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.
August 11, 2009
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.
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).
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.
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).
July 30, 2009
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).
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).
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.
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.
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.
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).