US EPA, Office of Inspector General www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2011/ARRA_Two-Year_Overview_Report_March_2011.pdf The IG has undertaken 18 investigations into EPA administration of ARRA funds and has prevented approximately 3.4 million in potential fraud. “The OIG has published audit and evaluation reports assessing whether EPA is using its Recovery Act funds in accordance with applicable requirements and is meeting the accountability … Continue reading »
Posted on March 17, 2011 …
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments: Four Case Studies of Water Utility Practices (2011 Final)
US EPA, National Center for Environmental Assessment http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/global/recordisplay.cfm?deid=233808 This report presents a series of case studies describing the approaches currently being taken by four water utilities in the United States to assess their vulnerability to climate change. The report is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of assessment approaches or utilities conducting vulnerability assessments. … Continue reading »
EPA Updates National Air Toxics Assessment
US EPA http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/64FCBC524C0F836C85257850004FE436 Tool: http://www.epa.gov/nata2005 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released the fourth update of a computer tool that helps federal, state, local governments and other stakeholders better understand the potential health risks from exposure to air toxics. The National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) contains 2005 emissions data submitted primarily from the states … Continue reading »
Assessment of Methods for Estimating Risk to Birds from Ingestion of Contaminated Grit Particles (Final Report)
US EPA, National Center for Environmental Assessment http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/cfm/recordisplay.cfm?deid=188554 The Ecological Risk Assessment Forum (ERAF) submitted a request to ORD’s Ecological Risk Assessment Support Center (ERASC) to evaluate the effectiveness and utility of the European Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) Risk Assessment Scheme for Plant Protection Products (i.e., pesticides) for its ability to estimate the degree of … Continue reading »
The Human Costs of Nitrate-Contaminated Drinking Water in the San Joaquin Valley
Pacific Institute, Community Water Center, Clean Water Fund, and California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation http://www.pacinst.org/reports/nitrate_contamination/nitrate_contamination.pdf [From Press Release] …The eight-county San Joaquin Valley has some of the most contaminated aquifers in the nation: 92 drinking water systems in the San Joaquin Valley had a well with nitrate levels above the legal limit from 2005-2008, potentially … Continue reading »
Gasoline Prices and Expenditures 2011: Record High Levels Drive Consumer Concerns and Increased Support for a 60 Miles per Gallon Fuel Economy Standard
Consumer Federation of America http://www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/Gasoline-Prices-and-Expenditures-Report-3-16-11.pdf [From Press Release] …respondents indicated much higher concerns than in previous surveys, with great concern (5 on a 1-5 scale) at 79 percent for gas prices and 74 percent for oil imports. In the ten previous surveys, the highest number for great concern about gas prices was 75 percent, while … Continue reading »
EPA Proposes First National Standard for Mercury Pollution from Power Plants
US EPA Rule/Fact Sheets: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/actions.html Description of action: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/powerplanttoxics/ [Press Release] In response to a court deadline, today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first-ever national standards for mercury, arsenic and other toxic air pollution from power plants. The new power plant mercury and air toxics standards – which eliminate 20 years of … Continue reading »
