Outstanding Projects for the Regulated Community Audience Selected June 2012

Ohio Dental Association, Dental Mercury Collection Program, $9,708, Statewide, Grant #98G-047

The program will collect mercury that is non-processed, non-contaminated and at least 98% pure. The education/prevention component of the project will inform dentists about the collection program and provide recommendations on ways to properly manage and dispose of dental wastes.

Ohio EPA Small Business Assistance Office, Best Management Practices Video for the Vehicle Salvage Industry, $11,707, Allen, Franklin, Montgomery, and Richland Counties, Grant #02G-047

Creates and distributes a 15-minute information video on how salvage yard owners can achieve compliance with environmental regulations through the use of best management practices. Topics include proper management of automotive fluids such as antifreeze, used oil, gasoline and solvents; storm water and scrap tire management; and reducing emissions of lead, mercury and volatile chemicals from metal crushing and smelting operations; and recycling of usable materials. Tapes will be given to salvage companies, industry trade groups, and regulatory agencies (local health departments), as well as public cable access TV stations across Ohio.

Lake County Engineer, Storm Water Education Outreach, $49,500, Lake County, Grant #03G-052.

Campaign of radio, television and newspaper ads over a six-week period during the spring rainy season, to increase public awareness of Storm water pollution problems. Campaign includes a newsletter, water flow model on display in public libraries, and two seminars on good housekeeping practices for maintenance personnel of storm sewer systems. Collaborators include Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Lake County Health District, Lake Soil and Water Conservation District, Lakeland Community College, OSU Extension, and multiple local jurisdictions. Five Colleges of Ohio, Pollution Prevention on the College Campus: A Consortial Approach to Education and Training, $50,000, Delaware, Knox, Licking, Lorain, and Wayne Counties, Grant #04G-057

Provides pollution prevention handbooks and training for more than 200 employees, including faculty and staff in the sciences, arts, and theater, at five residential colleges (Denison, Kenyon, Oberlin, Ohio Wesleyan, and the ). Training will cover environmental leadership, environmental management systems, ISO 14001 standards, regulatory compliance, security, chemical hygiene, emergency spill responses, and hazardous materials management. Train-the-trainer sessions and materials on best practices will be developed for EHS managers, who will share teaching responsibilities for two departmental classes at each college.

American Farmland Trust, Ohio Farmland Conservation & Preservation Education Project, $48,092, Statewide, Grant #05G-066

A demonstration project of nutrient Best Management Practices (BMPs) is designed to reduce the application of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients by 24%

and reduce NO2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% on 1,000 corn acres. Seeks to document the effectiveness of performance guarantees to persuade farmers to adopt BMPs. Project includes field days, ten community workshops and a guidebook on farmland conservation and preservation, to help agricultural landowners make informed decisions about the use of their land.

Erie County General Health District, “School Environmental Health and Safety Program,” $49,742, Erie, Huron, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties, Grant #S08G-043

Multi-faceted project to assist public and parochial schools in four counties comply with new school safety and inspection requirements as Jarod’s Law is being implemented. Provides training workshops for school administrators, maintenance and custodial crews, faculty, and 19 sanitarian inspectors, as well as information sheets for parents, and a follow up session to debrief the first year implementation of the new law. Topics will include indoor air quality, presence of lead, asbestos, radon, fumes or vapors, and proper use and storage of chemicals. Collaborators include the four county health departments, Bowling Green State University-Firelands Campus, Erie County Department of Environmental Services, Erie-Huron-Ottawa Educational Services Center, Ohio Department of Health, and 33 school districts.

Columbus Green Building Forum, “Green Building Education Program”, $49,895, Franklin County, Grant #S08G-060

Pursues a multi-pronged strategy to disseminate practical examples of green building design and technology to three audiences. For building industry professionals, technical seminars will be offered on native landscaping techniques, storm water and construction waste management, and materials for improving indoor air quality. Workshops will be offered for residents of the Weinland Park/University Area district near the Ohio State University on green renovation and construction methods featuring passive solar, rain gardens, advanced framing techniques, and tours of local green homes. Modules on green and sustainable construction will be developed for undergraduate courses in Construction Systems Management at OSU, with hands-on service learning opportunities at a green renovation project underway in Weinland Park. The Weinland Park-University Area Commission and the OSU Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering are collaborating.

Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University, Ohio Businesses and the New Energy Climate: Integrating energy efficiency and environmental sustainability into business planning, $44,600, Athens County, Grant #F09G-011

Delivers a targeted workshop for leaders of Ohio-based businesses to help them integrate energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and anticipated regulatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions into their strategic, financial, and supply chain planning. The workshop will include Ohio-specific case studies. The Ohio Manufacturers Association is collaborating.

County Commissioners Association of Ohio, “Training for the Solid Waste Management District Regulated Decision Makers (Commissioners, Trustees and Policy Committee Members),” $50,000, Grant # S09G-048

Provides governing members of local solid waste management districts with an interactive DVD and formal training sessions to enhance their ability to comply with Ohio EPA regulations. Training will present the core regulatory requirements in solid waste rules and law, best methods for solid waste facility management and oversight, fiduciary responsibilities, contract management, development of solid waste management plans, plan implementation, policy development, rulemaking, facility siting, public hearings, and other solid waste management related responsibilities. Collaborators include the Organization of Solid Waste Districts of Ohio, Eastman & Smith, GE Environmental Inc., Altec Limited, Ohio EPA Division of Solid and Infectious Waste Management, and Ottawa-Sandusky-Seneca Solid Waste Management District. The Five Colleges of Ohio, Inc., A Collaborative College Environmental Management System Initiative, $49,894, Delaware, Knox, Licking, Lorain, and Wayne Counties, Grant #F09G-034

Establishes environmental management systems (EMS) at The College of Wooster, , , , and . Training sessions will help campus teams verify applicable regulations, inventory activities that affect the environment, perform on-site assessments of operations in relation to regulations, prepare gap analyses comparing current status to goals, and engage the college communities through public outreach events and publications. A dissemination workshop will share the results with other colleges in Ohio. Collaborators include the University of Findlay School of Environmental and Emergency Management, The Laboratory Safety Institute, and the University of South Carolina School of the Environment.

The Miami Conservancy District, “People Prevent Pollution: Good Housekeeping at Municipal Operations in the Great Miami River Watershed,” $47,427, eleven southwest Ohio Counties, Grant # S09G-079

Provides training for 50 storm water managers and 200 maintenance staff employees of cities, counties, villages, and townships in the Great Miami River Watershed in ways to reduce storm water pollution run-off from municipal operations. Project will assist storm water managers in developing their Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, and help communities apply for designation as Groundwater Guardian Green Sites. The City of Moraine, the Groundwater Foundation and Ohio State University Extension are collaborating.

Ohio Hospital Association, “Pharmaceutical Waste,” $41,400, Statewide, Grant #F10G-028

This project will determine legal and practical barriers to implement a pharmaceutical take-back and redistribution, and best disposal practice program for hospitals. An operational manual will be prepared to assist healthcare facilities in developing such a pharmaceutical disposal program and educate healthcare workers and the community about the importance of proper pharmaceutical waste management. The Ohio Environmental Council is collaborating.

Geauga County Combined Health District, Package Plant Extended Aeration Workshop, $2,555, Geauga and northeast Ohio counties, Grant #03M-040

Provides a two-day workshop on operation and maintenance of small wastewater treatment systems, for regulated entities and local health department inspectors. Includes on-site training at business and mobile home park systems, and demonstrations of various testing instruments. Data from random follow up inspections will be analyzed to determine whether effluent quality is improved after operators attend the workshop, compared to previous years, and compared to effluent from systems whose operators have not attended the training.

ShoreBank Enterprise Group/Cleveland Entrepreneurs for Sustainability, Next Generation Energy Workshop Series, $5,000, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit Counties, Grant #05M-010

Provides a series of six workshops for 140 northeast Ohio businesses, on energy efficiency technologies and practices, distributed energy generation, wind and solar power, clean fuels for fleet operations, and fuel cells. Includes case studies for each of the five highlighted technologies as implemented in business contexts, and the costs and benefits of transition to >next generation@ energy sources. Collaborators include the Earth Day CoalitionPower Partnership for Ohio/Case School of Engineering.

Ohio Hospital Association, “Pharmaceutical Waste Management,” $3,500, statewide, Grant #F07M-023

Provides a compliance seminar and Web-based training to help hospitals properly segregate and dispose of a variety of hazardous pharmaceutical wastes that are subject to multiple and increasingly complex regulations. Includes OSHA, NIOSH and US EPA recommendations on pollution prevention and management of hazardous drugs and hazardous wastes.

Regulated Community Projects selected for Honorable Mentions

Automotive Services Association of Ohio, Self-Help Automotive Guide, Statewide, 99G-045

Innovative Farmers of Ohio, Farmer to Farmer Education on Sustainable Agriculture, Central Ohio, 00G-054

Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Ohio Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program, Statewide, 03G-024 Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality, Urban Storm Water Runoff Issues, Clermont, 04G-051

Ohio Compost Association, Measurement, Methodology, and Training, Statewide, 07G-018

Clean Fuels Ohio, Ohio Green Fleets, Statewide, 08G-057

Association of Ohio Recyclers, Construction & Demolition Debris Recycling 00M-026

Ohio Forestry Association, Ohio Certified Logger Awareness & Education 00M-036

S. Cohen & Associates, Inc., Federal Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements, Statewide, S10M-037

For more information, contact:

Office of Environmental Education P.O. Box 1049 Columbus, OH 43216-1049 (614) 644-2873 [email protected] www.epa.ohio.gov/oee