EPA-DOE Sign Agreement on BNL

[Andy Hull <hull@mail.sep.bnl.gov>]

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>Subject: EPA-DOE Sign Agreement on BNL
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>The following news release was issued today (3/23) by the U.S. Department
>of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Because of computer
>problems, we were not able to send it to the BNL community until after 5
>p.m.; we apologize for any inconvenience.
>
>Supervisors, please share this message with those in your area who do not
>have access to e-mail.
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>
>UNIQUE EPA/DOE AGREEMENT SETS STAGE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
>REFORMS AT BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY
>
>FOR RELEASE: MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1998
>
>
>Upton, New York--The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
>the Department of Energy (DOE) today signed a unique agreement to
>promote pollution prevention and sustained compliance with
>environmental safety regulations at the Brookhaven National Laboratory
>(BNL) in Upton, Long Island.
>
>Under the agreement, the first of its kind in the nation, DOE will
>support comprehensive evaluations of environmental processes and
>activities at the Laboratory.  The Laboratory will also develop a
>program-by-program blueprint in pollution prevention, waste
>minimization and compliance through new and expanded initiatives.  The
>agreement reaffirms Energy Secretary Federico Pena's commitment to
>action last May and serves as another installment on EPA's promise to
>help the facility eliminate lapses in compliance and oversee the
>effort.
>
>EPA Regional Administrator Jeanne M. Fox and Martha Krebs, DOE
>Director of the Office of Energy Research, signed the voluntary
>Memorandum of Agreement today at the Laboratory.  Dr. Krebs is
>responsible for the management of 5 of the department's multi-program
>laboratories, including Brookhaven.
>
>"The agreement is the most recent action on Secretary Pena's May 1997
>commitment to ensure that the protection of public health and the
>environment will never again take a back seat to science at the
>facility," Fox said.  "This agreement makes DOE accountable for
>pinpointing what is wrong and having systems in place to prevent the
>mistakes of the past from occurring in the future.  The process will
>also provide an open window for state and county regulators and the
>public to review progress at the facility," she explained.
>
>"DOE and Brookhaven Science Associates, the Laboratory's new
>management and operating contractor, will work together to demonstrate
>to EPA and the community that we are serious about cleaning up past
>problems and making environment, safety and health a priority," said
>Secretary Pena.
>
>Following the announcement of EPA's multi-media inspection last May,
>EPA conducted Phase 1, a comprehensive review of Laboratory
>environmental compliance.  The Memorandum of Agreement announced today
>is a direct result of that commitment and describes what will be
>accomplished in Phases 2 and 3 of the multi-media inspection.
>
>The voluntary activities covered in the Agreement are the following:
>
>Facility-wide Process Evaluation (Phase 2): BNL will conduct an
>evaluation of all experimental and industrial-type operations to
>identify all the waste streams generated at the facility and determine
>the compliance status of each waste stream and ensure that all waste
>stream generators practice proper waste management and handling.  BNL
>will also identify pollution prevention, waste minimization and
>control opportunities.  The facility will utilize the appropriate
>techniques and track the benefits.
>
>Environmental Management Systems Audit Agreement (Phase 3): DOE and
>BNL will develop a five-year annual audit program to evaluate the
>facility's progress in implementing an effective Environmental
>Management System designed to assure full compliance with regulatory
>requirements and provide for continuous improvement in environmental
>stewardship.
>
>In addition, DOE will use an expanding pool of federal and non-federal
>experts for these audits.  Initially, the experts will be from the
>facility; then, DOE will draw on expertise from access the country to
>maximize objectivity.  BNL will also provide quarterly reports to EPA,
>state and county environmental agencies and community groups for
>review and comment as the audit progresses.
>
>At the time EPA's multi-media inspection of BNL was announced, DOE
>Secretary Pena committed to undertake additional projects with EPA
>oversight that would improve environmental safety management at the
>facility.  The Memorandum of Agreement announced today is a direct
>result of that commitment and is considered Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the
>multi-media inspection.  It was developed by EPA and DOE with the
>assistance of EPA's National Environmental Investigation Center in
>Denver, Colorado.  Phase 1 is the identification of areas of
>noncompliance.
>
>Earlier this month, EPA cited DOE and Associated Universities, Inc.,
>the contractor formerly responsible for operating the facility, for
>lapses in compliance with federal rules aimed at protecting public
>health and the environment at BNL.  EPA found violations of the Safe
>Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery
>Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act. BNL has corrected, or is in
>the process of correcting, these problems.
>
>EPA is also involved in a number of ongoing activities at the facility
>that address past contamination, including the investigation and
>remediation of the tritium plume from the High Flux Beam Reactor
>discovered in January 1997, and the oversight of the federal Superfund
>cleanups on portions of the property.
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