Residual Risk and Technology Reviews For Refinery MACT

EPA is required to evaluate the risk remaining at facilities 8 years after they are required to comply with Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) air-toxic emission standards according to Section 112 (f)(2) of the Clean Air Act (CAA). EPA is also required to review and revise the MACT standards if needed every 8 years with regard to practices, processes and control technologies according to Section 112(d)(6) of the CAA.

EPA is currently proposing to conduct risk and technology reviews for both Petroleum Refinery MACT 1 and 2 source categories. Initial work will focus on gathering comprehensive information on petroleum refineries to complete these reviews. In addition, EPA also plans to address issues related to the reconsideration of Petroleum Refinery New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) Subpart Ja.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

EPA - ECHA Partnership To Share Chemical Data

U.S. EPA and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) have announced a partnership to promote enhanced technical cooperation on chemical management activities. ECHA implements the European Union’s chemical management program known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals). The partnership was formalized through a statement of intent at the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) meeting in Washington, D.C. The statement describes a process for cooperating on a range of issues of mutual interests including toxicity testing, the hazard and risk assessment of chemicals, risk management tools, scientific collaboration, and information exchange.

A major area of collaboration will be in the exchange of data and information between ECHA and EPA, including non-confidential information on hazards, uses, and substance identification, and data collected under REACH. The two agencies will also share criteria for managing confidential business information (CBI).

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

School Siting Guidance For Environmental Health Issues

U.S. EPA has released draft voluntary guidelines to help communities protect the health of students and staff from environmental threats when selecting new locations for schools. The voluntary guidelines also provide tools to help communities ensure that new locations for schools are accessible to the students they are intended to serve.

The new draft voluntary guidelines will give local communities tools to help them consider environmental health issues in establishing school site selection criteria and in conducting effective environmental reviews of potential school sites. The draft guidelines recommend involving the public in the site selection process from the beginning to help ensure community support for these decisions.

The draft school siting guidelines are being made available for public comment for 90 days (through February 18, 2011).

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Interim Guidance on Environmental Justice

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released interim guidance to help agency staff incorporate environmental justice into the agency’s rulemaking process, “Interim Guidance on Considering Environmental Justice During the Development of an Action”.

The guidance also outlines the multiple steps that EPA program offices can take to incorporate the needs of overburdened neighborhoods into the agency’s decision-making, scientific analysis, and rule development. EPA is also seeking public feedback on how to best implement and improve the guide for agency staff to further advance efforts toward environmental justice.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

Chemical Review Assessments Put On Hold

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is putting on hold four of its ongoing IRIS (Integrated Risk Information System) assessments pending a review of some of the underlying studies used in the assessments. EPA is holding these assessments due to a report from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) that outlines a recent review of a research study completed by the Ramazzini Institute, a lab in Italy that conducts animal testing to evaluate the potential cancer-causing effects of chemicals.

EPA found six assessments that significantly rely on data from Ramazzini cancer studies: ongoing chemical assessments for methanol, MTBE, ETBE and acrylonitrile, and previously completed assessments for vinyl chloride and 1,1- dichloroethylene. EPA plans to continue its review to determine if any other assessments are significantly impacted.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at info@calthacompany.com or Caltha LLP Website

EPA Dioxin Toxicity Report and Response Released

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its draft scientific report, “Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS Comments”. The draft dioxin report is EPA’s response to key comments and recommendations made by the National Academy of Sciences on the agency’s draft dioxin reassessment. The draft report will now undergo scientific peer review by independent, external experts as well as public review and comment.

EPA’s draft scientific report will now undergo external peer review by an expert panel of scientists convened by EPA’s Science Advisory Board (SAB) in July 2010. Public comments on this draft report are being requested, and the Federal Register Notice provides details on how to submit comments.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services in Michigan to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment.

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US EPA Action Plan for BPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a number of actions to address the potential effects of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the manufacture of a wide range of consumer and industrial products. The BPA action plan focuses on the environmental impacts of BPA and will look to add BPA to EPA’s list of chemicals of concern and require testing related to environmental effects.

In December, EPA announced that it will, for the first time, use its authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to list chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment. These actions are part of the agency’s efforts to strengthen EPA’s chemical management program, utilizing current authorities to the fullest extent possible, while continuing to encourage legislative reform of TSCA, which has not been updated since 1976.

Caltha LLP provides expert environmental consultant services in Michigan to obtain environmental permits, evaluate regulatory requirements, and to develop cost effective compliance programs.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
info@calthacompany.com
or
Caltha LLP Website

FTA Environmental Review Categorical Exclusion (CE)

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has developed specific categories for environmental review in compliance with NEPA. For certain types of projects, FTA may require project proposers to complete sufficient environmental analysis such that FTA can determine that the proposed project meets the criteria for a Categorical Exclusion (CE) under 27 CFR 771.117(d). By meeting these criteria, FTA will meet Categorical Exclusion criteria under NEPA (40 CFR 1508.4), and ultimately neither the proposer nor FTA will be required to conduct an Environmental Assessment as prescribed under 27 CFR 771.119. FTA could then take actions, including providing project funding.

Caltha LLP assists Michigan City, County and State project proposers to conduct environmental analyses required to meet FTA requirements for Categorical Exclusions. Caltha also conducts Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments, and other Environmental Review requirements.

For further information contact Caltha LLP at
info@calthacompany.com
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Caltha Environmental Review Services Webpage