Earth's Carbon Cycles

Uploaded on Nov 15, 2011

Nov 10, 2011 Carbon Cycle 2.0 talk Donald DePaolo
Associate Lab Director for Energy and Environmental Sciences, LBNL

Climate Change Science: Dr. Paul Alivisatos, Berkeley Lab Director

Video Published on Mar 6, 2012

Jan 31, 2011. As a director of a national laboratory, I'm sometimes asked about the scientific underpinnings of climate change issues and their relationship to human activities. I imagine that some of you have also been asked these questions. Government officials want to know that their policy and spending decisions are based on sound science, and ordinary citizens want to know why so much emphasis is being placed on "clean" and "green" energy. I've developed a brief exploration of the basic science of carbon dioxide's influence on the temperature of the planet, along with some of the empirical evidence behind scientists' concerns about the long-term impacts of anthropogenic carbon emissions.

Tags: human activity, carbon dioxide, Fourier, heat transfer, Keeling, oxygen, glaciation, warming, Arrhenius, feedback

It's Personal...Scenic Pennsylvania Lake Community Celebrates Protecting the Environment for Earth Day with USDA Funding

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, Assistant Administrator, Water and Environmental Programs, USDA Rural Development, on April 25, 2014 at 5:00 PM

Tom Williams, PA RD State Director, Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, RD WEP Program Assistant Administrator, and Jack Lennox, Roamingwood Water & Sewer Association General Manager, ceremoniously sign a portion of the new pipe that will replace old lines in the current system, making the system more energy, cost and water efficient.

As part of USDA’s weeklong celebration of the 44th anniversary of Earth Day, I had the pleasure of visiting Wayne County, Pennsylvania to announce funding that will bring improved water and wastewater services to residents and businesses of The Hideout, one of the state’s lake communities in the Pocono Mountains.

Thanks to congressional passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, USDA Rural Development received an additional $150 million to help rural communities build or upgrade water and wastewater systems in 40 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. We are pairing that grant money with an additional $232 million in regular funding to support 116 projects nationwide.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to talk with several long-time residents about the infrastructure projects.  The residents’ personal commitment and leadership was on display as they talked passionately about the importance of the funding. Betty Sullivan, the charismatic Board President of the Roamingwood Water & Sewer Association, an agent of the South Wayne County Water & Sewer Authority, has been involved in the infrastructure improvement project for twenty years. She has a keen understanding of the environmental importance of the project for both the existing residents and for future generations that will live, work and play here.

Bob Taggart, the father of a 12-year-old son, has owned a home in the community for over 20 years. Impressed by the quality of the school system and the community’s amenities, Bob made the decision to move here permanently from the New York City suburbs just five years ago. As a former environmental specialist for private industry, he also understands the environmental importance of the project. He is interested in the potential for connecting adjoining communities to the new system to help further protect the waters surrounding the community.  With the strong sense of community coupled with federal, state and local support, the future is promising for the growth of the community. The residents are all very appreciative of the Farm Bill funding that will help keep their water and sewer rates reasonable.

The work will be overseen by the South Wayne County Water and Sewer Authority, which is receiving a grant for more than $5 million and a loan of $8.4 million to replace a portion of a gravity sewer collection system.  The second Earth Day project involves replacing leaking water lines in a section of the 30 year-old water distribution system. Rural Development is providing a $2.3 million grant and a loan of almost $4.6 million to help with that effort. By replacing the old water and sewer lines, the project will significantly improve services, making them more energy, cost and water efficient and preventing the Authority from a costly expansion project for more than 3,200 homeowners of the Hideout Community.

As Assistant Administrator for Water and Environmental Programs, it is not hard to see why Earth Day ranks high on my list of favorite anniversaries and holidays!  I am especially grateful that the 2014 Farm Bill expanded our capacity to improve aging infrastructure in rural communities here in Pennsylvania and across the nation.

Planting the Seeds of a Successful Future for our Children on Earth Day

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Patrice Kunesh, Deputy Under Secretary, USDA Rural Development, on April 23, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Deputy Under Secretary Patrice Kunesh (left) and California RD State Director Glenda Humiston join children and families to plant a community vegetable garden at Mountain View Estates.

Earth Day is an every-day celebration! It’s also about the future — creating a safe and healthy environment for our children and grandchildren. That’s just what I celebrated with the families at Mountain View Estates in Oasis, California, alongside Congressman Raul Ruiz and California State Director Glenda Humiston. Thanks to a terrific partnership between Rural Development and the local community, as well as with public and private support, these families now have homes hooked up to a new water system that provides them clean drinking water and wastewater disposal.

I am very proud of Rural Development’s work in the Mountain View Estates mobile home park.  Upon learning that 181 families were being displaced from their dilapidated trailer park because of hazardous conditions, mainly sewage backups and water contamination, Rural Development looked for opportunities to help re-build that community.  Today at Mountain View Estates, every family has access to basic amenities like clean drinking water, and reliable waste removal. Even electricity is no longer is a luxury.  This project not only improved the environment, it has also improved the overall quality of life for these families.

My visit to Mountain View Estates was part of a tour of the colonias in California’s Coachella Valley, a large agriculture region in eastern Riverside County. Colonias are communities within 150 miles of the Mexican Border that experience seriously inadequate water and sewage systems and insufficient housing.  As I visited these communities,I was startled to see the immense need for community infrastructure, like decent housing and reliable wastewater systems.

These challenges really are terrific opportunities for Rural Development and our many dedicated partners, like Congressman Ruiz, to invest in rural communities and create a healthy, thriving rural America.

Happy Earth Day!

Get Ready for Earth Day 2014: Small Communities Doing Big Projects to Protect Water and the Environment

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Doug O’Brien, Deputy Undersecretary, USDA Rural Development, on April 21, 2014 at 11:00 AM

The future of rural communities depends on safe, clean water supplies and healthy watersheds. That future is being challenged like never before and USDA RD is helping them meet the challenge.

With Earth Day on the horizon for tomorrow, we at USDA Rural Development are looking forward to sharing some very big news about efforts kicking off across the nation to ensure clean drinking water and healthy watersheds in small, rural communities that face increasing challenges with aging infrastructure, drought and climate change.

As you probably know, Rural Development works hard to help rural communities plan and build the critical infrastructure they need to grow and prosper sustainably.

Over the past five years, in fact, Rural Development has invested nearly $10.3 billion through 7,867 loans, loan guarantees, and grants for rural drinking water and wastewater treatment upgrades across the nation. Collectively, this work generates powerful environmental benefits. Individually, each project demonstrates how even the smallest community — and the everyday people living there — can accomplish the substantial and vitally important work of preserving and protecting our natural resources and quality of life for future generations.

With an infusion of funding provided by Congress in the 2014 Agricultural Act (Farm Bill) and to our local USDA Rural Development’s speedy delivery of those resources, small towns across the country will kick off a record number of water and wastewater system improvements beginning on Earth Day.

Stay tuned this week to learn more about Rural Development’s largest-ever Earth Day commitment and the communities taking action for a sustainable future.

Water Supply Forecast Shows Record Snow in Northern Parts of West, Parched in Southwest

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Spencer Miller, Natural Resources Conservation Service, on April 14, 2014 at 1:00 PM

Streamflow in the West consists largely of accumulated mountain snow that melts and flows into streams as temperatures warm. (NRCS photo)

March storms increased snowpack in the northern half of the West but didn’t provide much relief for the dry southern half, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) in its April 2014 water supply forecast.

According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), most of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and northern parts of Colorado and Utah are expected to have near normal or above normal water supplies, according to the forecast.  Far below normal streamflow is expected for southern Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah and western Nevada.

Early April is commonly regarded as the transition from snow accumulation to snowmelt, making the April 1 water supply forecast of key importance for planning, according to NWCC hydrologist Cara McCarthy.

“Many water managers, reservoir operators, irrigation districts and hydroelectric power companies make significant strategic decisions based on the April forecasts,” McCarthy said.

In states where snowmelt accounts for the majority of the seasonal water supply, information about snowpack serves as an indicator of future water supply. Streamflow in the West consists largely of accumulated mountain snow that melts and flows into streams as temperatures warm. NRCS scientists analyze the snowpack, air temperature, soil moisture and other measurements taken from remote sites to develop the water supply forecasts.

For the second consecutive month, many snow telemetry, or SNOTEL, sites in Montana, Wyoming, and parts of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon received two to three times the normal amount of precipitation. The Cascade Mountains in Washington went from extremely dry in January to a normal snowpack currently and Montana and Wyoming snowpack is now at record levels.

“There’s flooding potential in the Missouri River basin,” McCarthy said. “These areas will be most vulnerable if snow melts rapidly during a hot spell, or if there’s extreme rain while the streams are swollen with snowmelt.”

NRCS’ streamflow forecasts are one of the tools used to assess drought conditions. USDA is partnering with western states to help mitigate the severe effects of drought on agriculture.

Since 1939, NRCS has conducted snow surveys and issued regular water supply forecasts. Since the late 1970s, NRCS has been installing, operating and maintaining an extensive, high-elevation automated system called SNOTEL, designed to collect snowpack and related climatic data in the western U.S. and Alaska.

The center will continue to monitor and forecast water supplies for the next two months. View the April Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecast map or view information by state. And to learn more about how NRCS is helping private landowners deal with drought, visit NRCS’ drought resources. You can also visit USDA’s disaster and drought information page.

Watch the April water supply forecast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoK5Vdd3NUc

Rural Development Helps Restore Water Supply to Town of Gifford after Devastating Tornado

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Colleen Callahan, Director, Illinois State Office, USDA Rural Development, on April 14, 2014 at 11:45 AM

With landmarks missing it was difficult for even Gifford residents to locate once familiar locations.

Four months after a tornado ripped through the town of Gifford, Illinois, destroying its water tower, 70 homes, and damaging 40 others, visible and emotional aftereffects remain.

On November 17, the day the tornado touched down, I called my colleague and Gifford resident Molly Hammond, who wistfully noted during our conversation, that “Everyone is all right.  But not everything is all right!”

No doubt her sentiments reflected those of Gifford’s other 1,000 residents.

Thankfully no one was killed or seriously harmed.  But town leaders and residents knew they had to move very quickly to restore access to water by rebuilding its water plant and 50,000-gallon water tower.

When the water supply was cut, residents got through the initial stages of the emergency by using a 10,000-gallon tank and borrowed water treatment equipment from nearby communities. However, this Band-Aid approach was only temporary as public health and safety concerns remained.  Most notably, the water treatment equipment is currently located under a tent and efforts to fight a recent fire at a local construction company were hampered by a lack of water pressure.

So it came as very good news indeed when the town learned that it would soon get a $500,000 USDA Rural Development Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG) to help replace the water plant, and another $150,000 ECWAG grant to help construct a new water tower.  “This is absolutely the best news we’ve gotten since the tornado struck,” said village board member Tony Cler.

USDA provides ECWAG grants of up to $500,000 to assist rural communities experiencing a significant decline in the quantity or quality of drinking water due to an emergency such as a drought; earthquake; flood; tornado; hurricane; disease outbreak; or chemical spill, leakage, or seepage.

As circumstance would have it, Gifford was the first entity in the nation to utilize USDA Rural Development’s simplified emergency grant process, which facilitated a quicker review and approval process.  The funding will augment the town’s insurance and other local monies as construction of the water supply infrastructure gets under way, allowing for the town and its residents to recover more quickly from the tornado’s aftermath.

While boarded-over windows, plastic covered roofs and; and felled trees resembling splintered toothpicks dot Gifford’s landscape, good things are happening.  Storm debris is being removed; homes are being repaired; and new ones are being built.

And while not everything is all right just yet, the residents resolve to rebuild – significantly aided by USDA Rural Development funding – signals that it’s just a matter of time before they will be again.

I am glad our funding will help Molly and other residents of Gifford as it continues to heal from last year’s traumatic event. It literally will help our neighbors get back into the flow of life… and water.

What appears to be a circus tent is anything but... rather it's a temporary cover 'protecting' damaged water treatment facility.

Part of Aquatic Display

Part of aquatic display at the Burr Oak Nature Center. November 30, 2013.

Fish at Burr Oak

Part of aquatic display at Burr Oak Nature Center, Blue Springs, MO. November 30, 2013.

Secretary's Column: Taking New Steps to Care for the Land and Water

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, on September 13, 2013 at 3:00 PM

Natural resource conservation is paramount to the ongoing strength of our nation. Healthy soil contributes to agricultural productivity. Healthy forests clean our water and air. Vibrant waterways are critical for our health, for transportation and for trade. Investments into conservation spur job growth and community development, particularly in rural areas.

This is an uncertain time for USDA conservation activities. Congress has not yet passed a comprehensive Food, Farm and Jobs Bill that would continue to invest in conservation efforts, while providing rural America with certainty regarding many other important programs.

As we continue urging Congress to provide a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill, USDA this week took several new steps to strengthen conservation across the country.

We invested in innovation by awarding new grants under USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grants program.  New technologies and tactics are constantly emerging that help producers and landowners care for the environment.  These 33 new awards will help organizations across the country carry out advanced new conservation strategies and share them with producers. For example, several projects will investigate the benefits of cover crops, which could help producers grow more while mitigating the impacts of a changing climate.

These new project awards are part of more than 260 projects funded since 2009, including a special group of Conservation Innovation Grants to help agriculture adapt to drought.

We also invested this week in the future of renewable energy from wood products. USDA announced a partnership with industry to work toward additional wood-to-energy projects, while awarding more than $1 million in grants for five statewide teams that will further develop these efforts.  This builds on past work that has resulted in more than 230 wood-to-energy projects created under the Obama Administration.

Advanced wood energy provides a wide range of benefits for our nation. It encourages forest restoration by providing a new way to use wood byproducts. It contributes to an “all-of-the above” energy strategy, giving folks an alternative to costly energy sources. And it helps to create good jobs in energy and forestry for rural Americans. Renewable wood energy holds tremendous promise for rural America, and the new investments made this week are yet another step forward for this technology.

To cap off a week of positive new developments for USDA conservation efforts, we announced today that the U.S. Forest Service will partner with Coca-Cola, the National Forest Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in a long-term effort to restore and clean waterways in our National Forests.

National Forests provide drinking water for more than 60 million Americans – and working together, USDA and Coca-Cola will undertake a range of projects in the coming years to restore forest waterways. These include working on the Angeles National Forest in California to prevent erosion caused by wildfire; restoring a stream in New Mexico that was previously impacted by industrial activity; and enhancing waterways within the Lake Michigan watershed.

Our hope is that these restoration projects will stand as an example for the benefit of public-private partnership to deliver results for the American people, even in a time of tighter budgets.

These new efforts complement the wide range of work we will continue to do with a focus on delivering record conservation results for Americans. With the right tools, including a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill, there is much more we can achieve in the years to come.

New Campaign - Water: You Are What You Drink

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Dr. Robert Post, Acting Executive Director, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, on September 12, 2013 at 3:40 PM

The ‘Water: You Are What You Drink’ campaign symbol.

Today the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) along with their Honorary Chair, First Lady Michelle Obama, launched a campaign encouraging Americans to drink more water more often. The ‘Water: You Are What You Drink’ campaign is a collaboration between PHA and stakeholders across the public and private sectors. The initiative brings together leaders from industry, government and Hollywood with a shared goal: to excite, inspire and engage people in drinking more water.

This nationwide effort comes during National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, when much attention is already focused on the impact diet plays on the health of our nation. USDA works to educate consumers on the importance of making healthy dietary choices. Choosing healthful beverages is one part of that equation and drinking more water is something that all Americans can benefit from.  Increasing water intake, “drinking up”, is an easy change every one of us can make every day. Tap, filtered, bottled, carbonated- it all counts!

Personally, water is my favorite beverage.  In the afternoon, it’s a perfect complement to smart snack in schools, at work, or on the go.  I drink it as part of my balanced MyPlate-inspired meals and throughout the day, always carrying a water bottle around with me. A bottle is portable and easy to refill- I won’t leave home without one.  Water keeps me refreshed and helps me feel my best!

USDA supports the new ‘Water: You Are What You Drink’ campaign and hopes that it will inspire you to drink up! To learn more visit the campaign website: www.youarewhatyoudrink.org

Our Forests and Climate Change

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment and Anne Castle, Assistant Secretary for Water & Science at the Department of the Interior, on September 12, 2013 at 10:45 AM

Cross posted from the White House Council on Environmental Quality blog:

Americans know the importance of forests to our communities and our economy.  They provide jobs and recreational opportunities, filter our air and water, and make up essential habitat for wildlife and natural resources.  But increasingly, we’re also recognizing that forests play an important role in mitigating climate change.

Recently, President Obama announced a Climate Action Plan to reduce carbon pollution, prepare for the impacts of climate change on our communities and economy, and lead international efforts to combat global climate change. This plan recognizes that America’s forests play a critical role in addressing carbon pollution, absorbing as much as 14 percent of our country’s greenhouse gas emissions each year.  Over the last several decades, forest regrowth on former farm lands, reforestation, and maturing forests have kept our forest growth rates high, helping us absorb even more carbon.

At the same time, development of forest lands is reducing the amount of carbon we can absorb now and in the future.  Carbon pollution is also taking a toll on our forests – heat waves, wildfires, pests and drought are all worsened by climate change, reducing our forests’ ability to sequester carbon.

It is difficult to predict precisely how much these impacts will reduce the potential of our forests to combat climate change – but we do know that we must start now to find new ways to enhance forests’ ability to absorb carbon and become more resilient. As part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Administration is bringing Federal agencies together to tackle this challenge.  An interagency Task Force is working to provide more accurate and consistent annual updates of carbon fluxes from forests and other lands.  This will help us ensure that we have up-to-date information on how major disturbances like wildfires, as well as land development trends, impact the capacity of the nation’s forests to absorb carbon. It will also provide the tools we need to make more effective policy decisions, ensuring land managers are able to take into account the carbon sequestration value of our forests.   The Task Force is also developing new approaches to retain and restore our forests and other important landscapes like grasslands and wetlands.

This initiative will build on the significant work the Administration already has underway to ensure healthy, thriving forests. For example, the Department of Agriculture announced this year the creation of seven new regional hubs to provide research and timely information to farmers and forest landowners as we work together to combat climate change. This work will complement research by DOI Climate Science Centers, in areas such as evaluating management options, projecting forest conditions and carbon storage under climate change, evaluating the effects of changing rainfall and snow conditions, and studying the effects of changing forests on particular species and ecosystem services. This information is helping to inform restoration efforts undertaken by the Forest Service and its partners to make our forests more resilient. And DOI and USDA are working together with other Federal agencies, states, tribes, and private landowners to engage in historic, landscape scale conservation projects that will put critical ecosystems on a stronger footing for the future.

Climate change poses a tough new challenge for the forest ecosystems that provide so much for all Americans. Following President Obama’s lead, we’re getting ahead of the game – focusing on new partnerships, strengthening interagency collaboration, and ensuring that the best science is available as we take on climate change in the years to come.

Robert Bonnie is Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and the Environment

Anne Castle is Assistant Secretary for Water & Science at the Department of the Interior

Public Comments Sought on Proposed Coal Ash Cleanup Settlement with Rotary Drilling Supply in Jefferson County, Mo.

EPA Press Release:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

11201 Renner Boulevard, Lenexa, KS 66219

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

Public Comments Sought on Proposed Coal Ash Cleanup Settlement with Rotary Drilling Supply in Jefferson County, Mo.

Contact Information: David Bryan, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., May 30, 2013) - EPA Region 7 and Rotary Drilling have reached a proposed agreement to address environmental impacts from the unauthorized disposal of approximately 140,000 tons of coal ash from the Rush Island Power Plant owned and operated by Union Electric Company (d/b/a Ameren Missouri). EPA is accepting public comment on the settlement pursuant to the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

In an administrative order on consent (AOC), EPA alleges that the dumping of the coal ash on property owned by Rotary Drilling Supply, Inc., located in Jefferson County, Mo., impacted wetlands, an unnamed tributary to Plattin Creek, and a portion of Willers Lake. The coal ash contains environmentally harmful metals that migrate into adjacent surface waters.

Between October 2004 and September 2008, Rotary Drilling and another company, Mineral Resource Technologies, Inc., contracted with Kleinschmidt Trucking, Inc., to haul and dispose of approximately 95,000 tons of coal ash to the Rotary Drilling site. During that time period, Mineral Resource Technologies, Inc., contracted with Union Electric Company to find and secure locations for coal ash disposal. In 2007, Union Electric contracted directly with Kleinschmidt Trucking, Inc., to haul and dispose of approximately 45,000 tons of coal ash from the Rush Island Power Plant at Rotary Drilling’s property.

EPA’s proposed settlement, issued pursuant to federal RCRA authority, requires Rotary Drilling to abate impacts of the coal ash disposal by placing a protective cap over the coal ash piles and installing controls to prevent the continued migration of coal ash constituents into wetlands and other surface waters.

Additionally, Rotary Drilling must mitigate for lost wetland functions by purchasing wetland mitigation bank credits. Wetland mitigation bank credits involve the restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation of a wetland, stream, or habitat conservation area to offset adverse impacts to similar nearby ecosystems. The goal is to replace the function and value of the specific wetland habitats that have been adversely impacted.

A copy of the Administrative Record is located at the Crystal City Public Library, 736 Mississippi Ave., Crystal City, MO 63019. EPA invites the public to comment on the AOC. The 30-day public comment period opens on May 30, 2013, and runs through June 28, 2013.

# # #

Middle Rio Grande Urban Waters Federal Partnership

EPA News Release:

Middle Rio Grande Urban Waters Federal Partnership

(DALLAS – May 14, 2013) Today, the Middle Rio Grande, Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and the city of Albuquerque received national attention from a multi-federal agency partnership addressing urban waters.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will co-lead a team of federal partners towards a conservation initiative, a restoration project, and a pilot program for storm water permits in the Middle Rio Grande Region.

The partnership also includes a sustainability project with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation that has put resources towards the Bridge Boulevard Corridor Redevelopment Plan. This project identifies areas for redevelopment to transform Bridge Boulevard into a mixed-use, pedestrian and transit friendly corridor that honors and maintains the unique history and character of the community.

Additionally, EPA is announcing the Urban Waters Small Grant award for $60,000 to the Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District. Educating communities affected by drought about green infrastructure is valuable. In partnership with Albuquerque area schools, the grant will focus on environmental education and community outreachabout storm water management and green infrastructure practices in the Middle Rio Grande Region to promote groundwater infiltration and storage.

“What better place to begin a new partnership for urban waters than the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, the first of its kind in an urban area,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “We are looking forward to working with our federal partners to bolster the Albuquerque metropolitan area with a variety of projects aimed at restoring urban waters in the region.”

"The Urban Waters Federal Partnership continues a joint effort started with the local community and our sister agencies to establish an urban refuge - the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge," said Dr. Benjamin Tuggle, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southwest Regional Director.  "The Urban Waters designation will enable us to continue to move forward with our vision to enhance the quality of life here, while providing greater conservation to our natural resources."

"The protection and revitalization of rivers and watersheds in urban areas not only demonstrates this administration's commitment to improving public health and restoring natural resources in urban communities, but also helps beautify and increase property values in neighborhoods that are being developed or revitalized close to urban rivers," said HUD Deputy Secretary Maurice Jones.

"The Corps is excited to be a part of this partnership that will raise awareness of the river ecosystem here in Albuquerque,” said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District, Lieutenant Colonel Antoinette R. Gant. “This partnership could allow connections between agency efforts that may not have developed otherwise."

Nationwide, the EPA, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, HUD and other federal partners are announcing 11 new locations for the Urban Waters Federal Partnership to restore waterways, help local economies, create jobs and protect Americans’ health. Through the partnership, agencies are working to revitalize urban waterways and communities that surround them, transforming overlooked assets and driving urban revival.

For more information on Urban Waters: http://www.urbanwaters.gov

# # #

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.   

                          ###

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

# # #

Press release:

Lockheed Martin Leans Forward With Aggressive, New Environmental Sustainability Goals

Company Sets Reductions in Carbon Emissions, Energy Use, Waste and Water by 2020

BETHESDA, Md., September 13, 2012 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] today announced it will implement aggressive new global environmental goals to decrease its use of natural resources at all stages of product development and business operations over the next eight years.

By 2020, the company is targeting absolute reductions in carbon emissions by 35 percent, facility energy use by 20 percent, waste to landfills by 35 percent and water use by 10 percent, using third-party verified environmental performance from 2010 as a baseline.  These represent voluntary reductions which go beyond current regulatory requirements. The eight-year horizon aligns with U.S. Executive Order 13514, which requires U.S. federal agencies to achieve similar environmental goals. 

“With our Go Green 2020 goals, we can apply a new focus to the way we develop products, manage suppliers, operate facilities, design office space and other decisions we make throughout the business lifecycle,” said Chris Kubasik, vice chairman, president and chief operating officer. 

In April 2012, the company announced that it had met or exceeded its previous set of environmental goals of reducing carbon emissions, waste-to-landfill and water use by 25 percent since 2007, while revenues rose 12 percent in the same period.   According to publicly available data and the recently released Carbon Disclosure Project 2012 S&P 500 Report, Lockheed Martin is leading major aerospace and defense companies, and many other large industrial manufacturers, in meeting environmental performance targets. 

Several projects of varying scale contribute to the company’s environmental performance improvements, including the largest outdoor solar LED lighting system in the state of Fla. at the Orlando facility; the recently implemented fuel cell power generation system at the Sunnyvale, Calif. site; and using reusable containers for aircraft parts that eliminate wood packaging and streamline the production process in Fort Worth, Texas.

More information about Lockheed Martin’s energy, environment, safety and health performance can be found at: http://www.lockheedmartin.com/csr2011.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation’s net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.

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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EPA Awards $1.5 Million to Universities for Sustainable Drinking Water Treatment Methods; University of Gainesville Among Recipients

Press release:

EPA Awards $1.5 Million to Universities for Sustainable Drinking Water Treatment Methods; University of Gainesville Among Recipients

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

(ATLANTA – Sept. 6, 2012) Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced almost $1.5 million in funding to three universities to develop sustainable drinking water treatment methods. The research grants are funded through EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program. These grants, which supplement last year’s grants to eight other universities, are intended to provide innovative treatment methods to protect people’s health by keeping harmful contaminants out of drinking water.

In 2010, EPA announced a new drinking water strategy to strengthen protections against contaminants in drinking water and promote cost-effective new technologies to meet the needs of communities across the country struggling with water challenges. The research sponsored by these grants will help satisfy the key goals of this strategy.

The grantees are:

•           University of Florida, Gainesville and University of South Florida, Tampa – identifying, testing, and evaluating the sustainability of ion exchange processes that can treat entire groups of chemical contaminants.

•           Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y. – engineering, developing, and demonstrating an integrated process comprised of membrane technology and electrical discharge plasma generated via a novel reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) electrode material.

•           University of Nevada, Reno – quantifying the range of drinking water contaminants and contaminant classes that can be removed by membrane distillation, and developing and testing a small-scale pilot system that operates using waste heat

There are approximately 157,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. regulated by EPA, states, or tribes that provide drinking water to 90 percent of Americans. More than 290 million people living in the U.S. rely on the safety of tap water provided by public water systems that are subject to national drinking water standards.

EPA’s STAR grant program supports human health, ecology, economics and engineering sciences through grants, centers, and fellowships.

More information on the grants: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/dwtreatment

More information on EPA’s new Drinking Water Strategy:   http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/dwstrategy/index.cfm

More information on STAR grants: http://epa.gov/ncer/

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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