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June 2011

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, or to submit news and events, please feel free to contact us or visit our website.

Sincerely,
sara signature
Sara Pesek
Director
Environmental Finance Center

Tools and Publications

EPA Releases Searchable Website for Drinking Water Violations

 

The EPA announced last month a new method for obtaining information regarding local drinking water standards. The online system allows users to see whether or not their drinking water supplies exceed drinking water standards, view lists of of all water suppliers with serious noncompliance violations, and view a national summary of compliance and enforcement at public drinking water systems. Additionally, EPA has posted online instructions to assist people with using the new system. To view the article, click here

EPA Releases Report Highlighting Role of State Revolving Funds in Implementing ARRA

   

The EPA has released a report highlighting the role of the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) in implementing the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. To read the report in its entirety, click here.

EPA Report Cover: Revolving Funds ARRA
Conferences and Trainings

Webinar: Composting Is Easy - Why Don't People Get It Right? 

Online | June 14
10:00 - 11:30 AM EST 

 

On June 14 the Environmental Finance Center, with NYSAR3, will host a webinar on Organics Management called, "Composting is Easy - Why Don't People Get it Right?" Attendees will learn about managing organic materials at the home and in their local communities. Presentations will provide resources for solid waste management educators and other interested community members on common composting challenges and how to address them, and increasing composting at home and at school through innovative training programs and compost bin sales. Registration is open to the public on June 1. For more information, and to register, click here

Greenbuilt CNY

Carmelo Anthony Basketball Center | June 18  Syracuse, NY

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM 


In partnership with the Environmental Finance Center, Greenbuilt CNY will be a half-day green building tour throughout Syracuse on June 18, 2011. Participants will jump on a bus and visit three finished green building projects, with tours given by green building experts and building and facility managers. The program for the first-ever Greenbuilt CNY will include tours of the Carmelo Anthony Basketball Center at Syracuse University, the new residence halls at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and the new headquarters building for King + King Architects. Professionals, students, and families are all welcome to participate. AIA credits are approval pending, and there will be a scavenger hunt for younger participants! For more details and to register, click here.  

Capital District Local Government Planning and Zoning Workshop

Judson Valley Community College | June 15
Troy, NY
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM 


The New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) will host a workshop on green infrastructure Wed. June 15 at the Bulmer Telecommunications Center at Judson Valley Community College. The workshop is part of a required education course to educate municipal boards on better site design approaches and green infrastructure applications. The focus of the workshop will be on storm-water management. To view the event details, click here, or click here to register.  

June NHI Innovations Web Conference

Online | June 16
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM EST 


This online seminar will discuss how GIS technology pioneers are revolutionizing transportation and natural resource planning.  The seminar will cover Data-driven Decision Support Systems, early Multi-agency Integration,  and the Systems Approach, which is used on an ecosystem-based framework to provide higher quality and more cost-effective stewardship, as as offer scalable solutions that provide ecosystem-wide benefits and leverage project dollars to multiply ecological benefits. To register, click here.  

Wastewater Asset Management Workshop

Lake Placid, NY | June 17
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM 


Phil Smith, P.E., M.S., will lead a workshp in improving efficiency in municipal wastewater facilities. Attendees will receive a sample Asset Management Plan that was developed for a small community. The workshop is intended for water and wastewater plant staff, superintendents, consulting engineers, regulatory personnel and local/elected officials who are or may be involved with an asset management or capital improvement plan. For more information, call (315) 422-7811. To register by the June 10 deadline, click here.  

News
EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Release Draft Guidance to Clarify Waters Covered by Clean Water Act

The EPA and Army Corps of Engineers hope to expand thier ability to protect water systems in the United States under a document the two wrote collaboratively titled "Draft Guidance to Clarify Waters Covered by Clean Water Act." The recomondation, which is three weeks into its 60-day public comment period, aims to include watersheds recently removed from Federal protection. To read the report, click here.  
New York Announces Initiative to Keep Lake Ontario Waters Clean: State Requests "No-Discharge" Designation from EPA 

Seeking to safeguard water quality and improve recreational opportunities, state officials announced today that they are calling for New York's portion of Lake Ontario to be designated as a "Vessel Waste No-Discharge Zone" by the EPA. A No-Discharge Zone designation means that boaters are banned from discharging their on-board sewage into the water. For the full story, click here
Report Shows Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decline 8 Percent in New Jersey

Statewide greenhouse gas emissions decreased by more than 8 percent in 2008, bringing New Jersey under 2020 emissions levels targeted by the State's Global Warming Response Act, according to a legislatively mandated report issued by the DEP. According to the report, the top three causes of greenhouse gas emissions are transportation, electricity generation and combined fossil fuel use in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. For the full story, click here. 
EFC logo
 Khristopher Dodson
Communications and Program Manager

Kathy Forrest
Administrative Assistant

Mark Lichtenstein
 Principal Investigator

Carissa Matthews
Outreach Program Manager

Evan Newell
Program Manager

Sara Pesek
EFC Director

Mandy Westerdahl
Outreach and Education Project Specialist

Melissa Young
Program Manager

  
Interns: Rebekah Jones | Hanna Moreau 
Paul Goldner |
Adam Maurer | Joe Palumbo
Lisa Ruggero  


Please visit our website, efc.syracusecoe.org, or
contact us at efc@syracusecoe.org.
In This Issue
Searchable Website for Drinking Water Violations
Report Highlights Role of State Revolving Funds in Implementing ARRA
Webinar: Composting Is Easy - Why Don't People Get It Right?
Greenbuilt CNY
Capital District Local Government Planning and Zoning Workshop
June NHI Innovations Web Conference
Wastewater Asset Management Workshop
EPA and Army Corps of Engineers Release Draft Guidance to Clarify Waters Covered by Clean Water Act
New York Announces Initiative to Keep Lake Ontario Waters Clean
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decline 8 Percent in New Jersey
Upcoming Events

 

June 6-8, 2011:

2011 NYWEA/NEWEA Spring Technical Conference and Exhibition; Bolton Landing, NY 

Details

 

June 14, 2011:

Webinar: Composting Is Easy - Why Don't People Get It Right? 

Syracuse, NY.

Details

 

June 15, 2011:

Capital District Local Government Planning Zoning Workshop

Troy, NY.

Details 

 

June 16, 2011:

June NHI Innovations Web Conference 

Online.

Details  

 

June 17, 2011:

Wastewater Asset Management Workshop

Lake Placid, NY.

Details 

 

June 18, 2011:

Greenbuilt CNY

Syracuse, NY. 

Details

 

Funding Opportunities   

 

Grants for Great Lakes Watershed

Applications due July 15

Details   

 

Helpful links for funding sources, as well as a number of published funding guides, can be found here at the EFC website.

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 Sustainable Hudson Valley's Ten Percent Challenge. The goal of the Ten Percent Challenge is to involve Hudson Valley communities in friendly competition to cut their energy use by 10%, and get 10% of their people involved. Sustainable Hudson Valley designed this initiative in 2010 and has been piloting it with Red Hook, NY and its two villages through the town's Conservation Advisory Council. Red Hook citizens and leaders are proud to be part of this. The community is now serving as a model for a cluster in Orange County who are stepping up to take the Challenge

About EFC

The Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University facilitates the development of sustainable and resilient communities across US EPA Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and eight tribal nations). Located at the SyracuseCoE Center for Sustainable Community Solutions, EFC enhances the administrative and financial capacities of state and local government officials, nonprofit organizations, and private sectors to make change toward improved environmental infrastructure and quality of life.