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The phaseout of incandescent lightbulbs has led to an increase in the use of energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, including compact fluorescent lightbulbs or lamps (CFLs). Traditional long-tube fluorescent bulbs and the compact variety contain mercury vapor and may have small amounts of liquid mercury, both of which can be released when the bulbs are broken or […]
Green Infrastructure Collaborative—The Resources As we saw yesterday, members of the Green Infrastructure Collaborative have made significant commitments to providing a range of practical support and resources designed to advance the implementation of green infrastructure. While many of these commitments involve future actions, several Collaborative members already provide helpful tools, studies, reports, and other valuable […]
Green Infrastructure Collaborative—The Commitment In early October 2014, the Green Infrastructure Collaborative was announced “as a network to help communities more easily implement green infrastructure.” The members of the Collaborative include seven federal agencies, as well as 20 nongovernmental organizations and private sector groups, all of which have a stake in improving infrastructure to protect […]
EPA Targets Oil and Gas Industry Methane Emissions Methane is a potent GHG that represents a global warming potential that is more than 25 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. It is also the primary constituent of natural gas, and according to the EPA, almost 30 percent of U.S. methane emissions originate in the […]
10 Things to Know About the GHG Reporting Program—Part 2 6) Facility owners and operators, not the EPA, are responsible for determining the facility’s “Designated Representative.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), when facilities covered by the GHG Reporting rule have more than one person sharing responsibility for reporting, “the greenhouse gas reporting rule […]
10 Things to Know About the GHG Reporting Program 1) The GHG Reporting Program covers only specific emissions. Only man-made (or anthropogenic) GHG emissions covered under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) must be reported. These are: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), Perfluorocarbons (PFC), Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), […]
NPDES FAQs for Fracking Operations in the Marcellus Shale—Part 2 Q: If a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) were to consider accepting shale gas extraction (SGE) wastewater from a fracking operation, what wastewater information would the POTW need to collect? A: To meet the requirements of its own NPDES permit, a POTW operator would need […]
Spent Foundry Sands Assessment Is Good News Finding ways to safely reuse wastes generated by industry is key to reducing the need for virgin materials and for disposing of the wastes in landfills or other disposal facilities. One such waste is spent foundry sands, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), now says can be reused […]
Green Power Purchasing—The Benefits Making the commitment to clean power brings with it important dividends—the right to make claims about renewable energy use and to seek the positive recognition that goes along with it. To do this right, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) have developed recommendations companies can follow. […]
Green Power Purchasing—The Options In the “Guide to Purchasing Green Power,” green power is defined broadly by the EPA and DOE as “environmentally preferable energy and energy technologies, both electric and thermal.” Specifically, green power includes “electricity generated by solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low impact hydroelectric sources.” For most of us who are […]