Manager's Welcome
This is the November 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
Solid Waste Management Grant Program
Texas Recycles Day
TCEQ Publishes Public Participation Guide
WaterSmart Conference to Focus on Landscaping
CDBG Grant Application Deadline Extended to December 15th
EPA Releases Grant Guidelines
Healthy Indoor Environment Grants
Americans are Generating Less and Recycling More
H-GAC Recruiting Housing Oriented Staff Positions
H-GAC MEETING NOTICES
Environmental Enforcement Roundtable
Environmental Awareness Roundtable
Trash Bash Steering Committee Meeting
Clean Rivers Program Monitoring Workgroup
Regional Recycling Roundtable: Metals OTHER MEETING NOTICES
Texas Watch Regional Meeting IN THIS ISSUE
Solid Waste Management Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests applications for the Solid Waste Management Grant Program. This program supports projects that seek to improve planning and management of solid waste sites in rural areas, and reduce or eliminate pollution of water resources in rural areas. $3.5 million expected to be available, up to 30 awards anticipated. Responses due 12/31/06. For more info, contact LaVonda Pernell at (202) 720-9635 or go to: http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/SWMG.htm. Refer to Sol# USDA-GRANTS-SWM-092906-001. (Grants.gov 10/2/06)
Back to Top Mark your calendars: Texas Recycles Day - November 15, 2006
Texas Recycles Day 2006 will have everyone using the Four Rs:
· Reduce--use less energy, water, materials, and toxic products.
· Reuse--use items again and again, until they cannot be used anymore.
· Recycle--make new products or packaging from used materials.
· Rebuy--consume products made from recycled materials.
From mid-October through November 15th, community events across the state will highlight simple and inexpensive ways people can prevent pollution and save money by making practical changes in the ways they use energy, water, materials, and chemicals around the house.
For more information and for events in your area please visit www.texasrecyclesday.org/
Back to Top TCEQ Publishes Public Participation Guide
Hoping to encourage the public to participate in its environmental permitting procedures, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) this week announced the publication of its Guide to Public Participation in Permitting brochure. "This pamphlet is a handy, easy to use resource for anyone who wants to know how permitting is accomplished at the TCEQ, and how to participate," said Chairman Kathleen Hartnett White.
The free guide, which is being made available in both hard copy and .pdf download format, and in both English and Spanish, reviews how the public can take part in the permitting process regarding water quality, waste and air applications. Sections include the administrative and technical review, how to submit comments, receive public notices, request a public meeting and file a contested case hearing under Texas law. The Public Participation in Permitting brochure is available online, at the TCEQ publications Web site, as well as through the TCEQ Office of Public Assistance, 1-800-687-4040.
Back to Top WaterSmart Conference to focus on Landscaping
The Texas Cooperative Extension will present "WaterSmart Landscaping for Professionals" from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel, 3000 North Loop West, Houston. Tickets are $55 and include landscape workshops, a continental breakfast, lunch and exhibits.
Landscape architects and designers, engineers, grounds managers, nursery owners, neighborhood developers, builders, and city and county planners will benefit from the seminar. For more information click here or call 281-218-0721.
Back to Top CDBG Grant Application Deadline Extended to December 15, 2006
The Texas Community Development Program is administered by the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA). Grants are available for a broad range of eligible program activities to those cities and counties which do not receive direct federal entitlements. Top priorities included water, wastewater, and housing rehabilitation. Maximum funding awards are $350,000 for water, sewer, or multi-jurisdictional projects and $250,000 for all others. The deadline for grant applications is December 15, 2006. Eligibility guidelines and the 2006-2007 Applicant's Handbook can be viewed at http://www.hgac.com/HGAC/Programs/Community+Resources/Community+Development+2.htm. For more information, contact Chuck Wemple at 713-993-4514 or cwemple@h-gac.com
Back to Top EPA Releases Grant Guidelines
EPA has released its grant guidelines for cleanup, assessment, and revolving loan fund grants. Approximately $72 million is available for this grant competition. EPA estimates about 200 grants will be awarded. Applications are due by December 8, 2006. Grant guidelines are available at http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/grants/epa-oswer-obcr-07-01.pdf. More information will soon be available at EPA's website: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/.
Back to Top Healthy Indoor Environment Grants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting proposals from eligible entities within the Region 6 states of AR, LA, NM, OK, and TX to conduct demonstration, training, education, and/or outreach projects that seek to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants. Projects must fall within one or more of the following areas: 1) Education of asthmatics and their parents and/or primary care givers concerning environmental triggers through home, daycare, community, and school interventions; 2) training of healthcare professionals, community workers, and other trained individuals on environmental management of asthma so they can counsel people with asthma; 3) Educating parents and care givers on children's exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke through home, daycare, and community interventions; 4) Outreach and training projects that result in effective Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) management practices in schools. Total funding available is expected to be approximately $200,000, and up to eight awards ranging from $5,000 to $60,000 are anticipated. Proposals are due to EPA 11/27/06. A synopsis and link to the full announcement is posted on grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=11219&mode=VIEW
in one of 10 categories. For more information, go to http://www.teea.org/ or call TCEQ Awards Coordinator Dana Macomb at 512/239-4745. Application deadline is November 3, 2006.
Back to Top Americans are Generating Less and Recycling More
Americans are generating less trash and recycling more, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports. Total municipal solid waste generation in the United states was 246 million tons in 2005, a decrease of about 2 million tons from 2004, the agency said in a report released at the National Recycling Coalition conference in Atlanta on Oct. 23.
EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said the United States recycled 32 percent of its waste last year. The country recycled 79 million tons, including compost, for a 2 percent increase from 2004.
Back to Top H-GAC Recruiting Housing Oriented Staff Positions
H-GAC is now recruiting a variety of housing oriented staff positions to implement the housing element of the Hurricane Rita Recovery Program. Please check our web site http://h-gac.com/HGAC/Home/Jobs/default.htm for job descriptions and if you have interest and/or questions, contact Carl Masterson at cmasterson@h-gac.com.
Back to Top H-GAC MEETING NOTICES
Environmental Enforcement Roundtable
November 9, 2006
H-GAC Conference Room C
3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Contact Amy Boyers at aboyers@h-gac.com or 713-993-2441 for more information. Environmental Awareness Roundtable
November 13, 2006
H-GAC Conference Room C
3555 Timmons, Houston, TX 77027
1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Contact Gabi De la Rosa at gdelarosa@h-gac.com or 713-993-4568 for more information. Trash Bash Steering Committee Meeting
November 14, 2006
10:00 a.m. - Noon
Office Services Conference Room, 1st Floor
3555 Timmons, 2nd floor
Houston, TX 77027
For more information, Jean Wright at 713-499-6660 or contact jwright@h-gac.com.
Back to Top Clean Rivers Program Regional Monitoring Workgroup
November 28, 2006
H-GAC Conference Room C, 2nd Floor
3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, TX 77027
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
For more information, contact Todd Running at trunning@h-gac.com or 713.993.4549.
Back to Top Regional Recycling Roundtable: Metals
November 30, 2006
H-GAC Conference Room A, 2nd Floor
3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, TX 77027
1:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information, contact Kelly Doyle at kdoyle@h-gac.com or 713.993.4566.
Back to Top OTHER MEETING NOTICES Texas Watch Regional Meeting
November 11, 2006
Kemah Boardwalk Inn, Kemah, TX
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Attendance: This meeting is open to the general public.
Topics: Rural Water Quality Issues
Strategic Planning Using Geographic Information Systems
Environmental Circuit Riders
Water Quality Summary for Houston-Galveston Region
Agenda: Visit http://www.texaswatch.geo.txstate.edu/
Location: For map and directions please visit the following web site: http://www.kemah.com/index.php
RSVP: Please respond on or before Thursday, November 9 by contacting Terry Wendland at (877) 506-1401 or tw05@txstate.edu.
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