When you take a breath outside in Wisconsin, you are breathing the cleanest air the state has seen in 50 years. Not only is May Clean Air Month, this year is the 50th anniversary of the Clean Air Act.
Passed in 1970, the Clean Air Act is a landmark piece of environmental legislation largely responsible for the quality of the air we breathe today. Since its enactment 50 years ago, the combined emissions of six common pollutants have fallen by 73 percent. The Clean Air Act is one of the most comprehensive air quality laws in the world. The act has achieved tremendous reductions in air pollution, protecting public health and saving lives, while allowing for economic growth and development.
To help educate the public on where ozone pollution comes from, what the DNR is doing to regulate ozone, and what Wisconsinites can do to help the air we breathe, the DNR released Committed to Clean Air: Ozone Pollution on YouTube. The video completes the Air Program's three-part video series. Videos Committed to Clean Air and Committed to Clean Air: Particle Pollution are available on DNR's YouTube channel. The Air Program is also featured in the "Earth Day at 50" issue of Natural Resources magazine.
Visit DNR's Clean Air Month webpage for links to resources and more information. For the full press release go to: https://dnr.wi.gov/news/releases/article/?id=5128.
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The Small Business Environmental Council (Council) advocates for businesses, serving as the voice of Wisconsin’s small business community at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Council brings an independent, business-oriented perspective to DNR’s relationship with small businesses. Combining their own experience with input from businesses across the state, they help the DNR serve small businesses in smart and effective ways.
The Council’s next meeting is on May 27, 2020, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, via Skype. Public may participate in the meeting but we ask that you RSVP to DNRsmallbusiness@wisconsin.gov if you plan to join. The agenda, which includes the Skype link, is posted at: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/SmallBusiness/Council.html.
Governor Tony Evers announced $75 million in assistance for small businesses as part of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s We’re All In initiative, a comprehensive effort to celebrate and help Wisconsin’s small businesses get back on their feet and support best practices to keep businesses, consumers, employees and communities safe.
This initiative will provide direct assistance to small businesses most impacted by the duration and restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. These $2,500 cash grants will assist with the costs of business interruption or for health and safety improvements, wages and salaries, rent, mortgages, and inventory. Businesses will be able to apply for grant assistance in early June.
Learn more at: https://wedc.org/blog/gov-evers-announces-75-million-were-all-in-grant-program-and-initiative-to-spur-wisconsins-economic-recovery-promote-safe-business-practices/
The DNR is in the process of enabling users to submit permit applications (Notices of Intent) through the online Water ePermitting System for storm water industrial facility permits. This addition to the system is expected to be available soon.
The ePermitting system does not require special software and is completely web-based and available using any internet browser.
Currently the storm water program has construction site permit applications (Notices of Intent), construction and industrial Notices of Termination, and municipal eReporting available online. Online forms provide an immediate notification to staff once submitted, stores the information electronically, and makes all submittals publicly available. The DNR saw a decrease in review turnaround time for construction site permit applications from 33 to 17 calendar days as compared to paper applications.
Sign up for one of the storm water program’s Govdelivery newsletters for notifications with additional information and resources when this ePermitting service becomes available. Click on the Subscriber Preferences link below to add this topic to your subscriptions.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding a rescheduled public meeting of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) from June 8 to 11, 2020, to review the draft risk evaluation for asbestos. This public meeting will be virtual, with participation by phone and webcast only. There will be no in-person gathering for this meeting.
The four-day meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, June 8 to 10, 2020; and from 11:30 am to approximately 5:00 pm Eastern Time on June 11, 2020 (as needed, updated times for each day may be provided in the meeting agenda that will be posted in the docket at http://www.regulations.gov [docket number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2019-0501] and the TSCA SACC website at http://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review).
You must register online to receive the webcast meeting link and audio teleconference information for participation in this meeting. Please visit https://www.epa.gov/tsca-peer-review/peer-review-draft-risk-evaluation-asbestos-0 to register. You may register and participate as a listen-only attendee at any time up to the end of the meeting. Requests to make brief oral comments to the TSCA SACC during the virtual meeting should be submitted when registering online on or before noon (12:00 PM EDT) on June 2, 2020.
For additional information, contact the Designated Federal Official for this meeting, Dr. Diana Wong at Wong.Diana-M@epa.gov.
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