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ISSUE
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NEWS
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Airport
Air Pollution
A study released in 2004 concludes that the rise in demand for air
travel is one of the most serious environmental threats facing the
world. One 747 arriving and departing from JFK airport in New York
City produces as much smog as a car driven over 5,600 miles, and
as much polluting nitrogen oxides as a car driven nearly 26,500
miles. Nationally, the number of aircraft operations (defined as
one takeoff or one landing) grew substantially, from around 15 million
in 1976 to almost 30 million in 2000. Officials at 16 of the nation's
50 busiest commercial service airports cited air quality as their
most significant environmental concern and, as of 2000, 33 out of
50 of the nation's busiest commercial airports were located in areas
found to be in non-attainment of criteria pollutants according to
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Yet, while emissions
from most source sectors are declining due to the implementation
of more stringent control programs, the growth in air travel and
the continued lack of federal control programs for aircraft engines
is contributing to increased air pollution from airports. States
are required by federal law to reduce ambient levels of criteria
pollutants. Given the existence of stringent control programs for
other industry sectors, reductions in airport-related air pollution
are necessary in order for states to lower emissions to meet air
quality and public health goals. For more information on how your
state can regulate air pollution from airports, visit: http://www.serconline.org/airportAirPollution.html. |
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Green
Infrastructure
States wouldn't think of building their "gray" infrastructure
– including roads, sewers, and utility lines – without
going through a planning process to ensure that the project in question
would work well, meet real needs, and complement existing structures.
Yet, conservation efforts have historically proceeded in a somewhat
haphazard fashion, responding to ecological emergencies, only considering
a single species or resource at a time, and not coordinating with
similar initiatives. The "green" infrastructure approach
emphasizes planning in order to maximize the benefit of conservation
efforts. Green infrastructure applies a systematic approach to conservation
and recognizes the importance of conserving sufficient land to maintain
ecosystem services and provide habitat for wildlife. This package
defines green infrastructure as "an interconnected network
of lands that protects natural ecosystem values and functions and
provides associated benefits to human populations." Many green
infrastructure networks are characterized by larger preserves or
"hubs," which provide a home for natural communities varied
and large enough to maintain ecosystem processes, and smaller connecting
"links" allowing exchanges between hubs. Not all green
infrastructure projects have the same goals, and each project may
include a variety of land types, including conservation areas, recreational
areas, existing parks, and agricultural lands that are managed for
different ecological values. Ideally, green infrastructure programs
consolidate ecological information across multiple landscapes and
on different scales, and use it to coordinate, direct, and streamline
conservation efforts, maximizing the benefit from limited funds.
Green infrastructure planning considers conservation values along
with land development, growth management, and built-infrastructure
planning, and provides a well-designed framework for both conservation
and development. For more information on green infrastructure, visit:
http://www.serconline.org/grInfrastructure/. |
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Smart
Growth Tax Credit
The Smart Growth Tax Credit Act is a prime example of how states
can save money while making their cities cleaner and greener. The
proposed tax credit is designed to give developers a break for building
in more densely-populated areas and for complying with cutting-edge
green building standards. Such a law could save your state billions
of dollars in the long run while encouraging the production of smarter,
more sustainable development, conserving undeveloped land, reducing
air and water pollution, improving public health, reducing traffic
congestion, ensuring more efficient water usage that will help prevent
future drought emergencies, and reducing energy bills and transportation
costs for residents. For more information on passing legislation
to establish a smart growth tax credit in your state, see: http://www.serconline.org/smartGrowthTaxCredit/. |
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Water
Privatization
One of the most important trends in the water industry is the transfer
of the production, distribution, or management of water or water
services from public entities into private corporations, broadly
called "privatization." The privatization of water utilities
in the United States has been accelerating as major multinational
corporations have greatly expanded their efforts to gain a larger
portion of the nation's water service market. Entrusting a profit-driven
company with an indispensable public service has always been a controversial
concept primarily because of the possible contradiction between
short-term profit maximization and long-term needs to protect infrastructure
and natural resources. The profit motive may provide private water
companies with incentives to avoid conservation and efficiency measures
since profits depend upon volumes of water sold. Also, the privatization
of water utilities has posed risks of rate hikes, inadequate customer
service, reduced local control, and raises questions about public
access to information about water systems. Lack of government oversight
and public scrutiny has been one of the strongest criticisms of
water privatization. Without proper government supervision, privatization
will not address issues related to conservation, water quality,
or fair access to water regardless of income. To ensure public-private
water agreements are carefully designed and implemented to protect
public interests concerning these issues, strong public regulatory
oversight should be a fundamental requirement before a public agency
shifts its responsibility for water utilities to private entities.
For more information on water privatization, visit: http://www.serconline.org/waterPrivatization/. |
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Last
Issues of Wildlines
As of October 1, 2004, the State Environmental Resource Center (SERC)
will cease operations and the SERC office will become the Wisconsin
office of Defenders of Wildlife. Our focus in the future will be
directed primarily to state conservation issues rather than broad
environmental issues. Due to this change, we will not continue to
publish Wildlines. We hope that SERC has been useful to you in the
past, and that you will continue to make use of the resources posted
on the SERC web site, which will remain online. We encourage you
to sign up for the Defenders Environmental Network (http://www.defenders.org/den/denform.html)
to continue to receive email updates on conservation issues. For
further information on progressive environmental state policy, please
contact the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (http://ncel.net/index.cgim)
and the Center for Policy Alternatives (http://cfpa.org/index.cfm).
Thanks
to all of you who have worked with us, used our resources, and
supported our mission throughout the years! We look forward to
continuing our relationship as we shift our focus to the mission
of Defenders of Wildlife.
Coming
Soon!
Check
SERC online (http://www.serconline.org)
for future packages on:
- Genetically
Engineered Foods
- Preventing
Phosphorus Pollution
- Transfer
of Development Rights
- Transportation
Funding
- Transgenic
Fish
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Legislators
Changing the Role of PUC Watchdog in Texas (Houston
Chronicle 9/15)
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2798066
The state office that represents consumers in dealings with
the Public Utility Commission (PUC) would remain intact but
be subject to new requirements under recommendations made
last week by a legislative commission. A proposal by the staff
of the legislative Sunset Advisory Commission, which periodically
reviews whether state agencies are still needed, had recommended
abolishing the Office of the Public Utility Counsel. The recommendations
will be sent to lawmakers to consider during the January legislative
session. The Sunset staff found that the need for a stand-alone
agency to represent consumers has diminished as the PUC's
role has changed. The commission now makes rules to regulate
competition rather than deciding fair electricity and telecommunication
rates, it said. |
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Weary
Seattle Voters Must Again Approve Seattle Monorail Project
(Seattle Times 9/14)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002034783_antimonorail14m.html
After approving planning initiatives in 1997 and 2000, and
passing a monorail tax initiative in 2002, Seattle voters
might once again be asked if they want a monorail. A state
appeals court ruled that Initiative 83, known as the "monorail
recall," should be included on the Nov. 2 ballot. If
passed, Initiative 83 would forbid city permits to construct
new monorails in the public right-of-way. The Seattle Monorail
Project (SMP) has already bought more than half the land needed
for stations, and construction of the $1.75 billion Green
Line that would run from West Seattle to Ballard could begin
as early as the end of this year. The SMP has spent $143 million
on the project so far, including $55 million for real estate.
Opponents of the monorail want to halt the project, which
has been controversial because of its chosen route through
the Seattle Center, lower than expected income from car-tab
taxes, wider support columns than originally advertised, and
the submission of only one bid to build and operate the project.
The appeals court ruling did not offer an opinion about the
legality of Initiative 83, only that there was insufficient
reason for the courts to interfere with the initiative process.
The appeals court decision, however, did dissolve an earlier
superior court ruling, which found that Initiative 83 illegally
circumvents state land use laws and the more stringent recall
process required by 2002 state law. Initiative 83's movement
through the court system has been largely financed by a local
developer and the recall initiative has spent about $250,000
to qualify for the ballot this Nov. City council members estimate
it will cost about $880,000 to place the measure on the ballots.
If voters decide to halt the project by approving Initiative
83, taxes would still need to be collected to pay off $76
million dollars worth of debt; selling off the land purchased
for the monorail project would reduce the debt to approximately
$21 million. |
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Rhode
Island Aims to Curb School Bus Exhaust (Providence
Journal 9/14)
http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20040914_buses14.c0409.html
The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) and local
school districts are trying a voluntary program that aims
to reduce the pollution from diesel-powered buses by using
cleaner fuels and discouraging excessive idling. Some school
districts have received federal grants to use a low-sulfur
diesel fuel that has a 20 percent biodiesel additive, which
contains no sulfur. The low-sulfur fuel has a sulfur count
of about 15 parts per million as opposed to the 500 parts
per million found in regular diesel. Most of Rhode Island
does not currently meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) air quality standards. Sulfur in bus diesel fuel is
a leading contributor to airborne particulate matter, which
can damage the lungs and cause chronic conditions such as
asthma and bronchitis. Diesel exhaust fumes are the third-largest
source of particulate matter. In addition to school buses,
RIPTA has already converted its fleet to low-sulfur fuel
and is starting a program to install diesel particulate
matter filters on all buses. The combination of cleaner
diesel fuels and filters is projected to reduce emissions
by 90 percent. Under an EPA mandate, all buses nationwide
must convert to the low-sulfur fuel by 2006. |
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Alaskan
Wetlands Might Make Way for Expanded Runways (Juneau
Empire 9/14)
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/091404/loc_runway.shtml
The fate of 18 acres of wetland in Alaska's Mendenhall Wetlands
State Game Refuge has become an object of contention between
wildlife habitat advocates and the management of Juneau International
Airport. The contested acreage is part of a 3,800-acre state-owned
refuge. The airport wants the state to transfer the wetlands
to the airport; it plans to fill part of the wetlands to reduce
bird hazards to aircraft and use the acreage to expand the
runway safety area. The airport contends that the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) will not approve projects if
the land remains in the refuge; the runway expansion is necessary
to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements;
and, the project is important in order for the airport to
continue receiving federal funds. The airport made the transfer
request to the Assembly prior to the completion of the FAA
environmental impact study. The airport's request previously
had been declined by the Assembly because of public concerns
over the project's environmental effects. |
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Ohio
EPA May Drop Some Air Permits (Enquirer 9/12)
http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/09/12/loc_loc1epa.html
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) is considering
relaxing air permit requirements -- a move it says will improve
efficiency. Under the proposal, thousands of dry cleaners,
printing shops, auto paint shops, and other small businesses
would not have to apply for permits to pollute the air. The
Ohio EPA cites an overwhelming mountain of permit paperwork
related to individual permits as the reason behind the proposed
change. The new rule aims to consolidate the standards for
similar pollution sources, thereby reducing paperwork. In
theory, this would enable employees to conduct more inspections
to ensure companies are complying with pollution laws. The
measure draws sharp criticism from environmentalists and local
governments, who say the new rule would make enforcement of
clean air rules next to impossible. Under the proposal, most
small companies would not have to notify county or state agencies
of their intent to operate. The number of exempt facilities
that would be able to operate would hinder enforcement of
local air pollution laws, as it would become difficult to
determine which companies are operating with or without permits.
The absence of a permit application process would also make
it harder for the public to get information about exempted
businesses. |
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Florida
Boaters Will Slow for Manatees (St. Petersburg Times
9/23)
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/698367901.html?MAC=ea25a56f3fc44280cb5b3e15e6a6eeb5&did
=698367901&FMT=FT&FMTS=FT&date=Sep+23%2C+2004&author
=CRAIG+PITTMAN&printformat=&desc=New+zones+yield+to+manatees
To protect manatees, Florida wildlife commissioners, last
week, imposed new boating speed zones on several unregulated
stretches of Tampa Bay's shoreline. For Manatee County, commissioners
came up with a patchwork of slow-speed zones, 25-mph zones,
and idle-speed zones, but left some areas unregulated to accommodate
water skiers. The new state speed zones will free up dozens
of dock building permits that had been frozen along waterfront
areas of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. But the new zones
in Manatee County do not go far enough, a federal wildlife
official said, so more than a hundred dock permits there will
remain in limbo. Some of those permits have been on hold for
more than two years, but federal wildlife officials say they
are bound to block those new permits by a law that forbids
harming even a single manatee. Boating-rights advocates made
it clear they were not happy with the new rules but did not
object to them. Florida Guides Association vice president
Dave Markett, a Tampa resident, contended that waterways should
not be restricted just because manatees had been injured and
killed by boats there. He compared the situation to highways
where children had been hit by cars or trucks: "You don't
close down a road just because a child got struck there."
Manatee activists wanted more areas included but said they
were satisfied. |
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California
Lawmakers Call for Hetch Hetchy Study (Sacramento
Bee 9/14)
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/10737406p-11655837c.html
Two California legislators are calling for a state study to
examine if a submerged valley in Yosemite National Park could
be restored without hurting water and power supplies. Assemblymembers
Joe Canciamilla and Lois Wolk urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
to endorse a restoration study for the Hetch Hetchy Valley,
which was inundated and turned into a reservoir for San Francisco
in 1923. "California and the nation could recover one
of its natural jewels, now a forgotten and seldom visited
corner of Yosemite National Park," wrote Wolk and Canciamilla.
Susan Leal, general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission, said she sympathizes with calls to restore Hetch
Hetchy, but said advocates are overlooking the potential costs.
Leal said loss of power could make it hard to close dirty
power plants in the Bay Area and ensure clean water for residents.
The call for a state study comes as Environmental Defense,
a conservation group, is launching a campaign to restore what
John Muir once called "the little brother" of Yosemite
Valley. Off-limits to the public, this high-Sierra lake provides
85 percent of San Francisco's water and generates about 1,700
gigawatt hours of electricity each year. Wolk and Canciamilla
noted that scientists at the University of California, Davis,
recently studied the impacts of emptying Hetch Hetchy. The
researchers found downstream reservoirs, particularly New
Don Pedro Reservoir, easily could be re-operated to store
the same amount of water. Canciamilla and Wolk asked the governor
to direct the state Department of Water Resources "to
review the UC Davis study, to study the feasibility of restoring
the Hetch Hetchy Valley, and outline the necessary actions
the state must take to achieve this restoration." There
was no immediate comment from the governor's press office,
where employees were looking for the letter Monday. |
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