U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (Region 7)

Communities Information Digest

November 28, 2012 For questions or to subscribe, contact Tegan Vaughn @ 913-551-7326 or vaughn.tegan@epa.gov Find us @ www.facebook.com/eparegion7 or https://twitter.com/eparegion7 Note: New items are in *asterisks*.

News

*Energy Department Announces New Clean Cities Projects to Diversify U.S. Fuel Economy, Prepare for Advanced Vehicles Projects Across 17 States, and Help Communities by Streamlining Permitting and Training Local Workers* As part of the Obama Administration's all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Energy Department today announced 20 new projects to help states and local governments cut red tape and develop the infrastructure, training, and regional planning needed to help meet the demand for alternative fuel cars and trucks, including vehicles that run on natural gas, electricity, and propane. These projects build on the important steps the Obama Administration has taken to expand the transportation options available for businesses and communities and improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles in the market today and for years to come. "Building a clean and secure U.S. transportation system that leverages our domestic energy sources will give American families, businesses, and communities more options and reduce fueling costs," said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. "At the same time, these projects will help lead the way to further reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and protecting our nation's air and water." Through the Department's Clean Cities initiative, these projects address a range of community infrastructure and training needs, such as providing safety and technical training for fleet operators, mechanics, first responders, and code officials; streamlining permitting and procurement processes; and helping public and private fleets integrate petroleum reduction strategies into their operations. For example, the city of Austin, Texas, has been selected for an award of $500,000 to streamline infrastructure procurement, conduct electric and natural gas vehicle safety training, host workshops to help fleet users in the San Antonio and Austin region, and organize training seminars on multi-family housing and workplace electric vehicle charging. In Kansas City, Missouri, the Metropolitan Energy Center will

leverage a federal investment of approximately $815,000 in to support vocational training programs for code officials and fleet managers including managers at local colleges and technical schoolsand will also establish a Green Fleet Technical Assistance and Certification program for the region. Cumulatively, the Energy Department is investing about $11 million in these Clean Cities projects. Since 1993, the Energy Department's Clean Cities initiative has supported community-led efforts to deploy vehicle and infrastructure technologies across a broad portfolio of alternative fuels from biofuels and natural gas to propane and electricity, helping to limit pollution and save money. More information on this work is available at: http://energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-new-clean-cities-projects-diversify-us-fueleconomy-prepare.

Funding Opportunities
November 30: EPA Brownfield Area-wide Planning Grants http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/grants/epa-oswer-oblr-12-06.pdf December 3 NEW date: EPA Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup grants Request for Proposals http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/applicat.htm December 3: USDA 2013 Urban and Community Forestry Grants http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/supporting_docs/fy13-nucfac/FY-2013NUCFAC-RFP-10-2011.pdf December 3: Wells Fargo and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, Environmental Solutions for Communities Grants Program ($25,000 to $100,000 each) http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Charter_Programs_List&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=26041 December 12 NEW date: EPA Environmental Education Regional Grants http://www.epa.gov/education/grants/index.html December 14: U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Services Groundwork USA Program ($200,000 & Technical Assistance) http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=TN61QvbKfwr9J2Pz82mpy8HDcdv4PhQKyYDnXZhSpP1D3pGvM3k0!1423013708?oppId =204573&mode=VIEW December 14: Request for Proposals from Indian Tribes and Intertribal Consortia for Nonpoint Source Management Grants http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/tribal/funding13.cfm *December 21: 2013 Source Water Collaborative (SWC) pilots* http://www.sourcewatercollaborative.org/swp-usda/
-December 12, 2012: Notify the SWC with your intention to submit an Expression of Interest by emailing Christene Jennings christene.jennings@saltermitchell.com -December 21, 2012 (No later than Noon EST): Please email your formal Expressions of Interest to Christene Jennings (christene.jennings@saltermitchell.com)

January 7, 2013: EPA 2013 Environmental Justice Small Grants http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ejsmgrants-rfp-2013.pdf January 14, 2013: National Endowment for the Arts Our Town Grants http://arts.gov/grants/apply/OurTown/FAQ.html January 17, 2013: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART: Water and Energy Efficiency Grants ($21 million) http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=hDfMQQyDd42WwYpM2DCQHdXkzKwWsqpLhMmF0xHfQw21vZpnXN2T!1776773140?o ppId=205114&mode=VIEW

Meetings, Conferences, & Events

December 3: Designing Sustainable Communities: Principles and Practices for Creating Healthy, Vibrant Living Environments Portland, Oregon http://sustain.uoregon.edu/workshops/course_desc.php?CourseKey=646323 *December 4: Mid-America Regional Council's Stormwater Redevelopment Workshop Kansas City, Missouri https://www.marc2.org/iEBMS/reg/reg_p1_form.aspx?oc=10&ct=STDASC&eventid=14960* *February 6: Equitable Development Workshop http://secure.newpartners.org/confReg* February 7-9, 2013: 12th Annual 2013 New Partners for Smart Growth Conference Kansas City, Missouri http://www.newpartners.org/ May 15-17, 2013: Brownfields Conference Atlanta, Georgia http://www.brownfieldsconference.org/en/home?pub=1&issue=8 May 29-June 1, 2013: Congress for New Urbanism21st Annual Conference Salt Lake City, Utah http://www.cnu21.org/ June 23-27, 2013: Making Cities LivableReshaping Suburbia into Completely Healthy Communities Portland, Oregon http://www.livablecities.org/conferences/50th-conference-portland July 9-11, 2013: National Environmental Health Association Annual Conference Washington, DC. http://neha2013aec.org/ September 9-11, 2013: Reclaiming Vacant Properties5th National Conference Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://www.communityprogress.net/2013-reclaiming-vacant-properties-conference-pages356.php?utm_source=RVP+Announcement+final+Nov+1.+&utm_campaign=2013+RVP+Announcement+Nov+1&utm_medium=email

Webinars & Conference Calls

*Department of Energy Webinars on Collaboration to Advance Bioenergy Research, the National Training and Education Resource, and More - December 5th and 6th* The Energy Department will present a live webcast titled "Global Solutions for Global Challenges: International Collaborations to Advance Bioenergy Research" on December 5, 2012, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The webcast will highlight the progress of ongoing research collaboration among scientists supported by the Energy Department and researchers from China, Brazil, Canada, Finland, and other countries. The Energy Department will also present a live webcast titled "NTER: A Revolutionary New Online Training Platform" on Thursday, December 6, 2012, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This webcast will provide an introduction to the National Training and Education Resource (NTER), including how to use and expand the state-of-the-art, open-source, web-based interactive learning environment. Register to attend the webinar by visiting: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/283694648. *EPA Webinar: December 6, 3:00-4:30 p.m. (EST) Learn How Local Governments Can Use Energy Efficiency Competitions to Reduce Energy Use* On December 6, 2012, from 3-4:30 pm EST, EPAs Local Climate and Energy Program will hold a webcast describing how local governments can plan and run an energy efficiency competition to encourage energy reductions in their communities. Experts from EPA's ENERGY STAR program will discuss the benefits of a competition, the basic steps involved, common barriers and possible solutions, and free resources to help local governments put together their own competition. Participants will also hear speakers from Cary, North Carolina, talk about their efforts to reduce energy use across their fire stations, along with a sneak peek at Carys upcoming Fire Chief's Challenge for fire stations nationwide. To sign up for the webcast, please visit https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/849015386. The presentations and audio will be archived for later viewing on the State and Local Climate and Energy Programs Webcasts and Podcasts page: http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/web-podcasts/index.html. Climate Modeling 101 Primer Now Available The National Academy of Sciences has created a website to explain the basics of climate modeling. The six-part primer starts by describing the differences between weather and climate, and then provides an overview of computer models, the process of constructing a climate model, the steps involved in validating climate models, examples of individuals and companies that use climate models, and links to key developers of climate models. Visit the Climate Modeling 101 website to learn more: http://nas-sites.org/climatemodeling/.

Green Schools
EPAs First Health Impact Assessment: Schools and Health, EPA's Research Compass The EPA Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program announced the launch of EPA's first Health Impact Assessment (HIA),

and the first school-focused HIA in this emerging field. An HIA is a relatively new decision-making tool that asks how proposed decisions may impact health and well-being. HIAs consider potential consequences of decisions, include input from the people impacted by the decision, are flexible based on timelines and resources, consider different types of evidence, and provide timely recommendations to decision-makers. The HIA for the Gerena Elementary School in Springfield, MA is a collaboration between EPA and stakeholders including the Massachusetts Departments of Public Health and Environmental Protection (DPH and DEP), city, school, and community groups. The purpose of this HIA is to provide and help process information to help the City of Springfield narrow down the options for renovation and improvement at the Gerena School to those that will best address environmental problems and reduce potential negative health impacts, such as asthma exacerbations. The school is directly under a highway and adjacent to roadways and a railway, so the project will consider transportation-related indoor air exposures as well as those from flooding, moisture, mold and other indoor environment issues in the school. In addition, EPA will learn how its science can be used in the HIA process and incorporate HIA into its decision-support tools. For more information, please visit: http://intranet.ord.epa.gov/nrp/shc/epa-sustainable-and-healthy-communities-shc-research-news-flash/epa-sustainable-and-health-0. EPA's 2012 School Bus Replacement Funding Opportunity EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) will begin accepting applications for a new rebate program on November 13, 2012. An important change in the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) reauthorization was to allow EPA to award rebates. This first year of rebates will be a pilot program focusing on the replacement of older school buses in both public and private fleets. The total funding for this opportunity will be approximately $2 million. To learn more about the rebate program, applicant eligibility and selection process, please visit www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/dera-rebate.htm. EPA will collect rebate applications from November 13 to December 14, 2012. Applicants may submit only one application for up to five buses, and applications may be downloaded from www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/dera-rebate.htm. Completed application packages should be emailed to cleandieselrebate@epa.gov with the subject line "DERA School Bus Rebate Application." A full informational guide about the rebate program and application process is available online at http://epa.gov/cleandiesel/documents/420r12029.pdf. EPA will offer a webinar to interested applicants on November 15, 2012, at 2pm EST. The link for the webinar is https://epa.connectsolutions.com/schoolbusrebates/. EPA will use a conference call line as well: 866-299-3188, code: 3327333#. Questions about the rebate program should be sent to cleandieselrebate@epa.gov.

Other Community Related Information & Events

*Equitable Development Workshop* Registration (just $18) is now open for the Equitable Development Workshop on Feb. 6, 1:00-6:30, in Kansas City, Missouri. Participants will explore how low-income, minority, tribal and other overburdened communities are integrating land use and economic development strategies to renew their neighborhoods, build skills, and create wealth. The agenda includes two plenaries and three training sessions: Opening Plenary - Neighborhood Revitalization and Economic Development from the Bottom Up Training Session 1 - Supporting Small Businesses and Multicultural Commercial Districts Training Session 2 - Using Regional Equity Indicators to Increase Opportunity for All Residents

Training Session 3 - Partnering with Industrial Neighbors to Create Healthy, Sustainable and Prosperous Communities Closing Plenary - The Outlook for Equitable Development Attendees may wish to stay on for the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference (same location, Feb. 7-9), which will feature multiple sessions http://www.newpartners.org/program/sessions-by-time/and tours with environmental justice themes. (See tours #1, #5, #6, and #9.) Register for the Equitable Development Workshop at http://secure.newpartners.org/confReg. The workshop and tours are listed toward the end of the page. *Read About an EPA Intern's Experience Researching Pesticides* Read the latest EPA blog, "My Journey as a Student in Understanding and Assessing the Impacts of Pesticides," a story from an EPA intern who worked to measure the impacts of pesticide use in the San Joaquin Valley. Visit the EPA blog to read more about this intern's experience and the great work she is doing in her community: http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/11/my-journey-as-a-student-in-understanding-and-assessingthe-impacts-of-pesticides/. Also, check out EPAs videos in our 20th anniversary video series, which feature government officials, nonprofit and industry leaders, and students who share stories about the lessons they have learned while working on environmental justice. *Sunshot Incubator Announces Ten Awardees* Ten small businesses were selected to receive a total of nearly $10 million for projects that speed solar energy innovation from the lab to the marketplace. The latest SunShot Incubators are driving innovative solutions across the entire solar energy industry, including photovoltaics, energy storage, balance-of-system hardware, power electronics, and interconnection procedures. For more information, please visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/incubator_7_awardees_2012.pdf. *Wind Farms Sharing Weather Data with NOAA* Two of the nation's largest producers of wind-generated electric power will share privately-collected weather data with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), providing agency scientists with additional observations from wind farms across the nation for research and operations. NOAA now has data sharing agreements with Iberdrola Renewables of Portland, Oregon, and NextEra Energy Resources of Juno Beach, Florida. These are the country's two largest producers of wind-generated electric power, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The companies will provide valuable weather observations from instrumented towers in their wind farms and wind speed data from instruments atop wind turbines. While the observations are business-sensitive and will not be redistributed outside of NOAA, the agency's scientists will use the data to validate and improve weather models at NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory and at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Prediction. For more information, please see the NOAA press release: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20121114_windfarm.html. *Department of Energy (DOE) Designation Program Request For Information Released* The DOE Solar Program issued the Designation Program for Solar Energy Stakeholders request for information (RFI) on November 14. This solicitation seeks feedback on the possible effectiveness of a multi-stakeholder designation program to increase information flow and transparency while lowering the soft costs of solar. For more information, please visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/sunshot/financial_opps_detail.html?sol_id=547. *EPA Keeps Renewable Fuels Levels in Place After Considering State Requests* The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that the agency has not found evidence to support a finding of severe economic harm that would warrant granting a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). The decision is based on economic analyses and modeling done in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). We recognize that this years drought has created hardship in some sectors of the economy, particularly for livestock producers, said Gina McCarthy, assistant

administrator for EPAs Office of Air and Radiation. But our extensive analysis makes clear that Congressional requirements for a waiver have not been met and that waiving the RFS will have little, if any, impact. To support the waiver decision, EPA conducted several economic analyses. Economic analyses of impacts in the agricultural sector, conducted with USDA, showed that on average waiving the mandate would only reduce corn prices by approximately one percent. Economic analyses of impacts in the energy sector, conducted with DOE, showed that waiving the mandate would not impact household energy costs. For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/renewablefuels/notices.htm. *Energy Department Updates National Solar Thermal Test Facility* The molten salt test loop is the only test facility in the country that can provide real power plant conditions and collect data about the interactions of pressure, temperature, and flow rates. The Energy Department's National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF), operated by the Department's Sandia National Laboratories, was recently overhauled. The $17.8 million upgrade to the NSTTF added state-of-the-art test capabilities. The resulting research conducted at the facility is expected to lead to more solar power use on the electric grid. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funded the nine-part project consisting of new additions and upgrades to the test center, much of which had not been updated since it was built in 1976. The improvements include adding a new $10 million molten salt test loop, an optical methods laboratory and other critical testing capabilities, and upgrading the parabolic trough test platform. It also included a $3.8 million investment to replace the 218 original heliostat mirrors aimed at the Solar Tower, a key improvement because glass and reflective technology have change significantly in the past three decades. The facility uses concentrating solar power (CSP), which employs mirrors to focus the sun's heat onto a receiver. The receiver captures thermal energy that can either generate electricity immediately or store it for later use. CSP receivers increasingly use molten salt to store heat generated by the sun because it is cheap and stores thermal energy for long periods, which provides greater flexibility for the electric grid. For more information, please see the Sandia National Laboratories' press release: https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/news_releases/nsttf_upgrades/. *May 15-17, 2013 Brownfields Training Conference: Educational Program Released* The Brownfields 2013 educational program has been released on the National Brownfields Training Conference website at http://www.brownfieldsconference.org/en/sessions. There will be over 100 educational sessions delivered in an assortment of interactive formats, providing expertise on a wide range of topics to all knowledge levels. The educational program is intended to give attendees an improved understanding of the broad industry of redevelopment and to spur valuable discussion along with powerful networking. *Join EPA December 5th to Recognize the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement Winners* Join EPA on December 5 to recognize the winners of EPA's National Award for Smart Growth Achievement and learn about seven cuttingedge smart growth projects that are transforming communities. The ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC. To learn more about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm. Please let the EPA know if you plan to attend: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dEZuQzd5RDhzbDVrdDdwSzFRZXBiZmc6MQ. *New Report Charts Dynamic, Steady Growth of the U.S. Solar Jobs Market* A new report released on November 16 by the Solar Foundation tracks the steady growth of America's solar jobs market over the past 12 months. Now in its third iteration, the 2012 National Solar Jobs Census finds that the solar industry is one of the fastest growing job markets in the countryemploying more than 119,000 skilled solar workers and growing at an annual rate of 13.2%. Energy Department-supported research and development (R&D) remains one of the most important factors driving the steady expansion of the U.S. solar jobs sector. In the latest round of SunShot Incubator projects on November 16, the Department will invest in 10 innovative small businesses to accelerate the transfer of solar energy technology from the lab to the marketplace. These projects aim to significantly reduce the cost of solar energy systems

for American homes and businessescreating new jobs and market opportunities in the process. As a result of consistent federal policy, the Administration's sustained commitment to R&D, and the significant decline in prices for solar energy products, the Solar Foundation projects continued robust growth for the solar jobs market over the coming year. For the complete story, please see the Energy Blog: http://energy.gov/articles/new-report-charts-dynamic-steady-growth-us-solar-jobs-market. *Louisiana Generating to Install Pollution Controls and Pay $14 Million In Penalties and Projects to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations* The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice recently announced today that Louisiana Generating, an electric generating company owned by NRG Energy, Inc., agreed to a settlement at its Big Cajun II coal-fired power plant in New Roads, Louisiana, which will result in the elimination of over 27,300 tons of harmful emissions per year. The settlement, lodged in federal court today in Baton Rouge, will require Louisiana Generating to spend approximately $250 million to reduce air pollution and also requires the company to pay a civil fine of $3.5 million and spend $10.5 million on environmental mitigation projects. For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/air/cases/lagen.html. *Check Fuel Savings on Your Next Road Trip with My Trip Calculator* If you are one of the millions of people hitting the open road for the holidaysor any time of year for that matterbe sure to check out fueleconomy.gov's newest tool to save time and money on your trip. A one-stop shop for any road trip, My Trip Calculator is an interactive tool that helps you plan your route, pick your car, and estimate your fuel costs. To get started with the trip calculator, enter your start and final destinations for turn-by-turn directions, a trip map, and estimated driving time. If you were hoping to take a more scenic route, just drag and drop additional pinpoints on the map to modify your directions. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog: http://energy.gov/articles/gobblefuel-savings-your-next-road-trip-my-trip-calculator. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Green Technical Assistance Program The Department of Housing and Urban Development has recently announced the opening of a Green Technical Assistance Competition through the Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities. A wide variety of HUD stakeholders and partners are eligible to apply for TA including: Public and Indian Housing PHAs, FHA-assisted multi-family properties, CPD grantees, Sustainability grantees, Healthy Homes grantees and others. Starting today and continuing through November 16, HUD stakeholders may go to the website http://spi.force.com/hud (using a Google Chrome or Firefox browser) to answer a brief questionnaire and apply for technical assistance. Several categories of technical assistance are potentially available. Applications will be scored to determine which stakeholders will receive technical assistance from HUD contractors in the next several months. All technical assistance for approved applicants must be completed by March 2013. USDA Announces $3 Million in Smart Grid Funding The U.S. Department of Agriculture on October 19 announced $107.5 million in loan guarantees to modernize and improve rural electric systems, including nearly $3 million in Smart Grid technologies in North Dakota and Wisconsin. According to a 2009 Energy Department report that examined Smart Grid deployment nationwide, Smart Grids have the potential to dramatically change how we manage electricity use in the United States. In August, the USDA reported that it had met its goal to finance $250 million in Smart Grid technologies in fiscal year 2012. For more information, please visit: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/10/0329.xml&contentidonly=true. EPA Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (ARC) Request for Proposal (RFP) Due Date Extension EPAs Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) has extended the due date for submission of the Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup (ARC) Grant Request for Proposal (RFP) by two weeks, from November 19, 2012 to December 3, 2012 due to significant disruption caused by Hurricane Sandy. In addition, the community notification requirement for cleanup grants is similarly extended by two weeks from November 5, 2012 to November 19, 2012. Information regarding this change will be made available via an updated RFP uploaded to the OBLR website. For further information, please contact Jeanette Mendes at Mendes.Jeanette@epa.gov.

EPA's People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program Will Help Fund Researchers from Vanderbilt University Develop a *Prototype That Uses Spinach to Harness Solar Energy A research team at Vanderbilt University has developed a way to use spinach to harness solar energy. The team combined silicon with Photosystem 1, a protein involved in photosynthesis, to make a solar cell that is more efficient than other "biohybrid" solar cells. Through an award from EPA's People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) program, the team will develop a prototype and potentially take the innovative technology to the market. For more information, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/oct2012/solar.htm. United States' Clean Energy Patents Soar, Report Indicates The number of clean energy U.S. patents granted in a quarter has reached a new high in the second quarter of 2012, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index. The second quarter's 786 patents topped the first quarter total of 694, making it the highest tally in any quarter since the firm of Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. began tracking clean energy patents in 2002.The categories of patents monitored are: solar and wind energy; hybrid and electric vehicles (EV); fuel cells; hydroelectric, tidal, and wave power; geothermal energy; biomass and biofuels; and other renewable energy. The most patents (264) were granted for fuel cells, followed by solar (188) and wind (187). Among those that were granted patents, Toyota topped the list with 46, mainly in fuel cells and EVs, followed by GE with 43, consisting mostly of wind energy patents, and General Motors with 30 patents concentrated in fuel cells and vehicles. For more information, please visit: http://cepgi.typepad.com/heslin_rothenberg_farley_/2012/10/clean-energy-patent-growth-index-2nd-quarter-2012-.html. Fiscal Year 2013 NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) B-WET Chesapeake is a competitive grant program that supports existing, high quality environmental education programs, fosters the growth of new, innovative programs, and encourages capacity building and partnership development for environmental education programs throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed. Successful projects advance the goals of the NOAA Education Strategic Plan and the Mid Atlantic Elementary and Secondary Environmental Literacy Strategy by providing hands-on environmental education about issues affecting the Chesapeake Bay watershed for students, related professional development for teachers, and/or capacity building for watershed education. These Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) integrate field experiences with classroom activities and instruction in NOAA-related content. Letters of Intent due 10/30/2012. Applications are due: 12/19/2012. For more information, please visit: http://www.grants.gov/search/announce.do;jsessionid=fw4LQdqC8q1h6RfvzY1rJzcqQRpH59y9DFddldtzh981hm401tJf!-1977017954. Climate Change Education Partnership Alliance Office (CCEPA Office) In FY 2012, NSF funded six Phase II Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP-II) projects. The PI's, Co-PI's and significant partners of the six CCEP-II projects constitute the CCEP "network". The lead PI's for the six projects comprise the CCEP Alliance (CCEPA), which will convene on a regular basis in order to identify common needs and opportunities for collaboration across the CCEP network. Key to the success of this networked approach is the creation of a CCEP Alliance Office (CCEPA Office), which will: facilitate communication among the projects participating within the CCEP-II network; enable and nurture cross-project coordination and collaboration, such as assisting with data collection for a program-wide evaluation undertaken by NSF; and, support dissemination of resources developed by the CCEP-II network to the larger scientific community and the public. The CCEPA Office is also expected to foster coordination of CCEP-II activities with the larger climate change education community. Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (required) December 06, 2012 Letter of Intent (Required) Full Proposal Deadline(s): February 05, 2013. For more information, please visit: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf13513. Enhanced and Updated USDA Energy Website Makes Information Easy to Access

USDA has launched its brand new Energy Web site. The site contains agricultural, economic, and social data on renewable energy to assist stakeholders, public users, state and local government in identifying opportunities, activities and USDAs projects in renewable energy. The Energy Web information is available through several associated online tools, such as USDA Energy Investment Maps, the Renewable Energy Tool, Energy Matrix, Investment Projects Reports, as well as helpful state links to energy resources within individual states. To view the updated site, visit: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ENERGY. U.S. Wind Industry Continues to Expand The U.S. wind industry is experiencing its strongest year in historyso finds a new report from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). According to AWEA's Third Quarter 2012 Market Report, U.S. wind power capacity increased significantly in 2012up 40% compared to 2011. Overall, wind capacity installations increased to 51,630 megawatts (MW)enough to power 13 million American homes and businesses. On the local level, Texas leads the nation in new wind capacity with 1,291 MW added. Other states rounding out the top five include California (1,022 MW), Kansas (836 MW), Oklahoma (734 MW), and Iowa (597 MW). With impressive gains across the country, the United States solidifies its place as a major player in the global wind industryrepresenting more than 20% of the worlds installed wind power. For the complete story, please visit: http://energy.gov/articles/us-wind-industry-continues-expand. Check out EPA's Latest Blog "After the Storm" Read the latest blog "After the Storm," which provides information on possible environmental impacts from Hurricane Sandy. Visit our blog http://blog.epa.gov/ej/2012/11/after-the-storm/ to become aware of and shares tips to help with recovery efforts from the storm. Centers for Water Research on National Priorities Related to a Systems View of Nutrient Management EPA as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program is seeking applications to establish Centers to conduct water research and demonstration projects that are innovative and sustainable using a systems approach for nutrient management in the Nations waters. Proposed research areas should include: Science to achieve sustainable and cost effective health and environmental outcomes as part of water management. Demonstration projects to support efficacy of water management systems with and beyond current technology and information at appropriate scales. Community involvement in the design, acceptance and implementation of nutrient management systems. Deadline: January 15, 2013. http://epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2012/2012_star_water_research.html. Two former EPA Administrators Urge Obama to Tackle Global Warming President Obama should devote some of his newly won political capital to energy and climate change, former U.S. EPA Administrators Christine Todd Whitman and Carol Browner wrote in today's New York Times. Whitman, who was President George W. Bush's first EPA administrator, said a carbon dioxide cap-and-trade bill remains the best solution for tackling climate change and should still be "on the table." The House passed such a bill in 2009 when Democrats were in the majority, and Whitman suggested that the White House should have put more political muscle behind the proposal then. "It's unfortunate that Democrats failed to pass cap-and-trade to limit carbon emissions when they had control of both chambers of Congress, as getting it through the House is going to be a tough challenge now," she wrote. For more information, please visit: http://www.eenews.net/Greenwire/2012/11/08/6. Environmental Justice and Environmental Health Disparities Symposium, December 1st, at the University of Maryland-College Park The Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health and the Program on Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH) are pleased to announce the "First Annual Symposium on Environmental Justice and Environmental Health Disparities in Maryland and Washington, DC." The Symposium will be held on Saturday December 1, 2012, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Adele H. Stamp Student

Union Building at University of Maryland, College Park, MD. This symposium will serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas among community members, researchers, public health practitioners, policymakers, students, and advocates on environmental justice and health issues. The goal of this symposium to establish and sustain a community engaged research enterprise on critical environmental health disparities and environmental justice issues, to raise the visibility of racial and ethnic environmental health disparities and feasible solutions with Marylanders, DC residents, and regional stakeholders, and facilitate action for change. Regional need for community capacity-building and creation of a community-based EJ network, among other diverse topics. To register, please see following link: http://www.ceejh.org/symposium. There are scholarships available to community advocates and residents. 2013 Nicholas P. Bollman AwardNominations Sought The Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities is accepting nominations for the 2013 Nicholas P. Bollman Award to recognize visionary leaders working to advance solutions to problems including social equity, growth and development, regional leadership, and climate change and adaptation. Nominating materials are due December 14, 2012. For more information, please visit: http://www.fundersnetwork.org/events/nicholas-p-bollmanaward?utm_source=MadMimi&utm_medium=email&utm_content=TFN+Now+Accepting+Nominations+for+the+Nicholas+P_+Bollman+Award &utm_campaign=20121101_m114168325_2013+Bollman+Award+Call+for+Nominations&utm_term=click+here. Kansas City Land Bank to Revitalize Vacant Properties Kansas City recently began transferring 3,500 vacant properties into a city-owned land bank, the latest step in a plan to restore blighted communities in the city's core. The city has the ability to give properties away or combine two smaller properties to make the land more marketable. Some of the land will be set aside to make "green spaces" such as community parks and neighborhood gardens. Land banking has become more popular in urban areas, with land banks established in Cleveland, St. Louis, and many other hard-hit Midwestern cities. For more information, visit: http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=6322. World 2011 CO2 emissions up 2.5 percent according to German institute Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2011 rose 2.5 percent to 34 billion metric tons (37.48 billion tons) , a new record, Germany's renewable energy institute said on Tuesday. The IWR (Internationales Wirtschaftsforum Regenerative Energien) which advises German ministries, cited recovered industrial activity after the end of the global economic crisis of recent years. "If the current trend is sustained, worldwide CO2 emissions will go up by another 20 percent to over 40 billion metric tons by 2020," IWR Director, Norbert Allnoch said. China led the table of emitters in 2011 with 8.9 billion metric tons, up from 8.3 billion a year earlier. Its CO2 output was 50 percent more than the 6 billion metric tons in the United States. India was third, ahead of Russia, Japan and Germany. In May the International Energy Agency said that global CO2 emissions rose 3.2 percent last year to 31.6 billion metric tons, led by China. For more information, visit: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/13/entertainment-us-carbon-emissions-study-idUSBRE8AC0J320121113 Voters say yes to great neighborhoods, transportation choices via Tuesday ballot initiatives Voters decided more than a president, with dozens of local decisions across the country to fund or approve important transportation and landuse ballot initiatives. With transportation choices and smart growth decision-making being so closely linked to economic development and long-term cost-savings, the publics say on these measures plays a critical role in determining which communities will have an opportunity to leap forward, Smart Growth America President and CEO Geoffrey Anderson said in a statement. For more information, please visit: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/2012/11/07/voters-say-yes-to-great-neighborhoods-transportation-choices-via-tuesday-ballot-initiatives/ Groundwork USALetters of Interest Sought

The National Park Service and Groundwork USA have issued a request for letters of interest from communities that would like to develop "Groundwork Trusts." These trusts will provide cost effective project development services focused on community improvement, quality of life, and environment and economic issues. Up to two communities will be selected for funding and technical assistance to develop a Groundwork Trust. Due date December 14, 2012. For more information, please visit: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=z2ctQgnYynThy1hRyH2SxpjTG6GFcGJcnDRTpgqrvnZl3qb4120G!1706022341?oppId=20 4573&mode=VIEW. Asset-Based Economic Development/Building Sustainable Rural Communities This series of three ICMA briefing papers showcase how small communities are tackling sustainability and smart growth through assetbased economic development. The first paper defines asset-based economic development and provides several case studies on industry and industrial clusters. The second paper looks at natural resource strengths and working landscapes. The third paper examines historic and cultural resources as well as existing infrastructure such as Main Streets and town squares. http://icma.org/en/results/sustainable_communities/resources/blogpost/901/AssetBased_Economic_Development_and_Building_Sustainab le_Rural_Communities#.UJvonygo6v0.gmail. Livability Literature Review: A Synthesis of Current Practice This comprehensive report by the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) describes how livability is understood, provides examples of livable communities in practice, and adds clarity to several concepts. This new report will help local governments and their regional planning organizations, both urban and rural, better understand the resources available to create more livable communities. http://narc.org/member-release-new-report-a-synthesis-of-current-livability-practice-seeking-case-studies/. The Connected City The Connected City explores how thinking about networks helps make sense of modern cities: what they are, how they work, and where they are headed. Cities and urban life can be examined as networks. At one extreme, micro-urban networks focus on the networks that exist within cities, like the social relationships among neighbors that generate a sense of community and belonging. At the opposite extreme, macro-urban networks focus on networks between cities, like the web of nonstop airline flights that make face-to-face business meetings possible. http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415881425/. Report of The Correlates of House Price Changes with Geography, Density, Design, and Use This report discusses how urban neighborhoods have weathered the recent housing crisis better than their sprawling counterparts. Using detailed geographic modeling and regression analysis, this report illustrates how neighborhoods with core tenets of New Urbanism walkable streets in mixed commercial-residential, transit-accessible, and socioeconomically diverse communities have retained more of their value than suburban and exurban areas. http://www.cnu.org/cnu-news/2012/11/cnu-releases-report-philadelphia-area-housing-prices. Hurricane Sandy Could Spur Action on Warming in Next Congress With Democrats strengthening their control of the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid said last week that the chamber could consider climate change legislation next session, adding that Superstorm Sandy helped make a case for action. "Climate change is an extremely important issue for me, and I hope we can address it, reasonably," the Nevada Democrat said. "It's something, as we've seen with these storms, overwhelming our country and the world. We need to do something about it." Environmentalists argue that Sandy's impact on the New York and New Jersey coastlines has revived the climate debate. President Obama, during his re-election speech, called on lawmakers to once again tackle the issue. http://www.eenews.net/eenewspm/2012/11/07/2. Small Business Opportunity to Tackle Solar's Hottest Topics The U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Office of Science released topics for the upcoming 2013 Phase I Release 2 round of the Small

Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The announcement includes a range of funding opportunities for solar-focused small businesses. For more information, please visit: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/solar/newsletter/detail.cfm/articleId=299. EPA Awards $1.2 Million to Improve Indoor Air Quality The U.S.EPA announced it will provide a combined $1.2 million in funding to 32 state and local governments, tribes, and non-profit organizations for indoor air quality projects. The funding will support recipients efforts to improve indoor air quality, which will better protect the health of Americans in classrooms, communities and homes across the country. Education projects, training and outreach efforts supported by the funding will help reduce the environmental health risks of indoor air contaminants such as radon and asthma triggers. From organizing and training speakers on how to educate parents of children with asthma, to providing technical assistance that will help school districts develop indoor air quality management plans, these projects will help protect children and families. EPA emphasized selecting projects that assist low income and minority families that are disproportionately impacted by poor indoor air quality. EPA is proud to be working with our awardees across the nation to improve the air we breathe at school, work and home, said Gina McCarthy, Assistant Administrator for EPAs Office of Air and Radiation. American communities face serious health and environmental challenges from air pollution. This effort gives us an opportunity to improve indoor air quality by increasing awareness of environmental health risks. Indoor air pollutants in homes, buildings, and schools can negatively impact the health of occupants. Some pollutants cause health problems such as sore eyes, burning in the nose and throat, headaches or fatigue. Others can cause worsen allergies, respiratory illnesses (such as asthma) or even cancer (from radon gas). More information about Indoor Air Assistance Agreements: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/regional_funding.html HUD Awards Nearly $5 Million to Spur Next Generation of Housing, Neighborhood Transformation U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that 17 communities across the U.S. will receive Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grants. The $4.95 million awarded today provides these communities the resources they need to craft comprehensive, community-driven plans to revitalize public or other HUD-assisted housing and transform distressed neighborhoods. Read more about these local planning efforts. While many of these grantees have already collaborated to get to this stage, this funding enables them to take their initial discussions further to plan out strategies to build stronger, more sustainable communities that will address distressed housing, failing schools, rampant crime, and all that plagues the nations poor neighborhoods, said Donovan. HUDs Choice Neighborhoods Initiative represents the next generation in a movement toward revitalizing entire neighborhoods to improve the lives of the residents who live there. HUDs Choice Neighborhoods Initiative promotes a comprehensive approach to transforming distressed areas of concentrated poverty into viable and sustainable mixed-income neighborhoods. Building on the successes of HUDs HOPE VI Program, Choice Neighborhoods links housing improvements with necessary services for the people who live there including schools, public transit and employment opportunities. For more information, please visit: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/press/press_releases_media_advisories/2012/HUDNo.12-164. This newsletter is being provided by EPA Region 7 for informational purposes only. This newsletter contains links to information, agencies, sites, and organizations outside of the EPA website. EPA is not responsible for third party links. EPA does not endorse third party organizations or agencies.