To help the public better understand the information that is most useful to the agency, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality recently published tips for making public comments. They also developed an infographic to convey this information. The news article notes that “comments that provide new information the agency has not yet considered or offer possible…
News and Updates
Maryland Proposes Water Quality Trading Program Regulations
The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has proposed regulations to establish the Maryland Water Quality Trading Program, a voluntary program that would establish a marketplace for private sector participation in meeting Chesapeake Bay cleanup goals. The proposed regulations are designed to provide greater flexibility and reduce costs in achieving Maryland’s goals to meet federal…
Minnesota Partners with EPA for Networking Session at SETAC Annual Meeting
Join them at the Meeting! The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is co-hosting a networking session with U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN on November 13, 2017. ECOS Past President John Stine of Minnesota will keynote the session, followed…
Kentucky Hosts 41st Governor’s Conference on Energy and the Environment
On October 19-20, 2017, Kentucky held its 41st annual Governor’s Conference on Energy and the Environment. The two days of discussion and debate examined top issues involving Kentucky’s energy future and its environment including panels on environmental protection, energy, natural resources, and legislation. ECOS member Aaron Keatley of Kentucky moderated a panel on environmental protection…
Utah Using Visual Management to Track Successes
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is tracking its success through the use of intra-office dashboards prominently displayed in work spaces throughout its office. In the DEQ’s Division of Air Quality, employees in each section identified key measures of success, set critical goals for these measures, and came up with methods to visually…
Minnesota Reaching Compliance in Advance of New Water Law
Minnesota is seeing strong results weeks before a new law to keep waters clean goes into effect. The law requires farmers to have up to a 50-foot buffer strip of perennial vegetation between their fields and public waterways, and statewide compliance is already at 94%. This buffer strip will prevent phosphorous, nitrogen, and sediment from…
New Hampshire Launches Innovative Suncook River Stabilization Project
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has announced the start of construction activities on its Suncook River stabilization and infrastructure protection project. The NHDES-led project being undertaken in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. The Mother’s Day Flood of 2006 caused the Suncook River to create a new channel, shortening the…
DC Launches Zero Waste Website
Last week, the District of Columbia launched a new website called Zero Waste DC. The site provides residents, businesses, district staff, and schools with information on effective strategies and programs to convert waste to resources, improve human and environmental health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create an inclusive economic opportunity, and conserve natural resources. The effort…
Montana DEQ and Partners Establish the Montana Resource Efficiency Program
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MT DEQ) and the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), with funding from the U.S. EPA, have founded the Montana Resource Efficiency Program (MREP) to offer practical efficiency information online such as this website dedicated to the energy-efficiency tools, case studies, and lessons learned, and other resources like energy-efficiency…
ECOS Member Spotlight: Chuck Carr Brown
Two Minutes with Chuck Carr Brown, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality How long have you been Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality? 1 year, 10 months. How has being a member of ECOS benefitted you? Networking with my colleagues. What is the best management advice you’ve received? Lead by…
