The GLRPPR/EPA Webinar provides an opportunity to hear about P2 Programs in the region, ask questions and stay connected.

Agenda:

1. Opening comments by Julie Guenther, Region 5 EPA
2. Presentation by IL: a. GLRPPR – Bob Iverson; b. I-CORE – Mike Springman
3. Presentation by MN – Phyllis Strong: a. P2 Grant work; b. Green Chemistry and Design program; c. P2 integration program
4. Presentation by MI – Karen Edlin: a. Economy, Energy and Environment (E3); b. Michigan’s Sustainable Hospital Initiative; c. Advancing Green Chemistry
5. Presentation by IN – Jennifer Schick

Title: GLRPPR/EPA Region 5 Forum
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011
Time: 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM PDT  

System Requirements:

• PC-based attendees–Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
• Macintosh®-based attendees–Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer

Contact Bob Iverson, GLRPPR Executive Director, for further information or questions.

Our thanks to Donna Walden, Regional Coordinator at the Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN), one of our sister P2Rx Centers, for assisting with the set up and administration of this webinar.

Past awardees were recognized for work to advance principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture or use, or promotion activities that support or implement those technologies.

The awards are open to individuals, groups and organizations in Michigan, both nonprofit and for-profit, including academia, educators, nonprofit advocacy groups and industry.

To learn more about Michigan’s green chemistry program or obtain a nomination packet for the Governor’s award, go to www.michigan.gov/greenchemistry.

Entries must be sent by Aug. 5. Awards are presented during the 2011 Michigan Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference. This year’s conference: “Advancing Innovation for a Sustainable Future,” is scheduled Oct. 27 at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex in Ann Arbor.

For more information, call the DEQ Environmental Assistance Center at 800‑662-9278.

Just 16 years ago, Jay Hair, former Chief Executive Officer of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) asked me to stand up before the plenary session of the annual meeting of NWF because I was holding my baby daughter, Katie—then a tender two months old. He pointed out to the audience that the reason why we were there—the reason why we should be working so hard on behalf of the environment—was for the future of our children.

Hair was wrapping up a session during which acclaimed scientist, Dr. Theo Colborn  (professor at University of Florida, Gainesville, and author of the book Our Stolen Future), was speaking about chemicals that acted as endocrine disruptors. Her news was alarming: malformed frogs—the product of chemical spills. World-wide sperm counts declining—caused by the advent of chemicals that mimic hormones in our environment.  If I hadn’t been wrapped in the warm cocoon of new motherhood with my amazing son Kevin, then three, and now this beautiful little gift in my arms, thinking that anything was possible, I might have broken down and cried–the way I did later when I saw the documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

We filed out of the plenary session and into the restaurant for lunch.  I wanted to meet Theo and so we were introduced.  She greeted me warmly and congratulated me on my new baby. I asked her, “Dr. Colborn, how do you feel about breastfeeding?” She said, “I wouldn’t do it. If I did, I would get in and get out, just for bonding.”

“What about all the toxins in our environment? Don’t they impact dairy cows? Isn’t cow’s milk worse?” I asked.

Oh, no, she told me. Cows don’t have anywhere near the chemical burden that humans have.

I was devastated. As she walked away, that’s when the tears started to flow. How could that be? How could feeding my own child in the way that God intended be harmful to her?

Here we are now almost two decades later still talking about harmful chemicals, our human burden, endocrine disruptors, health impacts, etc.  Meanwhile chemicals are becoming even more ubiquitous. We may be reaching the “tipping point,” however, which is good news for future generations. The chemicals that seem to be pushing us toward that tipping point of tolerance have been polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) used as flame retardants and now BPA (bisphenol-A ), an organic compound that has been suspected of being hazardous since the 1930s.

“Bisphenol-A is now deeply imbedded in the products of modern consumer society, not just as the building block for polycarbonate plastic (from which it then leaches as the plastic ages) but also in the manufacture of epoxy resins and other plastics, including polysulfone, alkylphenolic, polyalylate, polyester-styrene, and certain polyester resins,” quotes the Dr. Colborn and co-authors Dianne Dumanoski  and Dr. John Peterson Myers  in Our Stolen Future. BPA is also an inert ingredient in pesticides as well. Human exposure to BPA comes from a myriad of sources such as: dental sealants, coatings in metal cans, food containers, refrigerator shelving, water bottles, microwave ware, eating utensils, films, sheets, laminations, reinforced pipes, adhesives, nail polish, and baby bottles.

In over 200 studies, BPA has been linked to a number of health concerns, such as cancer, developmental, and reproductive issues, according to the Washington Post. As a result, several states and cities have taken steps to ban BPA to protect its citizens, particularly children from harmful effects by banning BPA from products such as baby bottles, sippy cups and children’s dishware, along with sports bottles. Washington State, Maryland, and Wisconsin passed bans this year and Minnesota and Connecticut passed bans in 2009. Several other states, including California, Vermont, New York, and Illinois have similar bans pending. However, attempts in other states have been unsuccessful.

Overall, it’s just too costly and it takes too long to seek chemicals reform one chemical at a time. The country needs the Toxic Substances Control Act to be modernized and enhanced during its reauthorization.  Clear safety standards based on science should be adopted against which the safety of chemicals can be weighed. New chemicals should be assessed for their safety. Priority chemicals should be established. Green chemistry should be promoted. This cannot be another unfunded mandate by Congress.  It’s time to take action so that another generation doesn’t have to wonder if the everyday products in their lives will place their baby daughters in jeopardy.

Presentations available include:

• Go Green and Save Money: Fiscally Sound Green Business Practices by Laura Barnes, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center
• Institutional Green: Not an Ugly Wall Color by Marcus Rivas, U.S. EPA
• EPA’s Pollution Prevention Plan by Tanya Mottley, U.S. EPA, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
• Where Indianapolis is Headed.. by Karen Haley, Director, Office of Sustainability, City of Indianapolis
• Greening Your Business: A Look at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. by Denise Coogan, Manager, Safety & Environmental Compliance at Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc.
• Region 5 Sustainability Network by Tony Nesky, Home Engineering Services, U.S. Army Office of Regional Environmental and Government Affairs
• EPA Regional Pollution Prevention Results by Phil Kaplan, Regional Pollution Prevention Coordinator, U.S. EPA
• Using Web 2.0 to Improve Information Discovery and Collaboration by Rick Yoder, Pollution Prevention Regional Information Center
• Green Suppliers Network – E3: Columbus (Energy, Economy, Environment) by Greg Hume, Program Manager, TechSolve
• The Use of Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN) for Green Science at Eli Lilly and Company by Dr. Michael E. Kopach, Chemical Product Research & Development, Eli Lilly and Company
• Technical Assistance Approaches for Energy Efficiency by Cam Metcalf, Executive Director, Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (University of Louisville)

To save any of these presentations to your computer, visit the 2009 Conference page and  right click on the name of a presentation.  Select “Save Target As…” and choose a name and location for the file.

• Electricity Conservation (GHG reductions from electricity conversation or reduced use of energy)
• Green Energy (GHG reductions from switching to greener or renewable energy sources)
• Fuel Substitution (GHG reductions from reduced fuel use, substitution to greener fuels)
• Greening Chemistry (GHG reductions from reduced use of GWP chemicals)
• Water Conservation (GHG reductions from reduced water use)
• Materials Management (GHG reductions from green manufacturing processes and waste management scenarios)
• Cross Reference to other applicable tools (A reference table that provides end users an overview of applicable GHG tools and models)

The P2 Results Database, a web-based tool, designed to collect and quantify P2 progress related to air, water, waste and energy reductions from non-profits, local, state, and federal entities plays a significant role in demonstrating P2 benefits on a regional and national level. A critical part of the P2 Results Database is documenting cost savings that result from government, businesses and facilities implementing P2 activities. This database uses a P2 cost calculator to quantify cost savings based on established methodologies and sound research. Over the last several months, the Pollution Prevention Program worked to update and redesign the tool to enhance functionality and better document cost benefits over time. Today’s webinar will also provide an overview of the cost calculator tool.

If you were unable to attend this week’s conference and/or the webinar provided today, or if you would like to recommend the webinar to your colleagues, the Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN) will be providing a similar webinar on June 18, 2009. See the GLRPPR calendar entry for the WSPPN webinar for details and a link to the event registration page.

For more useful calculators and links to your regional module of the P2 Results Data System, see the GLRPPR P2 Measurement & Calculators Sector Resource.

Since the company’s beginning in 1973, Ms. Jones has taken steps to ensure that Consolidated Printing maintains its profitability while complying with local, state, and federal statutes and regulations; protecting employee health and well being; and operating as a good citizen of the community. The company mission is “to provide high quality printing services with a zero impact on the environment.”

Recognizing that printing is among the top ten most toxic industries in the U.S., Ms. Jones has focused her career on actively pursuing the elimination of toxic chemicals in the printing process. Consolidated Printing uses an all-natural process without toxic chemicals that are harmful to workers, the community, or air, land and water. In early years, common household products were substituted for harmful chemicals-cooking oil as a roller lubricant, vinegar as a neutralizer, and fabric softener as a wetting agent. Ms. Jones works with suppliers to eliminate harmful substances in chemicals and offers her shop as a willing beta test site for products that could potentially be safer for the environment. Today, Consolidated Printing uses an all-vegetable process, including inks, pigments and solutions, and the company is petroleum and carcinogen free.

In recognition of Consolidated Printing’s accomplishments and level of environmental sustainability, Ms. Jones has received awards from the Illinois EPA, three Illinois Governors, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, and the Chicago Department of the Environment. In addition, Consolidated Printing has been asked to open a second location to provide the printing services at the Business Service Center for the Green Exchange, a retail and office facility that will house some 100 businesses, all of them environmentally and socially responsible. The first of its kind in the U.S., the Green Exchange building is a four-story, 272,000 square-foot former factory being converted according to LEED Platinum standards and incorporating a wide array of green building features and benefits.

Throughout her 35 years as a printer, Ms. Jones has used her own resources and initiative to ensure that others learn of the many ways a firm can print responsibly, honoring the environment as well as the health and well-being of the persons who produce printed product. She was involved in the development of the Great Printers Project, the first team in the nation seeking to create a business environment conducive to pollution prevention for the entire printing industry. Consolidated Printing became the first printing company in Illinois to achieve Great Printer status in 1997. The company then produced a film with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), and Ms. Jones and other Consolidated Printing employees traveled the state with IEPA representatives to raise awareness of the Project among printers. Hoping to establish an “effective and easy to understand program for complying with OSHA regulations,” the Consolidated Printing staff also participated in a national OSHA project for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Working with several printing companies, Consolidated Printing formulated teaching materials to be utilized by printing companies across America in the National Pilot Project.

Ms. Jones works continuously to spread the word about sustainability and green in the printing industry. Outreach efforts include speaking engagements; educational and environmental committee involvement; exhibiting at a variety of facilities and events; participation on panels, blogs, You Tube and internet radio shows. Environmental sustainability in the printing industry has also been taught by Ms. Jones during weekly tours of Consolidated Printing for clients, printers, suppliers, associations, and radio and television crews, which have resulted in recent segments on Chicago’s WLS Channel 7, NBC Channel 5, and Good Morning America. She makes herself accessible to all who wish to learn of her pioneering practices.

The William D. Shaeffer Environmental Award is presented annually at the National Environmental Health and Safety (NEHS) Conference. This year’s NEHS Conference will be held March 16-18 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

On September 29, the Governor also signed AB 1879 and SB 509 related to green chemistry. “AB 1879 establishes authority for the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to develop regulations that create a process for identifying and prioritizing chemicals of concern and to create methods for analyzing alternatives to existing hazardous chemicals. It also allows DTSC to take certain actions following an assessment that range from ‘no action’ to ‘restrictions or bans.’ The bill also establishes a Green Ribbon Science Panel made up of experts to provide advice on scientific matters, chemical policy recommendations and implementation strategies, as well as ensuring implementation efforts are based on a strong scientific foundation. Moreover, it expands the role of the Environmental Policy Council, made up of the heads of all California Environmental Protection Agency boards and departments, to oversee critical activities related to the implementation of the green chemistry program. SB 509 creates an online Toxics Information Clearinghouse, a web-based database, to increase consumer knowledge about the toxicity and hazards of thousands of chemicals used in California every day.” A Green Chemistry Initiative has been established to develop policy options for implementing a green chemistry program. The initiative’s goal is to evaluate the health risks of chemicals and possible alternatives in a systematic way, rather than on a case-by-case basis. Read the full press release here.

In October 2006, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm issued Executive Directive No. 2007-6, “Promotion of Green Chemistry for Sustainable Economic Development and Protection of Public Health,” that established state policy encouraging the use of safer, less toxic, or non-toxic chemical alternatives to hazardous substances and the research, development, and implementation of Green Chemistry in Michigan.

The DEQ has been given primary responsibility to implement the Green Chemistry Executive Directive, including establishing a Michigan Green Chemistry Program and convening a Michigan Green Chemistry Roundtable. The Roundtable, which is comprised of experts representing business, academia, environmental interest groups, and the public, had significant input into the development of the Action Plan and will be participating in the implementation of the Michigan Green Chemistry Program.

Source: Michigan DEQ, 9/15/08.

An earlier post described a similar workshop that will be held in Lansing, MI on September 27.

For more upcoming events, check the GLRPPR online calendar and Sector Resources.