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Regional Administrator In The NewsEPA Joins Celebration of Completed Delaware River Basin PlanSept. 13 - Elected and environmental leaders from Delaware, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the federal government, along with
other interested watershed stakeholders, met today in Wilmington to celebrate
the completion of the Water Resources Plan for the Delaware River Basin.
The plan will serve as a guide for all whose actions affect water resources
in the 13,539-square-mile Delaware River Basin that drains portions of
the four states. Nearly 15 million people (approximately five percent
of the nations population) rely on the waters of the basin for drinking
and industrial use. On hand from EPA were Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant
Administrator for Water, Jane Kenny, Region 2 Administrator, and Donald
Welsh, Region 3 Administrator. Milestone Reached in Cleanup of Long Island Superfund SiteAug. 25 -- EPA is demolishing a two-story former laboratory as
part of its overall cleanup of the MacKenzie Chemical Works Superfund
Site in Central Islip, Long Island. "Demolishing this laboratory
is an important step in cleaning up MacKenzie," said EPA Regional
Administrator Jane Kenny. Past operations at the site contaminated local
ground water with volatile organic compounds. EPA Draws Attention to Dangers of Illegal PesticidesAugust 5 - EPA announces an illegal pesticides outreach program
targeted to New York's Chinese community. Along with New York City Councilman
John C. Liu, and community leaders, Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny
unveiled a new Chinese language poster and pamphlets that describe the
dangers of illegal pesticides making their way into the City's Chinese
communities. Progress Continues at NJ Superfund SitesAugust
4 - Jane M. Kenny, EPA Region 2 Administrator and U.S.
Congressman Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ-11th District), inspect six
New Jersey Superfund Sites. In
each case, the immediate threats to public health have been removed and
each site is moving ahead toward final remedy. Radiation Technology
EPA Awards New York City Brownfields GrantJul. 26 - EPA has awarded New York City a $270,000 brownfields
assessment grant to continue the evaluation of the 107-acre Mariners Marsh
brownfields site on the north shore of Staten Island. This property was
formerly an industrial site occupied by a steel manufacturer and a ship
builder. The grant
funds will be used to perform environmental assessments of the natural
areas of the site, which will ultimately be used for active recreation
and open space. EPA Awards $900,000 Grant to Improve Passaic River WatershedJul.
19 - EPA announced that it is granting $900,000 to a coalition of
Rutgers University and Cornell University experts and the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection to improve water quality in the upper Passaic
River. "This grant will provide the funds needed to improve water
quality in one of the most impacted rivers in New Jersey," said EPA
Regional Administrator Jane Kenny. "By taking a leadership role and
developing this new, innovative way of reducing pollutants in the Passaic,
this coalition will demonstrate that we can achieve great success when
we work together." EPA's Coastal Crusader Hits the Skies to Ensure Safe Beach SeasonJul.
1 - EPA's beach surveillance helicopter, the "Coastal Crusader,"
scanned the coastal waters of New Jersey, gathering water samples for
EPA's annual beach monitoring program. This marks the twenty-eight year
of EPA's annual summer helicopter monitoring program. Each summer, EPA
takes samples of coastal waters to determine whether the levels of bacteria
in the water are safe for the millions of people that flock to the beach
every year. "We want to ensure a healthy, happy beach season by protecting
the health of the beach-going public," said EPA Regional Administrator
Jane Kenny. "Monitoring water quality gives us the vital information
we need to do this." EPA Recognizes NYC Parks for Reducing Pesticide and Fertilizer Use on Thousands of AcresJun.
17 - EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water, Benjamin Grumbles,
presented Parks' Commissioner Adrian Benepe with an award for excellent
environmental stewardship of its almost 29,000 acres of open space, citing
Park's minimal use of pesticides and fertilizers and extensive use of
non-chemical pest management techniques. At the same time, EPA unveiled
a new public outreach campaign that encourages homeowners to limit their
use of chemical lawn care products because of their impact on local water
bodies. "If we want to improve our environment, we must consider
the impact of our actions as individuals," said Jane Kenny, EPA Regional
Administrator. "We hope that area residents will think twice about
how they care for their lawns, and use less fertilizer and pesticides." EPA nnounces $400,000 Brownfields Grant for Essex County, NJJun.
15 - EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny highlighted the Agency's
national announcement of over $75 million in grants to promote brownfields
revitalization with the presentation of a $400,000 brownfields grant to
Essex County, New Jersey. Essex County will use the funds to identify
and assess former industrial and potentially contaminated sites. "The
brownfields program reflects a new model in environmental protection that
is locally-based, forges strong public-private partnerships, and promotes
innovation and creativity," said Ms. Kenny. "It's an approach
that creates opportunities to solve local problems for redevelopment with
local solutions." EPA Reaches Important Agreement to Fund Study of Lower Passaic RiverMay
19 - EPA announced that it has reached an agreement with thirty one
companies to provide funding to continue the investigation/study portion
of the Lower Passaic River Restoration Project. The project is a collaboration
among EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Jersey Department
of Transportation to produce a plan to clean up and restore the 17-mile
tidal stretch of the Passaic River from Dundee Dam to Newark Bay. "This
is an important milestone for the future of the Passaic River. Through
this settlement, these companies are demonstrating their willingness to
cooperate with EPA's commitment to find a lasting solution to the environmental
challenges of the Passaic River," said EPA Regional Administrator
Jane Kenny. EPA Applauds NYC Department of Sanitation Efforts to Reduce Diesel Pollution May
13 - EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny praised the New York
City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) for reducing diesel pollution by
placing special pollution controls on its trucks and sweepers, using ultra
low sulfur fuel and purchasing alternate fuel vehicles for its fleet.
DSNY Commissioner John J. Doherty gave Ms. Kenny a firsthand look at the
cleaner garbage trucks and sweepers today as they toured a Manhattan sanitation
garage on South Street in lower Manhattan. "The Department of Sanitation
is leading the way in attacking diesel pollution," said Ms. Kenny.
"Every clean truck or sweeper brings us closer to our goal of making
that black puff of smoke from dirty diesels a thing of the past." EPA Applauds School District for Reducing Diesel Pollution May
11 - EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny praised the Longwood Central
School District on Long Island for taking significant steps to curb tailpipe
pollution from its 200 school buses. The District has adopted a policy
of not allowing its school buses to idle while waiting to board children.
"Longwood's voluntary efforts are benefitting the local environment
and the health of its 11,000 elementary, junior and senior high school
students," Ms. Kenny said. "Voluntary programs like this one
are a perfect complement to EPAs suite of programs to reduce pollution
from diesel engines." EPA Finishes Short-Term Cleanup at Long Island Superfund SiteMay 4 - EPA marked an important milestone in the cleanup
of the Stanton
Cleaners Area Ground Water Contamination Superfund site in Great Neck
with the announcement that it has finished the short-term cleanup at the
site, and completed the installation of ground water and soil treatment
systems that will continue to operate until the contamination is cleaned
up. "We're in the home stretch of the cleanup at the Stanton Cleaners
site," said Jane M. Kenny, EPA Regional Administrator. "It's a testament
to the success of the Superfund program that we can now add this site
to the list of 20 others in Nassau County in which we are in the last
phases of cleanups." "New Jersey EnviroMentors" Receive $134,100 in Federal FundingApr.
26 - At Stokes Elementary School in Trenton, EPA Region 2 Chief of
Staff Anthony Cancro (representing EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny)
and U.S. Representative Rush Holt presented a check to New Jersey EnvironMentors
for a program that pairs science and environmental professionals with
high school students. The grant was made possible through the efforts
of Representative Holt. The students are matched with professionals in
science and the environment. Over the course of a school year, the mentors
advise the students as they research environmental issues in their communities. EPA Proposes to Remove Love Canal, other Niagara County Sites, from Superfund ListMar.
17 - Love Canal, the site largely responsible for starting EPA's Superfund
program, is cleaned up and EPA is proposing to remove it from the Superfund
list. The Agency also plans to remove the Hooker 102nd Street Landfill
site in Niagara Falls, and the Niagara County Refuse site in Wheatfield.
"This is a landmark day for Niagara County," said Jane Kenny,
EPA's Regional Administrator, who added: "By taking the Love Canal
site off the Superfund list, we will mark a turning point for the nation.
This was the site that really started Superfund." Vieques, Puerto Rico Community Groups to Receive $20,000 GrantMar.
16 - EPA announced that a coalition of Vieques community groups will
receive a $20,000 grant to help them interpret and review documents and
information related to the investigation of contamination on the Eastern
side of Vieques. The work is being conducted by the Navy under the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act with EPA oversight. The coalition will hire
a technical expert and perform community outreach. "This grant will
help the people of Vieques to understand the complex technical information
and data produced during the Navy investigation, and will enable them
to better participate in the process," said Regional Administrator
Jane Kenny. EPA and Puerto Rico Pledge to Improve Water QualityFeb.
26 - EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny joined Puerto Rico government
officials to sign an agreement to improve water quality and enhance protection
of public health. The agreement provides a framework to develop and implement
water quality management plans for priority watersheds as part of the
Puerto Rico Aqueduct & Sewer Authority's (PRASA) new Watershed Stewardship
Project. "This agreement will allow EPA to use some of the penalties
that PRASA is facing for past violations to help fund critically needed
watershed protection programs," said Ms. Kenny. EPA and NYU Sign Environmental Self-Audit AgreementFeb.
11 - New York University (NYU), one of the largest private educational
institutions in the country, and the NYU Hospital Center, a leading health
care and medical research center, have signed an agreement with EPA to
conduct a comprehensive environmental audit of all 160 facilities on its
Manhattan campuses. The agreement is part of an EPA
initiative to help hospitals and institutions of higher learning comply
with environmental regulations. "The environmental self audit has
many benefits, " said EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny. "It
protects people's health and the environment. It helps colleges and universities
find and fix violations. It also reduces financial penalties and conserves
EPA resources." Camden Redevelopment on Track with EPA AssistanceFeb.
4 -EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny
joined state and city officials today in Camden, New Jersey to mark the
completion of the first phase of redevelopment along Arlington Street,
adjacent to the General Gas Mantle federal superfund site. "Working
together, EPA, state and local agencies can really make a difference,"
said Ms. Kenny. "Just a few short weeks ago, this street was a long
block of dilapidated houses; as demolition comes to a close, and as EPA
starts the cleanup and removal process, we can begin to imagine what kind
of community resource it might become." When the last of the debris
has been removed from the 54 homes demolished by the city, EPA will remove
the foundations, and excavate and dispose of thorium-contaminated soil
from hotspots on the eastern side of the Arlington Street site. EPA Applauds Bethlehem for School Bus Clean Up EffortsFeb.
3 - EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny
praised the Bethlehem, New York Central School District for its outstanding
efforts to reduce tailpipe emissions from 57 of its diesel school buses
-- a move that will improve the environment and the health of its 5,700
students. Ms. Kenny was joined by state and local officials to celebrate
the work of this and ten other Capital region school districts, whose
voluntary efforts will reduce air pollution from 347 school buses. Ms.
Kenny also announced that EPA is seeking an unprecedented $65 million
in funding for 2005 to expand the Agency's
Clean School Bus USA program, a national partnership to reduce the
emissions of air pollutants from school buses. Port Jervis Receives Brownfields GrantsJan.
8 - EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny was joined by U.S. Representative
Sue Kelly as a ceremonial check for Brownfields grants totaling $325,000
was presented to the city of Port Jervis, New York. The money will be
used to clean up two sites, which Port Jervis has redevelopment plans
for: the former Erie-Lackawanna Railroad yard and the former State Wide
Oil property, both now abandoned and contaminated with petroleum wastes.
"Today's grants will help Port Jervis prepare the sites for redevelopment,
assisting its efforts to enhance educational and recreational activities,
revitalize its downtown, create jobs and ultimately making this community
safer," said Ms. Kenny. Brownfields Grant Awarded to Passaic CountyJan.
8 - EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny, together with U.S. Representative
Bill Pascrell, presented a ceremonial check for a $200,000 Brownfields
grant to Passaic County, New Jersey, to help identify and assess former
industrial and potentially contaminated sites, called brownfields, within
its 16 municipalities. "This grant will help Passaic County take
a giant step toward redeveloping and revitalizing its communities. Passaic
County will work with local communities to clarify the contamination status
of brownfields sites to reduce uncertainties and clear the path for redevelopment,"
said Ms. Kenny.. 2003Full-Scale Test for Process that Turns Dredged Sediment into CementNov.
24: EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny helped unveil a new technology,
called "Cement-Lock" that will turn dredged sediment from the
New York/New Jersey harbor into a component of construction-grade cement.
"This is one of several promising technologies that have the power
to solve the problem of dredged material," said Kenny. "It enables
us to treat even contaminated material and use it beneficially, instead
of adding tons of material to landfills that are already short on space."
EPA and the New Jersey Department of Transportation each contributed $20
million to help develop "Cement-Lock" and to construct a kiln
in Bayonne where the technology will be given its full-scale test. DaimlerChrysler Donates $3 Million Worth of Electric Cars to New York CityNov.
19: EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny and Mayor Michael Bloomberg
announced that the DaimlerChrysler Company has donated 352 multi-purpose
"Global Electric Motorcars" to New York City. The vehicles emit
virtually no exhaust. The City will use them in its parks, wastewater
treatment plants, garages, school campuses and other large facilities.
"Anything the City does to limit carbon monoxide, sooty particles
and other air pollutants benefits New Yorkers and the environment, and
I congratulate Mayor Bloomberg on his many efforts to green the City's
fleet," said Kenny. Federal and State Agencies Will Clean Up and Revitalize the Lower Passaic RiverOct.
20: A landmark regional partnership of state and federal agencies,
consisting of the EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New York District,
the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection, announced today a joint study
to cleanup and restore the Lower Passaic River. The Lower Passaic River
is highly industrialized and commercialized and has a long history of
degraded water quality, sediment contamination, loss of wetlands, and
abandoned or underutilized properties along its shores. EPA will use its
authority under Superfund to provide approximately $10 million and the
Corps and NJDOT are cost-sharing an additional estimated $9 million of
the multi-year study. EPA Regional Administrator Visits Ithaca Gun Site CleanupOct.
17: EPA Regional Administrator, Jane M. Kenny, checked up on the progress
of cleanup activities at the former Ithaca Gun Company site in Ithaca,
New York. In July 2003, EPA began vacuuming up soil contaminated with
lead from spent shot dumped by the owners of the former Ithaca Gun Company.
To date, EPA has removed 3,436 tons of contaminated soil from the site. Fowler High Students Participate in Global Water Quality Monitoring EffortOct.
17: EPA Regional Administrator, Jane M. Kenny, celebrated World Water
Monitoring Day and encouraged people around the world to test the quality
of their streams, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters. Ms. Kenny teamed
up with Onondaga Lake Partnership members, Onondaga Lake Cleanup Corp.
and 25 students and teachers from Fowler High School in Syracuse to use
water monitoring kits to assess the health of Onondaga Creek in upstate
New York. The monitoring efforts foster a better understanding of what
activities can pollute our waters, how we can check their health and,
ultimately, help us to protect our waters with greater vigor. Program Launched To Combat Traffic, Ease Air Pollution And Reduce Employee StressOct.16: In an attempt to reduce traffic congestion and the air pollution that comes with it, EPA, in conjunction with TransOptions and a regional coalition, is launching Best Workplaces For Commuters in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut metropolitan area. EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny, Assemblyman Alex DeCroce, Morris County Freeholder and Mayor of Morris Plains Frank Druetzler and TransOptions President John F. Ciaffone congratulated Pfizer for being one of the first companies in New Jersey to meet the high standards of the best workplaces for commuters program. EPA Announces End to Boat Sewage Discharges into Hudson RiverOct.
9: EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny, together officials from
New York State and Hudson Riverkeeper announced that EPA has approved
the establishment of a 153-mile "No Discharge Zone" in the Hudson
River. From the Battery in New York City to the Troy Dam, boats will be
prohibited from releasing treated or untreated sewage to one of the nation's
most well-known and ecologically significant water bodies. The restriction
will end what had been a source of bacterial and chemical contamination
in the River. EPA and Seton Hall Sign Audit AgreementOct.
1: EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny and Seton Hall University
President Monsignor Robert Sheeran signed an agreement to conduct a comprehensive
environmental audit of its two campuses, in South Orange and Newark, New
Jersey. The agreement continues EPA's initiative to help institutions
of higher learning comply with environmental regulations. Seton Hall University,
with an enrollment of more than 10,000 students, is the first private
university in New Jersey to enter into an environmental self audit agreement
with EPA. EPA Joins Effort to Reduce Ferry Pollution Sept.
16: EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny joined counterparts from
other state, city, federal, educational and environmental organizations
in announcing a new program to reduce private ferry emissions in New York
Harbor. The program aims identify and implement technologies to drastically
cut levels of nitrogen oxide and other pollutants from the diesel-powered
private vessels that operate in the harbor. Private ferry service doubled
to 1,000 trips per day after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
severely affected commuter travel into Manhattan. Long Island Marine Industry to Promote Cleaner EnginesSept.
4: At a boat showroom in Freeport, Regional Administrator
Jane Kenny announced an agreement with representatives of the marine
industry to increase the sale of low-polluting outboard motors and personal
water craft engines on Long Island. The cleaner engines emit 75 percent
less air pollution, burn 35 to 50 percent less fuel, use up to 50 percent
less oil, and discharge significantly less gasoline directly into the
water than conventional engines. By 2005, according to the agreement,
95 percent of all engines sold on Long Island will be cleaner engines. Performance Track Honors Baxter, Pfizer
August 7: Before an audience of Puerto Ricos top manufacturers,
EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny presented
a National Environmental Performance Track Outreach Award to Baxter Healthcare
Corporation of Aibonito. Kenny also announced that Pfizer of Barceloneta
has become the newest facility from the commonwealth accepted into EPAs
Performance Track program,
which publicizes and supports public and private sector facilities that
go beyond regulatory compliance to reach significantly high levels of
environmental performance. Of the 325 members of the program, Puerto Rico
boasts 14, including five Baxter facilities and eight Johnson & Johnson
facilities. Glen Cove Earns Fourth Brownfields Grant July
24: Touting the environmental, economic, and public safety benefits
of brownfields redevelopment, EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny presented
a $200,000 grant to the city of Glen Cove, New York, to assist in assessing
multiple brownfields sites. The fourth EPA brownfields grant the city
has received since 1997, the funds will be used in determining whether
the abandoned and underutilized facilities require further clean-up action
before redevelopment can take place. The chosen sites are considered ideal
for redevelopment once any contamination is identified and addressed. EPA Joins in Encouraging Recyling for EducationJuly
16: EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny joined Joseph Vassalluzzo,
Vice Chairman of the Staples Corporation to urge New Jersey residents
to participate in a new program, Staples Recycle for Education. The goal
of the program is to reduce waste and raise $5 million nationwide. For
every ink jet and laser toner cartridge recycled, Staples Recycle for
Education will donate $1 to education. In New Jersey, money will benefit
the HIPP Foundation, which provides grants for teachers to encourage creativity
in the classroom. EPA AND PACE UNIVERSITY SIGN COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL SELF-AUDIT AGREEMENT SEVEN PACE FACILITIES INVOLVED June
24: Pace University, with campuses in New York City and Westchester
and Orange Counties, has taken advantage of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency s (EPA) innovative self-audit program with an agreement to
conduct a comprehensive environmental audit of its seven campuses. The
agreement continues EPAs national initiative to help institutions
of higher learning comply with environmental regulations. EPA Regional
Administrator Jane M. Kenny and Pace University President David A. Caputo
signed the agreement at Paces Pleasantville, New York campus in
one of the universitys laboratories in Dyson Hall. EPA ANNOUNCES $73.1 MILLION IN NATIONAL BROWNFIELDS GRANTS TO 37 STATES AND SEVEN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES NEARLY $ 5 MILLION FOR NEW JERSEY BROWNFIELDS June
l9: As part of EPA's ongoing efforts to promote economic revitalization
while safeguarding the environment and public health, EPA Administrator
Christie Whitman announced $73.1 million in Brownfields funds for a variety
of different grants made available from the Small Business Liability Relief
and Brownfields Revitalization Act. EPA announced that 176 applicants
were selected to receive awards. Applications came from communities located
in 37 states and seven tribes. Nearly $5 million of the national Brownfields
grant funds have been identified for counties, municipalities and other
partners in New Jersey for Brownfield assessments and cleanups, including
$1.2 million for the city of Trenton, where Whitman made the announcement.
EPA Regional Chief Joins Mayor Driscoll and County Executive Pirro to Award $25,000 for Onondaga Lake Projects Friday, May 16. On the banks of the Syracuse Inner Harbor, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny joined Syracuse Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll and Onondaga County Executive Nicholas J. Pirro to award six grants totaling $25,000 to community groups that are working to protect and restore Onondaga Lake. The grants are the first of their kind offered by the Onondaga Lake Partnership , and will address issues of non-point source pollution a serious environmental threat to the health of the lake. The winners include a team of future Eagle Scouts, a zoo, a high school science department and non-profit conservation organizations EPA ANNOUNCES $15 MILLION FOR NATIONS WATERSHEDS May 2: Visiting the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Associations
nature reserve in Pennington, New Jersey, EPA Administrator Christie Whitman
announced nearly $15 million in grants to 20 organizations across the
country as part of a new Watershed Initiative. Stony Brook-Millstone will
use its $1 million grant for several projects to restore the Raritan River
watershed. REGIONAL AWARDS HONOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS April
24: Continuing an annual tradition, Regional Administrator Jane M.
Kenny presented Environmental Quality Awards (EQAs) to 41 individuals,
organizations, businesses and agencies to honor outstanding efforts to
improve the environment and protect public health in New York, New Jersey,
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Guest speaker at the ceremony
was Maria Falcón, producer of Geoambiente, an EQA-winning
environmental television program in Puerto Rico. EPA SWITCHES TO WIND POWER FOR MANHATTAN OFFICES Apr. 23: Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny announced that EPA
will switch to non-polluting, endlessly renewable wind power for electricity
at its offices in lower Manhattan. Region 2 becomes the first EPA regional
office completely powered by wind-generated electricity as well as the
largest federal purchaser of clean wind energy in New York State. EPA TO CLEAN UP DIESEL EMISSIONS AND PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH Apr.
17: EPA Administrator Christie Whitman, during a visit to Newark,
New Jersey, detailed the Bush Administration's efforts to significantly
reduce pollution from nonroad diesel engines. Whitman outlined a new proposal
which will dramatically reduce emissions from nonroad diesel engines used
in construction, agricultural and industrial equipment. Widely praised
by environmentalists, industry and state officials, the proposal requires
stringent nonroad engine controls and reductions of sulfur in diesel fuel. GRANT ADDRESSES USTFIELD CLEANUPS IN HUDSON COUNTY Apr.
8: Joined by local and county officials, EPA Regional Administrator
Jane M. Kenny presented a $100,000 grant to the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection to address petroleum contamination from leaking
underground storage tanks at three sites in Hudson County. These sites
in Harrison, Kearny and Bayonne were part of an USTfields
pilot program that has now been replaced by more far-reaching federal
brownfields legislation.
AGREEMENT PROMOTES CLEANER BOAT ENGINES IN NEW JERSEY Feb. 27: Boat retailers in New Jersey will promote the purchase
of low-polluting outboard motors and personal watercraft engines under
an agreement initiated by EPA and signed by marine industry associations,
EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny, and New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell. The engines
reduce air emissions by up to 75 percent compared with traditional engines
and meet stringent federal emissions standards that will become mandatory
in 2006. EPA RECOGNIZES K. HOVNANIAN FOR ITS COMMITMENT TO BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENT HOMES Feb. 13: EPA commended New Jersey's largest homebuilder for its
role in supporting the improvement of energy efficiency in homes. Jane
M. Kenny, EPA Regional Administrator, presented the award to K. Hovnanian
Companies at its ENERGY STAR Laurel Greene townhouse community in Middletown,
New Jersey. To date, K. Hovnanian has built more than 1,000 homes according
to ENERGY STAR guidelines. EPA OUTREACH TARGETS ILLEGAL PESTICIDES Jan. 30: Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny released new EPA
brochures that inform Chinese-Americans of the dangers of illegal pesticides.
Recognizing that pest control is a fact of city life, Kenny said, We
want to make sure that in solving one problem, no family faces a much
more tragic problem. EPA is focusing on Chinese-American communities
in the region because they are among the most at risk for poisonings from
highly toxic illegal pesticides. EPA HELPS ROCHESTER AND MONROE COUNTY PROTECT DRINKING WATER Jan. 14: Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny presented the City
of Rochester and Monroe County, N.Y., with a combined $345,000 in EPA
grants to assess the vulnerability of local drinking water supplies. The
grant program, part of EPAs national strategy for homeland security,
has provided nearly $53 million to help drinking water systems around
the country evaluate and reduce their susceptibility to vandalism, sabotage,
or terrorist attack. NYC TO EXPAND UPSTATE WATERSHED PROTECTIONS; GIVEN WAIVER FROM FILTERING
MOST OF ITS DRINKING WATER SUPPLY Nov.
26: Jane M. Kenny today signed and presented New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg and City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner
Christopher O. Ward with an agreement that waives the federal requirement
to filter drinking water from the Catskill/Delaware watershed. Last granted
in 1997, EPAs waiver from filtration required the city to undertake
far-reaching watershed protection measures according to a set timetable.
The waiver extension calls for these protections to be significantly enhanced
and expanded. SYRACUSE IS FIRST PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN NATION TO CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL SELF-AUDIT. Nov. 19: Syracuse University has taken advantage of EPA'S innovative
self-audit program with an agreement to conduct a comprehensive environmental
audit of its main campus and two smaller facilities. The agreement, the
first of its kind with a private college or university, continues EPAs
national initiative to help institutions of higher learning comply with
environmental regulations. EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny and
Syracuse University Chancellor and President Kenneth A. Shaw signed the
agreement. EPA SUPPORT'S NYC PARKS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION "NATURAL CLASSROOM" PROGRAM Nov.
8: EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny
waded into Central Park's 59th Street Pond with New York City Parks Commissioner
Adrian Benepe and 6th grade students to net a variety of aquatic animals
as part of the Parks' "Natural Classroom" environmental education
program,. Kenny presented Benepe with an $80,000 check to support the
program.
ECO-COMPLEX OPENS IN NJ; METHANE POWERED Nov. 7: EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny joined researchers
as they unveiled a unique demonstration project that uses methane, a potent
greenhouse gas generated by landfills, to produce nutritious and appetizing
food products. EPA helped fund the project, EcoComplex of Cook College/Rutgers
in Columbus, NJ. Kenny announced EPA is providing a grant for the design
of a similar facility in Puerto Rico. PLAN to PRESERVE LONG ISLAND'S PECONIC BAY CELEBRATED Oct. 30: EPA Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny joined more than 100 residents, elected officials, government leaders and environmental group representativesat Indian Island County Park in Riverhead, Long Island, to celebrate the 100,000 acre Peconic Estuary and the comprehensive plan recently adopted to clean up and preserve it. The plan called a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) is the result of years of work by federal, state and local agencies, organizations and residents. It will protect and restore water quality and preserve the essential habitats the Peconic provides for commercially and recreationally important finfish and shellfish, and those of birds, turtles, mammals and other aquatic life. More . EPA ANNOUNCES SPANISH LANGUAGE CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE TESTING OF KIDS AT RISK FOR LEAD POISONING Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny was joined by North Hudson Community Action Corporation President Michael Leggiero to announce a Spanish language Lead Poisoning Awareness Campaign as part of National Childrens Health Month. "Lead poisoning is a serious problem because it strikes at the most vulnerable in society, our children," said Kenny. "Unfortunately, the only way to know if the children-at-risk are being lead poisoned is to test them. More . . .
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