Document zoRrme8z5G9v4p16jXoMoVKGn

April 29, 1974AIR/WATER pollution reportF.ase Ifr9. APPEALS COURT OVERTURNS EPA REVISION OF MICHIGAN PLAN Federal Environmental Protection Agency disregarded rule-making requirements when it amended Michigan's air quality implementation plan last May to require utilitles to certify that they could meet 1975 and 1978 sulfur oxide limits, obtain variance from those limits or submit compliance schedule, U.S. Circuit Court of Ap peals in Cincinnati has ruled. Court vacated plan revision after Detroit Edison Co. said regulation would force closure of company's Monroe power plant. Portion of Michigan's plan revised by EPA had granted facility variance until 1980 from meeting sulfur oxide emission standards. State plan, including Detroit Edison variance, was approved by EPA with minor changes in October 1972. Changes included when original plan was approved were not challenged by utility. Company contended EPA's action last May constituted major revision of state plan which should have been preceded by formal proposal and public hearings. EPA, which published the plan changes without prior notice, said that its action was only a clarification and formal regulatory proceedings were not necessary. Court disagreed, concluding "the amendment amounted to a revision" of state plan and agency "has not complied with the informal rule-making requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act." *** .A ia $ r I 3 L GROUP REPORTS AIRBORNE VINYL CHLORIDE THREAT IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS There is a "fearful possibility" that residents of industrial areas including Houston, southern Louisiana and western Kentucky are being exposed to hazardous lev els of vinyl chloride, and Environmental Protection Agency should require all state air pollution control agencies to monitor chemical plant emissions to determine the extent of the hazard. Center for Science in the Public Interest urged April 25 in a report to EPA. Three areas singled out appear to have most serious problem, group said, but Palnesville, Ohio, and Long Beach, Calif., also should receive special attention. Vinyl chloride is being emitted from smokestacks at larger plants and EPA documents indicate concentrations of 0.37 parts per million have been found in some areas of Texas, center reported. Group estimated that about 9,000 grams of vinyl chloride are emitted for every batch of the chemical produced in a 10,000-gallon reactor. Concentrations 100 me ters downwind from plants will approach 200 ppm and "certain towns and cities may be seriously affected by vinyl chloride pollution." *** -4 AROUND THE STATES -- AIR NEW JERSEY -- Air pollution penalties totaling $73,900 were levied during the first quarter of 1974, and abatement orders for violations of emission standards more than doubled over the same period in 1973, state Department of Environmental Protection reported April 23. DEP air pollution control officer Thomas Leonard said enforcement activities were Increased to offset relaxation of fuel sulfur con tent regulations to Insure "that there would be no major air degradation taking place." WISCONSIN -- Commercial and industrial development will be Inhibited if state Department of Natural Resources designates the Milwaukee region as an air quality maintenance area, city development department spokesman warned In recent DNR hear ings. While city supports "reasonable efforts" to achieve Clean Air Act standards, land use and transportation controls which may be Imposed under AQMA designation would "unduly penalize" the region, spokesman said. *** TRANSPORTATION CONTROL PLANS FOR NEW YORK CITY AND HOUSTON will be reviewed May 1 and 2 in hearings before Sen. Edmund S. Muskle's (D.-Me.) Public Works Subcommittee on Environmental Pollution. Hearings will "evaluate planning process used by EPA, state and local officials to develop transportation control strategiesMuskie said. RSV 0006576 April 29, 1974 AIR/WATER pollution report fass 1ZP RESEARCH REPORT SERIES ON GREAT LAKES WATER QUALITY STUDIES ANNOUNCED Research report series on treatability studies and re* search designed to improve pollution control technology in Great Lakes Basin, funded under research program for abatement of municipal pollution within provisions of 1971 Canada-Oniario Agreement on Great Lakes Water Quality, is being published by sponsoring groups. Under five-year program initiated by agreement, studies are conducted through in-house projects by both Environ* ment Canada and Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and through contracts with municipalities, research institu tions and industrial organizations. Requests for copies of the research reports should be directed to: Ontario Minis try of the Environment, Pollution Control Branch, 135 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto, Ontario M4V IPS. 30 6PA-WQO GRANTS TOTAL S14.3-MILLION FOR WASTE TREATMENT FACILITIES EPA-Waler Quality Office ha* awarded 30 construction (rant* totaling Sl4.34g.S6e to help finance waste treatment facilities. AL: AZ: CA: Grant New Brockton........ 1 6.525 Queclun Tribal Council.................. 438.740 Porestvilte................ 33.465 II): IA: KS: MA: Kerman.................... Los Angeles'Cty.... .............do.................. Susanville................. Payette Lakes......... Priest River............. Lone Tree................ Solon......................... Wichita...................... Maynard*................. Orange...................... 1.026.000 2.175,750 607.500 640.600 40.950 214.275 9,370 27,600 600.000 201.929 1,961,250 MO: OR: PA: SD: TN: TX: WA: WV: Clinton..................... Lee's 5ummil......... Pevely....................... Troy.......................... t'oo* Bay................. Berk*-Moni- gomery......... _....... Danville..................... Millcreek Twnsp.... Montgomery Twnsp..................... Keystone.................. Davidson Cty and Nashville........ Jonesboro............... Lewisburg............... Ector.......................... Scstitc...................... Buffalo Creek......... 64,500 414,750 173.250 517.500 814.553 213.830 74,580 61,275 401.250 736.575 479.250 1 1.250 63.750 7,425 598.604 1.729.270 Protect Plant planning Interceptor Chlorination, disposal facility Treatment plant Digestor cleaning system Grit chambers Plant expansion Plant planning Plant expansion, upgrade Interceptor design Plant planning Interceptor Plant additions Secondary treatment plant Interceptor Interceptor Interceptor Interceptor Plant expansion, upgrade Plant expansion Plant additioni Interceptor Interceptor Aeration lagoon Interceptor Plant planning Plant planning Plant planning Pump station Treatment plant MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS AND CONTRACTS U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Com mand has awarded Southwest Research Institute. San An tonio. Tex.. 560,000 for RAD related to environmental pollution in utilization of Army material. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Depart ment of Public Health. Lansing, Mich., $255,470 to pro vide data on effects of pesticides on public health; Depart ment of Health, Austin, Tex., $178,634 for community studies of pesticide project. wastes disposal; 608 pgs. Available @ $17.75 from R&EA, 342 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. The Buyer's Guide to Environmental Media, Special En ergy Edition, prepared by Environment Information Center, Inc., is directory listing 800 new environmental books in print and 250 environmental films released in 1973 cover ing topics of air, water and noise pollution, energy, environ mental education, land use and resources; 50 pgs. Available @ $2.60 from E1C, Media Services Dept., 124 E. 39 St.. New York, N.Y. 10016. Trace Elements in the Atmosphere, by Hans Israel and Gerhard Israel, discusses nature, generation, distribution and microchemical reactions of gaseous secondary compo nents, aerosols and radioactive materials of natural and artificial origin in the atmosphere; 160 pgs. Available @ $15 from Ann Arbor Science, P.O. Box I42S. Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106. Available from NTIS Following documents are available from National Tech nical Information Service, P.O. Box t SS 3. Springfield, Va. 22151: Bibliography of Environmental Reports, compiled by Environmental Protection Agency, contains citations, ab stracts, author, corporate source, subject, contract and title indexes for all reports available from NTIS as of April I, 1973. Supplement of balance of 1973 will also be issued, followed by quarterly supplements. Available as PB223. 693 $10.30. Pollution of Subsurface Water by Sanitary Landfills: Volume II, prepared by Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa., provides quantitative information as to behavior of sanitary landfills under natural and simulated environment al conditions. Available as PB-209-001/R @ $3. Research Prospectus for Marine Pollution Control in the Great Lakes, prepared by A.T. Kearney and Co., Inc., Chicago, IU., defines problems, law, status, future prospects, required standards and additional development work needed to solve commercial vessel waste control problem. Available as COM-73-I0677/R < $6.75. PEOPLE IN THE NEWS Ben A. Brodovicz. Jr., has been elected chairman of Mid-Atlantic States Section of Air Pollution Control As sociation. Brodovicz, previously vice chairman of MASSAPCA, is also chief of Pennsylvania's Division of Techni cal Services and Monitoring in Bureau of Air Quality and Noise Control. Robert J. Cunningham has been appointed vice president of marketing for Zimmite Corp., Cleveland, Ohio. Robert M. St. Pierre has been appointed division vice president and general manager for Applied Technology Divi sion, Sciences A. Systems Group, of Tracor, Inc. Clarence Ohlkc has been named director of Center for Urban Research and Environmental Studies at Drexel Uni versity. Philadelphia, Pa. ** INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE on industrial wastewater treatment and disposal within EEC, sponsored by Society of Chemical Industry, will be held May 6-8 in Amsterdam. For information- contact WJ. Cook, Organizing Scty., "Three tops," Stavedown Rd.t S. Wonston, Winchester, Hampshire S02t 3HA, United Kingdom. * PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE Pollution Control Technology, prepared by Research and Education Association, reviews state-of-the-art, analyzes technical and economic feasibility of processes, equipment and plants, and is organized into three sections covering air pollution control, water pollution control and solid ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Symposium, sponsored by Midwestern Universities Consortium for Envi ronmental Education and Research, will be held May 10 in Chicago, 111. For information contact Ed W. Yates, Sym posium Coordinator, Illinois Institute of Technology, 3000 S. Federal St., Chicago. IU. 60616. END RSV 0006577