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2007 Highlights
December 18, 2007
CARE Grants and Request for Proposals Announced - Eighteen communities have received cooperative agreement grants to continue improving health and the environment at the local level through the CARE program. EPA also announced the availability of approximately $3 million in cooperative agreement funding through 2008 CARE request for proposals.
December 5, 2007
Nominations for 2008 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards - EPA is accepting nominations for the 2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Self-nominations are expected and must be received by December 31. Read more information on how to enter the Award Competition.
November 19, 2007
EPA has selected three 2007 awardees under the P2 Recognition Project that honors companies for developing innovative chemistry and technologies that further pollution prevention and other environmental goals. The 2007 awardees are BASF Corp., Clariant Corp., and Chisso America, Inc.
November 5, 2007
Federal purchasers, visit EPA's newly-redesigned Web site for Environmentally Preferable Purchasing. Get clear and easy access to federal procurement policies and guidance; information on specific products and services; on-line tools; calculators; publications, case studies, and related Web links. This site can help green vendors, businesses large and small -- and consumers, too.
October 21-27, 2007
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week - This year's theme, "Protect Our Most Valuable Resource -- Our Children," highlights the importance of educating parents and children about the dangers of lead exposure, especially lead-paint hazards in housing. Lead poisoning prevention activities across the country.
October 16, 2007
PRIA Fee Determination Tree - This tool has been developed to help pesticide applicants accurately identify the category of their application and the amount of the required fee before an application is submitted to EPA.
October 5, 2007
EPA Requires Notification Prior to Use of Certain Motor Vehicle Switches - EPA issued a final Significant New Use Rule to require notification to EPA 90 days prior to U.S. manufacture, import, or processing of elemental mercury for use in convenience light switches, anti-lock brake system switches, and active ride control system switches in certain motor vehicles. This will provide EPA the opportunity to evaluate the potential risks of resuming the use of elemental mercury in such switches.
September 21, 2007
EPA to Regulate Ion-Generating Equipment as a Pesticide - EPA has determined that machines will be regulated as pesticides if the machines contain silver or other substances, and if they generate ions of those substances for express pesticidal purposes. EPA will work to identify the information needed to apply to register the machine as a pesticide, and give those products currently out of compliance time to obtain registration.
September 13, 2007
National Pollution Prevention Week - Reducing pollution before it ever gets to the environment is one of the most important ways to protect the environment. National Pollution Prevention Week is September 17-23, and this year's theme urges us to "Take the Next Step" toward sustainability.
September 10, 2007
HPV Chemical Hazard Characterizations - EPA released the first set of HPV Chemical Hazard Characterizations that summarize the basic hazards (toxicity) of over 100 HPV chemicals based upon collected program data. EPA will combine this information with human and environmental exposure information collected from EPA's Inventory Update Reporting (IUR) to develop a risk characterization and, based on that review, determine if additional action is needed to ensure the safety of the HPV chemicals' manufacture and use.
August 21, 2007
The US, Canada, and Mexico will work together to ensure the safe manufacture and use of industrial chemicals. The partnership will be built on EPA's ongoing efforts to study and characterize the risks of chemicals that are produced in high volumes. The US is committing to complete, by 2012, risk characterizations and initiate needed actions on more than 9,000 chemicals produced above 25,000 pounds per year in the country. Read more about the US-Canada-Mexico partnership. General information about chemical risks.
July 18, 2007
EPA and CDC Join Forces to Support Communities - EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have joined forces to support community environmental and health goals. The first four pilot project communities have been announced.
July 12, 2007
Public Asked To Comment on Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program Concept and Information Collection Request, TSCA Inventory Approach - To ensure stakeholder involvement in the development of the program, the agency is seeking public comment on approaches for the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program and ICR and TSCA Inventory paper. A public meeting about the proposed approaches and materials will be held on August 2, 2007, in Arlington, Virginia.
June 26, 2007
2007 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Winners Announced - Leading researchers received awards for chemical technology innovations that promote cleaner, cheaper, and smarter chemistry. Developing safer, environmentally friendly chemicals and processes results in reduced waste, safer products, and reduced use of energy and resources. Over the past 12 years, Challenge winners have made nearly a billion pounds of progress including 193 million pounds of hazardous chemicals and solvents eliminated each year - enough to fill almost 900 railroad tank cars or a freight train 11 miles long.
June 22, 2007
EPA Assistant Administrator Testifies on Commodity Mercury (PDF) (6 pp., 20 KB) - Jim Gulliford testified before the House Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials on the export and storage of commodity-grade mercury and pending legislation, HR. 1534, the Mercury Export Ban Act of 2007. EPA is committed to finding protective and comprehensive solutions, both domestically and internationally, to complex mercury challenges.
June 11, 2007
EPA Advances Public Health and Environmental Protection with New Pesticide Screening - EPA is in the final stages to begin screening pesticides for their potential effect on the endocrine system. The agency is seeking comment for 90 days on the draft list of 73 pesticides to be evaluated under the new screening regimen. EPA's general approach in developing this list focuses on those pesticide active ingredients and pesticidal inerts with relatively high potential for human exposure or the environment, and not on possible endocrine disruption effects. This is not a draft list of potential endocrine disruptors in humans or other species.
June 5, 2007
Safer Lead Paint Practices in Child Facilities - The EPA proposed that contractors and construction professionals who work in child-occupied buildings follow lead-safe work practices and have accredited training and certification. Under this proposal, a child-occupied building includes child care centers, preschools, and kindergarten classrooms. This proposal is part of a comprehensive program that hopes to eliminate childhood lead poisoning as a major public health concern by the year 2010.
May 16, 2007
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics 2005-2006 Accomplishments Report Released - EPA is releasing the first web-based report that highlights various efforts in the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics to ensure chemical safety under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and to promote pollution prevention and environmental stewardship. Accomplishments include making High Production Volume (HPV) chemical data publicly available through the newly-created web-based HPV Information System, initiating the PFOA Stewardship Program, and coordinating the development of the Mercury Roadmap.
