Maryland, EPA, Chesapeake Bay Trust Provide $3.4 Million for Green Infrastructure Program

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EPA Press Release:

Maryland, EPA, Chesapeake Bay Trust Provide $3.4 Million for Green Infrastructure Program

BALTIMORE – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley today announced an expansion of the Green Streets, Green Towns, Green Jobs Initiative (G3) thanks to a joint investment of $3.4 million by the State of Maryland, EPA, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust. 

The G3 grant program, which is administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust, helps support President Obama’s Executive Order for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Its purpose is to help municipalities and nonprofit organizations support projects that add green space and reduce stormwater runoff by using green infrastructure practices that increase tree canopy, capture and filter rainwater, and improve watershed protection, community livability, and economic vitality. 

“Supporting investments in green jobs and green infrastructure is critical in our effort to help our economy, protect the environment, and reduce carbon pollution,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “EPA’s expanded partnership with the State of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Trust will support projects to improve water quality and economic vitality in the region through the G3 program. This funding provides another example of Governor O’Malley’s innovative leadership when it comes to meeting the State’s commitments to restoring local waters and the Bay.”  

“We are very pleased to partner with the EPA and the Chesapeake Bay Trust in the G3 Initiative, which supports local greening efforts that improve our neighborhoods and our environment, and create green jobs,” said Governor O’Malley.  “Through this partnership we are making a significant investment in Maryland communities that will further our progress toward three critical goals:  restoring our Bay, reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and expanding our forest cover.”

Maryland’s $3 million investment comes from the urban tree canopy allocation in the State’s FY ’14 Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund which is administered by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. EPA is providing $300,000 and the Chesapeake Bay Trust is providing $100,000 for G3 projects bringing the total of available funding to $3.4 million over the next two years.  By creating a one-stop shop, this collaboration will more effectively maximize resources and target funds, while reducing the administrative burden on local governments.

”Through the G3 initiative, the Chesapeake Bay Trust has been able to work with cities and towns throughout the region to implement meaningful stormwater management and greening projects that improve water quality and better local communities,” said Jana Davis, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. “We are so pleased that the state of Maryland has joined as a partner in this initiative at such a strong scale, and look forward to working with them and the EPA to expand the scope of the program and its results.”

“Stormwater is the fastest-growing water quality problem, for the Chesapeake Bay and across the country. We know that there are some useful approaches to the problem,” said Senator Cardin, Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Water Subcommittee. “Instead of relying only on the old, gray infrastructure, we can build our roads and cities to include permeable materials, non-structural alternatives, and other green infrastructure solutions.  The grants being announced today support exactly these kinds of proactive solutions that can only be accomplished through strong federal-state and local partnerships.”

"This partnership between the State of Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and the EPA to expand the G3 program means that communities throughout the Bay watershed will have a helping hand in their efforts to become greener and more environmentally friendly," said Congressman Sarbanes. "Investing in innovative solutions that improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay is good for our environment and our economy."

EPA and the Chesapeake Bay Trust created G3 in 2011 to support projects that reduce stormwater runoff through the creation of “green streets.” A green street is one that minimizes the environmental impact of a roadway by practices such as reducing the amount of water that is piped directly into streams and rivers; creating rain gardens; installing urban tree canopy; using energy efficient lighting; and encouraging pedestrian and bicycle access.  Green streets also provide aesthetic and economic benefits.

G3 projects increase stormwater management and treatment, empowering communities and states to better meet water quality goals, improving livability and walkability of communities, increasing tree canopy and air quality, and contributing to the economic well-being of communities through adding green elements to business districts and creating green jobs.

The Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns grant program is open to local governments and nonprofit organizations interested in pursuing urban green stormwater infrastructure and green jobs as part of an integrated community or watershed plan.

For more information on the Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Grant Program, please visit www.cbtrust.org

DOE Awards Task Order for Disposal of Los Alamos National Laboratory Waste | Department of Energy

DOE Awards Task Order for Disposal of Los Alamos National Laboratory Waste | Department of Energy

EPA Encourages Revitalization in Auto Communities with New Document

EPA Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 4, 2013

EPA Encourages Revitalization in Auto Communities with New Document

WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a document that provides resources and information for communities affected by the recent restructuring of the U.S. auto industry. As these cities and towns move forward with efforts to rebuild sustainable and economically vibrant communities, the “Roadmap for Auto Community Revitalization” highlights case studies of auto towns, as well as sources of funding and technical assistance currently available to communities with historical ties to the automotive industry, or auto communities.

“Automotive sites are assets to recapture jobs, foster economic revitalization and pave the way to a more prosperous future for local communities,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “The case studies and success stories show strategies for cleaning and redeveloping these sites that could  inspire communities across the nation to take on these challenges and  revitalize their auto Brownfields sites.”

Jay Williams, executive director of the Department of Labor’s Office of Recovery for Automotive Communities and Workers, noted that “the road to recovery for automotive communities is filled with challenges, but with those challenges come opportunities. The ’Roadmap for Auto Community Revitalization’ serves as a toolbox and addendum to the progress already being accomplished by the Obama Administration. With this document, our objective is to give communities further insight as they facilitate the effort of returning to economic vibrancy.”

These combined efforts were led by the mayors, city managers, economic development directors, and other elected and appointed officials who are driving auto community revitalization at the local level.

Flint, Mich. Mayor Dayne Walling, who serves as the chairman of the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities, commends the Obama Administration for releasing the Roadmap report. He said, “Cities such as Flint have faced the challenges from the restructuring of the auto industry, but we are coming back. With continued investment in auto communities, robust partnerships, and a focus on emerging sectors of economic innovation, we can keep America going strong on the road to revitalization.”

The Brownfields and Land Revitalization Programs have provided a continuum of support to auto communities to assist them with their revitalization efforts. EPA’s Brownfields Program is making investments to help promote environmental health, leverage redevelopment and economic growth, and help generate job creation. Since its inception, EPA’s Brownfields investments have leveraged more than $20 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, investment of federal funding has been able to leverage more than 90,000 jobs from both public and private sources. As a result of this support, there are many success stories, some of which are detailed in this Roadmap document.

“Cities that face the challenge of a closed auto plant cannot look back – they must move forward toward new economic and community revitalization. I am pleased that the success in Oklahoma City is featured in this Roadmap report, excited that this report has been issued, and hopeful that it can provide best practices to other communities seeking to create new revitalization,” said Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City.

The document was developed in partnership with the Department of Labor and the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities.

To view the document: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields

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Print Green, Save Green

Verizon Press Release:

September 4, 2013 - News Article

Print Green, Save Green

By Leon Akhsanov, Ricoh Global Accounts Relationship Manager - In this guest blog, Leon Akhsanov of Ricoh shares the business benefits of going green. For the past three years, Leon has collaborated with Verizon on the company’s paper and ink cartridge reduction goals. Responsibility

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Clear Goals. Real Metrics. Solid Results. Verizon is committed to using its resources to improve the lives of individuals and the communities it serves. Ricoh is proud to be working alongside Verizon, as a valuable resource in its sustainability initiatives.  In the past three years, we have some sustainability results that we would like to share.

Ricoh and Verizon teamed on a sustainable environmental management program, and focused on two cost-saving and sustainability initiatives:

When it comes to paper consumption, we all must consider the environmental impact. There is also another benefit that comes with paper reduction, and that is the cost savings.

 

Two-sided printing In the past three years of using two-sided printing as a default, Verizon has saved a staggering 92,713,000 sheets of paper -- that is the equivalent of 12,000 trees! For a better visual, think of it this way: 92,713,000 stacked sheets of paper would be 30,904 feet tall, or the combined height of 21 Empire State buildings. Being green saves green.  In the past three years, Verizon has saved $600,000 by leveraging Ricoh’s Smart Print Initiatives. Using Verizon accountability metrics and working closely with IT, we have been tracking the meter reads of the entire copier fleet and break down the metrics by regions, departments and what percentage of their output is duplex-printed. This allows us to track year-over-year and determine whether a department increased or decreased their duplexing, how much money was saved and how much more they could save.

Toner cartridge recycling Toner cartridge recycling has also made a significant impact for Verizon. As part of this project, Ricoh deploys free shipping containers to mail rooms in 60 Verizon buildings. The mail room employees collect every single toner cartridge that comes into the building. The used cartridges are then placed into a box and shipped free of charge to a third party company where the entire cartridge is recycled. In the past three years Verizon has recycled 17,298 toner cartridges. Each cartridge represents approximately 3.4 pounds of plastic; which means the efforts of Verizon employees have diverted 58,813 pounds of plastic or metal from entering landfills.

From a global perspective, Ricoh has installed "eco billboards" in Times Square in New York, London, and Sydney, which are 100 percent lit with natural energy. Although the eco billboards have only a small direct effect on reducing our environmental impact, we hope that the messages communicated through the billboards will help make more people aware of environmental issues and lead to a greater movement toward the creation of a sustainable society.

Ricoh is pleased to share a common vision with Verizon and to have the opportunity to work alongside this great company to implement new sustainability initiatives throughout its locations. 

This teamwork is a great example of how companies can work together to do their part for the environment and truly make a difference for their customers.

Learn more about Ricoh’s environmental initiatives at http://ricoh-eco.com.

Woodpecker Condos Bring Endangered Bird Back from the Brink in South Carolina

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Gwyn Ingram, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, U.S. Forest Service, on August 30, 2013 at 12:45 PM

A Red-cockaded woodpecker flies from its natural nest cavity on the Francis Marion National Forest in September, 2009. (Martjan Lammertink/U.S. Forest Service)

Many stories emerging from the Francis Marion National Forest share a common genesis in Hurricane Hugo, the massive storm estimated to have knocked down nearly a billion board feet of timber on the coastal South Carolina forest in 1989.

But in a comeback success story, there was no knock-out for the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Before Hugo, the Francis Marion had the densest, second-largest, and only known, naturally increasing population of red-cockaded woodpeckers in the country. Prior to 1989, an estimated 475 breeding pairs lived on the forest.

The endangered bird is the only woodpecker in the United States that builds its nest cavity in living pine trees. The bird is dependent on mature, fire-maintained pine woodlands for its survival. The lack of potential trees for cavity excavation is one of the main reasons that the species is endangered.

The hurricane’s sustained 130 mph winds likely wiped out more than half the woodpecker’s population in a single night, destroying nearly 90 percent of cavity trees on the forest. Where the storm hit hardest, only some cypress and a few hardwoods were left standing.

“It was a huge hit on the birds because they depend on living trees for nesting, roosting and foraging,” said Mark Danaher, wildlife biologist on the Francis Marion. “Suddenly there was nowhere to live or to hide from predators.”

Many biologists feared that the population would never recover to its former glory. Fortunately, researchers from North Carolina State University and the Forest Service’s Southeastern Forest Experiment Station (now called Southern Research Station) were already pioneering the use of artificial cavities to sustain the population of endangered birds.

“In 1989, nobody had ever installed artificial cavities on a large scale before, but the need was obvious,” said Danaher. “It can take several years for the birds to create their own cavities, which is why the artificial cavity program is so beneficial. We were able to go in and instantly install them so that the surviving woodpecker had adequate structures to go to.”

At this year’s start, through aggressive habitat management and the installation of more than 2,800 artificial cavities, the woodpecker’s population has rebounded to approximately 439 active clusters with about 426 confirmed potential breeding groups, exceeding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife recovery plan goal for the forest of 350 potential breeding groups.

“Cluster” refers to the aggregation of cavity trees that are claimed and defended by a group of woodpeckers. A “potential breeding group” refers to a cluster that includes an adult male and adult female. A typical cluster averages three or four birds — the breeding pair and “helper” birds, usually male offspring who remain to help raise the young. Female offspring typically disperse to look for new territory in which to nest.

The woodpecker’s population on the forest is expanding, especially in the core burn area, parts of the forest that are consistently burned on a two- or three-year interval. Despite the fact that more than a third of the bird’s clusters on the forest forage at or below the managed stability standard, the population continues to grow naturally. In fact, the forest supports one of the most robust populations in the United States, truly a testament to the resiliency of this species.

In April 2008, a crewmember on the Francis Marion National Forest prepares to install a wooden insert that will mimic the internal design of a natural nesting cavity. (Mark Danaher/U.S. Forest Service)

EPA Requires HA International to Reduce Hazardous Air Emissions at Illinois Facility

EPA Press Release:

EPA Requires HA International to Reduce Hazardous Air Emissions at Illinois Facility

CHICAGO (September 3, 2013) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement with HA International LLC, a producer of resin-coated sand for the foundry and hydraulic fracturing industries, to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at the company’s Oregon, Illinois, facility. The settlement requires the company to install equipment to reduce the facility’s emissions of volatile organic compounds by an estimated 92 percent or 797 tons annually.

HA International is also required to pay a $100,000 civil penalty and to complete environmental projects valued at $100,000 in the Oregon area.  These projects include improving the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at Oregon High School and the Creston School in Creston, Illinois. The projects will increase energy efficiency and reduce environmental asthma triggers in the schools. HA International will also upgrade dust collection equipment at the Oregon facility.

“As a result of this settlement, people in the Oregon area will breathe cleaner air,” said U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman. “Children at Oregon and Creston schools also will benefit from improved indoor air quality.”

Following complaints from Oregon area residents about a persistent odor from HA International, the Agency inspected the facility and required testing of emissions from the company’s production lines.  Test results showed that emissions of volatile organic compounds, primarily the hazardous air pollutants phenol and formaldehyde, exceeded limits in the Illinois Clean Air Act State Implementation Plan. EPA concluded that the company's emissions of formaldehyde, a probable human carcinogen, also presented a health risk.

For documents related to this settlement:http://www.epa.gov/region5/air/enforce/.

Public Availability Meeting Scheduled Thursday, Sept. 5, for Chicago Heights Boulevard Site in St. Louis 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 Availability Meeting Scheduled Thursday, Sept. 5, for Chicago Heights Boulevard Site in St. Louis County, Mo.

Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394 (office), 816-518-2794 (cell), whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., Sept. 3, 2013) - EPA Region 7 will host a public availability meeting this week to share information about the most recent round of environmental sampling and future plans for investigation and cleanup of the Chicago Heights Boulevard Site in St. Louis County, Mo.

The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, at the First Baptist Church of Elmwood Park, 1452 Dielman Road, St. Louis, Mo., 63132. EPA representatives will present information and will join representatives from other partner agencies, including health experts, to answer questions.

A primary focus of the meeting will be to share information about a recent round of sub-slab and indoor air sampling that was conducted at several residences in the Elmwood Park neighborhood.

The Chicago Heights Boulevard Site involves a contaminated groundwater plume located in an unincorporated area of north St. Louis County. At some time before 1988, an unknown quantity of the industrial chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) was released at an industrial property located at 9970 Page Avenue, just northwest of the Elmwood Park neighborhood, and traveled through the soil and into the groundwater. Since then, TCE and other contaminants have been detected in groundwater beneath the residential area of Elmwood Park, and TCE vapors have been detected at levels of concern in some of the residences situated adjacent to the industrial site.

PerkinElmer, Inc., which purchased the industrial property in 1988, has worked with EPA and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) to identify the extent of the groundwater contamination plume at the site, and has installed vapor mitigation systems in homes where sampling found vapors at harmful levels. MDNR transferred regulatory oversight for the site to EPA Region 7 in September 2012. Since November 2012, PerkinElmer has been subject to an Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent that requires the company to perform various steps related to the investigation, mitigation and cleanup of the contamination.

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