Category: News

The Green Room: BBMG’s Mitch Baranowski Sits Down with Terracycle’s Tom Szaky

We are very excited to host an exclusive interview series conducted by branding firm BBMG entitled, aptly, The Green Room. The series is hosted by BBMG founding partner and chief creative officer Mitch Baranowski. Each episode features a candid exchange with one guest about the issues behind scaling sustainability and driving social innovation.

In the first episode, Mitch sits down with Tom Szaky, Terracycle’s co-founder and CEO, to discuss how the upcycler finds new garbage streams, captures new markets, and generally builds a waste diversion empire.  We think Mitch knocked it out of the park with this entertaining and in-depth interview with the woom poop master. What do you think?

Washington, D.C., March 7, 2011 – The recent gasoline and oil price spikes that threaten the nation’s fragile economic recovery underline the urgent need to curb U.S. energy use and make a real commitment to energy efficiency as our “first fuel,” the Alliance to Save Energy said today.

“Uncertain supplies plus ever-increasing worldwide demand can equal unpredictable price spikes,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan, “but energy efficiency can help us change that equation.

“The 33-cent surge in gas prices over the past two weeks – reflecting today’s $100+ a barrel oil prices – puts into sharp focus the urgent need to put energy efficiency at the top of the list of our nation’s fuel sources in order to reduce our dangerous and costly oil dependence,” Callahan continued.

“Cost-effective energy efficiency programs return many times their initial investments by delivering real savings for U.S. consumers and businesses,” she added. “Most critically at this time in our nation’s economic history, energy efficiency initiatives are creating jobs that are helping to pull the nation out of recession – as President Obama noted in his forward-thinking 2012 budget.

“We must continue to improve fuel economy standards and encourage the use of all-electric and hybrid vehicles as well as options such as telecommuting and public transportation,” Callahan continued. “Public transit saves the United States more than 11 million gallons of gasoline per day, or 4 billion gallons annually,” she said.

In addition, the Alliance advises consumers who must continue to use their vehicles to be more fuel efficient by taking steps to minimize gas consumption, such as carpooling, emptying their trunks and ensuring their tires are properly inflated.

Learn about all our work at ase.org and how to save energy and money through energy efficiency at LivingEfficiently.org.

Hazardous dry cleaning chemical to be removed by 2023

SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved California’s regulations banning the use of the toxic air contaminant perchloroethylene (PERC) from the state’s dry cleaning operations by 2023.  This action means that the current federal regulations will be replaced with California’s more stringent approach, which now can be enforced by the federal EPA and citizens of California.

PERC, a possible human carcinogen, is a man-made liquid solvent often used in the dry cleaning industry, in textile mill operations, by chlorofluorocarbon producers, for vapor degreasing and in metal cleaning operations.  The dry cleaning industry is a leading user of PERC in the U.S.

“We applaud California’s efforts to rid its dry cleaning industry of this dangerous toxin,” said Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest.  “The state’s approach gives consumers healthier dry cleaning alternatives.”

According to California’s Air Resources Board, the estimated number of PERC-using machines has been steadily dropping from 4670 machines in 2003 to 2000 machines in 2009.  Meanwhile, the estimated number of wet cleaning and CO2 machines – which use less toxic cleaning methods – has almost tripled from 90 machines in 2003 to 253 machines in 2009.

EPA’s Toxic Reporting Inventory database reports that more than 107,043 pounds of PERC were released to the environment in California in 2009, mostly through air emissions.

Exposure to PERC can occur in the workplace or in the environment following releases to air, water, land, or groundwater.   Exposure can also occur when people use products containing PERC, spend time in dry cleaning facilities that use PERC, live next to dry cleaning facilities, or bring dry cleaned garments into their homes.  Once in the body, PERC can remain stored in fat tissue.  In addition to being a possible human carcinogen, exposure to PERC is also associated with chronic, non-cancer health effects, including liver and kidney damage in rodents, and neurological effects in humans.

California’s Airborne Toxic Control Measure for dry cleaning operations implements a ban on the use of PERC in dry cleaning operations in California.  All remaining PERC dry cleaning machines must be removed from service by January 1, 2023.  The California Air Resources Board identified PERC as a toxic air contaminant in 1991, and adopted the current Airborne Toxic Control Measure regulating PERC dry cleaning operations in 2007.

For more information on the state’s Dry Cleaning program, please visit: www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/dryclean/dryclean.htm

For more information on EPA’s dry cleaning regulations, please visit:  http://epa.gov/drycleaningrule/basic.html

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public comment from boaters and other stakeholders to help develop proposed regulations, as required by the 2008 Clean Boating Act, to reduce water pollution and the spread of invasive species in the nation’s rivers, lakes and other water bodies. As an alternative to permits required for commercial vessels, the act directs EPA to develop and promulgate management practices for recreational vessels.

The important input received through this process will help guide the development of proposed regulations to mitigate adverse effects from recreational boat discharges, such as bilgewater, graywater and deck runoff, that may contain substances harmful to water quality or spread invasive species.

The Clean Boating Act directs EPA to take steps to limit the impact of pollution and the spread of invasive species associated with the discharge from boats. As part of the public input, EPA is also seeking information from states that already enact standards to limit the impacts of boat discharges on waterways.

Based on the important input received, EPA will seek to develop appropriate management practices and performance standards that protect waterways while also working with the U.S. Coast Guard, which will establish regulations governing the design, construction, installation and use of management practices. Implementation of these management practices will allow boaters and other water enthusiasts to continue enjoying our nation’s water bodies while protecting water quality.

EPA is holding listening sessions and conducting webinars to inform interested parties about the Clean Boating Act and receive public input. The listening sessions will be held in Annapolis, Md. on March 18 and April 29.

More information about the Clean Boating Act: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/vessel/CBA/about.cfm

WASHINGTON — Joseph DeMatteo of Clark County, Nev. has been sentenced to serve five months home detention, followed by a term of three years probation, for criminally violating the Clean Air Act. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the court. DeMatteo, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fugitive, was one of 10 Nevada-certified emissions testers indicted on Jan. 6, 2010 by a federal grand jury on one felony count for falsifying vehicle emissions test reports in Las Vegas between Nov. 2007 and May 2009. It is a crime to knowingly alter or conceal any record or other document required to be maintained by the Clean Air Act.

“Today’s sentence demonstrates that individuals who knowingly violate our nation’s environmental laws and then flee the court’s jurisdiction will be caught and brought to justice,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Abusing emissions testing responsibilities puts communities’ air quality at risk. With information provided through the EPA fugitive’s list, we were able to work with the public and other law enforcement agencies to capture and complete the sentencing of a defendant who attempted to circumvent the law.”

Although the other nine defendants were promptly located and charged, DeMatteo failed to surrender to federal law enforcement authorities. Shortly after the indictments were released, DeMatteo was placed on the EPA fugitive list. DeMatteo was arrested in Las Vegas on Jun. 8, 2010 by special agents after EPA received a tip on his whereabouts. On Oct. 14, 2010, DeMatteo pleaded guilty to making a material false statement in violation of the Clean Air Act.

The other defendants indicted are Eduardo Franco, Alexander Worster, Wadji Waked, Adolfo Contreras, David Nelson, William McCown, Gary Smith, Peter Escudero, and Louis Demeo. DeMatteo will be the sixth defendant sentenced.

The defendants engaged in a practice known as “clean scanning” vehicles. The identification number of a vehicle that cannot pass the emissions test—or is not even present for testing—is entered into the computer system, but a different car that can pass the emissions test is actually tested. The data is then recorded on the vehicle inspection report so that the initial car fraudulently “passed” the test. The cost of getting the fraudulent report was anywhere from $10 to $100 more than the usual emissions testing fee.

Las Vegas is required to perform emissions testing because currently it violates ozone and carbon monoxide standards. Ozone is linked to a number of serious health problems, including causing asthma attacks and increasing the risk of premature death in people with heart or lung disease. Carbon monoxide can cause harmful health effects by reducing oxygen delivery to the body’s organs.

The case was investigated by EPA’s Office of Criminal Enforcement and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles Compliance Enforcement Division. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada and the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section.

More information on EPA’s fugitive website: http://www.epa.gov/fugitives

The Fiscal Year 2010 annual report to the Congress and the President on implementation of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) and Executive Order 13272 commemorates 30 years of RFA implementation. In FY 2010, Advocacy involvement in agency rulemakings helped secure nearly $15 billion in first-year cost savings and nearly $5.5 billion in recurring annual savings for small entities.

Advocacy’s efforts and achievements are outlined in its Report on the Regulatory Flexibility Act, Fiscal Year 2010, found at http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/10regflx.pdf.   A Research Summary can be found at http://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/rs379.pdf.

One of the maintenance department’s most significant efforts to foster sustainability at the more than 300 buildings it services is a testing program for HVAC motors controlled by variable frequency drives (VFDs). Many of the buildings have their own maintenance managers. Whenever such a manager requests testing on a motor in his/her building, technicians from maintenance headquarters use portable oscilloscopes and voltage measuring probes to determine whether or not shaft voltages are present — voltages which cause electrical discharges through the motor’s bearings.

If harmful discharge levels are detected, the maintenance department may recommend the installation of a bearing-protection device that bleeds off the damaging currents. In this case, the university chose an AEGIS SGR Bearing Protection Ring. The shaft grounding ring redirects VFD-induced shaft voltages by providing a very-low-impedance path from shaft to frame, bypassing the motor bearings entirely. Conductive microfibers line the entire inner circumference of the ring in two rows, surrounding the motor shaft. A protective channel in the ring allows the fibers to flex without breaking and keeps out debris.

Read the complete article at Sustainable Facility

WASHINGTON – As part of its commitment to implement sensible protections of drinking water for communities across the country, and as required by the Safe Drinking Water Act,  the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing 30 currently unregulated contaminants for monitoring in water systems, and submitting this proposal for public comment. The comment period will allow the public and other stakeholders to provide input on the selection of new contaminants for monitoring, and will help determine the best path forward as the EPA seeks to collect data that will inform future decisions about how best to protect drinking water.

“Ensuring clean and safe drinking water for all Americans is a top priority for EPA,” said Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water.  “In keeping with the Safe Drinking Water Act, we are submitting for public comment and input our proposed next round of currently unregulated contaminants for monitoring.  Learning more about the prevalence of these contaminants will allow EPA to better protect people’s health.”

Under the authority of the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA currently regulates more than 90 contaminants in drinking water. To keep drinking water standards up-to-date with emerging science, the Safe Drinking Water Act requires that EPA identify up to 30 unregulated contaminants for monitoring every five years. This current proposal is the third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulation and includes requirements to monitor for two viruses and 28 chemical contaminants that could be present in drinking water and do not currently have health-based standards.

EPA is requesting public comment on the proposed list of 30 contaminants until May 2, 2011. Following the public comment period, EPA will consider this important input before the list is scheduled to be finalized in 2012, with sampling to be conducted from 2013 to 2015. Sampling will take place at all systems serving more than 10,000 people and at a representative sampling of systems serving less than 10,000 people.

More information about the proposed list of contaminants:
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/rulesregs/sdwa/ucmr/ucmr3/index.cfm.