The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

The Southern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions, published by the U.S. Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Office--Southern (REEO-S), is designed to provide current information to environmental decision makers, planners, and program managers regarding environmental actions and events throughout Federal EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Information listed may be relevant to the U.S. Army and other Military Services' activities and operations. See attached.

The USACE Civil Works Program Strategic Plan "Sustainable Solutions to America's Water Resource Needs" for the years 2014 to 2018 is now available. The plan presents overarching strategies resulting from the five-year Civil Works Scenario-based strategic planning process. This strategic plan builds on the watershed-based systems approach introduced in the Civil Works 2004-2009 Strategic Plan by furthering Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), as the overarching strategy.

(Washington, DC, January 30, 2015) Across the country, extreme weather and other impacts of climate change are threatening the health, safety, and prosperity of our communities. This month, NOAA and NASA announced that 2014 was the hottest global year on record. And as the planet continues to warm, impacts like rising sea levels, intensified storms, and heavy downpours are contributing to an increased risk of flooding. President Obama is committed to ensuring that American communities thrive in the face of a changing climate. That is why, today, the President signed an Executive Order establishing a flood standard that will reduce the risk and cost of future flood disasters by requiring all Federal investments in and affecting floodplains to meet higher flood risk standards. By requiring that Federally funded buildings, roads and other infrastructure are constructed to better withstand the impacts of flooding, the President's action will support the thousands of communities that have strengthened their local floodplain management codes and standards, and will help ensure Federal projects last as long as intended. See attachment for the full announcement.

On January 28, 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released to the public a report detailing the results of a two-year study to address coastal storm and flood risk to vulnerable populations, property, ecosystems, and infrastructure in the North Atlantic region of the United States affected by Hurricane Sandy in October, 2012. Congress authorized this report in January 2013 in the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (Public Law 113-2). The report, known as the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (NACCS), brought together experts from Federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations and academia, to assess the flood risks facing coastal communities and ecosystems and collaboratively develop a coastal storm risk management framework to address increasing risks, which are driven in part by increased frequency and intensity of storm events and rising sea levels due to a changing climate. The NACCS provides tools and information, including a nine-step Coastal Storm Risk Management Framework that can be used by communities, states, tribes, and the Federal government to help identify coastal risk and develop strategies for reducing those risks.

The Consent Agreement and Final Order, signed by EPA and US DOE today, addresses two independent Resource Conservation and Recovery Act violations, which occurred in 2013. In the first case, EPA alleged that US DOE moved 136 fifty-five gallon drums of hazardous waste from a permitted area to an unpermitted area, without seeking or obtaining the required permit authorization. In the second case, US DOE submitted a closure plan (in October, 2013) for eight storage units that lacked all the required information as required under an earlier settlement. The plan did not detail how and when any remaining waste and contamination would be removed and disposed of as the project was completed. US DOE is now working with the Washington Department of Ecology to amend the plan to include the needed closure information. As part of this agreement, US DOE will pay a $44,722 penalty.

EPA recognized 14 WasteWise participants this year, which include research institutes, retailers and local governments. The winner in the category for the Federal Government Partner of the Year for 2014 is the Presidio Trust. The WasteWise program helps organizations and businesses apply sustainable materials management practices to reduce municipal and industrial wastes. WasteWise participants reported preventing and diverting a total of nearly 7.6 million tons of waste from being disposed in landfills or incinerators in 2013. This amount of waste diversion represents a reduction in greenhouse gases equivalent to taking more than 2.3 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year.

On January 23, 2015, the White House launched the Presidential Challenge for Advanced Outdoor Lighting, calling on local governments to accelerate the adoption and use of high efficiency outdoor lighting. In addition to driving carbon pollution reductions in communities across the country, the Challenge will help cities and states cut their outdoor lighting bills by 50% or more. Read the CEQ blog, hosted by Kate Brandt, Federal Environmental Executive.

EPA, Office of the Chief Financial Officer is requesting comments on the development of an E-Enterprise for the Environment portal and announcing three public meetings in the form of internet webinars. The portal, a Web site that functions as a point of access to information and tools, may provide consolidated entry points for businesses and citizens to efficiently locate, obtain access to, and interact with relevant EPA, state, and tribal environmental programs and resources. The goal is to reduce regulatory burden and optimize information technology resources across government entities. EPA is seeking comment on the value of establishing a portal and the functions that it should provide. The EPA will host a series of webinars for the public to learn about the portal, ask questions and learn how to provide comments. While open to any participants, the first webinar on 2/19/15 will be oriented towards states and other co-regulators; the second webinar on 2/23/15 will be for the regulated community; and the third on 3/5/15 will be aimed at the general public. POC is Shana Harbour at tel: 202-566-2959; fax: 202-501-0648; email: epa.gov">harbour.shana@epa.gov (Federal Register; 26 Jan 2015 [Notices], pages 3962-3964).

EPA's Office of Air and Radiation's (OAR) Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) is hosting a community conference call about updates to several rules. January 2015 Conference Call Topics: Clean Power Plan; Ozone NAAQS; and the Methane Strategy. January 28, 2015

The Administration is announcing a new goal to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 - 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025, and a set of actions to put the U.S. on a path to achieve this ambitious goal.

Similar to previous years, in 2013, most of the toxic chemical waste managed at industrial facilities in the U.S. was not released into the environment, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report. The report, published today, shows that approximately 22 billion pounds - or 84 percent - of the 26 billion pounds of toxic chemical waste were instead managed through the use of preferred practices such as recycling. Of the 4 billion pounds that were disposed of or otherwise released to the environment, 66 percent went to land, 19 percent to air, 5 percent to water, and 10 percent was transferred to other facilities. Over the past 10 years, total disposal or other releases to the environment have decreased 7 percent, despite a 15 percent increase from 2012 to 2013.

EPA Region 2 is now seeking nominations for the Environmental Champion Awards, previously called the Environmental Quality Awards. Winners will be honored at an awards event on Friday, 24 April 2015. The Agency is accepting nominations for Environmental Champion Awards until 17 February 2015. The awards recognize achievement in six categories: Business and Industry; Individual Citizen; Non-Profit Organization, Environmental or Community Group; Environmental Education; Federal, State, Local or Tribal Government or Agency; and Media.

The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

The Southern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions, published by the U.S. Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Office --Southern (REEO-S), is designed to provide current information to environmental decision makers, planners, and program managers regarding environmental actions and events throughout Federal EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Information listed may be relevant to the U.S. Army and other Military Services' activities and operations. See attached.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) presents an updated series of training courses focused on the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High-Performance and Sustainable Buildings.

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.

Roundup of the Department of Energy Environmental Management Office's significant accomplishments for 2014. See attached.

Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was required to establish guidelines for agencies to meter their federal buildings for electricity. DOE issued the guidance in February 2006. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 subsequently established that each agency shall provide equivalent metering of natural gas and steam. See 42 U.S.C. § 8253(e). By the close of FY 2013, federal agencies collectively reported installing 96% of electricity, 96% of natural gas, and 69% of steam meters at buildings the agencies deemed appropriate.

The Presidential Memorandum, Federal Leadership on Energy Management (Dec. 5, 2013) reemphasized the requirements for installing electricity, natural gas, and steam meters, and provided an additional requirement for installing water meters. The memorandum directed the DOE Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) to revise the metering guidance and include definitions for "cost effective" and "appropriate" (for determining where meters should be installed).

"Federal Building Metering Guidance (per 42 USC 8253(e) Metering of Energy Use) November 2014 Update" supersedes the February 2006 Guidance. The updated Guidance is now published on the FEMP website, with a direct link to the download page here.

The latest edition of "Our Changing Planet", the U.S. Global Change Research Program's annual report to Congress, illustrates the Program's significant progress in meeting its legal mandate and fulfilling the 2012-2021 Strategic Plan. The report gives an overview of the Federal global change research enterprise and upcoming research priorities, with plain-language highlights spotlighting recent efforts to advance science and support societal needs. Among the many highlights in the report, a few examples include: new satellite missions to measure global change; progress in forecasting near-term climate; understanding natural and human factors in the carbon cycle; modeling climate impacts on agriculture and the agro-economy; delivering the 2014 National Climate Assessment; supporting climate preparedness and resilience in the federal government; and building capacity among climate change interpreters in informal education settings. To access the report, visit: http://www.globalchange.gov/browse/reports/our-changing-planet-fy-2015.

As part of an ongoing effort to modernize implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act and promote effective and transparent environmental reviews, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released updated draft guidance for Federal agencies on how to consider greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts of climate change in their NEPA analyses, as well as final guidance on conducting programmatic NEPA reviews. These measures will increase the efficiency of environmental reviews and help agencies make informed decisions that are sound investments of taxpayer dollars and good for American communities.

The Obama Administration has released final Principles, Requirements and Guidelines (PR&G) for Federal investments in water resources, marking the first update to these important guidelines in more than three decades. In addition to helping cut costs and accelerate project approvals, the modernized PR&G guides Federal agencies to support water infrastructure projects with the greatest economic and community benefits.

16 December 2014 marks the 40th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The Act was passed to protect your family's health by ensuring that the nation's public drinking water is safe. EPA is committed to working with states, tribes, water sector partners and other stakeholders to meet the challenges ahead in continuing to protect drinking water supplies. Read Administrator Gina McCarthy's remarks from the National Press Club celebrating the anniversary and learn how the Safe Drinking Water Act impacts you.

The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

The Southern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions, published by the U.S. Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Office--Southern (REEO-S), is designed to provide current information to environmental decision makers, planners, and program managers regarding environmental actions and events throughout Federal EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Information listed may be relevant to the U.S. Army and other Military Services' activities and operations. See attached.

On December 9, 2014, the White House held an event that brought together NASCAR, White House leadership, the U.S. Department of Transportation, tire manufacturers, and tire dealers to highlight common sense opportunities of properly maintaining tires, especially in regard to tire pressure. By enabling a driver to travel farther on a gallon of fuel, proper tire maintenance combined with the use of low rolling resistance tires could save a driver up to $80 per year, and avoid up to 560 pounds of annual carbon dioxide pollution, equivalent to nearly 600 miles of emission-free driving. For more information, please see the White House Fact Sheet (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/09/fact-sheet-increasing-safety-and-efficiency-while-saving-money-pump) highlighting new executive actions and private sector commitments to increase awareness about tire safety and efficiency. You can also view the Department of Transportation's report, "Be TireWise: Save Money at the Pump, Increase Efficiency, and Protect Your Safety" at http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/tire_report_final.pdf.

The Energy Department today recognized 25 winners across the federal government as recipients of the 2014 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These annual awards highlight exceptional federal agency efforts for improving the nation's energy, water, aviation and vehicle fleets. Each winner deployed cutting-edge practices that will significantly cut carbon pollution, protect the environment and strengthen national security.

Monthly environmental news for DoD facilities in EPA Regions 1, 2 & 3 for October/November 2014. See attached.

FINAL REMINDER - ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO PARTICIPATE! The White House is launching the second GreenGov Challenge! If you're a federal employee, share your idea on how the federal government can lead by example in eight different categories -- from climate change mitigation and resilience, to water conservation, to waste reduction. Submissions are open until 5 December 2014. After the submission period closes, GreenGov will release the approved submissions and all federal employees will be able to vote for their favorite ideas.

DOE and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are developing a vision for future buildings a century from now based on the collective views of our forward-thinking stakeholders. Post your thoughts, suggest topic areas, and share information on their website. Attend their panel sessions and workshop to join the discussions. They are also looking for partners who are interested in taking a more active role in this vision-such as hosting a webinar, organizing a panel discussion or coordinating a workshop.

The DoD Cultural Resources UPDATE is sponsored by the DoD Cultural Resource Program. This edition highlights several current initiatives, provides an overview of new and ongoing training opportunities, and features information on recently published reports relevant to the DoD CRM community. See attached.

The EPA Office of Sustainable Communities recently released a report entitled, "Enhancing Sustainable Communities with Green Infrastructure," to help communities better manage stormwater while achieving other environmental, public health, social, and economic benefits. The report aims to help local governments, water utilities, nonprofit organizations, neighborhood groups, and other stakeholders integrate green infrastructure strategies into plans that can transform their communities. This report can help stakeholders create a vision for how green infrastructure can enhance their communities beyond reducing stormwater runoff. It also directs readers to other resources that provide more detailed information that can be tailored to communities' specific climate, goals, and circumstances. To access the report, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/green-infrastructure.html. To view the related blog post, visit: http://blog.epa.gov/epaconnect/2014/10/green-infrastructure-helping-to-transform-neighborhoods-in-cleveland-and-across-the-nation/.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has offered a right-of-way (ROW) grant to Deepwater Wind Block Island Transmission System, LLC (Deepwater Wind) for the Block Island Transmission System (BITS). The transmission system will serve two purposes: 1) connect Deepwater Wind's proposed 30 megawatt (MW) Block Island Wind Farm, located in Rhode Island state waters about 2.5 nautical miles southeast of Block Island, to the Rhode Island mainland; and 2) transmit power from the existing onshore transmission grid on the mainland to Block Island. The ROW corridor, which is about eight nautical miles long and 200 feet wide, comprises the portion of the transmission line that crosses federal waters.

This document reflects the compliance and enforcement agenda for EPA at federal facilities in FY15.

This is a DoD-sponsored newsletter issued as a part of their Natural Resources Program. The newsletter updates the status of the program, provides information on training and meetings, and highlights success stories and future plans.

The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

The Southern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions, published by the U.S. Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Office--Southern (REEO-S), is designed to provide current information to environmental decision makers, planners, and program managers regarding environmental actions and events throughout Federal EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Information listed may be relevant to the U.S. Army and other Military Services' activities and operations. See attached.

EPA and the USDA will host two public listening sessions to solicit stakeholder input to assist the Pollinator Health Task Force in development of a federal strategy to protect honey bees and other pollinators. The Task Force is asking for input on the types of activities that could be part of the strategy, including public private partnerships, research, educational opportunities, pollinator habitat improvements and pesticide risk mitigation. The meetings will be held November 12 and 17. For those not able to attend the sessions, there is a webinar available.

Fall 2014 edition of the DoD Chesapeake Bay Program Journal, published quarterly and sponsored by the DOD/Navy Chesapeake Bay Program Office. See attached.

On 31 October 2014 the DOI released its 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The 2014 Plan focuses on the Department's work to address climate change through implementation of Executive Order 13653 and the Department's Climate Change Adaptation Policy (523 DM 1). Section II of this plan explains the Department's official Climate Change Adaptation Policy and provides additional guiding principles. Section III summarizes the Department's efforts to address climate related risks. Section IV demonstrates the Department's efforts to modernize programs to support climate resilience investment.

On 31 October 2014 Federal agencies released their plans for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change impacts such as flooding, sea level rise, severe weather and temperature extremes. The current agency Climate Change Adaptation Plans build on the first set of plans, which was released in February, 2013, and respond to a November 2013 Executive Order on Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change that established requirements for updating and reporting on progress on agency Adaptation plans.

On Oct 31, 2014 EPA released plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change impacts such as flooding, sea level rise, severe weather and temperature extremes. These Sustainability Plans and Climate Change Adaptation Plans coincide with the fifth anniversary of President Obama's 2009 Executive Order on Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance, which set aggressive energy, climate and environmental targets for agencies, and detail how EPA's actions have already contributed to reducing the Federal Government's greenhouse gas emissions by more than 17 percent since 2008 - the equivalent of permanently taking 1.8 million cars off the road.

EPA has finalized an agreement with the Louisiana Department of Environmental (LDEQ), Louisiana Military Department (LMD), and the U.S. Army (Army) to dispose of 15 million pounds of abandoned explosives at Camp Minden, La. Under the final agreement, the Louisiana Military Department will control burn more than 15 million pounds of smokeless propellants in specifically designed burn trays with funding provided by the United States liability fund, on behalf of the Army. EPA and LDEQ will oversee the work and environmental safety

EPA is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk into business opportunities, spurring innovation and economic development. The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards are presented in five categories: academic, small business, greener synthetic pathways, greener reaction conditions and designing greener chemicals.

On October 22, 2014, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it is on track to meet the Administration's 2020 renewable energy goal after awarding a competitive power supply contract to a commercial wind developer for the purchase of 140 megawatts (MW) of clean wind energy. The energy will come from the Walnut Ridge Wind Farm, which is currently in development in northwest Illinois, and will add more than 500,000 megawatt-hours (MWhs) of electricity to the power grid annually. The ten-year contract was awarded to MG2 Tribal Energy – a joint venture between the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians, a federally-recognized Native American tribe, and Geronimo Energy, a commercial wind developer – and is the largest wind energy purchase from a single source in federal contracting history.

Recipients of the 2014 Secretary of the Army Energy and Water Management Awards have been announced. The annual awards program -- in its 36th year -- recognizes installations, small groups and individuals from the Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard who make significant achievements in installation energy conservation and water management. Categories for the award include Energy Efficiency/Energy Management, Innovation and New Technology, Renewable/Alternatives, Water Conservation, and Demand Side Management/Load Shedding. Click here for the list of award winners.

President Obama's June 2014 memorandum, Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, directs Federal agencies to take steps to protect and restore domestic populations of pollinators. To help achieve this goal, CEQ issued on October 22, 2014 an addendum to its sustainable landscape guidance, Supporting the Health of Honey Bees and other Pollinators. The guidance will help Federal agencies incorporate pollinator friendly practices in new construction, building renovations, landscaping improvements, and in facility leasing agreements at Federal facilities and on Federal lands.

For additional information on the importance of the revised guidance, see Kate Brandt's CEQ blog, Good News for the Bees: Supporting Pollinators at Federal Facilities.

The EIA online analysis of 2013 energy-related carbon dioxide emissions indicates U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels were 5,396 million metric tons carbon dioxide in 2013, an increase of 2.5% from the 2012 level. Despite the increase in 2013, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions remain 10% below 2005 levels.

The Army Sustainability Report 2014 highlights progress in FY12 and FY 13 in land management, operational energy, community partnerships, and programs.

This is the text of a speech that was given on 9 October 2014 to the American Bar Association (ABA).

The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

Supporting the Obama Administration's goal to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment, the Energy Department is pursuing a suite of initiatives to strengthen federal energy management through increased focus on measurement of energy use in federal buildings and energy efficient building design. Principal among the efforts is the Department's issuance of a final rule that requires verified energy and water performance for new and retrofitted federal buildings that are certified by private sector green building certification systems. The rule, which goes into effect Nov. 13, ensures that in cases where agencies choose to use green building certification systems to meet federal sustainability and energy standards, they must choose a system that verifies enhanced energy and water efficiency. By requiring re-assessments at least every four years, the rule will ensure energy and water savings continue well beyond the initial building opening or retrofit. System requirements for the verification of energy and water performance in new construction and major renovations will lead to reduced consumption through active energy and water management.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has released a fact sheet detailing the Obama Administration's new executive actions and series of private and public sector commitments that will improve the management of our natural resources in the context of a changing climate and support investment in green infrastructure.

EPA has posted additional data and added new functions to ChemView, EPA's publicly-accessible, one-stop online tool to find information for chemicals regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The updated database now includes the following new information: 244 consent orders, an additional 1,205 Significant New Use Rules (SNURs) for new and existing chemicals, 16 additional chemicals with test rule data, and updates to the Safer Chemicals Ingredient List. This is the first time EPA has posted consent orders and new chemical SNURs to ChemView. With these additions, ChemView now contains information on almost 10,000 chemicals. EPA is also encouraging people to complete a ten minute customer satisfaction survey to help guide future improvements to ChemView.

The Southern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions, published by the U.S. Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Office--Southern (REEO-S), is designed to provide current information to environmental decision makers, planners, and program managers regarding environmental actions and events throughout Federal EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Information listed may be relevant to the U.S. Army and other Military Services' activities and operations. See attached.

Monthly environmental news for DoD facilities in EPA Regions 1, 2 & 3 for August/September 2014. See attached.

The Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool is designed to help you determine who is discharging, what pollutants they are discharging and how much, and where they are discharging. The tool calculates pollutant loadings from permit and DMR data from EPA's Integrated Compliance Information System for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (ICIS-NPDES). Data are available from the year 2007 to the present. Revisions to the tool include: weekly updates with the latest facility, permit, and DMR data from ICIS-NPDES; integration of EPA TRI wastewater treatment technology information and links to the TRU pollution prevention report; and more documentation on how to use the tool.

Following the lead of popular low-cost commercial car-sharing ventures, GSA is actively pursuing similar initiatives to help federal agencies reduce costs, improve efficiency, and optimize vehicle use. In pursuit of these initiatives, GSA issued an award to four vendors to provide car sharing services on August 26, 2014. The four vendors will provide car-sharing as an option for federal employees that use government vehicles on a short-term hourly basis, not to exceed the one-day maximum.

EPA has released its fourth year of Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program data, detailing greenhouse gas pollution trends and emissions broken down by industrial sector, geographic region and individual facilities. In 2013, reported emissions from large industrial facilities were 20 million metric tons higher than the prior year, or 0.6 percent, driven largely by an increase in coal use for power generation.

GSA has released a review of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Version 4 (LEED v4), the new version of the LEED green building certification system published in November 2013 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The purpose of the review was to examine how LEED v4 aligns with existing federal statutory, regulatory, and Executive Order green building requirements.

DOE is funding nine projects that will advance the development of combined heat and power (CHP) and renewable energy technologies at facilities across the federal government and help meet energy efficiency, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas reduction goals. As the nation's largest single user of energy, the federal government is leading by example. These projects will reduce carbon emissions, while strengthening America's economic, energy, and environmental security. Projects are being implemented at NASA, Army, National Science Foundation, Agriculture, Justice, Interior, Air National Guard, and Transportation facilities.

(ATLANTA – September 24, 2014) EPA Region 4 has issued an Order that requires the U.S. Army take expedited corrective measures at the former Fort Gillem in Forest Park, Georgia. EPA issued the Order under Section 7003 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which is intended to address an imminent and substantial endangerment to health or the environment related to past waste handling activities. The Army has 10 days in which it may respond to the 7003 order. If the Army does not respond, the Order becomes effective on the 11th day after the date of receipt. EPA believes that an Order is necessary to protect the health of the community and the environment surrounding Fort Gillem.

The site offers complete annual data sets of agency aggregated annual energy and water consumption and costs by end-use sector, efficiency investment information, and progress toward key goals outlined in the National Energy Conservation Policy Act, as amended; Energy Policy Act of 2005; and Executive Order 13514. Historical data tables of agency energy use and costs by facility and mobility sectors by energy type are also available for FY 1975 through FY 2013. Detailed annual comprehensive greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories by federal agency are presented along with progress toward achieving scope 1 and 2 GHG and scope 3 GHG reduction targets. The data tables may also be filtered by numerous variables (agency, year, sector) and are exportable to Excel.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) issued a Request for Information (RFI) this week for innovative, transformational green building technologies in support of its Green Proving Ground (GPG) program. The program is seeking information from industry stakeholders, commercial organizations, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations on technologies that have the potential to improve economic and environmental performance in federal buildings. The response date is 7 November 2014.

DHS is committed to sustainability and each year recognizes the most significant contributions to greener government. During a Sept. 5 ceremony, the Acting Under Secretary for Management and Chief Readiness Support Officer honored members of the DHS team who made the most significant contributions to improving the environment, business operations, efficiency and economy.

The U.S. EPA has reached a settlement with the U.S. Navy over alleged environmental violations at the Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads in Chesapeake, Va. Under the settlement over violations of the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Navy will pay a $49,500 penalty and implement procedures to ensure the proper handling of its hazardous wastes. The Clean Air Act violations pertained to regulations designed to reduce discharges of ozone-depleting substances used as coolants in air conditioning units. EPA alleged that the facility did not perform leak rate calculations when it serviced those units. In addition, EPA alleged that the facility did not have a CAA permit to operate a diesel-fired boiler, which meant that the boiler was not subject to required emissions limits. The RCRA violations pertained to regulations that require the safe, environmentally-sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste and prevention of spills from underground storage tanks. The Navy has upgraded its underground storage tanks, which should help protect waters in the nearby Great Dismal Swamp.

The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

This release features the addition of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (hazardous waste) and EPA Civil Enforcement Case compliance data searching. The Hazardous Waste Facility search offers detailed program-specific search options to find hazardous waste handlers of interest. The EPA Civil Enforcement Case Search allows users to search for specific EPA civil cases based on a number of criteria like statute and case milestone, making it much easier to obtain a list of cases of interest with corresponding summary data. EPA also has upgraded the popular Clean Water Act Effluent Charts to provide more download capabilities.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have released an initial assessment of contamination at Tern Island, a remote island in the chain of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The results show that there have been releases of hazardous substances such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and lead from military wastes buried on the island between World War II and 1979, and further action is warranted.

The Southern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions, published by the U.S. Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Office--Southern (REEO-S), is designed to provide current information to environmental decision makers, planners, and program managers regarding environmental actions and events throughout Federal EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Information listed may be relevant to the U.S. Army and other Military Services' activities and operations. See attached.

EPA invites nominations of a diverse group of qualified candidates to be considered for appointment to the Good Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB). Vacancies must be filled by March 2015, but nominations must be received by the end of October 2014 to be included in the candidate pool. The GNEB was created in 1992 by the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative Act, and it is responsible for providing advice to the President on environmental and infrastructure issues and needs within the States contiguous to Mexico. The GNEB consists of representatives from U.S. Government agencies; the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas; academia; environmental and non-governmental entities; business and industry; and tribal and private organizations. Members are appointed by the EPA Administrator for two-year terms. For information on the board, see http://www.epa.gov/ocem/gneb/index.html. For information on the nomination process, click here.

Formerly known as the "Yellow Book" this website compendium of information provides field-level personnel a primer for complying with environmental requirements and understanding the enforcement and compliance processes used by EPA at federal facilities. Included on the site is a definition of what is included in the terminology "federal facilities," summaries of the enforcement process for federal facilities, and information on available assistance for achieving compliance.

EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries, a program that works with the National Estuary Programs and coastal management community on assessing climate change vulnerabilities and developing and implementing adaptation strategies, has redesigned their website. Resources are now easier to find and webpages are now searchable. New features include interactive maps of Climate Ready Estuary projects, king tides, and more.

Summer 2014 edition of the DoD Chesapeake Bay Program Journal, published quarterly and sponsored by the DOD/Navy Chesapeake Bay Program Office. See attached.

The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

This is the summer issue of the DoD-sponsored newsletter issued as a part of the Legacy Resource Management Program. The newsletter updates the status of the Legacy program, provides information on training and meetings, and highlights success stories and future plans. The theme of this issue is birds.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has released the "Climate Change and Health" webcast presentation that was orginally aired live on August 6, 2014. Based on the latest scientific evidence, HHS considers climate change to be one of the top public health challenges of our time. HHS assembled internationally-recognized experts from NOAA, CDC, and NIH for this webcast. It includes an overarching national perspective and regional snapshots on climate change, key health findings from the National Climate Assessment, and best practices to build health resilience in communities. The webcast can be accessed here.

The report, "Water/Wastewater Utilities and Extreme Climate and Weather Events: Case Studies on Community Response, Lessons Learned, Adaptation, and Planning Needs for the Future" examines how water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities - and other local water resource managers - make decisions in response to recent extreme weather events. The report is based on the results of six local workshops, organized to include participants that experienced different types of extreme events throughout a river basin or watershed in various regions of the U.S. The study examines what happened, how information was used to inform decisions, what institutional dynamics helped or hindered, and how water utilities and their communities plan to manage impacts and build resiliency for future extreme events. The research was jointly sponsored by EPA, NOAA, Water Environment Research Foundation, Water Research Foundation, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, and Noblis. Click here to access the report.

"Climate Matters" is a new semi-annual publication featuring current activities in the U.S. Geological Survey Climate Research & Development Program. The newsletter highlights recent research findings and their relevance to societal needs, as well as issues of importance for resource managers, policy makers, and the general public.

In celebration of the fifth anniversary of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, and EPA released "Five Years of Learning from Communities and Coordinating Federal Investments," a report demonstrating how the three agencies are cooperating to help communities provide more housing choices, make transportation systems more efficient and reliable, and create vibrant neighborhoods that attract business development and jobs while protecting the environment.

Monthly environmental news for DoD facilities in EPA Regions 1, 2 & 3 for May/June/July 2014. See attached.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will accept nominations for any project, process, group, or individual in the public, private, or non-profit sectors that has used FHWA funding sources to make an outstanding contribution to transportation and the environment. The nomination period for the 2015 EEAs will open on August 15th and close on September 15th. Checkout the website for the list of categories and details on the submission process.

This report focuses on the major achievements under the NSES as of July 2014, as well as the impacts of improved electronics stewardship and the significance of upcoming commitments within the NSES.

This GAO report, Opportunities to Reduce Federal Fiscal Exposures Through Greater Resilience to Climate Change and Extreme Weather, release the results of a GAO study concerning the impact of climate change and extreme weather on federal facilities. The primary finding was that climate change and related extreme weather impacts on infrastructure and federal lands increase fiscal exposures that the federal budget does not fully reflect. Investing in resilience--actions to reduce potential future losses rather than waiting for an event to occur and paying for recovery afterward--can reduce the potential impacts of climate-related events. Implementing resilience measures creates additional up-front costs but could also confer benefits, such as a reduction in future damages from climate-related events.

As part of the Obama Administration's initiative to reduce energy use, pollution and waste and save money in Federal operations, on 25 July 2014 Federal agencies released annual updates that show significant progress toward aggressive energy and sustainability goals set by the President in 2009. The Federal Government – the largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy – announced that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent since 2008, the equivalent of permanently taking 1.8 million cars off the road, and that 9 percent of Federal Government electricity is now from renewable sources.

The R.I. Air National Guard, 143rd Airlift Wing, has agreed to pay a $39,400 penalty to settle EPA claims that it violated air pollution laws at this facility where it spray paints aircraft parts. As part of the settlement, R.I. Air National Guard also agreed to meet more stringent emissions limits for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to use coating practices that minimize emissions, to cap its annual VOC emissions, and to apply for state air permit. EPA alleged that the R.I. Air National Guard violated air pollution laws by failing to apply for a required New Source Review permit in 2001 before installing a paint spray booth and before buying four spray guns. EPA also alleged that it also violated air pollution laws for coating of metal parts and products by failing to comply with specific certification and recordkeeping requirements.

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.

The Southern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions, published by the U.S. Army's Regional Environmental and Energy Office--Southern (REEO-S), is designed to provide current information to environmental decision makers, planners, and program managers regarding environmental actions and events throughout Federal EPA Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee). Information listed may be relevant to the U.S. Army and other Military Services' activities and operations. See attached.

The DoD Cultural Resources UPDATE is sponsored by the DoD Cultural Resource Program. This edition highlights several current initiatives, provides an overview of new and ongoing training opportunities, and features information on recently published reports relevant to the DoD CRM community. See attached.

FedCenter is now on Facebook! Become a fan and follow us on Facebook, where you'll find valuable information that you need to help meet your environmental stewardship and compliance obligations. To follow us on Facebook, go to https://facebook.com/fedcenter.

The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions provides current information on government affairs, energy and environment relevant to Department of Defense interests in the 22 states and territories in Federal Regions 1, 2, 3 and 5. The Review is intended to be a tool useful to DoD and Army leaders, planners, and program managers in carrying out their responsibilities. The Northern Review of Legislative & Regulatory Actions monitors and targets proposed and final regulations and legislation that may affect Army or DoD operations. See attached.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a new tool to help communities prepare for, deal with and recover from floods. The Flood Resilience Checklist offers strategies that communities can consider, such as conserving land in flood-prone areas; directing new development to safer areas; and using green infrastructure approaches, such as installing rain gardens, to manage stormwater.

EPA inspections found that from at least 2012 to 2013, Fort Wainwright failed to perform leak detection tests, monitor underground storage tanks regularly and investigate suspected releases as required under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The U.S. Army is taking steps to improve management of its fuel storage tanks and comply with federal laws designed to protect groundwater at Fort Wainwright Garrison, located near Fairbanks, Alaska, according to a settlement with the U.S. EPA. Steps include a new operator, decommissioning some tanks, and paying a penalty of nearly $158,700.

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.

TCE is widely used in spray aerosol degreasers, spray fixatives, and dry cleaning activities. The final TCE risk assessment was developed as part of the agency's Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Work Plan, which identified chemicals for review and assessment of potential risks to people's health and the environment. EPA developed the draft TCE risk assessment based on the best available information and finalized the assessment after careful consideration of comments from the public and experts during an independent, scientific peer review of the assessment. TCE is the first chemical to complete the work plan risk assessment process under TSCA. EPA is conducting a workshop from July 29-30 (details coming later), on potential TCE degreaser alternatives and risk reduction approaches. EPA will conduct other activities to address TCE uses as a stain removing agent in dry cleaning and as a clear protective spray fixative. In the meantime, EPA recommends that people take precautions that can reduce exposures, such as using the product outside or in an extremely well-ventilated area and wearing protective equipment to reduce exposure.

Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) Release 2.2 has added Clean Water Act compliance data searching and detailed viewing of effluent discharge data. Plus, data downloads are updated once a week instead of annually and include more detailed Clean Water Act data than in prior versions of ECHO.