EPA PROPOSES ADDING BERKS COUNTY, PA SITE TO SUPERFUND NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST

BerksWeekly.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its intention to include the vicinity of the former Exide Technologies Laureldale facility in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL serves as the roster of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for federal Superfund Program-backed cleanup efforts.

The Exide facility has a history of emissions linked to lead-acid battery manufacturing, resulting in lead and other contaminants in the local environment. The proposed listing also includes contaminated residential and commercial properties. The Exide facility itself falls under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) for future cleanup, in coordination with EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act program.

‘NOTHING LEFT’: IDALIA LEAVES A TRAIL OF DEVESTATION ACROSS SOUTHEAST US

English.Elpais.com

Tropical Storm Idalia, originally a powerful Category 3 hurricane, left a path of destruction and flooding across the southeastern United States. While it was not as catastrophic as initially feared, property damage remains a concern. In Charleston, South Carolina, the storm surge from Idalia breached the seawall, causing ankle-deep ocean water to flood the streets and neighborhoods, including areas with million-dollar homes. Preliminary data showed that the high tide reached over 2.8 meters, significantly above normal levels.

TESTS FIND MORE COLORADO TOWNS’ DRINKING WATER IS CONTAMINATED WITH “FOREVER CHEMICALS”

ColoradoSun.com

Four Colorado communities whose water hadn’t previously tested positive for PFAS showed up in recent results released by the EPA. Water agencies in Colorado acknowledge the presence of PFAS in their sources and have initiated mitigation efforts. However, the possibility of meeting stringent EPA standards in drought conditions remains uncertain. The origins of PFAS contamination vary, with some mountain communities tracing it back to fire stations and training centers where firefighting foam runoff entered watersheds.

The EPA’S recent draft regulations targeted six PFAS variants, with specific limits set for PFOA and PFOS at just 4 parts per trillion each. With the EPA’s pace in setting new drinking water limits.

DAMAGE FROM TROPICAL STORM HILARY WILL KEEP DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK CLOSED FOR MONTHS

www.ReviewJournal.com

On August 20, 2023 Tropical Storm Hilary dropped more than a year’s worth of rain (2.2 inches) through Death Valley National Park. According to park ranger Matthew Lamar, “we have these hard, rocky areas — there’s nothing to absorb that water, and so it comes off the mountains, into the canyons and through the washes and drainages and up into the infrastructure.”

Water from the storm displaced heavy rocks and undercut roadways such as State Route 190 where large portions of the highway lay in crumbles. Damaged areas include a 1,500 foot stretch of roadway near Towne Pass that “washed away” and a 40 foot wide Arizona Crossing that is gone.

The cost of repairs are estimated at $6 million just for State Route 190 and a part of State Route 136. Up to this point only 900 of the 1,400 roadways have been accessed.

ROOF DAMAGE REVEALS MAN’S HOME INSPECTOR WAS NOT LICENSED

NBC4I.com

Victor Lapierre was in the process of purchasing a home in Columbus Ohio when his real estate agent suggested he get a home inspection before closing. The agent suggested one specific inspector stating, “This is a great guy, we’ve used him before.” Upon hiring the inspector, the inspector stated that the roof was in good condition despite Lapierre inquiring as to why it looked wavy.

After closing the house Lapierre said that a piece of the roof’s flashing fell onto the deck. Lapierre went to investigate the roof and found “seven or eight places that were so soft, you almost fall through.” Lapierre called his insurance company who stated that it would cost about $15,000 to repair but could not cover since the inspection said, “it was a one-to-three-year-old roof in good repair.” Lapierre then called the inspector and found out he wasn’t licensed. Evidently the real estate agency did not know as well. After contacting the agency, they agreed to cover the cost of the roof repair.

MAUI FIRES COULD CONTAMINATE THE ISLAND’S WATERS

www.scientificamerican.com

In the aftermath of the fires that swept through Maui scientist are preparing for water contamination as a result of the fire. With over 100 people confirmed dead the wildfire that hit the city of Lahaina was the deadliest in modern US history. The fire damaged or destroyed around 2,200 building releasing toxins. Officials have advised residents to not drink tap water as the carcinogenic chemical benzene has been found in the water supply.

The University of Hawaii is testing for benzene, formaldehyde and 86 additional chemicals classified as volatile organic compounds as well as dozens of other contaminants. In addition to drinking water, scientist and government officials are thinking about the long term impacts on coral reefs. The EPA plans to recover hazardous materials within the burn zones as well as spray cleared areas with biodegradable soil stabilizer creating a temporary crust on the ash piles.

7 MICHIGAN TORNADOES CONFIRMED, 2 DEAD

www.PBS.org

On August 24, 2023 a late-night storm created seven tornadoes in five counties in Michigan’s lower Peninsula. The tornados led to two deaths as well as flipping over vehicles, destroying property, and causing hundreds of thousands of people to lose power. A state of emergency was called by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to help Wayne and Monroe counties with the response and recovery efforts.

The State Emergency Operations Center was activated in response to the flooding. The SEOC officials worked with the local and private parties with items such as pumping flooded highways and clearing trees from roadways. DTE Energy had reported that 117,000 customers lacked power while Consumers Energy reported 122,000 without power. Chris Laird, the company’s vice president of electric operations dispatched 3,000 line workers and other personnel to help restore power to the homes.

CLEANING UP LAKE ONTARIO – FINAL STAGE OF THE RANDLE REEF REMEDIATION

IJC.org

State and local government officials recently announced the start of Stage 3 of its Randle Reef Contaminated Sediment Remediation Project. With over 150 years of industrial contamination, federal, provincial, regional, municipal governments, and local stakeholders have worked together to complete the first 2 Stages, which managed over 615,000 cubic meters of contaminated sediment.

Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. won a bidding contract for $29.2 million to complete the first phase of Stage 3 construction, which involves the installation of a multi-layered environmental cap as a final step to isolate contaminants.

The final stage of the project is expected to finish in 2025. Following completion, the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority will be transferred responsibility for the engineered containment facility.

DNR ISSUES TWO FINES FOR STREAM CONTAMINATION FROM CONSTRUCTION SITES

iowacapitaldispatch.com

Indian Hills Community College was fined $4,000 for soil runoff at its new academic building construction site. A routine inspection at the construction site found several parts of the perimeter soil controls damaged or failing.

As a result, the soil eroded into waterways, which, according to the Department of Natural Resources, “Failure to properly manage stormwater runoff from construction sites degrades surface water quality and deposits excess sediment in water channels.” The extent of pollution was unclear in the order.

In another recent case, the Department of Natural Resources fined Interstate Land Properties $6,500 for soil erosion from a residential construction site. Due to nonexistent and failing soil controls, sediment from the area went into two tributaries of Ballard Creek.

MOODY’S ESTIMATES HAWAIIAN WILDFIRES CAUSED UP TO $6 BILLION IN ECONOMIC LOSSES

USAToday.com

The aftermath of wildfires in Maui County, Hawaii, has resulted in up to $6 billion in economic losses. According to Moody’s RMS, losses include “property damage, contents, and business interruption, across residential, commercial, industrial, automobile, and infrastructure assets.” Furthermore, the estimated $4 to $6 billion in damages only estimates the physical losses, not the long-term macroeconomic effects.

Insurance is expected to cover approximately 75% of the losses due to the island’s high insurance penetration rates. Most of the damage is concentrated in Lahaina, where insured property values range from $2.5 billion to $4 billion.

With construction costs estimated at 44% more than the mainland, rebuilding is expected to be expensive.

JOE MONTANA SUES SAN FRANCISCO WITH NEIGHBORS OVER SEWAGE-DAMAGED HOMES

SFStandard.com

Residents living on Marina Boulevard have filed a lawsuit against the city of San Francisco, alleging that their homes were flooded with sewage and rainwater because of flawed city infrastructure after unusually high rainfall through the end of 2022 and early 2023. The lawsuit includes 49ers legend Joe Montana and real estate mogul Victor Makras.

Khaldoun Baghdadi, the former head of the city’s Human Rights Commission, represents the residents. Regarding the case, Baghdadi said, “When the city makes the decisions that cause raw sewage to flood homes, it is responsible for compensating residents.”

While the lawsuit identifies the San Francisco sewage infrastructure as insufficient, a spokesperson for the City Attorney’s Office commented, “The intensity and duration of the storm that hit the city on Dec. 31, 2022, was almost unprecedented.”.… “The storm, and not the city’s infrastructure, was responsible for widespread flooding throughout the city. We are reviewing the complaint and will respond in court.”

3M 'FOREVER CHEMICALS' SETTLEMENT MOVES FORWARD

www.Inforum.com

Twenty-two state attorneys general have dropped objections to a proposed $10 billion settlement with 3M over PFAS contamination.

Previous objections brought up by the Minnesota Attorney General included “an indemnity clause that could have placed 3M’s liability for PFAS on public water systems, a lack of disclosure about how much public water systems could receive from the settlement, and not providing enough time for water systems to act.”

The New York Attorney General supported the settlement after changes included allowing for future claims by states and the federal government.

However, five attorneys general are filing an amicus letter expressing concerns about the settlement payment amount and timeline. The California Attorney General said, “3M declined to pay an amount that accurately reflects the extraordinary damage it has caused to public drinking water systems, and it declined to provide water suppliers the money to remediate that damage more quickly.”

‘SIGNIFICANT WATER DAMAGE’ FORCES SHUTDOWN OF A NORTHEASTERN DORM; STUDENTS REASSIGNED HOUSING

www.Boston25News.com

A residence hall at Northeastern University was closed indefinitely when a structural assessment showed signs of significant internal and external water damage. White Hall is a five-story traditional residence hall built in 1899. The building has housed hundreds of first-year students each academic year. A week before first-year students were scheduled to move in, university officials announced that students assigned to White Hall would be reassigned to another residence. University officials await building reports from structural engineering experts.

L.A.’S $11.5-MILLION DAMAGE PAYOUT TO FORMER HOMELESS HOTEL WON’T BE USED FOR REPAIRS

www.LATimes.com

The city of Los Angeles made an agreement with Mayfair Lofts to use their 294-room Mayfair Hotel as part of a homeless housing project during the pandemic. During Project Roomkey, the hotel sustained damages to furniture, carpet, windows, bathrooms, and walls. As per their agreement, the city paid Mayfair Lofts for the damage done to the hotel during the project. The recent damage payout to Mayfair Lofts was $11.5 million. Officials stated that Mayfair Lofts will have no obligation to use the money for building repairs.

The city of Los Angeles plans to purchase the Mayfair Hotel for $60 million and spend an additional $23 million in renovations and upgrades. The City Council planned to hold a vote to decide whether to purchase the hotel in its “as is” condition.

SEVERE FLASH FLOODING IN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

www.wfmz.com

Severe storms caused flooding in areas of Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Martins Creek overflowed, and Lower Mount Bethel Township was flooded with several feet of water. Many areas of the township were left covered in mud. Major flood damage occurred to homes along Little Creek Road. Some residents’ homes had tipped sheds, bent mailboxes, misplaced driveway paving, destroyed garage doors, and flooded basements. The storm left one vehicle jammed into the side of a bridge along Little Creek Road.

SPRINGFIELD NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION UPDATE: FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES TO INVESTIGATE INCIDENT

www.ky3.com

A natural gas explosion occurred during City Utilities maintenance on a gas line in southeast Springfield, Missouri. The gas line was a larger transmission line that carries 150-pounds-per-square-inch and branches into distribution feeds throughout the city. Nearby City Utilities vehicles, power poles, and two homes near the site were damaged. The fire caused 1,700 customers to lose power and four customers to lose gas services temporarily.

Police and fire units arrived to clear people from the explosion site. Electricity and gas services have been restored. The damaged, high-voltage power line was repaired. Federal, state, and local authorities are conducting investigations to determine the cause of the fire.

MAUI WATER MAY BE UNSAFE

WashingtonTimes.com

Experts are issuing urgent warnings to residents in Maui’s Lahaina and Upper Kula areas against filtering their own tap water. Maui County conveyed a stark message via Instagram, stating that there’s no way to guarantee the safety of tap water in torched areas due to contamination. This caution arises after devastating fires swept through Maui, with confirmed fatalities reaching 114.

Researchers state that traditional filtering methods like Brita filters or whole-home systems are insufficient to address the contamination caused by the fires. Damaged water pipes have led to toxic chemicals infiltrating the water supply. The county is instructing affected residents to use bottled water or water buffaloes.

CONTAMINATED SUPERFUND SITES IN THE CAPITAL REGION

www.TimesUnion.com

The US has numerous polluted sites due to hazardous waste, spanning manufacturing, processing, landfills, and mining. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employs Superfunds to facilitate the cleanup. Responsible parties must either clear the contamination or reimburse the EPA. In cases lacking accountable parties, the EPA handles the cleanup. These sites are considered to pose health and environmental risks, with hazard rankings reflecting potential waste release and its impact. You can view the map of the Superfund sites around the United States on the EPA website.

BEACH CLOSURES BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATION PREVENT SUNBATHERS FROM TAKING A DIP TO BEAT THE HEAT

www.Boston.com

Popular beaches across New England are recording high bacteria levels hampering many sunbathers who want to take a dip to cool off. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported that 78 public beaches were closed recently for health concerns due to the high bacteria levels.

Nearly a dozen beaches and bodies of water in New Hampshire were also under advisory, eight beaches in Maine were closed because of contamination and 10 state parks in Vermont were not allowing swimming. Environmental groups have called on Massachusetts officials to step up efforts to stop sewage overflow and pollution runoff.

TORNADO TOUCH DOWNS, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE REPORTED IN CHICAGO AREA

ABC7Chicago.com

Multiple tornadoes touched down in the Chicago area recently, causing considerable damage to homes, businesses leaving behind widespread destruction to residences, commercial establishments, and vehicles. A string of tornadoes were spotted on the ground in various locations, including Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, where numerous warehouses on the west side of the airport were damaged.

Substantial home damage was reported west of South Elgin and surrounding areas. Large trees were snapped and car windows blown out, illustrating how powerful the tornado was. Elsewhere roofs were blown from several homes in Countryside, also located in Cook County.