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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that 25 percent of all single-family homes built nationally in 2010 earned EPA’s Energy Star, up from 21 percent in 2009. In partnership with its stakeholders, EPA continues to help American home buyers invest in high performing homes that save money on their utility bills and help protect the environment. Since 1995 approximately 1.2 million new homes have earned EPA’s Energy Star, representing savings of nearly $350 million on utility bills while avoiding greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 450,000 vehicles.

“New homes that earn EPA’s Energy Star seal of approval rise above the competition by offering a better quality and value while allowing homeowners to do their part to keep our communities clean,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Gina McCarthy. “With Energy Star’s energy-efficient homes, homeowners will cut down on electric bills and emissions to keep our air cleaner and our communities healthier. Reaching this impressive market share milestone for Energy Star qualified homes is an accomplishment for American home buyers and builders and a step in the right direction to better protecting the environment through sustainable living.”

In 2010, more than 108,000 single-family homes earned the Energy Star across the nation and sixteen states had a market share of 25 percent or higher Energy Star qualified homes. These states include Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Vermont.

Homes earn the Energy Star by meeting strict energy-efficiency requirements set by EPA, including:

• Effective insulation systems
• High-performance windows
• Quality construction to reduce leaks and drafts
• Efficient heating and cooling equipment
• Energy Star qualified lighting and appliances

Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy-efficiency. Energy Star offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to decrease energy consumption, save money, and help protect the environment. More than 20,000 organizations are Energy Star partners, committed to improving energy-efficiency in homes, products, and businesses.

More information on Energy Star’s qualified home market share: http://www.energystar.gov/homesmarketindex

More information on the Energy Star program: http://www.energystar.gov

NATIONAL – The Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx™) announces the launch of the “National Sustainable Lodging Network,” an online community of sustainable hospitality practitioners and an information clearinghouse to support the work of this community, found online at www.SustainableLodging.org.  Public interest in “going green,” personal ethic, and market demand have led to a growing community of practice in the sustainable hospitality area.  As a result, there has been an explosion of state and local sustainable hospitality programs in recent years and a proliferation of information on how to “green-up” hospitality operations.

Wendi Shafir, Green Lodging and Hospitality Lead for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 notes, “The hospitality industry has a large environmental footprint in terms of resources including energy, water, and materials.  Many hotels and chains have successfully reduced their energy and water consumption through a variety of initiatives such as installing energy-efficient lighting, switching to an ozone laundry system, composting and recycling, and at the same time improved their hotel’s bottom line.  The National Sustainable Lodging Network offers an opportunity to share successes and best practices with others in the industry who embrace similar goals.”

P2Rx created the National Sustainable Lodging Network in order to facilitate information sharing amongst the private and public sectors.  SustainableLodging.org brings lodging operations together with federal, state, local, and tribal sustainable hospitality programs, including environmental agencies, tourism boards, and lodging associations.  The goals for the site are to provide forums for sustainable hospitality practitioners to share information on practices and challenges; elevate sustainable hospitality programs and the facilities that participate in them; increase the adoption of sustainable hospitality practices nationwide; and foster innovation in sustainable lodging through the exchange of ideas.

The National Sustainable Lodging Network benefits its users by helping them to build networks among sustainable hospitality practitioners; gain access to and share content related to sustainable lodging initiatives; and find tools and information resources for measuring the outcomes of these practices.  Some of the features of the Network include:

• Groups  of sustainable hospitality programs and Discussion Forums within each group for programs and facilities to interact;
• A Calendar of Events for relevant conferences, workshops and webinars;
• Links to Training Materials and Recent Publications related to sustainable hospitality;
• Blogs, Videos, and News to keep the community active and the content relevant; and
• A section on Sustainable Practices that highlights P2Rx information resources such as Topic Hubs™, best practices, P2 opportunities, and case studies.

Michelle Veasey, Manager of the New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program, sees value in the networking aspect of the site.  “Our membership finds networking to be a critical piece of their sustainability efforts.  Networking helps them to develop new ideas for advancing their efforts and keeps their programs fresh,” said Veasey.  “In the past, members were limited to only having these kinds of interactions at events.  The National Sustainable Lodging Network allows them to discuss issues, collectively solve problems, and learn from each other – each and every day.  The Network is a valuable tool in moving sustainability forward because it allows people to connect with their peers in real-time and benefit from the variety of experiences of those in the Network.”

The National Sustainable Lodging Network is currently housed on the Ning platform and is supported by the P2Rx Regional Centers.  The P2Rx Centers, with NEWMOA acting as the site administrator, will continue to grow and nurture the site and look for opportunities to incorporate new information and features and other elements of sustainable hospitality.

The National Sustainable Lodging Network can be found at: www.sustainablelodging.org.  An online video tutorial, frequently asked questions, and downloadable user guide are available at: www.sustainablelodging.org/forum/topics/introduction-to-the-national.

Reporters/Editors Note:

P2Rx is a national partnership of regional pollution prevention information centers funded in part through grants from EPA.  They build networks, deliver P2 information, and measure P2 program results.  The strength of the network lies in the expertise and diversity among the regional centers and the variety of audiences served including government and state environmental agencies, technical assistance providers, businesses, educators, nonprofit organizations, and the general public.  For more information, visit: www.p2rx.org.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a notice in the Federal Register that it will write regulations to limit cadmium content in children’s jewelry if the industry does not take steps to remove the metal from its products by Dec. 16, Bloomberg reported. The agency also granted a petition from four consumer groups requesting that cadmium be banned unless ASTM International acts in the next three months to determine a safe level for consumer products.

Target, Gap, and Saks Fifth Avenue are among 26 major retailers that have reached a settlement under California’sProposition 65 to eliminate all but trace amounts ofcadmium from jewelry and other accessories, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday. The settlement comes months before the state’s new limit on the amount of of the metal in consumer products goes into effect. Last year, the Center for Environmental Health filed notices under Proposition 65, and a lawsuit, after reports revealed that some commonly sold bracelets and pendants contained more than 90 percent cadmium.

By Erika Kimball, RN

Pharmaceutical waste is a big, expensive problem. Americans dispose of an estimated $1 billion worth of unused medications annually. Doing so wastes precious health resources, and pollutes the environment too.  A study in 2008 found the presence of pharmaceuticals in the water supply of 24 major municipalities nationwide.

As legislators push for stronger regulation including extended product responsibility for drug makers, the truth is that Big Pharma is big business that depends on throughput for profits.  If you don’t believe me, count the number of drug commercials you see in a 15-minute daytime television viewing. Global pharmaceutical sales were forecasted at $825 billion last year.  Pharmaceutical waste is viewed as an unfortunate bi-product of a profitable, innovative, and necessary industry.  But while some see an unfortunate bi-product, others see an untapped resource.

Read a news article about pharma-waste and you’ll likely read about looming regulation, environmental contamination, and the fight over who should foot the bill for cleanup.  But when Americans throw away $1Billion worth of meds annually, let us note that there is a billion dollars in the garbage can.  Knowing that pharmaceuticals now lace our water supply, does anyone else taste the slightest hint of money with each refreshing drink?  As American health care expenditures continue to grow, who will plug this huge leak in the system?

Public health advocates and business investors may have something to learn from Anesthesia gas collection company Blue Zone who has proven that pharmaceutical waste is not only un-necessary, but represents unmet profit potential.

Read the complete article at TriplePundit.com

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking input from stakeholders on national Sustainable Materials Management measurement.

NOTE:  The deadline for comments has been extended until Sept. 30, 2011 at 4:30 EDT.

http://go.usa.gov/krv

SUMMARY: EPA is soliciting stakeholder input regarding the efficacy and scope of the MSW Characterization Report called “Municipal Solid Waste in the United States” as part of a broader discussion about sustainable materials management. This information will be used to develop new measurement definitions and protocols for measurement of these materials, as well as the possible addition of construction and demolition (C&D) materials and non-hazardous industrial materials to the list of materials addressed in future efforts. This effort could lead to the creation of a new measurement report that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or the Agency) will make publicly available.

Specific questions related to the way current EPA measurement data is used, definitions, and measurement methodology are sought and are fully explained in via the link above.

BACKGROUND LINKS:  EPA’s current national Characterization Reports are online at:

MSW: http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/msw99.htm

C&D:  http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/imr/cdm/pubs/cd-meas.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/generation/sqg/c&d-rpt.pdf

You can comment through the weblink or by sending an email to rcra-docket@epa.gov and reference Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-RCRA-2011-0178 in the email subject line and body.

Please share this opportunity to comment with others who might be interested.

Thank you!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently updated its Climate Ready Water Utilities Toolbox, which provides access to more than 500 resources that support climate adaptation planning at water utilities, including reports and publications, information about funding programs, upcoming workshops and training sessions, models and tools, and climate response materials that focus on mitigation and adaptive strategies. The toolbox is organized into two sections: one that provides a selection of resources from each category, along with a map to help users select resources by geographic region; and a second section with a search function that helps users to select resources based on their location, the size and type of their utility, and resources of interest. The toolbox is available at:

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/climate/toolbox.html.

Today, the Department of Energy issued final energy efficiency standards for home refrigerators and freezers that will improve their efficiency by about 25% by 2014. These new standards, developed through a consensus process with manufacturers, consumer groups, and environmentalists, are expected to deliver more than $200 in electricity bill savings for the typical consumer over the lifetime of the refrigerator. Nationally, consumers are expected to save more than $21 billion on their energy bills through 2043 as a result of the standards announced today.

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