United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
September 2006
Environmental News in New England
Dear Municipal Leader:
EPA recognizes local government
responsibility is to manage and
respond to public health and envi-
ronmental conditions. To aid you
in taking preventative measures to
protect the health and safeguard
your community I am pleased to
offer the third edition of EPA
New England's Local Landscape.
Summertime brings everyone
closer to their natural surround-
ings. A large portion of this issue
focuses on maintaining natures
assets and staying safe while
enjoying the sun, water and
beaches that draw such crowds
throughout the season. Please
take advantage of program
opportunities, information, fund-
ing sources and ideas. We hope
that you find this information to
be both interesting and useful.
Sincerely,
Robert W. Varney
Administrator
EPA New England Office
Smooth Sailing for Clean Engines
EPA's voluntary
Clean Engine Initiative
started in 2002.
Summer is the time to enjoy the great
outdoors and here in New England our
waterways attract thousands of tourists
and boaters each season. While soaking
up the natural beauty around us however,
we often overlook how much unnec-
essary pollution is produced by ineffi-
cient watercraft engines. This is why in
2002 EPA New England began the vol-
untary Clean Marine Engine Program,
designed to accelerate the sale of low
pollution two- and four-stroke engines.
This effort has involved a wide range
of manufacturers, retailers, trade as-
sociations and state and federal
environmental agencies in all six
New England states. The program
recently expanded to include New
York and the Lake Champlain area.
Since the programs inception about
four-fifths of outboard motors and wa-
tercraft engines sold in New England
are low pollution models.
"EPA's voluntary clean-marine ini-
tiative will have long-term environ-
continued on page 2
• Mercury in Your School
Soaking Rays with Sunwise • PC Reuse & Recycling
ENERGY STAR® Money Saving Tips • Brownfields 2006
Keeping Current on Lead Removal • Building Better Schools
Clean Beach Campaign - A Shore Thing
When it's 90 degrees outside and the
fresh, cool, ocean beckons, the last
thought on anyone's mind is bacteria.
How could the salt water NOT be good
for you? It's a scary fact that pollution
from runoff and sewage overflows can
prevent us from enjoying any sunny
summer day and it's
scarier that it once went
unnoticed. EPA New
England's "It's a Shore
Thing" campaign is part
of the Federal Beaches
Act that passed in 2000.
SHORE THING
Clean New England Beaches
This beach initiative aims
to protect public health
by monitoring, assessing
and reducing pollution/
bacteria levels that cause
beach closures. Our beach
continued on page 2
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(cont.) Clean Engines
mental and fuel-saving benefits during
the entire 20 plus years that these clean
engines remain in use," Robert W. Var-
ney. "The clean engines sold over the
past few years will greatly reduce air,
water and noise pollution around New
England's beautiful lakes and water-
ways, while allowing greater fuel ef-
ficiency for boaters." «S»
Encourage members of your com-
munity to hop on board this program,
for further information please visit:
www.epa.gov/ne/assistance/cmei/in-
dex.html
To find more on a host of water-re-
lated topics including up-to-date info
on your favorite beaches, rivers and
watersheds; where it is safe to swim or
eat freshly caught fish; and other ways
for boaters and marina users to keep our
waterways clean please visit: www.epa.
gov/ne/topics/water/onthewater.html
(cont.) Clean Beaches
Rhode Island Narragansett Beach July 14, 2006. Rhode Island DPH and
Governor Carcieri receive over $ 200,000 from EPA New England this year.
Department of Health
$212,640.00
From the left: State Representative David Caprio, State Senator James Sheehan,
Governor Donald Carcieri, Ira Leighton Deputy Administrator EPA New
England, Curt Spaulding Executive Director of Save the Bay, U.S. Senator
Lincoln Chafee and Ames Colt Bay Coordinator ofURI's Seagrant Program.
continued from front
season here in New England is short
enough.Working with state envi-
ronmental and public health agen-
cies the EPA aims to cut down the
number of days where it is unsafe to
swim. The goals of the program are
included below.
This summer alone EPA awarded
more than $1.1 million to the five
coastal states. Since the inception
of the Federal Beaches Act EPA
New England has awarded over $5
million to our regions beaches. «5*
For more information visit: www.epa.
gov/ne/eco/beaches/index.html
* Monitor water quality, assess pollution sources and notify the public.
* Control pollution sources (non-point, runoff) that contribute to closures.
* Establish 'Flagship' Beaches to track performance.
* Promote high quality and consistent assessment methods.
* Promote information transfer and communication.
* Involve and educate the public and the local municipalities in their roles.
— 2 —
• — ^=.nir.r-j=
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The SunWise Program is
an environmental and
health education program
that aims to teach the public
how to protect themselves
from overexposure to the sun
through the use of classroom-,
school-, and community-
based components.
Catch Rays...Safely
Whether you're at home or on vaca-
tion make sure you check the UV Index
and Air Quality Forecasts posted by the
EPA and created daily by the National
Weather Service. SunWise, an EPA
program designed to educate the public
about how to avoid overexposure from
the sun and unhealthy air conditions.
Keep your family safe from avoidable
threats and take advantage of this easily
accessible information. «5*
www.epa.gov/sunwise/index.html
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Brownfields 2006 - Revolution in Redevelopment and
Revitalization in Boston
Thousands of New England properties
are potentially contaminated abandoned
by property owners and are considered
undesirable by developers. These prop-
erties, called Brownfields, will be the
topic of the 11th Annual Brownfields
Conference to be held at the Boston
Convention and Exhibitors Center in
Boston on November 13-15, 2006.
This is the first time that this confer-
ence has been held in New England
and so will provide a special oppor-
tunity for local New England com-
munities to learn about cutting edge
technology, learn from others' expe-
riences and network with public and
private entities who are working on
Brownfields all over the country. We
expect over 5,000 participants at this
free conference.
The conference will feature over
100 educational sessions on topics
such as community and economic
development, financing and invest-
ment, real estate and deal making,
greening of redevelopment and
more. There will be 10 mobile work-
shops and walking tours in the Bos-
ton metropolitan area, a Transaction
Forum where those with properties
will meet with potential deal makers,
a design charrette that will educate
participants in sustainable design,
over 200 plus vendors in the Exhibit
Hall, networking events, a film series,
and career events are just some of the
activities planned for the three day
conference.
For more information and registra-
tion, go to www.Brownfields2006.
org or contact:
Cynthia Greene
phone 617-918-1431
greene.cynthia@epa.gov
Saving Money While Building Better Schools
Communities across New England are
struggling to pay the escalating costs
to provide a quality education for their
children. In some places the costs are
soaring out of proportion with the num-
ber of children that need to be educated.
For example, the Maine State Planning
Office found that between 1970 and
1995, the number of elementary and
secondary public school students in the
state declined by 27,000, yet the state
committed $727 million to new school
construction and additions. Some of
that money was used to renovate or
consolidate old schools, but 46% went
to build new schools or classrooms in
fast-growing towns.
Communities in some states may
feel driven to build new schools rather
than rehabilitate old ones because of
policies that favor new construction, or
because of acreage standards that call
for large sites to accommodate playing
fields, parking lots, and other facilities.
However, these policies and standards
that drive communities to build expen-
sive new schools on the outskirts of
town are beginning to change. A recent
collaborative effort between the EPA
and the Council of Educational Facil-
ity Planners International (CEFPI) is
intended to help communities site or
rehabilitate schools so that they are lo-
j^M^pm ^w i^^^w
Smart
Growth
cated in the towns and neighborhoods
they serve. Anew publication from CE-
FPI and EPA—Schools for Successful
Communities: An Element of Smart
Growth —explains why and how com-
munities can employ smart growth
planning principles to build schools
that better serve and support students,
staff, parents, and the entire commu-
nity. Smart growth development:
*conserves resources and land;
* offers choices in housing, transporta-
tion, shopping, recreation, and jobs;
* encourages community collaboration;
and
* fosters distinctive, attractive neigh-
borhoods.
A school that is safe and easy for
students, teachers, parents, and other
community members to reach on foot
or by bicycle helps reduce the air pol-
lution from automobile use, protect-
ing children's health. Building schools
compactly in the neighborhoods they
serve minimizes the amount of paved
surface they create, which can help
protect water quality by reducing pol-
luted runoff. They can also be easier
on municipal budgets if fewer students
will need to ride a bus to get to school.
This new publication from CEFPI
and EPA helps communities invest in
schools that will give children the best
possible education, use taxpayer dol-
lars wisely and improve the quality of
life for all citizens.
The publication is available by hard
copies by calling (800) 490-9198 or the
report is downloadable from www.epa.
gov/smartgrowth/pdf/SmartGrowth_
schools_Pub.pdf
For more information on the Smart
Growth Program contact:
Rosemary Monahan
Smart Growth Coordinator
phone 617-918-1087
monahan.rosemary@epa.gov
See www.epa.gov/smartgrowth or
www.epa.gov/ne/topics/envpractice/
gbuildings.html for more resources.
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Tips on Saving Money & Energy this Season with ENERGY STAR0
Save your community from excessive
energy costs this summer and encour-
age your local businesses to take on the
nationwide voluntary ENERGY STAR
challenge. Building owners across the
nation can reduce their building's en-
ergy consumption by 10% or more in
five feasible steps, (see box at right)
These steps may require extra time
and resources, but do keep in mind
that you're contributing to the effort
to improve the quality of life in your
community. By reducing energy con-
sumption you reduce the amount of
greenhouse gases finding their way
into our atmosphere. Small changes
within even small communities can
have an immense impact around the
world; whether it's positive or nega-
tive is up to each and every one of us.
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=
cool_change. coolyourworld_index
CHANGE FORTHE
BETTER WITH
ENERGY STAR
Encourage businesses to measure the energy use of their
buildings, then you can set an energy savings goal.
Inspect cooling system equipment regularly, perform
monthly maintenance
If you must run cooling systems 24 hours a day re-evaluate
why, scale back if possible or update equipment to make
temperature fluctuation easier.
Involve occupants, so they realize their office environment
is contributing to the global one.
Improve, update and maintain lighting systems which account
for about 13% of energy used in commercial buildings. Take
advantage of today's cost effective technology.
s. Take
Heads Up on Lead
Requirements
Despite a federal ban on the use of lead
in house paint back in 1978, more than
38 million homes in the U.S. still con-
tain harmful amounts. The EPA will
be mailing an informational pamphlet
in August to building inspectors, and
local housing authorities as part of a
campaign to ensure safe practices with
lead paint removal. In past compliance
inspections it has come to the atten-
tion of the region that many contrac-
tors are still not aware of the require-
ments. Therefore, via the Lead-Based
Paint Pre-Renovation Rule it is hoped
that municipal officials can spread this
knowledge and provide residents with
information on how to prevent unnec-
essary lead exposure.
For more information or to obtain ad-
ditional pamphlets contact:
Chris Jendras: Jendras .chris@epa.gov
www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadrenf.htm
Eliminating Mercury in Schools
Last December a high school in west-
ern Massachusetts had to temporarily
close and re-locate 950 students while
hazardous waste companies cleaned
up mercury that spilled from a barom-
eter. Another incident with a broken
mercury barometer cost a Connecticut
school more than $250,000 to clean and
replace damaged property.
Accidents with mercury are costly,
dangerous and avoidable. By remov-
ing all items containing mercury so
long as it's within federal guidelines
for disposal, you can easily prevent
serious accidents in your schools.
Thermometers and barometers as well
as bulk elemental mercury and mer-
cury compounds can be replaced with
easy-to-find alternatives.
Children are particularly vulnerable
to the health risks of elemental mercury.
When it is breathed as a vapor and ab-
sorbed through the lungs, depending on
the level of exposure it can cause trem-
ors, insomnia, neuromuscular changes
(weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching),
headaches, disturbances in sensations
as well as changes in nerve responses
and even cognitive function.
Metallic or elemental mercury is
the most common form of mercury
used in chemistry or physical science
experiments. It is vital to take any
spill or release of mercury seriously.
If a spill is more than a thermometer's
worth, you must contact your local
or state health or state environmental
agency. Less than or equal to a fever
thermometer's worth, you can avoid a
health problem by cleaning it promptly
and correctly. Liquid mercury vapor-
izes and contaminates the air at room
temperature. The longer a spill goes
unaddressed the greater the potential
for exposure. If a mercury spill is not
contained and cleaned up, mercury can
be tracked into hallways, spreading the
continued on page 5
— 4 —
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eCycling-Keeping PC's From the Solid Waste Stream
Electronic, or e-waste, refers to elec-
tronic products being discarded by
consumers:
• televisions and computer monitors
• computers and computer peripher-
als (e.g., monitors and keyboards)
• audio and stereo equipment
• VCRs and DVD players
• video cameras
• telephones, cellular phones and oth-
er wireless devices
• fax and copy machines
• video game consoles
While various reports estimate that
electronic waste is less than 4% of the
total solid waste stream in the United
States, e-waste is growing 2-3 times
faster than any other kind of waste. No
surprise given the tech boom of recent
decades. In 1998, 20 million comput-
ers were taken out of service and only
2.3 million (slightly more than 10%),
were re-cycled; most of those were
from large businesses and institutions.
Between 2000 and 2007, a stag-
gering 500 million personal comput-
ers will become obsolete and enter the
municipal solid waste system. In re-
sponse, both Massachusetts and Maine
have passed laws regulating e-waste
management. In 2003, more than 330
New England municipalities had e-cy-
cling programs—approximately 90%
of these were located in Massachu-
setts. So how can you get rid of that
clunky computer and prevent waste?
To facilitate computer reuse and
recycling and discourage discarding
equipment in the trash, EPA offers
New England residents a list of reuse
and donation organizations. It can be
found at: www.epa.gov/ne/solidwaste/
electronic/reuse .html
All the organizations listed are
located in New England and accept
computer equipment for reuse or recy-
cling. However, the list does not end
there .We encourage you to use this as
a starting point, but to also check your
local phone directory to identify other
options. For example, local universi-
ties and colleges, vocational schools,
charities, libraries and religious orga-
nizations might accept computers for
reuse. In addition, local recycling co-
ordinators might offer information on
other programs.
Additionally, this link will take
you through the process of listing your
equipment on a materials/waste ex-
change network. It's at: www.epa.gov/
ne/solidwaste/electronic/exchange.html
If you cannot find someone to use
your computer, you may be able to find
someone to demanufacture/recycle it.
Typically, demanufacturers take your
equipment apart and salvage and/or
recycle any valuable materials. It is
important to note that there is usually
a cost associated with this option. The
following link will take you to a list of
de-manufacturers, recyclers and pre-
cious metal refiners located in New
England: www.epa.gov/ne/solidwaste/
electronic/demanu.html
For questions and general information:
Christine Beling
phone 617-918-1792
beling.christine@epa.gov
www.epa.gov/ne/solidwaste/electronic/
index.html
(cont.) Mercury
continued from page 4
contamination. Even small incidents
can force a school to close and pay for
an expensive clean up. «S»
For more information about how to
remove mercury from your school, clean
up methods or on how to meet state re-
quirements for managing mercury prod-
ucts, check the resources listed here.
For questions and general information:
Jeri Weiss
phone 617-918-1568
weiss j eri@epa.gov
Mercury Resources:
Mercury in Schools
www.epa.gov/mercury/schools.htm
www.newmoa.org/prevention/mercury/
schools/
Mercury Spill Clean-up
www.epa.gov/mercury/disposal.
htm#todo
State Mercury Websites
www.epa.gov/ne/eco/mercury/new
england-links .htm
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"Advanced Energy Performance" is the
Remedy for Tufts Health Plan Building
On August 16, 2006 EPA New England
awarded Tufts Health Plan's Watertown
facility with the ENERGY STAR® label
for advanced energy performance. "We
applaud Tufts Health Plan's leadership
and invite others in New England to join
the commitment to superior energy per-
formance. Together we're showing that
efficient buildings improve both our en-
vironment and the bottom line," stated
Regional Administrator Robert Varney.
The facility in Watertown, MA was
built in 1931, formerly a manufactur-
ing plant. EPA estimates that this Tufts
Health Plan building reduced their CO2
emissions by more than six million an-
nual pounds, enough energy to power
370 homes for a year or conversely
600 less cars on the road. Good man-
agement and sensible upgrades granted
this large and complex facility which
services almost 1,300 employees, an
impressive score on ENERGY STAR
national performance rating system.
The Energy Star label is given to
commercial and public buildings that
rank in the top 25 percent nationwide
in energy performance and have an in-
door environment that meets industry
standards. Any building manager can
benchmark building energy perfor-
mance via the website at www.energy-
star.gov/buildings
For more information on the ENERGY
STAR Program visit: www.energystar.gov
or contact:
William White
Energy Star Coordinator
phone 617-918-1333
EPA New England Local
Government Office
EPA New England
1 Congress Street
Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114-2023
phone (617) 918-1021
fax (617) 918-0021
Editors
Douglas Gutro
gutro.doug@epa.gov
and
Jeanethe Falvey
EPA Contributors
Cynthia Greene, Rosemary Monahan,
Jeri Weiss and Chris Beling
www.epa.gov/ne
EPA-901-N-06-004
September 2006
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vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency New England
1 Congress Street
Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02114
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
An Equal Opportunity Employer
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