Alabama: DEM Releases Ambient Air Monitoring Plan

Pursuant to 40 CFR 58.10, the Alabama DEM in July released its annual ambient air monitoring plan for 2008. This plan covers ambient air monitoring activities to be performed by the department and other state agencies. The plan is available for public inspection at http://adem.state.al.us/AirDivision/Ozone/AirQuality.htm.

Arkansas: Public Hearings on Air Regulation Changes

The Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission will hold three separate public hearings at North Little Rock Aug. 4, 2008 to receive comments on proposed revisions to its air quality regulations. Proposed changes to the Arkansas Air Code, the state implementation plan for air pollution control, and the Arkansas Operating Air Permit Program will be the topics of the hearings. The deadline for submitting written comments on all three regulations is Aug. 18, 2008.

California: Leaders Urge $9 Billion Water Bond

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sen. Dianne Feinstein unveiled a plan for a $9.3 billion bond for water projects in the state. With the state in a drought and the legislature locked up over water projects, the plan was meant to ease the pinch, the politicians said. The bond would appear on the state's ballot this fall.

Delaware: First State Joins Regional GHG Initiative

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner in July signed Senate Bill 263, authorizing Delaware to participate in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants. The agreement includes nine other mid-Atlantic and northeastern states.

Kansas: KDHE Plans Free Mercury Collection Program

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment is sponsoring a free program to remove and dispose of mercury and mercury-containing devices from homeowners and facilities generating less than 55 lbs. of hazardous waste per month. Collection dates are July 14 through Sept. 13, 2008. Visit www.kdheks.gov/waste.

Minnesota: State Board Presses for Water Initiatives

A Minnesota Environmental Quality Board report calls for resolving competing plans for financing the cleanup of impaired waters, new water supply studies and increased protections for the state's wetlands. The report, Protecting Minnesota's Waters: Priorities for the 2008-2009 Biennium, is available at www.eqb.state.mn.us.

New Jersey: ISRA Applicability Service to be Discontinued

Due to budgetary constraints and a focus on required services, the DEP's site remediation program discontinued the issuance of applicability determinations pursuant to ISRA on April 30, 2008. Applications for applicability determinations (more commonly known as LNAs) received after April 30 will be returned unprocessed. In its place, the department has published the article How to Determine if ISRA Applies to You at www.nj.gov/dep/srp/isra.

New York: Operating Program Fees Adopted

A new fee of $45 per ton (up to 6,000 tons) of each regulated air contaminant emitted in 2007 has gone into effect. The fee is to be paid by all facilities that are subject to the requirements of Title V of the federal Clean Air Act. Regulated contaminants subject to the tonnage fee are NO_X, VOCs, SO₂, particulates and hazardous air pollutants.

Oregon: Fee Increase Approved

The Environmental Quality Commission has approved a water quality permit fee increase for the state, effective July 1, 2008. The state DEQ passed three separate water quality permit fee increases. NPDES and WPCF individual and general permits (except stormwater) fees will increase a total of 8 percent. NPDES stormwater permit fees will increase by a total of 90 percent. An extra surcharge, authorized by Senate Bill 737, will apply to Oregon's 52 largest municipal wastewater treatment plants.