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Release Date: 05/08/2013Contact Information: Susan Morales, 206-553-7299, morales.susan@epa.gov
Mark MacIntyre, 206-553-7302, macintyre.mark@epa.gov

(Seattle – May 9, 2013) Eight northwest communities have been selected to receive $2.6 million from EPA’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup (ARC) Grants program. The City of Vancouver, WA, also received a $200,000 Brownfields Area Wide Planning Grant. These funds will provide key support toward the assessment, cleanup and revitalization of regional brownfield properties.

According to Dennis McLerran, EPA regional administrator in Seattle, the Brownfields ARC grants target under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.

“We’ve seen Brownfield projects kick start impressive community re-development and revitalization” said EPA’s McLerran. “By leveraging Brownfields funding to clean-up and reuse contaminated properties, communities can protect the environment, boost local economies and prevent sprawl.”

The 8 recipients in EPA Region 10 are among 240 in 45 states to receive ARC grants for 2013. They include:

Moscow, ID – $115,317 Cleanup Grant to Moscow Urban Renewal Agency
Beaverton, OR – $400,000 for Community-wide Assessment Grant to City of Beaverton
Deschutes Co. OR – $400,000 – Community-wide Assessment Grant to Deschutes County (541) 385-1709
Everett, WA – $400,000 – Community-wide Assessment Grant to the City of Everett
Kelso, WA – $156,275 Cleanup Grant to the City of Kelso, WA
King Co. WA – $400,000 Community-wide Assessment Grant to King County, WA
Marysville, WA – $200,000 – Cleanup Grant to the City of Marysville, WA
Vancouver, WA – $400,000 – Community-wide Assessment Grant, and $200,000 Area-Wide Planning grant

Communities will use these funds to conduct environmental assessments, cleanup planning, cleanups and conduct community outreach. See the attached links for project details.

Brownfields are defined as those properties whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Brownfields sites include all "real property," including residential, commercial and industrial properties. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment.

For more about EPA’s Brownfields nationally: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/index.html

National Release: http://tinyurl.com/csc4vdr

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Release Date: 04/24/2013Contact Information: John Martin, (212) 637-3662, martin.johnj@epa.gov

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that Demarest Elementary School in Bloomfield, New Jersey has won the 2012 EPA Energy Star National Building Competition, “Battle of the Buildings,” after reducing its energy use by a whopping 52%. Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. At a ceremony at the school today, EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck recognized the school’s principal, Mary Todaro, other school district officials, teachers and students for their achievement. The Battle of the Buildings competition features teams from across the country working to improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs and protect health and the environment. More than 3,000 buildings participated in the 2012 competition.

“The Demarest Elementary School and the Bloomfield School District found a way to improve the environment and save money at the same time,” said Regional Administrator Enck. “The school took simple steps to significantly reduce energy use. School districts and, in fact, facilities of any kind should look to Bloomfield as a model of what they can achieve. Our children have been well served by this wonderful achievement.”

Demarest Elementary School reduced its energy use through a combination of simple and inexpensive energy efficiency strategies:
· The school identified and addressed a number of mechanical issues that had been overlooked for many years, including replacing a timer associated with the heating system, which allowed it to run on a more energy efficient schedule.
· The head custodian aggressively adjusted boiler operation based on outside temperatures and changes in weather, and adjusted the hall lighting schedule so that lights were dimmed in the early morning and after students were dismissed.
· The staff also took control of energy management in their immediate areas by turning off and unplugging electronic devices, such as vending machines, when they were not needed.

Demarest Elementary School won the competition by demonstrating the largest percent-reduction in energy use, adjusted for weather and the size of the building. Overall, the school saved nearly 4.6 million kBTUs (a thousand British thermal units) of energy last year and saved nearly $76,000.

In addition to the Demarest Elementary School, other buildings within the Bloomfield School District made impressive strides in cutting energy use during the 2012 competition. Bloomfield Middle School reduced its energy use by more than 34%, finishing in 10th place over all. Five other buildings— Fairview Elementary School, Watsessing Elementary School, Brookdale Elementary School, Oak View Elementary School and Forest Glens Alternative School— also finished within the top 50 energy-reducing buildings across the nation.

The 2012 Energy Star National Building Competition measured energy performance over the entire 2012 calendar year. Competitors tracked their building’s monthly energy consumption using the EPA’s online energy tracking tool, Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The energy reductions for each top finisher were verified by an independently licensed professional engineer or registered architect at the conclusion of the competition. Participants in this year’s competition saved a combined total of more than three billion kBTUs of energy and $50 million in utility costs. Competitors reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity used by more than 43,000 homes.

Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s Energy Star program and are saving billions of dollars and preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.

More information on the 2012 Energy Star National Building Competition, including top overall finishers and top finishers by building category, an interactive map of competitors, and a wrap-up report: http://www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2

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Release Date: 03/26/2013Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – March 26, 2013) – Eight New England organizations have received 2013 Energy Star Partner of the Year awards. Each year the U.S. EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. Organizations are recognized in several different categories including Energy Management, Energy Efficiency Program Delivery, Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor, and Energy Star Promotion. Organizations who receive Energy Star Awards for three or more years receive Sustained Excellence awards in these categories.
The New England award winners include:
Partner of the Year, Sustained Excellence in Energy Management
HEI Hotels & Resorts of Norwalk, Conn. is a leading hospitality investment company that acquires, develops, owns and operates full service hotels and resorts. It has a current portfolio of 36 hotels totaling more than 8 million square feet throughout the United States. HEI is receiving Energy Star Recognition for innovative energy management practices that sustain year-over-year savings and expand the energy conservation culture at all levels of the organization. HEI also won Partner of the Year awards in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Raytheon Company of Waltham, Mass. is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, homeland security, and other government markets. Employee engagement, starting with the CEO and extending through a team of 25 energy professionals to a network of 1, 500 Energy Champions and 37,000 Raytheon Energy Citizens at their 57 locations in the U.S. is the backbone of Raytheon’s program. Raytheon also won Energy Star awards in 2001, 2003, and 2007 through 2012.
Staples, Inc. of Framingham, Mass. is the world’s largest office products retailer serving businesses of all sizes and consumers in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Along with a commitment to sell energy efficient products, Staples has set a number of goals for their facilities including insuring that all retail locations are Energy Star certified by 2020. Staples received Energy Star awards in 1999, 2011, and 2012.
Partner of the Year, Energy Management
Beacon Capital Partners, LLC of Boston, Mass. received their award for promoting Energy Star products and practices in their own operations. Beacon Capitol also won this award in 2012.
Partner of the Year, Sustained Excellence in Energy Efficiency Program Delivery
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) of Lexington, Mass. has won Energy Star Partner of the Year awards every year since 2000. NEEP started the Northeast Retail Products Initiative, whose mission is to promote energy efficiency in homes and businesses in the Northeast through regionally coordinated programs that increase the use of Energy Star qualified products, services and practices. NEEP accomplishes this by working with its sponsoring organizations including Cape Light Compact; National Grid; NSTAR Electric; Western Mass. Electric Company; NH Saves (National Grid, Unitil, Public Service of N.H., N.H. Electric Co-op); Efficiency Vermont; Efficiency Maine; Conn. Light and Power; The United Illuminating Company; Long Island Power Authority and the N.Y. State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Partner of the Year, Energy Efficiency Program
The Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF), an initiative to help homeowners and renters, small and large businesses, and state and local governments get in the habit of using energy more efficiently. The United Illuminating Company (UI),a unit of UIL Holdings Corporation, is a New Haven-based regional electric distribution company established in 1899. UI is engaged in the purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity and related services to 325,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas. Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) is the state’s largest electric utility serving 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns. CEEF partners with UI and CL&P to offer residents access to the national Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

Partner of the Year, Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor
New Hampshire CORE Utilities of Manchester, N.H. is a multi-utility energy efficiency service provider effort that includes Liberty Utilities; N.H. Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Public Service Company of N.H.; and Unitil Energy Systems, Inc. N.H. CORE Utilities is receiving the Energy Star Partner of the Year award for its successful implementation of the Energy Star Certified Home and Home Performance with Energy Star programs.
Partner of the Year, Sustained Excellence in Energy Star Promotion
National Grid of Waltham, Mass. received an award for promoting energy efficient products, homes and buildings that help expand the reach of Energy Star. National Grid also won awards in 2006 and 2008 through 2012. National Grid is an energy delivery company serving about 3.4 million customers in Mass., N.H., N.Y. and R.I.
Launched in 1992 by EPA, Energy Star is a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Over the past 20 years, with help from Energy Star, American families and businesses have saved about $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products and more than 1.3 million new homes, in addition to the more than 20,000 commercial buildings.
More information on Energy Star: http://www.ENERGYSTAR.gov
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Learn More about the Latest EPA News & Events in New England (http://www.epa.gov/region1/newsevents/index.html)
Follow EPA New England on Twitter (http://twitter.com/epanewengland)
More info on EPA’s Environmental Results in New England (http://www.epa.gov/region1/results/index.html)
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Note: Edited on 3/27/13 – revised text under "Partner of the Year, Energy Efficiency Program" category to clarify roles and relationships of award winner.

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Release Date: 04/03/2013Contact Information: Suzanne Skadowski, EPA Region 10 Communications, 206-553-6689, skadowski.suzanne@epa.gov

(Seattle – April 3, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 has ordered Oil Re-Refining Company (ORRCO) of Portland, Oregon to properly dispose of PCB-contaminated oil or pay a federal penalty. EPA issued the order to expedite disposal of the PCB waste to protect human health and the environment.

“EPA enforcement helps deter violators, who could otherwise gain an unfair business advantage over their environmentally compliant competitors,” said Kelly McFadden, manager of EPA Region 10 Toxics Compliance and Enforcement. “Our vigorous and fair enforcement helps protect both communities and environmentally safe businesses.”

ORRCO collects and transports used oil to reprocessing facilities that it owns in Klamath Falls, Portland, and Goshen, Oregon and in Spokane, Washington. In 2010, ORRCO collected, transported, stored, and processed more than 150,000 gallons of used oil containing PCBs and hazardous waste in violation of federal requirements. ORRCO continues to store a significant amount of PCB-contaminated oil in storage tanks at its Portland and Klamath Falls facilities.

Under the order, ORRCO will incinerate 150,000 gallons of oil, with more than 2 parts per million PCBs, at an approved incinerator, by October 2016. ORRCO will report all disposal work and provide safe disposal documentation to EPA. If ORRCO fails to comply with the disposal order, the company must pay a $450,000 penalty.

Polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs are synthetic chemicals manufactured until they were banned in the U.S. in 1979. Although no longer produced in the U.S., PCBs are found in products and materials produced before the 1979 PCB ban including transformers and other electrical equipment and oil used in motors and hydraulic systems. Once in the environment, PCBs do not readily break down and can remain for a long time in the air, water, and soil. PCBs can accumulate in plants and food crops and in small organisms and fish. As a result, people who eat fish can be exposed to PCBs in the fish. PCBs can cause cancer, as well as a variety of other adverse health effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system.

The Toxic Substances Control Act prohibits reducing the concentration of PCBs through dilution, blending, or mixing, unless otherwise expressly provided for in the PCB regulations. Liquids with PCB concentrations equal to or greater than 50 parts per million are subject to disposal as PCB Waste.

About the Toxic Substances Control Act: http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/tsca.html

Information on PCBs: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/tsd/pcbs/

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Release Date: 05/02/2013Contact Information: Dale Kemery (news media only)
Kemery.dale@epa.gov
202-564-7839
202-564-4355;
En español: Lina Younes
younes.lina@epa.gov
202-564-9924
202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – Today, EPA announced 17 enforcement actions for violations of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (RRP).

The RRP rule protects homeowners and tenants from dangerous lead dust that can be left behind after common renovation, repair, and painting work. It requires that contractors and subcontractors be properly trained and certified, and use lead-safe work practices to ensure that lead dust is minimized. Lead exposure can cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death, putting young children at the greatest risk because their nervous systems are still developing.

“Using lead-safe work practices is good business and it’s the law,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is taking action to enforce lead rules to protect people from exposure to lead and to ensure a level playing field for contractors that follow the rules.”

The enforcement actions address serious violations of the RRP rule, including fourteen actions where the contractor failed to obtain certification prior to performing or offering to perform renovation activities on pre-1978 homes, where lead is more likely to be present. Other alleged violations included failure to follow the lead-safe work practices, which are critical to reducing exposure to lead-based paint hazards.

The 17 enforcement actions listed below include 14 administrative settlements assessing civil penalties of up to $23,000. These settlements also required the contractors to certify that they had come into compliance with the requirements of the RRP rule. Additionally, EPA filed three administrative complaints seeking civil penalties of up to the statutory maximum of $37,500 per violation. As required by the Toxic Substances Control Act, a company or individual’s ability to pay a penalty is evaluated and penalties are adjusted accordingly.

Enforcement actions:

· Groeller Painting, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri.
· Albracht Permasiding and Window, Co. of Omaha, Nebraska.
· Midwest College Painters, LLC of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
· ARK Property Investments, LLC of Richmond, Indiana.
· Henderson & Associates Services of Largo, Florida.
· Home Resources Management, LLC of Columbia, Tennessee.
· Camaj Interiors & Exteriors of Jacksonville, Florida.
· Cherokee Home Improvements, LLC of Church Creek, Maryland.
· Window World of Harford located in Belair, Maryland.
· EA Construction and General Contracting of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
· Roman Builders of Morton, Pennsylvania.
· Accolade Construction Group, Inc. of New York, New York.
· PZ Painting of Springfield, New Jersey.
· Creative Renovations of Brooklyn, New York.
· Reeson Construction of Webster, New Hampshire.
· New Hampshire Plate Glass Corporation of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
· CM Rogers Handyman of Manchester, New Hampshire.

More information about the settlements: www.epa.gov/enforcement/waste/cases/lrrp050213.html

More about lead and instructions on getting certified: www.epa.gov/lead

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Release Date: 04/22/2013Contact Information: Denise Morrison, 913-551-7402, morrison.denise@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Lenexa, Kan., April 22, 2013) – Fourth grade students from the Rockwood School District’s Center for Creative Learning in Ellisville, Mo., have been selected to receive EPA Region 7’s 2012 President’s Environmental Youth Award for their work on an Action4Air vehicle anti-idling campaign to reduce idling at the Center for Creative Learning.

Nationally, the President’s Environmental Youth Awards (PEYA) have been presented annually since 1971 to honor students in kindergarten through 12th grade who develop projects that help protect their environment and promote environmental awareness in their communities.

"These students have demonstrated awesome initiative and tremendous stewardship skills to minimize vehicle idling. This project is increasing the public’s knowledge about vehicle idling and motivating parents and bus drivers to shut off cars and buses in the school and bus pick-up lines," said Karl Brooks, Regional Administrator. "This Action4Air project is informing, raising community awareness about air pollution, and improving the health of children. This is an outstanding achievement in environmental protection by the students."

The Rockwood School District’s fourth graders set two goals for their project: reduce vehicle idling on campus and spread the message. Students examined idling toolkits from around the country. They created four action groups to get the work done: design, message, pick-up line and permanent signage. The design group documented the students’ work. The message group raised awareness about the anti-idling campaign. The pick-up line group studied and made plans on how to decrease idling by buses and parents. The signage group wrote formal proposals to school administrators asking for permission to put signs in the parking lot.

Students completed a survey of idling cars in the county and in the parent pick-up line so they could compare measurements and see if the campaign was meeting its goals. When the campaign began, students completed a survey to find out the amount of idling that occurred in the parent pick-up line and the bus line. In the first year, all bus idling stopped at the Center for Creative Learning and parent vehicle idling decreased from 53 percent to 38 percent. When the survey was completed again in the fall, parent vehicle idling decreased another 11 percent.

Students have spread the message about their project through media coverage and the Center for Creative Learning’s Action4Air website , created by the students.

The documentary on the website shows what the current students have done for the campaign. It also shows students every semester how the campaign started. The students asked the teacher to share it with each new class of students so the mission could be carried on. This is the fourth semester of students who have seen the documentary and contributed to the campaign, all because of the mission of the first group. The students continue the campaign each semester, building upon the work of previous groups.

Permanent anti-idling signs were designed and purchased by students. These signs are now posted in the Center for Creative Learning’s parking lot. The students wrote an anti-idling proposal that was presented to the school board in October 2012. This policy was approved in February 2013, making the Rockwood School District the first in the region to have a vehicle anti-idling policy that will improve air quality, save money, and improve the health of children.

To be considered for the 2013 PEYA competition in Region 7, applications must be submitted no later than Dec. 31, 2013. For applications, contact Denise Morrison at EPA Region 7’s Office of Public Affairs at 913-551-7402, toll-free at 1-800-223-0425, or morrison.denise@epa.gov.
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Release Date: 04/24/2013Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main), harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

ATLANTA – The North Carolina Area Health Education Center Building in Chapel Hill, N.C. was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a top finisher in the third-annual Energy Star National Building Competition. The plant was recognized for reducing their energy use by over a 34 percent.

In its third year, the Energy Star National Building Competition featured teams from across the country to improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs, and protect public health and the environment. More than 3,000 schools, businesses, and government buildings across the country competed to see which could reduce its energy use the most in one year.
The 2012 national winner was the Demarest Elementary School in Bloomfield, N.J., which reduced its energy use by more than 52 percent and cut their utility bills by more than $75,800.
Together, competitors of this year’s National Building Competition cut their energy costs by more than $50 million, saved more than three billion kBtus of energy, and reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions equal to the amount of electricity used by more than 43,000 homes.

The 2012 Energy Star National Building Competition measured energy performance for the entire 2012 calendar year. Competitors tracked their building’s monthly energy consumption using EPA’s online energy tracking tool, Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The energy use reductions for each top finisher were verified by an independently licensed professional engineer or registered architect at the conclusion of the competition.

Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s Energy Star program and are saving billions of dollars, preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.

Products, homes, and buildings that earn the Energy Star label prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency requirements set by the U.S. EPA. In 2012 alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $24 billion on their energy bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to those of 41 million vehicles. To date, more than 1.4 million new homes and 20,000 office buildings, schools and hospitals have earned the Energy Star label. Learn more: www.energystar.gov

More information on the 2012 Energy Star National Building Competition, including top overall finishers and top finishers by building category, an interactive map of competitors, and a wrap-up report: http://www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings

Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4

And on Twitter: @USEPASoutheast

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