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Significant Developments and Activities Report
LAND AND CHEMICALS DIVISION
Weekly Significant Developments and Activities Report
February 27, 2009
Region 5 Resource Conservation Challenge Grant Solicitation Now Open
Region 5' Resource Conservation Challenge grant solicitation was published on February 23, 2009. The deadline for submitting a proposal is April 13, 2009. Region 5's priorities for funding this year are: (1) increasing the use of recycled materials in highway construction; (2) supporting municipalities efforts to increase recycling of construction and demolition debris; (3) increasing the beneficial use of foundry sand to achieve a national goal of 50 percent recycling; and (4) reducing disposal of food waste via composting or food recovery programs.
Contact: Susan Mooney, 312-886-3585, Materials Management Branch
Chicago Stadium Managers Pledge Continued Action to Improve Recycling
A meeting of the Chicago Stadium Recycling Task Force was held at Navy Pier on February 19, 2009. The Task Force was convened by EPA Region 5, Chicago Department of Environment (DOE), and Chicago Department of Streets & Sanitation in 2007, when Mayor Daley issued a challenge to "green" Chicago venues in anticipation of the 2016 Olympic Games. The Task Force includes managers from United Center, McCormick Place, Wrigley Field, U.S. Cellular Field, UIC Pavilion, and Soldier Field.
The purpose of the meeting was to share results, strategies and lessons learned from pilots conducted in 2008 under a FY'07 RCC grant to the City. Chicago DOE Commissioner Suzanne Malec-McKenna and MMB Chief Jerri-Anne Garl presented certificates of recognition to "Green Teams" from all 7 participating venues. Over 100 participated in the meeting, including waste and recycling haulers, vendors, contractors, and caterers working in the participating venues.
In 2008, audits were conducted and pilot projects were implemented aimed at increasing recycling at each venue. Navy Pier nearly quadrupled its recycling volume from 2007 and achieved 86% recycling rate for C&D materials during renovation projects in 2008. Soldier Field piloted recycling in the South Parking Lot, collecting over 13 tons of aluminum and 20 tons of cardboard. All venues have shown significant improvements, and many have made commitments to continue with or launch new greening initiatives. A final report on the project is expected by June 2009 which will highlight improvements made in all 7 venues. As part of the project, MMB is developing a Stadium Recycling Guidebook to explain the process of establishing recycling, propose measurement methods, and highlight model practices at venues. EPA and Chicago DOE plan to continue working with Chicago venues and plans to convene the Task Force on an annual basis in the future.
Contacts: Paul Ruesch, 312-886-7898; Jacob Hassan, 312-886-6864; Shelly Heger, 312-886-4510, Materials Management Branch
Illinois EPA State Review Framework Opening Meeting
On February 19, 2009, EPA, Region 5, RCRA Branch staff, participated in the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA), State Review Framework (SRF) opening meeting in Springfield, Illinois. The SRF is an oversight tool designed to assess state performance in enforcement and compliance assurance. The Framework’s goal is to evaluate state performance by examining existing data to provide: 1) a consistent level of activities in the states; 2) a consistent level of oversight by EPA regions; and 3) a consistent level of environmental protection across the country. The Illinois EPA SRF review will take approximately seven months to complete. A report summarizing the findings will be completed by end of this fiscal year.
Contact: Spiros Bourgikos, (312) 886-6862, RCRA Branch