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Envirobytes - Archive
EnviroBytes, a Summary of Issues and Events for Week Ending August 14, 2009
$3.49 MILLION WILL REDUCE DIESEL POLLUTION AND CREATE JOBS IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA
EPA announced that Allegheny County, Pa. will receive $3.49 million in Recovery Act funding to help the Pittsburgh area reduce diesel pollution, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and create jobs. The funds to the Allegheny County Health Department (http://www.achd.net/) will finance four projects to replace and retrofit engines and equipment in four types of diesel fleets used in the area.
• Port Authority Transit: 
$1 million to replace two 1996 buses with 2010 hybrid electric buses and repower nine 2003 buses with engines that meet current emission standards.
• Constructors Association of Western Pa.: $929,000 to upgrade 23 pieces of non-road construction equipment so they pollute less.
• US Steel Mon Valley Works: Diamond Head Trucking and MultiServ Corp.: $603,000 to install diesel particulate filters on 35 dump trucks operating in and around U.S. Steel Corp.'s Clairton Coke Works.
• CSX Transportation: $875,000 to replace a vintage diesel switcher locomotive in the McKeesport rail yard with one that has the latest in pollution-control technology.
For information about EPA's clean diesel initiatives, visit: https://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel.
WEBSITE INVITES PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON CLEANING UP THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
The public has an opportunity to provide feedback via a website which is a clearinghouse for all Executive Order information, including news, documents and events from various federal agencies working on new approaches to clean up the nation's largest estuary, the Chesapeake Bay. The public can provide feedback on the website and use online tools to track Executive Order activities through the Stay Connected section at http://executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net. On Sept. 9, the draft reports on how federal agencies will address topics including water pollution, climate change and public access will be available to the public and published on the website. By Nov. 9, these reports will be incorporated into a draft strategy to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay, which also will be available online. The website address is http://executiveorder.chesapeakebay.net
EPA PARTNER COMMITS TO REDUCE LEAD IN COMPANY OPERATIONS BY 85,000 POUNDS
Aetna Insulated Wire, Inc., of Virginia Beach, Va. (a manufacturer of specialty cable and building wire for electrical distributors) has reduced the use of lead in its products by 85,000 pounds through its EPA National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) commitment. The NPEP voluntary program encourages organizations to commit to eliminate, reuse, or reduce any of 31 priority toxic chemicals to improve the environment. The partnership encourages innovation, efficiency, saving money and increasing profit while reducing pollution. Aetna substituted its use of lead as a heat stabilizer in its insulation/ protective coatings products and is now offering lead-free alternatives to customers. In 2006 the total lead in Aetna's products was estimated at 135,859 pounds. In 2008 the total lead used in products was reduced to 50,715 pounds. For more information on EPA's NPEP program go to: https://www.epa.gov/osw/partnerships/npep/index.htm.
EPA SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON CLEAN WATER ENFORCEMENT ACTION PLAN THROUGH ONLINE FORUM
EPA is inviting the public to participate in its online forum through its new Web site with ideas about the future direction EPA should take to more effectively enforce Clean Water requirements and achieve better compliance. EPA wants to know what direction its national water enforcement program should take to improve water quality protection in the nation and enforce outstanding violations. The Clean Water Enforcement Action Plan discussion forum which will close on Friday, Aug. 28 will accept this input, and evaluate and consider recommendations to the EPA Administrator about what the public feels the future direction of EPA's water enforcement program should take. We are providing information to assist the public discussions: Clean Water Enforcement Action Plan, state-by-state reports: Assessing the effectiveness of the program, EPA and state enforcement data, and the administrator's memorandum: The Memorandum.
EPA HELPS SUPERMARKETS SAVE MONEY, REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES
Membership in EPA's GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership voluntary program now includes more than 6,500 stores in 47 states with a reduced aggregate total emissions of 8.5 percent. Compared to the supermarket industry as a whole, members emit significantly fewer ozone-depleting refrigerant emissions and greenhouse gases, than non-member supermarkets and save money at the same time. EPA officials estimate that if all supermarkets reduced emissions to the current GreenChill average, the nation could save the equivalent of 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and 240 ozone-depleting potential tons each year -- equal to the annual emissions from more than 4 million cars and a cost savings of $108 million in refrigerant expenses annually.
More information on EPA's GreenChill Partnership: https://www.epa.gov/ozone/partnerships/greenchill/index.html
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