Helping you make your airport the best for
your community and the environment!
US and China Make Historic Climate Change Deal
In the next two decades both the U.S. and China will curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as the White House’s ultimate target is to "achieve deep economy-wide reductions on the order of 80% by 2050." As the top two largest economies there is a necessity and responsibility for these two countries to be leaders in reducing air pollution. During the November 5-11 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in the Chinese capital of Beijing authorities shut down factories for a week as the region had severe smog and air pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI), an index for reporting daily air quality telling you how clean or polluted the air is, was more than five times higher than levels considered unsafe.
This is a reminder to continue to strive for energy efficiency and sustainable practices.
FAA awards $10 million in Grants to 6 US Airports to
Reduce Emissions and Improve Air Quality
The following six airports are receiving Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Voluntary Airport Low Emission (VALE) grants to reduce air emissions and improve air quality: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle-Tacoma and Yeager. The FAA estimates that the grants through the VALE will reduce 563 tons of ozone emissions annually. The projects at the airports include but are not limited to replacing boilers with newer low-emissions technology equipment, installing an underground fuel-hydrant system that will eliminate the need for diesel-powered fuel trucks, installing electric gates, and installing of 43 charging units to support electron ground support equipment.
EPA My Environment
The EPA has recently launched an informative and user-friendly application called ‘MyEnvironment” at http://www.epa.gov/myenvironment/. MyEnvironment is a search application by location to provide environmental information about air quality, water, land, energy, health and community. Some specific information provided by the application includes but is not limited to the following.
Air
Air Quality Index (AQI) and information on current pollutants (particulate matter, ozone
UV Index
Historical Air Quality data
Air Facilities Map
Clean Diesel programs
Radon map
Water
Water Quality Monitoring Activities
Drinking Water Sources
New and Expiring permits given to facilities that emit pollutants to water in your neighborhood.
Water conditions for local water bodies
Land
Superfund National Priorities List
Brownfield Information Links
Hazardous Waste Information links
Energy
Energy Production showing Energy Production versus Consumption by Source
Energy Facilities Map
Home Energy Saver information
Green Power Location
Fuel Cost Calculations
Energy Star Tip of the day
Health
EPA Cancer Risk for Air Toxics by County
TOXMAP- Quick Search to explore on-site toxic releases and hazardous waste sites from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).
Community
“Shout Out” Section allows users to become aware of shout out projects, and could encourage more grass-roots environmental projects
Contact information
TIER II Community Right to Know Reminder
TIER II forms are due annually by March 1st! Facilities covered by Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requirements must submit an Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form to the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), and the local fire department annually by March 1st.
Federal minimum thresholds for Tier II are as follows (local agencies like the NYCDEP have more stringent thresholds):
For Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHSs) designated under Section 302 of Title III, the reporting threshold is 500 pounds (or 227 kg) or the threshold planning quantity (TPQ), whichever is lower.
For all other hazardous chemicals for which facilities are required to have or prepare a material safety data sheet (MSDS), the minimum reporting threshold is 10,000 pounds (or 4.540 kg).
Many Facilities are subject to TIER II submittals based on storage of petroleum fuel oil.
Contact PWGC for assistance with TIER II Reporting if your facility is subject or if you are uncertain if your facility is subject. Don’t miss March 1st reporting deadline!
EPA Announces New Energy Star Tool for Homeowners to
Save Money, Energy This Winter
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching an online tool that is designed to assist with saving money and energy by improving the energy efficiency of their homes through recommended, customized and prioritized home-improvement projects. The tool is called Energy Star Home Advisor.
The tool is a “do-it-yourself” energy assessment guide that will create an Energy Star home profile. The profile will provide customized, prioritized recommendations for improvements. From these recommendations, users can create their own to-do lists of projects such as adding insulation or replacing an HVAC air filter.
According the U.S. Geological Services (USGS) in 2012, 355 billion gallons of water were consumed per day. This is a 13% drop from 2005 levels which were estimated at 410 billion gallons/day. The decrease in water usage is attributed to improvements in water-use technologies and management with improvements in irrigation as a contributor in the success of water reduction which is vital for the future.
PWGC has provided this newsletter solely for informational purposes; we make no warranties or certifications for a specific matter. If you require further information on a subject of this newsletter, would like to discuss your particular circumstances or would like to provide feedback, please feel free to reply directly to this email.