Envirobytes - Archive

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ENVIROBYTES, A SUMMARY OF ISSUES AND EVENTS FOR WEEKS ENDING MARCH 9, 2012 AND MARCH 16, 2012

EPA ANNOUNCES $4 MILLION TO HELP LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IMPLEMENT GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO RESTORE THE BAY

On March 13, EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced a $4 million EPA-funded initiative providing financial and technical assistance to local governments to support infrastructure projects to help reduce water pollution and accelerate the Chesapeake Bay cleanup. "Now more than ever, the Chesapeake Bay needs the creativity, innovation and ingenuity of local governments," said Mr. Garvin."This new EPA funding will enable local governments to implement the best solutions to on-the-ground challenges they face in helping to restore the Bay, and share those approaches with other towns throughout the entire watershed."
For more information, visit www.nfwf.org/chesapeake.

EPA ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO FIX LEAKS, SAVE WATER

On March 14, Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin, and representatives from the Delta Faucet Company, the Philadelphia Water Department and others celebrated Fix a Leak Week (March 12-18) in Philadelphia. The event emphasized the importance of promptly repairing leaking faucets and highlighted the WaterSense program’s simple measures to save water and money on energy bills by purchasing water-efficient labeled products.
For more information, go to https://www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.

NATIONAL POISON PREVENTION WEEK IS MARCH 18-24

EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, Consumer Products Safety Commission, and others are urging parents and caregivers to prevent unnecessary accidental exposures and poisonings of children. The most common sources are pesticides and disinfectants, cosmetics, personal care products, pain medications, and cleaning products. Visit EPA’s poison prevention website to learn more at https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/poisonprevention.htm.

RE-VEGETATION OF PALMERTON ZINC SUPERFUND SITE CONTINUES AS PART OF REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT

EPA has resumed a successful project to re-vegetate and reclaim areas of the Palmerton Zinc Superfund site in Carbon County, Pa. Past contamination with zinc, lead and cadmium from plant operations had left the site barren of vegetation. Aerial seeding via airplane and tree plantings have resumed to reclaim the productivity of the land, prevent erosion and continue the redevelopment process. For more information, go to https://www.epa.gov/superfund/index.htm.

EPA ADDS NINE HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES TO SUPERFUND’S NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST; TWO IN REGION 3

On March 13, EPA added nine new hazardous waste sites and proposed to include 10 additional sites to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. Two sites were added from Region 3:

The Metro Container Corporation site is located in Trainer, Delaware County, Pa. The contaminants of concern at the site include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), inorganics, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). (See: Metro Container Corporation.)

The Sauer Point dump is located in eastern Baltimore County, Md. The contaminants of concern at the site are semi-volatile organic compounds, metals, PCBs and pesticides.(See: Sauer Dump.)

For information on all sites, go to: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm.

EPA CELEBRATES 20TH YEAR AS PHILADELPHIA FLOWER SHOW EXHIBITOR; WINS BEST OF SHOW IN THE NON-ACADEMIC EDUCATION CATEGORY

EPA’s Philadelphia Flower Show exhibit entitled "Palekaiko Nalowale" (Paradise Lost) won Best of Show in the non-academic educational category again this year. The March 4 –March 11 exhibit demonstrated the ecological importance of wetlands and how anyone can grow a home garden that benefits nature. For more information on EPA's Philadelphia Flower Show exhibit and green landscaping, go to https://www.epa.gov/reg3esd1/garden/flower_show.htm. For EPA's podcast, go to https://www.epa.gov/region03/multimedia/playercontents/audio/FlowerShow20122.html.

EPA CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ENERGY STAR; RECOGNIZES 2012 AWARD WINNERS INCLUDING SOME FROM REGION 3

On March 15, EPA celebrated Energy Star's 20th anniversary by recognizing the 2012 Energy Star award winners for their leadership and commitment in protecting the environment through cost-effective ways to save energy. Winners from Region 3 include:

ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence
Loudoun County Public Schools (Broadlands, Va.)
Saint-Gobain (Valley Forge, Pa.)

ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year
EnergyCAP, Inc. (State College, Pa.)
Liberty Property Trust (Malvern, Pa.)
NVR, Inc. (Reston, Va.)
PECO (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) (Hughesville, Md.)

ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence
Milford Housing Development Corporation (Milford, De.)

For more information, visit http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=pt_awards.showawardlist&year=2012.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS BOOK: "THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS GETS CLEANED UP" NOW AVAILABLE TO YOUNG SPANISH READERS

On March 14, EPA and Scholastic, Inc., a children's education and media publishing company announced the release of a new Spanish-language version of “The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up” based on an award-winning scholastic series. The Spanish version is "El Autobus Mágico – necesita una limpieza."
To obtain any version at no cost, go to https://www.epa.gov/otaq/schoolbus/.
For information on the National Clean Diesel Campaign, go to www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.

HEALTHY WATERS BLOG CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS

Virtual Water, Real Impacts: World Water Day 2012 - March 22 is World Water Day, a day designated by the United Nations to raise awareness about water issues. Share your ideas at http://blog.epa.gov/healthywaters/

What Lurks Beneath – Water main breaks and sewage backups are becoming more common. What can we do to avert this potential danger to the environment and our health? Share your ideas at http://blog.epa.gov/healthywaters/

Fix a leak Week 2012: What to do to save water - Just replacing old or broken showerheads, sink faucets, and toilets with WaterSense labeled products can be a big help in the quest to save water and money. Share your ideas at http://blog.epa.gov/healthywaters/

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