Dec 19, 2011

For the first time, the chemical “fingerprints” of the element mercury have been used by University of Michigan researchers to directly link environmental pollution to a specific coal-burning power plant.

The primary source of mercury pollution in the atmosphere is coal combustion. The U-M mercury-fingerprinting technique – which has been under development for a decade – provides a tool that will enable researchers to identify specific sources of mercury pollution and determine how much of it is being deposited locally.

“We see a specific, distinct signature to the mercury that’s downwind of the power plant, and we can clearly conclude that mercury from that power plant is being deposited locally,” said Joel Blum, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Blum is co-author of a paper published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. The lead author of the paper is U-M doctoral candidate Laura Sherman, who works with Blum.

“This allows us to directly fingerprint and track the mercury that’s coming from a power plant, going into a local lake, and potentially impacting the fish that people are eating,” said Sherman, who has worked on the project for four years.

Mercury is a naturally occurring element, but some 2,000 tons are emitted to the atmosphere each year from human-generated sources such as incinerators, chlorine-producing plants and coal-fired power plants.

This mercury is deposited onto land and into water, where microorganisms convert some of it to methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish and the animals that eat them. In wildlife, exposure to methylmercury can interfere with reproduction, growth, development and behavior—and may even cause death.

Read the complete article and Environmental Protection OnLine

This quick intro to Life Cycle Assessment covers the basics and looks as how life cycle thinking can be used to make better environmental decisions especially in the design and product development process. Providing snippets of info on LCA/LCT taken from a 90 min lecture given to design students in Melbourne in 2011, the video explores taking a life cycle approach in product design and development and explores the issue of environmental folklore when making environmental decisions.

Watch the short video at Environmental Leader

Statement by Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan

“When consumers try the new bulbs, they are overwhelmingly pleased with them. Two-thirds of Americans support the lighting standard (61% call it a good law), and 84% are satisfied or very satisfied with the alternative bulbs, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll (February 2011). According to a Consumer Reports survey, 77% of consumers selected an efficient product the last time they changed a light bulb.

“The Alliance to Save Energy is chagrined that the Congress is seeking to keep America ‘in the dark ages’ of lighting even as the rest of the world — led by China, Europe, Australia — marches forward toward better and more efficient lighting products.”

Startup America Policy Challenge: Clean Energy

Posted by Secretary Steven Chu, December 15, 2011. Originally posted on the White House blog.

I’ve met with researchers, entrepreneurs and students across the country and I can say without hesitation that the United States is the world’s most innovative country. At those same meetings, I’ve also learned firsthand about obstacles that clean energy entrepreneurs face.

To compete in the global economy, we need to unleash the creativity and ingenuity of our citizens in high-growth markets like clean energy. We also need to remove unnecessary barriers to startups – to increase the chances for a clean energy entrepreneur to be successful in starting and scaling a high-growth business.

Trillions of dollars will be invested in clean energy over the coming decades. Countries around the world recognize this enormous economic opportunity and are racing to get ahead. Our country faces a simple choice: we can develop and produce clean energy technologies today or we can import them tomorrow.

President Obama believes that the United States can, must and should lead the world in clean energy and he wants to make sure that our businesses are in the best position to be successful. Earlier this year, he launched the Startup America initiative to promote entrepreneurship in key areas like energy and to make it easier for America’s innovators to turn a great idea into a great business.

Now the Startup America Policy Challenge is looking to tap into our greatest resource – the American people – for ideas on how we can accelerate innovation in energy and position the United States to lead in this critical sector. America’s entrepreneurs are on the front lines of the global clean energy race, and the Department of Energy and the Administration want to hear from you about the barriers that are standing in your way and what we can do to help remove them.

Through Quora, an idea-sharing platform, you can share your thoughts and ideas directly with senior Administration officials. Specifically, we are interested in your answers to these questions:

• What do you see as the primary barriers to moving clean energy technologies and innovations into the market place?
• What policy tools do you recommend to dismantle these barriers in order to grow the U.S. clean energy sector?

The stakes are too high for the United States to miss out on the clean energy opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you about how we can move ahead in clean energy and lead in the 21st century.

By Jeff Ferenc

With looming federal reimbursement reductions poised to burden already financially challenged hospitals, sustainability’s potential to cut costs stands like an oasis in the desert. But this is no mirage. More than ever, sustainability offers opportunities to cut costs and improve the environment.

In keeping with the pursuit of optimization and sustainable operations, exploring sustainability strategies inherently forces hospitals to assess whether each department and system serving a facility’s infrastructure is a peak performer. Experience shows that cost-saving opportunities exist at even the environmentally savvy hospitals and often require simple actions with minimal investments that can pay substantial financial dividends.

Health care facilities also are learning that sustainability is an ongoing process rather than a single event; no facility climbs the green mountain in one day. Developing and executing effective plans that make efficient use of energy, water, waste management and environmental services take time.

After a brief lull in activity in 2010, it appears that taking steps to cut energy costs is experiencing a rejuvenation, according to the 2011 Energy Efficiency Indicator survey administered by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), Johnson Controls’ Institute for Building Efficiency (IBE) and others.

Read the complete article at Health Facilities Management

OSU researcher hopes ultrasound can destroy pharmaceuticals, compounds we flush into rivers and lakes

Every time we flush the toilet, some of the compounds and medicines we take every day end up in our streams, rivers and lakes.

These “emerging contaminants” include antibiotics, birth-control drugs, antidepressants and caffeine.

As scientists better understand the threat these pollutants pose to wildlife and people, Ohio State University researchers are developing a method to destroy them before they cause harm.

A process that fires high-frequency sound waves through water holds great promise, said Linda Weavers, an OSU environmental engineer.

The idea is based on a similar technique she helped develop that uses ultrasound to clean mercury from lake and stream bottoms. “It works reasonably fast,” Weavers said. “You flip a switch, it works, and you don’t have to use a lot of chemicals.”

For years, environmental studies have detected a host of drugs, chemicals and compounds in waterways across the United States.

Read the complete article at The Columbus Dispatch

BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 13, 2011 /PR Newswire/ —  A car battery can lead a long and productive life, but sooner or later, this important part of the vehicle’s starting and charging system will need to be replaced. When the time comes to say goodbye to your car battery, rest assured that it’s being recycled by 98 percent of automotive aftermarket companies, including auto repair shops, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and jobbers, according to a study by the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA).

As a result of these efforts, an estimated 65 million automotive batteries were recycled in 2010, equal to 1.5 billion pounds of lead, according to AAIA’s Aftermarket Factbook.

‘Battery recycling is just one of many ways automotive aftermarket companies contribute to a cleaner environment,’ said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. ‘These businesses have been ‘green’ long before being ‘green’ was mainstream.’

More than 95 percent of an automotive battery can be recycled. The lead, plastic, acid and sulfuric acid found in batteries are reclaimed and reused in the manufacturing of new batteries.

The lead is cleaned and melted and used in the production of new lead plates and other parts for new batteries. The plastic is cleaned and melted into pellets used to manufacturer new battery cases. Old battery acid can be neutralized into water, which after treatment, cleaning and testing, can be released into the public sewer system, or it can be converted into sodium sulfate and used in laundry detergent, glass and textiles.

In addition to recycling batteries, automotive aftermarket companies recycle tires, used oil and oil filters, parts cleaning solvents, scrap metal, plastics, cardboard and paper, a/c refrigerant, dunnage and wood pallets.

The study is part of AAIA’s initiative to illustrate the automotive aftermarket industry’s widespread efforts on behalf of the environment. The information is presented in AAIA’s ‘Driving Toward a Cleaner Environment: The Automotive Aftermarket’s Green Story,’ and in the short video, AAIA Green. For more information, visit www.aftermarket.org/green.

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the ‘Be Car Care Aware’ consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a copy of the council’s Car Care Guide or for more information, visitwww.carcare.org.

Take the EPA Expert Quiz Now

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has always played a pivotal role in the Environmental Compliance, EH&S and Sustainability arenas. Since its creation over 30 years ago, whether developing and enforcing regulations, giving grants or publishing studies and research, the EPA has been a part of our professional lives in one way or another.

What better way to celebrate such a central institution than to test your knowledge about it? Just because you use the name every day, doesn’t mean you are an EPA expert. Or does it?

Take our challenge and have fun with it. Send it to your colleagues and start a competition in your office. You can compare scores, post your scores online or even print your certificate.

Accept the challenge – find out if you’re an EPA expert

Napa vineyards have suffered flood damage, river bank collapse due to erosion, landowners along the Napa River will convert 135 acres of farmland to wildlife habitat to support restoration efforts.

SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Napa County, Calif., will today announce the details of nearly $3.3 Million in federal, state and local funding aimed at restoring water quality and riparian and aquatic habitats in the Napa River watershed.   As part of two major restoration efforts covering 15 miles of the Napa River, more than 40 landowners have committed to converting nearly 135 acres of farmland to wildlife habitat.

Regional steelhead and Chinook salmon populations have suffered steep declines as a result of high concentrations of fine sediment in the Napa River, which clouds spawning gravel.  In-stream erosion has degraded the once complex channel, severely reducing rearing habitat for these species.  The river, which runs 55 miles from Mt. St. Helena to the San Pablo Bay, is also prone to seasonal flooding from November to April.

“Despite long-term habitat degradation and falling fish populations, the Napa River represents one of the most important watersheds within the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary for the recovery of regional steelhead populations,” said EPA Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Jared Blumenfeld.  “This $1.5 million EPA grant will help manage erosion, improve spawning gravel, and create habitat for critically endangered salmon.”

At a press conference along the banks of the Napa River in Rutherford, with fall run Chinook salmon spawning below, U.S. EPA Administrator Jared Blumenfeld will be joined by U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson, County Supervisor Diane Dillon, and key federal, state and local officials to highlight the pioneering private-public partnership designed to improve water quality and salmon habitat and address eroding streambanks within this important agricultural area.

The Napa River has cut down so much that it’s up to three times deeper than it once was, creating vertical stream banks up to 30 feet high.  In some locations the banks have become unstable and subject to catastrophic collapse.  The river channel is also much narrower than before, making flows more erosive.  To stabilize river banks and create wildlife habitat, vineyard owners in the Rutherford area have committed to converting 20 acres of agriculture land back to river habitat. Landowners are continuing the restoration of the Napa River south of Rutherford between Oakville and Oak Knoll in the Napa Valley and in total, have committed to restoring more than 115 acres.

“Today’s announcement is a win for our environment, wildlife, and economy,” said Rep. Thompson (CA-01). “We are reducing erosion and sediment runoff, we are improving steelhead and Chinook salmon habitat, and we are strengthening the Napa River which is at the heart of our economy, giving life to agriculture and our thriving wine industry that pumps more than $61 billion into our economy every year. I thank the grape growers and landowners for their partnership and commitment to this restoration process.”

The Napa River historically supported a run of 6,000–8,000 steelhead, but by the late 1960s those numbers had declined to an estimated 2,000 adults.  Today the steelhead run is estimated to be less than a few hundred adults.

The EPA grant will help restore Napa River water quality by implementing several priority actions of the Napa River Sediment total maximum daily
load (TMDL) and habitat enhancement plan. The grant, with nearly $1.8 Million in matching and leveraged funds, will:

§       Restore a nearly mile-long section of the Napa River in Rutherford to improve steelhead and Chinook habitat and water quality;
§       Complete restoration design along an additional 3.9 miles of the Napa River in Oakville and eradicate 5 acres of invasive non-native Giant Reed and plant native riparian trees;
§       Assist ranchers to reduce erosion on 80% of Napa watershed grazing lands in the watershed;
§       Implement BMPs to reduce sediment runoff from rural roads and stream crossings throughout the watershed.
§       Establish a tracking system to advance water quality improvements through increased accountability.

The primary grant recipient is Napa County, in partnership with the Napa County Resource Conservation District, the California Land Stewardship Institute, U.C. Cooperative Extension and the Rutherford Dust Restoration Team of the Rutherford Dust Society landowner group.  The grant builds on more than two decades of local stewardship involving landowners, the County, elected officials and partner agencies.

Napa County Supervisor Diane Dillon says, “We are very grateful to be receiving this grant from EPA and also grateful to all our other project partners in restoring the Napa River, including the voters in Napa County who approved County Measure “A”, which has been vital in making all this possible.”

The Napa River watershed has many active stakeholders showcasing environmental innovation and leadership, and represents an opportunity to succeed in minimizing polluted runoff, restoring impaired waters, maintaining native fisheries and implementing pollution standards.

“The River Restoration Project is striking a balance between economy and ecology,” says local vintner and land manager Davie Pina. “Landowners, the community, and government are investing equitably in the preservation of our environmental and agricultural heritage for the benefit of future generations.”

The EPA has been active in the Napa River watershed providing technical and financial assistance since the early 1990s.  Since 2007, Napa has received approximately $4.8 Million in EPA grants for sediment management.

Today’s event will bring together landowners, local elected officials and multiple partner agencies.  The grant funding source is $22 million appropriated since 2008 for San Francisco Bay, currently supporting 38 projects, with 53 organizations leveraging and matching more than $42 million.

Please visit the electronic media kit on-line at: http://www.epa.gov/region9/mediacenter/napariver/ scroll to the bottom and explore the tabs for event photos and additional details.

Six out of the eight most common sources of waste in warehouses can be found in the battery room, according to Harold Vanasse, vice president of sales and marketing at battery company Philadelphia Scientific.

The eight main sources of waste are overproduction, motion, waiting, transportation, over-processing, inventory, defects, and people. All but overproduction and over-processing are evident in the average warehouse’s battery room, making the storage area a source of considerable waste, Vanasse argues in a feature for Manufacturing.net.

The majority of these battery room wasteful practices occur due to human error. For example, if staff are correctly trained on battery life span and maintenance, they would be able to make the appropriate number of trips to the battery room to replace spent cells and those batteries would be watered and charged by the appropriate number of people.

If these processes are set up inefficiently if can also result in people moving too much while setting up batteries for recharge, and extended periods of waiting for fresh batteries by those employees on the floor, Vanasse argues.

Indeed, the main cause of limited battery run time, reduced battery life and waste in the battery room is a poor battery rotation system, according to Vanasse.

Six out of the eight most common sources of waste in warehouses can be found in the battery room, according to Harold Vanasse, vice president of sales and marketing at battery company Philadelphia Scientific.

The eight main sources of waste are overproduction, motion, waiting, transportation, over-processing, inventory, defects, and people. All but overproduction and over-processing are evident in the average warehouse’s battery room, making the storage area a source of considerable waste, Vanasse argues in a feature for Manufacturing.net.

The majority of these battery room wasteful practices occur due to human error. For example, if staff are correctly trained on battery life span and maintenance, they would be able to make the appropriate number of trips to the battery room to replace spent cells and those batteries would be watered and charged by the appropriate number of people.

If these processes are set up inefficiently if can also result in people moving too much while setting up batteries for recharge, and extended periods of waiting for fresh batteries by those employees on the floor, Vanasse argues.

Indeed, the main cause of limited battery run time, reduced battery life and waste in the battery room is a poor battery rotation system, according to Vanasse.

Read the complete article at Environmental Leader