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Upcoming EFC Events

Conference Series:
Smart Management for Small Communities:

Practical Resources for Governance

For several years the EFC has hosted a three-day conference retreat in the Adirondacks for municipal leaders and technical assistants. Topics discussed have included  co-funding updates, training and seminars on water, wastewater and stormwater management, Smart Growth, green job training programs, community engagement, governance and dispute resolution.
   This year we are expanding the conference into a series that will continue the tradition of providing high quality programming to a larger audience throughout New York State. We will host the first of the series on April 20-22 in the Adirondacks, the second on June 2 in Hudson Valley, and the third and final conference of the year in Western New York in mid-Fall. Details for the first two events are listed below.

April 20-22, 2010
Blue Mountain Lake, NY

This three-day conference atMinnowbrook Conference Center will focus on the needs of municipal leaders by providing technical assistance, funding updates and practical skill-building sessions. Sessions will focus on topics such as asset management and meeting facilitation. There will also be a co-funding panel including the Environmental Facilities Corporation, USDA RD, NYSERDA and others. For more information please email Melissa Young or call 315-443-8848. Register here.

June 2, 2010
Bear Mountain, NY

Hosted at Bear Mountain Conference Center, this conference will include updates from state and federal agency representatives on funding updates and opportunities, and offer sessions including asset management, alternative strategies in drinking water management, wastewater management, and solid waste management. For more information please email Eva Rippeteau. Register here.
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Asset Management 101

June 15, 2010
Salamanca, NY
This event is designed to train municipal water and wastewater systems operators on the short-term and long-term benefits of incorporating asset management planning into their operations as a means to enabling long-term financial and operational sustainability. The program will include information, training and tools appropriate for operators and public officials. Email Melissa Young or call 315-443-8848 for more details. Register here.

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Recent EFC Events

The Right to Water
March 29-30, 2010
Syracuse, NY
The EFC was proud to co-sponsor the "Right to Water" conference,  an interdisciplinary and international conference to explore ways to ensure equitable access to water worldwide. This event discussed how universal calls for the right to water are interpreted differently given local historical and geographical contexts. The event engaged a diverse network of scholars and practitioners and highlighted key debates via keynote lectures and papers presented by leading figures from the academic, policy and activist communities.

Sustainable Communities Partnership Forum
March 6, 2010
Syracuse, NY
In continuing with our work to build capacity, partnerships and collaboration towards a more sustainable New York, we hosted a Sustainable Communities Partnership Retreat to discuss the potential for project development in concert with the new EPA, DOT, and HUD Partnership for Sustainable Communities. Learn more about the Sustainable Communities Partnership here.

NYS Clean Water State Revolving Fund Sustainability Initiative Meeting
March 5, 2010
Syracuse, NY
Recently, New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (NYS EFC) has announced its  Clean Water State Revolving Fund Sustainability Initiative, an initiative that will revise NY's CWSRF. The Environmental Finance Center at Syracuse University is working with the NYS EFC as they undergo this process. Together with the Environmental Facilities Corporation, we hosted a discussion about the intersection of smart growth, energy efficiency, asset management and green infrastructure and their impact on the SRF Sustainability Initiative.
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Other Upcoming Events

Hudson Valley Green Infrastructure Job Training
The Hudson Valley Regional Council will present a series of training workshops in March and April 2010 on stormwater management and green infrastructure concepts and job opportunities. These workshops are designed to provide an introductory training in the water resources management industry. The program is also an overview of stormwater management regulations and related issues for municipalities, builders and others working to meet these requirements.  To register for one of these workshops please contact your local county One-Stop Career Center below.  For more information about the content and goals for this program please contact Simon Gruber, Consulting Partner, Hudson Valley Regional Council.  

Training dates in the Hudson Valley region, with locations and county One-Stop Career Center contacts for registration.

April 2 -Dutchess County: Stephanie Renino SRenino@dutchessworks.org  845-485-2660 ext. 3001
April 12 - Sullivan County:  Laura Quigley  laura.quigley@co.sullivan.ny.us   845-807-0388  
April 16 - Westchester County:  Ali Tarchoun  att1@westchestergov.com   914-995-7580  
April 22 - Rockland County:  Jennifer DeLeon  jennifer@tomorrowsworkplace.org  845-356-6106  


Sixth Annual Symposium on Energy in the 21st Century
"The Energy Highway" Transmission, Collection and Distribution of Electricity
Cazenovia, NY April 16, 2010

Featuring:
  • Thomas King, President, National Grid USA
  • Frank Murray, President & CEO, NYSERDA
  • Richard Kessel, President & CEO, NYPA
  • Garry Brown, Chairman PSC Carol Murphy, Alliance for Clean Energy
  • Dr. Samir Succar, NRDC
  • Kit Kennedy, NRDC
 For more information, program details and to register, click here.

Washington Regional Green Roofs & Walls
Conference and Training
Washington, DC June 1-2, 2010


This event is designed to explore and optimize the opportunities presented by the Federal Stimulus Package, and newly adopted regulations and local incentives. Aimed at government building officials, local designers and developers, the trade show and the expert sessions will address issues such as economic benefits, new government incentives and regulations, maintenance and procurement best practices. For more information on the training, conference, trade show, and to registerclick here.
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Onondaga County Green Improvement Fund
 
Onondaga County is announcing the Green Improvement Fund ("GIF"), to provide financial assistance for the installation of Green Infrastructure projects on eligible privately-owned properties (commercial, business, and 501(c)3 owned properties) in the Clinton/Harbor Brook Combined Sewersheds in the City of Syracuse. 

Program Highlights
  • Eligible property owners in the Clinton, Harbor Brook and Midland sewersheds can apply to receive grant funding in the amount of: up to 100% of Eligible Costs, with a maximum assistance of $100,000 per applicant for a single project and no more than $250,000 per applicant for multiple projects.
  • Grant funding will ONLY cover costs for the installation of Green Infrastructure solutions above and beyond traditional (not green) construction practices including: design and engineering costs, maintenance plan and construction costs.
  • Onondaga County will select projects that closely meet GIF program goals based on selection criteria.  Decisions on projects and level of funding selected for the GIF Program rest solely with Onondaga County's Department of Water Environment Protection, which decisions shall be final. 
More information can be found on Onondaga County's Save the Rain website.


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EPA Smart Growth Releases Report:
Redevelopment Continues in Urban Neighborhoods

An updated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report shows a continuing shift in development toward urban neighborhoods in the United States, despite a slow a real estate market.

This trend, described in EPA's 2010 report, "Residential Construction Trends in America's Metropolitan Regions," shows that redevelopment continues in many urban neighborhoods.
The data show that, compared to the early 1990s, the share of construction in urban neighborhoods was up 28 percent in mid-sized metropolitan regions that have promoted redevelopment of underused sites and development around transit.

The latest report shows that an even stronger trend toward urban redevelopment in the largest metropolitan regions continued in 2008. New York City accounted for 63 percent of the building permits issued within its region. By comparison, the city averaged about 15 percent of regional building permits during the early 1990s. Similarly, Chicago now accounts for 45 percent of the building permits within its region, up from just 7 percent in the early 1990s.

More information on the report:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/construction_trends.htm


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EPA Decentralized Wastewater Management E-Handbook Now Available

The EPA Office of Wastewater Management has recently expanded its "Handbook for Managing Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems with the addition of an "E-Handbook." The E-Handbook features resource guides containing detailed information on the 13 management program elements featured in the existing management handbook: public education, planning, performance, site evaluation, design, construction/installation, operation/maintenance, inspections/monitoring, residuals management, training/certification, financial assistance, inventory/recordkeeping, and compliance assurance.

The E-Handbook focuses on individual and clustered wastewater systems that discharge to the soil, but the information can also be applied to small systems that discharge to surface waters through federal or state National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit programs. The
E-Handbook is intended for health departments, wastewater system management entities, local governments, and others involved in managing multiple individual or clustered treatment systems. Each resource guide contains detailed information on each program element topic and links to other
resources, case studies, and examples of successful management programs. The resource guides in the E-Handbook can be accessed via hot-links in the current Management Handbook posted at http://www.epa.gov/owm/onsite



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Community Facilitation Services
 
The Environmental Finance Center is offering to assist you and your community with project development or environmental issues that you are dealing with that are specific to your community and surrounding communities. Do you need assistance with:
  • Negotiating an inter-governmental agreement with surrounding municipalities,
  • Seeking new funding sources to support environmental initiatives or infrastructure projects,
  • Trying to engage the public in decision-making, or
  • Persuading citizens and/or Board members to the benefits of proposals, plans or project ideas?
If so, we can help to identify potential funding streams, host and facilitate public meetings, develop tools and trainings specific to your needs to assist you in moving forward. Contact Khris Dodson at 315-443-8818 or kdodson@syracusecoe.org for more information and details.


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 House Panel Eyes Stormwater Mitigation Provisions In Highway Bill

House lawmakers are considering requiring new highway projects to mitigate stormwater runoff through green infrastructure projects and other mitigation techniques, a top priority for environmentalists and others who say it could help prevent wastewater treatment plants and others from bearing increased treatment costs.

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Smart Growth Presentations Available

New Partners for Smart Growth conference presentations are now available as PDFs. Click on the dates toward the bottom of the page for a list of sessions and download specific presentations.

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The Seventh Annual NYS Environmental Excellence Awards
 
Get recognized for your commitment to a more sustainable New York  
The awards program recognizes businesses, governments, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions and individuals in New York State that are achieving environmental excellence through innovative and environmentally sustainable practices or partnerships. DEC is especially interested in applications for projects that have achieved significant environmental benefits through: innovative and cutting-edge pollution prevention technologies; manufacturing process improvements; initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; programs that make schools and businesses more "green;" energy conservation and green energy production efforts; waste reduction and recycling efforts; stormwater management and watershed planning; environmental protection and restoration efforts; and land conservation. 
 
Those interested in applications or more information should visit:
Environmental Excellence Award 
 
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Interested in Project Funding? Are you signed up for the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation listserv? 

If not, click here and get on the list today!


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