EPA Awards Texas and Louisiana Grants to Monitor Water Quality at Coastal Beaches The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has begun awarding up to $9.24 million across 39 states, territories and tribes to develop and implement beach monitoring and notification programs. Upon meeting the eligibility requirements, the state of Louisiana will receive $314,000 and the state of Texas will receive $343,000. Under the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, EPA awards grants to eligible state, territorial and tribal applicants to help them and their local government partners monitor water quality at coastal and Great Lakes beaches. When bacteria levels are too high for safe swimming, these agencies notify the public by posting beach warnings or closing the beach. Since 2002, state and local governments, territories and tribes have used nearly $167 million in EPA BEACH Act grants to monitor beaches for fecal indicator bacteria, maintain and operate public notification systems, identify local pollution sources, and report results of monitoring and notification activities to EPA. As part of EPA's efforts to better protect Americans who plan to swim and play in or near the water the summer, the agency recently issued recommendations for water quality criteria and swimming advisory values for two cyanotoxins. Algal blooms caused by cyanobacteria sometimes produce cyanotoxins that can be harmful to people recreating in or on the water when present above certain concentrations. EPA's recommendations are available for states to consider if they develop water quality standards or local swimming advisories for cyanotoxins. EPA also released infographics that states, and communities can use to communicate basic information about harmful algal blooms (HABs) to the public. States, tribes and waterbody managers can download handout- and poster-sized infographic files, along with instructions on how to add local contact information, from EPA's newly refreshed Cyanobacterial HABs website EPA's 2019 BEACH Act grant funding, contingent upon meeting the eligibility requirements, will be allocated to the following states, territories and tribes: For further information contact: Tracy Bone, (202) 564-5257, email at bone,tracv@epa.gov. DO YOU HAVE ARTICLES FOR THE SMALLBIZ@EPA NEWSLETTER? FORWARD TO: ELNORA THOMPSON AT: THOMPSON.ELNORA@EPA.GOV EPA'S OMBUDSMAN, JOAN B. ROGERS AT: ROGERS.JOANB@EPA.GOV ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses EPA Spring 2019 Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions Shows Commitment to Strong Environmental Protection and Regulatory Reform The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency along with the rest of the federal government, released the Spring 2019 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, which provides updates to the public about regulatory activity. EPA's Spring 2019 Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions continues to support President Trump's commitment to regulatory reform while simultaneously advancing the Agency's core mission of protecting human health and the environment. From reducing NOx emissions from heavy-duty trucks to cost-benefit reforms to addressing emerging chemicals of concern, EPA's Spring Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions shows continued progress in reducing regulatory burden as envisioned by Executive Order 13771. Along with 35 actions that are appearing for the first time, this agenda lists 57 actions that are expected to be deregulatory. Examples of both include: • The Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles Rule for Model Years 2021-2026 Passenger Cars and Light Trucks; • Regulatory Determinations for Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid • Control of Air Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Fleavy-Duty Engine Standards; • On-Highway Heavy-Duty Trailers: Review of Standards and Requirements; • Clarification of State Certification Procedures Under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act; • Clean Air Act Benefit-Cost Reforms; • Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Emission Standards for New, Reconstructed, and Modified Sources Reconsideration; • Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs Under the Clean Air Act; Reconsideration of Amendments. Revised Definition of'Waters of the United States'; and • Pesticides; Agricultural Worker Protection Standard; Revision of the Application Exclusion Zone Requirements. For more information about regulatory reform at EPA: www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/epa- deregulatorv-actions EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses EPA Awards Over $9.3 Million to Clean Up School Buses The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded more than $9.3 million to replace 473 older diesel school buses. The funds are going to 145 school bus fleets in 43 states or territories, each of which will receive rebates through EPA's Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding. The new buses will reduce pollutants that are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung damage. There was a total of six applications selected in EPA Region 2 with winners in New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico for rebate funds to assist in replacing old diesel school buses to achieve significant reductions in student's exposure to harmful emissions. The six selected applicants propose replacing a total of 39 buses at a total rebate funding amount of $725,000. In Puerto Rico, Transporte Sonnell, LLC, in Corozal was selected to replace ten school buses for a total rebate funding amount of $150,000. In New Jersey, four applicants were selected. North Brunswick Township Board of Education, in North Brunswick was selected to replace 3 school buses for a total rebate funding amount of $55,000. Toms River Regional Schools, in Toms River was selected to replace 10 school buses for a total rebate funding amount of $200,000. Wall Township Board of Education, in Wall was selected to replace 5 school buses for a total rebate funding amount of $100,000. George Dapper, Inc., in Iselin was selected to replace 10 school buses for a total rebate funding amount of $200,000. In New York (NY), Honeoye Central School District, in Honeoye was selected to replace 1 school bus for a total rebate funding amount of $20,000. Applicants replacing buses with engine model years of 2006 and older will receive rebates between $15,000 and $20,000, depending on the size of the bus. Regional, state, or tribal agencies including school districts and municipalities, or private entities that operate school buses under contract with state, tribal or local agencies were eligible to apply. Over the last 7 years, EPA has awarded approximately $39 million in rebates to replace almost 2,000 school buses. Bus replacements funded through the rebate program reduce emissions and exposure to particulate matter and nitrogen oxides for children at schools, bus stops, and on the buses themselves. School buses travel over four billion miles each year, providing the safest transportation to and from school for more than 25 million American children every day. However, exhaust from diesel buses can harm health, especially in children, who have a faster breathing rate than adults and whose lungs are not yet fully developed. EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner, but many older diesel school buses are still operating. These older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to instances of aggravated asthma, lung damage and other serious health problems. The 2018 DERA school bus rebate recipients can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/clean-diesel- rebates EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses Small Business Environmental Assistance Program SBEAP | Q's & A's ' ;JAALI- BUSINESS 5S~| PROGRAM \ Question: As an aerospace job shop, our facility generates hazardous waste from our painting and coating processes. Since this makes us a hazardous waste generator, who at our facility must attend mandatory training? What is the frequency, and do I have to keep records of the training? Gerald Generator Answer: Dear Gerald: Great question! In the environmental compliance arena, training is key to understanding your regulatory requirements and responsibilities. Generally, any personnel who handle or manage hazardous waste as part of their position need to be trained based on what their duties require. For example, the environmental manager who oversees the hazardous waste management program should be thoroughly trained on all aspects of hazardous waste management, from hazardous waste determinations to signing manifests and emergency preparedness. However, the paint technician, who simply generates waste from paint-gun cleaning, may only need to be trained on container management elements and on knowing which items hazardous waste are. Hazardous waste training requirements vary based on size of generator your facility is. They may also vary if your state has regulations that are more stringent than EPA's. A summary of the requirements by generator category can be found on EPA's website. However, some states, such as Kansas and Minnesota, have more stringent requirements for training. To inquire about state-specific hazardous waste generator rules, click on this map to find your state SBEAP. Finally, if you don't document the training, then how do you prove it was completed? Always document training by listing the training topic, the trainer, the date and have the individuals who were trained, sign and date the training log. Remember, if you need additional assistance, email Ask SBEAP or call us at 800-578-8898. EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses SUBJECT: Allocations of Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Allowances from New Unit Set-Asides for 2019 Control Periods http://www.epa. no v/dock ets/contacts. h tin Federal Register: Vol. 84, No. 102, Tuesday, May 28, 2019/ Notices AGENCY: EPA ACTION: Notice of availability for comment. SUMMARY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice of the availability of data on emission allowance allocations to certain units under the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) trading programs. EPA has completed preliminary calculations for the first round of allocations of allowances from the CSAPR new unit set-asides (NUSAs) for the 2019 control periods and has posted spreadsheets containing the calculations on EPA's website. EPA will consider timely objections to the preliminary calculations (including objections concerning the identification of units eligible for allocations) before determining the final amounts of the first-round allocations. For further information contact: Kenon Smith, (202) 343-9164 email at smith.kenon@epa.gov or Jason Kuhns at (202) 564-3236 or email at kuhns.jason@epa.gov. EPA FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES SUBJECT: Federal Implementation Plan to Establish a Bank for Ozone Precursor Emission Reduction Credits from Existing Sources on Indian Country Lands Within the Uinta Basin Ozone Nonattainment Area http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.html Federal Register: Vol. 84, No 80, Thursday, April 25, 2019/Proposed Rules AGENCY: EPA ACTION: Advance notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: The purpose of this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) is to solicit broad feedback on different approaches to establishing a voluntary emission reduction credit (ERC) bank for ozone precursors, specifically volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOX), as part of a Clean Air Act (CAA) Federal Implementation Plan (FIP) applicable to stationary sources on Indian country lands within the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation (U&O Reservation) that are part of the Uinta Basin Ozone Nonattainment Area. The EPA designated portions of the "Uinta Basin" region nonattainment for the 2015 Ozone NAAQS, effective August 3, 2018. The ERCs described in this ANPRM could be generated and used for several air quality planning purposes: assisting in achievement of the ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS); general conformity demonstrations, and nonattainment new source review (NNSR) permitting related to development of new VOC and NOX emissions sources in Indian country portions of the Uinta Basin Ozone Nonattainment Area in Utah. We are also inviting comment on the potential for the bank to interact with sources that are outside the nonattainment area or the U&O Reservation. For further information contact: Chris Dresser, (303) 312-0635, email at dresser.chris@epa.gov. EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- |