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October 2017 www.newmoa.org
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NEWMOA's Board of Directors met in September to discuss implementation of NEWMOA's 2018-2022
Strategic Plan
and the
NEWMOA-NERC Strategic Plan
. They also discussed and decided on NEWMOA's Fiscal Year 2018 priorities and workplans for each program area and the organization's budget. The Board shared state program updates and news from the U.S. EPA.
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Rich Bizzozero, MA OTA
Outgoing FY 2017 Chair of the
NEWMOA Board of Directors
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Stephanie D'Agostino
Former NH DES Program Supervisor and Board Member
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Waste Site Cleanup Program
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Upcoming Workshop
More than one remedial approach is often necessary to achieve remedial action objectives and reach site closure. Different tools may be the most suitable to address the various contaminant phases/concentrations in the "compartments" at the same site. Adaptive, flexible, iterative, and attentive approaches are essential to achieving results, whether using one tool or combining several. This workshop will provide information on planning and implementing various remedial technologies in combination, including:
- High resolution site characterization
- The conceptual site model (CSM) modifications
- Reagent delivery
- Thermal remediation
- In-situ carbon injection
Webinar
NEWMOA held an "In-situ Treatment of Back Diffusion from Bedrock" webinar on August 17, 2017. The webinar focused on in-situ treatment alternatives to traditional pump and treat to control back diffusion from bedrock. Matt Burns, In Situ Remediation Practice Leader at WSP presented on implementing biochemical reduction combined with bio-remediation at several sites, including over three years of data. Russ McCormick, a senior scientist at CB&I Federal Services, presented a case study on implementing enhanced bio-remediation at Loring Air Force Base in Maine.
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Solid Waste & Sustainable Materials Management Program
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Improving Safety & Reducing Waste at Rural Transfer Stations
NEWMOA has published a series of five
two-page handouts and
accompanying educational posters, targeted to residents using rural transfer stations. The publications promote waste reduction practices, including, reuse and recycling, and properly disposing of problem items. Two of the handouts provide general information for consumers about waste reduction and recycling, while the other three were customized for each partner. NEWMOA also developed writable template versions so that additional communities could customize them.
During the summer, NEWMOA held
training workshops with transfer station staff on improving safety and reducing waste in Littleton, NH and in Lyndonville, VT. Finally, NEWMOA hosted two national webinars that reviewed the results of this Project and discussed lessons learned and next steps:
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Food Waste Rescue & Backyard Composting
NEWMOA is embarking on a "Promoting Strategies to Keep Food Waste Out of Landfills" Project focused on supporting solid waste management authorities in three rural regions in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
The long-term goals of this Project are to reduce food waste generation; increase recovery and donation of wasted food; and expand home composting of food waste that cannot be reduced.
The near-term objectives are to:
- Increase the communities' understanding of the problems created by food waste generation and landfill disposal
- Increase food planning and waste reduction behaviors of residents
- Increase home composting of food waste by residents
- Raise awareness of the local edible food recovery options that are available and could be expanded and new ones that could be developed
- Develop sustainable ongoing food waste reduction education and infrastructure solutions in the participating communities
The Project will achieve these objectives by engaging local stakeholders, developing and disseminating locally-tailored handouts and guidance materials, conducting demonstrations at local events, holding workshops and webinars, and developing Action Plans for the communities.
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Hazardous Waste Training
NEWMOA held a workshop for state hazardous waste inspectors in New England in mid-September. The session focused on
:
- Results of an evaluation of NH DES' Generator Training Program
- Interesting enforcement cases
- Reviewing and interpreting lab reports
Evaluations of the workshop were positive. For more information
, contact Terri Goldberg
.
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Pollution Prevention & Sustainability Program
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Wet Cleaning Demonstrations
NEWMOA is continuing to promote professional wet cleaning as the safest alternative to perc dry cleaning for garment care. On November 1, 2017, NEWMOA will hold a demonstration event at Best Cleaners central processing facility in Schenectady, NY. The event will give cleaners the opportunity to observe wet cleaning in practice and see and feel the results.
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Interstate Mercury Education & Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC)
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Rachel Smith, IMERC Project Manager, at the Conference
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International Mercury Conference
The theme of the conference focused on improving understanding of the multiple factors that accelerate and attenuate recovery of mercury contamination in response to environmental inputs on local to global scales. It included presentations on topics related to the science of mercury, technology, management, and its effects on human health and the environment.
IMERC participated in the public information session "Open House" and displayed two posters, which focused on trends in mercury use in products in the U.S. and the importance of mercury product labeling.
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Webinar
IMERC hosted a webinar on the EPA's new
Dental Amalgam Rule
for installation of amalgam separators in July for its members. More than 20 people from state and local governments attended the webinar. The purpose of the rule is to reduce mercury discharges from dental facilities into municipal sewage treatment plants (known as publicly owned treatment works or POTWs). It requires dental offices to use dental amalgam separators and follow best management practices. The webinar provided background information on the rule, as well as the applicability, exemptions, reporting, and recordkeeping requirements.
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2016 Triennial Reporting
Notification continues to be a priority for IMERC. As of October 10 2017, approximately 220 companies have submitted their 2016 triennial applications through IMERC's
e-filing system
. The IMERC Notification Committee estimates that 140 companies, or about 40 percent, still need to file. IMERC is following-up with these non-compliers with instructions for how they can come into compliance with the notification requirements.
Notification through the e-filing system enables companies to comply with the Mercury-added Product Notification and Labeling requirements of Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota (labeling only), New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington (labeling only). Reporting is required for any company that sold or distributed mercury-added products into the states listed above during calendar year 2016.
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Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2)
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Chemicals Policy Database
IC2 has made some needed repairs to the
IC2 Chemicals Policy Database and began updating it with chemicals policies enacted from 2015 to 2017. The Database covers 9 policy categories, 13 product types, and dozens of chemicals and includes policies enacted from 1957 to the present. For each policy listed, the Database provides a citation, brief description, the policy's category, the product types addressed by the policy, and, in most cases an attached copy of the full text of the policy. In addition to state laws, the Database includes state-level executive orders and local (e.g., municipal) policies. IC2 staff welcome contributions of additional policies that should be included; contact
[email protected].
Webinars
On July 18, Beth Meer and John Vana of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) described their multifaceted work to "green" the state's procurement of goods and services. New York's recent efforts include procurement of furniture, food containers, batteries, disinfectants, and hand sanitizers. Beth and John discussed the process used to develop or revise procurement specifications (including stakeholder engagement and collaboration with other states), issues that arose during the process, and how the issues were resolved.
On October 3, the leaders of two of the IC2's newest member organizations (Lauren Heine, Executive Director of
Northwest Green Chemistry, and Dianne Barton, Chair of the
National Tribal Toxics Council) described their organizations and work to reduce human and environmental exposures to toxic chemicals. The
presentations were followed by an engaging Q&A session.
In the next month, the IC2 will present two additional webinars: "Paper-making 101: Fluorinated chemicals in fiber-based food packaging" and "P2OASys Update and Relaunch", and the Training Workgroup is organizing even more for late 2017 and early 2018.
IC2 webinars are a members-only benefit. For more information, contact
Topher Buck.
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news@NEWMOA
is designed to help our members and colleagues keep informed about the Association's projects and activities. You are receiving this e-newsletter because you are a member of a NEWMOA working group, committee, program, or listserv; an invitee to NEWMOA events; a colleague at EPA or a related organization; connected to the Association in some other way; or have expressed interest in our work. If you have questions about delivery of this e-Newsletter, contact Lois Makina.
Share this newsletter with others in your agency or organization that might be interested.
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Newsletter contributors:
Andy Bray, Topher Buck, Terri Goldberg, Jennifer Griffith, Lois Makina, and Rachel Smith.
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