EPA Withdraws 2017 Proposed Rule Addressing Health and Groundwater Protection Standards for Uranium In Situ Recovery

“The rule would have applied to byproduct materials produced by uranium in situ recovery (ISR) and would have subsequently been implemented by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and its Agreement States.

The proposed rule published on January 19, 2017 (82 FR 7400), entitled “Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailings,” was withdrawn as of October 30, 2018. The EPA withdrew the proposed rule because:

The EPA, informed in part by feedback received on the proposal, has serious questions as to whether the proposed rule as written is within the EPA’s authority under UMTRCA

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The EPA no longer believes national rulemaking to promulgate standards is currently necessary; the EPA believes the existing regulatory structures are sufficient to ensure the targeted protection of public health and the environment at existing ISR facilities.”

Learn More

Radiological Contaminants in Water

Geoscientists discover an overlooked source for Earth’s water

PFOS in Water – Is there are formal drinking water standard?

Source: New Hamphire Public Radio – 11/5/2018

“Right now, state regulators are doing something they’ve never done before: writing their own limit on a chemical contaminant in drinking water.

It’s called a maximum contaminant level, or MCL. In the past, like most states, New Hampshire has used federal standards as its default MCLs.

Now, the legislature has told the Department of Environmental Services for the first time to write its own MCL, from scratch.

It’ll require public water systems to routinely test and treat drinking water for four types of likely toxic PFAS chemicals – known as PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS and PFNA.

The MCLs will also become the state’s new ambient groundwater quality standard for the chemicals, meaning if cleanup will be required if they’re found in groundwater at a higher level.

Right now, the state uses the federal government’s advice of 70 parts per trillion as its groundwater cleanup standard. The state has no formal MCL for PFAS in drinking water.

The new MCL is expected to be more stringent than that EPA guidance, and will require costly new testing and treatment protocols for drinking water systems around the state.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were once common in a range of industrial and household products. They have been linked to serious health problems and have contaminated water supplies across the state and country……..”

Read More.

Get Your Drinking Water Tested for PFOS/PFAS

Pennsylvania State University Arboriculture and Community Forest Training

Here is this month’s listing of upcoming arboriculture and community forestry events in and around Pennsylvania and online. For more information on a particular program, please use the listed contact information for that program.

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1. Tree Support and Protective Systems
Thursday, November 8, 2018, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Philadelphia, PA
Offered by Morris Arboretum

An important feature in the preservation of mature shade trees in the built environment involves the installation of various support cables, rods, and guying systems, as well as lightning protection. This one-day course will explore all aspects of these techniques as well as the best practices and standards of the industry. There will be field demonstrations of each technique and an opportunity to get hands-on practice. Alex is an ISA certified arborist with many years of experience in practical arboriculture and an acknowledged expert in cable splicing and installation.

CEUs: 6.0 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists
Cost: $140, includes lunch
For more information and to register, visit https://experience.morrisarboretum.org/Info.aspx or call 215-247-5777, ext. 125

2. Trees Matter Symposium
November 14, 2018, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Silver Spring, MD

Montgomery Parks and Casey Trees, Washington D.C., present the seventh annual Trees Matter Symposium. Presentations will focus on the health and welfare of trees in our increasingly developed landscapes. Learn from some of the country’s leading experts about innovative efforts to plant, protect and preserve trees in urban and suburban settings. Trees provide many benefits: they cleanse and cool our air, stabilize our soils, provide wildlife habitat and beautify our urban and suburban areas. We encourage all arborists, landscape industry and environmental/green industry professionals, engineers, designers, housing developers and interested citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to learn new techniques and concepts on what can be done to ensure the survival of trees in our built environment.

CEUs: Maryland Licensed Tree Experts (5 Credits), ISA Certified Arborists (5 credits), Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (5 credits), and Landscape Architect LACES (5 credits)
Cost: $95
For more information and to register, visit https://www.montgomeryparks.org/about/divisions/arboriculture/trees-matter-symposium/

3. Chipper and Chainsaw Operation in Spanish
Las operaciones de las motosierras y los chippers
Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Philadelphia, PA
Offered by Morris Arboretum

This course is designed for entry level arborists. The main goal of this one-day course is to acquaint students with chippers and chainsaws and their safe operation so that they will be fully competent to operate the machinery safely, and without direct supervision. This program is designed to give an additional credential to the crew member by introducing them to the fundamentals of machine operation. The course helps employers document training as well as identify and retain motivated employees. It will verify, according to OSHA guidelines, that the employer has provided the proper safety training necessary to operate this machinery. The Chipper and Chainsaw course is a component of the TCIA Tree Care Academy Program and meets their accreditation standard. Each student will receive a helmet decal, patch, certificate, and a laminated wallet card upon successful completion of the test.

CEUs: 6.0 CEUs for ISA Certified Arborists
Cost: $140
For more information and to register, visit https://experience.morrisarboretum.org/Info.aspx or call 215-247-5777, ext. 125

4. Webinar: Changing Urban Tree Canopy Cover in the U.S.
Urban Forestry Today Webcast Series – UMass Amherst, Department of Environmental Conservation
Thursday, November 15, 2018, 12 PM – 1 PM (Eastern Time)

Join Dr. David Nowak, USDA Forest Service, as he discusses the latest findings pertaining to how urban tree canopy cover and associated values are changing in the United States.

Cost: Free
CEUs: This webinar is eligible for 1.0 CEU with the International Society of Arboriculture and 0.5 Massachusetts Certified Arborist CEUs.
Where: Visit www.joinwebinar.com and enter the ID code: 150-883-555
For more information: http://www.urbanforestrytoday.org/ or email Rick Harper at rharper@eco.umass.edu

5. Webinar: Concrete Cloth: A Versatile Option for Stormwater Management and Erosion Control
Penn State Extension Community Forestry Management Monthly Webinar Series
Tuesday, November 20, 2018, 12 PM – 1 PM (Eastern Time)

Anne Duggan, CEO of KevCon/Pave Drain will present an array of land protection challenges where concrete cloth was incorporated in best management practices. Unlike an web of interlinked blocks, concrete cloth is described as a geosynthetic cementitious composite mat. Ms. Duggan here shows how KevCon’s harden-in place fabric innovation performed in a variety of site needs including erosion control, slope face protection, drainage swales etc.

Registration and connection details: Register at https://psu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_utRC-0EfQzWo8tyqCmVFlA

Use the link above to register for the webinar early, or at the time of the webinar. If you register prior to the webinar, you will receive an email with a link to access the webinar. If you register at the time of the webinar, you will be connected directly to the webinar following registration. We recommend registering and accessing the webinar room 15 minutes prior to the webinar start time to ensure you are able to connect.
Cost: Free
Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for Landscape Architects; SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs); and PLNA Certified Horticulturalist (PCH) will be offered to attendees. One CEU for ISA Certified Arborists will be awarded with 80% or higher score on webinar quiz. Certificates of attendance will be provided after the program.

For more information contact Scott Sjolander at 814-350-7749 or sas305@psu.edu

6. Webinar: The Emerald Ash Borer: Strategies for Conserving Ash in the Urban Forest
Utah State University Forestry Learn at Lunch Webinar Series
Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 2 PM – 3 PM Eastern Time

In cooperation with the TREE Fund, USU Forestry Extension presents the November Learn at Lunch Webinar. This presentation will review research that provides scientific basis for EAB management and conservation of ash in urban environments. Results of multiyear insecticide trials with soil applied, trunk injected, and bark applied systemic insecticides show that protection of even very large caliper ash trees is a viable option to consider as part of an integrated management program for EAB. The EAB Cost Calculator and tree inventories can be used to integrate treatments with removal schedules to develop proactive, strategic management programs for ash and the EAB “death curve” in the urban forest.

Registration and connection details: Register at https://extension.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FmFndHwpT0-VlI1qdf84sg
Cost: Free
Continuing Education Credits: One Continuing Education Credit for SAF Certified Foresters (CFEs) and ISA Certified Arborists

7. Designing Native and Ecological Plant Communities
Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Philadelphia, PA
Offered by Morris Arboretum

Join us as we translate the ecological principles of wild plant communities into planting design tools that will help you create better planting. Functional and ecological plantings, such as rain gardens and meadows, are increasing in popularity but simultaneously face severe challenges. They often fail to wow the public, offer a low level of ecological function, and simply don’t survive on low-budget maintenance. Examples of failed projects are plentiful and hurt the image of the native plant movement. We won’t solve these issues if we continue to compare planting design to painting on canvas and perceive plants as individual objects in space. It is time for a new approach—a plant-community-based method that has evolved in the world of ecological science. This interactive workshop will introduce you to the science behind stable and lasting plant combinations. You will learn the skill of creating plant communities in four hands-on design exercises and practice this technique in a hypothetical planting project at the end of the workshop.

CEUs: 5 CEUs for ISA certified arborists and LACES credits for landscape architects
Cost: $180
For more information and to register, visit https://experience.morrisarboretum.org/Info.aspx or call 215-247-5777, ext. 125

8. Tree Tenders Training

Join thousands of other concerned citizens like yourself. Become a Tree Tender and help increase tree canopy cover in your community. Tree Tenders® is a training program that empowers concerned residents to make dramatic strides towards restoring and caring for the tree canopy in their communities. The course is designed for lay people and experts alike. Become one of the Tree Tenders restoring and tending your part of the forest. Instruction is provided by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, in partnership with Penn State Extension, PHS, and other local urban forestry experts.

Tree Tenders training includes:
-Tree Biology
-Urban Stresses on Trees
-Tree Identification
-Tree Pruning and Root Care
-Tree Planting Techniques
-Community Organizing

Johnstown, PA
December 1, 2018
Offered by Penn State Extension
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-tenders
For more information, contact Brian Wolyniak at bjw229@psu.edu or call 412-482-3455

Pittsburgh, PA
December 1, 2018
Offered by Tree Pittsburgh
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Register online at https://www.treepittsburgh.org/ways-to-give/volunteer
For more information, contact joe@treepittsburgh.org or 412-781-8733

Online
Thursdays, January 24- March 7, 2019
Offered by Penn State Extension
One hour sessions each week at 12 noon or 7 pm
Register online at https://extension.psu.edu/tree-tenders-online
For more information, contact Vinnie Cotrone at vjc1@psu.edu or call 570-825-1701

9. Financing Urban Tree Canopy: A How To for Chesapeake Communities
Thursday, December 13, 2018, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Washington, DC

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, and the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center invite you to a workshop on sustainable approaches to funding and financing an urban forestry program for Chesapeake Bay communities. This workshop comes with the launch of a newly developed written guide for Chesapeake Bay communities by the University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and the US Forest Service with support from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. All participants will receive a hard copy of this guide at the workshop. This workshop is an opportunity to hear from and speak with experts as well as peers from across the Chesapeake Bay watershed on effective, transferable, and often novel approaches to leveraging existing resources or increasing access to funding for implementing urban tree canopy.

This workshop is intended for local government staff, elected officials, volunteer tree boards and/or commissions, and any other individuals or groups involved in urban tree canopy efforts in their community.

Cost: Free, pre-registration is required
For more information and to register, visit https://www.allianceforthebay.org/events/funding-urban-tree-canopy-for-chesapeake-communities-workshop/

10. Arborist Short Course
Offered by Penn State Extension

These four-day short courses teach the basics of arboriculture (tree care), including tree biology, tree risk assessment, tree planting, and other topics, providing training for those interested in taking the International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist Examination.

Specifically, this course covers:
— Diagnosis of plant diseases and arthropod pests
— Plant nutrition and fertilization
— Selection, installation and establishment of trees and shrubs
— Soil and water interaction and management
— Tree identification
— Tree assessment and risk management
— Proper pruning and the ANSI standards
— Construction impacts and management
— Safety and tree climbing

CEUs: ISA Certified Arborist, PCH, and PA Landscape Architect CEUs and Pesticide Credits are available for this course.

Registration is available online for all four locations at: https://extension.psu.edu/arborist-short-course
Please note different registration deadlines for each location.

Upcoming Arborist Short Courses:
Dallas, PA:
January 4, 11, 18, and 24, 2019
For more information, contact Vinnie Cotrone at vjc1@psu.edu or 570-825-1701.
Registration deadline: December 20, 2018

York, PA:
January 30 and 31, February 6 and 7, 2019
For more information, contact Tim Abbey at tma13@psu.edu or 717-755-5968.
Registration deadline: January 29, 2019

Additional locations (western PA) to be offered in early 2019 to be listed soon.

If you would like to have programs shared via this monthly newsletter, please email information to Brian Wolyniak by the 25th of the current month for publication in the following month’s newsletter.
Brian Wolyniak
Extension Urban Forester
bjw229@psu.edu
(412) 482-3455
Penn State Extension
1435 Bedford Avenue, Suite A
Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Julianne Schieffer
Extension Urban Forester
jxs51@psu.edu
(610) 489-4315
Penn State Extension
1015 Bridge Rd
Collegeville, PA 19426

 

More Training in Sustainable Systems

Oxidize IT Science on Ozone Laundry Systems by guest author

The Science on Ozone Laundry Systems
by Jenn Beem

When we think about doing laundry we typically think of laundry detergents, fabric softeners, and hot water. Skin irritations and allergic reactions are often from detergents and other soaps left in fabrics. Most individuals use laundry detergent for flowery, “fresh” smelling odors. Laundry Detergents and fabric softeners contain Volatile Organic Chemicals, below are just a few of the hazardous materials.

Phosphates: Manufacturers use these to make detergents more effective in hard water, and to help prevent dirt from settling back on clothes when they’re washing. These chemicals have long been associated with environmental damage, particularly in our streams and waterways. They cause algae blooms that damage ecosystems.

Cleaning agents (surfactants): These are included in the formula to help the product clean better.

Stabilizers: These chemicals help stabilize the formula, so that it lasts longer on the shelf.

Bleach: It’s known to irritate skin, eyes, and lungs, and when it mixes with wastewater, it can form toxic organic compounds that have been linked with respiratory issues, liver, and kidney damage.

Brighteners: Chemicals that remain on the clothes to absorb UV light and help clothes “appear” brighter. These chemicals also remain on the clothes so they are most likely to come into contact with skin.

EDTA: Many detergents have eliminated these, but they’re often using ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-EDTA) in its place, which does not readily biodegrade, and has been found to be toxic in animal studies.

Fragrance: Manufacturers combine many chemicals to produce a fragrance—so you’ll believe your clothes are clean because they smell clean—and they don’t have to list those chemicals on the label because of trade protection.

Ozone as a detergent-less laundry cleaning solution kills micro-organisms found in dirty laundry – and does so 3000 time faster than bleach! Dr. Sheila Baker, Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia, scientifically examined the technology behind the use of Ozone for detergent-less laundry solutions. Her research is focused on designing task-specific ionic liquid systems, nano-materials and their hybrids for clean energy applications. In her paper, Report on Ozone Laundry Systems, Dr. Baker finds that “Ozone does work for removing stains,” examining how it works, its effectiveness, as well as the threefold benefits of ozone. Below are excerpts from that report.

History
Ozone for commercial laundry applications was first introduced in the late 1970s-early 1980s in penal institutions but their performance was poor. (1) A second generation in the 1990s had better performance, and their performance has increased since then due mostly to a better understanding of how these systems work. By 2009, there were over 4,000 commercial laundry facilities that were using ozone laundry systems. (1) Some newer systems today offer controlled and variable levels of ozone and sensors that monitor and sometimes control ambient ozone levels.

How Ozone Works
Ozone does work for removing stains from laundry. It works through an oxidation mechanism whereby ozone and an OH radical, a breakdown product from ozone and water, can both work as oxidants. Ozone is a superb antimicrobial agent and can eliminate even superbugs when used properly. Also, ozone is very economical. It works best in cold water and relaxes the fabric so no softener is required and shortens drying times. Due to the cold water and shorter dryer times, fabric life is often extended. As for whitening abilities, ozone is similar to hydrogen peroxide. The method for cleaning by ozone in water is based on two reaction mechanisms – a direct and an indirect mechanism. (2,3,5) The direct method occurs when ozone acts as the oxidizer itself to break chemical bonds. The indirect method involves ozone reacting first with water to produce OH-radicals followed by the OH-radicals oxidizing chemical bonds. When ozone and OH-radicals come in contact with soils and stains in linen, they help break chemical bonds to release the stain or soil. One kind of reaction (direct or indirect) will dominate, depending on various factors, such as temperature, pH and chemical composition of the water. The higher the pH and temperature, the more OH-radicals will be produced. While OH-radicals have even greater oxidizing power than ozone, they are very short-lived in solution.

Effectiveness
Ozone is considerably more effective at lower water temperatures such as cold or ambient temperature water. This is due to its increased stability and higher solubility at lower water temperatures. Thus, it is recommended to use ozone on cold water cycles. This saves energy from not needing to heat the water.
In a recent study, when compared to hydrogen peroxide, ozone utilized in cotton preparation was able to obtain a Stensby degree of whiteness of 81 of scoured samples which was comparable to hydrogen peroxide. (5) Further, no strength loss of the fabric was observed. As compared to chlorine bleach, the levels of ozone present may not always be high enough to offer the same level of bleaching stains. (1) For these cases, some chlorine may be required in conjunction with ozone to achieve the highest effectiveness. If a bleach cycle is required, a scouring agent (acid) or multiple rinse cycles may be required to lower the pH so as to prevent skin irritations. However, ozone can often be used with colored fabric without the concern for bleaching the fabric, unlike chlorine bleach. Further, for disinfection purposes, you can use ozone alone instead of bleach. Ozone can reduce or eliminate the need for fabric softeners. Fabric softeners increase drying times due to the way they coat fabrics. However, the way in which ozone and oxygen assist in relaxing the fabric, more water is extracted during the spin cycle so that less drying time is needed.  Due to the cold water and shorter dryer times, fabric life is often extended. Basically, ozone oxidizes the soil in the fabric allowing it to detach easier.

 

Benefits of Ozone
The reported benefits of ozone are three-fold: economical, microbiological, and environmental.

Economical

A California hotel conducted a study over a 2-month period in a facility with 104 rooms to compare traditional an EcoTex ozone laundering system. (1) They found the annual costs of ozone vs. traditional laundry was less in the categories of electrical (30% savings), natural gas (81% savings), chemical (21% savings), water (26% savings), and labor (39% savings). A 2012 hotel study entitled ‘Ozone Laundry – 95 Room Hotel Payback Study” showed similar results and a savings of almost $780 per month. (6) They found that the ozone laundry system saved over 47% of fuel costs for boiler and dryer operation, with a 74% savings for the boilers (hot water) alone. In addition, the system eliminated softener costs, reduced electrical costs for the washers and dryers by about 13%, and reduced linen replacement costs by 10%.

Microbiological
Ozone has been shown to effectively control, disinfect, and/or totally eradicate microorganisms normally found in soiled laundry in many studies.1 For example, one study found that several microorganisms such as E. coli and many types of viruses were eradicated within minutes by ozone cold water laundering. (7) Even more impressive, the same was found for two superbugs (MRSA and C. difficile). These superbugs are often resistant to traditional hot water laundry processes. However, the disinfection is a time-dependent process. Ozone is effective in killing bacteria in 3 minutes and viruses in 6 minutes. So, in this aspect ozone laundry system out perform traditional systems. It is recommended that laundry wash cycles be 10-12 minutes in order to determine a concentration over time value that is the recommended method to report compliance with U.S. EPA disinfection requirements of drinking water.

Environmental Impacts
The use of ozone for laundry also has environmental benefits. The strong oxidizing power of ozone and OH-radicals initiate the conversion of most organic components of the soiling materials into more readily biodegradable byproducts. (8) The discharged water from laundry wastewater systems that use ozone typically contain higher levels of oxygen which benefits receiving streams, lakes, and rivers by providing oxygen for the natural microorganisms to do a better job of breaking down discharged pollutants into carbon dioxide and water. (8)

Oxidizer Pro INC.
If you are interested in hearing more about how our American Made Detergent-less laundry system works, we will be happy to answer all your questions. Our revolutionizing detergent-less laundry  product is not only ecofriendly but also very safe and healthy. We look forward to speaking with you soon.
Phone: 440-746-0343
Website: www.oxidizeit.com
Email: info@oxidizeit.com

References

References
Rice, R. G.; DeBrum, M.; Cardis, D.; Tapp, C., The ozone laundry handbook: A comprehensive guide for the proper application of ozone in the commercial laundry industry. Ozone: Science and Engineering 2009, 31 (5), 339-347.

Von Gunten, U., Ozonation of drinking water: Part I. Oxidation kinetics and product formation. Water Research 2003, 37 (7), 1443-1467.

Hamilton Gordon, A.; Ribner Bruce, S.; Hellman Thomas, M., The Mechanism of Alkane Oxidation by Ozone. In Oxidation of Organic Compounds, AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY: 1968; Vol. 77, pp 15-25.

Von Gunten, U., Ozonation of drinking water: Part II. Disinfection and by-product formation in presence of bromide, iodide or chlorine. Water Research 2003, 37 (7), 1469-1487.

Eren, H. A.; Ozturk, D., The evaluation of ozonation as an environmentally friendly alternative for cotton preparation. Textile Research Journal 2011, 81 (5), 512-519.

DEL Ozone Laundry Saves Hotel $9,000 a Year. http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/10/17/del-ozone-laundry-saves-hotel-9000-a-year / (accessed April 14, 2013).

Cardis, D.; Tapp, C.; DeBrum, M.; Rice, R. G., Ozone in the laundry industry – Practical experiences in the United Kingdom. Ozone: Science and Engineering 2007, 29 (2), 85-99.

Rice, R. G.; DeBrum, M.; Hook, J.; Cardis, D.; Tapp, C., Economic and environmental benefits of ozone in ozone laundering systems. Ozone: Science and Engineering 2009, 31 (5), 348-356.