EPA Region 7 Issues Notice of Violation to Grain Processing Corporation, Inc., of Muscatine, Iowa, for Clean Air Act Issues

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

EPA Region 7 Issues Notice of Violation to Grain Processing Corporation, Inc., of Muscatine, Iowa, for Clean Air Act Issues

Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., March 27, 2012) - EPA has issued a notice of violation to Grain Processing Corporation, Inc. (GPC), alleging the company has violated the Iowa State Implementation Plan and the federal Clean Air Act for issues related to construction and operating permits issued for its facility at Muscatine, Iowa.

EPA Region 7 has coordinated with the State of Iowa on the notice of violation, which is separate from a civil lawsuit filed December 1, 2011, by the Iowa attorney general, which alleges that GPC's facility violated the state's air pollution laws.

GPC’s plant at 1600 Oregon Street in Muscatine processes corn into ethanol, corn sweeteners and beverage alcohol.

EPA’s notice of violation to GPC specifically alleges that between 2007 and 2011, its facility repeatedly violated limits on air emissions opacity that were set forth in the company’s 1995 amended construction permit and 2003 operating permit. The notice further alleges GPC failed to notify the Iowa Department of Natural Resources of the opacity exceedances, and failed to address the exceedances in its annual compliance certifications for the years 2007 through 2011.

EPA’s notice to GPC does not address penalties, but indicates the Agency will consider additional enforcement action, which could include penalties, to ensure the facility complies with applicable laws and regulations. The notice can be viewed online at www.epa.gov/region7/newsevents/legal.

The notice was accompanied by an official request for information, which seeks details of GPC’s compliance with the Facility Response Plan requirements and Spill Prevention and Countermeasures Control requirements of the federal Clean Water Act. Information provided by the company in response to EPA’s request will be used by the Agency in evaluating GPC’s compliance. GPC’s response to EPA’s information request is due within 15 days.

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News Release from EPA - Kansas Refinery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2012

Kansas Refinery to Pay Nearly $1 Million Penalty for Environmental Violations Related to Air Emissions

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Coffeyville Resources Refining & Marketing (CRRM) has agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $970,000 and invest more than $4.25 million on new pollution controls and $6.5 million in operating costs to resolve alleged violations of air, superfund and community right-to-know laws at its Coffeyville, Kan. refinery. The settlement will benefit the environment and human health by requiring new and upgraded pollution controls, more stringent emission limits, and more aggressive leak-detection and repair practices to reduce emissions from refinery equipment and process units. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NO_x), two pollutants emitted from refineries, can cause respiratory problems like asthma and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog and haze.
“The Clean Air Act is designed to protect people’s health from emissions of harmful pollutants,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement will protect residents living near the facility and ensure that the necessary pollution controls are installed to protect the residents of southeastern Kansas in the future.”
“This settlement puts CRRM on a level playing field with the more than 100 petroleum refineries that have agreed to implement aggressive pollution control measures, thereby reducing the threats posed by harmful emissions to area residents,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The agreement reaffirms our commitment to ensure that the petroleum refining industry complies with the nation’s Clean Air Act.”

The settlement resolves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Coffeyville allegedly made modifications to its refinery that increased emissions without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment. The CAA requires major sources of air pollution to obtain such permits before making changes that would result in a significant emissions increase of any pollutant. The settlement also resolves violations in which CRRM failed to timely notify state and local emergency responders of releases of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide from the refinery, as required by the CERCLA and EPCRA.

Once fully implemented, the pollution controls required by the settlement will annually reduce an estimated 200 tons of NOx emissions and more than 110 tons of SO₂ emissions. The settlement will also reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other pollutants that affect air quality. CRRM has also agreed to perform a voluntary environmental project at the refinery valued at more than $1.2 million. The project will benefit the environment and surrounding communities by reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds and hydrogen sulfide, reducing the frequency of future acid gas flaring incidents, and conserve 15 million gallons of water each year that would previously have come from the Verdigris River.
The settlement with CRRM is the 30th under an EPA initiative to improve compliance among petroleum refiners and to reduce significant amounts of air pollution from refineries nationwide through comprehensive, company-wide settlements. The first of EPA’s settlements was reached in 2000, and with today’s settlement, 107 refineries operating in 32 states and territories – more than 90 percent of the total refining capacity in the United States – are under judicially enforceable agreements to significantly reduce emissions of pollutants. As a result of the settlement agreements, refiners have agreed to invest more than $6 billion in new pollution controls designed to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants by more than 360,000 tons per year.
CRRM’s refinery has the capacity to refine more than 115,000 barrels of crude oil per day, producing gasoline, diesel fuels, and propane.
The State of Kansas has joined in the settlement and will receive a portion of the civil penalty.

The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.
More information on the CRRM settlement:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/coffeyville.html
More information on other petroleum refinery settlements:
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/caa/oil/index.html

News Release from EPA - Fremont Facility

For Immediate Release: February 28, 2012

Contact: Margot Perez-Sullivan, perezsullivan.margot@epa.gov

U.S. EPA Fines Fremont facility $62,500 for Hazardous Waste Violations

SAN FRANCISCO—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Western Digital Corporation, a wafer fabrication facility that generates large quantities of hazardous wastes including solvents, acids and sulfates, $62,500 for the improper management of hazardous waste at its Fremont facility.

A 2010 inspection at Western Digital Corporation uncovered violations of federal standards governing the handling and storage of hazardous waste. In this case, the facility manufactures    components used to make hard drives, using a variety of hazardous materials.  Among the  violations were failure to properly label and seal containers, failure to control tank emissions, failure to adequately train personnel, failure to monitor equipment, failure to provide an adequate contingency plan, and failure to provide a leak detection system,

Under the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act program, hazardous substances must be stored, handled and disposed of using measures that safeguard public health and the environment.

For more information on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, please visit the EPA’s web site at:  http://www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/rcra/index.html

Leaders of the Fuel Cell Pack

From the blog of the U.S. Dept. of Energy:

Leaders of the Fuel Cell Pack

February 17, 2012 - 10:32am

Fuel cell forklifts like the one shown here are used by leading companies across the U.S. as part of their daily business operations. | Energy Department file photo.

Sunita Satyapal

Program Manager, Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Program

What does the report show?

• The 34 companies profiled used more than 250 fuel cells totaling 30+ MW of stationary power -- enough to supply electricity for over 21,000 households.

What do WalMart, Coca-Cola, Sysco, and Whole Foods have in common?

They’re leading the pack when it comes to hydrogen and fuel cells.

The Energy Department’s "Business Case for Fuel Cells 2011" report illustrates how top American companies are using fuel cells in their business operations to advance their sustainability goals, save millions of dollars in electricity costs, and reduce carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tons per year.

The report profiles 34 companies and highlights how they incorporate fuel cell technologies into their business models. According to the report, in the last year, profiled companies used more than 250 fuel cells totaling 30+ MW of stationary power -- enough to supply electricity for over 21,000 households. In addition, companies in the report purchased or deployed more than 240 fuel cells at telecommunication sites and more than 1,030 fuel cell-powered lift trucks.

Walmart, Coca-Cola, Sysco, and Whole Foods are leading the pack:

·      Walmart -- 6.8 MW for CHP (17 stores) and 70+ forklifts
·      Coca-Cola -- 2.1 MW (4 locations) and 70+ forklifts
·      Sysco Corporation -- 600+ forklifts at several locations, one hundred more on order
·      Whole Foods Market -- 1.2 MW (4 stores) and 60+ forklifts

So how do these companies deploy fuel cell technologies in their daily operations? Many use fuel cells as a cost-saving alternative to power lift trucks in their warehouses and distribution centers. The Department’s analysis of fuel cell-powered lift trucks deployed via the Recovery Act concludes that fuel cells provide eight times lower refueling/recharging labor cost and two times lower net present value of total system cost compared to batteries.
In addition, Combined Heat and Power systems are another attractive application of fuel cell technologies. When fuel cells generate electricity they give off waste heat. In a combined heat and power system, the waste heat is captured for a wide variety of applications, including space heating and hot water.  
You can read more about how fuel cells are beneficially impacting these companies’ bottom line while further promoting the use of clean energy technologies by checking out the report.

News release from Cummins Westport:

Navistar Expands Product Line with Cummins Westport Engine

published: February 3, 2012

VANCOUVER, BC – Cummins Westport Inc. (CWI), a leading provider of high-performance, alternative fuel engines for the global market, announced today that Navistar will offer the Cummins Westport ISL G in the International® TranStar and WorkStar trucks.

The ISL G is the #1 natural gas engine in North America, with over 13,000 engines produced since it was first introduced in 2007. While initial success was in the transit and refuse markets, more recently the conventional truck market has shown an interest in natural gas.

Roe East, President of Cummins Westport, commented, "Adding Navistar completes the listing of the ISL G with all major North American truck OEMs and reaffirms Cummins Westport's position of market leadership for natural gas engines."

About the Cummins Westport ISL G

The Cummins Westport ISL G, an 8.9 litre stoichiometric cooled-exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) engine, is certified to 2010 EPA emissions, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and offers top-level performance and efficiency. The ISL G engine is a purpose built natural gas engine manufactured in the Cummins Engine Plant in Rocky Mount, NC that operates on either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG), both of which are cost effective, low carbon, and low emissions fuels. With ratings up to 320 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque, the ISL G features maintenance free three way catalyst (TWC) aftertreatment, and does not require the use of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) or a diesel particulate filter (DPF) More information about the ISL G can be found at: www.cumminswestport.com/products/islg.php

About Cummins Westport

Cummins Westport Inc. (CWI) manufactures and sells the world's widest range of low-emissions alternative fuel engines for commercial transportation applications such as trucks and buses.  CWI is a joint venture of Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI), a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems, and Westport Innovations Inc. (NASDAQ:WPRT / TSX:WPT), a leading developer of technologies that allow engines to operate on clean-burning fuels such as natural gas, hydrogen, and hydrogen-enriched natural gas (HCNG). :: www.cumminswestport.com

GM to Build New CNG Vans for AT&T

News release from AT&T:

GM Wentzville Plant to Build New CNG Vans for AT&T

Order shows AT&T's "continued commitment to alternative fuels and to investing right here in Missouri," says AT&T Missouri President John Sondag

St. Louis, Missouri, February 01, 2012

Fresh on the heels of the announcement that is has deployed its 5,000^th alternative fuel vehicle, AT&T* announced today that it plans to take delivery of 1,200 Chevrolet Express dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) cargo vans to be deployed to AT&T service centers nationwide. It is the largest-ever order of GM CNG vehicles.

“St. Louis is home to AT&T’s Fleet Operations and we have more than 200 alternative fuel vehicles in the state,” said AT&T Missouri President John Sondag.  “This order shows AT&T’s continued commitment to alternative fuels and to investing right here in Missouri.”

AT&T, which has announced its intention to invest up to $565 million to deploy approximately 15,000 alternative fuel vehicles over a 10-year period through 2018, will use the vans to provide and maintain communications, high-speed Internet and television services for AT&T customers. Last week, the company announced the milestone deployment of its 5,000th alternative-fuel vehicle, a Chevrolet Express van, as part of the commitment.

 “CNG technology is important to AT&T because it helps us reduce our fleet-based carbon emissions,” said Jerome Webber, AT&T vice president of Fleet Operations. “It is also cost-effective and readily available in our country right now.” 

According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, CNG-powered vans can produce approximately 25 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions than similar gasoline and diesel-powered vans, which supports AT&T’s corporate commitment to minimize its impact on the environment.

In 2010, AT&T and other large U.S. fleet operators joined in the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities’ National Clean Fleets Partnership as part of a national challenge launched by President Obama to cut America’s petroleum imports by one-third by 2025. Through 2013, AT&T anticipates it will have purchased up to 8,000 CNG vehicles at an estimated cost of $350 million. Additionally, over the life of the commitment, AT&T expects to invest $215 million to replace approximately 7,100 fleet passenger cars with alternative-fuel models.

According to a 2009 Center for Automotive Research report, AT&T’s planned alternative-fuel vehicle initiative would:

• Save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the 10-year deployment period
• Reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric tons – the greenhouse gas equivalent of removing 38,600 passenger vehicles from the road for one year

More Sustainable Service Garages

Beyond the AFV deployments, AT&T is turning to its service garages to help minimize its environmental footprint and cut operating costs within its overall fleet. These programs include:

• Redirecting an estimated 60,000 old tires annually through a new recycling program that turns old rubber into fuel and consumer products
• Recycling all primary garage products, including 180,000 pounds of oil filters; 200,000 gallons of oil; and 23,000 gallons of antifreeze annually
• Eliminating the purchase of 9,000 pounds of lead annually that were being used to balance new fleet vehicle tires at high speeds

For more information about AT&T’s sustainability efforts and to view a copy of AT&T’s 2010 Sustainability Report, please visit www.att.com/csr.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.


About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T |DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

Companies Face Fines for Not Using Unavailable Biofuel

The following was gleaned from a January 10 New York Times article with the above title.

Companies Face Fines for Not Using Unavailable Biofuel

WASHINGTON — When the companies that supply motor fuel close the books on 2011, they will pay about $6.8 million in penalties to the Treasury because they failed to mix a special type of biofuel into their gasoline and diesel as required by law.

But there was none to be had. Outside a handful of laboratories and workshops, the ingredient, cellulosic biofuel, does not exist.

In 2012, the oil companies expect to pay even higher penalties for failing to blend in the fuel, which is made from wood chips or the inedible parts of plants like corncobs. Refiners were required to blend 6.6 million gallons into gasoline and diesel in 2011 and face a quota of 8.65 million gallons this year.

The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, aimed at reducing the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, its reliance on oil imported from hostile places and the export of dollars to pay for it, includes provisions to increase the efficiency of vehicles as well as incorporate renewable energy sources into gasoline and diesel.

It requires the use of three alternative fuels: car and truck fuel made from cellulose, diesel fuel made from biomass and fuel made from biological materials but with a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gases. Only the cellulosic fuel is commercially unavailable. As for meeting the quotas in the other categories, the refiners will not close their books until February and are not sure what will happen.

The goal set by the law for vehicle fuel from cellulose was 250 million gallons for 2011 and 500 million gallons for 2012.  Even advocates of renewable fuel acknowledge that the refiners are at least partly correct in complaining about the penalties.

The standards for cellulosic fuel are part of an overall goal of having 36 billion gallons of biofuels incorporated annually by 2022. But substantial technical progress would be needed to meet that — and lately it has been hard to come by.

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$1.7 Million Penalty to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

Excerpts from EPA News Release:

News Releases from Headquarters

 

Essroc Cement Company to Pay $1.7 Million Penalty to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations/$33 million investment in pollution controls to reduce smog and asthma causing emissions by more than 7,000 tons per year

Release Date: 12/29/2011
Contact Information: CONTACTS: Stacy Kika Kika.stacy@epa.gov 202-564-0906 202-564-4355 Cathy Milbourn Milbourn.cathy@epa.gov 202-564-7849

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Essroc Cement Company has agreed to pay a $1.7 million penalty and invest approximately $33 million in pollution control technology to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at six of its Portland Cement manufacturing plants. The settlement will protect Americans’ health by reducing more than 7,000 tons of harmful nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) pollution each year that can lead to childhood asthma, acid rain, and smog. Essroc has also agreed to spend $745,000 to mitigate the effects of past excess emissions from its facilities.

Under the settlement, Essroc will install state of the art pollution control technology to control SO₂ and NO_x at five of its plants and demonstrate a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) system at two long wet kilns in its Logansport, Ind. plant. If successful, this will be the first SCRs used on long wet kilns anywhere in the world. Essroc will also permanently retire its sixth plant, located in Bessemer, Penn. This plant is currently out of operation and its permanent retirement will ensure that the facility does not restart without proper permitting under the CAA.

The settlement also requires Essroc to spend $745,000 on a mitigation project to replace old engines in several off-road vehicles at its plant sites. The replacement engines are estimated to achieve approximately a 50-80 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides in each engine.

Reducing air pollution from cement plants is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives for 2011-2013. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, two key pollutants emitted from cement plants, have numerous adverse effects on human health and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog, and haze. The pollutants are converted in the air into fine particles of particulate matter that can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, and premature death. Reducing these harmful air pollutants will benefit the communities located near the Essroc plants, particularly communities disproportionately impacted by environmental risks and vulnerable populations, including children.

The states of Indiana and West Virginia, and the Commonwealths of Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico, are also signatories to this consent decree.

The settlement was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.