Organizers of the 20th Annual Southeast Recycling Conference (SERC) has issued a call for papers.The conference will be March 11-14, 2007, at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Ala. Presentations are to cover the following topics: recovering more recyclables; funding solid waste and recycling services; pay-as-you-throw; recovered material market updates and prices; single-stream collection and recycling; organics recycling; waste-to-fuel; recycling technology advances; social marketing and its affect on recycling program participation; and markets and collection techniques for nontraditional recyclables. Those interested should contact Gene Jones at (800) 441-7949 or email gene@swix.ws for further details.

CMRA is now accepting applications for its third annual C&D Recycling Awards Program, which is designed to recognize outstanding achievement in construction and demolition recycling.

A new partnership between the Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) program and Ducks Unlimited was established on July 7, 2006. The intent of the partnership is to allow Ducks Unlimited to work with the Army to identify opportunities for wetland creation and management near installations participating in the ACUB program.

The documents released include the delivery prohibition grant guidelines and a strategy for implementing the underground storage tank program in Indian country.

The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) and Green Seal, Inc. today announced the completion of a national Green Seal environmental standard for recycled-content latex paint. The standard is aimed at assuring consumers that recycled paint, in addition to being environmentally beneficial, can perform as well as virgin paint, both in terms of ease of application and quality and longevity of finish. The standard will be available at http://www.greenseal.org/certification/environmental.cfm

This agreement is designed to remove mercury-containing light switches from scrap vehicles before the vehicles are flattened, shredded, and melted to make new steel. The agreement is a two-year collaborative effort involving EPA, the End of Life Vehicle Solutions Corporation, the American Iron and Steel Institute, the Steel Manufacturers Association, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the Automotive Recyclers Association, Environmental Defense, the Ecology Center (Ann Arbor), and representatives of the Environmental Council of the States.

According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the requirement for shippers to retain a copy of shipping papers (49 CFR 172.21) for 2 yr after the shipping paper is provided to a carrier was not effective until January 9, 2006. Shipments offered or accepted for transportation prior to January 9, 2006 are not subject to the 2 yr shipping paper retention provisions. Instead, for shipments offered or accepted for transportation prior to January 9, 2006, each person who provides a shipping paper and each person who receives a shipping paper must retain a copy of the shipping paper or an electronic image for 375 days after the shipment is accepted by the initial carrier.

SDSI is being developed by EPA to recognize those who voluntarily phase out or commit to phasing out the manufacture or use of nonylphenol ethoxylate surfactants, commonly referred to as NPEs.

The guide, titled Hazardous Waste Generator Regulations: A User-Friendly Reference Document, includes hyper-link references to frequently asked questions, letters, memoranda, and guidance concerning hazardous waste.

The EPA has issued the following reports which focus on vehicle fuels and emissions:

• Marine Engine Manufacturer Develops Low Emission Inboard Marine Engines
• Light-Duty Automotive Technology and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2006
• National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) Progress Report

Computers and monitors from CTL, Dell, and HP have been recognized as part of a U.S. EPA funded effort to identify high-performance, environmentally friendly computer equipment. All of the products unveiled meet the new EPEAT “green” computer standard and they are listed online in the EPEAT database at www.epeat.net. EPEAT-registered computers have reduced levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury to better protect human health. They are more energy efficient, which reduces emissions of climate changing greenhouse gases. They are also easier to upgrade and recycle. In fact, manufacturers must offer safe recycling options for the products when they are no longer useable.

Abstracts are due October 20, 2006 for the conference “Engineering Sustainability 2007: Innovations that Span Boundaries.”

The Department of Defense has entered into an agreement with the State of Maryland outlining DoD's commitment to restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed at DoD installations across Maryland. A memorandum of understanding was signed with the Maryland Secretary of the Environment detailing specific actions DoD will take in helping to restore the Chesapeake Bay.

The Secretaries of Interior, Commerce and Agriculture, the Administrator of the EPA, and the Chairman of the White House CEQ have announced the dates and locations of the first 8 listening sessions.

Industrial releases of toxic chemicals in Canada and the United States declined 20 percent between 1998 and 2003, with atmospheric releases down 21 percent, the trilateral Commission on Environmental Cooperation said July 27, 2006. The details and information is contained in CEC's annual Taking Stock report.

Across the U.S., volunteers monitor the condition of streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, coastal waters, wetlands, and wells in order to help protect a stream, lake, bay or wetland near where they live, work, or play. To support volunteer monitoring the EPA sponsors national conferences that bring together volunteer organizers and agency representatives; manages a listserver for volunteer monitoring program coordinators; supports a national newsletter for volunteer monitors; prepares and regularly updates a directory of volunteer monitoring programs; and publishes manuals on volunteer monitoring methods and on planning and implementing volunteer programs

Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for roughly one-third of all residential water use. Smart irrigation practices use less water and can result in healthy lawns and reduced water bills this July and throughout the year

Researchers, educators, government officials, consultants, managers, community leaders and others with an interest in solid waste are invited to submit papers for oral presentation or poster session at the 22nd International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management being held in Philadelphia March 18 – 21, 2007.

Issued by the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, this issue is devoted to the use of environmental management systems in the Federal community and is full of innovative applications and success stories.

Audubon New York, after performing thorough due diligence on the wind farm, will use wind power to generate 100% of the energy used in its New York Offices.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), using an interagency work group, has developed a guide to Federal agencies in aligning their EMS with NEPA. CEQ invites comments on the proposed guide before publishing and distributing a final guide. The proposed guide, “Aligning the Complementary Processes of Environmental Management Systems and the National Environmental Policy Act”, is available at http://www.nepa.gov in the Current Developments section. Written comments should be submitted on or before September 1, 2006. POC is Horst Greczmiel horst_greczmiel@ceq.eop.gov at (202) 395-5750 (Federal Register: July 17, 2006 [Notices], Page 40520-40521).

These awards recognize those organizations and individuals who are providing leadership and innovation in water efficient products and practices. This program will enable EPA to document “best practices”, share information, encourage an ethic of water efficiency, and create a network of water efficiency leaders. Recognition will be given on the basis of persuasive community or organizational leadership in the area of water efficiency, originality and innovativeness, national/global perspective and implications, and overall improvements in water efficiency. The following sectors are encouraged to apply: Corporations, Industry, Individuals, NGOs and other Associations, Institutions, and Teams, Local, State, Tribal, and Federal Governments, and Military Individuals and Organizations. Applications must be postmarked by July 21, 2006. POC is Stephanie Thornton, Telephone: (202) 564-0269. E-mail: thornton.stephanie@epa.gov (Federal Register: July 11, 2006 [Notices], Page 39116).

The DOE report, Breaking the Biological Barriers to Cellulosic Ethanol: A Joint Research Agenda , outlined the department's research plan for increasing production of ethanol from the cellulose in stems, leaves, and other inedible parts of plants.

The Green GDP is being developed by economists to calculate the value of a clean environment to economic growth. The intent is to increase the ability to value ecosystem improvements and help EPA cite those benefits when justifying strict regulations.

This NRC voluntary guidance contains "lessons learned" from several recent incidents. To obtain the guidance, enter accession number ML060540038 at the website.

This July 2006 report, EPA-HQ-OPPT-2005-0013, is the first-ever comprehensive overview of agency mercury activities, describes progress and ongoing efforts in reducing mercury in the environment, both domestically and internationally.

According to EPA report EPA-430/R-06/006, IGCC is being explored as a cleaner method to generate power from coal. The technical report found that IGCC can lower air emissions, lower water usage and produce less solid waste. The technical report also found that IGCC has the potential to provide a more cost effective approach to capture carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, produced during coal combustion.

This bipartisan bill has introduced by U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords, I-Vt. The bill requires the federal government to establish green building standards for all federal facilities. The legislation also improves federal coordination and leadership related to the use of green buildings; expands research and development of green building technology; increases public outreach regarding green building activities inside and outside of the federal government; reviews the current budget structure and approval process for government projects; and encourages schools to improve the environmental conditions of their facilities. This bill has not yet been assigned a number.

The Corps is soliciting proposals for estuary habitat restoration projects. This document describes project criteria and evaluation criteria the Council will use to determine which projects to recommend. Recommended projects must provide ecosystem benefits, have scientific merit, be technically feasible, and be cost-effective. Proposals selected for Estuary Habitat Restoration Program funding will be implemented in accordance with a cost-share agreement with the Corps. This is not a grants program. Proposals must be received on or before August 14, 2006.

Based on EPA monitoring, beaches were safe for swimming 96 percent of the time in 2005. For information on a specific beach, click here. The number of beaches reported has increased some four times the original number since EPA began collecting such information.

The intent of the Task Force and the report are to increase cooperation among the states on fuel supply decisions and analyze the impacts of boutique fuels, or fuel blends, used by states to help meet clean air standards. Additionally, the report provides recommendations how can states identify opportunities to increase cooperation on gasoline supply decisions and analysis of boutique fuels.

Nominations are due 1 September 2006. The award categories are: System Level; Sub-system Level; and the Component Level.

This report is a summary of the first round of progress made by Federal agencies implementing the scorecards.

The 2006 FEC Awards recognize the achievements of FEC partners and their leadership in federal electronics stewardship.

The Office of the Federal Environmental Executive and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2006 Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) Awards. The 2006 FEC Awards recognize the achievements of FEC partners and their leadership in federal electronics stewardship. Electronics stewardship actions undertaken by these partners help make the acquisition, operation and disposition activities of the federal government more sustainable.

All abstracts are due no later than July 31, 2006. Topics addressed in the symposium should be based on research results and innovative technologies that are assisting the Department of Defense (DoD) to address increasingly complex environmental challenges.

Beginning in January 2007, the GPP will require partners to purchase 100 percent "new renewables" in meeting their minimum purchase requirements for membership. The previous threshold for the minimum green power purchase benchmark was 50 percent "new" renewables.

EPA seeks comment on draft requirements for public records for underground storage tank grant guidelines. Comments will be accepted from June 8 through July 8, 2006. Click below for more information.

EPA is seeking comments on the draft EPA/Tribal partnership strategy to implement section 1529 of the Energy Policy Act. Comments will be accepted from June 1 through July 1, 2006. Click below for more information.

(Washington, D.C. - June 7, 2006) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized revisions to storm water regulations to advance the comprehensive energy policy enacted by Congress last year. This action, implementing an amendment to the Clean Water Act passed in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, modifies water permitting program regulations to clarify that uncontaminated storm water discharged from oil and gas field activities does not require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

EPA published a final rule to link Toxic Chemical Release Reporting to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. Owners and operators of facilities subject to TRI reporting must identify their principal business activities using NAICS codes beginning with reports due July 1, 2007 for releases and other waste management activities for Reporting Year 2006.

EPA has signed a MOU with the Edison Electric Institute and five federal agencies to establish sound Integrated Vegetation Management practices in order to reduce adverse impacts to the environment and the public while ensuring reliable electrical service. The federal agencies involved in the MOU include the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. The MOU will support these federal agencies by providing practical, sustainable, and cost-effective policies, procedures, and practices that will reduce risks to the environment and the public, while ensuring safe, reliable, and uninterrupted electrical services to customers.

There are three draft grant guidelines available for comment:

• Grant Guidelines To States For Implementing The Delivery Prohibition Provision Of The Energy Policy Act Of 2005 (EPA 510-D-06-003, May 2006)
• Grant Guidelines To States For Implementing The Secondary Containment Provision Of The Energy Policy Act Of 2005 (EPA 510-D-06-001, May 2006)
• Grant Guidelines To States For Implementing The Financial Responsibility And Certification Provision Of The Energy Policy Act Of 2005 (EPA 510-D-06-002, May 2006)

Comments will be accepted until June 24, 2006.

The long-awaited proposed hazardous waste regulations specific to college/university laboratories were published in the May 23, 2006 Federal Register. Comments will be accepted until August 21. In the proposed regulation, College/University means a private or public, post-secondary, degree-granting, academic institution, that is accredited by an accrediting agency listed annually by the U.S. Department of Education. Laboratory means an area within a college or university where relatively small quantities of chemicals and other substances are used on a non-production basis for teaching or research purposes and are stored and used in containers that are easily manipulated by one person. An area where the same hazardous waste is routinely generated, such as photo processing, is not a laboratory (Federal Register: May 23, 2006 [Proposed Rules], Page 29711-29752).

EPA Region 2 and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are sponsoring a June 14, 2006 workshop on universal waste. The workshop will be held in Edison, NJ. The Federal and New Jersey universal waste requirements will be discussed. For more information, email malone.kathleen@epa.gov.

The United States Air Force and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory both win the 2006 Climate Protection Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize exceptional leadership, outstanding innovation, personal dedication, and technical achievements in climate protection.

The Earth Conservation Corps (ECC) and US EPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing a Mentoring Program between the two organizations that has been strong since 2001. The ECC is a non-profit youth development and environmental service organization dedicated to improving the local environment through clean up efforts and educating communities on actions they can take to restore and rehabilitate the environment. The Mentoring Program cultivates the students’ knowledge-base by offering education to enhance their skills, develop their career paths, provide hands on training and environmental assistance tools to support the ECC mission. For information on upcoming projects, contact Sandi Jones; 202-564- 7038; jones.sandra@epa.gov.

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. Award areas include EMS, Sustainable Design, Recycling, Stewardship, Pollution Prevention, and Alternative Fuels.

The conference proceedings for the 2006 Federal Environmental Symposium, held at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD, 2-4 May, are now available at http://www.fedcenter.gov/calendar/conferences/symposium2006/proceedings/.

The Naval Air Engineering Station in Lakehurst, New Jersey wins the Performance Track Environmental Performance award for small facilities. The facility was accepted to Performance Track in 2001 and is now in its second term of membership. In its first three years of membership, the Naval Air Engineering Station reduced water use by nearly 53 million gallons, solid waste generation by 20 tons, and NOx emissions by 14.6 tons. It also has created 123 acres of grassland bird habitat.

A new voluntary performance standard has been established to help large computer buyers make environmentally sound purchases as well as reducing the environmental impact of desktop and laptop computers and monitors they buy, use and discard. The new standard offers criteria in eight categories: material selection; environmentally sensitive materials; design for end of life; end-of-life management; energy conservation; product longevity and life-cycle extension; packaging; and corporate performance. The new standard is the IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association) 1680TM "Standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products." IEEE 1680 and its product registration and verification system are part of the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).

Nominations are excepted for any project, process, group, or individuals involved in a project or process that has used Federal Highway Administration funding sources to make an outstanding contribution to transportation and the environment. All nominations are due 15 August 2006.

FedCenter's "Regulatory Watch" feature, which keeps you up-to-date on proposed and final regulatory information, now gives you information on final regulations that will take effect in the coming six months.

FedCenter has created a new area entitled "EPA Enforcement Focus" that will keep you updated on current EPA headquarters and regional offices' strategies for addressing non-compliance issues within federal agencies that have demonstrated poor compliance records.

National Drinking Water Week was first sponsored by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). In the early 1990’s, AWWA formed a coalition with several organizations including EPA, USDA, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the Water Environment Federation and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators to celebrate the week nationally.

This year’s theme, It Pays to Save Wetlands, focuses on the economic and environmental benefits of wetlands, including cleaner water, less flood damage and more seafood.

These awards recognized Federal employees and facilities for leading by example and recycling, reusing, or donating their used computers and other electronic equipment to local schools or Hurricanes relief efforts in the Gulf area.

The awards recognize municipalities and industries for outstanding and innovative technological achievements in wastewater treatment and pollution abatement programs. Recognition is made for projects or programs in the following categories: outstanding operations and maintenance (O & M) at wastewater treatment facilities; biosolids exemplary management; pretreatment program excellence; outstanding storm water management; and, combined sewer overflow (CSO) control program excellence. Nominations are due to EPA headquarters no later than June 9, 2006. POC is ALFONSO BLANCO, P.E., Telephone: (202) 564-0632. Facsimile Number: (202) 501-2396. E-mail: blanco.alfonso@epa.gov. Also visit the Office of Wastewater Management's Web page at http://www.epa.gov/owm.

From the White House Council on Environmental Quality, this is the second annual progress report on President George W. Bush’s Wetlands Initiative. Since the President set the goal on Earth Day 2004 to move beyond “no net loss” of wetlands and attain an overall increase in the amount and quality of wetlands in America, we have restored, created, protected, or improved 1,797,000 acres of wetlands. We now have 588,000 acres of wetlands that did not exist in 2004, we have improved the quality of 563,000 acres that already existed in 2004, and we have protected the high quality of another 646,000 acres of existing wetlands. These accomplishments were achieved through conservation programs separate from the mitigation programs that increase and improve wetlands as replacements for wetlands developed for other uses.

EPA is temporarily adjusting the sulfur testing tolerance from 2 parts per million (ppm) to 3ppm through October 14, 2008. This technical change will help ensure that fuel actually meeting the 15ppm sulfur cap is not falsely rejected and will not impact the sulfur cap taking effect June 1, 2006. The adjustment provides labs with more time to improve their measurement techniques, while strengthening the reproducibility of fuel sulfur tests based on current testing variability for some test methods. The final rule also amends the designate-and-track provisions to account for non-petroleum diesel fuels, such as biodiesel, and makes other minor clarifications.

Green Seal is calling for comments on a Proposed Environmental Standard for Recycled Content Latex Paint. The purpose of this proposed Environmental Standard is to develop a national environmental leadership Standard for both consolidated recycled paint and reprocessed recycled paint. Stakeholder comments should be submitted in writing (electronically preferred) and received no later than May 31, 2006.

This report is issued by EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and is dated April 18, 2006. The report highlights data and analyses showing that under CAIR, the power industry will provide cleaner power through the installation of advanced control technologies, use of cleaner coal and other changes in the power industry. The installation of advanced pollution controls, use of cleaner coal, and changes in operation all lead to very substantial reductions in SO₂ and NOx emissions throughout the region.

These Awards recognize DOI employees and teams as well as DOI cooperators (contractors or outside partners) who have attained exceptional environmental achievements under the following policies and Executive Orders (E.O.s): Departmental Manual policy - Compliance with Waste Management Requirements (518 DM 2); the Strategic Plan for Greening the Department of the Interior Through Waste Prevention, Recycling and Federal Acquisition; E.O. 13101 - Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition; E.O. 13148 - Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management; E.O. 13123 - Greening the Government Through Efficient Energy Management, and E.O. 13149 - Greening the Government Through Federal Fleet and Transportation Efficiency.

This document, published April 2006, USEPA #430-R-06-002, presents estimates by the United States government of U.S. anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and sinks for the years 1990 through 2004. In June of 1992, the United States signed, and later ratified in October, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In this framework the U.S. agreed to the goal of “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” In order to determine progress towards that goal, the Convention also requires that partners “develop, periodically update, publish and make available…national inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol, using comparable methodologies…” This report fulfills that requirement.

Signed by Joshua B. Bolton of OMB and James Connaughton of CEQ, this April 11, 2006 memorandum encourages all agencies to adopt and implement EMS. The memorandum requests that agencies work with OMB, and CEQ through the January 2006 OMB scorecard process to establish a firm date for final completion of the EMS effort.

TRI provides information on toxic chemicals used and released by utilities, refineries, chemical manufacturers, paper companies, and many other facilities across the nation. The TRI is compiled from data submitted to EPA by industry and the states. Today’s data includes information on releases and other wastes from more than 650 chemicals and chemical compounds that companies are required to report under EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory Program. The data includes chemicals that were released at the company’s facility and those transported to disposal facilities off site.

Applications are due May 1, 2006. Up to five winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, DC in November 2006. Applications will be accepted in following five categories: Built Projects, Policies and Regulations, Small Communities, Equitable Development, and Overall Excellence in Smart Growth.

This award honors individuals and groups who are working to solve the critical environmental challenge of transforming abandoned industrial areas into productive new uses. The awards are open to any individual, group, company, organization, government body or agency. Criteria for The Phoenix Awards™ focus on the magnitude of the project, innovative techniques, solutions to regulatory issues, and impact upon the community. The 2006 Phoenix Awards deadline is Friday, June 30, 2006.

Deadline for submitting your ideas is April 21, 2006. The conference is November 13 – 15, 2006. Brownfields 2006 is official EPA and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) co-sponsored forum on brownfields redevelopment.

The report details DoD spending and performance in four major environmental program areas: conservation; environmental restoration; compliance; and pollution prevention.

Learn how other Federal agencies are celebrating this 36th anniversary of Earth Day and working to implement the principles of Earth Day into day –to-day operations.

FEMP is now accepting nominations for 2006 Showcases. For guidance on nominating a facility, please consult the 2006 Guidelines for Federal Energy Saver Showcase Designation. All applications must be returned to your federal agency energy coordinator at headquarters. Headquarters contacts may submit up to five nominations to FEMP no later than 19 May 2006.

This award is sponsored by the partnership of the Gulf of Mexico Program to recognize environmental stewardship in the five Gulf Coast States. Award categories are: Business, Government, Civic/Nonprofit Organization, Youth/Education, Partnerships, and Individual.

Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns announced that approximately 191,800 acres of wetlands were gained between 1998 and 2004, bringing the nation’s total wetlands acreage to 107.7 million acres, or 5 percent of the land area of the lower 48 states. The net gain was achieved because increases in shallow-pond-type wetlands offset the continued, but smaller, losses in swamp and marshland type wetlands. This report shows a loss of 523,500 acres of swamp and marsh wetlands and a gain of 715,300 acres of shallow-water wetlands.

EPA announced 100 percent of its power consumption at its Washington, D.C. headquarters will be supplied by green, renewable power. In addition, the vast majority of energy at over 30 regional and laboratory facilities will come from sustainable sources. EPA has contracted to purchase nearly 260 million kilowatt hours of green power each year for 10 of the agency's offices and 21 laboratories, which places the agency among the top three green-power consumers in the country. Green power is energy generated from renewable sources. Energy for the EPA Green Power Purchase Program include sources such as biogas (methane from landfills), biomass (plant-derived material), geothermal, and wind. For more information about green power go to: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/whatis

This document released March 22, 2006 summarizes the state of science regarding ozone exposure and human health makes a strong link between exposure and premature death, particularly death from heart and lung disease. The agency must decide whether to propose revisions to the standard by March 28, 2007, and take final action on any proposal by Dec. 19, 2007.

The EPA is seeking nominations for scientists to serve on its newly created Science Advisory Board Panel on the Distribution of Persistent Chemicals in Wastewater Treatment. The scientists should have a demonstrated expertise in tracking the chemistry, fate, transport, treatment, and removal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), persistent toxic chemicals, and other substances that enter wastewater from runoff or other sources or could be produced during wastewater treatment.

Representatives from the vehicle manufacturers, steelmakers, vehicle dismantlers, vehicle shredders, environmental community, states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reached agreement on a statement of principles detailing the elements of a national program for recovering mercury switches from scrap cars and light trucks before they are shredded for recycling. The parties are now working to complete a formal agreement.

The plan was released by the Administrator on March 13 and is titled “Action Plan: Principles to Accelerate the Pace of Environmental Protection” The intent of the plan is to document the Administrators approach to meet a charge by President Bush to accelerate the pace of environmental protection while maintaining economic competitiveness, according to EPA. The three principles outlined in the plan are to achieve results while maintaining accountability, to foster innovation and collaboration, and to use the best available science in developing regulations and agency policy documents. The five priorities in the plan are cleaner air and affordable energy, clean and safe water, healthy communities and ecosystems, the global environment, and a stronger EPA.

This is a searchable database with an initial portion of the data the EPA has obtained in 2001 – 2006 will be released to the public March 31, 2006. The remaining information will be released in batches. The data includes basic physicochemical, mammalian toxicity, and ecotoxicity data that EPA has gathered through a voluntary HPV Chemical Challenge Program.

The EPA has announced a voluntary initiative to reduce the use of 31 priority chemicals by 10 percent over three years. A facility would commit to decrease the use of at least one of the priority chemicals identified by EPA's Office of Solid Waste. Participants would receive public recognition from the agency for their achievements. The list includes 28 organic chemicals and three metals and their compounds, the agency has concluded are being generated in industrial waste. According to EPA, priority chemicals are those that are persistent in the environment, accumulate in living organisms, and are toxic if released. Metals on the list include cadmium, lead, and mercury.

OFEE is now located at 1320 L Street, NW, 2nd floor, Washington D.C. The general office phone number is 202-343-9125. The new mailing address is Office of the Federal Environmental Executive, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (1600J), Washington, DC 20460

As part of its Plug-In To eCycling commitments, Best Buy will recycle obsolete and storm-impacted electronics in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. Best Buy will collect and pay for the environmentally safe recycling of computers, monitors, and televisions that are currently held in certain staging areas in Jackson County, MS and Orleans Parish, LA. Best Buy will also provide consumer electronics recycling at Jackson County's household hazardous waste collection on March 4, 2006 at no charge to county residents.

Forest Service Manual (FSM) 1300 Management, Chapters 1330 and 1331 are updated as of 3 March 2006. This document details the application of ISO 14001 in the Forest Service, including EMS documentation, self declaration protocols, disclosure, and independent second-party audits.

This is a collaborative initiative to shrink industrial use of 31 priority chemicals. The challenge commitment seeks a 10 percent decrease in the use of one or more of the chemicals over three years at government and industrial facilities throughout the country. The Challenge is sponsored by two EPA programs, the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities and the National Environmental Performance Track. Chemicals from the list include PCBs, Fluorene, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury.

Nominations are being accepted for the SmartWay Excellence Awards through June 30, 2006. Partner Q&A conference calls will be held on March 7 and May 18, 2006. Contact:SmartWay Transport Partnership, phone:(734) 214-4767, smartway_transport@epa.gov.

Papers must be submitted by July 1, 2006.

This competition is open to local or state governments and other public sector entities that have used the principles of smart growth to create better places. This year, applications will be accepted in five categories: Built Projects, Policies and Regulations, Small Communities, Equitable Development, and Overall Excellence in Smart Growth. Interested parties are encouraged to submit applications for smart growth activities that have shown significant activity between May 1, 2001, and May 1, 2006. Successful applicants will have incorporated the principles of smart growth to create places that respect community culture and the environment, foster economic development, and enhance quality of life and public health. Applications are due on May 1, 2006. For more details about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, including an application packet, click the link below.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a draft report that analyzes the sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The report, "Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2004," will be open for comment for 30 days.

EPA has released an important tool to guide further local, state and federal steps to cut toxic air pollution and build upon the significant emissions reductions achieved since 1990. The second National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) is a state-of-the-science screening tool that estimates cancer and other health risks from exposure to air toxics.

U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), was named C&D Recycler of the Year by the Construction & Demolition Recycling Magazine. Within FHWA, Byron Lord was a catalyst for that agency’s acceptance and promotion of the use of recycled materials in the highway environment. He credits many academics that did the initial research to show these materials would work.

The games in Torino have incorporated the use of EMS and sustainability throughout the conception and construction phases as well the current implementation phase. See the process used and the standards adopted by the Torino Olympic Committee.

This voluntary initiative focuses on municipal solid waste recycling, reusing and recycling industrial materials, reducing the use of priority chemicals, and electronics recycling. The report illustrates various program partnerships involving government, communities, and industries throughout the country. The Resource Conservation Challenge is a national effort to conserve natural resources and energy by managing materials more efficiently.

The budget defines the goals and objectives towards which the Agency intends to work within the fiscal year and the funding the Agency believes is necessary to accomplish these goals and objectives.

This call for abstracts is open to environmental economists, other economists, and academics of any other discipline who wish to offer research papers at the frontiers of environmental economics and can contribute to identifying or resolving important public policy problems addressed within the sub-discipline of environmental economics. The conference wants new ideas and papers that could take environmental and resource economics and the policies informed by the discipline in new directions.

Energy Star status was conferred on more than 2500 office buildings, schools, hospitals, and public buildings for superior energy and environmental performance in 2005 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The buildings, representing 482 million square feet, are saving an estimated $349 million annually in lower energy bills while meeting industry standards for comfort and indoor air quality. The buildings are preventing 1.8 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to emissions from 540,000 vehicles.

EPA has issued guidance to help Federal Agencies meet the data reporting requirements of the Underground Storage Tank Compliance Act of 2005.

The conference proceedings (including speaker presentations and bios) for the 2006 White House Summit on Federal Sustainable Buildings is now available.

On January 26, 2006, EPA issued new protective guidance for cleaning up perchlorate contamination recommending a preliminary clean-up goal for perchlorate of 24.5 parts per billion in water. EPA's guidance is derived from the agency's reference dose for perchlorate which is based on the 2005 recommendations and conclusions of the nation's foremost science advisory committee (National Academy of Sciences). This assessment guidance for perchlorate offers clear guidance to site managers to help ensure national consistency in evaluating perchlorate in light of widely varying state guidance. This decision was based on the best available science and will be updated as new information becomes available.

The 25 organizations and institutions listed have voluntarily bought the most renewable energy and are part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Partnership. EPA also announced its Green Power Partners are now purchasing more than 4 million megawatt hours of renewable energy, an increase of nearly 100 percent since the end of 2004. The USEPA came in at #3; DOE came in at #5; GSA in Region 2 came in at #9; US Army, Ft Carson came in at #20.