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Envirobytes - An Environmental Newsletter
EnviroBytes, a Summary of Issues and Events for Week Ending June 20, 2008
EPA HELPS TRAIN COLLISION REPAIR WORKERS IN POLLUTION PREVENTION BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
EPA partnered with Clean Air Partners and others to train 100 collision repair industry representatives from Maryland and the District of Columbia on how to implement best management practices that will prevent pollution, minimize workers' exposure to workplace hazards and improve the environment. Automotive collision repair facilities must comply with federal and state environmental regulations pertaining to air quality, water quality, and solid, liquid, and hazardous wastes. To learn about EPA’s collision repair campaign, go to http://www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/community/collision.html
EPA STAFF DISCUSS NEW EPA LOCOMOTIVE AND MARINE STANDARDS
EPA staff gave a presentation on the new Marine and Locomotive Standards at the June 16, Philadelphia Diesel Difference 
meeting. In March 2008, EPA finalized standards that will dramatically reduce emissions of diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxide from manufactured locomotives and large marine diesel engines. The rule also finalized new idle reduction requirements for newly-built and remanufactured locomotives. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/oms/regs/nonroad/420f08004.htm
TWO SITES IN PHILADELPHIA ARE CONSIDERED GREEN SHOW PLACES
EPA considers two sites in Philadelphia: the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Alexander School in West Philadelphia and the Friends Center Headquarters in center city among the most eco-friendly, featuring infrastructure and low impact development features. The Alexander School has a rain garden, porous asphalt pavement, and infiltration bed, and the Friends Center features a vegetated roof and a stormwater capture and reuse system that flushes toilets reducing potable water use by 90 percent. These stormwater management facilities reduce the amount of runoff entering the city's municipal separate storm sewer system, alleviate flooding and reduce stormwater pollutant runoff. For more information go to http://www.upenn.edu/campus/westphilly/pas.html and
http://www.friendscentercorp.org/renovating/greenDesign-OD.php
EPA STAFF JOIN PRESENTATION ON EMERGING CONTAMINANTS AT DELAWARE MEETING
EPA Region 3 staff participated at a meeting of the Delaware Source Water Protection Citizens and Technical Advisory Committee, in Dover, Del. on June 18 with a presentation on pharmaceuticals in drinking water. Topics covered included the need to reduce pharmaceutical waste, and the importance of using science to identify the possible effects of pharmaceutical disposal on human and environmental health. U.S. Geological Survey representatives gave a presentation on emerging contaminants in Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia Water Department staff lectured on the analysis and removal of pharmaceuticals in drinking water. For information on this emerging issue, go to EPA's pharmaceuticals Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/ .
EPA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT U. OF MARYLAND’S UPWARD BOUND MARINE AND ESTUARINE SUMMER PROGRAM
EPA participated in the first of eight sessions of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore's Upward Bound summer program. The program gives higher educational opportunities to disadvantaged youth such as learning about coastal ecology, at the university's marine laboratory. Twenty-five high school students gathered at the Sarbanes Coastal Ecology Center at Assateague, Md. to start their "Summer of the Blue Crab" session by examining the ecological and economic importance of the Maryland blue crab. EPA will head the next session: a discussion on the connection between blue crabs and water quality, and nonpoint source pollution.
ORGANIZATION TRANSITIONS TO AN IPM APPROACH IN PEST MANAGEMENT; HOSTS IPM ADVISORY MEETING IN PA
On June 18, Black Creek Greenhouses in East Earl, Lancaster County, Pa. hosted the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisory Committee Meeting. Black Creek Greenhouses had transitioned to IPM (a sustainable, economical, non-toxic pest managing approach) under a Region 3 Strategic Agricultural Initiative (SAI) Grant for a project titled "Transitioning Vegetable Growers in Southern Pennsylvania from Conventional Pesticide Usage to an IPM Approach." Black Creek's use of IPM pest management approach using non-toxic pesticides in their greenhouse operations resulted in a 50 percent reduction in pesticide use, economic savings, and a healthier environment.
EPA ASSISTS MARYLAND IN SAMPLING BAY SHELLFISH
On June 3 and 4 EPA staff assisted the Maryland Department of the Environment using EPA‘s research vessel to obtain samples from the impaired shellfish growing areas of the Chesapeake Bay, the Magothy and Severn Rivers in Maryland. The bacterial source tracking was conducted in support of Maryland's shellfish/bacteriological monitoring program designed to fulfill Maryland's National Shellfish Sanitation Program requirements that identify impaired waters under the TMDL program. For information on TMDLs, go to http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/TMDL/intro.html
EPA REPRESENTATIVE RIDES BIKE TO GREEN OUTREACH
EPA staff attended a meeting in Lower Makefield Township in Bucks County Pa. to assist homeowners in the quest to green their homes and yards. Approximately 50 local residents attended the event. EPA representatives answered questions and provided outreach materials on Energy Star, Greenscaping and other programs. An EPA representative provided a good example by riding 10 miles to the event and back by bicycle, carrying ten pounds of outreach material.
For information on Energy Star for home improvement, go to
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_index
For information on green landscaping, go to http://www.epa.gov/greenscapes/
CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STAFF LEARNS TO PURCHASE "GREEN" FROM EPA
On June 18, EPA staff took the opportunity to train City of Philadelphia purchasing staff how to acquire environmentally-friendly products. The Delaware Valley Green Building Council coordinated the training in support of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter's effort to make Philadelphia the "greenest city in the US." It is hoped the city's buying power will stimulate market demand for green goods and services that meet the city's specifications for recycled content, recyclability, toxic free and safe, and long lasting, to name a few. For information on green purchasing, go to http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/epp/pubs/relatedfed.htm
OUTREACH TARGETS DELAWARE VALLEY ASSOCIATION OF HOTEL ENGINEERS
EPA’s Energy Star, Green Power Partnership and Water Sense are EPA programs that can help hotels and other organizations save money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce pollution. On June 18, EPA staff gave a presentation to the Delaware Valley Association (DVA) of Hotel Engineers describing these programs. EPA's presentation was part of an outreach effort to the DVA of Hotel Engineers to expand their knowledge and reduce their environmental footprint. For information on Water Sense, go to http://www.epa.gov/watersense/
The Green Power Partnership site, is http://www.epa.gov/grnpower/gpmarket/index.htm
The Energy Star Web site is at http://www.epa.gov/reg3artd/globclimate/energystar.htm
NATURE CENTERS PLAN TO GO GREEN TO REDUCE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
Area nature centers protect wildlife and the environment, but have discovered that they can also benefit from learning to minimize their operating costs to reduce their environmental footprint. EPA staff have been invited to present information to nature centers in the Delaware Valley on how to improve their building operations to reduce energy and water costs, increase recycling, composting, green cleaning, green purchasing and other subjects to reduce their footprint through more efficient and effective operations.
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