On April 17, 2009, Lisa Jackson, the U.S. EPA Administrator, signed a proposal with two distinct findings regarding greenhouse gases (GHGs) under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act:
Published in the Federal Register on April 24, 2009, the proposed rule is a response to the Supreme Court’s April 2007 decision in Massachusetts v. EPA, which authorizes the U.S. EPA to regulate GHGs under the Clean Air Act if the agency makes an endangerment finding.
The April 24 notice indicates that a final endangerment finding would not make GHGs a regulated pollutant under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. U.S. EPA will be conducting separate rulemaking on that issue and is soliciting comments on PSD implications.
For more information, see the Federal Register notice or visit EQ’s website for a more detailed summary of this proposal and the latest news on GHG management. You can also contact EQ’s Tom Robertson at (800) 229-5299 or Stephanie Werner at (800) 229-7495.
The proposed mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reporting rule, announced in EQ’s April e-Newsletter, was published in the Federal Register on April 10, 2009. The rule would require large facilities to report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions beginning in 2010. For more information, see the Federal Register notice or contact EQ’s Kent Berry or Tom Robertson at (800) 229-5299.
On March 31, 2009, House Democrats released a draft climate change and energy bill that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 83% by 2050 (compared to 2005 levels). The bill also set short-term targets of a 3% GHG emissions cut by 2012, a 20% cut by 2020 and a 42% cut by 2030.
Sponsored by House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), the bill also establishes a national cap-and-trade program for businesses and industry emitting more than 25,000 tons of GHGs a year, but does not address how to allocate the tradable emission allowances. The bill allows companies to meet part of their emission-reduction goals by using off-sets.
The bill also promotes renewable resources such as wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal, energy efficiency in buildings, automobiles, and appliances, and green jobs.
Waxman has vowed to move the bill through his committee by Memorial Day, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has pledged floor action later this year.
In his fiscal 2010 budget plan, President Obama proposed a 14 percent cut in emissions from 2005 levels by 2020 and an 83 percent cut below 2005 levels by 2050.
For more information, contact EQ’s Tom Robertson at (800) 229-5299 or Stephanie Werner at (800) 229-7495.
On April 21, 2009, the U.S. EPA announced proposed major revisions to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Portland cement plants that do not burn hazardous waste, as required by court settlement agreement (see February e-newsletter).
This rule is intended to reduce emissions of mercury, total hydrocarbons, hydrochloric acid and particulate matter from both new and existing cement kilns. Table 1 summarizes the new emission and monitoring requirements. For new cement kilns, the proposed revisions would substantially tighten the current emission limits for mercury (roughly 90% lower), total hydrocarbons or THC (70% lower) and particulate matter (PM) (84% lower). The proposal would add new limits for existing kilns (those commencing construction before 12/2/05) for mercury and THC and would lower the PM limit by 83 percent. New limits for HCl are proposed for both new and existing kilns.
These proposed amendments also would remove the following four provisions in the current regulation:
U.S. EPA also is proposing to require continuous emissions monitoring for mercury and to replace opacity standards with a more accurate means of demonstrating compliance with particulate matter emissions limits. Opacity standards require visual evaluation of the opacity or visibility of emissions and a comparison of the results to established limits. Also as part of this action, U.S. EPA is proposing methods and criteria for installing and certifying continuous emission monitoring systems for mercury, and HCl.
The proposed standards do not include limits for sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions; however, the control technology to reduce hydrochloric acid is also expected to lead to significant SO2 reductions. Because some SO2 is converted to sulfates in the atmosphere, these SO2 reductions also would contribute to reductions in fine particle pollution.
For more information, contact EQ’s Kent Berry or Tom Robertson at (800) 229-5299.
Every day, local municipal officials and environmental organizations receive inquiries from residents asking how they can dispose of materials that cannot be placed in regular trash or recycling collections. Concerned homeowners are searching for environmentally responsible methods for disposing of common household products such as paint, solvents, automotive fluids, pesticides, insecticides and cleaning chemicals.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste (SW PA HHW) Task Force is a non-profit organization comprised of members from profit, non-profit, academia, government and environmental organizations that secures funding, organizes HHW collection events to facilitate the proper collection and disposal of household hazardous wastes, and distributes educational materials. To date, the Task Force has collected more than 1.7 million pounds of HHW in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
EQ’s Pittsburgh office, which includes one Task Force member, is very active in the group, and all Pittsburgh staff volunteer to assist at collection events. There are 7 county collections scheduled for 2009.
If you are interested in participating, volunteering, or learning more about the SW PA HHW Task Force, please visit their website or contact EQ’s Patrick Kirkham at (800) 229-5299.
EQ gets two thumbs up for assisting New Line Productions, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, with a new horror film set at the site of an abandoned industrial facility in the Chicago area.
“The facility was unbelievable,” said Bob Armstrong, a Response Manager for EQ. “Old buildings, storage tanks, bricks and metal pieces everywhere, hanging pipes. It had really great cinematic value for a horror film.”
The project, which began April 12 and will continue through May, involves removing potential chemical and physical hazards to make the site safe for the film crews and actors.
Specific tasks include:
EQ crews also will conduct dust suppression and air monitoring during the actual filming, which is being done mostly after dark.
“Most of my time was spent going around with the pyrotechnics crews to make sure there were no explosion hazards where they wanted to splash fuel,” said Bob. “It was pretty fun, but demanding, too.”
The movie will be released in spring 2010. We’d love to tell you what film it is, but then we’d have to kill you! Just kidding. 
For more information, contact EQ’s Bob Armstrong at (440) 812-1806.
EQ employees honor Earth Day by labeling local storm water drains to prevent dumping.
Cincinnati EQ employees celebrated Earth Day on April 22 by helping the local environment and achieving a significant carbon footprint reduction over the past year.
Employees spent part of the day labeling area storm sewer drains with special “No Dumping” signs. EQ also plans to install a rain barrel near the loading dock at the rear of its corporate headquarters building to capture storm water.
Since February 2008, EQ has saved more than $13,000, mainly by adjusting the building’s thermostat during non-work hours and identifying and resolving inefficiencies in the HVAC system (e.g., negative air). An equivalent CO2e reduction of 191.06 metric tones (23%) was achieved and can be applied to EQ’s pledge to the Hamilton County “Go Green Challenge,” a voluntary program for local businesses and industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).
For more information about EQ’s Sustainability Program, visit our website or contact EQ’s Tom Robertson at (800) 229-5299.
Computers are a lifeline in today’s business environment. They are also a huge source of energy consumption. Here are a few tips on “greening” your computing at home and work:
“When not in use, turn off the juice”
Email More
Use the Internet
Other Tips
For more information on reducing your carbon footprint or to learn more about EQ’s Sustainability Program, visit our website or contact EQ’s Tom Robertson at (800) 229-5299.
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