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Beverage
Container Recycling (Charleston Gazette 2/10; Rochester
Democrat & Chronicle 2/13)
http://wvgazette.com/section/News/Today/2004020925
http://www.rochesterdandc.com/news/0213F338KRB_news.shtml
We can save energy and protect the environment by recycling our
beverage cans and bottles. Although the amount of energy saved differs
by material, almost all recycling processes achieve significant
energy savings compared to virgin material production. In 2001,
an estimated 141 billion aluminum, glass, and plastic beverage containers
(over 9 million tons) were not recycled – a 33% increase in
wasting since 1992. If they had been recycled, we could have saved
the energy equivalent of 34 million barrels of crude oil, reduced
greenhouse gas emissions by 4.5 million tons, and saved untold millions
of dollars in cleanup costs. Support appears to growing around the
country in state legislatures for beverage container recycling,
commonly called "bottle bills." In New York, a recently
conducted survey by Environmental Advocates of New York shows strong
support for expanded legislation that would extend the deposit to
noncarbonated beverage bottles. NY AB 3922 and SB 1696 have been
introduced to amend the current law, the Returnable Container Act.
In West Virginia, HB 4147 and SB 293 would institute a ten-cent
deposit on single-use glass, aluminum, and plastic containers, and
establish a return infrastructure. For more information on how your
state can enact bottle bill legislation, visit: http://www.serconline.org/bottlebill/index.html. |
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California
Enhances Protection for Coho Salmon (LA Times 2/7)
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-salmon7feb07,1,6287190.story?coll=la-news-environment
The California Fish and Game Commission voted this week to protect
Northern California's coho salmon under the state's Endangered Species
Act, after adopting a plan to restore the habitat of the increasingly
scarce fish. That strategy was developed by a group of government
officials and landowners as well as timber and farming interests.
It relies on incentives and volunteer projects to resuscitate salmon
streams, rather than enforcement actions by the understaffed Department
of Fish and Game. The decision adds a second level of protection
for a species listed as endangered by the National Marine Fisheries
Service since the late 1990s. Coho -- or silver -- salmon have been
depleted by extensive fishing and water diversion as well as muddy
runoff, often triggered by land development and logging operations.
The runoff clogs clear-running streams needed for spawning. For
more information about protecting wildlife in your state, visit:
http://www.serconline.org/esa/index.html. |
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ALEC's
Power Plant Siting Act
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a right-wing advocacy
group funded by big oil and utility companies, is trying to sneak
one past us again. ALEC is playing off fear of a power shortage
by introducing legislation which will keep the public completely
in the dark about power plant siting decisions. This bill benefits
the utility industry at the expense of everyone else. The ALEC energy
bill will eliminate public participation. All authority to site
power plants is consolidated in one small elite government body
that renders ultimate decisions without public representation or
input. That body is comprised of five people -- three are appointed
by the governor and one is appointed by each branch of the legislature.
Noticeably absent is a public advocate or elected official. The
ALEC act will keep the public in the dark. If a member of the public
wants information from the siting board, that person will need to
pay money to get it. If the siting board doesn't want to give out
public information, it can refuse by deeming the information a "trade
secret" or "privileged, confidential, or proprietary information."
In short, the workings of the siting board are not subject to public
scrutiny. The board has the right to refuse testimony at a public
hearing by calling it "repetitive or cumulative." The
Power Plant Siting Act is intended to push new power plants against
the public will. The siting board can override all local siting
and zoning decisions. They simply have to decide the law passed
by local officials is "too restrictive." Under the ALEC
timeline, a power plant could be sited in less than two months.
This is not a responsible process. We need our legislatures to think
responsibly about energy policy, and to serve the public -- not
the corporate -- interest. For more information about energy legislation
in your state, visit http://www.serconline.org/cleanenergy.html.
For more information about ALEC, visit http://www.serconline.org/alecIndex.html. |
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State
Legislation Aims to Reduce Light Pollution (Stateline.org
2/13)
http://www.stateline.org/stateline/?pa=story&sa=showStoryInfo&id=350550
Today, 99 percent of Americans live in areas suffering from
light pollution, which obscures the night sky and can have
negative impacts on fish and wildlife. The condition is caused
by excessive and poorly planned artificial lighting. In response,
legislators across the country are taking action to reclaim
the stars, saving energy and money in the process. Over the
past 10 years, more than half of U.S. states have passed regulations
to reduce light pollution. Some states have approached the
problem by setting curfews on intensely lit areas such as
parks; many others require or have introduced legislation
to require state-owned lighting systems to meet energy-efficiency
and glare standards. Many other states and cities have adopted
rules that provide strict guidelines for targeted reductions
in light pollution, ranging from controls on the direction
of billboard and streetlamp lighting to curfews on city-owned
buildings and stadiums. So-called "dark sky" legislation
has been introduced in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New
York City this month. For more information on dark sky legislation,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/darkSkies.html. |
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Alaska
to Change Wildlife Policy (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
2/13)
http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~1954207,00.html#
A bill introduced this month by Alaskan Sen. Seekings would
emphasize the right to individual consumption of state fish
and game over uses such as viewing and scientific study. In
defense of the bill, the senator said that conflicting interests
in the state's fish and game have arisen in the past, and
that his bill seeks to clarify the priorities of the state.
But others were skeptical. Alaska representative for Defenders
of Wildlife, Karen Deatherage, argues that such conflicts
are rare and that the bill might have negative impacts on
the state's subsistence regulations, which offer a preference
to subsistence hunters and fishers. Deatherage said that the
bill undermines important viewing, scientific, and intrinsic
values of fish and wildlife, and notes that such a bill might
be in violation of state law, by restricting the use of wildlife
for a certain number of Alaskans. Alaska SB 318 has been referred
to the Senate Committee on Resources. |
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Wyoming
Legislator Offers Compromise on Wolves (The Billings
Gazette 2/12)
http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/02/12/build/wyoming/40-wolves.inc
Wyoming Rep. Baker announced his plan for a bill last week
that could end a long standing disagreement between the state
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over wolves. The federal
government wants to remove wolves from the endangered species
list in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, but will not until the
Interior Department approves plans from each state to maintain
a viable wolf population. The Montana and Idaho plans have
been approved; Wyoming's plan was rejected because it classified
wolves as predators, which would allow wolves to be shot on
sight in many areas of the state. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Director Steve Williams said the state's plan would be reconsidered
if it drops the predator label, plans to maintain at least
10 breeding pairs, and regulates wolf hunting in areas outside
national parks. Rep. Baker's bill would adopt the federal
government's stance, allowing the delisting to move forward.
Controversy over the status and regulation of wolves has grown
since they were reintroduced to Yellowstone nine years ago.
Since then, the success of the reintroduction program has
prompted the federal government to delist the animal as long
as Yellowstone's surrounding states produce plans that commit
to viable wolf populations. For more information on wolf management
plans, visit: http://www.serconline.org/wolfpreservation/index.html. |
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Massachusetts
and Vermont Deal with Mercury (Daily News Transcript
2/10; Rutland Herald 2/11)
http://www3.dailynewstranscript.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=19075
http://www.rutlandherald.com/04/Story/78738.html
In Massachusetts, a new state environmental initiative is
targeting mercury waste created by dental offices, in an attempt
to recycle nearly all the mercury dentists now discharge into
wastewater. The new program encourages dentists to buy technology
that separates amalgam, containing mercury, from other waste,
an initiative officials said could reduce the amount of mercury
entering wastewater from dental offices by 95 percent over
the next two years. The mercury would be recycled. The program,
announced last week, is being phased in on a voluntary basis,
but could be a requirement as early as 2005. According to
the Department of Environmental Protection, dentists are responsible
for 13 percent of the mercury discharged into Massachusetts'
waters. Vermont would follow its first-in-the-nation mercury
labeling law with a ban on novelty items that contain the
poisonous element -- such as shoes, games, or lawn decorations
-- under a bill given preliminary approval last week by the
state senate. The ban on novelties would not apply to those
whose only mercury is found in button-cell batteries. In addition
to banning the sale of all mercury-added novelties after July
1, 2005, the bill also would outlaw the sale of mercury food
or fever thermometers as well as mercury thermostats. The
bill also would require the labeling of even more mercury-added
products after July 1, 2006, notifying consumers of the dangers
of mercury and of the requirements to dispose of the product
separately from other waste. For more information on how your
state can deal with mercury, visit: http://www.serconline.org/mercury/pkg_frameset.html. |
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South
Dakota House Quashes Bill to Limit Conservation Easements
(Rapid City Journal 2/6 & 2/12)
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2004/02/06/legislature/news/867news.txt
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2004/02/12/news/local/news11.txt
HB 1194, sponsored by Rep. Lintz, which sought to restrict
the length of time a conservation easement could be placed
on a piece land, was defeated in the House last week after
it had previously passed the House Agriculture Committee.
Conservation easements place certain restrictions on the use
of land, typically to preserve it as open space and preclude
business and residential development. Landowners who agree
to easements, which are offered by the state and federal governments
as well as conservation groups, may either sell or donate
some rights to use the land. HB 1194 would have limited conservation
easements in South Dakota, with the exception of wetlands
easements, to less than 30 years. It would have applied to
easements granted after July 1. Rep. Lintz felt that easements
restrict the property rights of future land owners. Opponents
of the legislation argued that easements prevent the loss
of agricultural land and, if the bill was passed, tax breaks
commonly offered could be jeopardized. For more information
on how your state can preserve land, visit: http://www.serconline.org/conservationfunding/index.html. |
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Maryland
Clean Cars Bill Introduced (MaryPIRG 2/11)
The Maryland Cleaner Cars Bill, HB 314, is currently being
considered in the House of Delegates. Cars and trucks are
Maryland's single largest source of nitrogen oxides (NOx),
and are a major source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Cars are also a significant source of toxic chemicals like
benzene, and they contribute to Maryland's greenhouse gas
emissions, accelerating global warming. Smog creates severe
health problems for Maryland's residents. In the summer of
2002, there were 40 days when excessive smog made the air
literally unhealthy to breathe in Maryland. Exposure to smog
can trigger asthma attacks and also contributes to the onset
of the disease. Smog and soot in Maryland cause an estimated
20,900 asthma attacks and 927 premature deaths every year.
Cars and trucks are responsible for 33% of Maryland's smog-forming
nitrogen oxides, making them the state's largest source. The
bill would institute low emission vehicle standards, which
will require a small percentage of new cars sold in Maryland
to meet stringent emissions standards starting in the 2010
model year. Other states that have passed these standards
are already seeing their effects. New Jersey estimates that
by 2020 the higher standards will reduce air toxics by 23%
more than federal standards and smog precursors by 19%. |
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Wisconsin
Introduces Electronic Waste Legislation (GRRN 1/10)
http://www.grrn.org/e-scrap/
In response to citizen concern over the increasing quantity
of hazardous electronic waste in Wisconsin, State Rep. Mark
Miller introduced legislation calling for take-back and recycling
programs to be financed by computer and electronics producers.
"Electronic products contain highly toxic materials that
endanger public and environmental health," says Rep.
Miller. "This proposal is similar to waste management
programs that are working in Europe." Currently, Wisconsin
has no laws regulating the disposal of electronic equipment,
resulting in tens of thousands of computers ending up in the
state's landfills each year. An estimated 70% of the heavy
metals found in landfills come from discarded electronic waste.
"Electronic waste is not only a threat to human health
and the environment, it represents an enormous potential unfunded
mandate on local governments," says David Wood, Executive
Director of GrassRoots Recycling Network and co-coordinator
of the national Computer TakeBack Campaign. "The producer
responsibility approach can solve environmental problems without
spending already scarce taxpayer dollars. It is consistent
with recent efforts to create jobs while providing regulatory
flexibility," continues Wood. Wisconsin joins the ranks
of 10 other states, including Minnesota, California, Massachusetts,
Maine, and Washington, which have introduced similar legislation.
Fact sheets about electronic waste in Wisconsin can be accessed
on-line at http://www.grrn.org/e-scrap/.
For more information on how to deal with electronic waste
in your state, visit: http://www.serconline.org/ewaste/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Alaska
Senator Targets Bears (Daily News-Miner 2/7)
http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~1941864,00.html
State Senator Ralph Seekins, who last year spearheaded the
bill to allow aerial hunting of wolves, introduced a bill
that would make it far easier for hunters to take black or
brown bears in areas where they're deemed a threat to big
game prey populations. SB 297 would institute relaxed regulations
in areas where the state Board of Game has established an
intensive management program and identified bear predation
as a cause of declining numbers or productivity of game such
as moose and caribou. Among its many provisions, which apply
equally to black and grizzly bears, the bill would allow people
to take bear sows accompanied by cubs that are at least a
year old; to take any bears that are at least a year old;
to use any motorized vehicle to assist in hunting bears; to
kill a bear within a half-mile of a garbage dump; and, to
bait bears without having to register. Alaska Defenders of
Wildlife representative Karen Deatherage argued that predator
control should be left in the hands of the Board of Game.
She argues that bear populations are not well-documented,
and that widespread bear hunting could cause serious damage
to them. |
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Nebraska
Bill Aims to Preserve State Wildlife Refuges (Nebraska
Star Journal 2/13)
http://www.journalstar.com/articles/2004/02/12/nebraska/10045240.txt
A bill currently in the Nebraska Assembly would redefine the
borders of four wildlife refuges originally created in 1925,
and reinstitute a ban on hunting waterfowl on the refuges.
According to two recent court rulings, the refuges' borders
are unenforceable because the Platte River is braided and
some channels dry up or reappear from year to year, causing
the stream bank to vary. An assistant state attorney general
said that, without a new law, the refuges may cease to exist
as landowners challenge the boundaries in court and begin
hunting waterfowl that have used them as safe havens for nearly
80 years. LB 826, sponsored by Sen. Erdman, would clarify
the boundaries by requiring the Department of Natural Resources
to define the bank using GPS units and computer programs.
Electronic maps of the refuge boundaries could then shift
as the stream bank moved. The bill would still require conservation
officers with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission to enforce
the no-hunting ban. Local business owners are supportive of
the bill because the refuges sustain populations of waterfowl
that draw hunters into the region every year. Without the
law, hunters may encroach on the refuges, force the birds
out, and end regulated hunting outside refuge boundaries. |
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Minnesota
May Raise Sales Tax for Natural Resource Program Funding (Pioneer
Press 2/10)
http://www.twincities.com/mld/pioneerpress/news/politics/7915157.htm
This fall, voters in Minnesota might have a chance to approve
an amendment to the state constitution that will secure a
dedicated source of funding for natural resource programs.
If the bill becomes law, the state sales tax would be raised
one-quarter of one percent to pay for future fishing, hunting,
parks, trails, and zoo programs. HB 1166 was approved this
week by the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee
and is headed to the State and Local Government Operations
Committee. In its current form, the bill would allocate $170
million per year for 20 years, beginning in 2005, to natural
resources programs. To see what some other states have done
to secure financing for natural resources conservation, visit:
http://www.serconline.org/conservationfunding/index.html. |
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California
Dam Slated for Removal to Protect Endangered Trout (L.A.
Times 2/9)
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-dam9feb09,1,2303288.story?coll=la-news-environment
A task force, made up of federal, state, and local authorities
as well as environmental organizations and community members,
has decided on a plan to remove a large dam in Southern California
to allow for the revival of the endangered steelhead trout.
The 190 ft. tall, 600 ft. wide Matilija Dam is the largest
dam in the country slated for removal. Steelhead trout breed
in the upper reaches of the Ventura River, and have been blocked
from traveling upstream since the dam was installed in 1947.
The task force plans on beginning the complex $100 million
project when they acquire funding, which will come largely
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For information on
state endangered species legislation, visit: http://www.serconline.org/esa/index.html. |
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