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Envirobytes - An Environmental Newsletter
EnviroBytes, a Summary of Issues and Events for Week Ending March 14, 2008
READY-MIX CONCRETE INDUSTRY AGREES TO REDUCE ITS ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
On March 9, Regional Administrator, Donald S. Welsh and Water Protection Division Director, Jon Capacasa signed a voluntary agreement with the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) to help ready-mix concrete industry plants nationwide meet their Clean Water Act compliance obligations. NRMCA agreed to follow EPA Green Star environmental management program guidelines, developed specifically for the industry, to promote compliance in pollution reduction and to practice waste reduction, energy conservation, and pollution prevention in their daily business activities. For details on the agreement, go to http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/pdf/2.0_ES_GHP%20FACT%20SHEET03.04.08.pdf [2pp, 634k, about pdf]
EPA BUSINESS ASSISTANCE CENTER HOSTS YEARLY WORKSHOP FOR SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES
The EPA mid-Atlantic region's Business Assistance Center is hosting the eighth annual workshop for small and disadvantaged businesses on April 22 in Philadelphia to help prepare competitive proposals for an upcoming Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) solicitation. Each year, EPA makes monetary awards through the SBIR program to small, high-tech firms to develop and commercialize cutting-edge environmental technologies. The workshop will provide practical, useful information on the program including writing winning proposals, commercialization and sources of local assistance. For more information on SBIR, visit www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir
NEW LINK REFRESHES OUR MEMORY OF EPA FLOWER SHOW EXHIBIT
EPA's March 1 – March 8 environmentally friendly gardening exhibit: "Urban Scenes Natural Rhythms" won the Philadelphia Flower Show award and the award of merit for non-academic education from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. Designed and constructed by staff, the exhibit featured earth-friendly plants to encourage visitors to start green gardening in their own backyards. An updated description of the exhibit is provided at www.epa.gov/region03/radionews.htm To get started with green gardening in your own backyard, go to: http://www.epa.gov/regesd1/garden/how.htm
POULTRY LITTER MAY BE TURNED INTO ENERGY IN THE FUTURE
The Chesapeake Bay Program Office has completed a report stating that poultry litter may someday be converted into a source of energy. The report explores the technologies that may someday make this feasible and identifies the roadblocks and incentives that a litter-to-energy project may encounter. If feasible, the amount of poultry manure that makes its way into the Chesapeake Bay Watershed could be substantially reduced. To download the report, go to http://www.chesapeakebay.net/content/publications/cbp_17018.pdf
VIRGINIA STUDENTS' ELECTRONICS RECYCLING PROGRAM WINS PRESIDENT'S ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH AWARD
The annual EPA President's Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) was awarded to students of the Arlington (Va.) H-B Woodlawn Secondary School for promoting electronics recycling and demonstrating their commitment to the environment. Woodlawn students discovered that their community did not include electronics recycling, and many unwanted items were ending up in a local stream. They meticulously planned their own electronics recycling event, and pickup service, and ultimately convinced the Arlington County Board to consider electronics curbside recycling for the community. For more information on the PEYA awards, go to http://epa.gov/enviroed/peya/index.html
EPA FIGHTS ASTHMA IN DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES
EPA staff participated in a Roundtable discussion on March 3, hosted by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, to address the problem of asthma disparities in Philadelphia and to develop a collaborative action plan to solve this important health issue. The inner city environment and its disadvantaged minority populations are more at risk for transportation-related, and industrial pollution as well as indoor exposures to allergens that aggravate asthma.
EPA AND THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA KICK-OFF A PAPER RECYCLING PILOT PROGRAM FOR SELECTED CITY SCHOOLS
EPA and City recycling officials met on Feb. 26 with representatives of six Philadelphia School District elementary schools selected to participate in an EPA paper recycling pilot program. Each school committed to developing its own comprehensive recycling plan, scheduling a follow-up meeting with EPA staff to discuss their plan, and planning a kick-off event in conjunction with Earth Day 2008. The success of the pilot plan will ensure that other schools will also use the program to improve their paper recycling efforts. EPA's Web site mentions plain paper as the most frequently encountered product in municipal solid waste landfills. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/msw/faq.htm#5
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