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Ballast
Water Management
Ballast water is a certain amount of water that ships take in for
stability and trim before a voyage. Ballast water enters U.S. waters
once the ship arrives at its destination and releases the water
into the destination harbor. Ballast is primarily composed of water,
along with stones, sediment, and thousands of living species. Releasing
ballast causes the introduction of exotic aquatic species into indigenous
waters. Experts believe that, every minute, 40,000 gallons of foreign
ballast water contaminate U.S. waters -- likely the single largest
source of foreign species invading America's ecosystem. These species
may seem harmless, but instead wreak havoc on local ecosystems.
The natural balance and controls of an ecosystem are usually not
equipped to deal with these invasive species. The result of a successful
foreign species invasion in an ecosystem can be devastating to local
economies and, because large volumes of dangerous bacteria and viruses
have been found in ballast water, it also can be a serious threat
to human health. For more information on Ballast Water Management,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/ballast/index.html. |
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West
Nile Moving Faster and Wider (NY Times 8/8)
The outbreak of West Nile virus infection this summer is more broadly
dispersed and is accelerating earlier than it did last year, making
it vital that more communities work to prevent mosquitoes from biting
and breeding, federal health officials said yesterday. Some states,
including Colorado and New York, are experiencing their first big
outbreaks this year. Officials are also expecting that a big pulse
of infections is yet to come, even after the Center for Disease
Control announced that the number of infections across the US had
tripled once again. This has prompted many communities across the
US to take actions to prevent the spread of the virus. Some actions
include removing standing water, the use of larvacides, and recommendations
to use common sense approaches such as bug repellant. West Nile
has spread quickly primarily due to its main host, migrating birds.
The virus has found hosts in dozens of bird species and other wildlife
and more than three dozen mosquito species. For more information
on how states are dealing with the West Nile virus, visit: http://www.serconline.org/westNile.html. |
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Agricultural
Impact Statements
In a move to stifle the process of passing new environmental regulations
that impact agriculture, New York's Sen. Kuhl has introduced
S1973, a bill designed to create a review of existing and proposed
rules and regulations affecting agriculture. The authors of the
act allege that "the purpose of this act is to improve our
agricultural economy by challenging existing regulations which work
against viable farm operations, and prohibiting any further regulations
which may harm agriculture." In reality the proposed legislation
adds an additional level of bureaucracy (and expense) which will
serve not only to further endanger the environment, but will also
hinder the agricultural sector. The Commissioner of Agriculture
would be given the sole duty of determining which regulations need
to be analyzed. The NY agencies that would have their regulations
scrutinized under this legislation include the Departments of Environmental
Conservation, Health, Labor, and Transportation. This act goes on
to suggest that all other state agencies may be subject to the same
level of inspection. Sen. Kuhl, former NY state chairman for the
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), seems to be taking
clues from one of his former organization's legislative models,
the Economic Impact Statement Act, which would require an environmental
cost/benefit analysis to be conducted for any regulation proposed
to protect the environment. With this eerily similar act, Sen. Kuhl
is obviously trying to roll back the regulations that protect our
environment and our farms, while pretending to be "farm friendly."
In reality, the only group this legislation is "friendly"
towards is corporate agricultural interests. |
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Vermont
Consolidates Transportation Planning with New Council
(Rutland Herald 8/12)
Governor James Douglas created the Vermont Transportation
Operations Council by executive order, in an effort to coordinate
highway, rail, air and other transportation initiatives in
the state. Douglas said the council was needed, in part, to
"find and maintain effective and more efficient ways
to move people and goods without damaging our environment
or encouraging sprawl." The council's 15 members
will be appointed by the governor and will likely include
representatives from the state's Aviation Advisory,
Public Transit, and Rail Advisory councils, along with people
from private transportation industries, economic development
groups, and travel and tourism companies. Although community
groups were not included in the list of likely members, Vermont's
Transportation Secretary said the council would seek input
from regional planning commissions and other citizen panels.
The state is hoping the new council will streamline transportation
planning, provide a "big picture" view, identify
areas needing improvement and facilitate communications. The
existing rail, public transit, and air advisory councils will
focus on more technical aspects unique to their fields. For
more information on transportation issues, visit: http://www.serconline.org/trafficcongestionrelief/index.html. |
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Alaska
Prioritizes Logging in State Forests
(Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 8/12)
Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski signed into law a bill to change
the primary use of all current and future state forests from
"multi-use" to "timber." The change
means that, if conflict arises over the use of a parcel of
forestland, logging will win out over any other use. The bill
also allows the state Department of Natural Resources to ignore
potential impacts of land use when planning small-scale projects,
reduces requirements to publicize timber sales, eliminates
the five-year review schedule of forest management plans,
increases the amount of state land open to large timber sales,
and ends the requirement to send new plans to the state legislature.
Gov. Murkowski stated the new law is important to create jobs
and increase revenues for Alaska. Local environmentalists
say the law sacrifices public oversight of state land and
environmental protection to logging interests. Although sweeping
in scope, the new law is not expected to have much of an impact
in the short term, since the amount of available timber in
Alaska currently far exceeds demand. For more information
on the sustainable use of natural resources, visit: http://www.serconline.org/sustainability/index.html. |
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Utah
Rural Summit Focuses on Public Land Planning
(The Salt Lake Tribune 8/11)
The focus of the recent Utah Rural Summit at Southern Utah
University was the need to update old regional management
plans to take into account current pressures on public lands,
including population growth, unchecked suburban sprawl, increasing
numbers of tourists, and more all-terrain vehicles. Utah's
Bureau of Land Management chief called the plans "ancient
history" and said the bureau is in the middle of developing
new regional plans for the entire state, starting with eastern
Utah. The state's plans are so outdated they will soon
be in conflict with the National Environmental Policy Act,
leaving Utah open to legal challenges, according to the bureau.
Gov. Mike Leavitt (recently nominated as the new head of the
federal Environmental Protection Agency) urged rural residents
to take advantage of the state's recreational assets.
But local officials at the summit remarked that the issue
isn't that straightforward -- more tourism means higher
costs for park management and maintenance, as well as law
enforcement. The theme of the summit, "Collaboration,"
alludes to the balancing act between varied interests, including
delicate ecosystems, local inhabitants, tourists, and ranchers,
in the development of new regional plans. |
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California
Air Regulators and Automakers Settle Lawsuit
(San Diego Union Tribune 8/11)
State air regulators and three automakers settled a lawsuit
over California's landmark 1990 requirement that 10%
of the cars sold in the state needed to be nonpolluting. The
rules were put in place in response to California having the
nation's worst air quality at the time. General Motors,
DaimlerChrysler, and Isuzu have agreed not to challenge new
regulations for low-polluting and nonpolluting cars, and the
state will drop its appeals of lawsuits brought by automakers.
The settlement improves chances car companies will be forced
to build cleaner cars rather than continue fighting to weaken
the emissions rules. The automakers originally sued claiming
the state had overstepped its authority and was setting a
fuel efficiency requirement. The state lost the initial battle
over the regulations in federal and state court. However,
the state air board reworked the regulations in April calling
for cleaner burning vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen fuel cell
vehicles to be introduced in the next five years making the
settlement possible. |
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New
York Task Force to Fight Ecological Invaders
(Rochester Democrat & Chronicle 8/12)
NY A6988 was signed into law by Gov. Pataki forming New York's
invasive species task force. The panel will study the impact
that nonnative species have had on New York, including upsetting
the food chain and choking out native species. The group is
also charged with devising ways to fight back. The task force
must report its findings by Nov. 30, 2005. The task force
will have 17 members, led by representatives of the state
Environmental Conservation and Agriculture departments. Some
of the species that have caused the greatest damage include
zebra mussels, eurasian milfoil, and purple loosestrife. Assemblyman
DiNapoli, one of the bill's sponsors, said, "The
new task force will allow New York to develop comprehensive
strategies to protect our vital ecosystems and our valuable
natural resources." For more information on how your
state can protect its resources from invasive species, visit:
http://www.serconline.org/invasives/pkg_frameset.html. |
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California
Becomes First State to Ban Flame Retardants
(Washington Post 8/11)
Gov. Davis signed AB302 into law, making California the first
state to ban flame-retardant chemicals that are known to accumulate
in the blood of mothers and nursing babies. The chemicals,
known as PBDE's, are used in many products including
furniture, electronics, plastics, and foam products. The bill's
ban does not take place until January 1, 2008, allowing manufacturers
time to find alternatives to the widely used chemicals. Studies
show that North American women have some of the highest levels
of PBDE's in the world, which affect memory, behavior,
and learning. |
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Michigan
Towns Want Developers to Pay Up
(Detroit News 8/12)
A land-use task force established by Gov. Granholm recently
handed down a set of policy recommendations that did not include
"impact fees," which are in use in California
and Florida, even at the suggestion of many individuals. Impact
fees require developers, not citizens, to pick up the tab
for new infrastructure and school costs associated with new
construction. The fees are one time charges that go to support
public services, including police service and water line service.
Supporters of impact fees contend the fee will force development
back into older sections of cities, while opponents contend
the fees will drive up housing costs and widen the affordability
gap. Fore more information on land use decisions and how to
curb sprawl in your state, visit: http://www.serconline.org/sprawl/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Report
Released on Unhealthy Beaches Brings Calls for More Controls
(LA Times 8/13)
Sewage spills and polluted runoff forced the closing of California's
beaches more than 4,500 times last year, with three dozen
beaches remaining off-limits to swimmers for three months
or more because of high bacteria counts, according to a report
by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report, entitled
"Testing the Waters," reveals a number of contamination
sources including runoff from animal feedlots and cities containing
fertilizer, oil, and various chemicals. It cites the need
for tighter controls on sewage overflows and polluted runoff
to reduce the more than 12,000 closings and advisories for
bacteria and other pathogens nationwide. These pathogens have
been linked by scientists to ear infections and respiratory
and stomach illnesses. Beach closings have been prominent
this year, including many beach closings along the shores
of Lake Michigan affecting portions of the Midwest. To read
the report, visit: http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/titinx.asp. |
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Delaware
Expands Efforts to Redevelop Brownfields
(The News Journal 8/12)
A student tour highlighted the recent efforts Delaware has
made towards redeveloping brownfields throughout the state.
The efforts follow the adoption of legislation by the General
Assembly this session that increases the amount of money available
to redevelop blighted sites, along with streamlining the process
to encourage more redevelopment. The maximum grant available
for brownfield investigation and clean-up increases from $50,000
to $150,000. In addition to the extra funding, Gov. Minner
signed SB157 which limits the liability of people who purchase
brownfields and commit to cleaning them up. Since the program
began in 1995, the state has worked with developers to clean
up and redevelop more than 22 sites, restoring 236 acres.
This initiative is part of an effort to reduce sprawl and
redirect developments back into cities. For more information
on cleaning up brownfields, visit: http://www.serconline.org/brownfields/index.html. |
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Great
Lakes States Face Water Management Plans
(Ann Arbor Press 8/11)
Governors of states bordering the Great Lakes are in a position
to defend their state's water use. Last week representatives
from 8 states, and 2 from Canadian provinces, participated
in a meeting to continue negotiations over a region-wide water
management agreement. Although the meeting was held in private,
details of the plan emerged, including mandatory state comprehensive
water management plans, the set-up of a regional commission
to determine whether new withdrawal projects will be approved,
and adoption of a grandfather clause that would allow current
withdrawals and diversions to continue. Many concerns have
arisen surrounding the use of water from the Great Lakes including
the protection of state's rights, having enough water
for crop irrigation, the needs of growing municipalities,
and how large a voice citizens should have. The policies that
currently govern the Great Lakes include a federal water resources
law, a charter between Great Lakes' governors and the
Canadian premier, and a 90-year-old US-Canadian treaty. Complicating
the issue further is the fact that the laws may not be strong
enough to stand up against US commerce regulations and the
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade or GATT. The meeting
was one of many to come in the hopes to manage the Great Lakes
for future generations. For more information on how your state
can preserve water for the future, visit: http://www.serconline.org/waterconservation/pkg_frameset.html. |
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