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A new study from Pike Research forecasts that LEDs will account for almost half of a $4.4 billion market for lamps in the commercial, industrial and outdoor stationary sectors by 2020. Almost 18 percent of global electricity use goes toward lighting, and lighting in the U.S. consumes a fifth of the amount at an annual cost of more than $40 billion. LEDs present an opportunity to cut expenses and reduce electricity use since they consume less energy and last far longer when producing the same amount of light as traditional bulbs. For a round-up of some the latest advances on the LED front see GreenBuildings.com

A programmable thermostat helps you save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. Now ENERGY STAR offers a programmable thermostat tool to help you learn how to use the thermostat most efficiently, saving money and energy along the way. Interact with ENERGY STAR’s programmable thermostat tool to learn how to use your thermostat most efficiently, saving money and energy along the way. Learn More The programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways you can save energy, money and help fight climate change. The pre-programmed settings that come with programmable thermostats are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort. The key is to establish a program that automatically reduces heating and cooling in your home when you don’t need it as much. For more information on programmable thermostats, visit the product pages.

SACRAMENTO, CA – California consumers worried about toxic chemicals in the products they purchase got a glimpse of a brighter future today with the release of a draft regulation that sets forth a process for the design of safer products. Released by the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the Draft Regulation for Safer Consumer Products will implement a key component of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Green Chemistry Initiative, which he signed into law in 2008. The draft regulation creates a systematic, science-based process to evaluate chemicals of concern in products. They will also stimulate innovation in California’s product development sector.

“Study after study have shown that many consumer products are not safe, resulting with more and more being recalled,” said DTSC Acting Director Maziar Movassaghi. “This draft regulation is the first of its kind in the nation, and it essentially shifts the way government, industry and the public think about the products that end up in our homes.” Movassaghi cited the recently released report from the President’s Cancer Panel, which made “green chemistry” approaches a priority recommendation. The report concluded that “safer alternatives for many currently used chemicals [are] urgently needed.” He also cited the recently released report from Environment California “Green Chemistry at Work” which recognizes 11 California companies that are already leading the green chemistry revolution as a part of their existing business model.

Released following 16 months of intense dialogue with stakeholders, the draft regulation would prioritize toxic chemicals and products, require manufacturers to seek safer alternatives to toxic chemicals in their products, and create tough governmental responses for lack of compliance.

Specifically, under the draft regulation, DTSC would create a list of chemicals that are toxic and can harm people or the environment. Products containing those chemicals would be prioritized based upon such factors as the volume in commerce, the extent of public exposure and how the product is eventually disposed. Manufacturers of those products would perform an “alternatives assessment” to determine if a viable safer alternative is available.

“I’m confident companies will step up to the plate and create new markets for ‘green’ products,” Movassaghi said. “We’re already seeing the demand, and innovative industry leaders are responding to that demand more and more. California is a cradle for innovation, and these companies are clearly leading the way. We are on the threshold of achieving what no other state or country has achieved.”

DTSC, in its continued commitment to transparency and public involvement, will hold two half-day public workshops on the draft regulation on July 7^th & 8^th, 2010. Over the past year, as part of the regulatory development process, DTSC has held numerous public meetings, workshops and worked with all stakeholders to develop the draft regulation. Following the July workshops, DTSC intends to begin the formal Administrative Procedures Act (APA) rulemaking process which it plans on completing by the end of this calendar year.

For more information and to access a copy of the draft regulation, go to: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/PollutionPrevention/GreenChemistryInitiative/gc_draft_regs.cfm

Written comments on the draft are due to DTSC by July 15, 2010. and should be sent to: gcregs@dtsc.ca.gov or mailed to: Heather Jones, Office of Legislation & Regulatory Policy, California Department of Toxic Substances Control, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

WASHINGTON, DC — A new rule from the Federal Trade Commission aims to make it easier for consumers to compare types of bulbs by making lumens, not watts, the most prominent figure on packaging.

Starting in the middle of next year, labels on the front of light bulb packaging must emphasize the bulb brightness measured in lumens as opposed to emphasizing watts, which is a measurement of energy use.

Until incandescent bulbs are phased out in the U.S. in 2012, consumers have the choice of incandescent, compact fluorescent (CFL) and light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. Since CFLs and LEDs consume less energy, they use fewer watts, and most CFL and LED packaging also lists how many watts a comparable incandescent would use.

Under the new rule, all bulb packaging would be streamlined so all focus on lumens on the front of packaging and list other information on the back of the packaging in a new Lighting Facts box similar to the Nutritional Facts boxes on food.

The Lighting Facts will include brightness, estimated yearly energy cost, bulb life expectancy, light appearance (from warm to cool) and if the bulb contains mercury. The bulbs themselves will be imprinted with their brightness and a disclosure if they contain mercury.

LEDs, the most costly of all bulbs, last much longer than both incandescents and CFLs, and do not contain mercury. A number of companies have released or plan to put out LEDs, and research estimates that LEDs will make up half of the $4.4 billion market for lamps in the commercial, industrial and outdoor stationary sectors by 2020.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released interim guidance that would provide greater transparency in the agency’s chemical safety inspections process.  Under the interim guidance, EPA inspectors will offer employees and employee representatives the opportunity to participate in chemical safety inspections.  In addition, EPA will request that state and local agencies adopt similar procedures under the Risk Management Program.  EPA believes that close involvement of employees and employee representatives in inspections is effective and better protects workers and the adjacent communities. 

The interim guidance pertains to inspections conducted by EPA under the agency’s Risk Management Program (RMP).  Through this program, EPA seeks to reduce the risks to surrounding communities that arise from the management, use or storage of certain hazardous chemicals.  Owners and operators of covered facilities must develop a risk management plan, which includes facility plans for the prevention and response to chemical accidents.  Under the Clean Air Act, the Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions require facilities that produce, handle, process, distribute, or store certain chemicals to develop a Risk Management Program, prepare a risk management plan, and submit the plan to EPA.

EPA expects to issue final guidance on participation of employees and employee representative in RMP inspections later this year.

More information on EPA’s interim guidance and RMP

More information on the Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions:

Due to pressure from home builders and some members of Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will postpone the enforcement of a new lead-paint regulation to give home improvement contractors more time to meet the new federal requirements, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting regulation, aimed at reducing the amount of lead dust created during home renovation and repair, took effect in April and requires contractors who work in older homes to become certified by a government-approved trainer and follow specific safety precautions, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Click Here to read the Environmental Leader article.

The EPA is supporting a reinstatement of the Superfund “polluter pays” tax, according to an agency press release. Superfund is the federal government’s program that investigates and cleans up uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites.

According to the agency, the provision would provide a stable, dedicated source of revenue for the program and increase the pace of Superfund cleanup. The tax was allowed to lapse in 1995. According to a Bloomberg report, Congress has provided $1.2 billion a year since then to fund cleanup of the sites, though costs usually run to $3 billion.

The administration is proposing to reinstate the taxes as they were last in effect on crude oil, imported petroleum products, hazardous chemicals, and imported substances that use hazardous chemicals as a feedstock, and on corporate modified alternative minimum taxable income. Under the administration’s proposal, the excise taxes and corporate environmental taxes would be reinstated for a period of 10 years beginning in January 2011.

Click Here to read the Environmental Leader article.

Click Here to read the EPA Press Release.