Air

Polluted spray ‘big surprise’

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(IN) The Post-Tribune – For the past week, U.S. Steel has been spraying contaminated wastewater collected from the bottom of its hazardous waste landfill into the air over the landfill. The landfill holds sediment dredged from the Grand Calumet River contaminated with mercury and possible cancer-causing pollutants, such as benzene, naphthalene and polychlorinated biphenyls. The 20-foot tall landfill is located within a quarter of a mile of residential neighborhoods. The announcement was a shock to several attendants at U.S. Steel’s quarterly citizens meeting in Gary Thursday, who didn’t know about the project. More

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EPA says air around schools safe in the short-term

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(IN) The Post-Tribune – The air around two Northwest Indiana elementary schools contains a slew of hazardous air pollutants, but not enough to be of short-term concern, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. The EPA began monitoring by Jefferson Elementary on Jackson Street in Gary and Abraham Lincoln Elementary on East 135th Street in East Chicago on Aug. 23. More

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Indiana University awarded $5 million for Great Lakes environment project

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(IN) Indiana University – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Indiana University a $5 million grant to continue a project that measures levels of airborne toxic chemicals being deposited in the Great Lakes. The Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network (IADN) project is led at IU by Ronald Hites, Distinguished Professor, and by Ilora Basu, a research scientist in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. The project began in 1990 under an agreement between the U.S. EPA and Environment Canada. Indiana University has been in charge of the U.S. portion of the study since 1994. The grant announced today continues the project for five years.

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Think twice before burning leaves, Michigan enviro quality officials say

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(MI) The Mudpuppy – Ah, fall. Cool air, crisp leaves, fine particulate matter?  The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is asking people to think twice about burning leaves when they clean up their yards this season. Mulching, by mowing those leaves over, is a better alternative, along with composting, DEQ officials say. Leaf burning creates air pollution, contributes to breathing problems and is a serious fire hazard, DEQ officials say. Not to mention that it stinks, and is illegal in many Michigan cities and communities.

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Obama’s EPA cracks down, orders more tests for BP refinery

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(IL) Chicago Tribune – The Obama administration is cracking down on BP as the oil company overhauls its massive refinery in northwest Indiana, one of the largest sources of air pollution in the Chicago area. In response to a petition from environmental groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday ordered Indiana regulators to revamp a new operating permit for the Midwest’s biggest refinery. The groups, along with elected officials in Illinois, contend Indiana had allowed the oil giant to avoid stringent requirements under the federal Clean Air Act. More

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Environmental officials: River Rouge asphalt fire not a problem

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(MI) The Detroit News – Environmental officials have determined there is no dangerous fallout from an industrial fire that broke out in River Rouge this morning. Paving-grade asphalt in a 70-square-yard area went up in flames during a cleanup shortly after 9 a.m., said Curt Robinson, terminal manager at Michigan Marine Terminal in River Rouge. It had spilled from a leak in May at the property, he said. An oil storage tank on the property also exploded. More

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State mercury rules breakthrough for children’s health, water quality

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(MI) The Michigan News – Leading Michigan environmental groups today applauded the long-awaited finalization of state rules designed to reduce mercury pollution from power plants as much as 90 percent starting in 2015. “We are pleased that Gov. Granholm is following through on her campaign promise to help curb this dangerous metal from further contaminating our Great Lakes, poisoning Michigan’s fish and threatening our children,” said James Clift of the Michigan Environmental Council. “These reductions are affordable, achievable, and of paramount importance to creating a healthier Michigan.” More

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Environmentalists vow to halt BP construction

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(IN) The Post-Tribune – BP could be forced to halt construction on its Whiting refinery if the company and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management lowballed air pollution as much as environmentalists allege. Environmentalists say IDEM allowed BP to increase air pollution without the pollution control equipment required by the Clean Air Act. They vowed Tuesday to do what they can to stop construction while BP puts in the best available pollution controls. More

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BP permit must be rewritten

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(IN) The Post-Tribune – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is forcing the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to rewrite part of the air permit for BP’s Whiting refinery. EPA says BP and IDEM left out or underestimated several sources of air pollution that need to be counted when determining what kind of air pollution control equipment is necessary. More

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Michigan limits mercury from coal-fired plants

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(MI) The Associated Press – Michigan’s coal-fired power plants will be required to make drastic cuts in mercury emissions under regulations announced Monday. The rules developed by the Department of Environmental Quality are designed to implement a policy Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced three years ago to slash the generators’ mercury output 90 percent by 2015. Coal-fired plants produce 60 percent of Michigan’s electricity. “Mercury is a serious health concern, and Michigan is eager to see a major reduction in mercury air emissions,” DEQ Director Steven Chester said. More