EPA STRENGTHENS COMMITMENT TO REDUCE LEAD IN THE ENVIRONMENT
EPA will notify the states by October 2010 whether they are attaining or
not attaining the revised 2008 national air quality standards for lead. Once
nonattainment designations take effect, the state and local governments
will outline how they plan to attain and maintain the new, more rigorous lead
emissions standards. Lead exposure can cause a range of adverse health
effects, especially in children. EPA is seeking comment through Aug.16. For
more information, go to _http://www.epa.gov/leaddesignations/_
(http://www.epa.gov/leaddesignations/) .
EPA SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT TO ADVANCE ADMINISTRATOR JACKSON'S SEVEN
PRIORITIES TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
EPA is seeking public comment on a draft plan to protect human health and
the environment through the seven priorities: "taking action on climate
change, improving air quality, protecting America's waters, cleaning up our
communities, assuring the safety of chemicals, expanding the conversation on
environmentalism and working for environmental justice, and building strong
state and tribal partnerships." The public comment period closes July 30.
Please submit comments at _http://www.regulations.gov_
(http://www.regulations.gov/) . (Docket ID number EPA-HQ-OA-2010-0486). For the draft plan, go
to _http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/plan.htm_
(http://www.epa.gov/ocfo/plan/plan.htm) .
I hope you can open this .pdf to see the article
" Environmental Metrics for Community Health Improvement" in
Prev Chronic Dis 2010;7(4). by
Benjamin Jakubowski and Howard Frumkin, MD, DrPH , and check out the table.
Peggy Filios
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/jul/pdf/09_0242.pdf
EPA STRENGTHENS AIR QUALITY STANDARD FOR SO2 TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH
EPA is issuing a final 1-hour SO2 standard rule to better protect public
health from the adverse effects of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from power
plants. This standard is more protective against short-term exposures
ranging from five minutes to 24 hours and will replace the old standard. It
is estimated that the new standard will prevent 2,300 to 5,900 premature
deaths and 54,000 asthma attacks a year. EPA is also improving the monitoring
requirements for SO2 and will identify/designate areas not meeting the new
standard by June 2012. For more information, go to
_http://www.epa.gov/air/sulfurdioxide_ (http://www.epa.gov/air/sulfurdioxide)
EPA OFFERS COOLING TIPS FOR EVERY BUDGET THIS SUMMER
EPA's Energy Star program is offering low- to no-cost energy-efficient
cooling tips to beat the heat. A typical household spends almost 20 percent of
its utility bill on cooling, and by taking steps this summer to improve
energy efficiency, you can save energy, save money and help fight climate
change. For example: if your central air conditioning unit is more than 12
years old, replacing it with an Energy Star model could cut your cooling costs
by 30 percent. Get information about keeping cool and comfortable while
saving money this season at _http://www.energystar.gov_
(http://www.energystar.gov/)
Oppose Senator Murkowski’s Big Oil Bailout
The Senate is poised to vote on June 10 on another bailout that protects
Big Oil and other polluters. We strongly urge you to contact your Senators
to defeat this Big Oil Bailout to reduce America’s oil dependence and
protect air quality.
Please contact the following Senators and tell them to VOTE NO to the
Murkowski Resolution
_Senator Herb Kohl (D- WI)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=WIS…
four=) 202-224-5653
_Senator Carl Levin (D- MI)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MIS…
sfour=) 202-224-6221
_Senator Arlen Specter (D- PA)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=PAS…
plusfour=) 202-224-4254
_Senator Robert C. Byrd (D- WV)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=WVS…
&plusfour=) 202-224-3954
_Senator Mark Pryor (D- AR)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=ARJ…
sfour=) 202-224-2353
_Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R- ME)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MES…
de=&plusfour=) 202-224-5344
_Senator Susan Collins (R- ME)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=MEJ…
plusfour=) 202-224-2523
_Senator Kent Conrad (D- ND)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NDS…
usfour=) 202-224-2043
_Senator Byron Dorgan (D- ND)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=NDJ…
lusfour=) 202-224-2551
_Senator Evan Bayh (D- IN)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=INJ…
four=) 202-224-5623
_Brown, Scott P. _ (http://scottbrown.senate.gov/) - (R - MA)
202- 224-4543
_Senator Jim Webb (D- VA)_
(http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=VAS…
our=) 202-224-4024
Gutting the Clean Air Act
Senator Murkowski’s resolution guts the Clean Air Act, a law with a proven
40-year history of cost-effectively cutting dangerous pollution,
protecting human health and the environment, and spurring innovation.
Tell Your Senators
Since 1990 when the Clean Air Act became law:
· Emissions of six common air pollutants have declined by 41
percent, while gross domestic product has grown by 64 percent, according to the
EPA.
· From 1997-2007 benefits outweighed the costs by a range of 3 to
1 to as much as 22 to 1.
· Lead levels in the ambient air have dropped by 91 percent since
1980, greatly reducing the number of children with IQs below 70 as a result
of lead exposure according to the EPA.
The EPA has made absolutely clear that it does not intend to regulate
small sources.
EPA’s new rule, which begins to take effect in 2011, requires coal-fired
power plants (by far the nation’s largest source of the pollution), oil
refineries, and other large polluters to use available technology to cut
pollution when new facilities are constructed or existing facilities are upgraded
in ways that increase pollution.
Senator Murkowski’s resolution would halt clean vehicles initiative.
America would use at least 450 million more barrels of oil as a result of
blocking the new clean cars standards according to the Environmental
Protection Agency. All told, the impact on our oil dependence would be
substantial because the Clean Air Act is the country’s most powerful policy tool to
cut oil use through emission standards for vehicles.
Senator Murkowski is the # 3 recipient in Congress of money from Big Oil
and the #2 recipient of money from electric utilities so far this election
cycle.-------------------------------------
Samuel E. Flenner III
Outreach Associate
Environmental Integrity Project
_samf.environmentalintegrity(a)gmail.com_
(mailto:samf.environmentalintegrity@gmail.com)
317.352.2339 c-317.850.0436
EPA WEB SITE OFFERS MORE TOXIC CHEMICAL INFORMATION
EPA is increasing the chemical information that certain industries and
federal facilities must submit under the Toxic Substances Control Act _(TSCA)_
(http://www.epa.gov/tri/) . More than 6,300 chemicals and 3,800 chemical
facilities are now available for analysis on how they affect our air, water
and land. In the months ahead, EPA intends to increase the information and
to make the public portion of the TSCA inventory free of charge to the
public.
For the agency's Envirofacts Web site, go to
_http://www.epa.gov/enviro/facts/tsca/index.html_ (http://www.epa.gov/enviro/facts/tsca/index.html)
For more information, go to
_http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/enhanchems.html_
(http://www.epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/enhanchems.html)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ELECTRIC UTILITIES RELEASE PLANS TO IMPROVE SAFETY OF THEIR COAL ASH
IMPOUNDMENTS
EPA is releasing action plans from 16 electric utility facilities with 40
coal ash impoundments, to keep the public informed on the safety of these
impoundments and facilities. The plans explain how the facilities will
prevent coal ash impoundment spills such the one that occurred in Kingston, Tn.
in 2008. EPA has also proposed regulations for the safe disposal and
management of coal ash from coal-fired power plants to protect human health and
the environment.
For more information, go to
_http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/surveys2/index
.htm_
(http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/surveys2/index…)