EPA Provides Syracuse University Funding to Support Environmental Education

Press release:

EPA Provides Syracuse University Funding to

Support Environmental Education

$131,050 Environmental Education Grant To Support At Least 30 Projects

Contact: Terry Ippolito, 212-637-3671, ippolito.teresa@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – Sept. 13, 2012) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck announced today that EPA has provided more than $130,000 to Syracuse University to fund educational projects in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the eight federally recognized Tribal Nations within New York State. The university will use the funding to award approximately 30 grants of $5,000 or less to schools and community organizations to support projects to reduce the run-off of polluted rain-water and promote municipal waste reduction, recycling and composting. The Syracuse Center of Excellence (SyracuseCoE) Center for Sustainable Community Solutions is seeking proposals for projects that promote partnerships between community groups and school districts serving students from kindergarten to grade 12 in urban and rural communities. Information is available at http://www.syracusecoe.org/coe/sub1.html?skuvar=223.

“Educating students about the importance of environmental protection is one of the most important things we can do to create a generation of students with the tools to improve the health of their communities,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator.

The SyracuseCoE Center for Sustainable Community Solutions will be collaborating on the grant project with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Division of Materials Management, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York, the Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University, the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, Reuse Alliance and the Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board. The university will provide expertise and technical assistance to the grant recipients and monitor the projects. Webinars and /or podcasts will bring the grantees together to share lessons learned when their projects are completed.

The Syracuse program is designed to improve connections between organizations and school districts, encourage development of community based projects and provide career development for students. The grants program will support EPA priorities related to strengthening communities and improving water quality.

EPA’s local and nationwide educational programs promote environmental stewardship and support excellence in environmental education. Since 1992, EPA has funded over $55 million in environmental education grants to support more than three thousand projects across the country. Agency partnerships, including those with the National Environmental Education Foundation, the Environmental Education Training Partnership, and the current EPA supported EECapacity Program, have given thousands of formal and non-formal educators the skills and knowledge needed to teach students of all ages about safeguarding the environment.

More information about EPA’s environmental education programs and a link to sign up for future environmental education grant announcements can be found at: http://www.epa.gov/education/

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

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EPA Awards $15 Million to Assist U.S. Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 6, 2012
EPA Awards $15 Million to Assist U.S. Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded nearly $15 million in funding to provide training and technical assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems – those serving fewer than 10,000 people – and to private well owners. The funding will help provide training and tools to improve small system operations and management practices, promoting sustainability and supporting EPA’s mission to protect public health and the environment.

“Small systems form the backbone of our nation’s public water system and it is a priority for EPA to help them to meet water quality standards and provide clean water to communities,” said Nancy Stoner, EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. “This funding and technical assistance is part of EPA’s continuing efforts to promote sustainability and public health protection for communities served by small systems.”

EPA awards include:

• Nearly $7 million to the National Rural Water Association and nearly $3 million to the Texas Engineering Extension Service, which together will provide training and technical assistance for small public water systems across the country to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act;

• $2.5 million to New Mexico Environmental Finance Center to help small systems improve their financial and managerial   capabilities that will enable these systems to effectively provide safe drinking water over the long-term;

•  $2 million to the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to work with small publicly-owned wastewater systems on treatment and operations issues and to help private well owners;

•  $500,000 to the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to provide training and technical assistance to tribally-owned and operated public water systems.

More than 97 percent of the nation’s 157,000 public water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people, and more than 80 percent of these systems serve fewer than 500 people. Many small systems face unique challenges in providing reliable drinking water and wastewater services that meet federal and state regulations. These challenges can include a lack of financial resources, aging infrastructure, management limitations and high staff turnover.

For more information on EPA’s programs and tools to help small water systems, visit:
http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm

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EPA Awards Over $16.9 Million to the State of Louisiana to Assist in Funding Safe Public Drinking Water Systems

Press release:

EPA Awards Over $16.9 Million to the State of Louisiana

to Assist in Funding Safe Public Drinking Water Systems

(DALLAS – August 23, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals $16,962,000 to provide low cost loan assistance to eligible public drinking water systems for infrastructure improvements. The funds are being granted through the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to ensure safe drinking water for Louisiana residents.

The Safe Drinking Water Act established the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to make funds available to drinking water systems for infrastructure improvements. The program also emphasizes providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities and programs that encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water.

Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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EPA Awards $55,600 to Promote Deckers Creek Restoration

Press release:

EPA Awards $55,600 to Promote Deckers Creek Restoration

Friends of Deckers Creek in W.V. Receives EPA Urban Waters Small Grant

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (August 20, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today joined city, state and non-profit officials in announcing $55,600 in federal funding to help pave the way for cleaning up mine pollution affecting Deckers Creek and highlighting the economic benefits of creek restoration.

“Today we begin a new chapter in the history of Deckers Creek – one holding great promise for both the health of the creek and the city’s economy,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “This project clarifies the connection between economic investment and resource restoration, while generating the necessary information for treating polluted water.”

The highly competitive grant from the EPA Urban Waters program will fund a study of an abandoned underground coal mine discharging polluted water into Deckers Creek, which runs for three miles through the City of Morgantown. The study will aid in the eventual treatment of the mine water.

The funds will also help initiate a public education campaign to advise business owners and the city’s development community about the economic potential of restoring Deckers Creek, and forming a community partnership to take the next steps in the process.

The grant was awarded to Friends of Deckers Creek, a community-based non-profit watershed group working to clean up Deckers Creek, a tributary of the Monongahela River that flows from Preston County into Monongalia County, W.Va. The creek is impacted by acid mine drainage and other pollution issues.

EPA’s Urban Waters program helps cities unleash the potential of their waterways and land around them. The funding supports communities’ efforts to access, improve and benefit from their urban waters and surrounding land.

Information on EPA’s Urban Waters program: http://www.epa.gov/urbanwaters/index.html.

EPA Announces Over $50 Million for Final Projects Needed to Remove Sheboygan River Area of Concern from Great Lakes Cleanup List

Press release:

For Immediate Release           No. 12-OPA066

EPA Announces Over $50 Million for Final Projects Needed to Remove Sheboygan River Area of Concern from Great Lakes Cleanup List
(Sheboygan – Aug. 15, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Sheboygan area officials joined forces today to kick off the final dredging work and habitat restoration projects needed to remove the Sheboygan River "Area of Concern" from a list of toxic hot spots identified in the 1987 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.   EPA has targeted up to $57 million for work in the Sheboygan River AOC, which is on Lake Michigan.   The State of Wisconsin, the City of Sheboygan and Sheboygan County are contributing $5 million to the final phase of the clean up.
"By the end of the year, we will complete all of the work needed to ‘delist’ the Sheboygan River AOC,” said Susan Hedman, U.S. EPA Region 5 Administrator and Great Lakes National Program Manager. “Thanks to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and our dedicated local, state and federal partners, we are finally getting the most contaminated sites on the Great Lakes cleaned up."
The Sheboygan River is one of 39 remaining AOCs on the Great Lakes. Since the United States and Canada identified the list of AOCs in 1987, only one on the U.S. side has been "delisted." The Sheboygan River is one of four AOCs that EPA has targeted to complete cleanup work in 2012. Five more AOCs are targeted for completion in 2013 and 2014.

“After almost 30 years, having the Sheboygan River cleaner and deeper will add significant benefits both recreationaly and financially to our local economy that already provides almost a $9 million waterfront economic impact,” said Mayor Terry Van Akkeren.  
One EPA dredging project will remove contaminated sediment from the river between Kiwanis Park and the 8th Street Bridge. The other project with remove contaminated sediment from the bridge to the mouth of the river on Lake Michigan. Three EPA-funded habitat projects will begin this month to restore the shorelines at Kiwanis Park, on Wildwood Island, and near the intersection of Taylor Drive and Indiana Avenue.

“After nearly three decades of being a black eye of the community, we are thrilled that the Sheboygan River and Harbor is being restored to reduce health risks to people, fish and wildlife, and will greatly enhance opportunities for economic development,” said Adam Payne, Sheboygan County Administrator. “Sheboygan County is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the EPA, DNR, City of Sheboygan and many other public and private stakeholders to leverage the necessary resources to finally clean up and dredge the Sheboygan River and Harbor. I’m proud to be a part of the team, and our collective efforts will bear fruit for generations to come.”  

In February 2009, President Obama proposed the GLRI, the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades. GLRI funds are being used to accelerate cleanup work in the remaining AOCs identified by the U.S. and Canada in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement during the 1980s.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/greatlakes /aoc/sheboygan/ 

EPA Awards Over $49,000 to the LSU AgCenter to Document Expansion of the Invasive Mexican Rice Borer

Press release:

EPA Awards Over $49,000 to the LSU AgCenter

to Document Expansion of the Invasive Mexican Rice Borer

(DALLAS – August 13, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, known as the LSU AgCenter, $49,956 to develop an electronic reporting and mapping system to document the expansion of the invasive Mexican rice borer. The project will advance the adoption of integrated pest management tactics for the Mexican rice borer in Louisiana by tracking the movement of the pest into new regions and avoid unnecessary use of insecticides in non-infested regions. In addition, the impact on public health and the environment will be measured by tracking the use of insecticides in rice and sugarcane crops. The Mexican rice borer was first discovered in Louisiana in 2008 and is a devastating pest of sugarcane and a serious pest of rice.

Integrated pest management is a sustainable approach to managing pests by combining biological, cultural, physical and chemical tools in a way that minimizes economic, health and environmental risks.

IPMLouisiana is the integrated pest management program of the LSU AgCenter. It is a comprehensive pest management program involving elements of plant pathology, entomology and weed science. The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions within the Louisiana State University System, and its mission is to provide the people of Louisiana with research-based educational information that will improve their lives and economic well-being.

Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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EPA Announces Funding for Research to Improve Air Quality, Protect Health

Press release:

EPA Announces Funding for Research to Improve Air Quality, Protect Health

Release Date: 08/06/2012

Contact Information: Latisha Petteway (News Media Only), petteway.latisha@epa.gov, 202-564-3191, 202-564-4355; En español: Lina Younes younes.lina@epa.gov,202-564-9924 , 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded five grants totaling almost $2 million to academic institutions for research on innovative processes to further improve air quality in the U.S. and help track the effectiveness of pollution control measures. Pollutants such as ozone and fine particles are linked to a variety of serious health effects, including aggravation of asthma and other lung diseases, heart attacks, increased hospital admissions and medication use, and premature death.

The grants announced today are focused on generating better data and tools to enable regulatory authorities to more effectively ensure that the air we breathe is healthy. The information gathered through this new research will help inform policy decisions that affect air quality, including the way states and cities address short-term air quality challenges.

"These grants will encourage innovative solutions for incorporating new information, technology advances, and current scientific understanding into air quality management,” says Bob Kavlock, deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This research will help improve our efforts to respond quickly to short-term air pollution issues such as heat waves or seasonal impacts on air quality."

The funding covers projects that will examine links between short-term air pollution drivers and existing management strategies, development of decision-making models, and air quality forecasting techniques. The five grantees include:

University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, N.Y., will help incorporate short-term forecasts of emissions from electricity generation and traffic into modeling and air quality forecasts.
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, will include the design and testing of innovative methods to link electricity generation and emissions pricing for the prevention of air pollution episodes.
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga., will develop a system for estimating and minimizing the impacts of prescribed burning on air quality, particularly in Georgia.
Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, will address the issues of multi-pollutant air quality management and develop integrated decision-making models for air quality policy making.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C., will develop new tools for linking air quality modeling and forecasting with forecasts of electricity demand.

These grants are part of EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, which supports human health, ecology, economics, and engineering sciences through grants, centers, and fellowships. EPA provides air quality and environmental information to the public through websites including AIRNow, Window to My Environment, and Envirofacts. These tools help educate the public and increase their participation in decisions that affect air quality.

More information on the grantees: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/dynair
More information on the EPA’s STAR program: http://www.epa.gov/ncer
More information on AIRNow: http://www.airnow.gov
More information on Window to My Environment: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/wme/
More information on Envirofacts: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/

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EPA Awards $100,000 to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to Reduce Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico

Press release:

EPA Awards $100,000 to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

to Reduce Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico

(DALLAS – August 6, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) $100,000 to reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. This area in the northern Gulf of Mexico is known as the ‘dead zone.’ The funds will be used to develop a statewide nutrient reduction strategy for Louisiana which adopts strategic elements identified in action plans of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance and the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force.

Hypoxia means low oxygen and is primarily a problem in coastal waters. The Gulf of Mexico dead zone is an area of hypoxic waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Its area varies in size, but can cover up to 6,000 to 7,000 square miles.   The zone occurs between the inner and mid-continental shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico, beginning at the Mississippi River delta and extending westward to the upper Texas coast. The dead zone is caused by nutrient enrichment from the Mississippi River, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous.

Because of the devastation of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Louisiana Legislature restructured the state's Wetland Conservation and Restoration Authority to form the CPRA. The CPRA is the single state entity with authority to articulate a clear statement of priorities and to focus development and implementation efforts to achieve comprehensive coastal protection for Louisiana.

Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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EPA Announces Funding for Research to Improve Air Quality, Protect Health

Press release:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2012

EPA Announces Funding for Research to Improve Air Quality, Protect Health

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded five grants totaling almost $2 million to academic institutions for research on innovative processes to further improve air quality in the U.S. and help track the effectiveness of pollution control measures. Pollutants such as ozone and fine particles are linked to a variety of serious health effects, including aggravation of asthma and other lung diseases, heart attacks, increased hospital admissions and medication use, and premature death.

The grants announced today are focused on generating better data and tools to enable regulatory authorities to more effectively ensure that the air we breathe is healthy.  The information gathered through this new research will help inform policy decisions that affect air quality, including the way states and cities address short-term air quality challenges.

"These grants will encourage innovative solutions for incorporating new information, technology advances, and current scientific understanding into air quality management,” says Bob Kavlock, deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This research will help improve our efforts to respond quickly to short-term air pollution issues such as heat waves or seasonal impacts on air quality."    

The funding covers projects that will examine links between short-term air pollution drivers and existing management strategies, development of decision-making models, and air quality forecasting techniques. The five grantees include:

•    University at Albany-SUNY, Albany, N.Y., will help incorporate short-term forecasts of emissions from electricity generation and traffic into modeling and air quality forecasts.

•    University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, will include the design and testing of innovative methods to link electricity generation and emissions pricing for the prevention of air pollution episodes.

•    Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga., will develop a system for estimating and minimizing the impacts of prescribed burning on air quality, particularly in Georgia.

•    Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, Texas, will address the issues of multi-pollutant air quality management and develop integrated decision-making models for air quality policy making.

•    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C., will develop new tools for linking air quality modeling and forecasting with forecasts of electricity demand.

These grants are part of EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, which supports human health, ecology, economics, and engineering sciences through grants, centers, and fellowships. EPA provides air quality and environmental information to the public through websites including AIRNow, Window to My Environment, and Envirofacts. These tools help educate the public and increase their participation in decisions that affect air quality. 

More information on the grantees: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/dynair 

More information on the EPA’s STAR program: http://www.epa.gov/ncer 

More information on AIRNow: http://www.airnow.gov 

More information on Window to My Environment: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/wme/ 

More information on Envirofacts: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/

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EPA Grants Funding for Greening Philadelphia

EPA Grants Funding for Greening Philadelphia

Projects at George W. Nebinger School and Nearby Streets to Serve as Model

(PHILADELPHIA – April 26, 2012) A $200,000 grant announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will help fund projects to make South Philadelphia’s George W. Nebinger School and surrounding streets greener and healthier.

EPA’s grant, with matching funding from the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and the nonprofit Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), brings the total award to $400,000 that will go towards a host of green features at Nebinger School and the adjacent neighborhood. The projects are part of the city’s wide-ranging plan, Green City, Clean Waters, to control pollutant-laden stormwater that inundates the city’s sewer system and causes sewage overflows into area waterways. EPA and the City of Philadelphia signed a partnership agreement earlier this month to help ensure the success of the city’s plan.

“This grant will help the city realize the environmental, economic and community benefits of the Green City, Clean Waters plan,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin.   “In controlling stormwater runoff, we’ll also be helping students appreciate ways of preventing pollution and creating cost-effective, high-performance green streets adjacent to the school.”

In addition to the benefits for Philadelphia, controlling stormwater runoff is critical for reducing pollution to the Delaware River and Bay – the focus of joint efforts by PDE, EPA, and PWD as part of the National Estuary Program.  All three are now teaming up with the School District of Philadelphia to develop what is intended as a national and international model for stormwater management and educational programming at the Nebinger School.  The school is located at 6^th and Carpenter Street in South Philadelphia.

Efforts at the Nebinger School will focus on using green stormwater infrastructure as a classroom, field and laboratory tool, and demonstration opportunity for students and the community. The green tools that may be integrated into the design of the school yard include rain gardens, porous play surfaces and pavement, and stormwater planters. These features will help manage stormwater runoff from the school yard and select adjacent streets.

Several streets close to the Nebinger School have been chosen as potential Green Street projects based on critical connections they create between significant neighborhood amenities and businesses, such as the Weccacoe Playground and the business corridor on Passyunk Avenue between 6^th and 10^th streets, which is part of the Passyunk Business Improvement District. Green tools that may be integrated into these Green Streets include stormwater trees and tree trenches.

Officials said the project may provide an opportunity for Philadelphia students to collaborate with similar schools in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Philadelphia’s sister city in stormwater management. This collaboration is an extension of the Joint Initiative on Urban Sustainability (JUIS), a partnership among the U.S. EPA, Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the City of Rio de Janeiro, and the City of Philadelphia, which was formed to advance sustainable cities.

For more information on the Green City, Clean Waters plan and the EPA-city partnership, visit www.phillywatersheds.org.

Two Grants that May Be of Interest in Yakima

$15 Million Multi-Agency Challenge to Spur Job Creation in Rural Communities

Funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Rural Jobs Accelerator is expected to give out approximately 20 awards to spur job creation and economic growth in distressed rural communities. Applications due by May 9.  Informational webinar on March 20, 3:00 – 4:30 pm EDT. See here for more information.

The Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge leverages existing financial and technical assistance resources from 13 federal agencies and bureaus to spur economic growth in rural areas in approximately 20 regions to be selected through a competitive inter-agency grant process. The Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement will open from March 8, 2012 to May 9, 2012.

Funds awarded to the winning applicants can be used to support and accelerate a range of projects including improving rural communities’ capacity and ability to undertake projects related to housing, community facilities, or economic and community development along with creation of regional linkages that connect communities with innovation clusters and regional opportunities leading to job creation, expanded markets, and economic growth.

Roadmaps to Health: Community Grants (application deadline May 2, 2012)

http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21390&cid=XEM_A5734

The program will support communities to implement policy or system changes to address one of the social or economic factors that, as defined by the County Health Rankings, most strongly influence health outcomes in their community. These include education; employment and income; family and social support; and community safety. Applicants must secure 100 percent matching support, including a cash match of at least 50 percent with the balance as in-kind support. Grantees will receive awards of up to $200,000 each for up to 24 months to implement their proposed policy or system change strategy.

You are subscribed to Yakima Groundwater Updates for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

News Release from EPA Region 2

EPA Funding Available for Study of Raritan River in NJ

Contact: Mary Mears (212) 637-3673; mears.mary@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y. – March 13, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging applications for $100,000 in funding to study contaminated sites and other sources of pollution that are impacting water quality in the lower and middle Raritan River. This funding is part of an EPA Raritan River Initiative, which will support the analysis of existing data to enable environmental agencies, institutions, community groups and local governments to identify data gaps, plan future research and make other environmental decisions.

The Raritan River runs from west of Somerville, N.J. into the Raritan Bay. The river and the surrounding watershed is home to over one million people, providing drinking water, transportation and recreation opportunities and important habitat for wildlife. The watershed is impacted by many sources of pollution, including contaminated sites, industrial facilities and sewage treatment systems. While there is sampling data collected within the Raritan River watershed, this information is fragmented.

“This funding demonstrates the EPA's continued commitment to a cleaner and healthier Raritan River and the health of everyone who enjoys it," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "The data and information collected will help Raritan River communities better understand pollution that has affected river conditions and will assist in decision-making on the best ways to improve water quality.”

Using the funding, the selected applicant will identify high priority sites and sources of pollution that are potentially impacting the river. The resulting site list and associated data will then be made available to the public and put into a format that can be used by state agencies, country and local governments, non-profit organizations and other stakeholders to make environmental decisions. The data would also be used to create an interactive website to show exact locations of potentially polluting sites along the river along with the data for each site.

All applications are due no later than April 23, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. Additional information on the grants, including guidance on eligibility and procedures for applying, is available at http://www.epa.gov/region2/grants/ or through http://www.grants.gov.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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News Release from EPA - Help for Water & Wastewater

FOR IMMEDIATE RELASEMarch 2, 2012 

EPA Provides $15 Million to Help Small Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems Across the Country

Funding will help small systems better serve local communities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will provide up to $15 million in funding for training and technical assistance to small drinking and wastewater systems, defined as systems that serve fewer than 10,000 people, and private well owners. The funding will help provide water system staff with training and tools to enhance system operations and management practices, and supports EPA’s continuing efforts to protect public health, restore watersheds and promote sustainability in small communities.

Most of the funding, up to $14.5 million, will provide training and technical assistance to small public water systems to achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and to small publicly-owned wastewater systems, communities served by on-site systems, and private well owners to improve water quality.

More than 97 percent of the nation’s 157,000 public water systems serve fewer than 10,000 people, and more than 80 percent of these systems serve fewer than 500 people. Many small systems face unique challenges in providing reliable drinking water and wastewater services that meet federal and state regulations. These challenges can include a lack of financial resources, aging infrastructure, management limitations and high staff turnover.

EPA expects to make available up to $500,000 to provide training and technical assistance to tribally-owned and operated public water systems.

Applications must be received by EPA by April 9, 2012. EPA expects to award these cooperative agreements by Summer 2012. For more information about these competitive announcements, visit:

http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/sdwa/smallsystemsrfa.cfm 

For more information on EPA’s programs and tools to help small water systems, visit:

http://water.epa.gov/type/drink/pws/smallsystems/index.cfm

Green Streets, Jobs, & Towns Grants Available

News release from EPA:

Green Streets-Green Jobs-Green Towns Grants Available to Improve Chesapeake Bay Water Quality, Cities, and Towns

                                                                                 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                 Contact: Molly Alton Mullins 410.974.2941, Ext. 107  

EPA: Terri White 215-814-5523 white.terri@epa.gov

                                                                                          

(ANNAPOLIS, Md. – February 8, 2012) Today the Chesapeake Bay Trust, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the state of Maryland unveiled an expanded Green Streets-Green Jobs-Green Towns grant initiative to help cities and towns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed accelerate greening efforts that improve watershed protection, community livability, and economic vitality. Building on the success of the initial round of grants, this public-private partnership will award more than $400,000 in 2012, double the funding from 2011.

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“To meet tomorrow’s challenges, we need to apply cost-effective solutions for improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the economy of our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Green streets and green infrastructure are investments that create jobs and save money while also providing multiple environmental and quality of life benefits. By helping towns accelerate their local greening efforts, we’re moving ahead in creating an America built to last.”

At a roundtable meeting today in Forest Heights, Md., Garvin heard from a group of mayors whose towns were Green Streets-Green Jobs grant recipients last year. The mayors discussed best practices and lessons learned in developing green infrastructure and green streets, focusing on economic development, energy efficiency and building sustainable communities.

The grant program is open to local governments and non-profit organizations in urban and suburban watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland, D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia who are interested in pursuing green streets, green infrastructure, and green jobs as part of their community or watershed planning.

Grant assistance up to $35,000 is available for infrastructure project planning and design, and up to $100,000 for implementation and construction. The strongest proposals will incorporate innovative green infrastructure and best management practices that maximize cost-effectiveness.

Projects selected will enhance sustainable watershed protection and green infrastructure stormwater management through low impact development practices, renewable energy use, local livability and green job creation. The request for proposals is available at www.cbtrust.org with a deadline of March 9, 2012 for all applications.

“Many small to mid-sized communities around the Chesapeake Bay watershed are looking for ways to boost local economies while also protecting water resources and expand greening efforts,” said Allen Hance, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “Building green streets and urban green infrastructure projects marry three important issues that these towns face: jobs, livability, and the environment.”

In April 2011, the Chesapeake Bay Trust announced the first-ever grant recipients of this Green Streets-Green Jobs partnership. In total, 10 cities and towns were awarded $25,000-$35,000 grants to fund the planning and design of green infrastructure projects within the Chesapeake Bay and Anacostia watersheds.

“We have seen demand for green infrastructure funding accelerate as more and more jurisdictions understand the connection between green development and economic improvement,” said John R. Griffin, secretary of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. “These projects will stimulate the green jobs market and enable families to work where they live and play while also empowering communities to gain better access to restoration resources that support Chesapeake Bay protection.”

The Green Streets-Green Jobs-Green Towns Initiative, administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, supports President Obama’s Executive Order for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay through the creation of “green streets.”

The Chesapeake Bay Green Streets- Green Jobs-Green Towns Academy will also host a webinar: “Tools for Greening Chesapeake Bay Communities”

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 15. To register visit: http://mp118885.cdn.mediaplatform.com/118885/ml/mp/4000/5345/5417/12575/Lobby/default.htm

For more information on the Green Streets grant program please visit cbtrust.org.

Tenth Technology Readiness Assessment

From the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management:

EM Performs Tenth Technology Readiness Assessment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – EM recently completed its tenth Technology Readiness Assessment (TRA) since piloting the TRA process in 2006.

A TRA is an intensive peer review process through which the maturity of a technology is evaluated. A TRA utilizes the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale pioneered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and adopted by the United States Air Force and other government organizations, including EM. The project uses the results of the TRA to develop a Technology Maturation Plan (TMP), which details the steps necessary to mature the technology to the level at which it can be deployed. 

The EM TRAs to date have focused primarily on technologies to accomplish one of EM’s most pressing concerns: treatment of radioactive waste in aging waste tanks at the Savannah River, Hanford and Idaho sites.

The most recent TRA evaluated Small Column Ion Exchange (SCIX), which is a sorbent column system being developed at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina to remove cesium, strontium and select actinides from radioactive salt solutions in waste tanks. With a capacity to process 2.5 million gallons of salt waste annually, SCIX may supplement operations at the Salt Waste Processing Facility under construction at SRS, markedly shortening the life cycle and reducing the risk and cost of tank waste processing.

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Employees with Savannah River Remediation, the SRS liquid waste contractor, review mock-ups of the SCIX technology at the Savannah River National Laboratory.

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This technology development work at SRS may be used to support treatment operations at other sites.

A TRA team consists of experts in appropriate disciplines who are not involved in development of the technology being evaluated or in the project in which the technology may be deployed.

Hoyt Johnson, EM TRA lead, pointed out that the TRA has evolved from an audit-like process to a more effective collaborative effort in which both the TRA and site teams identify solutions to eliminate gaps in the technology’s development.

“Part of the success of the TRA is the ability of the site team to understand TRA and implement it as a self-assessment. This was exemplified by the SCIX site team’s use of the External Technical Review process at inception, followed by site-level assessment of the technology maturity, resulting in a mature SCIX Technology Maturation Plan available for review when the EM TRA team arrived.” Johnson said. “Sites have become tuned in and more knowledgeable.” 

Funding constraints in 2012 have resulted in SCIX development activities being placed on hold. In preparation for resumed funding, the TRA team developed a list of prioritized recommendations for maturing the technologies so that the most effectual and expeditious use of funding is made as it is released, whether incrementally or all at once. 

TRAs and TMPs have proven to be effective management tools for reducing technical risk and minimizing potential cost increases and schedule delays. In addition to the TRAs of technologies for tank waste treatment, EM hopes to complete assessments for technologies used in other work, such as decontamination and demolition and soil and groundwater remediation.

EM issued the U.S. DOE Office of Environmental Management TRA/TMP Process Guide in 2008. A revised guide, scheduled to be issued in March, incorporates lessons learned from implementing the TRA process, recognizes the use of the process for areas in addition to tank waste and is more user friendly for site and headquarters review teams.  

Complete details concerning all of EM’s TRAs, including summaries and final reports, can be found here.

Illinois EPA to Clean Up Tarkowski Property

From the Illinois EPA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 26, 2012 Illinois EPA to Clean Up Tarkowski Property SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois Environmental Protection Agency contractor today is beginning cleanup of a dump site that has plagued the Lake Barrington – Wauconda area for decades. The cleanup is expected to take four to six weeks, weather permitting.   The Agency is working with the Village of Lake Barrington through an intergovernmental agreement to complete cleanup of the 16-acre John Tarkowski property located in unincorporated Lake County. Tarkowski had been illegally receiving waste material on his property since the late 1960s, according to public records.  “The Agency is pleased that we can finish cleanup of this environmental and safety hazard thanks to the efforts of the Village and their representatives in the General Assembly. The neighbors and the community have endured this mess too long,” said Illinois EPA Interim Director John Kim.    This last phase of the cleanup is being funded through a $430,000 state grant supported by Sen. Dan Duffy (Barrington), and Rep. Kent Gaffney (Wauconda). Remaining wastes will be removed and disposed of in a permitted landfill. Any recyclable materials will be separated and recycled to help defray the overall cost of the cleanup.  “The Village of Lake Barrington extends its thanks and appreciation to Governor Quinn, Sen. Dan Duffy, Rep. Kent Gaffney and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency for their assistance in securing the funding for the final clean-up of the Tarkowski dumpsite located in the Lakeland Estates neighborhood of Lake Barrington,” said Lake Barrington Village President Kevin Richardson.  “These funds will address a vital environmental objective for the Village and help assure that the ground water in the northern part of our community remains protected.” Acting on results of an investigation, in 2004 the Illinois EPA confirmed through surveillance that Tarkowski was allowing trucks hauling various waste materials to illegally dump waste on his property. A notice of intent to pursue legal action was sent to Tarkowski. Subsequent court hearings resulted in a court order in April 2006 that required John Tarkowski to pay a $150,000 penalty and conduct a systematic cleanup of the property.  Tarkowski ignored the order and continued to allow dumping on the property; in July 2006 the Illinois EPA issued an Order to Seal the site to protect the public and the environment. Tarkowski removed the seal order sign within a few days and removed it again after the Agency replaced it. Illinois EPA worked with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, and Tarkowski was arrested for violating the seal order. Cost recovery actions are currently pending with the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and environmental liens have been placed on the property. In 2006, the Illinois EPA conducted a partial cleanup which included spraying for mosquitoes to eliminate the risk of West Nile Virus, removing and recycling over 10,000 tires, removing and disposing various liquid waste containers, car batteries and various other special and hazardous wastes. An assortment of scrap metals and other materials were removed and when possible were recycled, which reduced the overall cost. Other costs were covered with funds from the Waste Tire Program. ###

Grants for Clean Air Projects in San Joaquin Valley

News Release from EPA Region 9:

For Immediate Release: January 24, 2012

Media Contact:  Nahal Mogharabi, 213-514- 4361, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov    

 EPA Announces Millions in Grants to Clean Air Projects in San Joaquin Valley
Strategic Plan Aims to Reduce Harmful Air Pollutants, Improve Water Quality

SAN FRANCISCO—U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld today announced $5 million in funding that will pay for cleaner locomotives throughout the San Joaquin Valley, including a state-of-the art locomotive operating between the Port of Stockton and Lodi. EPA and its partners in the valley, the California Air Resources Board and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District made the announcement at the Central California Traction Rail Company in Stockton, CA.


In addition, approximately $16 million in grants was announced to slash diesel emissions, advance air quality and improve public health throughout the state of California. The San Joaquin Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the country, also has some of the nation’s worst air quality and highest rates of asthma. Federal, local and state partners are working to alleviate these problems by channeling significant funds into new clear air technologies.


“EPA’s goal is to reduce the public health impact of diesel emissions from the trucks and trains moving goods through the San Joaquin Valley,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “This funding will reduce particulate matter emissions by 210 tons statewide for the lifetime of these projects—the equivalent of removing 1,000 heavy-duty trucks off the road.”


The state of the art locomotive unveiled in Stockton uses significantly less fuel than its 1953 model year predecessor and emits 90 percent less particulate matter and 92 percent less nitrogen oxides into the environment. This locomotive also uses a regenerative braking system, in which energy otherwise lost as the train slows down is captured and reused.  New technologies such as these significantly cut emissions, while creating new jobs and revitalizing local economies.


"The Air Resources Board is committed to slashing diesel emissions throughout California," said Air Resources Board Member Dorene D'Adamo. "By adopting effective regulations and working with our local and federal partners to bring projects like clean locomotives to the Central Valley, we are making great progress.  Our air is quantifiably cleaner than it was back in the last decade, and everyone here today has contributed to that achievement."     


These EPA clean diesel grant funds will eliminate approximately 210 tons of particulate matter, 4,500 tons of nitrogen oxides and 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions for the lifetime of these projects. 


“The challenges we face in the Valley are unmatched by any other region in the nation, and we highly value our partnership with the EPA in our joint efforts to reach our clean air goals,” said Seyed Sadredin, Executive Director and Air Pollution Control Officer of the San Joaquin Valley Air District. “Achieving zero emission goods movement is a key component of our clean air strategy.”


Pollution from dirty diesel engines remains one of the most significant health risks in California. The California Air Resources Board estimates that approximately 9,000 people in California die prematurely each year as a result of exposure to fine particle pollution like diesel exhaust.


The $21 million in funds will go to new projects throughout the state and existing locomotives in San Joaquin Valley including:

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District: $2,000,000 to repower two older locomotives with newer, cleaner engines.

California Air Resources Board: $14 million to replace 18 older with ultra-low emitting genset locomotives in San Joaquin Valley and Southern California and install a selective catalytic reduction system with a diesel oxidation catalyst capable of meeting Tier 4 emission levels on a line haul locomotive.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District: $1,557,987 to replace 43 heavy-duty drayage trucks that operate at ports around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sacramento Air Quality Management District: $1,097,032 to establish a voucher program to replace 200 existing diesel agricultural irrigation pump engines with new electric agricultural pump motors to power agricultural irrigation pumps.

In addition to the funding announcement, EPA today launched its strategic plan for the Valley which suffers from some of the most pressing issues in the region. The EPA prioritizes air and water quality, enforcement of public health standards and environmental justice. EPA will continue to work with the California Air Resources Board and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and will aim to reduce particulate matter 2.5 concentrations by 7% in 2012. To improve water quality, EPA will work closely with other federal agencies to invest in 11 public water systems that need infrastructure improvements and treatment to meet drinking water standards. Under President Obama’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative, EPA has also contributed two full-time federal employees to lead a multi-agency team that will partner with the City of Fresno and local stakeholders to implement a redevelopment vision. As part of the strategic plan, EPA is also dedicated to tracking and reducing environmental hazards, recycling pesticide containers and helping to spur dairy digester projects in the Valley. EPA welcomes public comment on the San Joaquin Strategic Plan. The plan will be finalized in the coming months.

Diesel Emission Reduction Act grants are funded through the West Coast Collaborative, a public-private partnership between leaders from federal, state, and local government, the private sector, and environmental groups committed to reduce diesel emissions throughout western North America. The Collaborative has provided more than $97.5 million of grant funds, with an additional $119 million of leveraged money by its partners since 2008. This translates to emission reductions of approximately 1,725 tons of particulate matter and 38,895 tons of nitrogen oxide for the lifetime of these grant projects.


Cleaning up diesel emissions can also have direct near term climate benefits.  For more information, visit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/sab/sabproduct.nsf/fedrgstr_activites/BC%20Report%20to%20Congress?OpenDocument

More information on these grants and to learn more about the West Coast Collaborative, visit: http://www.westcoastcollaborative.org.

For more information on the National Clean Diesel Campaign, including a list of all grants nation-wide, visit: http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel

For information about EPA Region 9 Pacific Southwest’s San Joaquin Valley Strategy, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region9/strategicplan/sanjoaquin.html

Today’s announcement is part of EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld’s two day “Whistle Stop Tour” of San Joaquin Valley. For more information on his overall visit, today’s event and photos, please http://www.epa.gov/region9/mediacenter/sjv-tour/

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