Current Environmental Issues > Current Environmental Issues Blog

Vapors invading high school deemed “not dangerous”

Tue, 15 May 2012 03:09:50 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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Students, parents, and faculty at Monona Grove High school in Monona were notified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that vapors that have been intruding the school from a nearby building are harmless and do not pose a health threat. Those words of encouragement did little to set minds at ease, but the Board of Education tried to reassure. “Absolutely it’s a concern of everyone, especially those who have children. The building’s safe. If the building was not safe, we would not send children and staff into that building,” said Superintendent Craig Gerlach.

The vapors are originating from an adjacent company named Klinke Cleaners, which is doing its part to take full responsibility for the problem. Ground pollution containing PCE, a common industrial solvent, was found in the soil underneath the cleaners almost four years ago. The issue affecting Monona Grove High School is vapor intrusion, an environmental issue that is relatively new and only recently understood. Jeff Carnahan, an environmental consultant explains, “The study of vapor intrusion is very young.”

Steve Klinke, a director at Klinke Cleaners has been working diligently with the DNR since 2008 when the contamination was first discovered. “What I’ve come to understand with this process, vapors are new to us,” he said. Once a final report came out on May 2 that revealed that vapors were present, Klinke began taking action to notify the neighboring buildings. He hired Mr. Carnahan, of EnviroForensics, to perform PCE testing. According to The Herald-Independent, “Carnahan told the city council Monday, May 7, that he would be approaching neighboring residences and businesses to gain permission to gather air samples for testing to identify the boundaries of the vapor plume.”

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Testing at the high school produced results that some consider unnerving. The results were high enough to trigger environmental regulation action levels, but low enough that they are not expected to cause any harm to humans or animals, even after long-term exposure. PCE levels were high enough that the school wisely began taking “immediate action on interim solutions to lower the levels, including increased air circulation with the HVAC and sealing cracks in the foundation,” reports The Herald-Independent.

Keywords

current environmental issues, vapor intrusion, PCE contamination, ground pollution, environmental consultant, environmental regulations

Native American tribe wants tight water controls over fracking

Wed, 09 May 2012 04:02:13 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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A number of American Indian tribes are sitting on reservations containing potentially trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. Instead of jumping head-first into to the hydraulic fracturing gold rush that many oil and gas conglomerates are salivating over, the tribes are taking a cautious route—one that may very well serve as an example to the rest of the nation.

Oil and gas exploration has exploded in recent years with many some states acting in a “do now; deal with consequences later” manner, and with devastating results. A prime example is northern Pennsylvania, which has seen an alarming number of cases of water contamination related to fracking operations, as well as areas around the drilling regions that have seen small earthquakes and drinking water wells polluted with methane.

A handful of Montana tribes are optimistic about the possibility of drilling on their reservations, but want to make the drilling companies accountable to environmental regulations denoted in the Clean Water Act. The stakes and the potential profits are high. Talking about the Blackfeet Indian reservation, Tristan Scott, of Missoulian.com wrote, “One estimate says the reservation sits on top of about 109 million barrels of oil and 8.6 trillion cubic feet natural gas.”

Joining the Confederated Salish and Kootenai, and the Assiniboine and Sioux tribes, are the Blackfeet Indians to “apply the federal water quality standards under the Clean Water Act in an effort to protect its rivers, lakes, and wetlands,” says Scott.

The EPA’s website describes the Clean Water Act’s goals as “restoring and protecting the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. Water quality standards established under the CWA set the Tribe’s expectations for Reservation water quality, serve as a foundation for pollution control efforts and are a fundamental component of watershed management. Specifically, these standards serve as water quality goals for individual surface waters, guide and inform monitoring and assessment activities, and provide a legal basis for permitting and regulatory pollution controls (e.g. discharge permits).”

The Blackfeet tribe wants protection for the bodies of water located on their reservations so that the gas and oil exploration companies that want to get onto their land cannot simply ravage the precious natural resources. By applying the standards of the Clean Water Act, the tribe knows that it will maintain a great deal of control over the waters. The stringent rules are often attacked by big business interests as impeding on economic profits because they do hold polluters accountable for their operations. It’s an environmental management plan that works, to put it simply.

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It appears to a positive environmental trend for the reservations to fight for tight regulations to protect the land they own. Other local districts around the country would be wise to also perform due diligence when considering allowing the natural gas industry to being exploring and drilling. The companies who perform hydraulic fracturing do not have the same incentives as the locales that open up their land. Once the drills have been dug and being pumping that coveted natural gas, there is very little that can be done to clean up the mess they leave behind.

Keywords

fracking, hydraulic fracturing, environmental regulations, Clean Water Act, due diligence, environmental management plan, environmental trend

A Superfund success story in Morganville, New Jersey

Tue, 08 May 2012 02:20:28 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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With all the news these days of environmental catastrophes and heated debates raging over current environmental issues like fracking and coal ash contamination, it’s refreshing to hear simple success stories.

The US Superfund list grows each year and sometimes you can’t help but wonder if all that time and money ever really makes a difference. Well, because of a sound environmental management plan in central New Jersey, the EPA can proudly cross one formerly contaminated site off its Superfund roster.

After a $50 million land pollution remediation, the property known as Imperial Oil/ Champion Chemicals, is now cleaned up to environmental regulation standards and is ready to return to the ranks of productive, tax revenue producing land.

Before the cleanup, Imperial Oil’s land was heavily contaminated with a mish-mash of nasty hazardous waste substances, all of which are known to be harmful to humans. According to an EPA May 2 press release, “Soil on the 15-acre Imperial Oil site, which contained a facility that reclaimed and processed waste oil, was contaminated with arsenic, lead, PCBs and other pollutants.”

A cleanup plan that involved removing the polluted soil and oil that sat below the surface of ground water was able to transform the land to a condition suitable for future use. Now, a monitoring plan is underway to ensure ongoing environmental safety.

Area lawmakers are bursting with pride. “Today, congressmember Pallone and I got a first-hand look at how the cleanups of Imperial Oil and other Superfund sites are protecting people’s health and the environment. Sites like Imperial Oil can be put back to good use. The site has gone from being a polluted wasteland to an area with trees, shrubs, grass, restored wetlands, and a pond and bike path,” said EPA official Judith Enck.

Keywords

ground pollution, environmental regulations, environmental safety, current environmental issues, environmental management, hazardous waste materials

Unusually large algae bloom taints Baltimore waters

Thu, 03 May 2012 01:21:57 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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A current environmental issue with a fairly high gross-out factor is the recent occurrence of a “mahogany Tide” growing in Baltimore Harbor. According to Scott Dance of the Baltimore Sun, “Record-high water temperatures and a March sewage leak are contributing to a large algae bloom in the Baltimore Harbor, bringing what is known as a ‘mahogany tide’ of reddish-brown algae to the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.”

It is not uncommon for algae blooms to appear in waters across the country, especially with nitrogen and fertilizer runoff from agricultural land that feed the undesirable blooms. This one is rare in that the perfect storm contributed to its rapid growth. Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee both created excessive runoff. Also, water contamination caused by the March sewage line break could contribute to the mahogany tide. As reported in the Daily Record, a 54-inch main broke, spewing up to 17 million gallons of sewage a day. Area residents were told to avoid that part of the river and shellfish harvesting was halted there.

Algae blooms, particularly harmful ones like mahogany tide, are more than just unsightly and a nuisance to fishers. The normal plant and animal life of the waters are threatened as their oxygen supplies are choked off. Dance explains, “The blooms threaten aquatic plant and animal life because when they die, the bacteria that decompose them suck oxygen from the water, creating dead zones.”

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While humans have no control over the elements such as hurricanes and tropical storms, one can’t help but wonder if there are not steps to be taken to reduce the amount of runoff that enters America’s waterways. Could Baltimore look at some of the environmental sustainability steps taken by farmers in Vermont who are attempting to curb fertilizer runoff into Lake Champlain? With thoughtful planning, are there possibilities to at least reduce the severity and occurrence of mahogany tide?

Keywords

current environmental issues, water contamination, mahogany tide, algae bloom, environmental sustainability

Former dry cleaning building might pose contamination danger (2 Comments)

Tue, 01 May 2012 03:45:44 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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One decrepit burnt-out building in Albany, New York sits as more than just an eyesore. The environmental safety of the Washington Avenue area is in question as drums of potentially harmful substances remain in the water-soaked basement of a former dry cleaner.

According to Jordan-Carleo-Evangelist of TimesUnion.com, “Earlier this month, Albany County Executive Dan McCoy called on the state to test for the presence of toxic chemicals feared to be stewing in drums submerged in the rank, rust-colored water.

After the building burned down to just its smoke-stained shell in December 2000, only rubble and plywood remained at the site. The county now fears that squatters have been calling the dry cleaning building home, making the situation that much more dire. Dry cleaners were notorious for their use of hazardous solvents, including tetrachloroethylene, or perchloroethylene, or simply perc.

Perc is a dry cleaning solvent popular because it is non-flammable. The problem with the substance is that it is a possible cancer-causing agent to humans. As stated in Wikipedia, “Animal studies and a study of 99 twins by Dr. Samuel Goldman and researchers at the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, California determined there is a "lot of circumstantial evidence" that exposure to tetrachloroethene increases the risk of developing Parkinson's disease ninefold.”

Building inspections have been slow-going because the town is hesitant to take over the property. Knowing the liabilities that lie within, Albany officials are aware that the property could come with a sizable cleaning bill.

Neighbors of the building are optimistic that something will finally be done, not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because of the safety and health issues that come with it. “I hope that we are finally moving toward actions to mitigate and remediate the site to become a functional part of the neighborhood again,” said Pine Hills Neighborhood Association President Todd Hunsinger.

Keywords

environmental safety, toxic chemicals, hazardous solvents, perc, building inspections, safety and health issues

State of Wisconsin cracks down on industrial polluter

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:30:16 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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The people and government of Wisconsin agree that they are tired of Madison Kipp Corporation dodging responsibility in a widespread PCB contamination. The Department of Natural Resources has sent a formal letter to the component maker demanding that the company begin a cleanup of a facility at 201 Waubesa Street in Madison.

Wisconsin’s DNR asserts that Kipp not only caused land pollution under the state’s hazardous substances spills law and the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, but that the company also failed to properly notify the agency or the public.

A strongly worded letter sent last week states, “You (Madison Kipp) are well aware of the procedures and responsibilities for spill notification—those procedures were not followed. We (DNR) have opened a new case file regarding this contamination. For the record, we now have two separate contamination cases for Madison Kipp.”

Testing in early April revealed PCB levels higher than environmental regulations allow. The results showed levels of 110ppm, which far exceeds the safe standard of 50ppm.

So far, Madison Kipp has failed to respond to requests for action. The DNR has required the company to submit a formal spill notification and a “schedule for completing the investigation and immediate or interim actions within the timeframes specified in the letter,” according to Fox 47 News. That timeframe includes a 10-day response to the request for notification, and a 90-day complete PBC investigation.

According to Fox 47, the other lawsuit mentioned in the letter involves a case brought against Madison Kipp by seven families who reside near the spill site. The news report adds that “recent testing in that same neighborhood has revealed that the chemical contamination, which prompted the filing of the original lawsuit, has spread throughout the neighborhood, and others have joined the lawsuit.”

Keywords

land pollution, water contamination, environmental lawsuit, environmental regulations, hazardous substances

One state wins the title of worst water polluter

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 01:32:00 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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Of all the superlatives for a state to be known for, Worst in Water Pollution is probably among the least desirable. You can probably imagine then that the folks in Indiana are less than thrilled about the title the state recently earned of “worst in nation for water pollution” by WTHR News.

The Ohio River, which flows through Indiana, is one of the most polluted waterways in the United States. Large corporations are blatant in their dumping of hazardous waste materials into state rivers and environmental regulations lack the bite to do anything about it.

A report by the group, Environment America, stated that “Indiana factories discharged more than 27 million pounds of pollutants into the state’s rivers and streams, the highest amount from any state.” One company alone, the AK Steel plant, “discharged 24 million pounds- more than two-thirds of the pollutants discharged into the Ohio River from the states that line the river.”

What comes as a major surprise is that although the waters of Indiana are largely polluted and unable to be used for swimming and fishing, a disturbing environmental trend is occurring. Handfuls of state lawmakers are pushing to relax the water protection laws even further, claiming they are negatively affecting the economy. “Complaints about how environmental regulations are handcuffing businesses are a common refrain from many Hoosier candidates,” read an OpEd piece in the Journal Gazette.

Some people in the state are disgusted by the blatant disregard for the health of the water. EPA official Eric Schaeffer said, “The water’s not clean and you’re adding more pollution to a body of water that’s already too dirty. I mean, what’s too difficult to understand about that?” It is clear that regulations should not become more lenient, and those that are already on the books need to be enforced to reverse this dirty environmental trend of contaminating the most valuable natural resource of all—water.

Keywords

water contamination, water pollution, hazardous waste materials, environmental regulations, environmental trend

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Residents file another lawsuit against nuclear polluter in St. Louis

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:59:04 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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A group of 16 people who live near Lambert Saint Lois International Airport have seen a marked increase in serious illnesses and death, and they are filing the second environmental lawsuit against the company they feel is responsible.

Plaintiffs allege that the nuclear hazardous waste, which was once used in the making of an atomic bomb, was carelessly stored at a Superfund site near the airport and is causing neighbors to become very sick. The suit names various illnesses, including an eerie array of cancers, Chrohn’s disease and autoimmune disorders. One company being called to court is Mallinckrodt Incorporated’s chemical division.

Mallinckrodt fiercely defends itself, stating that if anyone is liable for the environmental safety problems, it is the US military and the Department of Energy.

The company issued this statement: “The St. Louis Airport Site was used for disposal of demolition debris from buildings decommissioned and demolished nearly 5 years ago by a third party demolition contractor under the oversight of the US government. Some of this debris was from buildings formerly used for uranium processing dating back to the 1940s at a Mallinckrodt site in St. Louis. The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in coordination with the Department of Energy is now responsible for the environmental remediation of the St. Louis Airport Site…”

EPA testing did indeed show the property health of the area was so poor, it was designated as a Superfund site. Dangerously elevated levels of radioactive elements were found. Over the last two decades, the US Army has conducted several rounds of remediation to clean up the site, and it is nearly complete.

It has been documented that the cancer rates in the North County area near the site are higher than in other parts of the US and Missouri. What do you think? Even with the cleanup complete, the plaintiff’s feel that someone needs to be held accountable for their illnesses. Who should that be?

Keywords

environmental lawsuit, hazardous waste material, environmental safety, property health

Dry cleaning building finally on New York cleanup list

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:08:30 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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The building that once housed Temco, a heavy-duty dry cleaning business from 1985 to 2002, has been sitting unused in upstate New York, causing PCE water contamination and eyesores. The small town of West Haverstraw has wanted to clean up the site since 2002 but was never able to hold anyone responsible for the costs.

Now, the state of New York is stepping in and adding the former Temco site to the Superfund list, which is also known in that state as the State Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Sites. This month, the DEC will begin a site assessmentto determine the extent of the contamination.

According to LoHud.com, “Chemicals used by Temco’s operation—including Tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, and several kinds of semi-volatile organic compounds—have contaminated the site’s soil and groundwater.”

Although the residents who live in close vicinity to the site are hooked up to a public drinking water system, it’s unknown what kind of problems the pollution could be causing. This is especially troubling, says the DEC, since a number of “trespassers, including children, have been seen on the property and further investigation is needed to evaluate the potential risks.” The results of the site assessment will determine what type of remediation plan is put in place.

West Haverstraw residents are concerned over the fact that taxpayers are footing the bill of whatever cleanup is deemed necessary. In 2002, a company called Piccalili Properties, Inc purchased the property but has not begun any environmental remediation. The DEC has promised those concerned New Yorkers that it will do whatever it can to hold a property owner accountable. “The DEC would seek to recover the costs for the remedial investigation from potentially responsible parties, including the former owner,” said agency spokesperson Wendy Rosenbach.

Keywords

site assessment, water contamination, hazardous waste site, environmental remediation

Man sues fracking company for methane contamination

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 01:14:03 +0000

Entry by kthibs

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One West Virginia man is convinced that hydraulic fracturing is causing methane contamination in his drinking water well and he’s fighting back with a lawsuit. “My water well is now a gas well,” says Jeremiah Magers.

The basis of the lawsuit, according to Mr. Magers, is that because Chesapeake Energy’s operations caused the water contamination, it should be responsible to provide an alternative drinking water source. And it did not do that. As described in the suit, Chesapeake Energy demonstrated, “willful, wanton, intentional, reckless and malicious” behavior.

According to Casey Junkins, of HeraldStarOnline.com, “Magers previously said his water well became contaminated with methane-and that natural gas began bubbling in Fish Creek- shortly after Chesapeake began fracking at a production site roughly 1200 feet from the Magers’ water tank.”

The fracking process has been found in several cases in the United States to have caused methane contamination. One example is the 2009 case in Dimock, Pennsylvania, in which Cabot Oil & Gas “had to financially compensate residents and construct a pipeline to bring in clean water,” says Wikipedia.

Methane can be found naturally in drinking water wells and isn’t always caused by fracking. That’s exactly the scenario that Chesapeake Energy is claiming. The company performed sampling of the Magers’ well. According to Stacey Brodak, a senior director of Chesapeake, the testing did find methane, but she claimed, “Chesapeake withdrew its water supply from Magers’ home because the company’s test results showed the methane present in the water sample did not match the gas from our oil and gas operations.”

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Jeremiah Magers certainly disagrees with this statement and is pursuing his case in court. Mr. Magers’ environmental attorney, Joseph Canestrato had no comment about the pending suit but this will be one to watch for. Should Magers’ win his case, other residents facing similar problems may have a better chance at demanding a clean drinking water source when their wells become contaminated.

Keywords

fracking, hydraulic fracturing, water contamination, environmental attorney

Current Environmental Issues > Current Environmental Issues Blog

Vapors invading high school deemed “not dangerous”

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Native American tribe wants tight water controls over fracking

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A Superfund success story in Morganville, New Jersey

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Unusually large algae bloom taints Baltimore waters

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Former dry cleaning building might pose contamination danger (2 Comments)

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State of Wisconsin cracks down on industrial polluter

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One state wins the title of worst water polluter

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Residents file another lawsuit against nuclear polluter in St. Louis

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Dry cleaning building finally on New York cleanup list

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Man sues fracking company for methane contamination

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