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Cleanup work completes in Waukegan Harbor

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the completion of all cleanup work required to remove Waukegan Harbor from the binational list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern. EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman was joined for the announcement at Waukegan Harbor by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk, U.S. Representative Brad Schneider and Mayor Wayne Motley. Waukegan Harbor was one of 43 contaminated sites on the Great Lakes designated as a Great Lakes Area of Concern by the United States and Canada under the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. "Today is a great day for Waukegan Harbor and for Lake Michigan," Hedman said. "Federal, state and local agencies have now completed all of the work required to remove Waukegan Harbor from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern." Since the early 1990s, EPA, the State of Illinois, and parties responsible for contaminating the Area of Concern have spent approximately $150 million to remove or cap PCB-contaminated sediment, to clean up the Outboard Marine Superfund Site and to restore habitat in the Waukegan Harbor Area of Concern. Funding for this work was provided through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the EPA Superfund program and ...

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Scientists find average but large Gulf dead zone

NOAA- and EPA-supported scientists have mapped the Gulf of Mexico dead zone, an area with low oxygen water, measuring 5,052 square miles this summer - approximately the size of Connecticut. The measurements were taken during the 30th annual hypoxia survey cruise from July 27 to August 2. This area falls within the predicted range of 4,633 to 5,708 square miles forecast by a suite of NOAA-sponsored models and confirms the accuracy of the models and their utility for guiding management of nutrients in the Mississippi River watershed. The size is smaller than the 5,840 square miles recorded last year but still greater than the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient (Hypoxia) Task Force target of less than 1,900 square miles - meaning nutrients from the Mississippi River watershed are continuing to affect the nation's coastal resources and habitats in the Gulf. The task force consists of five federal agencies, 12 states and the tribes within the Mississippi/ Atchafalaya River Basin, and was established in 1997 to reduce and control hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. The largest Gulf dead zone ever recorded occurred in 2002, encompassing 8,481 square miles. The smallest recorded dead zone measured 15 square miles in 1988. ...

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Gulf of Mexico shipwreck study launches second expedition

A multi-disciplinary team of scientists launched the second expedition in the Gulf of Mexico to examine the effects of Deepwater Horizon spill-related oil and dispersant exposure on deepwater shipwrecks and their microbial communities. The study is part of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program that is sponsored by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), and George Mason University (Mason). The expedition will return to five shipwrecks examined by the team in March 2014, and plans to investigate up to five additional shipwrecks. Sites are located both within and outside of the spill area, and will be comparatively analyzed to determine if resident microbial communities' exposure to hydrocarbons and dispersant affects the natural process of wood degradation and metal corrosion in the deepwater marine environment. Using a Remotely Operated Vehicle, the scientists will collect high-resolution video and photos; sediment, water, biological, and other samples; and retrieve short-term microbiological experiments deployed near the five shipwrecks when they were previously visited. Experiments will also be deployed at the new sites for long-term monitoring purposes. BOEM's Environmental Studies Program provides the information needed to predict, assess, and manage impacts from ...

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EPA Instructions for reporting compliant fuel oil non- availability

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted step-by-step instructions for use of its North American Emission Control Area (ECA) Electronic Fuel Oil Non-Availability Disclosure Portal - FOND Instructions. An owner or operator of a vessel that cannot obtain compliant fuel oil can make a fuel oil non-availability claim through submission of a Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report (FONAR). Persons wishing to submit FONARs to the EPA must now request an electronic FONAR form through FOND and must submit completed FONARs through this same electronic portal. EPA document provides instruction on how to register with and use the FOND portal for any party wishing to submit a FONAR to disclose potential violations of the North American Emission Control Area under MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 18. Specifically, EPA document provide information on the following: Central Data Exchange (CDX) Registration Request and Receive an electronic Fuel Oil Non-Availability Report form (FONAR) Complete the FONAR Form and Additional Documents Submit the Completed FONAR Once the FONAR has been submitted, the vessel should proceed in its normal course and does not need to wait for further confirmation from EPA prior to entering the North American ECA. In due course, the EPA will review the complete FONAR submitted by the user and will decide on the appropriate ...

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EU funds more for LNG projects

The first ever LNG retrofitted inland waterway vessel was delivered to Danser Group in Rotterdam last month. The Eiger-Nordwand is now propelled by a dual-fuel drive system that can run on both LNG and diesel. The European Union provided a significant support by financing 50% of the gas related components of the conversion as part of the ‘LNG Masterplan Rhine-Main-Danube' project that benefits overall from €40 million of EU support. Richard Ferrer, Senior Project Manager at the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency of the European Commission says there will be more funding available for similar projects. "More funds will become available soon with the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Calls for project proposals will be published by September 2014. Public and private project promoters that want to start using LNG or other alternative fuels may be eligible to apply for financial support under specific conditions", says Richard Ferrer. The Port of Rotterdam Authority coordinates the LNG Masterplan for the Rhine area, in which the port of Rotterdam plays an important role as a hub for the supply of LNG to vessels and trucks. The Gate terminal at the Maasvlakte is Rotterdam's LNG import, regasification and re-export location. The port of Rotterdam was ...

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EPA aids reduction of ozone emissions in Houston

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded nearly $800,000 to the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) to reduce emissions from non-road equipment and marine vessels. The council will distribute the funds to equipment operators to upgrade to cleaner-burning, more efficient engines. With the help of efforts such as the HGAC's Clean Marine and Nonroad Program, the Houston area has seen its air quality improve over the last several decades, despite a growing population. The program will use this EPA grant to provide competitive sub-grants to equipment operators to help further curb emissions that form ground-level ozone. Ozone levels in the Houston area have dropped significantly since the mid-1980s, when 8-hour average levels stayed around 120 parts per billion. Since that time, hard work and cooperation from local governments, businesses, and citizens have helped bring 8-hour average levels to around 80 parts per billion in the last few years. Efforts such as the HGAC's clean diesel program will help the area keep improving to attain the current health-based standard of 75 parts per billion. Source: EPAIn the start, I was frank with you propecia before and after has changed my being. It has become much more fun, and now I have ...

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US EPA issues FAQs on vessel discharges under VGP

The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) second Vessel General Permit (VGP or Permit) for discharges incidental to the normal operation of vessels took effect on 19 December 2013. The second Vessel General Permit was finalized on March 28, 2013 and  replace the 2008 VGP when it expired last December The US EPA has recenlty developed by staff within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Office of Wastewater Management frequently asked questions (FAQs) to address issues commonly raised to EPA regarding the VGP. What changes are in the 2013 VGP? For the first time, the 2013 VGP contains numeric ballast water discharge limits for most vessels. The 2013 VGP also contains more stringent effluent limits for oil to sea interfaces and exhaust gas scrubber washwater, which will improve environmental protection of U.S. waters. EPA has also improved the efficiency of several of the VGP's administrative requirements, including allowing electronic recordkeeping, requiring an annual report in lieu of the one-time report and annual noncompliance report, and requiring small vessel owners and/or operators to obtain coverage under the VGP by completing and agreeing to the terms of a Permit Authorization and Record of Inspection form.   FAQs on 2013 VGP do not substitute for provisions ...

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ICS publishes Annual Review 2014

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published its latest Annual Review of maritime policy and regulatory developments in advance of its Annual General Meeting. The 2014 Annual Review covers the wide-ranging scope of ICS's activities as the world's principal international trade association for ship operators, and can now be downloaded free of charge from the ICS website (www.ics-shipping.org/docs/annualreview2014). Printed copies are being distributed via ICS's 34 member national shipowners' associations, which collectively represent all sectors and trades and over 80% of the world merchant fleet at international regulatory bodies that impact on shipping, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The 2014 ICS Annual Review focuses on a number of key issues, including: issues relating to the implementation of new IMO requirements for low sulphur fuel in Emissions Control Areas from January 2015; outstanding concerns surrounding the implementation of the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention; enforcement of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC); and developments with respect to piracy and hostage taking. In his introduction to the Review, ICS Chairman, Masamichi Morooka, focuses in particular on the need for governments to address questions regarding the implementation of impending environmental regulations: "The shipping industry is about to invest billions of dollars ...

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Funding to clean up diesel engines nationwide by EPA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $9 million in grant funding for clean diesel projects to reduce diesel pollution and emissions exposure from the nation's existing fleet of diesel engines. The funding comes from EPA's Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) and will target the most cost-effective projects and fleets operating in areas designated as poor air quality areas. Diesel engines are extremely efficient but emit air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). These pollutants are linked to a range of serious health problems including asthma, lung and heart disease, other respiratory ailments, and even premature death. Under this funding, EPA anticipates awarding between 10 and 20 assistance agreements. Various strategies are eligible for achieving diesel emission reductions, such as installing verified exhaust control and idle reduction devices, and vehicle and engine replacement. Projects may include school buses, transit buses, heavy-duty diesel trucks, marine engines, locomotives, and other diesel engines. Since the start of the DERA program in 2008, it has improved air quality and provided critical health benefits by reducing hundreds of thousands of tons of air pollution and saving millions of gallons of fuel. EPA estimates that clean diesel funding generates ...

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EPA to work with ports for environmental performance improvement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting the "Advancing Sustainable Ports" summit to mark the kickoff of a new EPA initiative to recognize ports that take action to improve environmental performance. EPA will also award $4.2 million in grant funding for clean diesel projects at six U.S. ports. "Ports are the main gateway for U.S. trade and are critical to our country's economic growth, yet the communities surrounding ports face serious environmental challenges," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "Today we demonstrate that through collaboration and innovation we can achieve the goals of economic growth and environmental stewardship." Most of the country's busiest ports are located in or near large metropolitan areas and, as a result, people in nearby communities can be exposed to high levels of pollution. For example, diesel powered port equipment can seriously impact air quality for nearby residents and generate substantial greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions. Implementing clean air strategies at ports will reduce emissions and provide health benefits from improved air quality for workers and families who live nearby. Over the past eight months, EPA has led a national conversation on ports, which brought together a wide variety of stakeholders from community organizations, port ...

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