Communities | YPGG - Why Green?

U.S. EPA Awards Nogales-Based Nonprofit $120,000 to Help Communities Address Environmental, Public Health Risks

October 6, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

SAN FRANCISCO – On 10/04/2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Nogales, Arizona-based Southeast Arizona Area Health Education Center Inc. (SEAHEC) was awarded $120,000 to address drinking water and other public health challenges in a rural border-area community.

The funding is provided through EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving (EJCPS) program, which supports local organizations that develop community-driven solutions to address environmental and public health disparities in minority, low-income, tribal and indigenous communities. This year, EPA awarded $1.2 million to ten organizations around the country.

Funds from this grant will provide support for Winchester Heights in Cochise County, an unincorporated community where residents have been working with SEAHEC to improve public health. The project will support the newly established community center, assess drinking water quality and establish a Community Action Committee. The University of Arizona will provide two public health interns and a bilingual project coordinator to support the project.

“These funds will provide hands-on, in-home assistance to assess drinking water in rural Winchester Heights,” said Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker, who is in Nogales this week meeting local officials and visiting border infrastructure sites. “These visits can help reduce drinking-water related illnesses by addressing faulty pipes or installing simple disinfectant water filters.”

Nationally, projects selected this year reflect an emphasis on support for rural communities and watershed protection. The 2018 awards provide up to $120,000 per project for a two-year period. Special consideration was given to projects located in rural areas, with the goal of increasing outreach and capacity building in areas where such resources can be scarce. Eight of the ten total projects awarded are in rural areas.

The 10 community projects were selected from 72 applications. For more information about today’s award winners, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-collaborative-problem-solving-cooperative-agreement-3

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.

Administrator Wheeler Releases Memo to Improve Drug Take-Back Programs and Help Fight the Opioid Crisis

September 13, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

WASHINGTON - Yesterday, September 12, 2018, at the National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition (NNOAC) Drug Enforcement Forum, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler released a new memorandum to provide clarity, certainty, and assist law enforcement agencies with the management of household drugs collected in take-back programs.

“Efforts by law enforcement agencies across the country to collect unwanted drugs from households is a critical tool in fighting the opioid crisis,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “EPA strongly supports these efforts and is working to ensure that drugs collected in take-back programs are transported and destroyed in a manner that is protective of public health and the environment, including the health of law enforcement officers.”

“We appreciate the leadership from Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler on this important issue. With more than 72,000 drug poisoning deaths in 2017 alone, many of them related to the ever-increasing use of fentanyl-laced heroin, this tragic epidemic will only get worse unless we put forward every tool possible to tackle it,” said NNOAC President Bob Bushman. “Drug take-back programs play an integral role in tackling this epidemic by helping to keep unused prescription drugs out of the hands of those who might abuse them.”

“America's Sheriffs are proud to be a part of this process that is critical in fighting the opioid crisis, and this clarification will not only help law enforcement personnel stay safe but will protect the environment and improve public health in our communities,” said Daviess County KY Sheriff and National Sheriffs' Association Drug Enforcement Committee Chairman Keith Cain.

In close coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and U.S. Postal Service (USPS), EPA’s memo provides law enforcement agencies with specific information they can use to best manage household drugs collected in take-back programs. Also, it will help ensure the public can benefit from these critical programs while protecting public health and the environment.

Included in this memo are the various cost-effective shipping methods law enforcement agencies can use to transport and destroy household pharmaceuticals collected in take-back program. This is estimated to save valuable time and resources for law enforcement as some officials have to drive hours to the nearest incinerator.

EPA cautions that emissions from burning collected household drugs via open burning or in burn barrels may pose health risks to law enforcement officers and members of the surrounding communities. To mitigate these situations, the memo provides information on options other than burn barrels such as solid waste and hazardous waste combustion units that can be used to safely destroy household pharmaceuticals collected by law enforcement.

The Agency encourages the public to take advantage of pharmaceutical take-back collection programs that accept prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, as these programs offer a safe and environmentally-conscious way to dispose of unwanted pharmaceuticals.

Read the full memo here: https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/management-household-pharmaceuticals-collected-law-enforcement-during-take-back-events.

Background

According to CDC data, most people who begin abusing prescription pharmaceuticals obtain them from friends and family for the first time, often from household medicine cabinets. Households tend to accumulate old, expired, or simply unwanted prescription and over-the counter pharmaceuticals, increasing the potential for abuse and diversion. Many law enforcement agencies have established take-back events and programs to collect prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals from households. These take-back programs for household pharmaceuticals help reduce the misuse and abuse of drugs and the number of accidental poisonings, while at the same time reducing the practice of flushing consumer pharmaceuticals which may result in their entry into the environment.

Twice a year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors National Prescription Drug Take Back days. In the most recent take back day on April 28, 2018, law enforcement established nearly 6,000 collection sites across the country and collected nearly 1 million pounds of unwanted drugs. EPA strongly encourages law enforcement to participate in the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back days to ensure drugs are safely removed from households and ultimately safely combusted while preserving local law enforcement resources.

For more information, visit https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/collecting-and-disposing-unwanted-medicines

VerticalScope Inc. Acquires RedFlagDeals.com from Subsidiary of Yellow Pages Limited

August 25, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

TORONTO - VerticalScope Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets related to RedFlagDeals.com from a subsidiary of Yellow Pages Limited (TSX: Y) for a value of CAD $12 million. Closing of the transaction was expected to occur on August 22, 2018.

"We're excited to add a flagship Canadian property like RedFlagDeals.com to VerticalScope's growing portfolio of commerce-focused websites and communities," said Rob Laidlaw, Founder and CEO of VerticalScope. "RedFlagDeals.com loyal members, high consumer engagement and its proximity to commerce make it a natural and complementary addition to our portfolio of consumer resource and enthusiast sites. Alongside our recent acquisition of VarageSale.com, this transaction significantly enhances our offering for our Canadian advertisers, with VerticalScope sites reaching over 13.3 million monthly Canadian users," said Doug Clarke, Chief Operating Officer of Verticalscope.

About Verticalscope Inc.
Founded in 1999, Verticalscope Inc. is a leading online media company that owns and operates 1400 + consumer resource sites and enthusiast social communities strategically positioned across verticals with high consumer engagement, significant consumer spending and strong blue-chip advertisers.

Contact:
VerticalScope Inc.
Chris Goodridge, Chief Investment Officer
cgoodridge@verticalscope.com

For the original version on PRWeb visit: https://www.prweb.com/releases/verticalscope_inc_acquires_redflagdeals_com/prweb15707973.htm

Lowe’s Champions Underserved Communities with Volunteers, Nearly $8M to Keep America Beautiful

August 24, 2018 / Administrator / 0 Comments

Lowe’s Funds 44 Community Improvement Initiatives Nationwide with $1 Million Grant Program

STAMFORD, Conn. – Keep America Beautiful’s longtime partner Lowe’s has donated an additional $1 million to the national nonprofit in 2018 to fund 44 grassroots initiatives as well as Keep America Beautiful’s annual Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program.

The donation will bolster the work of Keep America Beautiful’s network of community-based affiliates by funding projects focused on critical, local needs. Since the partnership began in 2011, Lowe’s has contributed nearly $8 million with more than 2,100 Lowe’s Heroes volunteers helping Keep America Beautiful improve local communities.

“These targeted grant projects will provide significant benefits in many areas of the country, both urban and rural, that often are neglected,” said Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Helen Lowman. “Our network of affiliates has been particularly creative in using these grassroots grants to develop and deliver programs that embrace their community members, while transforming often neglected public spaces into beautiful places.”

Examples of projects include:

Keep Dallas Beautiful in Dallas, Texas, is constructing a Therapeutic Healing Garden at the Dallas VA Medical Center to promote the healing of injured veterans. Nine unique garden areas, occupational therapy stations honoring each branch of the military, concert spaces, and other features will be developed.
Keep Charleston Beautiful in Charleston, South Carolina, will collaborate with the Charleston Parks Conservancy to construct a community garden that will provide fresh food to local food pantries as well as educational programming.
Keep Genesee County Beautiful in Flint, Michigan, will complete park improvements identified in the city’s Park Improvement Plan and executed by Adopt a Park volunteers.
Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful in Winston Salem, North Carolina, will use its grant to fund the annual Community Roots Day, during which hundreds of trees are planted in an area needed in the reestablishment of the urban forest canopy.

Additionally, the partnership between Lowe’s and Keep America Beautiful has:

supported the collection of more than 99.24 million pounds of litter and debris for proper disposal;
planted 3.2 million flowers and bulbs, and nearly 101,600 trees;
funded the establishment and maintenance of 2,349 community gardens; and
built and restored 3,183 playgrounds and recreational areas.

“At Lowe’s, we want to help people love where they live in the communities where our employees and customers live and work,” said Julie Yenichek, Lowe’s director of community relations. “Our commitment to community investment doesn’t stop at charitable giving. We’re proud of our Lowe’s Heroes volunteer involvement and the difference they have made nationwide. Loving where you live extends beyond walls and fences, and we applaud Keep America Beautiful’s vision.”

About Lowe’s in the Community
Lowe’s, a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company, has a 60-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. In the past decade, Lowe’s and the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed nearly $300 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe’s Heroes volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. For the latest news, visit Newsroom.Lowes.com or follow @LowesMedia on Twitter.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Celebrating its 65th Anniversary in 2018, Keep America Beautiful strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.

Behavior change – steeped in education, research and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.

EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects in New York

April 5, 2018 / Lee Ann Rush / 0 Comments

Contact: Tayler Covington, (212) 637-3662, covington.tayler@epa.gov

NEW YORK - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of funding that could provide as much as $5.5 billion in loans, which could leverage over $11 billion in water infrastructure projects through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Prospective borrowers seeking WIFIA credit assistance must submit a letter of interest (LOI) by July 6, 2018.

“Thanks to the President’s leadership, this WIFIA funding will spark new investments to repair our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA will play a key role in the President’s infrastructure efforts by incentivizing states, municipalities, and public-private partnerships to protect public health, fix local infrastructure problems, create jobs, and provide clean water to communities.”

The WIFIA program received $63 million in funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018. This more than doubles the program’s funding from 2017. Leveraging private capital and other funding sources, these projects could support $11 billion in water infrastructure investment and create more than 170,000 jobs. This year’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) highlights the importance of protecting public health including reducing exposure to lead and other contaminants in drinking water systems and updating the nation’s aging infrastructure.

What is WIFIA? It’s the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. And it has $5.5 billion in credit available now to finance over $11 billion projects. Learn more: https://t.co/phgbRVVrHW pic.twitter.com/GAVZlNd5wv

— U.S. EPA (@EPA) April 5, 2018

“New York knows all too well the costs of storm damaged water and wastewater systems. All of us have witnessed just how vulnerable our infrastructure is,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “Funding critical repairs and improving resiliency in our wastewater treatment and drinking water distribution systems remains a critical priority. We need investment to protect and promote our communities, our local economies, and public health.”

The WIFIA program will play an important part in making vital improvements to the nation’s water infrastructure and implementing the President’s Infrastructure Plan, which calls for increasing the program’s funding authorization and expanding project eligibility.

Background

Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program at EPA that aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects.

WIFIA credit assistance can be used for a wide range of projects, including:

drinking water treatment and distribution projects
wastewater conveyance and treatment projects
enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities
desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling project
drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects

EPA will evaluate proposed projects described in the LOIs using WIFIA’s statutory and regulatory criteria as described in the NOFA. Through this competitive process, EPA will select projects that it intends to fund and invite them to continue to the application process.

In 2017, for WIFIA’s inaugural round, EPA invited 12 projects in 9 states to apply for more than $2 billion in WIFIA loans.

For more information about WIFIA and this funding announcement, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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