The PA DEP has just announced the opening of the 2005 PA Growing Greener Grant Program. Please visit http://www.dep.state.pa.us/growgreen/defaultdep.htm for application forms, or contact F. X. Browne, Inc. at info@fxbrowne.com for questions about the program or assistance with the grant application or implementation process.

 

Although Growing Greener 2 was not approved by the Pennsylvania legislature in 2004, PA Governor Rendell and many other proponents are pushing for funding authorization of the program to be included on the spring ballot. Without this program, many watershed groups may be turned down for funding in 2005 or have their grants substantially reduced. Please contact the PA legislators to let them know how important funding for watersheds is to the health of the waters of the Commonwealth. For more information on Growing Greener 2, visit http://www.growinggreener2.com/. For a list of PA legislator contact information, visit http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/find.cfm.

Greening Up Your Holiday Waste

The boxes are opened, the wrapping paper is strewn about the living room, and the excited squeals have subsided. Now comes the hard part: figuring out what to do with all the gifts and discarded wrappings! Here are a few tips on how to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle this post-holiday season. More…

 

 

Most of the Federal government’s 1.8 million employees have a personal computer. Given a three-year life cycle, the government discards approximately 10,000 computers each week.

In November, the White House and 11 federal departments and agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Energy and the Interior, and the Environmental Protection Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to increase the demand for green electronics and to promote the sustainable management of electronic assets throughout the federal government.

http://www.federalelectronicschallenge.net/

 


 

PA DEP to Standardize Stream Related Data

 

To establish effective communications and the ability to interchange stream related information with other state, federal and environmental organizations, PA DEP will be standardizing its water identifiers by moving to the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). More…

 

Delaware River Oil Spill and the River Ecosystem

 

The November 23 oil tanker spill on the Delaware River could have long-term devastating effects on the river ecosystem. More…

 

Recent F. X. Browne, Inc. Awards

 

F. X. Browne, Inc. has been honored recently by three different awards for their work in watershed restoration and protection and the design of an innovative wastewater treatment facility. More…

 

Report Illustrates Importance of Environmental Education 

 

A new report from the Environmental Education Association of Washington concludes that students in schools using environmental education (EE) consistently score higher on standardized tests than students in schools without it. More…

 

Migratory Fish Spawning Habitat Opened By Chesapeake Bay Program

 

The Chesapeake Bay Program reopened 352 miles of spawning habitat in the tributary states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and District of Columbia this year to migratory fish. More…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Jersey DEP recently allocated up to $1.2 million in federal funds to improve and develop trails statewide. http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/natural/njtrails.html

PA Governor Rendell signed into law Act 218 of 2004, which establishes the Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructure Capitalization Program. The program will be used to provide grants and loans for the construction and rehabilitation of water-supply and sewage-treatment systems. http://www.pennvest.state.pa.us/ 

 

According to the PA DEP, revisions of county municipal waste management plans that have not yet been submitted will be required to include additional information on waste reduction as it is intended to be implemented by the county. DEP will be encouraging counties that are not currently involved in revision to develop this information as a separate project. Counties that have active waste reduction programs will be required to re-evaluate their programs and consider additional elements that may not have been incorporated in their existing plans. http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/RECYCLE/FACTS/act101.htm

Pennsylvania recently passed legislation that authorizes the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to expend up to $150 million on Nutrient Reduction Technology (NRT) at municipal sewage treatment plants in the Commonwealth. http://www.dep.state.pa.us/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=9723&SubjectID=

EPA is releasing an updated Report to Congress on National Sediment Quality that assesses and describes the quality of aquatic sediments in rivers, lakes, oceans and estuary bottoms in the United States from 1980 to 1999. http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/cs

 

PennDOT has announced plans to develop a long-range "Pennsylvania Mobility Plan," a blueprint outlining goals, objectives and strategies to guide the future of the state's transportation system. It will also prioritize needed transportation investments. http://www.pamobilityplan.com

 

The US EPA recently released Interim Voluntary Water Infrastructure Security Enhancement Guidance Documents that are intended to assist drinking water and wastewater utilities in reducing the vulnerabilities of their systems to man-made threats through the design, construction, operation and maintenance of both new and existing systems of all sizes.  http://cfpub.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/tools.cfm#voluntary

 

 

(Click on a grant for more information)

 

PA 2005 Growing Greener Grants

 

NY DEC Habitat/Access Funding Grants

 

EPA Environmental Exchange Network Grants

 

Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants

 

NY-VT Lake Champlain Basin Watershed Restoration Grants

 

NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program Mini-Grants

 

PA DEP Recycling Grants

 

PA DEP Resource Recovery Demonstration Grants

 

EPA Region 2 Wetland Program Development Grants

 
 

 

About one third of a typical home’s heat loss occurs through the doors and windows. Install energy efficient doors and windows if feasible, or caulk around doors and windows to make sure they seal tightly. Also caulk around the woodwork that surrounds the windows. Make sure to include the attic and basement doors and windows.
 

Install storm windows or sheets of clear plastic to windows to create an additional barrier to cold air.
 
Set the thermostat to 68 degrees when someone is home, and reduce it to 60 degrees when the house is empty. Many believe that turning the thermostat down at night will use more energy to warm up the house, but this is a myth.
 
Install an automatic thermostat to allow the heat to be raised and lowered at preset times.
 

Make sure home heating equipment is in good repair. Annual preventive maintenance can ensure more efficient operation.
 

The federal Weatherization Assistance Program provides  services free of charge to approximately 100,000 low-income households every year. Visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/ for more information.


http://www.eere.energy.gov/

 

 

 
(Click on an event for more information)

Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands: 10th Annual Wetland Science Forum

PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture Annual Conference

 

National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture Annual Meeting

 

Watershed Protection Institute

 

PA Rural Water Association Trainings

 

Schuylkill Watershed Conference

 

 

 

 

According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the snow plow was invented in 1840. Prior to that time, urban snow removal involved individual citizens shoveling the streets for sleigh traffic. One of the first mentions of snow plow use comes from Milwaukee in 1862. The plow was attached to a cart pulled by a team of horses.

Salt was first used to melt snow on roads in the 1800s, but citizens complained that it ruined clothes and shoes and made sleighing impossible. Motorized plows came into use in the U.S. early in the 20th century.  More recently, devices that scoop up and melt snow, then drain off the water, have been put into use in some cities. One such snow melting machine currently being used in Toronto is capable to melting up to 136 tons of snow per hour.

 

http://nsidc.org/snow/shovel.html

 

 

The US Geological Survey (USGS) developed a new Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Alert System to track the spread of invasive species nationwide. Users can report nonindigenous and invasive aquatic species, automatically receive email alerts, or perform searches on aquatic species. The system is flexible, allowing the user to search by geographic region or by nonindigenous species. http://nas.er.usgs.gov/AlertSystem

 

 

There are winter mornings when the cold without only adds to the warmth within, and the more it snows and the harder it blows, brighter the fire blazes.

 

Emily Dickinson 

 

 

 

 

 

EPA Water Quality Trading Handbook 

 

US EPA recently published a new document on water quality trading. Using a hypothetical river basin, The Water Quality Trading Assessment Handbook illustrates an analytical framework that can be used in any watershed to evaluate conditions and water quality problems and determine if water quality trading might be effective.  Order paper copies of the handbook at no charge at ncepimal@one.net  (please refer to the EPA document number EPA 841-B-04-001) or download the handbook at http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/trading/handbook 

 

CT Stormwater Quality Manual

 

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection announced their new 2004 Stormwater Quality Manual.  This is the first statewide manual to focus on site planning, source control and pollution prevention, in addition to standard stormwater treatment and erosion and sediment control practices. The manual is intended for use as a planning tool and design guidance document by the regulated and regulatory communities involved in stormwater quality management. http://www.dep.state.ct.us/wtr/stormwater/strmwtrman.htm.

 

Urban Stream Repair Manual

 

The Center for Watershed Protection has released Manual #4: Urban Stream Repair Practices. This stream repair manual concentrates on practices used to enhance the appearance, stability, structure, or function of urban streams. An electronic version of the manual is available for free for a limited time at http://www.cwp.org/, with a hard copy becoming available for purchase soon.

 

Stormwater Case Studies

 

To assist the 5,000 municipalities that are currently building programs to prevent and control stormwater pollution, US EPA has developed 17 case studies that highlight successful municipal approaches to the six minimum measures that are outlined in the NPDES Stormwater Phase II regulations.  http://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/casestudies  

 

After the Storm Video

 

VHS copies of the Weather Channel’s "After the Storm" program are available now by sending an email to ncepimal@one.net. Please refer to EPA document number: EPA 840-V-04-001. This tape is intended for education and communication purposes in classrooms and conferences, and may also be aired on cable or other TV stations, as EPA now has the full rights to the program.

 

 

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F. X. Browne, Inc.  – Environmental Consulting

F. X. Browne, Inc.
 Engineers – Planners – Scientists
27 Years of Excellence & Innovation

 

 

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