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Envirobytes - An Environmental Newsletter
EnviroBytes, a Summary of Issues and Events for Week Ending April 18, 2008
NATIONAL EMISSIONS INVENTORY SYSTEM TO BE UPGRADED
A new National Emissions Inventory System (NEIS) will be replacing the current version in October. The system allows states to report their most commonly found pollutants (criteria pollutants), as well as the hazardous air pollutant emissions from all sources in their states. Data from the NEI are used for air dispersion modeling, regional strategy development, setting regulation, air toxics risk assessment, and tracking trends in emissions over time. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/ttnchie1/net/neiwhatis.html
EMERGING CONTAMINANTS TOPIC OF WORKSHOP
A one-day workshop on endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and risk communication took place in Washington, D.C. on April 11, sponsored by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation on behalf of the Potomac Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership. The Partnership is a voluntary association of water suppliers and government agencies (including EPA Region 3), focused on protecting and ensuring clean and safe drinking water sources in the Potomac basin.
EPA GRANT HELPS STAFFORD COUNTY, VA PRESERVE PRISTINE LAND FROM DEVELOPMENT
EPA approved Virginia’s Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund grant to acquire Crow's Nest and protect it from development. The land is in Stafford County, Va. that is one of the last individually owned tracts of undeveloped land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Crow’s Nest acquisition includes approximately 79,000 linear feet of "blue-line" streams, portions covered in high-quality, mature hardwood forests; and the surrounding wetlands and streams provide a critical habitat for at least 25 species of waterfowl. The property will be managed by the state as a Natural Preserve Area, with provisions for controlled public access and use.
MEETING HELD TO COORDINATE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF MARYLAND COASTAL COMMUNITIES
The Maryland Coastal and Watershed Outreach Exchange coordinated by the Maryland Sea Grant and Maryland Coastal Training Program was held on April 10. It brought together agencies, (including EPA), organizations and universities to provide outreach, training and technical assistance on land use, natural resource conservation and water resource issues to local governments, watershed organizations and others in Maryland coastal communities. The exchange helped share information on the training and technical assistance services participants are currently providing; and how to enhance collaboration and information sharing to improve the environment of the coastal communities.
WEBSITE SHOWS REGION 3 ELECTRIC UTILITIES AND THEIR AIR QUALITY STATUS
EPA’s Air Protection Division is presenting the region’s air quality data in an innovative way. Its public web site database now enables users of Google Earth mapping software to view an interactive map of electric utilities in region 3. After downloading google.earth software at http://earth.google.com 
and fulfilling other conditions, the EPA Google Earth file data is provided at http://www.epa.gov/reg3artd/divinfo/recentadditions.htm#egu-data . When opened, each electric utility is represented as a point on a map which, when clicked, reveals a chart showing the selected facility’s annual emissions of six major air pollutants.
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