News Briefs: (1) EPA Gives Awards for Reducing Emissions; (2) EPA Awards $2.9 Million to Support State Regulatory Innovation Efforts
*News Briefs* If you need more information on any of these subjects, call the listed Press Officer. For Release: (Washington, D.C. -- Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006) *(1) EPA Gives Awards for Reducing Emissions* *(2) EPA Awards $2.9 Million to **Support** **State** Regulatory Innovation Efforts* *(1) EPA Gives Awards for Reducing Emissions *Contact: Roxanne Smith, (202) 564-4355 / smith.roxanne@epa.gov As part of its efforts to reduce emissions from sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented awards to three companies for phasing out or replacing SF6 in its processes. SF6 is the most potent greenhouse gas and is nearly 24,000 times as effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere as an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide. Lunt Manufacturing in Schaumburg, Ill., conducted trials of three promising alternative melt protection technologies. Tokai Rika in Aichi, Japan reduced its SF6 emissions by 80 percent since 2000 by optimizing its melt protection systems and using a new technology. By replacing equipment and training employees, Southern California Edison in Irvine, Calif., prevented 109,129 lbs of SF6 from entering the atmosphere from 1999 to 2005, the equivalent to annual emissions from 250,000 cars. EPA maintains active partnership programs with the two largest U.S. SF6 emission sources, electric utilities and the magnesium industry. EPA's partnerships are reducing SF6 emissions by implementing cost-effective improvements to industrial processes, with SF6 emissions expected to remain below 1990 levels beyond the year 2010. The magnesium industry has committed to phasing out SF6 emissions by the end of 2010. Information on EPA's SF6 Emission Reduction Partnership for the Magnesium Industry: http://www.epa.gov/magnesium-sf6/ Information on the SF6 Emission Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems: http://www.epa.gov/electricpower-sf6/ * (2) EPA Awards $2.9 Million to **Support** **State** Regulatory Innovation Efforts* Contact: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov EPA is awarding $2.9 million in grants to12 states to help them improve environmental permitting - the legal process by which regulatory requirements to protect health and the environment are translated into operating procedures for businesses and facilities. Five states receiving grants - New Jersey, Virginia, Louisiana, Indiana and Nevada - are setting up programs to improve environmental performance in small businesses, such as dry cleaning, oil and gas well operations, retail gasoline sales, and dental facilities. These programs will be applying the Environmental Results Program (ERP) model to improve compliance and other aspects of environmental performance while reducing regulatory burden and increasing regulatory agency awareness of small business operations. In addition, Massachusetts and Rhode Island will receive grants to quantify how ERPs benefit state permitting programs. Two states - Washington and Georgia -- will examine how the comprehensive focus of environmental management systems can be used to reduce the overall environmental impacts of manufacturing facilities. Five states - New Hampshire, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia and Arizona - will set up programs to provide public recognition and other incentives for facilities that exceed environmental permitting requirements. Since 2002, EPA has provided 23 states 29 State Innovation Grants totaling nearly $5 million. These grants are an outgrowth of EPA's 2002 Innovation Strategy, which calls for strengthening the agency's innovation partnership with states. The 12 states receiving grants today were selected by EPA's National Center for Environmental Innovation, in consultation with EPA programs and regions, under the 2005 and 2006 State Innovation Grant competitions. The specific awards are as follows (all numbers in thousands): Arizona ($225), Georgia ($80), Indiana ($453), Kentucky ($189), Louisiana ($250), Massachusetts ($225), Nevada ($200), New Hampshire ($243), New Jersey ($180), Rhode Island ($250), Virginia ($475), and Washington ($182). This week, EPA is also announcing a solicitation for additional grants under the 2007 State Innovation Grants competition. It will appear soon in the Federal Register. More information on the State Innovation Grants program and the latest solicitation: http://www.epa.gov/innovation/stategrants More information about EPA's Innovation Strategy: http://www.epa.gov/innovation/strategy.htm More information on the Environmental Results Program (ERP): http://www.epa.gov/permits/erp/index.htm R322 You can update or cancel your subscription at any time [ https://service.govdelivery.com/service/user.html?code=USAEPA ]. You need only your e-mail address. This service is provided free of charge by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If you have any questions or problems about this service, please contact help@govdelivery.com for assistance. Sent by the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW . Washington DC 20460 . 202-564-4355