LGEAN - General & Sustainable Environmental Management

General & Sustainable
Environmental Management

Latest News and Updates

Free Community Revitalization Workshops Scheduled for the Cities of Dodge City, Topeka and Wichita, Kansas
EPA Region 7, in coordination with Kansas State University and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), will host three free one-day workshops next month in Dodge City, Topeka and Wichita, Kan., to provide information about available resources for the revitalization of Kansas communities. The dates of the workshops are May 11, May 12, and May 19, 2009.

The goal of the workshops is to educate eligible entities about grants and other resources available to address Brownfields and other underutilized properties in Kansas communities.

The workshops are part of the mission of EPAâ€™s Land Revitalization Program, to help restore land and other natural resources into sustainable community assets that maximize beneficial economic, ecological and social uses, and ensure protection of human health and the environment.

New Brownfields Policy Research Newsletter
The Northeast-Midwest Institute has released the latest Brownfields Policy Research newsletter. The featured article covers the most recent Northeast-Midwest report: The Cleanup War Chest: State Bond Financing for Environmental Initiatives and Brownfields Redevelopment. The report details some of the largest state-level financial commitments to brownfield remediation and environmental protection. The April newsletter also covers The National Brownfields Coalitionâ€™s new and revised proposals for reauthorizing the EPA Brownfields program, as well as the new tax credit (H.R. 1724) introduced in the House by Representatives Michael Turner (R-OH) and Betty Sutton (D-OH).

Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
On June 1-3, the National Vacant Properties Campaign, with principal planning partners the Metro Louisville Government and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis are sponsoring the Reclaiming Vacant Properties: Building Leadership to Restore Communities conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

With the rising number of foreclosures, blight from vacant properties confronts communities across the country, and severely threatens neighborhood stability. Cities of all shapes and sizes are searching for innovative, cost effective strategies to abate these public nuisances, and transform vacant properties into catalysts for revitalization. The conference offers an opportunity to share successful programs and projects taking place across the country, and discuss new initiatives to change federal and state policies that affect our cities and towns. Click here to register for the conference.

EPA Green Infrastructure and MS4 compliance workshops in Charlottesville, VA April 29-30
EPA is sponsoring two separate workshops in Charlottesville, VA April 29-30. The first workshop, April 29, will cover "Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure." Topics include the benefits of green infrastructure, retrofit opportunities, operation and maintenance, and local codes and ordinances. The second workshop is an MS4 Training and Forum, April 30, and will cover the critical elements of an MS4 program, enforcement, TMDLs, and stormwater utilities.

EPA Green Infrastructure workshop in Atlanta, GA May 4-5
EPA and Georgia Department of Natural Resources are sponsoring a 2-day workshop on green infrastructure in Atlanta, GA. This workshop will focus on how stormwater programs can be effectively managed using green infrastructure technologies and approaches. The workshop includes presentations on the benefits of green infrastructure, models, O&M, funding, incentives, as well as several panel discussions.

EPA Green Infrastructure workshop in various New York locations, May 7
EPA and New York DEC are sponsoring a 1-day workshop on green infrastructure in Albany, NY with live video-conferencing from a dozen other DEC offices across the state. This workshop is intended primarily for municipal governments with wet weather management responsibilities, i.e., stormwater, combined sewer overflows, sanitary sewer overflows and nonpoint source runoff. The workshop will focus on how these programs can be effectively managed using green infrastructure technologies and approaches.

DOE Announces Efficiency Grants for Cities & States
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced details for $3.2 billion in block grants intended to help cities, counties, states and territories invest in energy efficiency and conservation projects. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by the recently passed stimulus act, will provide formula grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency.

Funding will support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements. Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems, and others.

"Local leaders will have the flexibility in how they put these resources to work--but we will hold them accountable for making the investments quickly and wisely to spur the local economy and cut energy use," Vice President Joe Biden said. To ensure accountability, the DOE said it will require grant recipients to report on the number of jobs created or retained, energy saved, renewable energy capacity installed, greenhouse gas emissions reduced, and funds leveraged. Funding is based on a formula that accounts for population and energy use.

Cities and counties will receive nearly $1.9 billion under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, and states and territories will receive nearly $770 million. States will receive and administer funds for those counties and cities that are not large enough to qualify for direct DOE funding. In addition, more than $54 million will flow directly to Tribal governments. Up to $456 million of this funding is planned to be made available under a separate competitive solicitation for local energy efficiency projects. That solicitation will be released at a later date. This funding is in addition to DOE's recent release of nearly $8 billion to support weatherization and state energy projects.

Revitalizing Older Cities Capitol Hill Summit Report
Over 300 stakeholders from older industrial cities throughout the Northeast and Midwest region attended the Revitalizing Older Cities Capitol Hill Summit. Attendees included mayors, city officials, Members of Congress and their staff, academics, representatives and leaders of foundations, community-based organizations, public and private developers, and nonprofit organizations. They came to develop a federal agenda that would change federal policies that contribute to sprawl development, and to encourage investment in and support for the nation's core cities and towns.

During the two days, Summit participants concurred that:

Federal policies have had a significant impact on the economy of older cities. Years of disinvestment, neglect, and policies that promote decentralized development must be changed if these cities are to realize their potential.
While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides badly needed funding to address critical needs, much more needs to be done to ensure that the federal government becomes an active and supportive partner in revitalizing core cities and towns.
A broad-based metropolitan agenda, while critical, needs to recognize and provide for the particular needs of these struggling cities. One size does not fit all, and the particular policies the federal government enacts will greatly impact the economic future of older industrial cities and towns.
The future of the economy and the environment rests on the ability of the federal government to creatively build on the assets and opportunities of core cities and towns. These communities have developed many innovative and successful programs that the federal government can build on and take to scale in ways that could simultaneously rebuild the nation's faltering economy, and reduce carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels.

Summit participants began building a federal agenda to accomplish the transition to a federal government that drives a sustainable, equitable recovery.

Trust for Public Land Launches Park Equity and Public Health Toolkit
Studies show that people with access to parks and playgrounds exercise more. Unfortunately, many Americans lack adequate access to public recreation opportunities, a situation that contributes to the nation's current epidemic levels of obesity and associated diseases.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) believes that very American should enjoy convenient access to a nearby park or playground, and facilitates efforts to build and mobilize a constituency for parks among communities most in need of park space and recreational facilities for physical activity. This effort requires public education; community outreach and organizing; and policy and advocacy.

Intended for park and public health professionals and community advocates, TPL's Park Equity and Public Health Toolkit provides training materials to help increase awareness of the link between accessible parks and physical activity; introduce the concept of local public finance for parks; and demonstrate the park equity mapping model.

Topics include:

Parks & Health Overview
Park Access & Health Disparities
Paying for Parks
Building Support for Parks & Health
Case Studies

When There's Nothing to Conserve, Create!
Says Trust for Public Land
The Role of Parks in Redevelopment Projects—From Boston to San Francisco, successful parks have been created out of former factories, home sites, office buildings, railyards, parking lots, landfills, and even highways. As a result, many city parks aren't being created by park and recreation departments but rather by redevelopment authorities.

A 2008 survey of big cities by the Center for City Park Excellence found 75 parks created by redevelopment and housing authorities. In an article that appeared in the December 2008 issue of the Journal of Housing and Community Development, the Center looks into how and why these agencies are creating urban parks.

Green Schools Toolkit
Green Schools Toolkit is a web-based resource designed to provide K-12 schools with resources specifically geared for school designers and builders, energy and facility managers, superintendents and boards of education, as well as teachers, students and parents.

Win $2,500! Spread The Word About Water Quality And Environmental Stewardship.
Enter a contest for videos that the public about problems facing our nation's waters and will inspire people to change behavior to improve and protect our water resources. Topics can include: low impact development, wetlands, marine debris, watershed management, water quality monitoring, polluted runoff, and other water-related topics.

National Award for Smart Growth Achievement: 2009 Call for Entries

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the eighth annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement.

How Green Is My Infrastructure? - A Regional Approach to Municipal Planning and Investment

Offered in partnership with the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) on April 14-16, 2009 at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown, WV, this event offers strategies on implementation of green infrastructure specifically designed for public utility managers and officials, with an emphasis on how utilities can initiate, fund, construct, and maintain green infrastructure projects and address their water supply and water quality needs.

STAR Grants

EPA/ORD's National Center for Environmental Research is now accepting applications for three grant competitions: Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers: Formative Centers (with NIEHS) (Letters of Intent receipt due: March 30, 2009; Application receipt due: April 30, 2009); and Novel Approaches to Improving Air Pollution Emissions Information (Closing: April 21, 2009, 4 pm).

Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook Grows

EPA is developing The Municipal Handbook to help local officials implement green infrastructure in their communities. The handbook is presented as a series of documents (as separate chapters) that cover issues such as financing, operation and maintenance, incentives, designs, codes and ordinances, and a variety of other subjects. The handbook chapters are intended to serve as "how to" manuals on these topics, written primarily from the standpoint of municipal implementation. EPA is producing the handbook in sections, with each new element being released as it is completed. To date, EPA has released chapters on funding options, retrofit policies, green streets, and rainwater harvesting policies. EPA expects to release two additional chapters in 2009, the first focusing on green infrastructure incentives and the second on codes and ordinances.

Website offers Green Infrastructure Community of Practice

The Conservation Fund developed the Community of Practice, which serves as a virtual knowledge hub that helps promote the application of green infrastructure concepts and principles. This portal is designed for both those who create, design and implement green infrastructure plans and for those who use these plans. The site offers profiles of organizations and description of projects, resources and events related to green infrastructure around the Unites States.

EPA's Now Accepting Funding Applications for the Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program

EPA has announced a new "request for applications" for the 2009 Smart Growth Implementation Assistance Program (SGIA). The solicitation will close on April 23, 2009. SGIA is an annual, competitive solicitation open to state, local, regional, and tribal governments (and non-profits that have partnered with a governmental entity) that want to incorporate smart growth techniques into their future development.

Once selected, communities receive direct technical assistance from a team of national experts in one of two areas: policy analysis (e.g., reviewing state and local codes, school siting guidelines, transportation policies, etc.) or public participatory processes (e.g., visioning, design workshops, alternative analysis, build-out analysis, etc.). The assistance is tailored to the community's unique situation and priorities. EPA provides the assistance through a contractor team — not a grant. Through a multiple-day site visit and a detailed final report, the multi-disciplinary teams provide information to help the community achieve its goal of encouraging growth that fosters economic progress and environmental protection.

Sustainable Sites Initiative Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks

Focuses on measuring how a site can protect, restore and regenerate ecosystem services -- benefits provided by natural ecosystems such as cleaning air and water, climate regulation and human health benefits. This report contains over 50 draft prerequisites and credits that cover all stages of the site development process from site selection to landscape maintenance.

Renewable Fuel Standard: Notice of 2009 Requirement

(signed November 14, 2008)

EPA is announcing the Renewable Fuel Standard for 2009: 10.21 percent. This standard is used by obligated parties -- refiners, importers and blenders (other than oxygen blenders) -- to calculate their renewable volume obligation. This notice, which is required under section 211(o) of the Clean Air Act as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, supersedes the notice published February 14, 2008.

Federal Register Notice (PDF)

Resources

Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice
Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice is the all-new edition of the popular book, The Practice of Local Government Planning, which has been the valued resource for preparing for the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam. This new edition helps the reader understand the complexities of planning at the local level, and prepare to make decisions in a challenging environment.

EPA Smart Growth Grants and Other Funding
The EPA smart growth program sometimes offers grants to support activities that improve the quality of development and protect human health and the environment.

Smart Growth Toolkit
The tools in the Smart Growth Implementation Toolkit can help community leaders take the first step of removing the regulatory obstacles to smarter growth. The tools can help your community level the playing field to encourage development that meets your community's goals and your citizens' aspirations.

Footprint Calculator
Take this quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth.

Making Land Development Regulations Work for Smart Growth
Presentations are available that discusses the kinds of land development regulations found in many communities. It explains how outdated land development regulations may inhibit smart growth and how such regulations can be revised to promote it instead.

Funding Opportunities
Enterprise Community Loan Fund offers a variety of short-term loan products are available through the Enterprise Community Loan Fund -- a certified Community Development Financial Institution -- for predevelopment, acquisition, working capital and other financing needs.

Physical Education Grants provides grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs, including afterschool programs, for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Deadline for applications is March 6, 2009.

Historic Preservation Funding is available through the National Trust for Historic Preservation focusing on Nonprofit Organization and Public Agency Funding for nonprofit organizations and federal, state, or local government agencies.

EPA

EPA Sustainability Program Office provides a one-stop access to EPA and related programs and the latest research and activities related to Urban Sustainability and the Built Environment; Water and Ecosystem Services; Energy, Biofuels and Climate Change; and Materials Management and Human Health.

Local Governments and Schools: A Community-Oriented Approach
This guide provides local government managers with an understanding of the connections between school facility planning and local government management issues.

Best Management Practices Resources
Best management practices are methods that have been determined to be the most effective and practical means of preventing or reducing pollution. These practices are often employed in agriculture, forestry, mining and construction. The EPA, working with partners in industry and the academic community, has established and published best management practices for soil erosion, wastewater treatment, fuel storage, pesticide and fertilizer handling and the management of livestock yards. The ultimate goal of these practices is to increase efficiency while reducing pollution.

Links