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The National Environmental Partnership Summit has a call for speakers for its annual summit that will be held at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco on May 4-8. The summit will focus on pollution prevention and environmental assistance, including greening your business, research and new clean technologies, regulatory updates, resource efficiency, and community engagement success stories, with sustainability as an underlying common thread in all tracks. The theme of the Summit theme is “Harnessing the Power of Collaboration.” The call for speakers is out now through December 5 and can be found at: http://www.environmentalsummit.org/AbstractForm.cfm.

The Summit is an interdisciplinary marketplace of environmental ideas and activities, forging connections between ideas and people, in systems - not just specialties. Several national communities come together to learn from one another at the summit: pollution prevention, compliance assistance, performance track and other environmental management innovators. By design, the summit offers a wide breadth of content to a diverse range of environmental professionals.

This year, session selections include:

• Sector-based Environmental Assistance
• Energy Efficiency
• Policy and Regulation Updates
• Finance and the Role of the Financial Sector
• Achieving, Communicating and Measuring Sustainable Performance
• Addressing Climate Change
• New, Clean Technology
• Practical Take-it-Home Tools

Last year's summit, held in Baltimore, was attended by more than 750 corporate and facility environmental managers, and federal, state and local pollution prevention specialists, voluntary program managers and compliance assistance providers. The summit partners that organize the event include the U.S. EPA, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable and the Performance Track Participants Association.

ARLINGTON, VA, November 6, 2008—The Department of Defense (DoD), through the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), is seeking to fund environmental research and development efforts. The development and application of innovative environmental science and technology supports the long-term sustainability of DoD’s installations and ranges, as well as significantly reduces current and future environmental liabilities. Proposals responding to focused Statements of Need (SON) in the following areas are requested:

• Environmental Restoration — innovative technologies for the detection, characterization, containment, and remediation of a wide range of contaminants in soil, sediments, and water.
• Munitions Management — advanced geophysical sensor and signal processing technologies for the detection, discrimination, and remediation of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and technologies for range clearance and reduced generation of UXO.
• Sustainable Infrastructure — natural resources (e.g., ecosystem-based management; threatened, endangered, and at-risk species; land management and watershed protection; and maritime sustainability), facilities (e.g., installation/regional sustainability, energy, noise, air and water quality, and facility waste), and cultural resources.
• Weapons Systems and Platforms — advanced alternative environmentally benign technologies and materials that reduce, control, or eliminate the waste and emissions associated with the manufacturing, maintenance, and use of DoD weapons systems and platforms.

Proposals responding to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 SONs will be selected through a competitive process. The Core Solicitation provides funding in varying amounts for multi-year projects. For the Core Solicitation, PRE-PROPOSALS FROM THE NON-FEDERAL SECTOR ARE DUE BY THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009. PROPOSALS FROM THE FEDERAL SECTOR ARE DUE BY THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009. The SONs and detailed instructions for federal and private sector proposers are available on the SERDP web site at http://www.serdp.org/funding.

SERDP also will be funding environmental research and development through the SERDP Exploratory Development (SEED) Solicitation. The SEED Solicitation is designed to provide a limited amount of funding (not to exceed $150,000) to investigate new environmental technologies with innovative approaches that entail high technical risk and/or have minimal supporting data that provide risk reduction and/or proof of concept. For FY 2010, proposals are being requested that respond to one SEED SON in each of the following focus areas: Munitions Management, Sustainable Infrastructure, and Weapons Systems and Platforms.

ALL SEED PROPOSALS ARE DUE BY THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009. The SEED SONs and detailed instructions for both federal and non-federal proposers are available on the SERDP web site at http://www.serdp.org/funding.

EPA is promulgating significant new use rules (SNURs) under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for 56 chemical substances which were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMNs). Four of these chemical substances are subject to TSCA section 5(e) consent orders issued by EPA. Two of these chemicals are nanomaterials: siloxane modified silica nanoparticles (generic) and siloxane modified alumina nanoparticles (generic). This is the first time SNURs have been promulgated for nanomaterials.

This action requires persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process any of these 56 chemical substances for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification will provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs.

The effective date of this rule is January 5, 2009 without further notice, unless EPA receives written adverse or critical comments, or notice of intent to submit adverse or critical comments before December 5, 2008. This rule shall be promulgated for purposes of judicial review at 1 p.m. (e.s.t.) on November 19, 2008. If EPA receives written adverse or critical comments, or notice of intent to submit adverse or critical comments, on one or more of these SNURs before December 5, 2008, EPA will withdraw the relevant sections of this direct final rule before its effective date. EPA will then issue a proposed SNUR for the chemical substance(s) on which adverse or critical comments were received, providing a 30-day period for public comment.

For general information, contact Colby Lintner, Regulatory Coordinator, Environmental Assistance Division (7408M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460- 0001; telephone number: (202) 554-1404; e-mail address: TSCA-Hotline@epa.gov.

For technical information, contact Tracey Pennington, Chemical Control Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number: (202) 564-2209; e-mail address: pennington.tracey@epa.gov.

EPA is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. These awards recognize innovative chemical technologies that incorporate green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use -- and that have broad applications in industry.

Nominated technologies should reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances from a chemical product or process. Any individual, group or organization, both nonprofit and for-profit, including academia and industry, may nominate a green chemistry technology for these awards. Self-nominations are welcome and expected. Each nominated technology must have reached a significant milestone within the past five years in the United States. Typically, awards are given each year in five categories: Greener Synthetic Pathways; Greener Reaction Conditions; Designing Greener Chemicals; Small Business; and Academic.

Nominations must be sent no later than Dec. 31 to be eligible for the 2009 awards, which will be presented on June 22, 2009. For more information on the nomination and awards process see: http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/pgcc/howto.html. You can link directly to the 2009 nomination package at: http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/docs/nomination_package_for_2009_awards.pdf. For examples of last year's nominations and award winners, see: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/greenchemistry/pubs/pgcc/past.html.

If you have questions about the nomination process or awards, please write to EPA at: greenchemistry@epa.gov.

To subscribe to the Green Chemistry list serve and to receive the periodic Green Chemistry Newsletter with reminders and updates, send an email to lyris@lists.epa.gov with the subject line "subscribe green_chemistry FirstName LastName." Substitute your first and last name into the subject line. You will receive a confirmation email.

On October 31st, 2008, EPA issued a Federal Register notice regarding carbon nanotubes (CNTs)(see http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-26026.htm. The notice reminds manufacturers and importers that they must notify EPA 90 days prior to the manufacture or import of new chemical CNTs for commercial purposes, in accordance with TSCA Section 5 regulations for new chemicals at 40 C.F.R. 720.22.

If CNT manufacturers or importers have any questions regarding their TSCA requirements, they should contact Jim Alwood at EPA at 202-564-8974 or alwood.jim@epa.gov.

Under EPA's Chemical Assessment and Management Program, or ChAMP, EPA has posted a Hazard-Based Prioritization (HPB) for Alkylphenols at: http://www.epa.gov/champ/pubs/hbpdocs.htm. To date, Hazard -Based Prioritizations have been posted for a total of 38 moderate production volume (MPV) chemicals.

The HBP documents are prepared from EPA's examination of existing or estimated physical-chemical property, environmental fate and toxicity data readily available to EPA on the MPV chemical(s) and on "supporting" HPV chemicals which together comprise a "cluster" of related chemicals. The HBP assigns an initial recommended level of priority -- high, medium, or low -- based on the potential hazard concerns presented by these chemicals in comparison with other chemicals and in light of uncertainties presented by gaps in the available data. The HBP will be used by EPA to prioritize future potential action.

Today, EPA is also posting a Risk Based Prioritization (RBP) on the use of elemental mercury in certain products and the availability of effective, economical mercury-free alternatives. The assessment determined that the use of mercury in certain products poses a “high-priority, special concern.” The agency plans to take prompt regulatory and voluntary action to encourage the use of mercury-free alternatives and reduce the use of mercury in products. The RBP can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/hpvis/Mercury_RBP_10.31.08_FINAL.pdf. EPA also made available a searchable database that pulls together publicly available information from various sources to help identify consumer and commercial products that contain mercury and their possible non-mercury alternatives. The database is available at: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/database.htm.

The 2008 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHe) Annual Meeting will be held November 16-21 at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown & Pennsylvania Convention Center, in Philadelphia, PA. The AICHe Environmental Division has put together a a record number of sessions on timely and important topics. Highlights of the meeting include:

• The AIChE Environmental Division *Lawrence K. Cecil Award lecture* by Professor Menachem Elimelech of Yale University. The lecture is titled: Science and Technology for Sustainable Water Supply. The award recognizes an individual’s outstanding chemical engineering contribution and achievement in the preservation or improvement of the environment.



• Historical Sessions entitled "One Hundred Years of Environmental Law and Policy" that will be presented by the Leading Expert Scientists and Lawyers in the Country in their fields of Air,

EPA has recently published and made available online the draft document "Hazardous Waste Listings: A User-Friendly Reference Document". The document describes the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) hazardous waste listing regulations under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C1 and includes hyperlinks to information that EPA has generated over the years to explain the listing regulations. The objective of this document is to consolidate and streamline the information on listing regulations to help Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) staff, state staff, industrial facilities, and the public understand hazardous waste listing regulations.

EPA is proposing national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants for nine area source categories in the chemical manufacturing sector:

• Agricultural Chemicals and Pesticides Manufacturing,
• Cyclic Crude and Intermediate Production,
• Industrial Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing,
• Industrial Organic Chemical Manufacturing,
• Inorganic Pigments Manufacturing,
• Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing,
• Plastic Materials and Resins Manufacturing,
• Pharmaceutical Production, and
• Synthetic Rubber Manufacturing.

The proposed standards and associated requirements for the nine area source categories are combined in one subpart. The proposed emissions standards for new and existing sources are based on EPA's determination regarding the generally available control technology or management practices for the nine area source categories. EPA is co-proposing an alternative to the requirements for process vents emitting metal hazardous air pollutants. The alternative would set a higher size threshold for large metal hazardous air pollutant process vents.

Comments must be received on or before November 5, 2008, unless a public hearing is requested by October 16, 2008. If a hearing is requested on the proposed rule, written comments must be received by November 20, 2008. For further information, contact Mr. Randy McDonald at (919) 541-5402; fax number: (919) 541-0246; e-mail address: mcdonald.randy@epa.gov.

Please join the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Technologies Program on Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EST for our new free Webcasts!

The Webcasts cover a variety of topics to help you improve your company's energy efficiency, including energy management tips, analysis tools, and cutting-edge technologies that can lead to cost and energy savings.

The following sessions are schedule in the near term:

• October 23, 2008 - ITP Software Decision Tools Awareness
• October 30, 2008 - Quick PEP Tool Demonstration and Results
• November 6, 2008 - Energy Assessments: What are the Benefits to Small and Medium Facilities?
• November 13, 2008 - Assessing Data Center Energy Use
• November 20, 2008 - Super Boiler Technology

To register, go to http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/resources/webcasts.html.

On October 6th, EPA proposed the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Chemical Manufacturing Area Sources –denoted as the CMAS Rule (40 Part 63 Subpart VVVVVV) in the Federal Register (see Chemalliance story at http://www.chemalliance.org/news/news_detail.asp?StoryID=2292). EPA is under a court order to promulgate this rule by December 15, 2008. The rule is likely to affect facilities operating below major source thresholds for the following MACT / NESHAP standards.

• Hazardous Organic NESHAP (HON) Rule – Subpart F
• Pharmaceuticals Production – Subpart GGG
• Pesticide Active Ingredient Production – Subpart MMM
• Polymers & Resins Rules – Parts I, II, III & IV
• Miscellaneous Organic NESHAP (MON) Rule – Subpart FFFF

The comment period for the proposed rule ends on November 5th, 2008.

Dixon Environmental is offering a free Fact Sheet on the proposed rule at http://www.dixonenvironmental.com/industry_news.php.

On Thursday, October 23rd, EPA posted a Hazard-Based Prioritization (HBP) under the Agency's Chemical Assessment and Management Program, or ChAMP, for three additional moderate production volume (MPV) chemical clusters, Alkyl Ureas, Alkyl Esters of Unsaturated Alcohols,and Alkyl Esters for Unsaturated Fatty Acids at http://www.epa.gov/champ/pubs/hbpdocs.htm. To date, Hazard-Based Prioritizations have been posted for a total of 32 MPV chemicals.

The HBP documents are prepared from EPA's examination of existing or estimated physical-chemical property, environmental fate and toxicity data readily available to EPA on the MPV chemical(s) and on "supporting" HPV chemicals that together comprise a "cluster" of related chemicals. The HBP assigns an initial recommended level of priority -- high, medium, or low -- based on the potential hazard concerns presented by these chemicals in comparison with other chemicals and in light of uncertainties presented by gaps in the available data. The HBP will be used by EPA to prioritize future potential action.

Under EPA's Chemical Assessment and Management Program, or ChAMP, EPA has posted Risk-Based Prioritizations and supporting documents for 48 additional chemicals that were sponsored under the High Production Volume (HPV) Challenge Program at: http://iaspub.epa.gov/oppthpv/hpv_hc_characterization.get_report?doctype=1. To date, Risk-Based Prioritizations have been posted for a total of 150 chemicals.

For a given chemical or chemical category, each Risk-Based Prioritization presents an initial recommended level of concern -- high, medium, or low -- based on information in the supporting documents, which include a Hazard Characterization, Exposure Characterization, and Risk Characterization. EPA uses these screening-level documents to evaluate chemicals and assign initial priority for future potential action based on the risk concerns presented by these chemicals in comparison with other HPV chemicals and in light of any uncertainties presented by gaps in the available data.

The documents are primarily based on hazard, use, and exposure data available to the Agency through the HPV Challenge Program and on EPA's examination of chemical use and exposure information collected from the 2006 Inventory Update Reporting (IUR), as well as data from readily available sources of hazard and exposure information.

PHILADELPHIA (October 6, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that Hydrol Chemical, Inc. has agreed to pay a $10,000 penalty to settle alleged violations of federal pesticide regulations at its facility in Yeadon, Delaware County, Pa. Hydrol Chemical is a manufacturer of organic chemicals.

EPA cited Hydrol Chemical for violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), a federal law requiring the registration of pesticide products and pesticide-production facilities, the proper labeling of pesticides, and the proper handling and application of pesticides. FIFRA's requirements protect public health and the environment by ensuring the safe production, handling and application of pesticides; and by preventing false, misleading, or unverifiable product claims.

EPA cited Hydrol Chemical for 18 FIFRA violations concerning sales or distributions of two different pesticide products. EPA alleged six sales of an unregistered pesticide (Formaldehyde Solution 35 Microbiocide) and 12 sales of misbranded pesticides (Formaldehyde Solution 37 and Formaldehyde Solution 35 Microbiocide).

As part of the settlement, the company neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations. The company has certified to EPA that it is currently complying with applicable provisions of FIFRA. Hydrol Chemical has also terminated manufacturing and selling of the unregistered pesticide product and certifies that it has corrected the label on the other misbranded pesticide – the products that gave rise to these violations. The label of the second product needed to contain the proper EPA Establishment Number showing where the pesticide was manufactured.

Visit http://www.epa.gov/pesticides for more information about EPA’s pesticide program.

The City of Dallas, facilities from Intel Corporation and John Deere, and Dyess and Barksdale Air Force Bases in Texas and Louisiana are among the 42 new members setting goals to go above and beyond environmental requirements as part of EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track Program.

“Our Performance Track partners are producing real, measurable results,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “EPA applauds their efforts for doing what’s best for both the environment and business.” For example, Dallas, the first large city government to become a member of the program, intends to reduce water use at all city sites by five percent over a three-year period, a reduction of 49 million gallons of water used.

Both public and private individual facilities may apply for Performance Track membership, with some companies having multiple facilities in the program. EPA also provides a Corporate Leader designation for companies and public agencies that exhibit policies and behavior at a corporate level that are associated with environmental excellence and are substantially committed to Performance Track. .Performance Track members represent a wide range of sectors, including the public sector, electronics, chemical products, pharmaceuticals, and rubber and plastics.

This latest group of Performance Track members, accepted from applications submitted in Spring 2008, included facilities from the U.S. Postal Service, Baxter Healthcare, Forever Resorts and Xanterra. These organizations already had facilities represented in Performance Track.

To earn membership, Performance Track applicants must demonstrate and commit to maintaining a strong record of environmental compliance, set three-year goals for continuous improvements in environmental performance beyond their legal requirements, have internal systems in place to manage environmental impacts, engage in community outreach and consistently report results.

Performance Track facilities typically set four goals for environmental improvement. The Frito-Lay Inc. facility in Pulaski, Tennessee, for example, has set a goal to reduce non-transportation energy use by 15 percent through a series of energy-saving measures, including better utilization of waste heat, more efficient operating equipment, and installation of a building energy management system.

Since the 2000 launch of the program, Performance Track membership has grown to 548 members in 49 states and Puerto Rico, and members have set more than 4,000 goals to benefit the environment. As a result, Performance Track members have reported greenhouse gas reductions of 310,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, reductions in nitrogen oxides of 13,000 tons, and reductions of hazardous waste of 52,000 tons.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a new Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) for an estimated 4,100 industrial facilities in 29 different sectors to implement site-specific stormwater pollution prevention plans to protect water quality. Facilities are required to install control measures that meet established technology- and water quality-based effluent limits and must develop a stormwater pollution prevention plan.

“These new controls will help prevent stormwater pollution, one of the country’s greatest threats to water, and improve reporting and accountability at industrial sites,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water.

The new permit offers several improvements from the previous MSGP, including easier to understand discharge requirements; fast and easy electronic filing of Notices of Intent (NOIs) and monitoring reports; web-based tools for locating waterbodies and determining impairment status; and updated monitoring, inspection and corrective action schedules.

The MSGP applies to facilities in states and territories not authorized to implement EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program including Alaska, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, parts of Texas and Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, Johnston Atoll, and Midway and Wake Islands. The MSGP also applies to facilities located in Indian Country lands in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, as well as to industrial activities taking place on Federal Facilities in Vermont, Delaware and Washington.

Under the Clean Water Act, all facilities that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States must obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The new permit replaces the MSGP issued in 2000.

For more information on the MSGP, go to http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/msgp.

EPA today released the "2008 Report on the Environment: Highlights of National Trends" (2008 ROE HD), which provides the American people with an important resource for better understanding trends in our nation's health and environment. The report is intended for a general audience and summarizes highlights of the more comprehensive "EPA's 2008 Report on the Environment," which was released in May, and provided the scientific and technical information. Together the two reports present national environmental trends and inform EPA's strategic planning process with the best available, scientifically sound information.

EPA also launched a new Web site that allows the user to search the full technical report for specific trends in air, water, and land. The 2008 ROE HD, ROE and searchable eROE can be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/roe.

(Dallas, Texas – September 17, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Texas Governor's Division of Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urge residents in the area impacted by Hurricane Ike to take precautions and stay safe during this post-storm period.

EPA has information on its Web site concerning tips you should take when returning home, operating a portable generator safely and preparing safe drinking water. Some tips include driving safely to avoid road debris and high water, how to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning and how to disinfect private water wells.

Get this information and more, at http://www.epa.gov/hurricane and at http://www.dhs.gov.

Information about the State of Texas's hurricane response activities is at http://www.governor.state.tx.us/hurricane.

Information about the State of Louisiana's hurricane response activities is at http://emergency.louisiana.gov/.

PHILADELPHIA (September 16, 2008) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Neville Chemical Company settled hazardous waste violations at Neville’s resin manufacturing facility located at 2800 Neville Road, Pittsburgh, Pa.

EPA’s consent agreement alleges that Neville violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA is designed to protect public health and the environment, and avoid costly cleanups, by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

Following a September 2007 compliance inspection at the facility, EPA identified the following violations:

• operating a hazardous waste storage facility without a permit
• failing to comply with air emission standards for containers
• failing to comply with air emission standards for equipment leaks
• failing to properly manage a hazardous waste tank’s secondary containment system
• failing to minimize the possibility of hazardous waste releases at the facility
• failing to contain universal waste lamps properly
• failing to label or mark universal waste batteries and lamps.

Neville cooperated with EPA during the course of the investigation and has certified that it now is in compliance with all relevant provisions of RCRA. The settlement requires Neville to pay a $37,411 civil penalty.

For more information about regulation of hazardous waste, visit EPA's Hazardous Waste Web Page.

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined BioMarin Pharmaceutical $119,717 after its Novato, Calif., facility violated the Clean Water Act on numerous occasions by discharging low pH industrial wastewater to the Novato Sanitation District domestic sewer system and the Ignacio Wastewater Treatment Plant, which discharge to the intertidal flats of San Pablo Bay.

As part of the enforcement action, the company will also spend an additional $50,270 to restore Novato Creek and one of its tributaries, Vineyard Creek.

In May 2007, the EPA inspected the BioMarin facility, reviewed the company’s 2004-2007 monitoring data, and found that the company had discharged low pH industrial wastewater from the facility, violating both federal and local standards, on 62 days. BioMarin is required by its wastewater discharge permit, issued by Novato Sanitation District, to monitor industrial wastewater effluent from its facility and submit results to the district. Low pH wastewater can cause sewer corrosion and collapses of sewer lines, which often result in sewer overflows and discharges of raw sewage.

"To protect our Bay and the structural integrity of sewer systems, companies are required to properly treat industrial wastewater before discharging it to the city's sewers," said Alexis Strauss, the Water Division director for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. "This settlement will bring much needed restoration to the Novato creek and wetland ecosystems to improve water quality, restore native vegetation, and improve habitat for endangered and threatened species."

As part of the restoration, BioMarin will remove invasive vegetation and revegetate at least 1,000 feet with native plants along creek banks and wetlands. The company will maintain and monitor the site for three years to ensure an 80 percent survival rate of the plantings.

Novato Creek suffers from poor water quality that is a result of untreated and treated industrial waste discharges into the watershed, among other things. Non-native species currently degrade the ecosystem, crowd out native species, and provide substandard food and shelter for native plants and animals. The restoration project will complement a larger long-term Marin County Public Works Department restoration of the Novato Creek watershed.

The Clean Water Act prohibits companies from introducing pollutants into a public system that will cause corrosive structural damage to the system, and in no case may facilities discharge wastewater with a pH lower than 5.0, unless the treatment system is designed to accommodate the discharges.

BioMarin owns and operates a facility that specializes in producing enzymes to treat diseases and various medical conditions, such as chronic genetic disorders.

For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/pretreatment/index.html.