Manager's Welcome
This is the June issue of the Houston-Galveston Area Council's (H-GAC's) Community and Environmental Planning (C&E) E-newsletter. We hope this monthly newsletter will keep you up to date on the wide variety of community planning, economic development and environmental planning programs going on at H-GAC. We want this information to be useful and are very interested in your feedback! If you have any questions about any of our programs, please feel free to contact me at 713-993-4560 or Jeff.Taebel@h-gac.com. To unsubscribe, add another subscriber or offer any comments on the e-newsletter, please e-mail cep_news@h-gac.com. To view the current and past editions of the e-newsletter, please visit:
www.h-gac.com/CEeNewsletter Please click on the links below to view information regarding each topic. IN THIS ISSUE
Keep Texas Beautiful Awards - Environmental Circuit Rider Program
Water Efficiency
National Water Program Guidance Now Available on the Web
EPA Seeks Nomination for 2005 Clean Water Act Recognition Awards
H-GAC MEETING NOTICES
Compliance and Enforcement for Environmental Investigators - Angleton
Compliance and Enforcement for Environmental Investigators - Conroe
Environmental Sampling Workshop
OTHER MEETING NOTICES
Recycling Rangers Camp
Keep Texas Beautiful 38th Annual Conference
IN THIS ISSUE
Keep Texas Beautiful Awards - Environmental Circuit Rider Program
Congratulations to H-GAC's Environmental Circuit Rider Program (ECRP) for winning first place in the 2005 Keep Texas Beautiful Awards Government Category. Because illegal dumping is a problem facing each person living in the Houston-Galveston region, H-GAC expanded its efforts to combat illegal dumping by implementing the Environmental Circuit Rider Program to provide local governments with training, workshops and prosecutorial assistance. The ECRP involves all 13 counties and a large number of cities in the Houston-Galveston region and thus far has garnered nearly 200 participants. The ECRP is one of the first programs of its kind created to address and educate local governments, therefore interest in the program was well received not only in the Houston-Galveston region, but from Dallas County to as far south as the City of San Juan. For more information on this program contact, Amy Boyers via email aboyers@h-gac.com or by phone (713) 993-2413.
Back to Top Water Efficiency
Did you know that a typical household uses approximately 260 gallons of water per day. In the summer, the amount of water used outdoors by a household can exceed the amount used for all other purposes in the entire year? According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 30 percent of the daily water consumption in the U.S. is devoted to outdoor uses. The majority of this is used for landscaping, given that the typical suburban lawn consumes 10,000 gallons of water above and beyond rainwater each year. In order to address this pressing environmental problem, EPA is increasing its attention on water efficiency. A key area of focus is landscaping and irrigation, where using existing technologies and practices can reduce water use while maintaining healthy and beautiful landscapes, and saving money for consumers. We are also investigating ways to promote water-efficiency in landscape design and maintenance. We are also seeking to promote water-efficient products and practices in other areas, such as indoor water use in residences and commercial buildings. More information is available on EPA's Water Efficiency website at www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency.
Back to Top National Water Program Guidance Now Available on the Web
The National Water Program Guidance for FY 2006 is now available on the Office of Water website at www.epa.gov/water/waterplan. The Guidance describes strategies for accomplishing the key environmental and public health goals in the EPA Strategic Plan. The Executive Summary of the Guidance describes top priorities for FY 2006. Included in the Guidance are measures of program activities that support each of ten key environmental goals (i.e. subobjectives that support the overall goals of clean and safe water). EPA Regional offices will be working with States and Tribes to develop "commitments" under these measures over the next several months using general "targets" in the Guidance. These final commitments are to be included in State/EPA grant agreements, performance partnership agreements, and other documents. The Guidance also includes information about the management system for assessing progress toward the environmental goals and the new Agency initiative to link program grants to support of these environmental goals. Printed copies of the Guidance are available from EPA Regional Offices and from Elana Goldstein in the Office of Water (202-564-1800.
Back to Top EPA Seeks Nominations for 2005 Clean Water Act Recognition Awards
The Office of Water is now accepting nominations for the 2005 Clean Water Act Recognition Awards. The awards recognize municipalities and industries for outstanding and innovative technological achievements in wastewater treatment and pollution abatement programs. Awards are presented for outstanding and noteworthy projects or programs in the following categories: operations and maintenance (O&M) at publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities; biosolids management; pretreatment programs; storm water management; and combined sewer overflow (CSO) controls.
The awards will be presented during the Water Environment Federation's Technical Exposition and Conference (WEFTEC) scheduled for Monday, Oct. 31, 2005 at the Washington Convention Center, in Washington, DC. Organizations that wish to be nominated should contact their State water pollution control agency or EPA regional office to get copies of the guidance, forms and submission deadline dates. You can find more information about the awards and a list of contacts at www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/intnet.htm.
Back to Top H-GAC MEETING NOTICES
Compliance and Enforcement for Environmental Investigators - Angleton
June 9, 2005
Brazoria County Sheriff's Department Training Room
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
3602 County Road 45
Angleton, TX 77515
RSVP to Kristin Gerstley at kgerstley@h-gac.com or 713-993-2461
Back to Top Compliance and Enforcement for Environmental Investigators - Conroe
June 16, 2005
Lone Star Convention Center
9055 Airport Road
Conroe, TX 77303
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
RSVP to Kristin Gerstley at kgerstley@h-gac.com or 713-993-2461
Back to Top
Environmental Sampling Workshop
July 14, 2005
H-GAC Conference Room A
3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
9:00 am to 5:00pm
RSVP to Kristin Gerstley at kgerstley@h-gac.com or 713-993-2461
Back to Top
OTHER MEETING NOTICE
Recycling Rangers Camp
Do you sort plastics by the numbers? Just exactly what is hazardous waste? Join the staff of the Pearland Recycling Center and Keep Pearland Beautiful for a two-day environmental camp to learn the answers to these questions and more. Recycling Rangers Day Camp will be held at the Center, 3423 Harkey Road, Pearland on Monday and Tuesday, June 13-14 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The Recycling Ranger Camp will be for students from Kindergarten through 4th grade. Students must be 5 years old to attend. Activities will include daily lessons with crafts and hands-on processing of recyclable materials. The camp is limited to 20 children. Cost for the camp is $20 and includes all supplies, snacks and a cool t-shirt. For information, go to http://www.keeppearlandbeautiful.org/communityevents.html or call the Keep Pearland Beautiful office, 281-652-1659. To register, call the Pearland Parks and Recreation office at 281-652-1673 or you can register online at http://www.leisureexpress.com/.
Back to Top
Keep Texas Beautiful 386h Annual Conference
Renaissance Houston Hotel Greenway Plaza
Houston, TX
For more information, please visit http://www.ktb.org/.
Back to Top To unsubscribe, add another subscriber or offer any comments on the e-newsletter, please e-mail cep_news@h-gac.com.
H-GAC Community and Environmental Update June2005
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