Presentations are being solicited for the 2011 North American Environmental Field Conference on the topics of environmental site characterization, sampling, monitoring and remediation. Abstracts are due 9 July 2010.

EPA Region 7 and GSA Heartland have signed an Environmental Working Agreement that outlines a plan to further investigate and manage environmental conditions at GSA-managed facilities within the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City, Mo. As part of the combined effort to improve environmental management at the Bannister Federal Complex, EPA and GSA also announced the activation of a community advisory panel which will provide input to a newly created Interagency Environmental Leadership Council on environmental and redevelopment issues.

EPA Region 7 announced it is going to reassess the entire Bannister Federal Complex for possible inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL). The Sierra Club and Physicians for Social Responsibility sent a request April 15 asking Region 7 to "conduct a full and complete reinvestigation and reassessment of the entire Bannister Federal Complex." The original EPA assessment was conducted in 1987.

EPA and DOE will hold the first public meeting of the Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage on May 6, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

EPA is seeking input on an environmental review of 16 Camp Edwards sites scheduled for use in a Massachusetts National Guard Training exercise in June 2010. The EPA is overseeing an ongoing cleanup of sites within the Camp Edwards Training Area.

DOE has announced that there are four new agreements valued at a total of $52.5 million under its Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPC), which are designed to help the federal government save energy and water. The new "task orders" will result in energy-saving upgrades at the Bureau of Land Management, National Wildlife Center, and two General Services Administration (GSA) facilities.

The Coast Guard Academy came in #1 in the "Per Capita Classic" category (total pounds of recyclables collected per person over 10 weeks).

This interactive site provides basic information about smaller Clean Water Act direct dischargers. Information includes: how many permits have been issued; how frequently sampling data is reviewed to determine if violations occurred; and frequency of violations.

(Kansas City, Kan., April 26, 2010) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 announced it is going to reassess the entire Bannister Federal Complex for possible inclusion on the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is EPA's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites identified for possible long-term remedial response under Superfund.

The EPA semiannual regulatory agenda is published to update the public about: regulations and major policies currently under development, reviews of existing regulations and major policies, and rules and major policymakings completed or canceled since the last agenda.

The Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration has issued two new reports on the green economy. The first, "Measuring the Green Economy," presents definitions and estimates of the size of the green economy. The report finds that the green economy makes up about 1 to 2 percent of the total economy and is poised for strong growth. The second report, "U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Intensities Over Time: A Detailed Accounting of Industries, Government and Households," analyzes energy-related CO2 emissions and intensities for 349 industries, the government, and households for the 1998 to 2006 period. This report shows how energy efficiency has changed over the past decade across industry sectors, indicating that some areas of the economy have shown substantial decreases in their CO2 emissions while others have made less progress. The methodology of the report provides a way to measure changes in energy efficiency over time as policies change.

DOE announced that Seattle City Light, Seattle's publicly owned power utility, has been selected to lead a national effort to guide municipalities in evaluating light emitting diode (LED) street lights.

As the weather warms, exposure to unhealthy ground-level ozone conditions becomes more likely and especially harmful to asthmatics and those with respiratory conditions. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and Nitrous Oxides (NOx) react with hot temperatures in the air to form ground-level ozone. To alert and protect the public, EPA's AIRNow website provides information about air quality conditions to prevent dangerous over-exposure to ozone pollution.

Through the RRFA program, the Western Area Power Administration works with the Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to help Federal agencies meet renewable energy goals, reduce emissions and foster markets for emerging technologies. RRFA coordinates the purchase of renewable energy and/or its benefits for Federal facilities with a streamlined purchase process that contains costs and gives agencies greater choice in the type of renewable projects they support.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the 15th annual U.S. Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, which shows a drop in overall emissions of 2.9 percent from 2007 to 2008. The downward trend is attributed to a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions associated with fuel and electricity consumption. The full EPA announcement can be found here. The Report can be found here.

Executive Order (E.O.) 13514 requires Federal agencies to reduce petroleum fuel use by 2 percent each year from 2005 through 2020, for a total 30 percent reduction. This new fleet guidance highlights a number of ways Federal agencies can reduce petroleum consumption by reducing vehicle miles traveled, increasing fleet fuel efficiency and switching to lower GHG-emitting and alternative fuels.

The Department of Defense has announced the winners of the 2010 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards. A panel of judges representing federal and state agencies, academia, and the public has selected this year's installation, team and individual winners.

This electronic template is intended to help the owner or operator of a Tier I qualified facility develop a self-certified Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan. To use this template, your facility must meet all of the applicability criteria of a Tier I qualified facility listed under 40 CFR 112.3(g)(1) of the SPCC rule. This template provides every SPCC rule requirement necessary for a Tier I qualified facility, to address and implement. This template can be completed either electronically or by hand on a printed copy. This template may be used to comply with the SPCC Rule or used as a model and modified as necessary to meet facility-specific needs. The template is available in interactive PDF, Word, and Word Perfect versions.

One hearing will be held in Arlington, Virginia on April 19, 2010. It will cover the proposed rule "Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Petroleum and Natural Gas Systems"and the proposed rule "mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Injection and Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide."he other hearing will be held in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2010. It will cover the proposed rule "Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases: Additional Sources of Fluorinated GHGs."

This joint effort with the EPA's Plug-In To eCycling program and leading cell phone manufacturers, retailers, and wireless service providers to increase awareness about the importance of cell phone recycling to save energy and conserve natural resources.

Under the first step to its' phase-in approach to GHG permitting, EPA issued a final decision that no stationary sources will be required to get Clean Air Act permits that cover greenhouse gases (GHGs) before January 2011.

IMO has accepted the proposal to designate waters off the North American coasts as an Emission Control Area (ECA). Large ships that operate in ECAs must use dramatically cleaner fuel and technology, leading to major air quality and public health benefits that extend hundreds of miles inland.

(San Juan, P.R. - March 25, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will pay a $13,000 fine and hold training sessions on storage tank regulations to settle a complaint issued by EPA over a failure to monitor, inspect and maintain records for underground petroleum and diesel storage tank systems at a San Juan, P.R. facility.

EPA is proposing to collect emissions data from the oil and natural gas sector, industries that emit fluorinated gases, and from facilities that inject and store carbon dioxide (CO2) underground for the purposes of geologic sequestration or enhanced oil and gas recovery. Under these proposals, newly covered sources would begin collecting emissions data on January 1, 2011 with the first annual reports submitted to EPA on March 31, 2012.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have outlined a series of steps to further strengthen the trusted Energy Star program.

EPA is looking for public comment on the annual Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2008 draft report. This annual report is prepared by EPA in collaboration with experts from other federal agencies. After responding to public comments, the U.S. government will submit the final inventory report to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report will fulfill the annual requirement of the UNFCCC international treaty, ratified by the United States in 1992, which sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change.

This is a November 2009 report containing the data accumulated and reviewed for 2008. There was a slight decrease in the amount of waste generated in 2008.

Water utilities, manufacturers, retailers, communities, plumbers, and other professionals are working with the EPA's WaterSense program to promote Fix a Leak Week, March 15 to 21, 2010. EPA is promoting ways to identify and repair dripping faucets, running toilets, and leaky showerheads.

EPA, DOE, and industry leaders have made an agreement on energy efficiency measurements, metrics, and reporting conventions for data center facilities. The new agreement provides guiding principles for data center operators to gauge energy use and create opportunities for improved energy performance.

Results of recent air monitoring in and around a child care facility and an adjacent building at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City do not reveal health concerns with indoor air at the facilities. This round of sampling involved tests of indoor air, as well as supplemental tests of outdoor air and air samples taken from beneath the concrete floor slabs of both buildings. Indoor air samples showed no indication of health concerns related to volatile organic compounds. Results of the related sampling do not indicate migration from beneath the building that would pose health risks.

(New York, N.Y. - 02/23/2010) The U.S. Army and the Army and Air Force Exchange Service failed to comply with critical environmental laws related to underground tanks used to store diesel fuel, gasoline and used oil at the West Point Garrison in New York, according to a complaint issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both military branches failed to monitor, test and keep records for their underground petroleum storage tanks. Leaking underground storage tanks pose significant threats to soil, surface water and ground water across the nation. EPA is requiring the two parties to comply with regulations and is seeking a $167,116 penalty.

On October 19, 2009, the White House launched the GreenGov Challenge to ask all Federal and military personnel to share ideas about how the federal community can lead by example, green the govern­ment, and meet the goals of President Obama's Executive Order on Federal Sustainability. The GreenGov Challenge generated more than 5,000 ideas and 165,000 votes from 14,000 federal employees. The top ideas are summarized in the GreenGov Final Report.

The GreenGov Collaborative, an online discussion group hosted by FedCenter.gov, is your opportunity to work with colleagues across the government to put these ideas into action. This private community offers various discussion forums for you to share your best ideas and strategies, ask questions, and recruit allies in your efforts to create a more sustainable Federal Government.

Participation in the forums is offered to all Federal employees.

Click here to view the President's GreenGov Collaborative message.

Go to Join GreenGov to learn more and sign up!

DOE is requesting information from stakeholders on questions pertaining to Section 1605--the Buy American provisions--of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (``Recovery Act'') of 2009, Public Law 111-5. Part 1 requests technical information from stakeholders seeking to ascertain the availability of manufactured goods produced in the United States that are needed to carry out projects funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Part 2 requests information on questions pertaining to the application and implementation (programmatic questions) of the Buy American provisions in Recovery Act projects funded by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Written comments and information are requested on or before 11:59 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, February 18, 2010.

EPA has created a new Office of Sustainable Communities to encourage communities to take an integrated approach in making environmental, housing and transportation decisions.

WASHINGTON (February 3, 2010)– President Barack Obama today announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs. At a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from around the country, the President laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

Two Air Force Space Command installations, Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., and Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., including Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, will be the initial beneficiaries of this effort to identify, communicate, manage and take action regarding encroachment issues ranging in scope from local to federal that impact the installations' missions. Encroachment is defined as any actions that impair or are likely to impair the current or future operational capability of an installation complex, or have or are likely to have a significant adverse effect on nearby communities.

EPA will hold 3 public hearings on the proposal to strengthen the nation's air quality standards for ground-level ozone, also called smog. The agency is proposing to set the "primary" standard, to protect public health, at a level between 0.060 and 0.070 parts per million measured over eight hours. EPA is also proposing to set a separate, seasonal "secondary" standard to protect the environment, especially plants and trees.

The U.S. Army Fort Hood has partnered again with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by setting new goals to recycle lead batteries, reduce or eliminate lead wheel weights, and recycle lead projectiles throughout the base's various operations.

WASHINGTON, DC (January 29, 2010) – President Barack Obama today announced that the Federal Government will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by 28 percent by 2020. Reducing and reporting GHG pollution, as called for in Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability, will ensure that the Federal Government leads by example in building the clean energy economy. Actions taken under this Executive Order will spur clean energy investments that create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy industries.

The U.S. EPA is soliciting award nominations by March 1, 2010, for individuals, teams and organizations that have made significant contributions to ozone layer protection. Nominees must demonstrate one or more of the following criteria: originality and public purpose; leadership and corporate responsibility; global perspective and implication; success in eliminating substances that deplete the ozone layer or in transitioning to alternatives with reduced environmental impact; or leadership in improving awareness of the harmful health effects of overexposure to UV radiation.

The 30-day public comment period ends February 20, 2010 for EPA's proposed agreement to allow the Massachusetts National Guard (MANG) and other military agencies, to resume training using a reformulated pyrotechnic device, the M116A1 Hand Grenade, for a two year period to commence the first day of use on the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR).

The U.S. Air Force and the U.S. EPA ranked number 11 and 14 respectively in the updated list of Green Power Partners.

WASHINGTON (Jan. 22, 2010) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a new national air quality standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). This new one-hour standard will protect millions of Americans from peak short-term exposures, which primarily occur near major roads. Short-term exposures to NO2 have been linked to impaired lung function and increased respiratory infections, especially in people with asthma.

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.

The largest study of its kind conducted in the United States to date, the study evaluates the future operational and integration impacts of up to 30% wind energy penetration into the power system in the study year 2024. The study encompasses the majority of the utilities in the Eastern Interconnection. The study also includes a high-level analysis of transmission needed to deliver the wind energy to load centers and a cursory analysis of carbon pricing impacts. The study was released by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory January 20, 2010.

(Boston, Mass. – January 13, 2010) – Three entities involved in a demolition project at the Newport Navy Base in Newport, R.I. have agreed to pay a penalty for alleged violations of Federal requirements for the safe handling and disposal of asbestos during demolition activities.

(Seattle, Wash.--Jan. 12, 2010) The Federal Aviation Administration has pledged to permanently close over two dozen motor vehicle waste disposal wells in Alaska. The FAA action resulted from an administrative order on consent issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Each April, EPA Region 2 honors individuals and organizations who have significantly improved the environment in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. One of the award categories is Federal, State, Local or Tribal Government or Agency, Nominations are due February 22, 2010.

DOI employees are invited to submit Green DOI ideas until 26 February 2010. DOI employees can submit ideas within seven main categories: reducing GHG emissions; conserving energy; conserving water; eliminating waste; purchasing sustainable products and services; sustainable buildings; and other.

Three public hearings concerning the reconsideration will be held concurrently in Arlington, Virginia, and Houston, Texas, on Tuesday, 2 February 2010, and in Sacramento, California, on Thursday, 2 February 2010. EPA proposes to set different primary and secondary standards than those set in 2008 to provide requisite protection of public health and welfare.

40th Anniversary of National Environmental Policy Act Presidential Proclamation 8469 declares January 1, 2010 as the 40th Anniversary of the National Environmental Policy Act.

Question: What is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking?
Answer: Radon. Exposure to radon in indoor air can lead to lung cancer. Radon is a radioactive gas produced by the decay of radium which occurs naturally in rock and soil.

In 2009, the World Health Organization estimated that up to 14% of lung cancers world-wide may be due to radon. In 2003, the U.S. EPA estimated there were more than 20,000 radon-related lung cancer deaths each year in America. Because of this risk, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a national health advisory on radon.

All Americans are urged to test, and if necessary, fix their homes to reduce their risk. Radon testing is simple and inexpensive, and fixing is affordable. The Environmental Protection Agency, state radon programs, and their partners, urge you to fix your home if your test result is four picocuries of radon per liter of air (4 pCi/L), or higher. You should consider fixing your home for a radon level between 2-4 pCi/L, because there is no known safe level of radon exposure. Live green from the ground up - check your home for radon. The life you save may be your own.

To learn more about radon, visit http://www.epa.gov/radon.
To contact your state radon office for help, visit < http://www.epa.gov/iaq/whereyoulive.html.

On December 22nd, EPA announced final emission standards under the Clean Air Act for new marine diesel engines with per-cylinder displacement at or above 30 liters (called Category 3 marine diesel engines) installed on U.S.-flagged vessels. The final engine standards are equivalent to those adopted in the amendments to Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (a treaty called "MARPOL"). The emission standards apply in two stages: near-term standards for newly-built engines will apply beginning in 2011, and long-term standards requiring an 80 percent reduction in nitrogen dioxides (NOx) will begin in 2016.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released enforcement results for fiscal year 2009, and has developed a new Web-based tool and interactive map that allows the public to get detailed information by location about the enforcement actions taken at approximately 4,600 facilities. In FY2009, EPA concluded enforcement actions requiring polluters to invest more than $5 billion on pollution controls, cleanup, and environmental projects. Civil and criminal defendants committed to install controls and take other measures to reduce pollution by approximately 580 million pounds annually once all required controls are fully implemented. The new mapping tool allows the public to view the locations of facilities that were the subject of those enforcement actions on interactive maps of the U.S. and territories. The maps show facilities where civil enforcement actions were taken for environmental laws for air, water, and land pollution, and a separate map shows criminal enforcement actions.

Themes of the strategy are: Healthy Watersheds and Coastal Waters, Safe Drinking Water, Sustainable Water Infrastructure, and Water Security. Within each theme, research needs are categorized into the following areas: aquatic health effects, human health effects, occurrence and exposure, methods development, and treatment technologies and effectiveness.

The report "Acid Rain and Related Program: 2008 Highlights" was released December 2009. The report documents that emissions from sources in the Acid Rain Program fell by 52 percent compared with 1990 levels and are already below the statutory annual emission cap of 8.95 million tons set for compliance in 2010.

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a complaint to the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, part of the U.S. Air Force, for improperly managing underground tanks used to store diesel fuel and gasoline at its facility in Toa Baja. Leaking underground storage tanks pose significant threats to soil, surface water and ground water. EPA cited the Puerto Rico Air National Guard for failing to properly monitor its storage tanks for leaks and maintain records of release detection for two underground storage tank systems; the Agency is seeking a civil penalty of $154,353.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued guidance to help federal agencies minimize the impact of federal development projects on nearby water bodies. The guidance is being issued in response to a change in law and Executive Order 13514, "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance" signed by President Obama on October 5, 2009, which calls upon all federal agencies to lead by example to address a wide range of environmental issues, including stormwater runoff.

Reports are available from 7 Federal agencies concerning the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay. Public comment on these reports is requested. The reports were prepared pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13508 of May 12, 2009, Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration. The E.O. required that a draft strategy be published for public review and comments together with the final reports prepared by the federal agencies. The draft strategy was made available on 9 November 2008 for comment. Comments on the seven Section 202 reports must be submitted on or before 8 January 2010.

WASHINGTON (December 7, 2009) After a thorough examination of the scientific evidence and careful consideration of public comments, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten the public health and welfare of the American people. EPA also finds that GHG emissions from on-road vehicles contribute to that threat.

Fielded by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), this is an online discussion forum designed to enhance communication between EPA and the public on contaminated sites, waste management, and recycling issues. The forum is a public comment board and the first four discussion topics pertain to community involvement, Superfund metrics, toxic material reduction, and land revitalization. Potential topics for future discussions include recycling, waste management, brownfields, leaking underground storage tanks, and emergency response. EPA plans to post a new topic of discussion each month to generate discussion related to hazardous waste, recycling, and emergency response activities.

A free online supplement to the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH) is a compilation of articles demonstrating the advancement and evolving sophistication of environmental and occupational justice work, and the use of community-based participatory research approaches over the past decade. This edition of the America Journal of Public Health is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The supplement was supported by the three federal partners and the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

The draft standards were released on November 19, 2009. The specification is open for public comment through January 18, 2010.

(Seattle, Wash. – November 23, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has required the U.S. Navy to consider more rigorous cleanup options for residential and shoreline property near the Jackson Park Housing Complex in Bremerton, Washington. The Navy is currently in the initial stages of a Superfund cleanup at the 232-acre property.

This report, published in November 2009, provides data on the fuel economy, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and technology characteristics of new light-duty vehicles (cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks) for model years 1975 through 2009.

The Public is invited to comment on the Federal Bay-Delta Work Plan. The Departments of Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and the Army, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Council on Environmental Quality are committed to developing a plan by December 15, 2009, that will lay out specific short-term federal goals and actions in this effort. Public input is sought on the key issues that should be addressed within the short-term plan being developed.

WASHINGTON (November 16, 2009) – Home owners, buyers and renters have a new resource for going green indoors and outdoors. EPA's new Green Homes Web site will help people make their homes greener with tips on reducing energy consumption, carbon footprints, waste generation and water usage, as well as improving indoor air quality.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 has announced its 2009 Champions of Environmental Leadership and Green Government. This program seeks to recognize those individuals and initiatives which have gone beyond regulatory compliance and show tangible measurement towards the Federal Green Challenge goals, which is a 5% or more reduction in the target areas of energy, transportation, waste, water, and overall environmental leadership. This year, as part of the Federal Green Challenge, there was a record number of reductions associated with Champions nominations. The 2009 Champions of Environmental Leadership and Green Government are:

• Overall Environmental Leadership: Bonneville Power Administration
• Transportation: U.S. Forest Service
• Waste: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Energy: General Services Administration
• One additional award in 2009 for a reduction of more than 5% in two Champions categories: National Park Service Glacier Bay

For complete details on the awards, please visit the website: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/ECOCOMM.NSF/Federal+Green+Challenge/awards/.

LOS ANGELES (November 10, 2009) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking former Atomics International, Rocketdyne, or Rockwell employees who worked on nuclear and radiological projects at the now closed Santa Susana Field Lab, located near Los Angeles, Calif., to assist the agency in identifying potential radiological contamination at the lab, which will help overall cleanup of the lab property. The EPA is interested in interviewing past lab employees that have knowledge of spills, dumping, or other types of releases of radiological material to the land, air and water. The EPA is planning a study of radiological contamination at the lab and a full understanding of past operations and events that may have caused contamination is critical to EPA's study.

A team of Air Force and scientific experts announced the environmental cleanup program at Dix will meet or exceed Air Force standards. The Dix environmental program is on track for early compliance with the Air Force goal of implementing "Remedy-in-Place" by 2012.

As a result of The National Study of Chemical Residues in Lake Fish Tissue, EPA has identified widespread contamination of fish in U.S. lakes and reservoirs.

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) will convene the Zero-Energy Commercial Buildings Consortium in order to support the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative. NASEO is comprised of senior officials from the energy offices of both the states and territories, in addition to affiliates from the private and public sectors, and will provide leadership for the Consortium.

ECHO has been updated to allow users to view current information on facility compliance with water, air, and hazardous waste requirements in relation to pollutant release data from EPA's Toxics Release Inventory and National Emissions Inventory databases. This provides the public with more information on the overall environmental footprint of each facility.

Pilot projects are being sought for the Sustainable Sites Initiative Rating System, released on November 5, 2009. Accepted pilot projects will be the first projects to demonstrate their application of The Sustainable Sites Initiative: Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009. Feedback will be used to revise the rating system and inform the technical reference manual. Projects may only be submitted online through February 15, 2010.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with four other federal agencies, the Navajo Nation, congressional staff, academia, state, tribal and local government representatives, community members and nongovernment organizations are meeting to discuss the progress of the five-year plan to address uranium contamination on the Navajo Nation.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson announces President Obama's selections for EPA Regions 2, 6 and 9.

Dyess Air Force Base is honored by the U.S. House of Representatives for the bases' success in achieving energy savings and developing energy-saving innovations during Energy Awareness Month.

As part of FedCenter's new initiative to provide interactive, Web-based training for federal environmental personnel, FedCenter has released the third of three on-demand training courses that were planned to be released this summer/fall. "Underground Storage Tank" training is designed to provide facility personnel with help in managing underground storage tanks. For more details, FedCenter members can click on this link and log in to view the UST course information.

DOE has issued an updated version of its popular EnergyPlus simulation software for modeling heating, cooling, lighting, ventilating, and other building energy flows.

The National Defense Center for Energy and Environment (NDCEE) Program has published the Summer/Fall 2009 NDCEE Newsletter.

On July 6, 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would develop an action plan to enhance public transparency regarding clean water enforcement performance at federal and state levels, to strengthen that performance, and to transform EPA's water quality and compliance information systems.

In addition to using no more than a half gallon per flush, urinals bearing the WaterSense label must meet EPA's performance requirements, ensuring they work as well or better than standard models.

President Obama has issued a proclamation that October 2009 is National Energy Awareness Month.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are alerting shippers and carriers to the importance of transporting lithium batteries safely. These agencies are issuing this advisory guidance to (1) Inform persons of recent aviation incidents involving fires aboard both passenger and cargo aircraft and the potential hazards that shipments of lithium batteries may present while in transportation, (2) provide information concerning the current requirements for the transportation of lithium batteries and (3) inform persons of the actions taken to date and plan to take in the future to address the hazards of these batteries [Federal Register: October 7, 2009 [Notices], Page 51643-51645].

(New York, NY, October 13, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Department of Energy (DOE) covering federal facilities, which details responsibilities for the cleanup of a contaminated site in Middlesex, New Jersey. The federal facilities agreement specifies that USACE is responsible for cleaning up the site and DOE is responsible for long-term surveillance after the cleanup. The property was used by the Atomic Energy Commission as part of the nation's early atomic energy program to handle various radioactive ores.

EPA has designated 31 locations across the country as not meeting the agency's daily standards for fine particle air pollution (PM 2.5), or particulate matter.

FedCenter has added a new topic to its program area lineup - Greenhouse Gases. This area includes the latest guidance and information resources to aid Federal facilities in managing greenhouse gas emissions. This encompasses current guidance, policies, and trends related to climate change/global warming, calculation of carbon footprints, GHG inventories, and the application of offsets to reduce carbon footprints.

EPA has issued a document providing state and local governments technical guidance for methamphetamine lab cleanups. Issues included are best practices for specific items or materials, sampling procedures, and technical resources.

The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) and the U.S. EPA have signed a Performance Partnership Agreement that will guide their collaboration on environmental priorities over the next two years. The EPA/DDOE partnership agreement targets five areas for collaboration.

President Obama has issued the new Executive Order 13514 on "Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance", which sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance. The Executive Order requires Federal agencies to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days; increase energy efficiency; reduce fleet petroleum consumption; conserve water; reduce waste; support sustainable communities; and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.

Caulk containing potentially harmful polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was used in many buildings in the 1950s through the 1970s. PCBs in caulk have not been found in single-family homes. EPA has only found the chemical in caulk in large, older apartment complexes and some older buildings, such as schools.

This program enables Federal employees from across government to submit their ideas for efficiencies and savings as part of the annual budget process. Federal sustainability improvements often result in considerable savings and should be shared government-wide. By offering suggestions regarding environmental and energy improvements to operational elements of federal facilities, federal employees can help improve efficiency and save money.

An inter-agency agreement with the U.S. Air Force for the cleanup of the McGuire Air Force Base Superfund Site in New Hanover Township, New Jersey has been signed by Air Force and EPA officials. The federal facility agreement signed ensures that cleanup activities proceed under EPA oversight and in a manner that protects the public health and the environment.

EPA has issued the Final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule. The rule requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from large sources and suppliers in the United States, and is intended to collect accurate and timely emissions data to inform future policy decisions.

PHILADELPHIA (September 16, 2009) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's mid-Atlantic region announced 10 winners of its second annual environmental achievement awards including two from Maryland – the Solid Waste Management Division of Cecil County government and the National Security Agency facility in Fort Meade.

This report provides the latest information on wind industries in 20 IEA Wind member countries. The information includes generation capacity, progress toward national objectives, benefits to national economies, issues affecting growth, costs of projects and turbines, national incentive programs, and research and development results.

WASHINGTON – Federal agencies today released the seven draft reports required by President Obama's executive order on the Chesapeake Bay, which contain a range of proposed strategies for accelerating cleanup of the nation's largest estuary and its vast watershed. The draft reports collectively call for increased accountability and performance from pollution control, habitat protection and land conservation programs at all levels of government, including an expanded use of regulatory authorities to address pollution control and additional voluntary and market-based solutions – particularly when it comes to habitat protection and land conservation programs. Federal agencies are also proposing new ways to harness the latest innovations in science and technology. The proposed actions are in response to overwhelming scientific evidence that the health of the Chesapeake Bay remains exceptionally poor, despite the concerted restoration efforts of the past 25 years.

The free September 10, 2009 webcast is titled "Introduction to Water Quality Standards." The webcast will highlight the three major components of state and tribal water quality standards e.g., designated uses, water quality criteria, antidegradation, and will include a case study of how one state is working to strengthen its WQS program.

On 3 September 2009 President Obama issued proclamation 8409 declaring September 2009 as National Wilderness Month.

This day celebrates hands-on volunteer efforts to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. In 2008, 120,000 volunteers built trails and bridges, removed trash and invasive plants, and planted over 1.6 million trees. See the website for volunteer opportunities near you.