March 2006 Issue
FYI - In and Around the Region
Events Planned for SmartScape® Month
March is SmartScape Month, a regionally coordinated effort to promote the water conservation, pollution prevention, recycling, composting, waste reduction principles of Texas SmartScape. Texas SmartScape is a tool to help homeowners and gardening enthusiasts create beautiful yards that require less water, pesticides, and fertilizer to thrive. Cities throughout the region are sponsoring events during March to promote Texas SmartScape.
- North Richland Hills and Keep North Richland Hills Beautiful are hosting a SmartScape: Native Plants for the Metroplex class March 2 from 7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. at the North Richland Hills Public Library.
- Grand Prairie, Keep Grand Prairie Beautiful, the City of Irving, and NCTCOG are hosting a class titled Native and Adaptive Trees in North Texas on March 9 from 6:00 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. at the Grand Prairie.Memorial Library. They are also hosting a Small Yards; Grand Gardens class on March 16 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at the Grand Prairie Memorial Library.
- Irving is hosting a full day of events on March 25 at the Senter East Building, 228 Chamberlain, Irving. A Xeriscape Landscape Design 101 class about low-maintenance, water-conserving landscaping will be held from 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.. Fantastic Plants for North Texas, a class focusing on quality native and adapted plants recommended for and readily available in this area, will be held from 1:00p.m. - 4:30 pm.
Please visit www.nctcog.org/envir/SEEclean/stormwater/index.asp for more information on these event and others throughout SmartScape Month.
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Coppell Hosts Earth Day Event – Clean Coppell
Join Keep Coppell Beautiful for a community-wide litter clean up and Earthfest celebration. Free refreshments and T-shirts will be provided to volunteers. During the event a drop-off station for bulky items will be located in the Town Center Elementary parking lot. There will also be a School Litter Getter Contest with prizes to schools and students collecting litter during the event. Earthfest also features the Master Composters of Coppell Compost Carnival, the Eco-Shopping Game, the EPA Recycling Game, Water Conservation Demonstrations and live music! Volunteer groups of 10 or more need to pre-register by Friday, March 11. Check the city website for details and pre-registration form.
Don’t forget that Earth Day 2006 is April 22. For more information about Earth Day or the 2006 theme, Climate Change Solutions, visit the Earth Day Network at www.earthday.net. For information on local activities contact your city.
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Training Announcement - Energy Conservation in Water & Wastewater Utility Operations
You are invited to attend a free water and wastewater training session sponsored by the State Energy Conservation Office, conducted by Carter & Burgess, Inc., and hosted by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). The session is being conducted to better understand energy efficiency as it relates to new technology in water and wastewater utility operations. The session will be held on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the NCTCOG offices located at 616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, Texas 76011, 2nd Floor Board Room. Dr. Al Petrasek, Carter & Burgess, Inc. will be conducting the session. To register online go to www3.cpa.state.tx.us/register.nsf/NCTCOG?OpenForm, or contact Liz Zecckine at (817) 695-9231, e-mail ezecckine@nctcog.org or Stephen Ross at (817) 695-9277 or sross@nctcog.org.
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Upcoming SWANA Conferences
The Solid Waste Association of North America has several exciting conferences scheduled for 2006. The 29th Annual Landfill Gas Symposium will be held March 27 -30 in St. Petersburg, FL. This four-day event is designed to present the basics, as well as the latest issues in landfill gas (LFG) technology. The conference also features a daylong LFG basics training course as well as a technical tour of a state-of-the-art LFG facility. In May (May 1-3) the 14th Annual North American Waste to Energy Conference will be held in Tampa, FL. Visit the SWANA website at www.swana.org for more information on these conferences and others throughout the year.
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Keep Texas Beautiful Golf Classic
The KTB Golf Classic is a fundraising event to benefit Keep Texas Beautiful. This year the event will be held on Monday, April 3 at the historic Onion Creek Club in Austin. The event includes an energetic and fun-filled afternoon of competition, a wonderful dinner and exciting prizes. For more information visit the KTP website at www.ktb.org/support/GolfTourney/index.htm.
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2006 WasteExpo to be Held in Las Vegas
WasteExpo is North America’s largest solid waste and recycling tradeshow serving both the private and public sectors. This year the conference will run from April 4-6, with exhibits from April 5-7, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. There will be over 445 exhibitors allowing you to see and compare all of the latest equipment and technology in the industry. The conference and exhibits will be broken into three categories including collection & transfer, landfill management, and recycling/processing/composing. For more information visit www.wasteexpo.com.
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TCEQ Training Courses
Don’t forget that TCEQ Training Courses are held throughout the year at the NCTCOG Regional Training Center in Arlington. Upcoming courses include Water Utility Safety held March 27-29, Basic Water Works held April 17-19, and Wastewater Laboratory held May 1-3. For a complete list of courses visit the Regional Training Center website at www.nctcog.org/cs/rtc/.
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TCEQ Environmental Trade Fair and Conference
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will be holding its’ annual Environmental Trade Fair and Conference on May 9-11, 2006 in Austin. This event is Texas’ premier environmental education forum, considered by many to be one of the best in the county. To be added to the mailing list for this event, contact the Event Coordination and Education Section at (512) 239-3150, or e-mail etfc@tceq.state.tx.us. More information about the event can also be found on the TCEQ website at www.tceq.org.
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EPA Recognizes Energy-Efficient, Environmentally Safe Buildings
Energy Star status was given to more than 2500 office buildings, schools, hospitals, and public buildings for superior energy and environmental performance in 2005. These buildings, which continue to meet industry standards for comfort and air quality, are saving an estimated $349 million annually in lower energy bills. They have also cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1.8 billion pounds, an amount equivalent to emissions from 540,000 vehicles. For more information about these energy-efficient and environmentally safe building, visit www.epa.gov or www.energystar.gov.
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Environmental Management Systems: How to Build and Sustain Senior Management and Employee Support
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA), in partnership with the American Public Works Association, will host a 90-minute webcast, "Environmental Management Systems: How to Build and Sustain Senior Management and Employee Support for a Tool that Improves Compliance, Increases Efficiency, and Saves Money," on March 28, 2006. The webcast is being offered locally in conjuction with a free EMS training class conducted by TCEQ and held at the ISCAR Metals Training Center, 304 Westway Place, Arlington TX. See inside article for more details.
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