Climate Change Impacts on Regional Air Quality Report Just Released by EPA

(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a report on the potential impacts of climate change on regional U.S. air quality. The information contained in the report will enhance our ability as a nation to protect air quality and human health.

The report, “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” concludes that there is a potential for climate change to make ozone pollution worse in some regions and that future ozone management decisions may need to account for the possible impacts of climate change.

Climate change has the potential to produce increases in ground-level ozone in many regions. Ground-level ozone is formed in the presence of sunlight by a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are emitted from sources like motor vehicles and industrial facilities. Climate change also could increase the number of days with weather conditions conducive to forming ozone, potentially causing air quality alerts earlier in the spring and later in the fall.

The Global Change Research Program in EPA’s Office of Research and Development led the development of the peer-reviewed report, which was done in partnership with EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. The report combines the results of new EPA-funded and existing scientific research and acknowledges that uncertainty remains over the specific regional patterns of climate change induced ground-level ozone changes.

More information on the report: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=203459

More information on EPA Office of Research and Development’s Global Change Research Program: http://www.epa.gov/ord/npd/globalresearch-intro.htm

EPA Launches New Campaign to Educate Kids on Fighting Climate Change

(Washington, D.C. - April 16, 2009) With Earth Day only a few days away, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is kicking off the 2009 “Change the World, Start with Energy Star” campaign to educate kids and their families about how to save money and fight climate change through energy efficiency.

“People of every age have a part to play in confronting climate change,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Using Energy Star to cut electricity usage and costs, and educating young people and their families to make a difference -- big or small -- is how we make real progress.”

As part of the campaign, people take the Energy Star pledge to take steps to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The pledge includes switching to more efficient lighting, choosing Energy Star when purchasing new products, sealing and insulating homes, and using power management features on home computers and monitors. These steps can add up to big reductions in greenhouse gas emissions because households and buildings – both commercial and industrial – account for more than half of the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide due to the use of fossil-based electricity and other energy. If every American household took part in the Energy Star pledge, we would save more than $18 billion in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 18 million cars.

This year, EPA is partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Parent-Teacher Organizations Today to work with America’s youth in the fight against climate change. Boys & Girls Clubs of America will engage its young members in service projects to educate youth and their communities about the benefits of energy efficiency.

“As an organization with more than 4,300 community-based Clubs, we are genuinely concerned about the environment and our responsibility to preserve and protect it,” said Boys & Girls Club of America President/CEO Roxanne Spillett. “We look forward to working with EPA to educate and encourage the young people we serve to be more energy efficient and environmentally conscious, identifying ways they can make a difference in their respective communities.”

PTO Today will feature “Go Green Nights” for the nation’s parent-teacher organizations to engage youth and families in learning about energy efficiency and changes they can make in their homes and schools that will save energy and protect the environment.

“Protecting our environment and ensuring a healthy future is a passion for America’s school kids and their families”, said Tim Sullivan, founder & president, PTO Today. “On behalf of school Moms and Dads across the country, PTO Today is proud to partner with the EPA on Go Green Night. We’ll be bringing environmental education and Energy Star’s simple, practical environmental solutions to families in a fun atmosphere right at their local schools. It’s parent involvement at its best on a key 21st Century issue.”

To date, more than two million Americans have taken the Energy Star pledge, making real commitments to energy efficiency and the environment. More than 685 local and national organizations like the National Association of Counties, TIAA-CREF, ComEd, Georgia Power, and New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program are leading efforts to encourage their communities to take the pledge and do their part to protect the environment.

More information on the campaign: http://www.energystar.gov/changetheworld

EPA Finds Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health, Welfare

Proposed Finding Comes in Response to 2007 Supreme Court Ruling

(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.

The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.

“This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,” said Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This pollution problem has a solution – one that will create millions of green jobs and end our country’s dependence on foreign oil.”

As the proposed endangerment finding states, “In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem. The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.”

EPA’s proposed endangerment finding is based on rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis of six gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world. The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate.

The scientific analysis also confirms that climate change impacts human health in several ways. Findings from a recent EPA study titled “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” for example, suggest that climate change may lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant. Additional impacts of climate change include, but are not limited to:

· increased drought;
· more heavy downpours and flooding;
· more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires;
· greater sea level rise;
· more intense storms; and
· harm to water resources, agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.

In proposing the finding, Administrator Jackson also took into account the disproportionate impact climate change has on the health of certain segments of the population, such as the poor, the very young, the elderly, those already in poor health, the disabled, those living alone and/or indigenous populations dependent on one or a few resources.

In addition to threatening human health, the analysis finds that climate change also has serious national security implications. Consistent with this proposed finding, in 2007, 11 retired U.S. generals and admirals signed a report from the Center for a New American Security stating that climate change “presents significant national security challenges for the United States.” Escalating violence in destabilized regions can be incited and fomented by an increasing scarcity of resources – including water. This lack of resources, driven by climate change patterns, then drives massive migration to more stabilized regions of the world.

The proposed endangerment finding now enters the public comment period, which is the next step in the deliberative process EPA must undertake before issuing final findings. Today’s proposed finding does not include any proposed regulations. Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input. Notwithstanding this required regulatory process, both President Obama and Administrator Jackson have repeatedly indicated their preference for comprehensive legislation to address this issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.

More information: http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html

Study Finds Environmental Education Programs Lead to Cleaner Air

National Environmental Education Week: April 12-18

(Washington, D.C. – April 13, 2009) A first of its kind study funded by EPA shows that environmental education programs are an effective tool in helping to improve air quality in North America.

"This study shows a valuable connection between better environmental education and cleaner air in our communities," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "With the right information, people can make a real difference in the places where they live, work, play and learn."

Nearly half of the surveyed institutions hosting education programs reported an improvement in air quality at their facilities due to actions taken by students, including doing service-learning projects and fostering community partnerships. Examples include decreased levels of carbon monoxide and mold, and enactment of a policy that decreased car or bus idling. An additional 43 percent of the surveyed programs reported some kind of action was taken to improve the environment.

Some examples include:
· East Valley Middle School (Wash.) where students monitored school indoor air quality and worked with school administrators to implement structural cha nges resulting in improved carbon dioxide, air flow, particulate levels, odors and mold.
· Exeter High School (N.H.) where students studied air quality issues and monitored car pooling and bus idling in the school drop-off area, leading to a no-idling policy and installation of no-idling signs.
· Greater Egleston Community High (Mass.) where student actions helped lead to the installation of a local air quality monitoring station, a change in fuels by city buses, and city-wide bus idling restrictions.

EPA worked with the National Park Service Conservation Study Institute, Shelburne Farms, and a group of environmental researchers, educators and psychologists to complete the study. Information on the study: http://www.epa.gov/education/

EPA Names Priority Schools for Monitoring Toxic Outdoor Air Pollution

In an unprecedented effort to help protect children from toxic air pollution around schools, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announced a list of schools that will undergo outdoor air monitoring.

“As a mother, I understand that concerned parents deserve this information as quickly as we can gather and analyze it,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “EPA, state, and local officials are mobilizing to determine where elevated levels of toxics pose a threat, so that we can take swift action to protect our children at their schools.”

EPA, state and local agencies will work together to monitor air toxics around 62 schools in 22 states that are located near large industrial facilities or in urban areas. EPA identified these schools for monitoring based on information that raised questions about air quality. That information included the best data available to EPA scientists about air pollution in the vicinity of schools, results of a computer modeling analysis, results from a recent newspaper analysis, and information from state and local air agencies.

Depending on the availability of staff and equipment, monitoring at some schools on the list will begin almost immediately; other schools will begin monitoring over the next 60 to 90 days. State and local air agencies will install and operate the monitors, while EPA will purchase the monitors and pay for laboratory analysis.

State and local agencies will take periodic samples of the air around the schools for a 60-day period. EPA will analyze the results of the monitoring and share the information with the schools and the public. EPA will use the information gathered in this initiative to determine how best to move forward, which could require additional monitoring or enforcement action where appropriate.

EPA and states will work with school communities to ensure they understand the monitoring results. In addition to monitoring the outdoor air quality, EPA also will help interested schools improve the quality of their indoor air.

To learn more about this program and to view the list of schools that are part of the monitoring initiative: http://www.epa.gov/schoolair

EPA Launches Interactive Web Tools in Celebration of Earth Month

EPA to Public: Earth Day is Every Day

(Washington, D.C. – April 1, 2009) The first Earth Day started 39 years ago when 20 million Americans decided we needed to do something about our environment. To begin Earth Month, EPA is launching several on-line communication tools to help educate Americans about how to protect their health and their environment.

Here is a list of several interactive tools that are currently available on EPA's Earth Day site: http://www.epa.gov/earthday

- Daily environmental tips via email: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/tips.htm

- Put the environmental tips widget on your own Web page, blog, or social networking profile: http://www.epa.gov/widgets/

- Listen to the daily audio tip podcast from EPA employees around the country. The podcast will be available for download and for free subscription on iTunes: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/podcasts/

- Join us around the country or get our take home kit: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/events.htm

- Share your photo and video creativity in several categories. We’ll feature entries on our Earth Day site all month: http://epa.gov/earthday/photoproject/ and http://epa.gov/earthday/videoproject/

Share your thoughts with our writers in Greenversations: http://blog.epa.gov/blog/

EPA Awards $3.5 Million in Grants for Particulate Matter Research

(Washington, D.C. – April 3, 2009) EPA awarded four grants to universities to research the relationship between the chemical composition of particulate matter (PM) and health effects. PM is a complex mixture that consists of direct emissions and reaction products formed in the atmosphere.

“These EPA Science To Achieve Results grants will build bridges between two different research communities – epidemiology and air quality engineering,” said Lek Kadeli, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development. "The collaboration of expert researchers in both fields could result in major advances in data, methods, and tools available to link health problems with sources and components of air pollution."

Grants were awarded to:

- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga, $899,956
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C., $893,439
- University of California, Davis, Calif., $900,000
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, $899,401

The health effects of exposure to ambient PM include premature death, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, aggravated asthma, acute respiratory symptoms, chronic bronchitis, decreased lung function, and increased risk of heart attacks.

More information on grants: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/07innovpm/

U.S. Proposes to Slash Harmful Ship Emissions Along the Nation’s Coastlines to Save Lives

(Washington, D.C. – March 30, 2009) The United States took a critical step towards protecting Americans from harmful ship emissions by becoming the first country to ask the International Maritime Organization to create an emissions control area (ECA) around the nation’s coastline, the EPA announced today at a joint news conference with the Coast Guard and New Jersey elected officials.

According to the EPA’s data, the creation of an ECA would save up to 8,300 American and Canadian lives every year by 2020 by imposing stricter standards on oil tankers and other large ships that spew harmful emissions into the air near coastal communities where tens of millions of Americans live, work, play and learn. The United States is proposing a 230-mile buffer zone around the nation’s coastline in order to provide air quality benefits as far inland as Kansas.

“This is an important – and long overdue – step in our efforts to protect the air and water along our shores, and the health of the people in our coastal communities,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We want to ensure the economic strength of our port cities at the same time that we take responsible steps to protect public health and the environment in the United States and across the globe.”

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, said, “We have known for a long time that our families that live around ports have a higher rate of respiratory illness, including cancer. EPA’s announcement today is music to my ears because it means the United States is stepping forward to take a strong leadership role on clean air around ports.”

Under this program, large ships such as oil tankers and cargo ships that operate in ECAs will face stricter emissions standards designed to reduce the threat they pose to human health and the environment. These standards will cut sulfur in fuel by 98 percent, particulate matter emissions by 85 percent, and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent from the current global requirements.

To achieve these reductions, ships must use fuel with no more than 1,000 parts per million sulfur beginning in 2015, and new ships must used advanced emission control technologies beginning in 2016.

Air pollution from ships is expected to grow rapidly as controls on other mobile sources take effect and port traffic increases. Ocean-going vessels, which are primarily foreign owned and operated, dock at more than 100 U.S. ports, more than 40 of which are in metropolitan areas that fail to meet federal air quality standards.

EPA led the U.S. effort to develop the proposal in coordination with federal partners such as the Coast Guard, State Department and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Canada joined the U.S. as a co-proposer on the ECA proposal, advancing a strategy for a coordinated geographic emissions control program.

The proposal, submitted to the IMO on Friday, March 27, is one part of a comprehensive EPA program to address harmful emissions from ocean going vessels under the National Clean Diesel Campaign and the Clean Ports Program. Other elements include adoption of a Clean Air Act rulemaking process, which EPA plans to finalize this year.

The IMO, a United Nations agency, will begin reviewing the proposal in July. Approval of the proposal could occur as soon as next year. More information on the proposal: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/oceanvessels.htm

EPA Announces $211 Million of Recovery Act Funding Available to Reduce Diesel Emissions, Spur Redevelopment, Create Jobs

Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas will receive funding to create jobs to help the public breathe cleaner air and support brownfields

State and local governments, nonprofit organizations and tribal agencies can now apply for up to an estimated $211 million in funding that will help create jobs for redevelopment nationwide and protect communities and the environment from diesel emissions. This is EPA funding available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 that President Obama signed into law Feb. 17, 2009.

Diesel grantees will use the total estimated $206 million to implement clean diesel projects that would cut thousands of tons of diesel emissions, including particulate matter and nitrogen oxides. As a result, the projects would also reduce premature deaths, asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments, lost work days, and many other health impacts every year.

The Recovery Act will send about $10 million to states in EPA region 6 to reduce emissions from diesel engines and significantly reduce diesel air pollution. Programs that help get older, more polluting engines and vehicles off the road have been essential to assisting urban cities in achieving clean air goals. The Blue Skyways Collaborative is the primary clean diesel program for region 6 which develops public-private partnerships to reduce air pollution in North America's central corridor. With its 154 partners, the Blue Skyways Collaborative has been extremely successful in saving 36 million gallons of fuel per year, 1.3 million tons of greenhouse gases per year and reducing toxic air pollutants by 44,308 tons per year. Last year, the Collaborative awarded about $4 million, gained 25 members, and increased diesel engine retrofits from 11,742 to 12,742.

Brownfields grantees will use the total estimated $5 million to provide training for jobs and to facilitate job creation in the assessment, remediation, or preparation of brownfields sites for sustainable reuse. EPA anticipates awarding 10-12 cooperative agreements, whose maximum value each shall not exceed $500,000.

EPA’s brownfields program is a proven, results-oriented program and the Recovery Act funding helps take this successful program to more communities across our five state region.

The City of Camden in Arkansas is a perfect example of how the Brownfields jobs program helps communities. In Camden, the city government plans to use its Brownfields job training funds to recruit recent graduates from Camden and surrounding counties and place at least 19 of them in environmental technician jobs. The City will also certify and place 12 other graduates in environmental jobs after they undergo a critical training program. For this program, the City of Camden will work in conjunction with Southern Arkansas University Tech and the Arkansas Workforce Center to conduct three, 344-hour instruction cycles which will include courses in groundwater remediation, disposal of remediated waste, and asbestos supervision.

The Recovery Act job training competitive grants announced today will help other communities replicate Camden's program to train professionals and create skilled jobs that further EPA's mission to protect people where they live, work, learn and play.

Preference will be given to projects that can be started and completed expeditiously. EPA plans to provide the funding in June.

Additional information on EPA Region 6 recovery activities is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/eparecovery/index.htm

To learn more about national American Recovery and Reinvestment Act efforts, please visit http://www.recovery.gov/

EPA Proposes First National Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

(Washington, D.C. – March 10, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the United States.

“Our efforts to confront climate change must be guided by the best possible information,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Through this new reporting, we will have comprehensive and accurate data about the production of greenhouse gases. This is a critical step toward helping us better protect our health and environment – all without placing an onerous burden on our nation’s small businesses.”

In developing the reporting requirements, EPA considered the substantial amount of work already completed and underway in many states, regions and voluntary programs.

Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, are produced by the burning of fossil fuels and through industrial and biological processes. Approximately 13,000 facilities, accounting for about 85 percent to 90 percent of greenhouse gases emitted in the United States, would be covered under the proposal.

The new reporting requirements would apply to suppliers of fossil fuel and industrial chemicals, manufacturers of motor vehicles and engines, as well as large direct emitters of greenhouse gases with emissions equal to or greater than a threshold of 25,000 metric tons per year. This threshold is roughly equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from just over 4,500 passenger vehicles. The vast majority of small businesses would not be required to report their emissions because their emissions fall well below the threshold.

The direct emission sources covered under the reporting requirement would include energy intensive sectors such as cement production, iron and steel production, and electricity generation, among others.

The first annual report would be submitted to EPA in 2011 for the calendar year 2010, except for vehicle and engine manufacturers, which would begin reporting for model year 2011.

EPA estimates that the expected cost to comply with the reporting requirements to the private sector would be $160 million for the first year. In subsequent years, the annualized costs for the private sector would be $127 million.

EPA is developing this rule under the authority of the Clean Air Act. The proposed rule will be open for public comment for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. Two public hearings will be held during the comment period.

More information on the proposed rule: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html

EPA Seeks Public Comment on Annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

(Washington, D.C. – March 4, 2009) EPA is seeking public comment on the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2007 draft report. This report will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.

The draft report shows that overall emissions during 2007 increased by 1.4 percent from the previous year. This trend was due primarily to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions were about 7,125 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Overall, emissions have grown by 17.1 percent from 1990 to 2007.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2007 at the national level. The gases covered by this inventory include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation, and soils.

This annual report is prepared by EPA in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies. After responding to public comments, the U.S. government will submit the final inventory report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report will fulfill the annual requirement of the UNFCCC international treaty, ratified by the United States in 1992, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

Information on the draft report and how to submit public comments: http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/usinventoryreport.html

Jackson Announces EPA Schools Monitoring Initiative

Administrator Jackson: ‘Our job is to protect the American public where they live, work and play – and that certainly includes protecting schoolchildren where they learn.’


Lisa Jackson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, announced today a new initiative to further measure levels of toxic air pollution near many schools across the country for better protection. EPA and its state partners will prioritize and monitor schools for more extensive air quality analysis, looking closely at schools located near large industries and in urban areas.

“I’m a mother first, and like all parents, I want to be sure my children are breathing healthy air at school,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Questions have been raised about air quality around some U.S. schools, and those questions merit investigation. EPA will work quickly to make assessments and take swift action where necessary. Our job is to protect the American public where they live, work and play – and that certainly includes protecting schoolchildren where they learn.”

Administrator Jackson has outlined an aggressive timeline for prioritizing and monitoring schools to determine any which are exposed to high levels of toxic air pollution. EPA anticipates monitoring at some schools will begin within the next 30 days. Directed by EPA, the monitoring will be conducted primarily by state and local governments. Some states have already begun monitoring.

Recent media reports have raised critical questions about air quality outside schools near large industrial facilities. At Administrator Jackson’s confirmation hearings, she was asked about this issue by Congress and pledged to take swift action to investigate and remediate if necessary any potential high-risk exposure for our nation’s school children.

EPA will work with states, tribes, and local communities to ensure that monitors are deployed quickly to get high-quality data and to share results with American families. This partnership will help EPA maximize its monitoring and analytical capabilities to develop a clearer picture of any potential risks to children from toxic air pollution. This action is particularly critical in some low-income areas, which are sometimes disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation.

From 1990 to 2005, emissions of air toxics in the United States declined 41 percent. Levels of air toxics, however, can vary widely from place to place depending upon a number of factors including the amount and types of industry nearby, proximity to heavily traveled or congested roadways, and weather patterns.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/air/toxicair/newtoxics.html

EPA Provides $1.35M to Improve Air Quality in Massachusetts with Clean Diesel Projects

(Boston, Mass. – Feb. 26, 2009) – Significant funding is being delivered to several Massachusetts projects that will help improve air quality in the Commonwealth.

In a ceremony at the Massachusetts Port Authority’s (Massport) Boston Fish Pier, EPA announced more than $1.35 million in funding to help reduce pollution from diesel vehicles and equipment operating in New England. The grants are being issued to three Massachusetts-based organizations, and were made available by EPA through the 2008 Northeast Diesel Collaborative (NEDC) Emissions Reduction Grant Program.

The funding announced by EPA is going to: Massport ($400,000) to install dockside power stations at the Boston Fish Pier; Environmental Defense Fund ($400,000) to introduce hybrid trucks to New England fleets; and Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) ($535,250) to retrofit regional locomotives.

"Reducing diesel emissions is an effective way to improve air quality and help people who suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems,” said Ira Leighton, acting regional administrator of EPA's New England Office. “These projects will help bring cleaner air to Massachusetts citizens.”

Diesel engines contribute significantly to air pollution, especially in urban areas. The fine particles in diesel exhaust pose serious health risks, including aggravating heart or lung disease. People with existing heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, and children are most sensitive to the health effects of fine particles. The Northeast has some of the highest asthma rates in the nation, including a childhood asthma rate above 10 percent in all six New England states. Lifetime asthma rates in children in Massachusetts are estimated at 14.6 percent.

“The MassCleanDiesel program aims to reduce the adverse health effects of diesel pollution on our residents. Emissions from thousands of school and transit buses, and off-road construction vehicles are now being cleaned up,” said Laurie Burt, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). “The EPA grants will add to the Commonwealth’s efforts to retrofit locomotive diesel engines and support clean hybrid technologies for diesel trucks.” The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) will receive $400,000 through the NEDC Emission Reduction Grant Program to install dock-side power at the Boston Fish Pier. “Shore power” allows vessels to “plug in” to an electrical power source instead of using diesel generators while at the berth. Currently, shore power is available to only four vessels when docked at the Fish Pier. More than a dozen vessels regularly dock there, and need to run their diesel generators many hours per day to supply power for off-loading, maintenance and essential on-board systems. The project is expected to reduce diesel generator "idling" by 95 percent. In addition, the fuel and cost-savings data yielded by this project will be important in helping other fishing ports in the Northeast decide whether and how to undertake similar improvements.

"We are pleased to partner with the EPA on this program that will reduce the impact of our port operations and help us be more environmentally friendly," said Michael A. Leone, Massport’s Port Director. "The grant will significantly reduce diesel emissions, and allow fishermen to conduct their business in a more energy efficient and cost effective manner."

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) will receive $400,000 and the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) will receive $535,250 for projects that reduce diesel emissions. EDF will use funds to establish the Northeast Hybrid Truck Consortium. Through the Consortium, EDF will work with communities and organizations in all six New England states to replace at least twelve pre-2007 heavy-duty diesel vehicles with hybrid versions. EPA funds will pay for up to 25 percent of the cost of the new vehicle.

"Together, Environmental Defense Fund, NESCAUM, EPA and MassDEP are jump-starting the hybrid truck market in New England," said Gwen Ruta, vice president at Environmental Defense Fund. "In tough economic times, these clean, fuel-sipping trucks make sense for our lungs, for the climate, and for our wallets."

The Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), in partnership with the Providence & Worcester (P&W) Railroad, will install auxiliary power units on 17 locomotives built between 1969 and 1988. Installation of these units will reduce unnecessary idling which will lessen the amount of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) released into the air. Reducing fuel consumption will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1,700 tons per year. In addition, P&W Railroad will continue to fuel their locomotives with ultra low sulfur diesel fuel ahead of the 2012 mandate, further reducing harmful emissions.

“The Providence and Worcester Railroad is a significant regional freight rail line with operations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York. As such, a diesel emissions reduction project involving P&W has long been a top priority for the Northeast Diesel Collaborative,” said Paul Miller, Deputy Director of Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. “We are very pleased that EPA has seen fit to fund this particular project.”

Today’s announcement is part of nearly $2 million in grant funds being awarded in New England by the EPA through the 2008 NEDC Emissions Reduction Grant program.

The recent passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) makes available an additional $300 million nationwide under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Program for grants and loans to help regional, state and local governments, tribal agencies, and non-profit organizations with projects that reduce diesel emissions and create jobs. A Request for Applications will be issued in the coming weeks. ARRA gives preference to projects that can be started and completed expeditiously. Prospective grant applicants can begin preparations now for the upcoming competitions.

NEDC is a partnership of public and private organizations working to improve air quality by taking action to reduce diesel pollution. The NEDC was established in 2005 by Regions 1 and 2 of the U.S. EPA, NESCAUM and the states and territories of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Puerto Rico joined in 2007 and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2008.

For more information:

Northeast Diesel Collaborative - http://www.northeastdiesel.org/

EPA Diesel in New England information - www.epa.gov/region1/eco/diesel/index.html

National EPA Clean Diesel Campaign - www.epa.gov/otaq/diesel/grantfund.htm

EPA Proposes to Reduce Air Toxics from Stationary Diesel and Gas-Fired Engines

(Washington, D.C. – Feb. 27, 2009) For the first time, EPA is proposing to set emission limits for formaldehyde, benzene, acrolein and other air toxics from certain stationary diesel and gas-fired engines. In 2008, over 1 million of these engines generated electricity, powered equipment and operated during emergencies at industrial, agricultural and other facilities. The proposed limits would apply to engines located at smaller sources of air toxics.

For major sources of air toxics, this rule would only apply to engines that are:

· Smaller than or equal to 500 horsepower that were constructed or reconstructed before June 12, 2006, or
· Larger than or equal to 500 horsepower that were constructed or reconstructed before December 19, 2002.

To meet the proposed emissions requirements, owners and operators of these engines would need to install “after treatment” controls, such as filters or catalysts, to engine exhaust systems.

EPA estimates that this rule would reduce air toxics emissions by 13,000 tons per year, particle pollution by 2,600 tons and carbon monoxide emissions by 510,000 tons, when fully implemented in 2013.

The public comment period will be open for 60 days upon publication in the Federal Register.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t3fs.html .

Earthjustice Wins Case Seeking Stronger Particulate Pollution Standards

Environmental Protection Agency must consider stronger standards to protect Americans

WASHINGTON - February 24 - A federal appeals court today ruled that Bush-era clean air standards were deficient, sending them back to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for corrective action. The Bush administration had rejected recommendations by its science advisors for stronger airborne particulate standards, and the Court today ruled that this action was arbitrary. The standards at issue limit levels of soot, smoke, and other airborne particles linked to tens of thousands of premature deaths each year.

"This is a huge victory for anyone who breathes," said Earthjustice attorney Paul Cort. "Particulate matter is one of the most deadly forms of pollution out there today. The Bush EPA refused to follow the advice of leading health advocates as well as its own scientists who argued that a stronger standard was needed to protect public health. Today's ruling corrects that injustice."

Earthjustice, an environmental law firm, filed the suit on behalf of the American Lung Association, Environmental Defense Fund, and National Parks Conservation Association. A number of states also challenged the standards.

In October 2006, the EPA rejected the advice of its own scientific advisory panel and staff scientists for a stronger annual standard for fine particulate matter air pollution. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee had recommended strengthening the existing annual standard of 15 micrograms per cubic meter for fine particulate matter -- originally set in 1997 -- to between 13 and 14 micrograms per cubic meter. The American Lung Association, the American Medical Association, American Thoracic Society and American Academy of Pediatrics, all urged EPA to tighten the annual standard to protect children, the elderly, and others from the major health risks caused by PM pollution.

"This victory is especially important, because the public health threat posed is so grave," said Janice Nolen, Assistant Vice President, National Policy and Advocacy for the American Lung Association. "Particulate matter can kill, and shortens the lives of tens of thousands every year. We encourage EPA to return to the clear scientific evidence and adopt standards that will protect the millions living in areas plagued with unhealthy levels of air pollution as the Clean Air Act requires."

The Court also overturned the Bush Administration's refusal to adopt a separate, stronger standard to protect visibility that is often impaired by particulate pollution. Again, EPA science advisors and EPA's own staff had recommended a more protective standard to prevent the clouding of urban skies with polluted haze. The court held that EPA had failed to justify its rejection of these recommendations.

"This decision is long overdue for our national parks. One in three parks is clouded in haze due to this type of pollution," said Mark Wenzler, clean air and climate director at National Parks Conservation Association. "We're hopeful that EPA's new leaders will use this decision as an opportunity to restore clear vistas to America's treasured scenic landscapes."

Airborne particulate matter (PM) is comprised of tiny particles of smoke, soot, metals and other chemical compounds emitted from sources like power plants, factories, and diesel trucks. Scientists say PM, which can travel deep into our lungs, is one of the most toxic forms of air pollution. They estimate that PM is responsible for tens of thousands of premature deaths nationwide every year. It is linked to the aggravation of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, chronic obstructive lung disease, and pneumonia, and to premature deaths from other causes, such as lung cancer and heart disease. PM is also responsible for much of the haze that clouds many of our cities and parklands.

"We hope America's new leadership responds swiftly to protect the elderly and the children who are especially hard hit by lethal particulate pollution," said Vickie Patton, deputy general counsel for the Environmental Defense Fund. "By following the science where her predecessors faltered, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson can reclaim lost ground in protecting Americans from the death and disease caused by particulate pollution."

According to the court opinion: "In sum, the EPA did not adequately explain why an annual level of 15 micrograms per cubic meter is sufficient to protect the public health while providing an adequate margin of safety from short-term exposures and from morbidity affecting vulnerable subpopulations." The Court held that "in several respects," EPA's refusal to adopt stronger standards was "contrary to law and unsupported by adequately reasoned decisionmaking."

The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to adopt primary air quality standards for particulate matter pollution to protect public health and secondary standards to protect public welfare, including visibility. The EPA must review these standards every five years and revise them based on the latest scientific information.

A copy of the court opinion can be found here. http://www.earthjustice.org/library/legal_docs/pm-decision-22409.pdf

Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations, coalitions and communities.

American Lung Association Victory in Lawsuit Against EPA Gives New Opportunity to Protect Public Health From Deadly Air Pollutant

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the American Lung Association won a critical victory in our fight for healthy air in the United States. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia told the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that they must review and reconsider their 2006 decision on the national ambient air quality standards for particulate matter. The Lung Association in partnership with its environmental colleagues and states had challenged EPA's decision, because the science clearly shows that the standards set in 2006 failed to adequately protect public health.

"This victory is especially important, because the public health threat posed by particulate matter air pollution is so grave," said Janice Nolen, American Lung Association Assistant Vice President, National Policy and Advocacy. "We encourage EPA to follow the clear scientific evidence and adopt standards that will protect the millions living in areas plagued with unhealthy levels of air pollution as the Clean Air Act requires."

Particulate matter can kill and is one of the most dangerous and widespread forms of air pollution. It is responsible for shortening the lives of tens of thousands American every year. Particle pollution can increase the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and asthma attacks.

Millions of people are particularly sensitive to particle pollution and face greater health risks from breathing particulate matter, including infants, children, teen, seniors, people with lung diseases like asthma, people with cardiovascular diseases and diabetics. Even healthy adults who exercise or work outdoors in areas affected by high levels of particle pollution are at increased risk.

"Strong, protective national air quality standards are fundamental for healthy air," said Stephen J. Nolan, American Lung Association National Board Chair.

The Clean Air Act requires that EPA set standards at levels that protect public health based on the current science. These standards define the official limits of air pollution that are safe for people to breathe and determine the goals for every state to clean up emissions.

"Today's triumph will save countless lives and is an important step forward in the American Lung Association's continued work to fight for air," added Mr. Nolan.

About the American Lung Association: Now in its second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease. With your generous support, the American Lung Association is "Fighting for Air" through research, education and advocacy. For more information about the American Lung Association, a Charity Navigator Four Star Charity and holder of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Guide Seal, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit http://www.trafficresults.com/click-rabbit.php?acctid=S/dBowBcHVU=&docid=DC7491624022009-1&redirect=1&url=http://www.lungusa.org/.

University of Iowa Receives $899,401 Research Grant to Develop Better Air Quality Estimates for U.S. Cities

EPA's National Center for Environmental Research has awarded a $899,401 grant to the University of Iowa for a research project that will develop techniques to identify the most harmful fractions and sources of air particulate matter in major U.S. cities, including Chicago.

The University of Iowa's grant for "Innovative Approaches to Particulate Matter Health, Composition, and Source Questions" comes from EPA's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program. STAR engages the nation's best scientists and engineers in targeted research that complements EPA's intramural research program and those of EPA's partners in other federal agencies.

Through the grant, University of Iowa researchers will work with partners at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, to build on recent advances in air quality modeling, data assimilation and satellite remote sensing to develop improved estimates of air particulate matter for major U.S. cities. Once developed, the estimates will be made available for public download by other researchers, and will be used in pilot-scale epidemiological studies.

"EPA Region 7 congratulates the University of Iowa for its success in the STAR grant competition," said Acting Regional Administrator William Rice. "This collaborative research project holds great promise for new discoveries to benefit atmospheric science as a whole."

STAR provides research grants and graduate fellowships in numerous environmental science and engineering disciplines. Learn more at: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/guidance/star_faq.html

Locate this and other Region 7 news items on the News Where You Live interactive map

EPA to Further Consider New Source Review Final Rule

To allow time for further review, a Jan. 15 New Source Review final rule specifically regarding the air permitting program’s “aggregation” policy will not take effect before May 18, 2009.

EPA is staying the effective date for 90 days to reconsider the rule in response to the current Office of Management and Budget memorandum regarding regulatory review, and also in response to a Natural Resources Defense Council petition for reconsideration.

New Source Review is a pre-construction permitting program to ensure air quality is maintained when factories, industrial boilers and power plants are built or modified. The program ensures that state-of-the art emission control technology is installed at new plants or existing plants that are undergoing a major modification. Aggregation refers to the grouping of multiple, related physical or operational changes into a single project for evaluating requirements under the New Source Review program.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/actions.html

EPA Revisits California Waiver Decision

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will reconsider its decision denying California permission to set standards controlling greenhouse gases from motor vehicles.

The waiver request was made by California on December 21, 2005, to allow the state the right to control greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles. The request was denied by then-EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson on March 6, 2008.

On January 26, shortly after taking office, President Barack Obama requested that EPA revisit the matter of the denial.

“EPA has now set in motion an impartial review of the California waiver decision,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “It is imperative that we get this decision right, and base it on the best available science and a thorough understanding of the law.”

The Clean Air Act gives EPA the authority to allow California to adopt its own emission standards for motor vehicles due to the seriousness of the state’s air pollution challenges. There is a long-standing history of EPA granting waivers to the state of California.

EPA believes that there are significant issues regarding the agency’s denial of the waiver. The denial was a substantial departure from EPA’s longstanding interpretation of the Clean Air Act’s waiver provisions.

EPA received on January 21, 2009, a letter from California outlining several issues for Administrator Jackson to review and reconsider about the previous denial of the waiver. Many other states are interested in adopting California’s standards. Stakeholders and the public have expressed concerns.

EPA will take public comment concerning the reconsideration of the waiver for a period of 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. There will also be a public hearing to be held in March in Washington, D.C.

More information about the California waiver: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/climate/ca-waiver.htm

EPA - Statement by Administrator-Designate Lisa Jackson

Washington, D.C. – Jan. 23, 2009

Statement by Administrator-designate Lisa P. Jackson:

“I am honored by the confidence and faith President Obama and the Senate have reposed in me to lead the EPA in confronting the environmental challenges currently before us. As Administrator, I will ensure EPA’s efforts to address the environmental crises of today are rooted in three fundamental values: science-based policies and programs, adherence to the rule of law, and overwhelming transparency. By keeping faith with these values and unleashing innovative, forward-thinking approaches – we can further protect neighborhoods and communities throughout the country.”

CARB Asks EPA to Reconsider Denial of Waver on GHG Emissions

Wednesday, ARB Chairman Mary Nichols sent a letter to Lisa Jackson, the new designated Administrator of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), requesting that she revisit the decision by the previous EPA administrator that denied California the waiver it needs to enforce its clean car law.

"We feel strongly that under its new leadership, EPA will recognize that the decision made by the former administrator to deny California the waiver to enforce our clean car law was flawed, factually and legally, in fundamental ways," said Nichols.

Should the EPA grant the waiver, California, and 13 other states will begin a program to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from passenger vehicles 30 percent by 2016.

The letter points out that the decision by the previous EPA administrator improperly evaluated California’s need for greenhouse gas standards in complete isolation, without also considering the context of California’s complete motor vehicle emission control program. This created a new set of hurdles and test that no other waiver request had triggered.

The letter also indicates that California believes that the EPA can reconsider its decision in a manner that fulfills its public notice and comment obligations without undue delay. This is because the issues to be reconsidered are limited in scope, and there has already been extensive comment input by stakeholders and the public on the waiver request.

The letter can be found at:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/arbwaiverrequest.pdf

Background:
The regulations in question were developed under California’s
2002 landmark vehicle greenhouse gas emissions reduction law AB
1493 (Pavley). ARB adopted the regulations in 2005.

In 2005, ARB requested a waiver from the EPA to enforce the regulation, as required under the Clean Air Act. Despite the fact that no waiver had ever been denied over a 40-year-period, the then Administrator of the EPA sent Governor Schwarzenegger a letter in December, 2007, indicating he had denied the waiver.

On March 6, 2008 the waiver denial was formally issued in the Federal Register. Governor Schwarzenegger and several other states immediately filed suit against the federal government to reverse that decision.

To date, 13 states have also adopted, and three others are in the process of adopting, those same regulations. Together, California and these 16 states constitute close to half of the nation’s new vehicle sales.

The letter also indicates that since all manufacturers can already comply with California’s 2009 model-year greenhouse gas fleet average under the regulations, all manufacturers would obtain credits for future years. This would allow the regulations to be implemented as planned using the model-year 2009 to 2016 timetable.

The reductions achieved by the Pavley regulations constitute an important element of the California’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020 under its landmark global warming bill, AB 32 (Nunez, 2006). ARB approved the Scoping Plan in December. It is the nation’s first comprehensive approach to address climate change that draws upon ever sector of the state’s economy.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

EPA Proposes Revisions to Air Quality Index for Particle Pollution

EPA is proposing to update its Air Quality Index (AQI) to reflect the latest standards for fine particle pollution. The proposal also would set a “significant harm” level, which states use in developing emergency episode plans. Fine particle pollution is also known as fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5.

Under the proposed changes, the AQI would reach “code orange” – unhealthy for sensitive groups – when particle pollution levels reach 35.5 micrograms per cubic meter of air (ug/m3). The changes also would mean air quality reaches the “unhealthy” category at a lower particle pollution level.

These proposed changes likely would not have a noticeable impact on daily air quality forecasts. States have been voluntarily forecasting code orange when particle pollution reaches 35 ug/m3, the same level as the revised daily health standard. EPA revised this standard in September 2006.

The proposed rule also would set a significant harm level equal to an AQI value of 500. States use these levels in air quality emergency episode plans, which set procedures for delivering information to potentially affected citizens and for reducing emissions from sources in the area that are potentially contributing to harmful PM 2.5 levels. EPA is seeking comment on its proposal for setting the 500 AQI level.

The AQI is EPA’s color-coded tool for communicating air quality to the public. An AQI value of 50, for example, represents good air quality with little potential to affect public health, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality. AQI reporting is required in cities of 350,000 and larger; however, more than 300 cities voluntarily issue air quality forecasts as a public health service.

EPA will take comment for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register and will hold a public hearing on March 5, 2009, at the Intercontinental Dallas, 15201 Dallas Parkway, Addison, Texas.

In addition, EPA will host a blog to provide the public additional avenues for discussing this proposal. Comments to the blog will not be considered official comments for the record; however, the blog will provide readers with easy links for submitting official comments. The blog will open the week of March 2, 2009, the same week as the public hearing. EPA will notify the public about how to participate in the blog and how to be notified when the blog is open.

For more information about the AQI proposal: http://www.epa.gov/pm/actions.html

EPA Awards $274,914 Grant to Philadelphia Clean Air Council

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $274, 914 Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) grant to the Philadelphia Clean Air Council’s Southeast Philadelphia Port Communities project.

The CARE program is a competitive grant program that offers communities an innovative way to address the risks from multiple sources of toxic pollution in their environment. Through CARE, communities create partnerships with residents, businesses, schools, local governments and nongovernment organizations to come up with solutions geared to reduce toxic pollutants. In addition to providing funding, EPA also provides technical assistance and resources.

The Clean Air Council received a previous CARE grant in 2005. The new grant will continue the work on the Port Environmental Task Force. A significant portion of the work plan will include measurable toxic reductions at Packer Terminal and the nearby community in southeast Philadelphia.

The Clean Air Council, in partnership with southeast Philadelphia community leaders and port operators, has identified idling vehicles as a major concern.

Southeast Philadelphia, rich in racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity, is a densely populated, congested urban area with significant educational, economic, and quality of life challenges. The Clean Air Council takes a comprehensive approach to improving air quality, working to strengthen the community’s ability to identify toxic threats and facilitating the creation of collaborative, common sense strategies for addressing these threats.

In 2008, EPA made $2.5 million available to 18 communities through the CARE program. Applications for the 2009 CARE grants are due March 16.

CARE Program: www.epa.gov/care

U.S. EPA Launches New Southern California Website

Air and water quality, waste recycling, local site cleanups at your fingertips

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launches a new Web site that will provide up-to-date environmental information to residents of southern California.

By visiting: http://www.epa.gov/region09/socal, viewers will have easy access to information about environmental issues in southern California. The site features EPA’s work on port diesel emissions, area water quality, local site cleanups, waste recycling, border activities, and tribal projects in Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Santa Barbara counties.

The new site uses interactive maps of southern California to provide local residents with critical environmental information about their own communities and neighborhoods, including current air pollution levels, beach conditions and sun exposure risks.

The site will be useful to teachers and students as an educational tool for researching environmental issues in their communities. It also provides resources for organizations and businesses on how to "green" their operations or join one of EPA's voluntary partnership programs.

Flexible Air Permits Enable Increased Pollution Prevention and Economic Competitiveness

EPA is finalizing changes and clarifications to air quality permitting rules to encourage greater use of flexible air permits. EPA’s assessment of flexible air permits demonstrated that they can enable significant environmental and economic benefits, while reducing administrative workload for permitting authorities and facilities.

This final action affects both EPA’s operating permits and New Source Review programs. A facility with a flexible permit would explain its anticipated operational and construction changes for the duration of the permit term. The state, local or tribal air quality permitting authority would include permit conditions to ensure protection of public health and the environment for all of those changes. These flexible permits do not provide approval for changes not within the scope of conditions considered at the time of the permit application. Facilities must still meet their requirements under the Clean Air Act.

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/actions.html

North Texas, TCEQ Awarded $2 Million for Clean Diesel Projects

The North Central Texas Council of Governments has been awarded $1.5 million, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will receive $500,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to help reduce diesel emissions.

EPA and the Blue Skyways Collaborative awarded the grants as part of the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program.

“Blue Skyways and the EPA clean diesel program are delivering cleaner engines and cleaner air for America’s heartland,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “This program gives communities another effective tool to improve air quality and public health.”

Communities will use the grants for clean diesel projects that significantly reduce emissions through the use of retrofit technologies, engine replacements, and idle reduction technologies.

Reducing emissions from diesel engines is one of the most important air quality challenges facing the country. Even with EPA's more stringent heavy-duty highway and non-road engine standards set to take effect over the next decade, millions of diesel engines already in use will continue to emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and air toxics, which contribute to serious public health problems. EPA and the Blue Skyways Collaborative provide funding for projects to help reduce these heavy-duty diesel emissions.

The Blue Skyways Collaborative is a group of businesses, communities and government agencies spanning 10 states that work together voluntarily to reduce air pollution in North America's central corridor. With its 183 partners, the collaborative is implementing about $1.1 billion in projects that use innovations in diesel engines, alternative fuels and renewable energy technologies to reduce air emissions along major transportation corridors. These innovations save 76 million gallons of fuel per year, cut 1.6 million tons per year in greenhouse gases and reduce toxic air pollutants by 51,626 tons per year.

For additional information on the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, click here.

For information the Blue Skyways Collaborative, click here.

For activities and information on EPA Region 6, click here.

An EPA audio file is also available, click here.

Find diesel particulate filters at CleanAIR Systems.

EPA Calls for Overdue States to Cut Air Pollution in National Parks

As a result of legal action by three environmental groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today determined that more than three dozen states have failed to submit programs required by the Clean Air Act to cut air pollution drifting into national parks and wilderness areas. The determination means that EPA must work with the states to take corrective action or put in place a federal clean air plan.

"Today's action gets the country back on track in restoring clean air to our national parks," said Kevin Lynch, attorney for Environmental Defense Fund based in Colorado. "We look forward to working with EPA's new leadership and the states to clean up the industrial smokestacks that pollute our national parks."

"EPA's action is good news for anyone who enjoys visiting our nation's magnificent national parks," said Earthjustice attorney Jennifer Chavez. "We look forward to working with EPA and the states to achieve clean air and clear vistas in the parks.

"The Clean Air Act required states nationwide to submit plans by December 2007 to clean up the air pollution -- and to remedy existing and prevent future visibility impairment -- in 156 premier national parks and wilderness areas, (http://home.nps.gov/applications/parksearch/geosearch.cfm).

They include: Acadia (Maine), Grand Canyon (Arizona), Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina), Mount Rainier (Washington state), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), Shenandoah (Virginia), Theodore Roosevelt (New York), Yellowstone (Idaho/Montana/Wyoming), Yosemite (California), and Zion (Utah).

If states fail to meet these obligations, EPA must identify the deficiencies and work with the states to take corrective action or put in place a federal clean air plan. After states missed this legal deadline and EPA failed to take the corrective action required by the Clean Air Act, Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Parks Conservation Association recently went to court to compel EPA to take corrective action.

37 states have not submitted the clean air plans for national parks and wilderness areas required by the December 2007 legal deadline, although five of those -- Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, and Wyoming -- have submitted a portion of the required cleanup plans. About 13 states submitted clean air blueprints. The latter group includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. EPA must review these plans for adequacy.

Much of the pollution problem in national parks comes from old power plants and factories with inadequate pollution controls. Emissions from these plants can travel hundreds of miles, contributing to regional haze that obscures scenic vistas over large areas. Each state's clean air plan must include rules to limit these emissions, limits that will achieve cleaner, healthier air for our people and our parks.

According to the National Park Service, human-caused air pollution reduces visibility in most national parks throughout the country. Average visual range -- the farthest a person can see on a given day -- in most of the western United States is about one-half to two-thirds of what it would be without man-made air pollution (about 60 to 100 miles). In most of the east, the average visual range is about one-fifth of what it would be under natural conditions (less than 30 miles).

EPA Declaration of Clean Air for the San Joaquin Valley Under Fire

Groups file lawsuit claiming Valley has not met criteria for treatment as “clean”

Public health, community, and conservation groups filed suit in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over the Agency's decision to relieve the notoriously polluted region from further obligations to address dust pollution under the federal Clean Air Act.

At issue is an October 2006 final rule officially removing the San Joaquin Valley's designation as an area that violates federal standards for coarse particulate matter (PM-10). With this decision, EPA waived remaining obligations of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to continue its fight against PM-10. According to the California Air Resources Board, particulate matter is the most deadly air pollutant, estimated to kill more than 1200 Valley residents each year.

"The air is still not clean. More than half of Latinos in the San Joaquin Valley report that they suffer from respiratory problems," (1) said Nora Vargas of the Latino Issues Forum. "Latino families suffer disproportional health and economic impacts from air pollution as asthma is the leading cause of absenteeism from school or work due to chronic conditions. Air quality affects everyone, every resident of the Valley deserves clean air." (2)

Even though air quality monitors in the Valley show that the federal standards are not being met, EPA and the local air district claim that these recurring violations are natural and need not be addressed through further controls.

"This is a classic case of trying to sweep the dust under the rug," said Paul Cort of Earthjustice who is representing the coalition against EPA. "The air is not clean and the agencies have not done their job to protect public health. EPA's decision is factually and legally flawed and must be overturned."

"The San Joaquin Valley is a region where industry special interests hold sway," said Kevin Hall of the Fresno Sierra Club. "As we said at the time of the finding, it was either a miracle or they were lying. As more data came in, we became convinced it was the latter."

"EPA regulators had to write new rules with special loopholes just so they could ignore the Valley's PM-10 pollution," said Kevin Hamilton a respiratory therapist and representative of Medical Advocates for Healthy Air. "Listening to the coughing and wheezing of my patients I wonder how their lungs and hearts can get in on the deal. Come on EPA, we're not stupid here."

Strategy of Avoidance
For nearly a decade, community groups have been going to court to make sure the Clean Air Act is fully enforced in the San Joaquin Valley. These citizen's legal actions have successfully ended illegal exemptions (agriculture, oil refineries) and forced new clean air rules (for industrial polluters and wood burning).

One of the cases clean air advocates won was a court order that set a deadline for EPA to adopt missing measures for addressing the PM-10 problem in the Valley. Rather than establish these required measures, EPA instead chose to manipulate data from air monitoring stations to determine the Valley had attained the national PM-10 standards.

The Dangers of Particulate Matter
Sources of particulate matter pollution include almost any activity that generates dust, soot or smoke. EPA has long recognized that exposure to elevated ambient air concentrations of particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter (referred to as PM-10) can cause impairment of lung function, impacts on respiratory defense mechanisms, aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality.

EPA adopted national ambient air quality standards for PM-10 in 1987 and directed all areas not meeting these standards to adopt state plans including specific control measures to regulate sources of PM-10.

The San Joaquin Valley in central California continues to be one of the most PM-polluted regions in the country.

EPA Awards $500,000 to Biomedical Institute for Air Quality Research

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $500,000 to the Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to develop environmental health indicators of cardiovascular disease caused by air pollution. Exposures to particulate matter, ozone, and diesel exhaust have been identified as a possible cause for cardiovascular disease in humans, but no investigation confirms that pollutants act through known markers of atherosclerosis (e.g., C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor). The Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute will conduct research to develop novel and more specific markers for acute exposure to humans.

“Gaining a better understanding of science, research, and technology is critical to our agency’s mission,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “Research conducted by this biomedical institute will provide life-saving data used to improve the quality of life and help protect our environment.”

Project activities involved in this research will include identifying susceptible individuals, classifying casual components of the complex air pollution mixture, and developing a better understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in air pollution-induced cardiovascular toxicity. As a result of data collected from this study, Lovelace hopes to identify individuals who could be at risk of developing atherosclerosis, a chronic arterial inflammatory disease which may lead to a stroke.

Funding for the grant award was provided through the EPA National Center for Environmental Research’s Science to Achieve Results or STAR program. The STAR program funds research grants and graduate fellowships in numerous environmental science and engineering disciplines through a competitive solicitation process and independent peer review.

WildEarth Guardians Calls on EPA to Slash Smog Pollution in the American West, Safeguard Public Health

Clean Air Act Petition Filed to Fix Flawed Clean Air Regulations in 16 Western States, Tackle Interstate Transport of Air Pollution

DENVER—WildEarth Guardians today petitioned the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take aggressive action to safeguard public health and the environment and cut ozone air pollution throughout the American West.

“The American West is facing an unprecedented challenge in addressing the impacts of ozone air pollution,” said Jeremy Nichols, Climate and Energy Program Director for WildEarth Guardians. “For the sake of public health, we’re calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to help us meet this challenge head on.”

Ozone air pollution—the key ingredient of smog—is a poisonous gas that forms when sunlight reacts with pollution from tailpipes, smokestacks, and industrial operations, such as oil and gas drilling. It can scar the lungs of children, trigger asthma attacks, and cause premature death. Federal standards limit ozone concentrations in the air to no more than 0.075 parts per million over an eight-hour period, a very small concentration, reflecting the danger of this pollutant.

The petition comes as mounting evidence shows the American West will be blanketed in smog by 2018. Already, many areas suffering from harmful levels of ozone air pollution. Denver, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and other cities have violated federal clean air standards limiting ozone. However the problem is spreading, even affecting rural communities.

Air quality in northwestern New Mexico and western Wyoming violated ozone limits this year, while hazardous ozone days were reported from remote areas like southern Utah’s Zion National Park and Nevada’s Great Basin National Park.

Recent modeling projects further clean air declines in the American West. By 2018, all or portions of 16 Western States are expected to exceed ozone air pollution limits. The modeling, prepared for the Western Regional Air Partnership, which is associated with the Western Governors’ Association, projects ozone levels will be highest over much of the Southwestern United States and Southern Idaho.

The modeling also shows that ozone is a regional problem in the American West due to interstate transport of pollution. A draft white paper prepared for the Western Regional Air Partnership stated, “[C]ontrary to assessments of the impacts of the new ozone standards based on EPA’s model predictions, WRAP’s modeling efforts highlight the regional nature of the ozone air quality problem throughout the Western US.” The white paper continued, “Within the WRAP region, the ozone air quality problem is clearly a regional issue, as evidenced by regional [ozone] modeling results[.]”

Transport of ozone air pollution is a widely known problem the Eastern United States, but has largely been overlooked in the American West. Mounting evidence shows that slashing smog will require regional solutions that address transport among the Western States.

“With air quality projected to worsen throughout the West, we need regional solutions, not piecemeal plans or fingerpointing,” said Nichols. “The Environmental Protection Agency can provide the leadership and direction needed to put the West on the path toward clean air.”

WildEarth Guardians’ petition today is an urgent call on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take an aggressive, comprehensive, and expeditious approach to tackling ozone air pollution in the American West, as required by the Clean Air Act. The petition calls on the agency to:

• Force 16 Western States to revise their air quality regulations to strengthen ozone air pollution safeguards by 2013. Modeling shows that air quality regulations in the West are failing or will soon exceed limits on ozone air pollution.

• Designate a Western States Interstate Transport Region within 18 months. The designation of an Interstate Transport Region will prioritize the development of regional solutions to tackle ozone air pollution.

• Create a Western States Ozone Interstate Transport Commission. Interstate Transport Commissions are charged with assessing the degree of transport, assessing strategies for combating interstate transport, and recommending strategies for adoption by the EPA.

The petition will also help to focus attention on identifying the key sources of ozone forming pollution and on cutting emissions from sources that contribute most significantly to the regional problem. It is likely that coal-fired power plants, oil and gas drilling operations, cars and trucks, and other industrial sources will be targeted for emission cuts.

“Ultimately, this is about clean energy and smart growth,” said Nichols. “We need to chart a sustainable path forward for the West, that means shifting away from fossil fuels and unchecked growth, and shifting toward renewable energy, efficiency, and smarter planning.”

The petition ultimately requests the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to follow through with basic legal obligations under the Clean Air Act, the nation’s fundamental law protecting public health and welfare from air pollution.

WildEarth Guardians is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and restoring the American West and is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico with offices in Denver, Phoenix, Bozeman, and Oakland, CA.

See Petition
WildEarth Guardians

EPA Soot List

100 million people living in 46 metropolitan areas are breathing air containing unsafe levels of soot and are in violation of EPA’s fine-particle pollution limits.

On December 22nd, the EPA notified 25 governors and 23 tribal leaders that 211 counties in 25 states did not meet federal pollution standards. 15 new cities and 54 additional counties have been added to the updated “Soot List”.

The EPA reviewed recommendations from states and tribes along with public comments before making its decision to designate counties and parts of counties as not meeting EPA’s PM 2.5 standards. These areas, known as nonattainment areas, include counties with monitors violating the standards and nearby areas that contribute to that violation. Affected states and tribes will be required to take steps to reduce the pollution that forms fine particles. The vast majority of U.S. counties and tribal lands currently meet standards, but will need to continue working to maintain clean air.

New cities include on this year’s list are:
Fairbanks and Juneau, Alaska
Nogales, Arizona
Pinehurst, Idaho
Davenport and Muscatine, Iowa
Klamath and Oakridge, Oregon
Provo and Salt Lake City, Utah
Seattle, Washington
Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Logan, Utah

Many states west of the Rockies have nonattainment regions that exceed federal air pollution levels. They include counties in Utah, Montana, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California and Alaska.

In California, all or part of 30 counties have been put on notice to clean up their air. The Bay Area has exceeded acceptable levels of particulate matter five times in the past 2 months and received 32 warning letters.

In Southwestern Pennsylvania, 10 areas are not compliant, including the city of Pittsburgh.

Chicago along with 6 Illinois counties are included on the Soot List.

In 2006, EPA strengthened the 24-hour fine particle standards from 65 micrograms per cubic meter to 35 micrograms per cubic meter of air to protect public health. Nationwide, monitored levels of fine particle pollution fell 11 percent from 2000 to 2007. Fine particles can either be emitted directly, or they can form in the atmosphere from reactions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Exposure to fine particle pollution can cause a number of serious health problems including aggravated asthma, increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for respiratory and cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and premature death.

According to the EPA, nonattainment areas must develop a plan to clean the air by 2012 and have that plan in place by 2014.

See the Source:

EPA Soot List – Area Designations for 2006 24-Hour Fine Particle (PM2.5) Standards
State Designations by Region

Find out about:

Diesel Particulate Filters to reduce particulate matter from diesel engines

‘Wanted’ List Web Site Aims to Track Down Environmental Fugitives

A new Web tool is available to enlist the public and other law enforcement agencies in tracking down fugitives accused of violating environmental laws and evading arrest.

“Putting this information on the EPA’s Web site will increase the number of ‘eyes’ looking for environmental fugitives,” said Granta Y. Nakayama, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Two EPA fugitives were captured this year, and this Web site could help us find more fugitives in the future.”

The Web site includes photos of the accused, summaries of their alleged environmental violations, and information on each fugitive’s last known whereabouts. The alleged violations include smuggling of ozone-depleting substances, illegally disposing of hazardous waste, discharging pollutants into the air and water, laundering money and making criminally false statements.

One of the 23 current fugitives is Mauro Valenzuela, 39, a former mechanic for Sabertech. Among his several charges, Valenzuela is alleged to have illegally transported hazardous materials on a commercial aircraft. In 1996, Valenzuela allegedly transported waste oxygen generators onboard ValuJet flight 592 without proper markings and other safety measures. The jet crashed, killing all 110 passengers and crew onboard. Valenzuela failed to appear in federal court nine years ago.

The Web site also lists EPA’s captured fugitives. Earlier this year, EPA found two men on the run. David Allen Phillips escaped prison four years ago after being convicted of Clean Water Act crimes in Montana. He fled to Mexico, was turned over to authorities by the Mexican government last March, and awaits further sentencing. David Ortiz fled after the appeal of his conviction for Clean Water Act crimes in 2004. He remained at large for almost four years until his capture last March in Colorado and is currently in prison.

Anyone who encounters a fugitive should notify EPA by submitting the “Report a Fugitive” form on the Web site. The information will be electronically sent to EPA’s national criminal investigation office in Washington, D.C. The public may also choose to report the information to their local police or, if outside the United States, to the nearest U.S. Embassy. Some fugitives may be armed and dangerous, and EPA warns the public against trying to apprehend them.

Many of the alleged violators listed on the Web site have fled the country. EPA depends on cooperation with Interpol and other international law enforcement agencies to locate their whereabouts.

The FBI, U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also maintain web sites featuring fugitives from the law, but EPA is the first federal law enforcement agency to feature an environmental crimes fugitive web site.

Criminal charges are only allegations of misconduct. Individuals who have been charged with environmental crimes are presumed innocent.

EPA's Most Wanted Web Site: www.epa.gov/fugitives

EPA's Criminal Enforcement Program: www.epa.gov/compliance/criminal/index.html

Breathing Easier: Cap and Trade Lowers Smog Levels in Eastern United States

More than 102 million Americans are breathing cleaner air due to decreases in smog-forming emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) according to the NOx Budget Trading Program annual report. The 2007 summertime NOx emissions from power plants and industrial sources were down by 60 percent compared to 2000 levels and 74 percent below 1990 levels in 20 eastern states and the District of Columbia.

The program helped improve air quality in 95 percent of nonattainment areas in the east, with 64 percent of these areas now below the ozone standard. Some of the report highlights show that:

- the largest NOx emission reductions occurred in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and Kentucky; and

- the reduction of NOx – a precursor to ground-level ozone, or smog – has helped reduce ozone concentrations an average of 10 percent in the eastern part of the country since the start of the program in 2003.

The program is a market-based cap and trade partnership between federal and state governments to reduce the regional transport of NOx during the ozone season. The program provides facilities flexibility to choose their control options including installing control technologies, optimizing existing controls, and switching fuels. Stringent monitoring, reporting and automatic penalties have led to a compliance rate of over 99 percent.

EPA, state and local programs have contributed to the decrease in NOx and ozone levels since 1990. The program has contributed the most to improvements in ozone levels since 2003.

See the report - http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/progress/nbp07.html

Environmental Management Studies Fellowships Offered by EPA

The National Network for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) fellowship program provides students an opportunity to participate in project directly related to their field of study.

The purpose of the NNEMS program is to provide students with practical research opportunities and experiences in the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) program and regional offices and in its laboratories; increase public awareness of and involvement in environmental issues; encourage qualified individuals to pursue environmental careers; and help defray the costs associated with the pursuit of academic programs related to the field of environmental protection, such as pollution control, science, engineering, technology, social science, and specialty areas. Fellowships are organized into the following five categories: environmental policy, regulation, and law; environmental management and administration; environmental science; public relations and communications; and computer programming and development.

A NNEMS fellowship is available to any associate, undergraduate, or advanced student who meets the general requirements, as well as those requirements identified for associate, undergraduate, and advanced students. At a minimum, all applicants must be a citizen of the United States, its territories or possessions, or lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residency; be enrolled for academic credit at a two- or four-year college or university, or at a distance-learning institution accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; and be pursuing an educational program directly related to pollution control or environmental protection for the duration of the fellowship. Students selected for a fellowship receive a grant award in the form of a stipend. Grant awards reflect an individual student's level of education, as well as the location and duration of the fellowship.

The deadline for applications is February 2, 2009.

For more info: NNEMS

Record Pollutant Reductions From Environmental Enforcement in 2008

Nearly 3.9 Billion Pounds of Pollution Prevented

(Washington, D.C. - Dec. 4, 2008) Fiscal year 2008 was a banner year for EPA’s enforcement and compliance program, which concluded civil and criminal enforcement actions requiring regulated entities to spend an estimated $11.8 billion on pollution controls, cleanup and environmental projects, a record for EPA.

“After these pollution control activities are completed, EPA estimates record pollution reductions of 3.9 billion pounds per year,” said Granta Nakayama, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This is nearly four times the level of pollution reduction achieved in FY 2007.”

Notable accomplishments included cutting tons of air pollution from power plants, convicting environmental criminals, stopping the import of illegal engines, protecting the nation’s water from construction site runoff, and holding polluters accountable for hazardous waste cleanups.

Online Tools Make it Easy to Track Power Plant Emissions

With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can find information on air emissions from power plants. EPA has issued a new edition of its Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) and updated Power Profiler to help you better understand the environmental impacts of electricity use. With today's updates, eGRID and Power Profiler now contain 2005 emissions data.

eGRID is a comprehensive air emissions database of electric power plants in the United States, including emissions data on nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and mercury. The new edition of eGRID now also provides emissions data on two greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide.

Power Profiler is a user friendly online tool that helps consumers see how their individual energy use is impacting air emissions. Using data from eGRID, Power Profiler calculates how much nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide are emitted from electricity use.

Through eGRID, you can:
- Use emission rates for calculations based on electricity use (carbon footprinting, greenhouse gas inventories);
- Find out which plants emit the most and least pollution in the country;
- Examine the emissions and fuel mix of different electric generating companies; and
- Use the information for academic papers and research projects.

Power Profiler allows you to:
- See the air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions impact of electricity used in your home or business;
- See the fuel mix of electric generation in your region of the country;
- Compare these figures to national averages; and
- Learn how to reduce emissions through greater energy efficiency and use of renewable energy.

More about eGRID: http://www.epa.gov/egrid
More about Power Profiler: http://www.epa.gov/powerprofiler

EPA Finalizes Revisions to the 2005 Hazardous Waste Combustor NESHAP Rule

EPA is amending the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants rule for new and existing hazardous waste combustors. These standards implement the Clean Air Act by requiring hazardous waste combustors to meet emission standards reflecting the application of the maximum achievable control technology. The rule is the final action regarding the eight issues for which EPA granted reconsideration in September 2006. The revisions also address comments received in response to a September 2007 notice.

As a result of this reconsideration process, EPA is:
- Revising the new source particulate matter standards for cement kilns and incinerators that burn hazardous waste to better reflect the performance of the best controlled source over time. The change in the standards resulted from consideration of additional performance data;
- Amending the particulate matter detection system provisions and revisions to the health-based compliance alternative provisions for total chlorine;
- Identifying the emissions standards EPA intends to defend in pending litigation and is responding to public comments on a related Sept. 27, 2007 notice; and
- Making several corrections and clarifications to the rule.

The revised provisions are effective immediately and do not change the Oct. 14, 2008, compliance date established by the October 2005 final rule. The final rule should be published in the Federal Register in about two weeks.

More information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/tsd/td/combust/finalmact/index.htm

U.S. Air Quality Standards for Lead Now 10 Times Stronger

EPA dramatically strengthened the nation's air quality standards for lead, improving public health protection, especially for children. The new standards tighten the allowable lead level 10 times to 0.15 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air (ug/m3).

"America's air is cleaner than a generation ago," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "With these stronger standards a new generation of Americans are being protected from harmful lead emissions."

This decision marks the first time the lead standards have changed in 30 years. EPA strengthened the standards after a thorough review of the science on lead, advice from the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, and consideration of public comments. The previous standards, set in 1978, were 1.5 ug/m3.

EPA's action sets two standards: a primary standard at 0.15 ug/m3 to protect health and a secondary standard at the same level to protect the public welfare, including the environment.

The existing monitoring network for lead is not sufficient to determine whether many areas of the country would meet the revised standards. EPA is redesigning the nation's lead monitoring network, which is necessary for the agency to assess compliance with the new standard.

No later than October 2011, EPA will designate areas that must take additional steps to reduce lead air emissions. States have five years to meet these new standards after designations take effect.

More than 6,000 studies since 1990 have examined the effects of lead on health and the environment. Some studies have linked exposure to low levels of lead with damage to children's development, including IQ loss.

Lead can be inhaled or can be ingested after settling out of the air. Ingestion is the main route of human exposure. Once in the body, lead is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and can affect many organ systems including children's developing nervous systems. Lead emissions have dropped nearly 97 percent nationwide since 1980, largely the result of the agency's phase-out of lead in gasoline. Average levels of lead in the air today are far below the 1978 standards. Lead in the air comes from a variety of sources, including smelters, iron and steel foundries, and general aviation gasoline. More than 1,300 tons of lead are emitted to the air each year, according to EPA's most recent estimates.

Since September 2006, EPA has strengthened air quality standards for lead, ground-level ozone and particulate matter.

For more information about lead in air visit: http://www.epa.gov/air/lead

Clean Diesel Projects Get $1,378,160 from EPA

EPA Region 6 announced on Oct. 8th a total of $1,378,160 in grant money for clean diesel projects in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma under the State Clean Diesel Program. Grants from the State Clean Diesel Program are direct, non-competitive assistance awards designed to allow states to build programs that reduce diesel emissions from existing fleets.

For additional information, visit The State Clean Diesel Program. Click Here.

EPA and New York Slate One Million for Clean Diesel Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) have slated more than $1 million to clean up old dirty diesel engines across the state. New York received more than $600,000 from EPA and has leveraged an additional $413,448 in state funding. Under this grant, the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) – a key partner in EPA's Clean School Bus USA program - will receive $857,705 to retrofit school buses with a combination of innovative clean technologies. Additionally, $175,915 will be awarded to NYSDEC to help purchase hybrid diesel electric marine engines for their new patrol boat used to safeguard the Hudson River.

“Diesel engines can be very dirty and they contribute significantly to air pollution,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator. “But they don’t have to be dirty - we can put controls on old engines and use cleaner engines in our new equipment to drastically cut pollution from these sources.”

NYSDEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said, "As technologies to improve air quality continue to be developed, it is important to find ways to make these methods available to our communities. DEC is pleased to receive these funds to help improve our patrol boat fleet through the use of hybrid technology and we also applaud the support being provided to protect school children around the state from harmful emissions."

School districts can request funding and help from NYSERDA, which has helped nearly 90 school districts put pollution controls on more than 3,000 school buses. Using the grant money, NYSERDA will help organizations reduce their diesel emissions by installing diesel oxidation catalysts, closed crankcase filtration systems, diesel particulate filters and by applying idle reduction measures. The NYSDEC will use its grant money to pay for two new hybrid 3.2 liter (250 horsepower) diesel marine engines with electric drives for their new 36-foot enforcement patrol boat. The clean engines reduce diesel emissions and save 8,000 gallons of fuel per year.

Today’s announcement is only a portion of funding for clean diesel projects under the $50 million National Clean Diesel Campaign. The funding, newly available this year, will support grants to help save fuel and lower greenhouse gas and diesel exhaust emissions from the existing fleet of 11 million diesel engines.

The EPA’s new heavy-duty highway and non-road diesel engine standards will take effect over the next decade, and will significantly reduce emissions from new engines. However, the standards apply only to engines manufactured in the year 2007 and beyond. The 11 million diesel engines in use today will continue to pollute unless emissions are controlled with innovative technology and/or cleaner fuels. The EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign assists fleets with controlling these diesel emissions from the 11 million legacy diesel engines with financial and technical assistance. Today’s funding for New York is part of $14.8 million that has been awarded across the nation this year under the State Clean Diesel program.

EPA is working collaboratively with New Jersey to reduce emissions of harmful diesel exhaust. In 2005, regions 1 and 2 of the U.S. EPA, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management and the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont established the Northeast Diesel Collaborative (NEDC). NEDC is a partnership of public and private organizations working to improve air quality by taking action to reduce diesel pollution. Puerto Rico joined in 2007 and the U.S. Virgin Islands joined in 2008. Today, the collaborative combines the expertise of public and private partners in a coordinated regional initiative to reduce diesel emissions and improve public health in the eight northeastern states as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

See the Source:

EPA Clean Diesel Efforts

Northeast Diesel Collaborative

EPA Awards Over $290,000 to TCEQ for the Texas Clean Diesel Program

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $295, 320 to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). These funds will support ongoing efforts by TCEQ to improve air quality throughout Texas. TCEQ will focus specifically on reducing emissions from school buses by retrofitting school buses with add-on control technology to reduce emissions of particulate matter.

See the Source:
EPA Grants
EPA Region 6

Keep on Trucking - with Lower Emissions through EPA's $50 Million Clean Diesel Funding

To improve air quality and protect public health, EPA today announced the first $3.4 million in funding for clean diesel projects under the $50 million Diesel Emission Reduction Program. This campaign makes awards to save fuel and lower greenhouse gas and diesel exhaust emissions from the country's existing fleet of 11 million diesel engines.

"This fall, EPA is paving the way for clean diesel progress," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "These grants encourage technologies that will help truckers save over $72 million in fuel costs per year and lower their environmental impacts."

Three organizations received $3.4 million for small trucking firms to lower fuel costs and shrink their carbon footprints through innovative loans and rebates. The organizations receiving funds under the national diesel program are: the Community Development Transportation Lending Services, Washington, D.C.; Cascade Sierra Solutions, Oregon; and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Missouri.

EPA will also begin disbursing $14.8 million for State Clean Diesel programs. All 50 states will receive funds, and 35 states will put matching resources toward the program. Later this fall, $27.6 million in grants will be distributed by EPA's ten Regional offices. Finally, grant awards for emerging technologies totaling approximately $3.4 million will be announced this winter.

Diesel engines emit 7.3 million tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 333,000 tons of soot annually. This pollution is linked to thousands of premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and millions of lost work days. EPA's new diesel engine standards will significantly reduce emission from newly manufactured engines, and these grants will lower emissions from the diesel engines already in use through clean innovative technology.

See the Source:

EPA National Clean Diesel Campaign

2008 Report on the Environment: Highlights of National Trends

EPA today released the "2008 Report on the Environment: Highlights of National Trends" (2008 ROE HD), which provides the American people with an important resource for better understanding trends in our nation's health and environment. The report is intended for a general audience and summarizes highlights of the more comprehensive "EPA's 2008 Report on the Environment," which was released in May, and provided the scientific and technical information. Together the two reports present national environmental trends and inform EPA's strategic planning process with the best available, scientifically sound information.

EPA also launched a new Web site that allows the user to search the full technical report for specific trends in air, water, and land.

See the Source:
2008 ROE HD, ROE and searchabl eROE

EPA Tightens Engine Standards on Surf and Turf

From lawn mowers and weed trimmers, to personal watercraft and speedboats, gas-powered engines will soon contribute to healthier and cleaner air for Americans. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set strict new standards for gas-powered lawn equipment and marine engines, enhancing public health by substantially reducing the amount of gas fumes, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and smog-forming pollutants emitted from a wide range of engines. The regulations will take effect in 2010 and 2011.

"EPA's new small engine standards will allow Americans to cut air pollution as well as grass," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "These standards help fight smog in our neighborhoods and waterways as we continue to improve the environmental landscape."

When fully implemented, the rule will yield annual emission reductions of 600,000 tons of hydrocarbons, 130,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), 5,500 tons of direct particulate matter, and 1.5 million tons of carbon monoxide (CO). EPA expects the new standards to save approximately 190 million gallons of gasoline each year.

The rule kicks into gear in 2011 for lawn and garden equipment of 25 horsepower or less. For a full range of gas-powered personal watercraft and inboard and outboard engines, the rule powers up in 2010.

To meet the new exhaust emission standards, manufacturers will likely employ catalytic converters for the first time in many small watercraft and lawn and garden equipment. After rigorous analysis and work with stakeholders, EPA determined this strategy was feasible and safe. This regulation also includes the first national standards for boats powered by stern-drive or inboard engines, and carbon monoxide standards for gasoline-powered engines used in recreational watercraft.

Non-road gasoline-powered engines, such as those used in lawn and garden equipment, will see an additional 35 percent reduction in smog-forming hydrocarbon (HC) and NOx emissions. These cuts go beyond the 60 percent reduction that saw final implementation two years ago under an earlier rulemaking. The updated engines will also achieve a 45 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions.

Recreational watercraft powered by gasoline engines will incur a 70 percent reduction in HC and NOx emissions, a 20 percent reduction in CO and a 70 percent reduction in fuel evaporative emissions.

Each year, Americans spend more than 3 billion hours using lawn and garden equipment and more than 500 million hours in recreational boating. As a result, the total estimated public health benefits range between $1.6 and $4.4 billion by 2030. These benefits outweigh estimated costs by at least eight to one, while preventing over 300 premature deaths, 1,700 hospitalizations, and 23,000 lost workdays annually.

The rule opens another chapter in EPA's success story of curbing emissions from non-road sources. EPA has recently set stringent emission standards for farm and construction equipment, off-road recreational vehicles, and for locomotives and commercial marine sources.

See the Source:

EPA: Lawn and Garden (Small Gasoline) Equipment
EPA: Gasoline Boats and Personal Watercraft

Multi-State Lawsuit Filed Against EPA

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal announced on August 25th, a multi-state lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was filed for failing to regulate harmful pollution from oil refineries.

The lawsuit -- filed by a coalition of 12 states, the District of Columbia and the City of New York -- alleges that the EPA is in violation of the Clean Air Act for failing to adopt standards requiring that new or renovated oil refineries install technologies to control global warming pollution.

The Clean Air Act specifically requires the EPA to adopt standards, known as New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), for oil refineries -- as well as power plants and other major pollution sources -- if the EPA determines they emit air pollution that poses a danger to public health and welfare.

"Enhancing its distinction of environmental disregard, the Bush Administration has again ignored its responsibility by failing to adopt meaningful pollution controls for oil refineries," Blumenthal said. "The EPA has defied the Clean Air Act and the Supreme Court by repeatedly ignoring a ruling that global warming emissions are pollutants. EPA's failure to regulate greenhouse gases through state-of-the-art technologies is an abrogation of its responsibilities. Our coalition of states and cities will fight hard -- as we have repeatedly -- to force the EPA to follow the law."

Oil refineries account for over 3 percent of the total energy consumption in the United States. Due to their large energy consumption, oil refineries are major sources of carbon dioxide, accounting for almost 15 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted from industrial processes nationally. These refineries also emit large amounts of methane, an especially potent global warming pollutant.

Today's challenge was filed in the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The coalition includes California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia and the City of New York. The suit seeks to vacate the EPA's decision not to control oil refinery emissions of global warming pollution and to order the EPA to adopt proper NSPS.

See the Source:
State of Connecticut

EPA Seeks Applications for Clean Air Excellence Awards

EPA and the Clean Air Act Advisory Committee (CAAAC) are accepting applications for the Ninth Annual Clean Air Excellence Awards Program.

Winners are honored for outstanding accomplishments in programs, projects or technologies that reduce air pollution emissions. Applicants are judged in five awards categories: (1) clean air technology; (2) community development/redevelopment; (3) education/outreach (4) regulatory/policy innovations; and (5) transportation efficiency innovations.

In addition, winners will be recognized in two special award categories. The Gregg Cooke Visionary Program Award is given to the air quality project or program that successfully blends two or more of the five existing awards categories. The Thomas W. Zosel Outstanding Individual Achievement Award recognizes one individual for his or her outstanding achievement, leadership, and commitment to promote clean air and achieve better air quality.

All applications for the awards should be postmarked on or before September 19, 2008. The awards will be announced in spring 2009.

The CAAAC is an independent policy committee that provides advice to EPA on air issues.

Information on applying for the awards: http://www.epa.gov/air/caaac/clean_award.html

Air Pollution Episodes Especially Harmful to Athletes and Outdoor Workers

Health effects include respiratory problems, DNA damage

Staff fom the ARB have recently presented research to the California Air Resources Board that links air pollution episodes to adverse health effects for athletes and those who must work outdoors.

Scientists have found that outdoor exercise during high levels of smog or particulate matter may cause otherwise healthy individuals to experience lung function decrease, exacerbation of asthma, and even DNA damage. For those with pre-existing respiratory or heart ailments, the danger is even greater.

"This report once again shows that an active person's zeal for fitness may sometimes do more harm than good when air quality is suffering," said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols. "People should be aware of air quality in their region and take precautions to protect their health when pollution spikes occur. For example, we are surprised and alarmed to find many people out exercising during the recent rash of wildfires that have blanketed much of the state in smoke."

The findings from the studies include:
* A three-fold decrease in lung function after walking near diesel traffic compared to walking in a park with no traffic;

* A four-fold increase in DNA damage after cycling in traffic;

* A 10 percent reduction in lung function after cycling with ozone exposure;

* Delivery of oxygen to the heart may drop by three times when exercising while exposed to diesel exhaust; and,

* A three-fold increase in asthma development for children who played multiple sports in high ozone areas.

Research shows that during exercise, people breathe faster; a greater proportion of air is inhaled through the mouth, bypassing nasal filtration, and pollutants are carried more deeply into the lungs. And, greater volumes of air are exchanged during exercise -- up to 10 or 20 times more air compared to when at rest.

As breathing rates increase so does the quantity of pollutants inhaled. Anyone exercising outdoors during times of high pollution should remember they will receive a greater dose of pollutants. Additionally, research studies found that people who exercise near roadways such as joggers, cyclists and pedestrians experience increased risk because not only are they exposed to outdoor air pollution but traffic-related pollution as well.

For people who already have compromised lung function or heart disease, these risks are amplified.

It is well established that exercise promotes health and fitness. Regular exercise can help counteract the negative effects of air pollution. For example, regular activity may improve removal of inhaled particles from the lungs and can strengthen immune defenses. Prior to exercise outdoors, people can protect themselves by heeding air quality advisories, available in local newspapers, television weather reports, and through local health agencies, air districts and U.S.

For more information:

Air Now EPA

air pollution

Clean Diesel Emerging Technology Grant Funding Now Available

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to award approximately $3.4 million in grants to establish projects using emerging technologies to reduce emissions from the nation's existing fleet of diesel engines. Addressing the existing fleet is important because it pre-dates EPA's stringent new particulate and nitrogen oxide standards and diesels remain in use for decades. This sum was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and funded for the first time this fiscal year.

State, local, regional and tribal governments may apply for the grants, as well as non-profits and institutions with transportation, educational service, and air quality responsibilities. Emerging technology manufacturers must partner with an eligible applicant to receive this funding. The grants are targeting school or transit buses, medium and heavy-duty trucks, marine engines, locomotives and non-road engines. Grant proposals must be submitted by Sept. 21, 2008. The final awards will be announced in December.

The grants will be administered by EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign under the Emerging Technology Program (ETP). ETP supports the development and commercialization of new, cutting-edge technologies. The program gives manufacturers the opportunity to capture real world data and gain valuable operating experience on their technology while it is used by fleet partners.

An emerging technology is a device or strategy that reduces emissions from diesel engines or equipment that has not been verified or certified by EPA or the California Air Resources Board (ARB). To qualify as an emerging technology, manufacturers must submit an application and test plan to EPA or ARB. Each technology will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine if it qualifies as an emerging technology.

Qualified emerging technologies will be added to the Emerging Technologies List. One of the first qualifying technologies is Caterpillars' Marine Emissions Upgrade Group (EUG). Specifics of each technology including the emission reductions and engine applications can be found on the Emerging Technology List.

See the Source:
EPA - Grant Fund

Emerging Technology Program

View the qualifying emerging technologies

California Presents First Bond 1B Check to San Joaquin Valley to Clean Up Air Quality

$5.6 million to be used to retrofit, replace hundreds of dirty truck engines

During a ceremony on July 9th at a Technology Forum held at UC Merced, California EPA Undersecretary Cindy Tuck presented a $5.6 million check to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District to clean up hundreds of older, dirty diesel truck engines currently polluting Valley air.

The air district will use the funding to retrofit somewhere between 100 to 300 trucks with diesel particulate filters and completely replace the engines of an additional 70 to 100 trucks. Diesel pollution from trucks transiting major roadways, such as Interstate 5 and Highway 99, accounts for 80 percent of the Valley's smog forming and particulate matter emissions.

The truck fleet cleanups precede a draft regulation that the Air Resources Board will vote on in October that, if passed, will require truckers to retrofit pre-2007 model year trucks with soot filters and then requires a gradual modernization of trucks beginning in 2012, so that ultimately all trucks are the cleanest, 2010 or newer models. Over the past decade, ARB has also passed a series of landmark regulations aimed at slashing diesel emissions from ships, off-road construction equipment and other sources.

"This first check under Proposition 1B is going exactly where it's needed most -- to fund the retrofits and replacements of older, dirty diesel trucks that pollute Valley air," Tuck said."This funding, combined with the opportunities that will grow out of today's technololgy forum, will continue our momentum in improving air quality in California."

"The Valley faces tremendous air quality challenges, and we appreciate this unprecedented support from the state which will result in a real reduction in emissions and a better quality of life for valley residents," said Seyed Sadredin, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control Officer.
ARB will allocate an additional $40.5 million to the San Joaquin air district for other diesel emissions reduction projects in the coming year.

ARB and California EPA also signed a memorandum of agreement today with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and San Joaquin and South Coast air districts, committing to work together on identifying and promoting emerging technologies to improve air quality throughout the state.

Southern California and the Central Valley continue to suffer from some of the worst air quality in the nation. Emissions from diesel particulate matter are associated with causing a variety of health effects including premature death and a number of heart and lung diseases.

The check constitutes the first funding handed out using Proposition 1B funds, which was the transportation bond put on the ballot by the Legislature and before the voters in November 2006. The 2007-08 Budget, signed by Governor Schwarzenegger in August, funds the initial $250 million of the $1 billion set aside for air quality improvement projects in Proposition 1B.

The Board is focused on funding projects that reduce emissions and health risk, incorporate simplicity and efficiency, ensure cost-effectiveness, and leverage other funding source. Go to www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/diesel.htm/ for application criteria.

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB's mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

The energy challenge facing California is real. Every Californian needs to take immediate action to reduce energy consumption. For a list of simple ways you can reduce demand and cut your energy cost, see our web site at http://www.arb.ca.gov/

See the Source:

ARB

Find out:

About diesel particulate filters for on- and off-road vehicles

diesel pollution

Environmental Groups Petition to Overturn EPA Ozone Standard

WASHINGTON, DC, May 28, 2008 - Health and environmental advocates filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's refusal to adopt stronger standards for ground-level ozone proposed by the agency's own scientists.

The American Lung Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Appalachian Mountain Club are taking issue with the standards adopted by the federal environment agency in March.

The standards for ozone pollution, one of the components of smog, are not only far weaker than those unanimously recommended by EPA science advisors, but also leave public health and the environment at great risk, the groups contend.

"EPA officials ignored the advice of their own scientists when they chose these deficient standards, but they can't ignore the law," said attorney David Baron with the public interest law firm Earthjustice who filed the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Washington, DC Circuit.

"The Clean Air Act requires EPA to adopt standards strong enough to protect our lungs and our environment. We're fighting to make sure that happens," Baron said. "Stronger standards could save thousands of lives, by some estimates."

EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson is already under suspicion of bowing to White House pressure to reject stronger smog standards. Johnson was grilled last week by members of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform who asked why he rejected the advice of scientists in setting the standard.

Before the committee on May 20, Johnson defended his actions and insisted that he was solely responsible for the smog decision. He declined to provide details about his meetings with the president and other White House officials.

"I have routine meetings with the executive branch including the president … those meetings are in confidence," Johnson told the committee.

Johnson testified beside the head of EPA's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee, Dr. Rogene Henderson, who critiqued Johnson's actions, telling committee members, "Policymakers wandered into science and they did not do it well."

"Willful ignorance triumphed over sound science," Henderson told the legislators.

Henderson's Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee had recommended that the EPA set the health standard at between 60 and 70 parts of ozone per billion parts of air.

Instead, Johnson and the EPA set the standard at 75 parts per billion.

In their petition for review of the EPA ozone standard, the groups contend that the 75 parts per billion standard leaves asthmatics, young children, the elderly and others at greater risk for lung and heart disease than the standard recommended by the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee .

Smog is linked to premature deaths, thousands of emergency room visits, and tens of thousands of asthma attacks each year. Ozone is especially dangerous to small children and senior citizens, who are often warned to stay indoors on polluted days.

Exposures of less than 24 hours to current levels of ground-level ozone in many areas are likely to contribute to premature deaths, according to a National Research Council report published on Earth Day 2008.

Evidence of a relationship between exposures of less than 24 hours and mortality has been mounting, but interpretations of the evidence have differed, prompting the EPA to request the Research Council report.

The committee that wrote the report was not asked to consider how evidence has been used by the EPA to set ozone standards, but the evidence is strong enough that the EPA should include ozone-related mortality in health-benefit analyses related to future ozone standards, said the committee.

"Ozone pollution threatens breathing for millions of Americans, especially children, the elderly and people with lung disease including asthma," said Bernadette Toomey, President and CEO of the American Lung Association. "The EPA's decision to disregard the overwhelming evidence and the advice of respected experts is a decision that we could not allow to go unchallenged."

air pollution

Tell the EPA What You Think

Ever wanted to tell EPA what you thought on an environmental topic? Each week, you have your chance in the EPA blog, "Greenversations." Each question is an open-ended blog entry; please share your thoughts as comments.

See the Source:
EPA Blog

environment

ARB Chairman Mary Nichols applauds Senator Boxer's bill

Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, issued the following statement about Senator Boxer's new bill that would reverse the EPA decision denying California's request to be allowed to implement its regulations minimizing greenhouse gas emissions from autos. This follows revelations from a report issued by the house of representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by Representative Henry Waxman, that after communications with the White House, Administrator Johnson reversed his original decision -- supported fully by USEPA staff -- to grant California a waiver to enforce its clean car law .

"We applaud the fact that Senator Boxer's bill to overturn administrator Johnson's illegal denial of California's waiver request made it out of the committee. This is a significant step forward but only one skirmish in the battle to secure our rights and protect the environment. We will continue to fight for the waiver in the courts, we will press our case with the public, and we will not stop demanding that the federal administration's obey the law. Fourteen states representing almost half the vehicles in the nation and tens of millions of consumers need clean cars now that reduce greenhouse gases and save money at the pump. "

See the Source:
ARB

EPA Provides Further Direction on Implementing Fine Particle Pollution Air Quality Standard

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule further outlining steps that state, local and tribal governments must take to reduce fine particle pollution (PM2.5). The rule describes how to apply the New Source Review (NSR) program at facilities that emit fine particles. EPA's NSR program requires industrial facilities to obtain permits outlining emissions controls for target air pollutants before they begin construction.

The rule affects areas that do not meet the 1997 PM2.5 standards. Those areas must meet the standards by 2010.

Today's rule complements the agency's PM2.5 final implementation rule issued on April 25, 2007, which addresses the non-New Source Review provisions of PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. A related rule, proposed on Sept. 21, 2007, would complete the PM2.5 preconstruction review program framework by establishing increments, significant impact levels, and significant monitoring concentrations for EPA's Prevention of Significant Deterioration program. Together, these three rules will establish the framework for implementing preconstruction permit components of the 1997 PM2.5 air quality standards.

See the Source:

EPA - NSR

Find out:

How to reduce particulate matter from prime power and emergency generators

air pollution
particle pollution

Test Your Air Knowledge During National Air Quality Awareness Week

EPA and the National Weather Service challenge all Americans to improve their knowledge of the Air Quality Index (AQI) during the annual “Air Quality Awareness Week” that takes place this year from April 28 to May 2, 2008. As warm weather approaches, using the AQI will help reduce exposure to ground-level ozone pollution. The Air Quality Index is EPA’s color-coded tool for communicating air quality to the public. The most common AQI forecasts range from “code green,” --- a good day to engage in outdoor activities, to “code red” --- when everyone should use caution.

This summer, residents of many cities may notice more “code orange” ozone days than in the past. The potential increase in these “orange” days does not mean air quality is getting worse; it is a result of EPA’s recent strengthening of the national ozone standards. However, any time air quality reaches “code orange,” those sensitive to ground-level ozone should alter their outdoor activities to reduce exposure.

The daily AQI forecast is widely available from a variety of electronic and print media sources. Members of the public can also receive daily email updates of the air quality forecast by subscribing and following the directions on “EnviroFlash” at: http://www.airnow.gov/ Recent improvements to EnviroFlash make it easier to use. Just enter: the name, e-mail address, and zip code and EnviroFlash will find the nearest local forecast. The information can also be customized to select a specific forecast to be received, such as for “code red” days only.

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State and local Air Quality Awareness Week events

National Weather Service - air quality forecast

EPA Publishes Annual National Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released the national greenhouse gas inventory, which finds that overall emissions during 2006 decreased by 1.1 percent from the previous year. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, is the latest in an annual set of reports that the United States submits to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

“Each year since 1993, EPA’s experts have built a comprehensive inventory of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” said Robert Meyers principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office Air and Radiation. “Our understanding of emission sources is paramount to combating climate change.”

Total emissions of the six main greenhouse gases in 2006 were equivalent to 7,054.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride. The report indicates that overall emissions have grown by 14.7 percent from 1990 to 2006, while the U.S. economy has grown by 59 percent over the same period.

The decrease in emissions in 2006 was due primarily to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The following factors were primary contributors to this decrease:
· compared to 2005, 2006 had warmer winter conditions, which decreased consumption of heating fuels, as well as cooler summer conditions, which reduced demand for electricity;
· restraint on fuel consumption caused by rising fuel prices, primarily in the transportation sector; and
· increased use of natural gas and renewables in the electric power sector.

EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies and after gathering comments from a broad range of stakeholders across the country.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2006. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by “sinks,” e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation and soils.

See the Source:

Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report

climate change

EPA Increases Transparency of Regulatory Development

EPA is making federal environmental regulation more transparent by providing on-line information as soon as the agency begins the development of a new rule.

Starting today, EPA is using Action Initiation Lists (AILs) to notify the public about new rules and other regulatory actions. AILs will be posted on the EPA Web site at roughly the end of each month; each will describe those actions that were approved for commencement during the given month. Formerly, the public had to wait for EPA's Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, which is updated only every six months, to learn about new regulatory actions.

The AILs provide summaries, agency contacts, and other information about the rules EPA has approved for development. For example, the March 2008 AIL announces the agency's plans to issue an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking for greenhouse gases in late spring. This notice will solicit public input as EPA considers the specific effects of climate change and potential regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary and mobile sources under the Clean Air Act. The March AIL also announces the agency's plans to propose a rulemaking that builds on EPA's existing renewable fuels standard program. The expansion of the program was mandated by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act.

The February and March 2008 AILs are now available. EPA expects to release the April AIL around April 30.

See the Source:

EPA - Action Initiation Lists

EPA - Semiannual Regulatory Agendas

Virginia Schools Receive Grant to Reduce Diesel Pollution

In the next year, students who ride buses from the Virginia Middle Peninsula schools will be breathing cleaner air, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce pollution in diesel-powered school buses.

EPA's Clean School Bus USA program awarded $143,068 to Hampton Roads Clean Cities to work with several Middle Peninsula school districts to retrofit over 100 school buses. The average bus ride for students benefitting from this project is an hour or more. The new pollution-control equipment, coupled with the use of cleaner burning fuel and the encouragement of less engine idling of school buses, will substantially reduce soot and exhaust pollutants.

"Breathing diesel exhaust can be harmful, especially for children with asthma," said Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh. "We're pleased that Hampton Roads Clean Cities is taking action so students can breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives.”

The grant will be used by the school districts to install diesel oxidation catalysts on 100 buses, switch to cleaner burning fuel for 198 buses, promote reduced engine idling and purchase one new clean alternative propane-powered bus. The retrofit equipment in combination with ultra low sulfur diesel fuel can reduce pollution emissions from the diesel buses by 60 to 90 percent.

“In addition to obvious clean air and health benefits, the Clean School Bus award supports or complements many components of the effort to preserve the sensitive Dragon Run watershed in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula,” said Al Christopher, Executive Director of Virginia Clean Cities.

In April 2003, EPA launched its Clean School Bus USA program to help reduce children’s exposure to diesel exhaust. The particles in diesel exhaust can penetrate deep into the lungs and pose health risks including aggravating asthma symptoms. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of diesel emissions and air pollution because their respiratory systems are still developing and they have a faster breathing rate.

See the Source:
EPA - Funding for clean diesel projects

Find out:
How to reduce diesel pollution using diesel particulate filters

air pollution
diesel pollution

EPA Launches Environmental Indicators Gateway

On April 9, 2008, the EPA launched the Environmental Indicators Gateway Web site to provide enhanced public access to environmental and health information generated by EPA. Information is presented in the context of "environmental indicators," numerical values that provide insights into the status and trends of environmental and public health conditions over time. The Gateway establishes a single catalog of EPA's indicator work that allows browsing and searching among existing EPA Web sites and indicator materials. The site allows users to browse EPA's environmental indicator reports by geography, topic area, or time period. For each report featured on the site, users can find information on key details of the project including geography, project purpose, contact information, and data quality considerations.

In addition to enhancing public access, the Gateway provides a resource for EPA and other federal agencies and partners to better coordinate their own environmental indicator work. By sharing key information and best practices among existing projects, EPA can improve its ability to generate environmental indicator information in the future. To better accomplish the goals of EPA's Environmental Indicators Initiative, EPA plans further enhancements to the site, which will improve coordination among existing indicator work and provide additional tools for accessing environmental indicators and information across EPA.

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EPA - New Environmental Indicators

environment

EPA Makes $50 Million Available to Clean Up Diesel Engines Nationwide

EPA is announcing the availability of almost $50 million in grant funding to establish clean diesel projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation's existing fleet of diesel engines.

The unprecedented sum, which was authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and funded for the first time this fiscal year, will be administered by EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) and its network of seven collaboratives, made up of EPA regional offices and public and private sector partners.

"Under President Bush's leadership, America's air is cleaner today than it was a generation ago," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By encouraging innovations in existing diesel engines, EPA is driving the nation toward a clean, healthy, productive tomorrow."

Diesels are the economic workhorses of the nation, and over the past decade, EPA has set stringent new particulate and nitrogen oxide standards for most types of new engines. These regulations will annually prevent more than 20,000 premature deaths and yield more than $150 billion in public health benefits when fully implemented. The funding announced today, however, is aimed at reducing emissions from the existing fleet of 11 million diesel engines that pre-date these standards. Addressing the existing fleet is important because diesels remain in use for decades.

State, local, regional and tribal governments can apply for the grants, as well as non-profits and institutions with transportation, educational services and air quality responsibilities.

The grants are targeting school or transit buses, medium and heavy-duty trucks, marine engines, locomotives and nonroad engines. Grant recipients can use a variety of cost-effective emission reduction strategies, such as EPA-verified retrofit and idle-reduction technologies, EPA-certified engine upgrades, vehicle or equipment replacements, cleaner fuels and creation of innovative clean diesel financing programs.

Some EPA Regional offices have already started issuing requests for grant applications, called Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and, along with EPA Headquarters, will continue to roll them out throughout the spring.

NCDC uses a proactive, incentive-based approach to achieve environmental results. More than 400,000 existing diesel engines have already been retrofitted during the campaign's first few years, cutting harmful emissions by nearly 300,000 tons.

See the Source:
NCDC Funding Opportunities

Find out:
About diesel particulate filters to reduce diesel particulate matter

diesel emissions

EPA Celebrates Earth Day Throughout April with New Web and Multimedia Features

How can you reduce your carbon footprint, make your home or business water efficient or make sure our nation's beaches stay clean this summer? April 22 is Earth Day and this year, EPA is launching several online initiatives throughout the month of April to help raise environmental awareness.

· Green Tips – Sign up for daily environmental tips via e-mail (http://www.epa.gov/earthday/tips.htm). Also, download the Green Tip "widget" to use on your social networking site or blog.

· Audio Podcasts –Twice per week during the month of April, listen to EPA's experts discuss ways you can reduce your environmental footprint. The podcasts will be available for download on EPA's home page and also available for free subscription on iTunes.

· "Green Scene" – EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson will host the latest edition of the agency's new online video series. The administrator discusses Earth Day 2008, the importance of environmental stewardship and the agency's accomplishments.

· Historical Video – The history of EPA and why it was created, as told by all nine former administrators, will be available in two separate videos on EPA's multimedia portal (http://www.epa.gov/multimedia).

· Special Events – Multimedia coverage of the annual Presidential Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) and People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Competition will be available for public viewing following the events (http://www.epa.gov/multimedia).

· Photo Contest - Help choose the winner. We chose 30 finalists from nearly 750 photos (see contest: http://www.epa.gov/earthday/photocontest).

· Ask EPA – Molly O'Neill, EPA's Chief Information Officer and Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information will host an online discussion on April 24th at 2 p.m EDT. Molly will highlight the agency's National Dialogue on Access to Environmental Information and take ideas for improving access, including suggestions to improve EPA's homepage (for more information: http://www.epa.gov/askepa).

TERP Awards Over $1.7 Million to Help Clean the Air

Texas has awarded over $1.7 million in rebates to eight North Texas-based companies to replace 19 aging diesel vehicles under the Texas Emissions Reduction Program (TERP). By upgrading to newer, less polluting vehicles these companies will prevent a combined total of 179 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from polluting North Texas skies.

"By participating in TERP these companies are helping us to achieve our goal of replacing 4,500 older diesel engines," said Leslie Rauscher, EPA Project Manager. "TERP can assist local businesses stay competitive while helping clean up the air.”

The $30 million allocated to the rebate grants under this funding cycle has been awarded, but there is still time to apply for the Emissions Reduction Incentive Grants (ERIG) with $110 million to award. The application deadline is April 11, 2008. Individual application assistance is available at local TERP Community Help Desks. For information visit http://www.terpgrants.org/ or call (800) 919-8377.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and a host of other North Texas partners to upgrade or replace older trucks and equipment as a way to improve air quality in the nine county area. The Texas Emissions Reduction Program, approved by the Texas Legislature, serves as a national model for replacing and retrofitting older diesel engines. The TCEQ manages the TERP program.

See the Source:
EPA Region 6

diesel pollution

$5.4 Million Available to Cut Diesel Pollution in Northeast and Caribbean

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making nearly $5.4 million in grants available for clean diesel projects under the 2008 Northeast Diesel Collaborative (NEDC) program to reduce harmful diesel pollution. Projects may include a variety of diesel emissions reductions solutions such as add-on emission control retrofit technologies; idle reduction technologies; cleaner fuel use; engine repowers; engine upgrades; vehicle or equipment replacement; and the creation of innovative finance programs to fund diesel emissions reduction projects. All projects must benefit the air quality in the geographic areas that include Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Vermont; and Tribal lands belonging to the federally recognized Indian tribes in these regions. The deadline for applying is June 12, 2008.

“Reducing the emissions of particle pollution is a crucial component of EPA’s strategy for cleaner air and healthier Americans,” said Alan J. Steinberg, EPA Regional Administrator. “These funds allow us to complement regulatory efforts, like our new rule to dramatically reduce emissions from diesel powered locomotives and marine engines, announced last week. The Northeast Diesel Collaborative is part of EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign, which includes the grant program announced today and works to clean up diesels that are already on our roads and rails, at our construction sites and in our harbors."

Funding under the NEDC emissions reduction grant program supports projects that significantly reduce tons of diesel pollution produced, particularly from fleets operating in areas designated by the Administrator as poor air quality areas. The program reduces pollution from heavy duty diesel vehicles and equipment that are currently used on the road or off the road, such as for construction or farming. Eligible vehicles, engines and equipment may include but are not limited to: buses; medium-duty or heavy-duty trucks; marine engines; locomotives; and nonroad engines or vehicles used in construction; handling or cargo (including at a port or airport); agriculture; mining; or energy production.

EPA is accepting proposals for funding from regional, state, local or tribal agencies or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality. Proposals will also be accepted from nonprofit organizations or institutions that represent or provide pollution reduction or educational services to persons or organizations that own or operate diesel fleets or that have, as their principal purpose, the promotion of transportation or air quality. School districts, municipalities, metropolitan planning organizations, cities and counties are all eligible provided that they fall within the definition above.

EPA will host two Question and Answer sessions via teleconference on April 10 from 10:00 am to 12 noon and May 7 from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM to answer questions and provide additional information about this funding competition. The call-in number for both sessions is: 866-299-3188. Enter Conference Code: 212 637 3745 #.

For more information, including a copy of the Request for Proposals, please visit: http://www.northeastdiesel.org/ or contact Matt Laurita (212) 637-3895.

See the Source:

North East Diesel

Find out:

How to reduce diesel emissions using diesel particulate filters

Half Measures and Compromises Are Not Good Enough

Statement of Bernadette Toomey, President and Chief Executive Officer
American Lung Association: March 12, 2008

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a critical tightening of the health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. We wish we could be happier about this decision, but we cannot. The standard announced today, although an improvement, falls far short of the requirements of the Clean Air Act. We are unable to celebrate half measures when the risks are so evident, when the science and the scientists are so united about what is needed and when the missed opportunity means that thousands will suffer more and die sooner than they should. Furthermore, we reject the suggestions made by the Administrator to weaken and undermine the Clean Air Act itself. Coming from the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, such suggestions are truly outrageous.

Certainly, today’s decision on the health-based standard opens a welcome new phase in the attack against the most widespread air pollutant in the nation—and among the most dangerous. A tighter ozone standard sets in motion new steps to clean up air pollution. The ozone standard the EPA adopted strengthens the protection for millions of Americans from the air pollutant often known as smog. Yet, by stopping far short of the mark, the EPA action today denies millions more the protection they deserve from their government.

Ozone smog threatens the health of infants, children, seniors, and people who have asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and other lung diseases. For these people, breathing smog-polluted air can make them cough and wheeze, restrict their airways, worsen their diseases, force them to the hospital and even kill them. Even healthy young adults and people who exercise or work outdoors can suffer from high levels of ozone pollution.

Today’s decision means that millions of Americans will not get the protection that the law requires. According to the nation’s landmark air pollution law, the Clean Air Act, the EPA must set our air quality standards at levels that protect the health of the public, including children, older people, and people who suffer from chronic lung diseases. The EPA’s own expert scientific advisors unanimously recommended a stronger standard that would provide much more protection—advice the Agency ignored. Sixteen major medical societies and public health organizations—including the American Lung Association—repeatedly urged the EPA to follow the overwhelming evidence for a truly protective standard. Our recommendations also went unheeded.

Instead of following the law, the Administrator has proposed, incredibly enough, dismantling the core principles that are embodied in the Clean Air Act—legal requirements that have enabled us to reduce deadly forms of air pollution. The Administrator offers to play “pick your poison” with public health, allowing the state and local governments to determine which pollutants to ignore and which to clean up. The Clean Air Act recognized these pollutants as the national priority because they were the most widespread and dangerous. The Act assigned the EPA Administrator the responsibility to set standards to protect the health of all of the public from these pollutants, not just some people, and required the states and local governments to reduce the burden of all these pollutants, not just some of them. History has shown that when communities pick and chose who gets protected, those left behind, exposed to the worst, are usually the weak, the young, the old and those who face life-threatening disease. The Administrator cannot promote such discrimination.

Basic to those principles is the requirement that the national ambient air quality standards protect public health with an adequate margin of safety. The Supreme Court unanimously confirmed that protecting public health be the sole basis for the Administrator’s decision on a standard. History has shown that principle to be sound. The Administrator proposes to change the Clean Air Act to violate that principle. That is completely unacceptable.

Despite arguments from polluters, thirty years of evidence shows that protecting public health has not harmed the economy—nor is it likely to do so in the future. We would encourage the Administrator to read his own website to see the EPA chart documenting that we’ve been able to cut emissions by half while the economy soared.

Given the real dangers to the most vulnerable members of each of our families, EPA’s decisions today represent a compromise the public can ill afford. The Agency moved closer to the need but not only failed to follow the law, the Agency is now supporting fundamentally weakening the Clean Air Act itself.

See the Source:

American Lung Association

EPA Strengthens Smog Standards to Better Protect Public Health and the Environment

Announcement by the EPA: 03-12-08

EPA today met its requirements of the Clean Air Act by signing the most stringent 8-hour standard ever for ozone, revising the standards for the first time in more than a decade. The agency based the changes on the most recent scientific evidence about the effects of ozone, the primary component of smog.

“America’s air is cleaner today than it was a generation ago. By meeting the requirement of the Clean Air Act and strengthening the national standard for ozone, EPA is keeping our clean air progress moving forward,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

The new primary 8-hour standard is 0.075 parts per million (ppm) and the new secondary standard is set at a form and level identical to the primary standard. The previous primary and secondary standards were identical 8-hour standards, set at 0.08 ppm. Because ozone is measured out to three decimal places, the standard effectively became 0.084 ppm: areas with ozone levels as high as 0.084 ppm were considered as meeting the 0.08 ppm standard, because of rounding.

In announcing the new ozone standard Administrator Johnson also announced that he will be sending Congress four principles to guide legislative changes to the Clean Air Act.

“The Clean Air Act is not a relic to be displayed in the Smithsonian, but a living document that must be modernized to continue realizing results. So while the standards I signed today may be strict, we have a responsibility to overhaul and enhance the Clean Air Act to ensure it translates from paper promises into cleaner air,” Johnson concluded.

The four principles outlined by the administrator recommend that the Clean Air Act and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); 1) must protect the public health and improve the overall well-being of our citizens; 2) should allow decision-makers to consider benefits, costs, risk tradeoffs, and feasibility in making decisions about how to clean the air; 3) should provide greater accountability and effective enforcement to ensure not only paper requirements but also air quality requirements are met, especially in areas with the furthest to go in meeting our standards; 4) should allow the schedule for addressing NAAQS standards to be driven by the available science and the prioritization of health and environmental concerns, taking into account the multi-pollutant nature of air pollution. While the administrator stated that these changes are needed to modernize the Clean Air Act, the nation will still benefit from the new standard.

The United States has made significant progress reducing ground-level ozone across the country. Since 1980, ozone levels have dropped 21 percent as EPA, states and local governments have worked together to improve the quality of the nation’s air. EPA expects improvement to continue, as a result of landmark regulations such as the Clean Air Interstate Rule, to reduce emissions from power plants in the East, and the Clean Diesel Program, to reduce emissions from highway, nonroad and stationary diesel engines nationwide.

Ozone can harm people’s lungs, and EPA is particularly concerned about individuals with asthma or other lung diseases, as well as those who spend a lot of time outside, such as children. Ozone exposure can aggravate asthma, resulting in increased medication use and emergency room visits, and it can increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.

Ground-level ozone is not emitted directly into the air, but forms when emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) “cook” in the sun. Power plants, motor vehicle exhaust, industrial facilities, gasoline vapors and chemical solvents are the major human-made sources of these emissions. EPA estimates that the final standards will yield health benefits valued between $2 billion and $19 billion.

Those benefits include preventing cases of bronchitis, aggravated asthma, hospital and emergency room visits, nonfatal heart attacks and premature death, among others. EPA’s Regulatory Impact analysis shows that benefits are likely greater than the cost of implementing the standards. Cost estimates range from $7.6 billion to $8.5 billion. EPA selected the levels for the final standards after reviewing more than 1,700 peer-reviewed scientific studies about the effects of ozone on public health and welfare, and after considering advice from the agency’s external scientific advisors and staff, along with public comment. EPA held five public hearings and received nearly 90,000 written comments.

As part of today’s action, EPA also has updated the Air Quality Index (AQI) for ozone to reflect the change in the health standard. The AQI is EPA’s color-coded tool for communicating daily air quality to the public.

See the Source:

EPA - Revised Standards

Clean Air Act

EPA Seeks Public Comment on U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a draft annual report that analyzes sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The report, Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, will be open for public comment for 30 days after the Federal Register notice is published.

The major finding in this year's draft report is that overall emissions during 2006 decreased by 1.5 percent from the previous year. This decrease was due primarily to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. Total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2006 were about 7,202 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. These gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Overall, emissions have grown by 14.1 percent from 1990 to 2006 while the U.S. economy has grown by 59 percent over the same period.

The inventory tracks annual greenhouse gas emissions at the national level and presents historical emissions from 1990 to 2006. The inventory also calculates carbon dioxide emissions that are removed from the atmosphere by "sinks," e.g., through the uptake of carbon by forests, vegetation, and soils.

EPA prepares the annual report in collaboration with experts from multiple federal agencies. After responding to public comments, the U.S. government will submit the final inventory report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, fulfilling its annual requirement as a party to this international treaty on climate change. The UNFCCC treaty, ratified by the United States in 1992, sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

See the Source:
EPA - information on the draft report and how to submit public comments

EPA Knows More About Children's Health Today Than Ever

New Report Highlights 10 Years of Comprehensive Research

EPA knows more now than ever about children's environmental health and how to create a healthier environment for children. This is the result of a 10-year research effort on children's environmental health highlighted in a new report issued today.

"Understanding potential environmental health risks to children is important to EPA," said George Gray, assistant administrator of EPA's Office of Research and Development. "This research will help us assess and address environmental factors that may affect some of the most vulnerable members of our society."

The report, "A Decade of Children's Environmental Health: Highlights from EPA's Science to Achieve Results Program" focuses on 10 years of research funded or performed by EPA's National Center for Environmental Research's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants program.

Some of the major findings of this research include:
- People metabolize pesticides differently based on their genotype; some faster, others slower. This finding is of particular concern during pregnancy, as many babies do not develop the ability to metabolize some pesticides during the first two years of life, putting them at greater risks of health effects.
- Children living close to major roadways in Southern California have a higher risk of asthma.
- EPA’s ban on two household pesticides (diazinon and chlorpyrifos) resulted in a rapid decrease in exposures in New York City. Children born after the ban were also healthier.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) can be effectively implemented in urban areas to reduce both pesticide and allergen triggers.
- Community partners play a critical role in informing, implementing, and translating children’s environmental health research.

The 1997 Federal Executive Order, "Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks," mandated all federal agencies to place a high priority on identifying and assessing risks to children. In 1998, the STAR program, which funds and supports human health, economics, ecology and engineering sciences, launched its own children's health initiative. To date, the program has awarded more than 60 grants and issued more than 10 research solicitations.

The report summarizes research from the STAR children's health program over the past 10 years, highlighting scientific findings in epidemiology, exposure science, genetics, community-based participatory research, interventions, statistics and methods. This body of work has impacted policy in the United States and influenced scientific directions internationally.

See the Source:

EPA - A Decade of Children's Environmental Health

environment

New Web Multimedia Portal Launched on EPA.gov

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today launched its new web multimedia portal: www.epa.gov/multimedia. The multimedia portal is EPA’s one-stop location for environmental video, audio/podcasts, and photography.

The portal also includes interactive features such as “Ask EPA” and the Deputy Administrator's blog, “Flow of the River”. Another feature called "EPA in Action" goes behind-the-scenes; following the diverse jobs performed by the EPA workforce and examines some of the most pressing environmental issues facing our nation today.

Viewing video is integrated into the site using flash player, while photos of events and EPA work will be posted in a series of online galleries. Users may also subscribe to several podcast series or select from a number of individual podcasts featuring EPA experts and senior officials.

This new multimedia portal is an important resource for the public, journalists, academia, local governments and the environmental community. The portal will help increase awareness of important news items through an intuitive, media-rich focus, rather than through traditional electronic print.

environment

Stanford Scientist Produces First-Ever Study Linking Increased Mortality Specifically to Carbon Dioxide Emissions

A Stanford scientist has spelled out for the first time the direct links between increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and increases in human mortality, using a state-of-the-art computer model of the atmosphere that incorporates scores of physical and chemical environmental processes. The new findings, to be published in Geophysical Research Letters, come to light just after the Environmental Protection Agency's recent ruling against states setting specific emission standards for this greenhouse gas based in part on the lack of data showing the link between carbon dioxide emissions and their health effects.

While it has long been known that carbon dioxide emissions contribute to climate change, the new study details how for each increase of 1 degree Celsius caused by carbon dioxide, the resulting air pollution would lead annually to about a thousand additional deaths and many more cases of respiratory illness and asthma in the United States, according to the paper by Mark Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. Worldwide, upward of 20,000 air-pollution-related deaths per year per degree Celsius may be due to this greenhouse gas.

"This is a cause and effect relationship, not just a correlation," said Jacobson of his study, which on Dec. 24 was accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters. "The study is the first specifically to isolate carbon dioxide's effect from that of other global-warming agents and to find quantitatively that chemical and meteorological changes due to carbon dioxide itself increase mortality due to increased ozone, particles and carcinogens in the air."

Jacobson said that the research has particular implications for California. This study finds that the effects of carbon dioxide's warming are most significant where the pollution is already severe. Given that California is home to six of the 10 U.S. cities with the worst air quality, the state is likely to bear an increasingly disproportionate burden of death if no new restrictions are placed on carbon dioxide emissions.

On Dec. 19, the Environmental Protection Agency denied California and 16 other states a waiver that would have allowed the states to set their own emission standards for carbon dioxide, which are not currently regulated. The EPA denied the waiver partly on the grounds that no special circumstances existed to warrant an exception for the states.

Stephen L. Johnson, the EPA administrator, was widely quoted as saying that California's petition was denied because the state had failed to prove the "extraordinary and compelling conditions" required to qualify for a waiver. While previous published research has focused on the global effect on pollution—but not health—of all the greenhouse gases combined, the EPA noted that, under the Clean Air Act, it has to be shown that there is a reasonable anticipation of a specific pollutant endangering public health in the United States for the agency to regulate that pollutant.

Jacobson's paper offers concrete evidence that California is facing a particularly dire situation if carbon dioxide emissions increase. "With six of the 10 most polluted cities in the nation being in California, that alone creates a special circumstance for the state," he said, explaining that the health-related effects of carbon dioxide emissions are most pronounced in areas that already have significant pollution. As such, increased warming due to carbon dioxide will worsen people's health in those cities at a much faster clip than elsewhere in the nation.

According to Jacobson, more than 30 percent of the 1,000 excess deaths (mean death rate value) due to each degree Celsius increase caused by carbon dioxide occurred in California, which has a population of about 12 percent of the United States. This indicates a much higher effect of carbon-dioxide-induced warming on California health than that of the nation as a whole.
Jacobson added that much of the population of the United States already has been directly affected by climate change through the air they have inhaled over the last few decades and that, of course, the health effects would grow worse if temperatures continue to rise.

Jacobson's work stands apart from previous research in that it uses a computer model of the atmosphere that takes into account many feedbacks between climate change and air pollution not considered in previous studies. Developed by Jacobson over the last 18 years, it is considered by many to be the most complex and complete atmospheric model worldwide. It incorporates principles of gas and particle emissions and transport, gas chemistry, particle production and evolution, ocean processes, soil processes, and the atmospheric effects of rain, winds, sunlight, heat and clouds, among other factors.

For this study, Jacobson used the computer model to determine the amounts of ozone and airborne particles that result from temperature increases caused by increases in carbon dioxide emissions. Ozone causes and worsens respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, emphysema and asthma, and many published studies have associated increased ozone with higher mortality. "[Ozone] is a very corrosive gas; it erodes rubber and statues," Jacobson said. "It cracks tires. So you can imagine what it does to your lungs in high enough concentrations." Particles are responsible for cardiovascular and respiratory illness and asthma.

Jacobson arrived at his results of the impact of carbon dioxide globally and, at higher resolution, over the United States by modeling the changes that would occur when all current human and natural gas and particle emissions were considered versus considering all such emissions except human-emitted carbon dioxide.

Jacobson simultaneously calculated the effects of increasing temperatures on pollution. He observed two important effects:

- Higher temperatures due to carbon dioxide increased the chemical rate of ozone production in urban areas.
- Increased water vapor due to carbon dioxide-induced higher temperatures boosted chemical ozone production even more in urban areas.

Interestingly, neither effect was so important under the low-pollution conditions typical of rural regions, though other factors, such as higher organic gas emissions from vegetation, affected ozone in low-pollution areas. Higher emissions of organic gases also increased the quantity of particles in the air, as organic gases can chemically react to form particles.

And in general, where there was an increase in water vapor, particles that were present became more deadly, as they swelled from absorption of water. "That added moisture allows other gases to dissolve in the particles—certain acid gases, like nitric acid, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid," Jacobson said. That increases the toxicity of the particles, which are already a harmful component of air pollution.

Jacobson also found that air temperatures rose more rapidly due to carbon dioxide than did ground temperatures, changing the vertical temperature profile, which decreased pollution dispersion, thereby concentrating particles near where they formed.

In the final stage of the study, Jacobson used the computer model to factor in the spatially varying population of the United States with the health effects that have been demonstrated to be associated with the aforementioned pollutants.

"The simulations accounted for the changes in ozone and particles through chemistry, transport, clouds, emissions and other processes that affect pollution," Jacobson said. "Carbon dioxide definitely caused these changes, because that was the only input that was varied."

"Ultimately, you inhale a greater abundance of deleterious chemicals due to carbon dioxide and the climate change associated with it, and the link appears quite solid," he said. "The logical next step is to reduce carbon dioxide: That would reduce its warming effect and improve the health of people in the U.S. and around the world who are currently suffering from air pollution health problems associated with it."

See the Source:

Stanford News Source

Ultrafine Particles in Air Pollution May Cause Heart Disease

Patients prone to heart disease may one day be told by physicians to avoid not only fatty foods and smoking but air pollution too.

A new academic study led by UCLA researchers has revealed that the smallest particles from vehicle emissions may be the most damaging components of air pollution in triggering plaque buildup in the arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. The findings appear in the Jan. 17 online edition of the journal Circulation Research.

The scientists identified a way in which pollutant particles may promote hardening of the arteries -- by inactivating the protective qualities of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, known as "good" cholesterol.

A multicampus team from UCLA, the University of Southern California, the University of California, Irvine, and Michigan State University contributed to the research, which was led by Dr. Andre Nel, UCLA's chief of nanomedicine. The study was primarily funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

"It appears that the smallest air pollutant particles, which are the most abundant in an urban environment, are the most toxic," said first author Dr. Jesus Araujo, assistant professor of medicine and director of environmental cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "This is the first study that demonstrates the ability of nano-sized air pollutants to promote atherosclerosis in an animal model."

Nanoparticles are the size of a virus or molecule -- roughly 0.18 micrometers, or about one-thousandth the size of a human hair. The EPA currently regulates fine particles, which are the next size up, at 2.5 micrometers, but doesn't monitor particles in the nano or ultrafine range. These particles are too small to capture in a filter, so new technology must be developed to track their contribution to adverse health effects.

"We hope our findings offer insight into the impact of nano-sized air pollutant particles and help explore ways for stricter air quality regulatory guidelines," said Nel, principal investigator and a researcher at UCLA's California NanoSystems Institute.

Nel added that the consequences of air pollution on cardiovascular health may be similar to the hazards of secondhand smoke.

Pollution particles emitted by vehicles and other combustion sources contain a high concentration of organic chemicals that could be released deep into the lungs or even spill over into the systemic circulation.

The UCLA research team previously reported that diesel exhaust particles interact with artery-clogging fats in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to activate genes that cause the blood-vessel inflammation that can lead to heart disease.

In the current study, researchers exposed mice with high cholesterol to one of two sizes of air pollutant particles from downtown Los Angeles freeway emissions and compared them with mice that received filtered air that contained very few particles.

The study, conducted over a five-week period, required a complex exposure design that was developed by teams led by Dr. Michael Kleinman, professor of community and environmental medicine at UC Irvine, and Dr. Constantinos Sioutas, professor of civil and environmental engineering at USC.

Researchers found that mice exposed to ultrafine particles exhibited 55 percent greater atherosclerotic-plaque development than animals breathing filtered air and 25 percent greater plaque development than mice exposed to fine-sized particles.

"This suggests that ultrafine particles are the more toxic air pollutants in promoting events leading to cardiovascular disease," Araujo said.

Pollutant particles are coated in chemicals sensitive to free radicals, which cause the cell and tissue damage known as oxidation. Oxidation leads to the inflammation that causes clogged arteries. Samples from polluted air revealed that ultrafine particles have a larger concentration of these chemicals and a larger surface area where these chemicals thrive, compared with larger particles, Sioutas noted.

"Ultrafine particles may deliver a much higher effective dose of injurious components, compared with larger pollutant particles," Nel said.

Scientists also identified a key mechanism behind how these air pollutants are able to affect the atherosclerotic process. Using a test developed by Dr. Mohamad Navab, study co-author and a UCLA professor of medicine, researchers found that exposure to air pollutant particles reduced the anti-inflammatory protective properties of HDL cholesterol.

"HDL normally helps reduce the vascular inflammation that is part of the atherosclerotic process," said Dr. Jake Lusis, study co-author and a UCLA professor of cardiology, human genetics and microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics. "Surprisingly, we found that exposure to air pollutant particles, and especially the ultrafine size, significantly decreased the positive effects of HDL."

To explore if air particle exposure caused oxidative stress throughout the body - which is an early process triggering the inflammation that causes clogged arteries -- researchers checked for an increase in genes that would have been activated to combat this inflammatory progression.

"We found greater levels of gene activation in mice exposed to ultrafine particles, compared to the other groups," Lusis said. "Our next step will be to develop a biomarker that could enable physicians to assess the degree of cardiovascular damage caused by air pollutants or measure the level of risk encountered by an exposed person."

Researchers added that previous studies assessing the cardiovascular impact of air pollution have taken place over longer periods of exposure time, such as five to six months. The current study demonstrated that ill effects can occur more quickly, in just five weeks.

"Further study will pinpoint critical chemical and toxic properties of ultrafine particles that may affect humans," Nel said.

See the Source:
University of California

Find out:
How to decrease diesel particulate pollution using diesel particulate filters.

Improving Public Health and the Environment for Local Communities is Just a Click Away

A new EPA Web site features dozens of projects that local communities can do to help make the air cleaner and healthier to breathe. The "Improving Air Quality in Your Community" Web site features activities for reducing both indoor and outdoor pollution, including diesel engine retrofit programs, improving air quality in local schools, and pollution prevention options for small businesses. These projects have a successful track record: they were previously put into action by state and local governments across the country. This site includes information about the costs to establish and maintain each project, and how local communities can apply for EPA grants to kick-start their activities.

See the Source:

EPA - Improving Air Quality in Your Community

Find out:

How to decrease diesel particulate pollution on backup generators at local schools and small businesses.

More Renewable Fuel Headed for Your Tank

EPA is raising the 2008 renewable fuels standard (RFS), which determines how much non-petroleum fuel will power your vehicle, to 7.76 percent. The move is in response to the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which President Bush signed in December.

Last November, EPA announced a RFS of 4.66 percent, based on previous law, that mandated at least 5.4 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into the nation's transportation fuels this year. However, EPA is now increasing the standard to 7.76 percent to comply with the new minimum of 9.0 billion gallons of renewable fuel that EISA requires.

EISA increases the overall volume of renewable fuels that must be blended each year, reaching 36 billion gallons in 2022. To achieve these volumes, EPA annually calculates the percentage-based standard, which applies to refiners, importers and non-oxygenate blenders of gasoline.

Based on the standard, each of these parties determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel that it must use. The RFS program creates new markets for farm products, increases energy security, and promotes the development of advanced technologies that would expand the production of renewable fuels.

See the Source:
EPA - Renewable Fuels

energy

Virginia Joins Federal Clean Energy Program

This week Virginia joined 15 other states as part of EPA's Clean Energy-Environment State Partnership to help address climate change.

California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah are already working with EPA to develop and carry out comprehensive strategies for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy.

This partnership aims to improve air quality and the environment while reducing energy costs and helping states achieve their economic goals. The 16 partner states represent 55 percent of U.S. population and energy consumption, and nearly 50 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the Partnership Program, launched in February 2005, partner states agree to develop and implement a state-specific Clean Energy-Environment State Action Plan that contains one or more clean energy-environment goals. Virginia will harness the power of the partnership to advance the goals of their recently released energy plan.

EPA provides partner states with access to a comprehensive assistance package of planning, policy, technical, analytical and information resources, and works to establish connections to other federal programs that support clean energy-environment strategies. Partners also benefit by learning from the federal government and other states about successful programs and policies at work, like Energy Star. EPA recognizes these states as environmental and clean energy leaders, commending them for the environmental benefits that result from their efforts. This work helps states plan to meet their energy policy goals and implement energy efficiency programs.

See the Source:

EPA - Clean Energy-Environment State Partnerships

Communities Reduce Smog Ahead of Schedule

EPA plans to designate 13 areas as attaining the 1997 8-hour ozone standard under Early Action Compact agreements. EPA is proposing this action because each of the areas has demonstrated that they attained the standard by Dec. 31, 2007.

Early Action Compacts give certain local areas the flexibility to develop their own approach to meeting the 8-hour ozone standard, provided the communities control emissions from local sources earlier than the Clean Air Act would otherwise require. For areas that do not meet the ozone standard, attainment dates range from 2009-2021, depending upon the severity of the ozone problem.

The 13 Early Action Compact areas that have attained the 8-hour ozone standard are:
- Frederick County/Winchester, Va. Roanoke, Va.
- Washington County/Hagerstown, Md.
- Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, W.Va.
- Hickory area, N.C.
- Greensboro area, N.C.
- Fayetteville, N.C.
- Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, S.C.
- Columbia area, S.C.
- Chattanooga area, Tenn.
- Nashville area, Tenn.
- Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol area, Tenn.
- San Antonio area, Texas

EPA has been working with these areas to reduce ground-level ozone, or smog, as quickly as possible. Together with EPA, these communities entered into agreements called Early Action Compacts. The Early Action Compacts program has provided a strong incentive for state and local governments, civic leaders and business to develop innovative, cost-effective strategies for improving ozone air quality that are tailored to individual communities.

By reducing pollution ahead of schedule, these communities are bringing sustainable health and environmental improvements to their residents sooner than would have been achieved without these agreements.

See the Source:
EPA - Early Action Compact Program

53 Fortune 500 Corporations Surpass EPA Green Power Goals

In response to EPA’s nationwide challenge issued in December 2006, 53 Fortune 500 corporations are now collectively purchasing more than six billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually. These purchases surpassed the goals set by EPA’s Green Power Partnership by 130 percent and equal the avoided carbon dioxide emissions of more than 570 million gallons of gasoline each year or the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power nearly 670,000 average American homes annually.

“EPA applauds our Fortune 500 partners for protecting our environment by purchasing green power,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “By voluntarily shifting to renewable energy, EPA’s environmental partners are proving you don’t need to wait for a signal in order to go green.”

Intel Corporation leads the group as the top buyer with a purchase of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours per year. PepsiCo is second, followed by Wells Fargo & Company, Whole Foods Market, The Pepsi Bottling Group, and Johnson & Johnson. Cisco Systems and Kohl’s Department Stores recently made sizable purchase increases to place them at seventh and eighth on the list, respectively. Rounding out the top ten green power purchases are Starbucks and DuPont Company.

EPA's Green Power Partnership works with more than 850 partner organizations to buy green power voluntarily as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use and to support the development of new, renewable generation resources nationwide. Overall, EPA Green Power Partners are buying more than 13 billion kWh of green power annually.

Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and biogas, as well as low-impact hydropower. Green power resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies and produce no net increase to greenhouse gas emissions.

Top Ten Partner Organizations in the EPA's Fortune 500 Green Power Challenge:

1. Intel Corp.

2. PepsiCo.

3. Wells Fargo & Comp.

4. Whole Foods Market

5. The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc.

6. Johnson & Johnson

7. Cisco Systems, Inc.

8. Kohl's Department Stores

9. Starbucks

10. DuPont Company

green news
energy

CleanAIR's Emissions Guidebook Keeps Air Pollution Professionals In the Know

CleanAIR Systems, a leading manufacturer of emissions control systems, has released a newly revised version of their popular Emissions and Product Guidebook. In light of the ongoing battle raging in the Supreme Court between the EPA and the California Air Resources Board (ARB) over emission regulations, the Guidebook provides a timely and necessary resource of regulatory information geared towards air pollution professionals, environmental and engineering consultants, as well as engine equipment dealers.

The hyperlinked 80-page PDF e-book is distributed as a no-cost service to qualifying companies and consultants, offering up-to-date air quality information based mainly on emissions standards for stationary engines and off-road vehicles. Compiled as an all-in-one resource, the Emissions and Product Guidebook places state and federal information at hand, when quick answers to tough questions are required.

Including easy-to-read emissions charts along with several new sections, the Guidebook offers the following:
- California Air Resources Board (CARB) - Current regulatory information, emissions summary charts, a directory of Air Quality Agencies and resource links
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Nonroad and stationary regulatory information, emissions summary charts, resource links
- A glossary of terms for emissions control technology
- FAQs related to emissions control
- Buyer’s FAQs/Buyer’s Checklist – points to be aware of when purchasing emissions control products
- An extensive abbreviation and acronym directory
- Links to funding resources
- European Union (EU) - Current regulations
- Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) – Links to regulations and resources
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) - Links to regulations and resources
- New Jersey Division of Environmental Protection – Division of Air Quality (NJDEP) - Links to regulations and resources
- Emissions control product information from CleanAIR Systems

Since its October 2007 release, over 2,000 copies of the Emissions and Product Guidebook have been downloaded by air pollution professionals.

“Thank you very much for sending me the revised edition. I found the first edition to be very helpful, full of good information and a valuable reference tool.”
T. Stewart
Advanced Global Engineering

To request a copy of the newly revised Guidebook, consultants and equipment dealers can go to http://www.cleanairsys.com/emissionsguide/contact.asp or send an email request to information@cleanairsys.com

About CleanAIR Systems:
CleanAIR Systems is a technology-based corporation manufacturing emissions control systems with worldwide distribution. Their products are designed to control air pollution such as diesel particulate matter and NOx, for on- and off-road vehicles, as well as stationary machinery and power generation. Visit CleanAIR Systems online at http://www.cleanairsys.com/.

EPA Widens Window on Regulatory Process

EPA is sharing more information about ways the public can get involved in environmental regulation.

The agency has added new features to one of its most popular Web sites for environmental regulatory information. This site – titled "Laws, Regulations, Guidance and Dockets" - is often the public's first exposure to EPA's regulatory activities. Its user-friendliness has been enhanced with easily accessible ways to search and comment on EPA regulations and significant guidance documents, and to learn how environmental regulations are written. The site also includes new sections for finding regulations and related documents, plus regulatory history, statutory authority, supporting analyses, compliance information, and guidance for implementation. Also, for the first time, searches for regulatory information can be conducted by environmental topics, such as water or air, or by business sectors, such as transportation or construction.

The new site is easily accessible from EPA's homepage and can be found by choosing "Laws, Regulations, Guidance & Dockets" from the left-hand navigation bar at www.epa.gov/lawsregs/

air pollution
emission standards

ARB Fights Back Against EPA with Statistics

On the heels of the next Supreme Court battle being waged by states and proponants of stricter regulations to control greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cars, the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has release a report comparing GHG reductions under the national CAFE standards to reductions that would be made under the proposed ARB regulations (AB 1493). The report was issued due to an unsupported claim made by USEPA administrator, Steven Johnson that California's vehicle GHG rules are less effective than recently adopted national CAFE standards. ARB staff analyzed both standards and prepared their own evaluation.

The study calculates the two programs using an "apples-to-apples" comparison of total tons of GHG emissions reduced under CAFE standards versus the projected reduction of emissions if the ARB ruling was fully implemented.

The following results are from the Executive Summary:
- In calendar year 2016, our State standards will reduce California’s GHG emissions by 17 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide. This is more than double the 8 MMT reduction produced by the federal rules.

- By 2020, California is committed to implement revised, more stringent GHG emission limits. These increase the stringency of the current rules and would reduce California GHG emissions by 33 MMTs of carbon dioxide, 74 percent more than the 19 MMTs from the federal rules in 2020.

- ARB analysis estimates the effects of the federal CAFE standards on GHG emission rates. This allows a comparison of the impact of the two programs on vehicle efficiency. Since the California rules are significantly more effective at reducing GHGs than the Federal CAFE program, they also yield a better fuel efficiency – roughly 44 mpg in 2020 for the California vehicle fleet as compared to the new CAFE standard of 35 mpg.

- The cumulative benefits of our standards have also been estimated. Between 2009 and 2016, the California standards will prevent emissions of 58 MMTs of CO2. This is almost three times the 20 MMTs expected if only the new federal CAFE standards were implemented. By 2020, the full California rules would prevent 167 MMT of CO2 emissions, more than twice the 76 MMTs reductions of CO2 expected if only the federal standards were implemented.

- There are also significant benefits for the other states that adopt the California standards. Twelve states have done so to date. In those states in 2020, California’s more stringent limits will reduce GHG emissions in those states by 59 MMTs of carbon dioxide, a 59 percent improvement over the federal standards in 2020.

Benefits to California:
- In calendar year 2016, California standards will reduce GHG emissions from cars in California by 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide more than the federal CAFE standard. This is more than double the reduction produced by the federal standard.

- By 2020, California will have implemented revised, more stringent GHG emission limits, as set forth in its Climate Action Plan. As a result of these new requirements GHG emissions will be reduced by almost 14 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (77 percent) more than the federal standard in 2020.

- There has been interest in how the California and Federal emission standards compare. For illustration purposes only, ARB has converted the federal fuel economy standards to greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide) emissions and assumed a proportional increase of the CAFE standard between 2011 and 2020, when its standard reaches 35 mpg.

- The California standard is significantly more effective at reducing greenhouse gases than the new Federal standard, yielding an equivalent fuel economy of 44 mpg by 2020 as compared to the new CAFE standard of 35 mpg.

- The California standard is 16% more stringent for 2016 models, and 18% more stringent for 2020 models, when the planned second phase of California’s standards is in place.

Benefits to Other States that Adopt the ARB Program:
- California consumed 11.5 percent of the motor vehicle gasoline in 2005 as compared to 21 percent for the 12 states that have adopted the regulation. In sum, these thirteen states consumed about one-third of the nation’s motor vehicle gasoline in 2005.

- In calendar year 2016, adopting California standards will reduce GHG emissions from cars in twelve states by 13 million metric tons of carbon dioxide more than the federal CAFE standard. This is 79 percent greater than the reduction produced by the federal standard.

- By 2020, states adopting California’s proposed more stringent GHG emission limits would reduce GHG emissions by 22 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (59 percent) more than the federal standard in 2020.

To read the full report, go to: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/ccms/ab1493_v_cafe_study.pdf

emission standards
environmental news

EPA to Surrender All Documents on CA Waiver Decision

Congress to Determine Whether Johnson Ignored His Legal and Technical Staff

Washington, DC — In response to congressional demands, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is assembling all documents relating to Administrator’s Stephen Johnson’s controversial December 19th announcement blocking California and 16 other states from controlling greenhouse gases, according to an all employee e-mail released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Johnson’s own immediate staff will provide “any records presenting options, recommendations, 'pros and cons,' legal issues or risks, political implications or considerations, or any other record” to investigators.

On December 20, 2007, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chair of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, wrote Johnson asking him to “immediately initiate record collection, and to preserve all potentially relevant records.” The letter cites media reports that Johnson “overrode the recommendations of your technical and legal staff in making this decision.”

Although Johnson’s decision on the request by California and other states to regulate greenhouse gases from automobiles was supposed to have been the product of months of legal and scientific deliberation, Johnson hastily called a press conference at 6:30 pm to cite the energy bill signed just that morning as the principal basis for his veto of state action. Senator Boxer in her letter characterized Johnson’s “two-page letter denying the waiver [as] devoid of any legal or technical analysis.”

The surrender of the EPA staff recommendations to Congress sets up an unusual autopsy of the behind-the-scenes factors for an executive branch decision— presumably a decision that had been cleared by the White House. Since the tenure of the administration’s first EPA Administrator, Christie Todd Whitman, agency policy on global warming has been set directly by Vice President Cheney and the White House.

“What made Johnson’s decision so striking is that for months he said he was basing it on the scientific and legal merits and then did the precise opposite,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, whose organization has been contacted by outraged EPA employees. "One employee told me ‘I am ashamed to admit that I work at EPA’ and another asked ‘What am I supposed to tell my children when they ask me what I am doing to fight global warming?' ”

Johnson has refused to attend a field hearing of Sen. Boxer’s committee slated for January 10, 2008 in Los Angeles. When Johnson does finally appear before Congress it promises to be highly contentious.

“To his own staff, Johnson’s tenure has been nothing short of appalling, ranking him with Anne Gorsuch Burford, who ended her turbulent tenure under President Reagan by resigning in disgrace, as the worst leader in EPA’s history,” Ruch added. “EPA under Johnson has become a major impediment to moving the country forward on the challenge of global warming.”

See the Source:
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

air pollution
emission standards

EPA Rejects CA Vehicle Emissions Request

On Wednesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency denied 17 states, including California, the right to set their own standards for greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. The decision was handed down after almost 2 years of delay by the EPA.

The original law passed by California in 2003, required a Clean Air Act waiver from the EPA, which was filed in 2005. When no action was taken, CA was joined by 16 other states in a case that went to the Supreme Court, attempting to force the EPA to regulate GHG . Last spring the Supreme Court handed down a landmark decision stating that the EPA has the right and responsibility to regulate greenhouse gas. When the EPA made no public decision concerning the state law, California again took the agency to court in November for failure to act. With Wednesday's decision to deny states the right to control their own tailpipe emissions, CA will once again take the EPA to court.

Under the Clean Air Act, California is allowed to pass it's own emissions control regulations. During the past 30 years, California has been granted 40 waivers. Wednesday's decision was the first waiver to be denied.

See the Source:
The Daily Green
Enviro.BLR.com
The New York Times


green news
global-warming

EPA Awards Community Grants Across Country

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that around $3 million will be available in 2008 to support community-based partnerships to reduce pollution at the local level through the Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program.

EPA anticipates awarding CARE cooperative agreements in two levels. Level I cooperative agreements range from $75,000 to $100,000 and will help establish community-based partnerships to develop local environmental priorities. Level II awards, ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 each, will support communities which have established broad-based partnerships, have identified the priority toxic risks in the community, and are prepared to measure results, implement risk reduction activities, and become self-sustaining. In 2007, $3.4 million in cooperative agreements were made available to more than 20 communities through the CARE program, a community-based, community-driven program that builds partnerships to help the public understand and reduce toxic risks from numerous sources. Examples of projects include addressing abandoned, contaminated industrial and residential properties in Gary, Ind., dealing with agriculture-related toxics in Yakima County, Wash., and reducing air emissions from diesel trucks and buses in Woonsocket, R.I. Since 2005, the grants to reduce toxics in the environment have reached almost 50 communities in over 20 states.

Applications for the CARE grants are due March 17, 2008. Eligible applicants include county and local governments, tribes, non-profit organizations and universities. EPA will conduct three conference calls, Jan. 18, Feb. 11 and 27, for prospective applicants to ask questions about the application process.

See the Source:
EPA - info on CARE program, previous recipients, applying for 2008 grants

air pollution
environmental news

Rule Clarification for EPA's New Source Review Program for Industrial Facilities

EPA has issued a final rule to clarify when industrial facilities making changes to equipment or processes may need to retain records documenting their emissions even if the changes do not trigger Clean Air Act New Source Review (NSR) permitting requirements.

The rule clarifies when facilities must keep records and report emissions when a "reasonable possibility" test shows that projected emissions increases could equal or exceed 50 percent of the Clean Air Act's NSR significant levels for any pollutant. This rule does not change permitting requirements.

The "reasonable possibility" test examines the difference between a project's baseline emissions and the sum of emissions projected to result from the project and emissions attributable to independent factors such as growth in market demand.

NSR significant levels are pollutant-specific emission rates (in tons per year) that are used to determine when a project is subject to NSR permitting requirements. Today's rule will help EPA and state and tribal permitting authorities track projects, using information on emissions that could exceed significant levels.

See the Source:
EPA - New Source Review

Find out:

How to lower NOx emissions using selective catalytic reduction catalysts.

What's EPA Chief Stephen Johnson Doing in China?

Visit EPA's Trip Diary from China to view daily updates from Administrator Johnson and his staff on their trip to China for the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue. From Dec. 10 to 15, 2007, EPA's official delegation will give a first-hand account of their trip through photos and diary entries which will be posted 2-3 times per day on EPA's Web site at: http://www.epa.gov/chinadiary

This diary will be an account of the official EPA delegation's visit to China and the agency's efforts to foster global environmental cooperation through the SED. Administrator Johnson will join Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and other senior U.S. officials for the third cabinet level meeting of the SED.

This meeting will focus on integrity of trade, balanced economic development, energy conservation, financial sector reform, environmental sustainability, and advancing bilateral investment. The dialogue was launched by President Bush and President Hu in September 2006.

States Want EPA to Regulate Plane Emissions

Several states and environmental groups filed a petition last week urging the EPA to regulate GHG emissions from planes departing or landing at American airports. The states included in the petition are California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and DC.

Domestic aircraft emissions are expected to increase by 60 percent by 2005. Currently plane emissions account for 3 percent of the U.S.'s total carbon dioxide emissions.

See the Source:
SFGate.com

environment
global-warming

EPA Announces Regulatory Priorities

EPA today released its Regulatory Plan, which describes 30 of the most significant regulations it plans to issue by next October. EPA also released its Semiannual Regulatory Agenda, which describes over 300 actions under development or review, as well as those completed or withdrawn since the Spring 2007 agenda was published. For the first time, the bulk of EPA's agenda is available exclusively online rather than on paper in the Federal Register. Moving to an online agenda saves resources and provides users with a more useful, searchable mechanism for accessing regulatory information. It also helps meet e-Government objectives while saving taxpayers money by significantly reducing printing costs. (E-Government is President Bush's goal of utilizing technology to improve federal government services to citizens).

EPA recognizes that not everyone has access to the Internet, so is making printed copies of the agenda available upon request. These hardcopies are available by calling 1-800-490-9198 or by e-mailing: nscep@bps-lmit.com. (E-mail requests should include the requestor's name and address and display "Regulatory Agenda Hard Copy" in the subject line.)

See the Source:
EPA - Regulatory Plan
EPA - Regulatory Plan and Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

environment
air pollution

Up to $7 Million in Grants Adds Fuel to the Methane to Markets Partnership

On December 6th the EPA made up to $7,000,000 available through a grant solicitation for innovative international projects and activities as part of the Methane to Markets Partnership.

The agency expects to award approximately 40 cooperative grants agreements ranging from approximately $100,000 to $700,000. The Methane to Markets partnership is an international initiative to reduce global methane emissions by promoting capture-and-use projects in oil and gas systems, coal mining, landfills, and animal waste management.

EPA is requesting proposals for projects that directly identify, characterize, or implement methane capture-and-use projects. Examples include technology transfers and demonstrations, feasibility studies, training and capacity building, and databases of potential sites.

EPA seeks proposals from a wide variety of institutions, including international governments, universities, and public or private non-profit organizations to advance project development in the following Methane to Markets Partner countries: Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, and Vietnam. EPA will also consider regional proposals including other countries as long as at least one of the countries listed above is included.

The total grants cannot exceed $7 million. The estimated project period for awards is September 2008 through September 2011. Proposals are due by Feb. 22, 2008 at 4 p.m. EST.

More information about this grant: http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets/grants.htm or http://www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html#0801

emissions control