Governor
Donald L. Carcieri announced that the Rhode Island
air pollution control regulations have been amended to significantly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. The updated regulations take
effect in 20 days. The EPA announced its plans to allocate the FY 2006 increase of $18 million for national water quality monitoring.á These funds supplement an existing
allocation of approximately $200 million annually to support state, interstate agency,
and tribal programs to combat water pollution. EPA is issuing two actions
related to vehicle emissions durability testing procedures.á First, EPA is issuing a final rule that
establishes vehicle aging procedures that automotive manufacturers must use to
demonstrate that its vehicles will continue to meet the emission standards throughout
the required useful life period (120,000 miles for most cars and trucks).á EPA is completing this action to fulfill
a court mandate issued on The Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging residents to make
ôgreenö resolutions for the New Year. ôPreserving
and protecting the stateÆs natural resources takes great
commitment,ö said DEP Secretary Colleen M. Castille.
ôFloridaÆs citizens can help make a positive impact in 2006 by
adopting environmentally-friendly practices.ö To help you
get started, here are ten simple resolutions that will make 2006 cleaner and
greener. Conserve
energy. Conduct an energy audit on your home to determine areas for
improvement. Energy specialists can identify areas where you can save energy at
little or no cost. Bike, walk,
bus or carpool at least one day a week. Explore alternative means for
transportation to protect FloridaÆs air quality. Clean air is important
to our health and our environment. Recycle
wisely. Buying products made of recycled content helps maintain the market
value of recyclable materials. To learn more about recycling visit www.floridadep.org/waste.á Build it
green. Reduce impact from remodeling or building a new home by recycling your
construction waste, using re-claimed building materials, using less toxic
materials, paints and finishes, and designing your project to conserve energy. Compost leftover food. Composting is
an easy way to reduce the amount of garbage produced per household. Conserve
water. Check bathroom fixtures for leaks and plan for a more efficient summer
irrigation. Handle
hazardous waste properly. Reduce or eliminate use of chemicals and pesticides
to fertilize lawns and gardens. Garden naturally and take leftover hazardous waste
to County household collection centers free of charge. Volunteer in
your community. The tireless efforts of volunteers play a vital role in
protecting and conserving FloridaÆs natural resources. Help maintain and
preserve the stateÆs greenways and trails, parks and coastal areas. Enjoy the
great outdoors. Visit FloridaÆs award winning State Parks. Ask about
activities and special nature programs. For more information about Florida
State Parks, visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.áá Learn about
your environment. Visit one of the education centers at FloridaÆs Coastal
and Aquatic Managed Areas (CAMA). Learning about the stateÆs coastal treasures
increases understanding for the need to protect its waters and important
wildlife. For more information visit www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/ Beginning this
year, Marylanders will have greater resources to dispose of their old consumer
electronics. And computer makers could be penalized and/or lose their right to
tap into the vast Maryland electronics market, if they do not act under
provisions of a new state law. Beginning January 1, 2006, 100s of millions of dollars will
be available to implement energy efficiency measures impacting Commercial, Industrial,
and Residential (existing and new
construction)ábuildings.ááThese taxáincentives could mean
up to $500 for residential retrofits, $2,000 per home for new residential
construction, and $1.80/square foot for commercial buildings. But how can you
get these incentives? á This free one-day workshop will explain the technologies and
efficiency measures necessary to claim the energy efficiency tax incentives
included in the 2005 Energy Policy Act (EPAct) and
provide a "partnership networking" session for interested parties to
form joint promotion, marketing, and implementation partnerships to promote the
utilization of energy efficient building tax incentives in the Southeast.á á Learn the advantage of these tax incentive
opportunities.á Join in lively discussions with your fellow builders,
appliance retailers, manufacturers, energy service companies, public policy
officials and many others, to find ways we can all work together and bring this
new era into being. áThe chance to
get these incentives will end at the end of 2007. á Experts from the energy efficiency community will lead the
discussions and help answer your questions on how to claim the incentives as
well as the most cost effective way to build to get the tax incentives. Panels will
include speakers from the Alliance to Save Energy, ASHRAE, Designers,
Manufacturers, IRS, Department of Energy, Southface
Energy Institute (EarthCraft House), RESNET, and
more... á The conference will be held January 31, 2006 in
Atlanta.á Please RSVP to NilsPetermann at npetermann@ase.org.
For additional information about the tax incentive workshop, including updates,
contact Chris White (cwhite@seea.us),
Interim Director SEEA, Kelly Ross Gillespie (kross@ase.org),
or visit the SEEA website (www.seea.us). NEI is a particularly valuable tool when looking at the
combined effects of pollutants. It pulls together 188 hazardous air pollutants
and six criteria air pollutants, and combines many
varied sources ù stationary and mobile, point and nonpoint,
onroad and offroad. The data will be rolled into other EPA databases, such as AirData. This is searchable by
geographic categories such as EPA region, state, county, metro area, and nonattainment area, and by pollution categories such as
emission type and facility source, in both table and map formats. Many
organizations and government agencies likely will use this data for tasks such
as evaluating trends, targeting pollution sources, and assessing combined
effects. áThe final database will be
available here (and
see About the National Emission Inventory
Database for more information). The Connecticut Department of Public Works has agreed to pay
a $12,500 penalty to the EPA and to spend $26,150 on environmental projects to
settle claims it violated environmental laws concerning oil spills at a building formerly
owned by the State of Connecticut at the Fairfield Hospital Complex in Newtown,
Conn. The agreement stems from an incident Dec. 8, 2003, in which
the facility discharged about 5,000 gallons of heating oil into Deep Brook, a
sensitive trout stream, leading to the death of hundreds of fish. The discharge
came from a 10,000-gallon above ground storage tank that had suffered a line
failure.á According to EPA, the
state DPW had no Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure plan for the
facility, as required by the federal Clean Water Act, and did not have adequate
secondary containment to contain a spill. As part of the agreement, the DPW will audit all its tank
systems to identify ways to reduce the potential of oil spills at all DPW
facilities with underground and aboveground tanks beyond what is required by
state or federal laws. The DPW will also put in place specific oil-containment
improvements at individual facilities, such as eliminating day-tanks that
contain oil at certain facilities, connecting sump oil sensors to security
alarm systems, and installing software to detect leaks and shut down pumps in
the event of leaks at specific facilities. ôOil spills can have a major
impact on our waterways and overall water quality,ö said Robert W.
Varney, regional administrator of EPAÆs New England Office. ôNot
only private companies, but state agencies and municipalities must take
appropriate action to ensure that state and local facilities comply with oil
pollution prevention regulations.ö EPA settled a similar case in June with the Town of Newtown,
Conn. for a 4,000-gallon spill in December 2004 from an underground storage
tank at Reed Intermediate School. The town agreed to pay a $5,000 penalty and
spend $10,000 in environmentally beneficial projects to resolve those claims
with EPA. Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality Director Steven E. Chester applauded
Governor Jennifer M. GranholmÆs veto of House
Bill 4617, a bill that would have serious implications for the stateÆs
cleanup program, and would put property owners, the health of residents, and
their environment at risk. ôI am
pleased with the action taken by the Governor to stand up for MichiganÆs
future,ö said Director Chester. ôWe all share a commitment to
growing MichiganÆs economy, but we cannot do that at the expense of our
environment or the health of our citizens.ö Director
Chester indicated that the DEQ has worked to be responsive to the concerns of
area citizens, including implementing a new policy that clarifies the agency's
role in the cleanup process, as well asáoffering alternative language to
the sponsors of HB 4617.áWhile those efforts were ultimately ignored,
Director Chester indicated a need to work together with concerned legislators
to reach a satisfactory conclusion to this issue. ôI look
forward to continuing our efforts to resolve any disagreements or
misunderstandings about how the stateÆs cleanup program works,ö
said Director Chester. ôI am confident that we can all arrive at a
solution that truly protects homeowners, and protects our environment.ö EPA Region 5 has settled with Doboy
Inc. of New Richmond, Wis., for an alleged violation of federal hazardous waste
regulations. Doboy will pay a $52,246 penalty. The Office of Water has released a publication entitled
ôOverview of Authorities for Natural Resource Managers Developing Aquatic
Invasive Species Rapid Response and Management Plans.ö This publication
provides an overview of EPA authorities that may apply to aquatic invasive
species rapid response or control actions.á
This is a tool designed for natural resource managers developing aquatic
invasive species rapid response and management plans.á The document can be accessed online at www.epa.gov/owow/invasive_species .á To obtain a free copy of this document
call the Water Resource Center at 202-566-1729 and ask for document number
EPA842-B-05-002. A technical study on fecal coliform bacteria
pollution is complete and available to the public, outlining the extent and
magnitude of the problem in the Walla Walla River
watershed.á The Walla Walla and Touchet rivers have
been placed on Washington state's list of polluted
waters for not meeting water quality standards for bacteria that are designed
to protect people who use the rivers for swimming and other recreation. From June 2002
to June 2003, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) collected water
quality samples from the Walla Walla River, Touchet River, Mill Creek, and several other tributaries in
the basin. The
information gained will be used in a multi-year process of developing a
water-quality improvement plan, sometimes called a total maximum daily load
(TMDL) study, required by the federal Clean Water Act. "We'll
use this technical report to propose ways we can reduce fecal coliform bacteria in the rivers and tributaries," said
Jim Bellatty, who manages water-quality issues in
Eastern Washington. "We will be working with the community to identify
ways we can reverse this trend and bring the river back to health."á Ecology will develop an implementation
strategy in cooperation with the local community to reduce or eliminate the
problem. Scientific
analysis has indicated that most fecal coliform
detected was from warm-blooded animal sources, such as farm and domestic
animals, wildlife, and treated human waste from wastewater treatment plants and
on-site septic systems. The report
calls for more detailed monitoring and field investigations to find specific
sources of bacteria. In addition, the report calls for a closer look at how
runoff from storm events is managed in urban parts of the basin and whether
disinfection systems at wastewater treatments plants are reliable. Governor Edward G. Rendell announced that Pennsylvanians
recycled a record 4.8 million tons of municipal waste in 2004, the latest year
for which statistics are available. The economic benefits of recycling are estimated at more
than $113 million in materials collected and more than $259 million of avoided
disposal costs, in addition to the substantial environmental gains from
recycling. ôOur investments to support community recycling
efforts and innovative private-sector initiatives have made Pennsylvania a
national leader in recycling,ö Governor Rendell said. ôIn
Pennsylvania, we are committed to protecting the environment and to using
environmental protection measures to foster job creation and economic
growth.ö The CommonwealthÆs recycling and reuse industry
includes more than 3,200 establishments with total annual sales of $18.4
billion. The industry employs more than 81,000 people and has an annual payroll
of $2.9 billion. The employment, payroll and sales numbers are more than any
other state in the Northeast United States and are the second highest in the
nation. In addition, PennsylvaniaÆs recycling and reuse
industry has an indirect effect on the economy estimated at $1.8 billion, and a
direct impact on the tax base, contributing $305 million each year. According to reports filed by Pennsylvania counties for
2004, the state diverted 4.8 million tons of municipal waste from disposal at
landfills and waste-to-energy facilities, continuing an upward trend that began
with passage of the stateÆs recycling law in 1988. Municipal waste
includes typical refuse from households, businesses, schools and institutions
as well as industry offices and lunchrooms. The economic benefit of recycling in 2004 can be assessed in
part by using published commodity prices for goods such as steel cans, glass,
plastic bottles and corrugated paper. An analysis of 1.4 million tons of
PennsylvaniaÆs 2004 recycling reveals the materials were worth almost $54
million. If the remaining 3.4 million tons of other materials were valued at even
half this amount, the total would be more than $113 million. This does not include the estimated value of avoided
disposal, which can be calculated as more than $259 million at the estimated
statewide average disposal cost of $54 per ton. ôAcross the commonwealth, people are recycling more at
home, at work and even in public places,ö Environmental Protection
Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said. ôOur
partners in municipal governments are using innovative collection programs not
only to diversify what they collect, but also to make their programs more
efficient. The recycling and reuse industries are creating new and valuable
uses for recyclable materials. Together, we are saving millions of tons of
materials and using them to grow our economy.ö The EPA redesignated the Douglas,
Ariz. area as having met the federal health standard for sulfur dioxide
and approved the stateÆs plan to maintain healthy levels for the next ten
years. Why the focus on sulfur dioxide?
With these new amendments filed by the Department of Environmental Management,
Rhode Island joins eight other states in adopting the California's greenhouse
gas emission standards by the end of 2005. Governor Carcieri
announced in October that he planned to amend the state's air pollution control
regulations and adopt the California standards.
"Emissions from motor vehicles represent the largest source of greenhouse
gas emissions in Rhode Island. In amending our state's air pollution control
regulations, we are directly addressing this issue," Governor Carcieri said.á "These
new California emissions standards, which are the toughest in the nation, will
significantly lower the amount of pollution and greenhouse gas that are emitted
from vehicles purchased in this state. This will improve the air quality for
all Rhode Islanders."
"These new standards are an important step towards my goal of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions," Governor Carcieri
said. "Not only will we see a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas
emissions from vehicles when the standards are fully implemented, but consumers
will save money when they purchase new vehicles."
The new emissions standards limit the amount of carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrous oxide, and certain air conditioning refrigerants emitted by the fleets
of vehicles sold by auto manufacturers. This includes medium-duty weight class
vehicles.
Standards will be phased in over the 2009 through 2016 model year period,
although auto manufacturers can meet the new requirements with existing
technology, some of which is already being used on vehicles today, the Governor
said. The amendments will apply to new vehicles sold in Rhode Island beginning
with model year 2009.
While the cost of new vehicles meeting the greenhouse gas standards is expected
to increase approximately $1,000 by 2016, that increase will be offset by
increased fuel efficiencies with these more fuel-efficient vehicles. With
gasoline at $2.20 per gallon, a vehicle owner can expect to save $170 per year
during a five-year loan period.
W. Michael Sullivan, Ph.D., Director of DEM, said, "The transportation
sector contributes almost 40 percent of Rhode Island's greenhouse gas
emissions. Regulating emissions from new vehicles is a very efficient and
effective means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This program gives us more
than two to two-and-a-half times the reduction than any other program in the
state's Greenhouse Gas Action Plan."
Governor Carcieri and his administration have taken a
number of steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Rhode Island. In addition
to updating air pollution control regulations, Governor Carcieri
signed into law in June a renewable energy standard that will gradually
increase the amount of renewable energy provided to Rhode Islanders from two to
16 percent by 2020. He also directed that energy to power the State House be
powered by renewable energy sources.
In August, Governor Carcieri issued two Executive
Orders that require all new state vehicles be powered by alternative fuels or be hybrid electric vehicles and that the state take
energy-efficiency measures for new or renovated state buildings.
In 2001, Rhode Island signed the Climate Change Action Plan adopted by the
Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers. That plan
set greenhouse gas reduction goals for the region as the following: reducing
emissions to 1990 levels by 2010, and reducing emissions to 10 percent below
1990 levels by 2020. Rhode Island's Greenhouse Gas Action Plan contains 52
options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The reductions that will take
place by adopting the California greenhouse gas standards, in addition to the
California LEV II regulations, adopted last year, will significantly contribute
to meeting Rhode Island's targets. In addition to the LEV II regulations, which
reduce hydrocarbon emissions, in 2004 the Governor also directed that renewable
energy be used to power the State House for the next five years.
With this announcement, Rhode Island joins Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington in adopting the
California emissions standards by the end of 2005.$18 Million Targeted for Water Quality Monitoring
The agency is changing the way it allocates funds under the water pollution
control grant program (known as Section 106 of the Clean Water Act).á The agency allocates the funds through a
prescribed allotment formula.á Under
the revised process, EPA will be better able to target these additional funds
to help carry out priority areas that include monitoring for pollutants.á The process requires the agency to
consult with states and interstate agencies prior to finalizing the allocation
formula.á This action was taken in
response to the FY 2006 budget calling for an increase in funding of
water-quality monitoring nationwide.New Vehicles Tested For Emissions Durability
In addition, EPA is proposing options for testing the durability of vehicle
emissions-related components, such as oxygen sensors and catalytic
converters.á This supplemental proposal, will include options for addressing the durability
of emissions-related components from three testing procedures.á The first option would retain the
current EPA process of allowing manufacturers to use good engineering judgment,
such as computer modeling, test data, or other established methods to
demonstrate component durability.á
The second option would allow manufacturers to continue using the
current EPA process, but would require the manufacturers to submit whole
vehicle testing data for a worst-case vehicle configuration.á The third option would allow
manufacturers to continue using the current EPA process, but would also require
that manufacturers submit data when a new type of component or a new technology
is being introduced.Florida Encourages Green Resolutions in 2006
Computer Manufacturers Must Register, Pay Fee or Lose Right to Sell In Maryland
MarylandÆs new Statewide Computer Recycling Pilot Program law, enacted
July 1, increases computer recycling and manufacturersÆ responsibility
for management of their end of life products. MarylandÆs Department of
the Environment (MDE) is responsible for ensuring that computer manufacturers register
and pay a registration fee by January 1, 2006. The fees will be used to provide
grants to counties and municipalities for computer recycling activities and to
assist the department with providing outreach and education and computer
recycling opportunities statewide.
ôBecause the law is new and unlike the laws in California and Maine, the
program has answered many phone calls and emails in recent months requesting
clarification on the lawÆs provisions,ö said MDE Secretary Kendl P. Philbrick. ôIf computer
manufacturers do not comply with the law, the department will take appropriate
steps to ensure that they do.ö
In April, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. signed House Bill 575 that created
the new program. It is one of only three state laws regulating the management
of used electronics. MarylandÆs law requires manufacturers of an average
of more than 1,000 computers over the previous three years to register with the
department and pay an initial $5,000 annual registration fee if they want to sell
computers in Maryland on or after January 1, 2006. In subsequent years, if a
manufacturer has implemented a take back program for their computers that is
free to the returner and acceptable to the
department, the registration fee may be reduced to $500 per year. The law
affects manufacturers of desktop computers, laptop computers, and computer
monitors.
MDE estimates approximately 150 computer manufacturers are required to register
and pay the fee. ôWith the holidays over soon and many new gift computers
replacing older ones, it is expected that many Marylanders will be looking for
reuse and recycling opportunities,ö said MDE Waste Management
Administration Director HoracioTablada.
ôOnce the new program is completely up and running, it should be able to
assist in this effort by providing much needed resources to enhance existing
recycling infrastructure and environmentally sound management of end of life
computers.ö
Nearly 4,000 tons of electronics have been collected for recycling in the state
since October 2001, when electronics recycling, or ôeCycling,ö
began with an EPA Region 3 eCycling Pilot Project
launch in Harford County.
For more information on eCycling, please visit the
DepartmentÆs website at: www.mde.state.md.us/eCycling or contact Hilary Miller via email at hmiller@mde.state.md.usTax Incentives Workshop for Energy Efficient Buildings
National Air Emissions Inventory Due Soon
Just how bad (or good) is the air you breathe? Who or what are the major
polluters? Has anybody cleaned up their act?á EPA is expected to release a significant
update to its National Emission Inventory Database early in 2006, possibly as
soon as the first week of January (though it could be as much as a month or two
later). The new version will be based on 2002 data, instead of 1999, and will
use improved methodology to update categories such as nonpoint
sources and hazardous air pollutants. EPA says the upgrade shouldn't create
major changes in previous air pollution estimates.Connecticut DPW to Pay $38,000 for Oil Spill
DEQ Director Applauds Veto; Indicates Work Still to be Done
$52,246 Penalty for Failure to Determine if Paint Filters are Hazardous
The company failed to determine, from 2000 to 2004, if waste filters from its
wet paint spray booth were hazardous. EPA and the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources inspected the Doboy package-making
facility in March 2004. Its manufacturing process produces paint waste that
requires disposal in an EPA-approved hazardous waste facility.
Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, EPA controls hazardous waste
from its production to final disposal.New Document on Rapid Response to Invasive Species
Report Available on Bacteria Pollution in Walla Walla Rivers
Recycling in Pennsylvania Tops 4.8 Million Tons, Saving Materials Valued at $113 Million
EPA Redesignates Douglas Area as Attaining Sulfur Dioxide Standard
ôWe are working with the state of Arizona to make sure that federal air
quality designations match the actual air quality in Arizona,ö said Kerry
Drake, the EPAÆs Air Division associate director for the Pacific
Southwest region. ôThe EPA, the state, and local agencies can now focus
efforts on areas that are failing to meet federal air quality standards.ö
The Phelps-Dodge Douglas Reduction Works smelter was the major source of SO2 in
Douglas until operations closed in 1987. The smelter had the potential to emit
400,000 tons of SO2 annually, which is over 100 times the
total current sources combined. There are currently several minor
sources of SO2 in the Douglas area, but none produce emissions of the magnitude
of the Phelps-Dodge smelter.
SO2 causes adverse health effects, including reduced lung function, increased
respiratory illness, altered lung defenses, and aggravated existing
cardiovascular disease. Children, the elderly, and people with asthma are the
most vulnerable. SO2 has a variety of additional impacts, including acidic
deposits, crops and vegetation damage, and corrosion of natural and man-made
materials.
The last time the Douglas area exceeded the primary SO2 federal air quality
standards occurred in 1986. There have been no monitored or modeled violations
of the standards since the end of the Phelps-Dodge smelter operations.Tacoma Terminals Fined $49,927 for Tier II Reporting Violations
The Seattle office of the EPA announced that Konoike-Pacific
Tacoma Terminals has agreed to pay $49,927.73 to settle violations of the
federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The company
failed to report large quantities of ammonia stored at its Tacoma cold storage
facility to proper emergency response authorities.
Facilities that store significant quantities of certain hazardous chemicals,
such as ammonia, are required to submit an inventory of each chemical to the
State Emergency Response Commission, the Local Emergency Planning Committee,
and the local fire department. Emergency responders rely on this information
for their safety and to help protect nearby residents during an emergency, such
as a fire or earthquake. Citizens can also access the information to find out
what chemicals are being stored and used in their neighborhoods.
Konoike-Pacific Tacoma Terminals uses ammonia in its
refrigeration systems. Ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause severe burns
to skin, eyes, throat, and lungs, and with high enough exposure, death.á Learn how to comply with the latest
EPCRA reporting requirements at Environmental Resource CenterÆs
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