Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
GE’s Newest Refrigerator Filter is First to Remove Trace Pharmaceuticals from Water and Ice*
Press release:
24 July 2012
24 July 2012
GE’s Newest Refrigerator Filter is First to Remove Trace Pharmaceuticals from Water and Ice*
- New French door refrigerator filter removes 98 percent of five trace pharmaceuticals from water and ice*
- Consumers rate the protection of their water supply as their number-one environmental concern†
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — July 24, 2012 — (NYSE: GE) —Think the cleanest, clearest, most contaminant-free water has to come from a bottle? Think again. GE offers the most advanced water filtration system in the industry as part of its recently launched French door refrigerators. The first-of-its-kind water filtration system has been tested and verified by an independent third party to remove 98 percent of five trace pharmaceuticals, including ibuprofen, atenolol, fluoxetine, progesterone and trimethoprim, from water and ice.*
According to a 2010 study conducted by The Stevenson Co. on behalf of GE, consumers rated the protection of their water supply as their number-one environmental concern. In fiscal year 2010,
10 percent of all community water systems—serving more than 23 million people—sold water to consumers that violated at least one health-based EPA standard.‡ And, an Associated Press investigation of tests conducted by water suppliers all over the country found low concentrations of dozens of pharmaceuticals in drinking water—including antibiotics, aspirin, blood pressure medications and antidepressants.‡
Among the reasons pharmaceuticals end up in our water supply is consumers flushing them down the toilet without realizing where they might end up. Or, if products are tossed in the trash, they often wind up in landfills, where they can seep into groundwater—and ultimately can come through water taps.‡
“Water treatment plants do a great job of cleaning our water, but they can’t always filter out all contaminants, and trace pharmaceuticals are left in the drinking water that comes into our homes,” said John Boyd, refrigeration marketing manager for GE Appliances. “Through advanced technology, the water filters from our new GE® French door refrigerator remove 98 percent of contaminants and deliver cleaner, clearer, easily accessible drinking water.”
Easy Access and ReplacementIn addition to delivering cleaner water to consumers, the new filters also are easy to remove and replace. The French door refrigerators’ water filter is conveniently and newly located on the door panel, allowing for quick and easy filter replacement in the GE Profile™ and Café™ models.
When it comes to replacing the filter, GE realizes consumers are busy and the last thing they’re going to remember on their looming to-do list is ordering a water filter. To help ensure filtered water from the refrigerator all year round, GE offers the SmartOrder program.
SmartOrder allows consumers to set up automatic reorders so they receive water filters every six months without having to physically go out to the store or go online to purchase one. They simply input their model, sign up for the program and their credit card is charged every six months as a new filter is sent, free of shipping charges. In the future, reordering will be even easier with a setting that allows consumers to receive notifications on their smartphones when it comes time to replace a filter.
Not sure which water filter is right for your refrigerator? GE offers a simple refrigerator filter finder tool, which guides consumers through easy steps to help them find the right filter for their refrigerator.
Delivering Freshness Where Fresh Can’t Be FoundTo support its mission of delivering freshness, GE's French door refrigerator is part of a campaign journeying to places where fresh food and water aren’t always readily found. GE’s “Freshpedition” campaign began when GE loaded a French door refrigerator onto the back of a truck and traveled more than 2,000 miles to bring fresh food and water to wildlife biologist Ron Thompson in the field where he lives primarily on canned food for months on end. View his reaction and other Freshpedition webisodes atwww.freshpedition.com.
Pricing and AvailabilityWater filtration systems are available on all GE, GE Café and GE Profile-branded French door refrigerators. The GE French door refrigerators are available at retailers nationwide. The estimated retail price ranges from $1,699 to $2,999.§
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or check out our website for more information Friend GE Appliances on Facebook to view how-to videos, learn about new GE appliances and join in the discussion with other GE appliance owners. Join today and follow @GE_Appliances on Twitter or just locate detailed information about our products at www.geappliances.com.
About GE AppliancesGE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. GE Appliances’ products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit www.ge.com/appliances.
* Not all pharmaceuticals may be present in your water.
† 2010 study conducted by The Stevenson Co. on behalf of GE.
§ Retailers set their own prices.
EPA Provides $950,000 to Improve Water Quality Using Green Infrastructure in 17 Communities; $50,000 Each Awarded to Cities of Atlanta, Ga. and Beaufort, S.C.
Press release:
EPA Provides $950,000 to Improve Water Quality Using Green Infrastructure in 17
Communities; $50,000 Each Awarded to Cities of Atlanta, Ga. and Beaufort,
S.C.
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404)
562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov
(ATLANTA – July 24, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) announced that it is providing $950,000 to help 17
communities expand green infrastructure use to improve water quality and protect
people’s health and benefit communities. The City of Atlanta, Ga., and the City
of Beaufort, S.C., were among those selected for funding, and each received
$50,000 grants.
Green infrastructure uses vegetation and soil to
manage rainwater where it falls, keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer
systems and waterways in local communities. The EPA funding is intended to
increase incorporation of green infrastructure into stormwater management programs, protect
water quality, and provide community benefits including job creation and
neighborhood revitalization.
“Effective stormwater management is one of the
most widespread challenges to water quality in the nation,” said Nancy Stoner,
EPA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. “Polluted stormwater can be
harmful to the health of our nation’s waterbodies. These funds will help expand
the use of green infrastructure, revitalize local neighborhoods and help
safeguard people’s health and the environment.”
EPA is awarding the funds to diverse communities
across 16 states. Some communities – like Beaufort, South Carolina and Neosho,
Missouri – are small towns in urban growth areas interested in preserving and
protecting their healthy waterways. Others – such as Camden, New Jersey and
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – are large cities interested in adding green
infrastructure into their redevelopment projects to restore degraded urban
waters and help revitalize their communities. The selected communities also
provide an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of green infrastructure
across a range of climate zones.
Green infrastructure captures and filters
pollutants by passing stormwater through soils and retaining it on site.
Effective green infrastructure tools and techniques include green roofs,
permeable materials, alternative designs for streets and buildings, trees, rain
gardens and rain harvesting systems. Communities are increasingly using green
infrastructure to supplement or substitute for single-purpose “gray”
infrastructure investments such as pipes, filters, and ponds. The “green”
alternative is often less expensive than structural solutions, and can help
reduce costs of flooding in neighborhoods receiving the benefits.
In April 2011, EPA renewed its commitment to
green infrastructure with the release of the “Strategic Agenda to Protect Waters
and Build More Livable Communities through Green Infrastructure.” The agenda
identifies community partnerships as one of five key activities that EPA will
pursue to accelerate the implementation of green infrastructure and EPA
announced partnerships with 10 “model communities”.
In February 2012, EPA announced the availability
of $950,000 in technical assistance to a second set of partner communities to
help overcome some of the most common barriers to green infrastructure. EPA
received letters of interest from over 150 communities across the country.
Monday, July 23, 2012
EPA Reaches Agreement with Park Nicollett Health Services; Company Will Fund Lead Abatement in Low-Income Housing
Press release:
For Immediate Release
No. 12 – OPA055
EPA Reaches
Agreement with Park Nicollett Health Services; Company Will Fund Lead Abatement
in Low-Income Housing
Chicago (July 23, 2012) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency has reached an agreement with Park Nicollet Health Services to
resolve allegations of Clean Air Act violations at Methodist Hospital in St.
Louis Park, Minnesota. EPA alleged the company failed to keep required records
and submit required reports on emissions from ethylene oxide sterilizers at the
hospital. After being notified of the violations, the company took steps to meet
all requirements.
Under a consent agreement and final order, Park
Nicollet Health Services will pay an $18,750 fine and spend $56,250 on a project
to protect families in St. Louis Park and Minneapolis from hazards associated
with lead-based paint. The project will include removing lead-based paint and
dust and replacing lead-based painted surfaces or fixtures in low-income housing
occupied by children under age 6 or pregnant women.
“As a result of this agreement, the people of
Minneapolis will breathe cleaner air and fewer young children will be exposed to
dangerous lead at home,” said EPA Regional Administrator Susan
Hedman.
Lead exposure affects the nervous system and can
cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning
disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and younger are most
at risk.
More
information about toxic air pollutants and about lead is available on EPA’s
Website: http://www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/newtoxics.html and http://www.epa.gov/lead/.
EPA Fines Violators for Failure to Report Chemical Data
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2012
July 23, 2012
EPA Fines Violators for Failure to Report
Chemical Data
WASHINGTON
– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has issued complaints
seeking civil penalties against three companies for alleged violations of the
reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA). The alleged violations involved the companies’ failure to comply with
EPA’s TSCA section 8 Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) regulations, which require
companies to submit accurate data about the production and use of chemical
substances manufactured or imported during a calendar year. Under TSCA,
penalties can be assessed up to $37,500 per day, per
violation.
Formerly known as the IUR, the TSCA Chemical
Data Reporting Rule requires the collection of information about existing
chemicals on the market by requiring periodic reports about the production and
use of chemicals to help understand the risks they may pose to human health and
the environment. The data collected by EPA is the most comprehensive source of
information for chemicals currently in commerce in the U.S.
The reporting deadline for the 2006 IUR rule
ended in March of 2007. EPA’s enforcement efforts have led to 43 civil
enforcement actions and approximately $2.3 million dollars in civil penalties
against companies that failed to report required chemical data information. The
reporting deadline for the 2012 submission period of the Chemical Data Reporting
Rule is August 13, 2012.
The three most recent cases are against Chemtura
Corporation, Bethlehem Apparatus Company, and Haldor Topsoe, Inc., and resulted
in penalties totaling $362,113.
The Chemtura Corporation is headquartered in
Philadelphia, Pa. and has a facility located in El Dorado, Arizona. In a May 31,
2012 complaint, EPA alleged that the facility failed to report two chemicals
pursuant to the 2006 IUR rule and assessed a penalty of $55,901. The company
corrected the violations, paid the penalty and a final order was issued by the
Environmental Appeals Board (EAB) on June 25, 2012.
During an inspection of the Bethlehem Apparatus
Company, located in Hellertown, Pa., EPA found that the facility was in
violation of the 2006 IUR Rule for one chemical substance. EPA also determined
during the inspection that the company had failed to comply with the export
notification requirements as required under TSCA section 12(b) and the import
certification requirements as required under TSCA section 13 on a number of
occasions for the same chemical substance. The company corrected the violations
and paid a $103,433 penalty proposed in a May 31, 2012 complaint.
Haldor Topsoe, Inc., headquartered in Houston,
Texas, is subject to a TSCA complaint that was filed on June 20, 2012. The
complaint alleged that that the company had violated the 2006 IUR rule for 13
chemical substances. The complaint assessed a proposed penalty of $202,779,
which the company paid on July 2, 2012.
More information about the settlements and EPA’s
TSCA enforcement program:
More
information about TSCA reporting requirements: http://www.epa.gov/iur/
R129
Saturday, July 21, 2012
EPA Awards over $57,000 to Improve Water Quality and Environmental Education in San Angelo
Press release:
EPA
Awards over $57,000 to Improve Water Quality and Environmental Education in San
Angelo
(DALLAS – July 20, 2012) The Environmental Protection
Agency has awarded $57,500 to the Upper Colorado River Authority (UCRA).
The UCRA will use the grant to track sources of bacteria in a San Angelo-area
waterway to help plan water quality improvement strategies.
The grant will also fund development of
environmental education programs for San Angelo students. A water quality
stewardship program will target schools with lower socioeconomic populations,
while an additional program will be developed for all seventh-graders in the San
Angelo Independent School District.
Additional Information on EPA grants is
available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm
More about activities in EPA Region 6 is
available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html
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