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Greenbytes: April 23, 2004 Edition
In this IssueGreetings from EPA New England. We hope you find this edition of Greenbytes useful and we encourage you to give us feedback. For information on subscribing or unsubscribing see the section at the end of this message.
In an effort improve environmental compliance at health care facilities, EPA NE Regional Administrator Robert W. Varney recently sent letters to more than 250 New England hospitals, offering compliance assistance support and warning that there will be more enforcement inspections at hospitals. “Many hospital functions such as laboratories, power plants and vehicle maintenance facilities have the potential to cause environmental violations if not properly managed,” said Varney, in the letter mailed earlier this month. “I strongly encourage you to identify and correct any such violations.” EPA New England is holding a workshop on May 20 in Tyngsboro, MA to help New England hospitals comply with environmental regulations. The all-day workshop, designed for environmental, health and safety staff, will be held at Boston University’s Corporate Education Center. Registration information, including the agenda, can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region1/healthcare Among the specific laws that will be discussed at the workshop are Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know (EPCRA), Spill Prevention Control & Countermeasure (SPCC), the Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation & Recovery Act (RCRA) and Homeland Security. EPA staff also will address stormwater requirements under the Clean Water Act, underground storage tanks and the agency’s Audit Policy, including the framework for identifying environmental violations, disclosing those violations to EPA and voluntarily correcting them. EPA NE decided to launch this effort after numerous violations at hospitals in the New York/New Jersey area were discovered. The letter comes as EPA is working with 110 health care facilities in New England through the National Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) program to reduce the amount of mercury and solid waste generated by these facilities. EPA also recently awarded two grants worth $134,000 to H2E’s Hanover, NH office, including $60,000 for a project to test new ways to reduce pharmaceutical waste in hospitals and to dispose of it more effectively. For more information on environmental issues at hospitals, visit www.epa.gov/ne/healthcare or contact EPA’s Janet Bowen at bowen.janet@epa.gov or by calling 617-918-1795.
Press Releases Groton/Mystic Area Requests CT's Second "No Discharge Area" to Stem Boat Pollution EPA Identifies New England Areas out of Compliance with More-protective 'Smog' Standard EPA Plans to Increase Enforcement of Environmental Laws at New England Hospitals EPA Resumes Work for on Canal Area at Centredale Manor Restoration Project
Events and conferences are not archived. Please refer to the Regional Calendar for upcoming events and conferences.
About Us - strategic plan posted Brownfields - updated success stories Charles River - new fact sheet Directions to Our Boston Office - changes due to big dig Enforcement & Assistance - new 2003 annual report Environmental Justice - new grant information GE Pittsfield Superfund Site Long Island Sound Dredging - new documents added OMSAP MWRA Outfall Monitoring - calendar updated Rose Hill Regional Landfill Superfund Site - reuse study posted Superfund - 2002 annual report
"In The News" is a free daily service that provides links to today's top newspaper stories about the New England environment and links to related EPA New England information. In The News Email Service: As soon as today's edition of "In The News" has been posted we will inform you via email. |
