This page provides access to a listing of some of the recent additions and new materials made available on the EPA Web site within the past six weeks.

August 12, 2009

• EPA’s Human Resources Management System Did Not Deliver Anticipated Efficiencies to the Shared Service Centers (PDF) - OIG assessed the capability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) human resources (HR) management system to provide the information technology (IT) support necessary for successful implementation of EPA’s shared service center (SSC) initiative. A 25 pp, 353K Adobe Acrobat PDF document from the Office of Inspector General.

• EPA to participate in government, industry and academic consortium to develop next generation EcoCAR - EcoCAR is a consortium of government, industry and academic leaders that work with students to build the environmental vehicles of the future (Office of Transportation and Air Quality).

August 11, 2009

• Updated pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCP) literature references - Listing of literature references to pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment - believed to be one of the largest EndNote databases in the world (National Exposure Research Laboratory).

August 10, 2009

• New Stepping Stone module posted on "Key Concepts of Impaired Waters and Developing TMDLs" - What is the 303(d) list? What is a total maximum daily load (TMDL)? How is a TMDL developed? The answers to these and many other questions related to TMDLs can be found in this Web-based training course designed by EPA's Office of Science and Technology for state and tribal employees and the general public (Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds).

• New from the Office of Pesticide Programs:

  • Registration Review Final Work Plan Errata Memo for Oxytetracycline - The Registration Review Final Work Plan Errata Memo for Oxytetracycline is available.

  • Registration Review Final Work Plan for Fenitrothion - The Registration Review Final Work Plan for Fenitrothion is available.

August 7, 2009

• Supplemental Funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants - Communities in 55 state or local governments will receive $55 million in supplemental funding for brownfields revolving loan fund grants to help communities carry out cleanup activities, redevelopment projects, and create jobs for local residents living near brownfields sites (Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization).

• Aleris International Clean Air Act Settlement - Aleris International Inc., one of the nation’s largest aluminum recyclers, and 13 of its subsidiaries have committed to implementing environmental improvements and controls projected to cost $4.2 million at 15 plants located in 11 states, the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today (Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance).

• EPA announces peer review findings on the lifecycle analysis for the proposed rule to implement the expanded Renewable Fuel Standard Program - One of the requirements in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 is for EPA to examine the lifecycle GHG impacts associated with different types of renewable fuels.  The statute specifically requires that this assessment take into account “the full fuel lifecycle,” including, “significant indirect emissions, such as significant emissions from land use changes.”  EPA decided to initiate this independent peer review to help respond to stakeholder concerns and to ensure that the Agency makes decisions based on the best science available (Office of Transportation and Air Quality).

August 6, 2009

• EPA Should Use FMFIA to Improve Programmatic Operations (PDF) - We conducted this review to determine how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develops annual guidance under theFederal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA). We asked whether EPA offices integrate FMFIA internalcontrol standards into programmatic operations. We also asked whether offices use Government AccountabilityOffice (GAO) guidance todevelop and monitor internal controls. A 24 pp, 196K Adobe Acrobat PDF document from the Office of Inspector General.

• Call for Abstracts: Seventh National Monitoring Conference, April 2010 (PDF) - The National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) is proud to host its Seventh National Monitoring Conference—Monitoring From the Summit to the Sea—to be held in Denver, Colorado from April 25-29, 2010. The conference will focus on the many facets of water quality and quantity monitoring for improved understanding, protection, and restoration of our natural resources and communities. A 2 pp, 190K PDF document from the Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.

July 31, 2009

• Agreed-Upon Procedures on EPA’s Fiscal Year 2009 Second Quarter Financial Statements (PDF) - We performed agreed-upon procedures on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 Second Quarter Financial Statements. We did so to assist EPA in evaluating whether its quarterly Financial Statements were compiled consistent with the Treasury United States Standard General Ledger (USSGL) Crosswalk, and to identify significant fluctuations in financial line item balances from the previous year. A 16 pp, 196K Adobe Acrobat PDF document from the Office of Inspector General.

• Publication: Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter (PM) (Second External Review Draft) - EPA is announcing the release of the draft document, Integrated Science Assessment for Particulate Matter (Second External Review Draft). This draft ISA document represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant science and will ultimately provide the scientific bases for EPA's decision regarding whether the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM sufficiently protects public health and the environment (National Center for Environmental Assessment).

• EPA recommendations on enforcement and compliance assurance programs in each state - for the Clean Water Act (CWA), Clean Air Act (CAA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) are available (Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance).

July 30, 2009

• EPA Signs the 2009 Methyl Bromide Critical Use Exemption Final Rule - On December 15, 2006, the U.S. government transmitted to the Ozone Secretariat of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) its fifth nomination for a critical use exemption (CUE) from the phaseout of methyl bromide (MeBr). This request was for the 2009 calendar year and amounts to 19.5 percent of 1991 baseline levels (Stratospheric Protection Division).

July 23, 2009

• Water: Elixir of Life - NERL researchers Mitch Kostich, Ph.D., and Jim Lazorchak, Ph.D., have developed and applied new methods that allow EPA to estimate the effects of pharmaceuticals on aquatic life. This research was cited recently by the Society of Toxicology as being among the top 11 scientific papers for 2008 related to ecological risk assessment (National Exposure Research Laboratory).

• PRIA 2: Overview of Fee Reduction and Refund Formula - EPA has developed formulas for determining the reductions in the registration service fee for actions that are partially completed and for refunds following withdrawal of a PRIA covered application (Office of Pesticide Programs).

July 21, 2009

• EPA Should Delay Deploying Its New Acquisition System until Testing Is Completed (PDF) - EPA acquires approximately $1.3 billion in goods and services annually. The Office of Acquisition Management (OAM), within the Office of Administration and Resources Management, is responsible for managing the Agency’s procurement of products and services. A strategic goal of OAM is “optimizing business processes.” As a part of this effort, OAM is developing a new acquisition system, the EPA Acquisition System. A 14 pp, 128K Adobe Acrobat PDF document from the Office of Inspector General.

• Pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB); Amendments to Terminate Uses - This notice announces EPA's order for the amendments to terminate uses, voluntarily requested by the registrants and accepted by the Agency, of certain products containing the pesticide PCNB (Office of Pesticide Programs).

• Fifth National Conference for Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Outreach: Achieving Results with Tight Budgets (May 2009, Portland, OR) - Proceedings and all presentations available online (Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds).

July 17, 2009

• EPA launches the Emission Standards Reference Guide - This new web site contains federal emission standards for on-road (light-duty and heavy-duty) and nonroad vehicles and engines, and related fuel sulfur standards. Each table includes the standards, useful life, warranty period, and the availability of averaging, banking, and trading (ABT).  In addition, the applicable CFR citations are provided (Office of Transportation and Air Quality).

• Atrazine Updates - Current July 2009 data has been added to the Atrazine Update Page providing results on Atrazine activities and studies (Office of Pesticide Programs).

• New from the Office of Research and Development:

  • ESTE: Mold-Resistant Building Material Testing (PDF) - This document serves as the Test and Quality Assurance (QA) plan for mold-resistant building material testing. The Quality Management Plan (QMP) under which this work is conducted is the Verification Testing of Air Pollution Control Technology Quality Management Plan, Revision 2.2, February 17, 20051. This QMP was approved by EPA for the ETV program and fulfills the requirements of the ETV program-level QMP. A 31 pp, 135K Adobe Acrobat PDF document.

  • Test Quality Plan: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for Tracking Hazardous Waste Shipments across International Borders (PDF) - There are thousands of shipments of hazardous wastes that enter the United States each year. These shipments must be properly handled and recycled or disposed according to appropriate regulatory standards. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires cradle-to-grave tracking of hazardous wastes. At the present time, there is no automated method to track these shipments from the generator facility to the receiving facility and a particular gap exists in EPA’s ability to track shipments of hazardous wastes originating in the Mexico border zone and crossing into the U.S. Therefore, the U.S.-Mexico border area presents a unique opportunity for testing this type of technology, largely because of the presence of the maquila industry. A 38 pp, 32K Adobe Acrobat PDF document.

July 10, 2009

• New from the Office of Compliance and Enforcement:

  • Facilities and Enforcement Activities related to the Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program - Information about federal and state enforcement of non-compliance with Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits that regulate the discharge of pollutants from point sources to waters of the United States.

  • State Review Framework - The State Review Framework (SRF) is a program management tool to assess EPA and state core Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act enforcement and compliance assurance programs. Current state review reports are available.

• Imidacloprid Final Work Plan - Registration Review Final Work Plan (FWP) is available for Imidacloprid (Office of Pesticide Programs).

July 9, 2009

• Canadian Executive Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracies Involving a New Jersey Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Site (PDF) - A former executive of Bennett Environmental Inc. (BEI), a Canadian-based company that treats and disposes of contaminated soil, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to pay kickbacks and commit fraud at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-designated Superfund site, Federal Creosote, located in Manville, N.J. The former executive also pleaded guilty to participating in a money laundering conspiracy and impeding a proceeding before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Justice announced today. A 3 pp, 55K Adobe Acrobat PDF document from the Office of Inspector General.

• External Peer Review Panel Meeting Comments posted on the IRIS Toxicological Review Document of Halogenated Platinum Salts and Platinum Compounds - On May 21, 2009, an external peer review panel workshop was hosted by an independent contractor on the Toxicological Review of Halogenated Platinum Salts and Platinum Compounds (External Review Draft). Completing this review, a final report of the comments from the workshop were collected and is now available (Integrated Risk Information System Program).

June 30, 2009

• Publication: Metabolically Derived Human Ventilation Rates: A Revised Approach Based Upon Oxygen Consumption Rates (Final Report) - The purpose of this report is to provide a revised approach for calculating an individual’s ventilation rate directly from their oxygen consumption rate. This revised approach will be used to update the ventilation rate information in the Exposure Factors Handbook, which serve as a resources for exposure assessors for calculating inhalation and other exposures (National Center for Environmental Assessment).

• EPA Will Be Reviewing and Potentially Revising its Health and Environmental Standards for Uranium and Thorium Milling Facilities - To ensure an open and transparent rulemaking process, EPA will develop a Web site with postings of relevant documents, notices of opportunities for public input to the process, and notices of meetings at which the proposal may be discussed (Radiation Protection Division).

• Annual Report, Office of Science and Technology (2008) (PDF) - In 2008, OST continued its long tradition of ensuring that sound science is the foundation for its work and that stakeholder input is actively sought as we formulate public policy. OST made many advances through collaboration with its regional counterparts; federal partners; and state, territorial and tribal co-regulators. A 32 pp, 1.3MB Adobe Acrobat PDF document from the Office of Science and Technology.