GreenEnvironmentNews.com | Washington Environment News

Boxer's Statement on Nomination of Dr. Allison Macfarlane to Chair the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following statement regarding President Obama's nomination of Dr. Allison Macfarlane to serve as Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): Senator Boxer said: "Dr. Allison Macfarlane's background and experience demonstrate that she has the strong commitment to safety that is so needed in this post-Fukushima era. I look forward to proceeding with a joint hearing on t...

E.P.A. Declares $69.3 Million to Clean Up Contaminated Sites and Revitalize Communities / ...

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - Today the E.P.A. (EPA) announced $69.3 million in grants for new investments to provide communities with backing necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and create jobs while protecting public health. "Restored Brownfield properties can serve as cornerstones for rebuilding struggling communities. These grants will be the 1st step in getting pollution out and putting jobs back into neighborhoods across the country," said E.P.A. Ad...

2 Washington local governments share $600,000 in latest round of E.P.A. Brownfields backing

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

E.P.A. grants expected to help "breathe new life" into former industrial sites in Washington. (Seattle - May 24, 2012) 2 local governments in Washington will gain $600,000 in E.P.A. Brownfields backing to help breathe new life into contaminated properties and revitalize former industrial sites. E.P.A. Brownfields Grants fund location assessments and location cleanups, supporting local efforts to clean up contamination or otherwise make land useable for housin...

BP Agrees to Add In excess of $400 Million in Pollution Controls at Indiana Refinery and Pay $8 ...

Wed, 23 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A. (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that BP North America Incorporated has agreed to pay an $8 million penalty and invest in excess of $400 million to install state-of-the-art pollution controls and cut emissions from BP's petroleum refinery in Whiting, Ind. When fully implemented, the arrangement is expected to reduce harmful air pollution that can cause respiratory problems such as asthma and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog and...

E.P.A. Awards $2 Million to Small Businesses

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A.'s (EPA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) plan recently awarded $2 million to 25 companies in support of technology development toward sustainable solutions for the environment. The SBIR plan is part of EPA's Technology Innovation for Environmental and Economic Progress: An E.P.A. Roadmap, which focuses on linking research and development, policy and finance. "Small businesses play an essential role in our communities and economic growth," sai...

Senator Boxer's Statement on Resignation of NRC Chairman Greg Jaczko

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, issued the following statement regarding the resignation of Greg Jaczko as Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC): Senator Boxer said: "I thank Chairman Jaczko for always fighting for the health and safety of the American people. I look forward to the President's nomination of a successor that will carry the same level of concern in this post-Fukushima er...

NASCAR and E.P.A. Partner on Green Initiatives

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - Today, the E.P.A. (EPA) and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) signed an arrangement to raise awareness of environmentally friendly products and solutions to address America's environmental challenges. Today's memorandum of understanding provides NASCAR with E.P.A. technical assistance and environmental expertise, using E.P.A. programs like Design for the Environment and the Economy, Energy and Environment (E3) framework, to help protect American...

Skin Cancer is Most Common Cancer in US, Yet One of the Most Preventable/EPA, FDA, NPS, ...

Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - As summer quickly approaches, the E.P.A. (EPA) has joined the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and National Park Service (NPS) to emphasize the dangers of skin cancer and has provided simple steps Americans can take to protect themselves. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designated the Friday before Memorial Day "Don't Fry Day" as a way to highlight sun safety. "Skin cancer prevention and sun safety are...

E.P.A. Declares NAS’ Review of IRIS Assessment Development Process

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A. (EPA) today announced that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) will conduct a comprehensive review of the agency's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program's assessment development process. The IRIS plan helps E.P.A. protect Americans' health and the environment by conducting health assessments of over 550 chemicals that may be present in our environment. In April 2011, NAS recommended several ways to enhance the development of IRIS assess...

E.P.A. Launches Competition for College Students to Develop Innovative Approaches to Stormwater ...

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A. (EPA) is launching a new design competition called the Campus RainWorks Challenge to encourage student teams on college and university campuses across the country to develop innovative approaches to stormwater management. Stormwater is a major cause of water pollution in urban areas in the U.S., impacting the health of people across the country as well as tens of thousands of miles of rivers, streams, and coastal shorelines, and hundreds of thousands of acres ...

Washington landlord cited for failing to notify tenants of lead paint

Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

(Seattle - May 15, 2012) Robert Kerr of Everett, Washington will pay a penalty for alleged violations of the federal Real Estate Notification and Disclosure Rule, according to a settlement with the E.P.A.. Mr. Kerr leases properties located in Bellingham, Washington. From 2008-2010, Mr. Kerr leased 26 residential units numerous times and failed to notify tenants about the presence of lead paint and lead-based paint hazards, as required by the Disclosure Rule. Mr. Kerr will pay a $2...

Yearly N.O.A.A. report shows a record number of rebuilt fisheries

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

A record 6 fish populations were declared rebuilt to healthy levels in 2011, bringing the number of rebuilt U.S. marine fish populations in the last eleven years to 27, according to a report to Congress out today from NOAA's Fisheries Service. This report documents historic progress toward ending overfishing and rebuilding our nation's fisheries, due to the commitment of fishermen, fishing communities, non-governmental organizations, scientists, and managers. "With yearly catch ...

E.P.A. and Department of Business Declare New Effort to Boost U.S. ...

Mon, 14 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - Today E.P.A. (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Department of Business Secretary John E. Bryson announced efforts to launch an environmental technology initiative to help create American jobs in the growing environmental industry. Announced at EPA's 1st Technology Market Summit, this initiative, which will include a comprehensive web based portal, will promote American environmental technology, products and services in the global marketplace. The Environmen...

Boxer Bill for Land Conveyance in Tracy, California goes to the White House

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON- Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation, S. 1302, to convey 150 acres of federally-owned, undeveloped land in Tracy, California, to the City of Tracy. The bill, which was introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, passed the Senate in August 2011. The bill will now go to the President for his signature. Senator Boxer issued the following statement: Senator Boxer said:

E.P.A. Updates Clean Air Act Requirements for Gas Stations to Reflect New Vehicle Technologies ...

Thu, 10 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A. (EPA) has determined that the systems used at gas station pumps to capture harmful gasoline vapors while refueling cars can be phased out. Modern vehicles are equipped to capture those emissions. This final rule is part of the Obama Administration's initiative to ensure that regulations protect public health and the environment without being unnecessarily burdensome to American businesses. Beginning later this year, states may begin the process of ...

E.P.A. Promotes Safer Alternatives to Nonylphenol Ethoxylates

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - The E.P.A. has released the final report on alternatives to nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) through the Design for the Environment (DfE) Alternatives Assessment Program. NPEs are widely used surfactants with a range of industrial applications and are commonly found in consumer products, such as laundry detergents. When released into the environment, they can be persistent and highly toxic to aquatic organisms. The report identifies 8 safer alternatives to NPEs that meet E...

Bremerton Gasworks added to Superfund national hazardous cleanup list

Tue, 08 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

(Seattle-May 8, 2012) Bremerton Gasworks, a former coal gasification plant that operated in Bremerton, Washington from 1930 to 1963, will be listed on the E.P.A.'s national list of highly contaminated sites. Bremerton Gasworks is located a mile and a half from downtown Bremerton, along the Port of Washington Narrows. E.P.A. will manage the location under the Superfund cleanup program. "Cleaning up Bremerton Gasworks will help us shut off one more source of industrial contamination ...

E.P.A. Delivers Outline Permitting Guidance for Using Diesel Fuel in Oil and Gas Hydraulic ...

Fri, 04 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - Today, the E.P.A. (EPA) released outline underground injection control (UIC) plan permitting guidance for class II wells that use diesel fuels during hydraulic fracturing activities. E.P.A. developed the outline guidance to clarify how companies can comply with a law passed by Congress in 2005, which exempted hydraulic fracturing operations from the requirement to obtain a UIC permit, except in cases where diesel fuel is used as a fracturing fluid. The outline g...

Discovering a way to detect low-level exposure to seafood toxin in marine animals

Wed, 02 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

N.O.A.A. scientists and their colleagues have discovered a biological marker in the blood of lab zebrafish and marine mammals that shows when they have been repeatedly exposed to low levels of domoic acid, which is potentially toxic at high levels. While little is known about how low-level exposure to domoic acid affects marine animals or humans, high-level exposure through eating contaminated seafood can be toxic, and can lead to amnesic shellfish poisoning, with symptoms such ...

E.P.A. Takes Next Step to Implement 2008 Ozone Requirements / Most areas that need to take ...

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON - Working closely with states and tribes, the E.P.A. (EPA) is identifying areas that meet or do not meet the 2008 air quality requirements for ground-level ozone, known as smog. The agency's approach to implementing these requirements will enhance air quality, protect public health, increase certainty for states and tribes, maximize flexibilities and minimize the burden on state, tribal and local governments. Breathing air containing high levels of smog can reduce lung fun...