Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day – 10/11/08

LOCAL EVENTS
Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008
8:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

Ridgeland Avenue Solids Management Area
119th Street & Ridgeland
Worth, IL

An opportunity to rid your Home of Hazardous Waste Products!

Acceptable Items:
Anti-freeze, Batteries, Cleaners, Fluorescent Bulbs, Insecticides, Medicines, Tires, Weed Killers, etc.

EPA issues amended citation to BP for clean-air violations at its Whiting (Ind.) refinery

CONTACT: William Omohundro, 312-353-8254, omohundro.william@epa.gov
NEWS BRIEF: EPA issues amended citation to BP for clean-air violations at its Whiting (Ind.) refinery

CHICAGO (Oct. 2, 2008) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has issued an amended notice and finding of violation to the BP Products North America for alleged Clean Air Act violations at the company’s petroleum refinery at 2815 Indianapolis Blvd., Whiting, Ind.

The action amends a notice and finding of violation issued to the BP Whiting refinery in November 2007 alleging BP violated the Clean Air Act by failing to get a permit when it modified one of its cracking units in 2005.

EPA now has information suggesting that BP may have begun a project to process Canadian crude oil at the refinery in 2005 without the proper permit. BP received its construction permit for the project from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management on May 1, 2008.

These are preliminary findings of violation. BP has 30 days to request a meeting with EPA to discuss resolving the allegations.

Participate: Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge for Middle School Students

Students Invited to Create “Green Solutions” in National Middle School Sustainability Challenge

Middle school students across the United States are invited to submit their solutions to environmental problems in their communities for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a national sustainability education initiative.

The Siemens Foundation, Discovery Education, and the National Science Teachers Association have partnered for this initiative to educate, empower, and engage students, teachers, and communities to become “agents of change” in improving their community.

Student teams from sixth through eighth grade, under the mentorship of a teacher or adult supervisor, can register for the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. Teams of two to three students will identify an environmental issue in their community, research the issue using scientific investigation, and create a replicable green solution using Web-based curriculum tools. The mentors of the first 100 teams to register and complete a project for challenge will receive a Planet Earth series DVD set.

A total of 51 teams representing each state and the District of Columbia will be selected as state finalists and an additional 50 teams will be eligible for honorable mention awards. Three of the state finalist teams will be selected as national finalists, and one of those will be named the grand prize-winner. All student teams entering the challenge will receive prizes for their participation; top-performing teams will earn cash, teacher education materials, and “Discovery Experience” trips. The grand prize winning team will receive a comprehensive prize package, which includes an appearance on Planet Green, Discovery’s eco-lifestyle network, and a Discovery Adventure Trip.

See the We Can Change the World Challenge Web site for complete competition information and program resources. The initiative will expand to elementary schools in 2009 and to high schools in 2010.