June's Rains Straining Stormwater Systems

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — This month's rain hasn't yet stopped, but Greater Providence has already swallowed an ocean of stormwater.

A June 7 storm dropped 3.2 inches of rain and filled up the 66 million-gallon overflow tunnel running under the city that delivers stormwater to a wastewater treatment facility on the waterfront. Additional overflow was sent to holding tanks in Providence and East Providence. An unspecified volume of stormwater was dumped directly into Narragansett Bay, as the tunnel exceeded its capacity, which is equipped for a 3-month storm, or about 1.6 inches of rain every six hours.

Monday’s rainfall was heavy, too. In 24 hours, 31.7 million gallons of stormwater flooded the tunnel. An additional 86.9 million gallons went to the Field’s Point treatment plant. On an average dry day, Field's Point treats 40-50 million gallons of wastewater, with a capacity of 77 million. During heavy rains, all collected stormwater and sewage receives some sort of treatment and disinfection. However, all of the initial, most polluted stormwater, receives full processing before it flows into the bay.

The Narragansett Bay Commission's Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project is in its second phase and currently processes about 60 percent of the stormwater and wastewater from Providence, Pawtucket and Central Falls.

Work on the Hope Street and North Main Street areas are expected to finish in early August. Work along the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Bike Path is nearly done and the bike path is scheduled to reopen June 14. A pipe is also being installed between Gano Street and Richmond Square on the East Side.

The project has already created a cleaner and healthier Narragansett Bay by reducing the amount of sewage released into the upper bay. Shellfishing areas, beaches and other habitats have shown significant improvement.

TLA/Pond View Cleanup Begins May 28

By ecoRI News staff

EAST PROVIDENCE — The removal of construction and demolition debris from the site of the former Trans-Load America (TLA)/ Pond View recycling facility at One Dexter Road will begin May 28, according to the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM).

TLA-Providence LLC was the operator of the former TLA/Pond View construction and demolition debris processing facility. The business was put into receivership in March 2012, and the facility ceased operations Sept. 10, 2012.

Under the terms of a performance agreement between DEM and the party performing the cleanup, closure of the site must be completed within 60 business days and performed in accordance with the closure plan and all license requirements. The hours of operation for closure work are 7 am.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays.

During this time, residents may notice increased traffic and experience odors, according to the DEM. The intent of the party performing the closure is to remove most of the material by rail; recyclable material will be removed by truck.

DEM will monitor performance to ensure that the property owner is performing the work satisfactorily and in accordance with all requirements. In addition to DEM inspectors, the department has engaged Fuss & O’Neill Inc. as an independent oversight contractor that will be on site during the closure. Fuss & O’Neill will be paid from the bond funds to oversee the closure, and will perform air monitoring and report daily to DEM. Air monitoring data will be provided to the state Department of Health for review.

DEM will oversee the closure, including the disbursement of the bond funds dedicated to finance the closure. Money from the bond will only be used for activities directly addressed in the closure plan, and once the closure is completed, the existing license to process construction and demolition debris at this site will be terminated.

Be Aware: Lawn Chemicals Applied

Photos and text by JOANNA DETZ/ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — Seems as soon as the daffodils come up, so do those little white and yellow flags — themselves harbingers of spring — announcing that lawn chemicals have been applied.

In Providence, the area around Blackstone Boulevard, where the lawns are, is where ecoRI News found the highest concentration of lawn-chemical signs. But all that lush green that sprawls in front of tidy, brick homes has a dark side.

The Natural Resources Defence Council, after several years examining federal government data and interviewing key officials, has determined that the government has allowed the majority of pesticides onto the market without a full set of toxicity tests, using a loophole called a conditional registration. In fact, as many as 65 percent of more than 16,000 pesticides were first approved for the market using this loophole.

Two of the most common pesticides, glyphosate used in Roundup and 2,4-D in Weed B Gon Max, have been linked to a slew of health issues such as autism, ALS, developmental disorders and cancer. Lawn chemicals have also been shown to harm pets, and they run into Narragansett Bay, where they can disrupt the fragile marine ecosystem.

EPA Awards Brownfield Grants to WaterFire

By ecoRI News staff

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $12 million in brownfield grants to protect people’s health and lead to a cleaner environment in New England.

In the six New England states, EPA awarded 54 separate grants to 32 different organizations, including three grants totaling $600,000 to WaterFire Providence and a $200,000 clean-up grant to the Providence-based West Broadway Neighborhood Association.

The funding is part of more than $62 million in EPA brownfields investments awarded nationwide.
In New England, since the beginning of the brownfields program, the EPA has awarded 295 grants totaling $84.1 million, 63 revolving loan fund grants and supplemental funding totaling $77.5 million, and 199 clean-up grants totaling $53.9 million. These grant funds have paved the way for more than $1.6 billion in public and private clean up and redevelopment investment.

There are an estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated sites in the United States. On average $17.79 is leveraged for every EPA brownfields grant dollar spent. When brownfields are addressed, nearby property values can increase 2 percent to 3 percent.

EPA Fines Warren Shipbuilder

By ecoRI News staff

WARREN — Blount Boats Inc., which operates a shipbuilding and ship repair facility, has agreed to pay a $24,000 penalty and spend at least $230,000 on a clean-air project to resolve Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims that it violated both federal and state clean air regulations.

The facility builds and repairs vessels such as transport ferries and small cruise ships.

The EPA alleged that Blount violated the federal Clean Air Act National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for shipbuilding and ship repair facilities by using paints with hazardous air pollutants greater than the allowable limits, failing to keep required records of paint usage, and failing to submit notifications and reports to state and federal officials.

The EPA also alleged that Blount violated state Air Pollution Controls by failing to apply for and obtain new source review permits upon acquisition of new paint spray guns in 2009. In addition, EPA alleged that Blount failed to either apply for and obtain a Clean Air Act Title V operating permit or apply for and obtain an emission cap permit. The company also failed to comply with specific certification and recordkeeping requirements for the surface coating of miscellaneous metal parts and products, according to the EPA.

To address the violations, Blount will submit a plan to the EPA and the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) outlining how it will comply with the NESHAP. Blount also will apply for a new source review permit and a Title V permit from DEM.

Under the settlement, Blount has agreed to perform a “supplemental environmental project” with a value of at least $230,000. The project will involve the construction and use of a modular vinyl shelter over the construction ways at Blount’s facility.  Blount will use the shelter, which has forced ventilation with filtration of the exhaust, during sandblasting and spray-painting operations. The use of the shelter will reduce harmful emissions from hazardous air pollutants, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, according to the EPA.

Many of the chemicals used by Blount are both hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds. Exposure to hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds can cause a variety of health problems, according to the EPA. Volatile organic compounds contribute to the formation of ozone. Ozone can damage lung tissue and reduce lung function. Children, the elderly, people with lung disease and people with asthma are most susceptible.

Cleanup of Closed E. Providence Company Finalized

By ecoRI News staff

EAST PROVIDENCE — The state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has reached agreements with the Bond Safeguard Insurance Co. and the property owner of One Dexter Road that will move forward the closure and cleanup of the site of the former Trans-Load America (TLA)/Pond View recycling facility.

Now that they are in place, these agreements commence a timeline of events that will result in the removal of construction and demolition debris at the site over the course of the next several months, according to DEM officials.

TLA-Providence LLC was the operator of the former TLA/Pond View construction and demolition debris processing facility that was put into receivership in March 2012; the facility ceased operations Sept. 10, 2012. As part of litigation that has been ongoing in Superior Court since that time, DEM has been negotiating with the receiver and bonding company regarding the scope and timetable for completing the removal of the construction and demolition debris remaining at the facility. Due to the complexity of the court proceedings and the multiple parties involved in negotiations over the closure, this process has taken longer than anticipated, but DEM said a satisfactory closure will result.

“It’s been a long process, and we all want to see the site closure completed successfully,” DEM director Janet Coit said.

As a condition of its 2011 operating license, DEM required TLA-Providence to post an $800,000 bond as financial assurance for the closure of the site. The license also required the property owner, Kenlin Properties LLC and Kenneth J. Foley, to guaranty the proper closure of the site.  During negotiations with the bond company, the property owner made a demand as guarantor to fulfill its obligation to perform the closure work in its entirety for the fixed sum of $610,000, and further agreed to post an additional $190,000 in financial assurance, according to DEM.

Under the terms of the agreement between DEM and the property owner, the property owner is responsible, regardless of cost, for performing the closure work at the site in accordance with the closure plan and all license requirements, laws, rules and regulations. The closure shall begin within 14 days of the May 9 agreement and the delivery of bond funds to DEM, and must be completed within 60 business days. Hours of operation for closure work are from 6 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. During this time, residents may notice increased traffic and experience odors. The property owner’s intention is to remove most of the material via rail.

DEM will monitor performance to ensure that the property owner is performing the work satisfactorily and in accordance with all applicable requirements. In addition to DEM inspectors, the agency will engage an independent oversight contractor who will be on site daily during the closure. This independent contractor will be paid from the bond funds to oversee the closure, perform air monitoring and report daily to DEM. Air monitoring data will be provided to the state Department of Health for review.  Money from the bond will only be used for activities directly addressed in the closure plan.

In order to monitor conditions at the site and the progress of the closure, DEM has been conducting regular inspections. Inspectors have examined and measured the piles on many occasions and have seen no evidence of any wastes other than the construction and demolition debris that TLA/Pond View was licensed to handle when it was an active facility. There is no evidence of any toxic or hazardous wastes on the site, according to DEM.

Inspectors also have been looking for any evidence that additional disposal had occurred at the site and have found no such evidence.

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R.I. Co. Fined for Clean Air Violations at Vt. Facility

By ecoRI News staff

PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island-based Moore Co. will pay a civil penalty of $198,500 for Clean Air Act violations at its facility in Brattleboro, Vt., according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company’s Fulflex facility manufactures and distributes natural and synthetic rubber and elastic tapes, threads, sheets and rings for use in a broad range of products.

The facility violated various conditions of its federally enforceable air permit issued by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, pertaining to the operation and maintenance of its emissions control system and record keeping, as well as an emission limitation established by the permit for particulate matter.

Additionally, the company violated federal regulations encouraging the recapture and recycling of listed refrigerants during the service, maintenance and repair of covered appliances, according to the EPA.

The violations resulted in a release of particulate matter above the permitted limit and made compliance monitoring difficult, regarding whether the facility properly serviced its refrigerant system and whether chlorofluorocarbons were released into the environment.

R.I. Boatyard to Reduce Air Emissions, Pay Fine

By ecoRI News staff

PORTSMOUTH — A local boatyard will pay a $31,500 penalty and take steps to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds from paints and thinners used at its Lagoon Road facility, under a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to resolve allegations of Clean Air Act violations.

In addition to paying the financial penalty, New England Boatworks Inc., which repairs and paints vessels, will obtain a Clean Air Act permit from the state of Rhode Island that caps the facility’s emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and requires use of paints and other coatings that meet low-VOC standards. New England Boatworks also will comply with applicable record keeping and certification requirements, according to the EPA.

Paint used by New England Boatworks emitted excess levels of VOCs, which can cause human health problems and which also contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, a primary constituent of smog, EPA officials said.

Under its permit, the company will use low-VOC solvents and paints that comply with regulatory limits. In addition, the company will use paint spray guns with high-transfer efficiencies and implement best-work practices to minimize VOC emissions, according to the EPA.

State Coalition Presses EPA for Emissions Action

By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff

Rhode Island joined nine other states and the District of Columbia in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue emission rules for power plants.

An April 17 letter (pdf) signed by all state attorneys general prods the EPA to respond to a lawsuit the 10 states and D.C. filed in 2006. The legal action mandates that the regulatory agency finalize greenhouse gas emissions standards and guidelines for new and existing power plants. The letter was prompted by the EPA’s failure to issue the regulations by an April 13 deadline.

Power plants are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the country, according to the letter, and the failure to regulate them is a violation of the Clean Air Act. The cost of waiting has resulted in economic harm, damage to infrastructure, and harm to wildlife and human health, according to the letter. The coalition specifically says climate change is causing death, coastal erosion, salty drinking water, less drinking water, floods and drought, and is wiping out forests.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin and Special Assistant Attorney General Gregory Schultz signed the letter on behalf of the Ocean State.

“Climate change is a real and increasing threat to Rhode Island’s health, safety and economy,” Schulz said in a statement Thursday. ”Sea-level rise and increased storm intensities already threaten our shorelines, as well as vital infrastructure, such as drinking water supplies, utilities and roadways.”

Additional legal action is expected if action isn’t taken by the EPA within 180 days, the letter warns.

Besides Rhode Island, the other states to sign the letter were Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

R.I. Landlords Fined for Lead-Paint Hazards

By ecoRI News staff

WOONSOCKET — Two local landlords will pay an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) penalty of $13,900 for violations of federal lead disclosure laws.

The EPA alleged in a complaint that Donald Ciotola and Carol Simeone violated the federal Toxic Substance Control Act, when the landlords failed to notify prospective tenants about potential lead-paint hazards in housing they owned, as required by the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 and the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule.

Exposure to lead paint is a serious health concern in New England due to the age of the housing stock. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable to lead-paint exposure, which can cause lowered intelligence, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity and behavior problems. Adults with high lead levels can suffer difficulties during pregnancy, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, memory problems, and muscle and joint pain.

The purpose of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act and the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule is to ensure that prospective tenants have enough information about lead-based paint in general and known lead-based paint hazards in specific housing to make an informed decision about whether to lease a particular property.

Among other things, the disclosure rule requires landlords to provide prospective tenants with an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet and lead warning statement; disclose the presence of known lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards; and provide prospective tenants with available records and reports pertaining to lead-based paint in the housing to be leased.

Property managers and owners therefore play an important role in helping to prevent lead poisoning.