EPA is announcing a two-year grant competition cycle to support two-year P2 assistance agreements. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $7.94 million in federal P2 grant funding ($3.97 million in FY 2016 and $3.97 million in FY 2017) to state entities, federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia that propose to deliver P2 technical assistance and/or training to businesses. EPA will not issue a P2 request for proposal (RFP) in FY 2017. Grant funds may be used to support state and tribal-led P2 programs or projects that measurably reduce the environmental footprints of local and regional businesses. Achievements in this regard involve adopting new or expanding existing environmental strategies or solutions that significantly reduce or eliminate pollution from air, water and/or land prior to relying on recycling or waste clean-up. P2 awards may be funded in the form of grants or cooperative agreements and will be issued and managed through EPA's Regional P2 Program Offices. The amount of grant funding released each year is dependent upon Congressional appropriation and the quality of proposals received. The submission deadline is May 9, 2016. A webinar will be given by EPA's P2 Program on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 11AM to 1230PM PDT and will include discussion of the P2 grant RFP, among other program information.

EPA's cases resulted in $163 million in combined federal administrative, civil judicial penalties, and criminal fines. Other results include: reductions of an estimated 141 million pounds of air pollutants, including 6.7 million pounds of air toxics; reductions of approximately 337 million pounds of water pollutants; and clean up of an estimated 856 million cubic yards of contaminated water/aquifers.

The program funds two-year Pollution Prevention (P2) assistance agreements for projects expected to be performed in each EPA region that provide technical assistance and/or training to businesses/facilities to help them adopt source reduction approaches (also known as P2).

EPA developed this program to help those communities and non-profit organizations identify financial assistance opportunities for their environmental-oriented development programs. This program was developed to make it easier for applicants to produce more competitive grant applications.

Every year, EPA awards more than $4 billion in funding for grants and other assistance agreements. From small non-profit organizations to large state governments, EPA works to help many visionary organizations achieve their environmental goals. With countless success stories over the years, EPA grants remain a chief tool to protect human health and the environment.

On June 30, 2009, EPA granted a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption to California for its greenhouse gas emission standards for motor vehicles beginning with the 2009 model year.

WASHINGTON (October 13, 2010) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today waived a limitation on selling fuel that is more than 10 percent ethanol for model year 2007 and newer cars and light trucks. The waiver applies to fuel that contains up to 15 percent ethanol – known as E15 – and only to model year 2007 and newer cars and light trucks. This represents the first of a number of actions that are needed from federal, state and industry towards commercialization of E15 gasoline blends. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson made the decision after a review of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) extensive testing and other available data on E15's impact on engine durability and emissions.

EPA is issuing a decision that grants two requests for waivers of preemption regarding four California Air Resource Board (CARB) regulations related to California's heavy-duty vehicle and engine emission standards. Under the Clean Air Act, California is afforded broad discretion to adopt emissions requirements to meet their significant air quality challenges, but they must seek waivers from EPA for new motor vehicle emission standards. In this instance, CARB requested two waivers for regulations relating to heavy duty vehicles and engines. After reviewing the technical information provided by CARB, reviewing comments submitted by the public, and applying the limited authority for review under section 209 of the Clean Air Act, EPA determined it appropriate to grant the waiver and authorization requests.

This final document, EPA/100/K-09/003, was developed by EPA's Council for Regulatory Environmental Modeling (CREM) to improve the practices associated with the development, evaluation, and application of models for environmental decision making.

This guidance, issued by the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) will increase the use of EMSs in civil settlements and explains how they will be used to address the root causes of violations and the risks they pose to communities and ecosystems. In addition, EPA is working with the U.S. Department of Justice to seek EMSs in appropriate criminal plea agreements to achieve beneficial outcomes for the environment. EPA also has issued a memorandum, Expanding the Use of Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), to encourage and expand their use in enforcement settlements and in community involvement. The EMS guidance is an extension of EPA’s May 2002 Position Statement on EMSs, in which the agency committed to promote EMS use and emphasize the adoption of EMSs to achieve improved environmental performance and compliance and pollution prevention through source reduction.

EPA has released the "Guidance for Conducting Risk Management Program Inspections under Clean Air Act Section 112(r)" (EPA 550-K-11-001, January 2011). This document updates and supersedes the "Guidance for Auditing Risk Management Plans/Programs under CAA Sect. 112(r)" of August 1999. The new document includes updated EPA policy on involvement of facility employees and employee representatives in EPA and delegated state agency on-site compliance inspections. Additionally, the guidance reflects the Agency's focus on inspections as a means of facility oversight, and provides additional information on CAA Section 112(r) inspection procedures. EPA's interim policy on involvement of employees and employee representatives in CAA Section 112(r) on-site compliance evaluations established in the Agency's April 2, 2010 memo is hereby superseded.

EPA provides information to homeowners and assistance to state and local governments to improve the management of septic systems to prevent failures that could harm human health and water quality.

This memorandum, dated 25 January 2018, withdraws the "once in always in" policy for the classification of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under section 112 of the Clean Air Act. With the new guidance, sources of hazardous air pollutants previously classified as "major sources" may be reclassified as "area" sources at any time, provided the facility limits its potential to emit below major source thresholds.

EPA in conjunction with the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC) is making available a guide to help users of agricultural pesticides comply with the requirements of the 2015 revised federal Worker Protection Standard. You should read this manual if you employ agricultural workers or handlers, are involved in the production of agricultural plants as an owner/manager of an agricultural establishment or a commercial (for-hire) pesticide handling establishment, or work as a crop advisor.

EPA's detailed guidance document on how recycling and disposal of hand sanitizer is regulated and safety considerations to keep in mind. The purpose of this memo is to provide details about how RCRA hazardous waste regulations and exemptions apply to different scenarios for recycling excess alcohol-based sanitizer.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mexico's Ministry of Environment along with thirty-six other countries, the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank launched a new Global Methane Initiative that urges stronger international action to address near-term climate change.

EPA released "A Year of Progress Under EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap," which underscores key actions taken by the agency during the first year of implementing the PFAS Roadmap. EPA is implementing a whole-of-agency approach, advancing science, and following the law to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable.

EPA will hold 11 public listening sessions across the country throughout October and November to solicit ideas and input from the public and stakeholders about the best Clean Air Act approaches to reducing carbon pollution from existing power plants. The feedback from these 11 public listening sessions will play an important role in helping EPA develop smart, cost-effective guidelines that reflect the latest and best information available. The agency will seek additional public input during the notice and comment period once it issues a proposal by June 2014.

Executive Order 13563 requires each agency to develop a plan to periodically conduct a retrospective review of its regulations, and determine if they are ineffective, insufficient, or overly burdensome, and then revise or repeal as warranted. EPA is developing a review plan and a list of candidate regulations for potential review, and are soliciting feedback on both the plan and the candidate list of regulations. Two listening sessions to be held on March 14th, 2011, and March 17th, 2011.

(SAN FRANCISCO, 06/17/2014)– At a meeting of federal agencies in Phoenix, Ariz. the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized Grand Canyon National Park for its efforts to reduce energy use with its prestigious Federal Green Challenge Award. EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Jared Blumenfeld, presented the award to Tim Jarrell, Chief of the Park's Facilities Management Division. "At the Grand Canyon National Park, greenhouse gas emissions were slashed when energy consumption was cut by 32 percent," said Regional Administrator Blumenfeld. "Federal agencies participating in the Pacific Southwest program saved over $31.8 million by reducing waste, water, and energy use over the past two years."

The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards promote the environmental and economic benefits of developing and using novel green chemistry. These prestigious annual awards recognize chemical technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture, and use. EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention sponsors the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards in partnership with the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute® and other members of the chemical community including industry, trade associations, academic institutions, and other government agencies. View summaries of the award winning efforts on the website.

EPA invites Environmental Justice (EJ) advocates and the public to participate in the agency's National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Calls, now happening biweekly, to discuss and receive feedback on all aspects of EJ at EPA with partners and communities. By increasing the community engagement calls from quarterly to biweekly, EPA will further encourage an open dialogue with EJ leaders and advocates. These meetings not only serve as an opportunity to give an update on EPA's EJ work and its resources, but also to listen and learn from communities, partners, and stakeholders. The next national EJ community engagement call is 28 September, 2021.

A collection of all the Hotlines and Clearinghouses hosted by the US EPA.

Starting today, EPA will reject a certain type of confidentiality claim, known as Confidential Business Information (CBI), on the identity of chemicals. The chemicals that will be affected by this action are those that are submitted to EPA with studies that show a substantial risk to people's health and the environment and have been previously disclosed on the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Inventory.

EPA's website on EMS includes information and resources related to EMS for small businesses and private industry, as well as local, state and federal agencies.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new review of the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to ensure the standards reflect the most current, relevant science and protect people's health from these harmful pollutants. EPA Administrator Michael Regan reached this decision after carefully considering advice provided by the independent Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC). In October 2021, EPA announced a reconsideration of the previous Administration's decision to retain the NAAQS for ozone. EPA is incorporating the ongoing reconsideration into the review announced today and will consider the advice and recommendations of the CASAC in that review. The Agency will move swiftly to execute this new review of the underlying science and the standards – prioritizing transparency, scientific integrity, inclusive public engagement, and environmental justice.

EPA is considering two possible modifications to existing regulations: (1) establishing standard National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit conditions for publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) permits that specifically address sanitary sewer collection systems and SSOs; and (2) clarifying the regulatory framework for applying NPDES permit conditions to municipal satellite collection systems. EPA will hold public listening sessions and the public can submit written comments. EPA will accept written comments on the potential rule until 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

EPA is announcing the release of an interim report, Evaluation of Combined Heat and Power Technologies for Wastewater Facilities, which serves as a planning-level tool for wastewater professionals and provides an examination of commonly used and emerging combined heat and power (CHP) technologies for converting anaerobic digester gas to electrical power and process heat.

EPA is hosting three informational webinars on the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) expected to be issued under the Inflation Reduction Act's Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) Grant Program in 2023. These webinars will provide information on the NOFO and the ECJ Grant Program including who is eligible for the grants, eligible projects, and more. The Agency is seeking public input on the NOFO during the webinars and hopes to hear ideas on potential projects and the types of resources applicants may need.?These webinars are intended for potential applicants and other interested parties.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to renew an existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) concerning the standardized permit for RCRA hazardous waste management facilities. This ICR is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2012. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information collection as described below. POC is Jeff Gaines, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, (5303P), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone number: 703-308-8655; fax number: 703-308-8617; e-mail address: gaines.jeff@epa.gov(Federal Register: August 9, 2011 [Notices], Pages 48857-48859).

As part of EPA's outreach and public comment effort on its draft Lead Strategy, the Agency is hosting Zoom virtual public comment sessions in each of its ten geographic regional office areas from early February to early March 2022. The sessions will be an opportunity for the public to provide verbal input on the draft Lead Strategy to EPA. They encourage the public to share with the Agency thoughts on how to address lead issues in their communities during these regional sessions (e.g., Northeast, Southwest, Mid-Atlantic, etc.).

WASHINGTON (October 4, 2010) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a Clean Water and Drinking Water Infrastructure Sustainability Policy with the goal of increasing the sustainability of water and wastewater infrastructure in the United States. Communities across the country are facing challenges in making costly upgrades and repairs to their aging water infrastructure, which include sewer systems and treatment facilities. Making this infrastructure last longer while increasing its cost-effectiveness is essential to protecting human health and the environment, and maintaining safe drinking water and clean water bodies. The new policy is part of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's priority to protect America's waters.

EPA issued a draft memorandum for public comment that communicates EPA's approach on when and how to consider potential adverse climate change impacts in the PCB approval process under the Toxic Substances Control Act. This memorandum would clarify that, for PCB cleanup, storage, and disposal approvals, our determination of no unreasonable risk is to be inclusive of not only current but future conditions at sites and facilities vulnerable to potential adverse climate change impacts. We identify measures that strengthen the resilience of PCB cleanup, storage, and disposal controls to climate change impacts, ensuring the protection of human health and the environment over time. EPA welcomes comment on the memorandum through 26 January 2024.?

EPA released its draft risk evaluation for the flame retardant Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) (CASRN 115-96-8) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for public comment. EPA has used the best available science to preliminarily determine that this chemical poses unreasonable risk to human health and the environment. This is the first draft risk evaluation EPA has released for the 20 High-Priority Substances prioritized in 2019. EPA has incorporated improvements to the risk evaluation process announced in 2021 into this risk evaluation including an assessment of exposure to potentially exposed and susceptible subpopulations like workers, children, and subsistence fishers.

EPA has established health advisories for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) based on the agency's assessment of the latest peer-reviewed science to provide drinking water system operators, and state, tribal and local officials who have the primary responsibility for overseeing these systems, with information on the health risks of these chemicals, so they can take the appropriate actions to protect their residents. EPA is committed to supporting states and public water systems as they determine the appropriate steps to reduce exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. As science on health effects of these chemicals evolves, EPA will continue to evaluate new evidence.

WASHINGTON (June 18, 2020) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final action regarding the regulation of perchlorate under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). Considering the best available science and the proactive steps that EPA, states and public water systems have taken to reduce perchlorate levels, the agency has determined that perchlorate does not meet the criteria for regulation as a drinking water contaminant under the SDWA. Therefore, the agency is withdrawing the 2011 regulatory determination and is making a final determination to not issue a national regulation for perchlorate at this time.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to make addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment an active and ongoing priority. As part of these efforts, today, EPA is issuing a final guidance document that outlines which imported articles are covered by the agency's July 2020 final rule that prohibits companies from manufacturing, importing, processing, or using certain long-chain PFAS without prior EPA review and approval. There are no significant changes between the final guidance document and the draft document, which was released for public comment in December.

EPA is issuing a final rule to update the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) chemical list to identify nine additional PFAS subject to reporting requirements. TRI data are reported to EPA annually by facilities in certain industry sectors, including federal facilities, that manufacture, process, or otherwise use TRI-listed chemicals above certain quantities. The data collected help to support informed decision-making by companies, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the public. The data collected also help inform EPA's efforts to better understand the listed substances. As part of EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap, the Agency also proposed a rule in December 2022 to enhance PFAS reporting to TRI by eliminating an exemption that allows facilities to avoid reporting information on PFAS when those chemicals are used in small, or de minimis, concentrations. Because PFAS are used at low concentrations in many products, that rule would ensure that covered industry sectors and federal facilities that make or use TRI-listed PFAS will no longer be able to rely on the de minimis exemption to avoid disclosing their PFAS releases and other waste management quantities for these chemicals

EPA announced a final rule to restore the fundamental authority granted by Congress to states, territories, and Tribes to protect water resources that are essential to healthy people and thriving communities. The agency's final CWA Section 401 Water Quality Certification Improvement Rule will support clear, efficient, and focused water quality reviews of infrastructure and development projects that are key to economic growth. Clean Water Act Section 401 enables states, territories, and authorized Tribes to protect their water quality from adverse impacts of construction or operation of federally permitted projects. Under Section 401 of the Act, a federal agency may not issue a license or permit to conduct any activity that may result in any discharge into a water of the US, unless the appropriate state, territory, or authorized Tribe issues a CWA Section 401 water quality certification or waives certification. EPA's 2023 rule realigns the scope of Section 401 certification with decades of established practice and restores and strengthens the role of states, territories, and authorized Tribes. The rule enhances certification review and provides regulatory certainty to advance federally permitted projects. The rule emphasizes that states, territories, and Tribes may only consider the adverse water quality-impacts from the activity. The rule also provides a clear approach to defining the required contents in a request for certification.

(WASHINGTON, December 21, 2011) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, the first national standards to protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution like arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide. The standards will slash emissions of these dangerous pollutants by relying on widely available, proven pollution controls that are already in use at more than half of the nation's coal-fired power plants.

The Plan identifies the measurable environmental and human health outcomes the public can expect over the next four years and describes how we intend to achieve those results.

The U.S. EPA is making available guidance and tools to help state and local air permitting authorities identify cost-effective pollution reduction options for greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act.

(WASHINGTON, January 11, 2011) – Several weeks ago, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson committed to address hexavalent chromium (also known as chromium-6) in drinking water by issuing guidance to all water systems on how to assess the prevalence of the contaminant. Today, the agency is delivering on that promise and has issued guidance recommending how public water systems might enhance monitoring and sampling programs specifically for hexavalent chromium. The recommendations are in response to emerging scientific evidence that chromium-6 could pose health concerns if consumed over long periods of time.

This guidance explains technical and policy approaches available to states, territories and authorized tribes that are adopting the water quality criterion for methylmercury into their water quality standards. As states, territories and authorized tribes adopt these criterion, federal facilities will become subject to the criterion. This is EPA document # 823-R-10-001.

This guidance document, issued November 2010, provides information on flexible tools and techniques that may help a public water system (PWS) tailor a program to meet its water loss prevention needs and maintain its infrastructure to deliver clean, safe drinking water to customers.

EPA has released updated enforcement discretion guidance regarding the treatment of tenants concerned about CERCLA liability at contaminated and potentially contaminated sites in an effort to support redevelopment opportunities nationwide. As part of the new guidance package, EPA also released model comfort letters specific to renewable energy.

This guide provides federal agencies with information to help them identify and replace mercury-containing non-fever thermometers in their facilities with mercury-free non-fever thermometers.

EPA released a memorandum to states that provides direction on how to use the nation's bedrock clean water permitting program to protect against per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The guidance outlines how states can monitor for PFAS discharges and take steps to reduce them where they are detected, is part of the Agency's holistic approach to addressing these harmful forever chemicals under EPA's PFAS Strategic Roadmap. This action is a critical step in EPA's efforts to restrict PFAS at their source, which will reduce the levels of PFAS entering wastewater and stormwater systems and ultimately lower people's exposure to PFAS through swimming, fishing, drinking and other pathways.

The data in this report was gathered through the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) database. The report summarizes the data collected for 2007. Federal facilities are listed separately in Section C, beginning on page C-27 of the report.

The policy commits the Agency to work with states, tribes, and local communities to increase their resilience to extreme weather events and prepare for the impacts of climate change. The policy is an update of the EPA policy first issued in June 2011.

Working with the states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving forward with its plan to call on certain states to update their Clean Air Act implementation plans to cover greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These changes will ensure that beginning in January 2011 the largest industrial GHG emissions sources can receive permits. This action is part of EPA's common sense approach to GHG permitting outlined in the spring 2010 tailoring rule. EPA has identified 13 states that need to make changes to their plans, allowing them to issue permits that include GHG emissions. These states include: Ariz., Ark., Calif., Conn., Fla., Idaho, Kan., Ky., Neb., Nev., Ore., Texas, and Wyo.

PHILADELPHIA (August 27, 2007) - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ordered the Department of the Army to move forward with the cleanup of 14 hazardous waste sites on the Fort George G. Meade military base in Anne Arundel County, MD, and adjacent property previously transferred by the Army to the U.S. Department of Interior and now part of the Patuxent Research Refuge.

(DALLAS, TX – March 18, 2014) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an order to the U.S. Department of the Army to address 15 million pounds of abandoned explosives and propellant stored on the grounds of Camp Minden in Minden, LA.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing a new permit, in accordance with the Clean Water Act, that will provide streamlined permitting to thousands of construction operators, while protecting our nation's waterways from discharges of polluted stormwater from construction sites. Stormwater discharges from construction sites can contain harmful pollutants, such as nutrients, that contaminate waters, increase drinking water treatment costs, and damage aquatic ecosystems. The new permit was shaped by important input from the public and stakeholders to ensure that it provides important protections for waterways, while also providing flexibility to operators.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its plan for establishing greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution standards under the Clean Air Act in 2011. The agency looked at a number of sectors and is moving forward on GHG standards for fossil fuel power plants and petroleum refineries-two of the largest industrial sources, representing nearly 40 percent of the GHG pollution in the United States.

The final "Policy to Mitigate the Acute Risk to Bees from Pesticide Products," describes methods for addressing acute risks to bees from pesticides. Applications of acutely toxic pesticides would be prohibited under certain conditions when bees are most likely to be present. While the restrictions focus on managed bees, EPA believes that these measures will also protect native bees and other pollinators that are in and around treatment areas.

On Friday, September 25th, a Federal Register Notice was published announcing EPA's issuance of Recommendations for Specifications, Standards, and Ecolabels For Federal Procurement. These Recommendations were issued per direction given to the EPA in the Executive Order 13693 Implementing Instructions. The Federal Register Notice explains this direction, the approach used to develop the Recommendations, the process for continually updating these Recommendations, and more.

The link to the Federal Register Notice and the Recommendations are located here.

Please note that this website will be replaced with a vastly improved version this week, so please check back later to see the new improved version. For now, to get to the FR Notice and the Recommendations, please go to the top box at http://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts, titled "EPA Recommendations of Standards and Ecolabels". The Recommendations are also being added to the GSA's Green Procurement Compilation.

Please feel free to reach out to Holly Elwood at Elwood.holly@epa.gov with any questions.

Algal toxins are a growing problem in the US. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) produce algal toxins that can cause fish kills and contaminate drinking water supplies. This EPA plan outlines actions to address algal toxins in drinking water.

EPA announced a new action to better protect American children from the dangers of lead. This final rule will lower the clearance levels for the amount of lead that can remain in dust on floors and window sills after lead removal activities, known as abatement. These new clearance levels will reduce lead dust-related risks to children in pre-1978 homes and childcare facilities where lead abatement activities take place. After actions are taken to remove lead from a building, those buildings must then be tested to make sure that the cleaning activities were successful. These "clearance levels" indicate that lead dust was effectively removed at the end of the abatement work. EPA's new clearance levels are 10 micrograms (µg) of lead in dust per square foot (ft2) for floor dust and 100 µg/ft2 for window sill dust, significantly lower than the previous levels of 40 µg/ft2 for floor dust and 250 µg/ft2 for window sill dust.

This handout provides a list of tools and descriptions of their uses which are available to state, tribal, and local governments and others to adapt their clean water and drinking water programs to a changing climate.

The intent of these revisions is to strengthen the 1988 federal underground storage tank (UST) regulations by increasing emphasis on properly operating and maintaining UST equipment. The revisions will help prevent and detect UST releases, which are a leading source of groundwater contamination. The revisions will also help ensure all USTs in the United States, including those in Indian country, meet the same minimum standards. This is the first major revision to the federal UST regulations since 1988.

EPA released an update to a report highlighting the economic benefits of recycling. By converting waste materials into valuable raw materials, recycling creates jobs, builds more competitive manufacturing industries, and significantly contributes to the U.S. economy. EPA released the most recent Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures data on national municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition debris for the year 2018. The Agency began analyzing data on waste and materials recycling more than three decades ago, and EPA has data tables that go back to the 1960s. The combined recycling and composting rate increased from less than 10 percent of generated MSW (trash) in 1980 to 35 percent in 2017, but then dipped to 32 percent, as measured in 2018. Specifically, in 2018, 292.4 million tons of MSW were generated. About 93.9 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, resulting in a 32 percent recycling rate. An additional 17.7 million tons were managed through other food management pathways. For the Facts and Figures data, EPA enhanced its food measurement methodology to more fully account for all the ways in which wasted food is managed throughout the food system. Finally, EPA added construction and demolition debris management data, so both generation and management of construction and demolition debris are included.

EPA is joining state and local partners to launch SepticSmart Week 2023, a week-long annual campaign to educate homeowners and renters on how to properly maintain their septic systems. When septic systems are well-functioning, the health of the nation's communities and ecosystems is better protected. By being SepticSmart, homeowners can also avoid thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs. Running from September 18 through September 22 this year, SepticSmart week is a partnership between EPA, state, Tribal, and local officials, wastewater professionals, and homeowners.

EPA has launched the 2013 Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. Teams from more than 3,000 buildings (include Federal facilities) across the country are competing to see who can most reduce their buildings' energy use. Check out the website for a list of competitors and their progress.

Database of EPA's frequently asked questions.

This new site emphasizes protection and conservation of aquatic ecosystems. The site also provides information on tools to identify and protect healthy watersheds and their components while providing critical information for making strategic decisions to both protect and restore our nation's waters.

Nationwide, more than 6,500 buildings and 125 teams are competing to reduce their energy and water use. In support of President Obama's Climate Action Plan, which calls for businesses to cut waste and become 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020, the competition targets wasted energy in commercial buildings and motivates organizations to improve energy efficiency, reduce harmful carbon pollution and save money. This year's teams hail from supermarket, retail, government, school, banking and many other types of organizations.

The Web site allows the public to stay tuned to key developments, draft work products, schedules of public meetings and events, and have questions answered about the process.

WASHINGTON (August 22, 2011) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is launching a new tool to allow 28 industrial sectors to submit their 2010 greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution data electronically. Prior to being finalized, more than1,000 stakeholders, including industry associations, states and NGOs tested the electronic GHG Reporting Tool (e-GGRT) to ensure clarity and user-friendliness.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a Green Infrastructure Collaborative with the support of six other government agencies at the President's State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience. EPA joined with the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Energy to release a Federal Letter of Support for green infrastructure and the Collaborative.

EPA is launching a new training initiative, Enhancing Lead-Safe Work Practices through Education and Outreach (ELSWPEO), to raise awareness about childhood lead exposure and protect environmentally overburdened and underserved communities across the United States from lead exposure. Many homes, apartments and child-care facilities built before 1978 contain lead-based paint. When disturbed, lead-based paint can release toxic lead dust and cause lead exposure, which is particularly harmful to children. While lead is dangerous to all children, lead exposure disproportionately impacts low-income families and their communities, making the free trainings offered by ELSWPEO an important step toward achieving environmental justice. ELSWPEO aims to serve local communities and advance environmental justice by increasing both the number of renovation, repair and painting (RRP) certified firms and consumer demand for lead-safe work practices.

As part of the Administration's efforts to protect communities from childhood lead exposure and advance environmental justice, the EPA is announcing a series of free educational sessions on the dangers of lead and ways to reduce and prevent lead exposure. These sessions are based on the Lead Awareness Curriculum, an adaptable resource to protect communities from potential lead exposure, and will be held in English and Spanish. EPA will work with community partners to host two types of community lead awareness sessions: 1. "Understanding Lead" sessions for community members: EPA invites members of the general public to learn about lead, its impacts, actions to reduce and prevent lead exposure and the importance of testing children's blood lead levels. Parents, grandparents, community leaders, Tribal leaders, child care workers, healthcare providers, youth (ages 12 and up) and anyone else interested in learning more about lead are invited to attend. 2. "Train-the-Trainer" sessions for community leaders: These sessions equip community leaders -- with or without prior knowledge about lead -- to educate their communities about lead and preventing lead exposure using the Lead Awareness Curriculum.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the release of a new mapping feature in EPA's Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) database. As part of EPA's ongoing effort to improve transparency, the EPA and State Enforcement Actions Map will allow the public to access federal and state enforcement information in an interactive format and to compare enforcement action information by state. The map will be refreshed monthly to include up to date information about the enforcement actions taken to address violations of air, water, and waste laws.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a new strategy to promote the use of green infrastructure by cities and towns to reduce stormwater runoff that pollutes our nation's streams, creeks, rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Green infrastructure decreases pollution to local waterways by treating rain where it falls and keeping polluted stormwater from entering sewer systems. In addition to protecting Americans' health by decreasing water pollution, green infrastructure provides many community benefits including increased economic activity and neighborhood revitalization, job creation, energy savings and increased recreational and green space.

EPA is announcing the launch of a new website, epa.gov/permits, a centralized web-based platform for information about federal environmental permitting. It highlights EPA's permitting and environmental review programs and shares information on related statutes and environmental justice initiatives. In support of EPA's commitments under Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), it also displays the status of EPA permits for large scale infrastructure projects covered by this statute. The website is a resource for the public, permit applicants and federal agency partners.

EPA Legal Tools to Advance Environmental Justice (EJ Legal Tools) is an updated and expanded compilation of legal authorities available to EPA for identifying and addressing the disproportionate impact of pollution on underserved and overburdened communities, including communities of color, Indigenous people, and low-income communities. EJ Legal Tools is intended to help EPA decisionmakers and partners understand their authorities to consider and address environmental justice and equity in decision-making, and to promote meaningful engagement.

EJ Legal Tools highlights the environmental and civil rights statutes EPA implements to achieve the agency's mission to protect human health and the environment for all communities and persons and to ensure that the environmental justice and equity agendas are integrated throughout the agency's policies, programs, and activities. EJ Legal Tools is intended to help EPA decisionmakers and partners understand their authorities to consider and address environmental justice and equity in decision-making, and to promote meaningful engagement.

Two listening sessions will be held on potential changes to the water quality standards regulation before proposing a national rule. Potential revisions include strengthening protection for water bodies with water quality that already exceeds or meet the interim goals of the Clean Water Act; ensuring that standards reflect a continued commitment to these goals wherever attainable; improving transparency of regulatory decisions; and strengthening federal oversight. The public listening sessions will be held via audio teleconferences on August 24 and 26, 2010, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EDT. EPA will also hold separate listening sessions for state, tribal and local governments.

On December 15, 2010 the EPA is holding a listening session in Washington D.C. seeking input on suggested improvements for the next Vessel General Permit (VGP). A call-in number is available.

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(New York, N.Y.) Do you know an individual or organization that deserves recognition for their environmental achievements? Nominate them for a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Quality Award. Each year, EPA Region 2 recognizes and honors those individuals and organizations who contributed significantly to improving the environment during the past year in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and tribal nations within the region's jurisdiction. Winners are presented with a plaque and recognized by senior EPA officials during a ceremony coinciding with Earth Day celebrations.

On November 9, 2023, EPA hosted a webinar about the "Alternate PCB Extraction Methods and Amendments to PCB Cleanup and Disposal Regulations" final rule. For those who missed it, you can now access the webinar recording and presentation slides on our website.

EPA released its List N Tool, a new web-based application that allows smart phone users and others to quickly identify disinfectant products that meet EPA's criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. These products are for use on surfaces, NOT humans.

EPA is kicking-off the 25th Pollution Prevention (P2) Week with a series of events and activities to advance practices that reduce, eliminate or prevent pollution at its source. P2 practices, prior to recycling, treatment or disposal, can help reduce exposure to toxic chemicals, conserve natural resources and reduce cleanup and financial costs for businesses. It is essential for protecting public health and improving environmental conditions in and around disadvantaged communities that have long been overburdened by pollution. During P2 Week, EPA will hold several events to help businesses and P2 practitioners.

EPA memorandum dated February 13, 2006, by Assistant Administrator Granta Y. Nakayama, reaffirming the existing Guidance on Calculating the Economic Benefit of Noncompliance by Federal Agencies issued on September 30, 1999.

(pfas npdes guidance cwa This memorandum provides EPA's guidance to states for addressing PFAS discharges when they are authorized to administer the NPDES permitting program and/or pretreatment program. While the Office of Water works to revise Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs) and develop water quality criteria to support technology-based and water quality-based effluent limits for PFAS in NPDES permits, this memorandum describes steps permit writers can implement under existing authorities to reduce the discharge of PFAS.

EPA memorandum issued January 22, 2007 to EPA Regional Administrators on release of two final documents implementing key provisions of the UST amendments of the Energy Policy Act of 2005: the financial responsibility and installer certification grant guidelines and the public record grant guidelines.

This memorandum confirms EPA's commitment to have potentially responsible parties (PRPs) conduct the Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS) wherever appropriate.

The purpose of this memorandum is to communicate existing options under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations for hazardous waste generators and permitted hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) to address the temporary backlog of containerized hazardous waste destined for incineration.

This policy memorandum, dated 1 August 2011, describes management controls that will be implemented to ensure that the recommendations in the Five-Year Review reports are tracked, monitored and implemented; provides guidance to Remedial Project Managers to ensure that the reviews are completed on time; outlines how EPA makes an independent decision on protectiveness; and confirms that Five-Year Reviews are generally enforceable under Federal Facility Agreements.

EPA Asst. Administrator memorandum, dated 30 April 2021, to the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Office Directors and Deputies, Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Directors and Deputies, and Regional Counsels and Deputies, outlining steps for advancement of environmental justice goals.

EPA Asst. Administrator memorandum, dated July 1, 2021, to the Office of Site Remediation Enforcement Managers, Regional Superfund Division Directors and Deputies, Regional Counsels and Deputies, setting out steps to advance EPA environmental justice goals through cleanup enforcement at private and federal facility sites, primarily through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

EPA Asst. Administrator memorandum, dated 26 Apr 2021, to the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Office Directors and Deputies, Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Directors and Deputies, and Regional Counsels and Deputies. This memorandum charges enforcement staff and case teams to appropriately use the full array of policy and legal tools available to ensure that our country's environmental laws – and the policies to implement them – deliver benefits to all individuals and communities.

EPA is proposing its first rule under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020 to phase down the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and many other applications. The AIM Act directs EPA to sharply reduce production and consumption of these harmful pollutants by using an allowance allocation and trading program. This phasedown will decrease the production and import of HFCs in the United States by 85% over the next 15 years. A global HFC phasedown is expected to avoid up to 0.5 °C of global warming by 2100. The AIM Act is among the most significant environmental laws from the U.S. Congress in recent years – co-sponsored and passed with strong, bipartisan support. Backed by a broad coalition of industry and environmental groups, it provides regulatory certainty across the United States for phasing down HFCs and ushers in the use of more climate friendly and efficient alternatives that will save consumers money while improving the environment. American companies are at the forefront of developing HFC alternatives and the technologies that use them, and the AIM Act allows these companies to continue to lead and innovate internationally. EPA will accept comments on this proposal for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register and hold a public hearing. The agency plans to finalize this rule later this year.

EPA has released a 2012 Highlights of Progress report, which provides a summary of the major climate change-related accomplishments of EPA's national and regional water programs in 2012. This is the fourth climate change progress report for the National Water Program and the first progress report organized around the five long-term programmatic vision areas described in the National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change, which are water infrastructure; watersheds and wetlands; coastal and ocean waters; water quality; and, working with Tribes. The National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change released in December 2012 was an update to the initial climate change and water strategy from 2008. The 2012 Strategy describes long-term goals for the management of sustainable water resources for future generations in light of climate change and is intended to be a road map to guide programmatic planning.

This site details the steps to be taken towards meeting the EPA water program's strategic plans.