DOT Revises Hazardous Material Packaging Requirements

 The effective date for the final rule is October 1, 2010.

Environmental Resource Center Goes Solar

On February 5, Environmental Resource Center flipped the switch activating a 4.3 kW (8,991 kWh) pole mounted photovoltaic solar power generation system at its main office in Cary, North Carolina. The solar installation is just a part of Environmental Resource Center’s ongoing commitment to reducing the carbon footprint and the environmental impact of not only our operations, but to help our clients meet their sustainability goals.

The solar panels help power Environmental Resource Center’s online training, hazmat databases, production of training materials for live training, and EHS consulting services. The system will prevent an estimated 6.5 tons of C02 from being released to the atmosphere each year.

Brian Karnofsky Jailed for Muscular Dystrophy

Brian has been arrested and will be put in jail for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) lock-up. We need to collect $2,000 for the MDA to help bail him out. Your tax deductible donation will help MDA continue research into the causes and cures for 43 neuromuscular diseases.

If you enjoy reading the Environmental Tip of the Week™, now is the time to help us give hope to kids and families that need our help. 

Brian is the President of Environmental Resource Center. Many of you helped bail him out in 2007, 2008, and 2009, but he’s on his way back to jail this year. Don’t bother asking what crimes he’s committed—just know that we need your help bailing him out. 

DOT to Raise Hazmat Registration Fees

 For the approximately 6,725 hazardous materials shippers and carriers not qualifying as a small business or not-for-profit organization, this rulemaking would adopt a fee increase from $975 to $2,975 (plus a $25 administrative fee in both cases) for registration year 2010-2011 and following years. The fee increase is necessary to fund the National Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness (HMEP) grants program at the statutorily authorized level of $28 million annually. The purpose of the HMEP Grants Program is to support hazardous materials emergency response planning and training activities by states and local governments.  

Kyoto Mechanism Failing to Curb Super Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

 Moreover, only 43% are being destroyed under the Kyoto CDM mechanism. It is also possible that some companies receiving financing under the Kyoto CDM to destroy HFC-23 are not complying. 

Dr. Stephen Montzka of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and his co-authors calculate global emissions of roughly 13,500 metric tons of HFC-23 annually between 2006 and 2008—a rate that is nearly 50% higher than it was in the 1990s. About 11,000 of the annual 13,500 metric tons came from developing countries. 

HFC-23 is an unwanted byproduct of the production of another greenhouse gas, HCFC-22, which is used as a refrigerant in air conditioners and refrigerators and as a feedstock for other chemicals, but is scheduled for an accelerated phase-out under the Montreal Protocol. Over 100 years, 1 pound of HFC-23 is 14,800 times more powerful than 1 pound of CO2 in changing the climate. 

“These HFC-23 emissions are entirely unnecessary and are pushing the Earth toward unmanageable climate impacts,” said Durwood Zaelke, President of IGSD, and Director of the International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement. “It’s time for all HFC production to be brought under the Montreal Protocol, a treaty with a near perfect record for compliance and enforcement and the only international environmental treaty where every country in the world is a member.” 

Last year, the Montreal Protocol Parties considered proposals submitted by the Federated States of Micronesia and Mauritius (jointly), and the US, Mexico, and Canada (jointly), that would phase down the production and consumption of HFCs under that treaty, leaving emissions in the Kyoto basket of gases. Deliberations on the issue are expected to continue this year. Further discussions are expected this year. 

Texas Program Tallies Consumer Participation in Computer Recycling

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) announced first-year results on Texas’ computer recycling program, which requires computer manufacturers that sell in Texas to offer consumers convenient, free recycling for their brands of computer equipment. As part of this program, manufacturers collected for reuse or recycling 12,400,000 pounds of computer equipment in Texas from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2009.

Currently, 81 manufacturers representing 116 brands are participating in the program. The TCEQ encourages consumers to take advantage of these recycling opportunities in 2010. Recycling used computer equipment helps conserve the reusable materials contained therein, including copper, lead, and steel. 

Texas consumers can also learn how to recycle their computer equipment by visiting the Texas Recycles Computers Website. The site provides a link to each manufacturer’s program as well as additional information for consumers, manufacturers, and retailers. For more information on the program contact the TCEQ’s Pollution Prevention and Education section, 512-239-3143. 

Obama Proposes $10 Billion EPA 2011 Budget

“To meet our environmental challenges and ensure fiscal responsibility, we’re proposing targeted investments in core priorities. This budget cuts spending while promoting clean air, land and water, growing the green economy and strengthening enforcement,” said Administrator Jackson. “The president’s budget is focused on creating the conditions that help American families, communities and small businesses thrive. Clean air, clear water and green jobs are rebuilding the foundations for prosperity in communities across the country.” 

Budget Highlights: 

Cleaning up communities: This budget includes $1.3 billion to address Superfund sites that may be releasing harmful or toxic substances into the surrounding community. Cleaning up these sites improves communities’ health and allows for these properties to be used for economic development. 

In addition, $215 million is provided to clean up abandoned or underused industrial and commercial sites that are available for alternative uses but where redevelopment may be complicated by the presence of environmental contaminants. Revitalizing these once productive properties, known as brownfields, helps communities by removing blight, satisfying the growing demand for land, and enabling economic development. EPA will focus its efforts on area-wide planning and cleanups, especially in under-served and economically disadvantaged communities. 

This budget also offers $27 million for EPA’s new Healthy Communities Initiative. This initiative will address community water priorities; promote clean, green, and healthy schools; improve air toxics monitoring in at-risk communities; and encourage sustainability by helping to ensure that policies and spending at the national level do not adversely affect the environment and public health or disproportionally harm disadvantaged communities. 

Improving Air Quality: In addition to the funding provided through the Healthy Communities Initiative, this budget includes $60 million to support state efforts to implement updated National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). EPA proposed stricter air quality standards for smog and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and will work with states to help them meet those standards in the years ahead.

Building Strong State and Tribal Partnerships: This budget includes $1.3 billion for state and tribal grants. State and local governments are working diligently to implement new and expanded requirements under the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. New and expanded requirements include implementation of updated NAAQS and addressing emerging water quality issues such as nutrient pollution. In addition to the $25 million for greenhouse gas permitting and $60 million to support state efforts to implement updated NAAQS, the $1.3 billion for state and tribal grants includes $45 million for states to enhance their water enforcement and permitting programs. In order to help tribes move forward with implementation of environmental programs, $30 million is budgeted for a new competitive Tribal Multi-media Implementation grant program. To further enhance tribal environmental management capabilities, this budget also includes an additional $9 million for Tribal General Assistance Program grants.

Taking Action on Climate Change: This budget contains more than $43 million for additional efforts to address climate change and work toward a clean energy future. EPA will implement the greenhouse gas reporting rule; provide technical assistance to ensure that any permitting under the Clean Air Act will be manageable; perform regulatory work for the largest stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions; develop standards for mobile sources such as cars and trucks; and continue research of carbon capture and sequestration technologies.

Protecting America’s Waters: This budget broadens efforts to clean up America’s great waterbodies. It provides $63 million for efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and $17 million for the Mississippi River Basin to respond to non-point source control recommendations of the Nutrients Innovation Task Group and implement recommendations outlined in the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Action Plan.

This budget also invests $3.3 billion to maintain and improve outdated water infrastructure and keep our wastewater and drinking water clean and safe. This is in addition to $6 billion in funding provided to states through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Assuring the Safety of Chemicals: This budget calls for $56 million for chemical assessment and risk review to ensure that no unreasonable risks are posed by new or existing chemicals. This budget also invests $29 million (including $15 million in grants funding) in the continuing effort to eliminate childhood lead poisoning, and $6 million to support national efforts to mitigate exposure to high-risk legacy chemicals, such as mercury and asbestos. 

Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and Working for Environmental Justice: This budget contains $8 million for environmental justice programs. It targets increased brownfields investments to under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, and proposes $9 million for community water priorities in the Healthy Communities Initiative, funds that will help under-served communities restore urban waterways and address water quality challenges. EPA is committed to identifying and addressing the health and environmental burdens faced by communities disproportionately impacted by pollution. This commitment is fulfilled through the agency’s efforts to give people a voice in decisions that impact their lives and to integrate environmental justice in EPA programs, policies and activities. 

Environmental and Health Groups Face Off Against Household Cleaner Giants in Court

The environmental groups assert that the manufacturing giants are refusing to follow a New York state law requiring them to disclose the chemical ingredients in their products and the health risks they pose. Independent studies show a link between many chemicals commonly found in cleaning products and health effects ranging from nerve damage to hormone disruption. With mounting concern about the potential hazards of chemicals in these products, advocates are defending consumers’ right to know and asking companies to follow the law. 

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” said Earthjustice attorney Keri Powell. “It’s time for these companies to stop hiding behind a veil of secrecy and give consumers the information they need to protect themselves and their families.” 

Last week, the United States Senate committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing looking into the current science on public exposures to toxic chemicals. Advocates are awaiting introduction of federal legislation to reform the nation’s badly broken system of regulating toxic chemicals. And internationally, companies are preparing to comply with Europe’s new chemical regulations (known as REACH). 

“The bottom line is that hazardous ingredients that have not been tested for long-term health impacts, like asthma or even birth defects, are being used in some cleaning products,” said Erin Switalski, executive director of Women’s Voices for the Earth. “Consumers have a right to know if they are spraying their kids’ high chairs with toxic chemicals. Without full ingredient disclosure from these companies, there’s simply no way to be sure.” 

The nonprofit public interest law firm Earthjustice brought the court case last year on behalf of a coalition of state and national groups, including Women’s Voices for the Earth, Environmental Advocates of New York, New York Public Interest Research Group, Clean New York, Riverkeeper, Sierra Club, and American Lung Association in New York. 

“Manufacturers of household cleaning products have a responsibility to inform consumers and state regulators about chemicals in their products that may endanger human health or the environment,” said Laura Haight, senior environmental associate with NYPIRG. “This is not only common sense; here in New York, it’s the law.” 

Cleaning product manufacturers are taking notice of the changing climate toward toxics in products.And three weeks after the disclosure lawsuit was filed, household cleaner manufacturing giant SC Johnson announced that it would begin disclosing the chemical ingredients in its products through product labels and a website. 

“Sierra Club is working through the courts and with the industry on efforts to fill in the gaps where the public still doesn’t have the information it needs to make smart consumer decisions,” said Tom Neltner, co-Chair of Sierra Club’s Toxics Committee. “This New York law can protect consumers by allowing a government agency such as the New York Department of Environmental Conservation to review confidential business information.”

Ingredient disclosure requirements are virtually non-existent in the United States. The exception is a long-forgotten New York state law which requires household and commercial cleaner companies selling their products in New York to file semi-annual reports with the state listing the chemicals contained in their products and describing any company research on these chemicals’ health and environmental effects. But in the three decades since the 1976 law was passed, companies failed to file a single report. 

“Information is the best armor we have to protect our families from everyday hazards. And New York State already has a law on the books requiring companies to report the toxic chemicals that go into their products. The law needs to be enforced,” said Saima Anjam, Environmental Advocates of New York. 

Studies show links between chemicals in common household cleaners and respiratory irritation, asthma, and allergies. Occupational exposures to some ethylene glycol ethers, often used as solvents in cleaning products, are associated with red blood cell damage, reproductive system damage, and birth defects. Some solvents in cleaning products are also toxic to the nervous system. 

“Even today, women are still overwhelmingly doing the majority of cleaning, both in the home and as housekeeping staff in most workplaces. Since a woman’s body is everyone’s first environment, it’s essential we protect them from chemicals known to cause reproductive harm, and New York should fully exercise its statutory right to do so,” said Kathy Curtis, policy director from Clean New York. 

Super Bowl Fans Urged to Score One for the Environment

As California football fans buy new flat screen televisions to watch the Super Bowl game, California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is encouraging fans to score one for the environment by not disposing of their old analog and cathode ray sets in the trash or abandoning them. 

Analog television screens are made out of cathode ray tubes or CRTs. CRTs are also used as computer monitors, automated teller machines, and video game machines. The glass screens can contain several pounds of lead. When CRTS are disposed of in a regular landfill, the screens are broken, the glass pulverized, and the lead escapes the glass potentially threatening drinking water sources. 

Lead is a toxic metal that can cause harm to adults and children. It can affect almost every organ in the human body, and can damage the nervous system. It can cause decreased metal ability and learning difficulties in infants. 

DTSC urges all who replace their televisions to locate collectors and recyclers authorized to take unwanted electronic waste. A fee charged on the purchase of a new television and certain other electronic devices helps fund collection and recycling of old video display devices, so many collectors will accept unwanted televisions for free, or charge only a nominal fee. 

Barnes & Noble Pays Fine for Lead in Store Bag

Commissioner Thomas S. Burack of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services announced the execution of an Administrative Fine by Consent Agreement with Barnes & Noble, Inc. of New York City in the amount of $3,000. The Agreement resolves alleged violations of the state’s Toxics in Packaging laws. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Barnes & Noble, which operates five retail stores in New Hampshire, has not admitted liability for the alleged violations but will pay administrative fines totaling $3,000 to the State. The fines resolve allegations that the company distributed plastic store bags that contained high levels of lead and failed to submit Certificates of Compliance upon request. 

In June and in August 2008, the Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH), which coordinates implementation of the law on behalf of ten state members, notified Barnes & Noble of the potential violation and requested a Certificate of Compliance and supporting documentation to prove compliance. State toxics in packaging laws require the submittal of Certificates of Compliance within 60 days of receiving a request. Commissioner Burack said, “New Hampshire passed the toxics in packaging law in 1990, so this is not a new law. We conduct outreach with nine other states through the TPCH, which provided Barnes & Noble the opportunity to address problem without enforcement.” 

Once contacted by the States of Iowa and Washington in the spring of 2009, Barnes & Noble began removing non-compliant bags from circulation. Payment of the administrative fine followed an Administrative Order issued to Barnes & Noble by DES in September 2009. The Barnes & Noble response to the Administrative Order included a statement that the company had removed the non-compliant bags from all of its New Hampshire stores prior to the date of the Administrative Order. 

For more information on this case or on New Hampshire’s toxics in packaging law, contact Sharon Yergeau, Planning, Prevention & Assistance Unit, at 603-271-2918. 

Man Arrested for Burning Hazardous Waste

The Louisiana DEQ’s Criminal Investigations Division and the Louisiana State Police have arrested a Calcasieu Parish man for felony disposal of hazardous substances that could endanger human health or the environment. 

In May 2009, Michael Joseph Marshall, 64, was ordered by Calcasieu Parish to clean up his property and demolish a dilapidated structure on his property. After receiving an order to remove the structure, Marshall allegedly visited the fire department at Ward 8, District 2, in August 2009 in order to seek permission to burn the structure on his property. After being informed by fire department personnel that burning the structure was illegal, Marshall allegedly told them that he would burn the structure anyway. On August 22, 2009, Marshall allegedly set fire to the structure intentionally. Neighbors and eyewitnesses to the fire reported several explosions during the incident. Once the fire was brought under control, DEQ and fire department personnel discovered several high pressure cylinders in the remains of the structure. 

During the incident, Marshall was issued a misdemeanor summons by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office for parking a vehicle at the entrance to the property, thereby obstructing fire department from responding. 

DEQ emergency responders arrived on the scene while the fire was still in progress. The incident was forwarded to DEQ-CID Investigator Bobby Kingham who took the lead in the investigation. 

“Environmental crimes affect all of us in Louisiana.” said Colonel Mike Edmonson, State Police Superintendent. “The arrest of Michael Marshall sends a strong message that this type of activity will not be tolerated. Through our partnerships with DEQ and other local agencies, we will continue to seek out and arrest those who purposely jeopardize the health of our citizens and the beauty of our state.” 

Illegally burning a solid or hazardous waste of this type is a felony and, upon conviction, could lead to a fine of not more than $100,000 per violation, which may be assessed for each day the violation continues, and costs of prosecution, or imprisoned at hard labor for not more than 10 years, or both. 

“Illegal burning of any magnitude poses a serious threat to the environment and stopping this activity is a top priority for DEQ-CID,” said Jeffrey Nolan, DEQ-CID Manager. “Anyone found to be willfully engaging in such an illegal act does so to the detriment of our clean air and the quality of life for the citizens of Louisiana. This will not be tolerated under this administration.” 

EPA and DOE Join States to Speed Energy Efficiency Progress

This network is meant to help states achieve maximum cost effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices, buildings and industry by 2020. Strengthening energy efficiency initiatives across the country helps to save money and protect the environment at the same time. 

“In the clean energy future, energy efficiency is action number one. We can cut greenhouse gases and protect our environment while we save money for homeowners, schools and businesses,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “With strong federal support, our state partners can realize these benefits even faster than expected and move aggressively into a clean, affordable energy future.” 

“Expanding energy efficiency is one of the quickest, most cost-effective ways we can address climate change and grow America’s economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “The State Energy Efficiency Action Network will help provide states with the technical and policy support they need to invest in energy efficiency, saving energy and money for families and businesses across the country.” 

The SEE Action Network will be led by the DOE and the EPA. Through the Network, DOE, EPA and other member organizations will assist states with their energy efficiency initiatives, including residential efficiency programs, financing solutions, and improving availability of energy usage information. It will address the full range of challenges to implementation by providing targeted technical assistance to states in order to reach ambitious national energy goals to greatly improve our nation’s economy and environment. 

The SEE Action Network will drive energy efficiency by using a broad set of goals developed in the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, but will strive to reach these goals five years earlier than originally envisioned. These goals range from establishing state-of-the art billing systems that provide consumers with consistent information on their energy use and costs to developing strong state policies to ensure robust energy efficiency practices. 

The new SEE Action Executive Group will meet for the first time in early March. A number of working groups will continue to meet throughout the year to deliver results on specific goals.

The National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency has reports and tools for states advancing energy efficiency. 

EPA Announces New Support for Sustainable Communities

EPA announced three steps to support communities’ efforts to provide their citizens with economic opportunity while reducing impacts on the environment. The actions will encourage state and local government to make their communities more sustainable by strategically aligning their environmental, transportation, and housing investments.  

The steps EPA announced are:

•  
• A new pilot grant program designed to help three states—New York, Maryland, and California—use their clean water funding programs to support efforts to make communities more sustainable.
• A pilot program to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites, known as brownfield sites, in coordination with communities’ efforts to develop public transportation and affordable housing.

The announcements build on the work EPA is doing with HUD and DOT through the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The partnership is focused on ensuring that housing and transportation goals are met while simultaneously protecting the environment, promoting equitable development, and helping to address the challenges of climate change.

The brownfields pilot program represents a key step in that partnership. Together, EPA, HUD, and DOT have selected five pilot sites across the country where there is a convergence of public transit and the need for affordable housing. Cleaning and reusing this land and providing new housing choices will create jobs and new economic opportunities. The five sites selected for the Sustainable Communities Partnership Pilots are the Fairmount Line in Boston; the Smart Growth Redevelopment District in Indianapolis; the La Alma/South Lincoln Park neighborhood in Denver; the Riverfront Crossings District in Iowa City, Iowa; and the Westside Affordable Housing Transit-Oriented Development in National City, California. 

The Office of Sustainable Communities will help create neighborhoods that offer good jobs, educational opportunities, safe and affordable homes and transportation options while minimizing their impact on the environment. The Pilot Technical Assistance Program for Sustainable Communities will further that goal by encouraging states to use their Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan program to better support communities that adopt sustainable strategies, like transit-oriented, mixed-use development. 

Obama Announces Steps to Boost Biofuels, Clean Coal

President Barack Obama has announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs. 

At a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from around the country, the President laid out three measures that he said will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. The EPA has finalized a rule to implement the long-term renewable fuels standard of 36 billion gallons by 2022 established by Congress. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed a rule on the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) that would provide financing to increase the conversion of biomass to bioenergy. The President’s Biofuels Interagency Working Group released its first report—Growing America’s Fuel. The report, authored by group co-chairs, Secretaries Vilsack and Chu, and Administrator Jackson, lays out a strategy to advance the development and commercialization of a sustainable biofuels industry to meet or exceed the nation’s biofuels targets. 

 Our nation’s economy will continue to rely on the availability and affordability of domestic coal for decades to meet its energy needs, and these advances are necessary to reduce pollution in the meantime. The President calls for five to ten commercial demonstration projects to be up and running by 2016. 

President Obama said, “Now, I happen to believe that we should pass a comprehensive energy and climate bill. It will make clean energy the profitable kind of energy, and the decision by other nations to do this is already giving their businesses a leg up on developing clean energy jobs and technologies. But even if you disagree on the threat posed by climate change, investing in clean energy jobs and businesses is still the right thing to do for our economy. Reducing our dependence on foreign oil is still the right thing to do for our security. We can’t afford to spin our wheels while the rest of the world speeds ahead.” 

“Advancing biomass and biofuel production holds the potential to create green jobs, which is one of the many ways the Obama Administration is working to rebuild and revitalize rural America,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Facilities that produce renewable fuel from biomass have to be designed, built and operated. Additionally, BCAP will stimulate biomass production and that will benefit producers and provide the materials necessary to generate clean energy and reduce carbon pollution.” 

“President Obama and this Administration are strongly committed to the development of carbon capture and storage technology as a key part of the clean energy economy. We can and should lead the world in this technology and the jobs it can create,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu 

“The actions President Obama has taken today will create jobs, slash greenhouse gas emissions and increase our energy security while helping to put America at the leading edge of the new energy economy,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The renewable fuel standards will help bring new economic opportunity to millions of Americans, particularly in rural America. EPA is proud to be a part of the President’s effort to combat climate change and put Americans back to work—both through the new renewable fuel standards and through our co-chairmanship with the Department of Energy of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage.” 

 EPA has finalized a rule implementing the long-term renewable fuels mandate of 36 billion gallons by 2022 established by Congress. The Renewable Fuels Standard requires biofuels production to grow from last year’s 11.1 billion gallons to 36 billion gallons in 2022, with 21 billion gallons to come from advanced biofuels. Increasing renewable fuels will reduce dependence on oil by more than 328 million barrels a year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than 138 million metric tons a year when fully phased in by 2022. For the first time, some renewable fuels must achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions—compared to the gasoline and diesel fuels they displace—in order to be counted towards compliance with volume standards. 

Mary D. Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board (ARB), released the following statement supporting the standard: “The California Air Resources Board applauds the EPA for its efforts to conduct a thorough assessment of the climate-related impacts of renewable fuels. It is notable that both the EPA, and CARB have determined that sound science compels the consideration of land use change in any lifecycle analysis of the greenhouse gas impacts of fuels. While our regulatory programs differ somewhat, we look forward to working closely with the EPA and with the National Academy of Sciences to continue evaluating the lifecycle analysis of fuels. CARB fully stands behind the President’s call for a comprehensive energy and climate bill that will include biofuels and other next-generation alternative fuels to help lower greenhouse gas emissions and drive the development of clean energy jobs and technologies.” 

 USDA has proposed a rule for Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) to convert biomass to bioenergy and bio-based products. USDA provides grants and loans and other financial support to help biofuels and renewable energy commercialization. BCAP has already begun to provide matching payments to folks delivering biomass for the collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of biomass to eligible biomass conversion facilities. 

 In May, President Obama established the Biofuels Interagency Working Group—co-chaired by USDA, DOE, and EPA, and with input from many others—to develop a comprehensive approach to accelerating the investment in and production of American biofuels and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. The Working Group released its first report: Growing America’s Fuel—a new U.S. Government strategy for meeting or beating the country’s biofuel targets. The report is focused on short term solid government solutions supporting the existing biofuels industry, as well as accelerating the commercial establishment of advanced biofuels and a viable long-term market by transforming how the U.S. Government does business across Departments and using strategic public-private partnerships. 

 Charting the path toward clean coal is essential to achieving the Administration’s clean energy goals, supporting American jobs and reducing emissions of carbon pollution. Rapid development and deployment of clean coal technologies, particularly carbon capture and storage (CCS), will help position the U.S. as a leader in the global clean energy race. The President’s memorandum establishes an Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage to develop a comprehensive and coordinated federal strategy to speed the development and deployment of clean coal technologies. 

The Task Force will be co-chaired by representatives of from DOE and EPA and include participants from at least 9 different agencies and offices. The Task Force shall develop within 180 days a plan to overcome the barriers to the deployment of widespread affordable CCS within 10 years, with a goal of bringing five to ten commercial demonstration projects on line by 2016. The plan should address incentives for CCS adoption and any financial, economic, technological, legal, institutional, or other barriers to deployment. The Task Force should consider how best to coordinate existing federal authorities and programs, as well as identify areas where additional federal authority may be necessary.  The Task Force shall report progress periodically to the President, through the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. 

New System Provides Hybrid Electric Carss with Power to Spare

An advancement in hybrid electric vehicle technology is providing powerful benefits beyond transportation. Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have designed, fabricated, and demonstrated a PHEV traction drive power electronics system that provides significant mobile power generation and vehicle-to-grid support capabilities. 

“The new technology eliminates the separate charging mechanism typically used in PHEVs, reducing both cost and volume under the hood,” said Gui-Jia Su of ORNL’s Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center. “The PHEV’s traction drive system is used to charge the battery, power the vehicle and enable its mobile energy source capabilities.” 

Providing more power than typical freestanding portable generators, the PHEV can be used in emergency situations such as power outages and roadside breakdowns or leisure occasions such as camping. Day-to-day, the PHEV can be used to power homes or businesses or supply power to the grid when power load is high, according to Su. 

The charging system concept, which is market ready, could also be used to enhance the voltage stability of the grid by providing reactive power, Su said. 

The Power Electronics and Electric Machinery Research Center is DOE’s broad-based research center helping lead the nation’s advancing shift from petroleum-powered to hybrid-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The center’s efforts directly support DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Program and its goal to provide Americans with greater freedom of mobility and energy security while lowering costs and reducing impacts on the environment. 

Cast-Fab Fined for Air Pollution Control Permit Violations

Ohio EPA and Cast-Fab, an iron foundry in Cincinnati, have reached an agreement to settle air pollution control permit, rule, and law violations. The company has agreed to pay a $80,000 civil penalty. 

Cast-Fab has many air pollution sources and is regulated by a permit that is required of major air pollution sources. The permit establishes emission limits as well as monitoring, record-keeping, and reporting requirements. 

Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services (HCDOES) serves as Ohio EPA’s contractual representative administering air pollution control programs in the greater Cincinnati area. In 2007 and 2008, HCDOES issued the company notices of violation documenting violations of Ohio’s air pollution control laws which were primarily identified by the company in its deviation and other reports. Violations included the failure to:

• Perform weekly visible emissions checks
• Record information gathered from pollution control equipment inspections
• Check baghouses weekly
• Collect and record coating information
• Maintain pressure drop of baghouses within required ranges
• Submit timely semiannual deviation reports
• Use low volatile organic compound content coatings
• Limit coating use to three gallons or less for certain sources

Cast-Fab has corrected the problems and is now in compliance. 

Illinois EPA Notifies Electronic Manufacturers of Recycling and Reuse Act Requirements

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director Doug Scott has notified computer, television, and printer manufacturing companies doing business in Illinois of advancements in requirements as they implement recycling programs for excess electronic waste (e-waste). 

They must establish a system for recycling and/or reusing computers, monitors, televisions, and printers discarded from residences. 

Electronic products are among some of the fastest growing portion of the solid waste stream in Illinois. This law, and all phases therein are intended to increase the recycling rate as contents including lead, mercury, cadmium, and other materials pose health and environmental risks for Illinois residents. Beginning January 1, 2012, computers, monitors, televisions, and printers will be banned from landfill disposal. 

“This program is not only beneficial to the residents of Illinois, but it offers a firm solution to resolving a number of waste management problems caused by electronic waste in Illinois,” said Director Scott, “This Act demonstrates our commitment to improve waste management throughout the state.” 

Each year, the Illinois EPA sets a statewide goal for the amount of e-waste that must be recycled and then allocates that goal among electronics manufacturers based on various formulas included in the Act. The statewide recycling goal for 2010 is 31 million pounds of e-waste. Manufacturers are required to pay for e-waste recycling and/or refurbishment up to the amount of their annual goal. 

The law does not specify methods for manufacturers to meet these obligations, believing that the free market approach will determine over time the most cost-effective means of annual goal achievement.

ConocoPhillips Agrees to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations in Colorado

EPA announced a Clean Air Act settlement in which ConocoPhillips Company agreed to install pollution control equipment and implement other emission reduction practices that will reduce harmful emissions and conserve natural gas at their Argenta and Sunnyside Compressor Stations located on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in the San Juan Basin near Ignacio, Colorado. 

The agreement requires the company to pay $175,000 in civil penalties. It also mandates air pollution reduction and conservation practices at the two natural gas compressor stations and associated well heads leading to the facilities. 

According to a complaint filed with the settlement, the company allegedly violated provisions of the Title V Federal Operating Permit Program of the Clean Air Act. The company has worked cooperatively with EPA to appropriately resolve these violations. 

“The settlement will formalize ConocoPhillips Company’s commitment to reduce emissions of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, air toxics and greenhouse gases, while conservation measures help return valuable natural gas to the marketplace,” said Carol Rushin, EPA’s Region 8 Acting Regional Administrator. 

The control measures and operational improvements are expected to:

• Reduce air pollution emissions, including greenhouse gases and hazardous air pollutants, by more than 500 tons annually
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, equivalent to taking more than 1,100 cars off the road each year
• Conserve enough natural gas to heat approximately 220 homes annually

As part of the settlement, ConocoPhillips has agreed to:

• Retrofit the remaining six large uncontrolled engines at the two compressor stations with catalytic oxidation control systems
• Retrofit or replace existing pneumatic controls with lower emitting components
• Implement a program to detect and repair leaking equipment at the two compressor stations using an infrared camera capable of detecting emissions of volatile organic compounds

University of Bridgeport Fined for PCB Violations

The University of Bridgeport (UB) has paid a $12,900 fine and will complete a supplemental environmental project (SEP) worth at least $56,000 to settle claims by EPA that it violated federal regulations covering the storage and handling of polychlorinated biphenyls (). 

According to EPA, PCBs were improperly disposed when PCB transformer oil from two transformers on UB’s campus spilled/leaked onto the transformer cabinets, the concrete pads that the transformers stood on, and the nearby ground. UB then failed to properly store both transformers, mark the storage areas with the proper labeling, and failed to mark each transformer with the date it was removed from service. 

UB has since sent the two PCB transformers to a disposal facility authorized for PCB waste and has addressed a PCB cleanup for the concrete pads and the surrounding affected areas. 

In addition to paying a penalty, UB will perform a SEP that involves taking an inventory of all transformers on its campus, determining the PCB content of each transformer, and either retrofilling or disposing of all transformers with PCB content equal to or greater than 50 ppm. In addition, UB has agreed to fulfill all of the terms and conditions of its current, EPA-approved PCB cleanup plan, submit a remedial action plan (RAP) to the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) to close three former underground storage tanks on its site, and then carry out that plan once it is approved by CT DEP. 

EPA Asks Public to Report Suspicious Oil and Gas Activity

These may include the drawing of water from water courses, the illegal disposal of well wastewater, or other questionable activity. For emergencies related to a well drilling operation, the EPA advises individuals to call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802. Individuals may leave anonymously tips. 

EPA to Reform TSCA Confidentiality Clause

 EPA’s new TSCA policy will better target chemicals of concern to assess and regulate new and existing chemicals. 

EPA Proposes Significant New Use Rule for Carbon Nanotubes

This action would require persons who intend to manufacture, import, or process the substance for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this proposed rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity. The required notification would provide EPA with the opportunity to evaluate the intended use and, if necessary, to prohibit or limit that activity before it occurs. 

Have You Been Bamboozled by Bamboo Fabrics?

Looking to be a more environmentally conscious shopper? You’ve probably heard about bamboo. Bamboo stands out for its ability to grow quickly with little or no need for pesticides, and it is used in a variety of products, from flooring to furniture. But when it comes to soft bamboo textiles, like shirts or sheets, there’s a catch: they’re actually rayon. 

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, wants you to know that the soft bamboo fabrics on the market today are rayon. According to the FTC, they are made using toxic chemicals in a process that releases pollutants into the air. Extracting bamboo fibers is expensive and time-consuming, and textiles made just from bamboo fiber don’t feel silky smooth. 

The FTC says that there is no evidence that rayon made from bamboo retains the antimicrobial properties of the bamboo plant, as some sellers and manufacturers claim. Even when bamboo is the plant source used to create rayon, no traits of the original plant are left in the finished product. 

According to the FTC, companies that claim a product is bamboo should have reliable evidence, like scientific tests and analyses, to show that it’s made of actual bamboo fiber. 

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