EPA awards pollution prevention grants in NJ and NY

Students and faculty at Rowan University and Rutgers University in New Jersey and Rochester Institute of Technology in New York will benefit from pollution-prevention grants awarded today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Rowan will use a $106,194 EPA grant
to assist the pharmaceutical industry in implementing source reduction,
pollution prevention, and green engineering design through an engineering
clinic program. In these clinics, Rowan professors and students will
demonstrate to industry representatives how they can reduce energy consumption,
water consumption, hazardous material releases and save money in their
manufacturing processes.

With the help of a $50,000 EPA grant, the Rutgers
University Center for Advanced Energy Systems will implement a smart electrical
metering system on their Busch and Livingston campuses in Piscataway. Smart
meters record energy consumption and communicate that information to utilities
and their customers. This system will allow Rutgers to identify ways to achieve
energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption, while reducing emissions of
greenhouse gases and energy costs.

Rutgers will received a separate $150,000
grant to recruit high school students as “Water Champions” to lead
water conservation changes throughout their communities. These students will
educate their communities about water conservation, recruit local retailers to
participate in selling water efficient devices, gather data and calculate water
saved from installations of water efficient devices, share project results and
encourage participation from other organizations.

Rochester Institute of Technology is receiving a $69,000 grant to
promote wet cleaning in dry cleaners throughout the state. Traditional
dry cleaning uses an environmentally hazardous solvent, while wet
cleaning uses water-based biodegradable detergents. The New York State
Pollution Prevention Institute will select two dry cleaners as case
studies, and will provide technical assistance and funding to defray
equipment costs for converting to wet cleaning. Information will be
shared with other dry cleaning businesses.

In addition, the EPA is providing the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) with $180,000 to train college students to work as
interns in pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities conducting pollution
prevention assessments of their operations. The goals will be to
achieve measurable reductions in energy and water use, minimize
contaminants present in wastewater discharges, and reduce operational
costs.

EPA is also providing NYSDEC with $90,000 to reduce hazardous
chemicals being used, stored and generated by New York State high school
laboratories by providing assistance with chemical inventories, the
development of chemical hygiene plans and the distribution of green
chemistry guides.
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First NJ public school to earn a top green-building score

A public school in Sayreville, NJ that serves 175 students with autism
and multiple disabilities, has received the top certification by a
national green-building organization.

The Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) has been awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum level certification–the highest of four LEED Certification levels developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The facility, designed by USA Architects of Somerville, NJ and constructed at a cost of $23 million, opened in 2009.

It offers 24 classrooms, as well as physical therapy,
gymnasium, and aquatics space, which will also be used by Sayreville’s
Brain Injured Children’s Swim program.

In addition to its LEED-standard
design features, with an emphasis on energy performance, the school includes an interior garden and nature trail that weaves
through the 28-acre site.

LEED conservation features at CLL range from recycling of rainwater,
control flow meters on appliances, white roofs to reduce heating and
cooling costs, and drought tolerant landscaping such as wildflowers.

Additionally, waste management during the building process itself,
including separating asphalt, beverage containers, concrete, drywall and
plastic into separate recycling containers, was another important
environmentally friendly factor.

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Enviro-Events Calendar for Sept. 27 – Oct 4, 2011

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Environmental seminars, forums, education, social, and networking opportunities
in New Jersey,  Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware.

Send information on your upcoming event to editor@enviropolitics.com.
We’ll list it for free.

Tell your friends and colleagues about this great service.

View full calendar here

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More gas drilling ahead for Pa’s federal and state forests

Gas drilling in Pennsylvania’s Tioga State Forest — PennFuture photo

Environmentalists, conservationists and others opposed to natural gas drilling in state and federal forests have  been dealt a stinging defeat as a U.S. appeals court ruled that the owners of mineral rights in a
national forest in Pennsylvania don’t have to wait for an environmental
study before drilling.

The 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a Pennsylvania district court’s
ruling that mineral rights owners don’t have to wait for an
environmental impact study from the U.S. Forest Service to start
drilling in the Allegheny National Forest, according to a report by the Platts news service.

The U.S. Forest Service in 2009 opted to call for a long-term
environmental impact assessment of the national forest as part of a
settlement with the Sierra Club and other advocacy groups.

The Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association and other groups sued to
return to 1980 measures that require a 60-day notice before drilling
operations begin.

The federal appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision, saying
the owners of mineral rights would suffer an undue burden while waiting
years for the EIS.

Natural gas production from the Marcellus shale gas play in
Pennsylvania was reported at 1.87 billion cubic feet per day during the
first half of 2011, a 22 percent increase over production reported in
the second half of 2010.

Corbett planning to drill Pennsylvania out of debt?

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported today that the Republican administration of Gov. Tom Corbett is considering the expansion of gas drilling in forests and other state-owned land.

“Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration in Harrisburg is considering
leasing more state land, though there are no firm plans at the moment,
said Corbett spokesman Eric Shirk.

“The January 2010 lease sale under former (Department of Natural Resources and Conservation) Sec. (John) Quigley
included 18,000 acres of ecologically sensitive wild and natural areas
which can only be accessed underground and which brought in $128 million
for taxpayers,” wrote Patrick Henderson, Gov. Corbett’s energy
executive, in e-mailed comments. “Done correctly, it is possible to
develop our commonwealth’s natural resources while ensuring the
protection of our public lands.”

About 800,000 acres of the 1.5 million acres of state land in the
Marcellus fairway are unleased. Most of the unleased land either is in
ecologically sensitive areas or cannot be accessed without cutting
through those areas, according to a study by the DCNR.

The state forests have a long history of hosting other drilling and
mining, but the Marcellus rush has only just begun. The Marcellus wells
there have nearly doubled over the past year to 175. Another 125 to 150
will go in next year on land already under lease, department
spokespeople said. Initial department estimates posted on its website
had figured for nearly 6,500 wells on nearly 1,100 well pads. 

The push is for money. Once a seven-figure trickle, the state’s Oil
and Gas Lease Fund has exploded from new oil and gas money. It earned a
combined $444.1 million in 2009 and 2010, more than double what it made
in its previous 61-year history, according to department figures.

“I knew this was opening Pandora’s box. It was too successful, and
the numbers were just staggering,” said Quigley, who helped oversee the
last round of leasing under then-Gov. Ed Rendell. “I can’t criticize
Gov. Corbett for doing the same thing my boss did. … The danger is
that some could look to the state forest as a way out of financial
problems, as easy money.”

DCNR expects to bring in a record of $58 million in rent and
royalties alone in the 2011-12 fiscal year, spokeswoman Christina Novak
said.

Last month, Gov­er­nor Corbett’s Sec­re­tary of Eco­nomic and Com­mu­nity
Devel­op­ment, Alan Walker, said that increased drilling in
Pennsylvania’s state forests could bring in “close to $60 bil­lion” over
the next three decades. ““That allows us to solve just about every
eco­nomic prob­lem we have that is hang­ing out there, he said, “includ­ing
un-funded pen­sion lia­bil­ity and infra­struc­ture prob­lems.” .

What’s your opinion on expanded natural gas drilling in national and state parksa Uses the comment box below.  If one isn’t visible, activate it by clicking on the tiny ‘comment’ line.

Related:
OK to drill in Pa. forest, court rules 



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NJ Technology Council’s final call for presentations

Our friends at the New Jersey Technology Council asked us to pass the information below to our readers. We are happy to oblige.
__________________________________________________________________________

FINAL Call for Presentations – Delaware Valley
Technology Research Symposium
October 6, 2011 at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ
Deadline for Entries – September 19th at 11:45 pm  

 

The New Jersey Technology Council is
delighted to announce a new effort in conjunction with Rowan University – the Delaware Valley Research Symposium
which will take place at Rowan University on the afternoon of October
6th.  Submission is for Research Projects in the
fields of Information Technology/Software, Electronics/Advanced Materials,
Environment/Energy, Life Sciences and Telecom/Media which is in the early – mid
development stages.

Either corporate or university graduate, post doctoral
fellows or researchers can participate.  Entries from South Jersey (Princeton
South), Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia are sought.
The focus of this competition is partnering, collaboration and visibility, not
funding. 

Two participants
(one representing corporate and one educational for each category) will be
selected to present their concept at the event on the afternoon
of October 6 in a six minute presentation.  With
permission, a video recording will be made of their presentation and will be
made available for viewing on www.njtc.tv.

Selected
presenters will also have an exhibit table at the event and individual
opportunities to meet with potential collaborators.

For
more information on submitting a very short and simple presentation, click HERE. 
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USGBC offers free green jobs training for NJ employers

To help workers and businesses better compete in a
difficult economic climate; The US Green Building Council-New Jersey
(USGBC-NJ) has entered into a new partnership with the state
Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD) to provide free, on-site  “Green Jobs” training to its chapter members.

The training will center
around the field of Green Building to help USGBC-NJ members align
themselves with the ever-changing demands on workforce skill. The new
trainings will focus in large part on LEED® (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) test preparation enabling members to obtain
accreditation that will enable them to compete for the proliferation of
green oriented work that is on the horizon.

The organization says the training will help “companies compete effectively and acquire a
greater percentage of the jobs created under the State’s Energy Master
Plan.”

The customized educational
programs will be made available at no cost to USGBC-NJ individual
chapter members. The training will be conducted onsite at an
employer’s office or in one of the designated USGBC-NJ training
facilities.

The two part program will
include LEED® Training which includes LEED® Green Associate
recommended modules. The first part of the training will include the
LEED® & Fundamentals of Sustainability . The second part of the
training will include a variety of customized training programs for
multiple disciplines also inclusive of LEED® Technical Review and Exam
Review.  Customized Programs include but are not limited to: Operations
& Maintenance, Facilities Management, Construction Management &
Trades, Legal Considerations in Green Building & LEED, Real Estate
& Development, LEED Neighborhood Development, Green Building &
Labs, and Corporate Sustainability, LEED & Schools.

More information on the USGBC-NJ training program can be found by clicking on this link

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