Author Archives: Jim Okun
Wanted: Massachusetts PCB Bulk Waste Landfill
There have been any number of recent news stories about PCBs being discovered in buildings, particularly public schools. Setting aside the issue of whether PCBs in schools pose an actual hazard, school officials are under intense pressure to eliminate PCBs … Continue reading
The Beginning of the End for AULs?
In Springfield earlier this week we had a well attended and interesting breakfast seminar on the recent developments in vapor intrusion (VI). One topic that received a lot of discussion was the expanded use of Activity and Use Limitations (AULs) … Continue reading
USEPA’s Proposed Reinterpretion of PCB Bulk Product Waste
If you are interested in taking a look at my comments (made as an individual) to EPA’s request for comments on their proposed reinterpretation of the definition of PCB Bulk Product waste, please click on this link. For more information … Continue reading
PCE Toxicity: Will MassDEP Change its Position?
It was six years ago that growing concern about vapor intrusion collided with MassDEP’s conservative analysis of PCE toxicity (aka: perchloroethylene, perc and tetrachloroethylene) to produce a perfect storm in the Massachusetts waste site cleanup program. State environmental regulators initiated … Continue reading
More TSCA PCB Irrationality
As described in my earlier post (see below), there is much to like about USEPA’s proposal to redefine the terms PCB remediation waste and PCB bulk product waste in the context of removing PCB contaminated materials from buildings. This proposal … Continue reading
PCB Regulation Changes Foreshadowed: A New Hope?
Last week USEPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response issued a Federal Register notice requesting public comment on what looks to be a dry technical issue within the PCB regulations; modifying the legal definitions of PCB Bulk Product Waste … Continue reading
Important PCB News!
Today’s Federal Register (the daily journal of the federal government) contained a notice from the USEPA requesting public comment on a topic of critical interest to anyone involved in the assessment and remediation of PCBs in buildings. The topic EPA … Continue reading
PCE Toxicity: EPA versus MassDEP and Implications for VI
For over 20 years, MassDEP and the USEPA have disagreed about the toxicity of tetrachloroethene (aka tetrachloroethylene, perc, PCE and perchloroethylene). Disagreements between the agencies on something this basic are rare and given the practical implications (there are many), it’s … Continue reading
How EPA’s New Take on PCE Changes Vapor Intrusion Risk
Several days ago the US Environmental Protection Agency issued its new findings on the toxicity of tetrachloroethene (also known as: PCE, perc, perchloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene). The new information was published on-line in EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) web site. … Continue reading
Health Effects from Wind Turbines
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a long awaited report on health effects from Wind turbines. Over the past few years the Commonwealth has been taking a hard look at a range of energy alternatives. In January … Continue reading
