Region 7

Serving Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and 9 Tribal Nations

Farm Broadcasters Interview EPA Officials at 2008 Convention

EPA Region 7 Administrator John Askew (right) was interviewed by Sam Knipp, Oklahoma Farm Bureau, at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting annual convention, featuring more than 200 exhibitors and 125 broadcasters. Sally Shaver, acting agricultural counselor to the EPA administrator, also conducted interviews. Both officials spoke with Ag Day Television, Brownfield Ag Network, Farm Progress Companies, KFEQ-AM (St. Joseph, Mo.), KICD-AM (Spencer, Iowa), KSIB-AM (Creston, Iowa), and WNAX-AM (Yankton, S.D.) about topics including the final Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Rule and the first-ever EPA Region 7 Biodiesel Manual.

Webcasts Planned for CAFO Rule

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 17, 2008) - EPA has finalized a rule helping to protect the nation's water quality by requiring concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to safely manage manure. A national webcast and a regional webcast to provide detailed information about the new rule, are scheduled for Nov. 19. News Release

Rockwell Collins of Coralville, Iowa, Receives Top Honor at EPA Region 7's 2008 Performance Track Member Conference

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 13, 2008) - A global aerospace and defense manufacturer's operations in Coralville, Iowa, has received the top honor at EPA Region 7's 2008 Performance Track Member Conference. News Release

Environmental Education Grants Available

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 13, 2008) - Proposals for Environmental Education grants to develop new programs or to improve the quality of existing programs will be accepted through Dec. 18 from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska communities by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan. News Release

Legal Settlement Reached with Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. for Selling Cans of Confetti String Containing Banned Propellant

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 13, 2008) - The nation's largest $1 discount variety store chain will pay a $120,000 civil penalty for distributing and selling an estimated 1.8 million aerosol cans of novelty string confetti that contained an ozone-depleting propellant, under terms of a legal settlement announced today by EPA Region 7. News Release

Missouri University of Science and Technology Student Teams Receive $20,000 in Design Grants from P3 Awards Program

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 13, 2008) - Two teams of students from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in Rolla will each receive $10,000 grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Program to create innovative designs for sustainable technologies to benefit the developed and developing world. News Release

Rollout of Environmental Manual for Biodiesel Facilities

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 13, 2008) - EPA Region 7 has developed a user-friendly manual that identifies environmental regulatory rules and requirements for the construction and operation of biodiesel production facilities. News Release

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Environmental Justice Small Grants Workshop Scheduled

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 12, 2008) - EPA Region 7 will hold a one-day Environmental Justice (EJ) Small Grants Workshop to help organizations apply for EPA grants. News Release

StarTran Joins Blue Skyways Collaborative Seeking to Reduce Air Pollution in Lincoln Area

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 6, 2008) - StarTran, the mass transit agency for Lincoln, Neb., has joined the Blue Skyways Collaborative as a partner in reducing air pollution. StarTran joins 184 other Blue Skyways partners who are working to reduce air pollution in 10 states in the heart of the United States. News Release

Booth Planned for NAFB Trade Talk Event

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 5, 2008) - EPA officials will attend the annual National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk event in Kansas City Thursday, Nov. 13. Attendees will be available for news interviews in Booth 70. News Release

Public Television Stations to Air "Liquid Assets" Documentary on Challenges Facing Nation's Water Infrastructure Systems

(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 5, 2008) - At least two public television stations in EPA's Region 7 are planning to broadcast "Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure," a special documentary about the challenges facing the nation's rapidly aging drinking water, wastewater and stormwater systems. News Release

Local Groups Honored for Building Materials Reuse Efforts

(Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 30, 2008) - The Planet Reuse Project in Kansas City, Mo., and the Greensburg, Kan., Arts Center, designed by the University of Kansas Studio 804, have been recognized for Lifestyle Building Challenge 2 (LBC2) Awards. News Release

Local Contractor Chosen to Continue Cleanup of Mine Waste in Jasper County, Mo.

(Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 21, 2008) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected Snyder Construction Co., 3400 East 20th Street, Joplin, Mo., to continue the cleanup of surface mine waste in Jasper County, Mo. This company has extensive experience working on mine waste remediation, most recently as the November 2007 contract recipient for the first phase of cleanup at this site. News Release

Region 7 Volunteers Help Clean Up Trash along Missouri River

EPA staff participated in Missouri River Relief's cleanup recently at La Benite Park in Sugar Creek, Mo., just east of Kansas City. Boats from EPA and other agencies brought hundreds of volunteers to "trashy" areas of the river banks and islands. Many items were recovered along a 15-mile stretch, including old refrigerators, tires, 55-gallon drums, storage tanks, and an abandoned boat. Missouri River Relief has sponsored a cleanup in the Kansas City area for the last six years. Last year, Missouri River Relief hosted 19 cleanups, recruited 1,777 volunteers, cleaned 98 miles of the river, removed 68 tons of trash, and removed 499 tires from the river environment.

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