Envirobytes

EnviroBytes, a Summary of Issues and Events for the Week Ending March 24, 2006

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PASSES ELECTRIC HYBRID RESOLUTION

The City of Philadelphia passed a resolution to purchase hybrid-electric or alternative fuel vehicles to add to its fleet. The city is convinced that hybrid-electric vehicles and other alternative fuel vehicles produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, facilitate savings, consume less fuel, and will help Philadelphia lower its toxic levels of vehicle exhaust emissions.

AIR PROTECTION DIVISION WEB SITE BENEFITS FROM UPDATED COLDFUSION AUTOMATION

ColdFusion (a web technology used by EPA Region 3's Air Division) was updated by a more automated version to upload EPA's Title V Air Operating Permit quarterly updates on the EPA Region 3 Air Division public web site: http://www.epa.gov/reg3artd/permitting/permits1c.htm#lists. The improvements will reduce the time and effort needed to maintain the permits portion of the web site, provide the public with a steady stream of permit web pages at no additional cost to the agency, and enable the development of similar web pages and applications in the future.

VIRGINIA PROMOTES TIRE PRESSURE INITIATIVE

EPA awarded a grant to Virginia's Environmental state office to launch an educational campaign at the upcoming May 5-6 NASCAR race Clean Air Champions exhibit in Richmond, Va. The Clean Air Champions marketing kit will be used to educate motorists about the benefits of improving air quality by reducing fuel consumption and ozone generation through tire pressure monitoring and engine maintenance . Campaign radio ads featuring former NASCAR driver Ward Burton will play on the air and in the stadium, reminding drivers to check their tire pressure.

FIRST ANNUAL POTOMAC WATERSHED TRASH SUMMIT HERALDS A TRASH-FREE POTOMAC RIVER

EPA co-sponsored a Potomac watershed trash summit held March 16 at the World Bank offices in Washington, D.C. The goal of the summit's sponsors is to have a trash-free Potomac River by 2013. As a follow-up to the summit, volunteers (including EPA and other organizations, students, municipal employees, and local politicians) removed tons of trash from the Anacostia River watershed on March 18 and surrounding areas in Washington, D.C. Funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's marine debris program, the Anacostia Watershed Society sponsored the trash cleanup in accordance with the Potomac Trash Treaty.

SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL TRAIN-THE-TRAINER INITIATIVE TACKLES MOLD

EPA Region 3 hosted a mold training workshop in March for Pennsylvania and New Jersey members of the Retired and Senior Volunteers Program (RSVP). The members will use their knowledge on the dangers of mold to train others in their communities. The next workshop in April will tackle brownfields training. Brownfields are abandoned, industrial properties where environmental contamination has been a barrier to redevelopment.

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE LECTURE

As part of a five-part lecture series entitled: "Wise Development for Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore,"EPA Region 3's Bill Jenkins gave a presentation on March 16 entitled "Green Infrastructure: The Natural Life Support System for Our Communities," at Maryland's Salisbury State University. Bill described what green infrastructure is and how the green infrastructure approach can be used to strategically guide land use, environmental conservation and restoration decision-making. The series will air on the Wicomico Public Cable Access Channel, and is sponsored by The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and others.

REGION 3 HOSTS MEETING OF RECYCLING OFFICIALS FROM 26 STATES

The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. held a meeting on March 21-23 at EPA Region 3 offices with officials from the Mid-American Council of Recycling and the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Recycling and Recycling Economic Development. The meeting was attended by recycling coordinators from 26 States, private industry representatives and local and EPA recycling officials and included a tour of the Blue Mountain recycling facility in Philadelphia. See www.bluemountainrecycling.com. Topics included future recycling markets, deconstruction, LEED certification, as well as electronics recycling legislation.

EPA HONORS EMCOR FACILITIES SERVICES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP

EMCOR Facilities Services, headquartered in Arlington, Va. became an official voluntary partner in EPA's National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) - the first facilities management company in the nation to do so. NPEP challenges businesses and manufacturers to adopt a resource conservation ethic that results in less waste, more recycling, and more environmentally-sound products. EMCOR is developing a comprehensive mercury education and management program to eliminate mercury releases into the environment by making sure mercury waste from mercury-containing devices is recycled.

PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY BENEFITS FROM YEARLY LECTURE

EPA Region 3 staff visited Philadelphia University on March 22 to provide an overview on the history of lead in our environment for two classes of biology students. After the overview, the students tested soil, water and dust for lead, and discussed the impact of lead exposure and poisoning on the environment. The students are provided yearly with the same overview, get to conduct lead testing, develop projects related to lead poisoning prevention and learn to identify lead hazards in the environment.

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