Plastics Petition To
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Introduction to the National Pretreatment Program Revised, 2011
Disclaimer DISCLAIMER The discussion in this document is intended solely as a summary of existing guidance. This document is not a regulation, nor does it substitute for any requirements under the Clean Water Act (CWA) or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) regulations. Thus, it does not impose legally binding requirements on EPA, states, municipalities, or the regulated community. The general descriptions provided in this document might not apply to a particular situation based on the circumstances. This document does not confer legal rights or impose legal obligations on any member of the public. Among other things, the document describes existing requirements with respect to industrial dischargers and publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) under the CWA and its implementing regulations at Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 122, 123, 124, and 403 and chapter I, subchapter N. Although EPA has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the discussion in this document, a discharger’s obligations are determined, in the case of directly discharging POTWs, by the terms of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit and EPA’s regulations or, in the case of indirect dischargers, by permits or equivalent control mechanisms issued to POTW industrial users or by regulatory requirements. Nothing in this document changes any statutory or regulatory requirement. If a conflict arises between this document’s content and any permit or regulation, the permit or regulation would be controlling. EPA and local decision makers retain the discretion to adopt approaches on a case- by-case basis that differ from those described in this document where appropriate and authorized by EPA regulations, state law, or local ordinances. -
Guidance Manual for Preventing Interference at POTW's
Uncted States September 1987 Ewronmental ProtectIon Agency Guidance Manual for Preventing Interference at POTWs UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 OFFICE OF WATEfl MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Pretreatment Program Guidance FROM: ;,rne/#?k%!& Director Of)&e of Water Enforcement and Permits (EN-335) TO: Users of the Guidance Manual for Preventing Interference at POTWs This guidance manual was developed by EPA to aid publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) in identifying, tracking, and mitigating interference episodes caused by discharges of nondomestic wastes. Interference is defined in the General Pretreatment Regulations (40 CFR Part 403) in terms of a discharge which, alone or in combination with other discharges, inhibits or disrupts the POTW and causes it to violate its NPDES permit or applicable sludge use or disposal regulations. The legal responsibilities of POTWs and their industrial users for avoiding interference are specified in the General Pretreatment Regulations. The basic regulatory requirements are explained in this manual and technical guidance is provided to help POTW operators detect and determine the sources of interference. This document will be useful to all POTWs that may experience interference problems, not just those that.have been required to establish federally-approved pretreatment programs. Therefore, EPA is distributing it widely. Additional copies of this guidance manual or further information about the national pretreatment program can be obtained by writing to the Permits Division, (EN-3361, US EPA, 401 M St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460. EPA is preparing another guidance document thaL deals specifizall:r with t-he development of local limits to prevent interference and pass through. -
NPDES Citizens Guide
Understanding the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program and Its Role in Michigan TIP OF THE MITT WATERSHED COUNCIL A Citizen’s Guide to Water Quality Permitting Understanding the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program and Its Role in Michigan by Ellen J. Kohler The purpose of this document is to promote citizen involvement in water quality permitting. If you would like to reproduce this book or portions of it for reasons consistent with this purpose, please contact the publisher: Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council 426 Bay Street • Petoskey, MI 49770 PH: 231-347-1181 • FX: 231-347-5928 website: www.watershedcouncil.org E-mail address: [email protected] ©2005 Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council Acknowledgements This citizen’s guide is part of a larger, multi-year project funded by the Joyce Foundation and coordinated by the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council to improve citizen involvement in environmental decision-making in Michigan. We are indebted to the Joyce Foundation’s commitment to environmental protection and their financial support for innovative projects coordinated across the Great Lakes basin. The project in general and the guidebook specifically were conceived by Wil Cwikiel of the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council. He has put in many hours shaping its purpose and reviewing its content. An invaluable part of this publication was the comments provided by individuals who are experts in various aspects of water quality permitting in Michigan. While their comments improved the text of this document, it is important to note that they do not necessarily endorse every aspect of the document. -
Addicted to Plastic: Microplastic Pollution and Prevention
Addicted to plastic: Microplastic pollution and prevention This briefing outlines global issues relating to microplastic pollution and its prevention. Microplastics are particles that are smaller than 5mm and are formed by the fragmentation of larger plastic items or are intentionally or unintentionally released in the form of manufactured beads, granules, fibres and fragments. Once in the environment they are very difficult to remove and have the potential to accumulate in soil, freshwater and marine environments causing a range of known and unknown impacts. Contents Summary .............................................................................................................................................. 3 Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 5 Our addiction to plastic .................................................................................................................. 6 In detail ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Sources of microplastics ........................................................................................................ 7 Impacts of microplastics ........................................................................................................ 8 Removal of microplastics through water treatment processes ........................... 10 Accumulation of microplastics ........................................................................................ -
New Toxic Time Bomb: Contaminants in Marine Plastic Pollution
Contaminants in Marine Plastic Pollution: ‘the new toxic time-bomb’ Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith Joanna Immig March 2016 1 This report is intended to be a living document and will be updated as new and important information is released. Contents 1. Summary 2. Production and Wastes 2.1 Types of Plastics 2.2 Plastics’ Toxic Additives 2.3 Degradation of Plastic 3. Levels of the Pollutants in Resin Pellets 3.1 Contamination of Pellets in the Australian Marine Environment 3.2 International Pellet Watch 3.3 Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) 4. Level of Pollutants in Other Forms of Microplastics 4.1 Polystyrene Foam in the Marine Environment 5. Chemical Impacts 5.1 Laboratory Tests 5.2 Contamination of Australian Seabirds 5.3 Microplastics and Baleen Whale Species 6. Conclusion 6.1 Recommendations Contaminants in Marine Plastic Pollution 2 1. Summary The United Nations Environment Program called marine plastics the “new toxic time- bomb”. Marine plastic is not only entangling and drowning wildlife, it is being mistaken for food and ingested along with its toxic contaminants. Marine plastics and in particular microplastics, provide a global transport medium for the most toxic chemicals into the marine food chain and ultimately, to humans. Persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) contaminate all forms of marine plastics (eg resin pellets, microbeads, polystyrene and microplastic debris like tiny threads from ropes and nets. Because microplastics have larger surface area to volume ratio, they accumulate and concentrate PBTs and metals. Once in marine environments plastic polymers undergo some weathering and degradation, aiding the adsorption of PBTs from the seawater, where they exist at very low concentrations. -
Tackling Marine Plastic Pollution
REPORT INT 2019 WWF POLICY PAPER TACKLING MARINE PLASTIC POLLUTION It is time to begin negotiations on a new legally binding agreement Tackling marine plastic pollution It is time to begin negotiations on a new global legally binding agreement Summary points • Marine plastic pollution has reached crisis levels. It is poisoning marine life and affecting human health and livelihoods in ways we are only now beginning to understand. It is estimated that around eight million tonnes of plastic waste enters the world’s oceans every year, threatening marine life, coastal livelihoods and potentially even human health. It is a global problem that urgently requires a global response. • As of today, there is no international treaty in place dedicated to fully tackling the issue. The existing legal framework covering marine plastic pollution is fragmented and ineffective, and does not provide the tools necessary for an effective global response to the problem. This issue cannot be solved on a national or regional level, or through non-binding, voluntary measures alone. It requires coordinated international action, shared responsibility and a common approach. • A new legally binding agreement is needed—one which clearly stipulates the vision (goal of zero discharge of plastic into the ocean), the ambition (strict national reduction targets), and the required means and measures for getting there (a comprehensive review system and implementation support architecture). The main elements of such an agreement, as proposed by WWF, are laid down in this paper. • WWF is calling on states to begin negotiations, as soon as possible, on a new international legally binding agreement to tackle marine plastic pollution. -
Permit No. ARG640000 Page 1 of Fact Sheet
Permit No. ARG640000 Page 1 of Fact Sheet FINAL FACT SHEET FOR RENEWAL GENERAL PERMIT FOR WASTEWATER DISCHARGE FROM WATER TREATMENT PLANTS 1. Background The existing permit became effective on December 1, 2011 and expires on November 30, 2016. The State of Arkansas has been authorized by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency to administer the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program in Arkansas, including the issuance of general permits to categories of dischargers under the provisions of 40 CFR 122.28, as adopted by reference in Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Regulation (Reg.) 6.104. Under this authority, ADEQ may issue a single general permit to a category of point sources located within the same geographic area whose discharges warrant similar pollution control measures. Specifically, in accordance with 40 CFR 122.28, the ADEQ is authorized to issue a general NPDES permit if there are a number of point sources operating in a geographic area that: 1.1. involve the same or substantially similar types of operations; 1.2. discharge the same types of wastes; 1.3. require the same effluent limitations or operating conditions; 1.4. require the same or similar monitoring requirements; and 1.5. in the opinion of the Director, are more appropriately controlled under a general permit than under individual permits. The violation of any condition of a general permit constitutes a violation of the Arkansas Water and Air Pollution Control Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 8-4-101 et seq.) and may subject the discharger to the penalties and revocation of coverage under the general permit. -
Spatial Heterogeneity of Microplastic Pollution on Cape Cod Beaches and the Impacts of Different Hydrographic Sources
Microplastic pollution on Cape Cod beaches 1 Plastic Beach (The Arrival) Spatial heterogeneity of microplastic pollution on Cape Cod beaches and the impacts of different hydrographic sources Hector Ricardo Salazar Connecticut College Project Mentors: Rut Pedrosa Pamies*, JC Weber, Maureen Conte Ecosystems Center Marine Biological Laboratory Semester in Environmental Science Class of 2018 *Corresponding author: Rut Pedrosa Pamies [email protected] Microplastic pollution on Cape Cod beaches 2 ABSTRACT Plastic has become a large source of global pollution; it has entered our marine ecosystems and we are only beginning to see the effects on ecosystem health, animals, and humans. Plastic is a great threat to the environment due to its non-biodegradable properties and long resonance time once in the environment. Plastic debris now contaminate sandy, estuarine, and subtidal habitats in the Europe, Asia, and the Americas, with the global extent of microplastic contamination remaining unknown. This study aimed to assess the distribution of microplastics on Cape Cod beaches, and understand how microplastic contamination is influenced by various hydrodynamic sources as well as local and regional contamination sources. Microplastics are the result of these degraded discarded plastics that become ubiquitous in the marine environment; they are defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in size. The results of this study suggest that microplastics are ubiquitous in coastal systems of Cape Cod, with a highly variable distribution. Total abundance was about an order of magnitude higher in Nantucket Sound (60g/m3) and Buzzards Bay (120g/m3) than Cape Cod Bay and Atlantic Ocean beaches (~15g/m3), possibly reflecting seasonal and year-round population trends. -
Breaking the Plastic Wave Report
Breaking the Plastic Wave A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF PATHWAYS TOWARDS STOPPING OCEAN PLASTIC POLLUTION Thought Partners FULL REPORT About The Pew Charitable Trusts The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public, and invigorate civic life. As the United States and the world have evolved, we have remained dedicated to our founders’ emphasis on innovation. Today, Pew is a global research and public policy organization, still operated as an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the public. Informed by the founders’ interest in research, practical knowledge, and public service, our portfolio includes public opinion research; arts and culture; civic initiatives; and environmental, health, state, and consumer policy initiatives. Our goal is to make a difference for the public. That means working on a few key issues, with an emphasis on projects that can produce consequential outcomes, foster new ideas, attract partners, avoid partisanship or wishful thinking, and achieve measurable results that serve the public interest. Learn more at https://www.pewtrusts.org/en For more information, contact us at [email protected] About SYSTEMIQ SYSTEMIQ Ltd. is a certified B Corp with offices in London, Munich, and Jakarta. The company was founded in 2016 to drive the achievements of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by transforming markets and business models in three key economic systems: land use, materials, and energy. Since 2016, SYSTEMIQ has been involved in several system change initiatives related to plastics and packaging, including the New Plastics Economy initiative (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) and Project STOP (a city partnership programme focused on eliminating plastic pollution in Indonesia), among others. -
Plastic Pollution Curriculum and Activity Guide
Plastic Pollution Curriculum and Activity Guide Table of Contents Grade K-3 • World of Waste Students collect and record data of the trash they generate, and describe strategies for using resources wisely (reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover). • There Is No Away Students identify the destination of the waste the generate at home and at school and the negative aspects of dumping or burning trash to ultimately recognize that there is no “away” in “throw it away” • What is a Watershed? Students are introduced to the concept of a watershed and the effects of pollution. • The Storm Drain Connection Students explore their school’s surrounding streets to identify storm drains in the neighborhood and understand that storm drains are connected to water systems and can become a significant source of water pollution • Plastic Pollution: It Can Be Deadly Students experience in a simulated setting the negative effects that plastic, in particular, can have on the feeding activities and health of wildlife, and consider the effects of plastic debris in the oceans and on the beaches from an animal’s perspective Grade 4-6 • Landfill in a Bottle Students create a simulated landfill environment to understand how household/school waste breaks down in a landfill and learn ways to reduce, reuse and recycle • Wrap It Up Students will examine the role of product packaging and resource waste • Spill Spread By simulating how currents are affected by temperature, students learn how pollution is transported away from our shores. Grade 7-12 • Synthetic Sand In this activity students conduct a transect of an area of beach to identify and catalogue the various materials collected there. -
EPA's Local Limits Development Guidance
This page intentionally left blank. Backgr The Office of Wastewater Management of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Office of Water prepared this guidance document to assist municipalities that own or operate publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) in developing and implementing local pretreatment programs. Section 402(b) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) provides for EPA to authorize a State to administer its own National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. In order to be authorized, a State program must include adequate authority to issue permits that ensure compliance with the CWA including section 307(b) pretreatment standards. The program must ensure that permits issued to POTWs include a program to assure compliance with pretreatment standards by significant sources introducing pollutants subject to such standards to the POTW. [Section 402(b)(8), 33 U.S.C. 1342(b)(8)]. This guidance will assist POTWs in their efforts to meet their requirement to develop pretreatment programs. Di T scussi n his ent s nte . T re o equire CWA EPA egulations. Thus, it does not impose legally binding requirements on EPA, States, municipalities or the regulated community. The general descriptions provided in this document may not apply to a particular situation based upon the circumstances. This guidance does not confer legal rights or impose legal obligations upon any member of the public. Among other things, the document describes existing requirements with respect to industrial dischargers and POTWs under the CWA and its implementing regulations at 40 CFR 122, 123, 124, and 403 and chapter I, subchapter N. -
Why Is Plastic Pollution a Cause for Concern?
Shaw Institute 55 Main Street, P.O. Box 1652 Blue Hill, ME 04614 T: 207.374.2135 [email protected] www.shawinstitute.org Testimony In opposition to: LD 39 An Act To Remove the Plastic Bag Ban (SP0047) LD 108 An Act To Improve Public Safety by Repealing the Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bag Ban (HP0074) LD 244 An Act To Repeal Maine’s Single-use Plastic Ban Law (SP0105) This testimony summarizes Shaw Institute's opposition to LD 39, LD 108 and LD 244. Shaw Institute is a nonprofit scientific research organization based in Blue Hill, Maine with a mission to improve human and ecological health through innovative science and strategic partnerships. Over three decades, the Institute’s pioneering research on plastics, ocean pollution, flame retardants, and climate change has fueled public policy nationally and internationally. Shaw Institute scientists pioneered microplastics research on the Maine coast1,2 and were first to report plastic particles in coastal waters and commercial seafood (oysters, mussels, fish, lobster). To date, we have amassed almost 10 years of data on microplastic contamination of Maine waters, based on analysis of more than 900 samples from 200 sites in Blue Hill Bay. On average, we found 10 plastic particles in every liter of water, roughly 40 pieces of plastic per gallon and totaling over 1 billion pieces of plastic in the Bay. It is reasonable to assume similar levels of plastic are present along the Maine coastline. Our subsequent study3 showed that plastic fibers make up about 50% of the diet in blue mussels, replacing algae and causing nutritive stress and weakening over time.