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Happy New Year! 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 Seeks Comments on Tool for Accessing Wastewater Pollutant Discharge Information
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a "beta" version of a new web-based tool that allows anyone to search and identify the amount, type, and location of wastewater pollutant discharges and the identity of the discharger. EPA is seeking comments by Feb. 4, 2011 on how to improve this tool and on the accuracy of the discharge monitoring data supporting it. For the full story, click here. To access the "beta" version of the tool, click here. For more information, contact Carey Johnston.
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EPA Provides Public With Easier Access to Chemical Information
The EPA has introduced a new web-based tool that will enable the public to search for and have easy access to health and safety studies on industrial chemicals. As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's continued efforts to enhance EPA's chemical management program and increase transparency, the chemical data access tool allows users to conduct a chemical-specific search for health and safety studies that have been submitted to the agency under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). For the full story, click here. For more information about the web tool, click here.
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Control and Mitigation of Drinking Water Losses in Distribution Systems
Recently, EPA has released the Control and Mitigation of Drinking Water Losses in Distribution Systems guidance document. This publication provides information on flexible tools and techniques that may help the public water system (PWS) tailor a program to meet its water loss prevention needs and maintain its infrastructure to deliver clean, safe drinking water to customers - often a significant challenge for the operator of PWSs and particularly for small water systems. For the full story, click here. To download an electronic version of the guidance document, click here.
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EPA Creates Virtual Tool for Soil Fumigation
EPA has created a new virtual toolbox for information on soil fumigation, providing easy access to a variety of soil fumigant training, outreach, and other resource materials for applicators and handlers, communities, state and local agencies, and others interested in understanding and implementing the current requirements for safe use of soil fumigants. Key features of the toolbox include safety brochures for handlers of soil fumigants, training modules on the new soil fumigant requirements, templates for soil fumigant management plans, and updated fact sheets on the soil fumigant mitigation measures and implementation schedule. To access the toolbox, click here.
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Conferences and Trainings
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Final 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.
Please submit an abstract by January 7, 2011 electronically as a Word document to Khris Dodson. Click here to download the Call for Abstracts and to register.
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EFC Launches Pilot Composting Program at Syracuse University
Recently, EFC has established a pilot on-site composting system at the SyracuseCoE Headquarters building at Syracuse University (SU). In partnership with SU's Perimeter staff, Physical Plant, and Campus Sustainability, a vermin-composting bin and an Eco-Composter Tumbler were the chosen to demonstrate and test different methods for composting. This system is designed to compost organic materials created on site, including all building occupant food scraps and landscaping materials. This system will serve as an example for other buildings on how to divert a large portion of organic materials from the building and surrounding landscape from the Onondaga County wastestream. For more information on office composting programs, contact Melissa Young, or visit the EFC website.
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NYS To Require Take-Back Program for Rechargeable Batteries
Outgoing New York Gov. David Paterson signed into law legislation that requires manufacturers of rechargeable batteries to fund and operate a state-wide take-back program. The law includes rechargeable batteries from laptops, cell phones, cameras and other electronics that residents of the Empire State will be able to return to retailers for recycling without charge. The law does not cover vehicle batteries or non-rechargeable alkaline batteries. Manufacturers have until mid-March of next year to submit a collection and recycling plan to the department. Retailers are required to accept batteries for recycling in June. For the full story, click here.
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EPA Reports a Successful Year Enforcing Environmental Law Throughout Region 2
In the past federal fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2010, EPA successfully took actions that reduced pollution and ensured that environmental laws are being followed. In the past fiscal year, EPA took enforcement and compliance actions in:
- New Jersey State, requiring polluters to pay more than $2 million in penalties and take actions that will result in the reduction of more than 4 million pounds of pollution;
- New York State, requiring polluters to pay nearly $2 million in penalties and take actions that will result in the reduction of more than 41 million pounds of pollution;
- Puerto Rico, requiring polluters to pay nearly $6 million in penalties and take actions that will result in the reduction of nearly 146 million pounds of pollution; and
- U.S. Virgin Islands, requiring polluters to pay more than $32 thousand in penalties and take actions that will result in the reduction of 1 million pounds of pollution.
Detailed information about EPA's enforcement of environmental laws can be viewed using an interactive Web-based tool that includes statistics and highlights on a state-by-state basis. For more information, click here.
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MOU Signed at EPA Headquarters to Support Research on Water Efficient Plumbing
Recently, the Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition (PERC) and the Australasian Scientific Review of Reduction of Flows on Plumbing and Drainage Systems (ASFlow) Committee signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Both organizations are working on research programs that seek to investigate the impact of reduced water flows in sanitary drainage systems resulting from reductions in water use from plumbing fixtures and fittings, appliances, and commercial and institutional equipment. For the full story, click here. For more information on the MOU, click here.
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NYS Governor Nominates New DEC Commissioner
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has nominated Joseph Martens to be the next Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner. Since 1998, Martens has served as president of the Open Space Institute, directing and overseeing land acquisition, sustainable development, historic preservation and farmland protection. Previously, Martens served as deputy secretary to the governor for energy and the environment and as assistant secretary. For the full story, click here. |
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Khristopher DodsonCommunications and Program ManagerKathy ForrestAdministrative AssistantCarissa MatthewsOutreach Program ManagerEvan NewellProgram ManagerSara PesekDirectorMandy WesterdahlProgram AssistantMelissa YoungProgram Manager Interns: Jon Davis | Chris Duncombe | Paul Goldner
Joe Palumbo | Lisa Ruggero
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Upcoming Events
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
Mar. 24-25, 2011: NYS Green Building Conference; East Syracuse, NY.
Details
*SAVE THE DATE*
Mar. 17, 2011: Pervious Pavement Workshop, Rosamond Gifford Zoo; Syracuse, NY.
*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
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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Featured GPE Project
Green Project Exchange™ is a user-driven database that showcases innovative, environmentally focused projects from across New York State.
This month's featured project is the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) Food Waste Project, which represents a major improvement and investment in the Amboy Compost Facility and will serve as an environmentally sound, cost-effective model for food waste composting to be replicated by municipalities across New York State. The facility is targeted to process 15,000 tons of food waste; diverting it from landfills and ultimately producing over 36,000 cubic yards of compost.
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