EPA Funds Project to Prevent Pollution from Western New York Food Producers

From EPA:

EPA Funds Project to Prevent Pollution from

Western New York Food Producers

EPA Provides Over a Quarter of a Million Dollars to the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning

Contact: John Martin, (212) 637-3662, martin.johnj@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. –  December 5, 2016) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $259,963 to the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning to provide training and technical assistance to food production and processing companies in western New York. Erie County DEP will host a series of workshops and technical training courses to help area businesses reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and assist in preserving a sustainable future for the next generation.

"The EPA's pollution prevention grants fund programs that reduce or eliminate waste at the source," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "This grant to Erie County will help local businesses reduce their carbon emissions, saving energy and helping them save money in the process."

Erie County will work with the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable and other organizations to hold 18 workshops over a two-year period. Thirty businesses will also be selected to receive direct technical assistance in strategies to reduce carbon emissions through the use of renewable energy, and various energy conservation measures, with a focus on strategies successfully used by other area businesses. In addition, energy or pollution prevention audits will performed at eight businesses, with at least three of these being food manufacturers. Erie County and its partner organizations will conduct outreach to more than 200 food manufacturers in western New York.

This grant is part of the approximately $5 million in grants the EPA awards each year to prevent pollution across the nation.

For more information on the EPA's pollution prevention program, visit http://www2.epa.gov/p2.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/eparegion2.

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2012 Carbon Cycle 2.0 Symposium

Video Published on Mar 6, 2012

Feb 10, 2012. Berkeley Lab Associate Laboratory Director for Energy & Environmental Sciences Don DePaolo introduces the Symposium with an overview of the Carbon Cycle 2.0 initiative and highlights of programmatic developments over the past year. 

What is Fracking? Daniel Schrag. Carbon Cycle 2.0 Big Questions in Energ...

CA Technologies Commits to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 35 Percent by 2020

Press Releases

CA Technologies Commits to Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 35 Percent by 2020

Releases New Sustainability Report Profiling Company’s Commitment to People, Planet and Profit Goals

ISLANDIA, N.Y., July 11, 2012 – CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA)  announced its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 35 percent by 2020, from a 2006 baseline, in its new Sustainability Report released today titled “Moving Together.” The report highlights the company’s advances in sustainability over the past year, and profiles its commitment to people (employees and community), the planet and profit goals. The full report and summary can be downloaded here.

“We’ve made sustainability one of the core principles of the company, highly visible and encouraged throughout the enterprise,” said Cynthia Curtis, chief sustainability officer, CA Technologies. “This is evidenced in our commitment to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which we intend to accomplish through a combination of increased use of renewable energy, efficiency gains in our facilities, and leveraging new and emerging technologies.”

“We’ve seen increasing numbers of CA Technologies employees help define and implement sustainability solutions. Additionally, our own operations demonstrate that sustainability is just good business. By actively pursuing strategies that reduce energy use and waste, we also are cutting costs at CA Technologies offices around the world,” said Phillip Harrington, executive vice president and chief administrative officer.

PEOPLE:  The company increased internal and external stakeholder engagement, and increased its focus on diversity and inclusion, including a new emphasis on addressing the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees.

PLANET: The company introduced Green Teams — employee-led volunteer groups that educate and encourage environmentally friendly behaviors — which saw broad adoption across the globe. It also improved operational efficiency by eliminating 28,000 square feet of real estate and the associated energy consumption needed for cooling, power and other facilities costs.  Additionally, by helping to lead the IT industry’s shift from physical to virtual to cloud, the Company will enable companies to reduce carbon emissions while increasing efficiency and lowering costs.

PROFIT: The company leveraged sustainability opportunities that benefited the top and bottom line. CA ecoDesktop was recently introduced as a solution for PC power management to reduce energy use by end-point devices. This complements other Energy and Sustainability products from CA Technologies which help customers improve energy and environmental reporting, supply chain and program management, as well as increase data center efficiency through data center infrastructure management.

Highlights of the CA Technologies Sustainability Report included:

• Improved operations which resulted in a carbon footprint reduction of 25 percent since 2006; 
• Utilized virtualization and cloud technologies in R&D Labs for improved use of energy and real estate, thereby eliminating 5,000 square feet of data center floor space, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 230 metric tons and saving 366 MWh;
• Distributed reusable mugs and cups to North American locations over the course of five months which prevented 517,420 styrofoam cups from going to landfills and lowered landfill waste by more than a ton;
• Leveraged its CA ecoSoftware solution to track, monitor and report on energy consumption, GHG emissions, waste and water;
• Eliminated nearly all product packaging and shipping. Now, the company reaches an 85 to 90 percent electronic distribution rate; 
• Introduced a travel policy that encourages the use of hybrid vehicles, ride sharing and video conferencing;
• Constructed a new  executive briefing center in Manhattan to LEED-CI requirements;
• Adopted a green lease policy with nearly 300,000 square feet of rented office space;
• Launched 16 Green Teams  at locations that represent more than 50 percent of the employee base worldwide; and
• Received external assurance by KPMG of its GHG emissions.

CA Technologies community involvement and philanthropic programs are also featured in the report. CA Together, the company’s global community affairs program, is driven by a core philanthropic focus of improving the lives of underserved children and communities around the world. The company’s sustainability efforts contribute to enhancing the communities in which employees live and work. CA Technologies supports programs in the areas of education and technology, health and community, diversity and the environment.

The CA Technologies Sustainability Report is measured against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators and United Nations Global Compact principals, receiving an A+ rating.

About CA Technologies

CA Technologies (NASDAQ: CA) is an IT management software and solutions company with expertise across all IT environments – from mainframe and distributed, to virtual and cloud. CA Technologies manages and secures IT environments and enables customers to deliver more flexible IT services. CA Technologies innovative products and services provide the insight and control essential for IT organizations to power business agility. The majority of the Global Fortune 500 relies on CA Technologies to manage evolving IT ecosystems. For additional information, visit CA Technologies at www.ca.com.

EPA Greenhouse Gas Permitting Requirements Maintain Focus on Largest Emitters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2012

EPA Greenhouse Gas Permitting Requirements Maintain Focus on Largest Emitters
Steps to streamline process will ease burden on state and local permitting authorities
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will not revise greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting thresholds under the Clean Air Act. Today’s final rule is part of EPA’s common-sense, phased-in approach to GHG permitting under the Clean Air Act, announced in 2010 and recently upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The final rule maintains a focus on the nation’s largest emitters that account for nearly 70 percent of the total GHG pollution from stationary sources, while shielding smaller emitters from permitting requirements. EPA is also finalizing a provision that allows companies to set plant-wide emissions limits for GHGs, streamlining the permitting process, increasing flexibilities and reducing permitting burdens on state and local authorities and large industrial emitters.

After consulting with the states and evaluating the phase-in process, EPA believes that current conditions do not suggest that EPA should lower the permitting thresholds. Therefore, EPA will not include additional, smaller sources in the permitting program at this time.

Today’s final rule affirms that new facilities with GHG emissions of at least 100,000 tons per year (tpy) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) will continue to be required to obtain Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permits. Existing facilities that emit 100,000 tpy of CO2e and make changes increasing the GHG emissions by at least 75,000 tpy of CO2e, must also obtain PSD permits. Facilities that must obtain a PSD permit, to include other regulated pollutants, must also address GHG emission increases of 75,000 tpy or more of CO2e. New and existing sources with GHG emissions above 100,000 tpy CO2e must also obtain operating permits.

EPA’s GHG permitting program follows the same Clean Air Act process that states and industry have followed for decades to help ensure that new or modified facilities are meeting requirements to protect air quality and public health from harmful pollutants. As of May 21, 2012, EPA and state permitting authorities have issued 44 PSD permits addressing GHG emissions. These permits have required new facilities, and existing facilities that make major modifications, to implement energy efficiency measures to reduce their GHG emissions.

The GHG Tailoring Rule will continue to address a group of six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The PSD permitting program protects air quality and allows economic growth by requiring facilities that trigger PSD to limit GHG emissions in a cost effective way. An operating permit lists all of a facility’s Clean Air Act emissions control requirements and ensures adequate monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting. The operating permit program allows an opportunity for public involvement and to improve compliance.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/

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Hitachi Announces Partnership with SaskPower on Test Facility for CO2 Capture Technology

March 20, 2012

• PDF Download(PDF Type,54kbyte)

Hitachi Announces Partnership with SaskPower
on Test Facility for CO2 Capture Technology

Saskatoon Saskatchewan, March 20, 2012 --- Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT/TSE: 6501, "Hitachi") announced today that the Company has agreed to collaborate with Saskatchewan Power Corporation ("SaskPower") to jointly construct a Carbon Capture Test Facility, ("CCTF"). The test facility will be a part of SaskPower's larger "Clean Coal Project", which is a comprehensive initiative to select and apply emerging carbon capture technologies to coal fired power plants to manage their emission of greenhouse gases.

In this project equipment to capture CO2 will be installed at SaskPower's Shand Power Station (298MW), which is located near the city of Estevan, Saskatchewan. SaskPower and Hitachi will jointly invest 5 billion yen to cover the cost of the project. Operations of the CCTF will begin mid 2014.

While the demand for electric power is increasing in Canada, power companies are being required to implement countermeasures against global warming, including measures to suppress CO2 emissions, and to reinforce these initiatives, Canada is currently promoting the development of CCS (Carbon Capture & Storage) technology and the implementation of demonstration projects as a national strategy. SaskPower, in line with this initiative, is currently constructing a world leading, large CO2 capture and storage demonstration project at the Boundary Dam Power Station. Hitachi was selected to supply the steam turbine and generator for this carbon capture and storage demonstration project and will build the crucial system that is needed to efficiently supply the steam required for the CO2 capture and storage equipment.

Hitachi began researching and developing technology to capture CO2 in the 1990s and since then, the company has conducted demonstration projects using its own research equipment as well as domestic and overseas pilot facilities. SaskPower's experience in integrating CCS into commercial projects combined with Hitachi's expertise in Carbon Capture Technology will contribute to a comprehensive evaluation and demonstration of the equipment's overall reliability, economic feasibility, and the necessary properties to scale-up to a large, commercial-scale facility. Hitachi will produce and supply its CO2 capture solvent (H3-1) and the main equipment for the facility. The Hitachi Group companies Babcock-Hitachi K.K. (President : Tetsuro Wakino) and Hitachi Canadian Industries Ltd. (President and CEO : Tom Kishchuk) at the Province of Saskatchewan will be in charge of production and supply.

Through this demonstration project with SaskPower, Hitachi will focus on achieving commercial operations, reducing costs, realizing innovative technologies, and will contribute to the realization of a low-carbon society.

Hitachi is also deepening its collaboration with the province of Saskatchewan through exchange activities sponsored by the Japan Coal Energy Center and the Coal Division of the Natural Resources and Fuel Department of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and will further endeavor to contribute to this mission.

Overview of the CCTF Demonstration Project

Amount of CO2 that is captured	120 tons/day
Equipment Installation Site	Shand Power Station (Coal-Fired Thermal Power Station)
CO2 Capturing Process	Chemical Scrubbing
Evaluation Items	CO2 capture efficiency, energy usage, reliability, etc.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2010 (ended March 31, 2011) consolidated revenues totaled 9,315 billion yen ($112.2 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

News Release from EPA - Comments Sought on GHG Inventory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASEFebruary 27, 2012
EPA Requests Comment on 17th Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment on the annual “Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2010” (Inventory) draft report. The Inventory is the United States’ official estimate of total national greenhouse gas emissions, and is developed annually to meet commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The draft report will be open for public comment for 30 days.

The draft report shows that in 2010, overall greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions increased by 3.3 percent from the previous year. This trend is attributed to an increase in energy consumption across all economic sectors, due to increasing energy demand associated with an expansion in the economy. There was also an increase in air conditioning use due to warmer summer weather during 2010. Total emissions from GHGs were about 6,866 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent. Overall, emissions have grown by 11 percent from 1990 to 2010.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions nationally from 1990 to 2010. The gases covered by this inventory include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation, and soils.

This annual report is prepared by EPA in collaboration with experts from other federal agencies. After responding to public comments, the U.S. government will submit the final inventory report to the Secretariat of the UNFCCC. This report will fulfill the annual requirement of the UNFCCC international treaty, ratified by the United States in 1992, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

More information on the draft report and submitting comments: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html
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News Release from EPA - GHG Permitting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2012

EPA Proposes to Keep Greenhouse Gas Permitting Requirements Focused on Largest Emitters
Options to streamline process would help state and local permitting authorities

WASHINGTON –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing not to change the greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting thresholds for the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Title V Operating Permit programs. Today’s proposal is part of EPA’s common-sense, phased-in approach to GHG permitting under the Clean Air Act. EPA is also proposing steps that would streamline the permitting process for large emitters already covered by the agency’s program, including sources that account for nearly 70 percent of the total GHG pollution from stationary sources.

EPA’s proposal is consistent with its phased-in approach, announced in 2010, to “tailor” the requirements of the Clean Air Act to ensure that industrial facilities and state governments have the tools they need to minimize GHG emissions and that only the largest emitters need permits.

After consultation with states and evaluating the process, EPA believes that the current approach is working well, and that state permitting authorities are currently managing PSD permitting requests. Therefore, EPA has proposed not to include additional, smaller sources in the permitting program at this time.

EPAs GHG permitting program follows the same Clean Air Act process that states and industry have followed for decades to help ensure that new or modified facilities are meeting requirements to protect air quality and public health from harmful pollutants. As of December 1, 2011, EPA and state permitting authorities have issued 18 PSD permits addressing GHG emissions. These permits have required new facilities, and existing facilities that have chosen to make major modifications, to implement energy efficiency measures to reduce their GHG emissions.

The GHG Tailoring Rule would continue to address a group of six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). The PSD permitting program protects air quality and allows economic growth by requiring facilities that trigger PSD to limit GHG emissions in a cost effective way. An operating permit lists all of a facility’s Clean Air Act emissions control requirements and ensures adequate monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting. The operating permit program allows an opportunity for public involvement and to improve compliance.

Under the approach maintained in this proposal, new facilities with GHG emissions of at least 100,000 tons per year (tpy) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) continue to be required to obtain PSD permits. Existing facilities that emit 100,000 tpy of CO2e and make changes increasing the GHG emissions by at least 75,000 tpy CO2e, must also obtain PSD permits. Facilities that must obtain a PSD permit, to include other regulated pollutants, must also address GHG emission increases of 75,000 tpy or more of CO2e. New and existing sources with GHG emissions above 100,000 tpy CO2e must also obtain operating permits.

EPA will accept comments on this proposal for 45 days after it is published in the Federal Register. A public hearing will be held on March 20, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia to listen to public comment about the proposal.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/

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Ultra-sustainable zHome

News Release from EPA Region 10:

Ultra-sustainable zHome becomes the first community of WaterSense labeled new homes in the Nation

Contact: Debra Sherbina, EPA WaterSense Coordinator, 206-553-0247, sherbina.debra@epa.gov; Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-1203, brown.anthony@epa.gov

(Seattle – Jan. 25, 2012) zHome – the ultra-sustainable, 10-unit townhome development in Issaquah, WA that is redefining the future of housing – is also the first community in the Nation in which every home has earned the WaterSense label for new homes. EPA’s WaterSense program is modeled after its highly successful Energy Star program. The goal of WaterSense is to significantly reduce water use nationwide to save water resources for future generations.

A home that is certified to earn the WaterSense label will use at least 20 percent less water than a standard, newly-constructed home and the high-efficiency WaterSense labeled fixtures perform as well or better than their traditional counterparts. The benefits of the certification include:

• Lower utility bills for future residents
• Reduced strain on water and wastewater systems
•  More water left in streams and aquifers for salmon, recreation and other uses
• Fewer greenhouse gas emissions due to reduced energy demands from water treatment and delivery

zHome was designed to push the limits of sustainable, production housing. It is the first townhome, zero-energy, carbon-neutral community in the United States, and also received the Forest Stewardship Council’s 2011 award for the best residential project in North America.

In addition, zHome strove to demonstrate a multitude of water-efficient technologies, with a net reduction of 70 percent in potable water use compared to a typical King County home. Cascade Water Alliance provided WaterSense labeled toilets, showerheads, and bathroom faucets, as well as innovative, real-time use monitors for every unit to ensure maximum efficiency. Each zHome unit also includes a rainwater harvesting tank (ranging in size from 1,000- to 1,800-gallons) that is used for clothes washing and toilet flushing.

“EPA is proud to recognize the zHome project, built and developed by Ichijo USA and Seattle builder Matt Howland, as one of the leaders in the Pacific Northwest in helping to advance water efficiency,” said Paula vanHaagen, EPA’s Manager, Grants and Planning Unit in Seattle.

zHome was brought to life through a highly collaborative public/private partnership spearheaded by the City of Issaquah, in conjunction with Built Green, King County, Port Blakely Communities, Puget Sound Energy and the Washington State University Energy Program.

“We are extremely excited that the zHome units received the new WaterSense New Homes certification,” said Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger. “We hope zHome inspires homebuilders and homeowners to take advantage of the same water-saving benefits with their projects.”

Cascade Water Alliance, a long-time WaterSense promotional partner, is a non-profit corporation with the goal of providing safe, clean, and reliable water to its 400,000 residents and 22,000 businesses. Cascade is made up of the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Tukwila, the Covington Water District, and the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water and Sewer Districts.

To find out more about Cascade Water Alliance, visit: www.cascadewater.org

To find out more about WaterSense, visit: www.epa.gov/watersense

To find out more about zHome, visit: www.z-home.org

To automatically receive Region 10 News Releases, subscribe via email at: http://service.govdelivery.com/service/subscribe.html?code=USEPA_C19