Electronic waste from old cell phones, computers, and other devices often contains toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Most of this waste is landfilled, which creates potential health and environmental hazards throughout the U.S. Additionally, a significant amount of e-waste is shipped to developing countries which lack the capacity to manage these wastes safely. Reusing and recycling e-waste reduces the hazards created by the waste and provides opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint and conserve valuable natural resources.
“Used electronics represent the fastest growing segment of local solid waste in our country. Far too many used electronics end up in landfills or are exported to nations where there is little capacity for safe management. Rather than benefitting from the reuse and recycling of valuable components, we see increased exposure to the toxic chemicals and other harmful substances in electronic devices,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “EPA has made the handling of used electronics and e-waste one of our top priorities, and through this task force the U.S. can become the world leader in sustainable electronics management. There are cost-effective and potentially profitable methods to better manage these materials and prevent health and environmental threats at home and around the world.”
“The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that its own waste is properly managed and recycled,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “Identifying opportunities to reuse the valuable resources contained in most disposed electronic devices is an important part of our obligation to protect human health and the environment.”
“Already one of the largest consumers of electronics, we plan to make the federal government the most responsible,” said GSA Administrator Martha Johnson. “Not only will we reduce the federal government’s footprint, we will model behavior for private consumers and use our position in the marketplace to drive the development of sustainable electronics and recycling solutions.”
The interagency task force, co-chaired by EPA, GSA, and CEQ, will develop a national strategy for responsible electronics stewardship, including improvements to federal procedures for managing electronic products. This strategy will also include steps to ensure electronics containing hazardous materials collected for recycling and disposal are not exported to developing nations that lack the capacity to manage the recovery and disposal of these products in ways that safeguard human health and the environment.
On October 11, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson visited the town of Guiyu in Guandong Province, China. Guiyu has a large electronic waste recycling industry. Administrator Jackson saw firsthand some of the approaches being used to recycle and reuse discarded electronics and appliances and discussed remaining challenges and opportunities for collaboration.
Reusing or recycling electronics helps the environment by reducing our carbon footprint and conserving resources. Electronic equipment contains valuable materials, such as precious metals and rare earth minerals, which can be recycled. Recycling these components conserves materials, prevents air and water pollution, and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that occur during extraction, manufacturing, and processing. For example, for every 1 million cell phones recycled, 75 lb of gold, 772 lb of silver, 33 lb of palladium, and more than 35,000 lb of copper can be recovered.
Electronics and other products are usually created from raw materials that are extracted from the earth, transported and processed, distributed, consumed, reused or recycled, and ultimately disposed. Each of these stages creates impacts on the environment, which are unsustainable with limited natural resources. By making smarter choices, consuming less, and reusing and recycling, everyone can contribute to a healthier and more sustainable environment. Also, by promoting responsible electronics stewardship, green jobs can be created and a vibrant American reuse, recycling, and refurbishing industry can be built.
The presidential proclamation is a time to think about creating a sustainable environment by being responsible consumers. By reusing, recycling, and being smarter in the amounts and types of materials used, people can save energy, consume fewer natural resources, and reduce GHG emissions.
Save up to $300 on HAZWOPER Training
For a limited time, you can save up to $300 on the mandatory training you need to maintain your HAZWOPER certification.
Personnel who are expected to stop, contain, and clean up on-site releases are required to have 24 hours of initial training. Personnel who are involved in cleanups at waste sites-including Superfund sites, RCRA corrective action sites, or voluntary cleanups involving hazardous substances must have 40 hours of initial classroom instruction.
Satisfy your training requirements with these comprehensive courses that provide in-depth instruction on how to perform emergency response activities. Topics include hazard recognition, spill control and containment, worker protection, and waste site activities such as site characterization, waste handling, and decontamination. You will have the opportunity to apply your training during a hands-on simulated incident response.
To take advantage of this offer, register by phone at 800-537-2372 and mention this article. These offers can be used by anyone at your facility, however, no other discounts apply.
IATA Update – What’s New for 2011?
Each year, the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) updates and revises the regulations for the transportation of dangerous goods (hazardous materials) by air. If you offer dangerous goods for transportation by air, you must follow the new regulations by January 1. A large number of significant changes are being implemented in the 2011 IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).
At this live webcast, you will learn:
- Changes in the regulations for consumer commodities– new marking and shipping paper entries
- New test authorized to determine classification and packing group of corrosives
- Changes in the classification criteria for magnetized materials
- Revisions to the classification of environmentally hazardous substances, marine pollutants, and aquatic pollutants
- Phase in of new packing instructions for Class 3 flammable liquids, Class 4 flammable solids, Class 5 oxidizers/organic peroxides, Class 8 corrosives, Class 9 miscellaneous, and Division 6
- New entries on the IATA List of Dangerous Goods and new special provisions
- New marking requirements for net quantities, limited quantities, environmentally hazardous substances, and orientation arrows
Advertising Opportunities Available
Environmental Resource Center is making a limited number of advertising positions available in the Environmental Tip of the Week™, the Safety Tip of the Week™, and the Reg of the Day™.
EPA Proposes Guidance for Biofuel Storage in Underground Storage Tanks
EPA is requesting comments on the proposed guidance that clarifies how an UST owner or operator can comply with the federal compatibility requirement for UST systems storing gasoline containing greater than 10% ethanol and diesel containing a percent of biodiesel that is yet to be determined. After reviewing comments, which must be submitted by December 17, 2010, EPA intends to issue the final guidance in early 2011.
HPI Products Inc. and Related Company Fined $150,000 for RCRA, CWA, and EPCRA Violations
HPI Products, Inc., of St. Joseph, Missouri, along with an affiliated property holding corporation and the owner of both companies, have agreed to pay a total of $150,000 in civil penalties, in addition to covering undetermined cleanup costs at six of their chemical processing and manufacturing facilities to settle a series of alleged violations of state and federal environmental laws.
HPI Products, a chemical and pesticide manufacturing company, and St. Joseph Properties, LLC, which owns most of HPI’s production and storage facilities, have agreed to pay $62,500 to the United States, and $62,500 to the State of Missouri to settle the civil claims, according to a consent decree lodged in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri.
William Garvey, who owns HPI Products and St. Joseph Properties, has agreed to pay $12,500 to the United States and $12,500 to the State of Missouri, according to the settlement. Garvey has also agreed to sell his collection of 12 automobiles and three boats and pay the proceeds of those sales to the United States and the State of Missouri.
Additionally, HPI Products will pay $5,980 to reimburse the State of Missouri for past costs incurred in responding to and overseeing previous chemical cleanup activities at the company’s facilities, and another $17,540 to the state for future oversight costs.
Together, the defendants have agreed through the settlement to cover the costs of a forthcoming environmental investigation and subsequent cleanup of HPI Products’ contaminated facilities. Those facilities include HPI Products’ main production plant at 222 Sylvanie, a processing facility at 317 W. Florence Road, and warehouses at 1301 S. 11th Street, 1421 S. 11th Street, 1300 S. 8th Street, 424 S. 8th Street, 313 S. 3rd Street, and 417 S. 4th Street, all in St. Joseph, Missouri.
Because each step of the forthcoming environmental investigation is dependent on the findings from the previous step, total cleanup costs cannot presently be estimated. However, EPA has estimated that costs for the investigation alone could exceed $500,000.
HPI Products has a long history of enforcement actions taken by EPA Region 7 and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).Additional inspections and file reviews noted pollutant discharge violations of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), and chemical reporting violations of the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act ().
On December 23, 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Missouri filed a civil complaint against HPI Products in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, alleging a series of violations of CWA, RCRA, EPCRA, and applicable state law equivalents. This recent consent decree settles those claims.
In separate but related criminal cases prosecuted last year in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri:
- Garvey pleaded guilty on January 27, 2009, to violating the CWA. On September 1, 2009, he was sentenced to six months of confinement and six months in home detention, and was ordered to pay a $100,000 criminal fine.
- HPI Products entered a corporate guilty plea on January 27, 2009, to violating the CWA and RCRA. On March 24, 2010, the corporation was ordered to pay a $300,000 criminal fine.
- On August 31, 2009, HPI Products’ vice president, Hans Nielsen, pleaded guilty to violating sections of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). On January 22, 2010, Nielsen was sentenced to three years’ probation and ordered to pay a $4,000 criminal fine.
In his 2009 guilty plea, Garvey admitted that for nearly 20 years he instructed his employees at various HPI Products locations to wash wastes, spills, and equipment rinses down floor drains which were connected to St. Joseph’s sewer system. Garvey did not authorize sufficient expenditures for the proper disposal of HPI Products’ wastes until 2006.
In HPI Products’ 2009 guilty plea, the company admitted illegally storing numerous 55-gallon drums of hazardous waste, including chlordane, selenium, and heptachlor at its facilities without a permit.
The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final approval by the federal court.
2010 Fuel Economy Trends Report Shows Carbon Dioxide Decrease as Average Fuel Economy Increases
EPA projects a small improvement in 2010, based on pre-model year sales estimates provided by automakers, to 395 grams of CO2 per mile and 22.5 miles per gallon (mpg), though there is uncertainty in these projections as they were made during the atypical automotive market in 2009. The 2010 final data will be available in next year’s report.
For 2009, the last year EPA has final data from automakers, the average CO2 emissions from new vehicles were 397 grams per mile and the average fuel economy value was 22.4 mpg.
The report confirms that average CO2 emissions have decreased and fuel economy has increased each year beginning in 2005. Average CO2 emissions have decreased by 64 grams per mile, or 14%, and average fuel economy has increased by 3.1 mpg, or 16%, since 2004. The positive trend beginning in 2005 reverses a long period of increasing CO2 emissions and decreasing fuel economy from 1987 through 2004.
The annual report provides data on the CO2 emissions, fuel economy, and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles (i.e., cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks).
The CO2 emissions and fuel economy values reflect EPA’s best estimates of real world CO2 emissions and fuel economy performance. They are consistent with the fuel economy estimates that EPA provides on new vehicle window stickers and in the fuel economy guide. These real world fuel economy values are about 20% lower, on average, than those used for compliance with the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) program.
Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc. and Its Affiliates Will Pay Over $6 Million for Oil Spill
The Department of Justice, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the state of Rhode Island have announced that Bouchard Transportation Co. Inc., and its affiliates will pay more than $6 million to settle a portion of the federal and state natural resource damage claims for the April 2003 spill of up to 98,000 gallons of oil into Buzzards Bay.
“Today’s settlement holds accountable those responsible for the spill that impacted 100 miles of New England coastline,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “This settlement will restore shoreline and aquatic habitats vital to commercial and recreational fisheries, enhance breeding grounds for shorebirds such as the federally-threatened piping plover, and improve opportunities for public recreational use.”
The U.S. Coast Guard first reported an oil spill on April 27, 2003. At that time, the tug Evening Tide was towing the unmanned tank barge Bouchard B. 120, which was carrying No. 6 fuel oil. The barge was in route from Philadelphia to the Mirant Power Generating Facility in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
The barge grounded on a shoal soon after entering the western approach to Buzzards Bay, rupturing its hull and allowing the release of the cargo. In the days and weeks following the grounding, winds and currents drove the spilled oil ashore, affecting approximately 100 miles of shoreline in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Cleanup of the oiled shoreline took months, including at Barney’s Joy and Hoppy’s Landing, where a heavy oil coated boulders and cobble.
Hundreds of loons, seaducks, and other birds were killed as a result of the spill. The beaches, which function as breeding and forage habitats for shorebirds, such as piping plovers, were impacted by the spill. In addition, the oil spill adversely affected the public’s use of Buzzards Bay waters and the adjoining coastline, by causing the oiling and temporary closure of shellfishing beds throughout the bay, and restricting boat and beach access.
Bouchard Transportation earlier reached a criminal plea agreement as a result of the spill, agreeing to a fine of $10 million. In the criminal matter, the company was charged with negligently piloting the Evening Tide resulting in the death of migratory birds in violation of the Federal Migratory Bird Act.
The settlement will, once approved by the court, compensate the public for injuries to shoreline and aquatic resources, piping plovers, and coastal recreational uses such as beach access, shellfishing, and boating that depend on the natural resources affected by the spill. The current settlement does not address injuries to terns, loons, and other birds for which compensation from the responsible parties may still be pursued in addition to pursuing recovery of additional damage assessment costs.
Portions of the settlement funds, after public input, may be used to restore salt marsh and river herring runs, and may also be used to fund a potential project to stabilize a critical nesting and fledgling habitat for roseate terns, a federally listed endangered species.
Asbestos Abatement Company Convicted of Illegal Asbestos Removal and Making False Statements to OSHA Inspector
A jury in Rochester, New York, convicted Keith Gordon-Smith, and his Rochester-based asbestos abatement company, Gordon-Smith Contracting, Inc., (GSCI), of eight counts of knowing violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) asbestos work practice standards. The jury also convicted Gordon-Smith and GSCI of lying to hide the violations at a demolition site in Rochester.
“Gordon-Smith knowingly exposed workers and public areas to the toxic air pollutant asbestos,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. “The verdict should send a strong message to those in the asbestos abatement industry. We have zero tolerance for violations of the Clean Air Act asbestos work practice standards.”
After a three-week trial, the jury convicted Gordon-Smith of two counts of causing GSCI workers to violate asbestos work practice standards at the west wing of the Genesee Hospital complex located in Rochester. The west wing was scheduled to be demolished in summer 2009. The first violations took place between January and May 2007, when Gordon-Smith ordered GSCI workers to tear out copper pipes, ceiling tiles, and scrap metal from the west wing, a six-story structure that contained over 70,000 square feet of asbestos. Gordon-Smith had a contract with the site owner that provided him with 50% of the salvage value of all copper pipe and scrap metal. When the workers removed the pipes and scrap metal, they were repeatedly exposed to asbestos, described to the jurors as falling on them “like snow.” The workers were not wearing any protective clothing and would often wear the asbestos-contaminated clothing back to their homes after work.
The jury convicted Gordon-Smith and the company of making false statements to an OSHA inspector who had received complaints from GSCI workers. The OSHA inspector visited the site three times in September and October 2007, and on each occasion Gordon-Smith lied and told her that GSCI workers had not removed any copper pipes or other materials from the west wing.
The jury also convicted Gordon-Smith and his company of causing GSCI workers to illegally remove and dispose of asbestos during the actual asbestos abatement at the west wing, from May 2007 until February 2009. Francis Rowe, a former project manager for GSCI, had been charged with one count of causing illegal asbestos removal and disposal from March 2008 until February 2009, and was acquitted of that charge.
“Exposure to asbestos can be fatal and the government will not tolerate illegal activity that puts the public at risk of cancer or other serious respiratory diseases,” said William V. Lometti, Special Agent-in-Charge for EPA Office of Criminal Enforcement in the New York region. “The message is clear that those who endanger human health and the environment will be vigorously prosecuted.”
During the illegal removal, the asbestos was allowed to flow from upper floors through drains and holes in containment. Large amounts of asbestos were left hidden in the west wing and were never disposed off-site at an EPA-approved site. Gordon-Smith was fired from the site in February 2009. A special agent from EPA Criminal Investigation Division inspected the west wing in April 2009 and shut the site down immediately. The building was subsequently abated properly by another contractor and demolished in September 2010.
Gordon-Smith and the company were also convicted of six counts of failing to provide required notice to EPA prior to commencing asbestos abatement projects at six different sites in the Rochester area, between 2005 and June 2008. The sites included the west wing of the Genesee Hospital Complex, Cobbles Elementary School in Penfield, Bloomfield Elementary School in East Bloomfield, the Al Sigl Center in Rochester, and the Hillside Children’s Center in Varick.
Asbestos work practice standards under the CAA require that all asbestos be removed from any structure where it may be disturbed, such as the areas of the west wing where GSCI workers were ordered to remove pipes contaminated with asbestos. While asbestos is removed during abatement, it must be wetted and kept adequately wet at all times and disposed of as soon as practical at an EPA-approved site.
Gordon-Smith faces criminal penalties of up to five years imprisonment for each count and as well as criminal fines up to $250,000 per count. GSCI faces a criminal fine of up to $500,000 per count.
Any person who was present in the west wing of the former Genesee Hospital during the time period January 1, 2007 to the present may have been exposed to asbestos therein. Affected persons have the right to attend any public court proceedings. For more information, call 1-800-799-6033.
Pennsylvania DEP Fines ESSROC Cement $50,558 for Air Quality Violations
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) fined ESSROC Cement Corp., in Lower Nazareth Township, $50,558 for air emission violations and failing to maintain data records from its air monitors as required.
“ESSROC exceeded its permitted emission limits and failed to meet our requirements for making data available, which is important to ensure the company is following the limits we’ve imposed to protect air quality for everyone in the region,” said DEP Northeast Regional Director Michael Bedrin.
ESSROC did not meet its carbon monoxide emission limits on 72 days between July 1, 2006 and September 30, 2009, and failed to meet its sulfur dioxide emission limits for 17 days between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. The company also allowed gaps in the information to be gathered from its continuous emission monitors. The gaps were the result of defective parts and lightning strikes between July 2006 and December 2008. While monitors are to run continuously, state regulations require that data covering either 90% of a monthly time period or 95% of a calendar quarter be recorded and retained.
ESSROC has since purchased additional spare parts to address any future problems or malfunctions with their monitors.
Owner of Iowa Livestock Feedlot Fined $5,850 for Violating Discharge Permit
The owner of a cattle and hog feedlot in Plymouth County, Iowa, has agreed to pay a $5,850 civil penalty to the United States to settle alleged violations of the facility’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Mark Beitelspacher, doing business as Beitelspacher Farms, of LeMars, Iowa, did not maintain adequate records associated with the land application of liquid effluent from his feedlot, as required by the NPDES permit. An EPA representative conducted a compliance inspection of Beitelspacher Farms on April 28, 2010, and found that the facility did not maintain adequate records of its liquid effluent land applications.
Beitelspacher Farms’ facilities have the capacity for approximately 3,000 cattle and 4,700 hogs, according to an administrative consent agreement filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Failure to properly document land applications of a feedlot’s manure-containing process wastewater can increase the risk that crops and fields may receive excessive amounts of feedlot-related contaminants. Over-application can significantly increase the risk that pollutants will end up in nearby streams and water bodies.
“The State of Iowa has designated a number of streams in northwest Iowa as being impaired, and feedlot-related pollutants often are a significant contributor to water quality problems in these streams,” EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said. “As EPA strives to encourage feedlot operators to comply with their discharge permits, the Agency is obligated by the Clean Water Act to protect the environment through enforcement actions such as this.”
As part of the settlement agreement, Beitelspacher has certified that his feedlot is now in compliance with the CWA. The consent agreement is subject to a 40-day public comment period before it becomes final.
EPA Finalizes Standards to Protect Florida Waters
The blooms are caused by phosphorous and nitrogen pollution from excess fertilizer, stormwater runoff, and wastewater that flows off land into waterways. The final standards set specific numeric limits on the amount of nutrient pollution allowed in Florida’s lakes, rivers, streams, and springs. The specific limits will provide much needed predictability and clarity toward protecting Florida’s water quality compared to the current general standards. Currently, more than 1,900 rivers and streams, 375,000 acres of lakes, and 500 square miles of estuaries are known to be impaired by nutrients in Florida.
The new standards will become effective in 15 months, to allow cities, towns, businesses, other stakeholders, and the state of Florida the opportunity to fully review the standards and develop implementation strategies, while Florida continues to recover from current economic conditions.
EPA conducted 13 well-attended public hearing sessions in six Florida cities during a three-month public comment period, the Agency received over 22,000 public comments on the original proposal, and EPA worked closely with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), along with local experts and government officials, to ensure the best available science formed the basis for the new standards and that implementation would be flexible and cost-effective. Florida’s DEP is committed to protecting Florida’s water quality, has a high level of scientific expertise, and maintains one of the country’s best databases on the condition of its waters, all of which played a critical role in shaping the final numeric standards.
During the 15-month period before the numeric standards go into effect, EPA will work closely with the state to determine the next steps to achieve the standards’ objectives. The standards do not take a “one-size-fits-all” approach, but reflect conditions in five different watershed regions and allow for case-by-case adjustments based on local environmental factors while maintaining water quality. Governments or other stakeholders can seek special consideration in cases where the state and local communities have extensively assessed water bodies and have implemented effective measures to reduce nutrient pollution.
The Florida Wildlife Federation filed a 2008 lawsuit against EPA, resulting in a finding by the previous Administration in January 2009 under the CWA that nutrient pollution standards are necessary for Florida. The resulting settlement, reflected in a consent decree entered in August 2009, requires EPA to adopt specific or “numeric” nutrient pollution standards for lakes and streams by November 2010. The final rule complies with this consent decree. Under the decree, EPA is required to issue additional standards for Florida’s coastal waters by August 2012 and will soon submit the underlying science for these standards to its independent Science Advisory Board for peer review.
Pennsylvania Moves Forward on Stronger Well Construction Standards
Pennsylvania’s Environmental Protection Secretary, John Hanger, announced that a set of new standards to make natural gas wells safer have been approved unanimously in a vote of 5-0 by Pennsylvania’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC). Hanger praised the IRRC vote, saying the new regulations will, among other things, impose more stringent construction standards on gas wells, making them less likely to allow natural gas to escape and contaminate water supplies or cause safety concerns.
Next, the final-form regulations go to the state Office of Attorney General for final review and approval. The regulations were deemed approved by the House and Senate Environmental Resources and Energy committees.
“When gas migrates from a poorly constructed gas well through the ground, it can contaminate water supplies or build up to explosive levels in water wells or even homes,” said Hanger. “These strong rules will eliminate or significantly reduce the problem of gas migration from poorly designed or constructed gas wells, as long as the rules are followed or enforced.”
Hanger added that the new rules will require drillers to report production and waste volumes electronically and submit a detailed report of the chemicals they use in the hydraulic fracturing—or fracking—process. In addition to these important provisions, operators will be required to keep a list of emergency contact phone numbers at the well site, follow a new set of instructions on what steps to take in the event of a gas migration incident, and meet the regulatory provisions clarifying how and when blow-out prevention equipment is to be installed and operated.
The Environmental Quality Board approved the regulations on a final vote of 15-1 in October, after receiving nearly 2,000 public comments during the comment period and a series of five public hearings. A majority of the comments supported the new regulations.
In drafting the regulations, DEP met with numerous oil and gas operators, industry groups, and environmental groups to discuss the regulations in detail. DEP used the public’s input to make several important changes to the regulations, which further improved the well-design requirements to prevent gas migration incidents, including:
- A provision that requires operators to have a pressure barrier plan to minimize well control events;
- A provision that requires operators to condition the wellbore to ensure an adequate bond between the cement, casing, and the formation;
- Provisions that require the use of centralizers to ensure casings are properly positioned in the wellbore; and
- A provision that improves the quality of the cement placed in the casing that protects fresh groundwater.
Once all reviews and approvals are obtained, the regulations will go into effect upon publication in the PA Bulletin.
MassDEP Presents Award to E.L. Harvey & Sons for Promoting Recycling and Waste Reduction
A WasteWise Endorser agrees to recruit organizations to become WasteWise partners and provide members with promotional, educational, or technical information about reducing waste.
“Since 1994, E.L. Harvey & Sons has been actively promoting the benefits of the WasteWise program to their customers,” said MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt. “In 2009, they partnered with MassDEP to host a workshop on paper recycling, attracting business, industry and regional state governments. Their hospitality, company pride and commitment to fostering business recycling are commendable and very much appreciated.”
E.L. Harvey & Sons is a family-owned and operated waste management company headquartered in Westborough. The company provides waste reduction and recycling services to businesses, communities, and homeowners in central Massachusetts. E.L. Harvey & Sons also operates a full service paper recycling and construction and demolition debris recycling operation.
“E.L. Harvey & Sons is proud to be a Waste Wise Endorser and to accept this award,” said company Senior Vice President and owner, Ben Harvey. “E.L. Harvey & Sons has taken an active leadership role in promoting and supporting recycling initiatives and programs that foster partnerships between corporations, industry, and government. These partnerships aid in creating and fostering sustainable recycling programs within the Commonwealth and on the national level.”
Massachusetts WasteWise is a free, voluntary partnership program founded by federal EPA to assist businesses and organizations in implementing waste reduction and recycling programs. The national program, established in 1994, currently has over 2,000 members. Massachusetts partnered with EPA in 2002 and has over 150 member organizations in the Commonwealth.
EPA Recognizes Eastern Maine Medical Center with Energy Star CHP Award
In 1998, a devastating ice storm in the region damaged local infrastructure and caused many homes and businesses to be without power for several weeks. After EMMC lost dependable power for 16 hours during this period, the hospital’s management realized the necessity of critical power reliability. The solution was realized in 2006, when the hospital began operation of a natural gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP) system powered by a turbine manufactured by Solar Turbines, Inc. Generating up to 4.4 megawatt of electricity and 25,000 lb per hour of steam for building climate control and hot water, the CHP system provides over 90% of the hospital’s electricity and steam.
With an operating efficiency of approximately 70%, the CHP system requires over 25% less fuel than would otherwise be required to provide electricity from the electric grid and to produce steam on site. As a result, the CHP system effectively reduces CO2 emissions by more than 10,000 tons per year, the equivalent of the annual emissions from more than 1,800 passenger vehicles.
The Energy Star CHP Award recognizes highly efficient CHP systems that reduce emissions and use at least 5% less fuel than comparable, state-of-the-art, separate heat and power generation.
EPA Signs Agreement with Southampton Hospital to Enhance its Environmental Practices
Southampton Hospital in Long Island, New York, has entered into an agreement with EPA to enhance the hospital’s environmental practices. The hospital has pledged to eliminate mercury, reduce and recycle solid waste, conserve energy and water, and establish policies for purchasing green products.
“Doctors take an oath ‘to do no harm’ and Southampton Hospital is extending that commitment to protecting people from environmental harm,” said Regional Administrator Judith Enck. “By reducing waste, preventing pollution and buying more sustainable products, they are creating a healthier world for everyone.”
Under the agreement between Southampton Hospital and EPA, the hospital will:
- Reduce and eliminate mercury and other toxic substances throughout its facility;
- Join EPA’s WasteWise program, which provides technical assistance in developing waste reduction and recycling plans;
- Purchase and install a cardboard compactor to enable recycling of cardboard packaging, estimating that 10 tons of cardboard will be recycled per year;
- Join the EPA ENERGY STAR Program and set a goal of reducing energy use by10%;
- Use materials with recycled content for construction wherever possible; and
- Use water-saving WaterSense products in the renovation and upgrading of existing buildings and in new buildings to reduce water usage and the associated energy needs. (An average WaterSense plumbing fixture saves 13,000 gallons each year.)
EPA has similar agreements in place with a number of major sports organizations, universities, hospital systems, and real estate firms.
Environmental News Links
Trivia Question of the Week
How many liters of water does it take to produce one cup of coffee?
a. 10 liters
b. 50 liters
c. 100 liters
d. 140 liters