EPA Region 7

Communities Information Digest

August 21, 2015

Welcome to the latest EPA Region 7 Digest!

The purpose of the EPA Region 7 Communities Information Digest is to
provide communities in the 4-state region and other interested areas the
latest news, webinars, conferences, funding, and other community-based
activities going on in the region and country related to human health and the
environment. (An * Indicates a new post.)
Has this edition of the digest been forwarded to you by a friend? Would you
like to sign up to receive future digests or unsubscribe? Do you have any news,
funding, webinars or conferences related to environmental protection or
human health youd like to submit for consideration in future digests?
If so, please email R7_POIS_Communities_Mailbox@epa.gov.
Thank you!
Find us @

www.facebook.com/eparegion7
www.twitter.com/EPAregion7
www.scribd.com/eparegion7

Headlines
*Demolition to Begin Aug. 24 at Carter Carburetor Superfund Site
Demolition and removal work at the Carter Carburetor Superfund Site in north St. Louis, Mo., is expected to
get underway on Monday, August 24.The CBI Building, a four-story structure, and the adjacent two-story
WILLCO Building, will be torn down and hauled away by contractors. Structures and grounds at the site
became contaminated with toxic polychlorinated biphenyls, trichloroethylene, and asbestos over decades of
use as a manufacturing plant for automotive components. EPA Region 7 approved the work plans and health
and safety plans for the demolition and removal work, which is projected to be finished around April 2016,
weather permitting.

*EPA Proposes New Commonsense Measures to Cut Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector
Continuing the Obama Administrations commitment to take action on climate change and protect public
health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced commonsense proposed standards that would
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and volatile organic compounds from the oil and natural gas industry.
The proposal is a part of the Administrations strategy under President Obamas Climate Action Plan to cut
8-21-15-comm-digest Page 1

The proposal is a part of the Administrations strategy under President Obamas Climate Action Plan to cut
methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 to 45 percent from 2012 levels by 2025.
*EPA Proposes to Cut Methane Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
As part of the Presidents Climate Action Plan Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency issued two proposals to further reduce emissions of methane-rich gas from
municipal solid waste landfills. Under these proposals, new, modified and existing landfills would begin
collecting and controlling landfill gas at emission levels nearly a third lower than current requirements.
*EPA Reaches Settlement with the Iowa Fertilizer Company and Orascom E&C USA for Clean Water
Act Violations
The Iowa Fertilizer Company and Orascom E&C USA have agreed to pay a $80,689 civil penalty to settle
alleged violations of the Clean Water Act associated with the construction of a new fertilizer plant in Wever,
Iowa, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 announced today. Orascom is Iowa Fertilizer's
construction contractor for the site and is jointly responsible for compliance under a National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System permit with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
*EPA Reaches Settlement with Coastal Energy of Willow Springs, Mo., for Clean Water Act,
Emergency Planning Violations
Region 7 and Coastal Energy Corporation, Willow Springs, Mo., recently reached a proposed settlement
valued at more than $200,000 to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act and the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-to-Know Act. The settlement requires Coastal to pay $25,000 in cash penalties and
complete more than $175,000 in supplemental environmental projects.
*School Indoor Air Quality Assessments Go Mobile
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched a new mobile app to assist schools and school districts
with performing comprehensive indoor air quality facility assessments to protect the health of children and
school staff. The School IAQ Assessment mobile app is a one-stop shop for accessing guidance from EPAs
Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Action Kit. The mobile app provides schools and school districts with an
efficient, innovative technology integrated with proven strategies for addressing critical building-related
environmental health issues such as ventilation, cleaning and maintenance, environmental asthma triggers,
radon, and integrated pest management.
*EPA Office of Environmental Justice Hiring Due August 25, 2015
EPAs Office of Environmental Justice is looking to hire several entry-level positions for our headquarters
office. Please encourage those you know who are just starting out on their careers and looking to make a
difference in the communities we all strive to help and support, to apply. Other EPA offices potentially will be
hiring off of this same announcement.
Clean Power Plan Released
President Obama recently unveiled the final version of the Clean Power Plan - the strongest action ever taken
in the United States to combat climate change. President Obama believes we have a moral obligation to act
by not leaving future generations a planet that is damaged. While aiming to slash carbon emissions by a third
by 2030, this plan will also keep energy affordable and reliable, and support innovation which will lead to a
strong clean-energy economy.
Environmental Sustainability Grant Program Due October 20
The goal of the National Science Foundation's Environmental Sustainability Program is to promote
sustainable engineered systems that support human well-being and that are also compatible with sustaining
natural systems. The program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide
ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions.

Funding & Technical Assistance Opportunities

Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) for Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Due Dates
Vary by State
Placemaking Micro-Grant from the National Association of Realtors Applications accepted on a
rolling basis
Calendar of 2015 EPA Grant Opportunities
8-21-15-comm-digest Page 2

Calendar of 2015 EPA Grant Opportunities

Climate-Related Funding Opportunities Compiled by the Florida Climate Institute
HUD CDBG Disaster Recovery Assistance
USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) Call Rural Development State Office
for Due Dates
USDA Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Contact Local USDA Service Center
NOAA Climate Program Office Releases 2016 Funding Opportunities: Full Applications
August 21: AIA Honor Awards for Regional and Urban Design
August 24: WEF's National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards Program Phase
I
August 26: North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) Grant Call
for Proposals

August 27: HOPE VI Main Street Grant Program

August 28: FY 2015 Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Announced (Flood Mitigation and PreDisaster Mitigation)

August 31: EPA Region 7 Proposals for an Urban Waters Middle Blue River Ambassador
September 1-30: Registration for Fourth Annual Campus RainWorks Challenge
September 11: EPA's Clean Air Excellence Awards Applications Due
September 14: Bureau of Land Management Funding Opportunity for Comprehensive Trails
Education, Data and Information
*September 14: Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing
Grants Program
September 15: Gulf of Mexico Program Cooperative Agreements 2015
September 15: Local Foods, Local Places Technical Assistance
September 17: NOAA Climate Program Office Releases 2016 Funding Opportunities: Full
Applications
September 30: FWS Coastal Program
September 30: USDA Announces Funding to Assist with Organic Certification Costs
September 30: U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) $3 Million in Planning Assistance
to Coal-impacted Communities under Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic
Revitalization (POWER) Initiative
October 1: National Tribal Environmental Action for Childrens Health (TEACH) Interest Form
October 1: Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance
Program
October 2: National Science Foundation: Coastal Science, Engineering and Education for
Sustainability
October 7: MAPP - NOAA Climate Test Bed - Accelerating Transition of Research into Operations
October 15: National Science Foundation: Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change program
*October 16: HHS NIH Asthma Empowerment Collaborations to Reduce Childhood Asthma
Disparities
October 20: Environmental Sustainability Grant Program
October 20: National Science Foundation: Environmental Engineering
November 24: The Rockefeller Foundation 100 Resilient Cities Challenge
December 15: RISA competition for the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions only

8-21-15-comm-digest Page 3

Meetings, Conferences, Training, & Events

Calendar of Events Related to Climate Change and Water

This page includes conferences, meetings, webinars, workshops and training opportunities related to climate
change and water. Let us know if you have information to add by emailing us the details of the event.
August 26: Brownfields Mobile Workshop Brownfields sites in Southwest Missouri
August 2628: Patch Burn Grazing Meeting 2015 Pratt, KS
September 1: Equitable Development: The Role of Brownfields Renewal, Workforce Strategies and
Entrepreneurship Brownfields 2015 Conference Pre-Conference Workshop Chicago, IL
September 2-4: National Brownfields Training Conference Chicago, IL
Environmental Justice Caucus 6:30-9:30PM Chicago Cultural Center
Community Reception 6:00-8:00PM Chicago Field Museum
*September 9-10: National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) Public Meeting
Arlington, VA
September 14-15: Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Wetland Restoration Workshop #1 Seymour,
IN
September 14-16: Old Trails and New Directions 2015 Missouri Recycling Association Conference
Kansas City, MO
September 16-17: Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge Wetland Restoration Workshop #2 Seymour,
IN
September 16-18: First International Conference on Surface Transportation System Resilience to
Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events Washington, DC
September 25-17: 2015 National Open Streets Summit Atlanta, GA
September 26: National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day 10AM-2PM
September 27-30: ICMA Annual Conference Seattle, WA
September 28-October 4: British Columbia Wildlife Federation's Wetlands Institute Kelowna, British
Columbia
September 30: Transit-Oriented Development Training Las Vegas, NV
October 5-8: Urban Land Institute Fall Meeting San Francisco
October 6-7: Growing Sustainable Communities Conference Dubuque, IA
October 7: Walk to School Day 2015
October 8: Solar Decathlon 2015 Irvine, CA
October 18-20: Renewable Energy Markets 2015 Washington D.C.
October 18-21: Behavior, Energy & Climate Change Conference (BECC) Sacramento, CA

October 24-27: NADO Annual Training Conference New Orleans, LA

8-21-15-comm-digest Page 4

October 24-27: NADO Annual Training Conference New Orleans, LA

October 27-29: Policy Links Equity 2015: The National Summit Los Angeles, CA
May 20-23, 2016: River Rally 2016 Mobile, AL

Webinars, Conference Calls, & Twitter Chats

Energy Star Webinar: Portfolio Manager 101 August 25, 2-3:00 PM EST
Learn about applying for ENERGY STAR Certification in Portfolio Manager. Understand the value of the
ENERGY STAR certification, see the step-by-step process of applying, and gain tips to help your property get
from application to award.
Energy Star Webinar: Portfolio Manager 201 August 26, 1-2:00 PM CST
Learn about some advanced features including: using spreadsheet upload templates to update property data;
setting goals and targets to plan energy improvements for properties; creating custom reports; and using the
Sustainable Buildings Checklist.
Energy Star Webinar: Portfolio 301 August 27, 1-2:00 PM CST
Learn learn about some advanced features including: using spreadsheet upload templates to update property
data; setting goals and targets to plan energy improvements for properties; creating custom reports; and using
the Sustainable Buildings Checklist.

*Clean Power Plan Webinar September 9, 12:00 p.m. -1:30 PM CST

EPA is pleased to invite you to participate in a webinar for communities that will discuss the Clean Power Plan
and the first-ever national standards that address carbon pollution from power plants. This webinar will also
focus on what communities need to know about the Clean Power Plan. Materials from this webinar will be
posted on the Clean Power Plan Community website afterwards.
*Missouri Risk-Based Corrective Action Webinar September 9, 10-11 AM CST
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Hazardous Waste Program, in cooperation with the Missouri
Department of Health and Senior Services, will hold a webinar regarding plans to update the Missouri RiskBased Corrective Action guidance and Tier 1 Risk-Based Target Levels.

APR Resources to Support Domestic Plastic Recycling Markets September 15

APRs primary goal is to increase the amount of material available for recycling. This webinar will detail a
variety of resources available to the industry, state and local recycling officials, as well as the general public to
support the expansion of domestic plastic recycling markets and generate more supply.
Keep Your Caps On! A 2015 Update October 27
Due to an ever growing demand for material by plastic reclaimers, APR continues to support the Caps On
message. Historically, the perception has been that the best way to recycle a plastic bottle is with the cap
off. This webinar will give an update on this initiative, address the common concerns surrounding the change,
and provide resources to those communities to support this message.

Greater Kansas City Regional Water Quality Education Committee Presents the 2015 Center for
Watershed Protection Webinars:
What to Do About Trashy Watersheds September 16, 12-1:30 p.m. CST
Learn from places that have been managing trash as part of local or regional TMDLs and some of the
approaches that have been tried. Of course, this webcast will feature a lot of trash-talking.
Checking in on Post-Construction Stormwater Management November 18, 12-1:30 p.m. CST
This webcast will explore innovations and trends in post-construction stormwater management, with MS4
case studies featuring program components and budgets.
All webinars will be streamed at the Mid-America Regional Council Conference Center at 600
8-21-15-comm-digest Page 5

All webinars will be streamed at the Mid-America Regional Council Conference Center at 600
Broadway, Ste. 200, Kansas City, Missouri 64105.

Other Environmental News

*Energy Department Reports Highlight Trends of Growing U.S. Wind Energy Industry
According to two reports released by the Energy Department, the U.S. wind energy industry continued
growing at an impressive rate in 2014, further solidifying Americas position as a global leader in wind energy.
Wind power is a key component of the Presidents all-of-the-above energy strategy and Clean Power Plan to
reduce climate-changing carbon pollution, diversify our energy economy, and boost Americas economic
competitiveness by bringing innovative technologies online.
*NREL Report Examines Energy Use in Cities and Proposes Next Steps for Energy Innovation
The Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory released City-Level Energy Decision
Making: Data Use in Energy Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation in U.S. Cities, a report that examines
what U.S. cities are doing to reduce their energy use. The report analyzes and presents information learned
from a sample of 20 cities across the United States, from Los Angeles to Boston, including a diverse sample
of population size, utility type, region, annual greenhouse gas reduction targets, vehicle use, and median
household income.
*Register for the Air Quality Flag Program
The Air Quality Flag Program addresses these questions and provides tools and resources to educate
communities about poor air quality and what you can do about it. The goal of the program is to educate the
community about air quality and its impacts on human health, and to encourage specific actions your
organization and community can take on days with poor air quality.
USDA Announces Available Funding for Farm Bill Broadband Loan Program Due September 30
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the availability of loans to build broadband in rural
areas, along with changes to the program required by the 2014 Farm Bill. To be eligible for funding, an
applicant must serve an area where at least 15 percent of the households are unserved. Applications with the
most unserved households will be processed first.
Climate Solutions University Now Accepting Applications for 2016
Climate Solutions University has helped more than 30 communities create adaptation plans that are ready for
implementation. Your region is a good fit for the program if you need to tackle the following challenges:
Social equity and the impact of climate change on vulnerable citizens
A regional approach to planning that integrates urban and rural linkages
Threats to watersheds, forest, and economic resources using an ecosystem services model
Community leaders of local government agencies; Watershed organizations and resource conservation
districts; Nonprofits; and Civic organizations should apply.
Apply for a Fruit Tree Planting Foundation Orchard in Your Community Ongoing
The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (FTPF) strategically donates orchards where the harvest will best serve
communities for generations, including at community gardens, public schools, city and state parks, lowincome neighborhoods, and Native American reservations.
Project Learning Trees GreenWorks Grant Due September 30
Project Learning Tree is accepting applications for a school/community native plant garden, a forest
improvement project, a streamside restoration plan, a recycling program, or energy conservation project
targeting students.
This digest is being provided by EPA Region 7 for informational purposes only.
This digest contains links to information, agencies, sites, and organizations outside of the EPA website.
EPA is not responsible for third party links.

8-21-15-comm-digest Page 6

8-21-15-comm-digest Page 7