In 2011, Tennessee and other states were parties to a federal court settlement of an enforcement action under the federal Clean Air Act that resulted in a consent decree with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). A part of the Consent Decree obligates TVA to provide Tennessee $26.4 million to fund environmental mitigation projects. The funds are to be paid over 5 years or longer, with the first-year payment not to exceed $5.28 million. The Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is designated by the Governor as the lead state agency to develop and manage a process for selection and implementation of the environmental mitigation projects for Tennessee. TDEC announced the the Clean TN Energy Grant Program and a series of energy efficiency projects in state government on Jan. 11, at TDEC’s Nashville Environmental Field Office.

Purpose

The purpose of the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant Program is to select and fund projects that best result in a reduction of emissions and pollutants identified below. The Clean Tennessee Energy Program provides financial assistance to government agencies (state, local) utility districts, and private businesses/organizations in Tennessee to purchase, install, and construct energy projects that fit into one of the following eligible project categories:

• Cleaner Alternative Energy: biomass, geothermal, solar, wind
• Energy Conservation: Lighting, HVAC improvements, improved fuel efficiency, insulation, idling minimization
• Air Quality Improvement, including Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), Greenhouse Gases

Contact Information

Kathy Glapa, Kathy.glapa@tn.gov
401 Church Street
L&C Tower, 8th Floor
Nashville, TN 37243
615-253-8780

See the link on the TDEC site here for more information.
Applications will be accepted until March 30, 2012.

Tennessee Recycling Coalition’s 23rd Annual Conference is coming up in February and will feature:

Expert speakers

Technical tour

Exhibit Hall with regional vendors

Plenty of formal and informal networking opportunities

TRC is joining forces with Keep Tennessee Beautiful to co-present the winter conferences and give attendees access to more sessions and content, expanded partnership opportunities, and to provide additional value to sponsors and exhibitors.

CONFERENCE HOTEL INFORMATION

The Conference is returning to the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs.  Conveniently located just 20 minutes south of Nashville and minutes from historic Franklin, the hotel offers complimentary parking, business center, indoor swimming pool, and fitness room.

Government Employees: reserve a hotel room at the special rate of $97 per night.
For all other conference attendees: reserve a hotel room at the special rate of $139 per night.
The TRC conference will run February 12-14, 2012.  Early bird registration ends December 28.

Register Here for the Conference

If you have problems with registration, please contact us at (615)852-6075 or tnrecycles@gmail.com

Williamson County and the City of Franklin have a MSW Compost demonstration project underway and are inviting area solid waste professionals to come out to the landfill on November 16th to note progress.

On the 16th they will be turning windrows 1 and 2 and evaluating the progress that microbes have in decomposition of construction debris, MSW, styrofoam, human sludge, rubber tires, shingles, and dead animal carcasses.  This will be an evaluation of decomposition, as observed on day 21 of the 70 day process.

The project is being conducted by Eastern Organics Compounds.  If you would like to attend please contact easternorganicscompounds@yahoo.com

How do you defend and collect penalties? How do you avoid problems if a decision is appealed?

This class provides municipal/county attorneys, public officials and municipal staff an understanding of administrative law and the fundamental components of administrative hearings. Instructors will discuss procedures of particular hearings such as: stormwater, water and wastewater and property maintenance.

This class is recommended for elected officials, appointed officials, city attorneys, city recorders, codes enforcement officials, and utility and public works directors and managers.  MTAS will offer this class in four locations across Tennessee.

For more information on course locations, dates, and registration see the link here:
http://files.e2ma.net/20408/assets/docs/2011_map_september_stormwater_map_flyer.pdf

–Forwarded by Mike Stooksberry–
The Tennessee Solid Waste Directors Association will be having an Educational Conference on October 18 & 19, 2011 at Henry Horton State Park, Chapel Hill, Tennessee. This conference will cover such items as FEMA and County Mutual Aid, Recycling Strategies, OSHA Safety, Enterprise Funds and a update on UT-CTAS Solid Waste Professional Certification Training. We encourage members, prospective members and interested parties to attend. For Registration questions contact Charles Traylor (901) 465-5230 or Mike Sweeney (931) 375-6400.

–TDEC Brownfield Coordinator–

The dates for the Brownfields Grants Workshops have been set! Each workshop will be approximately 2 hours long and will encompass a basic Brownfields 101, an over view of the types of EPA Brownfields Grants (including Assessment, Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund Grants), common issues grant applicants have on their applications (and subsequently get points taken off) and changes in the grant guidelines from FY2011 to FY2012.

Dates, Times, Places:
Memphis
Tuesday, August 30 9-11 a.m.
Rhodes College, Paul Barret Jr Library, Room 51
2000 N Parkway, Memphis

Nashville
Wednesday, August 31 10 am-noon
Nashville Public Library, Main Branch, Room 2
615 Church Street, Nashville

Knoxville
Thursday, September 8 9-11 a.m.
Chamber of Commerce, Markethouse Room
17 Market Square, #17, Knoxville

Please RSVP to Paula Larson by calling 615-532-0926 or emailing at Paula.Larson@tn.gov. Thanks and hope to see you there!

WasteCON, SWANA’s premier annual solid waste conference will be held at the Opryland Hotel August 23rd-25th  (Certification courses beginning on the 21st).  This year’s program includes SWANA certification courses, area site-tours, and a full host of education tracks.  This is a great way to earn CEU’s for your current SWANA certifications without traveling out of state.

Special offers:

Elected officials, when registered in combination with one full conference attendee, will receive a significant conference discount. The Tennessee Volunteer Chapter of SWANA has worked with the National Chapter to assure sessions will be offered that will benefit elected officials too.

See link here: Elected Officials

HHW Coordinators, TDEC is offering three scholarships for full attendance. This is a unique opportunity to obtain HHW/CESQG training and attend the Annual Solid Waste Conference. See details below forwarded by TDEC:
________________________________

–US EPA–

Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, harris-young.dawn@epa.gov

(ATLANTA - May 31, 2011) - Today, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a final determination that the Chattanooga area meets the 1997 federal fine particulate matter standard. The Chattanooga area includes Hamilton County, Tennessee, in its entirety; Catoosa and Walker Counties in Georgia, in their entireties; and a portion of Jackson County in Alabama.

“We commend local and state officials, as well as the residents of the Chattanooga area, who have been working collaboratively with us to reach this milestone,” said EPA Regional Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming. “This accomplishment signifies that the citizens of Chattanooga are breathing cleaner air and leading healthier lives.

“The private and corporate citizens of Hamilton County again have shown that they can meet any challenge,” said Bob Colby, Director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau. “We are pleased to be a small part of their success in improving air quality for the benefit of all,”

“I look forward to our continuing to work together on a regional and local basis to keep the air clean.” James A. Capp, Chief of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s (EPD) Air Protection Branch, noted that “This determination is confirmation that the clean air programs we have in place in Georgia are working. This success is the result of the effective partnerships that Georgia EPD has with the public, regulated community, nonprofit organizations and other governmental organizations.”

EPA’s decision to finalize the determination that the Chattanooga area is attaining the standard is based on the most recent air quality monitoring data for fine particulate matter. The Chattanooga area has made significant progress in improving air quality and has reached an important clean air milestone. Air in the Chattanooga area is meeting the health based standard set in 1997, and all three states are currently developing plans to put measures in place to ensure the area continues to meet this standard. This progress is a result of hard work and great cooperation among local, state and federal agencies, private partners and the approximately 520,000 citizens who live and work in the Chattanooga area.

Particulate matter pollution - especially fine particles - contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems. Particles can cause premature death and a wide range of lung and heart disease, including heart attacks and asthma.

For more information on the Chattanooga area fine particulate matter attainment determination, visit docket number EPA R04 OAR 2011-0084 at www.regulations.gov.

View all Region 4 News Releases

While public education can be one of the lowest line item costs for implementing a recycling program, it takes some thought to implement correctly.  Successful outreach programs vary from community to community, but have several things in common.

Some key questions that should always be addressed in your educational messaging are:

Why should I recycle?—Focus on the specific environmental, economic and/or social benefits that best reflect the values and concerns of your target audience.

How do I recycle?—Include all relevant details of the program you are promoting. Remember to include information that states who, what, when, where, and how your target audience can recycle.

MSW Management Magazine lists ten steps that are building blocks of successful out reach programs.  See the complete list here:
“10 Steps”

With the expansion of plastics recycling and the increasing interest in separation so called ‘rigid plastics’, the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers has introduced model bale specifications.  From their website—

The commercial practice for the purchase of baled bottles is a negotiation between buyer and seller on bale preparation, included items, prohibited items, and other considerations. APR provides model bale specifications as starting points for the actual mutually acceptable definition of what will be accepted by the postconsumer bottle bale buyer. Buyers and sellers are invited to negotiate changes, deletions, and additions as are appropriate.

The model bale specifications do not imply fitness for use or assurance of commercial acceptance. The documents do cover the typical issues to be addressed in a bale specification and do include typically acceptable conditions.

To read about the bale specifications visit
http://plasticsrecycling.org/rigid-plastics/public-access-rigid-plastics-information/model-bale-specifications