EPA910-K-09-007 I December 2009 United States Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 Office of Air, Waste and Toxics Accomplishments Report for Fiscal Year 2009 EPA Region 10 Office of Air, Waste and Toxics ------- Region 10 Office of Air, Waste and Toxics Accomplishments Report for Fiscal Year 2009 The Office of Air, Waste and Toxics in EPA Region 10 works in close partnership with States, local, Tribes, and communities to promote protect air quality, control toxics, and manage waste to achieve a healthy environment in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. This report highlights some of our most significant accomplishments over the past year. Rick Albright, Director Jan Hastings, Associate Director Kathy Veit, Associate Director Priority Areas: • Enhancing Tribal Environments 2 • Reducing Greenhouse Gases, Reaching for Sustainability 5 • Protecting Clean Air 7 • Advancing Waste Management 10 • Contacts for More Information 13 ------- Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Enhancing Tribal Environments Air Tribal Strategic Plan Addressing Tribal Needs: In March 2009, the State and Tribal Air Programs Unit finalized a strategic plan to improve air quality in Indian country by directing EPA resources to critical areas. I The strategic plan identifies over sixty projects in critical focus areas including I particulate matter and burning, air toxics, and indoor air. The plan will also help j improve information quality, interagency communication, and data sharing between EPA Region 10 staff and Tribes over the next two to five years. FARR Program Continues to Help Tribes Improve Air Quality on Reservations and Beyond: The Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR) is a unique program established by Region 10 to establish air quality programs on Indian Reservations in the Pacific Northwest, including a comprehensive program for regulating agricultural burning. Accomplishments during the past year include: • Renewing one Title V permit, issuing four other non-Title V permits, and two Notices of Violations, • Calling ten burn bans, • Hosting a FARR Complaint Response Workshop and responding to 43 complaints, • Registering approximately 120 air pollution sources, • Providing targeted open burning compliance assistance to mint growers on the Yakama Reservation, • Meeting with five fire departments that serve four reservations to discuss the implementation of the FARR, and • Developing model fugitive particulate matter plans to educate sources on the requirement to perform surveys and develop plans under the FARR. Under the FARR, the Nez Perce Tribe issued burn permits for 45,611 agricultural acres, 775 piles and 285 acres of forestry burning, 118 large open burns, and 1,050 small open burns; and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation issued over 100 open burning permits. The FARR regulates agricultural burning of orchard debris. Reaching Out to North Slope Communities: ^V In May 2009, over 25 tribal community members attended the stakeholder meetings on permits for oil and gas exploration on Outer Continental Shelf of Alaska's arctic region. Region 10 managers and staff traveled to Kotzebue and Barrow, Alaska, to conduct stakeholder meetings, a workshop, and an open house to discuss EPA's planned outreach activities for Outer Continental oil and gas exploration, air and water permitting, and hear native communities Whaling is critical to tribal members in Barrow, concerns about the proposed exploration Alaska and development. In September 2009, we returned to the North Slope hosting a series of public meetings, public hearings and consultations with Tribal governments. Study Shows Open Dumps in Indian Country Increasing: In 2009, EPA Regional Offices and the Indian Health Service worked together to complete a national inventory of open waste dumps in Indian Country. The update shows that the number of open dumps has climbed from 1200 in 1998 to above 3000 in 2009. The updated inventory presents highly credible and current information that will inform a variety of efforts and initiatives for closing open dumps. The inventory includes 578 dumps in Region 10, 69 of which are ranked as high health threats. This is an outcome of our effort working with the Indian Program Policy Council and other Regional offices to get new national Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) measures adopted which includes the closure, clean-up and upgrade of open dumps in Indian Country. Tribes and EPA Partner to Deliver Big on Solid Waste Targets: In Fiscal Year 2009, the Tribal Solid and Hazardous Waste Team and Region 10 tribes, building on a track record of significantly exceeding commitments, reported strong results at improving tribal solid waste sanitation. The results include: • Cleaning up 10 tribal open dumps; • Developing 12 integrated Tribal waste management plans; • Providing technical assistance to 96 tribes; • Investigating an illegal dumping case; and • Conducting 31 inspections or compliance assistance visits with tribes. Updated data will allow EPA to track open dumps surrounding many Alaska tribal housing areas. ------- Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Tribal Solid Waste Liaisons Ride the Circuit: | As part of the Solid Waste Circuit Rider programs, solid waste liaisons Al LaTourette and Ted Jacobson visited 19 villages and reservations throughout Region 10, working one-on-one with I tribal staff to build capacity to improve ! solid waste sanitation. The liaisons visited landfills and dump sites and provided technical assistance on how i to improve solid waste systems. Al I and Ted have nearly 30 years of Nineteen students part,c,pated m the St. Mary's Rural combined experience working in waste Alaska LandM Operators class. management Al LaTourette has also built considerable expertise in geographic information systems - locating and mapping dozens of dump sites in the Pacific Northwest region and training tribal staff to do the same. Ted Jacobson is an experienced trainer for the Rural Alaska Landfill Operators Training Course (RALO) - this year Ted served as a trainer at three training courses, training representatives from 24 villages in Alaska on best management practices. Interagency Efforts to Control Makah Warmhouse Beach Dump Site: In response to a citizen complaint about the Makah Warmhouse Beach dump site, EPA and the Makah tribe hosted a meeting with other Federal agencies including Indian Health Service, US Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Army Corps of Engineers, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to share information and explore potential ways to address the historically uncontrolled dump site. At the meeting, Acting Regional Administrator Michelle Pirzadeh reaffirmed EPA's trust responsibility as lead regulatory agency on waste management and the Army Corps of Engineers explained how to request that the dump site be re-examined for eligibility under the Formerly Used Defense Sites clean up program. As a result of the meeting, the Makah tribe is working with agencies in a more systematic and coordinated way to address the serious waste problem, and has now signed a funding agreement with USDA-Rural Development to construct a solid waste transfer station on the reservation Multi-Agency efforts will help the Makah Tribe address the Warmhouse Beach Dump Site issues. Reducing Greenhouse Gases, Reaching for Sustainability Region 10 Walks the Talk on Green Purchasing: To help the Region walk the talk on reducing greenhouse gases through energy efficiency and the promotion of renewable energy technologies, the Region 10 Pollution Prevention Team: • Developed a new purchasing mechanism for the Region's Renewable Energy Credits, • Investigated the possible use of ZipCar for EPA use, and • Benchmarked region-wide employee air travel to inform policy development, recommend reduction goals, and offset the resulting greenhouse gas emissions during Fiscal Year 2009. Newly Formed West Coast Forum Urges Governments to Integrate Waste Management into Climate Change Efforts: In the fall of 2008, EPA along with interested state and local governments formed the West Coast Forum which resulted in benefits including increased government and cross-regional coordination, clarity on new policy options, and increased visibility for Materials Management as a Greenhouse Gas reduction opportunity. The West Coast Forum urges government agencies to move forward on integrating materials management into climate change discussions, and integrating climate change into waste and materials management program planning. Together, these governments have prioritized their activities and formed networks of committed professionals to work in specific areas including communications, research, and Greenhouse Gas inventories. In 2009, we have worked with Regions 1 and 2 to support the launching of a similar East Coast working group. We look forward to seeing greater partnership with other regions on the workgroups, additional work integrating materials management into the national programs under development, and significant progress on integrating materials management into the local government protocols and inventories in Fiscal Year 2010. www.epa.gov/region10/westcoastclimate Twenty Agencies Accept Challenge to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint: Twenty agencies representing hundreds of facilities participated in the Federal Green Challenge to reduce their carbon footprint by 5% in one year. We launched the Federal Green Challenge as a partnership between EPA Region 10 and the Office of Federal Environmental Executive challenging Federal facilities to reduce their carbon footprint in 4 high priority areas: energy, transportation, waste and water. The program has been a huge success with partners, as it has given them a framework to increase environmental and Environmental Management System work in their facilities. The first year results will be available in November 2009. Region 10 has worked with several other regions to adopt the program and is in discussions with EPA Headquarters about incorporating the Federal Electronics Challenge and expanding the Federal Green Challenge to a national program. www.epa.gov/federalgreenchallenge ------- Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Federal Symposium on Sustainable Practices Attracts Over 300 Participants: More than 300 participants attended 117 separate training tracks on sustainable practices at the June, 2009 Federal Environmental Symposium West at Bellevue, Washington, co-chaired by our office and the Office of Federal Environmental Executive, Council of Environmental Quality. The symposium is a technical training aimed at helping federal practitioners gain expertise in sustainable practices. The training targeted the practices and technologies for on recycling, waste and pollution prevention, green purchasing, sustainable buildings, energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, fleet management, and electronics stewardship. The event also included educational visits to: Mercer Island Slough and Environmental Education Center; Cedar Hills Regional Landfill gas to energy project; Cedar River Watershed; and Seattle City Hall and Fire Station, both LEED facilities. Fifty-one Agencies Gathered by Video conference to Collaborate on Climate Change: The Climate Air Quality Conference • was a multi-site (6 locations in 4 states) video conference held by our office and the Office of Environmental Assessment 1 convening 51 Federal/State/Local/ Tribal partners to discuss Air Quality and Climate Change. The conference objectives were to share the latest information on the projected effects of climate change on air quality in the Pacific NW and Alaska, to share the latest information on air quality/ greenhouse gas or climate change linkages and to showcase examples of tools and discuss challenges and opportunities related to controlling greenhouse gases while controlling criteria pollutants and air toxics in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. By convening the multi-site video conference, the partners were able walk the talk in reducing each agency's travel related carbon footprint. Clean and Green Policy Promotes Sustainable Cleanups in Region 10: I Our office director and the Directors of Offices of Environmental Cleanup and the Office of i Compliance and Enforcement signed EPA Region 10's Clean and Green Policy on August 13, 2009. The goal of the Policy is to enhance the environmental benefits of federal cleanup programs by promoting technologies and practices that are sustainable. The Policy applies to all Superfund cleanups including those performed by Potentially Responsible Parties, States or Tribes through Cooperative Agreements, EPA and/or the Army Corps of Engineer contractors, and Federal Facilities; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act corrective action cleanups performed under EPA oversight; EPA-led Leaking Underground Storage Tank cleanups; and cleanup activities implemented through EPA's Brownfields grant program. Region 10 also intends to promote this policy for inclusion in state-authorized and state-led cleanup programs. Protecting Clean Air Working with Communities to Improve Fine Particulate Air Pollution: In 2008 we designated five new nonattainment areas in the region as failing to comply with the 2006 fine particulate matter (PM25) standards. Our goal is to ensure that all areas meet the PM25 standard by the statutory deadline resulting in improved health for the citizens of these communities. States, local agencies, and tribes have been working with the affected communities to help them attain the standards. Many of these PM25 nonattainment areas in our region are rural, isolated, sparsely populated communities. In many of these communities, woodstoves and other wood burning sources contribute to fine particulate pollution. Reducing emissions from such sources will be a key to helping them attain the standards. To this end, the region is already working to promote woodstove change-out programs and outreach campaigns in all of these communities. Georgia Basin - Puget Sound International Airshed Strategy Enhancing Interagency Relationships: Begun in 2001 as a multi-agency, cooperative effort to address air quality management in the transboundary region, the International Airshed Strategy Coordinating Committee includes members from federal, provincial, state, and regional air/ health agencies as well as First Nations and Tribes. Topics have included governmental climate initiatives, assessment of climate change impacts and regional air quality, as well as climate change/ greenhouse gas initiatives as they relate to the 2010 Vancouver/Whistler Olympics, and sustainable community design. Environment Canada Pacific Yukon Region and EPA Region 10 have been serving as the secretariat for the International Airshed Strategy and continue coordinating semiannual meetings of the Strategy Coordinating Committee and facilitating the work of the six working group initiatives in Fiscal Year 2009. Recent accomplishments include: Multi-Agency collaborative efforts will address air quality issues in the Puget Sound Georgia Basin Port terminals using biodiesel blends in cargo handling equipment, Shipping lines using distillate fuels while docking, Recycling programs in agricultural plastics burning, and Multi-agency cooperative outreach efforts in wood stoves upgrades. ------- Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Taiwan-U.S. Bilateral Cooperation Improving Ports Air Quality: U.S. and Taiwan officials working together to improve ports air quality. Taiwan EPA has announced plans to establish emissions inventories for port air pollutants, draft appropriate management policies for both mobile and stationary sources of port air pollutants, and develop domestic regulations in alignment with Annex 6 of MARPOL. This is a result of the fall 2008 U.S.-Taiwan Bilateral Environmental Cooperation Port Air Quality Partnership Conference co-sponsored by EPA Region 10. The EPA Region 10 Diesel Program supported this conference by staffing a delegation that included the U.S. EPA, Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma and Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The emissions inventory work is currently well underway, and a follow-up meeting is slated for November 2009 that will focus on management policies. waste water from the collision repair industry with the added co-benefit of significant cost savings for auto body shop owners. This approach has made the Region 10 Collision Repair Campaign one of the most successful in the nation. The Campaign Team was recognized with both a national silver medal and regional bronze medal for their innovative approaches and national leadership in collaborative problem solving and achieving environmental results in sensitive communities. Diesel Program Awards 15 Grants to Help Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The West Coast Collaborative and Region 10 Diesel Program awarded over 15 grants funded by the Diesel Emission Reduction Act 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These grants will conserve diesel fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the Diesel Program moves toward integrating diesel emissions reduction goals with climate change mitigation goals. This "co-benefits" approach is a result of the Annual West Coast Collaborative Partners Meeting that included a strong focus on the nexus between climate protection and diesel emissions reduction, including a discussion of multi-pollutant reduction strategies, the role of black carbon and the projected impact of climate change on air quality. WEST COAST COLLABORATIVE Public-private partnership to reduce diesel emissions Five Schools in Region 10 Chosen as Air Toxics Monitoring Stations: EPA staff working with State and local air agencies responded to over 100 inquiries from concerned citizens, media, and state and local partners on air toxics monitoring at four Region 10 schools. EPA developed outreach and education material, conducted public meetings, and site visits for the schools covering topics that included air monitoring and analysis, indoor air quality, and children's health. EPA launched the School Air Toxics Initiative to provide air toxics monitoring at 62 selected schools nationwide in response to a series of USA Today articles on air quality at schools. The schools identified in Region 10 are: Concord Elementary in Seattle, WA; St. Helen's in Longview, WA, Harriet Tubman in Portland, OR, and Toledo Elementary in Toledo OR. In addition, a school on the Nez Perce Reservation was chosen as one of five tribal schools identified nationally for air toxics monitoring. Monitoring has begun at all the sites, and data will be posted within a month of initial samples being collected. Collision Repair Campaign Saves Business Over $2 Million; Results in 84,000 Ibs of Toxic Emission Reduction: The Region 10 Collision Repair Campaign resulted in over $2 million in cost savings for area businesses and 84,000 Ibs in air toxics emission reductions. In Fiscal Year 2009, the Region 10 Collision Repair Campaign Team applied exceptional energy, intelligence, and creativity in collaborating with over 40 public and private sector organizations. This collaboration has resulted in an innovative approach to "beyond compliance" assistance that has reduced harmful air emissions, hazardous waste, and First-Ever Round of Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) Funds Awarded: In FY2009, the Region 10 Diesel Team together with the Region 9 Diesel Team and the West Coast Collaborative distributed just under $5.4 million dollars to eight projects across the two regions under the 2008 DERA competition. In Region 10, $1.85M in grant award funding was extended to the City of Portland, Idaho Dept. of Environmental Quality and the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for projects to clean up construction equipment, school buses, and port-side cargo handling equipment, respectively. Taken collectively, the projects are expected to reduce PM emissions by approximately 21 tons and NOx emissions by approximately 14 tons, over the lifetime of the retrofits. And additional $200K DERA allocation grants were awarded to environmental agencies in Region 10 states in early 2009, funding a variety of diesel emissions reduction projects, including school bus retrofits, cargo-handling retrofits and public fleet retrofits. North Star retrofitted ship. Diesel retrofit projects will reduce PM emissions by 21 tons and NOx emissions by 14 tons. 9 ------- Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Recovery Act Injects Additional $6.5 million to Region 10 Diesel Emission Programs: In the spring of 2009, our Diesel Program awarded an additional $1.73M in allocation funding per state designed to bolster state diesel emissions reduction programs and four competitively selected projects totaling $6.5M as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The state diesel funding will allow states to retrofit, repower or replace dirty diesel engines that operate in poor air quality areas and/or affect sensitive populations such as children. In many cases, projects will also improve fuel efficiency and/or conserve diesel fuel creating a win-win-win strategy in that it decreases criteria pollutants to improve air quality and public health; reduces greenhouse gas emissions to combat global climate change; and saves partners money to aid in economic recovery. The competitive awards included the following programs: • Puget Sound Clean Air Agency working with BNSF Railroad to repower three locomotive switcher engines; • Port of Tacoma will work with the TOTE shipping line to electrify a major shipping terminal; • Cascade Sierra Solutions will work directly with truckers and trucking firms along major goods movement corridors in Region 10 to install aerodynamic fittings on long-haul trucks; and • City of Portland expanding its project to retrofit construction equipment contracted on public works projects in urban neighborhoods. Advancing Waste Management Commingled Recycling Standard and Guidelines will Increase Recycling, Reduce Carbon: In coordination with Washington and Oregon stakeholders, we developed standards, guidelines and an evaluation protocol for commingled recycling systems in Fiscal Year 2009. Both Oregon and Washington have launched state efforts to take the standards and put them into their local government contracts. Both states are using the evaluation protocols as part of their waste composition studies and as part of their recycling program evaluations. We have succeeded in winning stakeholder commitment to increase recycled material yields by 7% over 3 years. This will result in 325,000 tons of increased recycling. In terms of climate change, this is a savings of 963,422 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTC02E), which is comparable to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 176,451 passenger vehicles. Importantly, the process also promises to make recycling systems more efficient and save taxpayer money. This innovative approach is paving the way for other states and communities grappling with the same recycling program problems. http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/homepage.nsfAopics/ccrs Region 10 Awards Nation's First Lead Renovation Repair and Painting Trainer Accreditation: In Fiscal Year 2009, we accredited five Lead Renovation Repair and Painting training providers including RGA Environmental in Seattle and Western Regional Lead Training Center in Portland. RGA Environmental was the first RRP accreditation awarded nation-wide. We will also begin certifying firms that provide lead renovation, repair, and painting services. This is a result of the April 22, 2008 EPA Lead Renovation Repair and Painting final rule published in the Federal Register which: • Established lead safe work practices for renovation, repair, and painting projects in housing and child-occupied facilities constructed prior to 1978, • Required training for renovators performing this work, • Established an EPA accreditation process for training providers who train lead renovators and dust sampling technicians, and • Required lead-safe work practices starting April 22, 2010. Working with States, Advancing Waste Management: During Fiscal Year 2009, we received and granted final approval to the State of Idaho for all delegable Federal hazardous waste regulations, enabling the State of Idaho to control hazardous waste from the time it is generated until its ultimate disposal. The state coordinators also negotiated and renewed the Performance Partnership Agreement with the State of Washington. The new agreement reduces administrative burdens and costs to the State of Washington in managing the hazardous waste program. 10 11 ------- Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Highlights in Fiscal Year 2009 Permitting and Corrective Action Making Significant Progress: EPA and Region 10 States have been making significant progress on contaminated site cleanup and permitting at Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Treatment, Storage and Disposal facilities. Fiscal Year 2009 accomplishments include: • Evaluated and determined that nine (9) facilities are successful in controlling human exposures to hazardous waste; • Evaluated and determined that ten (10) facilities are successful in mitigating the migration of contaminated groundwater; • Verified construction of a final remedy at three (3) facilities; and • Achieved new or updated controls at two (2) facilities via permitting actions. First-ever Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Standardized Permit: I In Fiscal Year 2009, the RCRA Corrective I Action and Permits team requested 5? public review and comment on the Draft Standardized Hazardous Waste Storage a Permit (Permit) for the BP Exploration 1 (Alaska), Inc. (BPXA) Prudhoe Bay facility. " The Permit is the first RCRA standardized permit to be issued in the nation allowing a more efficient and streamlined process for future RCRA permits. The Permit includes requirements for the clean up of hazardous • waste releases, and incorporates by jf reference BPXA's RCRAAdministrative Si Order on Consent, dated October 3, 2007 The BPXA Prudhoe Bay facility was first to receivf as the corrective action requirements, a RCRA standardized permit. allowing BPXA to generate and store wastes related to oil and gas production, and continue to store hazardous waste in containers at their Prudhoe Bay facility. For More Information Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about our programs. We appreciate your comments and your continuous efforts in promoting clean air, controlling toxics, and managing waste for a healthy environment. Rick Albright, Director Office of Air, Waste and Toxics Phone: 206-553-1847 Email: Albright.Rick@epa.gov Janis Hastings, Associate Director Office of Air, Waste and Toxics Phone: 206-553-1582 Email: Hastings.Janis@epa.gov Kathy Veit, Associate Director Office of Air, Waste and Toxics Phone: 206-553-1352 Email: Veit.Kathleen@epa.gov Laura Castrilli, Contact Corrective Action Permits Team Phone: 206-553-4323 Email: Castrilli.Laura@epa.gov Christina Colt, Unit Manager Solid Waste and Toxics Unit Phone: 206-553-0058 Email: Colt.Christina@epa.gov Nancy Helm, Unit Manager Federal and Delegated Air Programs Unit Phone: 206-553-6908 Email: Helm.Nancy@epa.gov Mahbubul Islam, Unit Manager State and Tribal Air Programs Unit Phone: 206-553-6985 Email: lslam.Mahbubul@epa.gov Lisa McArthur, Unit Manager Resource Management and State Programs Unit Phone: 206-553-1814 Email: Mcarthur.Lisa@epa.gov 12 13 ------- ------- |