EPA to Hold Community Meeting on Ethylene Oxide Emissions in Hahnville, La.

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA to Hold Community Meeting on Ethylene Oxide Emissions in Hahnville, La.

 

(DALLAS – Aug. 18, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a virtual community meeting to provide residents of Hahnville, Louisiana, with information about ethylene oxide (EtO) and its health effects. EPA staff will present information specific to the Hahnville area, including risk levels associated with EtO and information about actions taken by industrial facilities to control or reduce EtO emissions. Participants will be able to provide feedback and ask questions.

 

Members of the media are invited to attend. Please RSVP to R6Press@epa.gov.

 

WHO:             U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

   

WHAT:          Ethylene Oxide Community Meeting for Hahnville, La.  

 

WHERE:       Zoom link: https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1606230938

                        Meeting ID: 160 623 0938

 

WHEN:          Thursday, August 19

                        6 pm CDT

 

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EPA Announces two Northern California Winners of President’s Student Environmental Awards

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA Announces two Northern California Winners of President’s Student Environmental Awards

Watsonville, Calif. student group and Pleasanton, Calif. student among those recognized in a virtual ceremony by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), is pleased to announce the 2021 recipients of the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE) and the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). In Watsonville, Mount Madonna School’s 5th Grade’s “Save Our Sharks - A Fintastic Tale” video earned one national award, while Pleasanton 11^th grader Hiya Shah’s Maji-Water Education and Security project was another winner.

“This past school year has been one of the most challenging for our nation, yet students and teachers across the country remained dedicated to tackling the most pressing environmental challenges we face – from climate change to environmental justice,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’m so proud of the remarkable youth and educators we’re honoring today, and their work to make a difference in their communities. By working hand in hand, we can create a more sustainable, more equitable world.”

“It is humbling and inspiring to see the impact these educators and students are having on their communities and our planet,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “I congratulate the awardees and the schools they represent for applying their creativity, leadership, and passion to solving the environmental problems of our time, from confronting the climate crisis and conserving our lands and waters to pursuing environmental justice for all. These remarkable educators and students are leading the way toward a more equitable, sustainable and healthy future.”

“SOS: Save Our Sharks - A Fintastic Tale” is a student-driven project that supports shark conservation. The 5th grade class at Mount Madonna School in Watsonville created an educational movie to show how people’s choices impact sharks and the marine ecosystem, raised funds for shark conservation, wrote letters to elected representatives to support a shark fin trade ban, and cleaned up local beaches.

Hiya Shah, an 11th grade student, developed a project called “Maji-Water Education and Security” that involved a youth-led outreach campaign and a full-length documentary. In response to PFAS found in some of Pleasanton’s groundwater wells, Hiya helped make real-time water quality information accessible through a mobile app (called Maji) to promote proactive approaches to conserve water, prevent water pollution, and secure clean water access to communities. Hiya also designed a bioinspired PFAS removal and filtration system that reduces energy requirements.

In California, four additional student projects were recognized as Honorable Mentions for the President’s award:

• The Evergreen Makers are a team of seven 11^th graders from San Jose, who created an autonomous mobile robot that uses machine learning and environmental data to suggest optimal crops and rotation patterns called Croptomize.
• Ina Kathleen Chun, an 11th grader from Irvine, developed a project to address food insecurity and climate change called, “Green Gardens/Global Interactions of Topsoil Loss.”
• The Green Team and Progressive Club, a group of five 12^th graders from Chula Vista, work to address plastic pollution through their project, “Recycle Plastic Waste into Asphalt Roads.” The team worked with California Senator Hueso to write State Bill (SB) 1238, which he introduced and was passed in the California Senate.
• Kelly Tung, a 10th grader from Cupertino, founded the Youth Environmental Power Initiative (YEPI), a nonprofit organization that promotes alternative transportation, safe biking and walking to lead future leaders to fight against climate change and make positive changes for our environment.

The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.

To read about the winning projects in detail, visit: www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award-peya-winners and www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

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 From EPA Press Office:

ENERGY STAR Expands Efforts to Improve Energy Efficiency of U.S. Data Centers

WASHINGTON – (August 16, 2021) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing expanded efforts to drive energy efficiency improvements among U.S. data centers. Through its ENERGY STAR program, EPA has launched an updated specification for ENERGY STAR certification of data storage products, unveiled a brand-new website experience designed to serve as the go-to place for data center energy efficiency resources, and will be updating its 1-100 ENERGY STAR score for data centers. 

“The data center computing sector is growing rapidly. Reducing the sector’s annual 70 billion-plus kWh use is essential to fighting the climate crisis,” said Joseph Goffman, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “The ENERGY STAR updates EPA is announcing today will lead the industry towards greater innovation and deep carbon savings.”

Ten years ago, data center energy use was predicted to grow exponentially as digital computing expanded. However, gains in energy efficiency—both at the network hardware and storage level, as well as at the building level—have mostly offset this growth. Between 2010 and 2018, data center computing grew by 500 percent, while data center energy use only grew by six percent. ENERGY STAR played a significant role in this progress, but much more is required as digital computing data needs continue to grow rapidly.

EPA’s ENERGY STAR program has been a critical player in the drive to improve the energy efficiency of data centers. Data center equipment that earns the ENERGY STAR label is independently certified to meet strict efficiency specifications set by the EPA. For example, labeled computer servers are on average 30% more efficient than non-certified products. In addition to servers, eligible products include uninterruptible power supplies, data center storage, and large network equipment like switches and routers.

Earlier this year, EPA released an updated ENERGY STAR specification for data center storage products, adding active-mode requirements and requiring more efficient power supplies. The program also added new how-to content and case studies to its website.

ENERGY STAR also provides data center owners and operators with a 1-100 ENERGY STAR score that rates the energy efficiency of their entire facility compared to similar facilities nationwide, as well as ENERGY STAR certification to those that out-perform their peers.

More than 190 data centers representing nearly 30 million square feet of floor space have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification. The ENERGY STAR score for data centers was first launched in 2010 and is based on 2008 survey data. Since then, the number of data centers has grown substantially, and much work has been done to improve their energy efficiency.

This fall, to ensure that the ENERGY STAR score continues to give data center owners and operators an up-to-date picture of their performance, EPA will partner with The Green Grid, a leading data center industry association, to conduct a survey of data centers’ energy and water use. EPA intends to use the survey results to update its 1-100 ENERGY STAR score for data centers.

Data centers are one of the most energy-intensive building types, consuming 10 to 50 times more energy per square foot than a typical office building. In 2014, data centers in the U.S. consumed an estimated 70 billion kWh, representing about 1.8% of total U.S. electricity consumption. Based on estimates in 2016, U.S. data centers were projected to consume approximately 73 billion kWh in 2020.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including nearly 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with EPA to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Together, since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs, and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions, all through voluntary action. Learn more about ENERGY STAR at energystar.gov/about.

See a list of ENERGY STAR certified data centers: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/certified_data_centers

Learn more about ENERGY STAR certified data center products: https://www.energystar.gov/products/data_centers

Learn more about ENERGY STAR for data centers: https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/tools-and-resources/energy-star-score-data-centers

EPA Announces Baton Rouge Catholic High School Student Among 2021 President’s Environmental Youth Awards Winners

 EPA News Release:

 EPA Announces Baton Rouge Catholic High School Student Among 2021 President’s Environmental Youth Awards Winners
 

 

Media contacts: Jennah Durant at r6press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

 

DALLAS – (Aug. 13, 2021) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), is pleased to announce Steffek Taylor Rainey of Baton Rouge’s Catholic High School is among the 2021 recipients of the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). Steffek is being recognized for developing a reusable water bottle to reduce ocean-bound plastic waste.

 

 “This past school year has been one of the most challenging for our nation, yet students and teachers across the country remained dedicated to tackling the most pressing environmental challenges we face – from climate change to environmental justice,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “I’m so proud of the remarkable youth and educators we’re honoring today, and their work to make a difference in their communities. By working hand in hand, we can create a more sustainable, more equitable world.”

 

“It is humbling and inspiring to see the impact these educators and students are having on their communities and our planet,” said White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory. “I congratulate the awardees and the schools they represent for applying their creativity, leadership, and passion to solving the environmental problems of our time, from confronting the climate crisis and conserving our lands and waters to pursuing environmental justice for all. These remarkable educators and students are leading the way toward a more equitable, sustainable and healthy future.”

 

“Steffek’s project shows how vision, ingenuity and persistence can help find solutions for the biggest environmental challenges we’re facing,” said Acting Regional Administrator David Gray. “Reducing plastic waste is vital to protecting ocean water quality and marine life, and we appreciate Steffek’s work toward achieving this goal. Congratulations to Steffek on his President’s Environmental Youth Award.”

 

Recognizing that 40% of all plastic waste in the Gulf of Mexico originates from the Mississippi River, which runs through his hometown of Baton Rouge, Steffek saw the connections between his use of single-use plastics and pollution. Using Louisiana State University Innovation Park, he researched and developed a reusable bottle that includes storage compartments to house reusable silverware and a straw. Steffek estimates that each person who uses the bottles consistently could save 55 pounds of plastic waste from being disposed of per year. While the bottle is in the pre-manufacturing stage, he has performed environmental advocacy work with state legislators, the Louisiana Department of Education, the Louisiana Governor Policy Advisor, and a large food company. Louisiana State University has also expressed interest in purchasing the bottles for its incoming class, which Steffek predicts could save 426,250 pounds of plastic from polluting the environment annually.

 

The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.

 

EPA also recognized 15 educators for their leadership and commitment to environmental education and environmental stewardship with the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators (PIAEE). This year, five educators received the 2021 PIAEE, and 10 educators were recognized with an honorable mention distinction. Winning educators demonstrated leadership by integrating environmental education into multiple subjects and using topics such as climate change, a healthy school environment, environmentally friendly agriculture practices, human contributions to ocean litter, STEM education, and recycling or school gardens.

 

Additionally, 32 students who worked as a team or individually on 16 projects received the President’s Environmental Youth Award; 14 students received honorable mentions. Their stewardship projects, conducted in 2020, display a commitment to participating in creative sustainability efforts, restoring native habitats, and installing renewable energy projects.

 

 To read about the winning projects in detail, visit: www.epa.gov/education/presidents-environmental-youth-award-peya-winners and www.epa.gov/education/presidential-innovation-award-environmental-educators

 

 

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

Activities in EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central

 

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EPA agreement with Kennedy Center protects water quality of Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA agreement with Kennedy Center protects
water quality of Potomac River, Chesapeake Bay

PHILADELPHIA – (August 13, 2021) – The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. has settled alleged Clean Water Act violations at its facility in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

The Kennedy Center, located at 2700 F St NW, has a Clean Water Act permit regulating its discharges of condenser cooling water from the facility’s air conditioning system into the Potomac River, which is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. 

This settlement addresses alleged violations of temperature and pH discharge permit limits required under the Kennedy Center’s Clean Water Act permit. EPA also cited the Kennedy Center for failing to timely submit monitoring reports and failing to submit pH influent data. Additionally, the agreement addresses alleged violations identified by the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment during a prior inspection of the facility.

As part of the settlement, the Kennedy Center is required to submit a compliance implementation plan. The Kennedy Center has certified that it is now in compliance with permit requirements.

This agreement is part of EPA’s National Compliance Initiative: Reducing Significant Non-Compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits. For more information about the Clean Water Act permit program, visit www.epa.gov/npdes.

 

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EPA, New Mexico collaborate with Sceye on air quality monitoring initiative

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA, New Mexico collaborate with Sceye on air quality monitoring initiative
Five-year study will provide data critical to understanding air quality issues  

 

Media contacts: Jennah Durant at r6press@epa.gov or 214 665-2200

 

DALLAS – (Aug. 13, 2021) Yesterday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a partnership with the state of New Mexico related to air quality research. EPA signed a memorandum of understanding with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and Economic Development Department (EDD) to develop a project using airships to monitor and study air quality.

 

“EPA’s partnership with states is the cornerstone of achieving our mission to protect public health and the environment,” said EPA Region 6 Acting Regional Administrator David Gray. “EPA is committed to helping our state and local partners overcome environmental challenges, especially complex ones like air quality issues that cross multiple national, state, and local borders.”

 

“Under this partnership, we will study pollution sources and their impacts on climate and air quality from 65,000 feet above New Mexico,” said NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney. “As a result, we will increase our scientific understanding of climate change and air pollution to inform our ambitious policymaking.”

 

“This memorandum of understanding to collaborate on air quality research will help us better understand the nature and source of air pollutants,” said Wayne Cascio, acting principal deputy assistant administrator for science in EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “This effort will build upon previous collaborations with NASA to help EPA advance our knowledge on the use of high-altitude measurements for monitoring air pollutant emissions and concentrations on the ground.”

 

The MOU facilitates collaborative air- and energy-related research on emission sources within New Mexico as well as neighboring states and countries, such as Texas and Mexico. 

 

Once the MOU is in place, EPA and Sceye, a material science company based in Moriarty, New Mexico, intend to enter into a public-private Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, which will specify how the monitoring data will be shared. Sceye builds and operates High Altitude Platform Stations, or HAPS, to provide environmental monitoring as well as internet access.

 

“The state Economic Development Department is supporting this collaboration to help boost this innovative company based in New Mexico so it can grow faster and have an opportunity to use its technology on a broader scale,” said EDD Cabinet Secretary Alicia J. Keyes. “New Mexico is one of the cradles for this technology. It is being manufactured here in New Mexico and is creating highly paid, skilled jobs in the state that will help diversify the economy.”

 

Future data gathered by the airships will:

 

• Allow NMED to increase monitoring of air quality – especially in rural areas – within the same areas in which the airships will provide broadband internet access
   
• Provide quantitative information on emissions from air pollutant sources to help support industry compliance with air quality rules and permits

• Provide information to help the state determine how much air pollution stems from Mexico and neighboring states such as Texas and contribute to New Mexico’s air quality issues
   
• Inform public health and environmental coordination efforts between the U.S. and Mexico
   
• Help EPA evaluate and enhance the use of high-altitude monitoring and air quality models on a broader, nationwide level

 

By placing instrumentation on the airships, which rise 65,000 feet above the earth’s surface, scientists and regulators from the EPA and NMED will have an unprecedented view of concentrations of greenhouse gases, particulate matter, ground-level ozone and other harmful air pollutants. In addition, regulators will have an unprecedented view of the sources of these pollutants. With over 60,000 oil and gas sources across New Mexico, utilizing state-of-the-art technology is critical to gaining a comprehensive view of industry emissions.

“We see our HAPS as instant infrastructure,” said Sceye Founder and CEO Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen. “We can use our position in the stratosphere to not only expand broadband access to all, but also to transform how we monitor and care for our environment. Tracking emissions with precision and real time data is the key to realizing New Mexico’s ambitions for improving air quality. The state can set a national standard.”

 

The five-year joint study between the state and EPA is expected to begin next year.

Connect with EPA Region 6:

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eparegion6 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/EPAregion6

Activities in EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-6-south-central

 

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EPA levies penalties against SoCal renovation firms for lead-related violations in L.A. schools

 U.S. EPA News Release:

EPA levies penalties against SoCal renovation firms for lead-related violations in L.A. schools

LOS ANGELES – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced six lead-based paint enforcement actions against renovation firms doing work in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) elementary schools that serve historically marginalized communities. EPA under the Biden Administration is prioritizing the use of enforcement tools to advance environmental justice. The renovation firms in this case failed to comply with the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which requires them to protect workers, the public, and children from exposure to lead. They will pay a combined total of over $55,000 in penalties.  

“Reducing childhood lead exposure is a top priority for EPA,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Amy Miller. “It is critical that contractors get certified and follow lead-safe work practices while renovating schools and residences. If they don’t do so, they will face penalties.”

EPA settled with Buena Park-based Bitech Construction Company Inc., Whittier-based Kemp Brothers Construction Inc. and MIK Construction in Santa Fe Springs for violations of the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). All firms performed renovation work on schools without EPA certification and did not retain proper records, including documentation ensuring that a certified renovator was assigned to the project, that on-the job training was conducted for workers, and that workers performing renovation were certified or trained by a certified renovator. Several of the firms failed to ensure that a certified renovator performed the post-renovation cleaning verification at the schools, and to confirm that the property owners received the required “Renovate Right” pamphlet. The firms will pay the following penalties:

• Bitech: $18,982
• Kemp: $16,691
• MIK: $16,814

Three Expedited Settlement Agreements (ESA) were also reached with AMG & Associates, Inc. in Santa Clarita, CA, and Woodcliff Corporation and Mackone Development, Inc., both in Los Angeles, CA. Each firm will pay $1,000 for bidding on a RRP job without first obtaining an EPA Firm Certification.  

Under the terms of the settlements, the companies agreed to pay the civil penalties and to certify that they are in compliance with the RRP Rule, which requires the use of lead-safe work practices during renovations. The RRP was created to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards that occur during repair or remodeling in homes and child-occupied facilities, such as schools, that were built before 1978. The schools impacted in this case all serve majority lower-income communities where most residents are people of color. These communities experience high cumulative pollution exposure.

Though harmful at any age, lead exposure is most dangerous to children under the age of six. Lead exposure can cause behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and diminished IQ. LAUSD is the second largest school district in the United States, and between 2018 and 2021 94% of firms inspected by EPA and used by LAUSD to perform renovations in elementary schools were not in compliance with EPA’s certification requirements. Since then, 87% of the firms have returned to compliance with the RRP Rule.

Learn about the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule and program: https://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program.

Report a lead-based paint violation: https://www.epa.gov/lead/pacific-southwest-lead-based-paint-tips-complaints.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.