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NPPR News
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Message from the Chair
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by Laura Henne
Happy 2023!
As we plan our activities for the coming year, we want to hear from you. What do you appreciate the most about NPPR? What new workgroups would you like to see? How would you like to get more involved? We will be sending out a survey for you to let us know! You are also welcome to provide feedback to me anytime at laura.henne@dep.nj.gov.
Laura Henne NPPR Chair |
Dr. Carl Cranor receives P2 Educator MVP2 Award during Jan. 11 department presentation
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Dr. Carl Cranor, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of California Riverside, received his MVP2 award during a departmental presentation on January 11. He said, "I am just delighted to be the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable MVP2 awardee. This was academic research at work. Researchers introduce ideas; they’re found and used by knowledgeable others far from their origins. I’m thrilled that I and my work was part of this process and has supported pollution prevention."
Cranor was recognized for his work in improving our understanding of toxics by explaining the relevant law so that any thoughtful citizen can understand it. His 2011 book, Legally Poisoned, and 2017 book, Tragic Failures: How and Why We are Harmed by Toxic Chemicals, as well as his books and reports on toxic torts, carcinogens, and valuing health, have been complemented by service on national advisory committees. His work has brought the concepts of morality and justice to conversations often overshadowed by technical issues. NPPR honored him for bringing this necessary, broad view to the national conversation on toxics because it is the underlying driver for progress in pollution prevention.
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P2 Student MVP2 Award presented to Jonathan Arentsen on Dec. 12
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Jonathan writes:
In the fall of my senior year and under the guidance of Professor Rick Reibstein, I started to examine chemical reporting data for the Toxics Use Reduction Institute at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell. Looking at the 2017 Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act hazardous substance reports and the 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Data Reporting datasets, I charted general trends in the utilization of phenolic compounds across Massachusetts and identified seeming inconsistencies in submitted reports. Following the publication of my final paper, I made a presentation of my findings to staff at the Toxics Use Reduction Institute who noted that it raised their attention to the need to further explore the aforementioned chemical reporting datasets and that it provided strong indications of the need to take a closer look at phenolic compounds. Following this recognition from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, my findings are being further explored by the EPA.
It was incredible having the opportunity to receive the award back with the professor and mentor, Rick Reibstein, that helped me kick start this project over a year ago. I was presented the award during the end of year presentations of the class I started my initial work in, and I loved being able to spread awareness on the work with pollution prevention I was doing. My only hope is that more people hear about my conclusions and it prompts a deeper investigation into accountability with chemical data reporting and phenolic compounds.
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Workgroup updates
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About NPPR workgroups
NPPR's workgroups
bring together P2 professionals from across the country to share ideas, information, and deliverables. The topical areas coincide with EPA national emphasis areas and other areas of interest to the P2 community.
NPPR currently hosts six active workgroups. They are:
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Upcoming Leadership & Voluntary Programs Workgroup meeting
Join us on February 16 at 3 pm ET to discuss the EPA P2 Grantee Meeting that was held in December. In early December, EPA P2 Grantees gathered in Washington D.C. to learn about EPA's overarching P2 framework, including services available through the P2 hub, the EPA-wide approach to environmental justice, marketing, grant reporting and more. During the last session, EPA requested feedback from P2 Grantees. This discussion will focus on leadership & voluntary programs and how they fit into and enhance EPA's P2 goals. The group will determine if it is interested in providing additional feedback to EPA. If you have any questions or topics that you know you know like included, please email Meghann Quinn at Meghann.Quinn@DEQ.Virginia.gov.
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From the states
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Regions 1 & 2
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NEWMOA announces new Executive Director
The NEWMOA Board of Directors recently announced that they have chosen Martin Suuberg to be NEWMOA’s new Executive Director. He began his new role in late January.
For the last eight years, Suuberg served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department Environmental Protection at a time when the Agency developed and implemented drinking water and contaminated site clean-up standards for PFAS and enhanced efforts to address environmental justice and equity issues.
Michael Wimsatt, NH DES and chair of the NEWMOA Board of Directors Search Committee said, "In Martin, we have a new leader who, in addition to possessing extensive knowledge about state waste, cleanup, and toxics issues, is also intimately familiar with our organization, the work we do, and the community that we serve. Martin’s passion for environmental protection and public health, his vision for the organization, and his commitment to reducing emerging contaminants, promoting environmental justice, and taking aggressive climate action made a deep impression on the Board."
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NEWMOA and NERC co-host webinar on residential food waste reduction and composting
NEWMOA and the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) recently hosted a webinar that provided an opportunity to learn about resources on preventing food waste at home, particularly in disadvantaged communities. This is a key strategy for keeping food out of the waste stream. The presentations covered opportunities to reduce and divert food waste to compost, especially smaller scale community composting. The presentations included: |
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Region 5
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ISTC scientist is set to develop technology addressing water contaminated with PFAS
Man-made per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals,” withstand many treatment options and bioaccumulate in the environment, posing serious environmental and health concerns. With a three-year, nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) scientists are developing a new technology to remove and destroy PFAS from contaminated water using a designer biochar produced from woody biomass or agricultural residues such as corn stalks and cobs. |
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Regions 9 & 10
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2023 FOG Forum
The FOG Forum is a two-day training and networking event focused on FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease) and is designed to inform and train wastewater professionals, restaurant owners, pretreatment professionals, plumbers and adjacent industries on the latest in FOG issues. The 2023 FOG Forum will be a hybrid event, held in-person at the Hood River Inn in Hood River, OR and online (synchronous) via Zoom. |
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Federal government news
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EPA announces plans for wastewater regulations and studies, including limits for PFAS, new study for nutrients
U.S. EPA recently released Effluent Guidelines Program Plan 15 (Plan 15), which lays out how the Agency will work to protect the nation’s waterways by following the science and the Clean Water Act to develop technology-based pollution limits and studies on wastewater discharges from industrial sources. The plan focuses on evaluating the extent and nature of both nutrient and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) discharges. Plan 15 further advances EPA’s commitment in the PFAS Strategic Roadmap to restrict PFAS discharges from industrial sources through a multi-faceted Effluent Limitations Guidelines program. The agency is also announcing several new and expanded studies as part of today’s action, including: - an expansion of the ongoing study of PFAS discharges from textile manufacturers;
- a new study of publicly owned treatment works (POTW) influents to characterize the PFAS concentrations from industrial dischargers to POTWs and inform implementation of pretreatment programs to address them; and
- a new study on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to make an informed, reasoned decision on whether to undertake rulemaking to revise the ELGs for CAFOs.
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EPA releases PFAS Analytic Tools
U.S EPA has released PFAS Analytic Tools, a new interactive webpage which provides information about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) across the country. This information will help the public, researchers, and other stakeholders better understand potential PFAS sources in their communities. The tools bring together multiple sources of information in one spot with mapping, charting, and filtering functions, allowing the public to see where testing has been done and what level of detections were measured.
To improve the availability of the data in the future, EPA has published its fifth Safe Drinking Water Act Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule to expand on the initial drinking water data reporting that was conducted in 2013-2016. Beginning in 2023, this expansion will bring the number of drinking water PFAS samples collected by regulatory agencies into the millions. EPA also significantly expanded the Toxics Release Inventory reporting requirements in recent years to over 175 PFAS substances — and more information should be received in 2023. Additionally, EPA’s proposal to designate PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substances would also improve data on spill or release incidents reported to the Emergency Response Notification System. These reporting enhancements will be incorporated into future versions of the interactive webpage. EPA will continue working toward the expansion of data sets in the PFAS Analytic Tools as a way to improve collective knowledge about PFAS occurrence in the environment.
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EPA seeks input on Inflation Reduction Act programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with construction materials and products
On January 19, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first opportunities for public input on new programs focused on lower carbon construction materials made possible by a $350 million investment from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. EPA’s new programs will provide grants, technical assistance, and tools to help states and Tribal Nations, manufacturers, institutional buyers, real estate developers, builders, and others measure, report, and substantially lower the levels of embodied carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production, use, and disposal of construction materials and products. EPA will hold three public engagement webinars to solicit feedback from experts and stakeholders, including institutional buyers, developers, builders, manufacturers, and representatives from states, Tribal Nations, non-profit organizations, trade associations, and others. - March 2, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST: Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Construction Materials Prioritization and Environmental Data Improvement – This webinar will ask for feedback on how to prioritize construction materials and products and how to improve data on embodied greenhouse gas emissions through measurement, standardization, transparency and reporting criteria. Register here.
- March 22, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST: Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Grants and Technical Assistance for Environmental Product Declarations – This webinar will ask for feedback on new grant and technical assistance programs to help businesses calculate and report the greenhouse gas emissions data for construction materials and products through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Register here.
- April 19, 2023, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST: Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Carbon Labeling – This webinar will ask for feedback on how EPA could develop a carbon labeling program for construction materials and products with substantially lower embodied greenhouse gas emissions. Register here.
In addition, EPA will issue a Request for Information to solicit written comments on the design of these new programs. Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, comments on any of the questions outlined should be submitted to docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2022-0924 on Regulations.gov by May 1, 2023.
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EPA seeks public comment on National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives for Fiscal Years 2024-2027U.S. EPA is soliciting public comment and recommendations on the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives (NECIs) for fiscal years 2024-2027 (formerly called “National Compliance Initiatives”). EPA is proposing to continue the following four current NECIs in the FY 2024-2027 cycle: - Creating Cleaner Air for Communities by Reducing Excess Emissions of Harmful Pollutants.
- Reducing Risks of Accidental Releases at Industrial and Chemical Facilities.
- Reducing Significant Non-Compliance in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program.
- Reducing Non-Compliance with Drinking Water Standards at Community Water Systems.
EPA is proposing to return these two current NECIs to the core enforcement and compliance programs: - Reducing Toxic Air Emissions from Hazardous Waste Facilities.
- Stopping Aftermarket Defeat Devices for Vehicles and Engines.
EPA is proposing to add these two new NECIs in the FY 2024-2027 cycle: - Mitigating Climate Change.
- Addressing PFAS Contamination.
EPA is also taking comment on whether to add an NECI to address Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) pollution and/or lead contamination. In addition, EPA proposes to address environmental justice concerns in all NECIs, and to add two new NECIs on mitigating climate change and addressing PFAS pollution, for the FY 2024-2027 cycle. The Agency is also accepting additional suggestions from the public.
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EPA announces availability of $100 million through Inflation Reduction Act for Environmental Justice Grants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the availability of approximately $100 million for projects that advance environmental justice in underserved and overburdened communities across the country. EPA published two Requests for Applications for this funding: They held pre-application assistance webinars for each in late January. Applications for both programs are due April 10.
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New publications
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6th Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) Report
Clean Production Action recently released the 6th Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) Report. Highlights from the 2021 report include: - Companies with over $1 trillion in annual revenue from seven business sectors participated in the 2021 CFP Survey. Over one year, they collectively reported chemical footprint reductions of 83.4 million pounds/37.8 million kilograms.
- Walmart, one of the world’s largest retailers, surpassed its 10% chemical footprint reduction goal in formulated products by achieving a 17% reduction and encouraged its suppliers to set impactful chemical footprint goals.
- Reckitt, a major consumer goods company and retailer supplier with brands including Lysol, Woolite, and Calgon, announced it is “aiming for a 65% reduction in our chemical footprint by 2030.”
- Investors are utilizing CFP Survey as a leadership framework in shareholder resolutions and benchmarking assessments.
- The US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) new proxy voting disclosure requirements for institutional investment managers listed “chemical footprint” among the examples for “Environment or climate” reporting requirements.
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Accounting for Impact
This insight brief from the Rocky Mountain Institute details the importance of consequential accounting methods in evaluating and incentivizing a company’s emissions reduction efforts and demonstrating progress toward climate targets. |
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Commercial Building Incentives: Programs for New Construction and Upgrades in the Inflation Reduction Act and Other Recent Federal Laws
This policy brief from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy summarizes programs in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will or could provide significant resources for energy efficiency in commercial and public buildings. |
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Commercial Building Incentives: Programs for New Construction and Upgrades in the Inflation Reduction Act and Other Recent Federal Laws
This policy brief from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy summarizes programs in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will or could provide significant resources for energy efficiency in commercial and public buildings. |
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Measuring Statewide Impacts of Reuse
With this study, Reuse Minnesota intended to refine the methodologies of previous studies conducted by Reuse Minnesota and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The goals were to obtain updated results on the statewide impacts of reuse and create a user-friendly tool that will allow Reuse Minnesota to replicate the study in future years. Data on more than 13,000 businesses in Minnesota were pulled from the Dun & Bradstreet database for analysis in the tool. Overall, the research shows that the reuse economy continues to have strong positive environmental, economic, and social benefits in Minnesota.
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Optimizing Chemicals Management in the United States and Canada through the Essential-Use Approach
In a new Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) paper, scientists from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and academia provide specific recommendations for how the essential-use approach to chemicals management can be applied by governments and businesses wanting to remove harmful chemicals from commerce.
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Strategies for Plastics Innovation
In this report, DOE calls for advancing certain chemical recycling technologies and improving mechanical recycling of plastics. It also calls for doing more with biodegradable and bio-based plastics technology and approaching R&D projects with a more intentional environmental justice focus.
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Submit a story
Do you have a new project, publication, or event you want to promote to your NPPR colleagues? Share it in the newsletter! |
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Upcoming events
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