Author: admin

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Jipangu International, Inc. to pay a $105,000 fine and correct reporting violations after the facility failed to correctly report toxic chemical releases and waste management activities at its Florida Canyon Mine and Standard Gold Mine processing facility near Imlay, Nev.

After a careful analysis of the mine’s records, EPA inspectors determined that Jipangu failed to submit timely, complete and correct Toxic Release Inventory reports in 2005, 2006 and 2007 for toxic chemicals, such as cyanide compounds, used to extract gold from the ore mined at the facility, and other toxic chemicals, such as lead and mercury compounds, produced during the extraction process.
“The chemicals used at the Florida Canyon Mine and Standard Gold Mine facility have the potential to pose a danger to employees, the surrounding community and the environment,” said Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “The EPA has been collecting information from facilities nationwide for 25 years to arm citizens and local governments with information about toxics in their area.”

Metal ore mining accounts for 97% of total toxic inventory releases reported to EPA in Nevada. This action is part of an ongoing effort began in 2008 to ensure compliance among this sector and to ensure the public has accurate and complete information about facilities in their communities.

The Jipangu International Gold Mining facility produces 1.5 to 1.7 tons of gold annually.  Within the next five years, the facility plans to increase production to 15.5 tons per year.

Under the settlement, Jipangu revised its TRI reports for 2005 through 2010 and complied with the Emergency planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.  There is no evidence to suggest that the mine’s violations posed any immediate danger to nearby communities or workers at the facility.

The EPA requires reporting of toxic chemical releases under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act, which requires certain facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use toxic chemicals over specified amounts to file annual reports estimating the amounts released to the environment, treated or recycled on-site, or transferred off-site for waste management.  These reports are submitted to the EPA and the State or Tribe having local jurisdiction over the facility.  The EPA compiles this information into a national database called the Toxics Release Inventory and makes it available to the public.

To find information on the Toxics Release Inventory program visit: http://www.epa.gov/tri.

U.S. Marines are testing a high-tech trash disposal system that can reduce a standard 50-gallon bag of waste to a half-pint jar of harmless ash. Called the Micro Auto Gasification System, the unit is currently undergoing evaluation by US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific as a possible solution to help Marines win their daily battle against the increasing trash at remote forward operating bases.

Read the complete article at ScienceDaily.com

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new Web site for patients and caregivers focuses on the safe disposal of needles and other so-called “sharps” that are used at home, at work and while traveling. The site aims to help people understand the public health risks created by improperly disposing of used sharps and how users should safely dispose of them. More

By Allen Hershkowitz

A new report released today by a coalition of labor and environmental groups estimates that recycling 75 percent of the nation’s municipal waste, in combination with incentives for manufacturers to use recycled raw materials, will create nearly 1.5 million desperately needed new jobs by 2030.

The report, More Jobs, Less Pollution, also estimates that by using a much higher level of recycled materials in manufacturing plants, we can reduce global warming pollution by as much as 276 million metric tons by 2030, an amount equal to eliminating the emissions of approximately 72 coal-fired power plants or taking 50 million cars off the road.

The report was prepared by the Tellus Institute for the Blue Green Alliance, a coalition of labor and environmental organizations that includes the Natural Resources Defense Council, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Service Employees International Union, Recycling Works! and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA).

Read the complete article at GreenBiz.com

EPA recently released a new DVD called Reduce Runoff: Slow it Down, Spread it out, Soak it in! that includes four educational videos that provide an introduction to controlling runoff in urban areas.  The videos on this DVD can help fulfill the outreach requirements for EPA’s Stormwater MS4 program as well as helping with outreach for other purposes.  EPA is encouraging the airing of these programs on cable TV stations; we have full rights to the program.  This DVD compilation includes:

• Reduce Runoff: Slow it Down, Spread it Out, Soak it In – an introductory video on reducing stormwater runoff and its harmful effects on the environment (8:43 minutes);
• RiverSmart Homes: Getting Smart about Runoff in Washington, DC – video regarding the District of Columbia’s RiverSmart Homes program which provides assistance to citizens to install various practices such as trees, rain barrels, and rain gardens (12:00 minutes);
• Building Green: A Success Story in Philadelphia – a look at an environmentally-friendly housing complex in Philadelphia (11:00 minutes);  and
• After the Storm? – a popular video co-produced by EPA and The Weather Channel in 2004 to educate the public about watersheds and what they can do to clean up their watershed including implementing practices to address stormwater (21:39 minutes).

Copies of this DVD may be ordered from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) by emailing nscep@bps-lmit.com or calling 800-490-9198.  Please be sure to include the EPA document number EPA 842-11-001, when ordering the “Reduce Runoff: Slow it Down, Spread it out, Soak it in!” DVD.

Also, these videos are posted in small screen format at http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/green/video.cfm and the Website provides an FTP link for broadcast quality videos.

Top Officials Tour Electronic Waste Recycler

Contact: John Martin, (212) 637-3662, martin.johnj@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – November 10, 2011) Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. General Services Administration toured e-Green Management of Islip Terrace, New York to highlight the environmental, public health and economic benefits of recycling electronics. The EPA and GSA are partners in a “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship,” which commits the federal government to promoting the recycling of electronics and advancing a domestic market for electronics recycling that will protect public health, prevent pollution and create jobs.

“The growing electronics recycling industry has the potential to create new economic and environmental opportunities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “Our work with businesses like e-Green Management means that more of our nation’s electronics will be handled responsibly, and more jobs will be created. I commend e-Green Management for their work.”

“The federal government is the nation’s largest consumer of electronics and GSA can and will ensure that it becomes the most responsible user of these items,” said GSA Regional Administrator Denise L. Pease. “Our efforts in this region alone already keep 1300 tons or 49% of office and building waste out of landfills. Through GSA’s programs for reuse, recycling and proper disposal of e-waste, the federal government can lead by example and, at the same time, help promote job growth in this emerging industry. Supporting small businesses who continue to generate jobs and strengthen our economy is a priority of President Barack Obama.”

Every year, Americans generate almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics, which are made from valuable resources such as precious metals and rare earth materials, as well as plastic and glass. From computers and cell phones, to portable communication and music devices, the U.S. is a global leader in designing and developing new and improved electronic technologies. The responsible management of electronics provides an opportunity to promote economic development and jobs by developing a strong domestic electronics recycling market while preventing pollution.

The National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship includes four overarching goals:

• Build incentives for the design of greener electronics
• Increase the safe management and handling of used electronics
• Reduce harm from U.S. exports of e-waste and improve the safe handling of used electronics in developing countries
• Ensure that the federal government expands recycling of equipment purchased by the federal government

Under this strategy, GSA will ensure that all electronics used by the federal government are reused or recycled properly. In addition, EPA and GSA will promote development of new environmental performance standards for categories of electronic products not covered by current standards. Several federal agencies will work together to identify methods to move federal agencies toward reuse and recycling.

A key component of the strategy includes the use of certified recyclers and increasing the safe and effective management and handling of used electronics. There are two existing domestic third-party certification recycling entities, the responsible recycling, or R2, and E-Steward certifications. The electronics recycling industry is increasingly using these certification programs. Certified recyclers are regularly audited to ensure that electronics are recycled in a manner that is safe for human health and the environment.

Founded in 2007, e-Green Management is part of the R2 certification program. The company recycles used computers, color TVs, cell phones, printers and fax machines, in addition to batteries and fluorescent bulbs. E-Green Management is planning to expand the number of full-time employees of the company within the next two years.

For more information on the EPA and industry collaboration: http://www.epa.gov/electronicsstrategy