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Happy holidays, and welcome to the latest edition of our monthly EFC newsletter! Inside, you'll find recent news from EPA and other partners and organizations on environmental policy and issues, new publications, upcoming events, and funding opportunities. For more information, please feel free to contact us or visit our website.
Sincerely, 
Sara Pesek
Director
Environmental Finance Center
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EPA Offers All Hazards Risk Assessment and Consequence Analysis Tools for Drinking Water and Wastewater Utilities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing two software tools for risk assessment and consequence analysis:
- The Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool (VSAT), an upgraded all hazards risk assessment tool
- The Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT), a newly developed consequence analysis tool
The release of VSAT and WHEAT will provide drinking water, wastewater, and combined utilities of all sizes with the capability to assess, plan for, and better respond to man-made threats and natural disasters. For more detailed information on the tools, and to download them free of charge, visit the EPA's website here.
For more information about either tool, contact John DeGour or Curt Baranowski.
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EPA Releases Analysis of the Use of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Set-Asides
EPA has recently released the Analysis of the Use of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Set-Asides: Promoting System Sustainability. This document highlights activities financed by Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) capitalization grant set-asides to promote capacity development efforts. A national "one-year snapshot" for federal fiscal year (FFY) 2008 is provided, describing the four different set-asides and highlighting activities that states are pursuing to build system capacity. The body of this document includes specific examples of set-aside uses that states may find relevant to their own capacity development programs.
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New Climate Adaptation Program Available for Local Governments
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA has launched a Climate Resilient Communities Program to help local governments learn how to adapt to climate change.The site guides communities through the process of assessing vulnerabilities, setting goals for resilience, and developing adaptation strategies that integrate with existing hazard and comprehensive planning efforts. The program provides a variety of free resources available to all, including case studies on local government adaptation efforts; fact sheets on financing adaptation, the mitigation-adaptation connection, and coastal adaptation strategies; links to websites, guidebooks, and toolkits; and notable reports and studies on adaptation. For more information and links to resources, click here.
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Conferences and Trainings
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Call for Abstracts: Farms, Folks, and Funding, Feb. 2
The EFC is now accepting abstracts for the "Farms, Folks and Funding: Cultivating Leadership Through Research and Practice" conference on February 2 in Canadaigua, NY at the Inn on the Lake. This one-day conference, focused on agricultural Best Management Practices and water quality, will take a comprehensive look at energy, food systems, planning, funding access, TMDLs, and research through workshops and research sessions on how technology and changing behavior aids local agricultural processes.
Ranging from everyday human actions to long-term infrastructure issues, any and all sessions should be informative of how changing behavior and technology aids local agricultural processes affecting water quality. Research can be finished, ongoing, or in the planning phase.
Presentation topics can include municipal water system implications, on-site wastewater management, composting, organic farming, agricultural BMPs, nutrient management, innovative farm practices/technologies (methane digesters, etc.), local food distribution, agriculture/water quality software, human and behavoral dimensions, biomass crops, downstream nutrient reduction, CAFO planning, and more.
Please submit an abstract by January 7, 2011 electronically as a Word document to Khris Dodson, including the title, authors, organization/institution, address, e-mail, phone, and abstract (not to exceed 400 words.)
Click here to download the Call for Abstracts and to register.
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Call for Abstracts: 22nd Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference
The New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have announced the dates of the 22nd Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference, taking place at the Holiday Inn of Saratoga Springs, NY on May 17-18, 2011. Since 1990, the Annual Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Conference has been a forum in the Northeast for sharing information and improving communication on NPS issues and projects. The conference brings together all those in New England and New York State involved in NPS management, including participants from state, federal, and municipal governments, the private sector, academia, and watershed organizations.
The 2011 Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference Call for Abstracts form can be found online here. Topics include green infrastructure, stormwater management, nutrient management, and more. The deadline for submission is December 30, 2010. Please contact Clair Ryan at 978-349-2522 for more information, or visit the conference website here.
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President Highlights Need To Focus on Electronic Waste
On November 15, America Recycles Day, President Obama signed a proclamation celebrating the strides the country has made in recycling generally, while also highlighting the need for greater attention to addressing electronic waste (e-waste). As a result, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the General Services Administration (GSA) formed a task force, under the Executive Order on Federal Sustainability, charged with helping the federal government lead by example in responsibly managing used electronics.
"Used electronics represent the fastest growing segment of local solid waste in our country. Far too many used electronics end up in landfills or are exported to nations where there is little capacity for safe management. Rather than benefitting from the reuse and recycling of valuable components, we see increased exposure to the toxic chemicals and other harmful substances in electronic devices," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "EPA has made the handling of used electronics and e-waste one of our top priorities, and through this task force the U.S. can become the world leader in sustainable electronics management. There are cost-effective and potentially profitable methods to better manage these materials and prevent health and environmental threats at home and around the world."
For the full story, click here. For more information on the Interagency Task Force on E-waste Management, click here.
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EPA Recognizes Nation's First WaterSense Labeled Homes
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the first WaterSense labeled homes in the country. WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by EPA that seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water. The program is helping homebuyers cut their water and energy use while at the same time saving money on utility bills. Four WaterSense labeled new homes have been built by KB Home in Roseville, California, and will help families save an average of 10,000 gallons of water and at least $100 on utility costs each year. EPA estimates that if the approximately 500,000 new homes built last year had met WaterSense criteria, the homes would save Americans 5 billion gallons of water and more than $50 million in utility bills annually. For the full story, click here.
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EPA Finalizes Rules to Foster Safe Carbon Storage Technology
Recently, EPA has finalized two rules related to the capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide. The new rules aim to protect drinking water and to track the amount of carbon dioxide that is sequestered from facilities that carry out geologic sequestration.
Drinking Water Protection:
EPA finalized a rule that sets requirements for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide, including the development of a new class of injection well called Class VI, established under EPA's Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. The rule requirements are designed to ensure that wells used for geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide are appropriately sited, constructed, tested, monitored, and closed. The UIC Program was established under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Greenhouse Gas Reporting:
EPA also finalized a rule on the greenhouse gas reporting requirements for facilities that carry out geologic sequestration. Information gathered under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program will enable EPA to track the amount of carbon dioxide sequestered by these facilities. The program was established in 2009 under authority of the Clean Air Act and requires reporting of greenhouse gases from various source categories in the United States.
For the full story, click here. For more information on the geologic sequestration rule, click here. For more information on the greenhouse gas reporting final rule, click here.
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Sara PesekDirectorKhristopher DodsonCommunications and Program ManagerCarissa MatthewsOutreach Program ManagerEvan NewellProgram ManagerMandy WesterdahlProgram AssistantMelissa YoungProgram ManagerKathy ForrestAdministrative Assistant
Interns: Jon Davis Chris Duncombe Jes Eckerlin
Paul Goldner Joe Palumbo Lisa Ruggero
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Upcoming Events
Dec. 8, 2011: Panel on Wastewater Management for Local Official and Representatives, Sherrill, NY.
Details
Feb. 2, 2011: Farms, Folks, and Funding: Cultivating Leadership Through Research and Practice; Canadaigua, NY.
Details
Feb. 3-5, 2011: 10th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth; Charlotte, NC.
Details
*SAVE THE DATE*
Apr. 27-29, 2011: Smart Management for Small Communities: Practical Resources for Governance; Blue Mountain Lake, NY.
May 17-18, 2011: 22nd Annual Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference; Saratoga Springs, NY.
Details
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Funding Opportunities
The NYS EFC Green Innovation Grant Program 2010 (GIGP 2010) is now accepting applications for funding. The application package and guidance materials are now available on NYS EFC's website.
Helpful links for funding sources, as well as a number of published funding guides, can be found here at the EFC website.
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