SMALL-BIZ@EPA A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY EPA Releases Online Mapping Tool to Help Protect Drinking Water Sources The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released DWMAPS - the Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters. This robust, online mapping tool provides the public, water system operators, state programs, and federal agencies with critical information to help them safeguard the sources of America's drinking water. DWMAPS allows users to learn about their watershed and understand more about their water supplier. DWMAPS also lets users see if sources of their drinking water are polluted and if there are possible sources of pollution that could affect their communities' water supply. DWMAPS can even guide users to ways they can get involved in protecting drinking water sources in their community. "A key part of having safe drinking water is protecting the sources - the streams, rivers, and lakes where utilities withdraw water," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "DWMAPS is the latest example of how EPA is using technology and digital tools to better protect public health and the environment." Utilities and state drinking water program managers can also use DWMAPS with their own state and local data. It allows them to identify potential sources of contamination in their locations, find data to support source water assessments and plans to manage potential sources of contamination and evaluate accidental spills and releases. DWMAPS also integrates drinking water protection activities with other environmental programs at the federal, state, and local levels. Read more at: http://vosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d02490a60ecbbl 2285257f32OO5cel3a/84b6cj?na2466?a'^S5257f5eO0^Ol7 58!OpenDocument DO YOU HAVE ARTICLES FOR THE SMALLBIZ@EPA NEWSLETTER? FORWARD TO: LILLIAN HARRIS AT: HARRTS-LTLL1AN 5EPA.GOV EPA'S OMBUDSMAN: JOAN B. ROGERS AT: ROGERS.JOANB@EPA.GOV EPA Announces Availability of $26 Million to Clean up Diesel Engines Nationwide The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the availability of $4.4 million in grant funding to establish clean diesel projects aimed at reducing emissions from the existing fleet of diesel engines in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands. Diesel-powered engines move approximately 90 percent of the nation's freight tonnage, and today nearly all highway freight trucks, locomotives, and commercial marine vessels are powered by diesel engines. EPA is soliciting proposals nationwide for projects that significantly reduce diesel emissions and exposure, especially from fleets operating at goods movements facilities in areas designated as having poor air quality. Priority for funding will be given to projects that engage and benefit local communities and applicants that demonstrate their ability to promote and continue efforts to reduce emissions after the project has ended. For more information, go to: http://vosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/6424aclcaa8 Q0aab852573 59003f533 7/97fede7d89c 1 c 1 d 18525 7f640 070dl21 IQpenDocument EPA, OSBP, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Sponsors Training on Asset Management for Small Water and Wastewater Utilities in Texas The TCEQ's Small Business & Local Government Assistance Program offers workshops to promote the concept of basic asset management to small water and wastewater utilities throughout the state. For water and wastewater utilities, an "asset" includes the source of water (aquifer or surface water), the wastewater treatment facility, along with any building, tool, piece of equipment, pipe, and machinery used in the operation of the system. Operators and support staff are also valuable assets - without them the system would not be able to operate. The workshops target small utilities to help them conduct an inventory of assets, prioritize needed repairs and replacements of assets, plan for future needs, and develop a budget. Information and resources are also provided for managing systems more efficiently through energy assessments and energy-efficiency improvements, water conservation and public participation programs. Participants learn how to build a roadmap to help ensure sustainability of the utility. Since May 2014, the TCEQ has hosted 17 workshops with 510 participants attending representing 356 individual water and wastewater systems. These workshops are on-going throughout the state. Examples of positive feedback from participants: Wastewater Plant • "One of the absolute best classes I have attended while being in the water service industry. " • "This will be a great tool to do an inventory and a tool to present to council. " • "Asset management was easy to understand. Implementation will begin immediately. " • "Asset management resources are useful and info was excellent!" The Asset Management workshops were recognized in the July/August edition of TCEQ's periodical Natural Outlook, 2014. A video was recorded of interviews with participants at the New Braunfels workshop on June 26, 2014. For more information, go to: , ,, , , , ii , , 1 n mm a i Texas Commission on Environmental Quality https://www.tceq.texas. gov/publications/pd/020/2014/tceq- hosts-workshops-for-small-water-system-professionals. EPA, OSBP, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- EPA FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES 38 Student Teams Awarded EPA Sustainability Grants The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced 38 People, Prosperity and the Planet grants to university student teams for proposed projects to develop new, sustainable products and strategies. Each team will receive up to $15,000 for their proposals. "This year's P3 teams have created innovative research projects that tackle some of our most pressing environmental and public health challenges," said Dr. Thomas A. Burke, EPA's Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA's Office of Research and Development. "These students have the opportunity to bring their exciting new ideas for innovation in sustainability to life, by expanding their learning experience beyond the classroom Read more at: http://www.sustainablecitvnetwork.com/topic channel s/policv/article cf8adcf8-d90f-l Ie5-a557- Bf'ae 1 d445fe4.html SUBJECT: Lead-Based Paint Programs; Amendment to Jurisdiction-Specific Certification and Accreditation Requirements and Renovator Refresher Training Requirements https://www.gpo.gov/fdsvs/pkg/FR-2Q16-02- 17/pdf/2016-03216.pdf Federal Register: Vol. 81, No. 31, Wednesday, February 17, 2016/ Rules and Regulations AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency ACTION: Final Rules SUMMARY: EPA is finalizing revisions to the Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule, and the Lead- based Paint (LBP) Activities rule. The revisions are intended to improve the day-to-day function of these programs by reducing burdens to industry and EPA, and by clarifying language for training providers, while retaining the protections provided by the original rules. SUBJECT: Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Revisions to Reporting and Recordkeeping for Imports and Exports https://www.gpo.gov/fdsvs/pkg/FR-2016-Q2- 09/pdf/2016-02321.pdf Federal Register: Vol. 81, No. 26, Tuesday, February 9, 2016 /Rules and Regulations AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency ACTION: Direct Final Rule SUMMARY: EPA is taking direct final action on minor conforming edits to the stratospheric protection regulations to implement the International Trade Data System. This system allows businesses to transmit the transactional data required by multiple Federal agencies for the import and export of cargo through a single "window." As businesses currently must submit trade data to multiple agencies, in multiple ways, and often on paper, the transition to electronic filing is expected to save businesses time and money. EPA, OSBP, Asbestos and Small Business Ombudsman - Washington, DC 20460 - Phone: 1-800-368-5888 ------- SMALL-BIZ@EPA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY FEBRUARY 2016 SAVE THE DATE The Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP)/EPA's Small Business Ombudsman Annual Training is May 3 - 5, 2016 in the Washington DC area. This will be a joint training effort with the Office of Small Business Programs and EPA's Regional Small Business Coordinators. SBEAP's National Steering Committee (NSC) will meet on Tuesday, May 3, and the NSC Small Business Award ceremony is Wednesday, May 4 at EPA HQ. More information will be announced over the next couple of months and provided on the National SBEAP Annual Training web page. The National SBEAP Annual Training page has just been update and registration is now open. Thanks to EPA, registration is FREE! OFFICE OF SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS* SMALL BUSINESS COORDINATORS ANI) STATE PARTNER'S TRAINING at SURVEY M0NKEY.e0M/R/0SBPTRAINING20ie by April 16. 2016 httD://www2.eDa.aov/resGurces-small-businesses SBA Accepting 2016 National Small Business Week Nominations The U.S. Small Business Administration is now accepting nominations for its 2016 National Small Business Week Awards, including Small Business Person of the Year. Since 1963, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America's small businesses. "National Small Business Week is an opportunity to celebrate the impact these entrepreneurial spirits have on their communities and this nation's economy," said SBA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Natalia Olson-Urtecho who serves as one of several competition judges for her region. "Small businesses are our real economic engines, and I look forward to seeing a strong competitive field again this year." Read more on the various locations of Small Business Week and the awards process at: https://www.sba.gov/nsbw/ NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS V MAY 1-7,2016 | #DreamSmallBiz ------- |