EPA Awards Portland $200,000 for East Bayside Neighborhood Area-Wide Plan

One of only 20 recipients in nation selected to help develop brownfields sites

 

PORTLAND, Maine -- The Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) and the City of Portland will join with neighborhood and elected officials this morning at 10:30 AM at Coffee By Design (1 Diamond Street) to announce that GPCOG has been selected as one of 20 recipients in the nation for a $200,000 Brownfields Area-Wide Planning (AWP) Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

“We’re very excited to have been chosen for this funding, which will allow us to put in place a community vision for the future of the East Bayside neighborhood,” said Mayor Michael Brennan. “Building upon the many successful light industrial uses, the plan will explore how to best develop these brownfields sites and the rest of East Bayside in order to enhance a thriving mixed-use district.”

"Given that much of East Bayside was built on contaminated fill, almost any redevelopment will

American Lung Association of the Northeast honored by EPA

(AUGUSTA, ME) – Region 1 of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), serving all of New England, presented the American Lung Association of the Northeast with a 2013 Environmental Merit Award. Given out by EPA annually since 1970, the merit awards honor individuals and groups who have shown particular ingenuity and commitment in their efforts.
The American Lung Association’s tagline is “Fighting for Air.” The Northeast chapter of the nonprofit organization focuses on air quality, tobacco control and lung disease at the local, state and national level. The American Lung Association, created in 1904, has since established themselves as the leading organization fighting both lung disease and air pollution.
“EPA applauds the American Lung Association of the Northeast, along with all the people and organizations being recognized today as leaders in helping create a cleaner environment and healthier communities,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA New England. “An environmental merit award is the highest honor EPA New England can give to recognize excellent environmental work throughout this region."
The Lung Association was given a 2013 Merit Award for their work in reducing residents’ exposure to woodsmoke. Wood burning stoves and outdoor wood boilers are a common way Northeasterners heat their homes, particularly in the most rural parts of the region.  Woodsmoke is a major source of particle pollution, identified by the federal government as a principal component in air pollution. Exposure to woodsmoke causes coughing, wheezing and exacerbates chronic conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and is also known to contain several cancer-causing carcinogens. It is especially damaging because its harmful emissions often stay trapped inside homes or drift into neighbors’ homes.
The American Lung Association of the Northeast, with help from several businesses, has successfully implemented woodstove changeout programs in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Residents who turn in their pre-1980, non-EPA certified woodstoves receive vouchers towards the purchase of new EPA-certified woodstoves. These programs have proven so successful that some have run out of vouchers in a matter of days. The nonprofit organization plans on duplicating such programs in the future.
Jeff Seyler, American Lung Association of the Northeast President & CEO, accepted the award on behalf of the nonprofit organization at a ceremony at EPA’s Boston headquarters on Wednesday. “We are honored to be recognized by EPA for our work in reducing exposure to air pollution and cancer-causing toxins,” said Seyler. “We at the Lung Association are acutely aware of the effects that woodsmoke can have on those living with lung disease, and even otherwise healthy individuals. We are committed to cleaning up our air and will continue ‘Fighting for Air’ until we all live in areas where air pollution does not threaten lives.”
More information on the American Lung Association of the Northeast, woodstove changeout programs and woodsmoke is available at www.LungNE.org.

Camden Hills Teacher Wins 2013 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) today congratulated Camden Hills Regional High School teacher, Mary “Margo” Marguerite Murphy, on being named one of the winners of the of the 2013 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators.

The award – given to eleven teachers from across the country by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Council on Environmental Quality – recognizes outstanding K-12 teachers and their schools for excellence in integrating environmental education into their lessons and connecting students. As one of the awardees, Murphy will receive a commemorative certificate and a $2,000 award to be used to further her professional development in environmental education. Camden Hills Regional High School will also receive a $2,000 award to support environmental educational activities.

“We are pleased to join together to congratulate Margo on this impressive and well-deserved recognition,” Senators Collins and King said in a joint statement. “Her proven approach to environmental education helps students to develop a strong appreciation for our state’s natural resources, empowers them to become responsible stewards of our environment, and cultivates them to become the future leaders of our state and our nation.”

BACKGROUND: The Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators program recognizes and supports teachers from both rural and urban education settings who make use of experiential and environmental opportunities to utilize creativity and community engagement to help students develop a sense of civic responsibility and stewardship.

Mary “Margo” Marguerite Murphy currently teaches Global Science and an elective botany course at Camden Hills Regional High School (CHRHS). She is co-advisor to the CHRHS windplanners and was instrumental in the installation of the school garden and orchard. CHRHS serves 660 students from five communities. Murphy received her B.S. in forest management in 1985, and her M.Ed. in secondary science education in 1992, both from the University of Maine, Orono. Prior to coming to Camden Hills Regional, she taught science for 22 years at Georges Valley High School where she served as Science Department Chair for several years. She is a nationally board certified teacher and received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Education.

Maine Department of Environmental Protection Receives $1.39 Million Grant From EPA To Fund Clean Diesel Projects

Maine - The state's Department of Environmental Protection has been awarded $1.39 million to hire Maine mechanics to replace diesel engines in boats and buses in an effort to reduce transportation emissions and promote cleaner air and energy efficiency.

The grant money from the federal Environmental Protection Agency under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) will go to purchase and install six new diesel marine engines in two tug boats operating in Portland Harbor and the Gulf of Maine and replace four diesel powered school buses with compressed natural gas (CNG) powered school buses operating within the Portland Public School system.

Diesel engines contribute significantly to air pollution, especially in urban areas. The fine particles in diesel exhaust pose serious health risks - especially to children - including aggravated asthma and other respiratory symptoms. The Northeast has some of the highest asthma rates in the nation, including a childhood asthma rate above 10 percent in all six New England states.

"We are grateful for this generous grant from EPA that complements our comprehensive state-led efforts to enhance the quality of our air and make Maine a healthier place to live, work and play," said Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Patricia Aho.

"Maine DEP continues to lead New England in leveraging DERA funding to reduce emissions from commercial vessels in our working waterfronts, and we are proud to partner with Portland Public Schools, the only district in New England committed to converting to a 90 percent cleaner burning fleet of buses. It's a win-win-win as these projects save their owners fuel and funds, support jobs in our shipyards and garages, and allow all of us to breathe easier."

This grant will allow DEP, in partnership with McAllister Towing and Portland Public Schools, to replace six unregulated diesel marine engines with current EPA Tier-3 certified marine diesel engines and replace four older diesel school buses with clean burning compressed natural gas school buses. Combined, the two projects are expected to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by an estimated 35 tons, 1.7 tons and 254 tons, respectively, in addition to conserving 38,536 gallons of fuel annually. The grant will cover up to 50 percent of the cost of each eligible marine engine and up to 25 percent of the cost of each eligible CNG school bus.

The announcement of Maine's award is part of nearly $30 million in grant funds being awarded by the EPA nationwide for clean diesel projects in 2012. In New England, a second grant was awarded under this year's funding competition to the Connecticut Maritime Foundation for a ferry repower project based in New London, CT.

To learn more on Maine's efforts to reduce transportation emissions, visit http://maine.gov/dep/air/mobile/

For more information on EPA's National Clean Diesel Program, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/