“Blue Carbon Reservoirs from Maine to Long Island NY” Report is now available
BOSTON (Aug. 8, 2023) - Today, EPA New England announced the release and availability of a report that maps "blue carbon” along the northeastern coast.
Blue carbon is the term used to describe carbon stored in coastal and marine salt marshes, seagrass, and mangroves. These aquatic habitats are much more efficient at accumulating/sequestering carbon than terrestrial habitats. An acre of forest will have less sequestered carbon in its soil than the equivalent acre of seagrass, salt marsh or mangrove.
"Healthy, growing seagrass and salt marshes are key to pulling carbon out of the atmosphere where we don't want it, and storing it in vibrant coastal ecosystems, where we do want," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "These ecosystems are important nursery habitats for many commercial fish and shellfish species. They are also the first line of defense against coastal flooding, which often impacts disadvantaged communities first and worst. The findings from this effort and resulting map products can help inform land and coastal management policies, fisheries management, and climate change mitigation practices."
The findings from this effort and resulting map products can help inform land and coastal management policies, fisheries management, and climate change mitigation practices."
The goal of this effort was to produce a baseline database and map of both vegetated blue carbon habitat acreage and sequestered carbon. Due to data limitations (e.g., sediment core samples are only to a depth of 30 centimeters), the carbon stock estimate represents a mere fraction of the actual quantity of accumulated carbon in these habitats.
The target geographic area has an estimated 218,222 acres of eelgrass meadows and salt marsh, which are estimated to provide a reservoir of 7,523,568 megagrams of blue carbon. Using the EPA greenhouse gas equivalency calculator, this quantity of stored carbon is equivalent to:
The emissions from 5,994,024 passenger vehicles driven in one year.
The burning of 30,521,000,000+ pounds of coal.
The emissions associated with the energy use of 3,474,000 homes for a year.
The emissions offset by the operation of 7,498 wind turbines for a year.
The quantity of carbon accumulated in one year in 32,646,000 acres of upland forest.
Sequestered carbon in New England is predominately from salt marsh habitats, which is a habitat type at great risk due to sea level rise and coastal development.
Background
During the 2017 Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premierhttps://www.northeastoceancouncil.orgs (pdf) (1.1 MB), the management of "blue carbon resources to preserve and enhance their existing carbon reservoirs" was identified as a possible regional climate change action to mitigate and reduce greenhouse gases.
In June 2020, Region 1 initiated an effort to establish a baseline of New England's blue carbon inventory. Working with New England state and federal (USGS and USDA) agencies, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations and utilizing a contract with the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), datasets of New England's eelgrass meadows and salt marsh habitats (current and historic) and marine soil cores were identified and entered into an interactive map on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal. Soil organic carbon stocks within these marine habitats were also used to calculate blue carbon stocks. The joint effort has been detailed in the "Blue Carbon Reservoirs from Maine to Long Island NY"
Blue carbon is the term used to describe carbon stored in coastal and marine salt marshes, seagrass, and mangroves. These aquatic habitats are much more efficient at accumulating/sequestering carbon than terrestrial habitats. An acre of forest will have less sequestered carbon in its soil than the equivalent acre of seagrass, salt marsh or mangrove.
"Healthy, growing seagrass and salt marshes are key to pulling carbon out of the atmosphere where we don't want it, and storing it in vibrant coastal ecosystems, where we do want," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "These ecosystems are important nursery habitats for many commercial fish and shellfish species. They are also the first line of defense against coastal flooding, which often impacts disadvantaged communities first and worst. The findings from this effort and resulting map products can help inform land and coastal management policies, fisheries management, and climate change mitigation practices."
The findings from this effort and resulting map products can help inform land and coastal management policies, fisheries management, and climate change mitigation practices."
The goal of this effort was to produce a baseline database and map of both vegetated blue carbon habitat acreage and sequestered carbon. Due to data limitations (e.g., sediment core samples are only to a depth of 30 centimeters), the carbon stock estimate represents a mere fraction of the actual quantity of accumulated carbon in these habitats.
The target geographic area has an estimated 218,222 acres of eelgrass meadows and salt marsh, which are estimated to provide a reservoir of 7,523,568 megagrams of blue carbon. Using the EPA greenhouse gas equivalency calculator, this quantity of stored carbon is equivalent to:
The emissions from 5,994,024 passenger vehicles driven in one year.
The burning of 30,521,000,000+ pounds of coal.
The emissions associated with the energy use of 3,474,000 homes for a year.
The emissions offset by the operation of 7,498 wind turbines for a year.
The quantity of carbon accumulated in one year in 32,646,000 acres of upland forest.
Sequestered carbon in New England is predominately from salt marsh habitats, which is a habitat type at great risk due to sea level rise and coastal development.
Background
During the 2017 Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premierhttps://www.northeastoceancouncil.orgs (pdf) (1.1 MB), the management of "blue carbon resources to preserve and enhance their existing carbon reservoirs" was identified as a possible regional climate change action to mitigate and reduce greenhouse gases.
In June 2020, Region 1 initiated an effort to establish a baseline of New England's blue carbon inventory. Working with New England state and federal (USGS and USDA) agencies, academic experts, and non-governmental organizations and utilizing a contract with the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), datasets of New England's eelgrass meadows and salt marsh habitats (current and historic) and marine soil cores were identified and entered into an interactive map on the Northeast Ocean Data Portal. Soil organic carbon stocks within these marine habitats were also used to calculate blue carbon stocks. The joint effort has been detailed in the "Blue Carbon Reservoirs from Maine to Long Island NY"
ILA seeks arbitration with carriers in new Leatherman suit
The latest lawsuit from International Longshoremen’s Association ups the damages the union is seeking from ocean carriers that used the Port of Charleston’s Hugh K. Leatherman terminal.
Chassis maker CIE halts US equipment imports
CIE Manufacturing, a major manufacturer of new chassis, has suspended all imports of chassis into the US in response to an investigation by US customs officials.
USDA Invests Nearly $30 Million to Boost School Nutrition in 264 Small & Rural Communities through Partnership with Action for Healthy Kids
WASHINGTON, August 7, 2023 – As part of a cooperative agreement to develop and implement the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, Action for Healthy Kids today announced that it is awarding nearly $30 million in subgrants to 264 school districts across 44 states and the District of Columbia, reaching students in some of our nation’s highest need schools. These funds are being provided by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.
EPA Releases Environmental Justice Toolkit for Lead Paint Enforcement Programs
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the Environmental Justice Toolkit for Lead Paint Enforcement Programs. The Toolkit provides strategies, examples, and other information for federal, state, Tribal and local government enforcement practitioners to use during all stages of environmental enforcement and compliance monitoring activities designed to eliminate harmful exposures to lead paint in housing. This resource is a compilation of best practices and supports commitments made in EPA’s Lead Strategy, which seeks to reduce lead exposures locally with a focus on underserved communities and promote environmental justice through a whole of government approach.
“The science is clear, there is no safe level of exposure to lead, and health impacts from exposure to lead-based paint continue to be a significant problem in the United States, particularly in underserved and overburdened communities,” said Larry Starfield, EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This Toolkit is an important new resource for enforcement personnel working with communities to reduce lead exposures.”
More than 34 million homes in the US have lead paint somewhere in the building. Of those homes, an estimated 3.3 million have children less than six years of age facing one or more lead-based paint hazards, including over 2 million low-income households. Over 1 million children in the US suffer from irreversible impacts from lead poisoning including reduced intelligence, behavioral and learning disabilities; new cases continue to be diagnosed every year. Adults with exposure to lead can develop symptoms such as high blood pressure, memory loss and reduced motor skills.
The Toolkit includes strategies for developing partnerships, conducting community engagement, and maintaining ongoing communication with the communities where enforcement activities are planned or ongoing; it provides methods for how to target inspections in overburdened communities; and information and examples on remedies available that enhance environmental justice. Recent examples of lead paint enforcement actions that exemplify these strategies include:
An administrative settlement agreement that includes $2 million of lead-based paint abatement work in lower-income properties located in Chicago and Chicago suburbs in communities with a higher incidence of childhood lead poisoning.
A Richmond Contractor sentenced to one year for federal lead paint law violations.
Lead paint abatement projects completed in Fort Worth, Texas communities resulting from EPA’s settlement with HGTV’s “Texas Flip N Move.”
Learn more about EPA’s efforts to reduce lead exposure.
Members of the public can help protect children from lead paint by identifying and reporting lead paint violations.
“The science is clear, there is no safe level of exposure to lead, and health impacts from exposure to lead-based paint continue to be a significant problem in the United States, particularly in underserved and overburdened communities,” said Larry Starfield, EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This Toolkit is an important new resource for enforcement personnel working with communities to reduce lead exposures.”
More than 34 million homes in the US have lead paint somewhere in the building. Of those homes, an estimated 3.3 million have children less than six years of age facing one or more lead-based paint hazards, including over 2 million low-income households. Over 1 million children in the US suffer from irreversible impacts from lead poisoning including reduced intelligence, behavioral and learning disabilities; new cases continue to be diagnosed every year. Adults with exposure to lead can develop symptoms such as high blood pressure, memory loss and reduced motor skills.
The Toolkit includes strategies for developing partnerships, conducting community engagement, and maintaining ongoing communication with the communities where enforcement activities are planned or ongoing; it provides methods for how to target inspections in overburdened communities; and information and examples on remedies available that enhance environmental justice. Recent examples of lead paint enforcement actions that exemplify these strategies include:
An administrative settlement agreement that includes $2 million of lead-based paint abatement work in lower-income properties located in Chicago and Chicago suburbs in communities with a higher incidence of childhood lead poisoning.
A Richmond Contractor sentenced to one year for federal lead paint law violations.
Lead paint abatement projects completed in Fort Worth, Texas communities resulting from EPA’s settlement with HGTV’s “Texas Flip N Move.”
Learn more about EPA’s efforts to reduce lead exposure.
Members of the public can help protect children from lead paint by identifying and reporting lead paint violations.
EPA Region 7 to Showcase Mobile Response Vehicles at Iowa State Fair
LENEXA, KAN. (AUG. 7, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 will showcase its mission of protecting human health and the environment with a theme of “Working Together for Healthy Rural Families” at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, from Aug. 10 to 13, 2023.
The Iowa State Fair is heralded as one of the oldest and largest agricultural expositions in the United States. The first Iowa State Fair was held in 1854.
"We are thrilled to participate in the 2023 Iowa State Fair and engage with fairgoers about vital infrastructure investments and funding available to build resilient communities," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. "Our interactive space at the Fair is an excellent place for families to learn about EPA's mission."
This year, EPA will display the Region 7 Mobile Command Post and the Mobile Drinking Water Lab, both of which are routinely deployed in response to environmental emergencies. EPA Region 7 experts will be there to discuss our work with agricultural and rural communities.
EPA has a number of competitive grant funding programs underway, like Solar for All. More competitive programs are coming in the months ahead, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
WHO: EPA Region 7
WHAT: Exhibit at the Iowa State Fair
WHEN: Aug. 10-13, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
WHERE: Booth #40470 (near Gate 11) at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 East Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
The Iowa State Fair is heralded as one of the oldest and largest agricultural expositions in the United States. The first Iowa State Fair was held in 1854.
"We are thrilled to participate in the 2023 Iowa State Fair and engage with fairgoers about vital infrastructure investments and funding available to build resilient communities," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. "Our interactive space at the Fair is an excellent place for families to learn about EPA's mission."
This year, EPA will display the Region 7 Mobile Command Post and the Mobile Drinking Water Lab, both of which are routinely deployed in response to environmental emergencies. EPA Region 7 experts will be there to discuss our work with agricultural and rural communities.
EPA has a number of competitive grant funding programs underway, like Solar for All. More competitive programs are coming in the months ahead, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
WHO: EPA Region 7
WHAT: Exhibit at the Iowa State Fair
WHEN: Aug. 10-13, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
WHERE: Booth #40470 (near Gate 11) at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 East Grand Ave., Des Moines, Iowa
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter: @EPARegion7
EPA Awards $24,000 to University of Texas at Dallas for Air Quality Sensor Project
DALLAS TEXAS (August 7, 2023)– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $24,999 for the University of Texas at Dallas for their work to develop low-cost air quality sensors for environmental justice communities as part of the Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program.
“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”
The University of Texas at Dallas, in partnership with Paul Quinn College and the Downwinders at Risk Education Fund, will provide low-cost calibrated air quality sensors that can be distributed at scale and used sustainably across predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The sensors will use observations from a satellite providing scientifically valid information for data-driven decisions by communities and residents. Learn more about the project here.
Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.
Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.
Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”
The University of Texas at Dallas, in partnership with Paul Quinn College and the Downwinders at Risk Education Fund, will provide low-cost calibrated air quality sensors that can be distributed at scale and used sustainably across predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The sensors will use observations from a satellite providing scientifically valid information for data-driven decisions by communities and residents. Learn more about the project here.
Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.
Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.
Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
EPA Awards $25,000 to Rice University for Research on PFAS Waste in Landfills
DALLAS TEXAS (August 7, 2023)– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $25,000 to Rice University to fund their research on treating PFAS (per- and polyfluoralkyl) waste in landfills as part of the Agency’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Program.
“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”
The Rice University team is developing a chemical-free UV unit that degrades PFAS waste leachate in landfills using boron nitride, a nontoxic chemical compound. By providing a non-toxic method to treat PFAS-containing wastewater emanating from landfills, the amount of PFAS and other organic pollutants will be reduced in the water supplies of nearby communities. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. Learn more about the team’s project here.
Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.
Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.
Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.
“EPA’s P3 program, now in its twentieth year, is an exciting and unique program that recognizes the power of students to translate imagination and science into new solutions that protect human health and the environment,” said Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “Congratulations to this year’s teams. Their innovative projects tackle critical environmental issues and include an eco-friendly coating to reduce contamination in marine environments, a device to remove microplastics from stormwater, an air monitoring and filtration technology to reduce student exposures to air pollutants, and more.”
The Rice University team is developing a chemical-free UV unit that degrades PFAS waste leachate in landfills using boron nitride, a nontoxic chemical compound. By providing a non-toxic method to treat PFAS-containing wastewater emanating from landfills, the amount of PFAS and other organic pollutants will be reduced in the water supplies of nearby communities. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. Learn more about the team’s project here.
Twenty-one Phase I recipients will receive grants of up to $25,000 each to help them develop their proof-of-concept, and will be eligible to compete for a Phase II grant of up to $100,000 to further implement their designs.
Learn more about the P3 Phase I winners.
Learn more about EPA’s P3 program.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.