"Who Pooped?" - Microbial Source Tracking

Fecal indicator bacteria contamination is a common problem for many surface-water bodies and drinking water systems. The Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, yet about 13% of US surface waters still don't meet water quality standards.  This is due in part to fecal material intruding our waterways from various point and non-point sources. Traditional fecal indicator bacteria analyses can't differentiate contaminant sources;h owever, new molecular identification tools are showing promise in this area.
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EPA's Final VI Guidance

EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) has long promised the release of the Final VI Guidance (FVIG) on November 30, 2012, exactly 10 years after issuing the draft guidance. We've learned that the draft guidance was sent to EPA's regional offices for review. We have a copy and will report on it in our December Focus on the Environment Newsletter. OSWER's Richard Kapuscinski recently said that the FIVG would not be complete by the end of November, but we understand that it's expected in the second quarter of 2013, following a presentation at the Association for Environmental Health and Sciences (AEHS) VI conference in March. Craig Cox of Cox-Colvin will be presenting at the conference regarding the issues of spatial heterogeneity. We'll keep you informed on the FVIG and the AEHS conference in future issues of our newsletter.

Public Water Systems: Considerations for Providing Water for Oil and Gas Drilling

Water is a critical component in the drilling and development of oil and gas resources in Ohio and surrounding states. Clean water, like energy, also is a resource vital to our existence. In some areas of Ohio, oil and gas companies are turning to public water systems to provide the source of water for hydraulic fracturing. For many municipalities within the shale gas play, this can be a welcome revenue source. However, there are a number of issues which should be considered by both the public water supply and the oil and gas company prior to supplying the water.
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Ohio EPA Re-Affirms Commitment to Assume Clean Water Act Section 404 Responsibilities

At a recent wetland conference in Canton, Ohio, Ohio EPA Director Scott Nally re-affirmed the Agency's commitment to assuming Clean Water Act Section 404 responsibilities from the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). According to Director Nally, assuming 404 responsibilities would streamline the permitting process, greatly reducing review time and ultimately allowing for faster responses to applicants. [See October 2012 Focus on the Environment newsletter]. Director Nally indicated that Ohio EPA would petition to assume 404 responsibilities regardless of receiving funding from the Federal government for the program. In Ohio, about 70% of wetland permits submitted to the Corps are from the Ohio Department of Transportation. If Ohio EPA were to assume 404 responsibilities, wetland permit fees would stay within the State, and, as indicated by Director Nally, Ohio EPA ultimately would need to fund only 30% of the total 404 permit review budget. In order to assist with the Agency's expanding role in wetland permit review, Director Nally proposed a certified professional (CP) type program for wetland professionals. Presumably, a wetland CP program would be fee based, similar to Ohio EPA's Voluntary Action Program (VAP), with wetland CPs consisting of experienced professionals conducting wetland-related activities with minimal ongoing involvement. Watch for updates in future Cox-Colvin Focus on the Environment newsletters.

GAO Reports: Regulatory Challenges Associated with Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

At the request of the Senate Environmental Panel, the Government Accounting Office (GAO) prepared two studies on the emerging North American shale oil and gas market. The reports, which are well researched and well written, present a good overview on the current status of the industry. Also included is a review of regulatory frameworks and challenges faced in six states, including Colorado, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming.

A general lack of baseline groundwater data was noted as a source of the uncertainty as to how, or if, these new development techniques may impact drinking water supplies. This sense of a general lack of baseline data is mirrored by US EPA, which has called for a "Request for Information to Inform Hydraulic Fracturing Research Related to Drinking Water Resources" published in the November 9, 2012 Federal Register.
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Vapor Intrusion: Spatial Variation

Cox-Colvin's October 2012 Focus on the Environment newsletter discussed variability in airborne vapor concentration over time and its relation to Vapor Intrusion (VI). However, at least in soil gas, temporal variation may be less of a problem than spatial variation.
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Ohio EPA Petitions to Assume Clean Water Act Section 404 Responsibilities

In September 2012, regulators and interested parties from across the nation were in Washington, DC for a House of Representatives hearing on the delegation of the Federal Clean Water Act Section 404 program to the States.  George Elmaraghy, P.E., Chief of Ohio EPA's Division of Surface Water, gave testimony in support of assumption of the 404 program by Ohio EPA.
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Battelle Study Sheds Light on UST Tank Corrosion

Battelle recently released a study regarding corrosion in diesel Underground Storage Tanks (USTs). The report "Corrosion in Systems Storing and Dispensing Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), Hypotheses Investigation," links ethanol to corrosion in USTs, even though ethanol isn't a component of diesel. The report suggests ethanol is finding its way into ULSD tanks through fuel equipment shared with ethanol-blended gasoline. The report concludes that corrosion is likely being caused by acetic acid produced by Acetobacter bacteria, which feeds on low levels of ethanol present as a contaminant in ULSD tank systems. In the presence of water, the bacteria ferments the ethanol and forms acetic acid. Corrosion associated with ethanol is suspected to be worse with smaller amounts of ethanol than with fuels blended with 10 percent ethanol or higher. Fuels with higher ethanol concentrations draw excess water from condensation into the fuel, reducing corrosion risk.

Vapor Intrusion: Temporal Variation

Our September 2012 Focus on the Environment e-newsletter discussed issues with the proposed short-term limit for trichloroethene (TCE) in air.  Variability in airborne vapor concentrations over time continues to pose a concern in Vapor Intrusion (VI) and could lead to significant policy changes.
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EPA to Propose Hazardous Waste Rules for Pharmaceutical Waste

Based on the growing realization of the presence of pharmaceutical chemicals in our nation's surface water and groundwater, and a recent report by the Inspector General critical of EPA, the agency plans to propose hazardous waste rules for pharmaceutical waste in August 2013.  All of us contribute to this problem, and it'll take more than regulation of the health care industry to keep pharmaceuticals out of our nation's waters.
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Ohio EPA Provides Guidance for Solid Waste Landfills Accepting Drilling Waste

Recent development of the shale oil and gas industry will mean a big increase in drilling-related wastes in the State of Ohio. Drilling-related wastes that are transported off-site for disposal are considered solid waste under Ohio regulations. Some of this waste will require solidification before it can be disposed in a regulated solid waste landfill. On September 18, 2012, Ohio EPA's Division of Materials and Waste Management published an advisory to assist landfill facilities in obtaining the necessary authorizations to conduct solidification and disposal of drilling-related waste.
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E-Manifest Bill Signed by President Obama

A bill authored by U.S. Senator John Thune that would modernize the way industry and state and federal governments track the shipment of hazardous waste was signed into law by President Obama on October 5, 2012. The Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (S. 710) modernizes a 25-year old requirement by the EPA which mandates that businesses provide carbon copy paper manifests to accompany waste materials from their origin to ultimate storage or disposal - commonly referred to as "cradle to grave" documentation.
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Cox-Colvin Presentations at Ohio Brownfield Conference on Thursday, May 24

Thursday, May 24th, will be a busy day for Cox-Colvin at the 2012 Ohio Brownfield Conference at the Columbus Convention Center.  At 10:10 am in Room E170, Mort Schmidt will be talking about "Rapid Sub-Slab Soil Gas Sampling for Finding Sources".  In the same room at 1:55 pm, George Colvin will be discussing "Use of an Alternate Regulatory Mechanism and Results-Based Approaches for Site Cleanup".   Also, visit Cox-Colvin at Booth 18!

Cox-Colvin Presentations at Ohio Brownfield Conference on Wednesday, May 23

Two Cox-Colvin staff members will be speaking on Wednesday, May 23rd, at the 2012 Ohio Brownfield Conference at the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.  Nick Petruzzi will be presenting @ 10:30 am in Room E172.  Mr. Petruzzi will discuss "The Interstate Tech and Reg Council's Framework for Green and Sustainable Remediation". Later Wednesday afternoon (@ 3:50 pm) in Room E170,  Jake Elder will be talking about "Green & Sustainable Remediation in Ground Water Contaminated with Chlorinated Ethenes in an Experimental Wetland". Come check out the latest developments in green and sustainable remediation!

Cox-Colvin Staff to Present at 2012 Ohio Brownfield Conference

Cox-Colvin & Associates will be at the Ohio Brownfield Conference on May 23 - 24, 2012 at the Columbus Convention Center, 400 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio.  Visit us at Booth 18!

In addition, four Cox-Colvin staff members will be presenting talks at the conference.  Click here for more information and a complete schedule for the Brownfield Conference.

April 2012 "Focus on the Environment" Newsletter Available

Cox-Colvin's monthly Focus on the Environment e-newsletter is available.  Click here to view.

Vapor Pin Included in Michigan Vapor Intrusion Guidance

Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc., in cooperation with the Michigan DEQ, completed a comparative study of sub-slab soil-gas sampling equipment to evaluate the Vapor Pin as an acceptable technology for vapor intrusion studies. The study demonstrated that samples collected through the Vapor Pin were consistent with those collected by other means. As a result, a SOP on the use of the Vapor Pin has been included as Appendix D.7 of Michigan DEQ's January 2012 Draft Vapor Intrusion Guidance - "Sample Collection and Evaluation of the Vapor Intrusion to the Indoor Air Pathway When the Generic Criteria Do Not Apply". (See p. 167 of the pdf for the Vapor Pin SOP).

Cox-Colvin is participating in a similar study in California in late April, in cooperation with H&P Mobile Geochemistry, Inc. Results of the Michigan and California studies are being submitted as a presentation topic at the October 2012 AWMA Conference in Denver, CO.

Click here for more information on the Vapor Pin.

EPA Releases Vapor Intrusion FAQs

EPA recently posted Vapor Intrusion FAQs (frequently asked questions) on its Vapor Intrusion (VI) website. This 56-page document is much more than the average fact sheet, and provides a preview of what the much anticipated final VI guidance is likely to look like. Read More>>

Cox-Colvin to present on Innovative Subslab Soil-Gas Sampling Methods

Cox-Colvin employee Mort Schmidt will be presenting at A&WMA's 'Air Quality Measurement Methods and Technology' Conference to be held April 24 - 26, 2012 in Durham, North Carolina.  Mort will be presenting his talk, entitled "Innovative Sampling Methods for Focusing the Subslab Soil-Gas Investigation" on Wednesday, April 25th @ 2:45 pm (Session 7A). Mort's presentation will highlight an investigation in which Cox-Colvin installed and sampled 145 sub-slab soil gas sampling points in five days to locate a source of tetrachloroethene at a manufacturing facility.

Cox-Colvin also will be exhibiting the Vapor Pin at the conference.  Join us at Booth #19 to learn more about the Vapor Pin - a re-usable sub slab vapor sampling device.

EPA Moves to Clarify Hazardous Waste Generator Rules

According to EPA's Action Initiation List for November 2011, EPA appears to be planning a new rulemaking to improve the clarity and effectiveness of the federal hazardous waste generator regulatory program. The rule would strive to consolidate all hazardous waste generator regulations into Part 262 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Generator regulations currently are located in Parts 261 - 265. Other changes considered by EPA include clarification of: marking of tanks; closure requirements for large quantity generators; the hazardous waste determination regulation found at 40 CFR 262.11; when a generator is subject to full regulation as a large quantity generator; the regulatory status of facilities that generate both acute and non-acute hazardous waste in the same month; emergency response points of contact; and the Biennial Report regulations. Other changes being considered include requiring the labeling of conditionally exempt small quantity generator containers while hazardous wastes are being accumulated, and periodic notification for small quantity generators.

Ohio EPA Implements Electronic File Management System

As part of sweeping changes being implemented by Director Nally, Ohio EPA is moving toward a paperless document management system referred to as the eDocument Management System. The stated purpose of the new system is to simplify recordkeeping and to allow easier free public access to Ohio EPA documents. The initial stage of the eDocument Management System is now on line and available for review.
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Vegetative Landfill Caps -- A Cost-Effective and Innovative Solution

A vegetative (phytoremediation) landfill cap has the potential to reduce infiltrating precipitation significantly, maintain landfill cap integrity, and treat all or a large percentage of generated leachate. Cost savings can be realized in terms of both capital costs for installation (as compared to traditional RCRA cap or ongoing maintenance), as well as elimination or significant reduction in the volume of leachate requiring off-site treatment or disposal. In addition, it's likely that this technology would be considered a green and sustainable (GSR) option when evaluated against other alternatives.
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Short-listing Vapor Intrusion Constituents: Not Always A Good Idea

Many Vapor Intrusion guidance documents encourage analyzing a short list of comhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifpounds in indoor air -- for example, instructing the lab to report only the compounds detected in subsurface samples during previous related investigations. But be careful! As vapor intrusion assessment moves toward indoor air sampling, analyzing only for a short list of compounds could come back to bite you.
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February 2012 - A Busy Month for IRIS Assessment Reports

February 2012 saw the final release of three significant final Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) assessments. These included tetrachloroethene (PCE); 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic form of the dioxin family; and tetrahydrofuran (THF). In this first-time risk assessment of THF, EPA declined to set a cancer potency estimate for the substance. In addition, EPA released only the non-cancer portion of its final TCDD assessment.

IRIS is EPA's human health assessment program that evaluates risk information of affects that may result from exposure to environmental contaminants. Through the IRIS Program, EPA provides the science-based human health assessments to support the Agency's regulatory activities and for use in risk assessments conducted by the regulated community. Since its beginning in the mid-1980s, the program has been faulted for its slow turnaround, a criticism they appear to be addressing.

'Focus on the Environment' March 2012 eNewsletter

Hot off the press!  Click here to check out Cox-Colvin's March 2012 edition of Focus on the Environment eNewsletter. Includes information on Ohio EPA's electronic file management system, short-listing of vapor intrusion constituents, EPA's move to clarity hazardous waste generator rules, vegetative landfill caps, new IRIS assessment reports, and the latest on the coal ash rule.

Another Vapor Pin Application - Measuring Subslab Pressures

A common approach for evaluating the radius of influence of a sub-slab vapor intrusion remediation system is to measure pressure differentials between the sub-slab and indoor air. With the Vapor Pin, more pressure monitoring points can be installed in less time and at a lower cost. This results in a better understanding of the effectiveness of the remedial system.
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EPA Develops New Hexavalent Chromium Analytical Method -- MCL Likely to Follow

EPA has unveiled a new analytical method for measuring hexavalent chromium (CR+6) in drinking water. It's believed that development of this more accurate and less costly Cr+6 method will make it easier for EPA to require water utility companies to monitor for CR+6. In turn, this requirement moves EPA closer to establishing a first-time drinking water standard for Cr+6. >Read More

Cox-Colvin to Participate in 2012 North American Environmental Field Conference & Exposition

Cox-Colvin & Associates, Inc. will be participating in the 2012 North American Environmental Field Conference & Exposition next week (March 13 - 16th) in Tampa, FL.  Stop by booth # 208 to see the Vapor Pin  -- an innovative sub-slab vapor sampling device that installs in minutes, can be sampled the same day, and is re-usable.
We'll also be conducting a two-part indoor/outdoor workshop on new techniques for assessing the age, location, and vapor intrusion potential of VOC source areas beneath a building. The indoor workshop will be held on Wednesday, March 14th @ 8:00 am (Session B - Advances in Vapor Intrusion Investigation and Remediation).  Experience for yourself how easy it is to install the Vapor Pin at our outdoor workshop on Wednesday, March 14th @ 4:30 pm (Session B).

"Focus on the Environment" Newsletter Archives Available

Check out Cox-Colvin's monthly Focus on the Environment e-newsletter archives. Sign up to receive our newsletter.  It's full of "News You Can Use".

EPA's FY2013 Budget Released - More Cuts on the Way

On February 13th, the Obama administration proposed a FY 2013 budget of $8.344 billion for the EPA. The proposed budget is $105 million below the current enacted 2012 level, and represents the third year in a row of decreasing EPA budget. EPA's largest budget decrease ($37.4 million) will come from the Superfund program, with the majority of the cut coming from the remedial cleanup program.

EPA Releases Long-Awaited Final Health Assessment for PCE

On January 10, 2012, EPA posted the long-awaited final health assessment for tetrachoroethylene - also know as perchloroethylene (PCE) - to EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. PCE is a common chemical solvent and ubiquitous groundwater contaminant. The final health assessment concludes that PCE is a "likely human carcinogen". The document also provides toxicity values that will be used in revising the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water, establishing new cleanup levels at sites where PCE is a contaminant, and evaluating whether to propose additional limits on the emission of PCE in the atmosphere.

VAP Soil Classification, Description, and Logging Short Course

Yesterday, Cox-Colvin & Associates hosted a very successful soil classification, description, and logging short course. The short course, which was provided free of charge by Jeff Martin of Ohio, EPA, was well attended by not only Cox-Colvin staff, but by a number of other area consulting firms. The course was meant as an introduction/refresher on proper techniques for completing soil descriptions during drilling and investigation activities. Participants were introduced to ASTM Standard D 2488-Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure) which is based on USCS soil description methods. The USCS method was also compared to the USDA soil texture method preferred by soil scientists, as well as Ohio EPA vapor intrusion regulators. Afternoon activities included a texturing exercise with calibrated soils and a drilling demonstration by EnviroCore Inc., to allow the class to test the soil description methods from the morning sessions. Overall, the class was very well presented and received, and I think everyone came away with a better understanding of how to use both the USCS and USDA systems to complete accurate soil descriptions in the field.

•Upward Flow Constructed Wetland for Groundwater Remediation

Cox-Colvin recently signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with US Air Force and Wright State University to commercialize a patent-pending upward flow, subsurface supply wetland system for the treatment of groundwater contaminated with chlorinated VOCs.

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OSHA's Top 10 Violations for FY2011

OSHA recently published its Most Frequently Cited Standards and Highest Penalty Standards for FY 2011. Scaffolding and fall protection continue to lead both categories, as in recent years. OSHA publishes this list annually to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so employers can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards before an injury occurs or OSHA shows up for an inspection.
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