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Water Online's EPA Update: July 20, 2010
July 20, 2010
Welcome to Water Online's review of the latest U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, resources, and activities related to the water, wastewater, and stormwater industries. EPA offices and programs covered in this installment are listed below. Click on an office or program name to go directly to that section of the article. Office of Water (OW) EPA Announces Public Information Meetings For The Proposed Revised Total Coliform Rule
New Consumer Campaign Kicks Off: We're For Water 
EPA is holding four public information meetings to provide information on the proposed revisions to the Total Coliform Rule (TCR). The proposed revisions are contained in the proposed Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) which was published in the Federal Register on July 14, 2010. During the public meetings, EPA will discuss the major provisions of the current TCR, the history of the development of the proposed RTCR, the core elements of the proposed RTCR, the comparison between the current TCR and the proposed RTCR, and specific areas where EPA is requesting comment. Additional topics that will be discussed include the cost and benefit information of the proposed rule and the planned guidance manuals that will be developed to support the implementation of the final rule.
The first public meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 3, 2010, 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Eastern Time (EDT), at the EPA East Building, Room 1153, 1201 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460. To register, contact Cesar Cordero at (202)564-3716 or at cordero.cesar@epa.gov.
For information about the proposed rule and the other public meetings, please visit:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/disinfection/tcr/regulation_revisions.html.
EPA's WaterSense® program kicked off the new multi-year We're for Water campaign July 14, 2010 to educate consumers about water-saving behaviors and WaterSense labeled products.
We're for Water shows consumers that saving water can be as easy as check, twist, replace.
Consumers are encouraged to adopt one or all of these water-saving behaviors and take the "I'm for Water" pledge on the WaterSense website.
Follow Flo, the We're for Water "spokesgallon," as she takes a road trip across the country to launch the campaign and educate people about water efficiency at
www.epa.gov/watersense/wereforwater or
www.facebook.com/epawatersense.
Drinking Water Strategy Web Dialogue: A New Framework For Addressing Contaminants As Group(s)
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, has outlined four principles to provide greater protection of drinking water, one of which is to address contaminants as group(s).
On July 28-29, EPA will hold a web dialogue focused on addressing contaminants as group(s). EPA welcomes your input on approaches EPA should consider when developing a framework to group contaminants. This dialogue will provide an opportunity for participants to exchange information and share ideas. EPA will consider the feedback from this Web dialogue and information from this exchange as it develops the agenda for the upcoming Drinking Water Strategy stakeholder meeting and the framework for addressing contaminants as group(s).
Register for the July 28-29 web dialogue at www.webdialogues.net/epa/dwcontaminantgroups.
For more information on the four principles of the Drinking Water Strategy, visit
www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa/dwstrategy.html.
EPA Seeking Public Comment And Input On Requests To Revise The Performance Standards For Marine Sanitation Devices
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received a petition and another separate request (collectively, "rulemaking requests") to revise its regulations establishing performance standards for marine sanitation devices (MSDs) (devices that treat vessel sewage) pursuant to the Agency's authority under section 312(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The rulemaking petition also requests that EPA establish monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements under the CWA to ensure compliance with the performance standards.
EPA published a Federal Register (FR) Notice to make the public aware of the issues raised in the rulemaking requests and to obtain the public's input, in the form of comment and relevant information, to help EPA determine appropriate action in response to the requests. EPA has not made a decision on whether to grant or deny either rulemaking request, and is not making any changes to the MSD performance standards at this time.
The FR Notice is titled "Clean Water Act Section 312(b): Notice Seeking Stakeholder Input on Petition and Other Request to Revise the Performance Standards for Marine Sanitation Devices", and is posted at
http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/frnotice_marinesanitation.html.
Comments in response to this FR Notice must be received on or before November 9, 2010.
EPA Announces Next Step Toward Establishing Rigorous Pollution Diet For Chesapeake Bay
On July 1, EPA announced draft allocations for nitrogen and phosphorus as part of a rigorous pollution diet for meeting water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, and restoring local rivers and streams throughout the 64,000-square-mile watershed.
"Restoring the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries will not be easy," said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. "While we all recognize that every jurisdiction within the watershed will have to make very difficult choices to reduce pollution, we also recognize that we must collectively accelerate our efforts if we are going to restore this national treasure as part of our legacy for future generations."
EPA proposed watershed-wide limits of 187.4 million pounds of nitrogen and 12.5 million pounds of phosphorus annually, and divided those allocations among the six watershed states and the District of Columbia, as well as the major river basins (see link below). These loadings were determined using the best peer-reviewed science and through extensive collaboration with the states and the District of Columbia. EPA will assign draft allocations for sediment August 15. In addition, EPA is committing to reducing air deposition of nitrogen to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay to 15.7 million pounds per year. The reductions will be achieved through implementation of federal air regulations over the coming years.
The jurisdictions are expected to use the allocations as the basis for completing Watershed Implementation Plans, detailing how they will further divide these allocations among pollution sources, and achieve the required reductions. The first drafts of those plans are due to EPA by September 1. The jurisdictions are expected to have all practices in place to meet the established limits by 2025, with 60 percent of the effort completed by 2017. EPA plans to issue a draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or pollution diet for a 45-day public comment period on September 24. The final Phase 1 Watershed Implementation Plans are due November 29, and EPA will establish the Bay TMDL by December 31. In 2017, the jurisdictions are expected to submit updated implementation plans to ensure that all the control measures needed to meet Bay water quality standards will be in place by 2025.
In 2009, EPA announced that it expects the six watershed states and D.C. to provide Watershed Implementation Plans, including detailed strategies for reducing pollutant loads to meet water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. EPA also expects detailed schedules for implementing pollution controls and achieving the required pollution reductions. EPA and the jurisdictions will measure progress utilizing two-year milestones. EPA may apply federal backstop measures for inadequate plans or failing to meet the milestones.
For more information about the Chesapeake Bay TMDL visit: http://www.epa.gov/chesapeakebaytmdl/.
Consumers Save Money, Water With EPA's WaterSense Program: Showerheads Added To The WaterSense Product List
In 2009, EPA's WaterSense program helped consumers save more than 36 billion gallons of water and $267 million on their water and sewer bills. That's nearly four times as much water as consumers saved with WaterSense labeled toilets, faucets, and faucet accessories in 2008.
"By raising awareness about the value of smart water use, the WaterSense program encourages consumers to take environmental action into their own hands," said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Water. "WaterSense labeled products provide Americans another opportunity to keep the country moving towards a green economy."
EPA created WaterSense in 2006 as a voluntary program to label products that are at least 20 percent more water efficient and perform as well as or better than standard models. WaterSense labels toilets, bathroom faucets and faucet accessories, flushing urinals, new homes, and, most recently, residential showerheads. WaterSense also certifies programs for irrigation professionals.
With about 17 percent of all residential indoor water use in the United States going to showering, replacing a water-hogging showerhead with a WaterSense labeled model can save enough water each year to wash more than two months' worth of laundry. Like all WaterSense labeled products, showerheads must be independently tested and certified to meet EPA's efficiency and performance criteria before they can earn the label.
With the addition of showerheads, consumers can now renovate their bathrooms with a full suite of WaterSense labeled products. A bathroom remodel that includes a WaterSense labeled toilet, faucet, and showerhead will not only conserve water, but also save enough electricity each year to run a refrigerator for two months and save about $60 in utility bills. WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes and services.
More information on WaterSense labeled showerheads: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/products/showerheads.html
To view the WaterSense accomplishments report: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/about_us/program_accomplishments.html
Water Laboratory Alliance: Laboratory Response And On-line Tools Training
EPA will be providing training on the Water Laboratory Alliance response procedures and related on-line tools at the 401-10 Emergency Response Chemical Laboratory Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 30, from 8:30 am until 12:00 pm. This training will be tailored for chemical laboratory personnel, and includes a mock table top scenario of a drinking water contamination event. To access more information on the Water Laboratory Alliance go to EPA's Web site at
http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/wla.cfm.
The Conference focuses on education and training on chemical testing and technology platforms used for chemical analysis for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Laboratory Response Network and other chemical emergency response networks. The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and CDC are hosting the Conference, which will run from July 27-30. Conference registration information is available
at http://bit.ly/cqZEEh.
National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL)
From Lab To Consumer — EPA Research At Work
EPA researchers are exploring the use of remotely sensed imagery to detect changes in the foliage of genetically modified (GM) food crops as a measure of infestation by pest insects. To enhance EPA's requirement for monitoring the development of resistance by these insects, researchers in the National Risk Management Research Laboratory are using patented imaging technology to monitor vegetation changes and plant stress by means of an aircraft-mounted hyperspectral sensor and satellite imagery.
Background
Recognizing the technical and financial burden the new standard could impose on small drinking water systems, EPA, with additional Congressional earmark funding, conducted a technology demonstration program to test a variety of arsenic-removal technologies in small systems across the country. Beginning in 2003, EPA drinking water specialists worked with communities at 50 sites in 27 states to select an optimum removal technology. The selection depended on variables such as the quality of the local source waters, the estimated capital and operating cost, the quantity and type of waste produced and the disposal options available.
Into the Field. . .
The majority of the sites were located in the northern and western states; they varied from the very small (treating 10 gallons per minute) to the largest (treating 640 gallons per minute). Because it is simple and cost effective to operate, the most commonly selected technology (55 per cent) was adsorptive media in which arsenic adsorbs to media for subsequent removal. Other technologies selected included coagulation/filtration, iron removal, reverse osmosis, ion exchange and point-of-use. With 10 different media products selected for study, the total number of technologies evaluated amounted to around 20.
The demonstration projects lasted from one year to as long as five years. While local utilities handled the actual operation of the selected test systems, EPA researchers and contractors:
- Contributed advice and support during equipment installation, shakedown and operation
- Analyzed water samples collected weekly or monthly through the whole treatment train(s) and from the distribution system receiving the treated water
- Evaluated long-term performance data on the technology
- Developed long-term cost and operational data used to support management decisions
- Developed detailed project reports for each test site (60-plus reports)
- Made more than 50 presentations at training courses, conferences and meetings with government permitting agencies, water utility officials, technology vendors, and other stakeholders.
And Beyond. . .
Concurrent with the full-scale, "real-world" testing of the arsenic demonstration program, NRMRL researchers conducted lab and pilot studies on ways to reduce costs and improve the performance of the technologies. In one example, lab and pilot testing of onsite regeneration of the media led to substantial reductions in the operational cost of the adsorptive media process. Following the successful testing, which showed that regeneration works, the State of California approved the technique for a full-scale demonstration at Twentynine Palms, CA. Success at this site led to a second full-scale test at a demonstration project in New Hampshire. Other utilities have now expressed interest in the process.
In another example, pilot testing of a pretreatment system to remove iron and oxidize arsenic III to arsenic V in a one-column system led a vendor to modify its proposed adsorptive media system to include the pretreatment system. At an EPA demonstration site in Utah, the pretreatment step proposed by NRMRL researchers has been extremely effective and found to extend the life of the adsorptive media treatment system, thereby reducing operational costs. In many cases, adoption of the demonstrated technology has speeded the state permitting process by as much as two years.
These projects are unique in that they show EPA researchers at work — not only in the laboratory, but also in the on-site application of research results and their real-world impacts on communities.
For more information, please go to the Arsenic Research website.
Watershed Central: A New Interactive Management Tool
EPA recently launched a new web site called "Watershed Central" to help watershed organizations and other stakeholders find key information they need to implement watershed management decisions. The
Watershed Central site includes guidance, tools, case studies, and data resources that integrate EPA programs to help users share information, analyze data, and initiate, or strengthen their own watershed efforts.
Watershed Central was developed to bridge the gap between user needs and the variety of resources offered by EPA and other groups. The result is an interactive web-based resource that helps users locate the information they need, including environmental data, watershed models, guidance documents, nearby local organizations, technical resources, and funding. A unique feature of Watershed Central is the "Watershed Central
Wiki" — similar to Wikipedia — which allows registered users to submit case studies, tools, local approaches to watershed management, lessons learned, and success stories. To ensure that user needs are met and information is up-to-date, three teams were
established — a Content Team, a User Team and an Information Technology (IT) Team. Team members and participants are solicited from within and outside EPA. In addition, as a feedback mechanism, EPA has sponsored regional workshops where participants are introduced to Watershed Central and encouraged to collaborate on improving the information it contains. The Watershed Central teams and other participants utilize the
wiki site as a forum for discussing and vetting information for inclusion on the Watershed Central public web site.
Watershed Central is a cooperative development effort among EPA's Office of Research and Development (National Risk Management Research Laboratory), Office of Water (Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds), and Office of Environmental Information. This growing and changing program is part of EPA's ongoing commitment to the protection of human health and the environment.
Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Program
ETV Verified Technologies
The ETV Program has verified the performance of 424 innovative environmental technologies that can be used to monitor, prevent, control, and clean up pollution. For a full list of ETV verifications, visit
http://www.epa.gov/etv/verifiedtechnologies.html.
Vendor Solicitations
ETV centers issue periodic solicitations for vendors and collaborators interested in verification. For a list of active ETV vendor
solicitations, please visit www.epa.gov/etv/vendorswanted.html,
or contact the appropriate ETV center (see www.epa.gov/etv/contacts.html).
Upcoming Conferences and Meetings
- August 1-5, 2010 – StormCon 2010 will be held in San Antonio, TX. This event is designed for stormwater and environmental service professionals that manage, regulate, or research stormwater and associated water quality issues. StormCon will include discussions on best management practices, case studies, stormwater regulatory issues, and the latest research and testing results, as well as an exhibition of vendors with innovative stormwater equipment, products, services and technology. The ETV Program will exhibit with the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory. For more information, visit http://www.stormcon.com/.
- August 9-13, 2010 – The National Environmental Monitoring Conference will be held in Washington, DC. This conference brings together scientists and managers from federal and state agencies, the regulated community, and laboratory and engineering support communities. Topic areas include: air methods/monitoring, contaminated sediments, innovative and emerging technologies for environmental contaminants, and climate change. John McKernan, EPA, will represent the ETV Advanced Monitoring Systems Center and present, "Environmental Technology Verification: Science to Guide Local, Regional, and Federal Decision Making." For more information, visit http://www.nemc.us/.
- The 2010 American Public Works Association (APWA) International Public Works Congress and Exposition will be held in Boston, MA. The Congress will feature technical and professional development sessions on public works disciplines, including emergency management, engineering and technology, environment and sustainability, solid waste, stormwater, and water and wastewater. More than 400 companies will exhibit. The ETV Program will exhibit with the EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory. For more information, visit http://sites.apwa.net/congress/2010/home.aspx.
- September 20-22, 2010 – The National Tanks Conference and Exposition, hosted by the New England Instate Water Pollution Control Commission, will be held in Boston, MA. Technical sessions will cover a wide range of underground storage tank topics, including operator training, remediation technologies, and financial issues. The exposition will feature exhibits from states, tribes, and federal agencies, as well as vendors showcasing tank-related products and services. Joe Carvitti, Battelle, will represent the ETV Advanced Monitoring Systems Center and present, "Current Status of Leak Detection System Evaluations under the EPA Environmental Technology Verification Advanced Monitoring Systems Center." For more information, visit http://www.neiwpcc.org/tanksconference/.
For more information on the ETV, visit www.epa.gov/etv.
Other EPA News
McWane Inc. Agrees To Resolve Environmental Violations At Manufacturing Facilities
In 14 States
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Justice Department, and the states of Alabama and Iowa announced that McWane Inc., a national cast iron pipe manufacturer headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., has agreed to pay $4 million to resolve more than 400 violations of federal and state environmental laws. The settlement, filed in federal court today, covers 28 of McWane's manufacturing facilities in 14 states and also requires the company to perform seven environmental projects valued at $9.1 million.
The $4 million civil penalty will be divided among the United States, Alabama and Iowa. The environmental projects McWane will perform will address storm water contamination at numerous locations; reduce mercury emissions in Provo, Utah and Tyler, Texas; reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions in Bedford, Ind. and Anniston, Ala.; and enhance air quality in Coshocton, Ohio. Additionally, McWane has already undertaken corrective measures to resolve the violations, at a cost of more than $7.6 million.
The settlement resolves civil violations over the past decade of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as alleged by the United States, Alabama, and Iowa in the complaint.
As part of the settlement, the United States also required McWane to develop and implement a corporate-wide environmental management system (EMS) to promote environmental compliance, achieve pollution prevention and enhance overall environmental performance. The EMS was implemented prior to today's filing and is now complete. The agreement now requires McWane to conduct an audit of the EMS to evaluate the adequacy of the system. In addition, McWane has modified its corporate-wide stormwater pollution prevention plan and will develop or upgrade facility-specific plans as part of the agreement.
At its Coshocton, Ohio iron foundry, McWane will operate a cupola furnace, which is a particulate emissions source, in accordance with its newly revised Clean Air Act Title V permit. The consent decree further establishes operating conditions and emission limits for the furnace, and is separately enforceable by EPA.
McWane manufactures cast iron pipes, valves, fittings, fire hydrants, propane and compressed air tanks and other similar products. As a result of its manufacturing processes, McWane emits pollutants, such as particulate matter, VOCs and mercury at various facilities. Mercury is a known neurotoxin and exposure to it has been linked to adverse human health effects, particularly neurological disorders. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Particulate matter can aggravate lung diseases, cause asthma attacks and may increase susceptibility to respiratory infections. The environmental projects included in the settlement will result in reduction of more than four million pounds of pollutants annually. The corrective measures and supplemental environmental projects included in the McWane settlement will benefit communities in North Birmingham and Anniston with environmental justice concerns.
In the past, multiple McWane divisions and facilities have been the subject of criminal investigations that have resulted in five federal prosecutions. As a result, the company has paid more than $25 million in criminal fines and penalties and spent approximately $5 million on environmental projects. Company executives have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 70 months and the company and certain executives have been placed on probation.
The proposed settlement agreement, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, Birmingham Division, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.
More information on the settlement: http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/civil/mm/mcwane-infosht.html.
EPA Launches A Collaborative Web Site For Integrated Environmental Modeling
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching a new on-line tool for scientific collaboration and knowledge sharing that was built by Purdue University with support from the agency. The Integrated Environmental Modeling Hub (iemHUB) allows environmental researchers to analyze environmental problems and combine environmental models so that a better understanding of the environment can be developed — everything from keeping beaches clean to predicting climate effects.
"This new on-line collaborative tool will help us increase our understanding of the complex nature of environmental problems. It will advance our ability to predict the impacts of our actions on the environment," said Paul T. Anastas, Ph.D., EPA's assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development. "We've all seen the power of social networking in helping people stay connected, with the launch of this new site, that potential is now available on a professional level to environmental researchers and modelers."
EPA uses integrated modeling assessments to inform decision making in support of its broad mission of protecting human health and safeguarding the environment. With the website, the agency is providing a state-of-the-art resource to the environmental modeling community. The iemHUB supports the development of integrated models and their use in conducting research and informing the decision making process.
The iemHUB is being released by the EPA-supported Community of Practice for Integrated Environmental Modeling (CIEM). The Community of Practice is an informal collaborative organization that was set-up by EPA and other scientists to advance the state of the science and technology related to integrated modeling.
More information on iemHUB: http://www.iemhub.org
EPA Supports Superfund "Polluter Pays" Provision
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today sent a letter to Congress in support of reinstating the lapsed Superfund "polluter pays" taxes. Superfund is the federal government's program that investigates and cleans up the nation's most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites. If reinstated, the Superfund provision would provide a stable, dedicated source of revenue for the program and increase the pace of Superfund cleanup. It would also ensure that parties who benefit from the manufacture or sale of substances that commonly cause environmental problems at hazardous waste sites, and not taxpayers, help bear the cost of cleanup when responsible parties cannot be identified.
"Since the beginning of this administration we have made it clear that we support the reinstatement of the polluter pays system for the Superfund program," said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "Our taxes should be paying for teachers, police officers and infrastructure that is essential for sustainable growth — not footing the bill for polluters. Today, we are formalizing our call to Congress to pass this important legislation and ensure responsible steps to keep our communities clean. In the meantime, EPA is taking action to better manage the Superfund program to increase cleanups and enhance transparency, accountability, and community input in agency decision-making."
The Superfund taxes expired on December 31, 1995. Since the expiration of the taxes, Superfund program funding has been largely financed from General Revenue transfers to the Superfund Trust Fund, thus burdening the taxpayer with the costs of cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste sites. The administration is proposing to reinstate the taxes as they were last in effect on crude oil, imported petroleum products, hazardous chemicals, and imported substances that use hazardous chemicals as a feedstock, and on corporate modified alternative minimum taxable income. Under the administration's proposal, the excise taxes and corporate environmental taxes would be reinstated for a period of 10 years beginning in January 2011.
More information on the Superfund program: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/.
EPA Issues Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements For Four Emissions Sources
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing requirements under its national mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting program for underground coal mines, industrial wastewater treatment systems, industrial waste landfills and magnesium production facilities. The data from these sectors will provide a better understanding of GHG emissions and will help EPA and businesses develop effective policies and programs to reduce them.
Methane is the primary GHG emitted from coal mines, industrial wastewater treatment systems and industrial landfills and is more than 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere. The main fluorinated GHG emitted from magnesium production is sulfur hexafluoride, which has an even greater warming potential than methane, and can stay in the atmosphere for thousands of years.
These source categories will begin collecting emissions data on January 1, 2011, with the first annual reports submitted to EPA on March 31, 2012.
In a separate proposed rule, EPA is requesting public comment on which industry related GHG information would be made publicly available and which would be considered confidential. Under the Clean Air Act, all emission data are public. Some non-emission data, however, may be considered confidential, because it relates to specific information which, if made public, could harm a business's competitiveness. Examples of data considered confidential under this proposal include certain information reported by fossil fuel and industrial gas suppliers related to production quantities and raw materials. EPA is committed to providing the public with as much information as possible while following the law.
The GHG reporting program requires suppliers of fossil fuels or industrial GHGs and large direct emitters of greenhouse gases to report to EPA. Collecting this data will allow businesses to track emissions and identify cost effective ways to reduce emissions. EPA is preparing to provide data to the public after the first annual GHG reports are submitted in March 2011.
There will be a 60-day public comment period on the proposed rules that will begin upon publication in the federal register.
More information on the final rule to add reporting requirements for four source categories:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/remaining-source-categories.html
More information on the proposal on data confidentiality:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/CBI.html
SOURCE: EPA

