Four: 10 Days of ISTC; Anniversary Presentation Video

30thBlogThing4Videos of presentations at ISTC’s anniversary event provide a fascinating look at problems of pollution contamination in Illinois and how the Center contributed to the clean up. Links to the videos will be made available over the next two weeks as they become available.

ISTC Looks Back, and to the Future During Anniversary

VIDEO 4: Craig Colten While working at the Center, Craig Colten, conducted pioneering longitudinal analyses of manufacturing techniques in urban manufacturing sites throughout the state.  The work accounted for changing hazardous materials produced and changing waste handling practices over more than 100 years.

 

The research was valuable for understanding not just current threats but residues from long forgotten industrial sites. Building on this data, Colten was able to construct a general historical geographic model in urban areas, as well as a series of tools and applications including a Historical Hazardous Substance Data Base and a Historical Hazards Geographic Information System. These tools helped establish the ground work for Superfund litigation and the ability to support real estate transactions.

 

Colten and others at the Center became national leaders in sustainability by addressing emerging concerns about brownfields, as well as abandoned, derelict sites, especially sites where the industrial land use changed several times. He established the long-term relationship of industry and environment — adding a time component to our the state of knowledge about what was toxic, how wastes were managed, what was the technology for managing wastes, and what was the regulatory framework then.

 

Later Colten co-authored “The Road to Love Canal: Managing Industrial Waste before EPA.” Today he is Carl O. Sauer Professor of Geography, Louisiana State University.

 

NEXT UP: Jeff Levingood, “ISTC and the Other Surveys: Working Together to Solve Illinois’ Legacy Pollution Issues.”

Three: 10 Days of ISTC; Anniversary Presentation Videos

30thBlogThing5Videos of presentations at ISTC’s anniversary event provide a fascinating look at problems of pollution contamination in Illinois and how the Center contributed to the clean up. Links to the videos will be made available over the next two weeks as they become available.

ISTC Looks Back, and to the Future During Anniversary

VIDEO 3: Gary Miller, the center’s first assistant director, spoke about the center’s research program. Up to this day, the mandate of ISTC is to provide 1) research, 2) technical assistance, and 3) public information about hazardous materials and other contamination threats. Miller said over 30 years the center has funded well over 200 studies, all available online.

 

Large contaminated sites in Illinois, such as Waukegan Harbor, Lake Calumet and industrial sites near Rockford got a lot of attention in those first years.  At that time a lot of work was necessary to establish the toxicity of contaminants present at those sites,  including some of the earliest studies of PCBs in the environment.

 

Other important research focused on waste issues such as improved landfill design and modeling of groundwater contamination from landfills. The early years also produced a comprehensive inventory of Illinois landfills that is still in use today. He added that the center also helped pioneer remediation, stabilization, and clean-up techniques through demonstrations and analysis.

 

NEXT UP: Craig Colton, “Historical Hazards: Innovation and Application at the Center.”

Green Lunchroom Challenge Webinar Recording: Food Donation for Schools

In case you missed it, the recording and presentation slides from the recent Green Lunchroom Challenge webinar on food donation for schools are now available online at https://www.greenlunchroom.org/archivedWebinars.cfm. Dr. Kathleen Dietrich, Executive Director of Food Bus, Inc. described how that organization assists schools in donating excess food to local pantries and food banks.

 

The Green Lunchroom Challenge is an ISTC project, funded by US EPA Region 5, focused on engaging K-12 schools in IL in food waste reduction and prevention strategies through a voluntary, friendly competition. Interested schools or school districts can sign up at https://www.greenlunchroom.org/, and complete any combination of suggested activities during the Challenge period (Sept. 1, 2015 – April 1, 2016).

 

Though any school or distict in IL can participate, ISTC is particularly interested in recruiting participants from Pulaski, Alexander, Marion, White, and Fayette counties. According to data from the ISBE, over 70 percent of K-12 students in those counties are eligible for assistance through the National School Lunch Program. By preventing and reducing food waste in these areas particularly, and throughout the state, it is hoped the Challenge will not only achieve environmental benefits, but also stretch federal and state assistance and resources through increased efficiency.

 

To learn more about the Challenge, visit www.greenlunchroom.org or contact Joy Scrogum. Watch the Challenge web site’s Upcoming Events page for information on other relevant webinars and events hosted by ISTC or other agencies in the weeks to come.

Two: 10 Days of ISTC; Anniversary Presentation Videos

30thBlogThing3

Videos of presentations at ISTC’s anniversary event provide a fascinating look at problems of pollution contamination in Illinois and how the Center contributed to the clean up. Links to the videos will be made available over the next two weeks as they become available.

ISTC Looks Back, and to the Future During Anniversary

VIDEO 2: David Thomas, the founding ISTC director, joined in May, 1985. During his presentation he looked back to the early days of Illinois’ hazardous waste center. When President Jimmy Carter declaired a federal health emergency at Love Canal, the problem of hazardous waste management had become a front burner concern nationwide. Previously working at an engineering firm, Thomas could see the concern grow as he saw more and more of the firm’s work had to do with hazardous waste.

 

As an U of I alumnus, Thomas was delighted Illinois had proposed the new hazardous waste center for Champaign. He also relished the job as a way to delve full-time into the interesting and important challenges of the hazardous waste. During his talk, Thomas discusses the legislative mandate of the center and its early efforts to organize a scientific response to the problems.

 

Thomas and original Assistant Director Gary Miller studied design of modern research labs around the nation to guide the development of the center’s research laboratory capabilities. Thomas noted with satisfaction that ISTC’s focus has effectively evolved to remain relevant in the rapidly changing field.

 

NEXT UP: Gary Miller, founding ISTC assistant director, “30 Years: Projects, Politics, and People.”

One: 10 Days of ISTC; Anniversary Presentation Videos

Anniversary videos available
Videos of presentations at ISTC’s anniversary event provide a fascinating look at problems of pollution contamination in Illinois and how the Center contributed to the clean up. Links to the videos will be made available over the next two weeks as they become available.

 

ISTC Looks Back, and to the Future During Anniversary

Duration: 12’33”

VIDEO 1: Mike Barcelona was a primary architect of the Hazardous Research and Information Center (HWRIC) that would evolve into the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC). He and the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) Chief Stan Changnon negotiated the political and bureaucratic waters to establish the center. Barcelona, head of the water chemistry group at ISWS was the primary author of the position paper on the organization and goals of the center.

 

Barcelona went on to serve on the faculties of the University of Michigan and the University of Western Michigan where he served a chair of the department of chemistry.

 

For his presentation at the 30th anniversary celebration, Barcelona focused on state of things as the Center was being formed. Government and industry had only just begun to define the outlines of hazardous and toxic industrial by-products. At the beginning, the Center was most interested in determining the amounts of hazardous waste in Illinois, and particularly their impacts on groundwater, he recalled. He noted that the state produced an estimated 70 million tons of hazardous wastes between 1920-80.

 

What has changed today?  Barcelona cited a recent Illinois Environmental Protection Agency analysis that showed hazardous waste generation in the state has dropped 75 percent between 1987 and 2013. He also cited an October, 2015 study which estimated that pollution prevention efforts nationwide have avoided the environmental release of five billion to 14 billion pounds of toxins.

 

While that is a good record for meeting that threat, Barcelona added there are plenty of challenges in the future.  In particular, he noted the growing avalanche of electronics in the waste stream, and the increased concern over landfilled food waste and its massive emissions of methane (a potent greenhouse gas).

 

NEXT UP: David Thomas, founding ISTC director, “ISTC: The Early Years.”

Illinois Rivers Research – New Publication

an example fo the cover of a research report this one spcifically shows RR-131The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) manages the Illinois Hazardous Waste Research Fund (HWRF) which is used to sponsor grants for projects focused on pollution prevention, reduction of contaminants, water conservation, and other environmental issues of importance to the State.. The latest ISTC publication by Yonghong Zou and Wei Zheng, titled, “Spatial and Source Appointment Analysis of PAH and Metal Contaminants in the Illinois River’s Peoria Pool Sediments,” is just one of many research studies conducted on rivers in Illinois that were funded by HWRF. Continue reading “Illinois Rivers Research – New Publication”

Tips for a 2015 Waste-Free Holiday

old maps used as wrapping paper on gifts with a little bit of white and red ribbon to finish the look.

Imagine a simple holiday season without a bunch of stuff to clean up in the end. You might think that it can only happen in your dreams, but it is easier than you might think. Take a look at the blog we wrote last year called, “9 Ways to have a Waste Free Holiday.”

 

Are you traveling over the holidays? Whether you are going to Grandma’s or heading south for some warmth and sun, we all like to take our favorite things with us. But, consider this: how much volume will all those one-time-use travel toiletries and bought-on-the-go travel snacks take up in the landfill? Holiday traveling can indeed be waste-free! Check out the “Waste Free Holiday Travel” blog by KathrynH on Second-Hand Tales or “Philippines: a Zero Waste and Plastic Free Holiday” by Erin Rhoads on Rogue Ginger for some helpful zero waste travel tips.

Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products in the Environment Conference

pills spilling out of a pill bottleWant to learn more about latest research on emerging contaminants in the environment? Come check out the Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) in the Environment Conference hosted by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), in conjunction with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG), which will be held on April 4, 2016, in Champaign, IL. Funding for the conference is provided through a grant from University of Illinois Extension.

 

The conference will feature presentations and posters on the latest in PPCP research and education as well as plenty of opportunities for discussion with those interested in all aspects of PPCPs in the environment.

 

ISTC and IISG encourage researchers, teachers, businesses, local and state government, environmental groups, and members of the general public to attend this conference. Registration will open on Feb. 8, 2016. The regular registration fee will be $40 and student registration will be $20 for the one-day event which includes lunch.

 

The call for abstracts is now open:

 

Meet the Keynote Speakers

 

Rabecca Klaper - Keynote speaker at the PPCPs in the Environment ConferenceRebecca Klaper is professor and director of the Great Lakes Genomics Center in the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her research is examining the impact of various emerging contaminants (e.g., nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals) as well as natural stressors on freshwater organisms. Her lab is using genomic data as a tool to investigate the impacts of these various potential stressors and to develop biomarkers of exposure and effect to be used as tools for ecological risk assessment. One of the goals of her research is to determine which chemicals may cause environmental damage and how we might change either our design, use, or treatment of chemicals to make them more environmentally sustainable. She received her B.S. degree in biology (honors) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, M.S. in entomology from the University of Georgia, and her PhD in ecology from the University of Georgia.

 

Dana Kolpin - Keynote speaker at the PPCPs in the Environment ConferenceDana Kolpin is a research hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Iowa City, Iowa, and has been the project chief of the USGS Toxic Program’s Emerging Contaminants Project since its inception in 1998. His research interests include the fate and transport of pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other emerging contaminants in the environment. He has published over 100 papers and reports on environmental contaminants. He received his B.S. degree from Iowa State University and his M.S. from the University of Iowa, both in geology.

 

 

 

Additional keynote speakers will be announced soon!

Pharmaceutical & Personal Care Products in the Environment Consortium Meeting

The Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products Consortium is hosted by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) and is open to anyone who is conducting research on pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and/or hormones in the environment or related topics. Meetings are held quarterly at ISTC (1 E. Hazelwood Dr., Champaign, IL) in the SJW conference room. The next meeting will be on Dec. 8 from 11 AM to 1 PM and a light lunch will be served with time for networking. If you are interested in attending the Dec. 8th meeting or learning more about the consortium, please email Nancy Holm (naholm@illinois.edu). There is no cost to attend.

 

December’s meeting will include 20 min. webinar presentations from:

  • Dr. Ruth Marfil-Vega from American Water with a talk titled, “Overview of American Water’s Innovation and Environmental Stewardship Group and its Studies on the Fate of Emerging Contaminants.” Combined application of targeted chemical analysis (by gas or liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) with modern analytical techniques based on advanced mass spectrometry, such as quadruple-time of flight, into environmental monitoring provides insightful information to environmental specialists to determine the behavior of the ever-growing list of emerging (ECs) and other unregulated contaminants (i.e. pharmaceuticals, personal care products, pesticides, disinfection by-products)  throughout water treatment. An overview from different projects being conducted by the American Water’s Innovation and Environmental Stewardship Group utilizing a combined approach (using targeted and untargeted analysis) to study the impact of drinking water and wastewater treatment operations on the fate of ECs identified as treatment performance and health base indicators (i.e., sucralose, estradiol, caffeine, triclosan, iopromide, DEET, gemfibrozil, atrazine) and nitrosamines (unregulated disinfection by-products) will be provided.
  • Dr. Helen Goeden from MN Dept. of Health with a talk titled, “Minnesota Department of Health’s Drinking Water Contaminants of Emerging Concern Program.” Dr. Goeden will give an overview of Minnesota Dept. of Health’s program activities including their chemical review process for developing human health-based drinking water guidance and their special pharmaceutical project.

Take a Good Look at the Bad Old Days, and How Science Saved the Future

bttf-30thThe 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) gathered together many of the original leaders of the effort to get a handle on hazardous pollution in the environment.

 

It was a valuable window into the spirit of the times before 1985 that convinced Illinois lawmakers to create a center for research, industry assistance and public information. Thousands had been killed in Bhopal, Love Canal had blighted whole neighborhoods, the Cuyahoga River had burned, and in Illinois, contamination at Waukegan Harbor and Lake Calumet had brought home to citizens the need for scientific evidence about the threats.

 

ISTC took the opportunity to tell this story at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on Nov. 9. It was a proud moment for the original players who participated in the event, and for ISTC’s parent Prairie Research Institute, and all of their current researchers who continue to drive sustainable economic development in Illinois. Videos on the presentations will be made available soon at http://www.istc.illinois.edu/news/30anniversaryhome.cfm.