12 Aug 2014

Settlement of Clean Water Act Violations Aims to Prevent Future Oil Spills by Cargill Inc.

By Ben Washburn

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations)

(Lenexa, Kan., August 11, 2014) - Cargill Incorporated, a privately held multinational corporation headquartered in Minnetonka, Minn., has agreed to settle allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act (CWA) at two different large oil storage facilities located in Blair, Neb., and Eddyville, Iowa.

Through the settlement with EPA Region 7, Cargill will pay a civil penalty of $187,500 to the United States.

The Clean Water Act requires facilities that store large quantities of oil to develop a Facility Response Plan (FRP) that outlines procedures for addressing "worst-case" discharges of oil. By being prepared and by conducting required response drills, facilities are better situated to prevent environmental harm from such releases. Each of Cargill's two facilities produces and stores more than 1 million gallons of oil.  Combined, the two facilities have a total estimated storage capacity of more than 7 million gallons.

"The Clean Water Act requires large oil storage facilities to have adequate response plans to prevent a spill from turning into a large scale environmental disaster," said Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 administrator.  "The lack of a Facility Response Plan for these facilities can have serious consequences for humans and the environment in the case of a spill.  This settlement helps protect the communities of Blair, Neb., and Eddyville, Iowa, if spills were to occur."

EPA identified the lack of a response plan during 2013 site visits at Cargill's facilities in Blair, Neb., and Eddyville, Iowa.  Each facility required a Facility Response Plan (FRP) because the storage capacity of its denatured ethanol tanks exceeded 1 million gallons.  As a result of the visits, in June 2014 Cargill submitted to EPA signed and effective FRPs.

The settlement resolves the FRP violations of the CWA by Cargill.

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12 Aug 2014

XSTREAM CLEANUP VOLUNTEERS CLEAN UP 33,209 POUNDS OF MATERIAL

By Brandy Walvaert

QUAD-CITIES?Volunteers for the 11th annual Xstream Cleanup on Saturday, August 9 removed 33,209 pounds of debris from area waterways and illegal dump sites. Cleanups were held at 40 locations in Bettendorf, Buffalo, Davenport, LeClaire, McCausland and Lost Grove Lake, Iowa; and in Milan, Moline, Rock Island and Silvis, Illinois.

A total of 1,060 volunteers worked 2,895 hours and collectively gathered 937 bags of trash, 237 tires, 14 appliances, 2 bicycles, 13 pieces of furniture, 29 televisions and 10 mattresses. This was the equivalent of 25,740 pounds of trash, 5,688 pounds of tires, 1,050 pounds of appliances, 46 pounds of bicycles, 435 pounds of televisions and 250 pounds of mattresses, for the grand total of 33,209 pounds.

Additional items collected included wire fencing, coolers, boat seats, a shopping cart, Jeep seats, bricks, a bowling ball, and a garage door.

In addition, volunteers at several sites worked to clear invasive species from natural areas. Volunteers cleared a total of about five acres of invasive species in three hours.

For event photos, find Xstream Cleanup on Facebook or click through from www.xstreamcleanup.org.

Xstream Cleanup 2014 was sponsored by the following. Presenting Sponsors: Group O and Riverboat Development Authority. Platinum Sponsors: Alcoa, Triumph Community Bank, Living Lands & Waters® and Waste Commission of Scott County. Gold Sponsors: Iowa American Water, Eastern Iowa Grain Inspection, Rock Island County Waste Management Agency and Community Foundation of the Great River Bend. Silver Sponsors: Alter Metal Recycling, DHL Global Forwarding, McCarthy-Bush Corporation, MidAmerican Energy, Radish magazine, Quad City Conservation Alliance, Sears Seating and Wallace's Garden Center. Bronze Sponsors: Downtown Davenport Partnership, Eagle View Group-Sierra Club, Lowe's, Mel Foster Co., Midas Auto System Experts, Inc., Pepsico, and Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities. Logistics Sponsors: Cities of Bettendorf, Buffalo, Davenport, LeClaire, McCausland, Milan, Moline, Rock Island and Silvis; Bi-State Regional Commission, Keep Moline Beautiful, Keep Rock Island Beautiful, iLivehere, Partners of Scott County Watersheds, Republic Services and River Roots Live.

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06 Aug 2014

President Obama approves request for a Presidential Disaster Declarations

By Randy Stalsberg

22 Iowa counties receive Presidential designation 

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad received word today that President Obama approved his request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 22 counties impacted by severe weather in June and July.

The counties included in the declaration are: Audubon, Black Hawk, Butler, Cedar, Des Moines, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Mahaska, Muscatine, Poweshiek, Tama, and Washington.

The governor sent the request for a declaration on July 29, 2014, in response to significant damage that was caused by severe weather that produced damaging winds, tornadoes, heavy rains, hail, and thunderstorms beginning June 26 through July 7. This is Iowa's third Presidential Disaster Declaration in 2014.

The declaration by the President will provide federal funding to the declared counties under the Public Assistance Program. A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance puts into motion long-term federal recovery programs, some of which are matched by state programs, and designed to help public entities and select non-profits. Public Assistance funds may be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and may include debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools.

The Governor also received notification that the Presidential Disaster Declaration includes funding to conduct hazard mitigation activities for the entire state. With this funding, Iowa will be able to minimize the impact of future disasters by taking steps now to strengthen existing infrastructure.

This Presidential Disaster Declaration is the 21st Major Presidential Disaster Declaration Iowa has received since March 2007.

 

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31 Jul 2014

Greenhouse Gas Report to Assist Producers Facing Climate Challenges

By USDA Office of Communications
For the First Time, USDA Climate Hubs Get New Tools to Gauge Progress in Building Drought-Resistant Healthy Soil

WASHINGTON, July 31, 2014 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released a report that, for the first time, provides uniform scientific methods for quantifying the changes in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and carbon storage from various land management and conservation activities. The report, titled Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory, will help USDA evaluate current and future greenhouse gas conservation programs, as well as develop new tools and update existing ones to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners participate in emerging carbon markets.

"America's farm, ranch and forest managers are stewards of the land, and have long recognized the significance of managing soil health, plant productivity and animal nutrition. Conservation practices and other management changes can reduce GHG emissions and increase carbon storage while improving soil health, productivity, and resilience to drought and other extreme weather," said Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie. "In partnership with USDA and the Obama Administration, State and regional GHG offset programs and voluntary GHG markets can help make these practices less costly to implement and increase the producer's bottom line."

Today's report outlines science-based methods for quantifying changes in GHG emissions and carbon storage at the local farm, ranch or forest operation. Reducing GHG emissions and increasing carbon storage builds healthy, carbon-rich soils and more resilient production of food, fiber and fuel. USDA recently established Regional Climate Change Hubs to assist landowners with management challenges that arise from weather variability and climate change. The methods report and the tools provided in it will aid the Hubs in giving landowners information on management options to improve agriculture production, soil health, and resource conservation.

The report is the work of 38 experts in GHG estimation in the cropland, grazing land, livestock and forest management sectors across academia, USDA and the federal government. The report was reviewed by an additional 29 scientists, other Federal experts, and the public. While developing the report, reviewers considered scientific rigor, transparency, completeness, accuracy, and cost effectiveness, as well as consistency and comparability with other Federal GHG inventory efforts. The report can be downloaded at www.usda.gov/oce/climate_change/estimation.htm.

Current USDA carbon tools, such as USDA's COMET-Farm, are being updated to incorporate the new methods. Using COMET-Farm, a land manager who is considering a shift to no-till production system, for example, can evaluate the soil carbon benefits of that system and consider revenue opportunities provided by entering into a voluntary agreement with a carbon market. The methods in the report are comprehensive, addressing a wide variety of cropland, grazing land, livestock and forest management practices.

For more information on USDA's Climate Change activities, please visit www.usda.gov and click on "Climate Solutions."

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).

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29 Jul 2014

Governor Branstad requests Presidential Disaster Declaration from President Obama

By Randy Stalsberg

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad today signed a letter to be delivered to President Obama requesting a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 22 Iowa counties where significant damage was sustained from severe weather that produced damaging winds, tornadoes, heavy rains, hail, and thunderstorms beginning June 26 through July 7, 2014.

The counties included in the request are: Audubon, Black Hawk, Butler, Cedar, Des Moines, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Mahaska, Muscatine, Poweshiek, Tama and Washington.

The Governor requested funding under the Public Assistance Program, which is used to rebuild damaged infrastructure that may include roads, bridges, culverts and other public facilities, or to cover costs of emergency work during, and debris removal after, the storms. A joint federal, state and local preliminary damage assessment of the 22 counties found the severe weather caused an estimated $13 million worth of damage that could be eligible under the Public Assistance Program.

The Governor also requested funding to conduct hazard mitigation activities for the entire state.

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29 Jul 2014

New Study Confirms Water Vapor as Global Warming Amplifier

By Diana Udel

Scientists suggest that water vapor will intensify future climate change projections

MIAMI - A new study from scientists at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and colleagues confirms rising levels of water vapor in the upper troposphere - a key amplifier of global warming - will intensify climate change impacts over the next decades. The new study is the first to show that increased water vapor concentrations in the atmosphere are a direct result of human activities.

"The study is the first to confirm that human activities have increased water vapor in the upper troposphere," said Brian Soden, professor of atmospheric sciences at the UM Rosenstiel School and co-author of the study.

To investigate the potential causes of a 30-year moistening trend in the upper troposphere, a region 3-7 miles above Earth's surface, Soden, UM Rosenstiel School researcher Eui-Seok Chung and colleagues measured water vapor in the upper troposphere collected by NOAA satellites and compared them to climate model predictions of water circulation between the ocean and atmosphere to determine whether observed changes in atmospheric water vapor could be explained by natural or man-made causes. Using the set of climate model experiments, the researchers showed that rising water vapor in the upper troposphere cannot be explained by natural forces, such as volcanoes and changes in solar activity, but can be explained by increased greenhouse gases, such as CO2.

Greenhouse gases raise temperatures by trapping the Earth's radiant heat inside the atmosphere. This warming also increases the accumulation of atmospheric water vapor, the most abundant greenhouse gas. The atmospheric moistening traps additional radiant heat and further increases temperatures.

Climate models predict that as the climate warms from the burning of fossil fuels, the concentrations of water vapor will also increase in response to that warming. This moistening of the atmosphere, in turn, absorbs more heat and further raises the Earth's temperature.

The paper, titled "Upper Tropospheric Moistening in response to Anthropogenic Warming," was published in the July 28th, 2014 Early Addition on-line of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The paper's authors include Chung, Soden, B.J. Sohn of Seoul National University, and Lei Shi of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Ashville, North Carolina.

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About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School

The University of Miami is one of the largest private research institutions in the southeastern United States. The University's mission is to provide quality education, attract and retain outstanding students, support the faculty and their research, and build an endowment for University initiatives. Founded in the 1940's, the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world's premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, visit: www.rsmas.miami.edu.

25 Jul 2014

President Obama approves Branstad's request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration

By Randy Stalsberg

26 Iowa counties receive Presidential designation

(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry E. Branstad received word today that President Barack Obama approved his request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration for 26 counties impacted by severe weather in June.

The counties included in the declaration are: Allamakee, Buchanan, Buena Vista, Butler, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Humboldt, Ida, Kossuth, Lyon, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, and Wright.

 

As the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department continues to assess damage in other counties affected by severe weather, Branstad noted that additional requests for a Presidential Disaster Declaration may be sent at a later date.

The governor sent the request for a declaration on July 14, 2014, in response to significant damage that was caused by severe storms, damaging winds, tornadoes, heavy rain, hail and flooding that occurred June 14-23, 2014. This is Iowa's second Presidential Disaster Declaration in 2014.

The declaration by the President will provide federal funding to the declared counties under the Public Assistance Program. A Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance puts into motion long-term federal recovery programs, some of which are matched by state programs, and designed to help public entities and select non-profits. Public Assistance funds may be used for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities and may include debris removal, emergency protective measures, repair of damaged public property, loans needed by communities for essential government functions and grants for public schools.

The Governor also received notification that the Presidential Disaster Declaration includes funding to conduct hazard mitigation activities for the entire state. With this funding, Iowa will be able to minimize the impact of future disasters by taking steps now to strengthen existing infrastructure.

This Presidential Disaster Declaration is the 20th Major Presidential Disaster Declaration Iowa has received since March 2007.

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24 Jul 2014

Western Land Commissioners Concerned about the Clean Water Act

By Jim Suydam

Bismarck, ND--Land commissioners from 23 western states gathered in Bismarck, North Dakota during July to discuss and debate policy issues affecting land management actions on over 440 million acres of state land and water throughout the western United States.  The issue attracting the most attention was the federal Clean Water Act ("CWA"), and the Environmental Protection Agency's ("EPA") proposed rule change affecting Waters of the United States ("WOTUS").

According to the EPA, the proposed rule merely clarifies the existing jurisdictional reach of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the "Corps") over WOTUS, having little impact to existing regulations or the economy. Western land commissioners see it differently. In a resolution approved by the Association at its business meeting, the commissioners note that despite assurances to the contrary from the EPA, the proposed rule appears to greatly expand the jurisdiction of the Corp over WOTUS.

A major concern among the commissioners is that the EPA is moving forward on adoption of the proposed rule without making available a draft economic report, which the EPA claims supports the proposed rule. According to WSLCA President, John Thurston, "the draft economic report has not been released to the public, nor has it been subject to a mandatory peer review by the Science Advisory Board." While EPA has extended the public review and comment period until October 20, 2014, there will not be adequate time to complete a thoughtful, in-depth peer review and analysis to facilitate the development of meaningful comments.

On the surface it would appear that changes to the CWA, administered by the Corps, would mostly affect states having large amounts of surface waters and wetlands. However, the economies of states like Arizona could be devastated if the new rule is adopted as currently proposed. "Developers, ranchers, and private landowners in the State of Arizona could see a tremendous increase in the need to obtain expensive and time consuming Section 404 permits from the Corps," said Vanessa Hickman, Arizona State Land Commissioner. "It is equally disconcerting that under the proposed rule there is no grandfathering type of protection for those people who, in the last five years, have received a jurisdictional decision from the Corps, and are operating accordingly," Hickman said. As a result, a great deal of anxiety is being created in the development and financing industries over whether or not those with prior jurisdictional decisions would have to reapply for new decisions, and possibly new Section 404 permits. It is unclear what affect this would have on the work flow of existing projects.

The public review and comment period is open until October 20, 2014. Those interested in getting more information on this important action may do so at the following website: www.wslca.org.

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23 Jul 2014

Governor Quinn Signs Legislation to Help Combat Flooding in Illinois

By Andrew Mason

Oak Lawn to Receive $12.7 Million in Stormwater Assistance as Part of New Law's Expansion of Clean Water Initiative

OAK LAWN - Governor Pat Quinn today signed legislation to help combat flooding across the state and protect Illinois' drinking water. The legislation makes stormwater management and treatment projects available for state financial assistance following last year's record rainfall and severe flooding that affected communities across Illinois. At today's bill signing in Oak Lawn, Governor Quinn also announced that the community will be taking advantage of $12.7 million in low-interest loans from the assistance program for their local water system improvements. Today's action is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to drive the economy forward and protect the environment by modernizing Illinois' water infrastructure.

"During last year's record rainfall and flooding, we learned the hard lesson that flash flooding can have devastating effects," Governor Quinn said. "The Illinois Clean Water Initiative will now be able to help communities be more prepared than ever before in managing stormwater while creating thousands of construction jobs. This legislation will help to prevent flooding and protect our drinking water from pollution."

The Governor's $2 billion Clean Water Initiative has helped communities across the state secure low interest loans for drinking and wastewater infrastructure improvements. This new law builds on the overwhelming success of the program. At today's bill signing, Governor Quinn also announced that community of Oak Lawn will receive $12.7 million in low-interest loan assistance immediately as part of their nine-project Regional Water System Improvement program. The total $171 million Oak Lawn program will use Clean Water Initiative loans to help fund the majority of the work, with the five-year system improvements creating approximately 1,400 construction jobs.

"Expansion of the Governor's Clean Water Initiative will provide local governments with the ability to secure low-interest loans for capital projects that will prevent flooding and remove pollutants from stormwater," Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Lisa Bonnett said. "Governor Quinn's expanded $2 billion financing program is making significant improvements in water quality in our state, and has the added benefit of saving money for local residents and creating an additional 28,000 jobs for Illinois citizens."

"Climate change is already bringing wild, violent swings to our weather that have exposed serious limitations to Illinois' water infrastructure," Rob Moore of the Natural Resources Defense Council said. "We've seen flooding throughout the state in the last few weeks as heavy rains overwhelmed stormwater systems. It is going to take new ideas and new tools to meet the future challenges facing our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems. Thanks to the efforts of the General Assembly and the leadership of Governor Quinn the legislation signed into law today emphasizes water efficiency, green infrastructure and other proven techniques that will make Illinois more resilient and prepared for the future."

Senate Bill 2780, sponsored by State Senator Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge) and State Representative Elaine Nekritz (D-Northbrook), expands the Governor's Clean Water Initiative to include stormwater and green infrastructure projects. Expanding the projects eligible for financial assistance through the Clean Water Initiative will allow the IEPA to provide financial assistance to Illinois communities for storm sewers and stormwater-related activities, including green infrastructure. Governor Quinn first proposed the measure in his 2014 State of the State address. The new law takes effect immediately.

"This measure offers resources to cities, villages and towns that will prevent home flooding, improve water quality and create 28,000 local jobs," Senator Kotowski said. "In light of recent floods throughout Illinois, it is especially critical that we fund projects to improve stormwater treatment."

"This is an important step as we work in Springfield to embrace cleaner water and a greener Illinois," Representative Nekritz said. "By treating stormwater more effectively, we improve the quality of life for our residents and work to limit the damage that flooding causes far too often here."

Impervious surfaces like pavement and compacted terrain, which prevent rain and snowmelt from soaking into the ground, cover many urban and suburban areas and greatly increase the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff. The recent severe flooding events across Illinois demonstrate the need to fund stormwater treatment and storage projects.

In 2013, Governor Quinn signed Senate Bill 1869 which gives Illinois municipalities greater ability to build and invest in innovative stormwater management infrastructure to help mitigate damaging floods such as green roofs, rain gardens, bioswales, tree boxes, porous pavement, native plantings, constructed wetlands and more. The law expanded an existing law to include these items among the measures a municipality can employ to help prevent flooding.

Governor Quinn first launched the $1 billion Illinois Clean Water Initiative in his 2012 State of the State address to help local governments rebuild or repair clean water infrastructure, including aging wastewater and drinking water treatment systems and plants throughout the state. These projects ensure that facilities are being upgraded to protect our streams and rivers, drinking water supplies and the environment as a whole. Due to the overwhelming success of the program, Governor Quinn announced in his 2014 State of the State address that he was doubling the available financing to $2 billion. For more information regarding the program, please visit CleanWater.Illinois.gov.

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23 Jul 2014

Governor Branstad issues disaster proclamation for Louisa County

By Office of the Governor of the State of Iowa

(DES MOINES) - Today, Governor Terry E. Branstad issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for Louisa County. This is in response to the flooding and severe weather that began June 26, 2014.

The governor's proclamation activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $39,580, for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

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