Fwd: News Release: EPA and Groundwork New Orleans Team Up to Help Underserved Neighborhoods

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. EPA <usaepa@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 10:46 AM
Subject: News Release: EPA and Groundwork New Orleans Team Up to Help Underserved Neighborhoods
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

EPA and Groundwork New Orleans Team Up to Help Underserved Neighborhoods   DALLAS – (Sept. 16, 2014) Groundwork New Orleans (GWNO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are teaming up again to address environmental justice issues in New Orleans. EPA recently awarded $120,000 to GWNO to support a two-year project that will create an adaptable outdoor curriculum focused on watershed and stormwater management for local youth and residents.   "Working with community organizations strengthens our efforts to improve environmental conditions in communities," said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. "We look forward to working closely with Groundwork New Orleans to help citizens protect valuable water resources within their neighborhoods."      GWNO will use an EPA Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement (EJCPS) to conduct the project. The project seeks to improve stormwater management and the health and safety of area residents while adding aesthetic and recreational services that will improve quality of life and attract economic development. Residents will also have the opportunity to engage in interactive service-learning such as planting, caring for trees, trash disposal, recycling and community workshops.   GWNO is one of 12 community-based organizations announced today by EPA who will receive EJCPS funding totaling about $1.4 million. The EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding for non-profit and tribal organizations to partner with stakeholders from across industry, government, and academia to develop and implement solutions that significantly address environmental and/or public health issues in American communities.   In 2003, EPA's Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) launched the first solicitation for the EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program. Since the Program's inception, EPA has provided funding to 50 projects to help communities understand and address exposure to environmental harms and risks. Each of this year's recipients were awarded up to $120,000 to support their two-year projects. Projects must use the Collaborative Problem Solving Model, comprised of seven elements of a successful collaborative partnership, to address local environmental and/or public health issues.   Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. These awards represent EPA's commitment to promoting localized, community-based actions to address environmental justice issues.   More information about EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-cps-grants.html   Connect with EPA Region 6: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6  On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6 Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm     # # #   For more information contact Joe Hubbard or Jennah Durant at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov  You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    This email was sent to iammejtm@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews

Fwd: EPA News Release: Baghurst Drive Site in Harleysville, Pa., Added to EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. EPA <usaepa@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 11:23 AM
Subject: EPA News Release: Baghurst Drive Site in Harleysville, Pa., Added to EPA's Superfund National Priorities List
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

Contact: Donna Heron 215-814-5113, heron.donna@epa.gov   Baghurst Drive Site in Harleysville, Pa., Added to EPA's Superfund National Priorities list PHILADELPHIA (September 16, 2014) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it added the Baghurst Drive site in Harleysville, Montgomery County, Pa., to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is a national list of sites where hazardous contaminants could impact public health and/or the environment. NPL sites undergo a thorough investigation to determine the full nature and extent of contamination. EPA or the parties responsible for the contamination then address whatever risks the sites pose to human health and the environment. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, requires EPA to update the NPL at least annually and clean up hazardous waste sites to protect human health with the goal of returning them to communities for productive use. Located in Harleysville, the Baghurst Drive site consists of a residential area where ground water is contaminated with volatile organic compounds. The contaminated ground water plume is currently affecting up to 42 residential water wells. In 1999, the local health department discovered the contaminated ground water plume while sampling residential wells. Bottled water was immediately provided and subsequently, carbon filtration units were installed at homes to treat contaminated well water. The source of the contamination is still unknown. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection referred the cleanup to EPA given the number of homes affected and because whole-house carbon filtration systems provided by the Commonwealth are not a sustainable solution for addressing the contamination. A permanent alternative water supply is needed for residences, along with cleanup of the contaminated ground water plume. EPA will be investigating the possibility of vapor intrusion into homes and buildings, depending on the type of structure. The Superfund program has provided important benefits for people and the environment since Congress established the program in 1980. Those benefits are both direct and indirect, and include reduction of threats to human health and ecological systems in the vicinity of Superfund sites, improvement of the economic conditions and quality of life in communities affected by hazardous waste sites, prevention of future releases of hazardous substances, and advances in science and technology. Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm. Information about how a site is listed on the NPL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm. Superfund sites in local communities: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm. More information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, can be found at:  http://epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm. You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    This email was sent to iammejtm@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews

Fwd: News Release: EPA Proposes One Hazardous Waste Site in the Southeast to Superfund’s National Priorities List

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. EPA <usaepa@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 11:50 AM
Subject: News Release: EPA Proposes One Hazardous Waste Site in the Southeast to Superfund's National Priorities List
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

EPA Proposes One Hazardous Waste Site in the Southeast to Superfund's National Priorities List Cleaning up hazardous waste sites protects human health, raises property value, and facilitates the economic restoration of communities Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main) pinkney.james@epa.gov Atlanta - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is proposing the 35th Avenue site in Birmingham, AL, a site that pose risks to human health and the environment, to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. The Superfund program, a federal program established by Congress in 1980, investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country and converts them into productive local resources by eliminating or reducing health risks and environmental contamination associated with hazardous waste sites. "Cleaning up hazardous waste sites protects our country's most vulnerable populations, prevents diseases, increases local property values and facilitates economic restoration of communities across America," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "By listing a site on the Superfund National Priorities List, we're taking an important action to protect human health and encourage economic restoration of communities."   Recent academic research, from the study Superfund Cleanups and Infant Health, demonstrated that investment in Superfund cleanups reduces the incidence of congenital abnormalities for those living within 5,000 meters (or 5,468 yards) of a site.  Another study conducted by researchers at Duke and Pittsburgh Universities, concluded that making a site final on the NPL may increase housing prices by signaling that a site has been placed on the path towards remediation. Furthermore, the study found that once a site has all cleanup remedies in place, nearby properties have a significant increase in property values as compared to pre-NPL proposal values.   The Superfund program uses remedy effectiveness information to actively manage site operations and refine remedial strategies in order to efficiently move sites to completion. Today, more than 800 Superfund sites across the nation support some type of continued use, active reuse or planned reuse activities.   The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, gives EPA the authority to clean up releases of hazardous substances and directs EPA to update the NPL at least annually to protect human health and the environment with the goal of returning these sites to communities for productive use. The NPL contains the nation's most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. The list serves as the basis for prioritizing both enforcement actions and long-term EPA Superfund cleanup funding; only sites on the NPL are eligible for such funding.   Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites:http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm Information about how a site is listed on the NPL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm   Superfund sites in local communities: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm   More information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, can be found at: http://epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4 And on Twitter @EPASoutheast   ### You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    This email was sent to iammejtm@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews

Fwd: News Release: EPA Adds Houma, La., Shipyard to National Priorities List of Superfund Sites

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. EPA <usaepa@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 12:02 PM
Subject: News Release: EPA Adds Houma, La., Shipyard to National Priorities List of Superfund Sites
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

EPA Adds Houma, La., Shipyard to National Priorities List of Superfund Sites Five sites added and three proposed nationally   (DALLAS – Sept. 16, 2014)  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added the Delta Shipyard site in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites, a list of sites that pose risks to people's health and the environment. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country.   The 165-acre site, in a mixed industrial and residential area south of the city of Houma, operated as a cleaning and repair facility for small cargo boats, fishing boats, and oil barges. Oily waste from the cleaning process was stored in several unlined earthen pits used as evaporation ponds. These pits were reportedly also used to dispose of oil field drilling material. Wetlands near the site are contaminated with a variety of metals, including arsenic, benzene, and lead. Additionally, evaporation pits contain more than 30,000 cubic yards of hazardous material.   "Finalizing the Delta Shipyard site on the NPL will allow EPA and our partners to begin restoring the land," said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. "Addressing these types of complex cleanups is one of the most important parts of EPA's mission."   Contamination from the site has been found in ground water, surface water, and soil. The state of Louisiana referred the site to EPA for inclusion on the NPL. Without remediation of the site, releases of contamination to ground water, surface water, and soil could continue.   The Superfund program uses remedy effectiveness information to actively manage site operations and refine remedial strategies in order to efficiently move sites to completion. Today, more than 800 Superfund sites across the nation support some type of continued use, active reuse or planned reuse activities.   The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, gives EPA the authority to clean up releases of hazardous substances and directs EPA to update the NPL at least annually to protect human health and the environment with the goal of returning these sites to communities for productive use. The NPL contains the nation's most serious uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. The list serves as the basis for prioritizing both enforcement actions and long-term EPA Superfund cleanup funding; only sites on the NPL are eligible for such funding.   Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm   Information about how a site is listed on the NPL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm   Superfund sites in local communities: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm   More information about the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the law establishing the Superfund program, can be found at: http://epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm   Connect with EPA Region 6: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6  On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6 Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm    # # #   For more information contact Jennah Durant or Joe Hubbard at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov   You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    This email was sent to iammejtm@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews

Fwd: DEP SURPASSES GOAL TO SELL $40 MILLION IN LAND SALES TO BENEFIT CONSERVATION

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Florida Department of Environmental Protection <FloridaDEP@public.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 9:52 AM
Subject: DEP SURPASSES GOAL TO SELL $40 MILLION IN LAND SALES TO BENEFIT CONSERVATION
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 16, 2014 CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850-245-2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us  DEP SURPASSES GOAL TO SELL $40 MILLION IN LAND SALES TO BENEFIT CONSERVATION ~The department sold two correctional facilities to raise funds for conservation purchases~ TALLAHASSEE- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Division of State Lands has surpassed the goal of selling $40 million of non-conservation land to purchase new, valuable conservation lands. The division finalized the sale of two more state-owned surplus non-conservation lands on Monday, Sept. 15, increasing the budget for future purchases to $43,991,070. The move supports the vision of the 2014-2015 Legislature, which gave the department the authority to sell up to $40 million worth of non-conservation land. The department can now ask the legislature for authorization to spend the additional funds over $40 million.  Since January 2014, the division has sold 12 state-owned non-conservation lands. "Acquiring and managing conservation lands is a priority of the department," said Division of State Lands Director Kelley Boree. "Our team has worked hard with other state agencies to identify and sell non-conservation lands that are no longer needed. This supports the priority and helps the state own and manage property efficiently." This week, the division sold the former 66-acre Broward County Correctional Institution for $13,519,470. The Board of Trustees acquired the property in December 1973 and subsequently granted a 99-year lease to Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) in May 1974. The property contains 40 buildings totaling 233,375 square feet. Additionally, the division sold the former Hillsborough County Correctional Institution for $3,500,100. In July 2014, the sites of the former Hendry County Correctional Institution was sold for $3,750,000, and the Glades Correctional Institute and Work Camp in Belle Glade was sold for $1,224,000. These correctional facilities closed in 2012 as part of DOC's statewide consolidation plan. Earlier this month, the division sold the site of the former A.G. Holley State Hospital in Palm Beach County for $15,600,000. The 79.91-acre property ceased operations in 2012. In August 2014, two half-acre parcels were sold in the city of Miami for $4,700,000. A Florida Department of Transportation facility in Volusia County sold for $540,000. In June 2014, a half-acre parcel was sold in Monroe County for $330,000. Earlier in 2014, four additional properties sold for a total of $1,124,500. To see a current list of state-owned surplus properties for sale, visit the department's website here. About the Florida Department of Environmental Protection The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the state's principal environmental agency, created to protect, conserve and manage Florida's environment and natural resources. The department enforces federal and state environmental laws, protects Florida's air and water quality, cleans up pollution, regulates solid waste management, promotes pollution prevention and acquires environmentally-sensitive lands for preservation. The agency also maintains a statewide system of parks, trails and aquatic preserves. To view the department's website log on to www.dep.state.fl.us. http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLDEP/bulletins/cfa3fc SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences  |  Delete Profile  |  Help CHECK OUT DEP'S ONLINE NEWSROOM This email was sent using GovDelivery, on behalf of: Florida Department of Environmental Protection · 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard · Tallahassee, FL 32399-3000 · 850.245.2118

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews

Fwd: Collaborating for Sustainable Environmental and Social Change

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. EPA <usaepa@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 9:07 AM
Subject: Collaborating for Sustainable Environmental and Social Change
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

You are subscribed to Environmental Justice in Action Blog for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Here's the latest blog post. Collaborating for Sustainable Environmental and Social Change 09/16/2014 11:23 AM EDT By Dr. Mildred McClain Residents living in the Hudson Hill neighborhood of Savannah, Georgia, had long complained about damage to their health and homes due to emissions from the paper mill located within this west side community.  In 2004, Harambee House Inc.-Citizens for Environmental Justice (HH/CFEJ) was awarded one of the first EPA Environmental Justice […] You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    This email was sent to iammejtm@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews

Fwd: News Release: EPA Awards Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors a 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: U.S. EPA <usaepa@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 16, 2014 at 9:07 AM
Subject: News Release: EPA Awards Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors a 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement
To: iammejtm@gmail.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 16, 2014   EPA Awards Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors a 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement   CONTACT: Jason McDonald, (404) 562-9203 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main) mcdonald.jason@epa.gov   ATLANTA – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today a competitive cooperative agreement with the Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors (MCBM) to reduce lead exposure and mitigate the negative impacts of old, inadequate housing stock for low-income, minority families and children throughout the Mississippi Delta. The agreement is one of 12 EPA has reached with community-based organizations nationwide, totaling about $1.4 million in funding, under this initiative.   "These cooperative agreements empower communities to implement environmental protection projects locally," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "With these agreements, EPA advances our commitment to communities by providing financial and technical assistance to take action against environmental harm."   The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) Cooperative Agreement Program provides funding for non-profit and tribal organizations to partner with stakeholders from across industry, government, and academia to develop and implement solutions that significantly address environmental and/or public health issues in American communities.   Through its "Mississippi Delta Child Lead Reduction Plan", the MCBM will create a network of African American mayors, health care providers, and community members. These groups will be tasked with increasing community awareness and education about the harmful effects of lead exposure, common sources of household sources of lead, and preventative techniques. This collaborative effort seeks to develop and implement a "Lead Contamination Action Plan" that will help to identify the homes that have significant exposures, work with area health care facilities to test children's toys and clothing for lead residue, and develop and implement lead abatement measures.   In 2003, EPA's Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) launched the first solicitation for the EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program. Since the Program's inception, EPA has provided funding to 50 projects to help communities understand and address exposure to environmental harms and risks. Each of this year's recipients are awarded up to $120,000 to support two-year projects, including identifying and reducing sources of air pollution, reducing lead exposure in homes of low-income residents, and the cleanup and repurposing of community dump sites. Projects must use the Collaborative Problem Solving model, comprised of seven elements of a successful collaborative partnership, to address local environmental and/or public health issues.   Environmental justice is defined as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in the environmental decision-making process. These awards represent EPA's commitment to promoting localized, community-based actions to address environmental justice issues. Please visit http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/cps-project-abstracts-2014.pdf for a complete listing of the 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement recipients and project descriptions.   In the fall of 2014, EPA plans to release a Request for Applications for the fiscal year 2015 Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. A schedule of pre-application teleconference calls will be announced at that time.   More information about EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement Program: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-cps-grants.html   R206 You can unsubscribe or update your subscriptions or e-mail address at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. All you will need is your e-mail address. If you have any questions or problems, please e-mail subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com for assistance.  This service is provided to you at no charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    This email was sent to iammejtm@gmail.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

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Jeremy Tobias Matthews