epa

Apr 4, 2014

Una página principal para la era de los medios sociales

Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE.UU., epa, información ambiental, medios sociales, participación pública, protección ambiental, salud humana 0 Comments

Aquí en la EPA, sabemos que no podemos cumplir nuestra misión sin el insumo y la participación de millones de estadounidenses, desde las comunidades rurales y vecindarios de los suburbios a los centros urbanos. También sabemos cuán importante es nuestro sitio Web para la participación pública y la investigación. En nuestra página principal, queremos ayudarles a llevar a cabo sus tareas y mantenerse informado, mientras facilitamos la manera en la cual se conecta con nosotros mediante los medios sociales.

Hemos decidido hacer unos cambios en el diseño para permitir a los visitantes como usted poder comunicarse con nosotros. El nuevo diseño será publicado en un par de semanas, pero le ofrecemos un adelanto.

Hemos revisado varios mapas del sitio que evalúan la frecuencia de los términos populares y los más buscados que nos han dado ideas acerca de áreas específicas que deberíamos actualizar en la página principal.. La imagen que presentamos es el resultado de nuestros esfuerzos. ¿Qué viene por ahí? Hemos añadido algunos elementos nuevos que le ayudarán a conectarse mejor con nosotros:

· El banner en el encabezamiento continuará incluyendo algunos de los temas más populares, y le ayudará permanecer informado acerca de lo que está sucediendo. El nuevo diseño clarifica cuáles son los temas incluidos.

· Nuestras oficinas regionales ahora tendrán un rincón dedicado para proveer sus anuncios relevantes específicos para esas áreas del país. Usted podrá ir directamente a una página para su estado.

· Estamos contando nuestra historia usando multimedios: fotos y videos que comparten cómo trabajamos para lograr nuestra misión de proteger la salud y el medio ambiente. Esperamos usar estos elementos con el banner y los medios sociales para ofrecer información polifacética sobre nuestros esfuerzos.

La manera en la cual destacamos ciertos elementos claves le ayudará a encontrarnos en los medios sociales, verificar la entrada más reciente a nuestro blog, y a seguirnos por Twitter.

A la misma vez, crearemos una nueva área para ayudarle a informarse acerca de lo que puede hacer para abordar algunos de los asuntos más críticos. Más abajo en la página proveemos enlaces directos a algunos de los temas que ustedes buscan con mayor frecuencia.

En fin, esta nueva página principal refleja nuestra meta más importante: trabajar juntos con ustedes para mejorar la salud pública y proteger el medio ambiente.

Acerca del autor: Jeffrey Levy es el director de Comunicaciones del Web de la EPA. Ha estado con la EPA desde el 1993 cuando se unió a la agencia para proteger la capa de ozono.

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author alone. EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog, nor does EPA endorse the opinions or positions expressed. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content. If you do make changes, please do not attribute the edited title or content to EPA or the author.

EPA's official web site is www.epa.gov. Some links on this page may redirect users from the EPA website to a non-EPA, third-party site. In doing so, EPA is directing you only to the specific content referenced at the time of publication, not to any other content that may appear on the same webpage or elsewhere on the third-party site, or be added at a later date.

EPA is providing this link for informational purposes only. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of non-EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.

Mar 21, 2014

Pequeñas reparaciones, grandes ahorros

agua, conservación de agua, epa, Programa WaterSense, Semana de Repare un Goteo 0 Comments

Por Lina Younes

Recientemente, me quedé patidifusa cuando vi que la factura del agua había aumentado casi el doble. ¿Qué había ocasionado ese aumento inesperado en consumo del agua en nuestro hogar? Tenía que haber una explicación lógica.

Revisé nuestras actividades del pasado mes y no encontré ninguna razón para esta subida alarmante. Dado a que todavía estábamos en el invierno, definitivamente no estaba ocupándome del jardín. Tampoco estábamos tomando más duchas o baños que de costumbre.

Entonces, inició una expedición por toda la casa en busca de una posible causa. ¿Podría ser el grifo de la cocina? Yo pensaba que le había dado instrucciones a todo el mundo para que lo cerraran de cierta manera para prevenir las goteras. Todos los inodoros parecían estar funcionando bien menos el del sótano. ¡Encontré el culpable! Mi hija confesó que a veces a veces la cadena se quedaba atascada y el inodoro seguía botando agua. Ella mencionó que usualmente sucedía de noche, pero no me lo había comentado. Entonces, literalmente centenares de galones de agua y nuestro dinero estaban perdiéndose por el alcantarillado.

Mi esposo y yo fuimos a una ferretería local para comprar una aleta del sistema de desagüe del inodoro. Vi que había una variedad de aletas y kits de reparaciones de inodoro que costaban entre $4 y $20. Por suerte, mi esposo pudo reparar el inodoro sin tener que contratar un plomero. Esta pequeña reparación nos ahorró cientos de dólares y valió la pena.

¿Sabía que en los Estados Unidos se desperdician más de un millón de millones de agua cada año por filtraciones en el hogar? Por eso, la EPA y sus socios quieren recordar al público que verifiquen la plomería en su hogar durante la Semana de Repare el Goteo. ¿Cree que tiene una filtración de agua en el inodoro? Coloque un par de gotas de colorante vegetal en el tanque de su inodoro. Deje que pasen 15 minutos sin alar la cadena. Si el colorante aparece en la taza del inodoro, entonces tiene un goteo. El repararlo le ayudará a ahorrar dinero y a proteger el medio ambiente.

Si piensa hacer reparaciones grandes en los efectos de plomería en su hogar, quizás debería invertir en grifos, cabezas de duchas e inodoros con la etiqueta de WaterSense. Estos son productos de plomería eficientes en el consumo de agua que han ayudado a los consumidores a ahorrar más de 487 mil millones de galones de agua y cerca de $9 mil millones en factoras de agua y electricidad desde que la EPA creó el programa WaterSense en el 2006. Usted también puede ahorrar agua. Cada gota cuenta.

Acerca de la autora: Lina M. F. Younes ha trabajado en la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de EE.UU. desde el 2002 y se desempeña, en la actualidad, como portavoz hispana de la Agencia, así como enlace de asuntos multilingües de EPA. Además, ha laborado como la escritora y editora de los blogs en español de EPA durante los pasados cuatro años. Antes de unirse a la Agencia, dirigió la oficina en Washington, DC de dos periódicos puertorriqueños y ha laborado en varias agencias gubernamentales a lo largo de su carrera profesional en la Capital Federal.

Mar 20, 2014

Addressing Crucial Water Issues in Our Communities

Baltimore, epa, Laredo, nancy stoner, Texas, Wastewater, water 1 Comment

This year, we here at EPA celebrate the 20th anniversary of President Clinton signing Executive Order 12898, which directed federal agencies to address environmental disparities in minority and low-income communities. We’ve certainly accomplished a lot since the order was signed, but sadly, too many people still breathe dirty air, live near toxic waste dumps, or lack reliable access to clean water. But we continue to make progress in all of those areas, and here in EPA’s Office of Water, I’m proud of how we’re helping communities across America—both rural and urban—address their most crucial water issues.

Last fall, I was in Laredo, Texas and visited a community near the U.S.-Mexico border called the colonias, which until recently did not have regular access to clean water. Thanks to funding from EPA’s U.S.-Mexico Border Infrastructure Program, 3,700 people in the colonias now have access to a modern sewer system. We also have a program that provides funding for the planning, design and construction of wastewater infrastructure for American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. Providing access to clean water to people who have never had it before is one of the most important things we have the power and resources to do.

Editor's Note: The views expressed here are intended to explain EPA policy. They do not change anyone's rights or obligations. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content, or remove EPA’s identity as the author. If you do make substantive changes, please do not attribute the edited title or content to EPA or the author.

EPA's official web site is www.epa.gov. Some links on this page may redirect users from the EPA website to specific content on a non-EPA, third-party site. In doing so, EPA is directing you only to the specific content referenced at the time of publication, not to any other content that may appear on the same webpage or elsewhere on the third-party site, or be added at a later date.

EPA is providing this link for informational purposes only. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of non-EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.

Mar 12, 2014

Is Your Child’s School Stuck on a Pest Control Treadmill?

chemical safety, chemicals, epa, Integrated Pest Management, Jim Jones, michigan state, pesticides, schools, texas a&m, university of arizona 7 Comments

Many schools are stuck on a “treadmill” of never-ending pesticide applications, without addressing the underlying issues that make schools attractive to pests. If we can make it so pests aren’t attracted in the first place, the need for pesticides in schools would be greatly reduced.

Choosing a smart, sensible, and sustainable approach can reduce pests and pesticide risks, create a healthier environment for our children, and save schools money in pesticide treatment and energy costs from improved insulation as a result of sealing cracks and adding door sweeps. We call this approach Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, and school leaders toured John Mcdonogh High School

Mar 11, 2014

Reliable and Affordable Energy

Air, climate change, coal, electricity, energy, epa, joseph goffman 1 Comment

With the severe winter of 2014 as a backdrop, there have been questions about the future affordability and reliability of electricity. But what’s so often missing from this discussion is the reality that technological and economic transitions in the power sector are modernizing our nation’s electricity system. The result? Clean, affordable energy for generations to come.

As part of this change-over, older coal-burning plants are already being phased out. Some people still wonder whether EPA is to blame for these closures. But the reality is that power plant retirements are business decisions to move away from investing in aging facilities, many of which are more than 50 years old, do not control pollution, and are almost never run anywhere near full capacity. Other factors like low natural gas prices relative to other fuels and slow growth in demand for electricity also contribute to these market-driven business decisions.

We have seen significant progress in the power sector — all while keeping our businesses and homes powered up and our economy growing. For example, new and improved technologies — including more efficient and responsive natural gas plants, lower renewable energy costs, energy efficiency advances, and smart grid growth — are creating innovative ways to generate, transmit, and use electricity.

Mar 6, 2014

Where Do Plastic Bags Go?

Beyond the Midwest, epa, plastic bags, Recyling, sustainability 3 Comments

By Shannon Bond

Each season has its unique traits. Some are good, some are not so good. This depends upon who you talk to of course. One of the benefits of winter is the view, which brings a barren type of beauty. There is no doubt that leaves and green landscapes are appealing, but as an outdoor enthusiast and trail junky (both on foot and on wheels), I can appreciate the outdoors in every variation. There is a lot to be said for increased visibility too. When the trees are bare, you can see the contour of the land and the flow of the trail.

Sadly, I can also see litter; particularly, plastic bags. When you are hiking down a trail it’s easy to reach down and pick that trash or stray bag up. The easy cleanup opportunity is lost when you are barreling down the highway on the way to work though. It is especially discouraging to see hordes of plastic bags clinging to the tops of trees. These bags have obviously been ejected from passing vehicles to be carried by the wind to their final resting place. I’m sure they are present all year, but the winter draws back the veil of leaves to reveal just how much wasted plastic we generate.

What happens to the rest of the plastic bags that don’t get stuck in our suburban forests? And, what can we do to mitigate our waste? For years I was under the impression that we could not recycle these plastic grocery haulers. I’ve reused them as trash bags, lunch bags and anything else I could think of, but ultimately that just prolongs their life before they end up in the landfill. Luckily, just like a lot of our modern day materials, these can be recycled. So plastic bags really end up in three places (like everything else really).

The landfill

In 2011, Americans produced around 250 million tons of waste, 32 million tons of that solid waste was plastic. That’s 4.4 pounds of waste per person per day! It’s up to you to help keep plastic bags and other waste out of landfills. (http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/MSWcharacterization_508_053113_fs.pdf)

Recycled into other goods

There is hope because recycling and composting helped prevent 87 million tons of material from reaching the landfills that year. That gives us an average of about 1.53 pounds of recycled and composted waste out of our 4.4 pounds per person per day. About 11 percent of the recycled waste from the overall count was the category of plastics that include plastic bags. Unfortunately, only 8 percent of the total plastic waste generated was recycled in 2011. We can change this. There are more than 1,800 businesses in the U.S. that handle or reclaim post-consumer plastics. Put simply, bring your used plastic bags to the grocery store when you shop and drop them at the bag recycle bin. If your store doesn’t have a recycle service for plastic bags, ask the store manager why not or what the alternatives are. You can also find a curbside drop off. http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/plastics.htm.

Where does recycled plastic go? You handle it all the time and probably don’t realize it. Products include bottles, carpet, textiles, paper coating and even clothes.

In the trees (or anywhere else as litter)

Don’t let your bags end up here. It’s an eyesore for your community, dangerous for the animals in your environment and doesn’t contribute to the reduction of source materials needed for plastic manufacturing.

What’s the bottom line? Recycle your plastic bags, it’s easy. Why? It helps keep trash off the streets. It helps reduce the need for raw resources in manufacturing and it reduces the amount of waste that goes to the landfill; it even helps generate power. Did you know that you can save enough energy to power your laptop for 3.4 hours by recycling 10 plastic bags? You can find these fun facts and other great information here: http://www2.epa.gov/recycle.

Shannon Bond is a multimedia production specialist with EPA Region 7’s Office of Public Affairs. He has served in a host of roles including military policeman, corrections officer, network operations specialist, photojournalist, broadcast specialist and public affairs superintendant.

Mar 4, 2014

Sustainable Biofuel to Combat Climate Change

Algae, Biofuel, climate change, epa, old dominion university, Region 3, Shawn Garvin, Virginia 1 Comment

I’m a supporter of on-the-ground work in academia and how student research programs across the United States are helping to solve our country’s environmental problems, often with assistance from the federal government.

That’s why I was delighted to visit with Dr. Sandeep Kumar and his team of graduate and undergraduate students at Old Dominion University Research Foundation in Norfolk, Virginia. My visit was timely – EPA had just awarded the team a P3 grant for $15,000.

EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin with Dr. Sandeep Kumar’s research team at Old Dominion University laboratory.

Mar 4, 2014

Environmental Protection Takes a Team

ag, agriculture, epa, Karl Brooks, Region 7 0 Comments

EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, herself a veteran of state environmental agencies, always reminds us that environmental protection is an “enterprise.” That means EPA is only one part of a larger effort that keeps people healthy and our natural environment productive. A very important part, to be sure, but EPA can only accomplish our mission by working with partners: state agencies, local communities, businesses large and small, and families who grow the crops that feed our world.

Here in the Heartland, Region 7 recently hosted two important conversations that illustrate why we say, “Environmental protection is a team effort.”

Region 7 includes much of our country’s most productive farmland. From Missouri’s Bootheel, which raises cotton and rice, to Nebraska’s cattle country stretching nearly to the Rockies, agriculture’s engine room drives much of America’s farm output. And when you look west, EPA Region 8 encompasses not just the Dakotas’ irrigated corn and bean producers, but wheat growers on the Plains and stockraisers along the Rocky Mountains from Montana to Utah. This immense agricultural bounty requires the EPA to know farming, and to know farmers. Some of America’s most influential innovators are ag producers and their suppliers, customers, and research institutes at land-grant universities and private firms. More

Mar 3, 2014

Cleaner Cars, Cleaner Fuels, and a Cleaner Bill of Health

Administrator, Air, Clean Air Act, cleaner fuels, epa, Gina McCarthy, pm2.5, Tier 3 2 Comments

Today I’m thrilled to announce EPA’s new clean fuel and vehicle standards that are a win for public health, a win for our environment, and a win for our wallets. These “Tier 3” emission standards for cars and gasoline will significantly reduce harmful emissions, prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses, and encourage innovation and technological improvements in the cars and trucks we drive.

By reducing gasoline sulfur levels by more than 60% (down from 30 to 10 parts per million (ppm) in 2017), vehicle emission control technologies can perform more efficiently, both on existing vehicles and on new ones. The new Tier 3 standards will also slash of a range of harmful pollutants that can cause premature death and respiratory illnesses. They will reduce smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) by 80%, establish a 70% tighter particulate matter standard (PM2.5), and virtually eliminate fuel vapor emissions.

Tier 3 builds on a broader array of practical and achievable cleaner fuel and vehicle standards that cut carbon pollution that contributes to climate change, clean the air we breathe, strengthen energy security, and save families money at the pump. They build on already established fuel efficiency standards that by 2025 will save American families more than $8,000 at the pump over their vehicle’s lifetime.

Feb 26, 2014

EPA Takes a Step Forward in Protecting our Nation’s Farm Workers

chemical safety, epa, farm workers, Farmworkers, julie chavez rodriguez, pesticides, Worker Protection Standard 2 Comments

This blog was originally posted on the White House Blog.

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced proposed revisions to the Worker Protection Standard in order to protect the nation’s two million farm workers and their families from pesticide exposure.

I am proud that this administration has taken another step forward in protecting our nation’s farm workers, a cause that is at the very root of my passion for public service. My hero and grandfather, Cesar Chavez, fought tirelessly for the rights of farmworkers, from higher wages and worker compensation, to access to drinking water and safety from pesticides.

My grandfather’s work centered around justice and ensuring that hard working, decent people were treated with the respect and dignity that all human beings deserve. EPA’s revised Worker Protection Standard will afford farm workers similar health protections to those already enjoyed by other workers in other jobs. The rule, covering farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses, has not been updated for 20 years – and certainly for many it is long overdue. More

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