EPA NOT changing air standards for carbon monoxide

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today proposed to keep the current national air quality standards for carbon monoxide (CO), while taking steps to gather additional data through more focused monitoring. 

The agency said that "the science shows that the current standards will protect people, especially those susceptible to health problems associated with breathing CO from the outdoor air. " 

The current health standards are 9 parts per million (ppm) measured over 8 hours, and 35 ppm measured over 1 hour.

To ensure people are protected from high concentrations of CO and to develop better information about CO and its health impacts, EPA said it is proposing to revise the air monitoring requirements.  The proposed changes would require a more focused monitoring network with CO monitors placed near highly trafficked roads in urban areas with populations of 1 million or more. The data from these sites would be available for scientific studies that could help inform future reviews of the standard. 

EPA estimates that the proposal would require approximately 77 CO monitors in 53 urban areas.  EPA expects that states would not need to purchase new monitoring equipment. They could relocate some of their existing CO monitors to the near-road monitoring stations already required in connection with the revised nitrogen dioxide standards issued in January 2010. CO monitors at the new locations would be required to be operational by January 1, 2013.

EPA will accept comments for 60 days after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register. If requested, the agency will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule on Feb. 18, 2011. EPA will take final action by Aug. 12, 2011.  More information

Also see:
EPA seeks input on regulating largest GHG sources
EPA weighs using vapor intrusion as a Superfund criteria

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EPA seeks input on regulating largest GHG sources
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Pro-solar bills to get NJ committee hearing on Thursday

Separate but identical  Senate and Assembly bills designed to overcome municipal roadblocks to the installation of solar installations will receive a hearing on Thursday
(Feb. 3) in the Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee in Trenton, NJ.

Both S-2006 (Smith) and A-3125 (Quijano) limit the restrictions that a municipality could impose, through zoning ordinances, on the installation of residential energy panels.

The bills allow municipalities to limit the installation of solar panels on the roof of a residential building or structure only if the panels, and all accessory equipment

     -  rise more than 12 inches above the roof surface, or highest  point or

     -  extend more than 12 inches beyond the roof line.  

The measure allows the adoption of zoning laws for ground-based solar panels on a residential property only when

     -  the total number of solar panels is greater than 10 and
     -  the solar panels are located less than 50 feet from the nearest

         property boundary line.

The legislation also prohibits municipalities from imposing any fee that exceeds the municipality's processing costs for an application pertaining to the approval, installation, or operation of a system.

The fee limitation also would apply, under the bills, to small wind-energy systems.

Also see:
NJ environmental & energy bills in committee on Jan 31
Pennsylvania environmental and energy legislation
New Jersey environmental & energy legislation


Our most recent posts:
The NJ wind forum that did not blow by you after all
EPA seeks input on regulating largest GHG sources
EPA weighs using vapor intrusion as a Superfund criteria
Organic Farming conference this weekend in Princeton

NJ environmental & energy bills in committee on Jan 31

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The NJ wind forum that did not blow by you after all

If you're an enviro-maven who took the NJ Chamber of Commerce train to Washington on Thursday, disappointed that NJ Spotlight had picked the same day to host a forum on New Jersey's prospects for offshore wind energy, we've got some good news.  

The forum--The Promise of Offshore Wind-- has been rescheduled for February 17!

At the free event (lunch included), members of Governor Chis Christie's administration will join and key corporate players -- Atlantic Wind Connection, Garden State Offshore Energy and GE Energy -- in exploring issues that proponents say will transform the New Jersey coastline into a source of clean, renewable energy.

Issues to be addressed include: Will offshore wind lead to lower electric rates and job creation in manufacturing, construction and ancillary services? What will be the impact on the environment and tourism and how can it be kept to a minimum? What does the state need to do to attract offshore wind farms and at what cost? How will the state Economic Development Authority decide who merits tax credits? What are the advantages and drawbacks of establishing a backbone transmission system to wheel power up and down the coast from Maine to Virginia?

For more details, visit our Enviro-Events Calendar. While you're there, sign up for free updates. You can choose whether you want to receive them by email or in your reader.

Our most recent posts:
EPA seeks input on regulating largest GHG sources
EPA weighs using vapor intrusion as a Superfund criteria
Organic Farming conference this weekend in Princeton

NJ environmental & energy bills in committee on Jan 31

Pennsylvania environmental and energy legislation

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EPA seeks input on regulating largest GHG sources

The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
is holding five  "listening sessions" to gain public input
on updating its Clean Air Act pollution standards to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution from fossil fuel power plants and petroleum refineries.

The federal agency says its goal is to develop a common-sense approach to reduce GHGs from two
of the largest industrial pollution sources which are responsible for nearly 40 percent of the GHG pollution in the United States. 

In a news release today, the EPA said that, as part of a settlement agreement announced December 23, 2010, it will propose GHG standards based on existing technologies for power plants in July 2011 and for refineries in December 2011.  Final standards will be issued in May 2012 and November 2012, respectively.

In addition to these GHG New Source Performance Standards, the agency said it also would address other pollutants, including mercury and particle pollution, in separate, coordinated actions.

More information on the public sessions is available here.

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We've updated our Enviro-Events Calendar

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EPA weighs using vapor intrusion as a Superfund criteria

The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting public comment on whether to include vapor intrusion threats as a component for including hazardous waste sites on the National Priorities List of Superfund sites.

The EPA describes Superfund sites as "the most polluted, complex, uncontrolled or abandoned sites in the United States and are eligible for federal cleanup funding to protect the people’s health" and says that vapor intrusion " describes the migration of volatile chemicals from contaminated groundwater or soil into the atmosphere, and is a particular concern if vapors enter an overlying building."

The federal agency said today that it is accepting public feedback on seven specific topics related to the potential revisions to the Hazard Ranking System (HRS), which is used to evaluate sites for the Superfund list, for 75 days. The agency will consider information gathered during the comment period, as well as input from three public listening sessions before making a decision on whether to issue a proposed rulemaking to add a vapor intrusion component to the HRS.

EPA will host its first public listening session at its Arlington, Va. office on February 11, 2011.  Two additional listening sessions will be held in San Francisco, Calif. and Albuquerque, N.M.  EPA will post dates, times and addresses for the listening sessions on its Superfund webpage.  

More information on EPA listening sessions and the potential change to the HRS 

More information on vapor intrusion

More information on the HRS

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Organic Farming conference this weekend in Princeton

All this snow got you down?  Spend some time this weekend at the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey’s annual winter conference and you'll be thinking spring in no time.

The two-day event in Princeton offers more than 40 workshops for livestock producers, vegetable growers and homesteaders, as well as courses on policy issues, beginning farming, composting at home, alpacas, conserving farmland, vertical gardening, backyard chickens, community-supported agriculture, and lawn alternatives.  

For more information, visit our Enviro-Events Calendar.  While you're there, sign up for free alerts when new events are added.    

Our most recent posts:
NJ environmental & energy bills in committee on Jan 31

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NJ environmental & energy bills in committee on Jan 31

Seven pieces of environmental and energy legislation will be considered in two committees of the New Jersey Senate on Monday, January 31.  Here's the lineup:

SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

01/31/11 10:00 AM

Committee Room 10, 3rd Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ

S-246  Bateman, C. (R-16); Ciesla, A.R. (R-10)

Prohibits health care institutions from discharging medications into sewer or septic systems.

Related Bill: A-253

   

S-569  Bateman, C. (R-16); Smith, B. (D-17)

Establishes pilot program in DEP for chemical clean-outs in schools.

Related Bill: A-1240

   

S-2467  Smith, B. (D-17); Cardinale, G. (R-39)

Concerns calculation of value for conveyance of certain State-owned lands.

   

S-2557  Smith, B. (D-17); Bateman, C. (R-16)

Authorizes municipalities to sell up to three miles of public streets or roads in fee simple or as an easement interest to connect non-contiguous solar electric generation facility sites.

   

S-2610  Turner, S.K. (D-15)

The "Safe Playing Fields Act"; restricts use of lawn care pesticides at certain child care centers, schools and recreational fields.

   

SENATE ECONOMIC GROWTH

01/31/11 10:30 AM

Committee Room 1, 1st Floor, State House Annex, Trenton, NJ

A-2849  Burzichelli, J.J. (D-3); Quijano, A. (D-20); DeAngelo, W.P. (D-14); Riley, C.M. (D-3Requires BPU orders to be issued in writing and posted on Internet.

Related Bill: S-2441

   

 S-2441  Weinberg, L. (D-37); Sarlo, P.A. (D-36)

Requires BPU orders to be issued in writing and posted on Internet.

Related Bill: A-2849

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Pennsylvania environmental and energy legislation

The following environmental and energy bills have been introduced in the Pennsylvania
Senate and referred to the ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY Committee:

    SB91 (Greenleaf) Amends the Oil and Gas Act, providing for gas mineral rights lease agreement disclosure and indemnification.

  
SB112 (Greenleaf) Requires the construction and maintenance of a bicycle and jogging path of at least one mile in length in any state park of 1, 000 acres or more.

    SB113 ( Greenleaf) Requires the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to inventory all rivers, streams and lakes in this Commonwealth to identify current boating, canoeing, rafting and other recreational activities, including water levels and related water conditions.

           

    SB127 (Williams) Amends the Oil and Gas Act to require the disclosure of the contents of hydraulic fracture fluids used in the drilling of wells.

    SB151 (Pileggi) Amends the Air Pollution Control Act, to provide for the return of 25 percent of fines over $50,000 to the municipality in which the violation occurred.

   
SB152 (D. White) Amends the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority Act to make storm water projects designed to manage urban runoff eligible for funding under certain conditions.   

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