 |
|
 |
| Stopping
the Spread of Invasive Species
Invasive species are non-native
species that wreak environmental and economic havoc in an ecosystem
beyond their native range. Invasive species kill our trees, invade
our lawns, and clog our water pipes. They threaten our families
with deadly diseases like cholera and West Nile Virus. They upset
the sensitive balance of our ecosystems by destroying habitats,
disrupting the food chain, and out-competing our native plants
and animals. We are quickly losing the battle to stop the spread
of invasive species. Experts estimate that invasive species cost
our nation more than $135 billion annually. Three million acres,
an area twice the size of the state of Delaware, are lost to invasive
plants each year. Invasive species have contributed to the decline
of 46 percent of our nation's threatened and endangered species.
Currently a large number of rules and statutes regulate invasive
species, but have a number of gaps that have led to a lack of
coordination and focus. In the mean time, invasive species continue
to reduce biodiversity and threaten sensitive habitats. For more
information on how your state can stop the spread of invasive
species, visit: http://www.serconline.org/invasives/pkg_frameset.html.
|
| back
to top |
| |
 |
California
Terminates Logging That Threatens Streams (The Mercury
News 10/14)
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/7009411.htm
Any of California's nine regional
water quality boards can now block logging plans they believe
will violate water quality standards for streams already classified
by the federal Environmental Protection Agency as "impaired"
by sediment. This significant change in state timber regulations
was signed into law by Governor Gray Davis last week. The California
Sierra Club had made the measure, SB 810 by Sen. John Burton,
its top priority, citing concerns of increased flooding, muddy
streams, and salmon eggs destroyed by logging. Some 14,000 miles
of streams from Santa Rosa to Oregon are covered under the measure.
Timber companies opposed the bill, saying that existing rules
are sufficient to maintain water quality, that they already obey
many costly environmental regulations, and that the measure will
be used inappropriately by activists seeking to stop their operations.
Paul Mason of the Sierra Club said that the measure will give
the state a better way to protect against harmful timber plans,
but should not affect responsible timber companies. "If you
are doing good forestry, you never are going to know this law
exists," he said.
|
| back
to top |
| |
 |
ALEC's
Model State Data Access Bill
ALEC's
Data Access Act of 2003, on the face of it, appears to be a model
text that would allow individuals easier access to information
that may be pertinent. But this model language being pushed by
the conservative clearinghouse, Center for Regulatory Effectiveness
(CRE), is not as innocent as it looks. It is clear from CRE's
website that they do not approve of regulations to improve the
environment. In line with that belief, the model bill would add
layers of red tape to overburdened state agencies. The model language
is based on a federal level revision by the Office of Management
Budget (OMB) as directed by the Shelby Amendment, "to require
Federal awarding agencies to ensure that all data provided under
an award be made available to agencies to the public through the
procedures established under the Freedom of Information Act."
The language that ALEC cooked up would go above and beyond what
the federal government requires. The bill seeks to "ensure
that study findings generated wholly or partially with funding
from a State agency by a non-governmental entity and relied on
by a State agency in proposing or promulgating a rule (etc.)…can
be subjected to scrutiny." What that boils down to is the
potential compromise of intellectual property rights and confidentiality.
The federal language only allows access to certain categories
of data, whereas the state language does not exempt any categories
of data and would compromise the flexibility of states to protect
data. The bill also contains language that would require that
unpublished data could be subject to an information request. The
underlying purpose of the act is to make it easier to question
valid scientific data and the environmental regulations that are
based on such data. Although the bill pretends that the public
would benefit from this, it seems instead that only a few businessmen
who resent regulations would benefit from the "data access". |
| back
to top |
| |
 |
California:
Diesel School Buses -- A Health Risk to Children
(San Francisco Chronicle 10/16)
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/10/16/MNGBH2CBO21.DTL
A
recent study released by the California Air Resources Board
found that children riding in conventional diesel school
buses are exposed to diesel-related pollutants at levels
at least twice as high as the air outside, and have an increased
lifetime cancer risk of about 4%. The study tested five
diesel buses built between 1975 and 1998, one 1998 diesel
bus equipped with a particulate trap, and one bus that ran
on compressed natural gas (CNG). Researchers found that
the concentrations of pollutants were two to five times
higher in the conventional diesel buses than in the newer
buses equipped with particulate traps. The CNG bus was the
cleanest of the tested fleet. The study confirms results
from a study conducted by the Natural Resources Defense
Council (NRDC) and researchers from UC Berkeley, which also
found diesel pollution to be a major problem in school buses;
and, another study by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, which found that diesel exhaust most likely triggers
asthma and can cause cancer. The California Air Resources
Board recommended that older conventional diesel buses be
replaced by newer buses with particulate traps, or with
cleaner alternative-fuel buses. For more on how your state
can clean up its school bus diesel emissions, visit: http://www.serconline.org/schoolbus/index.html.
|
| back
to top |
| |
Massachusetts:
Budget Cuts Threaten Boston's Watersheds (Boston
Herald 10/15)
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/mwra10152003.htm
There
is growing concern that the Department of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR) does not have the resources necessary to
maintain Boston's watersheds. In response to this concern,
the Metropolitan Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is pushing
to take control of the Quabbin, Wachusett, and Ware watersheds.
MWRA Director Fred Laskey and Advisory Board Director Joseph
Favaloro argue that, due to state budget cuts, the DCR has
not been able to properly maintain the watersheds. The proposed
bill, SB 1259, would put MWRA in charge of watershed operations
while leaving the state in ownership of the land.
|
| back
to top |
| |
Hawaii:
Legislator Makes Waves for Renewable Energy (Stateline.org
10/13)
http://www.stateline.org/stateline/?pa=story&sa=showStoryInfo&id=329392
The
average Hawaiian pays twice as much for electricity than
the average American. This is due to the fact that Hawaii
depends on imported fossil fuels for 93% of its energy needs.
Hawaiian Representative Cynthia Thielen believes that the
answer to Hawaii's energy woes is all around them: the ocean.
After attending a conference on wave energy in Cork, Ireland,
Thielen is convinced that wave power has the potential to
power the entire state for a fraction of the cost of fossil
fuels. And, best of all, it is clean, renewable power. This
is not the first time that Thielen has tried to encourage
clean renewable energy use in the state. Two years ago,
she pushed for a state mandate that would have required
Hawaii to use 10% renewable energy by 2010 and 20% renewable
energy by 2020. The bill was shot down, largely as a result
of opposition from the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO),
who, according to Thielen, is also Hawaii's largest obstacle
preventing Hawaii from developing wave energy. According
to Thielen, "Hawaiian Electric is a monopoly and is
committed to fight against renewable resources because they're
knee deep in oil." HECO says that, although they want
to support wave energy, they do not believe it is currently
an economically viable alternative energy source. The idea
of harnessing the power of ocean waves is nothing new but,
according to Thielen, it is only recently that technological
advancements have made it economically feasible. The first
commercial wave power station was built on the Scottish
isle of Islay, and has been operating for the past three
years. A project is currently under way in Hawaii to test
the viability of wave power in the state. For more information
on how your state can clean up its energy act, visit: http://www.serconline.org/cleanenergy.html. |
| back
to top |
| |
Pennsylvania:
No to Clean Air Rollbacks (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
10/17)
http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20031017cleanair1017p2.asp
Pennsylvania
state officials are unhappy with federal rollbacks to the
Clean Air Act set to take place in August. The new rules
would exempt certain power plants and other industries from
having to install pollution controls as they upgrade or
expand. Many of PA's utilities have already invested in
expensive clean technology, which would put them at a competitive
disadvantage. The state declared a commitment not to allow
the change, and may write even tighter air pollution legislation.
Georgia, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri
have also indicated an interest in retaining strict air
quality regulations through state law, if necessary. The
case that ten northeastern states, including PA, filed against
the Bush administration, which challenges the changes to
the Clean Air Act, is still pending. To find out more about
clean power, visit: http://www.serconline.org/clean/index.html.
|
| back
to top |
| |
Pennsylvania:
Factory Farms Threaten Air and Water with Waste (Post
Gazette 10/16)
http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20031016farmslocal4p4.asp
According
to a study released by Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future,
large farms, commonly known as factory farms, are creating
a number of environmental problems. These include air pollution
from pungent odors, a number of human health concerns, and
the degradation of soil and water due the large amount of
manure generated in small areas. The current regulations
in place to protect the environment from factory farms have
been unable to keep up with the pace at which the farms
are developing. Even though Pennsylvania has had a nutrient
management law in effect since 1993, many individual plans
have not been implemented by the farmers, and there is little
thought to the cumulative impact of a number of factory
farms on a watershed. Pennsylvania also lacks regulations
concerning odor, air pollution (from hydrogen sulfide, for
example), and excessive phosphorous from manure spread on
fields. The report also criticizes the use of low-level
antibiotics in factory farms. To view the report, visit:
http://www.pennfuture.org/items/factoryfarmreport_101003.pdf.
For more information on factory farms, visit: http://www.serconline.org/cafos.html
and, for more information on antibiotic use in agriculture,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/antibiotics/index.html.
|
| back
to top |
| |
Hawaii:
Cruise Ships Need to Clean Up (The Honolulu Advertiser
10/15)
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Oct/15/bz/bz01a.html
The
Hawaii Department of Health and the North West Cruise Ship
Association are currently negotiating amendments to a "memorandum
of agreement", a list of guidelines that are voluntarily
enforced. One of the changes would require ships to prepare
better for oil spills and report pollution activities. State
Rep. Brian Schatz, Chairman of the Committee on Economic
and Business Concerns, plans to introduce legislation that
would add more comprehensive mandatory controls, including
restrictions on sewage and wastewater discharges. "I
anticipate there will be more openness to environmental
protection on the cruise industry because I think the Legislature
and the public (are) only beginning to become aware of the
dangers that these ships pose to our ocean," Schatz
said. |
| back
to top |
| |
| Environmental
Measures on the Ballot (Defenders of Wildlife 10/10)
This fall, citizens in ten
states will vote on thirty-four ballot measures, some of
which will impact our water, air, wildlife, and the habitat
upon which they depend. While the number of both legislative
and citizen-based initiatives has significantly decreased
in recent years, ballot measures remain an important tool
for our democratic system of government. Defenders of Wildlife
recently released a report on this year's environmental
ballot measures, titled "The Environment, Citizens,
and the State." Included in this report is a summary
of ballot measures that relate to the environment and have
been approved for the 2003 ballots. This report also includes
updates on past ballot measures, as well as a summary of
measures being considered for 2004. One highlight is the
three ballot measures that recently passed in Louisiana,
which will provide funding for coastal and wetlands conservation
and restoration. You may read the full report at: http://www.serconline.org/stateInfo/stateinfoBallot.html.
|
| back
to top |
| |
Maine:
River Restoration to Protect Salmon (Christian Science
Monitor 10/7)
http://www.christiansciencemonitor.com/2003/1007/p03s01-uspo.html
In an unprecedented move,
a coalition known as the Penobscot River Restoration Project
(PCRP) that includes the Penobscot Tribe, environmentalists,
several state and federal agencies, and the PPL Corporation,
have agreed to open 500 miles of the Penobscot River watershed
to endangered salmon and 10 other species of migrating fish.
Two old dams -- the Great Works and Veazie dams -- on the
lower Penobscot River will be demolished, while another
-- the Howland dam --will be overhauled to include a fish
bypass. The removal of the dams will hopefully help salmon
populations recover. The historic salmon runs, down to a
few thousand in recent years, used to number in the tens
of thousands two centuries ago. With the agreement came
a number of concessions including the flooding of 10 acres
on the Penobscot Tribe's ancestral lands, the purchase of
the dams by the PCRP for $25 million, and the right for
the PPL Corporation to increase energy output on six other
dams it owns in Maine. The coalition hopes this agreement
may be used as a model to restore salmon populations in
the West and, in similar situations, to resolve conflicts.
|
| back
to top |
| |
South
Carolina: Compromising on Smog Control (The State
10/14)
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/7007586.htm
South Carolina recently
announced a compromise to cut smog that would let businesses
locate to high ozone areas without pollution control equipment.
The plan came as an alternative proposal to a federal approach
aimed at controlling excess ozone, a component of smog,
by 2010. If approved by the Environmental Protection Agency,
South Carolina would limit pollution comprehensively throughout
the state without targeting the smoggiest areas in an attempt
to placate the business community. State officials say that
the federal controls could cost business five times as much
and would discourage development. On hot days, smog from
factories and automobiles can cause lung damage and breathing
trouble for asthmatics. Environmentalists say the plan is
"dubious at best" and may not do enough to protect
human health in urban areas.
|
| back
to top |
| |
Maine:
Conservation with Lower Taxation Plan (Bangor Daily
News 10/17)
http://www.bangordailynews.com/editorialnews/articles/410049_101703statemullstaxbrea_medgecomb.cfm
Maine's Department of Inland
Fisheries and Wildlife is working with state legislators
and conservation groups to develop conservation incentives
for landowners. Supporters say it's a win/win scenario:
important wildlife habitat would be protected, property
owners would receive tax breaks for conserving their land,
fewer environmental regulations would be needed, and the
state would save money compared to land acquisition programs.
The Department is concerned that, without increased conservation,
the larger natural habitat areas needed by deer, moose,
and the federally endangered Canada lynx will disappear.
The proposed bill would create an income tax credit of 40
to 50 percent for people who donate land or agree to conservation
easements, and would add wildlife habitat to the type of
land that qualifies for tax exemptions under Maine’s
Farm and Open Space Tax Law. Although the measure is based
on bills which failed in previous sessions, Department backing
and a provision reimbursing local communities for lost income
are likely to increase support for the plan. For more information
on how to fund conservation efforts, visit: http://www.serconline.org/conservationfunding/index.html.
|
| back
to top |
| |
Minnesota:
New Watershed Protection Plan (Star Tribune 10/14)
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4152499.html
Last Monday, Minnesota Governor
Tim Pawlenty announced a $226 million initiative extending
a farmland conservation program to watersheds in three corners
of the state. The expanded Conservation Reserve Enhancement
Program will retire 150 square miles of less productive
farmland near the Red, Mississippi, and Des Moines Rivers.
The program has already been credited with restoring the
Minnesota River valley, in part, by reducing annual runoff
into the river by 470,000 tons of sediment and 580,000 pounds
of phosphorus. The program pays farmers to stop tilling
land near environmentally sensitive waterways, allowing
native grasses, trees, and other species to return. Most
of the program will be supported by federal funds, although
the state will be asked to borrow $46 million over three
years. "We have more freshwater than any other state,"
Governor Pawlenty noted. "Protecting and restoring
this crown jewel... should be our number one environmental
priority." While the initiative has been supported
by a wide coalition of environmentalists, farmers, and sporting
groups, big farm groups criticize the long-term restrictions
on farmland. Others have said the plan is "too little,
too late," given the Governor's halving of funds for
wastewater treatment, stream protection, and restoration.
|
| back
to top |
|
|
