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Greenbytes: January 10, 2006 Edition

In this Issue

Greetings 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.


Feature: Simple Solutions for Homeowners to Target and Eliminate Radon Health Risks
By Robert W. Varney

Radon is easy to forget or ignore. We don't notice it with our senses of smell, touch, taste, sight or hearing. Yet this naturally-occurring gas, colorless and odorless - and radioactive - is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and may threaten one of every 15 homes in our country.

The good news is that awareness and action are powerful weapons for homeowners to find out if their home has radon. Testing your home for radon is very easy. If the air in your house does have radon, it’s not difficult to take steps to protect your family’s health.

Most commonly, radon is found in the soils beneath and around your home. A radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in bedrock, radon can accumulate to unsafe levels in homes by leaking in through cracks in building foundations. Radon gas can also enter homes through drinking water if the water is contaminated with radon, which can increase dangerous concentrations in the home, especially when showering.

There is widespread scientific agreement that inhaling a radioactive gas like radon can damage cells in the lungs and cause cancer. The number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, as many as 21,000 people in the U.S. die each year as a consequence of exposure to radon. In New England alone, it is estimated that nearly a thousand preventable deaths occur each year due to this silent killer.

Homeowners who have not already tested the air in their home for radon should do it now. During the winter months when our boilers and furnaces work all day, and we keep windows and doors sealed shut, radon is more likely to be drawn into the home from underground sources. Testing your home is easy. Many radon test kits which meet EPA guidelines cost under $25.

Radon is measured in pico curies (which is a rate of decay of radiation) per liter of air (pCi/L). EPA recommends fixing homes that test 4 pCi/L or more. Since there is no proven healthy level of radon, EPA further suggests fixing homes that have between 2 and 4 pCi/L. The average radon concentration per home in the U.S. is about 1.3 pCi/L.

Since radon problems can be solved, you should not delay having your home tested and don’t be discouraged if you find radon in your home. Dangerous radon levels are completely preventable and can be fixed at any time. State experts, who work with EPA, can refer you to a trained radon mitigation contractor who can advise you how to reduce the radon levels in your home.

Approximately one in four homes in New England has a radon problem. If you rent, ask the landlord if your home has been tested and ask for a copy of the results. If you are buying a home, this is also a great time to test and mitigate radon problems - before you move in. Conversely, if you’re selling a home, think of the advantage being able to show prospective purchasers that your home has been tested or that the problem has been fixed.

Radon is perhaps the most preventable environmental hazard we can be exposed to day-to-day. The cost of testing and mitigating your home is low compared to the high risks associated with prolonged exposure to this invisible radioactive gas. Now is the time to test your home and protect your family from radon.

For more EPA information:

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Brief Bytes

EPA New England Seeking Environmental Merit Award Nominations
Notable environmental achievements in New England during the past year are eligible for recognition. Be sure to nominate unsung environmental heroes for a 2006 Environmental Merit Award. Given out annually since EPA was created in 1970, past New England recipients have included scientists, community activists, business representatives, public officials and other individuals committed to preserving the environment. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 3. Nominations can be submitted by anybody, and individuals or organizations are allowed to submit self-nominations.

The awards are given in four categories: individual; business, industry, trade, and professional organization; local, state or federal government; and environmental, community or non-profit organization. Awards winners will be invited to a ceremony this spring in Boston.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/region1/ra/ema/

New Test Methods for Fuel Economy Window Stickers
To provide consumers with more real-world fuel economy information when shopping for cars, SUVs, and pick-up trucks, EPA is proposing new methods to determine the city and highway mpg estimates that appear on the window stickers. The new methods will take effect for model year 2008 vehicles, which will generally be available for sale in fall of 2007. EPA’s new fuel economy estimates will include vehicle-specific data from tests designed to replicate three factors that can greatly affect fuel economy: high speed/rapid acceleration, use of air conditioning, and cold temperature operation.

EPA is also proposing an across-the-board-adjustment to better account for other conditions that can affect fuel economy but that aren’t included in the tests, such as road grade, wind, tire pressure, load, and the effects of different fuel properties. Under the new methods, the city mpg estimates for most vehicles would drop 10 percent to 20 percent from today's labels, depending on the vehicle. The highway mpg estimates would generally drop 5 percent to 15 percent.

Changes were last made in 1985. The proposed changes announced today will improve the estimates to better reflect real-world driving conditions, such as higher speed limits, greater traffic congestion and more use of power-hungry accessories, such as air conditioning. To more clearly convey fuel economy information to consumers, EPA is also proposing to change the design and text of the window sticker itself. None of the changes proposed today affect the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program, which is administered by the Department of Transportation. There are separate requirements for the test methods and procedures for determining fuel economy values under CAFE.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy

New Requirements Proposed for Lead-Based Paint Work
To reduce lead poisonings in children across the country, EPA is proposing new requirements for contractors and construction professionals when working in homes that contain lead-based paint. EPA is proposing that contractors must be trained in the use of lead-safe work practices, renovators and firms be certified, providers of renovation training be accredited, and renovators follow protective work practice standards. These work practices include posting warning signs, restricting occupants from work areas, arranging work areas to prevent dust and debris from spreading, conducting a thorough cleanup, and verifying that cleanup was effective.

The rules would apply to all persons who do renovation for compensation, including renovation contractors, maintenance workers in multi-family housing, painters and other specialty trades. The new requirements would apply to most renovation, repair or painting activities where more than two square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm

Coming Soon: Increased Use of Domestically Grown and Produced Fuels
Starting this year, Americans will be gassing up with nearly three percent of clean-burning, domestic renewable fuels such as ethanol under new EPA standards. EPA's Renewable Fuels Standard Program seeks to reduce vehicle emissions and strengthen U.S. energy security by doubling the use of fuels produced from American crops by 2012. The program, authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, will significantly increase the volume of renewable fuels blended into motor vehicle fuels. Various renewable fuels can be used to meet the requirements of the program, including ethanol and biodiesel. Under this standard, refineries, blenders, and importers would collectively be responsible for meeting program requirements for 2006, where compliance would be calculated over the entire pool of gasoline sold to consumers.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels/

Funding Available, Proposals Sought: Addressing Pest Management Needs of Minor Specialty Crop Growers
Up to $615,000 is available in grant funds to support projects addressing critical pest management needs of U.S. minor and specialty crop growers. Minor crops are those for which the total U.S. production is less than 300,000 acres. Proposals are due by Feb. 21. Projects will support a transition to reduced-risk pest management approaches for minor and specialty crops as required by federal pesticide law. Examples of activities that may be funded include projects that enable minor and/or specialty crop producers to take advantage of technical assistance and/or USDA Farm Bill or other conservation programs that can address critical pest management needs by using IPM tools and techniques; or those that develop and demonstrate reduced-risk IPM techniques and tools that address critical pest management needs on commercial farms.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/region1/eco/pest/grants.html

Watershed Draft Handbook Available for Testing
EPA's Office of Water has published a guide to watershed management as a tool in developing and implementing watershed plans. The “Draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters” is a resource for communities, watershed groups, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies undertaking a watershed planning effort, especially if working with impaired or threatened waters. Designed to supplement existing watershed planning guides that have been developed by agencies, universities, and other nonprofit organizations, the tool is more specific than other guides about quantifying existing pollutant loads, developing estimates of the load reductions required to meet water-quality standards, developing effective management measures, and tracking progress once the plan is implemented.

The draft handbook covers each step of the watershed planning process, including: watershed monitoring and assessment, community outreach, selection and application of available models, best management practices, effectiveness data bases, implementation, feedback and plan adjustment.

EPA is making this draft document widely available with the purpose of having it used and tested by a variety of watershed partnerships, whose advice will be considered in developing the final version. Comments should be addressed to watershedhandbook@epa.gov by June 30, 2006.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook

$18 Million Targeted for Water Quality Monitoring
EPA will allocate the FY 2006 increase of $18 million for national water quality monitoring. This supplements an existing allocation of approximately $200 million annually to support state, interstate agency, and tribal programs to combat water pollution. EPA is also changing the way it allocates funds under the water pollution control grant program (known as Section 106 of the Clean Water Act). Using a revised allotment formula, EPA will be better able to target these additional funds to help carry out priority areas that include monitoring for pollutants. The process requires consultations with states and interstate agencies prior to finalizing the allocation formula.

More information:

New Vehicles Tested For Emissions Durability
EPA has established vehicle aging procedures that auto manufacturers must use to show that vehicles will continue to meet the emission standards throughout the required useful life period (120,000 miles for most cars and trucks). The Agency has also proposed options for testing the durability of vehicle emissions-related components, such as oxygen sensors and catalytic converters. This proposal includes options for addressing the durability of emissions-related components from three testing procedures.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/ld-hwy.htm#cap2k

Tools to Help Small Drinking-Water Utilities Control Arsenic
A set of user-friendly multimedia products will help small drinking-water utilities meet revised regulations to control arsenic. The tools will provide owners and operators with information to guide them in making treatment decisions. The key product is the “Arsenic Virtual Trade Show,” a learning portal for arsenic-treatment technology. The web-based resource features a database of vendors, a treatment "decision tree," and tips for evaluating and selecting treatment providers. Other products being released include a brochure with a checklist of questions that owners and operators of small utilities should ask treatment providers; a cd-rom companion to arsenic training events held by EPA across the country in 2005; and a DVD highlighting arsenic treatment technologies currently being pilot-tested.

EPA has also updated its web site to improve navigation and reflect the latest consumer and technical information. Kits including all of the new arsenic tools will be delivered to EPA's state and technical assistance partners for distribution to public water systems affected by the arsenic regulation.

In 2001, EPA revised the regulation for arsenic in drinking water to lower the maximum allowable level from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion. The new standard becomes effective on Jan. 23, 2006. The Agency estimates that more than 90 percent of the systems affected by the revised rule are small, serving populations of 3,300 or fewer.

More information:

Guidebook Details Control of Urban Runoff Pollution
A new guidebook is available on managing runoff pollution caused by urban activities. “National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas” is an information source for states and cities to use in their pollution-management programs for protecting waterways. Nonpoint source pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many sources including contaminated runoff from paved surfaces, malfunctioning septic systems, pet wastes, over-applied fertilizers and pesticides, improperly disposed household chemicals and motor-vehicle fluids.

The guidebook discusses twelve management measures to help establish performance goals for storm water control programs and minimizing other negative factors associated with urban runoff.

More information:

Proposed Permit for Stormwater Discharges
Comments are being accepted until Feb. 16 on a proposed reissue of the Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit. This permit regulates stormwater discharges from 29 categories of industrial facilities in states, territories and other areas not authorized to implement EPA's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System. The new permit contains several changes from its predecessor, including fast and easy electronic application; a 30-day public notice for permit applications; electronic submission of monitoring results; and updated monitoring schedules.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/msgp

Reduced Air Toxic Risks from Dry Cleaners Proposed
EPA recently proposed a rule to reduce emissions of perchloroethylene (perc) from dry cleaners, especially when they are located in residential apartment buildings. More than 28,000 dry cleaners of all sizes and types in the United States use perc, a solvent, in the dry cleaning process. Perc is one of 188 pollutants EPA regulates as hazardous air pollutants. The proposal would amend EPA's 1993 air toxics standards to further reduce perc emissions from large industrial and commercial dry cleaners, freestanding small dry cleaners, and small dry cleaners located in apartment buildings. The proposal includes requirements affecting different categories of dry cleaners: Large Industrial and Commercial Dry Cleaners, Freestanding Small Dry Cleaners and Small Dry Cleaners in Apartment Buildings. The proposed rule would not affect dry cleaners that do not use perc, or those that send clothes off-site to be cleaned.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/air/drycleaningrule

 

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Press Releases

Jan. 6:

Jan. 5:

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Meetings & Conferences

EPCRA Workshops - Various dates and locations throughout New England.

More information on EPCRA Workshops.

Week of Jan. 9

Week of Jan. 16

Index of January meetings

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What's New on the Web

NPDES - Remediation NOIs

NPDES - Final State Permits

Renewable Energy - Updated info

Title V Operating Permits - Updated info

Estuaries - updated

Public Notices

CEIT Virtual Trade Show

WR Grace site - revised Administrative Record index, Community Update

New London Sub Base site - Updated Record of Decision

GE - Housatonic site - Environmental sampling at Allendale School

GE - Housatonic site - Newell Street Area II Map

RSS Now Available for EPA New England info:

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In The News Daily Email Service

"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.

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