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Green
Scissors
Many state governments are struggling with the question of how to
balance their budgets and manage a ballooning debt without taking
funds away from critical programs and services. Some states have
looked into raiding or eliminating environmental funds that are
set aside for parks and other land programs. Instead of cutting
environmental funds, states should target spending that harms our
environment. Decreasing the investment that taxpayers make in harmful
projects and policies can help reduce budget deficits. Green Scissors
is an effort to eliminate all government subsidies for environmentally
destructive behaviors. This in turn allows states to harness market
forces to improve overall ecological and financial health. Common
areas to look at include energy, transportation, agriculture, business
subsidies, and tax incentives. For more information on Green Scissors
visit: http://www.serconline.org/greenscissors.html. |
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California
Considers Testing Humans for Pollution
(CNN 4/30)
California SB 689, which recently passed out of committee, would
establish the first state biomonitoring program in the US. The program
would test blood, urine, breast milk and other tissue for pollution
and toxins and study the link between environmental contaminants
and chronic disease. Although many studies have been done on the
presence and persistence of chemicals in the environment, few have
tracked the long term effects on humans. "It is my hope that
this research can lead to more deliberate decision-making as we
tackle chronic diseases and cancers that are pervasively and frighteningly
invading our families and personal lives," said Sen. Deborah
Ortiz, the bill's sponsor. Similar programs in Sweden and Germany
have led to restrictions on the use of certain chemicals. |
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Don't
Balance the Budget at the Expense of Environmental Programs
State lawmakers across the country are shortsightedly slashing funding
for environmental programs in an attempt to balance state budgets.
New Hampshire legislators have proposed gutting the funding of the
immensely popular land and community heritage investment program,
and redirecting funds earmarked for soil and groundwater decontamination.
Florida senators tried unsuccessfully to take half the budget of
the state's manatee protection program, even after the recent USGS
determination that manatees face extinction. The Florida House may
remove any guarantees to fund six environmental protection programs.
The North Carolina Assembly wants to reduce funding for land conservation
by 75 percent. Minnesota will almost certainly end a 40 year old
program that directs cigarette tax funds to protecting the state's
natural resources. South Carolina lawmakers are eyeing 15 environmental
funds as a source of $16 million, a move that would remove almost
all the funding for a toxic waste clean-up fund. The budget problems
faced by states are serious, and cuts may need to be made across
the board, but environmental programs should not be disproportionately
targeted. These programs, which protect wildlife and habitat, promote
recycling, conserve open space, maintain parks, and clean up pollution,
are an investment in our future. Rather than targeting them for
budget cuts, we should look for ways to stop subsidizing environmentally
harmful projects and practices. |
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Fee
on Paint, Pesticide Could Fund Disposal(Press
Herald, 4/28)
Maine's legislature is reviewing a bill that would impose
a twenty cent fee on the retail sale of paints and pesticides
in order to fund the local household hazardous waste programs
that provide for their collection and disposal. Current estimates
place the amount of hazardous waste produced by households
in Maine at 20 million pounds per year, most of which is stored
indefinitely in homes or disposed of illegally. According
to the Environmental Health Strategy Center, the solution
to this problem lies in establishing permanent disposal sites
and allocating funding for operational costs. The paint-and-pesticide
tax would raise approximately $500,000 a year, accounting
for nearly half of the financial resources necessary to establish
the local hazardous waste disposal programs proposed by the
legislation. |
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California
Lawmakers Move to Fight U.S. Pollution
(The New York Times 4/28)
California lawmakers introduced a bill to reinstate federal
pollution regulations that have been revised by the Bush administration.
The Bush revisions give utility and other industrial plants
more flexibility in complying with air pollution standards.
However, many legislators and environmentalists contend that
the revisions amount to a significant weakening of the Clean
Air Act by making it easier for some industrial polluters
to avoid installing modern pollution controls. Ten states
have sued the EPA and are watching California's bill closely,
as it is the first legislative challenge to the revised regulations. |
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Colorado
Bill Sparked by Toxic-Waste Dispute
(Denver Post 4/30)
HB1358 has been introduced in the Colorado House to increase
the amount of input local communities have in curtailing or
regulating environmentally disruptive operations. The bill's
introduction stems from a former uranium company that would
like to accept topsoil from New Jersey that is contaminated
with thorium, a chemical that may cause cancer. According
to regulations the waste is not considered significantly hazardous,
but local residents feel they should have input on whether
or not shipments of topsoil can be accepted. The bill also
requires companies to put $50,000 towards an environmental
assessment of their proposal and requires local governments
to hold public meetings so citizens may voice any concerns. |
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Assembly
Panel OKs Bill to Alter Growth Patterns
(Associated Press, 5/1)
Lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that would establish
growth boundaries for Californian cities within which all
development over the next 20 years would have to be contained.
In addition to limiting urban sprawl, the bill would increase
development in existing neighborhoods and bring fresh investment
to older cities, proponents say. The Assembly Local Government
Committee approved the measure 7-3, forwarding it to the Appropriation
Committee for further deliberation. For more on how your state
can control sprawl, see http://www.serconline.org/sprawl/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Vermont
Proposes Bottle Deposit Increase
(Burlington Free Press 4/30)
In response to litter along Vermont's roadsides, legislators
are proposing an increase in beverage container deposits from
5 to 10 cents. Advocates maintain that the increased incentive
would result in more recycling and less litter. Opponents
of the bill point out several problems with the legislation.
Michigan, the only other state with a 10 cent deposit has
experienced problems with container migration, as containers
from other states make their way across the border for the
greater deposit. Opponents argue that better curbside recycling
is the answer to the litter problem. For more on how your
state can implement a container recycling program, see http://www.serconline.org/bottlebill/index.html. |
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Doyle
Calls for Cyanide Ban in Mining
(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 4/22)
In speech given at an Earth Day celebration, WI Gov. Jim Doyle
lent his support to HB91, introduced by Rep. Black, which
would eliminate the use of cyanide in metallic mining. Cyanide
is commonly used in mining operations to extract the minerals
from the rocks. Improperly stored waste has led to many high
profile incidents of fish kills and has prompted concerns
over the safety of surface and groundwater near the mine tailings.
Critics denounce Doyle's support of a cyanide ban because
of the recent purchase of the Crandon mine by Northern Wisconsin
Resource Group. For more information on how your state can
ban cyanide use in mining visit: http://www.serconline.org/mining/index.html. |
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New
Mexico Adopts Water Planning Bills
(Albuquerque Journal 4/4)
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed several bills to
promote water conservation and planning last month. "We
can't achieve our economic or personal goals without taking
immediate steps to ensure New Mexico has an adequate supply
of water for generations to come," Richardson said. HB
260 and SB 195 charge the interstate stream commission with
developing a water plan that includes an inventory of state
water resources and a drought management plan. A related measure,
HB 882, is expected to generate $100 million for water projects
over the next ten years. Two other bills, SB 554 and HB 910,
encourage local conservation plans and establish a statewide
watershed restoration project. For more on how your state
can implement a water conservation plan, see http://www.serconline.org/waterconservation/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Bill
Would Make Water Polluters Pay for Permits
(Detroit Free Press, 5/2)
A new bill targeting governments and corporations that discharge
pollution into Michigan state waters is headed for the state
legislature. Since the 1972 Clean Water Act, such entities
have been granted free pollution permits at the expense of
both local and national taxpayers. The proposed bill would
reverse this trend, shifting the cost of the state's water
pollution control program to permit holders and simultaneously
ease the load on Michigan's strained state budget. The fees
exacted on polluters would be designed to reflect the extent
and toxicity of their emissions. |
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Montana
Senator Seeks to Freeze Oil, Gas Development
(Billings Gazette 5/2)
Sen. Baucus has proposed an amendment to the comprehensive
energy bill that would freeze oil and gas development along
much of Montana's Rocky Mountain Front. Sen. Baucus has also
introduced a bill including the same provision and also requiring
the interior secretary to study a plan to give companies their
own leases to oil and gas development. His spokesman, Barrett
Kaiser said, "[Sen. Baucus] understands how important
the front is for hunting, fishing and recreation and is willing
to do what it takes to get this bill passed, including offering
it as an amendment to the Senate energy bill." Montana's
general population and several environmental organizations
support the measure, citing the importance the Rocky Mountain
landscape holds. For more on how your state can promote environmentally
responsible energy sources, see http://www.serconline.org/cleanenergy.html. |
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