USEPA fines Grimmway $214,103 for release of anhydrous ammonia and other violations

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Grimmway Enterprises, Inc., has agreed to settlement penalties of $214,103 for violations of the Clean Air Act and the emergency notification requirements of two other federal laws at its Arvin, CA, facility in August 2019.

Photo: Grimmway.com, Fair use

A little over a ton (2,335 pounds) of anhydrous ammonia, an Extremely Hazardous Substance according to federal law, was released into the atmosphere. EPA later determined during a facility inspection that Grimmway failed to immediately notify state emergency authorities and the National Response Center of the release as required by law.

Additionally, EPA found that the facility did not have the required safety equipment and operating procedures, such as pressure relief valves, chlorine sensors or alarms, operating procedures for its ammonia refrigeration equipment, and failed to have procedures in place to notify the proper authorities if and when  a chemical release occurred.

EPA's Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman said, "It is paramount that facilities properly manage hazardous substances to prevent dangerous incidents or face significant Clean Air Act Penalties. When these incidents occur, first responders need to be notified immediately to ensure authorities are able to respond swiftly."

As part of the settlement, Grimmway returned to compliance and agreed to the civil penalty above.

The violations involved the Clean Air Act's Risk Management Program and the reporting requirements of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

For more information: EPA fines Grimmway Enterprises

Climate change protestor disrupts Men's French Open semi-final tennis match

In the middle of a tense and tight Men's French Open tennis semi-final today between Marin Cilic and Caspar Ruud, a climate change protestor ran out onto the court and attached herself to the tennis net and net post.

Although the tv broadcast crew cut away from the on court display, initial reports were that the woman had glued herself to the net post and also chained herself to the net, then sat down in silence. 

Photo Source: DerniereRenovation.fr

She was wearing a white t-shirt emblazoned with the words "We have 1028 days left." In smaller print at the bottom of the shirt was a website, derniererenovation.fr. 

Security swiftly moved onto the court to remove the woman while the players eventually returned to the locker room until it was determined safe to resume play.

Clicking on the link above reveals a French activist organization, Derniere Renovation (The Last Renovation), with a picture of the young woman on the court on the home page, apparently with her neck zip-tied to the net. The group appears to be focused on addressing climate change and fair housing opportunities in France.

The 22 yr old woman, named Alizee, was quoted as saying "We are in 2022 and it is time to face reality, the world to which politicians are sending us is a world to which Roland Garros will no longer be able to exist. Today, I entered the field because I can no longer take the risk of doing nothing in the face of the climate emergency."

According to the website, the 1028 days left refers to an ultimatum the group issued to the French government on March 28, marking the initial date that citizens entered into civil resistance against the French government to do something about climate change.

At this time, no further information is available as to what charges, if any, will be made against the protestor.

Offshore California Windfarms now closer to reality - BOEM announces two lease sales

Alternative energy enthusiasts were heartened by the announcement today by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) of a proposed sale of offshore wind energy leases in two separate areas offshore of the Central and Northern California coasts. 

BOEM, part of the federal Department of the Interior, said the two areas will be located  on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area (WEA) and Morro Bay WEA. 

Photo Credit: BOEM

The two WEAs cover approximately 373,268 acres (583 square miles) and can potentially provide enough offshore wind generated electricity for over 1.5 million homes - that's about 4.5 gigawatts of power - in addition to creating new jobs related to the projects.

BOEM intends to offer multiple lease areas in each WEA via simultaneous auctions using a multiple-factor bidding auction format.

Awarding of the bids will not constitute approval, however - each project will be subject to environmental, technical, and public reviews before BOEM gives final authorization to approve.

More information on this proposal may be found here - BOEM California Activities

Recycle your food garbage or get fined? New California composting/recycling law to take effect in 2022

Here's something we bet that most of you haven't heard about, or, if you did, forgot all about it. A new California law that will require everyone to stop throwing their food scraps/waste into the regular garbage takes effect in 2022. 

Will Big Brother be snooping around your garbage cans to see if you improperly disposed of those inedible leftovers? 

Photo credit: CalRecycle

Senate Bill 1383, which was signed into law by then Governor Jerry Brown in 2016, will require California residents to separate their coffee grinds, food scraps, egg shells, potato peelings, and just about every other piece of organic food waste from their other garbage and either make compost out of it, take it to a recycling center, or put it in the same recycle bins for green waste that they have been using for years.

The purpose of the new law is to reduce the amount of uncontrolled methane emissions generated from landfills by decomposing organic wastes. Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas, with a warming effect several times that of CO2.

Failure to do so may result in individual daily fines beginning in January 2024 ranging from $50 to $100 for a first offense to $500 for subsequent offenses. Cities that fail to comply may face fines of up to $10,000 a day!

Additional requirements of the new law effect businesses that generate these wastes, as well as a requirement that supermarkets donate unused but edible food normally destined for the garbage dumps to food banks for the needy. 

The collected waste must be directed to anaerobic digestor facilities for conversion into biofuels and electricity or to composting facilities to make soil amendments. And the resultant compost made by those public facilities (many of which don't even exist yet!) must be used. Just where and who will be using the thousands of tons of such compost generated remains undetermined.

The new requirements will increase the waste disposal fees paid by homeowners and businesses, with estimates ranging from 1% to 20% or more.

However, because current infrastructure is not be set up to handle the increased volumes, except in a few cities and counties that have already been implementing a similar program, the law gives the affected governments until 2024 to enact local ordinances that will address the requirements.

California Environmental News (CEN) reached out to the Kern County Public Works Department for clarification and is still awaiting a response. The Department's recycling hotline was not working, according to a recorded message, and no one answered the general information telephone.  

At the moment, CEN is unsure whether food scraps must be placed in green waste bins or not. CEN recommends contacting your local government waste department to determine what, if anything, you must do and when.

For more information: SB1383 Summary