EPA Highlights for the Week of October 3, 2016
- EPA Offers Assistance to Rural Communities to Revitalize Downtowns
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data from Large Facilities Released
- Safer Choices at the Store, Better Health at Home
- New Resource Center Helps Local Communities with Climate Adaptation
EPA Offers Assistance to Rural Communities to Revitalize Downtowns
Federal experts are working side by side with residents and local leaders to create customized solutions.EPA invites rural communities to apply for technical assistance to develop strategies to help grow their economies and revitalize downtown neighborhoods. The assistance is part of Rural Advantage, an Obama administration initiative that has helped 83 communities to date.
There are three technical assistance programs offered to communities. The Local Foods, Local Places program leverages local food enterprise to diversify local economies. Cool & Connected uses broadband service to create walkable neighborhoods, and the new Healthy Places for Healthy People program promotes active living through centrally located health care facilities. The deadline for all three programs is November 6, 2016.
Learn more about these technical assistance programs.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data from Large Facilities Released
Power plant emissions in 2015 declined by 6.2% as compared to 2014.EPA recently released its sixth year of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program data, detailing greenhouse gas pollution trends and emissions broken down by industrial sector, geographic region and individual facilities. In 2015, reported emissions from large industrial sources, representing approximately 50 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, were 4.9 percent lower than 2014, and 8.2 percent lower than 2011.
EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) collects data about emissions from the largest sources of greenhouse gases in the United States. More than 8,000 large facilities reported their direct greenhouse gas emissions from 2015 to EPA.
Learn more about the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
Safer Choices at the Store, Better Health at Home
Let the label be your guide to products with safer chemicals.EPA's Safer Choice label helps you find products that have ingredients that are safer for kids, pets, and the environment. When you see the Safer Choice label on a product you can be sure it contains ingredients EPA has reviewed for safety and performance. Find safer choices for the cleaning products you use.
Read a blog post by Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, to learn about the progress EPA has made in raising consumer awareness about chemical safety.
The Safer Choice program will be hosting the 2nd Partner and Stakeholder Summit, on November 15 and 16 in Washington, DC. Learn more and register for the Summit.
New Resource Center Helps Local Communities with Climate Adaptation
EPA is committed to helping communities anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to a changing climate.EPA recently launched the Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center, a self-guided, interactive web portal that helps local governments effectively deliver services to their communities even as the climate changes. It provides decision makers with an integrated package of information tailored specifically to their needs, based on where they live and the particular issues of concern to them.
The Resource Center includes: information about the risks posed by climate change; relevant adaptation strategies; case studies illustrating how other communities have successfully adapted to those risks and tools to replicate their successes; and, EPA funding opportunities.