U.S. EPA awards Hawaii over $20 million to improve water quality, protect public health

Press release:

For Immediate Release:  September 17, 2012
Contact:  Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, higuchi.dean@epa.gov   

                      

U.S. EPA awards Hawaii over $20 million to improve water quality, protect public health
Hundreds of millions in funding provided to Department of Health since 1990

HONOLULU – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded the Hawaii Department of Health a $10,946,000 million grant for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and a $9,125,000 million grant for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund for water pollution control and drinking water infrastructure projects.

The Department of Health will use the funds to provide low-cost loans to the state’s counties for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades.  In Hawaii, most of the infrastructure for wastewater treatment is along the coast and funding will assist in making improvements and adaptations to aging systems and those potentially impacted by rising sea levels from climate change.  

 “EPA is continuing its investment in Hawaii’s water infrastructure,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Our goal, along with the Department of Health, is ensure that Hawaii has safe, reliable drinking water and proper wastewater treatment.”

The EPA has awarded $282 million in federal funding for Hawaii’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund program from 1990 to the present.  Every year, more funds become available as the principle, interest and fees are repaid to the program. Hawaii’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund reached $611 million last year, with a total of 74 wastewater treatment projects funded statewide totaling $509 million. The funds are used for a wide variety of water quality projects, including nonpoint source pollution control, watershed protection or restoration, improving water and energy efficiency, and traditional municipal wastewater treatment projects.

The Hawaii Drinking Water State Revolving Fund totals $192 million and the Hawaii Department of Health has issued 45 loans totaling $124 million.  Funds to the program also support projects such as capacity development, sanitary surveys, drinking water operator training and technical assistance. 
               
Forty years ago, when the federal Clean Water Act was made law, Congress charged a fledgling EPA with the goal of making the nation’s waters “fishable and swimmable.” Achieving this goal requires communities to make large investments in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. The state revolving funds are EPA’s primary tools for helping communities meet their continuing and significant water infrastructure needs. Each state maintains revolving loan fund programs, capitalized by the EPA, to provide low-cost financing for water quality infrastructure projects.   

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EPA Awards $110,000 to the Mescalero Apache Tribe to Support Its Water Quality Program

Press release:

EPA Awards $110,000 to the Mescalero Apache Tribe

to Support Its Water Quality Program

(DALLAS –September 17, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Mescalero Apache Tribe of New Mexico $110,000 to provide continued support for the tribe’s water pollution control program. The funds will be used to take water samples on tribal lands and compile data which may show changes over time to determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed. Sampling data will determine whether water quality standards are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the tribe’s water and provide planning tools to improve the function and health of stream ecosystems.

The mission of the EPA is to protect public health and the environment. The EPA supports tribes in all aspects of the work needed to improve water quality. This cooperative spirit supports work to protect water quality that ensures the health of watersheds that cross state and tribal boundaries.

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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United States and Canada Sign Amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 7, 2012
 

United States and Canada Sign Amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

Agreement will protect the health of the largest freshwater system in the world
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Canada’s Minister of the Environment Peter Kent today signed the newly amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement at a formal ceremony in Washington, D.C. First signed in 1972 and last amended in 1987, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is a model of binational cooperation to protect the world’s largest surface freshwater system and the health of the surrounding communities.

“Protecting cherished water bodies like the Great Lakes is not only about environmental conservation. It’s also about protecting the health of the families—and the economies—of the local communities that depend on those water bodies for so much, every day,” said Administrator Jackson. “The amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement we signed today outlines the strong commitment the U.S. and Canada share to safeguard the largest freshwater system in the world. Our collaborative efforts stand to benefit millions of families on both sides of the border.”

“Joint stewardship of the Great Lakes—a treasured natural resource, a critical source of drinking water, essential to transportation, and the foundation for billions of dollars in trade, agriculture, recreation and other sectors—is a cornerstone of the Canada-United States relationship,” said Minister Kent. “The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement supports our shared responsibility to restore and protect this critical resource, and builds on 40 years of binational success.”

The revised agreement will facilitate United States and Canadian action on threats to Great Lakes water quality and includes strengthened measures to anticipate and prevent ecological harm. New provisions address aquatic invasive species, habitat degradation and the effects of climate change, and support continued work on existing threats to people’s health and the environment in the Great Lakes Basin such as harmful algae, toxic chemicals, and discharges from vessels.

The overall purpose of the Agreement is “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the waters” of the Great Lakes and the portion of the St. Lawrence River that includes the Canada-United States border. Both governments sought extensive input from stakeholders before and throughout the negotiations to amend the Agreement. Additionally, the amended Agreement expands opportunities for public participation on Great Lakes issues.

The amended agreement sets out a shared vision for a healthy and prosperous Great Lakes region, in which the waters of the Great Lakes enhance the livelihoods of present and future generations of Americans and Canadians.

To view the text of the agreement: http://www.binational.net/home_e.html
 

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FRIDAY: United States and Canada to Announce Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 5, 2012
FRIDAY: United States and Canada to Announce Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent will sign an updated Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement on Friday, September 7th. Administrator Jackson and Minister Kent will hold a short press availability following the signing ceremony.

The agreement, last updated in 1987, addresses critical health issues in the Great Lakes region and is a model of binational cooperation to protect water quality. The two governments began negotiations in 2009 to strengthen the agreement.

WHO:               U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
                        Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent

WHAT:              Signing ceremony and press availability

WHEN:             2 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 7, 2012

WHERE:           Embassy of Canada, 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001.

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Nine Calif. Areas Meet National Air Quality Standard for Smog

Press release:


Nine Calif. Areas Meet National Air Quality Standard for Smog

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that nine areas in California have met the 1997 national health-based air quality standard for smog, also known as ground-level ozone, within their regulatory deadlines.  These areas are: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Ventura counties, as well as portions of Kern, Nevada and Sutter counties.

"Reducing smog is a major step forward in meeting Clean Air Act goals," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "Residents can breathe a little easier knowing that the air is cleaner in these counties."

EPA’s determinations are based on air quality data collected from state and local monitors that detect air pollutants throughout the state.

Notice of this attainment will be published in the Federal Register in the next few weeks and will be open for public comment.  All comments will be addressed in a public document, but, if no comments are received, the action will become final 30 days from the date of publication.

While the Federal Register notice does not address the most recent 2008 national ozone standard, Amador, Sutter, and Tuolumne counties have attained that standard as well.

For more information on ground-level ozone and the national standards, visit:   http://www.epa.gov/airquality/ozonepollution/.

For more information on the Clean Air Act, visit: http://www.epa.gov/air/caa/.

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U.S. EPA Releases San Francisco Bay Delta Action Plan to Address Toxins and Stressors that Harm Fish

Press release from EPA:

U.S. EPA Releases San Francisco Bay Delta Action Plan to Address Toxins and Stressors that Harm Fish

Curbing pollution and restoring freshwater flows key to improving water quality

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released an Action Plan today that proposes seven measures for improving water quality, restoring aquatic habitat, and improving the management of the San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary.  The release of the Action Plan follows the agency’s analysis concluding that existing federal and state water quality programs are not adequately safeguarding the ecosystem. 

“California’s economic security depends on a healthy Bay Delta,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “By upholding the goals of the Clean Water Act, we can ensure that our water is fit for drinking, farming, recreation, and for fish and wildlife.”

The Action Plan responds to findings and recommendations made following EPA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 2011 that sought public input on the effectiveness of existing federal and state water quality protection programs.  The Action Plan prioritizes the following seven actions to be pursued in partnership with the State Water Resources Control Board, the Regional Water Boards for the Central Valley and San Francisco Bay, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, and numerous other state and federal agencies: 

•   By 2013, propose a standard to curb selenium discharges from cities, farms, and oil refineries;
•   By 2013, achieve organophosphate pesticide water quality goals in Sacramento County urban streams; 
•   By 2014, set new estuarine habitat standards, including salinity, to improve conditions for aquatic life;
•   By 2017 establish a monitoring and assessment program for water quality in the Delta;
•   Ensure that EPA’s pesticide regulation program more fully considers the effects that pesticides have on aquatic life;
•   Restore and rebuild wetlands and floodplains to sequester drinking water contaminants, methylmercury, and greenhouse gases and make the Delta more resilient to floods, earthquakes, and climate change;
•   Support the development and implementation of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.

The Bay Delta is the hub of California’s water distribution system, providing drinking water to 25 million people, sustaining irrigation for 4 million acres of farmland, and supporting 750 different species of plants, fish, and wildlife.  The health of the ecosystem has been degraded over time by many factors, including the destruction of rivers and wetlands; the diversion of freshwater flows by federal and state water projects; the discharge of heavy metals, pesticides and nutrients; and the invasion and spread of non-native weeds and animals.  Fish populations have dwindled, and water supplies critical to public health and agriculture are at risk.
Forty years ago, against the backdrop of fires on the Cuyahoga River, the Santa Barbara oil spill and Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the federal Clean Water Act was made law.  At the time, Congress charged a fledgling EPA with the goal of making the nation’s waters “fishable and swimmable.”  While the agency has made great progress toward that goal, complex problems, such as those facing the restoration of the Bay Delta, still need attention.
A copy of the Action Plan is available at:  http://www.epa.gov/sfbay-delta/actionplan.html. 
For more information on the Clean Water Act, please visit:  http://water.epa.gov/action/cleanwater40c/.

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EPA Announces More than $1 Million for MSU and Michigan Tech to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

Press release:

CONTACT: Joshua Singer, 312-353-5069, singer.joshua@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   No. 12-OPA073

EPA Announces More than $1 Million for MSU and Michigan Tech to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

(CHICAGO – August 27, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced more than $1 million for Michigan State University and Michigan Technological University to research the impact of extreme weather on water and air quality.

Michigan State in East Lansing was awarded a $750,000 grant to quantify the relationship between extreme weather events and harmful algal blooms and to predict the effects of climate change on algal blooms and water quality. Increases in water temperature with more frequent and severe floods and droughts could worsen water quality. Using satellite images and water quality models, researchers will help to improve long-term water quality management.
Michigan Tech in Houghton was awarded a $374,960 grant to research projected changes in weather such as heat waves, lightning and lightning-caused wildfires, and their impact on air quality. Researchers will attempt to quantify the impact of extreme weather on particulate matter and smog, which can harm human health.

“It’s important to understand how extreme weather events affect air and water quality,” said Bob Kavlock, deputy assistant administrator for science for EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

Over the past several months, EPA has awarded nearly $9 million to 14 projects to research and develop tools and technologies that help prepare air and water quality management systems for extreme weather. For more information about the projects: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/xevents.

EPA Announces $748,902 for Ohio State University to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

Press release:

CONTACT: Joshua Singer, 312-353-5069, singer.joshua@epa.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   No. 12-OPA072

EPA Announces $748,902 for Ohio State University to Examine Extreme Weather Impacts

(CHICAGO – August 27, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $748,902 grant for Ohio State University to study the connection between extreme weather and water quality.

Ohio State researchers will study the relationship between water quality and extreme weather events that are projected to increase due to climate change. Increased flooding, excessive heat and prolonged droughts could harm water quality in Lake Erie. Researchers will examine how and whether harmful algal blooms, cyanotoxins and disinfectant byproducts in drinking water could threaten human health. This work will help to improve future water quality management.

“It’s important to understand how extreme weather events affect air and water quality,” said Bob Kavlock, deputy assistant administrator for science for EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

Over the past several months, EPA has awarded nearly $9 million to 14 projects to research and develop tools and technologies that help prepare air and water quality management systems for extreme weather. For more information about the projects: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/xevents.

Small Business in Topsfield, Mass. Receives $300,000 Grant to Develop Air Quality Monitoring Equipment

Press release:

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 21, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Small Business in Topsfield, Mass. Receives $300,000 Grant to Develop Air Quality Monitoring Equipment

(Boston, Mass. – Aug. 21, 2012) – A business in Topsfield, Mass. was among seven businesses nationwide to win a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop and commercialize technology that helps protect the environment.

OPTRA Inc. Topsfield, Mass, received $299,956 for its air quality monitoring equipment from EPA’s Small Business Innovation and Research program. The air quality monitoring system will allow for the detection of a broader range of compounds and at a much lower level than previously available.

"This novel approach to air quality monitoring increases the number of compounds we can simultaneously detect at trace levels," said Julia Rentz Dupuis, chief technology officer at OPTRA. "The overall approach represents a more versatile solution than conventional methods."
“Small businesses are key to a strong economy in our towns and cities,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “OPTRA is helping find new ways protect our environment, developing green jobs, and exploring innovation and technology solutions to environmental issues.”

The Small Business program awarded seven contracts to small businesses across the nation to develop new technologies to keep the environment clean and healthy. Companies won the contracts through the highly competitive annual Small Business Innovation Research program competition, which encourages small businesses to explore and develop environmental technologies from concept to commercialization.

The winning companies submitted their innovative ideas during the first phase of the SBIR competition in 2011, and received SBIR Phase I contracts of up to $80,000 to develop their concepts into technologies addressing key environmental areas. Winning the SBIR Phase I competition made these companies eligible to apply to the program’s Phase II competition this year. As Phase II recipients, these companies have received around $300,000 to further develop their technologies for the market place.

In the last 10 years this program has funded more than 200 small companies. One such company, Ecovative Design, leveraged its funding to get $6 million in capital investment funding.  Ecovative Design develops biologically-based substitutes for polystyrene packaging and sustainable insulation. For packaging, Ecovative uses locally available waste, such as rice and soybean hulls as filler inside custom grown mushroom roots that can be made into a customizable shape to fit each customer’s particular need.

The other six Phase II recipients announced recently include:

• FBS, Inc., Pennsylvania for technology addressing detection of defects in water pipelines using ultrasonic guided waves
• Lynntech, Inc., Texas, for developing automated, field deployable environmental monitors that promote clean up strategies for restoring contaminated sites to productive use
• TDA Research, Inc., Colorado, for technology using waste gas from anaerobic digesters on farms to generate energy while preventing groundwater contamination and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions
• Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc., Illinois, for technology treating new types of contaminants in drinking water
• Adherent Technologies, Inc., New Mexico, for a pollution control technology reducing particulate pollution emitted by outdoor wood-fired boilers by more than 50 percent
• Faraday Technology, Inc., Ohio, for a drop-in green chrome plating process that replaces conventional carcinogenic plating technology

In addition to OPTRA, three small businesses from New England received smaller grants earlier this year to develop technologies that help the environment. These companies were GVD Corp. of Cambridge, Mass., Aerodyne Research, Inc. of Billerica, Mass. and Orono Spectral Solutions, Inc., of Bangor, Maine. They were among 25 companies awarded contracts in Phase I of the annual competition.
To participate in the program, a company must be an organized, for-profit U.S. business and have fewer than 500 employees. Phase I awards may be up to $80,000 and Phase II awards up to $300,000.

More information on program eligibility: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir

More information on the 2012 Phase II SBIR recipients: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir12ph2

More information on the SBIR Program: http://www.SBIR.gov

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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 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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SOUTHEAST DIESEL COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN ATLANTA

Media Advisory
August 3, 2012

SOUTHEAST DIESEL COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN ATLANTA
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

ATLANTA — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will join a consortium of federal, state and local government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry to hold the Southeast Diesel Collaborative (SEDC) Seventh Annual Partners Meeting in Atlanta on August 7-8, 2012. The SEDC is a public-private partnership composed of stakeholders from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The goal of the collaborative is to improve air quality and public health by reducing emissions from existing diesel engines. The conference theme is “Amplifying the Reach of the Southeast Diesel Collaborative” and will focus on nationally and regionally significant diesel emissions issues related to freight, public fleets and nonroad focus areas.  Topics also include: innovative strategies, projects, and funding; outreach and collaboration; renewable and alternative fueling for diesel engines; and future clean diesel opportunities and funding.

On August 7, this year’s winners of the SEDC Annual Leadership awards will be announced and recognized.  The winners include: Staples Inc. (Industry Award); the Alabama Department of Transportation (Community Award) and the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition (Visionary Award). The SEDC workshop, the “Freight Growth and Livable Communities Summit,” will be held on August 6.  

What:  Southeast Diesel Collaborative Seventh Annual Partners Meeting

When: August 6, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., Freight Growth and Livable Communities Summit
  August 7, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., SEDC Leadership Awards at 11:30 a.m.
  August 8, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Where:  Crowne Plaza Hotel Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia
4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road
Atlanta, GA 30346
  (770) 395-7700

How:   Registration at www.southeastdiesel.org. There is no registration fee to attend.

About the Southeast Diesel Collaborative (SEDC)
Organized in early 2006 by EPA Region 4, the Southeast Diesel Collaborative has enjoyed unprecedented success in bringing together leaders from federal, state and local governments, non-government organizations, industry, and academia to reduce diesel engine emissions across the eight southeastern states. Focused on promoting energy independence, a cleaner environment and growing, sustainable economies, this partnership offers wide ranging health and economic benefits across a broad range of sectors. 

The Southeast Diesel Collaborative is part of EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign, a program combining regulatory measures with voluntary initiatives to reduce the pollution emitted from diesel engines across the country. Visit the Southeast Diesel Collaborative website at: www.southeastdiesel.org.

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High Ozone Levels & Poor Air Quality Predicted for parts of New England Friday Aug. 3

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 2, 2012

Contact:  David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

High Ozone Levels & Poor Air Quality Predicted for parts of New England Friday Aug. 3
Most of Conn., Central Mass., coastal N.H.

(Boston, Mass. – August 2, 2012) – Unhealthy air quality is expected for most of Connecticut, central Massachusetts, and into coastal New Hampshire. The forecast for hot weather tomorrow is also expected to cause the demand for electricity in New England to reach high load levels.

“With more very hot summer weather coming tomorrow, EPA and the State environmental agencies are predicting unhealthy air quality in parts of New England,” said Curt Spalding, Administrator of EPA’s New England office.  “Everybody can help reduce smog-forming emissions by driving less, by using public transportation, and by setting air conditioner thermostats a few degrees higher.”

Exposure to elevated ozone levels can cause breathing problems, aggravate asthma and other pre-existing lung diseases, and make people more susceptible to respiratory infection.  When ozone levels are elevated, people should refrain from strenuous outdoor activity, especially sensitive populations such as children and adults with respiratory problems.


Ground-level ozone forms when volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen (ozone precursors) interact in the presence of strong sunlight. Cars, trucks and buses give off the majority of the pollution create ozone.  Burning fossil fuels at electric generating units, particularly on hot days, also emit ozone precursors. Gasoline stations, print shops, household products like paints and cleaners, as well as lawn and garden equipment also add significantly to the ozone problem. 


When ozone is forecast to be unhealthy, EPA asks the public to take action. The public can help reduce ozone by:


- Using public transportation, car pooling and/or combining trips;
- Avoiding the use of small gasoline powered engines, such as lawn mowers and tractors, chain saws, power washers, string trimmers and leaf blowers.


Due to tomorrow’s forecast of hot weather, the demand for electricity in New England is forecast to reach high load levels. Given the ozone and high load forecasts, EPA is asking homeowners and employers to make a special effort to reduce their electricity consumption. EPA asks employers to consider asking their employees to dress casually and turn their air conditioning to a higher temperature setting and turn off any unnecessary lights and computers when not in use.  Homeowners also are urged to turn their air conditioner to a higher temperature setting, turn off unnecessary lights and appliances, such as televisions, computers, or lights during the day, and to defer household activities like laundry until later hours.


The ozone standard is 0.075 parts per million (ppm) on an 8-hour average basis. Air quality alerts are issued when ozone concentrations exceed, or are predicted to exceed, this level. So far this year, there have been 18 days in New England when ozone concentrations have exceeded the standard. (A preliminary list of this summer’s unhealthy readings can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region1/airquality/o3exceed-12.html)


EPA and the New England states provide real-time ozone data and air quality forecasts at www.epa.gov/ne/aqi. This website can also be used to sign up to receive free air quality alerts by e-mail when poor air quality is predicted for a particular area. National real-time air quality data from AirNow is also available on smart phones with free iPhone and Android apps, available for download at http://www.airnow.gov/.

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EPA Awards $75,000 to the Choctaw Nation to Support Its Water Quality Program

Press release:

EPA Awards $75,000 to the Choctaw Nation

to Support Its Water Quality Program

(DALLAS – July 31, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma $75,000 to provide continued support for the tribe’s water pollution control program. The funds will be used to take water samples to assess surface water quality on tribal lands, compile data which may show changes over time and determine if a more thorough watershed management program is needed. Sampling data will determine whether water quality standards are being met, note any changes in the quality or condition of the Choctaw Nation’s water and provide planning tools to improve the function and health of stream ecosystems.

The mission of the EPA is to protect public health and the environment. The EPA supports our nations’ tribes in all aspects of the work needed to improve the water quality of tribal land watersheds. This cooperative spirit supports work to protect water quality that ensures the health of watersheds that cross state and tribal boundaries.

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 Over $11 Million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to Support the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

Press release:

EPA Awards Over $11 Million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to Support

the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

 (DALLAS – July 27, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $11,419,000 to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to support the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The funds will be used by the state of Oklahoma to provide loans and other types of financial assistance to local communities and intermunicipal and interstate agencies for wastewater improvements. The loans will be used to improve water quality in streams, lakes and rivers benefiting aquatic life, drinking water sources and eliminating diseases caused by raw sewage discharges.

 The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program is authorized by the federal Clean Water Act to provide an innovative method of financing a range of environmental projects. Under the program, the EPA provides grants to all 50 states and Puerto Rico to capitalize state loan funds. The states, in turn, make loans to communities, individuals and others for high-priority water quality activities. As money is paid back into the revolving fund, new loans are made to other recipients to maintain water quality.

 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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Penobscot Indian Nation Receives Grant of nearly $149,000 to Improve Water Quality

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
July 25, 2012

Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Penobscot Indian Nation Receives Grant of nearly $149,000 to Improve Water Quality

(Boston, Mass. – July 25, 2012) – The Penobscot Indian Nation has received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for $148,924 to help reduce nonpoint source water pollution on their tribal lands.  The grant was selected in a competitive review process among 52 proposals.  A total of 20 grants were funded by EPA.

The grant will be used to improve and protect water quality in the Penobscot River and Little Alder Stream. The Penobscot River watershed consists of approximately one-third of the state of Maine.

“EPA is very pleased to provide much-needed funding to help the Penobscot Nation do some very important work that will have a real impact improving water quality and habitat within the Penobscot River,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England regional office.

“Clean water and protection of aquatic habitat is of great importance to the Penobscot Nation,” said Dan Kusnierz, Penobscot Nation’s Water Resources Program Manager. “The Tribe greatly appreciates this commitment from EPA that will enable us to significantly reduce eroding soils and thereby protect the quality of waters on and adjacent to tribal lands.”

The EPA funding will assist the Penobscot Nation to reduce sediments and nutrients from entering the Penobscot River by stabilizing portions of an eroding riverbank and re-establishing nearby vegetation. This portion of the project will also complement ongoing efforts by the Penobscot Indian Nation to restore and improve habitat for migratory fish (including the federally endangered shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic salmon, and 10 other species).

The Tribal government will also use EPA funding to reduce sediments and nutrients from entering Little Alder Stream and its tributaries by installing “best management practices” (BMPs) on an all-terrain vehicle trail system leading to a sensitive high elevation lake with a native brook trout fishery.  Installing BMPs on portions of the trail that are in close proximity to streams leading to Little Alder Stream will help protect water quality in these sensitive waters.

More information:

Non-point source water pollution:  http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatis.cfm

Tribal non-point source grant projects: http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/tribal/index.cfm

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Learn More about the Latest EPA News & Events in New England (http://www.epa.gov/region1/newsevents/index.html)

Follow EPA New England on Twitter (http://twitter.com/epanewengland)

More info on EPA's Environmental Results in New England (http://www.epa.gov/region1/results/index.html)

EPA Provides $950,000 to Improve Water Quality Using Green Infrastructure in 17 Communities; $50,000 Each Awarded to Cities of Atlanta, Ga. and Beaufort, S.C.

Press release:

EPA Provides $950,000 to Improve Water Quality Using Green Infrastructure in 17 Communities; $50,000 Each Awarded to Cities of Atlanta, Ga. and Beaufort, S.C.

Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – July 24, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is providing $950,000 to help 17 communities expand green infrastructure use to improve water quality and protect people’s health and benefit communities. The City of Atlanta, Ga., and the City of Beaufort, S.C., were among those selected for funding, and each received $50,000 grants.

Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls, keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems and waterways in local communities. The EPA funding is intended to increase incorporation of green infrastructure into stormwater management programs, protect water quality, and provide community benefits including job creation and neighborhood revitalization.

“Effective stormwater management is one of the most widespread challenges to water quality in the nation,” said Nancy Stoner, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. “Polluted stormwater can be harmful to the health of our nation’s waterbodies. These funds will help expand the use of green infrastructure, revitalize local neighborhoods and help safeguard people’s health and the environment.”

EPA is awarding the funds to diverse communities across 16 states. Some communities – like Beaufort, South Carolina and Neosho, Missouri – are small towns in urban growth areas interested in preserving and protecting their healthy waterways. Others – such as Camden, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – are large cities interested in adding green infrastructure into their redevelopment projects to restore degraded urban waters and help revitalize their communities. The selected communities also provide an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of green infrastructure across a range of climate zones.

Green infrastructure captures and filters pollutants by passing stormwater through soils and retaining it on site. Effective green infrastructure tools and techniques include green roofs, permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees, rain gardens and rain harvesting systems. Communities are increasingly using green infrastructure to supplement or substitute for single-purpose “gray” infrastructure investments such as pipes, filters, and ponds. The “green” alternative is often less expensive than structural solutions, and can help reduce costs of flooding in neighborhoods receiving the benefits.

In April 2011, EPA renewed its commitment to green infrastructure with the release of the “Strategic Agenda to Protect Waters and Build More Livable Communities through Green Infrastructure.” The agenda identifies community partnerships as one of five key activities that EPA will pursue to accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure and EPA announced partnerships with 10 “model communities”.

In February 2012, EPA announced the availability of $950,000 in technical assistance to a second set of partner communities to help overcome some of the most common barriers to green infrastructure. EPA received letters of interest from over 150 communities across the country.  

EPA Awards over $57,000 to Improve Water Quality and Environmental Education in San Angelo

Press release:

EPA Awards over $57,000 to Improve Water Quality and Environmental Education in San Angelo

(DALLAS – July 20, 2012)  The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $57,500 to the Upper Colorado River Authority (UCRA).  The UCRA will use the grant to track sources of bacteria in a San Angelo-area waterway to help plan water quality improvement strategies.

The grant will also fund development of environmental education programs for San Angelo students.  A water quality stewardship program will target schools with lower socioeconomic populations, while an additional program will be developed for all seventh-graders in the San Angelo Independent School District.  

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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$30,000 in Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance to Neosho, Mo.

Press release:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

$30,000 in Green Infrastructure Technical Assistance to Neosho, Mo.

Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov (news media only)

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., July 19, 2012) – EPA is providing $30,000 in technical assistance to the City of Neosho, Mo., to protect water quality, reduce flooding and determine the best practices for managing rain water through the use of green infrastructure.

“Green infrastructure provides many community benefits including the reduction of stormwater runoff, neighborhood revitalization and reduction of pollutants in local streams,” said Karl Brooks, regional administrator. “The technical assistance will support work such as a review of city codes and ordinances to identify barriers to green infrastructure and recommend appropriate revisions as needed.”

Stormwater is one of the most widespread challenges to water quality. Large volumes of polluted stormwater degrade our nation’s rivers, lakes and aquatic habitats and contribute to downstream flooding. Green infrastructure decreases pollution to local waters by treating rain where it falls and helps to keep polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems.

Nationally, EPA is providing $950,000 in technical assistance to help 17 cities expand the use of green infrastructure to improve water quality and benefit communities. Effective green infrastructure tools and techniques include rain gardens, vegetated swales, wetlands, green roofs, and permeable pavement. Communities are increasingly using green infrastructure to supplement or substitute for infrastructure investments such as pipes, filters, and ponds.

# # #

EPA Provides $950,000 to Improve Water Quality Using Green Infrastructure in 17 Communities

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 19, 2012

EPA Provides $950,000 to Improve Water Quality Using Green Infrastructure in 17 Communities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is providing $950,000 to help 17 communities expand green infrastructure use to improve water quality and protect people’s health and benefit communities. . Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to manage rainwater where it falls, keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems and waterways in local communities. The EPA funding is intended to increase incorporation of green infrastructure into stormwater management programs, protect water quality, and provide community benefits including job creation and neighborhood revitalization.

“Effective stormwater management is one of the most widespread challenges to water quality in the nation,” said Nancy Stoner, EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. She announced the funds today at a stormwater symposium in Baltimore held by the Water Environment Federation. “Polluted stormwater can be harmful to the health of our nation’s waterbodies. These funds will help expand the use of green infrastructure, revitalize local neighborhoods and help safeguard people’s health and the environment.”

EPA is awarding the funds to diverse communities across 16 states. Some communities – like Beaufort, South Carolina and Neosho, Missouri – are small towns in urban growth areas interested in preserving and protecting their healthy waterways. Others – such as Camden, New Jersey and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – are large cities interested in adding green infrastructure into their redevelopment projects to restore degraded urban waters and help revitalize their communities. The selected communities also provide an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of green infrastructure across a range of climate zones.

Green infrastructure captures and filters pollutants by passing stormwater through soils and retaining it on site. Effective green infrastructure tools and techniques include green roofs, permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees, rain gardens and rain harvesting systems. Communities are increasingly using green infrastructure to supplement or substitute for single-purpose “gray” infrastructure investments such as pipes, filters, and ponds.

In April 2011, EPA renewed its commitment to green infrastructure with the release of the “Strategic Agenda to Protect Waters and Build More Livable Communities through Green Infrastructure.” The agenda identifies community partnerships as one of five key activities that EPA will pursue to accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure and EPA announced partnerships with 10 “model communities”.

In February 2012, EPA announced the availability of $950,000 in technical assistance to a second set of partner communities to help overcome some of the most common barriers to green infrastructure. EPA received letters of interest from over 150 communities across the country.

 More information: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/gi_support.cfm.