The DoD Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards issues awards in the areas of Sustainability, environmental Quality, Environmental Excellence in Weapon Systems Acquisition, Natural Resources Conservation, environmental Restoration, and Cultural Resources.

(WASHINGTON, D.C., February 7, 2013) – Continuing the Obama Administration's commitment to lead by example and cut waste, pollution, and costs in Federal operations, Federal agencies today released their 2012 Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans. President Obama signed Executive Order 13514 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance in October 2009, setting aggressive targets for reducing waste and pollution in Federal operations by 2020. The Sustainability Plans build on three years of progress under the Executive Order and provide an overview of how agencies are saving taxpayer dollars, reducing carbon emissions, cutting waste, and saving energy.

This year's Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards recognize the efforts of Army installations, teams and individuals to sustain and restore the natural and cultural resources found on Army lands throughout the U.S. and in Europe. The six installations, two teams and one individual selected as this year's winners represent the best of the Army's ongoing commitment to sustain its training lands through sound environmental stewardship. The winners are from Army installations in Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Italy.

(WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2012) - In response to a court order, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized an update to its national air quality standards for harmful fine particle pollution (PM2.5), including soot, setting the annual health standard at 12 micrograms per cubic meter. By 2020, ninety-nine percent of U.S. counties are projected to meet revised health standard without any additional actions. Today's announcement has no effect on the existing daily standard for fine particles or the existing daily standard for coarse particles (PM10), which includes dust from farms and other sources), both of which remain unchanged.

Check out this site for local events, recycling tips, and a toolbox for your own events.

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 23, 2012) -- The U.S. Navy has agreed to pay a $38,500 penalty to settle alleged hazardous waste violations at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, located at 22268 Cedar Point Road in Patuxent River, Md. This settlement resolves alleged violations alleged by EPA of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.

(Boston, Mass. – Sept. 6, 2012) – On Aug. 30, 2012, EPA issued a Consent Agreement and Final Order with the Massachusetts National Guard to resolve EPA allegations of violations of operations and maintenance requirements by the Guard in managing three firing ranges at Camp Edwards. Camp Edwards is located on the northern portion of the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) a 22,000-acre property that has been used for military training activities since 1935. The base is located over an aquifer that is the sole source of drinking water for residents of Cape Cod.

On April 26, 2012, the USEPA announced that the U.S. Navy has agreed to pay a $5,855 penalty to settle alleged underground storage tank (UST) violations at its Building NH94, located at 7918 Blandy St., Norfolk, Va.

GSA Bulletin FMR B-34 provides guidance concerning the documentation of, and appropriate disposal of Federal Electronic Assets (FEA). Property items designated as FEA include: copiers; telephones, fax machines, and communication equipment; electronic equipment components; electrical and electronic properties measuring and testing instruments; digital cameras; desktop and laptop/portable computers, computer monitors, displays, printers, peripherals, and electronic components; televisions and other displays; and other items that clearly utilize solid-state electronics technology or vacuum tubes to perform. See attached news release.

(WASHINGTON, November 4, 2011) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing that it is reinstating Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reporting requirements for hydrogen sulfide. This action is part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's ongoing efforts to provide Americans with helpful information on chemicals they may encounter in their daily lives.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that the Air Force has signed an agreement with EPA and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to clean up Air Force-owned property at Air Force Plant 44, part of the Tucson International Airport Area Superfund Site in Tucson. Under the terms of the federal facility agreement, the Air Force will work with the EPA and ADEQ to clean up areas impacted by Air Force Plant 44 south of Los Reales Road. Groundwater at the site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds and other chemicals.

WASHINGTON (August 22,2011) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a comprehensive settlement with the Department of the Interior (DOI) to address alleged violations of waste, water, air, toxics and community right-to-know laws at schools and public water systems in Indian Country owned, operated, or the legal responsibility of DOI's Indian Affairs Office. The settlement will protect students' health and the health of communities in Indian Country by reducing potential exposure to environmental hazards.

On 15 April 2011 the U.S. EPA announced a settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations at 11 of its coal-fired plants in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The settlement will require TVA to invest a TVA estimated $3 to $5 billion on new and upgraded state-of-the-art pollution controls that will prevent approximately 1,200 to 3,000 premature deaths, 2,000 heart attacks and 21,000 cases of asthma attacks each year, resulting in up to $27 billion in annual health benefits. TVA will also invest $350 million on clean energy projects that will reduce pollution, save energy and protect public health and the environment.

WASHINGTON, DC (September 9, 2010) – Continuing a commitment to lead by example, the White House today announced the release of Federal Agency Strategic Sustainability Performance Plans, which work to achieve the environmental, economic and energy goals called for in the Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance (Executive Order 13514) signed by President Obama on October 5, 2009. This announcement marks the first time agencies have developed and submitted Sustainability Plans, now available at www.whitehouse.gov/ceq. The full announcement is available here.

(Washington, DC – July 20, 2010) President Obama announced today that the Federal Government will reduce greenhouse gas pollution from indirect sources, such as employee travel and commuting, by 13% by 2020. This commitment expands beyond the Administration's greenhouse gas reduction target from direct sources set in January, 2010, such as Federal fleets and buildings, by 2020. Cumulatively, greenhouse gas pollution reductions from Federal government operations will total 101 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the emissions from 235 million barrels of oil.

Based on recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, and under the guidance of a National Ocean Council, this order, signed by President Obama on July 19, 2010, establishes a national policy to ensure the protection, maintenance, and restoration of the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources, enhance the sustainability of ocean and coastal economies, preserve our maritime heritage, support sustainable uses and access, provide for adaptive management to enhance our understanding of and capacity to respond to climate change and ocean acidification, and coordinate with our national security and foreign policy interests. This order also provides for the development of coastal and marine spatial plans that build upon and improve existing Federal, State, tribal, local, and regional decisionmaking and planning processes.

(Kansas City, Kan., June 24, 2010) - Results from March air sampling at a child care center and an adjacent building at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City do not reveal health concerns at the facilities related to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), EPA Region 7 officials announced today. The results include tests for 209 different forms of PCBs in indoor air samples and from air samples taken from beneath the concrete floor slabs of Buildings 50 and 52.

(Kansas City, Kan., April 26, 2010) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 announced it is going to reassess the entire Bannister Federal Complex for possible inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is EPA's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites identified for possible long-term remedial response under Superfund.

(New York, N.Y. - 02/23/2010) The U.S. Army and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service failed to comply with critical environmental laws related to underground tanks used to store diesel fuel, gasoline and used oil at the West Point Garrison in New York, according to a complaint issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both military branches failed to monitor, test and keep records for their underground petroleum storage tanks. Leaking underground storage tanks pose significant threats to soil, surface water and ground water across the nation. EPA is requiring the two parties to comply with regulations and is seeking a $167,116 penalty.

On October 19, 2009, the White House launched the GreenGov Challenge to ask all Federal and military personnel to share ideas about how the federal community can lead by example, green the govern­ment, and meet the goals of President Obama's Executive Order on Federal Sustainability. The GreenGov Challenge generated more than 5,000 ideas and 165,000 votes from 14,000 federal employees. The top ideas are summarized in the GreenGov Final Report.

The GreenGov Collaborative, an online discussion group hosted by FedCenter.gov, is your opportunity to work with colleagues across the government to put these ideas into action. This private community offers various discussion forums for you to share your best ideas and strategies, ask questions, and recruit allies in your efforts to create a more sustainable Federal Government.

Participation in the forums is offered to all Federal employees.

Click here to view the President's GreenGov Collaborative message.

Go to Join GreenGov to learn more and sign up!

WASHINGTON (February 3, 2010)– President Barack Obama today announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs. At a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from around the country, the President laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

WASHINGTON, DC (January 29, 2010) – President Barack Obama today announced that the Federal Government will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by 28 percent by 2020. Reducing and reporting GHG pollution, as called for in Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability, will ensure that the Federal Government leads by example in building the clean energy economy. Actions taken under this Executive Order will spur clean energy investments that create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy industries.

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a complaint to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, part of the U.S. Air Force, for improperly managing underground tanks used to store diesel fuel and gasoline at its facility in Toa Baja. Leaking underground storage tanks pose significant threats to soil, surface water and ground water. EPA cited the Puerto Rico Air National Guard for failing to properly monitor its storage tanks for leaks and maintain records of release detection for two underground storage tank systems; the Agency is seeking a civil penalty of $154,353.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidance to help federal agencies minimize the impact of federal development projects on nearby water bodies. The guidance is being issued in response to a change in law and Executive Order 13514, "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance" signed by President Obama on October 5, 2009, which calls upon all federal agencies to lead by example to address a wide range of environmental issues, including stormwater runoff.

WASHINGTON (December 7, 2009) After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also finds that GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contribute to that threat.

(Seattle, Wash. – November 23, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required the U.S. Navy to consider more rigorous cleanup options for residential and shoreline property near the Jackson Park Housing Complex in Bremerton, Washington. The Navy is currently in the initial stages of a Superfund cleanup at the 232-acre property.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 has announced its 2009 Champions of Environmental Leadership and Green Government. This program seeks to recognize those individuals and initiatives which have gone beyond regulatory compliance and show tangible measurement towards the Federal Green Challenge goals, which is a 5% or more reduction in the target areas of energy, transportation, waste, water, and overall environmental leadership. This year, as part of the Federal Green Challenge, there was a record number of reductions associated with Champions nominations. The 2009 Champions of Environmental Leadership and Green Government are:

• Overall Environmental Leadership: Bonneville Power Administration
• Transportation: U.S. Forest Service
• Waste: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Energy: General Services Administration
• One additional award in 2009 for a reduction of more than 5% in two Champions categories: National Park Service Glacier Bay

For complete details on the awards, please visit the website: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/ECOCOMM.NSF/Federal+Green+Challenge/awards/.

As part of FedCenter's new initiative to provide interactive, Web-based training for federal environmental personnel, FedCenter has released the third of three on-demand training courses that were planned to be released this summer/fall. "Underground Storage Tank" training is designed to provide facility personnel with help in managing underground storage tanks. For more details, FedCenter members can click on this link and log in to view the UST course information.

(New York, NY, October 13, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Department of Energy (DOE) covering federal facilities, which details responsibilities for the cleanup of a contaminated site in Middlesex, New Jersey. The federal facilities agreement specifies that USACE is responsible for cleaning up the site and DOE is responsible for long-term surveillance after the cleanup. The property was used by the Atomic Energy Commission as part of the nation's early atomic energy program to handle various radioactive ores.

FedCenter has added a new topic to its program area lineup - Greenhouse Gases. This area includes the latest guidance and information resources to aid Federal facilities in managing greenhouse gas emissions. This encompasses current guidance, policies, and trends related to climate change/global warming, calculation of carbon footprints, GHG inventories, and the application of offsets to reduce carbon footprints.

President Obama has issued the new Executive Order 13514 on "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance", which sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance. The Executive Order requires Federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days; increase energy efficiency; reduce fleet petroleum consumption; conserve water; reduce waste; support sustainable communities; and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.

WASHINGTON – Federal agencies today released the seven draft reports required by President Obama's executive order on the Chesapeake Bay, which contain a range of proposed strategies for accelerating cleanup of the nation's largest estuary and its vast watershed. The draft reports collectively call for increased accountability and performance from pollution control, habitat protection and land conservation programs at all levels of government, including an expanded use of regulatory authorities to address pollution control and additional voluntary and market-based solutions – particularly when it comes to habitat protection and land conservation programs. Federal agencies are also proposing new ways to harness the latest innovations in science and technology. The proposed actions are in response to overwhelming scientific evidence that the health of the Chesapeake Bay remains exceptionally poor, despite the concerted restoration efforts of the past 25 years.

(New York, N.Y.) In order to help ensure that underground tanks used for storing diesel fuel, oil and gasoline are properly managed in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding safety violations. According to the settlement, USDA will pay $30,000 in penalties and is required to comply with federal underground storage tank requirements.

The summer edition of the US Army Environmental Center's Environmental Update, a quarterly publication of Army environmental news, is now available at http://aec.army.mil/usaec/newsroom/update/sum09/sum09.html.

WASHINGTON – Obama Administration officials announced today that they are taking unprecedented steps to reduce the environmental impacts of mountaintop coal mining in the six Appalachian states of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia through a coordinated approach between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of the Interior (DOI) and Army Corps of Engineers.

Two federal entities will pay a fine and enhance how they manage underground storage tanks at a facility in Puerto Rico to settle a case with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Puerto Rico Army National Guard and the Army & Air Force Exchange Service will together pay a $69,000 fine and ensure the underground storage tanks at their Camp Santiago facility in Salinas, P.R. comply with Puerto Rico underground storage tank requirements. The Guard will also install a system to conserve water and reduce pollution at the facility, estimated to cost $670,000. These actions resolve complaints issued by EPA to the two entities in August 2008. An underground storage tank system commonly stores petroleum or hazardous wastes. There are about 625,000 systems nationwide, and they can harm the environment and human health if their contents are released.

Under an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) is required to take action to reduce the amount of copper in its wastewater and comply with its federal Clean Water Act permit requirements. According to the Navy's own discharge reports, from May 2003 to July 2008, PSNS frequently violated its federal wastewater permit by discharging copper in excess of allowable levels. The shipyard's wastewater is discharged into Sinclair Inlet.

The U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H. will pay $89,500 for violations of federal and state hazardous waste management laws. Following an EPA inspection in 2007, EPA alleged that the facility failed to determine whether numerous containers held hazardous wastes and failed to properly label hazardous wastes containers. Additionally, EPA alleged that the facility accumulated hazardous waste in an area with a floor drain without taking measures to prevent a leak or spill. The facility is currently in compliance with these RCRA requirements.

This year, 15 winners and 13 honorable mentions were selected from nearly 200 nominations in the areas of environmental management systems, pollution prevention, recycling, green product purchasing, alternative fuels, electronics stewardship and sustainable buildings. Recipients include representatives, teams, and programs from across the DoD and non-DoD agencies. The awards ceremony will be held on June 17, 2009, in the Natcher Auditorium of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in Bethesda, MD, to formally recognize the winners and their programs. See the attached press announcement for all the winners and honorable mentions.

On April 15, 2009, the Department of Defense announced the winners of the 2009 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards.

PHILADELPHIA (April 8, 2009) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the addition of the Fort Detrick Area B Ground Water Site in Frederick, Md. to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The national priorities list is a national list of sites where hazardous contaminants could impact public health and/or the environment. NPL sites undergo a thorough investigation to determine the full nature and extent of contamination. EPA or the parties responsible for the contamination then address whatever risks the sites pose to human health and the environment.

(San Francisco, Calif. -- 04/01/09) DOE will pay a $165,000 fine for shutting down the cleanup systems at Lawrence Livermore and failing to restart them as requested by the EPA in January 2009. Recent sampling showed that the closure of a large treatment unit on the perimeter of the site had resulted in a loss of control of the contaminated groundwater plume offsite. Some of the systems at the site have already been restarted and DOE is regaining control of contaminated groundwater. The remaining facilities that need to be restarted are subject to an agreed upon schedule that is enforceable by the EPA under a Federal Facility Agreement. The EPA and DOE have also agreed to re-evaluate the cleanup in areas where it is no longer effective, and will involve state regulatory agencies and community stakeholders in the decision-making.

The data in this report was gathered through the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) database. The report summarizes the data collected for 2007. Federal facilities are listed separately in Section C, beginning on page C-27 of the report.

Boston, Mass. – Feb. 6, 2009) – EPA has approved a second pilot program for the Massachusetts National Guard to further evaluate a lead bullet capture system on two additional small arms ranges, and has also extended the duration of the initial small arms range pilot project which began in August 2007. The pilot program is taking place at Camp Edwards, at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) in Bourne, Mass. The authorization for lead ammunition training at the three ranges, which expires at the end of 2009, calls for regular testing of soil and water resources with reporting to state and federal environmental officials to ensure that land and water resources are not significantly impacted by the reintroduction of lead bullets to the ranges.

(San Francisco, Calif. -- 01/07/08) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified the Department of Energy that they must immediately resume cleanup activities at its Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif., or face escalating penalties.

(12/01/08) HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued a Finding of Violation to the U.S. Navy Base Guam for permit violations under the federal Clean Water Act. In July, EPA inspectors discovered the violations during inspections covering several different federal environmental statutes and programs. "Department of Defense facilities on Guam must be in compliance with all environmental requirements," said Alexis Strauss, EPA's Water Division director for the Pacific Southwest region. "EPA will work with Guam EPA and DOD to ensure construction and ongoing operations comply fully with environmental requirements to protect and restore Guam's environment."

The National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program, the U.S. EPA has honored the Pacific Area of the U.S. Postal Service for its commitment to voluntarily replace all lead wheel weights for approximately 31,000 fleet delivery vehicles -- removing more than 8,000 pounds of lead from its workplace operations and potential deposition into the environment.

(Boston, Mass. – October 28, 2008) – An EPA Administrative Complaint alleges multiple violations of federal hazardous waste laws by the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, based in Hanover, N.H. The facility may be subject to penalties of nearly $113,000 for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

The Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System has agreed to pay a $32,544 penalty for violations of federal environmental regulations at its Palo Alto, CA teaching hospital. The facility was inspected on March 21, 2007 and charged with the following counts: * Storage of hazardous waste without a permit, * Open containers, * Inadequate facility maintenance, * Ignitable waste within 50' of property line, * Failure to make a hazardous waste determination.

(Washington D.C. -- August 20, 2008) David G. Williams, a former Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard and main propulsion assistant for the Coast Guard Cutter Rush, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Hawaii for making a false statement to federal criminal agents investigating allegations of potential discharges of oil-contaminated waste from the cutter into the Honolulu Harbor, announced Ronald J. Tenpas, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. Williams was sentenced to pay a $5,000 fine, serve 200 hours of community service and serve two years of probation.

(San Juan, P.R. - August 19, 2008) EPA has issued administrative complaints against three federal government entities over violations related to the management of underground storage tanks (USTs) in Puerto Rico. EPA issued an 11-count complaint to the Puerto Rico National Guard and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at Camp Santiago in Salinas, P.R. EPA also issued a complaint against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for alleged violations of the Solid Waste Disposal Act at two facilities in Puerto Rico.

(Washington State Dept of Ecology, April 24) - The Department of Energy has agreed to a $250,000 fine imposed by the Washington Department of Ecology in connection with a spill of 80 gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste during waste retrieval work on underground single-shell storage tanks in July 2007 at the Hanford Site. The violations of the cleanup agreement involved inadequate engineering design and faulty engineering reviews of the systems being used to move waste out of the single-shell underground tanks--many of which are leaking--into double-shell tanks. The remaining $250,000 from the original fine of $500,000 will be suspended as long as the Energy Department and contractor take corrective actions and complete one year and 360 hours of tank waste retrieval without similar incidents.

PHILADELPHIA (April 3, 2008) – The U.S. Army's Transportation Center at Fort Eustis, located at Newport News, Va., has settled alleged violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

Boston, Mass. – April 1, 2008) – The U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton Conn., will pay a cash penalty and perform an additional environment project, in settlement of EPA allegations of improper storage and management of hazardous wastes. Under the settlement, the Base will pay $37,059 in penalties, and will undertake a $114,000 project to install solar-powered air conditioning in a storage bay where ignitable hazardous wastes are stored, within the Base's permitted hazardous waste treatment and storage facility. The air conditioning required in the settlement will help keep the storage bay from becoming overheated. An overheated storage bay could pose a hazard associated with ignitable hazardous wastes.

U.S. EPA settles action against the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for violations of hazardous waste rules regarding fluorescent light bulb disposal at a GSA building on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. GSA agreed to complete arrangements within one year to recycle the various kinds of mercury- and other toxic metal-containing bulbs used in 50 buildings, and pay a $23,000 penalty for the violations.

EPA and the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) won an Environmental Business Journal, Business Achievement Award for developing a region-wide waste tracking system as the supplemental environmental project (SEP) in an EPA enforcement action. The EPA-VA demonstrated "uncommon willingness and ability to treat obstacles as challenges and not barriers" in the development of a system that comprehensively tracks chemical purchase, use, storage and disposal at the VA New England facilities. If successful, the management system could be applied to other VA hospitals and health centers across the country. For more information please go to: http://ebiusa.com/EBJAwards.html.

(Atlanta, Ga. – November 21, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking a major step toward cleaning up Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., by compelling the Air Force to properly conduct the cleanup. EPA is issuing an Order under Section 7003(a) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which requires the Air Force to investigate contamination at the base and take action to clean it up.

(Richland, Wash. – Nov. 20, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have reached an agreement to address violations of the Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (commonly referred to as the Tri-Party Agreement or TPA). The violations by DOE and its contractor, Washington Closure Hanford, LLC (WCH), occurred at the Environmental Restoration Disposal Facility or ERDF landfill at the Hanford Superfund site, located in eastern Washington.

(Washington, D.C. - Nov. 15, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement program achieved historic results to protect the nation's air, water, and land in fiscal year 2007. Industries, government agencies and other regulated entities agreed to spend a record $10.6 billion in pollution controls and environmental projects, exceeding the previous record of $10.2 billion set in 2005.

(Boston, Mass. –November 7, 2007) Recent EPA inspections at the John W. McCormack building in downtown Boston identified noncompliance issues with Clean Air Act regulations regarding the proper handling and disposal of asbestos materials in demolition and renovation operations.

(Seattle, Wash. – Nov.1, 2007) Fluor-Hanford (Fluor), the primary clean-up contractor at the Department of Energy's Hanford Reservation, and Twin City Metals(TCM), a Richland, Washington, metal recycler, have agreed to pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a combined total of $84,800 in penalties for mis-handling PCB-contaminated transformers.

PHILADELPHIA (October 11, 2007) – The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Prison Industries have paid a $38,100 penalty to settle a lawsuit alleging hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations at the Lewisburg Federal Prison, in Union Co., Pa.