Chris Lynch

Next SBA Environmental Roundtable Meeting

The next U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Advocacy Environmental Roundtable will meet to discuss the following topics, beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 30, 2019.  The meeting will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Small Business Administration Headquarters, 409 Third Street SW, Eisenhower B Conference Room.  Send your RSVP to twaqar@sba.gov.  Please indicate whether you are attending in person, or by teleconference.  Information will be sent out to you when you RSVP.  We have adopted a casual attire …

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EPA Honors MGM Resorts’ Bellagio Hotel and Casino for Food Recovery Efforts

MGM Resorts International – Bellagio Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Nevada, has been recognized by EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Michael Stoker with a National Food Recovery Challenge Award. The resort had the greatest percentage food waste reduction of Challenge Hospitality Sector participants. The Bellagio Hotel and Casino is one of 14 National Food Recovery Challenge Award recipients and is the only recipient in Nevada. MGM Resorts International implemented a new program to donate unserved food from hotel events, mini-bars, …

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U.S. EPA approves Navajo Nation and Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation authority to develop water quality standards

May 23, 2019 SAN FRANCISCO — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the approval of applications for “treatment in a similar manner as a state” (TAS) under the federal Clean Water Act for the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, in Nevada and Utah, and the 1.5-million-acre Bennett Freeze area of the Navajo Nation. Michael Stoker, regional administrator for EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region, presented the signed Certificate of Achievements in a ceremony at the Regional Tribal Operations Committee meeting …

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Prescription Drug Round Up Event

On Saturday, April 27, From 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Northern Nevada and its law enforcement partners will host the semiannual Prescription Drug Round Up. Instead of throwing your prescription drugs away, or pouring them down the drain, this event allows you to safely dispose of any unwanted prescription drugs, making sure they never end up in our water supply or have the potential of being abused.   Drop off locations will be located throughout the community. Click here for …

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What Are Landfills?

What is a landfill? Modern landfills are well-engineered and managed facilities for the disposal of solid waste. Landfills are located, designed, operated and monitored to ensure compliance with federal regulations. They are also designed to protect the environment from contaminants, which may be present in the waste stream. Landfills cannot be built in environmentally-sensitive areas, and they are placed using on-site environmental monitoring systems. These monitoring systems check for any sign of groundwater contamination and for landfill gas, as well as …

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How Severe Drought Influences Ozone Levels

From 2011 to 2015, California experienced its worst drought on record, with a parching combination of high temperatures and low precipitation. Drought conditions can have complicated effects on ozone air quality, so to better understand the process, researchers have analyzed data from two ozone-polluted cities before, during and after the California drought. They report their results in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology. Although ozone in the stratosphere protects the earth from ultraviolet radiation, at ground level the molecule is a …

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EPA Proposes to Reduce TSCA Reporting Burden

WASHINGTON (April 12, 2019) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) rule to better support Agency data collection efforts, align reporting with the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act by requiring that confidentiality claims be substantiated, and make chemical reporting easier by streamlining complex submissions. “CDR not only supports the Agency’s TSCA activities, but can be a helpful tool for states, tribes, industry, nongovernmental organizations and all stakeholders,” …

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Pharmaceutical Regulation for Healthcare Sector

Rule Expected to Save Up to $15 million Annually WASHINGTON  — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed a final rule streamlining standards for managing hazardous waste pharmaceuticals in the healthcare sector. The final rule is expected to result in up to $15 million in costs savings annually. “These common-sense updates will help the healthcare sector safely manage hazardous waste pharmaceuticals and will reduce the amount of pharmaceutical waste entering our waterways by roughly 2,000 tons,” said EPA Acting Administrator …

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Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste that is improperly managed poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), passed in 1976, was established to set up a framework for the proper management of hazardous waste. Need More Information on Hazardous Waste? The RCRA Orientation Manual provides introductory information on the solid and hazardous waste management programs under RCRA. What is a Hazardous Waste? The hazardous waste management program uses the term solid waste to denote something that is a waste. …

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EPA Retains National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Sulfur Dioxide

WASHINGTON (February 26, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its final decision to retain without changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide (SO2). This decision comes after carefully reviewing the most recent available scientific evidence and risk and exposure information and consulting with the agency’s independent science advisors. “The United States has made great strides in reducing SO2 concentrations,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum. “Based on review …

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