Category: News

Smarter Nutrient Management for Water Utilities Examined

Posted: March 12, 2014
Source: Environmental Protection online
In the past century, population growth, urbanization and intensified agricultural practices have combined to increase strain on wastewater treatment facilities. A foremost challenge for utilities is managing nutrient levels in the water – and doing so while juggling economic and energy constraints.

The Road Toward Smarter Nutrient Management in Municipal Water Treatment, a new Charting New Waters explores opportunities for the water utility sector to continue providing clean effluent, while also examining the opportunities for recovering nitrogen and phosphorus and returning it to the agricultural cycle.

The report is the product of a meeting convened by The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread, The Water Environment Federation and the Environmental Defense Fund, which brought together a group of experts to discuss how wastewater treatment can achieve more ambitious goals for the clean water it provides, while holding the line on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
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DOE Challenge Home Tech Training Webinars

Posted: March 10, 2014
Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technology Office

The Building Technology Office is offering a new webinar series on getting homes zero-energy ready. The webinars – sponsored by DOE Challenge Home, a blueprint for these ultra high-performance homes – feature experts who discuss critical home systems, how they simultaneously save energy and improve comfort, and how to get these systems right.

Ducts in Conditioned Spaces
Thursday, March 20, noon – 1:30 p.m. ET

With such high performance homes, it’s impossible to justify huge thermal losses from ducts in unconditioned spaces.  That’s why one of the program’s mandatory specs calls for ducts in conditioned space.  However “ducts in conditioned space” isn’t a one-size-fits-all design requirement in DOE Challenge Home.  Over the last several years, DOE’s Building America research partners have worked out the kinks on a toolkit of duct design strategies.  In this session, Bill Zoeller, Steven Winter Associates, a leading expert on thermal performance of air, will share the pros and cons of these strategies so you can specify effective distribution systems for any type of project.  Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/252839560

Comprehensive Building Science
Wednesday, March 26, noon – 1:30 p.m. ET

DOE Challenge Homes aren’t just really energy efficient – they’re designed and built using solid building science principles.  Version 3 of the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program, a prerequisite for every Challenge Home, delivers three key systems that improve comfort, indoor air quality, and durability – a complete thermal enclosure system, a complete HVAC system, and a complete water management system. In this webinar, Dean Gamble of EPA will cover the building science basics that underlie these key systems, as well as discuss the top three challenges of each system and how to overcome them.  Register here: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/19446

EPA Sets Cleaner Fuel and Car Standards, Slashing Air Pollution and Providing Health Benefits to Thousands

Posted: March 3, 2014
Source: U.S. EPA press release

WASHINGTON – Based on extensive input from the public and a broad range of stakeholders, including public health groups, auto manufacturers, refiners, and states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized emission standards for cars and gasoline that will significantly reduce harmful pollution and prevent thousands of premature deaths and illnesses, while also enabling efficiency improvements in the cars and trucks we drive. These cleaner fuel and car standards are an important component of the administration’s national program for clean cars and trucks, which also include historic fuel efficiency standards that are saving new vehicle owners at the gas pump. Once fully in place, the standards will help avoid up to 2,000 premature deaths per year and 50,000 cases of respiratory ailments in children.

“These standards are a win for public health, a win for our environment, and a win for our pocketbooks,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “By working with the auto industry, health groups, and other stakeholders, we’re continuing to build on the Obama Administration’s broader clean fuels and vehicles efforts that cut carbon pollution, clean the air we breathe, and save families money at the pump.”

The final standards will quickly and effectively cut harmful soot, smog and toxic emissions from cars and trucks. The Obama Administration’s actions to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gases from these same vehicles will also result in average fuel savings of more than $8,000 by 2025 over a vehicle’s lifetime. The fuel economy and greenhouse gas standards covering model year vehicles from 2012-2025 are projected to save American families more than $1.7 trillion in fuel costs.
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EPA TAKES ACTION TO PROTECT PUBLIC FROM HARMFUL LEAD EXPOSURE

Posted: February 18, 2014
Source: www.epa.gov/lead

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced enforcement actions that will require 35 home renovation contractors and training providers to take additional steps to protect communities by minimizing harmful lead dust from home renovation activities, as required by the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Standards. These standards provide important, front-line protection for children and others vulnerable to exposure to lead dust that can cause lead poisoning.

“Families deserve the peace of mind that home renovations occur without harming children,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Businesses that play by the rules deserve to compete on a level playing field. EPA will continue to enforce the nation’s lead rules to protect the public from illegal and dangerous lead exposure.”

The settlements, issued between May 2013 and January 2014, include 17 contractors that failed to obtain required certification prior to performing renovation activities on pre-1978 homes, where lead is more likely to be present. In addition, 21 settlements involve violations for failure to follow required lead-safe work practices, and three cases involve general contractors who failed to ensure their subcontractors followed the RRP standards.

The enforcement actions, which all require contractors to certify compliance with the RRP standards, led to more than $274,000 in civil penalties.
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Battle of the Bulbs

Posted: February 14, 2014
Source: E-The Environmental Magazine
Author: Jennifer Santisi

Compact Fluorescents In The Spotlight With Ban on Incandescents In Effect

As of Jan. 1, 2014, 40- and 60-watt incandescent light bulbs are no longer manufactured in the U.S. as part of efficiency standards signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007. Previously, the government regulations phased out 70- and 100-watt bulbs over the last few years, but this ban will be much more widely felt since 40- and 60-watt bulbs are more frequently used in homes. So far, the ban has gone fairly unnoticed, since stores still have incandescent bulbs in stock. Once current incandescent stock sells out in stores, consumers will have to choose between more energy-efficient options, including halogen, LED and CFL bulbs.

There has been a lot of debate over CFL bulbs, and many consumers are wary of the higher price tag, efficiency benefits, and presence of mercury. There’s also the issue that the quality of the light with CFLs tends to be brighter, and many consumers experience an increase in headaches with fluorescent lighting (myself included). Fortunately, the technology has come a long way in a short period of time, and CFLs are now sold in a warm tone version, not just the standard bright light. CFLs also turn on a lot faster than they used to, so you don’t necessarily have to stand in a dark room for 20 seconds while the bulb turns on.
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EPA Requests Input on Hazardous Waste Management in the Retail Sector

Posted: February 6, 2014
Source: EPA

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the Notice of Data Availability (NODA) for Hazardous Waste Management in the Retail Sector. EPA is responding to issues the retail industry has identified that they face in implementing hazardous waste regulations. This NODA provides stakeholders the opportunity to help the agency better understand their operations and identify options for possible further action.

“As part of President Obama’s efforts to make regulatory programs more effective and less burdensome, EPA is committed to working closely with the retail industry and stakeholders to help remove barriers that may affect compliance with federal regulations,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

The agency seeks comment on existing data on the retail industry universe and amount of hazardous waste it generates, and suggestions for improving hazardous waste regulations for retail operations. The NODA also seeks information and hazardous waste data on the following:
·         Episodic generation
·         Retails stores’ programs for handling hazardous waste
·         Hazardous waste training for employees
·         Aerosol cans
·         Transportation and reverse logistics
·         Reverse logistics centers
·         Sustainability efforts undertaken by retail facilities
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Energy Efficiency Standard for ‘Wall Warts’ (External Power Supplies)

Posted: February 4, 2014
Source: Energy Manager Today.com by Linda Hardesty

Following close on the heels of last week’s finalized energy efficiency standards for metal halide lamp fixtures, the US Energy Department yesterday announced the final rule for new efficiency standards for external power supplies.

The agency says external power supplies, commonly referred to as “wall warts,” are used in hundreds of types of electronics and consumer products, including cell phones, tablets, laptops, video game consoles and power tools, to convert power from a wall outlet into lower voltages. More than 300 million external power supplies are shipped in the United States each year and the average American home has five to ten external power supplies. These numbers are expected to continue growing as consumers and businesses purchase new types of personal electronics.
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Let’s Talk Power Efficiency, Not Light Bulbs

Posted: February 3, 2014 By Vic Shao
Source: Energy Manager Today.com

Light bulbs sound like an innocent enough topic. And yet, during last week’s Congressional budget debate, light bulbs spawned a ferocious debate.  One side claimed that the government was “coming for your light bulbs” while the other side fought to pour millions into phasing out incandescent bulbs in favor of their more energy-efficient counterparts. Both sides are wasting their breath because energy efficiency is only half the battle.

We have changed light bulbs, weatherized homes and turned down thermostats for the past decade with relatively little impact. We will not solve the challenges of an aging grid, rising electricity demand and a warming climate with energy efficiency. But we might just solve them with power efficiency.

Power efficiency is the next frontier in efficiency savings. It requires sophisticated software and predictive algorithms; but if done right, power efficiency holds the promise of using software instead of copper to keep up with rising electric demands on the grid. And we can do it for three to ten times less cost than current upgrades.
Continue reading Let’s Talk Power Efficiency, Not Light Bulbs