Administrator

Aug 7, 2014

Recognizing One of EPA’s Greatest

Administrator, bob perciasepe, deputy administrator 2 Comments

Today, everyone at EPA took a moment to honor one our greatest champions for the public health and the environment. Few people have had as lasting an impact on the vital work of EPA as our Deputy Administrator, Bob Perciasepe. After 13 combined years at the agency, it’s bittersweet that Bob will be leaving to assume an exciting new role as the President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. The fact that so many of us at EPA call Bob a friend is testament to his dedication to this agency and its people—and, of course, his terrific humor and good heart.

He’s not only the sole person to have served as Assistant Administrator at EPA for both the Offices of Water and Air and Radiation, but he was also key to some of our major successes there, from protecting iconic waters like his beloved Chesapeake Bay to making huge reductions in sulfur levels in fuels. So it was no surprise that President Obama appointed Bob as Deputy Administrator in 2009. He’s worked tirelessly to improve the way EPA works so we can better meet the needs of the people we serve, especially people that need us most. He’s handled the hard times like a champion, like helping us navigate through two government-shutdowns. It’s clear we would not be as successful an agency today without him, and we’re all in his debt. Not just the EPA family, but all American families who enjoy cleaner air and water thanks to his work.

Deputy Adminstrator Bob Perciasepe receives a standing ovation as he speaks at a podium.

With his departure, EPA is losing a cherished colleague and leader who poured everything he had into the agency’s mission. And personally, I’m going to be losing a great friend working by my side. We’ll all miss his sage advice, his quick wit, and his jovial attitude.

But as Bob himself will tell you, we’ve got the best and brightest staff around. It’s the people of EPA—people like Bob Perciasepe—that have fueled decades of progress cutting pollution and protecting a safer, healthier nation. From chemical safety and air pollution, to clean water and climate change and everything in between—we’ve got our work cut out for us. But with the compassionate people at EPA, compelled by our mission and committed to public service, I know we’ll keep moving forward.

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Aug 6, 2014

EPA: Protecting Water: A Precious, Limited Resource

Administrator, Chesapeake Bay, drinking water, Green Infrastructure, Stormwater, water, water quality, water safety, Watershed, Watson Run, wetlands 4 Comments

Summer is when many families head to our oceans, lakes, and streams to fish, swim, and enjoy our nation’s waters—bringing water quality and safety to the top of our minds. EPA has a critical mission to make sure our nation’s water resources are safe for drinking, for recreation, and for aquatic life.

Earlier this summer, I asked EPA employees to share the innovative work they’re doing to protect our nation’s water resources. I’d like to share some of their great stories with you.
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Jul 31, 2014

Acting on Climate Change: Nurses Managing Patient Care in their Communities

Administrator, Air, Air Pollution, climate change, nurses, patient care, Pollutants 1 Comment

Health care workers strive day in and day out to provide the best care for their patients. Yet too many Americans are still exposed to air pollution, which can lead to illnesses like asthma. Carbon pollution from power plants comes packaged with other dangerous pollutants like particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, putting our families’ health at risk. Rising temperatures from climate change bring more smog, more asthma, and longer allergy seasons—and the elderly, children, and the infirm are most vulnerable.

That’s why health practitioners like, the nurses with Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE), have such an important role to play in managing environmental risks that impact human health. EPA recently took part in a briefing hosted by ANHE and spoke with nurses about mentorship opportunities through the Asthma Community Network and the EPA Breathe Easies asthma education campaign – a great resource for school and pediatric nurses.

Nurses from the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) talking with a mother and a child.

ANHE nurse counseling family on how to manage asthma on days with poor air quality.

Jul 28, 2014

EPA Wants to Hear From You: Kicking Off Public Hearings on our Clean Power Plan Proposal

Administrator, Air, Clean Power Plan, climate change, president obama's climate action plan, public hearings 30 Comments

The risks of climate change to our health and our economy are clear. The need for urgent action is clear. That’s why, as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, EPA proposed a Clean Power Plan to cut the harmful carbon pollution fueling climate change from our largest source—power plants.

Even before we put pen to paper on our Clean Power Plan proposal, we hugely benefited from unprecedented outreach. We held 11 public listening sessions nationwide. We heard from thousands of people through phone calls, emails, meetings, and more.

Since our June 2 release, we’ve officially entered the public comment period on our proposal, and we’ve been laser focused on our second phase of engagement. We’ve met with 60 different groups in just the first 25 business days after our proposal. We’ve received more than 300,000 comments so far, and expect many more. We want no stone unturned; and no good idea off the table. More

Jul 25, 2014

Science for Sustainable and Healthy Tribes

Administrator, Air, American Indian, climate change, grants, indoor air pollution, tribes 0 Comments

Yesterday I signed the Policy on Environmental Justice for Working with Federally Recognized Tribes and Indigenous Peoples, which clarifies how EPA works with federally and state recognized tribes, indigenous community-based grassroots organizations, and other indigenous peoples to address their environmental and public health concerns.

American Indian communities have been inextricably tied to the natural environment for generations. From cultural identify to sustenance, many of those unique traditions endure. That’s why I’m so excited about the six tribal environmental health research grants to tribal communities and universities that we recently announced.

EPA is proud to have a long and rich history of supporting environmental and public health protection for all communities. These EPA supported grants will increase our knowledge of the threats posed by climate change and indoor air pollution, while incorporating traditional ecological knowledge to reach culturally appropriate and acceptable adaptation strategies to address these threats.
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Jul 14, 2014

Saving Energy and Money: Go Team Go!

Administrator, and the Planet, electricity, energy, environmental issues, EPA’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR), P3 Award, People, Prosperity, small businesses, Sprint to Savings 2 Comments

Cross-posted from “It’s All Starts with Science”

Introduction By EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy

We know that a strong economy and a healthy environment go hand-in-hand. That’s why, today, we announced that 21 small businesses in 14 states are receiving funding from the EPA to develop and commercialize innovative, sustainable technologies to address current environmental issues. Read more about one recipient, also a former winner of our agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet award, whose company is challenging kids to get involved and spurring competition to lower energy consumption in schools.

By Lek Kadeli

Spirited competition between local schools is a time honored tradition. From the football and soccer teams to the debate club, nothing beats taking on your arch rival to spark school spirit, get the neighbors talking, and build community pride.

That spirit of competition has helped schools here in the District of Columbia save more than 76,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, thanks to Lucid—an EPA-supported small business started by previous winners of the agency’s People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) award.

The schools vied to see which could most dramatically reduce their energy consumption as part of the three-week “Sprint to Savings” competition. The DC Green Schools Challenge set up the competition to help schools conserve energy and save money while “engaging students in real-world learning opportunities.”

To monitor their progress and take action, students used Lucid’s “Building Dashboard,” a software program that monitors a building’s energy and water consumption in real time and presents that information in easy-to-understand graphic displays on computer screens or other devices.

Students were able to use Building Dashboard installed at their schools to gauge their progress in 15-minute intervals and help the school take corrective action, such as switching lights off when not needed, shutting down unused computers and monitors, and turning the heat down after hours. A District-wide leader board helped them keep an eye on the competition.

The idea for a data monitoring display system begin when the now principal partners of Lucid were students at Oberlin College. In 2005, their prototype won an EPA P3 Award. The P3 program is an annual student design competition that supports undergraduate and graduate student teams to research and design innovative, sustainable methods and products that solve complex environmental problems. Since then, there’s been no looking back!

Today, we are thrilled to announce that Lucid is among 20 other small businesses—including two other former P3 winners—selected to receive funding as part of the EPA’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program. The program was designed to support small businesses in the commercialization as well as the research and development of technologies that encourage sustainability, protect human health and the environment, and foster a healthy future. Environmental Fuel Research, LLC, and SimpleWater, LLC are the other two former P3 winning teams.

Thanks to Lucid, Environmental Fuel Research, LLC, SimpleWater, LLC and the other innovative small businesses we are supporting today, winning ideas are bringing products to the marketplace that protect our environment while sparking economic growth. I’ll bet that even arch rivals can agree that’s a win for everyone.

About the Author: Lek Kadeli is the Acting Assistant Administrator in the Agency’s Office of Research and Development.

Jul 10, 2014

Competitors team up to power down in this year’s Energy Star Battle of the Buildings

Administrator, energy star 2 Comments

By Gina McCarthy

What if the key to driving down energy use in commercial buildings came down to one simple idea: Teamwork. We see the power of teamwork all around us. In sports, individuals come together to push each other, help each other, and find out how to work together for the maximum benefit. At work, we achieve more by working together than we could ever achieve alone. So why not take this concept into the realm of commercial building energy use?

This year, as part of the fifth-annual Energy Star Battle of the Buildings, competitors are harnessing the power of teamwork to reach new heights in energy performance. They’ll build on each other’s successes, learn from each other’s mistakes, and together, find new ways to unlock energy savings.

But how much can one building really save anyway? The answer is, a lot. The buildings we see in our communities every day—offices, schools, hospitals, stores—use nearly 20% of our nation’s energy. And it costs more than $100 billion annually to keep them running. But did you know that the average building wastes 30% of the energy it consumes? People leave lights on. Equipment breaks.
Filters go unchanged for months, or years.

That’s about to change for the more than 100 teams and their respective buildings that are participating in this year’s competition. With a little competitive spirit and a lot of teamwork, these buildings are knocking down barriers and building momentum for positive change. See who’s competing near year, watch their progress, and share the excitement at www.energystar.gov/battleofthebuildings.

In the only coast-to-coast competition of its kind, dozens of different types of commercial buildings are facing off in this year’s Energy Star Battle of the Buildings. This year’s theme, “Team Challenge,” features teams of five or more buildings who will work together to reduce their collective energy use as much as possible over the course of a year. For example, “Team Staples” includes 17 Staples stores, while 15 Whole Foods stores will support each other as part of “Team Whole Foods Market.” In a county outside Wilmington, Del., 13 elementary schools will compete as part of a team, and they’re going up against their county’s five middle schools and six high schools. In Hillsborough Country, Fla., fire stations will team up to compete against libraries.

Competitors will measure and track their building’s monthly energy consumption using EPA’s Energy Star online energy measurement and tracking tool, Portfolio Manager. Over the course of the competition, building teams will work to optimize or upgrade equipment, retrofit lighting, and change occupants’ behaviors—all with help from Energy Star. The team that reduces its buildings’ average energy use the most, on a percentage basis, over a 12-month performance period, will be declared the winner. 700 buildings are also competing in a special water reduction category, and will work with EPA’s WaterSense program to apply best practices for commercial building water management.

EPA will maintain a website devoted to the competition, featuring a list of the competitors and their starting, midpoint, and final standings, a live Twitter feed where competitors will post updates on their progress and an interactive map of the competitor’s locations. Midpoint results will be posted in October, with the winner announced in April 2015.

Products, homes and buildings that earn the Energy Star label prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency requirements set by the U.S. EPA. From the first Energy Star qualified computer in 1992, the label can now be found on products in more than 70 different categories, with more than 4.5 billion sold over the past 20 years. Over 1.5 million new homes and 23,000 buildings have earned the Energy Star label.

Jul 2, 2014

Celebrating 50 Years of Civil Rights and Environmental Justice

Administrator, Air, civil rights, Civil Rights Act of 1964, health hazards, water 3 Comments

The Environmental Protection Agency is driven by a fundamental belief that everyone has a right to clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and healthy land to call our home. At the heart of that conviction is our unwavering pursuit of equality and environmental justice for all.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, EPA is celebrating with the theme Honoring Our Past, Embracing Our Present, and Building Our Future. I’m pleased to join with others to mark this enduring legacy as we work toward a more just future. More

Jun 4, 2014

Reddit “Ask Me Anything” with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy

Administrator, Air, carbon pollution, climate change, power plants 1 Comment

Cross-posted from the White House Blog

Gina McCarthy, Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, took to Reddit yesterday to answer questions about the EPA’s proposed rules to cut carbon pollution in our power plants.

During the “Ask Me Anything,” Administrator McCarthy answered questions on a range of topics — including President Obama’s plan to fight climate change, what people can do in their own communities, and her thoughts on Marvin Gaye.

You can see all of the responses on Reddit, or check out the questions and responses below.

Jun 2, 2014

Our Clean Power Plan Will Spur Innovation and Strengthen the Economy

Administrator, Air, carbon pollution, Clean Air, Clean Power Plan, climate change, power plants 23 Comments

It’s an important day. Today, at the direction of President Obama and after an unprecedented outreach effort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is releasing the Clean Power Plan proposal, which for the first time cuts carbon pollution from existing power plants, the single largest source of carbon pollution in the United States. Today’s proposal will protect public health, move the United States toward a cleaner environment and fight climate change while supplying Americans with reliable and affordable power.

By leveraging cleaner energy sources and cutting energy waste, this plan will clean the air we breathe while helping slow climate change so we can leave a safe and healthy future for our kids. And we don’t have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment–our action will sharpen America’s competitive edge, spur innovation, and create jobs. More

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