EPA Announces Public Regulatory Reform Meetings on TSCA, TRI and Lead Exposure Reduction — May 1, 2017

Consistent with Executive Order 13777, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) is hosting two meetings on May 1, 2017, to solicit input on regulations promulgated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) that could be repealed, replaced, or modified to make them less burdensome.

On February 24, 2017, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13777 on Enforcing the Regulatory Agenda. The Executive Order (EO) establishes the “policy of the United States to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens placed on the American people.” Among other things, it requires each agency to create a Regulatory Reform Task Force to evaluate existing regulations and to identify regulations that should be repealed, replaced, or modified.

OCSPP is holding two public meetings (both of which the public is invited to participate in person or via teleconference) on May 1, 2017 so that we can listen and learn from those directly impacted by our regulations.

The first meeting will be held from 9am to 12pm and will address regulations promulgated under TSCA Subchapters I (Control of Toxic Substances), II (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response), VI (Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products), as well as EPCRA Subchapter II §11023 (Toxic chemical release forms), commonly referred to as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). These are regulations addressing chemical risk review and reduction programs including new and existing chemicals, polychlorinated biphenyls, asbestos, mercury and formaldehyde, as well as regulations implementing the TRI.

The second meeting will be held from 1pm to 2:30pm and will address regulations promulgated under TSCA Subchapter IV (Lead Exposure Reduction). These regulations address implementation of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, Lead Abatement Program, Residential Lead-based Paint Disclosure Rule, and Residential Hazard Standards for Lead in Paint, Dust and Soil.

We invite you to provide input on these actions during the public meeting/teleconference or by submitting written comments to the EPA-wide docket using docket number: EPA-HQ-OA-2017-0190. The docket, which is accessible through www.regulations.gov,  will remain open through May 15, 2017. OCSPP will give equal consideration to input provided through either of these methods.

Additional information on joining the meetings (in person and via teleconference) and submitting written comments through the docket is below. For questions about this process, please contact Darlene Leonard at leonard.darlene@epa.gov. For more information about this effort, please visit https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/regulatory-reform.

Participating in the Meetings:

Persons interested in attending the meeting on TSCA Subchapters I, II and VI, and EPCRA Subchapter II §11023, either in person or remotely, may register at https://tsca-tri.eventbrite.com.

Those interested in participating in the meeting on TSCA Subchapter IV, either in person or remotely, may register at https://tsca-pb.eventbrite.com.

Participants must indicate their interest in speaking when registering. To attend the meeting in person or to receive remote access, please register no later than April 27, 2017.  While on-site registration will be available, seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to pre-registrants, until room capacity is reached. The Agency anticipates that approximately 150 people will be able to attend the meeting in person. For registrants not able to attend in person, the meeting will also provide remote access capabilities; registered participants will be provided information on how to connect to the meeting prior to its start.

 Providing Input through the Docket:

Comments can be submitted to the public docket, EPA-HQ-OA-2017-0190, which is available at www.regulations.gov. The docket will be open until May 15, 2017.

Detailed instructions on how to submit comments to the docket are available at: https://www.regulations.gov/help. Also, EPA’s Tips for Effective Comments can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets#tips.

We also recommend that you clearly include the subject area on which you are providing input at the beginning of your comment. The subject area could include, but is not limited to, a reference to any of the following:

  • Code of Federal Regulations regulatory cite or Part/Subpart;
  • Federal Register citation;
  • Regulatory program or rulemaking title;
  • Title of guidance document.

April 26, 2017 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

The next meeting of the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force is:
Date: Wednesday, April  26, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District Office
22510 E. Mission Avenue Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Click here for a map

To attend by phone:

Call In Number: (509) 335-2277
Participant Code: 5266916
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Webinar for Presentations:
To start the online meeting
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1. Go to https://wadis.webex.com/wadis/j.php?MTID=mf14b37c68c9458d65b13936724080477
2. Log in to your account.
3. Click “Start Now”.
4. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
Meeting Password: RpckHSr6
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Audio conference information
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To attend by phone:
Call In Number: (509) 335-2277
Participant Code: 5266916
Meeting Documents:
–  SRRTTF 04.26.17 Final summary
Agenda:
–  SRRTTF_04-26-17_agenda_draft2 (revised on 4.20.17)

Previous Meeting Summaries:
 SRRTTF 03-22-17 meeting notes_draft
 TTWG summary Notes 04-05-17 DRAFT
Funding (ACE) and Technical Documents:
–  ACE commitment report_April 2017
–  Fish Feed Supplier PCB Reporting Requirements
  EPA SRRTTF TSCA Meeting 042617 – Questions Outcomes Final draft
 Agenda_EPA-SRRTTF_4-26_Final Draft
 2017-18 SRRTTF Proposal SOW draft (Ruckelshaus Center – file updated 4.26.17)
Presentations:
2015 Phase 3 Duwamish RU 
–  PRELIMINARY_HomologMassBalance_042617
–  Federal Cleanup Sites With PCBs In The Spokane-2
Outreach:
– BasisofCampaign
– Communications Continuum_PCBs (1)

Ecology News: The Spokane Urban Waters Data project has been completed in EIM.

The Spokane Urban Waters Data project has been completed in EIM! Kristin Carmack entered this data and provided a Quality Assurance review of the data in EIM.  Kristin deserves a big kudos for this work!  With over 19,000 records, 77 locations, and multiple source investigations spanning 5 years, this was a HUGE amount of data to enter into EIM.

The data can be found under EIM project ID: SRUW-Spokane.

 

April 5, 2017 Education and Outreach Work Group Meeting

The next meeting of the SRRTTF Education and Outreach Work group is:

Date: Wednesday April 5, 2017
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Location: Washington Department of Ecology
N. 4601 Monroe St.
Spokane, WA 99205
Click here for a map.

Call in Number: 509-335-2277
Conference ID: 7775794

Agenda: 

  • PCBs in Products: Coherent strategy to tell the story
  • Website Public Outreach PCB/Toxics Interface: Where to from here? (Mockup put together by Kristen Zimmer).
  • Education and Outreach workgroup – role, leadership, meeting schedule, work products?

Meeting Materials:
 Website MockUp2 (1) (Note: still need to change the graphic based on feedback to include all sources, but this gives the general idea)
 Comp Plan e&o Actions_work plan

April 5, 2017 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

The next meeting of the SRRTTF Task Force and Technical Track Work group is:

Date: Wednesday April 5, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Location: Washington Department of Ecology
N. 4601 Monroe St.
Spokane, WA 99205
Click here for a map.

Call In Number: 509-335-2277
Conference ID: 2740350

Meeting Materials:
4.5.17 TTWG DRAFT Summary Notes
Agenda
–  Tech Track WG agn 04-05-17-draft (2)

– LimnoTech presentation – Monthly Sampling: SRRTTF_LimnoTech_04_03_2017 (1)
powerpoint file: SRRTTF_LimnoTech_04_03_2017_with CFS

–  Limnotech contract package 2017

Revisiting PMF and Fingerprinting (SOW from Lisa Rodenburg and follow-up)
–  
Work Plan_Rodenburg 5/25/16 , From Lisa Rodenburg 6/1/16

Department of Ecology Listerserv for the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Cleanup and Recent Duwamish Activities.

This Department of Ecology LISTSERV provides information on efforts to control sources of pollution to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Cleanup site.

Per the Task Force request, below is an example of our Duwamish updates listserv.  Folks can sign up here: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/maillist.html

For folks who want information just about the Pollutant Loading Assessment, they can find info on this webpage: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/geographic/GreenDuwamish/pla.html

If they want to observe the Technical Advisory Committee meetings, these are open.  Folks can contact Joan Nolan (joan.nolan@ecy.wa.gov) if they want to be added to that smaller list.

Recent activities include:

 March 15, 2017 Green-Duwamish Pollutant Loading Assessment meeting for interested parties

Please join us from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Tukwila Community Center Banquet Hall, 12424 42nd Avenue South, Tukwila.  For more information on the Pollutant Loading Assessment, visit http://www.ecy.wa.gov/geographic/GreenDuwamish/pla.html

 Seattle metal recycler fined $64,000 for pollution discharges to Duwamish River

Ecology fined Seattle Iron and Metals Corporation $64,000 for discharging stormwater with excessive levels of several pollutants into the Duwamish River. The company’s monitoring records showed 27 violations of pollutant limits from February 2015 through December 2016. On June 20 and 21, 2016, stormwater was allowed to bypass the treatment system, which resulted in four additional violations. Seattle Iron and Metals Corporation also failed to submit monitoring reports for the fourth quarter in 2015.  The company paid the fine. Ecology’s water quality penalties go to the state’s Coastal Protection Fund which issues grants to public agencies and tribes for water quality restoration projects.

 Site Work begins for the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station

King County is beginning site demolition and soil remediation work at the home of the future Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station. The station will treat combined sewage and stormwater flows from the Michigan and Brandon combined sewer overflow basins.  Ecology’s Water Quality Program reviewed the plans for this project to ensure that it meets the state’s water quality laws.  Ecology is reviewing the 90% design documents for the treatment facility, conveyance system improvements, and the facility’s outfall in the Duwamish River (where treated wastewater will discharge). King County’s project website:  http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/dnrp/wtd/capital-projects/active/georgetown.aspx

 City of Seattle has begun testing stormwater treatment technologies at Riverside Drive as part of the South Park Water Quality project.

This stormwater treatment facility will treat runoff from the 7th Avenue storm drain basin in South Park. The project is part of Seattle’s Integrated Plan to protect Seattle’s waterways, approved by Ecology and EPA, which addresses control of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and includes stormwater projects.

Rachel McCrea | Lead Water Quality Planner for the Lower Duwamish | Municipal Stormwater Specialist

Department of Ecology NWRO | Water Quality Program | 425-649-7223