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State
Endangered Species Act
Today, our planet is losing species faster than at any other time
in all of human history. State endangered species acts can help
mitigate this trend in our nation by seeking to assure the survival
of the plants and animals unique to each state, from piping plovers
in the East to Swainson's hawks in the West. While the federal Endangered
Species Act serves the vital role of safeguarding those plants and
animals that are imperiled across ranges or on a natural scale,
state acts can protect those species within each state's borders
that don't yet need the emergency room measures of the federal act.
If carefully crafted, state endangered species acts can strengthen
the web of national protection efforts. A strong state endangered
species act can serve as a complement to the federal act, supplementing
protection to those species already listed so that recovery can
be achieved. A strong state act also can provide real protection
to species not listed under the federal act, thereby lessening the
need for federal listing. Coordinated state endangered species acts
also can increase ecosystem-wide protection efforts. For more information
on how your state can implement an Endangered Species Act visit:
http://www.serconline.org/esa/index.html. |
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Connecticut
Takes Action on Mercury (The Hartford Courant 7/3)
A new Connecticut law (HB 6048) that in five years will greatly
reduce mercury emissions from the state's coal-burning power plants
is being hailed as the first legislation of its kind in the nation
-- the product of an unusual collaboration between environmentalists
and an energy company. Signed into law by Gov. John G. Rowland (R)
last month after unanimous approval in the state House and Senate,
the landmark Public Act 03-72 will, by 2008, reduce the amount of
mercury emitted by coal-fired plants by 90 percent. It also provides
for the possibility of more stringent reductions in 2012. Approval
of the legislation comes while Congress and the Bush administration
continue to wrangle over how to regulate harmful emissions from
the nation's power plants. The EPA has said that is will propose
mercury regulations for power plants by December 2003 and issue
regulations a year later. "Until a national policy is approved,
the Connecticut timetable is reasonable and consistent with what
is being proposed on the federal level," said Neil Brown of
PSEG Power, one of only two coal-burning plants operating in Connecticut,
which is the only plant affected by the legislation. Wisconsin is
close to approving a rule on mercury, said Martha Keating of Boston-based
Clean Air Task Force, but it is less stringent than Connecticut's
new law. Massachusetts is also considering proposals to limit emissions.
For more information on how your state can reduce mercury emissions,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/mercury/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Another
Twist with RS2477
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton recently entered into a Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with the State of Utah which has the potential
to open up millions of acres of America's wildest lands to commercial
interests like logging, mining, and energy companies. The MOU between
the Department of the Interior and Utah is the result of two years
of back-door negotiations, free from the scrutiny provided by public
knowledge of and comment on such matters. Most importantly, the
MOU prevents the public and Congress from having input regarding
these environmental protections. Unfortunately, the DOI encourages
other states to adopt this MOU as the template for their interactions
with the DOI regarding R.S. 2477 claims, potentially paving the
way for a weakening of wilderness protection across the nation.
R.S. 2477 grants states, counties, and even individuals "the
right-of-way for construction of highways across public lands not
otherwise reserved for public purposes." This legislation has
the potential to open millions of acres of land in national parks
and federally designated wilderness areas to motorized transportation.
Environmental groups have protested R.S. 2477 and decried the MOU
as an attempt to exploit Utah's wilderness at the behest of the
federal government. A surprising move came form gear manufacturers
who threatened to move the very profitable Outdoor Retailer Trade
Show out of Salt Lake City. Although the trade show producers have
softened their stance slightly, they originally commented that the
state's lack of commitment to wilderness was surprising considering
the profitability of the recreation industry in the state. Utah,
and other states, should focus on the economic good that comes from
protecting wilderness areas, rather than allowing these areas to
be marred by roads. |
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Minnesota
Governor Casts His Vision for Clean Water
(Star Tribune 6/25)
Outlining a broad initiative to assure clean water for drinking,
recreation and farming, Gov. Tim Pawlenty vowed to protect
the state's "greatest natural resource" and not
to let it "slip further down the slope of silt, sewage
and sludge." In a major policy address to the Minnesota
Environmental Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy group, the
Republican governor promised new funding to clean up waterways
from the Red River in the northwest to the Mississippi through
the Twin Cities and trout streams in the southeast. With 14,000
lakes, 92,000 miles of rivers, 10.6 million acres of wetlands
and 1 trillion-plus gallons of groundwater, Minnesota has
more fresh water than any other state, he said. But it is
being stressed by overdevelopment, flooding, poor sewage practices,
and urban and agricultural pollution runoff. Pawlenty, who
has taken several prominent pro-environmental stands as governor
after compiling a legislative record rated as poor by activist
groups, also said clean-water efforts took only "a minimal
loss of funding" as he balanced a projected $4.5 billion
two-year state budget deficit. The Senate DFL caucus, however,
noted that Pawlenty and Republican legislators this year cut
in half $31 million in Senate-passed appropriations to upgrade
wastewater treatment systems to protect and restore streams,
and that another $1.5 million Senate plan to improve public
water access was blocked by GOP leaders. |
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DE
Urges Early Industry Compliance with Federal Fine Particulate
Matter Regs. (Newszap.org
6/29)
Hoping to beat the clock and bypass EPA regulations, Delaware
is urging power, transportation, and fuel-burning industries
to lower their emission of fine particulate matter through
voluntary measures. Fine particulate matter is a poorly-understood
irritant emitted directly from such industries or formed when
sulfur dioxide interacts with other chemicals in the atmosphere.
Too small to be filtered by the nose or mouth, the 2.5 micron
particles settle in the lungs, causing asthma, heart problems,
coughing, and shortness of breath. EPA regulations allow 15
micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter per
year and states will soon be required to implement their plan
to ensure compliance. By acting quickly, Delaware is hoping
to avoid the more stringent standards that would result from
non-compliance. |
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New
York Considers Bigger, Better Bottle Bill
(www.eany.org)
Aimed at modernizing and improving the effectiveness of New
York's reusable container program, A3922-A / S1696-A would
revise the state's bottle bill, expanding the definition of
"beverage" to include non-carbonated drinks (other
than milk or liquor) and directing unclaimed deposit money
to the environmental protection fund. The original bottle
bill, enacted in 1982, did not foresee the surge in popularity
of bottled water or the arrival and tremendous popularity
of sports drinks, fruit juices, and other beverages. As a
result, the bottle bill's definition of beverage has become
antiquated and not nearly as comprehensive as the bill's framers
intended. In addition to reducing the amount of reusable material
from the waste stream, the bill would return unclaimed deposit
money to localities to pay for clean-up of littered containers.
New York is the least effective state with a bottle bill,
in terms of recovering aluminum, glass, and plastic containers.
A3922-A is currently in the Ways and Means Committee. For
more information on how your state can promote container recycling,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/bottlebill/index.html. |
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Defenders
of Wildlife Publishes Citizens Guide to Transportation Planning
(6/30)
Defenders of Wildlife has published a new citizen's handbook
that describes the effects of roads on wildlife and habitat,
clearly explains the confusing transportation planning process,
and informs people how to become involved effectively so they
may be advocates for wildlife and important natural areas.
The impacts of roads on wildlife and habitat reach far beyond
the pavement. Harm can occur in many forms, from highly visible
road kills, to the often unrecognized yet critical severing
of a population's territory. It is important to plan roads
carefully, and to minimize their intrusion into a state's
most ecologically significant natural areas. Citizens can
be tremendous advocates for wildlife if they know how the
process works and how to contribute effectively. The Conservation-Minded
Citizen's Guide to Transportation Planning: How to Get Involved
in Minimizing the Impacts of Roads on Florida's Wildlife,
is available at http://www.defenders.org/publications/CitizensGuide.pdf,
or you may request a hard copy by calling (727) 823-3888. |
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Water
Battle Dredges Up Acrimony (USA
Today 6/22)
The great lakes make up more than 90% of our fresh water supply
in the US, so it comes as no surprise that they are the subject
of extensive contention among politicians, bottled water companies,
environmentalists, and concerned citizens. At present, the
states that border the Great Lakes disagree with one another
about how to go about the complex task of managing water access
rights. While some enforce strict permitting systems (Minnesota),
others do absolutely nothing (Indiana). Until resolute legislative
action is taken, it will be largely up to environmental groups
to lay down the law -- groups like Michigan Citizens for Water
Conservation, who are in the process of suing Nestle for bottling
an ecologically unsound amount of water from unnamed springs
feeding a tributary of the Muskegon River in Mecosta County.
For more information about this type of issue, visit: http://www.serconline.org/waterconservation/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Group
Urges State Action against Global Warming
(Hartford Courant 6/27)
Environment Northeast, a Maine- and Connecticut-based environmental
research group, released a report recently that offers recommendations
for how politicians in those states might achieve a 75% reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The report covers hydrogen-fueled
vehicles, cleaner alternatives to coal- and oil-burning power
plants, improved public transportation, and more rigid building
energy codes. To view the report, and other similar reports,
visit Environment Northeast's website at: http://www.env-ne.org/Research_Reports.htm. |
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Rhode
Island House Passes Clean Energy Bill
(RIPIRG Update 7/1)
Rhode Island is one step closer to a renewable portfolio standard.
HB5533 unanimously passed the RI House on Monday and now moves
into the Senate for consideration. The bill would require
that 20% of the energy used comes from renewable sources such
as wind and solar power by 2020. Over the past ten years,
energy prices and energy consumption have risen. The aggregate
cost of energy in Rhode Island has reached nearly $500 million
dollars and continues to rise. Most of the current energy
comes from fossil fuels that have resulted in a slew of problems
including health and unsustainable consumption patterns. For
more information on how your state can implement a renewable
portfolio standard visit: http://www.serconline.org/RPS/pkg_frameset.html. |
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