Business Editors/Energy Editors/Environment Writers

BURLINGTON, Vt. However , stormwater
pollutants make the water unsafe for recreation in some shoreline
areas, and the presence of other pollutants and invasives pose
challenges for the bay's future, unless action is taken. We also hoped to
document any changes in the fish and other organisms that were
occurring after the significant investments to clean up the inner
harbor in the 1990s. In
addition, limits for emissions of total phthalates have been added to the
list of requirements. For more
information about the AQS School Test Kit, visit our website at www.

exposures atsdr

Several nationwide research laboratories perform risk assessment
and risk management to remediate environmental and human health problems.
Environmental Protection Agency, New England sites.

adversely pollutants

EPA's Region 4 Awards HR Contract to DC Firm

In a separate voluntary agreement
crafted by the Lake Champlain Committee and local citizens, GMP agreed
to fund $3 million in additional projects to improve the greater
Burlington environment, including the Burlington Bay research project. She also hopes to work with
the city to help identify critical sources areas of pollutants and
work to reduce them. There are as many as 100 to 1,000 different VOCs in indoor air
where children can easily inhale them.

hyper wherever

The canal had been declared a Superfund
site in 1982.

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Assessment instruments include the Myers-
Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations
Orientation Behavior (FIRO-B) and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument
(TKI).
These and other results of a five-year, University of Vermont
study of the bay's condition were released Wednesday, May 11 at press
conference at the Burlington Community Boathouse. Fisher is now
executive director of the Lake Champlain Committee.S.aerias.

relates remediate

yrci.
GMP was among those named responsible for the canal contamination
by the U.

Stormwater carries high levels of coliform bacteria, making it
unsafe to swim along the waterfront except at public beaches. Watzin says this pollution deserves
additional research to determine if there are subtle effects on fish
and other organisms that use the harbor.

remediate chec

EPA's Region 4 serves the eight Southeastern states of Alabama ,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee.

CONTACT: Sara Hunt, +1-804-915-1331, shunt@RightMinds.com, for YRCI. AQS also is a test laboratory for both the
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute and the Blue Angel Labeling programs,
which provide independent, third party certification for low-emitting
products used indoors.org, respectively.

morbidity cehia

"We
awarded the contract to YRCI for their overall knowledge and expertise in
executing HR strategies to improve proficiency and productivity outcomes., YRCI (http://www. Water quality is
generally good and meets state criteria. Air Quality Sciences, Inc. Black, CEO and chief scientist with AQS.

"Data collected from School Test Kit reports can serve as a baseline
against which to compare future results and allows for a comparison across
seasons and years.greenguard.

enviro cepis

, has selected YRCI, a
Metro DC-based HR outsourcing and Contracts Management firm, to provide a
variety of HR skills assessment tests for EPA's Region 4 Office of Policy +
Management.----Burlington Bay ,
Lake Champlain's most urban harbor, meets water-quality standards and
boasts a diverse mix of fish and aquatic life."
"Green Mountain Power and the other companies and individuals who
followed their lead deserve credit for both quickly stepping up to the
plate and seeing the long-term value to the community of the
Burlington Bay research," said Watzin. "EPA congratulates
those individuals who worked so hard to make both happen. Children also breathe
in more air in proportion to their body size than adults, which puts them
at higher risk for accumulating large enough exposures to VOCs and other
industrial chemicals over time to cause serious health and developmental
problems ," Dr.
To learn more about indoor air quality, visit Aerias-AQS IAQ Resource
Center at www.

atsdr cehia

Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Region 4 headquarters in Atlanta, Ga.
The Lake Champlain ecosystem is resilient, but to understand and
manage these changes, we will need to continue to investigate their
impacts.

PRESS RELEASE Air Quality Sciences Offers a Powerful Tool for Combating Indoor Air Chemicals in Schools

Although it is invisible to the naked eye,
indoor environments are full of chemical bullies that can gang up and
result in serious health problems for children.
(AQS) offers a powerful tool for monitoring and minimizing levels of
chemicals found in schools and daycare indoor environments .

"Clearly, much work still needs to be done to limit the amount of
formaldehyde in furnishings and products used in schools and daycare
facilities.org.

mortality decreasing

CENTREVILLE, Va.
"One of the best ways to avoid the Superfund sites of tomorrow is
to understand the environmental threats to our natural resources
today.

Although no high levels of poisonous pollutants were found in
stormwater , there were pulses of lower concentrations of a wide
variety of substances, and there is residual pollution in the
sediments in the harbor. Black said.

morbidity enviro

gov) is a dynamic
organization which is dedicated to improving and preserving the quality of
public health and the environment. EPA Headquarters, located in Washington,
D. The $1 million
project, led by Mary Watzin, director of UVM's Rubenstein Ecosystem
Science Laboratory and a natural resources professor at the
university, was funded by Green Mountain Power Corporation and other
companies and individuals as part of an agreement with the Lake
Champlain Committee and local citizen representatives related to the
remediation of the Pine Street Barge Canal Superfund site.
"The release of the Burlington Bay report, coming on the heels of
completion of the cap in the barge canal last fall, is a significant
milestone," said Karen Lumino, remedial project manager for U.

The concentration of phosphorous in stormwater is very high. Passive monitors for both VOCs and formaldehyde are
suspended in the occupied space and go virtually unnoticed in the room.

Air Quality Sciences, Inc.

mitigate impairment

Additionally, YRCI will prepare a qualitative, narrative report on
the impact and outcome of the assessment, outlining current proficiency levels
of the assessed EPA managers. This contract with EPA's Region 4 marks our expansion beyond the
Metro Washington, D. market, where we are a recognized leader in HR
outsourcing and contracts management for corporations and the United States
Federal Government. "We all recognized the importance of protecting our natural
resources that sustain us now and for future generations.
"However, the biggest changes we will see in the bay in the next
decade may come from the expansion of zebra mussels across wide
expanses of the bay's bottom, and the invasion of non-native fishes.

impairment remediate

C., is divided into thirteen offices that develop environmental policies,
set standards, manage complex research and development programs, and develop
regulations for pesticides, toxic substances, hazardous waste , air radiation,
and water.

Five-Year Study Funded by Green Mountain Power Concludes Stormwater is Top Burlington Bay Issue

S.

The GREENGUARD Certification for Children & Schools standard is available
free of charge on the GEI website, www. is a fully integrated indoor air quality (IAQ)
company that provides solutions to create healthy indoor environments and
avoid potentially dangerous indoor pollution.

cehia federally

S.
The event brought together, for the first time in five years, many
of the citizens, government leaders and others who had a stake in the
project. The Burlington Bay project was designed to assess the current
state of the Bay and highlight problem areas so that we can act ," said
Lori Fisher, an original coordinator of the citizen group that played
a part in the Pine Street Barge Canal clean-up.
Other parties later agreed to share in funding the projects.

Schools and daycare facilities present a unique challenge, even though much
progress has been made, to ensure a healthy indoor environment for
children.

atsdr toxic

Upon completion of the tests and personal interviews , YRCI will generate
several evaluations that indicate the strengths and leadership skills of the
team members, as well as provide recommendations and strategies for moving
forward.

About YRCI: Headquartered in Centreville, Va. Initially, the EPA proposed a $50 million clean-up plan
that was strongly rejected by citizen and government groups as too
costly and potentially hazardous .

collaboratively relates

"YRCI presented a comprehensive and results-oriented proposal to benefit
our managers, our agency and our region," said Fran Harrell, a procurement
analyst located in EPA Region 4's Office of Acquisition Management.
"We are very excited about working with EPA's Region 4 to develop a
comprehensive and cost-effective workforce analysis," commented Linda Sue
Wever, director of federal business development for YRCI.

Toxic blooms of blue-green algae occurred in 1999 and 2000,
but there have been no toxic outbreaks in the last several
summers in Burlington Bay. Others produce odors that may be
objectionable, and their presence has been linked to asthmatic and allergic
reactions. Black.

icehawks cepis

epa.
"Green Mountain Power was fortunate to work closely with an
enlightened group of organizations to create an innovative,
first-in-the-nation community solution to a Superfund site, as well as
to support other special projects addressing local environmental
concerns," said Steve Terry, senior vice president of Green Mountain
Power.

With the exception of road salt in winter, scientists did not
find high levels of poisonous pollutants in the stormwater.

"Individual VOCs may be well below odor thresholds or known toxic levels,
but when they join up with other chemicals in complex mixtures, these
chemicals may cause health problems not seen at higher levels," said Dr.

AQS has introduced a School Test Kit, which provides easy to use monitoring
devices for determining VOC and formaldehyde levels in schools. School
facility staff can easily use these kits by following the step-by-step
instructions.aqs.

relates cehia

"Skills assessment
testing is a natural extension of YRCI's proven expertise in HR operations and
management.
This stimulates algae growth, especially at the places
stormwater enters the lake .

The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute recently issued a new standard for
low-emitting products used in schools and daycare facilities.

impairment collaboratively

, The U. Many EPA offices are dedicated to the development of new
technologies to prevent pollution. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in 1998, EPA
directed the responsible parties to pay $4. Some VOCs can cause eye, nose and
throat irritation; cough; headache; general flu-like illnesses; skin
irritation; and some can cause cancer.
Marilyn S. Data collected from AQS Schools Test Kits and analyzed
in the firm's chemical laboratory, found an average of 37 parts per billion
(ppb) of formaldehyde in schools with maximum levels reaching 200 ppb.

icehawks enviro

com)
provides commercial clients and the United States Federal Government with a
variety of Human Resources and Contracts Management services.
These levels are significantly higher than the 22 ppb allowed in the
GREENGUARD Certification for Children & Schools Standard.
The easy-to -read report includes levels of total volatile organic compound
(TVOC) and formaldehyde, and a list of the primary VOCs found in the air
with common sources.

collaboratively icehawks

Federal clients include the Department of Homeland Security
Headquarters, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of
Transportation and the National Science Foundation."

The
GREENGUARD Certification for Children & Schools sets strict limits for
formaldehyde, aldehydes and particulates, and takes into account the
complex mixture of all VOCs found to be off gassing from the product. As a result, the data can help to more easily determine
if a problem exists and possible sources," said Dr. To learn more about AQS, Blue Angel and GREENGUARD,
visit www.

toxic detoxify

C.
We focused on stormwater flowing into the Bay, toxins in the sediment,
blue-green algae, and the invasion of zebra mussels.

Recent news articles have alerted parents to a growing body of animal
research that focuses on the prevalence of particular industrial chemicals
at very low levels.

Also of particular concern are very low concentrations of airborne
chemicals, called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are used to make
building materials , furniture, paints, and electronic and consumer
products. Black said. This is the first standard that addresses the threat of
exposure to low levels of these chemicals," Dr.org.

collaboratively federally

"
Under the terms of this contract, YRCI will administer a number of
nationally-recognized skills assessment tests to more than 20 higher-level (GS
14/15) managers in EPA's Region 4."

About EPA: Founded in 1970, EPA (http://www.3 million to implement a
remedy that included containing canal contamination with an underwater
cap, restoration of wetlands areas at the site, and long-term
maintenance and monitoring."
"Since the local community was concerned about water quality and
healthy recreational use of the bay and its shoreline," said Watzin,
whose lab is part of UVM's Rubenstein School of Environment and
Natural Resources, "we built a project around these public concerns."

Watzin listed highlights of the study:

The health of the bay remains resilient. This research suggests that at low levels (below those
deemed safe by US regulators) these substances may cause birth defects,
hormone disruptions and potentially impact brain development.

"Most indoor air standards are written for commercial office buildings, but
a typical school can have up to four times as many people as an office
building with the same amount of floor space -- and most of these people
are children who are still growing and developing.

Airborne formaldehyde, a carcinogen, still remains a chemical of great
concern in schools.greenguard.com
and click on the "Test Kit" tab. As the only IAQ firm with
internal labs, microbial and chemical, that are both ISO 9001:2000
registered and AIHA EMLAP accredited, AQS sets the standard for effective
diagnoses and solutions.

enviro wherever

Ten regional offices administer EPA
programs and provide technical assistance to state, local and tribal
governments. The company's
commercial clients include Accenture, Freddie Mac, ManTech International,
McDonald Bradley, Northrop Grumman , SI International and the Titan
Corporation.