Georgia Institute of Technology Receives EPA Safe Drinking Water Research Grant

 

Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(Atlanta – Ga. – Sept. 4, 2008) Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award of a $600,000 research grant to Georgia Tech to improve the detection of known and emerging drinking water contaminants; including the harmful substances produced by blue-green algae in algal blooms and noroviruses. Georgia Tech is one of six recipients (four universities, one non-profit and one research institute) to share a total of $3.6 million in research grants announced today.

The goal of Tech’s research is to develop a rapid and sensitive sensor that can be used in the field to detect, identify, and measure cyanotoxins, poisons produced by some blue-green algae.

Water is essential to life, and one of EPA’s highest priorities is ensuring America has drinking water safe from pathogens and other waterborne contaminants. The agency presently regulates 90 harmful chemicals, microorganisms and even radiation in water. To ensure even healthier drinking water, EPA is encouraging research into other possible contaminants and with faster technologies.

In the United States, it is often difficult to link the incidence of waterborne diseases with their exact causes, due to the need for ever more sophisticated tools to monitor waterborne contaminants. These newly funded research projects will help improve the agency’s ability to pinpoint potential problems using innovative new technologies and methods.

More Information on the Grants: epa.gov/ncer/2008drinkingwater

List of Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants: epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html#listmcl

Group Says Clean Air Standards Will Cut Summertime Smog Pollution, Protect Kids’ Health

WASHINGTON, Sept 04, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today took action to cut pollution from a major source of summertime smog and to protect human health by finalizing clean air standards for nonroad gasoline engines. These include smaller gasoline engines that power lawn equipment and personal marine watercraft.

“Cleaner lawn mowers means less summertime smog and healthier air for millions of kids,” said Environmental Defense Fund Deputy General Counsel Vickie Patton. “These new clean air standards will reduce dangerous smog pollution from high-emitting gasoline engines while helping to cut costs at the gas pump.”  EPA’s new standards will protect human health through a combination of limits on the evaporative pollution from gas tanks and emission standards that require cleaner engines.

The new standards will be phased in beginning in 2010, depending on engine type, and will annually cut smog-forming volatile organic compounds by 600,000 tons and smog-forming oxides of nitrogen by 150,000 tons when fully implemented.

These gasoline-powered engines release up to 25 percent of the gasoline unburned in their exhaust, so cleaner emission standards also help save fuel costs at the pump.

Read on here.

Sixth Circuit rules on challenge to EPA regulation of Kentucky waters

Abigail Salisbury | The Jurist

[JURIST] The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit [official website] on Wednesday ruled [opinion, PDF] on a suit brought by several Kentucky environmental groups, including a chapter of the Sierra Club [advocacy website], against Stephen L. Johnson [EPA bio] in his official capacity as Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [official website]. The plaintiffs filed suit under the Clean Water Act [text], seeking to compel Johnson to fulfill his duty to implement antidegradation requirements for Kentucky. In a complex order, the Sixth Circuit affirmed the district court’s grant of summary judgment to the EPA on the challenge to the EPA’s approval of Kentucky’s selection of regulated waters, reversed the grant of summary judgment to the EPA on the its approval of Kentucky’s exemption of six types of pollution discharges from review, and remanded the matter to the EPA. Judge Clay authored the opinion, stating “In my view, the EPA acted contrary to law by relying on [Kentucky's] unenforceable commitments.”

In recent months, the EPA has been sued by a number of states seeking either the promulgation of regulations or effective response to petitions. In August, twelve states filed suit [press release; JURIST report] against the EPA for its alleged failure to enforce provisions of the Clean Air Act [text; EPA materials] requiring oil refineries to adopt measures curbing the pollution contributing to global warming. In July, California Attorney General Jerry Brown [official website] formally notified [letter, PDF; press release] the EPA that the state had petitioned the EPA three times seeking a regulatory ruling and would file a lawsuit [JURIST report] against the agency if it refused to issue rules regulating greenhouse gas emissions from various vehicles and types of machinery.

Dahlonega Hopes for Water Fix by Next Week

By Stephen Gurr |

The Gainsville Times

Dahlonega city officials are now hoping to replace a broken filter that cut its water plant’s pumping capacity in half by next Tuesday or Wednesday.  Dahlonega City Manager Bill Lewis said the replacement schedule is “an optimistic target date,” though he added there could be uncertain variables in procuring the parts, which are coming from Idaho. Initially engineers thought it could be as long as a month before the filter could be replaced.

The collapse of the 32-year-old filter on Friday put the city’s water supply in a perilous situation, with the 1.5 million gallons per day capacity cut in half and at risk in the event of a major fire or large water main failure. In response, the city imposed a total outdoor watering ban.

Lewis said under the requirements of state law, the city must get permission for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to extend that watering ban beyond seven days, if necessary. Lewis drafted a letter to the EPD this morning seeking that authorization.

Lewis said the city is maintaining water pressure for its approximately 2,700 customers by doubling shifts at the plant to 24-hour operations.

“What people need to know is there is a potential for problems,” Lewis said. “Our concern is for fire protection and water for basic human needs.”

He said local industry Timken, a bearing plant on Torrington Road, is “on standby” should it need to reduce its water usage.

“Fortunately, we’re heading into a time when the demand for water is not as great.”

Read on here.

Georgia Artificial Turf Poses Lead Risk, California Attorney General Says

LA Times

There’s more to artificial turf than meets the eye, according to California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown. The A.G. has sued several manufacturers of the ersatz grass, saying they failed to disclose lead hazards, as staffer Marc Lifsher reports.

The lawsuit, which has been joined by Los Angeles City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo and the Solano County Dist. Atty. David W. Paulson, names Beaulieu Group of Georgia, AstroTurf of Georgia and FieldTurf USA Inc. of Florida.

All three companies said they were working with California officials to settle the lawsuit and stressed that their products were safe. AstroTurf, an artificial turf pioneer, said in a statement that it “has demonstrated its industry leadership by proactively developing new products that are below the most stringent standards for lead in consumer products.”

The turf is less dangerous when new, according to the A.G. But as it ages, it breaks down to dust that contains lead.

Read on here.