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25
Feb

EPA Honors Chula Vista, Calif. for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Categories: News
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Posted: February 25, 2014
Source: U.S. EPA

LOS ANGELES – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Center for Corporate Climate Leadership announced the third annual Climate Leadership Award winners in partnership with the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry (TCR). Nineteen awards were given to 15 organizations and two individuals in the public and private sectors for their leadership in addressing climate change by reducing carbon pollution. The City of Chula Vista has received an Organizational Leadership Award for its reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions at its campus.

“Today’s winners are champions in their communities because of the steps they’ve taken to reduce carbon pollution harmful to the environment,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “We are proud to recognize the City of Chula Vista for its leadership in fighting climate change.”

The national awards program recognizes exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in response to climate change. Award recipients represent a wide array of industries, including finance, manufacturing, retail, technology, higher education and local government.
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25
Feb

Cisco Systems honored by EPA for reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions

Categories: News
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Posted: February 25, 2014
Source: U.S. EPA

SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Center for Corporate Climate Leadership announced the third annual Climate Leadership Award winners in partnership with the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry (TCR). Nineteen awards were given to 15 organizations and two individuals in the public and private sectors for their leadership in addressing climate change by reducing carbon pollution. Cisco Systems, Inc. has received an award for Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Management-Goal Achievement for meeting its greenhouse gas reduction goal at its campus through renewable energy purchases, upgrading building energy efficiency, and reducing business travel.

“Today’s winners are champions in their communities because of the steps they’ve taken to reduce carbon pollution harmful to the environment,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “We are proud to recognize Cisco Systems for its leadership in fighting climate change.”
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25
Feb

EPA Honors UC Irvine for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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Posted: February 25, 2014
Source: U.S. EPA

LOS ANGELES – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Center for Corporate Climate Leadership announced the third annual Climate Leadership Award winners in partnership with the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry (TCR). Nineteen awards were given to 15 organizations and two individuals in the public and private sectors for their leadership in addressing climate change by reducing carbon pollution. The University of California, Irvine has received an Organizational Leadership Award for its reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions at its campus.

“Today’s winners are champions in their communities because of the steps they’ve taken to reduce carbon pollution harmful to the environment,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “We are proud to recognize UC Irvine for its leadership in fighting climate change.”
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18
Feb

Obama to tighten fuel efficiency standards for big trucks

Categories: Fleets, News
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Posted: February 18, 2019
Source: The Washington Post – Post Politics
By Juliet Eilperin

President Obama will announce Tuesday that the federal government will further tighten fuel efficiency for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, according to a White House official, as part of the president’s ongoing effort to use his executive authority to address climate change.

Obama’s directive to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation, which he will announce at the Safeway distribution center in Upper Marlboro, Md., marks the second time he has mandated a cut in fuel consumption and carbon emissions from larger trucks. This category, which encompasses all vehicles weighing more than 8,500 pounds, ranges from large pick-up trucks and school buses to massive 18-wheel tractor-trailers.
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18
Feb

EPA TAKES ACTION TO PROTECT PUBLIC FROM HARMFUL LEAD EXPOSURE

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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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07
Feb

EPA Requests Input on Hazardous Waste Management in the Retail Sector

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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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05
Feb

EPA Launches WaterSense H2Otel Challenge to Encourage Water Savings

Categories: Hospitality, News
Tags: , , , , , ,
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Posted: February 5, 2014

National awareness campaign helps hotels save water and money, reduce greenhouse gas emissions

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today launched WaterSense H2Otel Challenge as a way for agency partners and other organizations to encourage hotels to use best management practices that will save water and money, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

“Hotels that reduce their water use will not only help their community save precious resources, but can gain a competitive edge in today’s green marketplace,” said Nancy Stoner, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “Since 2006, WaterSense has helped Americans save more than 487 billion gallons of water, and now we’re building on that success to help hotels take their sustainability efforts to the next level.”

From New York City’s Times Square to the Las Vegas strip, hotels across the country will take a pledge to “ACT”—assess, change, and track their water use in the following ways:

• Assess water use and savings opportunities throughout the hotel.
• Change products and processes to more water-efficient models and methods.
• Track water reduction progress before and after incorporating best management practices.

Caesars Entertainment is the first company to sign up for the H2Otel Challenge.
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05
Feb

Practice Greenhealth Announces Development of Total Cost of Ownership Tool for Health Care Products and Services

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Posted: February 5, 2014
Source: Practice Greenhealth.Org

First-of-its-kind effort will evaluate total costs across lifecycle of health care products

(Reston, Virginia) – As part of Practice Greenhealth’s Greening the Supply Chain® Initiative, Practice Greenhealth is pleased to announce the development of a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Framework to be used by health care providers to evaluate the total cost across the lifecycle of a medical device or product from purchase and use, to end-of-life. Practice Greenhealth is bringing together hospitals, group purchasing organizations (GPOs), and businesses to develop this guidance, which will be offered at no cost to hospitals nationwide.

With tremendous pressures to reduce costs within the U.S. health care system, health care providers must look at ways to lower their purchasing costs. When it comes to purchasing medical devices, products and services, there are submerged costs, such as storage, maintenance, and disposal costs, that are not considered during procurement decisions. Therefore, they may be paying more in the long term for a product with a lower sales cost.

These costs are a part of the total cost of ownership of a product or service. Purchasing decisions should include these costs to assess the full costs to an organization. However, there is not currently a methodology in place to assist hospitals in determining their total cost of ownership of health care products and services. Providing a tool that brings these submerged costs to the surface during the procurement process could have a significant impact on reducing the total cost of delivering quality health care. Creating that tool requires a standardized method to measure or calculate these submerged environmental costs that is universally recognized. Elements of cost that address a reduction in environmental and human health impacts are also a priority to reduce health care’s environmental footprint.
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04
Feb

Energy Efficiency Standard for ‘Wall Warts’ (External Power Supplies)

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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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03
Feb

Dealing with drug waste in the Corridor [The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa]

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Posted: February 3, 2014
Source: The Gazette, Iowa City

Feb. 02 IOWA CITY
When a patient emerges from anesthesia after surgery, his nurse wants to make sure he doesn’t feel pain.

She gets a 1 milliliter syringe of hydromorphone, a generic form of Dilaudid, from a secure drug cabinet. She plans to give her patient .2 milliliter. Even patients with open hysterectomies some of the most painful procedures need just .4 milliliter.

She squirts the rest of the drug down the drain, where it can’t be abused by addicts but can pollute drinking water.

UI nurses disposed of an average 70 percent of each of 47,000 hydromorphone 1 milliliter syringes with waste in fiscal 2013.

Portions of nearly 250,000 doses of prescription medication were flushed down the drain or returned to the UI Hospitals and Clinics pharmacy to be wasted in the past two years, despite U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines against flushing drugs.
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