News Release U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Contacts: Dale Cox, dacox@usgs.gov, 916-997-4209 Mark Benthian, benthien@usc.edu, 213-926-1683
Southern Californians Urged to Join Largest Earthquake Drill in U.S. History The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that rocked southern California on July 29, 2008, is about 5,000 times smaller than the magnitude 7.8 earthquake depicted in the ?ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario.? This new report is a portrayal of what could happen in a major earthquake on the southern end of the San Andreas Fault. The scenario is the basis of the Great Southern California ShakeOut, a week of special events featuring the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history on November 13, 2008. Details are at www.ShakeOut.org.
“Yesterday’s earthquake was a wake-up call - a reminder to us to make the important changes we need to survive the inevitable,” said Dr. Lucy Jones, of the U.S. Geological Survey, who led the group of over 300 experts who detailed the expected consequences of a hypothetical magnitude 7.8 earthquake that starts at the Salton Sea and ruptures northward along the San Andreas fault for 190 miles.
With 22 million people living and working in southern California, a major earthquake in the region could cause an unprecedented catastrophe. What we do now, before a big earthquake, will determine what our lives will be like after. With large earthquakes an inevitable part of their future, Southern Californians must act quickly to ensure that disasters do not become catastrophes.
With a goal of at least 5 million participants, the ShakeOut drill will be the largest in U.S. history. To participate, go to www.ShakeOut.org/register and pledge your family, school, business, or organization?s participation in the drill. Registered participants will receive information on how to plan their drill, connect with other participants, and encourage a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness. There are many ways to take part, but at the least participants should ?Drop, Cover, and Hold On? at 10 A.M. on November 13. It all begins with registering, which is free and open to everyone. For more information, visit www.ShakeOut.org and be sure to visit the official ShakeOut Blog at greatsocalshakeout.blogspot.com. USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov.
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*U.S.** EPA Awards Over $200K to Charleston County For Pollution Reductions*
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov
(ATLANTA - July 30, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today awarded $236,498 to the Charleston County Area, South Carolina Project Impact Partnership for their continuing work to reduce local air and water pollution.
The award is part of EPA’s Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program, a community-based, community-driven program that builds partnerships to help the public understand and reduce toxic risks from numerous sources. Since the program was established three years ago, CARE has provided a total of $7.75 million to more than 49 communities nationwide. The Charleston CARE project is one of just five awarded in the southeast region.
“The Community Action for a Renewed Environment award will assist the South Carolina Project Impact Partnership to continue its work to reduce air and water pollution in the Charleston area,” said Russell Wright, Acting Deputy Regional Administrator for EPA in Atlanta. “EPA is proud to help the Charleston County communities address their local environmental challenges.”
The Charleston County Area, South Carolina Project Impact Partnership was formed in 1999 with the help of a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant. There are now 172 partnership members who focus on making the Charleston County communities more disaster resistant, including undertaking environmental improvement endeavors.
“EPA’s financial support gives Charleston County the opportunity to expand our environmental education efforts throughout the community. We applaud EPA for their assistance in this important environmental education effort, which will help us meet the ultimate goal of enhancing the area’s environmental quality,” said Tim Scott, Charleston County Council Chairman.
Project partners previously conducted the Charleston Region Toxics Risk Assessment and identified particulate air pollution and ground level ozone as priority air toxics risks, petroleum product releases and trace metals as priority water pollutants in the Charleston County area. Through the CARE project, project partners aim to heighten local residents’ awareness of these air and water pollution sources and encourage actions that individuals can take to reduce pollution.
“We are pleased and honored to have been selected by the EPA to become a CARE community,” said Carl Simmons, Charleston County’s Building Services Director. “We are undertaking an extensive educational campaign with this program to provide information and assistance to our citizens on ways to reduce pollution and improve our air and water quality in order to protect the environment for future generations.”
Educational campaigns to be developed through the CARE project will focus on reducing on-road diesel emissions through anti-idling, retrofits and the use of alternative fuel vehicles; controlling open burning; encouraging proper disposal of pet waste; promoting mass transit; working with boaters to address marine pollution; and preserving green space, among others issues.
Established in 2005, CARE is a competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for communities to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in their air, land and water. By joining forces, for-profit and non-profit organizations can work together to improve the environmental health of a community and its residents.
To schedule a presentation on environmental quality and pollution issues, groups can contact Charleston County Government’s Building Services Department at (843) 202-6940.
Visit the CARE website at www.epa.gov/care [ http://www.epa.gov/care ] to learn more about the program.
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Weather permitting, the Mosquito Control Section is planning the following insecticide application(s) beginning as early as 8:25 pm on Wednesday July 30, 2008 and continuing up until 11:30 pm as conditions permit.
Application of Permanone (permethrin/PBO) with truck-mounted sprayer to control adult mosquitoes in the following areas:
Select individual rural properties in Smryna & Townsend.
All insecticides used are EPA-registered for mosquito control and applied according to EPA-approved label instructions, which the EPA has determined can be used without posing unreasonable risks to human health, wildlife or the environment.
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BUISaginaw073008.pdf FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2008
Contact: Robert McCann (517) 241-7397
First Beneficial Use Impairment Removed in the Saginaw Bay/River Area of Concern
The Saginaw Bay/River Area of Concern now has one less beneficial use impairment as the Restrictions on Drinking Water Consumption or Taste and Odor Problems BUI has been removed. Improvements in Saginaw Bay water quality and efforts by the Saginaw-Midland Water Supply Corporation, Bay City Water Supply System, Caseville Water Supply System, Huron Shores Water Authority, and the Huron Regional Water Authority municipal drinking water facilities over the years led to improved drinking water quality.
The AOCs are sites along the Great Lakes experiencing severe environmental degradation stemming primarily from historic pollution. Taste and odor complaints by citizens were frequently reported in the 1970s and were one of the reasons why the Saginaw Bay area was first listed as an AOC in 1987.
Remedial actions completed since the 1970s, including the implementation of pollution control programs in the Saginaw Bay area, the use of improved water treatment technologies, and water intake placement, have been instrumental in significantly reducing the number of taste and odor complaints reported in recent years. All five drinking water supplies continue to meet state and federal drinking water standards at the point of distribution, demonstrating to the Department of Environmental Quality that the Saginaw Bay/River AOC’s drinking water impairment has been restored.
“This is a significant mark of progress in improving the overall quality of Saginaw Bay,” said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. “We still have a great deal of work ahead of us, but everyone involved deserves to be proud of this milestone.”
Support for the action was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Partnership for the Saginaw Bay Watershed, and other stakeholders. Of the 40 current Great Lakes AOCs, 14 are located in Michigan.
“As MDEQ and EPA continue our work in the Saginaw Bay watershed, EPA is pleased to celebrate a significant step forward in the restoration of an Area of Concern,” said U.S. EPA Region 5 Acting Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur.”
Information about Michigan’s AOC Program is posted on the DEQ Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/deqwater; select Great Lakes, and then Areas of Concern. Information about the Great Lakes is available on the U.S. EPA’s Web site at http://www.epa.gov/grtlakes.
##### “Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”
Weather permitting; the Mosquito Control Section is planning the following insecticide application in the evening on Wednesday, July 30, 2008.
Application of Permanone (permethrin/PBO) with truck-mounted sprayer to control adult mosquitoes in the following areas:
In Dagsboro and Millville and near Ocean View, Fenwick Island, Millsboro, Millville, Seaford and Georgetown.
All insecticides to be used are registered with the USEPA for mosquito control and will be applied according to USEPA approved label instructions. The USEPA has determined that the insecticides to be used do not pose unreasonable risks to human health, wildlife or the environment.
News Release U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Contacts: Stephanie Hanna, shanna@usgs.gov, 206-220-4573 Clarice Nassif Ransom, cransom@usgs.gov, 703-648-4299 Heidi Koontz, hkoontz@usgs.gov, 303-202-4763
Magnitude-5.4 Earthquake Rattles Los Angeles Area
Note to editors: Listen to a podcast interview about the Los Angeles earthquake at: http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ID=88
A magnitude-5.4 earthquake rattled Los Angeles today, causing strong shaking, minor damage and was felt from Arizona to Nevada.
Nearly 50 aftershocks have been recorded so far, most of them small, many of them felt, the largest being a magnitude-3.8.
The last notable earthquakes causing significant damage in the area were the Jan. 17, 1994, magnitude-6.7 Northridge earthquake and the Oct. 1, 1987, magnitude-5.9 Whittier Narrows earthquake. In 1999, the magnitude-7.1 Hector Mine earthquake in a remote part of the Mojave Desert was widely felt through the greater Los Angeles region, but caused no damage.
Citizens who felt the earthquake can go online and report their observations on the USGS Did You Feel It? website, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/dyfi/ . So far, about 35,000 people have reported feeling the Los Angeles earthquake.
Earthquakes cannot be predicted. But earthquake-prone areas such as Los Angeles can be prepared for earthquakes.
The Great Southern California ShakeOut, a weeklong series of special events featuring a massive earthquake drill at 10 AM on November 13, 2008, in Los Angeles, is one way for the public to get prepared for the next big earthquake. It is being sponsored by the Earthquake Country Alliance, of which the USGS is a founding member. The ShakeOut drill centers on the ShakeOut Scenario, a realistic portrayal of what could happen in a major earthquake on the southern end of the San Andreas Fault. Created by over 300 experts led by Dr. Lucy Jones of USGS, the scenario outlines a hypothetical 7.8 magnitude earthquake originating near the Salton Sea, which would have the potential to devastate the region.
With a goal of at least 5 million participants, the ShakeOut drill will be the largest in U.S. history. Southern Californians are signing up at www.shakeout.org/register, to pledge their family, business, or organization?s participation in the drill. Registered participants receive information on how to prepare and drill, connect with other participants, and encourage a dialogue within the community about earthquake preparedness. In the first 6 weeks of registration, over 1.9 million people are registered to be part of the drill.
USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov.
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*EPA AWARDS GRANT TO KENTUCKY COMMUNITY FOR WETLANDS RESTORATION *
Contact: Laura Niles, 404-562-8353, niles.laura@epa.gov
(Atlanta, Ga. - July 29, 2008) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the University of Kentucky Research Foundation with a new wetland conservation grant through the Five Star Wetlands Restoration Program. The $20,000 grant will be used to fund the Millcreek Stream and Wetland Restoration Project and Outdoor Classroom.
The project goal is to develop a school-wide, interdisciplinary, water-focused education program at Millcreek Elementary School by restoring stream and wetlands habitats around the free-flowing, meandering creek on the school grounds. The outdoor classroom will help the environment by improving water quality and increasing aquatic and terrestrial habitats in and along the stream. Through the educational program, the creation of student Water Ambassadors, and the professional development of teachers and PTA volunteers, the entire community will benefit from the program.
“EPA’s Five Star Restoration Grant Program will help promote conservation and environmental stewardship in this Kentucky community,” said Jimmy Palmer, EPA Regional Administrator. “Community-based projects, such as these, improve environmental awareness among local residents and create lasting relationships for protecting and sustaining wetlands, streams and coasts.”
The Five Star Restoration Program is a national initiative providing financial and technical support to wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects. It brings together citizen groups, corporations, students, landowners, youth conservations corps, and local, state and federal government agencies to build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities.
The goal of EPA’s Wetlands program is to motivate and inspire the Nation to value, protect and restore the ecological integrity of its wetlands and aquatic ecosystems. The Wetlands Program accomplishes this through co- leadership of the Clean Water Act’s wetlands regulatory program, and by fostering effective wetlands management in strategic partnerships with states, tribes, local governments and other key partners. EPA’s vision is for America to have abundant and healthy wetlands and aquatic ecosystems that sustain biologically diverse plant and animal life, improve water quality, protect communities from flooding and provide recreational opportunities.
For more information on the Five Star Wetlands Restoration Program, visit http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star/
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*Laredo brownfields site to get greener with $25,000 from EPA* City will use grant to add green building features to new recreation center near site
(Dallas, Texas - July 29, 2008) The City of Laredo will receive $25,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency to help add green building features to the new recreation center it plans to build at the Killam Lake brownfields site.
Funding for the project is part of more than $500,000 in grants announced today by EPA for 16 Brownfields Sustainability Pilots nationwide.
“EPA continues to use the brownfields program to stimulate both environmental and economic success,” said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. “These pilots will demonstrate best practices that can be used by other communities across the country.”
The Laredo recreation center project will incorporate sustainable building design, effective storm water management systems, and native vegetation to conserve water resources. City officials expect to make the Killam Lake site and the new recreation center an integral part of the city’s master trail system plan along Chacon Creek.
Brownfields are vacant, abandoned or under-used properties where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of environmental contamination. Since the beginning of the program in 1995, EPA’s south central region has leveraged $2.3 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, helped create 10,700 jobs and resulted in the assessment of 750 properties.
Additional information on the Brownfields Sustainability Pilots is available at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields.
To learn more about activities in EPA Region 6, please visit http://www.epa.gov/region6.
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For more information, media may contact Dave Bary or Tressa Tillman at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov
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