UTAH'S P2 PROGRAM
September 2000
Utah has had a strong P2 program for over 10 years and much progress
has been achieved. As Utah continues to plan for its future, many new opportunities
are identified for the P2 program to get involved with. During the last two
years and for the next I 1/2 years, Utah's main P2 thrust in Olympic preparation.
Many programs which have been initiated over the years are still active and
we continue to be involved with and support. Below is a summary of our current
and ongoing work projects.
I . 2002 Winter Olympic Games
-Salt Lake Organizing Committee
-P2 for solid waste
-Sustainable facilities
-Environmental education
-UEEC
-Spirit of the Land annual awards program
-Energy and Water efficiency
-Air Quality and transportation
management demand
-TMA
-Tele 2000
-Envision Utah
-Greening of restaurants
and lodging facilities
-Temporary facilities
-Environmental and Public Health Alliance
-EPA, DEQ, 6 LHD's, UOPSC,
HHS
-Coordinate governmental
enviro issues
-Work with communities
to plan for outside fence activities
-P2
-transportation
-water quality
-solid waste
-Utah Environmental Partners
-Working to partner with businesses to green companies
and communities
2. Green Label
-criteria are completed
-working out PR campaign
3. Annual Debate Project
4. Small Business
5. P2 Association
-annual awards
-annual conference
6. Utah Society for Environmental Education
-annual earth day event
-PAWS
7, Ask the Expert
8. OTHER
U.S. EPA POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN
Accomplishments/Plans
Energy Star Programs:
Energy Star Building Label. Ten Denver office buildings,
including Denver Place, which houses EPA's Region 8 offices, have earned Energy
Star Building Label plaques for their efforts to conserve energy and reduce
the amount of pollutants released into the air. To qualify, buildings must score
in the upper 25 percent of all buildings in the United States for energy efficiency.
We will continue to promote Energy Star buildings and examine ways to describe
and report economic benefits associated with the program.
In late August, 40 commercial building managers/owners attended
seminars. at the Region's Conference Center on using Energy Star Building's
Quikscope software program to determine where the greatest energy savings may
be made, and the Benchmarking Tool for rating a building's overall energy efficiency.
Small Business: Congregations Program. This program focuses
on energy savings for churches and synagogues. Information packets have been
mailed to over 50 denominational headquarters offices located in Region 8 states.
The P2 team is working on a technical assistance project at the Denver Rescue
Mission.
Small Business Restaurant Program. A workshop was held
to acquaint area health department restaurant inspectors and P2 coordinators
with energy savings programs for restaurants. This information can be conveyed
to restaurant owners and managers as a part of regular inspections.
Energy Star Homes Program. There are now 107 builders and
allies participating in the program in Region 8 and 523 new homes are included
in the Energy Star Homes Program. Region 8 will continue to build on the success
of these partnerships.
Partnership Program. There are 114 business 'partners'
in the 100,000+ square feet category, 70 in the small business category, as
well as 40 'allies', for a total of 224, an increase of 104 over the past year.
Owners or managers of buildings that do not qualify for the building label are
encouraged to join in the partnership program. We plan to continue participation
in the program.
Energy Star Labeled Products. New office equipment purchased
in Region 8, including computers, fax machines, and photocopiers, has Energy
Star labels.
Back to Roundtable
2000
Materials Usage/Waste Minimization
Waste Management
The Region 8 Green Team. The Green Team is a group of volunteers
charged with developing and implementing pollution prevention practices at the
EPA Region 8 office. The team has taken a lead role in implementing pollution
prevention, waste reduction, recycling and alternative commuting strategies
at the Region 8 office and laboratory. After assessing the resource use, waste
streams and procurement practices of the Regional office, the team undertook
several projects, focusing on waste reduction, recycling, alternative fuels
for government vehicles and environmentally preferred purchasing (EPP). Paper
is the largest waste strewn in the Regional office. From May 1998 until August
1999, Region 8 recycled 32.5 tons of paper.
The Green Team has issued a booklet, "How to Go Green at EPA",
a compendium of information on P2 measures that employees can take to reduce,
reuse and recycle. Specific information includes electronic communications,
two sided copying and printing, reusable dishes and utensils, purchasing, and
recycling. Information contained in the booklet is being presented at program
staff meetings throughout the Regional office.
WasteWi$e. The WasteWi$e program was developed by EPA to
assist businesses in taking cost effective actions to reduce solid waste. Companies
that accept the WasteWi$e challenge commit to achievements in three areas: 1)
preventing waste (source reduction), 2) collecting recyclables, and 3) increasing
the manufacture or purchase of recycled products. Any company, institution,
or non-profit organization may join WasteWi$e as a partner. Trade associations
and other membership organizations may join as endorsers, which promote the
program to their members.
In the coming year, the Region 8 P2 team will support the WasteWi$e
effort to recruit federal facilities as partners in the program. EPA Region
8 intends to become a WasteWi$e partner. Members of the Region 8 P2 team participated
in a WasteWi$e forum, "Buying Recycled: The Real Story About Cost, Availability,
and Quality".
Jobs Through Recycling (JTR). In the last 4 years, region
8 states have received funding from the Jobs Through Recycling (JTR) Program
to participate in five projects. Projects have included improved composting
in the Glenwood Springs, Lamar and Yuma/Sterling areas and the start up of the
Recycling Development Incubator (RDI). RDI, a project of Eco-Cycle in Boulder,
first received funding in 1997 to provide business and technical assistance
to recycling entrepreneurs. In 1999, Eco-Cycle received additional JTR funds
to improve recycling entrepreneurs' access to financing.
Environmentally Preferable Products (EPP). EPP ensures that environmental
considerations are included in federal agency purchasing decisions, along with
traditional factors such as price and performance. The EPP program provides
guidance for federal agencies to facilitate purchases of goods and services
that pose fewer burdens on the environment. We are developing an EPP handbook,
desk reference, poster and bookmark to facilitate EPP implementation in Region
8.
These materials may also serve as an example to be adapted by
other government agencies as well as by businesses and other organizations.
EPP training will be conducted for Regional employees with purchasing responsibilities.
The P2 team has given presentations on environmentally preferable purchasing
to other agencies, including GSA, the National Wildlife Refuge at the Rocky
Mountain Arsenal, Wester Area Power Administration, the Bureau of Land Management,
and the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
Plastic Lumber. Region 8, the National Park Service, and
the Army Corps of Engineers are cooperating in an EPP project to test the feasibility
of using plastic lumber (i.e., building materials made from recycled plastics)
in certain construction projects at selected national parks. Project activities
will include designing and building structures such as boardwalks, fences and
guard rails using plastic lumber, and development of a purchasing tool kit for
use by the Park Service. We are working with the Army Corps of Engineers to
examine the use of plastic wood in structural applications.
Yellowstone Cleaning Products Project. Yellowstone and
Grand Teton National Parks were even "greener" this summer as a result of a
joint project funded by the National Park Service (NPS), EPA Region 8 and the
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the toxicity of cleaning
and janitorial products used in various park operations by substituting environmentally
preferable products. The pilot phase of the project demonstrated that it is
possible to meet park cleaning needs using such products. Yellowstone was also
able to reduce the number of different cleaning products needed by 88%, from
130 to 15. The results of this project will be documented in a publication.
Considering the number and variety of Yellowstone's operations, this will lead
to significant cost savings in addition to the environmental benefits.
Agricultural Projects
PAM Project. Region 8's P2 program is participating in
a sustainable agriculture project in the Brighton, CO, area involving the use
of polyacrylamides (PAM) in irrigation water to help reduce soil erosion and
the leaching of fertilizers and pesticides. Polyacrylamides are white, water
soluble high polymers based on acrylamide- they are used as thickening or suspending
agents in water-based formulation. A test is underway in Weld County to determine
how much PAM increases the efficiency of chemical applications. The demonstration
is testing PAM's
effect on three different irrigated crop fields: sugar beet, dry beans and corn.
Last year, the project was conducted on sugar beet and dry bean fields. The
producers were asked to apply PAM to the irrigation water on half of each field,
maintain records throughout the season and keep separate yield records for each
half of the field, with and without PAM.
Although the results are preliminary, tests showed that on the
corn field, PAM save 473 pounds of soil, 0.97 pounds of nitrogen and 0.66 pounds
of phosphorus per irrigation, per acre, Which translates to saving of $5.73
per acre. When Lorsban 15G was applied, PAM saved 1.85 pounds of Lorsban
per acre in the irrigation after application, at a savings of $4.24 per acre.
Cost to apply PAM is estimated at $5.00 per acre. We will work with other agencies
and grower groups to promote the environmental and economic benefits of PAM.
P2 Assessments for a Colorado Dairy. The Region 8 P2 Program
sponsored a multi-media pollution prevention assessment of a dairy in Northern
Colorado, offering suggestions on the use of more efficient motors and fuels
and expansion of animal waste composting operations.
Pesticide Risk Reduction. Region 8 is supporting several
projects to reduce risks of pesticides on agricultural crops, including integrated
pest management (IPM) for alfalfa and dryland wheat in Wyoming and for sugar
beets in North Dakota; precision application of corn herbicides in Colorado,
stored grain pest management with temperature control in Montana. We also plan
to fund a project utilizing IPM for mosquito abatement in endangered fish habitat
in Utah.
Tribal Sustainable Agriculture. A grant awarded to the
Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota will support the development of organic
farming and permaculture activities, renewable energy, and farmers markets on
the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. Results will be shared throughout South Dakota
and the nation.
Other Projects
Ski Industry Project. EPA has provided a grant to the Colorado
Department of Public Health and the Environment to identify and implement innovative
P2 measures in the ski industry. The Aspen Skiing Company and Arapahoe Basin
Ski Area have agreed to cooperate in the demonstration projects. A survey of
P2 practices in ski areas has been conducted and P2 assessments have been performed
to examine P2 opportunities. The project will include a report of P2 practices
implemented and training sessions for other ski areas.
Urban Landscape IPM. An integrated pest management project
for urban landscape plants is being implemented in Missoula County, MT. The
program includes a scouting network to determine the levels of pets or diseases
in landscape plants, alternative treatment recommendations, development of educational
materials, and training sessions about IPM techniques. This program might be
used as a model for other urban areas. Pesticide incidents resulting from ornamental
and turf applications are a growing problem for state pesticide programs.
Management/Outreach
Federal Agencies
Environmental Management System Review (EMRs) in Region 8.
EMRs examine how various management systems at federal facilities operate to
ensure environmental compliance. EMRs use the frame work of a federal interagency
document called the "Generic Protocol for Conducting Environmental Audits at
Federal Facilities". Phase III of the "Generic Protocol" discusses procedures
for reviewing the eight disciplines which comprise environmental management
systems: 1) organizational structure, 2) environmental commitment, 3) environmental
protection programs, 4) formality of environmental programs, 5) internal and
external communications, 6) staff resources/development/training, 7) program
evaluation/ reporting/ corrective action, and 8) environmental planning/risk
management.
Region 8 has completed environmental management system reviews
at EPA's Region 8 Laboratory; the Western Area Power Administration Rocky Mountain
Region, and the U.S. Postal Service District Office Vehicle Maintenance Facility.
All three facilities ranked very high in meeting the eight EMR disciplines,
especially in the areas of organizational structure, environmental commitment,
staff resources/development/training, and environmental Planning/risk management.
We intend to conduct at least two EMRs annually.
EPA Environmental Education Legacy. Region 8 spent the
past summer working with Yellowstone National Park in a unique partnership program
with the National Park Service. The purpose of the partnership is to promote
environmental awareness and sustainable national park environments through education.
A Region 8 employee created educational posters on air and water pollution,
source reduction for household hazardous waste, recycling, and other important
environmental issues which were placed in visitor centers around the park.
EPA also assisted park staff in obtaining technical information
on disposal of diesel contaminated soil; helped with EPA grants for recycling
and solid-waste composting and developed an integrated solid waste management
plan for the park. A Region 8 P2 employee also helped package and dispose of
hazardous chemicals, represented EPA at a meeting to discuss alternative-fuel
vehicles for the Greater Yellowstone communities, and helped establish EPA support
to provide technical assistance to Yellowstone National Park for the new sustainably
built visitor center at Old Faithful. The environmental education legacy experience
will be used to develop educational and interpretive programs for other land
management agencies.
Children's Health Initiative. Children are particularly
vulnerable to environmental health risks because of their developing systems
and because they eat proportionately more food, drink more fluids, and breathe
more air per pound of body weight. Because of their inherent behavior of crawling
on the floor and playing outside and their lack of understanding about environmental
risks, children are more susceptible to environmental exposures.
EPA has a national agenda to protect children from environmental
health risks, including: 1) ensuring that all standards EPA sets are protective
of the potentially-heightened risks faced by children, 2) identifying and expanding
scientific research on children's specific susceptibility and exposure to environmental
pollutants, 3) developing comprehensive new policies to address cumulative and
simultaneous exposures faced by children, and 4) expanding community right-to-know
to allow families to make informed choices concerning environmental exposures.
Region 8 has established an agency-wide work group to address
the Children"s Health Initiative Implementation will include developing children's
health profiles for the Region 8 states, providing parents and children with
basic information so they can take individual responsibility for protecting
themselves from environmental health threats, expanding educational efforts
with health, environmental and industry professionals to identify, prevent,
and reduce environmental health threats to children, and funding selected projects
to address environmental health threats to children.
A Colorado advisory committee was formed and convened to design
and develop issues in support of a Colorado forum. The forum, held at the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in May 1999, was the first
formal step toward bridging the gap between environmental and health officials.
It focused on asthma, lead and pesticide exposure. EPA and CDPHE will continue
to build a partnership and network on children's health.
Outreach and Technical Assistance
State and Tribal P2. We continue to work closely with our state and
tribal partners to support pollution prevention programs and activities. Each
year we award Pollution Prevention Incentives for States (PPIS) grants to Region
8 states. Performance Partnership Agreements (PPAs) for Colorado, South Dakota,
and Utah have references to P2 in each of their media sections. Wyoming and
Montana have limited references, but P2 is included. North Dakota has
a paragraph in their current PPA about a P2 project that will be carried out
next year. We will look for opportunities to include P2 activities in Tribal
Performance Agreements that are developed, and to provide P2 information to
tribes.
We will continue to manage grants for innovative P2
projects. Through a competitive grants process we will solicit and review proposals
and select projects for available P2 and solid waste discretionary funds. All
grants awarded will have provisions for P2 measurements.
Web Site Addresses (Detailed information on these topics can be found
at these locations on the internet.)
Buy Recycled Day: http://www.nrc-recycle.org/americarecycles.aspx
Children's Health (general):
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/homepage
Energy Star Programs: http://www.epa.gov/energystar/
Environment (general): http://www.epa.gov/
Environmental Management System Reviews: http://www.epa.gov/region08/ems/
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing: http://www.epa.gov/epp/index.htm
Pollution Prevention, Region 8: http://www.epa.gov/region08/
Recycling (general): http://www.epa.gov/Region8/conservation_recycling/recycling.html
Region 8: http://www.epa.gov/region08/
WasteWi$e: http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/
Yellowstone Cleaning Products Project: http://www.nature.nps.gov/SustainabilityNews/search_docs/CEI_Park_Updates/Yellowstone_Update_Page.htm
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