Archives

Top federal and state environmental officials today announced 22 grants totaling more than $1.3 million to local government and community groups in New York and Connecticut to improve the health and ecosystem of Long Island Sound.

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro joined Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in Alexandria, VA to announce a proposed rule to make the nation’s public housing propertiesentirely smoke-free. HUD’s proposed rule would require more than 3,100 public housing agencies (PHAs) across the country to implement smoke-free policies in their developments within 18 months of the final rule.

An Appraisal Institute member specializing in valuation of green homes has produced a study released today by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that found homes with host-owned solar photovoltaic energy systems are sold at a premium compared to homes without PV systems.

Approximately 1,153 Consumers Energy electric customers are currently affected by an electric interruption caused by a high voltage transformer bank failure at the utility’s North Adams substation. Electric restoration to affected customers is expected by 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, November 11.

NAHB First Vice Chairman Ed Brady will also moderate a special Capitol Hill Spotlight Session on Thursday, Nov. 19, where show goers can hear from staffers from Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) offices as they discuss the variety of green building legislation under consideration.

Members and allies of National People’s Action (NPA) from Detroit, MI, Chicago, IL and Buffalo, NY traveled to Pittsburgh, PA to give testimony at the first of four Environmental Protection Agency hearings on the Federal Implementation Plan proposed as part of the Clean Power Plan (CPP). The new rule sets the first ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants. While applauding the plan, NPA leaders are calling on the EPA to go even further to ensure equity for those most impacted by the dirty energy economy and the climate crisis by protecting low income communities and communities of color from pollution and expanding access to renewables and clean energy jobs for those communities

Impact100 Garden State, a Morristown- based women’s philanthropic organization, awarded over $200,000 in grants to the Head Start Community Program of Morris County and the New Jersey Community Development Corporation (NJCDC) to support programs that help the elderly poor, disenfranchised young adults, and pre-school children from low-income families. Impact 100’s 204 members voted to award each organization a $102,000 grant at its annual members meeting on November 4 at the Olde Mill Inn in Basking Ridge. The organizations were selected from over 75 nonprofit applicants.

The Atlanta Board of REALTORS® (ABR), the largest association of its kind in Georgia, released its October 2015 Market Brief on residential housing statistics for 11 area counties in metro-Atlanta. Market Brief, now compiled by First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS), provides the only regionally focused synopsis of monthly sales and home prices for single family residential properties.

The Apache Stronghold is a community association dedicated to ending the theft of native lands, specifically the theft of the sacred Oak Flat lands in Arizona. The Stronghold has been occupying the Oak Flat campground since February 2015. To hear more about their struggle and efforts please join us on November 21st and 22nd for the For the Community Festival!

ARCO / Murray Construction Company is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the construction for the La Chiquita tortilla production and distribution facility located in Orlando, Florida. The 80,000 square foot project will consist of renovating an existing warehouse to accommodate a production area, freezer, cold dock, and office space.

Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced the Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge (LABBC) “Drop 100” campaign, which, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, aims to save 100 million gallons of water each year by increasing water efficiency in commercial buildings across L.A.The Drop 100 campaign encourages innovative water-saving solutions in commercial buildings, which account for 19% of water use within the City

Mayor Kasim Reed will join Milton Little, CEO of United Way of Greater Atlanta on Veterans Day to provide an update on the City of Atlanta’s goal to move all homeless veterans into housing by the end of 2015. This campaign is part of a collaborative effort to meet President Obama’s goal of ending veterans homelessness across the country by the end of 2015.

The City of Atlanta today launched a new website for the public to learn about and follow the progress of the Renew Atlanta infrastructure bond program, www.renewatlantabond.com. The Renew Atlanta program was approved by more than eight in ten voters in a special election held earlier this year. Over five years, the City of Atlanta plans to complete more than two hundred transportation and municipal facility projects, including major repairs and upgrades from an infrastructure maintenance backlog of nearly $900 million

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05) issued the following statement after a meeting today with the Regional Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who announced that the EPA will audit the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s (MDEQ) drinking water program. Congressman Kildee previously called for a full review of the water problems in Flint.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is presenting the Excellence in Site Reuse Award to the Dallas Housing Authority and Goodwill Industries of Dallas, Inc. for redeveloping portions of the RSR Corporation Superfund site in west Dallas. The ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, at Goodwill Industries of Dallas, 3020 N. Westmoreland Rd., Dallas, Texas. The award recognizes their commitment to safely and sustainably reuse the property contaminated by the former lead smelter.

The State Property and Buildings Commission will meet at 1:30 p.m. on Friday in Room 182 of the Capitol Annex, Frankfort, Kentucky.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is awarding more than $521,000 to 14 organizations in Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. The funds will support projects such as conservation, waste collection, water quality protection, recycling expansion, green infrastructure and improving environmental education in the region.

The City of Bellevue invites residents to an open house on Nov. 19 to give input on the Draft Water System Plan, which describes how the city plans to meet water needs for the next 20 years. The open house will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 450 110th Ave. NE, in Room 1E-113.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the start of construction on a $10.7 million supportive housing development for veterans in the Town of Canandaigua. Veterans Housing for Canandaigua will provide affordable housing and on-site services with 48 units for veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced households that need help paying their heating bills this winter can begin applying for assistance from the Home Energy Assistance Program on Monday, November 16. The program provides financial assistance to help low-income and elderly New Yorkers keep their homes warm in the winter months