News and reports from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $4 million in grants from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Arkansas, advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs aim to transform polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets while creating jobs and spurring economic revitalization.

On May 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement valued at over $310 million with Norfolk Southern Railway Company to address the damages caused by the February 3, 2023, train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Pending approval by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern will be required to enhance rail safety measures, fund health monitoring and mental health services for affected communities, support long-term environmental monitoring, pay a $15 million civil penalty, and...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a $500,000 grant to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Raton, New Mexico. This funding is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which aims to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities through the EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized an Administrative Order on Consent with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation concerning Clean Water Act violations at the California Men’s Colony wastewater treatment plant in San Luis Obispo, California. The order addresses unauthorized discharges of filter backwash water into Chorro Reservoir.

On May 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced over $225 million in funding to enhance access to safe and reliable drinking water and wastewater services for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages. This funding, part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, represents one of the largest annual investments in water infrastructure for Tribes. It aims to advance public health and environmental protections by addressing issues such as lead service lines and emerging contaminants like PFAS.

On May 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 issued an emergency order under the Safe Drinking Water Act to the City of Humboldt, Nebraska, concerning drinking water at the Colonial Acres of Humboldt Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facility.

PHOENIX — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to clean up and close the Tuba City Dump site, located near Upper and Lower Moenkopi on the Hopi Reservation and Tuba City on the Navajo Nation. Under this agreement, BIA will remove waste from Tribal lands, backfill the site with clean material, and conduct routine groundwater monitoring.

BOSTON (May 22, 2024) – Air quality forecasters in New England predict unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups due to elevated ground-level ozone levels. Sensitive groups include individuals with lung diseases such as asthma, older adults, children and teenagers, and those who are active outdoors.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a community grant of $1.5 million and an Environmental Justice Government to Government Award of $539,452 to Santo Domingo Pueblo, totaling $2,039,452. The $1.5 million grant will fund planning and engineering design activities for improvements to the Domingo, Galisteo, and Main Village lift stations as part of the comprehensive Santo Domingo wastewater distribution system project. The $539,452 grant aims to educate residents on the dangers of open dumps and facilitate the removal of several open dumps within Tribal...

On May 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the allocation of $30.7 million to support water systems and private well owners in small and rural communities. This funding aims to enhance technical, financial, and managerial capacities of water systems and assist private well owners in improving water quality, including testing for PFAS contamination.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2 million in grant awards aimed at expediting the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Virginia, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This initiative is funded by a $1.5 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, intended to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 has partnered with AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) to launch the Green VISTA Corps program, marking a first-of-its-kind effort for the agency. This initiative aims to provide new opportunities for volunteers and community organizations to advance environmental justice and anti-poverty efforts in historically underserved areas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with Navisun, LLC, a solar energy company based in Hingham, Massachusetts, for alleged violations of the Construction General Permit (CGP) related to stormwater discharges from construction activities. Under the settlement, Navisun will pay a penalty of $25,000 to resolve two alleged violations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced over $3.2 million in Brownfields grant funding to support the environmental assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of critical properties in Northglenn and Lakewood, Colorado. The City of Northglenn will receive $2.75 million to clean up soil contaminated with lead and arsenic on the Northglenn Recreational Center property. Metro West Housing Solutions, partnering with the Lakewood Housing Authority, will receive $500,000 to remediate asbestos and lead-based paint in the Belmar Groves Apartments property.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $1 million grant award on May 20, 2024, to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Dover, Delaware. The grant is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and is aimed at advancing environmental justice.