EPA Honors New York State Environmental Leaders

EPA Honors New York State Environmental Leaders

Contact: Elizabeth Myer, (212) 637-3860, myer.elizabeth@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it has honored 26 individuals, organizations and businesses from across New York State with Environmental Quality Awards for their achievements in protecting public health and the environment. EPA also recognized a student from Jericho, N.Y. who is one of ten students selected from across the country to receive the President’s Environmental Youth Award. EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck was joined by Mayor Dana Redd of Camden, New Jersey to present the awards to this year’s recipients at a ceremony at EPA’s offices in Manhattan.

“Change that will create a healthier and more sustainable future begins with people like those the EPA is honoring today,” said Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. “They give of themselves and set a high bar in their actions to protect public health and the environment.”

EPA presents Environmental Quality Awards annually during Earth Week to individuals, businesses, government agencies, environmental and community-based organizations and members of the media in EPA Region 2, which covers New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and eight federally-recognized Indian Nations. The awards recognize significant contributions to improving the environment and public health in the previous calendar year. For information about the Environmental Quality Awards in EPA Region 2, visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/eqa/.

Attached is a list of the award winners.

2012 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AWARD WINNERS
Individual Citizen

 
Anahita Williamson
Anahita Williamson is the Director of the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute, a statewide research and technology transfer center that helps businesses across the state successfully reduce their carbon footprints. Together with the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute, Anahita has helped to ensure the transformation and development of sustainable businesses and organizations in New York. Anahita also has extensive experience in the field of environmental engineering and in performing life-cycle assessments that evaluate the complete environmental performance of a product or system.

Daniel Lefkowitz
Daniel Lefkowitz has successfully raised public awareness about the presence of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs) in building caulk that was applied to public buildings, most notably schools. Dr. Lefkowitz is the parent of a child that attended the French Hill Elementary School where he discovered, through testing, PCBs in the window caulking of his son’s school in 2004. As a result, Dr. Lefkowitz created a website that contains studies on PCBs in caulking, contact information for PCB blood analyses, various PCB sampling reports (for caulk and soil), links to EPA resources and other useful links to raise awareness about the issue. 

Edward Michalenko
Edward Michalenko serves as President of the Onondaga Environmental Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to public education, scientific research, planning and restoration of the environment. As Town Supervisor of Dewitt NY, Dr. Michalenko designed the town’s tiered Solid Waste Removal System, which promotes recycling and waste reduction. He is actively pursuing alternate energy technologies for town facilities and is working to acquire parklands and green space, among a range of other impressive sustainable initiatives.

James Cataldi
James Cataldi left his job as a Wall Street computer programmer to realize a more meaningful calling: the cleanup and restoration of the North Cove of the Harlem River. Instead of waiting for the city and other organizations to do it, he began his own cleanup and restoration effort. After approximately three years of work, the North Cove is returning to its natural state. Mr. Cataldi conducted 99% of this cleanup on his own without any funding and few resources. He continues to reach out to the local community to educate people about the importance of environmental stewardship of the North Cove.

Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman
Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman has spearheaded a number of public health education and research actions that have improved both the Northern Manhattan community’s knowledge of hazardous exposures and its ability to eliminate them. In promoting health education, she has organized community education events, public health education outreach campaigns and community research conferences. Ogonnaya was also the driving force and primary author of the pioneering Northern Manhattan Environmental Health Report Card. She has partnered with various academic researchers from prestigious institutions to conduct studies that address pressing public health problems facing minority and low-income communities.

Ronald Urban
Ron Urban has made significant and long-lasting contributions to New York State’s fish and their habitat through his exemplary service, leadership and dedication. His leadership in addressing the flooding disasters that have visited the Catskill Region is especially noteworthy. He has also undertaken significant measures to help preserve the official state fish, the brook trout. Under his direction, volunteers across the state have waded into streams to find “brookies,” detail the conditions of their existence and report and record those finding in the official record.

Business and Industry

 
Cayuga Compost
Cayuga Compost is a local company that provides collection, processing and marketing services for source-separated organic materials including food scraps and associated compostable-disposable products and yard waste. Under the leadership of Mary and Jim Proctor and in partnership with Tomkins County Solid Waste Management, Cayuga Compost helped achieve a 59% waste diversion rate in 2010. Cayuga Compost has experienced a great deal of success in diverting food waste from landfills in local school districts. Students in the 24 participating schools are taught the importance of recycling nutrient-rich materials in an off-site commercial compost setting, saving the schools thousands of dollars in waste disposal costs.

EcoLogic Solutions Inc.
Anselm Doering founded EcoLogic Solutions in 2001 after seeing a poster in a New York Thruway rest stop bathroom that bragged about being cleaned with toxic chemicals. Since that day, EcoLogic Solutions’ entire product line, sales and business practices have all been 100-percent focused on sustainability. Most recently, Doering pioneered game-changing Electro-Chemical Activation technology that allows users to make their own all-natural cleaners and disinfectants using only tap water, salt and electricity. EcoLogic Solutions continues to lead the way in all-natural, plant-based cleaning chemicals and technologies for offices, schools, hotels, hospitals and more.

Ecovative Design
Ecovative Design co-founders Eben Bayer and Gavin McIntyre created a completely compostable polystyrene substitute using a technology that they developed during their senior year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The packaging alternative, called EcoCradle, is made from mushroom “roots”, called mycélium. By pioneering the use of this innovative polystyrene packaging alternative, Ecovative Design prevents marine debris, reduces waste in landfills and decreases emissions associated with packaging production. Ecovative Design successfully challenges the paradigm on how materials are manufactured and used.

Monroe Litho
Monroe Litho is an environmentally sustainable commercial printing partnership. In addition to being 100% wind powered, Monroe uses paper that is 10% post consumer waste made with 100% green e-certified renewable energy. In 2011 alone, the company saw a carbon footprint reduction of 9.5% from the previous year while annual VOC chemical emissions were reduced by 35%. Additionally, the company recycled thousands of pounds of consumer batteries, IT equipment, florescent bulbs, cardboard and other items.

Environmental Education

 
Consortium for Worker Education
The Consortium for Worker Education is a private, non-profit agency that provides a wide array of employment, training and education services to over 75,000 of New York City workers annually. The organization is implementing a $4 million green jobs “Pathways Out of Poverty” grant that will help local green businesses flourish by providing support and development services for businesses involved in clean energy provision, energy saving retrofitting, pro-environmental manufacturing, materials recycling and reuse and deconstruction.

Robert Hayes
Robert Hayes is an environmental educator whose curriculum synthesizes an increasingly rare naturalist education that has a focus on place-based scientific observation of wildlife and landscape ecology with real-world, hands-on occupation skills. Mr. Hayes develops programs that are carefully matched to a range of student ages and aptitudes, while meeting key state educational standards.

Federal, State, Local and Tribal Government or Agency

Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee
Comprised of nine municipal members, the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee was able to improve water quality in Hempstead Harbor to the extent that, on June 1, 2011, New York State re-opened approximately 2,500 acres to shell fishing for the first time in over 40 years. This great feat, which met the highest standard for water bodies, has also provided employment opportunities, with as many as 80 boats observed in the harbor on opening day alone. It has reassured the public that their efforts have and will continue to provide environmental benefits.

Hudson River Estuary Program
Under the guidance of its coordinator, Fran Dunwell, the Hudson River Estuary Program is a model of how government can work cooperatively with diverse partners to achieve robust environmental and economic growth and health in communities along the entire river corridor. The Hudson River Estuary Program brings private and public sector partners together to coordinate projects that help protect the natural beauty, safety and ecological balance of the river’s estuarine system while improving water quality and fostering smart growth in both rural and heavily urbanized waterfronts.

Martin Doster
As a professional engineer with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Buffalo, NY, Martin Doster was a major contributor to the “Brownfields to Greenfields” manual. Mr. Doster oversees brownfields redevelopment by bringing together community organizations, business representatives and preservationists in Western New York. Through his efforts, numerous neighborhoods in and around the city of Buffalo have become models of successful community partnerships. Martin Doster is also overseeing a large portion of the remedial work that is slated to remove tons of contaminated sediment from the Buffalo River.

NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation
Suzanna Randall, Infrastructure Coordinator at the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, and its Green Infrastructure Team have developed and are implementing the state’s Green Innovation Grant Program, which uses clean water state revolving funding to provide grants for green infrastructure projects. Their efforts have spurred New York's municipal, engineering and design communities to reconsider how they manage stormwater. Most recently, they integrated the program into Governor Cuomo's Regional Economic Development Initiative, leveraging the resources of this massive statewide effort to further spread the word about green infrastructure techniques to the wider business community.

Rye Sustainability Committee
On December 7, 2011, The City Council of Rye, NY voted unanimously for a retail shopping bag ordinance, banning the use of plastic shopping bags. The new law is the first of its kind in Westchester County, NY and was part of a broader campaign by five members of the Rye Sustainability Committee to educate the public about unnecessary single use disposables, encourage the Rye community to use reusable bags and inspire other communities to follow suit. Gretchen Kaye Crowley, Brigit Townley, Annalise Stack and Melissa Brown-Greico volunteered their time over the past year to educate merchants and advocate for the law.

Town of Hempstead
The town of Hempstead has taken several measures to reduce its energy use while saving its residents money in the process. Town Supervisor Kate Murray spearheaded the town’s Clean Energy Project, which focuses on energy savings and cost reducing projects including a solar panel field, a hydrogen fuel station, a solar house and a solar and wind-powered shellfish nursery. Supervisor Murray has elevated the town of Hempstead to a higher environmental standard, promoting sustainability throughout the community and, ultimately, setting an example for others.

Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or Community Group

 
Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions
Civics United for Railroad Environmental Solutions is a coalition of 14 civic associations from Maspeth, Middle Village, Ridgewood, Glendale, Elmhurst, Woodside, Forest Hills, and Woodhaven in Queens, NY. Since forming in 2009, the coalition has made vast strides in environmental improvements including reducing emissions from diesel powered locomotives, making certain that rail yards are free of hazards and threats to neighborhood health and safety, and ensuring that plans to increase the number of freight portals into and out of the city are implemented by sustainable means.

"Clean + Go Green," Columbia University, Facilities Operations
Columbia University has made great strides in promoting recycling and reducing waste through its annual “Clean + Go Green” event. Sponsored by the facilities operations of the Columbia University Morningside campus, Clean + Go Green is an event that enables and promotes community members to donate or dispose of their unwanted items in an environmentally responsible manner. In the six years since the first Clean + Go Green event, over 83 tons of items such as electronics, clothing, books and furniture have been diverted from landfills and donated to charity.

Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo
In recent years, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo has been a champion for environmental initiatives throughout Western New York, coordinating with over 150 environmental organizations to implement a regional agenda for the environment. Through their collaborations they eliminated lead poisoning risks for hundreds of children through the green and healthy homes initiative. The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo also launched GrowWNY.org, a website that is designed to connect regional environmental experts and organizations to the general public.

Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers
The mission of Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers is to protect and restore Jamaica Bay, a salt marsh that covers 25,000 acres. Since its inception, Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers has spearheaded a variety of efforts from documenting nitrogen loading, algae blooms and marshland in Jamaica Bay, to preventing city-owned wetlands from being auctioned off for development, to engaging the NYC Department of Environmental Protection in monitoring and testing sites identified as poor water quality areas.

Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington
Residents for a More Beautiful Port Washington is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the environment of Port Washington, NY and its surrounding areas on Long Island. Together the members work to improve their community by implementing programs in four main areas: environmental education, policy and planning, environmental health and quality of life. In 2011, the group launched a number of initiatives including hands-on environmental education activities for elementary school students and volunteer community cleanups and beautification days.

Rocky Point Marsh Makers
For over a year, Shervin Hess, along with other volunteers known as the Rocky Point Marsh Makers, removed tons of lumber and debris from the Rocky Point Marsh in Queens, NY, completely by hand. He recruited hundreds of volunteers and, at times, worked alone or in small groups. Together with the Rocky Point Marsh Makers, Shervin Hess has demonstrated how inspiration, dedication and hard work can result in real environmental improvements.

Sustainable CUNY
Last June, Sustainable CUNY of the City University of New York launched the NYC Solar Map, an online interactive tool that estimates the solar power potential of the one million rooftops in the five boroughs of New York City. The 15 billion points of data that back up the map prove that enough solar power can be generated on the city's rooftops to offset costly upgrades to the grid, or the use of dirty generators during the city's peak usage periods. As a result of the tens of thousands of hits the map has received, the New York City Department of Buildings has received an influx of applications to install this clean, renewable power.


THE POINT Community Development Corporation
THE POINT Community Development Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing youth programming focused on cultural and economic awareness in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. THE POINT has been instrumental in bringing environmental justice to this historically disenfranchised neighborhood. From developing open green space to creating meaningful platforms for community engagement, THE POINT has shaped the policies that impact the neighborhood daily and in the process, has created a long-term strategy for environmental sustainability.

2011 PRESIDENT’S ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH AWARD WINNER

 
Christopher J. Yao
High school Sophomore Christopher J. Yao is confident that young people have the power to change the world and he believes in harnessing that power to combat environmental problems that exist today. Christopher started Kids Change the World (www.planetgreen.kidschangeamerica.org) as a means to empower young people with start-up grants, websites and other grassroots services and resources to start charitable/nonprofit programs to benefit the environment. Since its inception, Kids Change the World has dedicated its efforts to creating generations of young “doers” to change the world for future generations.

For more details, visit: http://www.epa.gov/region02/eqa
Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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As Summer Smog Season Starts, Free Resources Help Protect People

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
April 27, 2012

Contacts: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017


As Summer Smog Season Starts, Free Resources Help Protect People
Air Quality Awareness Week is April 30 - May 4, 2012


(Boston, Mass. – April 27, 2012) – Next week is Air Quality Awareness week – a cooperative effort amongst EPA, state environmental agencies, and the National Weather Service, to remind everyone to protect their health by paying attention to local air quality. With the onset of warmer weather, EPA urges New Englanders to be aware of the increased risk of ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution (when combined, often referred to as smog), and take health precautions when smog levels are high.


“Air pollution is a significant public health concern in New England, especially for people who suffer from asthma and other respiratory ailments," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England Office. “People should pay close attention to air quality alerts and limit their strenuous outdoor activity on air quality alert days.”
Air quality forecasts are issued daily by the New England state air agencies. Current air quality conditions and next day forecasts for New England are available each day at EPA’s web site. People can also stay informed about air quality in New England states by following EPA on Twitter (at www.twitter.com/EPAnewengland). In cooperation with the New England states, EPA has also set up an “Air Quality Alerts” system, provided free through the EnviroFlash program, where people can sign up to receive e-mails or text messages when high concentrations of ground-level ozone or fine particles are predicted in their area.


Warm summer temperatures aid in the formation of ground-level ozone and fine particle pollution. In 2008, EPA strengthened the ozone air quality health standard to 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.
Poor air quality affects everyone, but some people are particularly sensitive to air pollutants, including children and adults who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma. When air quality is predicted to be unhealthy, EPA and the states will announce an air quality alert for the affected areas. EPA recommends that people in these areas limit strenuous outdoor activity and EPA asks that on these days, citizens and businesses take actions that will help reduce air pollution and protect the public health. Everyone can help reduce air pollution by taking the following steps:

- use public transportation or walk whenever possible;
- combine errands and car-pool to reduce driving time and mileage;
- use less electricity by turning air conditioning to a higher temperature setting, and turning off lights, TVs and computers when they are not being used; and
- avoid using other small gasoline-powered engines, such as lawn mowers, chain saws, power-washers, generators, compressors and leaf blowers on unhealthy air days.

Cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses are a primary source of the pollutants that make smog. Fossil fuel burning at electric generating stations, particularly on hot days, also generate smog-forming pollution. Other industries, as well as smaller sources, such as gasoline stations and print shops, also contribute to smog. In addition, household products like paints and cleaners, as well as gasoline-powered yard and garden equipment, also contribute to smog formation.

The federal Clean Air Act has led to significant improvements in ozone air quality over the past 30 years and EPA continues to take steps to further reduce air pollution. For example, since 2004, new cars, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and mini-vans are meeting stringent new emission standards. The requirements have resulted in new vehicles that are 77 to 95 percent cleaner than older models. Also, EPA’s standards for new (starting with model year 2007) diesel trucks and buses are estimated to reduce NOx and fine particle emissions by up to 95 percent.


In addition, last year, EPA finalized the Cross State Air Pollution Rule.  Although the rule is currently subject to litigation, EPA believes the rule is legally sound and is vigorously defending it.  Under this rule, power plants in the eastern half of the country will need to cut air pollution with proven and cost-effective control technologies.  By 2014, the Cross State Air Pollution Rule and other state and EPA actions are expected to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 73 and 54 percent from 2005 levels, respectively.


Free Air Quality Resources:


Air Quality Awareness Week http://www.epa.gov/airnow/airaware/index.html
Air Quality Forecasts and Alert program http://www.epa.gov/ne/aqi
Ozone exceedance list http://www.epa.gov/ne/airquality/o3exceed-12.html

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‘Armored catfish’ invading Florida

Video from Fox News Channel (2:52).

The armored catfish are also known as Plecos and are found in many home aquariums.

To see the video, click the link below:

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/happening-now/index.html?intcmp=features#/v/1600466800001/armored-catfish-invading-florida

Jerome dairy processing facility failed to publicly disclose chemical use and disposal

Jerome dairy processing facility failed to publicly disclose chemical use and disposal

Contacts: Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-0454, kader.hanady@epa.gov

Graham Kirn, EPA Toxics Release Inventory Program, 206-553-1603, kirn.graham@epa.gov

(Seattle—April 26, 2012) Idaho Milk Products, Inc., a dairy processing facility in Jerome, Idaho, failed to publicly report the use and disposal of several hundred thousand pounds of toxic chemicals in violation of community right-to-know laws, according to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company has corrected the violations of the Toxics Release Inventory Program and will pay a fine.

“Communities have a right to know what chemicals companies are using and potentially releasing into the environment,” said Kelly Huynh, manager of the TRI program at EPA in Seattle. “Accurate and timely numbers from companies are the foundation of these rules so citizens have access to the most current information.”

Idaho Milk Products processes tens of millions of pounds of milk annually at its facility in Jerome.

The facility used several hundred thousand pounds of nitric acid as a cleaning agent in 2009. When treated, nitric acid produces nitrate compounds, which the company released to the local wastewater treatment plant. Idaho Milk Products is required under the Toxics Release Inventory to report toxic chemical releases. According to EPA, the company failed to report the treatment and disposal of nitric acid and nitrate compounds in 2009.

Nitric acid can harm the eyes, skin, respiratory system and teeth.

The company has submitted the required reports to EPA and the State of Idaho to resolve the violations and agreed to pay a penalty of $52,100.

Under the federal Toxics Release Inventory Program, companies that use certain toxic chemicals are required to report annually about releases, transfers and waste management activities involving toxic chemicals at their facilities. The Toxics Release Inventory Program falls under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, which aims to inform communities and citizens of chemical hazards in their neighborhoods.

EPA Removal Work Begins at Danvers, Mass. Site

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
April 26, 2012

Contacts: Kate Renahan, EPA Public Affairs, (617) 918-1491 

EPA Removal Work Begins at Danvers, Mass. Site

(Boston, Mass. – April 26, 2012) – This week EPA began work to remove hazardous materials from 33 Water Street, in Danvers Mass. The removal project is expected to take eight weeks.

Starting in 1903, the Creese & Cook Company operated a leather tannery and finishing facility located at 33 Water Street.   In 1914, the tannery operation was expanded across the Crane River to 55 Clinton Avenue.  Creese & Cook conducted tannery activities on both sides of the River from 1914 to 1981, at which point the Creese & Cook Company ceased operations at these properties.  The Danversport Tanning Company continued the operation at the 33 Water Street property until 1984. From 1986 to 1987, the 33 Water Street property was redeveloped as the 28-unit Crane River East Condominiums.

Based on the historic use of the property as a leather tannery and finishing facility, EPA performed an evaluation to determine whether past operations resulted in environmental contamination.  Results of these studies indicate that some contamination remains as a result of previous tannery operations.

The evaluation revealed that arsenic in surface soil in the back yard and to the sides of the northern most building of the Crane River East Condominiums is above the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) Imminent Hazard threshold value for arsenic.  Imminent Hazard threshold values represent concentrations above which individuals may be at risk when exposed to the soils over a relatively short period of time.

MassDEP has installed a fence around the area in question to prevent people from coming in contact with the arsenic contaminated soil. Removal activities in the yard area of the property will be focused on addressing risks posed by arsenic contamination in surface soils.  Additional cleanup activities may occur at a later time as part of a larger proposal to address all of the properties that were originally part of the former Creese & Cook operations.

EPA will be conducting additional sampling as needed to further characterize the extent of contamination in the surface soils prior to performing cleanup work. EPA will excavate and dispose of contaminated surface soil at an EPA approved off-site disposal facility. Piles of soil may remain on site for several weeks before disposal arrangements can be completed. Restoration of response related damages such as re-seeding and replanting will likely continue into the late summer/ early fall.

Workers may be on the site at 7:00 AM, with heavy equipment not being operated before 7:30 AM or after 6:00 PM. During the first few days of excavation activities, workers handling the contaminated soil may be dressed in protective clothing, including white tyvek coveralls, as a routine precautionary measure. Throughout the clean up, EPA staff and contractors will take measures, such as conducting area air monitoring and taking precautions to limit dust. These measures are taken to ensure that conditions are not harmful for people in the surrounding area.

EPA, in conjunction with MassDEP, is evaluating the former Creese & Cook properties, which includes 33 Water Street, for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL).  The NPL is a national list of sites that EPA determines requires further detailed investigation and potential cleanup in order to protect human health and the environment in the long-term.  It is currently anticipated that the site(s) could be proposed to the NPL in September 2012.

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EPA and Mass. DEP Host Public Meeting on Walton and Lonsbury Site in Attleboro

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
April 26, 2012

 Contact Information: Emily Zimmerman, 617-918-1037

EPA and Mass. DEP Host Public Meeting on Walton and Lonsbury Site in Attleboro

(Boaton, Mass.--April 26, 2012)The EPA and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP) will be holding a public meeting on Monday, April 30, 2012 to discuss next steps for the Walton & Lonsbury Site at 78 North Avenue, Attleboro, Mass.

EPA, in conjunction with MassDEP, is evaluating the Site for inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is a national list of sites that EPA determines requires further investigation and potential cleanup in order to protect human health and the environment in the long-term. It is anticipated that the Site could be proposed to the NPL in September 2012.

The results from the latest rounds of sampling indicate that contamination does extend beyond the original site boundaries.   MassDEP and EPA continue to work together to address the issues and reduce the potential risks to human health and the environment from the contamination source.

The meeting to discuss this and provide an update on ongoing removal activities will be held on April 30, 2012 from 7:00-9:00pm in Attleboro City Hall 77 Park Street, Attleboro, MA 02703. 

EPA began its removal action at the 78 North Avenue Site in October 2010.  Since then, the Walton & Lonsbury building has been removed and contaminated soils continue to be addressed. 

Over the past few months, additional soil and water samples have been collected by the MassDEP and EPA on residential properties south of the Site as part of an investigation to determine the nature and extent of contamination at the former Walton & Lonsbury site. 

This ongoing investigation is part of an effort by MassDEP and EPA to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the impacts from the former Walton and Lonsbury site.  During previous sampling events, it was evident that contamination from the Walton & Lonsbury Site migrated from the facility due to rain and surface water.

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EPA Grants Funding for Greening Philadelphia

EPA Grants Funding for Greening Philadelphia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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