The Environmental Business Council of New England is pleased to announce many interesting upcoming programs this Spring. Please see below for more information about upcoming events at the EBC and visit the EBC's website at www.ebcne.org.
EBC Site Remediation & Redevelopment Program: Vapor Intrusion - Recent Updates in New England and Elsewhere; May 3, 7:30am - noon
There have been numerous developments in the field of vapor intrusion (VI) over the past year. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is about to release its final VI guidance. Several states, including New Hampshire and Vermont, have published new VI guidance or updated existing guidance. Massachusetts has proposed important regulatory changes addressing assessment, cleanup and closure of VI sites. There has also been substantial activity related to the evaluation of health risks posed by trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) at VI sites with several U.S. EPA regions and states proposing stringent short-term exposure limits for TCE while relaxing VI screening levels for PCE. This EBC program reviews technical and regulatory challenges when assessing the VI pathway and presents an overview of recent guidance developments at the state and federal level.
EBC Connecticut Chapter Program: Extreme Weather & Climate Change - Recovering from the Past and Preparing for the Future; May 7, 7:30am - noon
Hurricane Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29th. While the storm caused devastating damage in New York and New Jersey, due to its size, Sandy is the largest hurricane to make landfall along the U.S. Atlantic coast, significant impacts were felt as far north as Connecticut and Rhode Island. Widespread power outages, coastal flooding, and sewage overflows caused an estimated $360 million in damage to the State of Connecticut.
Recent events such as Hurricane Sandy highlight the need for including climate change adaptation when recovering from and planning for extreme weather events. As sea levels rise, even relatively minor storms may cause significant damages as higher sea levels allow storm surge and waves to propagate further inland. In addition to predicted sea level rise, the IPCC predicts an increase in hurricane intensity under 21st century warming scenarios, and thus an increase in the frequency of the most intense storms.
The first annual EBC Connecticut Chapter program on extreme weather and climate change will provide overviews of recovery and resiliency efforts from local, state, and federal officials. The utilities sector will address their response to recent extreme weather. A local consultant will describe the success of a dune restoration project in mitigating damages during Sandy.
EBC 23rd Annual Meeting and 20th EBEE Awards Celebration; June 12, 5pm-9pm
Each year in June, the Environmental Business Council of New England recognizes companies, organizations and individuals for outstanding accomplishments in the promotion of a sustainable, clean environment through the EBEE Award Celebration. These awards were created by the EBC to encourage environmental companies, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and environmental professionals to serve as models for others to emulate and, in doing so, further the mission and objectives of the EBC.