A team of University of Minnesota researchers and BioCee, a university start-up company, have been awarded $2.2 million from the Department of Energy for a research proposal using bacteria to produce biofuel.

Lead investigator Larry Wackett, University Distinguished McKnight Professor in the College of Biological Sciences, is working with faculty from the BioTechnology Institute; Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics; Department of Microbiology; and the Institute of Technology’s Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

The university’s project was one of three featured in Monday’s New York Times. In essence, the team proposes to develop a bioreactor using bacteria embedded in a thin latex coating to produce hydrocarbon fuel. They are one of the only groups in the world with the ability to make biohydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon fuel has many advantages because society has invested trillions of dollars in the infrastructure to produce, transport and use it.

Rising 125 feet in the air, the wind turbine on the Richland Community College campus can’t be missed.

About a decade ago, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore had one of the country’s largest populations of the Karner blue butterfly. The nickel-size insects feasted on the national park’s bountiful wild lupine and relied on northwest Indiana’s heavy snowfall to protect its eggs in winter for spring hatching.

But the butterfly’s population has declined in recent years, and some researchers are pointing to, among other things, warmer winters, less snowfall and other weather-related changes threatening the wild lupine.

The Karner blue’s predicament is one of many listed in a report released last month naming the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore among 25 national parks in the United States endangered by climate change.

The hearing will be held on Nov. 19 in Rosemont, Ill. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 7 p.m. central standard time at the following location:

Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
5555 N. River Road
Rosemont, Ill  60018

For information about participating at the hearing please contact: Pamela Long long.pam@epa.gov or (919) 541-0641. The public may also register on the day of the hearing; however, they may not be given a specific time to speak.

EPA will accept written comments on the proposed rule until Dec. 28, 2009.

More information on the proposed rule and instructions for submitting written comments: http://www.epa.gov/nsr/actions.html.

A draft Strategy is now available for public comment through January 12, 2010. We invite comments on the Strategy itself and on how best to move forward with implementation, as well as commitments from stakeholders to implement components of the Strategy.

A copy of the initial draft document was first distributed to stakeholders for a 30-day review and comment period to provide input on the structure of the report and the emission sources to be covered in detail in the final document. The draft report reflects recommendations based on feedback received. A summary of comments that were received and incorporated can also be found at the links below.

Please send comments electronically to the Strategy Team Coordinator, Debra Jacobson at djacobson@istc.illinois.edu and copy Alexis Cain at Cain.Alexis@epa.gov.

When sending comments by e-mail be sure to put the words “Great Lakes Mercury Strategy Comments” in the subject line of your e-mail.

If you have questions or have problems accessing the draft document please contact Debra Jacobson at djacobson@istc.illinois.edu or (630) 472 – 5019 (Phone).

Document to Review

• Draft Great Lakes Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy, November 10, 2009 (PDF, 2.8Mb)

Supporting Documents

• Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy Development Process and Team Structure (PDF, 28Kb)
• Mercury Emission Reduction Strategy Management Team Members (PDF, 44Kb)
• Response to Public Comments Received on Draft Outline and Background Sections of Great Lakes Mercury Emissions Reduction (PDF, 56Kb)

The troubles of Detroit are well-publicized. Its economy is in free fall, people are streaming for the exits, it has the worst racial polarization and city-suburb divide in America, its government is feckless and corrupt (though I should hasten to add that new Mayor Bing seems like a basically good guy and we ought to give him a chance), and its civic boosters, even ones that are extremely knowledgeable, refuse to acknowledge the depth of the problems, instead ginning up stats and anecdotes to prove all is not so bad.

But as with Youngstown, one thing this massive failure has made possible is ability to come up with radical ideas for the city, and potentially to even implement some of them. Places like Flint and Youngstown might be attracting new ideas and moving forward, but it is big cities that inspire the big, audacious dreams. And that is Detroit. Its size, scale, and powerful brand image are attracting not just the region’s but the world’s attention. It may just be that some of the most important urban innovations in 21st century America end up coming not from Portland or New York, but places like Youngstown and, yes, Detroit.

This is the first in a three part series on the Michigan Clean Marina Program

The Michigan Clean Marina Program is a great example of how partnerships are supposed to work, where everybody wins.

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, or ISTC, held the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Awards at the I Hotel, 1900 S. First St., on Wednesday. Various companies and organizations throughout the state were awarded for their dedication to improving the environment through conservation and energy efficiency.

In a win for the environment, New York will expand its deposit laws to include water bottles starting Oct. 31. A five-cent surcharge will be added to the cost of each water bottle sold, which customers can then return to stores for a refund. About 80 percent of unclaimed deposits will go to the state as much-needed revenue, resulting in some $115 million annually.

Legislation designed to keep old TVs and computers out of landfills is on its way to the governor’s desk.

The Senate on Tuesday gave final approval to the bill, which requires electronics manufacturers to take a more active role in recycling their old products. Currently, Dan Kohler of Wisconsin Environment says many of those end up in landfills, with an estimated 10,000 tons worth of computer monitors and 24,000 tons of old televisions being dumped each year in the state.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has brought attention to environmental concerns, but the biggest pieces of his agenda have either failed to win approval or are still awaiting action.

The city of Flint, Mich., often conjures up images of destitution and dereliction. But some community members are working hard to clean up the area’s gritty image by creating gardens and green spaces in once-vacant lots, according to a recent New York Times article.

The Indiana Memorial Union will look a little greener this fall.

The IU Office of Sustainability received a grant during the summer from Duke Energy Foundation to improve sustainability at the IMU.

The initiative, the “Greening of the IMU,” will bring together IU students, officials and outside firms to look for ways to change the way the building is maintained and operated.

The $50,000 grant will be used to study how to improve energy conservation, water usage and recycling, said IU senior and Office of Sustainability intern Nathan Bower-Bir.

The Empire State Building seems to be grappling with a color problem — specifically the color of its upper levels.

Building management got into hot water this week over plans to illuminate the top floors with red lights — in honor of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Tibet-issues activists and other protesters turned out to denounce the recognition.

But it turns out the color the building’s owners really want associated with the Manhattan landmark is green — which may be an achievable goal, after a $550 million environmental upgrade and renovation.

The $460,474 grant from the Learn and Serve America Higher Education program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, will fund Year 1 of a three-year Great Lakes Innovative Stewardship through Education Network (GLISTEN) project that will harness the expertise and innovation of college faculty and undergraduate students in eight states and two Canadian provinces.

Through the project, GLISTEN seeks to improve undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning and instruction focused on the Great Lakes, encourage interest in “green jobs” by engaging students in community-based research and action targeted at restoring and sustaining a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem.

“Our goals include enhancing public understanding of that region and empowering citizens to positively impact that ecosystem through public and personal stewardship behaviors as well as organizing a corps of undergraduate interns to promote Great Lakes stewardship,” says Wm. David Burns, Executive Director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE) and professor of general studies at the Harrisburg University. A signature program of the NCSCE is Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER), a comprehensive faculty development and science education reform project.

By focusing undergraduate curriculum development efforts, academic courses, research, fieldwork, and other resources on a single but multi-faceted civic issue, GLISTEN will build the capacity of STEM faculty and departments to improve learning in the STEM disciplines and engage students in direct action (i.e., service-learning) and community-based research to benefit resource-strapped governmental and community-based organizations.

“The relevance of this project is unmistakable. It engages students’ interest in the sciences by connecting learning to real environmental challenges facing the nation,” says Dr. Mel Schiavelli, President of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. “This type of experiential learning model is at the heart of our academic programs and it has been shown to be effective in improving science literacy.”

During its first 3-year funding cycle, GLISTEN aims to enroll up to 3,500 undergraduate students in coursework incorporating Great Lakes stewardship activities. These activities – including water quality monitoring, restoring wetlands, and assessing and addressing aquatic and terrestrial non-native species invasions – will benefit at least 20 community-based organizations in 8 states undergoing challenges to their operational capacity due to the recent economic downturn. At least 100 undergraduate stewardship liaisons will assist faculty and community-based agencies with the coordination of these activities and form a corps of future leaders in efforts to restore and protect the Great Lakes.

“The program also position students to take advantage of ‘green’ professional opportunities upon graduation, provide students with the 21st century skills such as critical thinking, capacity for collaboration, as well as associated civic engagement skills, and help students as well as members of the involved communities to become enlightened stakeholders who practice active stewardship behaviors in their private and civic lives,” says Glenn Odenbrett, GLISTEN project director.

Working in partnership with community-based Resource Conservation and Development Councils, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Freshwater Future, and Great Lakes United, GLISTEN will make sub-awards to lead institutional partners designed to support collaborative clusters in eight Great Lakes states.

Each cluster will embrace at least one 4-year and one 2-year undergraduate institution where Great-Lakes-stewardship-focused courses will be developed and offered. GLISTEN collaborative clusters will include representation from community-based organizations was well as local and state governments working together to enhance water quality, habitat preservation, and native species survival. Each cluster will also include representatives from at least one informal science education venue, such as a science museum, nature center or state or national park. Through these venues and others, the outcomes of cluster projects will be shared with the general public to empower citizens to engage more effectively in scientifically-informed stewardship behaviors.

While each cluster will focus on a particular Great Lakes stewardship challenge, all will share goals in undergraduate student leadership development and career preparation, curriculum development and dissemination, and the creation of a community of practice.

Colleges in each cluster will recruit and employ undergraduate stewardship liaisons, who will serve as the logistical “glue” linking participating faculty and community-based organizations who will benefit from GLISTEN-sponsored service-learning and research activities.

“These students will provide critical project leadership, ensuring that the cluster maintains an optimal balance among curricular goals, community needs, and student interests. Student leaders will also receive specialized training to prepare them to excel in the “green jobs” of the future,” says Burns.

Additionally, in each cluster, faculty will collaborate across institutions to integrate on-the-ground stewardship activities to improve learning in their undergraduate STEM coursework.

The project has the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the Great Lakes, which contain approximately one-fifth of the Earth’s fresh water currently available for human use.

“In the past, the Lakes have been considered invincible, too big to suffer permanent damage due to human activity,” says Odenbrett.

The result in the past century, he adds, was a seriously degraded ecosystem plagued by pollution from highly-toxic industrial contaminants or nutrients in waste and storm water, loss of natural habitat, and successive invasions of non-native fish, animal, and plant species. Consequences for humans dependent on the ecosystem’s nearshore fresh water and navigable waterways for personal, recreational, and economic use have included illness, closed beaches, and collapse of native fish populations.

Odenbrett also notes that as many jobs are likely to result from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative about to be funded by Congress, GLISTEN presents an opportunity for the region’s higher education institutions to collaborate with off campus stakeholders in preparing today’s undergraduates for their roles in this immense undertaking.

The NCSCE develops, implements, and evaluates activities and projects that encourage and strengthen the efforts of colleges and universities to reform undergraduate education, especially in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The signature program of the center is Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER), a project funded by the National Science Foundation. SENCER promotes greater engagement of undergraduates with the sciences in institutions of higher education in the US and selected other countries.

Established in 2001 to address Central Pennsylvania’s need for increased opportunities for study leading to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, Harrisburg University is an innovative and ambitious private institution that produces graduates who provide increased competence and capacity in science and technology disciplines to Pennsylvania and the nation. Harrisburg University ensures institutional access for underrepresented students and links learning and research to practical outcomes. As a private University serving the public good, Harrisburg University remains the only STEM-focused comprehensive university located between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

For more information on the University’s demand-driven undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in applied science and technology fields, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu.

Mayor Richard Daley wants to make Chicago the greenest city in America. By one measure, he’s done it. Chicago now has more certified green buildings than any other city in the country, according to figures from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Growing Home works with the homeless and low-income population in Chicago to provide organic agriculture training.

In a state that has lost 800,000 manufacturing jobs this decade, old factories are being retooled to make renewable-energy products.

With the summer drawing to a close, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed new legislation into law Friday creating statewide minimum energy efficiency standards for new homes. The new standards are intended to save Illinois families money on energy costs, reduce energy waste and cut carbon emissions.

The product of years of negotiations, House Bill 3987, the Energy Efficient Building Act, brings Illinois in line with the latest International Energy Conservation Code for new residential construction, updated automatically every three years. The measure expands the existing Energy Efficient Commercial Building Act first enacted in 2004 to cover both commercial and residential buildings.

This conference offers a day of nuts-and-bolts advice on energy conservation, stormwater management, waste reduction, green building, sustainable landscaping and potential funding.

Registration is $150 until Sept. 10, then $175, with group discounts available. Registration closes Sept. 23. For more information or to register, contact Mary Horek at the University of Illinois Extension, 630-445-3216, e-mail mhorek@illinois.edu, or view the conference web site at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/elc/.

Ohio EPA has developed an incentive for brownfield cleanups, by partnering with private insurance companies that will offer discounted environmental insurance to parties undertaking a voluntary cleanup in Ohio.

“This agreement shows that a medical institution like Stony Brook University Hospital can provide world-class medical care while taking steps to protect the environment,” said EPA Acting Deputy Regional Administrator Barbara Finazzo. “This comprehensive agreement not only addresses broad issues like energy and water usage, but also those unique to the health care sector, like using environmentally-friendly medical supplies.”

“This MOU formalizes the hospital’s continued commitment to be an environmentally conscious healthcare institution,” said Stony Brook University Hospital CEO Steven L. Strongwater, M.D. “Our relationship with the EPA is a true indication of our commitment to continually improve out programs by reducing waste, minimizing the use of hazardous materials and preventing pollution of our valuable resources. It is another step in the process toward becoming a world class healthcare institution.”

The following are highlights of the agreement between Stony Brook University Hospital and EPA. The hospital will:

• Join EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, which offers technical assistance for audits, benchmarking and reduction plans, and strive to reduce energy by 10 percent. Under the agreement, Stony Brook University Hospital will also conduct a campus-wide energy audit with the goal of increasing campus energy efficiency.
• Recycle some 180 tons of cardboard and 5 tons of bottles and cans each year.
• Join EPA’s WasteWise program, which provides technical assistance for the development of waste reduction and recycling plans, including the setting of specific program goals.
• Design all new facilities to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standard. LEED is an internationally-recognized green building certification system aimed at improving energy and water efficiency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving indoor environmental quality, and conserving resources.
• Consider the use of coal combustion products, where appropriate, in future construction projects. The use of coal combustion products in place of Portland cement significantly reduces energy use, carbon dioxide emissions and concrete costs.
• Utilize clean construction equipment that reduces pollution from conventional diesel fuel-powered construction vehicles and equipment by requiring the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel or best available pollution control retrofit technologies.
• Install WaterSense products where possible in the renovation or upgrade of existing buildings as well as in new buildings, and install low flow toilets and faucets in new construction and renovations. WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, certifies toilets, faucets and irrigation equipment that use at least 20 percent less water than conventional products.
• Reduce sterile blue wrap by switching to reusable rigid containers for packaging, transporting and storing medical instruments.
• Eliminate the use of mercury and plastics containing PVC/DEHP, and communicate commitment to PVC/DEHP-free purchasing to contractors and vendors.
• Employ recommendations from EPA’s GreenScapes program to reduce landscaping materials and high maintenance plants, reuse landscape materials where possible, recycle organic materials and purchase landscaping products that are environmentally-friendly.
• Recycle computer components, which often contain harmful metals and chemicals, through the use of an electronics recycling firm.
• Continue reprocessing medical equipment, including oxisensors, blades, burrs, bits, guide wires and catheters, and utilizing reusable containers for disposed needles.
• Continue to participate in EPA’s RecycleMania, an annual recycling competition among colleges and universities. The hospital collected some 420 tons of recyclables for the competition during 2007 and 2008.

EPA has similar agreements in place with the New York Jets and New York Giants for the new Meadowlands Stadium, the New York Mets for the team’s new Citi Field stadium, the Destiny USA mall project in Syracuse, N.Y., the real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield, Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J., Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., and Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, N.J. For more information on EPA green construction and operations agreements, visit http://www.epa.gov/region02/greenteam/. For more information on Stony Brook Hospital, visit http://www.stonybrookmedicalcenter.org/home/.

Objectives of the Conference

• provide current information on human health, environmental, and ecological research findings pertaining to mercury in addition to associated policy activities
• provide a forum for evaluating advancements in reducing mercury releases
• provide a forum for discussing the scientific and public health basis for policy actions to effectively address mercury risks
• facilitate an exchange on the cross media technical, policy, and management issues pertaining to mercury
• identify high priority areas for future cost effective mercury reduction activities and strategies
• identify high priority areas for future research needed to inform policy and management decisions

The overall purpose of the conference is to connect current scientific research findings with policy with balance in perspectives and without bias toward any point of view. In this context, policy refers to government policy as reflected in federal, state, or local government actions that include legislative, regulatory, voluntary, and educational efforts. In general, the scientific research presented will focus on applied rather than basic research, unless the basic science is important to understanding critical issues and questions. Conference session topics will be targeted to reflect priority topics and issues of special interest in the Great Lakes or Northeast Regions.

Participants

• Federal, state, provincial, tribal, and local environmental and public health officials
• Policy makers and elected officials
• Academic and government researchers
• Non-governmental and community organizations
• Industry representatives
• Labor organization representatives

Geographic Focus of the Conference:

The conference will be designed to target participation from the geographic area covered by the following states and Provinces: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Vermont; New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

In the agreement, filed in federal court in Columbus, Ohio and joined by the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, Ohio Edison will repower the R.E. Burger Units 4 and 5 near Shadyside, Ohio with biomass fuel.  The consent decree modifies a 2005 consent decree requiring Ohio Edison to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) at several of its coal-fired plants.

The modified consent decree will substantially reduce emissions of SO2 and NOx from Burger’s current levels and also reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from current levels by more than 1.3 million tons a year.  Burger will be the largest coal-fired electric utility plant in the country to repower with renewable biomass fuels and the first such plant at which greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced under a Clean Air Act consent decree.

The original 2005 consent decree resolved a lawsuit filed in 1999 under the New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act regarding Ohio Edison’s W. H. Sammis plant and required that the company reduce SO2 emissions not only at Sammis but also at several of its smaller plants, including Burger.  That agreement gave Ohio Edison three options to reduce Burger’s SO2 emissions:  shut down the plant, install a scrubber, or repower with natural gas.  Under the modified agreement, Ohio Edison will repower Burger beginning in 2012 with mostly biomass fuels, co-firing with not more than 20 percent low sulfur coal, including natural wood from waste tree trimmings and dedicated sustainable nurseries, agricultural crops, grasses and vegetation waste or products.

Following a year of initial operation and optimization, the Burger plant will be subject to enforceable emissions rates for SO2, NOx and particulate matter (PM).  Reductions from current levels of SO 2  emissions are expected to be as much as 14,000 tons a year; for NOx, as much as 1300 tons a year; and for PM, as much as 700 tons a year.

As a result of this agreement, conversion to biomass fuel combustion is expected to approach “carbon neutrality,” meaning that CO2 emissions released by burning biomass fuel will be offset by the amount of CO 2  absorbed from the atmosphere by the wood and vegetation grown to produce the fuel.  After offset, Burger is expected to emit approximately 400,000 tons of CO 2  emissions a year, based on 20 percent coal co-firing, versus more than 1.7 million tons from coal-fired combustion prior to repowering with biomass fuel.

The adverse effects on the environment of CO2 emissions, particularly from coal-fired power plants, are well-documented.  Last April, EPA issued the “Proposed Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act,” which identified the dangers of the current and projected concentrations of the six key greenhouse gases, the most significant being carbon dioxide.  In addition, sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter cause severe respiratory problems and contribute to childhood asthma.  They are also significant contributors to acid rain, smog and haze, which impair visibility in national parks.

“This is a great result for the health and the environment of the nation,” said John C. Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.  “We are pleased that Ohio Edison has chosen to significantly reduce greenhouse gases and other pollutants from the Burger plant and hope that Ohio Edison will become the standard-bearer for other companies considering conversion to renewable biomass fuels under the auspices of the EPA and state environmental agencies.”

“Today’s settlement improves air quality for the local community and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by requiring the use of a renewable, carbon-neutral fuel to generate electricity,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.  “EPA will seek similar commitments from companies to replace coal-fired electric generation with cleaner, renewable energy in future Clean Air Act settlements.”

The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.  A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html .

EPRI will conduct a comprehensive study to assess the energy, environmental and wholesale market electricity price impacts of PHEVs in New York State.  Of particular interest is the impact on downstate, metropolitan New York grids due to the concentrated electric demand and vehicle population.  It is anticipated that the study will illuminate the implications of, and help plan for, the increased-market penetration of PHEVs.

Francis J. Murray, Jr., NYSERDA President and CEO said this effort comes at a crucial time: “This study will offer insight into the supply-side of the market where capacity is necessary to achieve wide public acceptance of these vehicles.  Gov. David Paterson has called for advancing battery technology in New York and specifically, PHEVs as a way to reduce our use of fossil fuel and complement grid usage. PHEVs can serve as a high-value customer for wind power by recharging overnight when demand and rates are low, and wind power is most plentiful,” he said.

PHEV technologies allow vehicles to plug into the electric grid to charge their high-capacity batteries and allow the vehicle’s electric motor to do more of the work during the drive cycle, and thereby reduce the gasoline engine’s workload.  PHEVs are capable of achieving very high fuel economy, in some cases exceeding 100 miles per gallon of gasoline, at a reduced vehicle fueling cost and with reduced tailpipe emissions.  As PHEV penetration levels increase, the aggregated impact on the grid and associated emissions could be substantial.  While the implications of increased penetration of PHEVs have been studied generally on a national level and in several more localized regions, the specific impact to New York State has not yet been fully understood.

Four items will be addressed: 1) identification of the ‘base-case’ scenario of transmission/distribution capacity, assuming no PHEV penetration; 2) identification of several realistic PHEV penetration scenarios, including vehicle characteristics and required load support; 3) identification of grid, environmental, and financial impacts of the various penetration scenarios; and 4) implications of vehicle-to-grid (”V2G” or reverse charging) applications, also known as utility aggregated load control.

“Our analysis will develop the definitive assessment of the impact of both introducing and the widespread use of PHEVs onto the transmission and distribution systems,” said Arshad Mansoor, vice president of Power Delivery and Utilization at EPRI. “This grid assessment is another crucial step that will lead to commercialization of PHEVs, and NYSERDA deserves a lot of credit for taking this important initiative.”

In parallel with the grid impact study, NYSERDA is partnering with EPRI and Ford Motor Company to test a Ford PHEV prototype.  Over the course of this project, which is slated to run into 2012, various components onboard the prototype will be revised to test various technical options, including vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities.  Several utility companies in New York State and elsewhere also are participating in this program.

NYSERDA began exploring PHEV technology in 2006 as a way to reduce the gasoline consumption of vehicles operated by New York State agencies.  Efforts to date have included procurement and testing of standard gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, such as the Ford Escape and  Toyota Prius, that third-party vendors have converted to PHEV operation.  Based on a review of six different prototypes, one configuration has thus far been validated for further implementation and five Prius PHEVs incorporating this design are now in operation at various New York State agencies.  This program may eventually encompass up to 600 vehicles.

The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. EPRI also provides technology, policy and economic analyses to drive long-range research and development planning, and supports research in emerging technologies.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) was established by law in 1975 as a public benefit corporation. NYSERDA provides energy-related technical and financial packaging assistance to businesses and institutions to promote energy efficiency and  economic development, as well as providing energy research and development programs that promote safe and economical energy production efficiency technologies in New York State.  NYSERDA also analyzes the effect of New York’s energy, regulatory and environmental policies on the State’s business, institutional, and residential energy consumers.

Students at the University of Illinois are experimenting with ways to convert food waste into compost for their campus farm.

Todd Rusk of ISTC is working with this group.

“The Recovery Act is not only helping to train individuals for good jobs in their communities, it’s helping them rebuild a lasting foundation for prosperity.  By restoring undeveloped lots through the Brownfields program, or weatherizing buildings to lower energy costs, these workers will generate new economic possibilities, bringing new opportunities and jobs here,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.  “EPA is providing solutions in these challenging economic times, and making clear that – in Chicago or anywhere else in the country – protecting our health and our environment is a great way to rebuild our economy.”

OAI, Inc., a Chicago non-profit, will receive a $499,047 grant to train 80 workers for green jobs. The grant is provided through EPA’s Brownfields Job Training Program. OAI plans to place at least 75% of its graduates in environmental technician jobs. OAI will work with an Employer Advisory Council, including the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, the Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation, and DNR Construction, Inc., to place graduates in environmental jobs.

EPA established the Brownfields Job Training Program to help residents take advantage of jobs created by the assessment and cleanup of brownfields and to ensure the communities reap the benefits from brownfields redevelopment. The target areas for this grant include the 9th and 24th wards in Chicago’s South Side and seven south-Chicago suburban communities, according to OAI. After evaluating the local labor market, the City of Chicago identified a need to fill a growing number of positions in weatherization and site clean up.

Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant, including mine-scarred lands or sites contaminated by petroleum or the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs. EPA’s Brownfields Program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.

EPA expects to announce additional brownfields and job training grants across the country in the coming days.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 on February 17, 2009, and has directed that the Recovery Act be implemented with unprecedented transparency and accountability. To that end, the American people can see how every dollar is being invested at Recovery.gov.

Additional information on EPA Region 5 brownfields activities is available at http://www.epa.gov/r5brownfields.

Information on ARRA brownfields job training grants and other EPA Brownfields activities under the Recovery Act: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/eparecovery/index.htm

Information on brownfields job training grants: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm

A Chipotle Mexican Grill in Illinois with its own wind turbine and a 2,500-gallon underground water cistern to harvest rainwater was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council at the organization’s highest rating.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) facilitated specialized training sessions with KERAMIDA, Inc., to help businesses and communities around the state “jump start” their environmental management systems. Staff from KERAMIDA provided on-site sessions to 25 manufacturers and two communities, under the Jumpstart© Environmental Management System (EMS) Program.

Federal officials are preparing for a series of public meetings to discuss President Barack Obama’s initiative to restore the Great Lakes, an ecosystem battered by invasive species, toxic pollution and other problems.

Beginning Tuesday in Milwaukee, the Environmental Protection Agency will describe the initiative and take public comment in eight cities across the region.

Join hundreds of friends and colleagues from across North America in a wide-ranging exchange of research findings, teaching tips, lessons about professional development, and discussions about the future of environmental and sustainability higher education.

You may make your reservation today by visiting the AESS website or go straight to the conference website.  You will also be able to reserve lodging nearby and monitor the development of the conference program.

Nearly 150 paper presentations have already been included in the program and dozens of roundtables, discussions,and poster sessions are planned, along with opportunities to hear prominent public figures and to meet with members of the Society for Environmental Journalists (SEJ), who are holding their annual meeting only minutes away.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

The conference will kick off late Thursday afternoon, October 8, with a welcome reception and brief addresses about Wisconsin’s prominent role in environmental thought and action. Professor Stanley Temple, avian ecologist and past president of the Society for Conservation Biology, will talk about “The Natural History of Wisconsin,” followed by Curt Meine, Director of the Center for Humans and Nature, and biographer of Aldo Leopold who will describe “The Environmental Legacy of Wisconsin.”

The conference will move into high gear with a plenary on Friday morning, followed by concurrent panelsessions and roundtables. All of these sessions will be held in the historic Memorial Union located on the shores of beautiful Lake Mendota. A magnificent banquet will be held Friday evening in one of the grand halls of the Memorial Union. Saturday will open with a chance to visit the local farmers market, one of the largest in the nation, followed by plenary, poster sessions, and concurrent panel presentations. Saturday evening provides a choice of visiting one of the many local restaurants or joining SEJ colleagues for a festival at the Aldo Leopold Shack, with the Leopold Foundation. Organizers forS EJ are calling this a “slowfood extravaganza with some of the best beer, wineand organic fare that Wisconsin has to offer, followed by bluegrass music,bonfires, dancing and lots of down home banter in the heart of Sand County.” Sunday (October 11) will begin with a brunch organized around thematic discussion tables. A sign for each round table session will invite whoever wishes to join. Issues raised at this years conference, collaborations for the forthcoming year, or developing potential sessions for next years AESS conference are all possibilities.

Pre-conference tours on Thursday October 8 are being coordinated with the Society for Environmental Journalists, and will be open for registration by AESS members beginning on August 17th.

The combination of campus events and local field trips will provide opportunities to experience Wisconsin’s well known contributions to environmental thought at a time of year when the weather and nature’s colors are at their finest. Don’t miss this opportunity to attend the first annual conference of AESS – an event with the potential to help launch “Earth Day: Phase II.”

The Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust has announced a three-year, $1.9 million grant from the Chicago-based Joyce Foundation for an initiative designed to improve water quality in the Milwaukee River Basin.

The Living Building Challenge, introduced at the 2006 Greenbuild Conference in Denver, Colorado, has set an incredibly high bar. The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York, crossed the finish line first with its Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), a 6,200-square-foot, one-level building, designed to gain the Living Building certification. At the groundbreaking on October 11, 2007, folk musician Pete Seeger performed for a gathering of environmental and civic leaders. The building was completed at the end of June 2009 and will host a grand opening on July 16.

New residential buildings in Illinois will use less energy and cost less to operate thanks to the residential energy-efficient building code passed by the Illinois General Assembly. House Bill 3987, sponsored by Rep. Julie Hamos and Sen. Don Harmon, will require all new buildings, including houses, to conform to the International Energy Conservation Code.

Conference website: http://www.conferences.uiuc.edu/mississippiriver/index.html

Join a diverse group of participants with interest in our nation’s largest river, including stakeholders in the recreational, navigation, and agricultural sectors, researchers, and natural resource professionals.

Through conference presentations, panel discussions, and workshops, attendees will formulate policy recommendations on four issues critical to the sustainable management of the Mississippi River and the human communities that depend on it.

The conference will culminate with a special Policy Forum where recommendations will be delivered directly to key elected officials and decision makers.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced an award of $1.5 million to the Center for Clean Tech Entrepreneurship at the Tech Garden to establish a clean energy business incubator program that will provide business support to accelerate the successful development of early-stage, clean energy technology companies in Central Upstate New York.  Through this award and other ongoing efforts, NYSERDA is building the capacity to foster innovative clean energy companies, grow the clean energy industry in New York, and expand the State’s “green collar” workforce.

Samantha White, 6, ran behind a bush and found a wrapper and a fountain drink cup. She picked them up and threw them into her reusable green grocery bag.”I’m trying to collect garbage to help the Earth,” White said.

White already had six pieces of trash in her bag that she found from scouring the grounds surrounding the Savoy Recreation Center, 402 Graham Dr. She said she hoped to find more trash than the 11 other children roaming around collecting garbage in their reusable bags.

White and the other children collecting trash were participating in a contest to see who could find the most garbage littered on the ground. But no matter who had the most in their bag at the end of the search, everyone was a winner. They had all won because they had improved the environment for themselves and for others.

This was the concept their instructors, Courtnie Swearingen, a senior at the University, and Julie Zientek, a junior at Eastern Illinois University, said they hoped the children would learn from the day’s activity at Go Green Camp, a new summer program at the recreation center aimed at teaching children ages five to 12 how to protect the environment.

A new wind energy trade group was born late Saturday afternoon at the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association’s Michgian Energy Fair.

The Michigan chapter of Women of Wind Energy will likely begin holding monthly meetings later this year based on the interest of about 20 women who showed up for a 4 p.m. organizational meeting at the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama.

Radisson(R) Hotels & Resorts today announced the opening of the Radisson Plaza Mississauga Toronto Airport, a USD 24 million, 100-room, all-suite hotel located at 175 Derry Road East in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The hotel was recently recognized with a Four Key rating by the Eco Rating program from the Hotel Association of Canada as a hotel that has taken significant steps to protect the environment.

The next time you see an Oberlin College grounds person mowing the lawn you may pick up the whiff of fried foods emanating from the tractor instead of diesel exhaust. That is because veggie-oil powered lawn mowing has come to campus.

The brainchild of Oberlin Grounds Services Manager Dennis Greive and his crew, the changeover was implemented by Sam Merrett of Full Circle Fuels, who converted the vehicle to run on 100% waste vegetable oil from campus dining halls. Greive believes it is one of the first such conversions by institutions of higher learning in the country.

The 1970s-era modernist building in Chicago will undergo a $350 million green retrofit, which includes the installation of wind turbines on its roof.

IBM, Syracuse University (SU), and New York State have entered into a multiyear agreement to build and operate a new computer data center on the university’s campus that will incorporate advanced infrastructure and smarter computing technologies to make it one of the most energy-efficient data centers in the world. The data center is expected to use 50% less energy than a typical data center today, making it one of the greenest computer centers in operation.

When the state ordered Crestwood officials nine years ago to test their community well for toxic chemicals, they said it wasn’t necessary because all of the village’s drinking water came from Lake Michigan.

“This sampling would not apply to our facility,” Frank Scaccia, the village’s certified water operator, wrote in an April 2000 letter to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Citing Scaccia’s letter and other documents, Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday that accuses Crestwood officials of lying more than 120 times about their secret use of a community well contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals. The suit outlines a systematic coverup of Crestwood’s routine use of its tainted well and provides more details about actions first publicly revealed by the Tribune in April.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has announced that the city of Toronto has passed a new green roof by-law with overwhelming support yesterday. The green roof by-law consists of a green roof construction standard and a mandatory requirement for green roofs on all classes of new buildings. The by-law requires up to 50% green roof coverage on multi-unit residential dwellings over six stories, schools, non-profit housing, and commercial and industrial buildings. Larger residential projects require greater green roof coverage, ranging anywhere from 20-50% of the roof area.

Dell and Goodwill Industries International are expanding a free drop-off program for consumers to recycle any brand of unwanted computer equipment.

The program is expanding to 451 new donation sites in seven additional states ù Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and West Virginia. The program in Wisconsin is also expanding to the southeastern and South Central parts of the state.

A new report from FollowTheMoney.org examines the energy industry, pro-business organizations and environmental organizations that are working to impact the outcome of this legislation. The report shows that contributors interested in climate-change policy gave $7.2 million in 2008, 7 percent of all contributions given to candidate and party committees. Of this, $4.3 million came from 13 industry groups and associations opposed to carbon regulations.

All 53 lawmakers who sit on the relevant committees that hear the bills or serve in key leadership positions received money from the interested parties. The four people in leadership positions received $573,550 from members of the 13 industry groups and associations and an additional $312,881 from other associations, organizations and individual companies–eight times as much as the 49 members of the pertinent committees, and almost ten times the amount received by other lawmakers.

Associations and businesses in favor of stronger climate-change policies gave $21,450. Of that, $17,500 came from the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan FollowTheMoney.org collects and analyzes campaign contribution information for state-level candidates, political party committees, and ballot committees. Its free, searchable database of contributions, as well as the full text of this report, are available online at FollowTheMoney.org.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has announced a new initiative to assist the healthcare industry reduce energy costs and improve the environment while enhancing the treatment of patients. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities often use energy intensive equipment and processes to deliver patient care. The New York Energy $mart Focus on Healthcare will assist healthcare facilities in identifying cost-effective investments in energy efficiency that will improve overall energy performance.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels last week signed into law the state’s first mandate for electronics recycling.

The signing of H.B. 1589 makes Indiana the 19th state in the country to implement electronics waste regulations in the absence of a federal standard. The Indiana e-waste law forces manufacturers to take responsibility for the collection and recycling of their products.

Manufacturers of video display devices, such as TVs, computer monitors and laptops, must recycle 60 percent by weight of their sales of those products. They are required to register with the state by April 2010 and must include a plan describing how they will meet their recycling targets. They can count the recycling of other electronics, such as printers, keyboards and VCRs, toward their recycling goals. Manufacturers must report their progress at the end of each program year for state review. In the third year, the state will impose penalties for noncompliance.