Environment News
EPA's Brownfields Grants Help Revitalize Communities
In DeKalb County, Ga., plans are underway to clean up and redevelop major industrial areas served by transit and infrastructure in community areas. Toledo, Ohio, will expand an urban agriculture growing area and make way for an expansion of a hospital and high school. These efforts and more are made possible by EPA's $69.3 million in Brownfields grants to help communities clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and create jobs while protecting public health...
EPA: QEP Field Services Agrees to Pay $4 Million and Install Pollution Controls to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Clean Air Act
EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice have reached a settlement with QEP Field Services Co., formerly Questar Gas Management Co., to settle claims that QEPFS's compressor stations – which remove water and compress natural gas for transportation through gas pipelines – are sources of air pollution. According to EPA, the compressor stations emit hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which can increase the risk of asthma attacks and are significant contributors to the formation of ozone. ...
The Future of Product Sustainability
How EHS professionals can explore and adopt sustainable product practices....
HazCom Gets a Facelift
Ten things you need to know about OSHA’s new hazard communication standard....
Report: Clean Energy Industry Poised for Growth
Earth Day may have come and gone, but new clean-energy projects could make a lasting impact on the economy, the job market and the environment. According to a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), such projects could provide up to 46,000 new U.S. jobs during the first quarter of 2012...
Earth Day 2012: Approaching a Billion Acts of Green
Environmentally conscious citizens around the world will celebrate Earth Day on April 22. The Earth Day Network has announced a theme of "Mobilize the Earth" and will host festivities that include a final countdown to its Billion Acts of Green campaign...
BP Reaches $7.8 Billion Settlement to Resolve Economic, Medical Claims Stemming from Gulf Oil Spill
On April 18, only days before the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP reached an agreement to settle personal economic and medical claims resulting from the disaster. The settlement, estimated to amount to $7.8 billion, will compensate more than 100,000 claimants affected by the spill...
Sustainability: Do You Have Your Seat at the Table?
To execute a sustainable business strategy, EHS needs a seat at the table....
Three Key Places to Look for Energy Losses in Commercial Buildings
Many systems and pieces of equipment in commercial buildings waste energy in terms of heat. Motors, pumps and electrical boxes generate heat and can lose energy efficiency as they begin to fail. Building owners, building managers and facilities engineers should their buildings to identify potential energy losses....
Environmental Groups Sue Two Mining Companies for Endangering WV Streams
The Sierra Club, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy and Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition have filed suit against two mining companies for discharging pollutants that allegedly have biologically impaired headwater streams in West Virginia. ...
Water Is Worth It: EPA Celebrates 40th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, EPA has an important message: Water is worth it...
Ford Recognized With EPA Climate Leadership Award
Ford Motor Co. has been recognized with a Goal-Setting Certificate at the inaugural EPA Climate Leadership awards ceremony and conference for its global CO2 strategy, which includes a goal of 30 percent per vehicle reduction in manufacturing greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 to 2025....
BP Agrees to $7.8 Billion Settlement for Individuals, Businesses Affected by Gulf Oil Spill
BP has reached a settlement to compensate thousands of individuals and businesses impacted by the catastrophic April 20, 2010, oil spill that resulted from the Deepwater Horizon explosion. BP estimates the settlement will amount to approximately $7.8 billion...
Shell Lawsuit Targets Environmental Groups Trying to Stop Exploratory Drilling in Arctic
Call it the first shot across the bow: Shell Oil Co. has filed a pre-emptive lawsuit against 11 environmental and native Alaskan organizations in an attempt to avoid a series of court challenges from the groups, which are concerned about drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas off the Alaskan coast....
Getting Your Employees Engaged in Sustainability Measures
The best way to get your employees engaged in corporate sustainability measures such as recycling and energy management is to involve them in the process and make it as easy as possible to participate, say experts....
EPA Offers First Look at Greenhouse Gas Reporting System Data
EPA recently announced the availability of the first wave of data from its new greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting system. Communities can access the 2010 GHG data from more than 6,700 facilities to identify nearby sources of GHGs, help businesses compare and track emissions and inform policy for state and local governments...
Top 10 Endangered Places in the Southeast
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), the largest environmental advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the Southeast, announced its fourth annual list of the top 10 places in the South that face immediate, potentially irreparable threats in 2012....
Start the New Year Right By Going Green
Most New Year's resolutions surround losing weight, quitting smoking or developing healthier eating habits. But have you considered using the new year as a motive for making choices that will affect not only your own health, but the health of the planet? ...
Forget Having a White Christmas – Make This Holiday Season Green Instead
Let's face it: Christmas often comes with waste. Whether it’s food, gifts, wrapping paper, packaging or gallons of gas burned during travel, the holiday season can be enough to make any eco-conscious person a little uneasy. But rather than giving in to the guilt, try going green this year instead...
Tips for Environmentally Friendly Gifts this Holiday Season
EPA is playing Santa Claus this year, offering tips on holiday gift-giving for all the good boys and girls in your life. Energy Star, Design for the Environment and WaterSense labels can be found on thousands of products across the country, making it easy to choose gifts that can help anyone on your list save energy and protect the environment...
"Green" Construction Workers May Face Additional Safety Risks
It's not easy being green – and it might not necessarily be safer for construction crews building environmentally friendly projects, either. According to new research, these workers suffer more falls than workers on traditional projects; are exposed to new, high-risk tasks; incur more lacerations, strains and sprains; and more...
With Women at the Helm, CSR Initiatives Increase
When more women are represented in senior leadership roles, their companies tend to exhibit greater – and higher quality – corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, a new study has found...
Clean Energy Offers Economic Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
As small business owners know, clean energy is the wave of the future, and they want to capitalize on opportunities and ensure their businesses are part of the burgeoning clean energy economy...
Green Initiatives Can Create a Healthier, More Productive Work Force
Companies that incorporate eco-friendly initiatives aren’t just helping save the Earth – they also can create a healthier, more productive work environment for their employees...
OSHA Breezes Into Alliance with Wind Energy Association
Green jobs and wind energy might be good for the environment, but that doesn’t mean worker safety has to take a backseat to saving the planet. In an effort to protect workers from possible hazards involved in the wind energy industry, OSHA joined an alliance with the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) on Aug. 8...
