The EPA aims to reduce air emissions from certain stationary diesel engines and issued their first standards on February 17, 2010. The rule will help reduce formaldehyde, benzene, acrolein and other toxic air pollutants from diesel powered stationary reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE), also known as compression ignition (CI) engines. The toxic air pollutants, also referred to as hazardous air pollutants or air toxics, are suspected of causing cancer and other serious health effects as well as environmental damage.

EPA estimates that the rule will reduce annual toxic air emissions by 1,000 tons, particle pollution by 2,800 tons, carbon monoxide emissions by 14,000 tons, and organic compound emissions by 27,000 tons when fully implemented in 2013.

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EPA, in a recent study, found that concentrations of chemicals in recycled tire material were below levels considered harmful. Recycled tire material, or “tire crumb,” is commonly used in synthetic turf sports fields and children’s playgrounds.

According to EPA, public concerns have been raised in the past several years over the use of tire crumb materials, especially after high levels of lead were reported in some artificial turf fields. In 2009, the Synthetic Turf Council reported that artificial (synthetic) turf has been installed in approximately 4,500 fields, tracks and playgrounds.

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EPA has finalized national effluent limitations guidelines (ELG) and new source performance standards (NSPS) for construction and development sites to help address improvement of water quality throughout the nation. While the standards focus on discharges occurring during stormwater events, these new guidelines affect all discharges of pollutants from construction activities into waterways, including dewatering and concrete washout.

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon release its response to a 2006 National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report recommending changes to the EPA’s 2000 draft assessment of the risks posed by 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin.

Dioxins are environmental contaminants according to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) website (September 2009). Most human dioxin exposure, however, occurs through the diet, with more than 95% coming through dietary intake of animal fats. Dioxins enter the food chain primarily in an air-to-leaf/soil-to-animal route.

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