U.S. EPA Region 5 Releases Annual Enforcement and Compliance Results

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently released annual results from its enforcement and compliance efforts:
"Enforcement of environmental laws resulted in nearly $6 billion invested in pollution control and cleanup during fiscal year 2010 in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.  The largest cases are three Midwest oil spills -- Enbridge Energy Partners for spills in Marshall, Mich. and Romeoville, Ill., and BP Products North America Inc. for a spill in Whiting, Ind. Judgements against Cincinnati and Hamilton County required them to spend $1.79 billion to reduce untreated combined sewer and sanitary sewer overflows.

"In addition, Region 5's enforcement efforts will cause more than $1.8 million to be spent for supplemental projects benefiting communities and populations that could be disproportionately affected by the violation of environmental laws.

"During FY10, more than 16.9 million pounds of pollution were reduced, treated or eliminated in Region 5.  There were 1,415 violations reported with a resulting 2,750 pounds of hazardous wastes, 161 lab packs and 10 pounds of radioactive waste removed and disposed of.

"In FY 2010, Region 5 successfully negotiated and finalized decisions on 11 disclosures submitted by participants in the Region's Audit Agreement with Colleges and Universities.  Approximately 1415 violations were disclosed and have been corrected, resulting in the removal and disposal approximately 2750 pounds of hazardous wastes, 161 lab packs and 10 pounds of radioactive wastes."

Stay tuned to the Illinois Environmental Law Blog for more news and developments.

Proposed Superfund Consent Decree Calls for $3.6 Million Payment for Past and Future Response Costs

On August 16, 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice provided notice in the Federal Register that a proposed consent decree was filed in United States v. Central Rubber Co., Case No. 3:10-cv-50193 (Northern District of Illinois), which is a Superfund lawsuit filed by the federal government to recover response costs incurred or to be incurred by the United States as a result of releases and threatened releases of hazardous substances from the manufacturing facilities owned or operated by Central Rubber Company, Woodhead Industries, Inc., Textron, Inc., Camcar LLC, and Johns Manville.  The facilities are located at the Parsons Casket Hardware Superfund Site, in Belvidere, Boone County, Illinois.

Under the proposed consent decree, the Settling Defendants will pay $3.6 million to the United States in reimbursement of past and future response costs.  The decree will also require "Owner Settling Defendants" (those defendants who own real property within the Superfund Site), to provide access to their properties to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which will be performing the remedial action at the site, to cooperate with U.S. EPA in its performance of the remedy, and to prepare and record Environmental Restrictive Covenants which grant certain Proprietary Controls to the State of Illinois and U.S. EPA to facilitate performance of the remedial action.

Stay tuned to the Illinois Environmental Law Blog for more news and developments.

Illinois to Receive Money from Federal Government for Energy Efficiency and Cleanup Measures

On April 22nd, the Chicago Tribune published two stories concerning cash from the federal government going to environmental improvements within the State of Illinois.

The first story reported that "the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $25 million to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. It'll put the money into a program called the Chicago Region Retrofit Ramp-up Program, which aims to retrofit both commercial and residential buildings.  Plans include setting up a one-stop-shop info center where building owners can arrange and finance the energy efficiency projects."

The second story reported that Illinois communities, including Rock Island, Vermilion County, Rockford, North Chicago, Franklin Park, Lena and Vandalia, are to receive $2.65 million in grants from the Environmental Protection Agency to clean contaminated waste sites in the state.

Stay tuned to the Illinois Environmental Law Blog for more news and developments.