Features


Vermont Top State for Battery Recycling in 2018

Atlanta-based Call2Recycle, Inc. revealed the top 10 battery recycling states on Feb. 18, National Battery Day.

Florida DEP Presents 2018 Plant Excellence Awards

The department is awarding a total of 18 facilities, including 10 domestic wastewater facilities and eight drinking water facilities statewide. This is the 29th year that the Florida Rural Water Association has conducted the Focus on Change Seminars in conjunction with DEP.

Climate Scientists Awarded 2019 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement

Michael E. Mann, Ph.D., distinguished professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University, and Warren M. Washington, Ph.D., distinguished scholar at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, are the 2019 Laureates.

Waste Associations Want Performance-Based End to Post-Closure Care

"We believe that a one-size-fits-all approach to post-closure care is too prescriptive and does not account for the differences among landfills," said Darrell Smith, NWRA's president and CEO. "A performance-based standard offers wider applicability to achieve the same environmental protection goals."

NASA Reports Giant Hole Beneath Thwaites Glacier

The size of a cavity under a glacier plays an important role in melting, said the study's lead author, Pietro Milillo of JPL. "As more heat and water get under the glacier, it melts faster," Milillo explained.

New ASTM Test Method Addresses Corrosion in Petrochemical Pipelines

The annual estimated cost of microbiologically induced corrosion to the oil and gas industry ranges from $4 billion to $30 billion.

Colorado Governor Signs Order on Zero Emission Vehicles

"Today's executive order will strengthen our economy and protect the wallets of consumers across the state. As we continue to move towards a cleaner electric grid, the public health and environmental benefits of widespread transportation electrification will only increase," Gov. Jared Polis said Jan. 17.

The National Hurricane Center will use predictions of storm surges and storm surge mapping during the 2016 U.S. hurricane season.

Extreme Weather Events a Top Concern in 2019

The 2019 Global Risks Report identifies economic worries, major power tensions, political strains, climate catastrophe, and technological instabilities as areas of concern.



IRENA Chooses New Director-General

Francesco La Camera will take office on April 4, 2019, succeeding Adnan Z. Amin, who has been the International Renewal Energy Agency's director-general since 2011.

GM Planning Largest EV Charging Network

New information to be provided by the charging networks will include real-time data on charge station health to report whether a charging station is working, available, and compatible with a Chevrolet Bolt EV.

Pennsylvania Agency Urges Residents to Test for Radon

EPA has set 4 picocuries of radon per liter (pCi/L) of air as an Action Level. For anyone who has a higher radon level than this, EPA, DEP, and the U.S. surgeon general recommend having a radon mitigation system professionally installed to lower it by venting radon to the outside.

General Motors is turning its employees

International Statistic of 2018: 90.5 Percent of Plastic Waste Never Recycled

The winning International Statistic of 2018 is 90.5%: the proportion of plastic waste that has never been recycled. The UK Statistic of 2018 is 27.8%: the peak percentage of all electricity produced in the United Kingdom from solar power on June 30, 2018.

TCEQ Extends Deadline to Apply for New Technology Implementation Grants

As much as $3.6 million in grants is available for projects that reduce air pollutants from facilities and other stationary sources in Texas. Eligible individuals or businesses must own and operate—or intend to build, own, and operate—stationary sources in Texas.

NYC Working to Overhaul Commercial Waste Collection

The city's private garbage hauling industry has become inefficient in its operation and unsafe. The Commercial Waste Zones plan will eliminate 18 million miles of truck traffic every year, a 63 percent reduction from today, according to Arcadis, the company that completed the plan for New York City's Department of Sanitation.

Industrial LED Lighting: The New Secret Weapon in the Battle Against Pollution

Switching from conventional High-Intensity Diode (HID) lighting, such as high-pressure sodium fixtures, to modern, high-efficiency industrial-grade LED lighting has proven to be one of the most effective sustainability practices.

New Leader Named for Gulf Research Program

The Gulf Research Program was established in 2013 as part of the settlement of criminal charges against two companies involved in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The federal government entrusted the National Academies with $500 million to enhance human health, environmental resources, and the safety of offshore energy systems in the Gulf of Mexico region.

End of Libby Cleanup in Sight: EPA

During the next year, this phase of the cleanup will be closed out, and long-term operations and maintenance of the site will transfer to the state in 2020. EPA reported that its activities at the W.R. Grace mine site will continue into the near future.

There are a myriad of applications for an effective screening system. (Aggregates Equipment, Inc. photo)

Five Ways Material Screening Can Help Companies Go Green

Landfills and waste are two of the greatest threats to the health of the environment, and effective screening solutions can greatly reduce your company's contribution to the problem.

PTTGC

Ohio EPA Hosting Public Meeting on Modifications to Cracker Plant's Discharge Permit

The proposed PTTGCA petrochemical complex would be located on the west bank of the Ohio River in Belmont County.

The beach at Skegness in Lincolnshire kept its Excellent rating in 2018 for the fourth year in a row.

Good Water Quality at Almost All UK Bathing Spots, Testing Shows

During the early 1990s, only 28 percent of bathing waters would have met today's standards, but big improvements have been made to water quality during the past two decades, in part thanks to EA regulations reducing pollution from water companies and industry, as well as the work of local councils and communities.