Check out the EPA's Plug-in to eCycling program for information on keeping e-waste out of the landfills.

Check out the most up-to-date information on detedting and mitigating radon.

This report has been developed by the Sustainable Sites Initiative which is developing national, voluntary standards and guidelines for sustainable land development and management practices as well as metrics to assess site performance and a rating system to recognize achievement. The public comment period is open until January 11, 2008.

Regions 4 and 9 have finalized the schedule for hosting two free, day and a half underground storage tanks (UST) workshops. The first R9 workshop will be held in Las Vegas, NV May 20-21, 2008 and the second in Los Angeles, CA May 28-29, 2008. The Region 4 workshop will be held in Atlanta, GA March 20-21, 2008. For more information, see http://www.fedcenter.gov/training/ust/.

The purpose of this award is to recognize individuals who have demonstrated excellence in wetland conservation. Nominations are due January 15, 2008.

EPA is now accepting nominations for the 2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. These awards recognize innovative chemical technologies that incorporate green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use -- and that have broad applications in industry. Nominations must be sent no later than Dec. 31, to be eligible for the 2008 awards, which will be presented at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., on June 24, 2008.

(Washington, D.C. - December 3, 2007) Today EPA is recognizing six winners of the 2007 Water Efficiency Leader (WEL) awards for their efforts in reducing, reusing and recycling water. Winners were chosen by a panel of national water experts and based on three criteria: leadership, innovation and water saved. "We applaud these winners for saving water, energy and money for America's families and communities," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA's assistant administrator for water. "They're proving innovative technology and environmental stewardship can help conserve our country's greatest liquid asset."

This agenda lays out a comprehensive vision of the most important research needs to be fulfilled in order for green building to become mainstream practice. It was developed by USGBC's Research Committee, a distinguished group of research experts, along with others convened in a workshop funded by EPA and the Rockefeller Foundation. USGBC will use this agenda as it develops its RFP for the $1 million it is planning to distribute for green building research projects in the first part of 2008. Click below to view the report. For more on USGBC efforts to promote green building research, including the Committee's previous report on current funding of green building research, click here.

EPA's Climate Leaders is partnering with the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive to offer a free half-day workshop in Washington, D.C. to train federal agencies and intergovernmental organizations in developing a comprehensive strategy for managing greenhouse gas emissions. The workshop will be held on January 15, 2008, and only the first 100 registrations will be accepted. For more information, click here.

(11/28/07) EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) are extending the public comment period for the interagency joint guidance on the scope of Clean Water Act geographic jurisdiction following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Rapanos v. United States. The public comment period has been extended 45 days and comments on the guidance and experiences with its implementation are now due by Jan. 21, 2008.

The Federal Trade Commission is beginning a regulatory review of its environmental marketing guidelines, also known as the Green Guides. The guides outline general principles for all environmental marketing claims and provide specifics about certain green claims, such as degradabilty, compostability, recyclability, recycled content, and ozone safety. In a Federal Register Notice, the Commission is requesting comments on the guides, including standard questions about costs, benefits, and effectiveness of the guides, and questions on specific topics, including "sustainable" and "renewable" claims. While the review was scheduled to begin in 2009, because of the current increase in green advertising claims, the Commission is reviewing the guides at this time to ensure they reflect today's marketplace. The guides were last updated in 1998.

The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE) has announced the dates for the 7th Annual Federal Environmental Symposium. In order to reach more of the Federal community, this year's conference has been expanded to include Symposium East -- to be held in Bethesda, MD, June 2-4, 2008, and, the inaugural Symposium West -- to be held in Big Sky, MT, June 17-19, 2008. Please remember to save these dates and stop back for more details in December!

(11/27/07) Today, the EPA is setting a new renewable fuels standard (RFS) of 4.66 percent to meet the 2005 Energy Policy Act's mandate that at least 5.4 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into transportation gasoline in 2008. Based on the standard, each party determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel that it must ensure is used in its motor vehicle fuel. The standard for 2007 was 4.02 percent, equating to roughly 4.7 billion gallons. The overall volume target increases every year, reaching 7.5 billion gallons in 2012. The Energy Policy Act requires EPA to annually determine the standard -- which applies to refiners, importers and non-oxygenate blenders of gasoline -- by Nov. 30 for the following year.

The redesign provides clear and easy access to policy and guidance for federal purchasers; information on specific products and services; tools and calculators; publications and case studies; and related Web links. In order to ease navigation and provide the most up to date information, different parts of the EPP Web site were added, revised, moved, and archived. If you are having trouble finding an EPP resource on the redesigned site, please check the index on the EPP home page.

Whether you're watching online or listening on your MP3 player, Green Scene podcasts are a way to explore environmental issues with EPA's top experts. Through EPA's latest downloadable tool, Agency officials discuss how EPA is helping protect our nation's environment while providing the public with useful tips and information on how they can make a difference in their communities. The discussions will take place biweekly and run roughly five minutes in length. The Green Scene Podcast box is located near the top of the EPA home page (http://www.epa.gov) In addition, all discussions are archived and posted at: http://www.epa.gov/newsroom/greenscene/.

EPA's FY 2007 Performance and Accountability Report describes to the President, Congress, and the public its environmental, programmatic, and financial performance over the past fiscal year. It also reports its progress in addressing management challenges. The report satisfies a number of legislative reporting requirements, including those of the Government Performance and Results Act.

In celebration of America Recycles Day (ARD) 2007, the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive(OFEE) and member Agencies of the Federal Electronics Stewardship Workgroup (FESWG) are issuing, for the 3rd consecutive year, a special challenge for all Federal facilities to reuse, donate or recycle their used computers and other electronics.

More than 950 million sheets of recycled content copier paper has been purchased from GPO by government agencies. Here's the breakdown:

• USDA 1,400,000 sheets
• DOC 89,550,000 sheets
• DIA 55,404,000 sheets
• Educ 37,100,000 sheets
• HHS 20,000,000 sheets
• HUD 45,650,000 sheets
• DOI 17,402,500 sheets
• DOJ 193,375,000 sheets
• DOL 64,760,000 sheets
• Treas 38,664,000 sheets
• IRS 7,512,500 sheets
• DOT 53,000,000 sheets
• OPM 400,000 sheets
• DOE 47,600,000 sheets
• EPA 5,400,000 sheets, including 1,600,000 sheets of 100% recycled content paper
• NASA 40,400,000 sheets
• NARA 12,800,000 sheets
• DHS 87,650,000 sheets

The Fall 2007 edition of Environmental Update is now available online at: http://aec.army.mil/usaec/publicaffairs/update/fall07/fall07.html. Or go to http://aec.army.mil and click "Fall 2007 Environmental Update" under Hot Topics.

Under this initiative public education and awareness of marine debris will be heightened through educational events, coordinated outreach events on Earth Day 2008, websites and public service announcements. Under the initiative the U.S. will lead the global effort by working with international organizations to prevent fishing gear from becoming lost, developing environmentally friendly fishing gear, and promoting the annual International Coastal Cleanup in 100 countries around the world.

Issued by The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service on November 5, 2007, the environmental study examines the potential environmental effects of the program on the Outer Continental Shelf over the next five to seven years and identifies policies and management practices that may be adopted for the program.

The NEP was authorized under the 1987 Amendments to the Clean Water Act to improve estuarine waters, habitats and living resources by working with partners and the public.

An online interactive forum where you can discuss a wide range of environmental and human health issues with EPA's senior officials.

This is now available for use by facilities in the preparation of their annual electronic chemical inventory report. Twenty-nine states are accepting Tier2*Submit from facilities for the 2007 reporting year. Please visit the OEM website for more information and details on individual state requirements.

This is the 10^th annual America Recycles Day. America Recycles Day is a partnership between government, industry, and environmental organizations to promote and encourage recycling nationwide. America Recycles Day is an important part of EPA's drive to achieve our goal of a 35 percent national recycling rate.

SC3 aims to ensure that all schools (including DoDDs schools) are free from hazards associated with mismanaged chemicals. From elementary school maintenance closets to high school chemistry labs, schools use a variety of chemicals. When they are mismanaged, these chemicals can put students and school personnel at risk from spills, fires, and other accidental exposures.

EPA has created two trading maps: the first map shows trading programs that have traded at least once as well as state level trading programs. The second map shows trading programs that received EPA funding. Each map is clickable on the state in which you are interested and it will take you to more information on that state’s trading programs.

On October 18, 2007 the CWA turns 35. During those years water quality has dramatically improved through the use of scientific standards, discharge permits, pre-treatment requirements, state and local funding and watershed planning. This 35th anniversary was marked by the announcement of the winners of the 2007 National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards.

The Agricultural Research Service, along with federal, state and local partners have identified urban trees that can keep their good looks and hold their own against urban stresses.

This thesaurus is a compendium of risk assessment terms found in frameworks, methodologies, and assessments. It provides insight into how various entities use specific microbial risk assessment terms in their activities and helps those responsible for such assessments both conduct and communicate about them more effectively.

EPA is transferring the management of the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) cleanup program and most of the PCB disposal program from the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS) to the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER). This is effective October 9, 2007.

CADDIS guides users through EPA's Stressor Identification process, with interactive tools and methods, worksheets, and examples to help scientists and engineers evaluate causes of biological impairment observed in aquatic systems such as streams, lakes, and estuaries. POC is Rick Ziegler, NCEA, via phone: 202-564-2257, or e-mail: Ziegler.rick@epa.gov (Federal Register: October 4, 2007 [Notices], Page 56755-56756).

FedCenter has recently updated its Program Area information to more closely align with the goals and requirements of Executive Order 13423 “Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management,” to include:

• addition of 3 new program areas - EO 13423, Transportation, and Electronics Stewardship
• expansion of Natural Resources program area to include water conservation activities
• revision and retitling of Buying Green and Green Buildings program areas to become Acquisition and High Performance Buildings, respectively, and
• timely updates to other program areas as appropriate.

We hope you will find our newly revised program area information of benefit to you and welcome any comments you might have.

The product specification that must be met to earn the Watersense label is that bathroom sink faucets use about 30 percent less water than conventional models. Faucets must be independently tested and certified by a licensed certifying body to meet EPA’s water-efficiency and performance criteria. To meet the criteria, faucets and accessories such as aerators cannot flow at a rate of more than 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), or less than 0.8 gpm.

On September 28, 2007 an MOA was signed between the U.S. Forest Service and EPA agreeing on new steps designed to improve water quality on National Forests and Grasslands. These steps include increased coordination of activities and cooperation with states, territories and tribes to address water quality impairments on National Forest System lands and accelerate attainment of water quality standards. This EPA-Forest Service agreement is considered a blueprint for protecting America’s watersheds on national forests and grasslands. More than 60 million Americans get their water from sources on the National Forests in addition to municipal water supplies. Data shows that approximately eight percent of all water quality impairments nationally are located on National Forest System lands. Leading causes of these impairments include elevated temperatures, excess sediment, and habitat modification.

Mercury air emissions will continue to decline thanks to a voluntary national program to remove mercury-containing switches from vehicles headed for scrap. In its first year, more than 635,000 switches have already been removed from end-of-life vehicles. Collectively, those switches represent 1,400 pounds of mercury – more than the average coal-fired power plant emits in a year. The program's primary first-year goal—enlisting all states to take part—has been achieved. A second goal for the first year—developing a way to measure overall progress in the program in future years--has also been achieved. Progress will be measured by determining the percentage of switches that are recovered each year compared to the number of available end-of-life autos from which switches can be recovered. Approximately 5,900 automobile recyclers have already agreed to remove and recover the switches before sending vehicles to scrap recyclers, who in turn send the clean cars to steel mills. The mills can then use the cars to make recycled steel without worrying about releasing toxic mercury emissions.

EPA is reporting an increase in fuel efficiency for 2006 and 2007, an average of 20.2 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and light duty trucks. For the first time, real-world fuel economy values are based on the new, more realistic EPA test methods that have taken effect for model year 2008 vehicles. EPA's annual report, "Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 through 2007," provides data on the fuel economy and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles (cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks).

This day celebrates an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world.

EPA is requesting nominations of people to serve on its National Drinking Water Advisory Council. The three-year terms would begin December 15, 2007. The 15-member Congress advises EPA on implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Nominations should be sent by October 15, 2007 to Veronica Blette, Designated Federal Official, EPA, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (Mail Co3 4601-M), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.

September 15, 2007 is International Coastal Cleanup Day. The International Coastal Cleanup is held annually during the morning of the third Saturday in September. The event is coordinated by The Ocean Conservancy (formerly the Center for Marine Conservation) and partially funded by EPA. The ICC includes over 100 countries and territories bordering every major body of water on Earth. It is the world?s largest volunteer effort to clean up the marine environment and collect marine environmental data from both land and underwater sites. In 2006, over 350,000 people around the world removed about seven million pounds of debris from more than 34,000 miles of coasts, shorelines, and underwater sites.

This is the second edition of a popular publication called “Fundamentals of Urban Runoff Management: Technical and Institutional Issues.” This document revises an earlier 1994 edition and was prepared with support from EPA?s Office of Wastewater Management and the Nonpoint Source Control Branch in EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. The update is important because of the tremendous amount of new information available as well as the significant shift in stormwater program direction from the historic mitigation-based approach to a more source-based approach.

The nation's first renewable fuels standard (RFS) program is set to take effect Sept. 1. Authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the program will promote use of fuels largely produced from American-grown crops. Sept. 1 marks the deadline when obligated parties, such as major refiners, blenders, and importers must meet reporting, registration, and other key compliance requirements. The RFS program requires that at least 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuel be blended into motor vehicle fuel sold in the United States by 2012. It also requires the obligated parties to use a minimum volume of renewable fuel each year between 2007 and 2012.

The “Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants" are now available. The closing date id October 12, 2007.

EPA has released three documents to aid public water systems in complying with the new Ground Water Rule for which compliance begins in December 2009. “Complying with the Ground Water Rule: Small Entity Compliance Guide,” provides a step-by-step guide to the GWR requirements and how they apply to small public water systems. “The Consecutive System Guide for the Ground Water Rule” describes the specific responsibilities of both wholesale providers and consecutive systems which purchase water from wholesalers and provides recommendations to help them meet those responsibilities. “The Ground Water Rule Source Water Monitoring Methods Guidance Manual” includes information about the basis for ground water monitoring, how to determine the appropriate fecal indicator for monitoring, and how the different analytical methods work.

EPA has published a new technical guidance that will help integrate National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits into watershed management plans. "Watershed-Based NPDES Permitting Technical Guidance" is a follow up to the 2003 implementation guidance and leads permitting interested parties through the analysis of watershed data and developing a framework for implementing an NPDES program.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a free, day and a half workshop for the federal facility community. As many of you are aware, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, included substantial revisions to the Underground Storage Tank (UST) requirements found in Subtitle I of RCRA. One of the major changes to the UST program resulting from the Energy Policy Act involved periodic regulatory inspections, which are now to be conducted on a three year cycle. Recent inspections of federal facilities by EPA have found compliance problems not only with USTs, but also with above ground storage tanks (ASTs). Therefore, EPA’s Federal Facilities Program is hosting this workshop as a refresher on federal tank requirements.

NIST has released BEES 4.0e (August 2007), a software tool for selecting environmentally preferred, cost-effective building products. The tool can be downloaded free of charge from http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/software/bees/.

EPA has submitted it’s Report To Congress On Implementing And Enforcing The UST Program In Indian Country (EPA 510-R-07-006, August 2007). EPA developed this report to Congress as required by Section 1529 in Title XV, Subtitle B of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and provided the report to Congress on August 8, 2007. This report to Congress discusses the progress the EPA and tribes have made, working together, to prevent and cleanup releases from underground storage tanks.

The conference invites papers on topics related to: * Incidence, health, and/or population effects of ingested lead ammunition in wildlife, especially avian scavengers. * Ingestion of lead ammunition in humans. * Large scale (global or broad regional) reviews of ingested lead ammunition in wildlife. * Large scale (global or broad regional) reviews of ingested lead ammunition in humans. * Modeling studies on the rates, amounts, health or population effects, etc. of ingestion of spent lead ammunition in wildlife or humans. The deadline for abstract submission is 1 March 2008.

Water quality trading is a voluntary option that regulated point sources can use to meet requirements under the Clean Water Act. The Water Quality Trading Toolkit for Permit Writers provides permitting authorities with the tools they need to incorporate trading provisions into required permits. The guide is focused on trading nitrogen and phosphorus, but other pollutants may be considered for trading on a case-by-case basis. The Toolkit discusses the fundamental concepts of designing and implementing trading programs including the relevant geographic scope, effluent limitations and other factors involved in defining a credit. The document also includes a set of appendices which feature detailed case studies based on actual trading programs.

Through the third quarter of the current fiscal year, federal agencies had purchased 620,915,500 sheets of 30 percent recycled content copier paper through the Government Printing Office.

The Environmental Protection Agency has launched the first-of-its-kind portal website to help the tribal community, its supporters and the public find tribal environmental information and data through a single web-based access point. The new cross-agency website allows EPA to consolidate and share environmental information reflecting the tribal community’s perspective and needs into a central, easy-to-navigate structure. Various EPA programs, such as enforcement, waste, underground storage tanks and water, are also consolidating their tribal information through this website.

EPA is accepting nominations for the 2007 Water Efficiency Leader (WEL) Awards to recognize organizations and individuals that demonstrate leadership and innovation in water efficient- products and practices. Winners will be chosen by a panel of national water experts and based on three criteria: leadership, innovation, and water saved.

Papers and posters on all aspects of the water cycle, water and wastewater technology, engineering, science and management are invited for the 4th IWA Young Water Professional Conference. Abstracts are due no later than September 28, 2007.

PORTLAND, Ore., July 17, 2007 - The Green Electronics Council (GEC) today released a report measuring the environmental benefits from the sales of EPEAT registered "green" computers. "Everyone wanted to know if buying 'green' computers really mattered," explained Jeff Omelchuck, Director of the Green Electronics Council, which manages the EPEAT green computer program. "Well, we did the math and the numbers blew us away. We didn't believe the initial results so we did the math again using more conservative assumptions, but the environmental benefits of just six months of EPEAT registered computer sales are still astounding."

The event will take place June 2-4, 2008 at the NIH Campus in Bethesda, MD. Details will be available on FEDCENTER in the upcoming months.

Any material that comes into contact with loose engineered nanoparticles and has not been decontaminated should be considered part of a nanomaterial-bearing waste stream, according to recently posted guidance from the Department of Energy. The guidance, which is intended for DOE's Nanoscale Research Centers, updates previous recommendations the department made on ways research and development labs should work with nanomaterials and deal with their wastes and spills.

EPA has prepared a series of public service announcements to inform people about safety measures and cleanup activities in and around their homes. These PSAs can be used in the aftermath of a disaster to provide accurate information and lessons learned. Topics include: hazardous waste, sediment, asbestos contamination, lead-based paint, dealing with mold, flooded septic systems, household cleaners and disinfectants, and contaminated wells. The PSA's are available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese on the EPA Web site.

The National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), has drafted a framework for assessing the environmental impacts of biofuels which could help EPA and other agencies ensure that rules and regulations adequately address predicted growth in the renewable energy market. The DRAFT document recommends that EPA assess the environmental impacts of biofuels, such as ethanol, throughout their life-cycle by focusing on fuels' supply chain.

This call for posters is for the Developing Sustainable Aquatic Solutions conference October 1 – 4, 2007. Attendees are encouraged to submit posters on projects related to the field of ecological sustainability and restoration. The deadline for poster submissions is July 31. For poster submissions, contact Patrick Deliman at patrick.n.deliman@erdc.usace.army.mil or Rob Brumbaugh at rbrumbaugh@tnc.org.

This call for posters is for the Pollution Prevention through Nanotechnology Conference September 25-26, 2007. This conference is focused on three major areas of pollution prevention: products, processes, and energy and resource efficiency.

This report shows the US Environmental Protection Agency's progress on selected priorities. It is intended to elicit questions that lead to ideas about how the Agency can better execute EPA’s responsibilities under the law and do a better job of protecting human health and the environment. Because it is updated quarterly, most measures are outputs rather than environmental outcomes. However, the activities are linked to outcome-oriented Goals in EPA’s 2006-2011 Strategic Plan.

The community of scientists and engineers involved in the field of environmental site characterization, sampling and monitoring for are requested to submit abstracts for presentations, including: conference platform papers; poster session papers; indoor workshops; outdoor workshops; and equipment demonstrations.

EPA is in the process of developing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for the discharge of pollutants incidental to the normal operation of vessels and is seeking comment and relevant information from the public. The POCs are John Lishman, Water Permits Division, Office of Wastewater Management (4203M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 566-1364; fax number: (202) 564-6431; e-mail address: lishman.john@epa.gov ; or Ruby Cooper, Water Permits Division, Office of Wastewater Management (4203M), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: (202) 564-0757; fax number: (202) 564-6431; e-mail address: cooper.ruby@epa.gov.

EPA is requesting applications for drinking water contamination warning system demonstration pilots as part of the Agency’s Water Security (WS) initiative. Applications must address specified monitoring and surveillance components, a consequence management plan, and a review and evaluation plan. EPA anticipates that approximately $31 million will be available to fund up to four cooperative agreements for these demonstration pilots, depending on Agency funding levels and other applicable considerations. Applications will be accepted only from local governments or institutions (either public or private nonprofit organizations) that operate community water systems serving at least 750,000 people. Applications through http://grants.gov must be received by 11:59 pm (EDT) on August 10, 2007.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a free, two-day workshop for the federal laboratory community. The workshop will focus on federal facility lab requirements under various environmental statutes, regulations and Executive Orders, as well as environmental management systems and pollution prevention strategies. The workshop will be given in 13 locations in 2007 and 2008.

TRI-MEweb, is now available for the 2006 reporting year to facilities in states that are participating in the TRI State Exchange Network as of April 2007.

The Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with EPA, recently released the Sector-Specific Plan (SSP) for Critical Water Infrastructure Protection. In order to better protect the Nation's critical infrastructure and key resources, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (HSPD-7) identified 17 critical infrastructure and key resources sectors and designated Federal Government Sector-Specific Agencies (SSAs) for each of the sectors. EPA is the Federal lead for the Drinking Water and Wastewater (Water) Sector's critical infrastructure protection activities. The Water SSP includes information on goals, identifying assets, assessing risk, prioritizing infrastructure, developing and implementing protective programs, measuring progress, research and development, and SSA responsibilities.

On Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, DC, the 2007 White House Closing the Circle Award recipients were honored for committment to environmental stewardship. See attached file for the award winners.

A joint legal memorandum has been issued that interprets the June 19, 2006 Supreme Court decision in the consolidated cases Rapanos v. U.S. and Carabell v. U.S. The guidance is being released to Corps of Engineers and EPA field offices to ensure nationwide predictability, reliability, and consistency in identifying wetlands, streams and rivers subject to the Clean Water Act. The guidance reflects the agencies’ intent to provide maximum protection for the Nation's aquatic resources under the CWA as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Rapanos. To ensure such decisions are made in a timely manner, the agencies have released concurrently with the guidance a MOA laying out a process with specific short timeframes, when necessary, for reaching interagency agreements on jurisdictional calls. In addition, a series of questions and answers provides additional information.

The first report released by EPA which ranks the condition of ecological resources in the 28 estuaries of EPA's National Estuary Program (NEP).

(Washington DC, June 6, 2007) The Department of Defense announced today the winners of the Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards for fiscal 2006. A panel representing federal and state agencies and public members has selected the following installations, teams, and individuals as the winners of this year's awards:

The proclamation was made on May 31, 2007.

As of 1 June 2007 all (nonroad, locomotive, or marine) NRLM diesel fuel must meet the per-gallon standard of the sulfur content being a maximum of 500 ppm. The cetane index or aromatic content must: have a minimum cetane index of 40; have a minimum aromatic content of 35 volume percent.

DHS and EPA have released plan outlining activities to protect drinking water utilities from terrorist and other attacks and natural disasters. The voluntary plan "Water: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Sector-Specific Plan as Input to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan" defines and outlines the vision, goals, protection efforts, research priorities, and measures of progress in protecting water infrastructure.

Abstracts are due June 21, 2007. Topics of the conference include, but are not limited to, environmental value theory, ethics of energy consumption and production, emerging technologies, the ethics of carbon markets and trading “rights to pollute”.

Abstracts are due December 7, 2007. Examples of some of the technical areas being solicited are: water conservation and reuse; water resources and water quality, watershed modelling, planning, and management, protection and sustainable management of water resources, emergin contaminants, and industrial and municipal wastewater treatment.

The focus of the conference is on innovative application of existing and new technologies/approaches for characterizing, treating, and monitoring chlorinated and other recalcitrant compounds in various environmental media. The program will emphasize field applications and case studies, but will also address laboratory, pilot, and modeling studies of innovative remediation and rational site-closure approaches. Abstracts are due July 31, 2007.

Developed by EPA, this guidance manual discusses the issues that systems will face as they evaluate and implement changes necessary to comply with the Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproduct Rule and the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, while still being required to comply with earlier rules such as the Total Coliform Rule and Lead and Copper Rule. This manual builds on a similar manual developed for the Stage 1 DBP rule, incorporating new research and case studies, and is presented in a more user-friendly manner. EPA developed this guidance manual to provide systems and states with information on operational and capital changes and approaches to enable systems to evaluate different compliance strategies and technologies.

Created by EPA's Office of Compliance the Financing for Environmental Compliance website to provide a step-by-step financial planning process that can help communities determine capital asset technical and financial needs and find specific air, waste and water resources to meet their compliance goals.

This is the 17th anniversary of American Wetlands Month, a time when EPA and our partners in federal, state, tribal, local, non-profit, and private sector organizations celebrate the vital importance of wetlands to the nation’s ecological, economic, and social health. It is also a great opportunity to remind others about the important role that wetlands play in our environment and the significant benefits they provide improved water quality, increased water storage and supply, reduced flood and storm surge risk, and critical habitat for plants, fish, and wildlife. Information on national, regional, and local activities planned for the month of May will be updated and posted on the American Wetlands Month Website.

A comprehensive set of Web-based resources, designed to assist communities across the U.S. to conduct locally effective watershed education and outreach activities. The Toolbox, online at, includes a searchable catalog of nearly 800 print, radio, and TV ads and outreach materials in the following categories: lawn and garden care, motor vehicle care, pet care, septic system care, household chemicals and waste, and general stormwater and storm drain awareness. This repository of contemporary, materials is designed to meet the needs of stormwater professionals to develop messages and products for their own communities.

EPA and 6 national associations agree to promote recommended utility performance measures and encourage the use of these tools and 10 management attributes by utilities around the country. The 6 associations are: the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the American Public Works Association, the American Water Works Association, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the National Association of Water Companies and Water Environment Federation.

The Guide is designed for government managers and staff who want to strategically address environmental issues using any or all of their available tools - compliance assistance, incentives, monitoring, and enforcement. The Guide presents the nine critical elements in planning, implementing, and measuring results from your strategy in an easy-to-use manner. The Guide also provides practical advice and lessons learned from real-life federal and state case examples to help in resolving common planning challenges.

The deadline for registering to attend the June 4-6, 2007 Federal Environmental Symposium has been extended to May 25, 2007. Due to NIH security measures, all participants must pre-register. If you are considering attending the conference, please register immediately as space is becoming limited. The final agenda for the conference can be found here.

The draft document “EPA's 2007 Report on the Environment: Science Report” (ROE SR) (EPA/600/R-07/045) is available for review. This public comment period is to precede the formal, public, scientific peer review of the draft document by EPA's Science Advisory Board (SAB) on July 10-12, 2007. EPA is releasing this draft document solely for the purpose of pre-dissemination peer review under applicable information quality guidelines. This document has not been formally disseminated by EPA. It does not represent and should not be construed to represent any Agency policy or determination. EPA will consider any public comments submitted in accordance with this notice when revising the document. The 45-day public comment period begins May 10, 2007, and ends June 25, 2007. Technical comments should be in writing and must be received by EPA by June 25, 2007. The draft report is available via the Internet on the National Center for Environmental Assessment's home page under the Recent Additions and the Data and Publications menus at http://www.epa.gov/ncea (Federal Register: May 10, 2007 [Notices], Page 26629-26631).

The awards recognize municipalities and industries for outstanding and innovative technological achievements in wastewater treatment and pollution abatement programs. Nominations are due to EPA headquarters no later than June 29, 2007. POC is William Hasselkus, Telephone: (202) 564-0664. Facsimile Number: (202) 501-2396. E-mail: hasselkus.william@epa.gov. Also visit the Office of Wastewater (Federal Register: May 10, 2007 [Notices], Page 26632).

June 14, 2007 Washington, D.C. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is inviting interested persons to participate in a public workshop that will examine industry data, identify industry best practices and standards, discuss the role of recommended practices for loading and unloading, and consider industry actions that have the potential to reduce risk during loading and unloading. PHMSA seeks the broadest participation of industry, federal agencies, state and local government, standards organizations, the emergency response community, employee groups, environmental and public interest organizations, and the public. PHMSA seeks individuals and organizations willing to speak at the public workshop. Interested persons are invited to submit papers on related topics. POCs are Mr. Rick Boyle, Office of Hazardous Materials Technology, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Technology, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, phone number: (202) 366-4545, e-mail: rick.boyle@dot.gov, or, Mr. Douglas Reeves, Office of Hazardous Materials Technology, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Technology, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, phone number: (202) 366-4545, e-mail: douglas.reeves@dot.gov.

The EPA Stewardship website enables government agencies at all levels identify opportunities to practice environmental stewardship. The agency selects the environmental issue, the types of information, types of government, and the geographic location. The search results in a list of potential stewardship opportunities.

This is a tool which provides local air quality information. AirCompare searches EPA air quality databases to pull information about pollutants reported under the Air Quality Index (AQI) – and to translate it into charts that show simply whether the previous year's air quality was healthy, unhealthy or unhealthy for specific groups more susceptible to pollution. The tool also can provide a multi-year snapshot of a county's air quality, based on a particular health issue.

This EPA report highlights U.S. contributions toward healing the ozone layer. The report also recognizes the substantial and successful investments of the many collaborators who have worked toward protecting and restoring the ozone layer.

Sponsored by ASTM, abstracts on the Detection, Analysis, and Remediation of emerging chemicals in soil and groundwater are due no later than June 29, 2007. The conference will be held in January 2008. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: knowledge about the emerging contaminants, analytical methods, environmental occurrence, transport in the environment, and ecological effects.

Every year, many tons of unwanted pharmaceuticals and personal care products enter the environment through consumer disposal to sewage and trash. EPA has given grants to 2 non-profit organizations to develop pilot demonstrations of alternative stewardship approaches to medication disposal.

The Winter-Spring 2007 edition of "Closing the Circle News" is now available. This is a special edition focusing on the Federal community's progress in sustainable design/green building.

(Washington, D.C. - Friday, April 27, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued two final guidelines for states, which will implement key provisions of the underground storage tank (UST) amendments of the Energy Policy Act of 2005: the inspection grant guidelines and the grant guidelines for state compliance reports on government USTs.

"The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has published Aligning NEPA Processes with Environmental Management Systems – A Guide for NEPA and EMS Practitioner. This guide provides practitioners with a tool to improve NEPA implementation and achieve the environmental sustainability goals laid out in NEPA and Executive Order 13423: ‘to create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.’"
James L. Connaughton
Chairman, CEQ

(April 23, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 9) has ordered the Navy to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act at its naval auxiliary landing field on San Clemente Island, located off the coast of San Diego, California. The order requires the Navy to reduce levels of total trihalomethanes - byproducts of the water disinfection process – in the drinking water system that serves approximately 700 people on the island.

The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive has announced the winners of the 2007 White House Closing the Circle award winners. The CTC Awards recognize outstanding achievements of Federal employees and their facilities for efforts that resulted in significant contributions to or have made a significant positive impact in regard to environmental stewardship. The awards focus on waste prevention, recycling, and green purchasing activities, environmental management, green/sustainable buildings, electronics stewardship, and reduced fuel usage.

Green procurement training will be offered to all federal purchase card holders free of charge at the 2007 Federal Environmental Symposium, to be held June 4-6, 2007 at the NIH Bethesda MD campus. Please register for the conference at http://www.fedcenter.gov/symposium2007-register and green procurement training at http://www.fedcenter.gov/symposium2007-greentraining by May 15, 2007 if interested.

EPA, in conjunction with states, developed draft grant guidelines for state underground storage tank programs. After receiving comments, EPA will develop final guidelines and incorporate them in grant agreements between EPA and states. EPA developed the guidelines according to Title XV, Subtitle B of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which focuses on preventing underground storage tank releases. Comments on the draft guidelines will be accepted until May 10, 2007. You can view the Federal Register notice here, which also contains details about how and where to submit comments.