The U.P. of Michigan is a unique place with all the spender of small town living nestled between large swaths of forest and coastline. Being up here means we opportunities to enhance our lives and our areas in a way that is sustainable. Supporting our environment, shipping, and business are fundamental to maintaining a quality standard of life.
The following highlights were taken from the Bergman Brief. You can sing up for it as well if you seek to have these updates. Below is quoted....
SBA Working Capital Loans Available in Michigan Following Secretary of Agriculture Disaster Declaration for Drought
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced today that Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and private nonprofit organizations in Michigan as a result of drought that occurred from June 29 through Sept. 26, 2020.
The loans are available in the following counties: Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, Roscommon and Wexford. “When the Secretary of Agriculture issues a disaster declaration to help farmers recover from damages and losses to crops, the Small Business Administration issues a declaration to eligible entities affected by the same disaster,” said Michael Lampton, acting director of SBA’s Field Operations Center East.
Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is available to eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities that suffered financial losses as a direct result of this disaster. Except for aquaculture enterprises, SBA cannot provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers and ranchers. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions. The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 3 percent for small businesses and 2.75 percent for private nonprofit organizations of all sizes, with terms up to 30 years.
The SBA determines eligibility based on the size of the applicant, type of activity and its financial resources. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov and should apply under SBA declaration # 16791, not for the COVID-19 incident. Disaster loan information and application forms may also be obtained by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or by sending an email to DisasterCustomerService@sba.
Loan applications can be downloaded from sba.gov/disaster. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155. Submit completed loan applications to SBA no later than July 26, 2021.
EPA New Interim Strategy Will Address PFAS Through Certain EPA-Issued Wastewater Permits
Aggressively addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment continues to be an active and ongoing priority for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Today, the agency is announcing two important steps to address PFAS. First, EPA issued a memorandum detailing an interim National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting strategy for addressing PFAS in EPA-issued wastewater permits. Second, EPA released information on progress in developing new analytical methods to test for PFAS compounds in wastewater and other environmental media. Together, these actions help ensure that federally enforceable wastewater monitoring for PFAS can begin as soon as validated analytical methods are finalized.
“Better understanding and addressing PFAS is a top priority for EPA, and the agency is continuing to develop needed research and policies,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “For the first time in EPA’s history, we are utilizing all of our program offices to address a singular, cross-cutting contaminant and the agency’s efforts are critical to supporting our state and local partners.”
“Managing and mitigating PFAS in water is a priority for the Office of Water as we continue our focus on meeting 21st century challenges,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water David Ross. “These actions mark important steps in developing the underlying science and permitting techniques to address PFAS in wastewater where the discharge of these chemicals may be of concern.”
EPA’s interim NPDES permitting strategy for PFAS provides recommendations from a cross-agency workgroup on an interim approach to include PFAS-related conditions in EPA-issued NPDES permits. EPA is the permitting authority for three states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico), the District of Columbia, most U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, Indian Country, and certain federal facilities. The strategy advises EPA permit writers to consider including PFAS monitoring at facilities where these chemicals are expected to be present in wastewater discharges, including from municipal separate storm sewer systems and industrial storm water permits. The PFAS that could be considered for monitoring are those that will have validated EPA analytical methods for wastewater testing, which the agency anticipates being available on a phased-in schedule as multi-lab validated wastewater analytical methods are finalized. The agency’s interim strategy also encourages the use of best management practices where appropriate to control or abate the discharge of PFAS and includes recommendations to facilitate information sharing to foster adoption of best practices across states and localities.
In coordination with the interim NPDES permitting strategy, EPA is also providing information on the status of analytical methods needed to test for PFAS in wastewater. EPA is developing analytical methods in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense to test for PFAS in wastewater and other environmental media, such as soils. The agency is releasing a list of 40 PFAS chemicals that are the subject of analytical method development. This method would be in addition to Method 533 and Method 537.1 that are already approved and can measure 29 PFAS chemicals in drinking water. EPA anticipates that multi-lab validated testing for PFAS will be finalized in 2021.
EPA Announces a $500,000 Community-Scale Air Toxics Monitoring Grant to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the selection of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to receive a $500,000 Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grant to help monitor and provide important information to communities on air toxics.
“Monitoring air quality is an essential step towards keeping people, and the environment healthy— an effort this Administration has prioritized, and the Agency has been proactive in,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Kurt Thiede. “EPA is committed to protecting the human health and the environment of all Americans, no matter their zip code.”
“The grant will enable Michigan EGLE to conduct real-time monitoring of air toxics and ozone precursors at various industrial sites of importance to local communities in Detroit and other cities in Southeast Michigan,” said Mary Ann Dolehanty, Director of EGLE’s Air Quality Division.
EPA has selected EGLE for a $500,000 grant to conduct mobile monitoring to assess the contributions of certain industrial sources to concentrations of air toxics in the outdoor air in southeast Michigan. EGLE plans to assess the relative contributions of target sources to ambient concentrations of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), including ethylene oxide, chloroprene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene, and toxic metals, and distinguish their contributions to ambient exposure from other sources. Longer term outcomes include control strategies for HAP emission reductions, especially in Environmental Justice communities. Secondary benefits include supporting ozone attainment efforts. The University of Michigan will help to facilitate community involvement in the project.
Nationally, EPA announced the selection of 11 air toxics monitoring projects to receive $5 million in funding under the agency’s Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants program. EPA anticipates providing selected agencies funding for their work in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 using State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) Funding.
To learn more about the Community-Scale Air Toxics Ambient Monitoring grants, visit: https://www.epa.gov/
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