Even with a tight economy parents and students still need the back-to-school shopping trip for clothes, backpacks, computers and school supplies. A survey conducted by the National Retail Federation found that this year consumers expect to spend an average of $606 for back-to-school needs.

A little advanced planning can help both the environment and your pocketbook. Here are a few tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that can point you in the right direction.
Buying a new computer, printer, cell phone, or other electronic device? If you are buying a new printer, purchase one that prints double-sided to reduce the use of paper. E-cycle your old electronics! Many retailers are partnering with EPA to recycle electronics. You may also be able to donate your old computer to a local school, library or charity for a tax deduction.

If you have to discard electronics, do it right! Check with your local municipality, county, state environmental agency or the EPA for the proper way to dispose of electronics safely. E-cycling conserves precious natural resources and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Before you shop, see what you already have at home. Many supplies can be reused or recycled. Backpacks, notebooks, folders, and binders can all be reused.

When you do need to buy new, choose products made from recycled materials such as pencils made from old blue jeans, binders made from old shipping boxes, and of course recycled paper products.

Buy school supplies wrapped with minimal packaging; or buy products that come in bulk sizes. Packaging accounts for more than 30 percent of all the waste generated each year.

Are there clothes that your child has outgrown that are still in good shape? Donate them to a local charity or shelter so someone else can put them to use, and earn yourself a possible tax deduction at the same time.

Share your used books with friends, relatives, or younger schoolchildren. Many schools reuse textbooks to save money and reduce waste.

For college textbooks there is a large secondary market for used books. Search the internet for resale sites. Also check with the campus and nearby bookstores.

If you bring your lunch to school, package it in reusable containers instead of disposable ones. Bring drinks in an insulated bottle instead of disposable bottles or cartons. This saves money and reduces waste.

Encourage your school to organize a recycling program if they don’t already have one.

If you drive to school, try carpooling, public transportation, walking or biking instead. By changing your transportation routine, you can save money on fuel costs, lower air pollution levels, and decrease traffic in your community.

A great way to reduce pollution is not to create it in the first place. Prevent pollution by reducing waste, reusing or recycling more. Work with your child’s teachers and friends to find ways to encourage everyone in your community to make reducing waste a part of every day life.

For more information on Pollution Prevention go to: www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/p2/index.htm

For more information on E-cycling go to: www.epa.gov/e-Cycling/links.htm

EPA today announced draft allocations for nitrogen and phosphorus as part of a rigorous pollution diet for meeting water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, and restoring local rivers and streams throughout the 64,000-square-mile watershed.

“Restoring the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries will not be easy,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “While we all recognize that every jurisdiction within the watershed will have to make very difficult choices to reduce pollution, we also recognize that we must collectively accelerate our efforts if we are going to restore this national treasure as part of our legacy for future generations.”

EPA proposed watershed-wide limits of 187.4 million pounds of nitrogen and 12.5 million pounds of phosphorus annually, and divided those allocations among the six watershed states and the District of Columbia, as well as the major river basins (see link below). These loadings were determined using the best peer-reviewed science and through extensive collaboration with the states and the District of Columbia. EPA will assign draft allocations for sediment August 15.

In addition, EPA is committing to reducing air deposition of nitrogen to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay to 15.7 million pounds per year. The reductions will be achieved through implementation of federal air regulations over the coming years.

The jurisdictions are expected to use the allocations as the basis for completing Watershed Implementation Plans, detailing how they will further divide these allocations among pollution sources, and achieve the required reductions. The first drafts of those plans are due to EPA by September 1. The jurisdictions are expected to have all practices in place to meet the established limits by 2025, with 60 percent of the effort completed by 2017.

EPA plans to issue a draft Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) or pollution diet for a 45-day public comment period on September 24. The final Phase 1 Watershed Implementation Plans are due November 29, and EPA will establish the Bay TMDL by December 31.

In 2017, the jurisdictions are expected to submit updated implementation plans to ensure that all the control measures needed to meet Bay water quality standards will be in place by 2025.

In 2009, EPA announced that it expects the six watershed states and D.C. to provide Watershed Implementation Plans, including detailed strategies for reducing pollutant loads to meet water quality standards in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries. EPA also expects detailed schedules for implementing pollution controls and achieving the required pollution reductions. EPA and the jurisdictions will measure progress utilizing two-year milestones. EPA may apply federal backstop measures for inadequate plans or failing to meet the milestones.

For more information about the Chesapeake Bay TMDL visit: http://www.epa.gov/chesapeakebaytmdl/

Now that the summer heat is here it’s a good time to pay attention to your local air quality. Like the weather, air quality can change from day to day or even hour to hour and it can affect how you live and breathe.

When the summer heat builds, ground-level ozone levels increase – - and ground-level ozone, often called smog, is a contributor to the onset or the exacerbation of an asthma attack. Ground-level ozone makes people more sensitive to allergens and asthma triggers such as airborne particles and dust. During the summer hospital admissions and emergency room visits increase do to an increase in asthma related symptoms.

“While EPA’s clean air regulations have improved air quality bringing us all cleaner air,” said

Shawn M. Garvin, mid-Atlantic regional administrator. “It’s important for people with asthma, especially children, to know the warning signs of an asthma attack and to take steps they can take to protect themselves.”

Not only can the air outside effect your health, pollutants inside your home and workplace can also be extremely serious for people with asthma. Asthma can be life-threatening, but this respiratory disease can be managed. Asthma sufferers can lead active lives by educating themselves on how the environment can affect them and taking action to reduce or remove asthma triggers.

In addition to talking with your health care provider, these steps can help prevent asthma attacks:

Play it safe. Ground-level ozone and particle pollution can exacerbate an asthma attack. Look for the Air Quality Index (AQI) during the local weather report or go to EPA’s website http://www.airnow.gov/.

AQI uses a color- coded system to display whether the five major air
pollutants exceed air quality standards for the day. When AQI reports unhealthy levels, people should limit strenuous outdoor activities, particularly asthmatics and others with respiratory aliments.

Don’t smoke in the home. Take it outside. One of the most common asthma triggers in the home is second- hand smoke. People should smoke outside – - not inside the home or in the car. Take the smoke-free home pledge; http://www.epa.gov/smokefree.

Break the mold. Mold is another asthma trigger. The key to controlling mold is controlling moisture. Wash and dry hard surfaces to prevent and remove mold. Remove, and if possible replace, all moldy ceiling tiles or carpet. For more tips see EPA’s website: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/molds.html

For more information on EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional asthma program and ways to reduce your asthma triggers go to: http://www.epa.gov/reg3artd/asthma/asthma.htm

You also can join the On-line Community in Action for Asthma-Friendly Environments Network at www.asthmacommunitynetwork.org to learn about community-based organizations with information, resources, and strategies to accelerate improvements in asthma care.

The Williamsport, Pa., Sanitary Authority (WSA) has agreed to make significant improvements to its combined sewer system at an estimated cost of approximately $10 million, in order to resolve long-standing problems with combined sewer overflows to the Susquehanna River, which flows to the Chesapeake Bay, the Justice Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

Under the settlement agreement, filed today in federal court in Williamsport, WSA will expand the treatment capacity of its Central Wastewater Treatment Plant and increase its storage capacity to cope with high flow during wet weather to guard against combined sewer overflows to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. WSA has also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $320,000 for past violations of the Clean Water Act. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is joining in the settlement as a co-plaintiff.

The agreement resolves allegations in a complaint, also filed today, that WSA violated the Clean Water Act and Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law by failing to implement long term control plans, and other wastewater controls required by its state-issued National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The settlement requires WSA to implement long term control plans designed to minimize the potential for combined sewer overflows.

“This agreement will have positive, lasting effects on both public health and the environment. As a result of today’s settlement, Williamsport will increase sewer capacity, which will reduce illegal flows of untreated sewage and runoff, keeping pollution out of Pennsylvania’s waterways,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing our nation’s environmental laws so that the environment and the health of our communities are protected.”

“Sewage overflows can seriously harm public health by carrying dangerous bacteria into waterways used for drinking water and recreation.” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “When fully implemented, today’s agreement will reduce the amount of untreated sewage being discharged into the Susquehanna River by more than 52 million gallons per year.”

WSA provides sewage collection and treatment to nearly 60,000 people within Williamsport and several surrounding communities, using a system that includes combined sewers carrying both sewage and storm water runoff. Combined sewer overflows occur when the capacity of the treatment system is overwhelmed by wet weather runoff and untreated sewage is discharged into receiving waters.

Untreated sewage contains viruses and protozoa as well as other parasites. Individuals coming in contact with these organisms can suffer adverse health effects ranging from minor ailments such as sore throats, stomach cramps and diarrhea, to life-threatening illnesses such as cholera, dysentery, infectious hepatitis and severe gastroenteritis. Children, the elderly, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women are more at risk of illness.

The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of sewage and other pollutants into U.S. waters. Discharges must comply with an NPDES permit that is designed to be protective of EPA-approved water quality standards.

The Susquehanna River is located in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Today’s action is part of a multi-state, multi-media Chesapeake Bay watershed compliance initiative, which EPA is implementing in partnership with Pennsylvania and the other Bay states, in order to improve water quality in local waterways and the bay, the largest estuary in North America.

According to the settlement, the United States and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will each receive one-half of the total $320,000 civil penalty.

The settlement agreement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Justice Department website at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html.

Oxarc, Inc. has agreed to pay $19,472 penalty to settle a case for violations of the Clean Air Act Risk Management Program requirements according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The settlement came after EPA found that Oxarc, Inc. was in violation of the Risk Management Program requirements at four of their facilities which are located in North Lewiston and Nampa, Idaho and Pasco and Spokane, Washington. EPA alleges that Oxarc, Inc. failed to update their Risk Management Program at least every five years. The four facilities use more than 2,500 pounds of chlorine each. The violations have since been corrected.

According to Edward Kowalski, Director of EPA’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement in Seattle, EPA’s Risk Management Program is designed to protect public health and the environment from accidental releases of harmful chemicals.

“We can’t take chances with public health,” said EPA’s Kowalski. “Preventing an accidental release of dangerous chemicals like chlorine protects the lives of workers, responders and nearby residents.”

Chlorine is listed as a hazardous air pollutant under Section 112(b) (1) of the Clean Air Act. Exposure to chlorine may result in chemical-type burns to skin, eyes, and lungs.

Oxarc, Inc. is a distributor of welding and industrial supplies, as well as industrial, medical and specialty gases, including chlorine.

Requirements of the Risk Management Program include: development of an emergency response or action plan; hazard evaluation of a “worst case and more probable case” chemical release; operator training; review of the hazards associated with using toxic or flammable substances; and operating procedures and equipment maintenance.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a settlement with Pacific Seafood Group for its alleged failure to report the release of ammonia from the company’s warehouse and distribution center in Mukilteo, Wash., in a timely manner. EPA announced the settlement today, which includes a $35,000 penalty.

The settlement is related to an ammonia release estimated at 210 pounds on May 29, 2009. The Rane Company, which is located next door to Pacific Seafood, notified the Mukilteo Fire Department when their employees detected a strong ammonia odor coming from Pacific Seafood.

“When unintended chemical releases occur, every minute counts if it is an emergency,” said Edward Kowalski, Director of EPA’s Office of Compliance and Enforcement in Seattle. “Emergency responders need to be notified promptly to react effectively.”

The cause of the ammonia leak was due to a pressure relief valve that had opened due to high pressure from an incorrect setting. That valve has since been replaced and all other valves checked for correct sizing. No injuries were reported. Ammonia is a colorless gas that can cause severe burns to skin, eyes, throat, and lungs, and with high enough exposure, death.

In the agreement, EPA alleges that Pacific Seafood failed to immediately notify emergency response entities after the ammonia release occurred and they failed to submit a completed Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form. The federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act require that releases of hazardous substances such as ammonia above a reportable quantity be immediately reported to federal, state and local emergency responders.

Pacific Seafood distributes fresh frozen seafood, beef, pork, and poultry products. They use anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant.

For information on EPA’s Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, visit http://www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/epcra/epcraenfstatreq.html

PHILADELPHIA (June 15, 2010) – Sunoco, Inc. will pay $81,000 in penalties for failing to notify federal and state environmental agencies immediately about an accidental release of benzene into the air in January 2007 from its oil refinery facility in Philadelphia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

According to EPA, on Jan. 28, 2007 Sunoco experienced a non-permitted release of 1,608 pounds of benzene from its facility at 3144 Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia and did not immediately notify the National Response Center, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency or local emergency officials as required by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. According to EPA, Sunoco also allegedly failed to provide accurate emergency and hazardous chemical inventory forms to the local emergency groups for hazardous chemicals stored at the facility. As part of the settlement, Sunoco neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations.

EPA regulations require facilities to notify emergency personnel immediately whenever there is a benzene release of 10 pounds or more. Benzene, a known human carcinogen, is a widely used chemical formed from both natural processes and human activities. Breathing benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and unconsciousness, and long-term benzene exposure can cause anemia, leukemia and possible harmful effects on bone marrow.

A priority of EPA’s emergency management program is to eliminate any danger to the public and the environment posed by hazardous substance releases and oil spills. Any person or organization responsible for a release or spill is required to notify the federal government when the amount reaches a federally-determined limit.

For more information on the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, visit: http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/lawsregs/epcraover.htm .

This is the problem with the system. These companies can break the law and the cost is less than if they obeyed the law!

Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – June 15, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently settled with E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company (DuPont) for the discharge of pollutants in violation of the Clean Water Act at its polymer fiber manufacturing facility in Kinston, N.C. Under the terms of the Consent Agreement and Final Order, DuPont paid a civil penalty of $59,000.

The company discharged levels of mercury in excess of the total mercury limitation established in its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the state of North Carolina during 8 months between September 2008 and March 2009.

“NPDES permits are an integral part of the nation’s system to protect rivers and lakes from pollution, and mercury is a dangerous pollutant, especially for children and pregnant women,” said Stan Meiburg, EPA Region 4 Acting Regional Administrator. “Companies must comply with the conditions of their discharge permits.”

EPA issued an administrative order in April 2009 requiring the company to submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to prevent violations of the total mercury limitation and complete all scheduled activities in the CAP. The company has complied with EPA’s enforcement order.

Congress enacted the CWA in 1972 to protect the nation’s rivers, lakes and stream, as well as some of the more fragile and vital wetland habitats. The entities cited violated the CWA by either failing to meet the requirements of their NPDES permits, and subsequently causing point source discharges; failing to comply with biosolids requirements; or by filling or dredging wetlands. Pollutants of concern include nutrients, sediment, oil and grease, chemicals and metals. When left uncontrolled, water pollution can deplete needed oxygen and/or otherwise result in the destruction of aquatic habitats, as well as the fish and wildlife that depend on them. Water pollution can also contaminate food, drinking water supplies and recreational waterways, and thereby pose a threat to public health.

For more information on the NPDES program in the Southeast, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/permits/stormwater.html

EPA urges everyone to be smart in the sun

(New York, N.Y. – May 26, 2010) As millions of families prepare to enjoy the great outdoors this weekend, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reminds everyone to bring their hats, sunglasses and sunscreen, and seek shade. The number one preventable risk factor for skin cancer is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, whether from the sun or artificial sources of light. To educate the public about how to prevent skin cancer and cataracts, EPA has teamed up with the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention to promote sun safety on the Friday before Memorial Day – “Don’t Fry Day.”

“Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the United States,” said Judith Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “The good news is you can protect yourself and your family members from too much sun, the main cause of skin cancer. EPA is educating the public about the dangers of UV rays and the benefits of sun-safe behavior. Informed actions taken every day by individuals are an important part of protecting the health of children, families and the environment.”

More new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year than new cases of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined, with more than one million Americans affected every year. While the incidence of many common cancers is falling, the incidence of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, continues to rise significantly. Melanoma is now one of the most common cancers among young adults ages 15 to 29.

Approximately 1,600 men and 1,300 women are diagnosed with melanoma each year in New York State, accounting for approximately 3 percent of cancers among men and 2.5 percent of cancers among women. About 7,500 men and 6,900 women who currently reside in New York have had diagnoses of melanoma within the past five years.

EPA is promoting Don’t Fry Day through its SunWise program, in which students across the country are learning how to Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap, and Seek Shade: Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen (SPF 15+), slap on a wide-brimmed hat, wrap on sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.

SunWise is the nation’s largest environmental and health education program aimed at teaching children to protect their skin. On Don’t Fry Day, schools will be broadcasting the UV Index over their loud speakers, engaging in SunWise activities, and holding school-wide sun safety events. The UV Index is a forecast of the next-day’s peak UV radiation level for any given location in the U.S.

To download the EPA’s UV Index application for smartphones, go to: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/mobile

For more information, go to the SunWise website: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise

WASHINGTON – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and United States Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry held a press conference call today to discuss BP’s use of dispersant in the Gulf of Mexico. On the call, the Administrator and Rear Admiral Landry provided the following update:

· EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard are taking steps that could reduce the volume of dispersants applied in the Gulf. While we do know dispersants are less toxic and shorter-lived than the oil, much remains unknown about their impact on the environment when used in these unprecedented volumes. For that reason, EPA and the USCG are directing that BP use dispersants in the most effective and efficient way possible, thereby minimizing the total amount used. What the monitoring data indicates so far is that the underwater use of dispersants is effective at breaking up the oil and, to this point, does not seem to have had any significant impacts on aquatic life. Using the dispersant underwater at the source of the leak also requires far less dispersant to be applied. For this reason, EPA and USCG have informed BP that they should focus the use of dispersants underwater and only use the dispersants on the surface under specific conditions- for example, if they are unable to apply them underwater for a period of time. This could cut overall dispersant use by half and possibly more.

· EPA and U.S. Coast Guard consider BP’s scientific analysis of alternative dispersants insufficient. Late last week EPA directed BP to analyze other available, pre-approved dispersants to determine if an alternative dispersant proved less toxic and more effective. BP responded to the directive within 24 hours. EPA and the Coast Guard believe their response was insufficient and lacked sufficient analysis. We are concerned that BP seemed, in their response, more interested in defending their initial decisions than analyzing possible better options.

· EPA and other government scientists will independently verify the data presented by BP. As a result of being dissatisfied with the response, and to ensure that we know as much as we can know about the current environmental impact, EPA will be performing independent scientific verification of the data BP presented. We will conduct our own tests to determine the least toxic, most effective dispersant available in the volumes necessary for a crisis of this magnitude. Our toxicity tests will address the claims and conclusions put forth by BP in their response to us late last week. And EPA scientists have been tasked with conducting parallel, independent tests to determine if BP’s argument that Corexit remains the best alternative is accurate and supported by the science.

Rear Admiral Landry is sending a letter to BP this evening formally reiterating the steps outlined by the Administrator and the Admiral in today’s conference call. That letter will be made public as soon as it is sent.