Under Section 103(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), a facility which releases more than the Reportable Quantity (RQ) of a CERCLA-hazardous substance in a 24-hour period is required to notify the National Response Center immediately. Notification of state and local authorities is required by Section 304 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). These rules cover both releases from emergency situations and releases that are continuous and stable in nature. Both nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are CERCLA-hazardous substances with RQs of 10 pounds each. Although federally permitted releases are exempted from reporting, many facilities with combustion sources that could potentially emit more than 10 pounds of nitrogen oxides (NOX) per day do not have federally enforceable NOX emission limits. On October 4, 2006, the U.S. EPA issued a final rule which broadens the existing reporting exemption to include releases resulting from combustion which are less than 1,000 pounds of NO and 1,000 pounds of NO2 in a 24-hour period. For more information, refer to the Federal Register notice or call Sheri Bussard at (800) 229-7495.
On October 17, 2006, the U.S. EPA promulgated major changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM. For fine particles less than 2.5 micrometers (µm) in diameter (PM2.5), EPA retained the current annual standard of 15 µg/m3, but reduced the 24-hour standard from 65 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) to 35 µg/m3. EPA also revoked the current annual PM10 standard (which includes all particles less than 10 µm, including PM2.5) and retained the existing 24-hour PM10 standard of 150 µg/m3. No changes to current PM10 nonattainment designations or PM10 SIPs will be necessary. EPA expects to designate the nonattainment areas for the new PM2.5 standards by April 2010. Also on October 17, EPA promulgated changes to its requirements for PM10 monitoring networks allowing States to reduce PM10 monitoring in non-urban areas. For further information refer to the Federal Register notice or contact Kent Berry at (800) 229-5299.
EQ’s Seattle, Washington office assisted U.S. EPA Region 9 with the mitigation of a potentially hazardous situation in American Samoa. High explosives from the American Samoa Department of Public Works Maintenance and Operation had been inadvertently disposed in a residential area in fill material intended to cover a municipal garbage dump. The explosives were safely removed from the site and detonated in a local quarry. For more information on this project, please go to http://www.epaosc.org, or contact Ron McManamy at (877) 673-2900.
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