Air News (Region 5): EPA: Manitowoc and Door Counties in Wisconsin Now Meet Smog Standards‏

EPA: Manitowoc and Door Counties in Wisconsin Now Meet Smog Standards

CHICAGO (May 7, 2010) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 plans to approve requests from the state of Wisconsin to redesignate the Manitowoc County and Door County areas to attainment of the national health-based eight-hour outdoor standard for ozone. Ozone is commonly referred to as smog.

EPA said three years of complete, quality-assured, outdoor air monitoring data for 2006, 2007 and 2008 show that the areas meet the standard. Complete quality-assured monitoring data for 2009 show that the areas continue to meet the standard.

EPA also proposes to approve Wisconsin’s plans to continue to meet the eight-hour health-based ozone standard in the areas through 2020 and to approve motor vehicle emission budgets for Manitowoc and Door counties.

The actions were published on Tuesday, April 27 in the Federal Register. The public has 30 days to comment. Comments may be entered at http://www.regulations.gov/. Refer to dockets ID No. EPA-R05-OAR-2009-0730 and follow online instructions for submitting comments.

Comments may also be e-mailed to bortzer.jay@epa.gov or faxed to 312-692-2054.

Smog is formed when a mixture of pollutants react on warm, sunny days. The pollutants are released from cars, factories and a wide variety of other sources. Smog can cause respiratory problems, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain.
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EPA announces more than $37 million in Recovery Act funds for water infrastructure projects in Wisconsin to boost economy

CHICAGO (August 20, 2009) - In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging drinking water infrastructure and protect human health and the environment for people in the State of Wisconsin, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $37,750,000 million to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help the state and local governments finance many of the overdue improvements to water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state.

"EPA is pleased to provide more than $37 million in Recovery Act funds for much needed improvements to Wisconsin's aging drinking water infrastructure," said Bharat Mathur, Acting Regional Administrator. "This money will protect human health and improve water quality while helping to create good jobs in the state."

The Recovery Act funds will go to the state's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs.
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program provides low-interest loans for drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements. The program also emphasizes providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities and to programs that encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water. An unprecedented $2 billion will be awarded to fund drinking water infrastructure projects across the country under the Recovery Act in the form of low-interest loans, principal forgiveness and grants. At least twenty percent of the funds provided under the Recovery Act are to be used for green infrastructure, water and energy efficiency improvements and other environmentally innovative projects.

Since the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program began in 1997, EPA has awarded more than $8 billion in grants, which states have turned into $15 billion of financial assistance to fund drinking water projects. The revolving nature of the program ensures drinking water projects will be funded for generations to come.

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.

For information on EPA's implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 visit http://www.epa.gov/recovery.

For information on the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund program visit http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf.

Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Wisconsin; Finding of Attainment for 1-Hour Ozone for the Milwaukee- Racine, WI Area

PDF Version (2 pp, 82K, About PDF)
[Federal Register: April 24, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 78)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 18668-18669]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24ap09-20]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
40 CFR Part 52
[EPA-R05-OAR-2008-0683; FRL-8895-9]
Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans;
Wisconsin; Finding of Attainment for 1-Hour Ozone for the Milwaukee-
Racine, WI Area
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: EPA is proposing to approve a July 28, 2008, request from the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) that EPA find that the
Milwaukee-Racine, Wisconsin (WI) nonattainment area has attained the
revoked 1-hour ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 26, 2009.

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EPA seeks comments on document connected to Bad River Band's Clean Water Act application

CHICAGO (Feb. 17, 2009) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has issued a document called a "Proposed Findings of Fact" in connection with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indian's application under the Clean Water Act for authority to establish water quality standards for surface water within its reservation. EPA is expected to decide on the request later this year. If the agency approves the request, the tribe will develop specific water quality standards for bodies of water within the reservation.
The document describes actual or potential effects on water quality inside the tribe's northern Wisconsin reservation from various activities such as residential septic discharges, farming, filling in wetlands, illegal dumping, construction without a permit, and sand and gravel mining.
In 2006, the tribe applied to EPA for authority under the Clean Water Act to set water quality standards for surface water on its reservation. Two other tribes in Wisconsin have been granted this status.
The Proposed Findings of Fact may be read at: http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/wqs5/wqstribes.htm , EPA Region 5's office, 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, Ill. For appointment call 312-886-7252 or e-mail cozza.daniel@epa.gov. It is also available at the tribe's Natural Resources Department, 1 Maple St., Odanah; Ashland County Clerk's office, 201 Main St., Ashland; Bayfield County Clerk's office, 117 E. Fifth St., Washburn; Iron County Clerk's office, 300 Taconite St. Suite 101, Hurley; Vaughn Public Library, 502 Main St. W., Ashland; and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 S. Webster St., Madison.
Comments on the document should be sent by Wednesday, March 18 to Todd Ambs, Water Division Director, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921

EPA awards over $4.8 million to Midwest Clean Diesel partners; Wis. DOT gets $750,000

(Chicago, Ill. - Feb. 26, 2009) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 today announced the award of more than $4.8 million in grants to 13 state and local partners as part of the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative. These regional grants come from the $49.2 million 2008 National Clean Diesel Campaign.
EPA presented a $750,000 check to one of the grant recipients, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, at a Forward Wisconsin clean diesel workshop today in Milwaukee.
"The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is a collaboration by government, industry and environmental organizations that reflects our commitment to protecting public health by reducing the impacts of diesel pollution," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur. "We have set high goals. By leveraging public and private money, we are reducing pollution from existing diesel engines while encouraging new technologies."
The Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative was founded by EPA Region 5 in 2004 to reduce pollution from older diesel engines by making them run cleaner and eliminating unnecessary idling. Since then, the partnership has affected more than 600,000 engines.
"EPA looks forward to funding even more of these very worthwhile clean diesel projects thanks to the American Recovery and Revitalization Act, better known as the Economic Stimulus Package," added Mathur.
Under ARRA, about $300 million will go to reducing emissions from diesel engines nationally. This additional funding is expected to improve air quality and create jobs at companies that manufacture emission control devices and idle reduction technologies. EPA anticipates that it will also create jobs for the technicians who install these devices on trucks, buses, and construction equipment.
The groups receiving funding today from the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative are:
Illinois Green Fleets (statewide)-$678,604
Chicago Public Schools (City of Chicago)-$373,909
Northwest Indiana Forum Foundation (ArcelorMittal Steel, NW Indiana)-$164,032
Indiana Department of Environmental Management (statewide)-$334,500
NextEnergy Center (Southeast Michigan)-$250,000
Lenawee Intermediate School District (Lenawee County, Mich.)-$154,381
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker School District (Huron County, Mich.)-$251,100
Clean Energy Coalition (Michigan statewide)-$250,000
Minnesota Environmental Initiative (statewide)-$400,000
Stark County Educational Services Center (Ohio)-$465,364
Clean Fuels Ohio (statewide)-$412,554
Ohio Environmental Council (Franklin and Cuyahoga counties)-$394,589
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (statewide)-$750,000
Projects include a variety of diesel emission reduction approaches such as retrofit technologies, idle-reduction technologies, cleaner fuel use, engine upgrades and vehicle or equipment replacement.
Nationwide, diesel engines emit 7.3 million tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and 333,000 tons of soot annually. This pollution is linked to thousands of premature deaths, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and millions of lost work days. EPA's new diesel engine standards will significantly reduce emissions from newly manufactured engines.
More information on EPA Region 5's Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative is at http://www.epa.gov/midwestcleandiesel

EPA'S Wisconsin Green Power Partners cut greenhouse gas emissions

CHICAGO (Feb. 2, 2009) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 announced today that its Green Power Partners in Wisconsin reduced their greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 by buying more than 386 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from renewable resources such as solar and wind power.
The partners are Kohl's Department Stores, Menomonee Falls, 259 million kWh; the state of Wisconsin, 92 million kWh; River Falls Wisconsin Community, 18 million kWh; GE Healthcare Headquarters, Waukesha, 16 million kWh; and Monsanto/Agracetus Campus, Middleton, 916 thousand kWh.
The green power bought by these organizations is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of some 50,420 passenger cars per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power some 35,286 average homes annually.
"These organizations are protecting our environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Cheryl Newton, director of EPA Region 5's Air and Radiation Division. "We hope others will follow their lead by voluntarily shifting to renewable energy."
Kohl's was 14th among the top 50 purchasers with 22 percent of its purchased electricity coming from the city of Dover, Racine County, Wis.; Neuwing Energy Ventures, New York, N.Y.; Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sacramento, Calif.; Sterling Planet, Norcross, Ga.; and WM Renewable Energy, Houston, Texas.
Kohl's ranked second on EPA's top 20 retail list and qualified for EPA's Green Power Leadership Club by significantly exceeding EPA's minimum purchase requirements. The company ranked eighth on EPA's Fortune 500 list.
The state of Wisconsin ranked 36th among the top 50 purchasers with 8 percent of its purchased electricity coming from Madison Gas and Electric, Madison, Wis.; We Energies, Milwaukee, Wis.; and WPPI Energy, Sun Prairie, Wis.
The River Falls Wisconsin Community, a new partner, ranked 10th in EPA's Green Power Community category, buying 15 percent of its purchased electricity from WPPI Energy. Green Power Communities are cities or towns where the municipal government is a Green Power Partner that works with local businesses and residents to purchase green power.
GE Healthcare Headquarters ranked 30th on EPA Fortune 500 list, buying enough green power to meet 10 percent of its purchased electricity use from We Energies.
Monsanto's Agracetus Campus ranked 53rd on EPA's Fortune 500 list, buying 16 percent of its green power from Madison Gas and Electric.
EPA's Green Power Partnership works with more than 1,000 partners to help them buy green power voluntarily as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. These green power purchases support the development of new, renewable generation resources nationwide. Overall, EPA Green Power Partners are buying nearly 16 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from electricity use in nearly 1.5 million average American homes.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and biogas, as well as low-impact hydropower. Green power resources produce electricity with an environmental profile superior to conventional power technologies and produce no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
More information on EPA's Green Power Partnership is at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower.

Governor's Task Force on Global Warming

Governor Doyle signed Executive Order 191 bringing together a prominent and diverse group of key Wisconsin business, industry, government, energy and environmental leaders to create a Task Force on Global Warming. After examining the effects of, and solutions to, global warming in Wisconsin, the Task Force will create a state plan of action to reduce our state's greenhouse gas emissions. The Department of Natural Resources and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) are providing staff support to the Task Force. (More.... )