USDA Environmental Assessment Worksheet For Proposed Iowa Food Processing Plant

Caltha LLP Project Summary

Project: USDA Environmental Assessment Worksheet For Proposed Food Processing Plant
Client: Food Processer and Regional Economic Development Corporation
Location(s): Iowa

Key Elements: USDA Environmental Assessment Worksheet, Environmental Effects & Impacts, Regulatory and Permitting Requirements

Overview: Caltha LLP was retained by the project proposer, a food processing company, and the Regional Economic Development Corporation to prepare an Environmental Assessment Worksheet for the proposed project as required by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to secure a USDA backed loan for the project. Caltha staff worked in coordination with the project proposer and local USDA staff to prepare the EAW document. EAW elements evaluated included:

I. Project Description Purpose and Need

II. Primary Beneficiaries and Related Activities

III. Description of the Project Area

IV. Environmental Impacts Resource Criteria

1. Air Quality

2. Surface Water, Water Supply Quality, Groundwater, Storm Water, and Waste Water

3. Solid Waste Management and Hazardous Waste Management

4. General Land Use 5

. Transportation

6. Natural Environment

7. Human Population Socio-Economic/Environmental Justice

8. Construction

9. Energy

10. Miscellaneous

V. Coastal Zone Management Areas

VI. Cultural Resources, Historical, Archaeological

VII. Wild and Scenic Rivers

VIII. Biological Resources Critical Habitat and Endangered/Threatened Species Act

IX. Important Farmland

X. Floodplain Management and Wetlands Management

XI. Coastal Barrier Resources System

XII. State Environmental Policy Act

XIII. Intergovernmental Review

XIV. Environmental Analysis Of Participating Federal Agency

XV. Reaction To Project

XVI. Cumulative Impacts

XVII. Adverse Impacts

XVIII. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action

XIX. Mitigation

XX. Consistency with Rural Development Environmental Policies

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Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment. Caltha Environmental Review Website

TSCA Risk Assessment Plan For Flame Retardant Chemicals.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it will begin assessments on 23 commonly used chemicals, with a specific focus on flame retardant chemicals. These assessments are part of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan which identifies commonly used chemicals for risk assessment. EPA plans to begin by evaluating 20 flame retardant chemicals, conducting full risk assessments for four of the flame retardants, three of which are on the TSCA Work Plan, and one that was the subject of an Action Plan development under TSCA. In addition, EPA plans to conduct assessments of eight other flame retardants by grouping flame retardants with similar characteristics together with the chemicals targeted for full assessment.

EPA also plans to evaluate how eight of the 20 flame retardant chemicals transform and move in the environment. These chemicals were selected because they are likely to persist in the environment, bioaccumulate in humans and/or have high exposure potential, but lack adequate data to conduct full risk assessments. During its review of data on flame retardant chemicals in commerce, EPA also identified approximately 50 flame retardant chemicals that are unlikely to pose a risk to human health, making them possible substitutes for more toxic flame retardant chemicals.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment.

Proposed Changes To FTA FHA Categorical Exemptions

The Federal Highway Administration (FHA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) have published a Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) which proposes to amend some Categorical Exemptions the agencies use to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The NPRM provides interested parties with the opportunity to comment on proposed changes to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) joint procedures that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Comments must be received on or before April 29, 2013.

The revisions are in response to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act. The agencies propos to add new categorical exclusions for projects within an existing operational right-of-way and projects receiving limited Federal funding. Funding thresholds being proposed are projects receiving less than $5,000,000 of Federal funds; or with a total estimated cost less than $30,000,000 and Federal funds comprising less than 15% of the total estimated project cost.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment.
Caltha Environmental Review Website

Changes To Environmental Review For Federal Transit Administration - Federal Highway Administration

Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have published a final rule revising some of their Environmental review and Related Procedures. This final rule makes revisions to the joint FTA and FHWA regulations that implement the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The final rule is effective on February 7, 2013

FTA and FHWA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on March 15, 2012. In the NPRM, FTA proposed: (1) The creation of ten new categorical exclusions (CEs) to be located in a newly proposed section of the regulation at 23 CFR 771.118; (2) the expansion of public involvement methods to include electronic means; (3) the addition of language on early scoping into the regulations; (4) a modification to the list of project types that normally result in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); and (5) the inclusion of an FTA review role in contracting for Environmental Assessment (EA) and EIS projects. The comment period closed on May 14, 2012.

Of the five major changes FTA and the FHWA included in the March 2012 NPRM, four are being carried forward in this final rule: (1) The creation of ten new CEs to be located in a newly proposed section of the regulation at 23 CFR 771.118; (2) the expansion of public involvement methods to include electronic means; (3) the addition of language on early scoping into the regulations; and (4) a modification to the list of project types that normally result in the preparation of an EIS. FTA intends that the preamble language contained in this final rule be used as guidance when applying the changes made by this final rule.

Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment.

Caltha Environmental Review Website

TSCA Review For Common Household Product Chemicals

EPA has released for public comment draft risk assessments on five chemicals found in common household products. The draft risk assessments were developed as part of the agency’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan, which identified common chemicals for review to assess any impacts on human health and the environment. The five assessments address the following chemical uses:

• methylene chloride or dichloromethane (DCM) and n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) in paint stripper products;
• trichloroethylene (TCE) as a degreaser and a spray-on protective coating;
• antimony trioxide (ATO) as a synergist in halogenated flame retardants; and
• 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8,-hexamethylcyclopenta-[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB) as a fragrance ingredient in commercial and consumer products.

The draft assessments focus either on human health or ecological hazards for specific uses which are subject to regulation under TSCA. The draft assessments were undertaken as part of EPA’s efforts to identify chemicals for review under the TSCA Work Plan, which EPA released in March 2012. At that time, EPA identified 83 chemicals as candidates for review and outlined the data sources and other information the agency would use in the reviews.


Caltha LLP provides expert consulting services to public and private sector clients nationwide to address Environmental Review and Environmental Impact Assessment.
Caltha Environmental Review Website