Wednesday, January 26, 2005

[Water pollution] Study: Anti-bacterial additive widespread in U.S. waterways Many rivers and streams in the United States are believed to contain a toxic antimicrobial chemical whose environmental fate was never thoroughly scrutinized despite large-scale production and usage for almost half a century, according to an analysis conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The chemical, triclocarban, has been widely used for decades in hand soaps and other cleaning products, but rarely was monitored for or detected in the environment. The new findings suggest that triclocarban contamination is greatly underreported. The study is published in the current online edition of Environmental Science & Technology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society. The full citation for the article is: Halden, R.U.; Paull, D.H. "Co-Occurrence of Triclocarban and Triclosan in U.S. Water Resources." Environmental Science and Technology, ASAP Article (Web Release Date: January 21, 2005). (Online at http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/esthag/asap/abs/es049071e.html) 11:07:11 AM Google It!    [Alternative energy] DOE and USDA Offer up to $15 Million for Biomass Projects DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a joint solicitation in late December for development and demonstration projects that lead to greater commercialization of biobased products, biomass energy, biofuels, and related processes. This year's solicitation is focused on developing and producing biomass feedstocks; developing biobased products and evaluating their environmental and economic performance; integrating natural resource management and biomass use; and analyzing incentives for commercializing biomass technologies. Pre-applications are due by February 15th, and full applications are due by April 15th. DOE and USDA expect to provide as much as $15 million for the projects as part of their collaboration on the Biomass Research and Development Initiative. See the solicitation. A new research laboratory at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is expected to advance biomass energy technologies by probing biomass-to-energy conversion processes at the atomic and molecular levels. The $2.85-million Biomass Surface Characterization Laboratory features an array of electron and optical microscopes, as well other advanced research tools. The lab includes systems to monitor and maintain temperature, humidity, acoustical vibration, and cleanliness to the most exacting standards, while employing the latest computer hardware and software systems to capture, record, and analyze the data. See the NREL press release. [Source: EERE Network News] 10:58:26 AM Google It!    [Green building] Home Builders Set New National Guidelines for Green Homes The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has introduced new voluntary guidelines to help mainstream homebuilders incorporate environmental practices into every phase of the home building process while putting a priority on housing affordability. NAHB unveiled the Model Green Home Building Guidelines during last week's International Builders' Show in Orlando, Florida. NAHB claims that green building has primarily been the province of high-end, niche builders who cater to a wealthy clientele, while the new guidelines aim to help builders construct resource-efficient homes that are both affordable and customized to local conditions. The guidelines offer voluntary, builder- and market-driven green solutions for lot design and preparation; resource, energy, and water efficiency; indoor environmental quality; operation, maintenance, and home owner operation; global impact; and site planning and land development. Developed for single-family homes, the guidelines also are applicable for multifamily and custom homes as well as remodeling projects for existing homes. See the NAHB press release and Model Green Home Building Guidelines. [Source: EERE Network News] The NAHB also introduced the Green Building Initiative, a new not-for-profit organization supported by groups and individuals interested in promoting energy efficient and environmentally sustainable practices in residential and commercial construction. See the Green Building Initiative Web site. The new guidelines and the Green Building Initiative are sure to be important topics of discussion at the 2005 National Green Builders Conference, the only national conference targeted to green building for the mainstream residential building industry. The conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, in mid-March. See the conference announcement on the NAHB Web site. 10:56:18 AM Google It!    [Meetings] Building & Design Exchange Conference and Expo Location: McCormick Place, Chicago Dates: February 16-17, 2005 BDX (BUILDING & DESIGN EXCHANGE) is where building professionals come together in an “Exchange” of vital ideas, information, products and services leading to greater value, success and profits in their businesses. This year's theme is "Get Green, Get Connected, Get Profitable." 10:54:31 AM Google It!    [Environmental information] EPA Launches New Spanish Web Site The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has launched a new consolidated Spanish Web site as part of its ongoing effort to provide environmental information both in Spanish and English. The new site compiles EPA's Spanish language materials on a wide variety of areas from lead poisoning prevention to controlling asthma triggers, recycling to proper management of pesticides. The site was developed through a series of focus groups to respond to the environmental needs and interests of Hispanics. In addition to environmental health information, the site also offers educational resources for students and teachers who often seek Spanish language learning tools on the environment. The site also provides information about EPA grants, small business opportunities and environmental jobs at EPA. 10:52:17 AM Google It!    [Schools] Minnesota residents support environmental education Letter to the Editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press by two Minnesota environmental education experts. 10:49:20 AM Google It!    [Energy efficiency] NMU graduate student pushing energy efficiency If every household in the United States switched their top five light bulbs to Energy Star bulbs, the decrease in emissions would equal that of removing 8 million cars from the roads. Jennifer Silverston, a graduate student at Northern Michigan University, is trying to spread the word about energy efficiency. On Jan. 1 she became director of Northern Options, the new energy demonstration center in Marquette. [Source: The Mining Journal] 10:46:41 AM Google It!    [Environmental regulation] HON Ammendments The EPA is taking direct final action to amend the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Source Categories: Organic Hazardous Air Pollutants from the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturing Industry and Other Processes Subject to the Negotiated Regulation for Equipment Leaks. The standards are commonly known as the Hazardous Organic NESHAP or the HON. This action amends the HON to allow vapor balancing in conjunction with the use of a pressure setting to comply with the storage tank control requirements of the standards. [Source: CleanTech] 10:44:49 AM Google It!    [Environmental regulation] NESHAP for Vegetable Oil Solvent Extraction The National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Solvent Extraction for Vegetable Oil Production were proposed on May 26, 2000 (65 FR 34252), and promulgated on April 21, 2001. These standards apply to any existing, reconstructed, or new vegetable oil production process, which is defined as a group of continuous process equipment used to remove an oil from oilseeds through direct contact with an organic solvent such as n-hexane.  [Source: CleanTech] 10:43:38 AM Google It!    [Environmental regulation] Pollution Prevention and Transportation Equipment Cleaning The EPA issued a final guideline for the Transportation Equipment Cleaning (TEC) point source category on August 14, 2000. This final rule, codified in 40 CFR part 442, included a regulatory compliance option which allows certain facilities to develop a Pollutant Management Plan (PMP) in lieu of meeting numeric standards. Facilities have the option to develop this plan if it would be more beneficial compliance alternative. The PMP is only available for Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources and Pretreatment Standards for New Sources in subparts A and B of the TEC regulation, representing a potential 336 facilities. [Source: CleanTech] 10:42:47 AM Google It!    [Energy efficiency] Conference Board Briefing Targets CEOs with Energy-Efficiency Message Energy efficiency is back -- and business executives would do well to embrace it, according to a Conference Board of Canada briefing, "Why Energy Efficiency?" The full briefing is available at http://www.conferenceboard.ca/boardwise. [Source: GreenBiz] 10:35:41 AM Google It!

© Copyright 2005 Laura L. Barnes. Last update: 10/25/2005; 12:09:05 PM.