Environmental protection

PHILADELPHIA, June 24, 2008 -- The Delaware Estuary has been selected by EPA as one of six estuaries to be case studies for local action to protect sensitive coastal ecosystems and economies from the potential effects of climate change. This is the first step in EPA’s new “Climate Ready Estuaries” effort to build local ability to adapt to climate change.

“EPA’s Climate Ready Estuaries work will help coastal communities understand and adapt to climate change,” said Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. “Our aim is to build capacity for local decision makers and resource managers to help take pro-active, practical steps for bays at risk.”    » read more »

06/24/2008 -- For the 13th straight year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is recognizing chemical technologies developed by leading researchers and industrial innovators that are making significant contributions to pollution prevention in the United States. The awards will be given out this evening, June 24, at the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are given in five categories: Academic, Small Business, Greener Synthetic Pathways, Greener Reaction Conditions and Designing Greener Chemicals. The 2008 award-winner technologies are:

* A novel method to make complex molecules cleanly and efficiently developed by Professors Robert E. Maleczka, Jr. and Milton R. Smith, III of Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich.    » read more »

Kansas City, Kan., June 23, 2008 -- EPA Region 7 is dispatching two three-person water emergency response groups to Iowa to assist the Iowa Department of Natural Resources with assessing public water treatment facilities damaged in the Iowa floods.

EPA groups will provide technical expertise to assist communities in assessing the need for repair of local drinking water systems and wastewater systems.

The teams will work directly with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to provide technical assessments. The technical assessments allow IDNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide assistance to communities with repairs to their water treatment systems.

EPA groups will be working with the IDNR field offices in Manchester and Washington.    » read more »

Kansas City, Kan., June 23, 2008 -- Flood water samples taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency within the city limits of Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Hamburg, and Burlington, Iowa, showed numbers of fecal coliform bacteria exceeding the health-based level of concern. The level of concern is 200 colony forming units (cfu) per 100 milliliters (ml). The sampling results ranged between 270 cfu/100 ml and 68,000 cfu/100 ml. The highest end of the range was found only in the Cedar Rapids area and it is believed to be associated with the fact that the wastewater treatment plant is not operating.    » read more »

PHILADELPHIA, June 23, 2008 -- To protect our nation’s water supply for future use, the Environmental Protection Agency is promoting and enhancing the market for water efficient products through the WaterSense program. The latest is a draft specification for water-efficient new single-family homes. The specification will create standards that new homes must meet to be certified and labeled as WaterSense homes.

“WaterSense is a common sense ethic of efficiency for protecting water, America’s most important liquid asset. WaterSense certified homes will help homeowners save water, money and energy, and communities will have an important new tool for sustainable growth and water efficiency,” said Donald S. Welsh, regional administrator for EPA’s mid-Atlantic region.    » read more »

Boston, Mass., June 23, 2008 -- The pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. has agreed to pay a $975,000 civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its former manufacturing plant in Groton, Conn., the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. Today’s settlement is the first of its type in federal court under regulations that are designed to control the emissions of hazardous air pollutants from pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.    » read more »

New York, N.Y., 06/23/2008 -- A momentous agreement between EPA, Occidental Chemical and Tierra Solutions calls for the most significant removal of contaminated material from the Passaic in history. The settlement, announced today at a park overlooking the river, involves the removal of nearly half of the dioxin that has contaminated sediment in the Passaic. It requires Occidental and Tierra Solutions to remove 200,000 cubic yards of dioxin-laden material from the portion of the river directly in front of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site in downtown Newark.    » read more »

Alaska Governor Pledges to Work for Conservation

May 14, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced its decision today to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne called Alaska Governor Sarah Palin this morning to inform her of the USFWS decision, and assured her that oil and gas developments are not to blame.

Polar bear, Alaska: Photo by AlaskaPodshow.com (CC)    » read more »

May 14, 2008 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) praised the House Natural Resources Committee for its approval today of two House companion bills to Senate legislation she introduced to protect and conserve more than 300,000 acres of pristine public land in California.

Senator Boxer said, “I am pleased that the House Natural Resources Committee has approved these two measures, which are critical to protecting California’s wilderness.”    » read more »

May 12, 2008 -- "Mr. President, today my colleagues from the Great Lakes and I are introducing the Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 in order to reauthorize the Great Lakes Legacy Act. The Legacy program has been a program that has delivered real results in the Great Lakes and has broad support.

Lighthouses on Lake Michigan: Photo by Luiz Castro (CC)    » read more »

May 8, 2008 -- WASHINGTON – Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Senator George Voinovich, R-Ohio, co-chairmen of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today introduced the bipartisan Great Lakes Legacy Act of 2008 to expand on legislation passed six years ago. The bill aims to clean up contaminated expanses in the Great Lakes known as “Areas of Concern” within 10 years.

Lake Michigan breakwater: Photo by Tom (CC)    » read more »

Kicks off week with awards for environmental excellence and pollution prevention

April 21, 2008 -- MONTPELIER, Vt. – With Earth Day events planned around the globe on April 22, Vermont Governor Jim Douglas has proclaimed this week to be Vermont Earth Week, with a call to Vermonters to celebrate and honor our environment’s role in our livelihood.

Vermont mountains, fall: Photo by Paul Moody (CC)    » read more »

April 21, 2008 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed several pieces of legislation into law today, including a measure that strengthens consumer rights against unfair business practices by insurance agents and another bill that will help preserve Colorado's rivers, streams and lakes.

House Bill 1228 was sponsored by Rep. Gwyn Green and Sen. Ken Gordon. It authorizes the insurance commissioner to order an insurance agent or company to pay restitution to a consumer for violating state insurance laws or for engaging in unfair business practices. It passed the House 65-0 and the Senate 26-8.    » read more »

April 15, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today testified before the Energy and Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests on the California Desert and Mountain Heritage Act, bipartisan legislation that will protect and conserve approximately 200,000 acres of pristine land in Riverside County.

Desert in Riverside County, California: Photo by gerry la londe-berg (CC)    » read more »

Terre Haute, Indiana (April 15, 2008) - Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels today announced that more than 1,200 acres of floodplain will be restored to wetlands and wildlife habitat thanks to a partnership between the state and Vigo County.

"Our efforts since 2005 have resulted in twice as many protected acres of wildlife habitat than in the previous five years. This joint effort will conserve another beautiful habitat as well as enhance the quality of life for Hoosiers," said Daniels.

Savanna wetlands, Indiana: Photo by destabee (CC)    » read more »