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Amendments adding Nine Chemicals to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants(08/30/2010)
The amendments to list additional persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Annexes A, B and/or C of the Stockholm Convention, adopted by the Conference of the Parties of the Convention at its fourth meeting in May 2009, enter into force on 26 August 2010 for the 152 of the 170 Parties to the Stockholm Convention that have not submitted a notification or a declaration, respectively in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 22 of the Convention. No notifications of non-acceptance have been received by the Depositary to date. The other 18 Parties, in accordance with paragraph 4 of Article 25 of the Convention, have declared in their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to become a Party to the Convention, that they were bound to any amendment to Annexes A, B or C only upon deposit of their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with respect to the amendments. No such instruments have been deposited with the Depositary to date.

Vice President Biden Announces 200,000 Homes Weatherized Under the Recovery Act (08/25/2010)
At an event with homeowners and workers who benefited from the program, today in Manchester, New Hampshire, Vice President Joe Biden announced a major Recovery Act milestone--the weatherizing of 200,000 homes under the Recovery Act. As a result of the Administration's unprecedented commitment to energy efficiency, more than 200,000 low-income families have been able to save money on their energy bills while saving energy, and thousands of people have been put to work. "Thanks to the Recovery Act, thousands of construction workers across the country are now on the job making energy-saving home improvements that will save working families hundreds of dollars a year on their utility bills," said Vice President Biden. "From replacing windows and doors to adding insulation, these are small changes that are making a big difference for American workers, manufacturer and consumers. We've hit the accelerator on the weatherization program, making over 200,000 homes more energy-efficient already, and are now full speed ahead to meet our original target of weatherizing 600,000 homes nationwide. " "The weatherization program under the Recovery Act--one of our signature programs--is successfully delivering energy and cost savings for hundreds of thousands of American families while creating thousands of clean energy jobs in local communities," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. Vice President Biden today visited the Manchester, New Hampshire home of the Dumont family to announce the milestone. The Dumont family is expected to save over $600 a year on their utility bills once their weatherization project is completed and Southern New Hampshire Services, the local organization weatherizing their home, has already hired 7 new full-time employees and an estimated 68 subcontractors as a result of the Recovery Act weatherization funding. Click on the link to read the complete story.

EPA Sets First National Limits to Reduce Mercury and Other Toxic Emissions from Cement Plants (08/25/2010)
WASHINGTON --The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing final rules that will protect Americans' health by cutting emissions of mercury, particle pollution and other harmful pollutants from Portland cement manufacturing, the third-largest source of mercury air emissions in the United States. The rules are expected to yield $7 to $19 in public health benefits for every dollar in costs. Mercury can damage children's developing brains, and particle pollution is linked to a wide variety of serious health effects, including aggravated asthma, irregular heartbeat, heart attacks, and premature death in people with heart and lung disease.

U.S. Energy Use Fell 4.5% in 2009(08/24/2010)
Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources, according to a report released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). According to the report, the U.S. used significantly less coal and petroleum in 2009 than in 2008, and significantly more wind power. There also was a decline in natural gas use and increases in solar, hydro and geothermal power according to the most recent LLNL energy flow charts. "Energy use tends to follow the level of economic activity, and that level declined last year. At the same time, higher efficiency appliances and vehicles reduced energy use even further," said A.J. Simon, an LLNL energy systems analyst who develops the energy flow charts using data provided by the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. "As a result, people and businesses are using less energy in general." Estimated U.S. energy use in 2009 declined by approximately 4.5 percent from 2008, LLNL reported. Energy use in the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation arenas all declined by 1.95, 1.06, 9.92 and 3.27 percent, respectively. Wind power used for primary power generation increased dramatically in 2009 by 37.25 percent from 2008 levels. Most of that energy is tied directly to electricity generation and thus helps decrease the use of coal for electricity production. "The increase in renewables is a really good story, especially in the wind arena," Simon said. "It's a result of very good incentives and technological advancements. In 2009, the technology got better and the incentives remained relatively stable. The investments put in place for wind in previous years came online in 2009. Even better, there are more projects in the pipeline for 2010 and beyond." Click on the link to read the complete article at Environmental Leader

Paving 'Slabs' That Clean the Air(08/24/2010)
ScienceDaily (Aug. 18, 2010) -- The concentrations of toxic nitrogen oxide that are present in German cities regularly exceed the maximum permitted levels. That's now about to change, as innovative paving slabs that will help protect the environment are being introduced. Coated in titanium dioxide nanoparticles, they reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide in the air. In Germany, ambient air quality is not always as good as it might be -- data from the federal environment ministry makes this all too clear. In 2009, the amounts of toxic nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere exceeded the maximum permitted levels at no fewer than 55 percent of air monitoring stations in urban areas. The ministry reports that road traffic is one of the primary sources of these emissions. In light of this fact, the Baroque city of Fulda is currently embarking on new ways to combat air pollution. Special paving slabs that will clean the air are to be laid the length of Petersberger Stra?e, where recorded pollution levels topped the annual mean limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter (?g/m3) last year. These paving slabs are coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2), which converts harmful substances such as nitrogen oxides into nitrates. Titanium dioxide is a photocatalyst; it uses sunlight to accelerate a naturallyoccurring chemical reaction, the speed of which changes with exposure to light. The "Air Clean" nitrogen oxide-reducing paving slabs were developed by F. C. N?dling Betonelemente. Proof of their effectiveness has subsequently been provided by the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME in Schmallenberg, where researchers also determined the risk to the environment posed by the resulting nitrates. Their work was funded by the German Environment Foundation. Dr. Monika Herrchen, a scientist at the IME, says: "Experiments in Italian cities had already shown that photocatalytic paving slabs can improve the air quality. We wanted to see if they would also be effective here in Germany, where we have lower levels of light intensity and fewer hours of sunshine. Of course, the more intense the sunshine, the quicker the degradation of harmful substances, so our aim was to identify the formula with the highest photocatalytic efficiency rating." Click on the link to read the complete article at Science Daily

NV: $1M Available for nonpoint source water pollution prevention projects(08/23/2010)
CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) has more than $1 million dollars in federal funding available to provide grant assistance for projects that prevent or control nonpoint source water pollution, the leading cause of water quality impairment in Nevada. Nonpoint source water pollution occurs when rain, snowmelt and irrigation water flows over developed or disturbed land, carrying with it contaminants including oil, sediment, pesticides, bacteria and nutrients. This contaminated water makes its way into Nevada's waterways either directly or through storm drains. All proposals must follow the guidelines for application outlined in the Request for Proposals, which is available for download at: http://ndep.nv.gov/bwqp/npsgwp.htm. State, local and tribal governments, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions are eligible to apply. A non-federal match (cash and/or in-kind) of at least 50 percent of the total project cost is required.

10 Lessons from the Road to a Greener Fleet(08/22/2010)
Owning the world's largest vehicle fleet isn't a responsibility Enterprise Holdings takes lightly. It's a commitment that has driven us to develop a comprehensive environmental stewardship platform that guides our operations and helps bring new technology to our customers. We don't pretend to have all the answers; on the contrary, we view this as a journey. Along the way, however have learned a few things that we hope may be useful to others as they pursue their own paths to sustainability: 1. Align Your Sustainability Strategy with the Overall Mission of Your Business 2. Play to Your Strengths 3. Embrace the Forces of the Free Market 4. Understand -- and Anticipate -- What Customers Want Read the complete article at GreenBiz

How to Build Successful Green Teams(08/22/2010)
This study, "Generating Sustainable Value: Moving Beyond Green Teams to Transformation Collaboratives," offers five key factors for successful green teams and shares insights culled from examinations of 14 leading firms. The research published by Sabre Holdings, Dominican University and Paladin Law Group LLP explores the extent to which green teams have been able to harness their energy to help drive product and service innovation by adding enterprise value. Download the document at GreenBiz by clicking on the link

DEA coordinates prescription drug takeback drive(08/20/2010)
Aug. 20 -- The Drug Enforcement Agency is coordinating a nationwide prescription drug takeback program Sept. 25. Held in conjunction with local governments and health and law enforcement partnerships, the program will provide free, anonymous collections for expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. It is aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse and improper disposal, the DEA said. "With this National Prescription Drug Take-Back campaign, we are aggressively reaching out to individuals to encourage them to rid their households of unused prescription drugs that pose a safety hazard and can contribute to prescription drug abuse," said Acting Deputy Attorney General Gary G. Grindler. "The Department of Justice is committed to doing everything we can to make our communities safer, and this initiative represents a new front in our efforts."

EPA Releases Draft Strategy for Clean Water (08/19/2010)
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is inviting the public to comment on the agency's draft strategy to protect and restore our nation's lakes, streams and coastal waters. The strategy, "Coming Together for Clean Water: EPA's Strategy for Achieving Clean Water," is designed to chart EPA's path in furthering EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's key priority of protecting America's waters. The strategy was developed by considering the input and ideas generated at the April "Coming Together for Clean Water" forum as well as comments received through the online discussion forum. Participants shared their perspectives on how to advance the EPA's clean water agenda focusing on the agency's two priority areas: healthy watersheds and sustainable communities. EPA is now inviting the public to consider and provide their comments on the approaches outlined in the strategy. Public comments on the draft strategy should be submitted by September 17. EPA will review all comments and post a final strategy later in the year.

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