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WASHINGTON – Today, May 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $3 billion from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help every state and territory identify and replace lead service lines, preventing exposure to lead in drinking water. Lead can cause a range of serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. To protect children and families, President Biden has committed to replacing every lead pipe in the country. Today’s announcement, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and available through EPA’s successful Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), takes another major step to advance this work and the Administration’s commitment to environmental justice. This funding builds on the Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan and EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative. Working collaboratively, EPA and the State Revolving Funds are advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families. The $9 billion in total funding announced to date through EPA’s Lead Service Line Replacement Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program is expected to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes nationwide, securing clean drinking water for countless families. “The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden understands it is critical to identify and remove lead pipes as quickly as possible, and he has secured significant resources for states and territories to accelerate the permanent removal of dangerous lead pipes once and for all.” President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to identify and replace lead service lines. The law mandates that 49% of funds provided through the DWSRF General Supplemental Funding and DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Funding must be provided as grants and forgivable loans to disadvantaged communities, a crucial investment for communities that have been underinvested in for too long. EPA projects a national total of 9 million lead services lines across the country, based on data collected from the updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment. The funding announced today will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement and will help every state and territory fund projects to remove lead pipes and reduce exposure to lead from drinking water. The Lead Service Line-specific formula used to allot these funds allows states to receive financial assistance commensurate with their need as soon as possible, furthering public health protection nationwide. The formula and allotments are based on need — meaning that states with more projected lead service lines receive proportionally more funding. Alongside the funding announced today, EPA is also releasing a new memorandum that clarifies how states can use this and other funding to most effectively reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. Additionally, EPA has developed new outreach documents to help water systems educate their customers on drinking water issues, health impacts of lead exposure, service line ownership, and how customers can support the identification of potential lead service lines in their homes. The Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious initiative to remove lead pipes has already delivered significant results for families across the nation. Today’s latest funding will ensure more families benefit from these unprecedented resources, and support projects like these: West View Water Authority in Pennsylvania has received $8 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace 750 lead service lines in underserved areas of the community — primarily in Allegheny County. Of that funding, more than $5.4 million is forgivable, reducing the overall financial burden on ratepayers and the community. In Tucson, Arizona, the city received $6.95 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to develop lead service line inventories for their nine public water systems. The city will use this inventory to develop a plan to replace lead service lines in the community and improve drinking water quality for residents — many of whom live in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Located in between Chicago and Milwaukee, the community of Kenosha, Wisconsin has been at the forefront of the state’s efforts to remove 5,000 lead service lines in their community. To accelerate lead service line removal, Kenosha is working with EPA’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded Water TA team to help customers self-inventory their service line material and apply for federal funding to remove and replace lead service lines. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, located across western North Carolina, has been selected to received support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s lead service line replacement funds to conduct service line inventories and prepare preliminary engineering reports for five of the public water systems on their land. To view more stories about how the unpreceded investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are transforming communities across the country, visit EPA’s Investing in America’s Water Infrastructure Story Map. To read more about some additional projects that are underway, see EPA’s recently released Quarterly Report on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funded Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF projects and explore the State Revolving Funds Public Portal.   Today’s allotments are based on EPA’s updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) including an assessment of newly submitted information. To date, this is the best available data collected and assessed on service line materials in the United States. Later this summer, EPA will release an addendum to the 7th DWINSA Report to Congress which will include the updated lead service line projections. EPA anticipates initiating data collection, which will include information on lead service lines, for the 8th DWINSA in 2025. For more information, including state-by-state allotment of 2024 funding, and a breakdown of EPA’s lead Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, please visit EPA’s Drinking Water website. […]

Plastic film is widely used in various industrial applications and has become a significant environmental concern due to its contribution to plastic pollution. Flexo Wash understand the printing industry’s struggle to have dirty printed film and having to dispose of it. Several customers raised this issue to the company, so driven to find a solution, […]

The global AI in packaging market is expected to reach $23,415.2 million by 2034, representing a 29.3 percent growth rate from 2024, according to a report released by Newark, Delaware based Future Market Insights (FMI). “AI is revolutionizing packaging operations by improving analytics, optimizing algorithms, and controlling design and quality. It predicts equipment faults, schedules […]

The Manufacturing Institute — the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers — announced that Sarah Dale, Plant General Manager at International Paper has been recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards honoree. This annual national awards program honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent […]

AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, announced it will offer two upcoming events tailored for Emerging Leaders in the packaging industry. These events promise valuable insights, networking opportunities, and leadership development sessions to foster growth and innovation within the sector. The Q2 C-Suite Webinar will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 2:00 pm ET. It […]

Are you interested in an upcoming event but unsure how to gain approval? This quick guide is for you. […]

The Manufacturing Institute — the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers — announced that Sarah Dale, Plant General Manager at International Paper has been recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards honoree. This annual national awards program honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent […]

AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, announced it will offer two upcoming events tailored for Emerging Leaders in the packaging industry. These events promise valuable insights, networking opportunities, and leadership development sessions to foster growth and innovation within the sector.The Q2 C-Suite Webinar will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 2:00 pm ET. It will […]

SAN FRANCISCO – The Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Attorney General of California, on behalf of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, filed a civil complaint in federal court today against the City and County of San Francisco for claims of Clean Water Act violations spanning the last decade. The complaint seeks financial penalties and improvements to remedy San Francisco’s repeated and widespread failures to operate its two combined sewer systems and three sewage treatment plants in compliance with the Clean Water Act and its permits. San Francisco failed to operate its combined sewer systems in a manner that keeps untreated sewage out of San Francisco Bay and its tributaries, streets, beaches and other areas with risk of human contact. “Protecting San Francisco Bay, the Pacific Ocean and public health are critical priorities for EPA, and this complaint is a major step to improve how the San Francisco sewer system is managed,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “EPA and our partners are committed to ensuring San Francisco comes into compliance with the Clean Water Act to protect clean water and local communities.” “San Francisco’s aging wastewater system has exposed the public to risks for too long,” said Alexis Strauss, Chair of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. “This is the time to commit to an outcome which reduces sewage overflows and builds upgraded wastewater infrastructure. Our goal is to help San Francisco achieve a healthy Bay and coastline, which can be enjoyed by millions of residents and visitors every day." The United States and the San Francisco Water Board request that the Court order the City of San Francisco to cease further violations of the Clean Water Act and its permits and complete all actions necessary to ensure that the City complies in the future. On average each year since 2016, San Francisco has discharged more than 1.8 billion gallons of untreated sewage from its combined sewer systems into creeks, San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean, including areas popular for wading, swimming, surfing, kayaking and fishing. San Francisco is served by two combined sewer systems that collect domestic sewage, industrial and commercial wastewater, and stormwater in the same pipes. During heavy rains, when the sewage treatment plants are at maximum capacity, combined sewage is discharged from near-shore outfalls to creeks, the San Francisco Bay, and the Pacific Ocean without receiving disinfection treatment. San Francisco’s failure to take steps to minimize these discharges or provide disinfection treatment interferes with the state’s designated uses for these water bodies, which include water contact recreation and protection of aquatic life. Untreated sewage contains pathogens such as E. coli, which can cause severe illness if ingested. Children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women have a higher risk for adverse consequences from such illness than the general population. In addition, San Francisco’s combined sewer systems are in a state of disrepair, and the City’s failure to properly operate and maintain them has led to additional combined sewage discharges that has put members of the public at risk for unknowingly coming into contact with untreated sewage. San Francisco has also consistently failed to properly notify the public about the presence of untreated sewage at popular water recreation locations, overflows from manholes onto sidewalks and streets and the risks of coming into contact with untreated sewage. EPA has brought enforcement actions to require municipalities across the country to update their sewer systems and address similar Clean Water Act violations. Nationally, EPA has been working with states, municipalities, and trade organizations to develop tools to help communities work towards compliance with Clean Water Act requirements, including meeting applicable water quality standards. The State Water Board and nine regional boards administer and enforce the Clean Water Act in California, improving water quality for communities and the environment while working with wastewater systems to help bring them into compliance. In 2023, the Water Boards took 260 wastewater enforcement actions under the Clean Water Act, with over six million dollars in assessed penalties. San Francisco is one of approximately 750 communities in the country with combined sewer systems but is only one of two such systems in California. San Francisco began planning to address its combined sewer overflows in the 1970s and completed construction of planned controls over 25 years ago. Since completion of those controls, no significant upgrades or updates have been made to the system to reduce combined sewer overflows and currently, the controls are insufficient to meet the requirements in San Francisco’s Clean Water Act permits. Read the complaint on EPA’s website. Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.&nbs […]

EPA Partners with Webster County to Support Community-Driven Energy Transition and Economic Revitalization Goals Contact: EPA Region 4 Press Office - (404) 562-8400, [email protected] LOUISVILLE, KY (May 1, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Webster County, Kentucky will receive technical assistance through the Energy Communities Technical Assistance Pilot program. EPA and recipient communities such as Webster County will work together to develop implementable action plans that promote environmental and economic revitalization as part of their energy sector transformation. “The Inflation Reduction Act provides historic incentives to increase the supply of low-carbon and renewable energy generation for the national electric grid, and many energy communities can benefit from this complementary support to plan for and develop diversified economies,” said Vicki Arroyo, EPA Associate Administrator for Policy. “Our Energy Communities pilot is delivering assistance to communities to help make their vision a reality.” “Our community has taken several strides toward revitalization and through the Energy Communities Pilot, we’re hoping to take steps toward giving current residents and future generations reason to stay in Webster County and have choices for a thriving economic future,” said Steve Henry, Webster County Judge Executive. Since 2021, EPA’s Office of Policy has played a leading role in the implementation of work conducted by the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization in coal-impacted communities, supporting Rapid Response Teams in six regions of the country. The technical assistance will enhance community planning capacity to respond to urgent needs related to the energy transition, including leveraging private sector and philanthropic funding assistance, cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned power plant and mining areas, expanding community economic revitalization opportunities, workforce transition, and improving overall quality of life. The project will help communities develop the necessary planning to: Safely and equitably reuse and redevelop sites after coal mine and power plant closures. Boost opportunities for workforce development, training and apprenticeships. Improve partnerships between local and tribal governments, organizations, residents and the private sector to ensure local investments in clean energy and manufacturing are aligned with the community’s energy transition goals. As part of the technical assistance, EPA staff will support projects in Webster County and one other community, including convening federal, state, regional and local partners and providing contractor support for two-day in-person workshops. After holding two workshops and having conversations with all the Rapid Response Teams, EPA will develop a playbook for use by any energy community during transition planning and implementation. The playbook will identify initial steps that communities can take to plan their energy sector transition and economic diversification to create a more resilient and robust local economy. Webster County, KY will use the Energy Communities Pilot to identify and leverage resources and partnerships to encourage new and diverse economic opportunities. Webster County is still experiencing the economic effects of its last mine closure in 2019 and is home to extensive abandoned mine land, which the community would like to see rehabilitated and put to alternative uses. ### […]

WASHINGTON – Every year in May, EPA marks Asthma Awareness Month to raise national awareness of asthma and to highlight leading programs across the nation that serve as models for delivering outstanding improvements in asthma care and quality of life for people with asthma. “Growing up with respiratory challenges in North Carolina, I know all too well the struggle that millions of Americans suffer daily. Asthma is a public health issue, an economic issue, and an environmental issue that impacts the entire country, especially low-income and minority communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why EPA is taking action to slash harmful pollution and raise awareness of the tools available for communities to manage asthma, control symptoms, and improve health.” Asthma is a major public health issue that affects more than 25 million Americans, including four million children, and disproportionately affects certain racial and ethnic groups. The estimated economic impact of asthma is more than $80 billion per year from direct and indirect costs, such as missed school and workdays. Fortunately, there are steps people can take as part of a comprehensive approach to manage their asthma, control symptoms, and improve health. These include following a personalized action plan to help manage asthma and avoiding triggers that can exacerbate symptoms. EPA is taking action to reduce the pollution that causes asthma attacks while more communities, with EPA support, deploy approaches to improve the lives of people with asthma, especially in minority and low-income communities.  People can control asthma symptoms and improve health with three straightforward strategies: Identify and avoid indoor environmental asthma triggers. Dust mites, secondhand smoke, mold, pests, pet dander and other allergens and contaminants in homes, schools and other indoor spaces can trigger asthma attacks. Work with your health care provider to identify and avoid your personal indoor asthma triggers.  Pay attention to outdoor air quality. Ozone and particle pollution can cause or worsen asthma attacks, even indoors. Check local air quality conditions at AirNow.gov and download the EPA AirNow app for your phone.  Create a personalized asthma action plan. This will help you monitor your or your child’s asthma and take steps to reduce exposure to personal asthma triggers. Ask a health care provider to assist you in creating a plan.  During Asthma Awareness Month, EPA recognizes leading asthma management programs for their in-home interventions through the National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management. The 2024 winner is the Maine Asthma Prevention and Control Program.  Maine’s program provides leadership and coordination for asthma care and service delivery statewide. One of MAPC’s initiatives is the In-Home Asthma Education Program, an innovative, home-based asthma program for adults, children and caregivers who, despite adequate medical management, have asthma that was not well controlled. The program connects those most in need with environmental asthma remediation tools and community resources through health educators who are highly attuned to the disparities that exist in asthma management.  EPA works year-round to promote understanding of asthma triggers, as a part of comprehensive asthma management, through research, education and outreach. With support from EPA, more communities are deploying approaches to improve the lives of people with asthma, especially in minority and low-income communities. A focus of EPA’s work to reduce the scope of asthma is addressing the Indoor Environmental Determinants of Health. IEDOH are modifiable environmental factors indoors — such as household air pollution, the presence of pests, mold and moisture, chemicals and irritants — that influence risk and experience of chronic diseases, like asthma. In addition to EPA’s work in raising asthma awareness, EPA is taking action to reduce the pollution that causes asthma attacks. In recent months, EPA has finalized strengthened pollution standards for cars, trucks, and power plants — as well as stronger air quality standards for particulate matter — that once fully implemented, are anticipated to prevent tens of thousands of cases of asthma each year and avoid millions of lost days of school and work due to asthma symptoms.   With funding from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, EPA is also working to improve the lives of millions of Americans by reducing pollution in neighborhoods where people live, work, play, and go to school. EPA is providing billions of dollars through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to help schools and communities purchase clean school buses and clean heavy-duty vehicles that will reduce the air pollution from older diesel engines that is linked to asthma. Phasing out these older diesel engines, which disproportionally affect communities of color and Tribal communities, will ensure cleaner air for students and communities near these transportation routes. In addition, projects developed under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program are expected to fund projects that will provide even more clean-air benefits. Throughout May, EPA will release content on social media and its asthma website to provide additional tips and guidance to improve well-being.  Learn more about asthma and environmental triggers and read about the 2024 National Environmental Leadership Award winner. […]

WASHINGTON – Today, May 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced two communities will receive technical assistance through the Energy Communities Technical Assistance Pilot program. EPA and recipient communities will work together to develop implementable action plans that promote environmental and economic revitalization as part of their energy sector transformation. “The Inflation Reduction Act provides historic incentives to increase the supply of low-carbon and renewable energy generation for the national electric grid, and many energy communities can benefit from this complementary support to plan for and develop diversified economies,” said Vicki Arroyo, EPA Associate Administrator for Policy. “Our Energy Communities pilot is delivering assistance to communities to help make their vision a reality.” Since 2021, EPA’s Office of Policy has played a leading role in the implementation of work conducted by the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization in coal-impacted communities, supporting Rapid Response Teams in six regions of the country. The technical assistance will enhance community planning capacity to respond to urgent needs related to the energy transition, including leveraging private sector and philanthropic funding assistance, cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned power plant and mining areas, expanding community economic revitalization opportunities, together with workforce transition, and improving overall quality of life. The project will help communities develop the necessary planning to: Safely and equitably reuse and redevelop sites after coal mine and power plant closures. Boost opportunities for workforce development, training and apprenticeships. Improve partnerships between local and tribal governments, organizations, residents and the private sector to ensure local investments in clean energy and manufacturing are aligned with the community’s energy transition goals. As part of the technical assistance, EPA staff will support projects in two communities, including convening federal, state, regional and local partners, and provide contractor support, for two-day in-person workshops. After holding two workshops and having conversations with all the Rapid Response Teams, EPA will develop a playbook for use by any energy community during transition planning and implementation. The playbook will identify initial steps that communities can take to plan their energy sector transition and economic diversification to create a more resilient and robust local economy. Recipients of the Energy Communities Technical Assistance Pilot Webster County, KY will use the Energy Communities Pilot to empower its community to identify and leverage resources and partnerships to encourage new and diverse economic opportunities. Webster County is still experiencing the economic effects of its last mine closure in 2019 and is home to extensive abandoned mine land which the community would like to see rehabilitated and put to alternative uses. “Our community has taken several strides toward revitalization and through the Energy Communities Pilot, we’re hoping to take steps toward giving current residents and future generations reason to stay in Webster County and have choices for a thriving economic future,” said Steve Henry, Webster County Judge Executive. The Hopi Tribe had an economy centered around coal-related operations but the closure of the Navajo Generating Station in 2019 led to significant job and revenue loss. The Hopi Utilities Corporation was chartered by the Hopi Tribal Council in 2017 to address energy and water issues on the Reservation. The community intends to use the Energy Communities Pilot process to focus on key projects in alignment with its goals of enhancing energy sovereignty and improving energy access and reliability. “We are rewriting Hopi Tribe’s energy story,” said Timothy Nuvangyaoma, Hopi Tribal Chairman. “The technical assistance resources provided by the program will help the Hopi Utilities Corporation engage our community and partners in workshops to make progress on leveraging the Tribe’s strengthened internal capacity, workforce and modern infrastructure to spark economic development and environmental and energy security.&rdquo […]

In April, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered Gold Eagle Co. and West Marine Products Inc. to stop the sale of “303 2-in-1 Mold & Mildew Cleaner + Blocker” distributed by Chicago company Gold Eagle and sold at West Marine’s retail location in Troy, Michigan. The order will prevent the illegal distribution and sale of this unregistered pesticide product by both companies at their respective retail locations and websites.  The product, “303 2-in-1 Mold & Mildew Cleaner + Blocker,” is a mold and mildew remover also marketed to prevent mold and mildew from returning. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, products that claim to kill, destroy, prevent, or repel pests, which include mold and mildew, are pesticides. All pesticides distributed or sold in the United States are required to be registered by the EPA to ensure the products perform as intended and will not harm people, non-target species, or the environment when used as directed. Mold and mildew are pests of public health concern and exposure can lead to health effects like coughs, allergies, or asthma. Consumers who rely on ineffective or unregistered products to remove mold and mildew may face an increased risk of exposure. The EPA will be in contact with Gold Eagle and West Marine to determine next steps. For more information on the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, visit the EPA’s website. For more information about the EPA’s enforcement program, visit the EPA’s website. […]

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania based Amtech, LLC, an industrial software solutions provider to the packaging industry, announced the completed acquisition of Label Traxx and its leading software suite for the label printing and flexible packaging segments. Amtech said the combination further solidifies its position as a sought-after industrial software platform to the packaging industry. The combined […]

Lewisburg, Tennessee based Lewisburg Printing Company (LPC) and its affiliate companies (Huston Patterson, Sigma Graphics, Hawk Converting, LLC and LPC TX Visual) announced the appointment of Clay Davis as their new Chief Executive Officer. LPC, a portfolio company of Radial Equity Partners, manufactures printed materials and packaging for a broad range of markets, including personal […]

Delaware, Ohio based Greif announced the finalization of construction on their new bulk corrugated manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas. Scheduled to open later this spring, Greif says the new facility will significantly expand its capacity in the bulk corrugated business and create opportunities in the South and Southwest regions of the United States, as well […]

The European Commission has approved the proposed merger between Smurfit Kappa Group plc, and WestRock Company, according to Competition Policy International. Dublin, Ireland based Smurfit Kappa and Atlanta, Georgia based WestRock announced plans of a possible combination in September 2023 that would create Smurfit WestRock, a global leader in sustainable packaging. The Commission determined that […]

APC's pet food flex-packs, booming plastic pouches market, bioplastic film made from banana peels, recyclable high-barrier paper packaging. […]

Engineering expert troubleshoots a carton sealing operation gone awry. […]

PepsiCo's not so sweet recall, ecoSpirits aims high, Coca-Cola is or isn't world's biggest polluter, Pop-Tarts vs. Netflix's Trat-Pop, McDonald's bioplastic interest. […]