H-GAC Community and Environmental Update- MAY 2005

Manager's Welcome
This is the May 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
The H-GAC Solid Waste Management Program
Education/Training for Concrete Production Related Activities 
Apply for Smart Growth Implementation Issue Assistance
EPA Seeks Nomination for 2005 Clean Water Act Recognition Awards
Creation of a National Water Efficiency Organization
Recycling Alliance of Texas Offers Memorial Scholarship
Motorola Launches School Mobile Phone Recycling Program
New Wetlands Center in Galveston Offers Glimpse of Gulf's Ecosystem

H-GAC MEETING NOTICES 
Concrete Production Related Activities
Clean Rivers Program Regional Monitoring Workgroup

OTHER MEETING NOTICES 
Recycling Rangers Camp

IN THIS ISSUE
The H-GAC Solid Waste Management Program
The H-GAC Solid Waste Management Program has had a very successful FY04/05 program year so far, and continues to address solid waste issues faced by the Houston/Galveston region. 

• Workshops and trainings including a Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste Workshop, and a Storm Debris Planning and Management Workshop. 
• The Solid Waste Implementation Grant Program awarded over $2.6 million in grant funds to 28 city and county governments and one school district.
• Technical assistance to local governments and citizens through information assistance, education and outreach, reference materials and assistance with program development and implementation as well as studies on various solid waste issues of concern in our region, such as storm debris, construction and demolition debris, and others.
• Public outreach and education materials including a regional media campaign to encourage recycling of electronic waste, recycling activity books and household hazardous waste curriculums for elementary school aged children, and the 2004-2005 Houston/Regional Recycling and Conservation Guide produced in cooperation with the City of Houston.
• Regional Transportation, Collection and Disposal Contracts for both household hazardous waste and electronic waste with negotiated pricing and services that have been used by cities and counties throughout the region. 
• Local enforcement of illegal dumping program including a quarterly roundtable, an illegal dumping database, outreach and education, surveillance camera trainings, a Stop Trashing Texas workshop held in conjunction with Keep Texas Beautiful, and Environmental Circuit Rider Program Workshops that have been held throughout the region. 

For more information on any of these topics, visit the Solid Waste Program section of the H-GAC website at www.h-gac.com/sw or contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520 or cmergo@h-gac.com..
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Education/Training for Concrete Production Related Activities
H-GAC is holding a workshop on environmental compliance and enforcement as part of the H-GAC Environmental Circuit Rider Project.  Each of the sessions will be held in H-GAC Conference Room A from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon.  The workshop will address air, water, and waste concerns as well as enforcement. Peace officers and code enforcement officers will receive 3.5 hours of continuing education credit.  There is no charge for participating or for materials.   
 
This workshop is one component of the Environmental Circuit Rider Project (ECRP) which H-GAC has developed to address the environmental needs of county governments within its 13-county region. Over the next few years, H-GAC will be implementing the various ECRP components which were designed to educate and assist counties with environmental education, enforcement, prosecution, cleanup and funding.
Please contact Michelle Belco at (713) 980-6663 to RSVP and with any questions or requests for additional information. Your attendance is greatly appreciated.

Draft agenda items will include:  compliance issues; air quality regulations; waste handling and waste management; industrial wastewater and storm water permit requirements, management and inspections; enforcement, and TCEQ Small Business and Local Government checklist.  For more information, please contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520 or via email at cheryl.mergo@h-gac.com.
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Apply for Smart Growth Implementation Issue Assistance 
After learning about the principles of smart growth, many communities are asking "How do we get from the principles to practice?  This could really help my community -- but how do we do it?"  EPA is offering an opportunity to apply for free technical assistance that will help you apply smart growth principles to a real challenge in your community.

The Development, Community and Environment Division in U.S. EPA's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation is seeking applications from communities that want to develop in ways that meet environmental and other community goals.  A team of multidisciplinary experts will provide technical assistance to communities that are selected.

Communities around the country are interested in fostering economic development, protecting their environmental resources, enhancing public health, and planning for growth, but they may lack the tools, resources, or information to achieve these goals.  EPA can help communities overcome these roadblocks by providing evaluation tools and expert
analysis.

EPA is soliciting applications from communities that want help with either policy analysis (e.g., reviewing state and local codes, school siting guidelines, transportation policies, etc.) or public participatory processes (e.g., visioning, alternatives analysis, build-out analysis, etc.).  Selected communities will receive assistance from a team of experts organized by EPA and other national partners to work with local leaders.

For more information and application materials, please go to:
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sg_implementation.htm
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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.
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Creation of a National Water Efficiency Organization
The Office of Water in cooperation with the California Urban Water Conservation Council (CUWCC) is looking into options for a new national organization to promote water efficiency.  EPA and CUWCC are developing the framework for a national partnership on water use efficiency similar to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency.  Many water stakeholders see a need for a nationwide water efficiency organization that can develop cross-state initiatives, conduct needed water efficiency research, coordinate water efficiency project partners, and in general serve as a clearinghouse for water efficiency progress and cutting-edge change. 

To design a program that best meets the needs of the water and related industries, information is being gathered in a variety of ways, including a series of workshops next month:

May 17 - Seattle
May 18 - Los Angeles
May 19 - Phoenix
May 23 - Boston
May 24 - Atlanta
May 25 -- Austin

Representatives from water and wastewater utilities, manufacturers of water-using products, environmental organizations, builders and developers, and interested government agencies are invited to attend.  For registration information, contact Jeffrey Hughes at jeffrey@cuwcc.org. 
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Recycling Alliance of Texas Offers Memorial Scholarship
The Recycling Alliance of Texas, an NRC affiliate, is seeking applications for the Linda B. Smith Memorial Scholarship. Applicants must be female Texas residents attending an accredited Texas college or university with a demonstrated environmental commitment. Applications are due May 31, 2005.
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Motorola Launches School Mobile Phone Recycling Program
Motorola Inc. hopes to collect 1 million used mobile phones through a fund-raising program that will help schools raise money for scholastic and extracurricular activities.  The "Race to Recycle" program will pay accredited K-12 U.S. schools $3 per intact phone, up to a maximum of $21,000 for each school year. Motorola will take back phones from any manufacturer. The rollout of the program follows a successful pilot program started in March 2004. Motorola´s goal is to collect 1 million used cell phones by the end of the 2004-2005 school year. More information is available at www.motorola.com/racetorecycle.  
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New Wetlands Center in Galveston Offers Glimpse of Gulf's Ecosystem 
It's less than a mile long and takes no more than an hour to traverse, but within that span, visitors to the new Wetlands Center can experience some of the variety of Texas' Gulf coast. The outdoor teaching center, across the street from the Texas A&M University at Galveston campus, had its grand opening last month to show off the new hands-on classroom.

Efforts to build such a facility, which overlooks the Houston Ship Channel, Texas City and the Galveston causeway, began five years ago when a Galveston Independent School District administrator suggested the college campus as a field trip site. Now, organizers hope the Wetlands Center will entice not only students, but anybody who wants a snapshot of the Gulf Coast ecosystem. The facility was built using matching funds from the university as well as various state, federal and private grants.
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H-GAC MEETING NOTICES
Concrete Production Related Activities
May 12, 2005
9:00 am to noon
H-GAC, 3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
2nd Floor, Room A

For more information, please contact Cheryl Mergo at 713-993-4520 or via email at cheryl.mergo@h-gac.com.
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Clean Rivers Program Regional Monitoring Workgroup
May 24, 2005
10:00 am to noon
H-GAC, 3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
2nd Floor, Room C

For more information, please contact Jean Wright at 713-499-6660 or via email at jean.wright@h-gac.com.
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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/. 
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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 May2005
End of document 4.25.05