Also See: What's New for National Programs,
What's New for State Programs and/or Awards/Grants

These entries are from EPA's Newsroom, updated regularly.

EPA Removes Confidentiality Claims for More Than 150 Chemicals / Part of continuing effort to protect Americans' health by increasing access to chemical information

In order to ensure the public has as much information as possible about the health and the environmental impacts of chemicals, EPA has made public the identities of more than 150 chemicals contained in 104 health and safety studies that had been claimed confidential by industry.

For these 104 studies, the chemical identity will no longer be redacted, or kept from view. The chemicals involved are used in dispersant formulations and consumer products such as air fresheners, non-stick and stain resistant materials, fire resistant materials, nonylphenol compounds, perfluorinated compounds, and lead.

In addition to these actions, EPA over the past several months has taken a number of other steps to make chemical information more readily available. The agency has provided the public, for the first time ever, with free access to the consolidated TSCA Inventory on the EPA and Data.Gov websites. EPA also launched a new chemical data access tool that for the first time gives the public the ability to electronically search EPA's database of more than 10,000 health and safety documents on a wide range of chemicals that they may come in contact with every day. EPA will continue to take actions to increase the public's access to chemical information.

EPA Challenges Software Developers to Create App That Puts Environmental and Public Health Information at

EPA has announced its "Apps for the Environment" challenge to encourage the development of innovative environmental applications for people and communities. The challenge invites the information technology community to create applications that help people make informed decisions about environmental issues that can affect their health. EPA is engaging students, colleges and universities, and developers across the U.S. to develop and submit an app.

The challenge is a step towards a longer term objective of engaging developers and raising awareness about the availability and usefulness of EPA's data. Applications for the challenge must use EPA's data and be accessible via the web or a mobile device. Submissions are due by September 16, 2011. EPA experts will select finalists and winning submissions based their usefulness, innovation, and ability to address one or more of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson's seven priorities for EPA's future. In addition, the public will be able to vote for a "People's Choice" winner. Winners will receive recognition from EPA on the agency's website and at an event in Washington, D.C. in the fall, where they'll be able to present their apps to senior EPA officials and other interested parties.

More information on the challenge: http://www.epa.gov/appsfortheenvironment/

U.S. EPA orders Mecca, Calif. tire recycling facility to immediately reduce risk of fire

EPA is ordering Consolidated Tire Recyclers, Inc., which operates a tire recycling facility in Mecca, Calif. to remove excess stockpiled tires and improve fire prevention or face fines of up to $7,500 per day.

Located at 90333 63rd Avenue, within the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians Reservation, the tire recycling facility primarily sells crumb rubber as fuel to a power generation plant.

The EPA's order supports the Tribe's action of May 26, 2011 when it issued Consolidated Tire Recyclers a Notice of Violation and Order to Comply requiring the facility to better manage the tires at its facility. On Thursday, June 2, Mr. Blumenfeld will be meeting with tribal leaders and touring the site.

The unilateral order, issued under the authority of the federal Resource Conservation & Recovery Act, follows a 2011 facility visit in which EPA, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Tribe found an estimated 90,000 tires to be an imminent fire risk. On May 17, 2011, a fire broke out in a building at the facility; no one was hurt and the fire was contained to a shredded tire piping system.

EPA Unveils Next Generation of Fuel Economy Labels

New fuel economy labels unveiled by EPA at the Mid-Atlantic AAA Office in Wilmington, Del. will provide shoppers of model year 2013 cars and trucks with comprehensive fuel efficiency information.

The new window stickers will have information about a vehicle's estimated fuel costs, savings, and impact on the environment.

Although automakers may voluntarily adopt the new labels for model year 2012 vehicles, all model year 2013 passenger cars and trucks will feature the improved fuel economy labels. The requirement applies to all conventional gasoline-powered and "next generation" cars, such as plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

For the first time, fuel economy labels will compare energy use and cost between new-technology cars that use electricity and conventional cars that are gasoline-powered, including estimates on how much consumers will save or spend on fuel over the next five years.

The labels will also contain easy-to-read ratings of how a model compares to all other models for smog emissions and emissions of pollution that contribute to climate change. For electric-powered cars, the labels will indicate how much electricity it takes to drive 100 miles, as well as information on the driving range and recharging time frame.

Also new, a QR code will be on the label to allow smartphone users to scan the label and get even more information with model comparison and vehicle specific energy use. The smartphone application will allow consumers to calculate specific information tailored to their own driving distances and behaviors to get more precise estimates of their own expected fuel costs and savings.

Consumers can get more information on the new label at: http://fueleconomy.gov/label

Updated June 2011

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