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January 2017 www.newmoa.org
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news@NEWMOA
news@NEWMOA is designed to help our members and colleagues keep informed about the Association's projects and activities. You are receiving this e-newsletter because you are a member of a NEWMOA working group, committee, program, or listserv; an invitee to NEWMOA events; a colleague at EPA or a related organization; connected to the Association in some other way; or have expressed interest in our work. If you have questions about delivery of this e-Newsletter, contact Lois Makina, (617) 367-8558 x312. Share this newsletter with others in your agency or organization that might be interested. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
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Board of Directors
NEWMOA's
Board
met via webinar
in December to share updates from EPA and state programs, continue its strategic planning process, form a Development Committee, and discuss other program activities.
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Best Wishes & Thank You to Our Retiring Leaders
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A number of active NEWMOA colleagues have recently retired. They have helped make the Northeast a cleaner and safer environment over the past few decades. We appreciate their dedication, commitment, and hard work and will miss their expertise and experience. We wish them all well in their next adventures.
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Sarah Weinstein, Mass DEP
Sarah Weinstein has been leading various Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP)
waste site cleanup and waste management programs since the early 1980s. Over that time, she has provided considerable expertise and energy toward advancing environmental health in MA and the region. Starting in 1983, Sarah was hired to lead the staff for the Mass DEP Hazardous Waste Advisory Committee. At that time, she focused on public participation and communication activities. In the mid-to late 1980s she continued to focus on public involvement but within the waste site cleanup program. She worked in various leadership capacities in the Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup until the late 1990s when she became the Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Bureau of Waste Prevention. In that position, she managed stakeholder engagement and policy development for a wide range of emerging and cross program issues.
Sarah was an early participant in NEWMOA's programs in the mid-1980s, including the annual conferences held in Waterville Valley, NH. She joined the NEWMOA Board of Directors in 1999, and became the chair of NEWMOA's Solid Waste and Sustainable Materials Management Program in 2008. She has the distinction of being one of a handful of people that have chaired NEWMOA's Board twice, in 2004 and 2011.
We only have space to highlight a handful of Sarah's numerous contributions to NEWMOA over the past few decades. She has been active on many NEWMOA Workgroups and has made critical contributions to NEWMOA's strategic planning efforts during her tenure. She has provided leadership on the regional efforts to reduce mercury sources, particularly in products and waste, and was a strong supporter of NEWMOA's efforts to develop the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse. She has been a critical contributor to a number of discussions about improving how agencies measure sustainable materials management and municipal solid waste. Sarah is an excellent writer and editor, and many of NEWMOA's publications and materials reflect her commitment to clarity and accuracy. She has been an invaluable colleague and friend to the NEWMOA staff and her colleagues on the Board. All of us will miss her leadership, good humor, insights, kindness, and dedication.
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Jay Naparstek, Mass DEP
Jay Naparstek spent his career advancing waste site cleanup at Mass DEP, most recently as Deputy Division Director in the Federal Sites Program in the Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup. Jay retired in September after almost 31 years of service. Jay was active in NEWMOA since its beginnings and participated on NEWMOA's Board of Directors for more than 20 years.
Jay helped to develop and oversee NEWMOA's waste site cleanup program, and in the recent years was the MA representative to NEWMOA's Brownfields and Waste Site Cleanup Training Workgroup and Waste Site Cleanup Steering Committee. Jay was the Steering Committee Chair and the liaison to the NEWMOA Board.
His keen observations, leadership, and most of all his friendship is missed by the NEWMOA staff and his colleagues in the Steering Committee and the NEWMOA Board.
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Jeff Fowley, EPA Region 1
Jeff Fowley, who recently retired from his position as an EPA Region 1 attorney will be remembered by his New England state hazardous waste program contacts for the passion he brought to his work. His encyclopedic knowledge of all things RCRA is renowned. He could recall the nuances of each state's rules and explain the pros and cons of each state's approach. He worked tirelessly to improve the regulation of hazardous waste in New England, while encouraging each state to approach hazardous waste regulation from their own unique perspective. And if you owed him a response to a question, he wasn't shy about reminding you!
Jeff was a champion for the RCRA programs in New England states, and his work benefited states across the country. He broke new ground by advocating for functional equivalence in state authorizations and for a new approach to regulating wastewater evaporators. Jeff's service to EPA and the states is greatly appreciated. He will be missed.
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Waste Site Cleanup Program
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Poly- and Per-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
PFAS is a large class of chemicals that have been used in numerous consumer and industrial processes due to their oil and water resistant properties and their exceptional stability. They have been widely used in carpet and fabric protection, in food packaging, and in metal plating, and have been included in products with familiar trade names, including Teflon, Gore-Tex, Stainmaster, and Scotchguard. In addition, PFAS are key components of aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), which are used for firefighting. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) are two of the most common PFAS found in the environment and in the human body. Several states in the northeast have sites where drinking water is impacted by PFAS.
EPA has set a limit of 70 parts per trillion for PFAS in drinking water because of the potential neurologic and other health effects related to exposure to these chemicals.
NEWMOA partnered with the
Brown University Superfund Research Program (
SRP) to develop a five-part webinar series, which recently concluded with the following:
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November 2016
This webinar covered:
- Background, including basic characteristics, historic uses and types of sources, recent news, and regulatory developments
- Atmospheric transport of volatile PFAS
- Subsurface transport and retardation of PFAS in groundwater
- Abiotic and biological transformation of precursors/polyfluorinated compounds
- Four case studies of PFAS fate and transport at real PFAS-impacted sites
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December 2016
This webinar covered:
- Remediation and treatment options for environmental media, including soil and groundwater
- Treatment options for drinking water, including municipal and homeowner systems
- Lessons learned
Presenters included Dr. Michelle Crimi
,
Clarkson University; Dr. Eric Dickenson, Southern Nevada Water Authority; and Richard Spiese, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. To view the presentations, visit:
www.newmoa.org/events/event.cfm?m=241
.
NEWMOA is continuing its partnership with the Brown University SRP and planning one-day PFAS workshops in March or April in CT, MA, and NH. To receive information about the workshops, contact
Jennifer Griffith
.
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Hazardous Waste Training
In November, NEWMOA held training calls that covered the EPA Solvent Wiper Rule and the status of state adoption and implementation of the Rule. NEWMOA held two calls in January focused on pharmaceutical waste issues at pharmacies and health care facilities. These topics continue to be of high interest for hazardous waste program staff in the region.
These calls are for state and federal hazardous waste inspectors and other compliance and enforcement staff and regulatory development staff. If you are a state or EPA inspector, regulatory development staff, or otherwise involved with hazardous waste enforcement and are interested in joining NEWMOA's monthly calls, contact Terri Goldberg to be added to the email notification list.
NEWMOA is holding a workshop for state and EPA hazardous waste officials on February 1 in Worcester, MA focused on the recently finalized EPA Generator Improvement Rule
. Jim O'Leary, Kathy Letts, and Mary Beth Sheridan, EPA Headquarters will present a detailed review of the Rule and helpful information on state adoption and implementation.
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Solid Waste & Sustainable Materials Management Program
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Economic Benefits of Commercial Food Waste Reduction
In December, NEWMOA hosted a webinar presentation on the results of Mass DEP's recently released study of the economic impacts of the State's commercial food waste disposal ban. John Fischer, Mass DEP and Eliza Johnston, representing the Agency's contractor, ICF presented. To view the slides or listen to the recording, visit: www.newmoa.org/events/event.cfm?m=257.
Bulky Waste Reuse & Recycling Webinar
NEWMOA hosted a national webinar in December to summarize the results of its year-long bulky waste (i.e., mattresses, carpet, furniture, and large rigid plastic items) reuse and recycling project. To view the slides or listen to the recording, visit:
www.newmoa.org/events/event.cfm?m=242
.
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P2 & Sustainability Program
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Wet Cleaning Demonstrations
NEWMOA is promoting professional
wet cleaning as the safest alternative to perc dry cleaning for garment care. In December, NEWMOA, in coordination with the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute, held a demonstration event at Best Neighborhood Cleaners in Medford, MA.
The event gave cleaners the opportunity to observe wet cleaning in practice and see and feel the results. The shop owner and operator, Tom Nguyen, presented on the benefits of professional wet cleaning and his experience converting from perc dry cleaning. The session was attended by 12 people.
NEWMOA plans to hold two additional demonstration events throughout the northeast in the coming months. For more information, contact
Andy Bray at NEWMOA.
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Interstate Mercury Education & Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC)
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2016 Triennial Reporting Opens
Online reporting for the 2016 Triennial Mercury-Added Product Notification opened on January 1st. Notification through the IMERC e-filing system enables companies to comply with the mercury-added product Notification and Labeling requirements of Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Reporting is required for any company that sold or distributed mercury-added products into the states listed above during calendar year 2016. IMERC expects to receive more than 400 notifications this year.
IMERC is hosting at least four e-filing system demonstration webinars to assist companies with the online filing process. The demo covers the basic functionality and features of the product reporting system and includes time for Q&A. IMERC staff hosted two demonstrations in January, with a total of 16 participants. Two additional sessions are planned for February.
For more information about the e-filing system and upcoming webinars, visit:
www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/imerc/efiling.cfm.
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Supporting Membership
IMERC invites manufacturers, distributors, and importers of mercury-added products, trade associations, and NGOs to join IMERC as
Supporting Members
. Supporting members must support IMERC's mission to help states implement laws and programs aimed at getting mercury out of products, the waste stream, and the environment.
Benefits of Supporting Membership include:
- Technical assistance with notification, labeling, and phase-out requirements
- Participation in webinars and discussions related to the results of mercury reduction efforts, new programs and legislation, and other important topics
- Participation in conference calls to discuss ways to improve effectiveness of IMERC's programs
- Participation in review of outreach and educational materials related to mercury-added products data analysis
- Wider access to mercury-added products data reported through the e-filing system
- Prioritization of IMERC's review of submissions and requests
- Promotion of the efforts to develop and use non-mercury alternatives
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Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2)
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IC2 AA Guide v1.1 Published
The NAS placed an increased emphasis on comparative exposure assessment, which is used to determine "
... if the alternatives would be expected to result in substantially equivalent exposures..." The NAS committee indicated that "
... simplified exposure estimates without elaborate exposure modeling can meet the needs of many alternatives assessments."
The IC2 published the first version (v1.0) of the Guide in January 2014. It provides assessors with three potential frameworks and sufficient flexibility to allow a wide range of users to conduct an alternatives assessment (AA) to replace toxic chemicals in products or processes with safer alternatives. The first version incorporated many of the principles of comparative exposure assessment, and the IC2's recent update to v1.1 clarifies how comparative exposure can be used within the Guide's frameworks to conduct an AA.
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Evaluating Product Performance During AA
Evaluating the performance of potential alternatives, whether drop-in chemical substitutes or changes in product design, can present a significant challenge to alternatives assessors in terms of time, money, and resources. In December, three experts - Alex Stone, Safer Chemical Alternatives Chemist at the Washington Department of Ecology (WA Ecology); Jason Marshall, Cleaning Lab Director at the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI); and Gregory Morose, TURI's Research Manager and a Research Professor at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell - presented an
IC2 webinar
to explore this challenge and discuss approaching it through literature review, laboratory testing, and industry collaboration.
Chemical Hazard Assessment Database Additions
IC2 staff recently added new hazard assessments (both GreenScreens® and QCATs) to the IC2
Chemical Hazard Assessment Database
,
including GreenScreens provided by WA Ecology for ammonium bifluoride, DCOIT, and ECOSOLV, and five QCATs for chemicals used as alternatives to perchloroethylene in dry cleaning.
Revamped Chemicals Policy Database
In 2015, the IC2 Board approved changes to the scope of the IC2
Chemicals Policy Database
. These changes are now reflected in the Database. The revised Database encompasses enacted policies and laws, includes a simplified and condensed set of policy categories and has a slightly changed user interface. Check out it out and
share your feedback.
IC2 Procurement Workgroup
During the fall, a group of IC2 members interested in state and local agency procurement programs and in exploring how the Clearinghouse can play a role in most effectively advancing low toxicity product procurement formed an IC2 Procurement Workgroup. This group met twice during the fall and plans to continue its conversation by meeting every few months. Areas of interest for this group include:
- How patterns of chemical use can inform environmentally preferable procurement
- What product categories would be good targets for action
- How states and municipalities can work together to enhance the market for less toxic products
- Sharing specification language and facilitating or coordinating joint procurement
- Collaboration with other organizations focused on procurement
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