgroup.
In addition to her role as Mercury Coordinator for
the Pacific Southwest Region, she has been the
staff lead on the highly suc-
cessful Voluntary Mercury
Emission Reduction Program
with four Nevada gold mining
companies and the Nevada
Department of Environmental
Protection. The partnership
has resulted in a 75% reduc-
tion in mercury air emissions
— a reduction of over 8,300
pounds of mercury emissions
from gold mining processes in Nevada. Lisa is as-
sisting the national effort to transfer the successful
mercury control technology from these gold mines
to the international community through the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). She
is also participating in national efforts to develop
programs for the removal of mercury switches in
old cars, the fourth largest source of mercury air
emissions in the country.
Lisa leads the Innovative Industry Partnerships
Team in the Waste Management Division's Strate-
gic Planning and Partnerships Section. The team
is working with industry to "green" large venues,
develop partnerships for the use of waste oil in
biodiesel, expanding BART's successful program
for energy efficient lighting, and creating markets
for recycled paint. Lisa also coordinated the highly
successful and well-attended National Decon-
struction and Building Materials Reuse Confer-
ence in September 2004.
servation (see graph, p. 29), and new pollution
prevention technologies. The Pacific Southwest
has 39 member facilities, which have made the
program a meaningful venue for government-in-
dustry collaboration.
Benefits to members include public recogni-
tion, networking opportunities, low priority sta-
tus for routine inspections, and other regulatory
and administrative benefits. EPA accepts ap-
plications twice a year: February through April,
and August through October. To learn more
about the program and its participants, go to
www.epa.gov/region09/performancetrack
In 2004, EPA brought the EMS concept south of
the border with an EMS certification training semi-
nar for industries in Tijuana.
EPA's Pacific Southwest Office has its own EMS.
The system includes environmentally preferable
purchasing policies to ensure that the office buys
supplies and equipment that conserve energy
and natural resources, such as 100% post-con-
sumer recycled paper. Contracts with outside
organizations have a "Green Meeting" clause, re-
quiring waste from meetings to be recycled. And
in 2004, EPA's Pacific Southwest regional office in
San Francisco recycled an impressive 93% of its
solid waste.
Compliance and Stewardship 31
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EPA Honors Environmental Heroes
At the Pacific Southwest Region's sixth annual Environmental Awards Ceremony in
San Francisco on April 20, 2004, EPA Regional Administrator Wayne Nastri presented
awards to 36 Western organizations and individuals in recognition of their efforts to
protect and preserve the environment. Award categories included community and non-
profit organizations, government agencies, individuals, businesses and industry, and
news media.
One winner was the Honolulu community group Malama o Manoa. The group worked
with the city Board of Water Supply to integrate water quality and conservation into
local schools' curricula. Students surveyed neighbors about their awareness of these
issues. The group then conducted an outreach program with 200 volunteers, who
stenciled "Don't Dump" messages on storm drains, delivered brochures, produced a
video, and sponsored tours of city water facilities.
Elementary, middle school, and high school students can also be nominated for the
annual President's Environmental Youth Awards. For more information, go to www.epa.
gov/region09/enviroed
Business owner Annie Chun of San Rafael, Calif.,
accepts an award from EPA's Laura Yoshii and
Wayne Nastri. Annie Chun's All Natural Asian
Cuisine was the first U.S. company to introduce a
biodegradable/compostable bowl.
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Field Office Opens
in Los Angeles
Entrance to EPA's Southern California
Field Office, on Wilshire Boulevard in
Los Angeles
In June 2004, EPA opened a
Southern California Field Office
in downtown Los Angeles to more effectively manage environmental pro-
grams in this important part of the Pacific Southwest Region. The counties
of Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego, along with the western
portions of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, together represent a
constituency of nearly 20 million people, as well as the world's 11th-largest
economy.
Field office staff work with state and local agencies, businesses, non-profits,
the news media, and the public to address a variety of issues facing South-
ern California. These include clean air, proper management of dredged ma-
terials at Southern California's largest ports, preparation of Total Maximum
Daily Loads (TMDLs) that contribute to cleaner beaches and waterways,
cleanup of leaking underground tanks, community involvement at Superfund
sites, responding to environmental emergencies, and criminal enforcement
of environmental laws.
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
Pacific Southwest/
Region 9 Contacts
Phone Inquiries
415.947.8000
or 866.EPA.WEST (toll-free)
Email Inquiries
r9.info@epa.gov
EPA Web Site
www.epa.gov
For Pacific Southwest Issues
www.epa.gov/region09
Offices
EPA Pacific Southwest Region
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA94105
EPA Pacific Islands Contact Office
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 5124
Honolulu, HI 96850
3.541.2710
EPA San Diego Border Office
610 West Ash St., Suite 905
San Diego, CA92101
619.235.4765
EPA Southern California Field Office
600 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1460
Los Angeles, CA90017
213.244.1800
To Obtain This Report
Order from EPA's Environmental Information Center
at 415.947.8000, or 866.EPA.WEST (toll-free),
email r9.info@epa.gov or view and print from the
Internet at www.epa.gov/region09/annualreport
®EPA
Printed on 100% recycled paper, 50% post-consumer
content - process chlorine-free
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 2005-784-229
-------
EPA Pacific Southwest/Region 9
Environmental Information Center
Web: www.epa.gov/region09
Email: r9.info@epa.gov
Phone: 866.EPA.WEST (toll-free)
415.947.8000
Office of the Regional Administrator
415.947.8702
Wayne Nastri, Regional Administrator
Laura Yoshii, Deputy Regional
Administrator
Carla Moore, Civil Rights Director
Steven John, Southern California Field
Office Director
Office of Public Affairs
415.947.8700
Sally Seymour, Director
Public Information/News Media Relations
Partnerships: State, Congressional Liaison
Compliance Assurance Coordination
Office of Regional Counsel
415.947.8705
Nancy Marvel, Regional Counsel
Legal Counsel
Civil and Criminal Enforcement
Defensive Litigation, Ethics
Air Division
415.947.8715
Deborah Jordan, Director
Planning, Permits, Rulemaking
Enforcement, Technical Support
Radiation & Compliance Assurance
Grants & Program Integration
Superfund Division
415.947.8709
Keith Takata, Director
Site Cleanup, Brownfields, Oil Pollution
Federal Facilities and Base Closures
Emergency Response & Planning
Community Involvement, Site Assessment
Waste Management Division
415.947.8708
Jeff Scott, Director
Pollution Prevention, Solid Waste
RCRA Permits/Corrective Action
RCRA Inspections & Enforcement
RCRA State Program Development
Underground Storage Tank Program
Water Division
415.947.8707
Alexis Strauss, Director
Clean Water Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Marine Sanctuaries Act
Communities and Ecosystems Division
415.947.8704
Enrique Manzanilla, Director
Agriculture Program, Environmental Justice
Pesticides, Toxics, TRI
Environmental Review/NEPA
Tribal Programs, Pacific Islands
U.S.-Mexico Border Program
Stewardship/Performance Track
Policy and Management Division
415.947.8706
Jane Diamond, Director
Budget, Finance/Grants/Contracts
Strategic Planning, Science Policy
Laboratory & OA/QC, Facilities
Information Resource Management
Health & Safety, Human Resources
Southern California Field Office (Los Angeles)
Pacific Islands Contact Office (Honolulu)
San Diego Border Office (San Diego)
213.244.1800
.541.2710
619.235.4765
©EPA
U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest/Region 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA94105
Official Business Only
Penalty for Private Use
Address Service Requested
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