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The satisfying woosh of water tumbling out of an old style toilet tank convinced many consumers that they could never make do when 1.3 gallons per flush toilets were introduced. There was even a quick run-up on sales at eBay and other online traders as consumers sought to have the higher volume toilets installed in their homes.

Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is going a step further, or a few drops backward. The agency’s new WaterSense program offers a label to those toilets that perform their assigned tasks at a volume less than 1.3 gallons per flush.

The labeling program and lower volume toilets are voluntary at this writing. The new toilets are the product of extensive research in fluid dynamics conducted over the last six years. While the exterior differs little from traditional toilets, interior redesign and new mechanical approaches significantly improve flow and reduce water usage.

During the development of its WaterSense program, EPA analysis determined that toilets represented a significant target for its water-efficiency activities. Toilet usage accounts for nearly one-third of home water consumption.

It is estimated that high-efficiency toilets can reduce water bills by about 10 percent. Replacing older, inefficient toilets, which are responsible for much of the water wasted in American homes, could save more than 900 billion gallons of water a year – enough to supply almost 10 million households.

WaterSense-labeled toilets are certified by independent laboratory testing to meet rigorous criteria for both performance and efficiency. Only high-efficiency toilets that complete the third-party certification process can earn the WaterSense label.

WaterSense is a voluntary public-private partnership that recognizes high-performance products and processes. The WaterSense program also seeks to promote consumer use of water-efficient products, certification for water industry professionals, and innovation in water-efficient product manufacturing.

Companies that manufacture, sell or distribute household plumbing fixtures are encouraged to join the WaterSense program, which is also open to water utilities, trade associations, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations.

Posted under Health, Products

Each year, nearly 20,000 people die from lung cancer caused by exposure to radon. A common source of exposure to radon that can be avoided is exposure in the home, yet only one in five homeowners has actually tested for radon. January is National Radon Action Month and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is urging people to test their homes.

“Healthy homes make for healthy families,” said Bill Wehrum, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. “EPA is encouraging people to test for radon – a simple step to providing peace of mind.”

Radon is an invisible radioactive gas that seeps into your home from underground, and can reach harmful levels if trapped indoors. The only way to know if your home contains high radon levels is to test for it. Nearly 80 percent of American homes have not been tested for radon, even though a simple test costing as little as $25 can help detect a possible radon problem. If radon is found, homeowners should consult with qualified professionals who can reduce radon exposure for a cost similar to many common home improvement repairs. State radon offices can help the public find qualified radon professionals.

“The invisible and odorless nature of radon makes it a real challenge when trying to raise awareness about its public health risk,” said acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu. “Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and it is completely preventable. You can protect your family with a simple first step, and I urge people to take action to prevent radon exposure by testing their homes.”

Get your home tested for radon.

Posted under Health, Safety

The average American family spends $1,900 a year on energy bills, much of which goes to heating and cooling our homes. Consumers can save as much as 20 percent annually on total energy costs – and reduce their environmental impact – by following four simple recommendations from the government’s Energy Star program.

These four steps will help you “H.E.A.T” smartly while reducing home energy consumption and environmental impact this winter:

* Home Sealing. Seal air leaks and add insulation – paying special attention to your attic and basement, where the biggest gaps and cracks are often found. This will keep warm air inside where it belongs and help your equipment perform more efficiently.
* Equipment Maintenance. Dirt and neglect are the number one causes of system failure. Get a check-up of your heating system to make sure it’s performing efficiently and safely. Clean or replace your system’s air filter to help lower energy bills and maintain better indoor air quality.
* Ask for Energy Star. Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing products. If just one in 10 households bought Energy Star qualified heating and cooling products, the change would keep 18 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of our air.
* Thermostat Use. Install a programmable thermostat to save energy during times when you’re home or away. When properly used, a programmable thermostat can save as much as $150 a year in energy costs.

There is also an easy way for businesses and other organizations to save 10 percent or more on their energy bills this winter: turn down the heat. Many businesses operate their heating systems 24 hours a day, even when no one is using the facility. If businesses cut back just one hour of operation out of every 12, their energy savings could equal about eight percent. If every business in the United States saved 10 percent on their energy bills, Americans would save about $10 billion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 15 million vehicles.

Posted under Finance

The Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the requirements for computers to achieve an “Energy Star” rating will increase next year.

Under the new specifications, only the most energy-efficient computer related equipment will earn the Energy Star label, representing the top of their class.

The new requirements include improved efficiency across all modes of a computer’s operation, and require use of highly efficient internal and external power supplies. The new specifications go into effect on July 20, 2007.

If every computer purchased by businesses meets the new Energy Star requirements in effect next year, businesses will save $1.2 billion over the lifetime of their new computers, equal to lighting 730 million square feet of U.S. commercial building space each year.

Government agencies buying Energy Star will also garner big savings. If the government sector buys only computers that meet the new Energy Star requirements, this sector will save nearly 1.4 billion kWh and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 billion pounds each year.

On average, Energy Star qualifying computer equipment will be 65 percent more efficient than conventional models.

Computers were the first product to qualify for EPA’s Energy Star in 1992.

Posted under Products

More than 100 million Americans will enjoy greater protection of their drinking water under a new rule issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The rule targets utilities that provide water from underground sources and requires greater vigilance for potential contamination by disease-causing microorganisms.

“The Bush Administration’s Ground Water Rule boosts drinking water purity and public health security,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for Water. “These first-ever standards will help communities prevent, detect and correct tainted ground water problems so citizens continue to have clean and affordable drinking water.”

The risk-targeting strategy incorporated in the rule provides for:

• regular sanitary surveys of public water systems to look for significant deficiencies in key operational areas
• triggered source-water monitoring when a system that does not sufficiently disinfect drinking water identifies a positive sample during its regular monitoring to comply with existing rules.
• implementation of corrective actions by ground water systems with a significant deficiency or evidence of source water fecal contamination
• compliance monitoring for systems that are sufficiently treating drinking water to ensure effective removal of pathogens

A ground water system is subject to triggered source-water monitoring if its treatment methods don’t already remove 99.99 percent of viruses. Systems must begin to comply with the new requirements by Dec. 1, 2009.

Contaminants in question are pathogenic viruses — such as rotavirus, echoviruses, noroviruses — and pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli, salmonella, and shigella. Utilities will be required to look for and correct deficiencies in their operations to prevent contamination from these pathogens.

Microbial contaminants can cause gastroenteritis or, in rare cases, serious illnesses such as meningitis, hepatitis, or myocarditis. The symptoms can range from mild to moderate cases lasting only a few days to more severe infections that can last several weeks and may result in death for those with weakened immune systems. The new ground water rule will reduce the risk of these illnesses.

Fecal contamination can reach ground water sources, including drinking water wells, from failed septic systems, leaking sewer lines, and by passing through the soil and large cracks in the ground. Fecal contamination from the surface may also get into a drinking-water well along its casing or through cracks if the well is not properly constructed, protected, or maintained.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, between 1991 and 2000, ground water systems were associated with 68 outbreaks that caused 10,926 illnesses. Contaminated source water was the cause of 79 percent of the outbreaks in ground water systems.

Posted under Health

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has ordered five national retail chains to pull from their shelves cans of illegally imported confetti string products that contain banned hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These substances deplete the earth’s protective stratospheric ozone layer and increase the risk of skin cancer. Millions of cans of these novelty items, all imported from China or Taiwan and known by various names such as Zany String, Crazy String, and Party Streamer, have been sold illegally in the United States.

Dollar Tree, American Greetings, Inc., Dollar General, Target, and Too, Inc. (which owns Limited Too) have complied with EPA’s orders by taking the banned products off their shelves and shipping them to a commercial incinerator for destruction. More than 2.7 million cans will be incinerated under EPA’s compliance orders. The companies have also agreed to audit their operations and adopt new policies to ensure that these problems do not arise again.

“EPA banned HCFC propellants in spray cans more than a decade ago. Now, we are seeing imports of these products from overseas manufacturers that claim their products comply with American laws,” said Granta Y. Nakayama, EPA’s assistant administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “We are pleased that these retail companies signed these compliance orders with EPA to ensure that these products will not be available to consumers and the ozone-depleting substances they contained will never make it into our environment.”

HCFCs and other ozone-depleting substances, when emitted, drift up and attack the earth’s stratospheric ozone layer, which protects human and animal life from the sun’s harmful radiation — a situation which could lead to increased incidences of skin cancer, cataracts, and crop damage. The United States, in cooperation with over 185 other countries, is phasing out the production of ozone-depleting substances in an effort to safeguard the ozone layer. (Stratospheric ozone is not related to the issue of ground-level ozone or smog.)

Posted under Recalls

The United States Environmental Protection Agency today insisted that Hartz Mountain Corp. cancel uses of several flea and tick products that may be associated with a range of adverse reactions, including hair loss, salivation, tremors and numerous deaths in cats and kittens.

The common pet product brand names which are involved in this action include: Hartz Advanced Care 4 in 1 Flea & Tick Drops Plus+ for Cats and Kittens; Hartz Advanced Care Brand Flea and Tick Drops(Plus) for Cats and Kittens; Hartz Advanced Care 3 in 1 Flea & Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens; and Hartz Advanced Care Once-A-Month Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens.

In the short term, the agreement calls for immediate relabeling of the products. The new labeling will state that the products of concern are not to be used on the most vulnerable animals, including cats and kittens that weigh less than 6 pounds, cats older than 13 years, or kittens less than 5 months old.

Hartz will stop all new production of the cat and kitten products by September 30, 2005, and not sell or distribute any affected product after December 31, 2005. The measures announced today will help ensure pets are protected. Pet owners should pay close attention to new labels and exercise good judgment when choosing pet products.

“EPA is taking this action because there are safety concerns with these products,” said Susan B. Hazen, principal deputy assistant administrator at EPA. “Pet owners should be alerted to these concerns, and may choose to transition to alternative products. We take seriously our obligation to ensure that pesticide products, when used as labeled, are safe.”

The company agreed to a prohibition on any remaining retail sales by March 31, 2006. This orderly transition allows consumers and distributors to move to alternatives flea and tick products and will be strictly monitored. Hartz will also be notifying their distributors and retailers of the changes in order to ensure a workable phaseout.

As with any pesticide product, all label directions and precautions should be carefully followed to ensure the product is used correctly. It is prudent to follow the new restrictions for all products, including existing stocks.

After a public 30-day comment period, EPA intends to issue a cancellation order and an amended registration, which will be effective by October 31, 2005. For further information, visit: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/flea-tick-drops.htm

Posted under Health