General & Sustainable
Environmental Management

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<U.S. Department of State and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Launch Partnership to Improve Air Quality Data
Air pollution is a serious and growing health threat worldwide. However, in the United States, we are fortunate to have state and local officials with considerable experience in developing and implementing programs to monitor, improve, and meet air quality standards. A new fellowship program will enable U.S. technical experts to visit participating diplomatic missions to help transfer skills and build capacity for air quality monitoring data analysis and maintenance. These visits will also include the opportunity for training and exchanges with the host governments and other participants.  

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On-Site Renewable Energy Generation
An important component of environmental management is promoting greenhouse gas reduction through policy. This is recently released guide to develop and implement greenhouse gas reduction programs. The Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series provides a comprehensive, straightforward overview of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies for local governments. Topic include:

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DOE Consortium Offers Financial Tool to Calculate Impact of Switching to LED Street Lighting
The U.S. Department of Energy's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium has released an economic cost-benefit analysis tool to help cities, utilities, and other organizations estimate the costs and impacts of switching to street lighting that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The Excel-based tool allows users to input data on relevant variables for their particular application - such as the incumbent technology, quantities, phase-in period, prevailing electricity and labor rates, sales tax, installation cost, loan interest rate, and rebates - to get a detailed analysis that includes annualized energy-cost savings, maintenance savings, greenhouse gas reductions, and simple payback.

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ICMA 2010 Sustainability Survey Results
The survey was sent to 8,569 local governments. The survey response rate is 25.4%, with 2,176 local governments responding. Highlights include: 63% of local governments report conducting energy audits of government buildings 34% have taken actions to conserve the quantity of water from aquifiers 14% have established greenhouse gas limits for the local government.

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Growing Wealthier: Smart Growth, Climate Change and Prosperity
Growing Wealthier, a report by the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), examines how smart growth can enhance prosperity. According to the report, efficient urban planning, or smart growth, generates economic benefits for local businesses, households and governments.

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Envisioning Better Communities:
Seeing More Options, Making Wiser Choices

Despite the widespread acceptance of good design and planning principles throughout the professions, too many of our towns and rural areas remain needlessly drab and inefficient. In side by side comparisons of similar places and types of buildings, Randall Arendt shows that we need not live amid sprawling, characterless visual blight. Simple design choices and effective municipal decisions can have tremendous impacts on the quality of our communities.

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Resources

Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) for the Water Sector Workforce
Resources are available to guide local governments in hiring qualified military veterans to operate their drinking water systems. This guide highlights relevant Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) and tips for water and wastewater utilities considering hiring veterans. In 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) partnered to connect veterans with careers in the water sector. While serving in the Armed Forces many veterans held MOSs that directly or indirectly translate into the types of positions needed in the water sector.

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Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice
Local Planning: Contemporary Principles and Practice is the all-new edition of the popular book, The Practice of Local Government Planning, which has been the valued resource for preparing for the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) exam. This new edition helps the reader understand the complexities of planning at the local level, and prepare to make decisions in a challenging environment.

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Footprint Calculator
<Take this quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth.

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Funding Opportunities

Historic Preservation Funding is available through the National Trust for Historic Preservation focusing on Nonprofit Organization and Public Agency Funding for nonprofit organizations and federal, state, or local government agencies.

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EPA

EPA Sustainability Program Office provides a one-stop access to EPA and related programs and the latest research and activities related to Urban Sustainability and the Built Environment; Water and Ecosystem Services; Energy, Biofuels and Climate Change; and Materials Management and Human Health.

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