Current Wildlines

As large numbers of urban residents move out of cities, some suburbs have ballooned into endless housing developments and strip malls with little long-range planning. Uncontrolled sprawl presents more than just an "open space" problem, however; it also affects our quality of life and the health of all our communities. Citizens pay for sprawl with longer commutes, higher taxes for infrastructure and public services, and fewer connections with neighbors. States have found effective solutions for sprawl by bringing all stakeholders together - municipal and county officials, environmentalists and farmers, and civic leaders and business people. To learn what your state can do to control sprawl, visit SERC's Suburban Sprawl site at http://www.serconline.org/sprawl/pkg_frameset.html.

Since 1993, 26 states passed Environmental Audit Privilege laws similar to ALEC’s model legislation. These statutes grant privilege and/or immunity to corporations who conduct self-audits, preventing such documents from being used against them in court or to assess fines. Contrary to their proponents’ claims, these bills do not increase the frequency of audits or the reporting of violations, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Instead, the bills make it harder to punish corporations who violate the law and inhibit the public’s ability to find out about such violations. In fact, the EPA has threatened to revoke states’ federally delegated powers if they do not amend their audit privilege laws. 22 states have done just that, but Illinois, Kansas, and Idaho are holding out and Mississippi is likely to lose control of an important lead paint removal program because of its unwillingness to change its law. For more on this type of legislation, see http://www.serconline.org/watchdog_alerts/watchdog12.html.

Minnesota set a national precedent when 12 ethanol distilleries agreed to clean up air pollution, pay fines from $19 to 39 thousand, and install equipment to prevent escaping chemicals and compounds. Thanks to complaints from St. Paul residents in April 2000, specific types and amounts of distillery pollutants were identified including acetaldehyde, formaldehyde, acrolein, acetic acid, carbon monoxide, small particles, and nitrogen oxide. Without affecting gasoline prices, these pollutants can be controlled with equipment including thermal oxidizers, which burn pollutants before they leave the smokestack. This equipment can reduce statewide volatile organic compound emissions by 95% and keep more than 5,000 tons of pollutants from the air. However, some groups remain "cautiously optimistic" because thermal oxidizers’ effectiveness depends on a proper fit in the smokestack and of the prevention of leaks from windows, vents, and other fugitive emissions. For more on air pollution threats, visit http://www.serconline.org/cleanairstate.html.

New York Promotes Electricity from Manure (ENS 9/23)

Gov. George Pataki signed legislation providing incentives for farmers to generate electricity from animal manure. By anaerobically digesting animal manure, capturing the methane, and burning it to generate electricity, farmers can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while producing energy for their farms. The legislation makes the installation and operation of anaerobic digesters affordable for NY farmers, and encourages farmers to sell excess electricity to utility companies. Anaerobic digestion also gives farmers the opportunity to profit from compost sales and the use of nutrient rich liquids in lieu of high cost synthetic fertilizers. For more on biomass, visit http://www.serconline.org/biomassdefinition/index.html. 

New Jersey DEP Plays Catch-up on Enforcement (The Bergen Record 9/24)

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) commissioner Bradley Campbell wants to sue companies that have polluted New Jersey’s groundwater, but he’ll have to hurry up. A new law written by Republican State Senator Henry McNamara places a four year limitation on such suits. The clock started ticking January 2^nd for the 9,000 potential claims the DEP has backlogged. The lawsuits, to be filed under the State’s 1976 Spill Compensation and Control Act, require clean- up of polluted groundwater and payment of damages for harms done to a natural resource. The DEP has filed only 13 suits in the past 26 years. For more information on clean water issues, see http://www.serconline.org/safeair&water.html.

California Planning Laws to Protect Farms and Revive Cities (San Francisco Chronicle 9/29)

Report Finds Two Farm Acres Lost a Minute (NY Times 10/3)

The United States loses two acres of prime farmland every minute to development - the fastest decline in the country's history - according to a study by American Farmland Trust. That loss occurs due to the spread of suburbs, replacing some of the country's best farms by houses on large lots linked by new roads, highways and malls. Using census data as well as Agriculture Department information about crops and soil, the study found that more than half of the lost farmland is being carved into ten-acre lots. Arkansas, New York, Illinois, Alabama and Mississippi lost the greatest percentage of their best farmland in the last five years. Vermont, California and Pennsylvania are cited as three states that have balanced development with farmland preservation. The report recommends strong national standards for development and the establishment of tax easements for farms. While agreeing on the scope of the sprawl problem, representatives of the building industry disagree that the solution is more federal money for preserving farmland. They want higher- density development in outer suburban areas to attract wealthier homeowners. For more, see http://www.serconline.org/conservationfunding/index.html.

Diesel Exhaust Ups Cancer Risk in Connecticut (New Haven Register 10/4)

Montana Supreme Court Extends Water Rights to Wildlife (Great Falls Tribune 10/4)

Do you have news about environmental legislation or regulations in your state? Please submit items to [email protected].