CDP: Waterways Clips: November 4, 2022
Democrats Seek To Boost 404 Permit Scrutiny Following Pebble Mine Review. According to Inside EPA, “House Democrats are urging EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to bolster scrutiny of Clean Water Act (CWA) dredge-and-fill permit applications, measures that could complicate any new push to overhaul federal permitting either in the upcoming lame-duck session or in the new Congress when Republicans are expected to control at least one chamber. Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), the chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Grace Napolitano (D-CA), who leads the panel’s water resources and environment subcommittee, issued an Oct. 28 report that found the developers of the planned Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, AK, misled Congress and federal regulators by attempting to secure a permit for a smaller project with a 20-year time frame, while actually intending to pursue a larger project with more significant environmental impact after receiving approval. A key recommendation is that EPA and the Corps need additional tools to identify projects that are being described deceptively, beyond what is currently authorized by Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act.” [Inside EPA, 11/3/22 (=)]
PFAS Maker To Test, Treat Water Near Illinois Plant. According to Politico, “One of the manufacturing giants behind "forever chemicals" will provide sampling and water testing near one of its facilities — a win for regulators as they escalate actions targeting the compounds. EPA announced Thursday afternoon that 3M will comply with the agency's push to address PFAS contamination around its plant in Cordova, Ill. The settlement comes after recent samples provided by the company showed 19 different chemicals within a 3-mile radius of that facility, raising concerns around drinking water.” [Politico, 11/3/22 (=)]
3M Settles Allegations Of PFAS Contamination In Drinking Water. According to Bloomberg Law, “The 3M Company has been ordered to sample and provide treatment to address contamination from 19 per- and polyfluoroakyl substances (PFAS) allegedly found in drinking water within a three-mile radius of its Cordova, Ill., facility in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, according to the EPA Thursday. The company is required to offer treatment to all private well owners within three miles of the facility as well as to the Camanche Water Supply in Iowa, the agency said. 3M also has to offer drinking water sampling that follows EPA protocols with agency oversight to private well owners within four ...” [Bloomberg Law, 11/3/22 (=)]
Environmentalists Urge EPA To Bolster Sitewide Actions At Coal Ash Sites. According to Inside EPA, “Environmentalists are urging EPA to step up enforcement of its 2015 coal combustion residuals (CCR) rule amid findings that most regulated facilities are contaminating groundwater while also urging officials to ensure its suite of upcoming coal ash rules ensures sitewide corrective action at hundreds of the sites. “In every state where coal is burned, power companies are violating federal health protections,” Lisa Evans, senior attorney at Earthjustice said in a Nov. 3 statement. “Coal plant owners are ignoring the law and avoiding cleanup because they don’t want to pay for it. Coal ash waste is causing widespread water contamination that threatens drinking water supplies and the environment.” Her comments come as Earthjustice and Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) issued a new report that finds the majority of power companies are leaving coal ash in groundwater after closure, violating the 2015 CCR rule, and do not have sufficient cleanup plans.” [Inside EPA, 11/3/22 (=)]
Analysis Finds ‘Stunning’ Lack Of Compliance With Coal Ash Rules, Putting Groundwater At Risk. According to Energy News Network, “More than nine out of 10 coal ash impoundments nationwide are contaminating groundwater in violation of federal rules, according to environmental groups’ comprehensive analysis of the latest industry-reported data. Even as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stepped up enforcement of federal coal ash rules this year, the groups say more urgent action is necessary, including mandates that companies test all drinking water wells within a half-mile of coal ash impoundments, and that companies cease storing coal ash in contact with groundwater.” [Energy News Network, 11/3/22 (=)]
91% Of Coal Plants Fouling Groundwater — Report. According to Politico, “More than 90 percent of the coal-fired power plants that EPA regulates are home to ash dumps that are actively contaminating groundwater, with the majority violating federal law, according to a new analysis of utility-reported data. The Environmental Integrity Project and Earthjustice released a report today that highlights challenges around regulating coal ash — one of the largest sources of water contamination in the country — and the threat it poses to drinking water and public health.” [Politico, 11/3/22 (-)]
Effort Aims To Move WA Away From Plastics Pollution. According to Public News Service, “Plastic waste is a growing problem across the globe, and it is not just an issue for landfills. Policymakers in Washington state are aiming to find solutions to this pollution. Recent research has found by 2050, plastic waste will be four times larger than it is now. In the 2022 session, lawmakers in Olympia introduced - but did not pass - the RENEW Act, which would have created more responsibility for plastic packaging producers once a product reached the end of its life. Nora Nickum, senior ocean policy manager with the Seattle Aquarium, said there will be another effort to pass this policy next session.” [Public News Service, 11/3/22 (+)]
Lead Pipe Replacements Nearly Done In Michigan City. According to Politico, “Michigan officials said Wednesday that nearly all of the lead pipes in Benton Harbor, Mich., have been replaced roughly a year after a lead water crisis forced residents to avoid their tap water and use bottled water for simple tasks like cooking and drinking. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) said last fall that the city would have its lead service lines replaced within 18 months, a fast pace for a process that often takes years or decades. Five months before the deadline, about 4,500 pipes have been replaced or confirmed not to be made of lead. There are only about 40 more inspections to go, state officials said. "We are getting it done ahead of schedule," Whitmer said in a statement. For three straight years, tests of Benton Harbor's water system revealed lead levels in its tap water that were too high. Lead is a health hazard that can be especially harmful to young children, stunting their development and lowering IQ scores. Benton Harbor is a majority-Black community of just under 10,000 people.” [Politico, 11/3/22 (+)]
Report: Maryland Could See Economic Benefit from Farm Conservation Practices. “A new study out this week reports Maryland could realize economic benefits from agricultural conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay region. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is helping to implement the Clean Water Blueprint established in 2010, which seeks to restore the bay's water quality along with rivers and streams feeding into the bay by 2025. One of the approaches used is creating forest buffers along waterways to help capture runoff.” [Public News Service, 11/3/22 (=)]
Over 100,000 Fishing-Related Deaths Occur Annually — Pew Report. According to Politico, “More than 100,000 people die in fishing-related accidents each year, more than triple earlier estimates, and many of those fatalities were preventable, according to a report released Thursday. A range of factors are contributing to the problem, including abuses by fishing operators, use of child labor, overfishing, climate change, armed conflicts and poverty, said the report, based on research by the Fish Safety Foundation commissioned by the Pew Charitable Trusts.” [Politico, 11/3/22 (-)]
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