Toxic Releases. It's Your Right to Know. EPA Toxic Release Inventory Program. What about your Water Source?

 

View as a webpage / Share Toxic chemical releases have declined 21% in 10 years according to new TRI data Today, the U.S. EPA released its 2022 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) National Analysis showing that environmental releases of TRI chemicals from facilities covered by the program were 21% lower in 2022 compared to 2013. This includes a 26% decrease in air releases. During this 10-year period, releases from manufacturing facilities decreased by 9% while the value added to the U.S. economy from manufacturing increased by 14%. While overall releases increased by 1% from 2021 to 2022, there was a 6.5% increase in the number of pollution prevention activities reported under the TRI Program compared to 2021. The 2022 TRI National Analysis summarizes environmental releases of TRI chemicals, as well as how facilities managed their waste. In 2022, facilities reported managing 88.5% of their TRI chemical waste through preferred practices such as recycling, energy recovery and treatment, while releasing 11.5% of their TRI chemical waste into the environment. Communities have a right to know how facilities in their backyards might be exposing them to toxic chemicals, "said Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff. "  We are committed to sharing the information we collect from facilities openly and clearly, allowing people to find new ways to use this data to the benefit of us all. EPA, states and Tribes receive TRI data from facilities in sectors such as manufacturing, mining, hazardous waste management and electric utilities. More than 21,000 facilities submitted reports on 522 of the 827 chemicals and chemical categories for which TRI reporting is required. The remaining 305 chemicals either were not manufactured, processed or used by facilities required to report to TRI or were not manufactured, processed or used in amounts large enough to trigger reporting. The 2022 TRI National Analysis features visualizations and analytical tools to make data more useful and accessible to communities. Readers can view data by state, Tribe, metropolitan area, EPA region and watershed using the "Where You Live" mapping tool. This tool also allows readers to view facility locations overlayed with demographic data to identify potential exposure to TRI chemical releases in communities, including overburdened communities. Community groups, policymakers and other stakeholders can use this information, along with other environmental data, to better understand which communities may be experiencing a disproportionate pollution burden and take action at the local level. Additionally, the 2022 TRI National Analysis highlights trends and changes in waste management practices for specific sectors and chemicals in the Sector Profile and Chemical Profile sections. This year, the 2022 TRI National Analysis highlights the primary metals manufacturing sector alongside the standard profiles for electric utilities, chemical manufacturing and metal mining. EPA is holding a public webinar on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 2 p.m. ET to provide an overview of the 2022 TRI National Analysis. Register for the webinar. View the 2022 TRI National Analysis, including local data. PFAS Reporting The TRI National Analysis includes reporting on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as required by the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). A provision of the NDAA outlines criteria for additional PFAS to be automatically added for TRI reporting. For reporting year 2022, four PFAS met the criteria and were added to the reporting requirements for a total of 180 PFAS tracked by the TRI program. During 2022, 50 facilities managed 1.2 million pounds of these chemicals as waste, which represents an 8% decrease compared to 2021. For reporting year 2024, TRI will no longer have a reporting exemption for facilities that use PFAS in small, or de minimis, concentrations as a result of EPA's recently published final rule. This rule will improve the quality and quantity of publicly available data on PFAS, as many materials used at facilities contain PFAS in low concentrations. Facilities that make or use these products will no longer be able to rely on the de minimis exemption to avoid their responsibility to disclose PFAS releases and other waste management of these chemicals. Pollution Prevention Facilities implemented 3,589 total pollution prevention activities in 2022 with the most common being process and equipment modifications, followed by changes to operating practices and training. Through both existing programs and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA offers grant opportunities to state and Tribal technical assistance providers to help prevent pollution. Industry professionals can view TRI reporting on pollution prevention to learn about best practices implemented at other facilities. Key Expansions to TRI Reporting Important expansions to TRI reporting went into effect for reporting year 2022. Some contract sterilization facilities, which are contracted to sterilize products or equipment for hospitals and other facilities, were required to report to TRI for the first time on their management of ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol as waste. These facilities managed 6.3 million pounds of ethylene oxide waste, nearly all of which was treated. Reporting year 2022 was also the first year of expanded reporting for the natural gas processing sector. The 305 facilities in this sector that reported to TRI managed 115 million pounds of TRI chemicals in waste and disposed of 81% of TRI chemicals in underground injection wells.

TRI: It's Your Right to Know

www.epa.gov/tri

Environmental Justice: STOP A Foreign Owned Strip Mine Threatening 800 Forested acres just south of Prescott, AZ.

 I just signed the petition "Stop A Foreign Owned Strip Mine Threatening 800 Forested acres in a Residential Neighborhood just South of Prescott, AZ" and wanted to see if you could help by adding your name.

Our goal is to reach 35,000 signatures and we need more support. You can read more and sign the petition here:

Thanks!
Rudy

Rudy Arredondo 
President/Founder 
Latino Farmers & Ranchers International, Inc. 
Latinofarmers@gmail.com 
301-366-8200

https://chng.it/2tfDmf9Fs6

STOP A Foreign Owned Strip Mine Threatening 800 Forested acres just south of Prescott, AZ.

Why this petition matters

Our community, encompassing Walker, Potato Patch, Groom Creek, Hassayampa Lake, Whispering Pines and Misty Mountain among others is under threat. A strip mine owned by an affiliate of the Chinese Government (Gold Paradise Peak Inc) has begun operations in our residential neighborhood without ANY prior notice to the area residents. This operation plans to strip over 800 acres of forest and excavate the mountain side along Senator Hwy up to 900 feet deep, devastating this area for centuries to come. The impact is already visible on our property which lies adjacent to the mining operation. Trees have been destroyed without permission for road widening activities that disregard private property. 

Blasting along Senator Hwy has already begun which posses a significant threat of causing irreparable harm to the foundations and integrity of our homes, and especially the 90+ year old dam at Hassayampa Lake within very close proximity to the blasting sites. The miners have confirmed that blasting will be a regular occurrence as part of their industrial operations to extract primarily gold and silver, as well as other mineral resources, potentially including uranium which was found on the Super Fund Site per the environmental report of 2002. Their compliance history with the EPA shows they have been out of compliance since January 2022 and this quarter at least 1 violation was noted. 

According to their own Mine Development Plan and Exploration Work already conducted, Phase 1 expects to operate for up to 20 hours per day, at 50ft depths excavating approximately 200 tons per day on average through our residential neighborhoods which will then be transported as crushed rock to Los Angeles for shipment back to China. Phase 2 will utilize the profits from the Gold Ore to fund much more substantial excavation at depths from 570 feet to 900 feet deep. 
The consequences are far-reaching and devastating for our environment as well as our community's safety and peace. The Hassayampa River water quality is at risk due to excavation activities which could ultimately affect the drinking water for millions of Arizonans as the Hassayampa River Basin is a key water source for the Phoenix Active Management Area, Arizona’s largest groundwater source.

Wildlife including endangered species like the Mexican Spotted Owl and Bald Eagle are losing their habitats. These birds use these forests as breeding and feeding grounds which are now being decimated. Bear, mountain lion, deer, elk, turkey and many other animals rely on the Hassayampa River for a clean water source. The EPA has previously invested millions of tax dollars remediating old mines in the area from the 1800s because of the devastating effect those mines had on the environment. A Strip Mine of this scale would be far more detrimental to the environment. Here is a recent video and picture of water directly from our kitchen faucet discolored by historic mining contamination in the area.

Furthermore, there are significant safety concerns with large commercial vehicles trespassing on private property causing not just nuisance and damages but also danger to the residents. Families are afraid to walk along Walker Road for fear of these large industrial vehicles. See several large trucks stopped on a neighbor’s private property after the truck driver instigated an aggressive confrontation with the neighbor for merely documenting their presence, as requested by the EPA. Excessive dust from mining operations and their industrial vehicles engulfs properties causing further distress and health concerns. See a recent video of large industrial truck activity driving without permission on a 1/2 mile stretch of private road that has no public access easements.

This mine affects everyone in our community - it's not just an environmental issue but a violation of rights to quiet enjoyment among other issues like road safety due to unlawful widening activities and large commercial and industrial vehicles utilizing a primitive residential drive along Walker Road without any regard to the safety or rights of the area residents. Area residents are actively suffering each day from noise pollution, light pollution, dust pollution, chemical pollution, water pollution and traffic pollution. 

We call upon relevant authorities, especially ADEQ Executive Deputy Director Karen Peters and Attorney General Kris Mayes, to help halt this destructive mining operation immediately before more irreparable damage is done to both nature and human life in the Walker area communities just south of Prescott, AZ. We demand respect for private property rights along with stringent measures against such harmful industrial practices that threaten residential areas' peace, safety, privacy and natural beauty. 

Please join us in this fight against environmental degradation and intrusion into our peaceful living spaces by signing this petition today to stop the Senator Mine and Ten Spot Mine owned by Gold Paradise Peak Inc (a foreign company). Also, please leave a comment how the mine has already or will likely affect you and your family. 

Please forward this petition to all family members, friends and neighbors affected by the foreign owned mine that seeks to exploit our residential community and turn our lush forest into a barren industrial field riddled with ecological damages for decades or centuries to come. 

What about your local government offers? Computers for you. Montgomery County, Maryland. March 2024.

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/obp/computer/index.html 

THIS PROGRAM IS LIMITED TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY RESIDENTS. 

Please do not make an appointment if you live outside of Montgomery County. 

 Your appointment will be canceled if you live outside of Montgomery County.

Montgomery Connects – Computer For You

Please click  HERE to change the language for the following information

Public Comment Period Open on Changes to FEMA's Individual Assistance Program Until July 22, 2024

 

Public Comment Period Open on Changes to FEMA's Individual Assistance Program

FEMA is making changes to increase equity in the Individual Assistance program by simplifying processes, removing barriers to entry, and increasing eligibility for certain types of assistance. Click here to view a fact sheet about the changes that will be effective for disasters declared on or after March 22, 2024.

A Federal Register notice has been posted about the changes with the opportunity for public comment through July 22, 2024.�

Just a Matter of Time. Committing pandemic fraud? That's madness. March 2024

 It’s just a matter of time before there’s a knock at the door.

 
There may still be time to make amends.
 
BEMA International

It's March Madness, where 68 teams battle for their shot at achieving that one shining moment. While we can't tell you which collegiate team will win the championship ring, we can show you quite a few organized crime rings that lost when it came to teaming up to steal pandemic relief. Below are some notable cases where wrongdoers, much like brackets, were busted.    A #11 seed has never won it all And it probably won't happen here either, where 11 members of a multi-state fraud team were indicted for their alleged roles in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme. As part of their gameplan, one of the team leaders allegedly submitted the PPP loan applications on behalf of each of the co-conspirators and once the loans were funded, the leader would receive a kickback for up to $5,000.   Unearned If you're lucky enough to win it all, you'll have earned a championship ring. Unfortunately, this is a case of a husband and wife who did not earn their bling. The duo, who pleaded guilty, were part of a 14-person fraud group charged with theft of over $5 million in California state unemployment (UI) benefits. The husband not only collected the benefits but paid out $244,050 to the other members and sent another $200,000+ to associates in Romania. Finally, the couple used over $100,000 in stolen funds on luxury jewelry and a BMW.    Cheating the game The glass slipper broke for this team of fraudsters. Three individuals were sentenced for their roles in fraudulently obtaining nearly $3.5 million in PPP relief funds. The trio, as part of a larger fraud ring, worked with co-conspirators to falsify loan applications to financial institutions to collect the funds. One of the individuals was convicted in November 2023 and was found to have used the stolen funds for purchasing jewelry and paying off credit card bills for herself and family members.    First team All-Fraud In a massive fraud case, a defendant pleaded guilty to an $18 million PPP and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) fraud scheme. He and multiple co-conspirators prepared fraudulent loan applications in exchange for kickbacks of 20-30% of the loan amount. He also received nearly $1 million in PPP/EIDL funds for businesses he controlled – none of the businesses actually existed. He used his stolen funds for luxury trips to Dubai and Egypt and bought a property in Egypt to open a beachfront restaurant.   Rounding out the fraud starting 5 A fraud ringleader was sentenced to 5 years in prison for leading her five co-defendants and enlisting the help of over 50 associates in a pandemic-related fraud scheme. She personally submitted 125 fraudulent applications for Emergency Rental Assistance, PPP, EIDL, and UI benefits programs, seeking more than $3.3 million. Her team posed as fake tenants, landlords, and small business owners in need of assistance to achieve the scheme. She received over $1.2 million in kickback payments for her efforts and used a portion of the money on a Lexus, Range Rover, cosmetic surgery, and jewelry. The group she led attempted to steal nearly $6.8 million in pandemic relief.    Don't leave it to the professionals A former professional basketball player was indicted for allegedly falsifying annual revenues for two LLC's in order to obtain over $140,000 in PPP and EIDL relief. He was also charged with falsely stating he was the sole proprietor of a janitorial service bearing his name in order to receive another $20,000 in PPP loans. His indictment came just months after his girlfriend, a reality star on "Basketball Wives LA," was sentenced to four years for her own transgressions, including PPP and EIDL fraud of nearly $200,000. She used the money to help fund her lavish lifestyle.   Our X's and O's The cases above are just a handful of the many examples of organized groups of criminals stealing pandemic relief money from the public. To combat this amount of fraud, we need a team of all-stars to fight back. The PRAC Fraud Task Force and our Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence use advanced analytic tools to identify potential fraud.  We are part of an elite DOJ COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force that works together worldwide to bring pandemic fraudsters to justice. Collectively this team has seized over $1.4 billion in stolen relief funds. Crime cannot win.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer: An indictment is a formal accusation of a serious crime. However, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) is a committee of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).   Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

 

 

 

bEMA International Washington, D.C. Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)   A 501 (c) 3 organization "It is my belief that the best results in business come from a creative process, from the ability to see things differently from everyone else, and from finding answers to problems that are not bound by the phrase 'we have always done it this way.' "  Wayne Rogers