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Envirobytes - An Environmental Newsletter
EnviroBytes, a Summary of Issues and Events for Week Ending April 4, 2008
DURING OZONE SEASON, KEEP CHECK ON AIR QUALITY
April was designated as the official start of the 2008 ozone season for states in Region 3. It is a time for everyone to keep abreast of air quality conditions, especially at-risk populations such as asthma sufferers and the elderly who need to protect themselves from ground level ozone exposure. Ground-level ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds and nitrous oxide in the air react in the presence of sunlight and hot temperatures during the warmer months of the year. People interested in air quality conditions can access the EPA AIRNow Web site for air quality information at (http://www.epa.gov/airnow/
COMPANY PLEDGES TO REDUCE MERCURY BY RECYCLING ITS USED FLUORESCENT LAMPS
EPA recognized CB Richard Ellis (a national real estate firm with offices in Baltimore, Md.) as a member of EPA's National Partnership for Environmental Priorities Program (NPEP) at a ceremony on April 1. The company committed to reducing the levels of mercury released into the environment by recycling (instead of disposing of) 233 lbs. of mercury from spent fluorescent lamps at its more than 249,000,000 sq. ft. of commercial, retail and industrial buildings by December 2008. To learn how mercury affects human health, go to http://www.epa.gov/mercury/effects.htm. NPEP is part of EPA's National Waste Minimization Program and the Resource Conservation Challenge, programs that help reduce waste, increase recycling and promote the use of environmentally safe products.
EPA INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO MAKE MEDICAL CENTERS GREENER
EPA established a Green Hospitals Initiative pilot in 2006 that has spawned dozens of environmentally-friendly projects at 20 Philadelphia-area hospitals and health systems. A March 21 article in the Philadelphia Business Journal titled "Waste Not" by reporter John George lauded the progress made under this initiative. The article mentions many success stories including Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's expansion of its paper and cardboard recycling efforts, and its plan to replace 1,000 trash receptacles with centralized recycling stations by June 30. St. Mary Medical Center's successful red-bag waste reduction project, and Abington Memorial Hospital's elimination of DEHP (plastic) in intravenous tubing are other success stories mentioned in the (by subscription) article.
VIRGINIA STRATEGIZES TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS 30 PERCENT BY 2025
EPA regional representatives attended the Virginia Climate Change Commission meeting on March 27 in Charlottesville, Va. The meeting included presentations on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 
to the world community, a summary of local, state, regional and federal approaches to address climate change, and natural sequestration: the role of nature (forests, oceans) in capturing and storing carbon emissions. It was announced that Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine's Commission on Climate Change will issue a report by Dec. 15 on the steps Virginia needs to take to achieve 30 percent emissions reductions in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. For more information, visit: http://www.deq.virginia.gov/info/climatechange.html.
EPA PROGRAMS HELP LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IMPROVE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
On March 28, the EPA Energy Star, and EPA Indoor Environment Management Branch held a one-day training session for the King of Prussia school districts, to help District schools address their environmental issues and to more proactively reduce their environmental footprint. The training day focused on some of EPA's voluntary programs such as IPM (Integrated pest management), SC3 (Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign), and TfS (Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools). This effort was supported by the American Lung Association and the Penn State Extension Service who also participated with their own presentations.
EPA PROGRAM HELPS TWO LATIN-AMERICAN NATIONS DEVELOP WASTEWATER PERMITTING PROGRAMS
From April 7 to April 18, a member of the region 3 Water Protection Division will be visiting Honduras and Costa Rica to assist them with the development of a wastewater permitting program in a joint effort with EPA Region 4. The sessions in those two nations will focus on the development of technology-based wastewater permit requirements and the criteria that should be considered in developing wastewater permit conditions to ensure water quality protection. The U.S. wastewater permitting program has brought about great improvements to U.S. water quality through the effective control of toxic effluent pollutants that may be discharged into bodies of water.
EPA SEEKS COMMENT ON DRAFT REPORT TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE’S ADVERSE EFFECTS ON WATER
The EPA Office of Water is seeking public comments until May 27, on a public review draft dated March 28, and titled National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. The draft lays out five broad goals to address the problems that may arise from climate change, including extreme water events such as flooding, changes to drinking water through drought or contamination, water pollution, changes in aquatic life, and negative impacts on coastal areas. EPA is anxious to confront the serious challenge of climate change and the impacts it may have on water resources and watersheds. To read the report, and submit comments, go to http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange/index.html
COLLEGE STUDENTS LECTURED ON SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT AND ITS REGULATIONS
Environmental law students at Franklin and Marshall College, in Lancaster County, Pa. were introduced to the Safe Drinking Water Act and its regulations on March 28 by a member of the EPA Region 3 Ground Water and Enforcement Branch. Besides the Safe Drinking Water Act, its regulatory structure, and its relationship to other statutes, the students also learned about the (as yet unregulated) pharmaceuticals and personal care products found in drinking water supplies, and how proper collection and disposal of unused pharmaceuticals can help protect drinking water sources. Students learned about EPA regulations governing nitrates in drinking water, which protect public health from levels that can cause serious illness and sometimes death.
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