|
Editor's
Notes:
 |
Happy
New Year
from
F. X. Browne, Inc.!
A news release from the EPA on
January 8, 2010 warns that Radon is the second leading cause of lung
cancer in the United States. Radon is a colorless, odorless,
tasteless gas. Since we all have our windows and doors closed
during this cold spell, now is a great time to have your home tested.
While you can hire a certified professional radon tester, you can also
buy a radon testing kit at your local hardware store for about $25.
For more information, visit
http://www.epa.gov/radon.
~ Lisen Cummings, Sustainable Environments Editor/Designer
|
News Clips:
EPA Releases First-Ever Baseline Study of U.S.
Lakes
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a draft study which rated 56%
of the lakes in the U.S. as good (the rest were fair or poor).
More...
New York Times:
More Thank 20% of U.S. Water Treatment Systems Contain Harmful Chemicals
A New
York Times investigation has reported that over 20% of U.S. water
treatment systems are in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act and less
than 6% of violators were punished.
More...
New Green Building
Report Focuses on the Role of Water, Rainwater Harvesting in Sustainable Design
and Construction
This white paper details the importance of water harvesting in sustainable
design and construction.
More...
Perennials, Wetland Plants Compared For
Ability To Remove Harmful Nitrogen, Phosphorus
A research
team studied the ability of four ornamental (Canna, Iris, Calla Lily, and
Dwarf Papyrus) and three wetland plant species (Arrow Arum, Pickerelweed,
and Bulltongue Arrowhead) to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater
runoff.
More...
Challenges of
Stream Restoration as a Stormwater Management Tool
As the third of
this three-part series on stream restoration, this article focuses on the
valuable experience of those who have worked on these projects.
More...
Green Roof Wind & Fire Design Guidelines:
After Three Years, Half the Battle is Won
The
International Code Council’s fire code committee has adopted guidelines on
the size, vegetation, hydration and dead foliage for green roofs.
More...
Policy
Updates:
 |
Limited EPA Study Finds Low Level of Concern in Samples of Recycled
Tires from Ballfield and Playground Surfaces
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released results of a limited
field monitoring study measuring harmful pollutants artificial turf
playing fields and playgrounds made from recycled tire material or tire
crumb. Their study was limited, but found no harmful results. Air
concentrations of particulate matter and lead were below levels of
concern, as was air and surface wipe levels of zinc. Over 90% of lead
was unavailable for absorption.
EPA News Release,
December 10, 2009
For more
information, visit
http://www.epa.gov/nerl/features/tire_crumbs.html
To view “A
Scoping-Level Field Monitoring Study of Synthetic Turf Fields and
Playgrounds", visit
http://www.epa.gov/nerl/documents/tire_crumbs.pdf
To
view a Tire Crumbs fact sheet, visit
http://www.epa.gov/nerl/documents/fs_tire_crumbs.pdf
|
 |
The President’s Council on Environmental Quality Releases “Principles
and Guidelines”
This
document is to aide federal agencies in formulating, evaluating, and
implementing water resource projects. This draft P&G highlights the
importance of the nation’s rivers, coasts and wetlands, and guides the
federal government to manage these resources. The public comment period
will be open for 90 days.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/PandG
|
 |
EPA Adopts New SDWA Enforcement Strategy: Agency Plans to Crack Down on
SDWA Violators
Under a new Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) enforcement strategy, the EPA’s office of
Enforcement and Compliance will focus their resources on water systems
that have had recurring violations.
Water & Wastes Digest,
December 11, 2009
http://www.wwdmag.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=showNewsItem&newsItemID=19746
|
“Our Planet, Our Stuff, Our Choice”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a video
contest to highlight the “Three Rs” known as reduce, reuse, and
recycle. Submissions should be 30 or 60 seconds long and
should focus on reducing and reusing, recycling, composting, and
consumption and its effect on the environmental footprint.
Submissions are due February 16, 2009.
For more information, visit
http://www.epa.gov/waste/wycd/video
EPA News Release, December 16, 2009
|
 |
Link of the Month:
Wetlands Mapping Standard Webpage
The American Society of Wetland Managers (ASWM) has launched a new webpage
detailing information on the new Wetlands Mapping Standard, which was
adopted August 18, 2009. It was designed to guide wetlands digital mapping
projects and enhance the quality and consistency of wetlands data. To view
the webpage, visit
http://www.aswm.org/fwp/wetlands_mapping_standard/index.htm
To view
the Wetlands Mapping Standard, visit
http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/_documents/gNSDI/FGDCWetlandsMappingStandard.pdf
BMP of the Month:
Soils Amendment & Restoration
This BMP
consists of improving soils by restoring soil porosity and/or adding
a soil amendment to improve infiltration and/or pollution removal.
Typically, a combination of soil amendment and tilling the soil
gives the best results. This BMP can reduce stormwater
volumes, increase groundwater recharge, reduce peak rate control and
improve water quality.
To view the Pennsylvania Stormwater Best Management Practices
Manual, visit
http://www.elibrary.dep.state.pa.us/dsweb/View/Collection-8305
|
 |
Tools and
Publications:
EPA Guidance to Help Federal
Facilities Better Manage Stormwater
The EPA has issued a report entitled “Technical
Guidance on Implementing the Stormwater Runoff Requirements for Federal Projects
under Section 438 of the Energy Independence and Security Act”.
This guidance will assist federal development projects by reducing stormwater
impacts and protecting water resources. It was created in response to new
requirements brought on by the Section 438 of the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007 (EISA) and an Executive Order signed by President Obama.
For more information,
visit
http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/lid/section438/
To view the report, visit
http://www.epa.gov/owow/NPS/lid/section438/pdf/final_sec438_eisa.pdf
EPA - Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Discussion Online Forum
This online
forum is open to the public, and is designed to improve communication between
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the general public. The first
four topics include community involvement, Superfund metrics, toxic material
reduction, and land revitalization. A new topic of discussion will be added
each month.
EPA News Release, December 3,
2009
http://blog.epa.gov/oswerforum/
An Integrated Wetland Assessment Toolkit
The
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) released this guide to
assessing a wetland by its biological, ecological, developmental, and economic
values. It outlines stems in performing an integrated wetland assessment.
To view the toolkit, visit
http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/iwa_toolkit_lowres.pdf
River Alert and Information Network for Remote
Water Quality Monitoring System
The River
Alert and Information Network (RAIN) has decided to monitor the water quality in
the Monongahela River. They will monitor pH, conductivity and temperature at
eleven locations along the Monongahela and its tributaries. They also operate
water quality monitoring sites along the Allegheny River and the Ohio River.
Water quality
monitoring data can be found by visiting
http://www.3rain.org/.
U.S. EPA Releases Annual
Enforcement Results and Mapping Tool
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has released enforcement results for FY2009. They have also
provided an interactive map that provides information by location on enforcement
actions. Users can find information on specific facilities or see which
facilities are near “impaired” waters.
US EPA News
Release, December 23, 2009
http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/reports/endofyear/eoy2009/index.html
|
 |
Newsletter Editor/Design and Layout:
Lisen Cummings
|
|
Subscribe to this newsletter!
An email version
of F. X. Browne, Inc.'s Sustainable Environments is now available. To be added to our mailing list, please visit
http://www.fxbrowne.com/subscribe.
|
F. X.
Browne, Inc. – Environmental Consulting
Engineers – Planners – Scientists
31 Years of Excellence & Innovation
Corporate
Office: Lansdale, PA
Pocono Office: Marshalls Creek, PA
New York Office: Saranac Lake, NY
For more information, call us at (215) 362-3878 or visit:
http://www.fxbrowne.com
For a printer
friendly version of the newsletter, click here.
F. X. Browne, Inc. Sustainable Environments by F. X. Browne, Inc. is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Clipart from Microsoft
Office Online.
|
