EPA Awards $9.7 Million for Air Quality Projects in The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) $9.7 million for projects to improve air quality in the Salt Lake City area and the Uinta Basin. EPA grants, part of the agency's Targeted Airshed Grants program, support state and locally-led efforts to reduce emissions in areas facing air quality challenges associated with ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), commonly known as smog and soot. EPA will provide Utah DEQ with grants for the following projects: Salt Lake City area - $4.7 million to repair and replace passenger vehicles that fail emissions tests. Utah DEQ will work with the Davis County Health Department, the Salt Lake City Health Department and the Weber- Morgan Health Department to implement the project which will focus on assisting low-income individuals with vehicles that have failed emissions inspections. Uinta Basin- $5 million to replace natural gas engines used in energy production equipment in the Uinta Basin with new, cleaner-burning engines. Utah DEQ will work directly with the Ute Tribe and oil and gas companies operating in the Uinta Basin to identify applicants and eligible equipment. These projects will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds, which contribute to ground-level ozone formation, and fine particulates. EPA's Targeted Airshed Grant program offers competitive grants to reduce air pollution in areas working to meet national air quality standards for ozone and fine particulates. For further information contact: Richard Mylott (303)-3 12-6654 mvlott.richard@epa.gov Utah Targeted Airshed Grants to Utah DEQ to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles and oil and gas equipment DO YOU HAVE ARTICLES FOR THE SMALLBIZfajEPA NEWSLETTER? FORWARD TO: ELNORA THOMPSON AT: THOMPSON.ELNORA@EPA.GOV ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses Annual Compliance Certifications In Indiana, regulated entities with Part 70 (Title 5) or Federally-Enforceable State-Operating Permits (FESOP) issued by IDEM's Office of Air Quality (OAQ) are required to certify compliance through the submittal of Annual Compliance Certifications (ACC). ACC submittal dates: FESOP and Part 70 (Title 5) for: Clark, Elkhart, Floyd, Lake, Marion, Porter, St. Joseph, and Vanderburgh Counties, the ACC - are due no later than April 15. FESOP and Part 70 (Title 5): for all other counties are due no later than July 1. Much of the required information for the ACC comes from the permitted source's quarterly deviation and compliance monitoring reports, permit conditions, inspection reports, and internal review practices. OAQ's air inspectors are required to review all of the 1,100 plus certifications that are received or should have been received, and they must request resubmittals if errors are found within the reports. Common errors can include: • Recording only one permit number when during the calendar year, another permit was issued which may have included new permit conditions • Forgetting to include the reporting year which is typically January 1 or when the permit was issued to December 31 or the expiration of the permit • Forgetting to submit the ACC after the sale of their business (previous owners have an ongoing obligation for reporting until the reporting cycle is completed and the new owners take over reporting responsibilities) • Confusion over terminology (e.g. "intermittent"), which may result in reporting inaccurate data, or not reporting deficiencies and corrective actions taken • Descriptions of a deviation and the related permit condition can be written vaguely or ambiguously, making it difficult for the inspector assigned to review the certification to understand the content, which causes delays in processing and may result in a resubmittal request • Forgetting to obtain the signature of the responsible official in a timely fashion, as they could be located in another state, which results in a late submittal Permitted sources can reduce ACC errors and be prepared to submit accurate and timely reports by taking these proactive steps: • Develop a long term strategy for reporting - Delegate responsibility and establish a system of reminders that may increase the likelihood that monitored data will be collected • Collect records throughout the year • Organize records for easy retrieval • Consider contingencies - backup person to collect and submit reports • Incorporate a reminder system to prompt the process of reviewing records, completing & reviewing the certification and submitting it via certified mail to the IDEM Compliance and Enforcement Branch, Office of Air Quality at least one week prior to the due date EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses Do you know your Potential to Emit (PTE)? To put it simply, unrestricted PTE is the maximum amount of air contaminants that your facility could emit if all the following is evaluated: each process is operated at 100% of its design capacity; each process operated 24 hours/day, 365 days/year; worse case materials are used or processed; and air pollution control equipment either is not in use or is turned off. But unrestricted PTE is only one piece of the puzzle. It is possible to take restrictions to lower the PTE of the facility and affect the applicability rules and regulations. Four times per year the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy hosts a PTE Workshop. This workshop is ideal for those wanting to understand why determining PTE is important and how to do it. The workshop provides guidance on how to evaluate PTE and determine if a facility is a major or minor source. The workshop is based on the Potential to Emit Workbook and contains examples on how to calculate PTE for typical manufacturing processes and easy process for tracking PTE. To register for the workshop, or both, please go to michigan.gov/EGLEevents. EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses EPA settles Clean Air Act violations at ARG refinery in Bradford, Pa. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it has settled alleged Clean Air Act violations by American Refining Group, Inc. (ARG) at ARG's petroleum refinery in Bradford, Pennsylvania. In an administrative consent agreement, ARG has agreed to pay a $350,000 penalty along with $4.5 million in equipment improvements that were completed prior to the final settlement. These improvements will dramatically reduce air emissions from the facility. EPA cited ARG for several violations, including noncompliance with several terms of the refinery's operating permit that was issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The alleged violations include: Failure to install a fuel gas recovery unit within the required compliance period; • Exceedances of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter (NOx) emission limits; • Failure to properly operate an emission-reducing flare; • Failure to comply with equipment leak detection and repair (LDAR) safeguards; • Failure to comply with performance requirements for petroleum storage vessels; • Failure to comply with national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for industrial boilers. This settlement considers ARG's prior compliance efforts — including the replacement of a coal-fired boiler and an associated fuel gas recovery system. The new boiler — costing an estimated $4.5 million - - may reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 567 tons per year and emissions of particulate matter by 9 tons per year. As part of the settlement, ARG has certified that it is now in compliance with applicable Clean Air Act requirements. 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 Question: What is the new dental amalgam separator rule for dental practices and how should one comply? Dr. Pearly White, DDS Dear Dr. White: EPA's dental amalgam rule, effective since July 14, 2017, requires most general dentists who discharge amalgam pollutants into publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) to install and maintain an amalgam separator to prevent mercury from entering the wastewater system. If released to the environment, amalgam waste that contains mercury accumulates in aquatic life and can reach high concentrations in the food chain, leading to neurotoxic effects on humans. However, if you are not a general dentist and only practice oral pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics or a mobile unit, then you are exempt from this rule. Dental facilities that do not place amalgam or remove amalgam at a frequency of less than five percent of its procedures are also exempt, as long as they certify such in their one-time compliance report to their control authority. In order to comply with this rule, a dental practice must: • Not discharge scrap amalgam, or oxidizing or acidic cleaners such as bleach, chlorine or peroxide that have a pH lower than 6 or greater than 8. These cleaners allow mercury to be released from the amalgam waste that has collected in the system. These wastes must never be commingled with regular trash or biohazardous waste. • Install and maintain an amalgam separator of ISO 11143 2008 standard to capture mercury and other metals before they enter sewer systems that drain to POTWs; achieve at least a 95% removal efficiency. • Meet the requirements of monitoring and recycling an amalgam separator, in addition to complying with American Dental Association (ADA) Best Management practices. • Complete and submit a one-time compliance report and maintain a copy of the report to be submitted at the time of inspection. Existing dental dischargers must be in compliance with the standards by July 14, 2020 and submit a one- time compliance report certifying such by Oct. 12, 2020. New users whose first discharge to a POTW occurs after July 14, 2017, must be in compliance with the standards immediately and submit a one-time compliance report certifying such within 90 days after the first discharge to a POTW. The rule also allows dental practices to continue to operate existing amalgam separators until June 14, 2027. The EPA states your control authority is either a local wastewater utility, a state environmental agency or a U.S. EPA regional office. To learn about your state or local regulatory obligations, contact your state SBEAP. EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- https://www.epa.gov/resources-small-businesses SUBJECT: Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Updated CEQ-EPA Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators and the President's Environmental Youth Awards Application (Revision) http://www.epa.gov/dockets/contacts.htm Federal Register: Vol. 84, No. 194, Thursday, October 7, 2019/Notics AGENCY: EPA ACTION: Notices SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), "Updated CEQ-EPA Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators and the President's Environmental Youth Awards Application (Revision)" (EPA ICR No. 2524.03, OMB Control No. 2090-0031) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. This is a proposed revision of the ICR, which is currently approved through April 30, 2022. An Agency may not conduct, or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number For further information contact: Javier Araujo (202)564-2648 email at Araujo.javer@epa.gov EPA FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES SUBJECT: Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Emission Control System Performance Warranty Regulations and Voluntary Aftermarket Part Certification Program (Renewal) http://www.epa. uo v/dock ets/con tacts. htm I Federal Register: Vol. 84, No. 197, Thursday, October 10, 2019/Notices AGENCY: EPA ACTION: Notice SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency is planning to submit an information collection request (ICR), "Emission Control System Performance Warranty Regulations and Voluntary Aftermarket Part Certification Program Renewal" (EPA ICR No. 0116.12, OMB Control No. 2060- 0060) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act. Before doing so, EPA is soliciting public comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. This is a proposed extension of the ICR, which is currently approved through May 30, 2020. An Agency may not conduct, or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. For further information contact: Lynn Sohacki (734)214-4851 email at sohacki.lynn@epa.gov EPA, OSDBU, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- |