Significant Developments and Activities Report

LAND AND CHEMICALS DIVISION
Weekly Significant Developments and Activities Report
July 04, 2008

Farm-in-the-Zoo Presentation, Chicago, Illinois

On June 27 Bob Harris gave a “recycle loop” presentation to 25 High-school interns at the above located in Lincoln Park Zoo. The students were learning all about “going green” and many other topics concerning the Environment. They will be expected to share this information with visitors and share all the positives things the zoo does to conserve natural resources, describe what Chicagoans can do at home to help protect the environment, & interpret a “Green Scene” station that will teach visitors about the subjects. Twig Pencils and rulers made from money prizes were given to all. Teachers and assistants received mugs made from currency.
Contact: Robert Harris, 312-886-7577

National Environmental Health Association Educational Conference

Tonesia Rouse, Chemical Management Branch, represented the Office of Children's Health Protection and Environmental Education (OCHPEE) at the 72nd Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition hosted by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) on June 22- 25 in Tucson, Arizona. The OCHPEE partnered with EPA's Indoor Environments Division to participate in the exhibition portion of the NEHA conference. Over 150 vendors participated, including non-government organizations, Center for Disease Control, EPA’s Office of Solid Waste, EPA’s Waste Water Treatment Program, The United States Food and Drug Administration, the United States Navy Service, and others. Approximately 250 Environmental Health Professionals (Environmental Health Directors, Sanitarians, Health Department Inspectors, and Environmental Health Educators) received the following resource materials from EPA booth; TEACH web sheet, Flood Cleanup Brochure, Mold & Moisture Brochure, Children’s Environmental Health Tips Cards, 10 Tips to protect Children from Pesticides and Lead Poisoning, Environmental Health Growth Charts, Dusty the Gold fish Asthma Triggers Coloring Book, Heat Prevention fact sheet, and an indoor air plus pamphlet.

The NEHA conference provided the participants, from all over the country, with approximately 50 workshops, training, and seminars that featured educational sessions on Children Environmental Health, Injury Prevention/Occupational Health, On-site wastewater Systems, Solid Waste, Terrorism and All- Hazards Preparedness, Vector Control and Zoonotic Disease, Food Safety and Protection, General Environmental Health, Hazardous Materials and Toxic Substance, Institutions and School Environmental Health as well as sessions to provide certification and credentials to NEHA professionals. The conference provided Environmental Health Professionals an opportunity to expand their knowledge base through the educational sessions training and the resource exhibition.
Contact: Tonesia Rouse, 312-886-7098

Region 5 Exhibit at Green Procurement Exhibition & Conference

MMB staffed an exhibition booth at the first Green Procurement Exhibition held at Navy Pier in Chicago on June 4-5, 2008. The booth had materials on EnergyStar, WaterSense, Design for Environment Formulator Program, Buy Recycled, Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) and resources for recycling electronics. There were over 600 attendees, 68 exhibitors and 24 education sessions. A number of Great Lakes Regional P2 Roundtable partners made presentations including the Delta Institute, MPCA, MDEQ, and IEPA.

The Green Exposition is planning to hold the second annual event June 3-4, 2009. This will be another excellent opportunity for the Agency to promote "green" programs.
Contact: Phil Kaplan, 312-353-4669; Christopher Newman, 312-353-8402

Notice of Violation for Clear Lam Packaging

On July 2, 2008, a Notice of Violation was sent to Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. (Clear Lam Packaging), located in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Based on findings from a May 1, 2008 Compliance Evaluation Inspection, Clear Lam Packaging was in non compliance with conditions for a hazardous waste storage permit exemption; such as not having adequate aisle space in the hazardous waste storage area, not properly marking storage containers, storing open containers of hazardous waste, having an incomplete training program and an incomplete contingency plan, and storing containers of hazardous waste for greater than 90 days.
Contact: Jamie Paulin, 312-886-1771

8th National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management

On June 24-26, Materials Management Branch staff attended the 8th National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management in Billings, Montana. The conference was hosted by the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council, and was funded by U.S. EPA. The conference was attended by representatives from various tribes; federal, state, and local governments; and non-governmental organizations. The conference covered a wide range of topics from a tribal perspective, including waste management, climate change, environmental justice, and other topics.

On June 23, Materials Management Branch staff also attended a meeting of EPA Regional and Office of Solid Waste Tribal RCRA Coordinators, held in conjunction with the conference. We discussed setting annual commitments for FY09-FY14 to increase the number of tribes with integrated waste management plans; and the number of open dumps cleaned up, closed, or upgraded. In partnership with the Indian Health Service, we reviewed their national open dump inventory database for further refinements. We also discussed ways to improve national federal interagency coordination for tribal waste management, and a national EPA training initiative for tribes to establish self-sustaining integrated waste management programs. About five trainings will be developed and delivered throughout FY08-09, in locations throughout the country including a tribal location in Minnesota (to be determined).
Contact: Rebecca Geyer, 312-353-8314; Dolly Tong, 312-886-1019

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