WSPPN News
On July 30, EPA released a draft report assessing a list of safer alternatives to the toxic flame retardant decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE), and identified 30 alternatives already in the market to be used, as decaBDE is phased out by Dec. 2013. EPA is seeking stakeholder and public input on this draft report for 60 days. For more information, go to http://www.epa.gov/dfe.
Source: Environmental Expert.com
Washington — Today U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson joined Mexico’s Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources Juan Elvira Quesada to sign the Border 2020 U.S.-Mexico Environmental program agreement. The signing was witnessed by a number of leaders including the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico E. Anthony Wayne, Vice Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation Wavalene Romero, California Secretary for Environmental Protection Matthew Rodriquez, Baja California Governor José Guadalupe Osuna Millán and Tijuana Mayor Carlos Bustamante Anchondo. The Border 2020 agreement, developed with significant stakeholder input, will work to address high priority environmental and public health problems in the 2,000 mile border region. It follows the Border 2012 environmental agreement which ends this year.
‘Addressing the environmental issues along the border has long been a priority we share with our colleagues in Mexico, because we know that environmental degradation, pollution, and the diseases they trigger don’t stop at the national boundaries,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Thanks to help from our partners in government, industry, academia and local communities, the Border 2020 agreement will build upon the significant progress already made, and families on both sides of the border will continue to benefit from cleaner, healthier communities for decades to come.”
The Border 2020 program works to reduce pollution in water, air, and on land, reduce exposure to chemicals from accidental releases or terrorism, and improve environmental stewardship. It is the latest environmental program implemented under the 1983 U.S.-Mexico La Paz Agreement. It builds on the Border 2012 program and encourages meaningful participation from communities and local stakeholders through regional task forces.
Over the next eight years, the Border 2020 Environmental program will work towards significant improvements that will focus on five key areas:
The new Border 2020 program also strengthens its focus in regional areas where environmental improvements are needed most: establishing realistic and concrete goals, supporting the implementation of projects, considering new fundamental strategies, and encouraging the achievement of more ambitious environmental and public health goals.
Border 2012, which concludes this year, resulted in numerous achievements, including connecting households to drinking water and wastewater services benefiting more than 8.5 million border residents. In addition, the program helped remove more than 12 million scrap tires from dump sites border wide and more than 75.5 metric tons of obsolete pesticides from rural areas in California, Sonora, and Tamaulipas.
As the home to over 14 million people and one of the busiest cross-border trade regions in the world, protecting human health and the environment in the border region is essential to ensuring that the U.S. continues to be safe, healthy and economically productive. The Border 2020 U.S.-Mexico Environmental program will protect the environment and public health for 10 states on both sides of the 2,000-mile border, including 26 U.S. tribes and seven groups of Mexican indigenous people.
Source: AlternativeFuels.about.com
Everyone likes to save money, right? And wouldn’t it be great if you could combine saving with living lighter on the earth? Read on.
Varieties of federal incentives are available in the United States that will ease your transition to alternative fuels. Most of these incentives are tax credits, meaning they will reduce the amount of net tax you owe—that’s different than just another deduction—which could mean bigger savings for you. Of course, always check with your tax professional for current, accurate advice on any tax credits or deductions.
Depending upon the vehicle and fuel you choose, check out the credits available:
Did you buy a new alternative fuel vehicle and place it in service after January 1, 2006? You may be eligible for this credit. This legislation provides a tax credit equal to 50 percent of the incremental cost of the vehicle, plus an additional 30 percent of the incremental cost for vehicles with near-zero emissions.
Exactly how much of a credit are we talking about?
The figures are based on vehicle weight as follows:
As the buyer of the vehicle, you’ll need to download IRS Form 8910 to claim the credit. This legislation replaces the Clean Fuel Vehicle Property Tax Deduction from earlier years. Download IRS Notice 2006-54, which establishes the credit rules for vehicle conversions.
This tax credit is similar to the Hybrid Motor Vehicle Credit (see below), in that it offers an income tax credit to folks who purchase models that qualify for the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor vehicle category. Check which vehicles qualify for the clean diesel tax credit.
This tax credit is for light-duty hybrid vehicles (less than 8,501 GVWR) based upon their improved fuel economy and lifetime fuel savings potential. The credit has two parts: the fuel economy portion, which ranges from $400 to $2,400, and the conservation credit, which ranges from $250 to $1,000. Learn more about the hybrid tax credit.
The IRS certifies vehicles for the credit in addition to publishing qualifying credit amounts. See Notice 2006-9. This tax credit expires December 31, 2010. Learn which hybrid vehicles qualify for current hybrid tax credits.
For the purchaser of a light-duty fuel cell vehicle, this is a base tax credit of $8,000, and is valid until December 31, 2009, after which it decreases to $4,000. Qualifying vehicles must meet Bin 5 Tier II emission levels.
Additional base tax credits are available for medium- and heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles; amounts are determined by the IRS and based on a sliding scale by vehicle weight. This credit is available until December 31, 2014.
This credit is due to expire in 2007 and was reduced by 75 percent in 2006, so it would be wise to check with your tax professional to clarify the portion that could apply to your situation. Overall, the credit equals 10 percent of the cost of the vehicle up to $4,000, and the vehicle must be powered primarily by an electric motor drawing current from batteries or other portable sources of electricity. Business or personal vehicles qualify.
Additionally, for qualified electric vehicle recharging used in a trade or business, a tax deduction of up to $100,000 per location is available. More information is available here.
This is a credit of up to $30,000 (equal to 30 percent of the cost of the alternative refueling property), normally reserved for businesses but it also applies to buyers of residential refueling equipment—they can receive a tax credit of $1,000. The credit is effective on equipment put into service after December 31, 2005 and expires December 31, 2009 (the hydrogen credit portion is good until 2014).
You’ll need to use the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 8911, published in May 2006, to claim the credit. Download Form 8911 here for qualified property and the credit value.
Source: Environmental Leader.com>/a>
Hotels trying to attract green consumers should use targeted marketing that draws on both functional and emotional green images, according to research from the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics.
The analysis Profiling the Potential ‘Green’ Hotel Guest: Who Are They and What Do They Want?, which was presented in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, found identifying green customers can be challenging for hotels. UNH surveyed 563 US hotel patrons who were randomly selected by a national recognized marketing research firm for the analysis.
While industry research has shown a significant percentage of hotel guests prefer to stay in a hotel that cares about the environment, guests are not always that predictable, said Nelson Barber, associate professor of hospitality management at UNH and author of the analysis.
He noted that a study by a major national hotel operation found the opposite and 75 percent of their guest respondents said they wouldn’t give up daily hotel room service activities. That study also found guests pay less attention to the environment while traveling because they’re not directly responsible for the costs of cleaning and utilities.
Barber found in his analysis that green consumers tend to be more concerned for others and have a higher desire to work for the good of society than non-green consumers. Green consumers also place a higher value on the restraint of actions that could upset or harm others and violate social norms; and they’re less likely purchase self-serving products such as those associated with achievement or success, according to the analysis.
As a result of the findings, Barber suggests hotels develop a green placement strategy targeted at green consumers that draws on both functional and emotional images. For example, green consumers look for tangible, functional images such as a recycling program or a LEED certification. They’ll also look for actions that illustrate a hotel’s commitment to the environment, such as a menu that offer food supplied by local farmers.
A growing number of hotel chains have launched environmental initiatives. In May, Hilton Worldwide and sustainability consultants BSR kicked off a three-year initiative to help procurement professionals make more informed purchasing decisions based on the best available sustainability data and information.
Source: TriplePundit.com
Sustainability within corporate America has become mainstream. Once relegated to the basement office as far as possible from the C-suite just a decade ago, companies from Nike to Ford Motor to yes, Walmart, are taking sustainability seriously. Most companies do not have strategies in place to address climate change and other social, governance and environmental challenges, but change, slowly, is occurring. Companies feel enough pressure from outside stakeholder groups, but what about internal stakeholders?
To that end, the Weinreb Group, VOX Global and UC Berkeley’s Net Impact chapter together issued a report last week, Making the Pitch: Selling Sustainability Inside Corporate America. The report, based on interviews of thirty-two sustainability executives and managers working primarily at Fortune 100 companies, is an effort to understand the skills, business drivers and collaboration strategies necessary in order to sell, implement and execute sustainability and corporate responsibility strategies within companies. The lessons are transferable to just about any practitioner, from the solo consulting shop to a chief executive officer.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in partnership with other federal agencies announced the release of the updated National Wetland Plant List (NWPL). This national list of wetland plants by species and their wetland ratings provides general botanical information about wetland plants and is used extensively by federal and state agencies, the scientific and academic communities, and the private sector in wetland delineations and the planning and monitoring of wetland mitigation and restoration sites. The list is available at http://wetland_plants.usace.army.mil The Corps says the 1,472 additional plant species increase the National Wetland Plant list by 22 percent.
The 2012 NWPL will be used in any wetland delineations or determinations performed after June 1, 2012. The 2012 NWPL may be used in delineation/determination forms prior to that date, and should be referenced on any data forms used in the wetland delineation/determination if used. The increase in plant species may cause more projects to require permitting under the Clean Water Act (CWA), as Section 404 of the CWA establishes a program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands. Activities in waters of the United States regulated under this program include fill for development, water resource projects (such as dams and levees), infrastructure development (such as highways and airports) and mining projects. Section 404 requires a permit before dredged or fill material may be discharged into waters of the United States, unless the activity is exempt from Section 404 regulation (e.g. certain farming and forestry activities).
The NWPL announcement is published in the May 9, 2012, Federal Register and is available at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/05/09/2012-11176/publication-of-the-final-national-wetland-plant-list.
For more information on the USACE Regulatory Program, please visit:
http://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/RegulatoryProgramandPermits.aspx.
Source: Environmental Leader.com
EcoDual LLC, a provider of dual fuel conversion systems for heavy duty diesel trucks, has achieved authorization from the EPA to begin installing its systems on 2004 to 2009 Cummins ISX engines.
The EcoDual conversion kit currently works with the 15L Cummins ISX engine – one of the most widely used engines in heavy duty trucking with more than 1 million currently in service, according to Eco Dual.
After conversion, existing diesel engines can operate on up to 85 percent natural gas, providing fuel cost savings. The cost of the dual fuel system can be recovered in these operational savings within one year without any government incentives, Eco Dual says.
Eco Dual’s product achieved its EPA compliance under the EPA’s “Outside Useful Life” category for truck engines with more than 435,000 miles, or more than 22,000 hours of operation, or are more than 10 years old. Over the next 12 months, EcoDual will be releasing multiple systems certified for newer trucks with the Cummins ISX and other engine families from Detroit Diesel, Mack and Caterpillar.
In January, Waste Management announced a pilot program to introduce natural gas powered Rotopress waste collection trailers while BAE Systems and Caterpillar Inc. signed a long-term supply agreement to collaborate on an energy-efficient parallel hybrid propulsion system for heavy-duty trucks.
Source: Environmental Expert.com
EMSL Analytical provides testing for BPA in consumer products, in food samples, and in the air for workplace exposure assessments.
The federal government has announced that baby bottles and sippy cups can no longer contain the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA, due to health and safety concerns.
BPA has been used in the manufacture of countless items, such as food packaging, water bottles, canned food and beverages, and storage containers, since the 1960s. Consumer advocates have protested against use of the controversial chemical, which has been under scientific investigation for years.
Read more
Source: Environmental Expert.com
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)– 1-800-Recycling.com, an interactive website dedicated to enhancing and democratizing the consumer recycling experience while making practical suggestions about green living, has compiled an interactive map and complete searchable list of recycling guidelines for each state in the USA.
An informative, clickable map and list of every state and its unique guidelines and recycling rules are now available at 1800recycling.com/state-guidelines/.
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Source: Flex Fuel.com (click on this link to watch the video)
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson gave a satirical interview with Stephen Colbert on Thursday night about her agency’s mission and fired back at critics who claim the EPA is killing jobs with regulations.
Colbert, who said he gets most of his information about the EPA from Fox News, asked why Jackson hated jobs and whether she was getting paid a commission based on the number of jobs she eliminates.
“No, Steven, we are not killing jobs,” Jackson responded. “We are protecting the air and the water.”
Colbert pointed out that the United States shouldn’t be protecting the air and the water because those resources have been attacking us.
“Haven’t you heard of hurricanes and tornadoes?” he asked.
Jackson, who at times barely could control her laughter, outlined that the agency’s history, noting that it was started by Richard Nixon after Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969.
“We had rivers that burned 40 years ago,” Colbert said. “That’s alternative energy. We could have powered Cleveland on the Cuyahoga River.”
Jackson said people often forget about the changes that the EPA has prompted. She noted the changes made to gasoline, air quality and chemicals found on food as just a few examples.
“It’s been 41 years of saying that we can build our economy and of course we want jobs, but we also want to do it to ensure our kids are going to be healthy,” she said.
Easing up a bit, Colbert said the EPA has made changes in the environment, but the agency had become obsolete — like child labor laws and unions.
“We worry about backsliding,” Jackson countered. “We aren’t done. It wasn’t until this past year that we set a national standard to deal with mercury.”
Colbert didn’t miss out an opportunity to ask whether Jackson thought President Barack Obama was still in her corner after postponing smog standards until after the 2012 elections.
And he also asked whether she might vote for Republican Mitt Romney this year.
“President said we needed to wait until we got the latest on smog standards, which we expect early next year,” she said.
“When Romney is president?” Colbert answered.
Jackson didn’t even bother responding. She just gave Colbert a cowering look before bursting into laughter.
