Green News: Incredible Map of World’s Forest...
Scientists have produced a first-of-its kind map of the height of the world’s forests by combining data from three NASA satellites. (more…)
CONTACT: EPA Adds More Than 6,300 Chemicals and 3,800 Unprecedented access provided for the first time WASHINGTON – As part of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s “The addition to Envirofacts will provide the American people with The Envirofacts database is EPA’s single point of access on the EPA has conducted a series of aggressive efforts to increase the More information on Envirofacts: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/ Note: If a link above doesn't work, please copy and paste the URL
View all news releases related to pesticides and toxic
Dale Kemery
kemery.dale@epa.gov
202-564-7839
202-564-4355
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2010
Chemical Facilities to Public Database
commitment to increase public access to information on chemicals, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has added more than 6,300
chemicals and 3,800 chemical facilities regulated under the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA) to a public database called Envirofacts.
unprecedented access to information about chemicals that are
manufactured in their communities,” said Steve Owens, assistant
administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention. “This is another step EPA is taking to empower the public
with information on chemicals in their communities.”
Internet for information about environmental activities that may affect
air, water and land in the U.S and provides tools for analyzing the
data. It includes facility name and address information, aerial image
of the facility and surrounding area, map location of the facility, and
links to other EPA information on the facility, such as EPA’s inspection
and compliance reports that are available through the
Enforcement Compliance History Online (ECHO) database. EPA is also
adding historic facility information for another 2,500 facilities.
public’s access to chemical information including reducing
confidentiality claims by industry and making the public portion of the
TSCA inventory available free of charge on the agency’s Web site. EPA
intends to take additional actions in the months ahead to further
increase the amount of information available to the public.
More information about EPA’s efforts on increasing transparency on
chemical information: http://www.epa.gov/oppt/
into a browser.
chemicals
CONTACT: Enesta 202-564-7873 202-564-4355
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 12,
EPA Releases Land Management
WASHINGTON - On the same day the federal government announced a comprehensive
The
EPA has
To view the
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2010
Guidance to Reduce Water
Pollution to Chesapeake Bay
strategy to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced guidance to help
federal facilities reduce their pollution to the bay. EPA is delivering
to federal land managers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed the most
effective tools and practices to reduce water pollution from a variety
of nonpoint sources, including agricultural lands, urban and suburban
areas and septic systems. This guidance to provide the technical tools
that will be needed to restore
the bay is in response to the Chesapeake Bay executive order issued by
President Obama in May 2009.
guidance provides federal land managers with the help they need to
implement the best proven tools and practices to restore and protect the
region’s waterways and the bay. The cost-effective tools and practices
outlined in the document are indicated by current scientific and
technical literature to be the most state-of-the-art approaches to
reduce water pollution from nitrogen,
phosphorus and sediment. Others in the Chesapeake Bay watershed,
including states, local governments, conservation districts, and
watershed organizations, can also benefit from the information presented
in this guidance.
developed this guidance in close consultation with its federal agency
partners. In addition, EPA benefitted from a technical
peer review and provided an opportunity for the public to review and
comment on the guidance. Based upon this input, EPA modified the final
guidance to ensure that it accurately reflects the
state of the art in managing nonpoint source pollution in the bay.
guidance: http://www.epa.gov/nps/
URL into a browser.
View all news releases related to water
CONTACT:
Cathy
Milbourn
202-564-7849
202-564-4355
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13,
2010
EPA Sets Thresholds for
Greenhouse Gas Permitting Requirements
Small businesses and farms
will be shielded
WASHINGTON – The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a final rule to
address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the largest stationary
sources, while shielding millions of small sources of GHGs from Clean
Air Act permitting requirements. The phased-in, common-sense approach
will address facilities like power plants and oil refineries that are
responsible for 70 percent of the greenhouse gases from stationary
sources that
threaten American’s health and welfare.
“After extensive study, debate and hundreds of thousands of
public comments, EPA has set common-sense thresholds for greenhouse
gases that will spark clean technology innovation and protect small
businesses and farms,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “There is
no
denying our responsibility to protect the planet for our children and
grandchildren. It’s long past time we unleashed our American ingenuity
and started building the efficient, prosperous clean energy economy of
the future.”
EPA’s
phased-in approach will start in January 2011, when Clean Air Act
permitting requirements for GHGs will kick in for large facilities that
are already obtaining Clean Air Act permits for other pollutants. Those
facilities will be required to include GHGs in their permit if they
increase these emissions by at least
75,000 tons per year (tpy).
In July
2011, Clean Air Act permitting requirements will expand to cover all new
facilities with GHG emissions of at least 100,000 tpy and modifications
at existing facilities that would increase GHG emissions by at least
75,000 tpy. These permits must demonstrate the use of best available
control technologies to minimize GHG emission increases when facilities
are constructed or significantly
modified.
Under the
new emissions thresholds for GHGs that begin in July 2011, EPA estimates
approximately 900 additional permitting actions covering new sources
and modifications to existing sources would be subject to review each
year. In addition, 550 sources will need to obtain operating permits for
the first time because of their GHG emissions.
The final rule addresses a group of
six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous
oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and
sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
EPA issued a
proposed rule in October 2009 and held a 60-day public comment period.
The agency received about 450,000 comments, which were carefully
reviewed and considered during the development of this final rule.
More
information: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/
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CONTACTS:
Dave Ryan
202-564-7827
202-564-4355
Cathy Milbourn
202-564-7849
202-564-4355
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2010
North America Collaborates to Reduce and Replace Potent Greenhouse Gases
Canada, Mexico work with U.S. to strengthen measures to fight climate change
WASHINGTON - Canada and Mexico have joined the United States in proposing to expand the scope of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer to fight climate change. The proposal would phase down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are a significant and rapidly growing contributor to climate change. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) led the analysis in the proposal, which demonstrates environmental benefits equal to removing greenhouse gas emissions from 59 million passenger cars each year through 2020, and 420 million cars each year through 2050. Reducing HFCs would help slow climate change and curb potential public health impacts.
During the phaseout of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) under the Montreal Protocol and the Clean Air Act, manufacturers of equipment such as car air conditioners and kitchen refrigerators substituted HFCs. The trilateral proposal would phase down HFCs, which are up to 14,000 times more damaging to the Earth’s climate system than carbon dioxide. Even though efforts over the past decade have reduced emissions, global atmospheric concentrations of HFCs continue to increase. Without this proposal, HFC use in developing countries is anticipated to grow substantially, driven both by increased demand for refrigeration and air-conditioning and because HFCs were developed as alternatives to ozone depleting substances.
Signed in 1987, the Montreal Protocol is a treaty with 196 countries to help restore the ozone layer by ending the production of ozone-depleting substances and now potentially phasing down HFCs.
EPA evaluates substitute chemicals and technologies for ozone-depleting substances. Additionally, as part of the actions outlined today, EPA will propose four refrigerants as possible substitutes in U.S. household and commercial refrigerators and freezers. These hydrocarbon-based coolants would replace existing refrigerants that harm the stratospheric ozone layer and the climate system. The proposal lists isobutane, propane, HCR-188C, and HCR-188C1 as potentially acceptable substitutes for the ozone-depleting chemicals CFC-12 and HCFC-22.
The public is encouraged to provide comments to docket number EPA-HQ-2009-0286 at: http://www.regulations.gov/
More information on the trilateral proposal: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/
More information on the four replacement chemicals: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/snap/
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