Administration announced the recipients of the Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards. The Presidential Federal Sustainability Awards recognize federal agencies and employees who have made transformational efforts to advance sustainability and climate resilience and lead by example to deliver on President Biden's goal to slash emissions from federal operations. Awardees were selected from a pool of over 140 nominations and represent domestic and international facilities or projects spanning 10 federal agencies.

EPA announced more than $100 million from President Biden's Investing in America agenda to expand recycling infrastructure and waste management systems across the country, representing EPA's largest recycling investment in 30 years. EPA has selected 25 communities to receive grants totaling more than $73 million under the newly created Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling funding opportunity. In addition, the agency is making available approximately $32 million for states and territories to improve solid waste management planning, data collection and implementation of plans. The recycling grants for communities will support improvements to waste management systems across the country and will range from $500,000 to $4 million per grant. Selected projects include purchasing new fleets of recycling collection vehicles and bins to provide curbside recycling services for communities currently lacking access; upgrades to material recovery facilities to reduce contamination; enhancements to composting and organics programs and infrastructure; and construction of various types of facilities that improve recycling, composting, and reuse infrastructure for materials such as plastics and food waste.

New report highlights key EPA accomplishments under national strategy to confront PFAS "forever chemicals" in communities across the country. Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, the EPA has delivered bold and concrete actions to protect people from PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in their water and everyday lives while dramatically increasing investments in research and solutions. Specific actions and progress are detailed in EPA's third annual progress report, highlighting the significant achievements the agency has made under its PFAS Strategic Roadmap and the Biden-Harris Administration's whole-of-government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals.

The Biden-Harris administration outlined a vision for how the United States can work collaboratively to conserve and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife that support and sustain the nation. The recommendations are contained in a report outlining a locally led and voluntary nationwide conservation goal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The report calls for a decade-long effort to support locally led and voluntary conservation and restoration efforts across public, private, and Tribal lands and waters in order to create jobs and strengthen the economy's foundation; tackle the climate and nature crises; and address inequitable access to the outdoors.

(WASHINGTON, March 14, 2023) Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it is proposing the first-ever national drinking water standard for six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the latest action under President Biden's plan to combat PFAS pollution and Administrator Regan's PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Through this action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking a major step to protect public health from PFAS pollution, leveraging the latest science and complementing state efforts to limit PFAS by proposing to establish legally enforceable levels for six PFAS known to occur in drinking water.

This proposal builds on other key milestones to combat PFAS, including EPA's proposal to designate two PFAS as CERCLA hazardous substances; enhancing data on PFAS under EPA's National PFAS Testing Strategy and through nationwide sampling for 29 PFAS in public drinking water systems; using EPA's Clean Water Act permitting and regulatory programs to reduce PFAS pollution in the environment from industry; and initiating the distribution of $10 billion in funding to address emerging contaminants under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

EPA announced the latest action to phase down the use of climate super-pollutant hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), issuing a final rule to implement a 40% reduction below historic levels from 2024 through 2028. The rule aligns with the bipartisan American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act's goals to reduce the production and consumption of these climate-damaging chemicals by 85% by 2036 and help avoid up to 0.5 ?C of global warming by 2100. The final rule builds on the success of the 10% phasedown step implemented for 2022 and 2023, by establishing a similar allowance methodology to provide regulatory certainty to industry and stakeholders, ensuring the most efficient implementation under the ongoing phasedown. The United States began this historic phasedown on January 1, 2022, with a reduction of HFC production and imports to 10% below historic baseline levels. Since then, allowances are needed to import and produce HFCs. Starting in 2024 the phasedown will be 40% below historic levels, a significant decrease in the number of available production and consumption allowances compared to previous years. HFC allowances for calendar year 2024 will be allocated by September 29, 2023. The phasedown schedule under this program is consistent with the schedule laid out in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which the United States ratified in October 2022.

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Biography of Bill Browning, Browning + Bannon, LLC

This webinar featured two separate case study presentations. Evelyn Amara Ferreira with the San Francisco International Airport reviewed their work to research, test and refine the messaging used on bins across throughout the airport, and Arizona State University's Molly Longton described their system for tailoring labels to the unique waste profiles of different settings while maintaining a uniform design standard.

Binder

Provides a quick check off list for including biobased purchasing requirements in solicitations and contracts, including contractor reporting requirements.

This site is devoted to current and prospective federal government users of biobased products. It includes the Biobased Products Best Practices Guide, product information, and profiles of federal agencies who are successfully using biobased products.

The Institute is a multi-stakeholder association of key individuals and groups from government, industry and academia, which promotes the use, and recycling of biodegradable polymeric materials (via composting). The BPI is open to any materials and products that demonstrate that they meet the requirements in ASTM D6499 or D6868, based on testing in a approved laboratory. The Compostable Logo can be awarded to any product which meet the requirements in ASTM D6400 or D6868, specifications based on more than 8 years of research by suppliers, composters and academia. Currently the logo has been awarded to a variety of compostable bags and films, food service items, and resins.

This report was issued by NatureServe, a nonprofit conservation group that supports and supplements species data collection and analysis efforts at the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Environmental Protection Agency. This report indicates that that nearly a third of at-risk plant and animal species found on wetlands, which are geographically isolated from lakes, rivers, and streams, cannot be protected either by the nation's clean water or endangered species laws.

A basic description of biomass energy such as biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts and how it can be used.

This USDA website provides contract templates with model biobased product purchase language for solicitations and contracts. Sample Biobased Contract Language is available for: custodial services; food services/cafeteria; grounds maintenance; minor construction; operations and maintenance; vehicle maintenance.

Training and Resources from the USDA BioPreferred program. This includes general training for contracting officers, contractors, as well as training on specific sectors.

This Federal program aims to increase the purchase and use of renewable, environmentally friendly biobased products while providing "green" jobs and new markets for farmers, manufacturers, and vendors. The BioPreferred program offers three major benefits: Climate Change Impact Reduction, Energy/Environmental Security, and Economic Development. There is easy access to a current list of biopreferred items designations.

The handbook was developed to inform practitioners about the latest approaches and lessons learned for bioretention design, construction, inspection, and operation and maintenance. The handbook contains a compilation of the current state of knowledge from published literature, interviews, and site visits with leading municipalities and practitioners across the United States. A unique feature includes the numerous photographs of bioretention facilities from more than 20 municipalities across the contiguous United States that showcase a diversity of design techniques.

Answers to some of the more frequently asked questions about sewage sludge and biosolids.

BirdCast provides real-time predictions of bird migrations: when they migrate, where they migrate, and how far they will be flying. Knowledge of migratory behavior can support decisions about conservation actions on the ground to mitigate numerous hazards birds face and to prevent deaths of millions of birds annually. Accurate migration models can have broad application, allowing researchers to understand behavioral aspects of migration, how migration timing and pathways respond to changing climate, and whether linkages exist between variation in migration timing and subsequent changes in population size.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed a proposed federal facility inter-agency agreement (FFA) with several agencies and jurisdictions for the cleanup work on the Island of Vieques in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The proposed agreement is between EPA, the U.S. Department of Navy, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Commonwealth. The agencies will take input from the public on the agreement for 45 days and make any necessary adjustments before finalizing it.

This fact sheet provides an overview of best management practices for handling and recycle/disposal of wastes commonly generated at dental offices.

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This guide will help you determine if and how your boiler is affected the Boilers Area Source NESHAP.

This guide will help you determine if and how your boiler is affected the Boilers Area Source NESHAP.

This video covers the first and second laws of thermodynamics, thermal energy (sensible and latent), methods of heat transfer in a boiler, and how boiler heat is transferred.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment announces the release of Boots on the Ground: Saving Species, Supporting the Mission--a video that showcases the Department of Defense's (DoD) success in maintaining its national defense and security mission, while conserving military lands and the species that call them home. Filmed at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California this seven-minute video tells a story of the unique balance between the vital military testing, training and operational mission and the extraordinary work, commitment, and dedication of the DoD to the conservation of at-risk species.

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