Also See: What's New for National Programs and/or What's New for EPA

1. EPA Picks State Capitals to Create Models of Green Design

EPA has committed to help the capital cities of five states pursue high quality green development that includes cleaning up and recycling vacant lands, providing greater housing and transportation choices, and reducing infrastructure and energy costs. Through its new Greening America’s Capitals program, the EPA will fund private sector experts to provide sustainable design assistance to Boston; Jefferson City, Mo.; Hartford, Conn.; Charleston, W.Va.; and Little Rock, Ark. The cities will demonstrate how to develop sustainable designs that create interesting, unique neighborhoods with multiple social, economic, environmental and public health benefits.

Greening America’s Capitals is a new project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, an agreement between EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to coordinate federal housing, transportation, and environmental investments; protect public health and the environment; promote equitable development; and help address the challenges of climate change.

The five state capitals were selected from a total of 38 cities that responded to a solicitation of interest by EPA in June 2010. The agency will organize teams of urban planners and landscape architects to provide direct, customized technical assistance as requested by each community.

Greening America’s Capitals is not a grant program, but provides direct technical assistance to communities by working with private sector experts and leveraging partnerships, such as with HUD and DOT, to help communities consider development options. In addition to helping the selected state capitals build civic pride and a greener future, this assistance will help create models that other cities can look to in creating their own sustainable designs.

For more information: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/greencapitals.htm

2. Connecticut DEP Revises Stormwater Permits for Industrial Sites

To achieve greater consistency with EPA policies, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has revised its requirements for managing stormwater runoff from industrial sites under its general permit program.

The revised industrial stormwater general permit is scheduled to go into effect Oct. 1, 2011. DEP is in the process of reissuing the existing general permit so that it will remain in effect until that date. Industrial facilities will automatically remain registered under the existing general permit once it is reissued. All industrial facilities are required to register for the revised permit by June 1, 2011.

There are currently about 1,500 sites registered for an industrial stormwater general permit.

While provisions of the general permit apply to all sites, there are additional sector-specific requirements for monitoring and controlling contaminants that are likely to be present at specific types of industries. The sectors are: asphalt plants; non-metallic mines and quarries; refuse systems; auto salvage yards; scrap recycling facilities; steam electric power facilities; transportation and public works facilities; marinas and yacht clubs and boat dealers; ship and boat building and repair; small scale composting facilities.

The revised permit requires all permittees to conduct visual monitoring of stormwater discharges on a quarterly basis and sampling and testing of stormwater for 10 common parameters on a semi-annual basis – as opposed to the current annual requirement. In addition to these standard requirements, the 10 industry sectors listed above have additional parameters that are specific to the industry type, which must be sampled.

Monitoring is necessary to determine the quality of the stormwater discharge and to determine if the control measures used at a site are adequate. One cost-effective change to the revised permit allows for a reduction in continued monitoring requirements for any parameter demonstrated to meet established benchmarks.

Information about the hearing final decision and the new General Permit can be viewed at www.ct.gov/dep/stormwater.

3. Workshops Offered to Help Auto Body Shops with New Regulations Free Workshops in Keene, Lincoln and Portsmouth

Back by popular demand, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services will offer three additional morning workshops for auto body/collision repair shops on both air and hazardous waste requirements.  

Recent DES surveys have shown many auto body shops are in violation of hazardous waste rules and not ready for the January 1, 2011 deadline to be in compliance with the new EPA air emission rules.

Workshops will be on Friday, October 8 in Keene, Friday, October 22 in Lincoln and Friday, November 19 in Portsmouth.

Owners, operators, managers, or anyone that is responsible for environmental compliance should attend these workshops.

To register, contact Sara Johnson at sara.johnson@des.nh.gov or (603)271-1379. For more information on the auto body/collision repair project, visit http://des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/p2au/sbtas/sbtap/auto-body/index.

4. Illinois Bans Lead Weights

The Illinois legislature passed its lead wheel weight ban and sent the law to the governor for signature. The Illinois ban kicks in as of Jan. 1, 2012, and bans wheel weights containing either mercury or lead.

Currently, legislatures in New York, Rhode Island and Iowa are considering similar lead wheel weight bans. Bills had been introduced in the Maryland and Wisconsin legislatures, but no action has been taken.

Illinois joins California, Washington, Maine and Vermont, which all passed anti-lead weight laws last year.

5. Ind. salvage yard keeps its cleaning methods green

Junked ars can be environmental nightmares, leaking oil, transmission and other fluids. Their corroding batteries can leak acid, and old tires can catch stormwater and provide a mosquito breeding ground. Salvage yards, where hundreds or thousands of such vehicles can be warehoused, concentrate the problem.

Wright's Auto Parts in Brown County is the polar opposite.

Only seven salvage yards in Indiana have been awarded "Clean Yard" status from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and Wright's has exceeded those standards to earn the "Gold Level.

Owner Charles Wright said he and his wife, co-owner Deborah Wright, decided they'd rather pursue environmental regulations than to have environmental regulators pursue them. Under the shop roof, all fluids are sucked from vehicles, and shipped off used oil, antifreeze, windshield washing fluid and anything else that can be recycled. During storage, all barrels are properly labeled. All engines and transmissions are removed before the vehicle is moved outdoors. Mercury-containing switches are pulled and recycled.

The yard's storm water runoff is tested four times a year, and it's always clean because Wright's intercepts the bad stuff long before it reaches the waterways.

No tires or batteries are stored outside. Wright's has 300 vehicles in stock, and their inventory database is on the Web at wrightsautoparts.com.

Auto salvage recyclers can obtain free, confidential compliance assistance and request confidential site visits by contacting IDEM's Office of Pollution Prevention and Technical Assistance.

Information from: The Herald Times, http://www.hoosiertimes.com

Updated September 2010

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