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Enviro-Newsbrief February 8, 1999 The following is a daily update summarizing news of interest to EPA staff. It includes information from current news sources: newspapers, newsletters, and other publications. For more information, contact the EPA Headquarters Information Resources Center at (202) 260-5922, or e-mail LIBRARY-HQ. **Viewpoints expressed in the following summaries do not necessarily reflect EPA policy** A searchable archive of past Enviro-Newsbriefs can be found on the EPA web site at the following URL: http://www.epa.gov/natlibra/hqirc/enb.htm ** The EPA HQ IRC did not receive the BNA Daily Environment Report for February 8, 1999. ** **SOURCE REDUCTION ** Talkin' Trash. The Washington Post, February 7, 1999, pB1&B4. This commentary by William Rathje, founding director of the Garbage Project at the University of Arizona urges the preventative measure of decreasing the amount of garbage we create in the first place, instead of searching for places to put it once it already exists. He notes that garbage is constantly being moved from the place it's created to somewhere else for landfilling. He notes that every day nearly 3,000 tons of New York City's garbage is being hauled to Virginia. Rathje goes on to note that the problem of too much garbage will not be cured by our asking where it all comes from, but instead by asking what we can do to reduce it. Recycling is not the top priority either says Rathje. EPA places recycling only third in its list of ways to reduce waste. The number one means of reducing waste is "source reduction", i.e. using less by buying products and packaging that will create less waste. Rathje thinks that one answer to the problem might be EPA's "Pay As You Throw Program." Seattle, WA has employed this program. A family is given a small garbage receptacle, and should they need a larger one, they can pay for it. Seattle has had a decrease in the amount of garbage bags collected. ** CLEAN AIR ** Hybrid Bus Is Environmentally Friendly. The New York Times, February 8, 1999, pA16. A new bus in use at Boston's Logan Airport is a step towards reducing air pollution from vehicle emissions. The bus is powered by two motors and a natural gas engine. In addition, it weighs only two-thirds the weight of a regular bus. "Transit agencies are under more and more pressure to get off diesel," said Sheila Lynch, the executive director of the Northeast Alternative Vehicle Consortium. "Government agencies are reviewing all their options." She went on to note that Boston has agreed to not buy any new diesel buses, and the Natural Resources Defense Council is working on New York City to make the same kind of agreement. New York has been using five of the hybrid buses since September 1998, and plans to purchase 10 more. "The reaction of our bus drivers has been overwhelmingly positive," said Albert W. O'Leary, a spokesman from New York City Transit. Because the engine is powered by natural gas, it is far cleaner than a diesel engine. In addition, it runs at a constant speed, a facet which allows the highest energy return from fuel. The bus was designed by Everett A. Pearson, who is the owner of TPI Composites. Small Business Input Sought by EPA For Air Toxics Combustion Rulemaking. Daily Environment Report, February 5, 1999, ppA1-2. The EPA has begun efforts to gather input from small businesses that may be affected by five upcoming air toxics rules on stationary combustion sources. The agency sent letters to trade associations that represent small business in hopes of finding out exactly how much interest small businesses have in the upcoming rulings. Amanda Agnew, of EPA's Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards' combustion group, said that EPA is not sure how the rulemakings will affect small business. "We're unsure at this point. We haven't had much input from small businesses, which would really help." Karen V. Brown, the EPA's Small Business Ombudsman is heading up the outreach efforts. She's asking that trade associations and other small business representatives contact EPA by March 1 if they're interested in participating in the rulemaking. A second reasoning behind the outreach effort is an attempt by EPA to educate small businesses about the upcoming rules. Many businesses that use combustion devices may not even realize that the rules are in the works. The rules are slated to take effect in the year 2000 and would effect boilers, process heaters, incinerators, combustion turbines, and stationary internal combustion engines. EPA noted that it's possible that not all small businesses will be subject to the new rules. In a letter, EPA said that "...because a large number of small entities may not satisfy the criterion for being major sources, and because the required level of emission control for boilers has not yet been determined, it is difficult to predict at this time the type and number of small entities that would be subject to the standards..." ** For more information on the rulemakings, please contact Sims Roy for turbines (919) 541-5426; Jim Eddinger for boilers (919) 541-5426; Bill Maxwell for process heaters (919) 541-5430; Amanda Agnew for internal combustion engines at (919) 541-5268; and Rick Crume for incinterators (919) 541-5294 or see EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/uatw/combust/list.html **More EPA Enviro-Newsbrief
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