NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
Posted by [EMAIL PROTECTED] : ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) U.S. CIVILIAN REACTORS TO PRODUCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS MATERIAL LOGGING BLAMED IN VIETNAM'S SECOND WAVE OF FLOODS PANICKED FARMERS CUT QUEENSLAND TREES TIDE TURNS AGAINST CHEMICAL SOFTENERS IN PLASTIC TOYS AMERISCAN: DECEMBER 9, 1999 E-WIRE * Steelworkers to Sue Oregon Steel for Violating Clean Air Act * UN Concludes Whales, World Heritage Site are Safe * Kafus Bio-Composites Plant Ships to Ford, GM, Chrysler For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** U.S. CIVILIAN REACTORS TO PRODUCE NUCLEAR WEAPONS MATERIAL By Cat Lazaroff KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, December 9, 1999 (ENS) - For the first time in U.S. history, a civilian nuclear plant will be making radioactive tritium for use by the government in manufacturing nuclear weapons. The Tennessee Valley Authority approved a historic contract Wednesday to allow two of its plants to begin producing tritium, potentially as early as 2003. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-09-06.html *** LOGGING BLAMED IN VIETNAM'S SECOND WAVE OF FLOODS HANOI, Vietnam, December 9, 1999 (ENS) - Environmentalists are blaming widespread illegal logging as a factor in disastrous flooding that has hit the central coast of Vietnam for the second time in two months. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-09-01.html *** PANICKED FARMERS CUT QUEENSLAND TREES BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia, December 9, 1999 - Australian officials may face a revolt if they impose an immediate ban to stop rapid tree clearing by Queensland farmers anxious about pending land protection measures. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-09-03.html *** TIDE TURNS AGAINST CHEMICAL SOFTENERS IN PLASTIC TOYS WASHINGTON, DC, December 9, 1999 (ENS) - Toys manufactured by Mattel Inc. and Playschool are among many found to contain high levels of phthalates, a potentially harmful group of chemical softeners in polyvinyl chloride toys, 12 environmental and public interest groups report. In response to consumer rejection of the harmful PVC softeners, this week Mattel announced plans to make its plastic toys out of organically based materials such as edible oils and plant starches. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-09-02.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: DECEMBER 9, 1999 Enviros Call For Off Road Vehicle Ban in Parks Weather Service Aims to Improve Flood Predictions Large Marine Engines Must Meet New Emissions Limits $12 M Offered for 25 Wetlands Projects Company Pays $70,000 Toward $500,000 Cleanup Ohio Governor Offers Environmental Science Scholarships Toll Free Number Provides Watershed Education California Governor Applauds Green Business Projects Sea Turtle Groups Implore Bechtel Family to Halt Development Not So Hot Hot Tub Cleaners Pulled Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-09-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO BUSINESS, LABOR AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS: Steelworkers File Notice of Intent to Sue CFI Steel: Oregon Steel (NYSE: OS) Subsidiary Could Face Fines of Up to $25,750/Day for Violating Clean Air Act PUEBLO, Colo., Dec. 9 -/E-Wire/-- The United Steelworkers of America (USWA) announced today that they have filed a notice of intent to sue Oregon Steel's CFI Steel subsidiary (now doing business as Rocky Mountain Steel Mills) over the company's failure to comply with both the federal Clean Air Act and Colorado environmental regulations and limitations. /CONTACT: John Perquin, 412-562-2582, or Sanford Lewis, 617-489-3686, both of the USWA/ (OS) /Web site: http://www.uswa.org / For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Dec99/09Dec9901.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO BUSINESS,
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
Posted by [EMAIL PROTECTED] : ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT BLASTS JAPANESE WHALE HUNT WTO TALKS FAIL TO LAUNCH NEW TRADE ROUND POLICE BEHAVIOR IN SEATTLE CONDEMNED SWEDEN STRUGGLES WITH MOUNTAINS OF WASTE PACKAGING AMERISCAN: DECEMBER 6, 1999 Waste Wells Banned to Protect Groundwater Fertilizer Chemical May Come Off Reportable List New Jersey Joins Feds in Suit Against Power Plants North Carolina Moves to Reduce Power Plant Pollution Pet Poop Leads to Water Pollution Ozone Clogs Plant Pores Prairie Plant Proposed for Threatened List Central America Weather Agencies Get U.S. Aid Holiday Catalogs Could Be Cleaner and Greener Texas Bird Islands Cleaned Up Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-06-09.html *** HEALING OUR WORLD WEEKLY COMMENT Two-strokes - You're Out! E-WIRE * CFI Steel Attempts to Avoid Pollution Controls; Steelworkers Demand Permit Enforcement * Postal Service Receives 1999 Governor's Environmental Economic Leadership Award * Air Quality System Wins New Utility Contracts as IGT Partnership Gets Closer For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT BLASTS JAPANESE WHALE HUNT CANBERRA, Australia, December 6, 1999 (ENS) - The Australian government has condemned Japan's decision to continue its so-called scientific whaling program in the Southern Ocean. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-06-01.html *** WTO TALKS FAIL TO LAUNCH NEW TRADE ROUND SEATTLE, Washington, December 4, 1999 (ENS) - Trade ministers from 134 member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are leaving Seattle without achieving their goal of starting a new round of trade negotiations. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-04-01.html *** POLICE BEHAVIOR IN SEATTLE CONDEMNED SEATTLE, Washington, December 4, 1999 (ENS) - In their efforts to protect the World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings from demonstrators protesting the WTO's environmental and labor policies, Seattle and Washington State police trampled on the rights and safety of both protesters and citizens who were not demonstrating according to many responsible observers. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-04-02.html *** SWEDEN STRUGGLES WITH MOUNTAINS OF WASTE PACKAGING STOCKHOLM, Sweden, December 6, 1999 (ENS) - Sweden's waste packaging recycling policy is "exceedingly inefficient" and should be replaced by policies encouraging more incineration and landfilling of waste, according to a new report for the Swedish Finance Ministry. Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily Website: http://www.ends.co.uk/envdaily } For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-06-02.html *** HEALING OUR WORLD WEEKLY COMMENT Two-strokes - You're Out! By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D. When the average citizen thinks about air and water pollution, automobiles and factories usually come to mind as the main sources. Little attention is paid - except for the noise they make - to the millions of lawn mowers, leaf blowers and marine engines that are in operation every day. Yet these devices and their inefficient two-stroke engines are responsible for 1.1 billion pounds of hydrocarbon emissions per year and countless impacts on human and ecosystem health. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-06-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS: CFI Steel Attempts to Avoid Pollution Controls; Oregon Steel (NYSE: OS) Subsidiary Refuses to Certify Environmental Compliance; Steelworkers Demand Permit Hearing and Enforcement PUEBLO, Colo., Dec. 6 -/E-Wire/-- Oregon Steel's CFI Steel subsidiary (now operating as Rocky Mountain Steel Mills) is fighting to circumvent legally required air pollution control measures, and attempting to avoid public scrutiny of its environmental practices, the
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
Posted by [EMAIL PROTECTED] : ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) SEATTLE PROTESTERS HEARD IN WTO MEETING HALL PEOPLE ARE CAUSE - AND SOLUTION - OF OCEAN POLLUTION U.S. AT RISK FOR BHOPAL-SCALE CHEMICAL ACCIDENT NINE OF TEN CITY SMOG CLEANUP PLANS FLUNK EPA TEST AMERISCAN: DECEMBER 2, 1999 E-WIRE * Environmental Groups Charge Chemical Industry with Human Rights Violations * 'Free' Biennial Waste Reporting Software Now Available For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** SEATTLE PROTESTERS HEARD IN WTO MEETING HALL SEATTLE, Washington, December 2, 1999 (ENS) - After 546 arrests Tuesday and Wednesday and several more early this morning, Seattle and Washington State Police using tear gas, rubber bullets and pepper spray have cleared the downtown area of anti-World Trade Organization demonstrators. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-02-01.html *** PEOPLE ARE CAUSE - AND SOLUTION - OF OCEAN POLLUTION By Cat Lazaroff NEW YORK, New York, December 2, 1999 (ENS) - Americans are very aware of the importance of the worlds oceans, according to a new poll released this week, but only a small percentage of Americans realize that actions by individuals represent the biggest threat to ocean health. Conservation groups note that there are countless ways that people can reduce their impact on marine species and the state of the oceans. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-02-06.html *** U.S. AT RISK FOR BHOPAL-SCALE CHEMICAL ACCIDENT WASHINGTON, DC, December 2, 1999 (ENS) - Bhopal, India - the very name calls up images of thousands of victims dying from clouds of poisonous gas that rolled over them December 2, 1984 while they slept. Today, a new report released by U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Working Group on Community Right-to-Know says a similar incident could happen in the United States. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-02-07.html *** NINE OF TEN CITY SMOG CLEANUP PLANS FLUNK EPA TEST WASHINGTON, DC, December 2, 1999 (ENS) - Smog reduction plans in nine of the most populated U.S. areas are still inadequate, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday. Of the ten urban areas the agency reviewed, all of which have been in violation of federal air quality laws, only one has so far devised a pollution reduction plan that meets the agency s criteria. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec99/1999L-12-02-08.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: DECEMBER 2, 1999 One Genetically Modified Fish = No Fish WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana, December 2, 1999 (ENS) - A single genetically modified fish could wipe out local populations of the original species if released into the wild, biologists warn in the December 4 issue of "New Scientist." Other organisms could face the same risk from transgenic relatives. William Muir and Richard Howard of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, made the discovery while modeling ecological risks associated with genetically modified organisms (GMOs). They have dubbed their idea the "Trojan gene" hypothesis. "This resembles the Trojan horse," says Muir. "It gets into the population looking like something good and it ends up destroying the population." The researchers studied fish carrying the human growth hormone gene hGH, which increases growth rate and final size. Biologists in the US and Britain are experimenting with salmon engineered in a similar way. Muir and Howard included hGH in embryos of a fish called the Japanese medaka, a common aquarium fish. They found that modified individuals matured faster than normal fish and produced more eggs, rapidly spreading the new gene throughout the population. But only two thirds of modified medaka survived to reproductive age, which led the population to dwindle. The researchers plugged their results into a computer model to find out what would happen if 60 transgenic individuals joined a wild population of 60,000 fish. The population became extinct within just 40 generations. Even a single transgenic animal could have the same effect, they found, although extinction would take longer. Forest Service Posts Draft Strategic Plan Roadless Website Answers Questions,
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS' Y2K READINESS QUESTIONED TOXIC MUD FOULS U.S. WATERS REVVING THE ENERGY ENGINE MEANS RISING U.S. EMISSIONS *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS' Y2K READINESS QUESTIONED WASHINGTON, DC, November 9, 1999 (ENS) - Two federal agencies are at odds over how ready U.S. nuclear power plants are to handle the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer bug. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) says all 103 operating U.S. nuclear power plants are now ready for Y2K. But the U.S. General Accounting Office testified before Congress October 26 that the steps the nuclear industry has taken might not be enough to prevent problems at power plants. The Y2K problem refers to a computer's potential inability to recognize two digit dates after January 1, 2000. A computer system could read "00" as 1900, rather than 2000, causing a computer system to malfunction. "Y2K ready" means that the computer will function as designed after the Year 2000 date rollover. Nuclear reactors provide about 20 percent of the power supply in the U.S., serving more than 65 million homes. All U.S. nuclear plants have notified the NRC that they have completed remediation efforts on all plant systems involved with safety, power generation and plant support. The NRC says safety related systems at all 103 plants have been Y2K ready since July 1. At that time, 68 of the plants were declared fully Y2K ready while 35 had remaining work on power generation and plant support systems. During the past four months, NRC has confirmed completion of the remaining work. Based on a review of responses from the nuclear power industry concerning Y2K readiness, the NRCs independent inspection efforts at all 103 plants, and ongoing regulatory oversight activities, "we conclude that the Y2K problem will not adversely affect the continued safe operation of U.S. nuclear power plants, and should contribute to grid stability during the transition period," the NRC says. On October 26, representatives of the federal General Accounting Offices Y2K Computing Challenge office offered testimony before Congress that casts doubt on the NRC assurances. The General Accounting Office is the investigative arm of Congress. Charged with examining matters relating to the receipt and disbursement of public funds, GAO performs audits and evaluations of government programs and activities. Joel Willemssen and Keith Rhodes, directors of the accounting and information management division of the GAO, detailed weaknesses in the NRC reporting process to subcommittees of the House Committee on Science and the House Committee on Government Reform. The GAO spokesmen pointed out that the NRC has not required that its licensees perform an independent verification and validation (IVV) of their Y2K remediation programs. "Although we were told by NRC that some licensees obtained independent technical reviews of each facility's Y2K system test plans and results, NRC did not have specific, current information identifying the types of Y2K IVV reviews performed at nuclear power facilities," Willemssen and Rhodes said. "NRC noted that the industry had reported in April 1999 that multiple audits were completed. ... However, neither NRC nor the industry issued guidelines establishing criteria to ensure consistency of reviews," they testified. Without an IVV, the NRC cannot know which plants might need additional work, due to inadequate Y2K testing and preparation programs, the GAO testimony concluded. All NRC licensees, including nuclear power plants, are required to have contingency plans in place in case unforeseen problems do arise from the Y2K bug. The GAO says these plans, like the actual Y2K remediation, have not been adequately verified. "While the nuclear power plants have reportedly completed Y2K contingency plans, it is unclear as to whether these facilities have validated their plans," Willemssen and Rhodes testified. "While NRC's assessment ... included questions on whether the facility validated contingency plans, NRC has not summarized the results of each question from all plants and therefore does not know how many plants responded affirmatively that they had indeed tested their plans. Further, NRC did not assess how the plans were being validated." In December 1998, the Washington, DC based nuclear watchdog group Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) petitioned the NRC to perform emergency planning exercises to confirm that nuclear plants are prepared for the possible failure of their computer systems due to Y2K. The NRC denied this petition, saying that nuclear power plants are already required to
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) GLOBAL NUCLEAR DUMP DOWN UNDER MEETS RESISTANCE COMMON INSECTICIDE FOUND HIGHLY RISKY IN NEW REVIEW AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 28, 1999 E-WIRE [rebuttal] * Dow AgroSciences Comments on Preliminary EPA Risk Assessment For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** GLOBAL NUCLEAR DUMP DOWN UNDER MEETS RESISTANCE By Bob Burton CANBERRA, Australia, October 28, 1999 (ENS) - A deep geologic repository for permanent isolation of nuclear waste that would accept radioactive material from every country of the world sounds like a good idea for countries that want to get rid of their waste, but it does not sound so good to Australians. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-28-02.html *** COMMON INSECTICIDE FOUND HIGHLY RISKY IN NEW REVIEW By Cat Lazaroff WASHINGTON, DC, October 28, 1999 (ENS) - A common, popular insecticide used on crops, lawns and Christmas trees poses higher risks to human health and the environment than previously believed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency revealed Wednesday .. Chlorpyrifos, the active ingredient in Dursban* and Lorsban* insecticides, trademarked names of Dow AgroSciences LLC, is a broad-spectrum, organophosphate insecticide first registered in the United States in 1965 The report notes that previous studies have shown that 82 percent of American adults and 92 percent of children studied have traces of the chemical in their urine. ... Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-28-06.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 28, 1999 Sulphuric Acid Spill in Oklahoma Forces Evacuation $68 Million Will Protect Great Plains Prairies Invasive Grass Threatens Prairies, Global Climate Cook Inlet Beluga Whales Called Depleted Comments Needed on Navy Long Range Sonar Suit Seeks Halt to Hatchery Fish Slaughter Chronic Poacher Loses Fishing Licenses - Forever Cape May Refuge Gains 460 New Acres Sprawl Threatens California Desert Parks Home Depot Vendors Support Wood Policy Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics on above topics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-28-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO BUSINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS: Dow AgroSciences Comments on Preliminary EPA Risk Assessment INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 28 -/E-Wire/-- The following is commentary from Dow AgroSciences on preliminary EPA risk assessment: It has come to our attention that a group of activists has been attempting to mischaracterize a preliminary EPA risk assessment on our insect control product chlorpyrifos. This group is apparently contacting news organizations in an effort to generate publicity. The documents this group is attempting to draw attention to are preliminary and have been made available by EPA for public comment during the next 60 days. Our review of this preliminary assessment has found both numerous errors and omissions of critical data which skew the assessment's findings and artificially inflate its estimates of risk. /CONTACT: Garry Hamlin of Dow AgroSciences LLC, 317-337-4799/ /Web site: http://www.dowagro.com/ For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Oct99/28Oct9901.html *** Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1991-1999. All Rights Reserved. Send comments and newsworthy information to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) GLOBAL WARMING COULD FLOOD MANHATTAN, TOKYO FREED LAB ANIMALS JUMPSTART GORE CAMPAIGN AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 19, 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com GLOBAL WARMING COULD FLOOD MANHATTAN, TOKYO GLAND, Switzerland, October 19, 1999 (ENS) - The consequences of global warming for the United States include the flooding of New York City, Boston and Miami, the World Wide Fund For Nature warns. The Japanese cities Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya also face the risk of flooding. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-19-02.html FREED LAB ANIMALS JUMPSTART GORE CAMPAIGN By Catherine Lazaroff WASHINGTON, DC, October 19, 1999 (ENS) - After five months of negotiations and highly visible campaigning, animal rights activists have won major concessions from the federal government over the use of animals in chemical safety testing. The agreement announced last week could save the lives of hundreds of thousands of laboratory animals, and offer a needed boost to the troubled presidential campaign of Vice President Al Gore. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-19-06.html ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 19, 1999 Presidential Panel Recommends Resumed Bombing at Vieques WASHINGTON, DC, October 19, 1999 (ENS) - A Presidential panel has recommended that the U.S. military be allowed to resume training exercises on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques, including the firing of live ammunition and bombing runs. Training on the Navy property was shut down in April, after a bomb released by a Marine pilot went astray and killed a Puerto Rican guard. The panel also recommended Monday that the 58 year old range be permanently shut down in five years. Hillary campaigning in New York with a large Spanish population says "not". Meetings Seek Public Comment on Bioengineered Foods WASHINGTON, DC, October 19, 1999 (ENS) - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold a series of public meetings this fall to address concerns about bioengineered foods. The meetings are part of a new initiative to gather public input on FDA policies regarding modified foods. At the public meetings, the public will be informed about current FDA policy for assuring the safety of bioengineered foods, and asked whether this policy should be modified. The FDA is also interested in finding new ways to provide information to the public about bioengineered products in U.S. foods. The public meetings will be held: November 18 in Chicago, Illinois, from 9 am to 6 pm at One Prudential Plaza; November 30 in Washington, DC, from 10 am to 7 pm at the Grand Hyatt Washington; December 13 in Oakland, California, from 9 am to 6 pm at the Elihu Harris State Office Building. Plum Creek Takes I-90 Land Exchange to Court SPOKANE, Washington, October 19, 1999 (ENS) - Lawyers representing Plum Creek Timber have asked that the I-90 Land Exchange, in western Washington state, be endorsed by the courts. In legal documents filed Thursday in federal district court in Spokane, Plum Creek attorneys said land swap opponents may sue to block the deal, and asked the court to rule on its legality now. The company claims opposition from environmentalists is causing expensive delays, and asked that the environmental groups be forced to pay the companys costs. "This is bizarre," said Janine Blaeloch, director of the Seattle based Western Land Exchange Project, which opposes the exchange. "Plum Creek is trying to portray itself as a victim when they have bullied, manipulated and engineered every step of the proposed I-90 Land Exchange for the last three years. Blaeloch said Plum Creeks legal filing is a form of a "SLAPP suit" - a strategic lawsuit against public participation - designed to circumvent the publics right to protection under U.S. environmental laws. Fire Kills One, Burns Homes in California REDDING, California, October 18, 1999 (ENS) - A 25,000 acre fire has destroyed as many as 100 structures in Jones Valley, near Redding, California. No injuries from the fire have been reported, but a female volunteer firefighter died after being struck by a fire vehicle. The fire, known as the Jones fire, started in the Shasta Lake campground. California state officials believe an unmonitored campfire was the source of the fire. There are more than 1,000 firefighters battling the blaze, which continues to threaten property and lives. Some 2,500 residents have evacuated from the nearby communities of Millville, Jones Valley and Palo Cedro. Government Spends Millions to Buy Back Coal Leases WASHINGTON, DC, October 19, 1999 (ENS) - The federal government plans to pay PacifiCorp $5.5 million for the companys federal coal leases in the Grand
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) News October 8, 1999
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** GE SQUEEZED INTO $250M PCB CLEANUP WASHINGTON, DC, October 8, 1999 (ENS) - General Electric Company has agreed to spend an estimated $250 million to clean up the Housatonic River, polluted by decades of hazardous chemical discharges from its plant in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The settlement, announced Thursday, finalizes cleanup and reclamation plans that the company has been negotiating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Justice and state officials for more than a year. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-08-06.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 8, 1999 Environmentalists Split on Gore Presidential Campaign ...But not all environmental groups support Gore. Last month, Friends of the Earth, the largest international network of environmental groups in the world, threw its weight behind former Senator Bill Bradley, Gores rival for the Democratic presidential nomination. The group said Bradley was more effective in pushing environmental causes than Gore. Kennedy said the New York event was a chance for the environmental community to show their united support for the vice president. Protection for National Forest Roadless Areas Imminent WASHINGTON, DC, October 8, 1999 (ENS) - President Bill Clinton may announce as early as next week plans to protect up to 40 million acres of national forest land in 35 states from commercial development, White House sources say. Clinton is reported to be preparing a directive to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to draft an environmental analysis of ways to protect roadless, undeveloped areas within the nations national forests. A senior White House official said Clinton may make the announcement next Wednesday during a visit to the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. Report Tells Congress "Too Many Boats, Too Few Fish" WASHINGTON, DC, October 8, 1999 (ENS) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sent a report to Congress Thursday analyzing federal fishing industry subsidies. The report is intended to guide legislative efforts to support sustainable fishing. The U.S. is spearheading international efforts to deal with the global problem of "too many fishing boats chasing too few fish," NOAA says. NOAA Fisheries managers are working to reduce the overload of fishing boats in many domestic marine fisheries. "One of the greatest concerns for the future of the world's oceans is overharvesting of marine resources. UN Says Poverty Threatens Environment in Americas NEW YORK, New York, October 8, 1999 (ENS) - A new United Nations Environmental Fund (UNEP) report says concern for the environment has increased in the Americas over the last decade, but the region still faces two major challenges: urban pollution, and the depletion of forest resources. The report, entitled "Global Environmental Outlook 2000" (GEO-2000), says that while many new institutions and policies have been put in place to protect the environment, these changes have not yet improved environmental management. Almost three quarters of the region's population lives in cities with severe air pollution and waste disposal problems. Forest cover in Latin America and the Caribbean is diminishing. The report identifies deforestation as a major threat to biological diversity in the region, which is home to 40 percent of the world's plant and animal species. UNEP estimates that 1,244 vertebrate species are now in danger of extinction. Hurricane Floyd Damage Reaching Record Levels WASHINGTON, DC, October 8, 1999 (ENS) - The price tag for Hurricane Floyd is starting to add up as one of the most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history. Just weeks after the storm blew ashore September 17 in North Carolina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has already dedicated more than $200 million for federal aid in 10 states. More than 100,000 people have registered for federal disaster aid, with more than half of the applications coming from victims in North Carolina. The U.S. Small Business Administration, which provides low interest loans for homeowners and business owners, has approved more than $12 million in loans in North Carolina alone. Hurricane Floyd affected an unprecedented 10 states with terrible flooding and will go down in history as one of the most widespread and costliest U.S. disasters," said FEMA director James Lee Witt. In North Carolina, where almost 18,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, FEMA has
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) News October 7, 1999
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: SOUTH POLE OZONE HOLE SMALLER THAN LAST YEAR WASHINGTON, DC, October 7, 1999 (ENS) - It is a small difference between this year and last, but the ozone hole over the Antarctic appears to be shrinking. A satellite flown by the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) has shown that the area of ozone depletion over the South Pole is 700,000 square miles smaller now than it was at this time in 1998. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-07-03.html *** CLIMATE CHANGE CONTROL CHEAPER BY THE HALF-DOZEN CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, October 7, 1999 (ENS) - Reducing emissions of all six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol might cost 60 percent less than trying to curb carbon dioxide (CO2) alone. New research concludes that a strategy that controls the multiple gases associated with global warming would be more effective and cheaper than focusing on CO2, as many industrialized nations have done. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-07-07.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 7, 1999 Grand Canyon Air to be Cleared of Power Plant Emissions Oil and Gas Exploration Getting Cleaner Peregrine Falcons Available to Falconers Federal Salmon Management Gets Failing Grade Alaska Watches for Radiation from Japan Weather Supercomputer Catches Fire Did Edgar Allan Poe Die of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning? Washington Groundwater Contaminated by Agriculture Tank Ship Fined $40,000 for Environmental Violation Animal Activists Paint Fur Farm Foxes Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/oct99/1999L-10-07-09.html GRAND CANYON AIR TO BE CLEARED OF POWER PLANT EMISSIONS PHOENIX, Arizona, October 7, 1999 (ENS) - More than 30,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and other pollutants will be removed from Southwestern skies each year thanks to an agreement announced Wednesday to install $300 million worth of pollution control equipment at the Mohave Power Plant. Mohave is a 1,580 megawatt, coal fired power plant located in Laughlin, Nevada, 75 miles west of Grand Canyon National Park. The agreement settles a 1998 lawsuit brought against Southern California Edison and three other owners of the plant by the Grand Canyon Trust, Sierra Club, and National Parks and Conservation Association. Under the agreement, which must be approved by the Federal District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, the plant will install dry scrubbers to reduce its 40,000 tons of annual sulfur dioxide emissions by a minimum of 85 percent. The settlement also requires the installation of a baghouse - a giant fabric filter - to reduce the plant's visible emissions. Nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions will be curtailed by the installation of new burners in the plant's two boilers. Construction of the pollution controls will take about 3 1/2 years, with the plant required to meet the new emission limits by the end of 2005. PEREGRINE FALCONS AVAILABLE TO FALCONERS WASHINGTON, DC, October 7, 1999 (ENS) - The U.S. Fish Wildlife Service (USFWS) plans to prepare two peregrine falcon management plans to assure the continued protection of the birds, which were removed from the federal endangered species list in August. The joint state/federal plans will govern the capture of wild peregrine falcons for use by falconers and others. "The delisting of the peregrine falcon is a testament to the Endangered Species Act and to years of effort by the biologists, conservationists, citizens and faloners who have made it work," said USFWS director Jamie Rappaport Clark. "We want to ensure that their hard work endures by setting management strategies that sustain peregrine falcons and keep them from returning to the endangered species list." Falconers were instrumental in creating captive breeding and release programs for peregrine falcons, and played a large part in the species recovery after the U.S. banned the pesticide DDT, which had affected the peregrines reproduction Public suggestions for the management plans are welcome until November 12, 1999. Contact the Office of Migratory Bird Management at 703-358-1714. * * * FEDERAL SALMON MANAGEMENT GETS FAILING GRADE SEATTLE, Washington, October 7, 1999 (ENS) - Federal dam managers have failed this year to meet salmon recovery goals required by the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the Snake and Columbia Rivers, the environmental group American Rivers said Wednesday. The group released a 1999 report card for Northwestern managers, examining water quantity and water temperature goals for salmon recovery. All stocks of Snake River salmon and steelhead are listed
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: States ranked in war against sprawl -- In the struggle against sprawl, Maryland, Oregon, Rhode Island and Virginia are leading all other states, according to a Sierra Club report released Monday. Their examples, the activist group said, should provide lessons to the dozens of states that rated "not effective" when it comes to preserving green areas, preventing traffic jams and protecting communities. (MSNBC) ~ Environmentalists, Unions Unveil New Alliance -- Labor unions and environmental activists -- often bitter foes in the battle over natural resources -- announced a new alliance Monday to fight rogue corporations and 'misguided' international trade pacts like the World Trade Organization (WTO). (Reuters) ~ Toxics found in snowcaps -- Scientists testing the snowcaps from the coastal mountains to the Rockies have found large concentrations of toxic chemicals -- including PCBs, linked to birth defects and reproductive problems. (Associated Press) ~ Floyd's Toxic Wake -- It's been more than two weeks since Hurricane Floyd trampled North Carolina. In many towns people are beginning to put their lives back together, but in other areas flooding has barely retreated. And more rains didn't help. The standing water and saturated earth have left officials with huge public health problems. (Living on Earth) ~ Extinction warning for freshwater species -- The most endangered species in North America are those living in fresh water, according to a Canadian study. (BBC) also: MASS EXTINCTION OF FRESHWATER CREATURES FORECAST HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Canada, October 4, 1999 (ENS) - The first estimate of extinction rates of North America's freshwater animals, just released, has found they are the most endangered species group on the continent. The Canadian study warns that the U.S. could lose most of its freshwater species in the next century if steps are not taken to protect them. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-10-04-02.html Golf Course Erodes Support (part 1) -- The Great Lakes boast some of the finest beaches in the country... and more and more developers are snapping up lake shore property to build everything from condominiums to golf courses. But coastline development presents some challenges and potential risks to the lakes. In the first of a two part series, the Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Wendy Nelson reports on one small community that's struggling with change. (Great Lakes Radio Consortium) Noise Pollution -- Donna Wiench of member station KPLU reports from Olympic National Park in Washington State, that the National Park Service is increasingly concerned about the noises humans are introducing into previously quiet, natural environments. Not only do the noises bother people who are seeking peace and quiet, but they adversely affect, and even endanger, wildlife. What to do about the noise pollution will be addressed in the new Park Service management policies expected later this month. (NPR) Stories on the web at: http://www.envirolink.org/environews/ ~ GROWING BIOTECH INDUSTRY PROMPTS INDEPENDENT REVIEW WASHINGTON, DC, October 4, 1999 (ENS) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reached an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to undertake an independent scientific review of USDA's regulatory process for biotechnology derived plants. NAS will establish a standing committee of about 15 members for ongoing reviews of the USDA process. In its first year, the committee will examine the environmental impacts of commercializing transgenic plants and how best to assess and mitigate those risks. "We need to embrace the potential of biotechnology, but with sound science as our guide," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. Last Thursday, Glickman announced USDA grants totaling $1.3 million for research on the environmental effects and risks associated with agricultural biotechnology. "These research projects will provide government, industry, and consumers with valuable additional information on the effect of introducing genetically modified organisms into the environment," Glickman said. Six universities and the USDAs own Agricultural Research Service will get grants to study topics ranging from the evolution of insect adaptations to crops modified for pest resistance, to the spread of modified genes from domestic to wild plants. More information about the grants and USDA's Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program is available online at: http://www.reeusda.gov/crgam/biotechrisk/biotech.htm ~ BIOLOGISTS CATCH BIRDS TO STUDY RARE VIRUS WASHINGTON, DC, October 4, 1999 (ENS) - Wildlife biologists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are studying the West Nile like virus
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS:(ENS) News September 30, 1999
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** JAPANESE CRITICAL NUCLEAR ACCIDENT CONTROLLED TOKAI, Japan, October 1, 1999 (ENS) - Japanese emergency crews have brought under control a nuclear chain reaction resulting from an accident Thursday morning at the JCO Co. uranium processing plant in Tokaimura village, Ibaraki Prefecture. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-30-04.html *** Y2K OR NOT, RUSSIAN NUKE PLANTS NEED SAFETY UPGRADES WASHINGTON, DC, September 30, 1999 (ENS) - Nuclear accidents in Russia will be no more likely than usual due to the Year 2000 (Y2K) computer bug, the U.S. Department of Energy has concluded. But there are still Y2K issues with some power plant systems that could pose safety problems, according to testimony presented to the Senate Y2K committee on Tuesday. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-30-06.html *** EUROPE'S ELECTRONICS FIRMS UNWILLING TO GET THE LEAD OUT BRUSSELS, Belgium, September 30, 1999 (ENS) - Electronics manufacturers in Europe say they need to use some toxic materials such as cadmium, lead and mercury and a proposed ban in five years would hurt the industry. Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily Website: http://www.ends.co.uk/envdaily } For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-30-02.html *** DEA DRUG HAWKS SWOOP DOWN ON BIRDSEED DETROIT, Michigan, September 30, 1999 (ENS) - The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized a tractor trailer of sterilized Canadian hemp seed on its way to a large U.S. company that has been selling hemp birdseed blends for years. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-30-03.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 30, 1999 Enviros Uncover Nations Dirtiest Oil Refineries EDF obtained toxic chemical release data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the states or the facilities themselves. EDF then identified which of the country's 144 refineries with complete pollution data produced the most and least pollution per barrel of oil processed. "No state should be a pollution haven for dirty refineries. Every refinery in the nation should be working to prevent pollution and protect neighborhoods," said Lois Epstein, EDF senior engineer. "With just a few mouse clicks on EDF's new website, the public can learn how nearby refineries rank in terms of preventing pollution. Refinery neighbors also can find out about strategies that minimize pollution, such as reduced flaring of gases, energy-saving distillation processes, and using cleaner crude as a raw material." The state by state and facility by facility rankings are available on the new EDF Community Guide website at: http://www.edf.org/communityguides Animal Testing May Cost Gore Support, Actor Warns LOS ANGELES, California, September 30, 1999 (ENS) - Actor Alec Baldwin, a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and a longtime fundraiser for the Democratic Party, is threatening to lead an all star defection from Vice President Al Gores presidential campaign over Gores support of chemical tests on animals. Last fall, Gore asked the EPA to fast track a program requiring chemical companies to perform risk assessments of thousands of common chemicals and disclose their toxicity to the public. Many of the chemicals are already known to be hazardous. Millions of rabbits, ducks, mice and other animals will be treated with chemicals and killed as part of the testing program. Groundwater Protected on Island in Maine ISLESBORO, Maine, September 30, 1999 (ENS) - The island of Islesboro has been designated a Sole Source Aquifer in an attempt by the EPA to protect the community's drinking water supply. Islesboro, off the central coast of Maine with a population of about 1,000 in the winter and twice that in summer. Sole source aquifer designations are made to protect drinking water supplies in areas with few or no alternative sources, and where any available alternative would be very expensive. The designation protects an aquifer by requiring EPA review of any proposed projects Biosensor Could Reduce Food Poisoning Risks ATLANTA, Georgia, September 30, 1999 (ENS) - Scientists
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS (ENS) News September 29, 1999
And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) ARABIAN GULF TURNING HOT, OILY, SALTY ENERGY WATER FUNDING BILL CLEARS CONGRESS AAA SMOG DECLINE CLAIM CHALLENGED BY FACTS PANAMA STRUGGLES TO PROTECT SAN LORENZO FOREST AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 29, 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** ARABIAN GULF TURNING HOT, OILY, SALTY By Sudeshna Sarkar DOHA, Qatar, September 29, 1999 (ENS) - Shoals of fish are dying in the northern part of the Arabian Gulf as the salt level soars and the water temperature rises to a blistering 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit). A leading Arab environmental organisation warns that this is the result of the global warming compounded by indiscriminate dumping of waste water in the region by oil companies and unchecked oil seepage into this body of water, also known as the Persian Gulf. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-29-03.html *** ENERGY WATER FUNDING BILL CLEARS CONGRESS WASHINGTON, DC, September 29, 1999 (ENS) - The U.S. Senate has approved the final version of the Fiscal Year 2000 energy and water appropriations bill, clearing the measure for review by President Bill Clinton. The $21.3 billion budget bill is expected to avoid a presidential veto, despite White House threats to axe spending bills that include Republican sponsored anti-environmental riders. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-29-06.html *** AAA SMOG DECLINE CLAIM CHALLENGED BY FACTS WASHINGTON, DC, September 29, 1999 (ENS) - Federal regulators should refocus efforts to cut air pollution away from automobiles, the motorists advocacy group AAA said today. Smog from motor vehicles has declined much faster than pollution from other sources, and AAA says its time to give drivers and automakers a break - and concentrate on power plants and factories instead. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-29-07.html *** PANAMA STRUGGLES TO PROTECT SAN LORENZO FOREST By Diane Jukofsky EL DORADO, Panama, September 29, 1999 (ENS) - It will all be over by noon on December 31, 1999. All Panama Canal lands and buildings once managed by the United States, some 265,000 acres, will have reverted to Panama in fulfillment of a 1977 treaty signed by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-29-04.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 29, 1999 Baltimore Water Pollution Brings Multimillion Dollar Settlement Shark Finning Ban Sought by House Bill Stolen West Virginia Salamanders Returned Safely Superfund Bill Emphasizes Protection for Children Nuclear Activists Question Junk Science Grants High Climbing Activist Protests Oil Project Washington Court Upholds Voluntary Air Agreement Bill Proposes Controversial Arizona Conservation Area Real Goods + Whole Foods = Profits Home Depot Completes Hawaii Brownfields Cleanup Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-29-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATIONAL EDITORS: IFAW Helps Purchase Southernmost Point in Canada; Acquisition Protects Critical Habitat for 35 Endangered Species TORONTO, Sept. 29 -/E-Wire/-- Representatives of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) took part in a ceremony today to celebrate the purchase of Middle Island, Canada's southernmost point. IFAW's significant contribution of $368,000 (Cdn) helped The Nature Conservancy of Canada purchase the island, home to 35 endangered species. /CONTACT: Patrick R. Ramage, Director of Public Affairs, 508-744-2071, or Laurie Kingston, Communications Coordinator, 613-852-0589, or Spencer Ferron-Tripp, Information Officer, 613-241-8996, ext. 25, all of the International Fund for Animal Welfare/ /Web site: http://www.ifaw.org/ For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept99/29Sept9904.html Copyright Environment News Service (ENS)
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) News September 23, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) SEVEN MILLION TIRES ABLAZE IN CALIFORNIA BUSINESS COSTS FOR AIR PERMITS LOWER THAN FORECAST AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 23, 1999 E-WIRE * Millions of Children Exposed to Life-Threatening Air Pollution For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** SEVEN MILLION TIRES ABLAZE IN CALIFORNIA MODESTO, California, September 23, 1999 (ENS) - An enormous tire fire is burning in Stanislaus County 20 miles west of Modesto. Seven million tires covering 35 acres are ablaze sending a thick cloud of black smoke straight up about 3,000 feet into the air. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-23-03.html *** BUSINESS COSTS FOR AIR PERMITS LOWER THAN FORECAST ATLANTA, Georgia, September 23, 1999 (ENS) - Federal clean air regulations cost companies less than industry estimates, and may actually save businesses time and money, a new study reveals. The Georgia Institute of Technology research is believed to be the first detailed examination of business costs involved in applying for permits under Title V of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-23-06.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 23, 1999 Alaska Wildlife Wetland Donated to Izembek Refuge In the largest conservation gift ever in Alaska, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and The Conservation Fund have donated 8,496 acres of land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for addition to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. The donated lands, located at Morzhovoi Bay, round out the western boundary of the Izembek Refuge. "This land donation from the Goldman Fund will be an important addition to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge," said USFWS regional director Dave Allen. "Wetlands are an important habitat in Alaska, and this Refuge is a large marine lagoon complex, which is extremely valuable to certain wildlife species." The lagoons, bays and marshes of Izembek, recognized as wetlands of international importance, play a critical role in maintaining healthy populations of several species of waterfowl. Summer 1999 Drier and Warmer Than Normal Summer 1999 in the United States was much drier than normal, with two states - Connecticut and Rhode Island - having their driest summer in 105 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports. The preliminary data for meteorological summer, June through August, is from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). "The average total precipitation for the contiguous United States for the period June through August was well below the long term average, falling below the long term average for the first time in eight years," said William Brown, a climatologist at NCDC. The period June through August ranked as the 22nd driest summer since 1895. The national averaged precipitation was 7.58 inches; the normal value is 8.24 inches. Mean temperature for the contiguous U.S. was well above the long term average. Almost six percent of the country was much warmer than normal, while about one percent of the country averaged much cooler than normal. Five of the last ! ! six summers have been above the long term mean. Temperatures around the world were higher than normal as well. "The global mean temperature for the period June through August 1999 was well above the long term average," said Mike Changery, a climatologist at NCDC. "In fact, for nearly every month in the past 10 years, the global mean land temperature has been above the long term (1880-1998) mean. Agreement Signed to Remove Washington Dam A voluntary agreement to remove Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in southwestern Washington state was approved Wednesday by federal and state agencies, utility representatives, the Yakama Nation and environmental groups. The agreement follows two years of negotiations between the Yakama Nation, PacifiCorp, American Rivers, State of Washington, Department of the Interior, National Marine Fisheries Service, and USDA Forest Service, over the timing and costs for dam removal. Condit was built in 1913 and provides up to 14 megawatts of electricity to customers of Portland, Oregon based PacifiCorp. Logging Halted by Bats Resumes Timber harvest will be allowed to resume on the Shingle Mill timber sale on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) following a four month moratorium prompted by the presence of endangered bats. On May 15, all commercial
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS SEPTEMBER 20, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) EUROPE TOPS BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY INDEX DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE HITS TAIWAN MILLENIUM CELEBRANTS SWARM MT. KILIMANJARO AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 21, 1999 E-WIRE * PR Watch Reports 'Greenwashing An Olympic-Sized Toxic Dump' * Health Care Without Harm: Koop Under Fire for Inaccuracies in Plastics Report For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** EUROPE TOPS BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY INDEX BRUSSELS, Belgium, September 20, 1999 (ENS) - Europe is the "clear front runner" in a new global Dow Jones index ranking companies according to sustainability principles, according to one of the organisers if the index. Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily Website: http://www.ends.co.uk/envdaily } For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-20-01.html *** DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE HITS TAIWAN TAIPEI, Taiwan, September 20, 1999 (ENS) - An earthquake measuring at least 7.6 on the Richter scale shook Taiwan early this morning, killing 270 people and injuring hundreds more. A measurement by the French National Earthquake Surveillance Network placed the strength of the quake at 8.1 on the Richter scale. In any case, it is the most severe earthquake to hit Taiwan this century. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-20-05.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 21, 1999 Supercomputer to Create Weather Forecast Models One of the fastest computer systems in the world has just been acquired by the Department of Commerce to help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) further improve existing weather forecast models and develop new ones, Commerce Secretary William Daley announced last week. The $15 million contract has been awarded to High Performance Technologies, Inc. (HPTi) of Reston, Virginia, to provide a High Performance Computing System to NOAA's Forecast Systems Laboratory, located in Boulder, Colorado Hydrogen Explosion Shuts Nebraska Nuclear Reactor A hydrogen gas explosion at the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant near Brownville, Nebraska Friday has caused the shutdown of the Nebraska Public Power District reactor. An "unusual event" was declared and area residents were notified, although no evacuations took place. The building in which the explosion happened is separate from the main reactor building. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Breck Henderson told ENS that there was no release of radioactive materials "greater than technical specification limits." Henderson said some radioactivity is present in all gases released from nuclear plants. The plant is now stable in cold shutdown mode. An electrical problem in sump pumps at the base of the plant's gas release towers caused the hydrogen explosion. This pumping system is used to remove radioactivity from the gases released into the atmosphere, so the reactor is not permitted to operate if these pumps are not in service. Public Input Not Sought in Montana Coal-Railroad Deal Ranchers in southeastern Montana's remote Tongue River Valley say Governor Marc Racicot is to blame for the impasse over the transfer to the state of $10 million in federal mineral assets, part of the 1998 federal buyout agreement for the New World gold mine near Yellowstone National Park. The Montana citizens group Northern Plains Resource Council, has released two letters signed by numerous area landowners calling on Racicot and Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt to resolve the impasse by considering assets other than the Otter Creek coal tracts in the Tongue River Valley which have been the principal subject of negotiations.. If the deadlock persists, the Otter Creek Tracts will automatically transfer to the state on January 1, 2001 under the deal approved by Congress as part of the 1998 Interior Appropriations Act. Originally line-item vetoed by President Bill Clinton, the transfer was reinstated when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled presidential line-item vetoes unconstitutional. Black Hills Proposed Wilderness Could Be Logged The public comment period closed today on the U.S. Forest Service proposal for a commercial timber sale in the Beaver Park Roadless Area in the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF). Due to extensive logging everywhere else on the BHNF, Beaver Park may be the last forested Roadless Area in South Dakota that remains eligible for wilderness designation, forest protectionists say. The proposed logging would eliminate the "wilderness" eligibility. Last year,
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: AmeriScan: September 17, 1999 http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-17-09.html CLINTON SENDS OZONE PROTECTION AMENDMENT TO SENATE President Bill Clinton has asked the Senate to ratify an amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (the "Montreal Protocol"). Under the 1987 Montreal Protocol, industrial nations have phased out the use of most ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Developing nations have begun to enforce CFC moratoriums, with the help of almost $1 billion from the Montreal Protocols Multilateral Fund. But the ozone layer remains vulnerable, the United Nations Environment Programme says. The amendment, adopted by the Ninth Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol in 1997, requires countries that have signed the Montreal Protocol to implement a licensing and export system for ozone depleting substances by January 1, 2000, and bans all imports and exports of methyl bromide, an ozone depleting pesticide. The U.S. has already implemented a domestic licensing system. ~ APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR WATER POLLUTION FINE A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that Smithfield Foods Inc. and its subsidiaries violated the Clean Water Act by discharging illegal levels of pollutants into the Pagan River in Virginia. Smithfield appealed a series of district court rulings that the company discharged illegal amounts of slaughterhouse waste into the river. Smithfield argued that the U.S. was barred from suing the company because of an agreement between Smithfield and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality allowing the company to exceed its permit limits. But the courts rejected that argument, saying the U.S. could seek penalties for violations that "had a significant impact on the environment and the public." The district court imposed a $12.6 million penalty on Smithfield, the largest fine ever under the Clean Water Act. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has now affirmed that ruling, saying Smithfields agreement with the state did not exempt the company from federal per! ! mit and clean water rules, and approved the multimillion dollar fine. ~~~` COALITION URGES COLUMBIA TO BAR OIL DRILLING An international alliance of more than 100 groups from 24 countries has sent a letter to Colombia Environment Minister Juan Mayr, urging him to reject an oil drilling license on Uwa tribal lands. The 5,000 U'wa, who have waged a six year nonviolent campaign against oil drilling on their traditional lands, have threatened mass suicide if the oil project by Los Angeles based Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) proceeds. The letter, which included signatures from the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Oilwatch, Environmental Defense Fund, Cultural Survival, and over a dozen Colombian organizations, cited serious environmental and social impacts as grounds for denying the oil license. The groups warned Mayr, recipient of the "1993 Goldman Environmental Prize," that "granting that license now is certain to lead to more bloodshed [and] will escalate the conflict with the U'wa rather than solve it." Last month, the Colombian government granted the U'wa legal title to some of thei! ! r an cestral lands. The pending license would allow Oxy to drill its first well, "Gibraltar 1" just outside the boundaries of the new U'wa reserve but within tribal lands the U'wa hold sacred. At a ceremony marking the creation of the Unified U'wa Reserve, Roberto Perez, president of the U'wa governing body, said, "As we recover part of our territory ... we request absolute respect for our position to not allow any oil exploration or production [on our traditional lands] either inside or outside the territory that has been legally recognized as ours." ~ ENERGY DEPARTMENT SPONSORS AUTO ENGINE RESEARCH The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), together with two U.S. industry partners, launched a new initiative Thursday to develop smaller, more powerful, lighter and less expensive automotive electric motor drive systems. The DOE will contribute an initial $6 million in funding, which will be matched by the private partners, for research and development on advanced traction drive motor propulsion systems which are needed to propel advanced hybrid and fuel cell vehicles. ~~ CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR SIGNS ENVIRONMENTAL BILLS California Governor Gray Davis has signed three bills this week designed to protect Californias wild lands and wildlife. One bill will make it easier for a local conservancy to purchase and protect lands around the Coachella Valley near Palms Springs. The bill makes the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy boundaries identical to those of the local area Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCP). This will allow the Conservancy to purchase land
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS SEPTEMBER 14, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) SENATE VOTES DOWN TIMBER SALE SUBSIDY CUTS TOXIC MERCURY RAINS ON U.S. MIDWEST (SEE PREVIOUS MESSAGE) FOREST CONSERVATIONISTS FIGHT TARIFF ELIMINATION AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 14, 1999 ** E-WIRE * Russia Halts First-Ever International Trade in Beluga Whale Meat, Decision * Lake Superior Hospitals Take the Lead to Eliminate Mercury in the Home Workplace * Mexico City IMPCO Convert Thousands of Vehicles to Clean the City's Air For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** SENATE VOTES DOWN TIMBER SALE SUBSIDY CUTS WASHINGTON, DC, September 14, 1999 (ENS) - The U.S. Senate today voted against a proposal to reduce taxpayer subsidized logging in Americas National Forests. Environmental groups criticized lawmakers for putting the interests of the forest industry over those of the taxpaying public and the forests themselves. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-14-07.html *** FOREST CONSERVATIONISTS FIGHT TARIFF ELIMINATION SEATTLE, Washington, September 14, 1999 (ENS) - Forest conservationists today called on Clinton administration trade negotiators to uphold United States environmental standards by immediately withdrawing one of their key agenda items for the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting scheduled to start November 30 in Seattle. The WTO Ministerial is expected to launch a new round of global trade negotiations. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-14-02.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: SEPTEMBER 14, 1999 Family of Forest Activist Sues Over Wrongful Death DuPont Plans 65% Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions $18 Million Available for Carbon Storage Proposals Energy Department Promises Faster Cleanup at Four Sites Drivers Would Pay Premium for Cleaner Vehicles Paducah Safety Shutdown Finds No Major Problems $1.2 Million Water Supply for 27 New Hampshire Homes Royal Caribbean Pays $3 Million in Los Angeles Concerns Voiced Over Manatee Winter Habitat Wetlands Grant Applications Now Online Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-14-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR: Russia Halts First-Ever International Trade in Beluga Whale Meat, Decision Heralded by Environmentalists World-Wide MOSCOW, Sept. 14 -/E-Wire/-- The Russian government has today taken swift action to halt the first-ever international commercial trade of beluga whale meat, putting a stop to the export of 200 metric tons of meat and blubber to Japan, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org) announced from its Moscow office. /CONTACT: Masha Vorontsova of IFAW, Russia, +7-095-726-5934, or Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell of IFAW, USA, 508-744-2076/ /Web site: http://www.ifaw.or For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept99/14Sept9906.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO BUSINESS, MEDICAL AND STATE EDITORS: Nine Lake Superior Hospitals Take the Lead in Binational Effort to Eliminate Mercury in the Home and in the Workplace DULUTH, Minn., Sept. 14 -/E-Wire/-- On September 16th, many health care workers in the Lake Superior basin will be bringing thermometers to work. No, there isn't a supply shortage in their hospitals. They are participating in "mercury thermometer round-ups" being held at nine hospitals around Lake Superior on Thursday, September 16. These nine hospitals and their employees are committed to reducing mercury pollution both at home and in the workplace. The round-ups have been organized to assist hospital staff with the proper disposal for the mercury fever thermometers from their home medicine chests and to replace them with non-mercury thermometers. /CONTACT: Jamie Harvie of Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, 218-722-3336, ext. 307, Jackie Hunt Christensen of Health Care Without Harm, 612-870-3424, Tony DeFalco or Molly Chidsey of National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Natural Resource Center, 734-769-3351/ /Web site: http://www.wlssd.duluth.mn.us / /Web site: http://www.noharm.org / For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS AUGUST 19, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** TURKISH DEATH TOLL RISING BY THE HOUR ISTANBUL, Turkey, August 19, 1999 (ENS) - The number of people killed in the earthquake that shook northwestern Turkey Tuesday morning is climbing by the hour as sniffer dogs and search and rescue teams from around the world frantically comb the rubble. Estimates now put the death toll close to 7,000, but it is sure to climb higher, as thousands are still missing. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-19-04.html *** FAST FLUX REACTOR RESTART ASSESSED RICHLAND, Washington, August 19, 1999 (ENS) - The Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), a unique nuclear reactor at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation could be restarted depending on the results of a year long review of the environmental impacts to be conducted by the Department of Energy (DOE). Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-19-07.html *** EXXON SUSPENDS RUSSIAN DRILLING, LAWSUIT CONTINUES MOSCOW, Russia, August 19, 1999 (ENS) - Exxon Corporation said it has suspended off-shore oil drilling at its Sakhalin project off Russia's east coast. The suspension comes after the State Ecological Committee denied approval to the plan, and in the face of a lawsuit filed this week by a consortium of Russian environmental groups. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-19-05.html *** CLIMATE RESEARCHERS OVERLOOKING SHIPS AT SEA PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania, August 19, 1999 (ENS) - New research suggests that emissions from ships may account for almost half the amount of sulfur found in the atmosphere over the worlds oceans. Previous studies have overlooked this human effect on the atmosphere, meaning current models of global climate change may be flawed. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-19-06.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: AUGUST 19, 1999 Drought Emergency Count Still Climbing Lawsuit Charges Encirclement Nets Not Dolphin Safe Alaska Gets Worlds Largest Fuel Cell System Center for Renewable Energy Launched in Alaska Pennsylvania Fish Kill Nets $225,000 Fine for Terminix Presidential Candidates Polled on Renewable Energy Positions Plague Found in Two Texas Coyotes Trumpeter Swans Making a Comeback in Wisconsin Minnesotans Brake for Wildlife EPA Decisions Need Better Scientific Basis Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-19-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR: EPA Scientists Conduct Major Study of Lake Ontario; Newest Technology to Track and Map Invading Zebra Mussels Used RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Aug. 19 -/E-Wire/-- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientists will be mapping mussel beds, collecting lake bottom sediments and taking other samples on Lake Ontario August 22-31 to continue one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind to determine how the lake's food web has been disrupted and why commercial and sport fish populations are declining. Scientists on the EPA's research vessel, Lake Explorer, will sample 90 sites on the lake during the field trip. /CONTACT: Ann Brown, Public Affairs Specialist of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 919-541-7818/ For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/August99/19aug9901.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND INTERNATIONAL EDITORS: UNESCO Fact-Finding Team Visits Baja, Mexico to Investigate Controversial Mitsubishi Salt Plant Proposal Pristine Laguna San Ignacio is Proposed Site for World's Largest Salt Evaporation Factory MEXICO CITY, Aug. 19 -/E-Wire/-- An international team appointed by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific Cultural Organization)
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS (ENS) NEWS AUGUST 16, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** CLINTON ADDRESSES WATER POLLUTION WITH NEW PLAN WASHINGTON, DC, August 16 1999 (ENS) - Forty percent of the surveyed rivers, lakes and coastal waterways in the United States are too polluted for safe fishing and swimming. To put cleanup on a faster track, President Bill Clinton used his weekly radio address Saturday to propose a new rule that will get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) working with the states to develop detailed plans to make the waters safer. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-16-01.html *** THE AIR YOU BREATHE CAN KILL YOU ATLANTA, Georgia, August 16, 1999 (ENS) - Healthy adults are facing previously unsuspected threats from air pollution. Tiny particles can zoom through human lungs up to two times faster and penetrate more deeply than assumed before, a University of Delaware scientist says. Children and the elderly are at even greater risk. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-16-06.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: AUGUST 16, 1999 Oil Development Suspended off California Coast Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has suspended all California off shore oil leases for 90 days, pending a review by federal and state authorities. In a letter to the California Coastal Commission, Babbitt explained that the suspension will allow time for authorities to determine the appropriateness of developing 40 tracts on the Outer Continental Shelf. Oil companies Leased the tracts about 31 years ago, at a cost of $1.2 billion. One million barrels of oil could be pumped from the area if the leases are allowed to be developed. *** Arizona, Pennsylvania Join Drought Emergency Ranks On Friday, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman declared all of Pennsylvania and 13 counties in Arizona as agricultural disaster areas due to drought. The declaration makes farmers in those areas and all adjoining counties eligible for emergency low-interest loans and other assistance to help cover losses from the drought. Glickman transferred funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) budget to the Emergency Loan Program. "Demand for USDA's Emergency Farm Loans, the low-interest loans used to assist farmers who have been hit by the drought and other disasters, is up dramatically this year. We have already made nearly $287 million in Emergency Loans so far this year, an increase of 222 percent over last year, Glickman said." Glickman waived restrictions on grazing and haying on land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program in certain areas, so that farmers can use more land. Emergency haying and grazing will be permitted in 23 counties in Pennsylvania, 18 counties ! ! in O hio, and Frederick County, Maryland. "I have seen first-hand the tremendous farm damage caused by this severe drought," said Glickman. "Some farmers are threatened by losses up to 50 percent of production." Glickman announced $5 million in new Emergency Conservation funds for drought-stricken West Virginia. !*** Nuclear Plant Fire Barriers Will be Burnable The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to eliminate a requirement that nuclear power plant fire barrier penetration seal material be non-combustible. The NRC says non-burnable fire seals do not contribute significantly to safety. The NRC requires that nuclear power plants be protected with multiple safety barriers. Plants are divided into separate fire areas by fire-rated structural barriers designed to contain a fire and prevent its spread to other areas. Special fire barriers consisting of silicone foam are used to seal openings between fire barriersThe proposed rule change is posted on the NRC's homepage at: http://ruleforum.llnl.gov. The NRC will accept public comments on the proposal for the next 75 days. *** Fluorescent Lights in Schools Leak PCBS The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investigating a leak of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from fluorescent lights in an Oregon school. Teachers at the Wilsonville School contacted the EPA about a June 10 fire in the housing of a schoolroom's fluorescent light. PCBs are persistent organic pollutants that can accumulate in the blood and increase the risk of some types of cancer, diabetes, and liver disease. Although PCBs are no longer manufactured in the United States, people can still be exposed to them in the environment and
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS AUGUST 17, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) KILLER EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY CLAIMS 1,100 YELLOWSTONE WINTER PLAN FAVORS PEOPLE, NOT BISON PROTECTON LABOR DAY PIGEON SHOOT CALLED OFF "SECRETS AND LIES" EXPOSES NEW ZEALAND LOGGING SCANDAL CANADA CREATES THREE NEW NATIONAL PARKS AMERISCAN: AUGUST 17, 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** KILLER EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY CLAIMS 1,100 ISTANBUL, Turkey, August 17, 1999 (ENS) - At least 1,100 people are dead and many more are injured and missing after a major earthquake, measuring as much as 7.8 on the Richter Scale struck just after midnight today. Preliminary recordings of the earthquake's strength by different monitoring centres put its magnitude at between 6.8 and 7.8 on the Richter scale, but by any measurement it is the strongest quake ever recorded there. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-17-02.html *** YELLOWSTONE WINTER PLAN FAVORS PEOPLE, NOT BISON PROTECTON YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, August 17, 1999 (ENS) - The National Park Service posted a court ordered environmental impact statement (EIS) on winter recreation in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks on the Internet on Sunday. Environmental groups say the agency has missed a golden opportunity to put wildlife first in Americas parks. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-17-06.html *** CANADA CREATES THREE NEW NATIONAL PARKS OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, August 16, 1999 (ENS) - An agreement between the governments of Canada and the country's newest territory Nunavut has created a new national park called Sirmilik on northern Baffin Island. The territory of Nunavut in the eastern Arctic created on April 1, 1998 is inhabited primarily by native Inuit people. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-16-03.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: AUGUST 17, 1999 Longest Sentence Ever for Environmental Crimes A Florida man convicted of dumping waste into Tampas sewer system and waterways has been handed the longest prison sentence ever given in a federal environmental case. Gary Benkovitz, also known as Gary Blake, was sentenced Monday to 13 years in prison for environmental crimes he committed from 1990 through 1998 as the owner of Bay Drum and Steel, a company that buys and reconditions 55 gallon drums. In March, Benkovitz pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to charges that he ordered his employees to discharge hazardous waste, including pesticides, heavy metals and toxic solvents, into a storm sewer that empties into McKay Bay near Tampa. ~ Ford Opens Hydrogen Fueling Station (see URL below for this story) Ford Motor Co. opened Americas first hydrogen fueling station Monday at its research facility in Dearborn, Michigan. The $1.5 million fuel station provides both liquid and gaseous hydrogen, and will allow tests of fueling technology including nozzles and storage. Ford is expected to spend more than $1 billion on alternative fuel research over the next five years, including $400 million on hydrogen based projects. Ford and other automakers have pledged to bring fuel cell powered cars to market by 2004. The fuel station will help Ford test its P2000 fuel cell prototype car, which uses hydrogen and water in a chemical reaction to generate electricity for an electric motor. ~ Suit Attacks Pollution From Cement Kilns The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit Monday aimed at cutting the amount of harmful chemicals spewed into the air by cement kilns. The suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says although cement kilns are among Americas worst polluters, the federal government has done little to control the pollution they discharge. Sierra Club has asked a federal appeals court to force the EPA to place stricter limits on the kilns emissions of mercury and other toxins. "Cement kilns foul our air, land and food," says Jane Williams, vice chair of Sierra Clubs National Waste Committee. "The government has been asleep at the wheel, letting the cement industry pollute as much as they can." In 1990, Congress passed amendments to the Clean Air Act requiring the EPA to set rules governing pollution from cement kilns. ~~ 1,500 MTBE Spills in New York Prompt Lawsuit A report released Monday by Lewis Saul Associates, a
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS AUGUST 13, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) IOWA VOTERS WANT AN ENVIRONMENTAL PRESIDENT CANADIAN NATIVES WIN CHURCHILL POWER PROJECT EIS SEA WATER IRRIGATES CROPS, COOLS BUILDINGS U.S. CRACKS DOWN ON HAZMAT RAIL SHIPMENTS AMERISCAN: AUGUST 13, 1999 E-WIRE * National Public Lands Day - September 25th; Nationwide 'Work Day' Expects 1000s For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** IOWA VOTERS WANT AN ENVIRONMENTAL PRESIDENT WASHINGTON, DC, August 13, 1999 (ENS) - A poll released today by the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund shows that Iowa voters are more likely to support presidential candidates who favor strong environmental protections. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-13-07.html *** CANADIAN NATIVES WIN CHURCHILL POWER PROJECT EIS By Bill Eggertson QUEBEC CITY, Quebec, Canada, August 13, 1999 (ENS) - Construction of one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the world has been stalled due to environmental protests by native peoples in Canada. A map of the proposed project is online at: http://www.churchill.ca/english/Maps/ For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-13-01.html *** SEA WATER IRRIGATES CROPS, COOLS BUILDINGS KEAHOLE POINT, Hawaii, August 13, 1999 (ENS) - A unique form of renewable energy is being used in Hawaii to irrigate crops. Cold salt water from the depths of the Pacific Ocean is being pumped into a field at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii on the Big Island to provide the plants with water. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-13-02.html *** U.S. CRACKS DOWN ON HAZMAT RAIL SHIPMENTS ST. LOUIS, Missouri, August 13, 1999 (ENS) - A St. Louis shipping company that failed to register hazardous material shipments for nearly five years pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony charges. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) used the case to send a signal to all shippers that illegal shipments of hazardous materials will not be tolerated. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-13-06.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: AUGUST 13, 1999 Governors Adopt Smart Growth Policy Petitions for Y2K Precautions at Nuclear Plants Denied UN Team Heads to Mitsubishi Saltworks Site Grocery Chain Bans Threatened Fish Water Agreement Promotes Long Term Planning EPA Cites 36 Companies for CFC Violations Websites Offer Information on Fish, Pesticides, Toxins When a Tree Falls, Carbon Dioxide Rises Introduced Bugs Fail to Control Knapweed Volunteers Build Washington Wastewater Plant Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-13-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND FEATURES EDITORS: National Public Lands Day - September 25th; Thousands Expected for Nationwide 'Work Day' WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 -/E-Wire/-- Public apathy will be nowhere in sight when some 30,000 eager volunteers team up with federal agency staff at 150 locations nationwide to repair public land trails, picnic areas, camp sites and more. Nearly $3 million in projects and improvements will be contributed through their labor and through the generosity of numerous business and agency sponsors. This year Toyota is the national sponsor of National Public Lands Day, an event in its fourth year that is coordinated by The National Environmental Education Training Foundation. "Toyota is proud to help sponsor this program to preserve our nation's public lands," said James R. Olson, senior vice president, external and regulatory affairs, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. "In addition to our sponsorship, we're inviting our employees, their families and friends from around the country to roll up their sleeves and join the volunteer effort on September 25th." /CONTACT: Derek Young of The National Environmental Education Training Foundation, 202-628-8200 ext.23 or [EMAIL PROTECTED]/ For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/August99/13aug9901.html ~ Copyright Environment News
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS AUGUST 11, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) SAFETY REGULATIONS VIOLATED AT NUCLEAR REACTORS ACROSS U.S. MINE WASTES PNG RIVERS, GLOBAL BAN URGED AMERISCAN: AUGUST 11, 1999 E-WIRE * Airtech Filt Removes 99% of All Airborne Contamination Inside Automobiles * New Glenro Fume Oxidizer Efficiently Destroys Multiple VOCs Environmental Support Solutions Re-Purchased by Founder; Becomes Internet Environmental Compliance Vortal For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** SAFETY REGULATIONS VIOLATED AT NUCLEAR REACTORS ACROSS U.S. WASHINGTON, DC, August 11, 1999 (ENS) - Safety has been compromised at nuclear reactors throughout the United States, with more than 90 percent of the country's reactors run in violation of government safety regulations over the last three years, a study by the Washington, DC based watchdog group Public Citizen has found. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-11-06.html *** MINE WASTES PNG RIVERS, GLOBAL BAN URGED PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea, August 11, 1999 (ENS) - The release by Australian mining company Broken Hill Proprietary of reports confirming severe environmental impacts of mine wastes dumped in Papua New Guinea's Ok Tedi River has sparked calls for a global ban of river and sea dumping of mine tailings. The Ok Tedi open-pit mine produces copper and gold. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-11-01.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: AUGUST 11, 1999 Nissan Plans Ultra Low Emission Car for 2000 Nissan North America announced Tuesday it will introduce the worlds first gasoline fueled super ultra low emission vehicle (SULEV) in the 2000 model year. A special version of the new 2000 Sentra compact sedan offers a super-efficient new catalytic converter and an improved charcoal canister that eliminates evaporative emissions from unburned fuel. ** Bioterrorism Could Threaten Crops, Citizens, Human Health Americas crops may be vulnerable to terrorist attacks through the use of biotechnology, and federal agencies are preparing to assess the possible risks to human health and the U.S. food supply. Larry Madden, a professor of plant pathology at Ohio State University, says experts need to begin identifying which pathogens would pose the greatest threat to American agriculture if used by bioterrorists. The concern is that a disease causing pathogen would devastate yields or contaminate the food supply. *** Navy Examines Impacts of Sonar System on Sea Life The U.S. Navy has released a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) addressing the possible effects on marine animals of its development and testing of an active long range sonar system (known as "LFA" or SURTASS). The proposed LFA system is designed to detect the presence of deep sea submarines by bombarding them with high intensity, low frequency noise. Sound waves striking an enemy vessel would return hundreds of nautical miles to the same boat that launched them, or to one of several specially equipped receivers stationed nearby. LFA systems are deployed by lowering a series of loudspeakers, each one just smaller than a bathtub, from a vessel's hull 300 to 500 feet down. The speakers sound in tandem, creating at several hundred meters a focused beam of intense, deep noise - a series of pure tones pitched somewhere between 100 Hz and 500 Hz, with the potential to reach over 230 decibels.The draft EIS and related information is online at: http://www.marineacoustics.! ! com/ * Agricultural Drought Emergency Spreads Like Wildfire Continuing severe drought in the Northeast is threatening crops and sparking wildfires. On Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman added all of New Jersey and 34 counties in New York to the list of agricultural disaster areas, which also includes West Virginia. The declaration makes farmers in these areas eligible for emergency, low-interest loans because of losses due to excessive heat and drought. "The farm crisis continues to present a daunting challenge to America's farmers, now being hit hard by a severe drought in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast," said President Bill Clinton. "We are responding to this drought with urgency and immediate assistance. The disaster declaration will provide needed relief to those farmers facing serious crop losses." Federal funds were also authorized Tuesday to help fight an uncontrolled fire in Orange County, New York.
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS AUGUST 5, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) COGENERATION ONLINE FOR GLOBAL POWER SURGE JAPAN TO LABEL 28 BIOTECH FOODS Y2K: BUG PROOFING U.S. POWER WATER SUPPLIES SPAIN'S STORAGE PLANS FOR NUCLEAR WASTE DRAW FLAK AMERISCAN: AUGUST 5, 1999 E-WIRE * Reuters IUCN to Award New Global Prize for Environmental Reporting * CMA Launches 'ChemicalGuide.com' to Provide Easy Access to Industry Information For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** COGENERATION ONLINE FOR GLOBAL POWER SURGE OYSTER BAY, New York, August 5, 1999 (ENS) - The global emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions has moved cogeneration into a strong position for bulk power generation, according to a study from Allied Business Intelligence, Inc. (ABI) Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-05-03.html *** JAPAN TO LABEL 28 BIOTECH FOODS TOKYO, Japan, August 5, 1999 (ENS) - Twenty-eight genetically modified foods would have to carry identifying labels if a draft plan introduced Wednesday by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries becomes law. The draft was submitted to the Minstry's advisory panel for consideration at a meeting August 10. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-05-05.html *** Y2K: BUG PROOFING U.S. POWER WATER SUPPLIES WASHINGTON, DC, August 5, 1999 (ENS) - As the deadline for preventing disasters from the Year 2000 computer bug grows closer, U.S. utilities are working to ensure unbroken service to customers across the country. Despite some ongoing problems, the majority of the nations electricity and water suppliers report that they are ready for the millennial rollover. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/aug99/1999L-08-05-02.html NEWS ON THIS ISSUE FROM OTHER SOURCES: World Bank Says Energy Most Vulnerable Commodity to Y2K (Nicholas Elliott, Dow Jones Newswires -- requires paid registration) http://interactive.wsj.com/archive/retrieve.cgi?id=DI-CO-19990805-004250.djml From the World Bank's quarterly Global Commodity Markets report, published today: "Energy supplies are vulnerable because oil production is the most technology-intensive of major commodities. Embedded microchips used for production, transportation, refining, and distribution leave energy vulnerable to disruption. Oil-producing countries strapped for cash, such as Russia and Nigeria, may face problems which they lack the resources to fix. Thus, stocks could build at every available point along the supply chain because of fears of computer glitches." The Senate Y2K committee was scheduled to hold a hearing called "Y2K Update on Gas Electric Utilities," but it was cancelled. However, written statements are available as part of a "virtual hearing." Find them here: Y2K Update on Gas Electric Utilities http://y2k.senate.gov/hearings/990804/index.htm Nuclear Plants' Y2K Repairs Delayed (Stephen Barr, Washington Post) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-08/05/203l-080599-idx.html 30 U.S. Nuclear Plants Still Need Y2K Fix - Agency (Tom Doggett, Yahoo! News/Reuters) http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/tc/story.html?s=v/nm/19990804/tc/yk_nuclear_1.html The stories above were most likely taken from this press release: 22 Nuclear Power Plants Will Push Y2K Readiness Envelope (Senate.gov) http://y2k.senate.gov/news/pr990804.htm "The chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said today that six nuclear power plants in the United States will remain unprepared for possible Year 2000 computer problems after November 1, and according to the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), at least three of those plants have Y2K readiness deadlines in mid-December. Also identified by NEI were 16 additional plants with deadlines in late October... Currently 30 of 103 U.S. nuclear power plants remain unprepared for Y2K. The NRC expects most to be Y2K ready by September 30, when it will make a determination whether certain facilities will remain operational..." END OTHER SOURCES *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: AUGUST 5, 1999 Lawsuit Seeks Wilderness Status for Alaska's Tongass Forest Conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service Wednesday because, in developing the new plan for Alaska's Tongass National Forest, the agency failed to consider permanent wilderness area protection for any portion of the millions of acres of
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS JULY 30, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) AMERISCAN: JULY 30, 1999 E-WIRE * Greenpeace Gets Gerber to Go GE Free For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** CHEMICAL FIRMS REJECT HAZWASTE UNDERGROUND INJECTION By Donald Sutherland WASHINGTON, DC, July 28, 1999 (ENS) - One of the world's largest chemical manufacturers is drastically cutting back the use of hazardous deep injection wells for disposal of liquid toxins. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-30-02.html *** DROUGHT SEARS U.S. NORTHEAST WASHINGTON, DC, July 30, 1999 (ENS) - The Northeastern United States is sweltering under one of the worst droughts in decades, and relief is nowhere in sight. Federal weather forecasters warn the La Nina weather pattern that has sent floods to the Northwest and Southwest while parching the East may last through the winter, with rain coming to drought stricken areas only as part of an unusually violent hurricane season. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-30-06.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JULY 30, 1999 Energy Producers Create 80 Percent of Carbon Pollution The world's major energy companies contribute more to global warming than many developing countries, according to a report released Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Union of Concerned Scientists and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund. The report, "Kingpins of Carbon: How Fossil Fuel Producers Contribute to Global Warming," finds that the world's top 122 producers of coal, oil and natural gas are responsible for almost 80 percent of the fossil carbon released into the atmosphere as manmade carbon dioxide. Twenty-two percent of the world's carbon based fuels are produced by just 20 private companies, including Russia's Gazprom, Shell, Exxon, Peabody, BP Amoco, ARCO, Chevron and Mobil. The combined annual carbon emissions of Exxon and Mobil exceeds the collective annual carbon emissions of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. Shell's yearly carbon production exceeds the combined annual carbon emissions of Mexico, Argentina and Chile. Peabody's annual carbon production exceeds Brazil's annual carbon emissions.A full copy of the report is online at: www.nrdc.org Wind Power Tax Credit Gives Industry Needed Boost[see link] Public Private Partnership Will Mend Acadia's Trails Acadia National Park in Maine will become the first U.S. national park to have a privately endowed trail system, thanks to a landmark agreement signed yesterday between the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the private group Friends of Acadia. The agreement launches a multimillion dollar effort to restore the park's 130 mile trail system. DOI will match private fund raising efforts with $4 million from park entrance fees for trail restoration. Settlement Orders Overhaul for Atlanta's Sewers[see link] Aleutian Goose Proposed for Delisting[see link] Pesticide Treated Toothbrushes Injure Indian Children More than 100 Native American children developed blisters and burns in their mouths after their toothbrushes were treated with pesticides illegally sold as sanitizers. On July 14, a federal jury in the U.S. District Court of South Dakota convicted Friendly Systems Inc. on three counts of violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Friendly sold the pesticides Tisan and DS-164 to two Native American tribes for sanitizing children's toothbrushes. The pesticides were registered and labeled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the purpose of sanitizing floors and silverware. Friendly sold the pesticides in November 1995 and October 1996 to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe's Head Start program and in February and March 1997 to the Badlands Head Start program. Friendly faces a maximum fine of $600,000 when sentenced. Innovative Settlement Makes the Best of Environmental Violation[see link] Ornithologists Address Deadly Bird-Tower Collisions[see link] Environmental Education Gets $2.5 Million in Grants[see link] Mosquitofish Feast on Amphibians[see link] Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-30-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS JULY 26, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) NOISE AT GRAND CANYON PROMPTS AIR TOUR FREEZE EPA LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO REUSE TOXIC WASTE SITES AMERISCAN: JULY 26, 1999 HEALING OUR WORLD: WEEKLY COMMENT POLLUTING THE FINAL FRONTIER For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** NOISE AT GRAND CANYON PROMPTS AIR TOUR FREEZE WASHINGTON, DC, July 26, 1999 (ENS) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a package of proposals designed to meet a congressionally mandated goal of "substantially restoring natural quiet" at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Among the proposals is a freeze on aircraft flights over the canyon that would limit the number and destinations of commercial air tours. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-26-04.html *** EPA LAUNCHES PROGRAM TO REUSE TOXIC WASTE SITES WASHINGTON, DC, July 26, 1999 (ENS) - Dozens of hazardous waste sites across the U.S. may soon be transformed into city parks, residential neighborhoods or commercial districts. Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) new Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, nearly $5 million in grants will be awarded before the end of 2000 to help restore 50 toxic waste sites to productive use. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-26-02.html Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-26-09.html AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES NEW ATTACKS ON INVASIVE SPECIES The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is testing a chemical lure that may prove helpful in combating the invasive Asian longhorned beetle, which has destroyed hardwood trees in Chicago and New York. "Our goal is to eradicate this pest," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, addressing the first meeting of the President's Council on Invasive Species last week. "This new lure could help us set up a Roach Motel with lifetime rooms set aside specifically for Asian longhorned beetles." To create the beetle lure, USDA scientists isolated and synthesized two pheromones produced by male beetles to attract mates. * * * FOREST SERVICE CLOSES LOGGING ROAD AT VAIL EXPANSION SITE The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has suspended all use and construction of a temporary logging haul road used to access a construction site at the Vail Resort expansion in Colorado. Environmental groups including Sinapu, Colorado Wild and the Coalition to Stop Vail Expansion consider the announcement a victory in their fight against the expansion, which they say threatens Colorados lynx population. The USFS announced the decision after a visit Friday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to inspect the site. In a setback for the environmentalists cause, activist Jenny Kuehnle, also known as Moonshadow, was forcibly removed from a tree sit protest on Thursday. The USFS cut down trees near Kuehnles perch to maneuver a cherry picker near enough to pluck the activist from the 100 foot tree she had occupied. "My removal from the tree sit was one of the scariest moments of my life," said Kuehnle. "Trees were falling within five feet of my platform." Kuehnle was arrested, but released Friday morning. * * * TEXAS SHRIMP SEASON BRINGS FOUR-FOLD INCREASE IN STRANDED TURTLES More than 20 endangered sea turtles washed up dead or dying along the Texas Coast between July 15 and July 22, despite Governor George W. Bush's increased enforcement of sea turtle protection laws in state waters. During an eight week closure of Texas shrimp fishing, an average of five turtles per week were found washed up. Since the shrimp season opened July 15, that number has quadrupled. Environmentalists say a marine reserve for endangered Kemps Ridley turtles should be established along Padre Island, Texas, the only nesting beach in the U.S. for the species and the area of highest mortality for Kemp's Ridleys.
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS JULY 22, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) ROYAL CARIBBEAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POLLUTING U.S. WATERS BRAZIL TO SPEND US$25 BILLION ON RENEWABLE ENERGY ANTHRAX BREAKS OUT IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK EUROPEAN SCRAP CAR RECYCLING FIGHT FINALLY SETTLED AMERISCAN: JULY 22, 1999 E-WIRE * Green Mountain Energy Signs Birkenstock for 100% Renewable Energy * Startech To Process Chemical Industry Hazardous Waste in Taiwan * EPA to Announce Groundbreaking Green Power Purchase For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** ROYAL CARIBBEAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POLLUTING U.S. WATERS WASHINGTON, DC, July 22, 1999 (ENS) - Royal Caribbean Cruises has agreed to pay a record $18 million criminal fine for dumping waste oil and hazardous chemicals into the sea. The company, the world's second largest cruise line, agreed to a 21 count felony plea agreement yesterday after admitting to deliberate dumping and lying to the U.S. Coast Guard even after a 1998 dumping conviction that led to a $9 million fine. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-22-01.html *** BRAZIL TO SPEND US$25 BILLION ON RENEWABLE ENERGY BRASILIA, Brazil, July 22, 1999 (ENS) - The government of Brazil will invest US$25 billion to provide renewable energy electricity to people who are not connected to the power grid. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-22-04.html *** ANTHRAX BREAKS OUT IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK SKUKUZA, South Africa, July 22, 1999 (ENS) - The fatal bacterial disease anthrax has broken out amongst animals in the central district of Kruger National Park. Officals of the South African National Parks Service are warning people not to handle carcasses or eat the meat of animals that have died suddenly. Ranchers are owners of private game farms in the area are being urgently advised to vaccinate their animals at once. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-22-03.html *** EUROPEAN SCRAP CAR RECYCLING FIGHT FINALLY SETTLED BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 22, 1999 (ENS) - The battle between European Union governments over who should pay for recycling scrap cars was settled this afternoon with a slight change to the draft end-of-life vehicles law to allow car manufacturers an extra three years before they have to take on full financial responsibility. Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily Website: http://www.ends.co.uk/envdaily } For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-22-02.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JULY 22, 1999 Navy Admits Napalm Bombing at Vieques, Puerto Rico Tree Sitter Blocks Work at Vail, Colorado Ski Resort Western Hemisphere Energy Meeting Will Look at Green Power Clean Air Violations Cost Virginia Furniture Company Over $2 Million Report Examines Effects of Ocean Noise Pollution Tax Cut Bills Benefit Brownfields Cleanup, Oil and Gas Industry $1 Million Plus Settlement is Largest Ever for California Air Agency Bill Blocks Release of Worst Case Scenario Data Energy Secretary Pledges Measures to Reduce Power Outages Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-22-09.html *** NAVY ADMITS NAPALM BOMBING AT VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO The U.S. Navy confirmed Monday that it used napalm in 1993 on its training grounds at Vieques, Puerto Rico. After denying several times having ever used napalm on the island, the Navy has now admitted dropping 24 bombs of the flammable chemical on the island off Puerto Ricos north east coast. The Puerto Rican government estimates that average cancer rates on Vieques are up to 27 percent higher than those on the main island. The government has accused the Navy of contaminating Vieques with a number of chemicals and radioactive substances. On April 19, a U.S. Marine Corps aircraft dropped two 500 pound bombs three miles off target at its Vieques firing range, killing a civilian security guard. In February, Navy pilots fired more than 250 uranium tipped shells at the range, violating Navy policy. Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Rossello, of the New Progressive party, asked the U.S. government on July 9 to end all military training exercises on the island and clean
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS JULY 20, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) GROWING POPULATION FACES SHRINKING WATER SUPPLY AMERISCAN: JULY 20, 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** GROWING POPULATION FACES SHRINKING WATER SUPPLY WASHINGTON, D.C., July 20, 1999 (ENS) - Increasing water shortages may lead to global hunger, civil unrest and even war, according to Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project and senior fellow with the Worldwatch Institute. In her new book, "Pillar of Sand: Can the Irrigation Miracle Last," Postel joins the growing ranks of experts warning the world to reduce water use now to avoid serious problems later. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-20-01.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JULY 20, 1999 American Airlines Fined $95,000 for Using Air Polluting Fuel Border Emissions Study Examines NAFTAs Effects on Air Quality Reintroduced Wolf Shot In Idaho for Killing Livestock Forest Service Seeks Comments on Yellowstone Grizzly Recovery Plan Rocks Tell Geologists About Water Pollution, Earthquakes Flood Kills Trout at New Mexico Hatchery, Spares Endangered Gila Trout Recycled Paper Does Not Gum Up the Works Birkenstock Sandals Step Into Green Energy Deal Now How Will They Find the Doors? Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-20-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND STATE EDITORS: `Save Some for Tomorrow' An Op-Ed Article by Carol Collier of the Delaware River Basin Commission WEST TRENTON, N.J., July 20 -/E-Wire/-- The Delaware River Basin Commission today issued the following op-ed article: Many of us take water for granted in this country. We turn on the tap and, whoosh, out it comes, a life sustaining substance that often costs less per year than a subscription to cable TV. That's not true in some foreign lands. There, the water may come on at seven in the morning, then be turned off at two in the afternoon. There's just not enough to go around. And it may not be fit to drink. /CONTACT: Christopher Roberts of the Delaware River Basin Commission, 609-883-9500, ext. 205, or [EMAIL PROTECTED]/ /Web site: http://www.state.nj.us/drbc / For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/July99/20july9904.html Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1991-1998. All Rights Reserved. Send comments and newsworthy information to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: Short-Changing Indians; It's a Gold Mine; ORVs Proliferate
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: link provided by Martha Short-Changing Indians; It's a Gold Mine; ORVs Proliferate http://www.greenjournal.com/articles.html?article_id=41962712 For decades the Bureau of Indian Affairs has been collecting money from farmers, ranchers, and others who lease Indian land. With its own affairs an accountant's nightmare, the Bureau hasn't known where to send the money, to which of the 123 tribes and individual owners of land on Indian reservations. Recently it announced a million-dollar computerized Trust Asset Accounting Management System. The General Accounting Office says it won't work. It's a Gold Mine In every recent session of Congress, friends of taxpayers have sought to repeal or amend the 1872 mining law, a notorious giveaway of America's assets. This March, after a close reading of the old law, the Department of the Interior rejected the claim of the Crown Jewell company to a fabulous gold mine site in north central Washington. Celebration was short-lived. Senator Slade Gorton (R-WA) attached a rider to the emergency spending bill that provided funds for the war in Kosovo and Honduran hurricane relief. The rider nullified Interior's rejection. President Clinton deplored the many nasty riders on the bill but said he had to sign it. ORVs Proliferate Hikers, backpackers, campers, hunters, fishermen, bird-watchers, and horse riders are dismayed when off-road vehicles come roaring across the quiet landscape, damaging vegetation, scaring off wildlife, and causing soil erosion. The Bureau of Land Management and many National Forest supervisors have been tolerant. ORV users and manufacturers have strongly opposed restrictions. In Montana, BLM and the Forest Service are preparing an Environmental Impact Statement on an ORV management plan. Environmentalists who have seen it say it's far too loose and would set a bad precedent. The National Park Service is preparing regulations to cope with the 70,000 snowmobiles that speed throughout Yellowstone National Park in winter. It will be controversial. Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS JUL 13
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: July 13, 1999 All stories on the web at: http://www.envirolink.org/environews/ Latest Headlines from the Wire Services as of 1:45 PM (EDT): - Town helps sale of land filled with waste... - Biopirates Raid Brazil's Amazon Drug Industry Uses Resources... - U.S. Sues Toyota Over Smog Control... - Clinton Appoints Cohon to Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board... - Mcphee Environmental Supply and Eurotech Ltd. Join Forces for Sales and Distribution of Eu... - Pollution of rivers, seas `will affect ecotourism'... - Greenpeace ship and crew held... - Conservation; Foresters To Protect Bat Species... - The 'other' endangered species... - Galaxie Chemical Drained Toxics Fined After Probe By Three Agencies... Today's Featured Stories: U.S. sues Toyota over smog-control computers -- The government accused Toyota on Monday of putting faulty smog-control computers on 2.2 million 1996-1998 vehicles and sought to have the computers repaired and the company fined up to $58.5 billion. (MSNBC) Protection call for 'gentle giant' -- The UK Government is to ask the international body looking after endangered species to try to save the basking shark from extinction. (BBC) Yellowstone sewage system overwhelmed -- Standing on historic Fishing Bridge, Cathy Cooper of Twin Falls, Idaho, took in the view -- North America's largest lake behind her, the last untamed river in the country below her and majestic mountains of the world's first national park all around her. A couple of miles away, hidden along a service road closed to the thousands of cars and recreation vehicles that wind through the park, hundreds of thousands of gallons of treated sewage water were being dumped into a meadow. (Associated Press) Have Turtles Found The Fountain Of Youth? -- A swamp located in Southeast Michigan may hold some of the most exciting answers to date about the aging process. A University of Georgia researcher has been studying a group of Blandings Turtles who appear to have found the fountain of youth. (Great Lakes Radio Consortium) Aliens Are Boring; The Dark Side of Trade -- The alien in this case is an attractive Asia long-horned beetle about the size of a peanut shell with a voracious appetite for wood; other invasive species (Green Earth Journal) Water For Sale? -- The United Nations predicts that within 25 years, almost a third of the world's population and at least 50 nations will face severe water shortages. Some will even go to war over the resource. This crisis affects thirsty regions of the United States as well. (Living on Earth) All stories on the web at: http://www.envirolink.org/environews/ This edition of the EnviroLink News Service is sponosored by the Green Marketplace (http://www.greenmarketplace.com). If you would like information on how your company or organization can become a sponsor, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS JULY 14, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WINS GLOBAL JABILUKA TEST By Andrew Darby CANBERRA, Australia, July 13, 1999 (ENS) - Strong lobbying by the Australian government bore fruit yesterday with a decision by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee not to inscribe Kakadu National Park as World Heritage In Danger. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-13-02.html *** RENEWABLE ENERGIES DOWNPLAYED IN U.S. GOVERNMENT REPORTS By Bill Eggertson WASHINGTON, DC, July 13, 1999 (ENS) - Only half the renewable energy that is produced and consumed in the United States is ever reflected in official government reports. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-13-01.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JULY 13, 1999 Anonymous Whistleblowers Say Alaska Pipeline Rupture Imminent Pacific Fisheries Management Violates Environmental Laws, Court Says Radio Ads Urge Higher Minimum Mile Per Gallon Standards Clean Water Projects Nationwide Get $210 Million Pesticide Tax Could Save Money and Lives, Groups Say Engineered Tobacco Plants Grow Human Blood Proteins African Dust Pollutes Florida's Air Manufacturer Fined for Air Quality Violations Activists Block Loggers with Giant Net Mayflies Mean Cleaner Water Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-13-09.html AmeriScan: July 13, 1999 ANONYMOUS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY ALASKA PIPELINE RUPTURE IMMINENT An environmental disaster far worse than the wreck of the Exxon Valdez could happen any day at the 800 mile Alaskan oil pipeline, six senior employees of the pipeline company have warned. Corrosion, delayed repairs, poor maintenance and record keeping, and an environment that discourages workers from filing negative reports could lead to a pipeline rupture or an explosion at the Valdez tanker port, the whistleblowers say. In a 21 page letter sent to Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, two Congress members and pipeline lead owner BP Amoco, the anonymous whistleblowers say they represent a much larger group of concerned employees, all of whom fear for their careers if they criticize Anchorage based Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. "It won't be a single gasket, or valve, or wire, or procedure, or person that will cause the catastrophe," the letter says. "It will be a combination of small, perhaps seemingly inconsequential events and conditions that will lead to the accident that we're all dreading and powerless to prevent." Many of the allegations about the 22 year old pipeline, which carries 20 percent of the nations crude oil production, are familiar to the Joint Pipeline Office of federal and state regulatory agencies that oversee the pipeline. After the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill dumped 10.5 million gallons of crude into Prince William Sound, attention was focused on possible risks from the pipeline. Alyeska has since spent hundreds of millions of dollars on repairs, which the whistleblowers say has failed to correct the pipelines many problems. Alyeskas license to operate the pipeline is under government review in Alaska. * * * PACIFIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT VIOLATES ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, COURT SAYS The U.S. District Court in Seattle ruled Friday that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in its management of North Pacific fisheries. The court said the agencies failed to take measures recommended by its own scientists to protect the threatened Steller sea lion. The court also found the agency failed to prepare a comprehensive environmental impact statement assessing the impact of the fishery on the North Pacific ecosystem. Trawlers from Washington, Oregon and Alaska net millions of tons of fish each year from sea lion critical habitat. "The trawl fleet has brought intense pressure on the agency to allow continued overexploitation of the North Pacific, despite the impacts to sea lions, harbor seals, and to the long-term health of the fisheries," said Doug Ruley, an Earthjustice attorney in Alaska. "The
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS:
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 12:39:32 EDT Subject: Snake River chinook extinction set at 2017 Snake River chinook extinction set at 2017 Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/071299/chinsalmon_4271.asp Chinook salmon on the Snake River may be extinct within the next 18 years, according to a study by private fisheries consultant Dr. Philip Mundy that was released Friday in Portland. Mundy developed the extinction model based on counts of salmon on spawning grounds that have been conducted annually by biologists with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Snake River tributaries for approximately 30 years. Mundy's study was sponsored by Trout Unlimited. *** Gene identified that detoxifies heavy metals Monday, July 12, 1999 The mustard plant Arabidopsis contains a genetic sequence, phytochelatins synthase, that detoxifies hazardous heavy metals. A gene has been identified that allows plants to detoxify heavy metals that are hazardous to human health and the environment, according to research published in the June 15 issue of the European Molecular Biology Organization Journal. Researchers have known for years that plants produce peptides called phytochelatins that naturally bind and detoxify dangerous toxic metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium. Phytochelatins mediate the accumulation of the bonded peptide-metal mix in the leaves of the plant, where they can be safely harvested. Now, researchers from the University of California at San Diego, have identified the gene family responsible for producing phytochelatins: phytochelatins synthase, or PCS. They hope to repeat and duplicate its naturally cleansing mechanisms to help clean up places like Superfund sites. "We initially identified a PCS gene from wheat roots, but by looking into genome databases we found a sequence similar to PCS in the mustard plant Arabidopsis," said university biologist Julian Schroeder. "We then tested the gene in Arabidopsis and, sure enough, it also detoxified the hazardous metal cadmium." The researchers further used genome databases to successfully locate a PCS homologous sequence in a yeast species, called S. pombe. When the PCS gene was deleted from the genome of S. pombe, yeast growth was much more sensitive to cadmium. Much to their surprise, the investigation also turned up a similar sequence in the genome of a worm, indicating that certain animals might also use PCS genes for detoxification of hazardous metals. Researchers have sought the identities of gene families such as PCS in an effort to boost the ability of plants to detoxify metals at hazardous waste sites, a process known as bioremediation. Of the ten leading Superfund toxic site contaminants, four are metals that interact with phytochelatins: lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. "I believe that this gene, together with other genes that help detoxify metals in plants, will optimize the removal of metals in the future," said Schroeder. "You will never remove the metals completely out of hazardous waste sites, but these genes can dramatically bring down the levels of toxicity, hopefully to below hazard levels determined by the EPA which will reduce the health and environmental risks at these sites." News Bytes Monday, July 12, 1999 Emissions up slightly Despite economic growth of 3.9 percent, carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels rose just 0.4 percent in 1998, the smallest increase since 1991, according to the Energy Information Administration. Carbon dioxide emissions account for 84 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Preliminary estimates of U.S. emissions for 1998 can be found on the EIA's web site. International Botanical Congress St. Louis, Mo., is the site of this year's International Botanical Congress, Aug. 1-7. Held once every six years, this convention brings together world-renowned researchers to discuss the latest findings in botany, ecology, mycology, horticulture, agriculture and related fields. Register on-line at www.BurnessC.com/press Invasive saltcedar The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking measures to eliminate the invasive saltcedar tree, using about 3,000 eggs of Chinese leaf beetles as a part of a biological control program. The beetles are expected to eat the saltcedar trees, which infest more than 1 million acres along rivers and streams throughout the United States West. "Saltcedar was brought into the U.S. in 1837 to protect stream banks from erosion," said C. Jack DeLoach, an entomologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service "But no one realized that, without natural enemies, saltcedar would crowd out plants crucial to wildlife." The trees also degrade wildlife habitat by increasing soil salinity, changing stream flow and increasing wildfire frequency. 6 billion humans An
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Message-ID: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1999 22:07:31 EDT ENN DAILY NEWS E-mail Edition for Wednesday, July 7, 1999 Produced by the Environmental News Network U.S., Europe react differently over GM foods Why are genetically modified foods getting so much attention in Europe while Americans seem to be going about their grocery shopping as usual? "There is a cultural difference. Europeans tend to put more priority on safe and proven foods," said David Brubaker, director of the Factory Farm Project at the Global Resource Action Center for the Environment. "In Europe, there is a heightened awareness of environmental and health concerns that doesn't exist in the United States." Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070799/gmfoods_3999.asp [comment: Advertising fuels television, manufacturers creating the genetically modified foods will not gracefully permit the majority of the people to even be aware it is an issue, let alone that they are eating it..] Alien species: A slow motion explosion Forest fires, tornadoes, flooding and mudslides are the rock stars of nature's mass destruction capabilities, but when it comes to actual damage, exotic weeds, pests and diseases are hands down more costly, according to federal officials. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070799/pestbeatsfire_3747.asp Yosemite tree fungus explained The presence of fungus in nearly 25 percent of Yosemite's trees may be the result of forest management techniques over the past 150 years, researchers from the University of California at Davis say. Root disease is one of the most important vegetation management considerations in Yosemite. Over the years, decaying roots have caused large trees to fall in the Yosemite Valley. Since 1973, toppling trees have resulted in seven fatalities, 19 serious injuries and approximately $1 million in damages to buildings, tent cabins, automobiles and power lines in the national park. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070799/treefungus_4195.asp Tips offered to beat the heat As the eastern United States suffers under record-breaking temperatures, the Alliance to Save Energy has offered up a list of energy-efficient tips to help people keep their cool without breaking the bank. These energy-efficient tips will not only help people save money, but also prevent power failures on the utility grid during peak consumption hours. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070799/hotdays_4196.asp News Bytes A quick look at more today's environmental news. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070799/newsbytes_4198.asp ENN Feature Our beleaguered beaches Increased pollution and lax water quality standards lessen summer fun in the sun. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/features/1999/07/070799/beaches_4186.asp ENN Multimedia Effects of global warming Scientists on several continents are finding that the world is changing very rapidly due to global warming. For instance, three new studies show that birds are being affected by climate change. Some are nesting and laying eggs earlier while others are moving north to cooler climes. Earthwatch Radio (2:09) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/07/070799/070799hota_4191.asp Fuel cells in the home Fuel cells convert hydrogen and oxygen into energy that is clean, quiet and cost effective. There has been a lot of talk about using fuel cells in cars, but companies are also developing this technology for use in the home. Great Lakes Radio Consortium (0:59) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/07/070799/070799glrc7_4190.asp Sons of the Desert What is the most Earth-friendly building material? EcoQuiz (1:02) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/07/070799/070799ecoq_4188.asp Saving caves from overuse There is a fine line between engendering interest in a natural resource such as caves and threatening the resource with overuse. EarthNews (1:29) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/07/070799/070799dowe_4189.asp ENN World Wire Only $12.95 per year! Click here Power outage hits 200,000 in sweltering N.Y. The deadly heat wave that has gripped the eastern United States from Virginia to New England strained utilities to the breaking point, leaving tens of thousands of New York City residents without electricity today. Cool front breaks U.S. heat wave The heat wave that brought sweaty misery and even death eased today as a cool front moved through the East, but power outages including a big blackout in Manhattan left hundreds of thousands of people sweating in the dark through the night. Deadly U.S. heat waves take tolls The heat wave deaths come miserably, one here, another there, with none of the drama of a hurricane or twister, flood or lightning. Yet an unyielding sun claims more lives
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: ENS News Service
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: MAN DROWNS IN ORCA POOL AT SEAWORLD ORLANDO ORLANDO, Florida, July 7, 1999 (ENS) - A 27 year old man was found dead early Tuesday morning draped over the back of an orca, or killer whale, at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. The accident marks the second time ever that a human has been killed by a captive orca, and the second time that this orca, Tillicum, has killed. Biologists from groups opposed to captive whale displays say the accident points to a major problem with parks like Sea World - they teach humans to think of five ton animals as harmless. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-07-01.html *** 60% OF AMERICA'S LIQUID TOXIC WASTE INJECTED UNDERGROUND By Donald Sutherland WASHINGTON, DC, July 7, 1999 (ENS) - Maybe it is not a secret, but nobody seems to acknowledge that 60 percent of America's liquid hazardous waste is injected underground. This is a problem for utilities that must provide the public with safe drinking water. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-07-03.html *** MUSK DEER ENDANGERED BY DEMAND FOR PERFUME, MEDICINE FRANKFURT, Germany, July 7, 1999 (ENS) - The high demand for natural musk as an ingredient in medicines and perfumes is endangering wild populations of musk deer, according to a report released Tuesday by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring programme of WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature and IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-07-02.html *** EU PRESSURES FRANCE FOR REFUSAL TO MARKET BIOTECH CROPS BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 7, 1999 (ENS) - The European Commission is pushing ahead with legal action against France for failing to authorise genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which have been given the political green light at EU level - despite the European Union's current de facto ban on new GMO permits. Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily Website: http://www.ends.co.uk/envdaily } For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-07-04.html *** AMERICANS' ENERGY APPETITE SKYROCKETS WASHINGTON, DC, July 7, 1999 (ENS) - The use of energy in the United States has jumped dramatically in the last half-century. Energy consumption increased by 194 percent from 1949 to 1998, although the U.S. population grew only 82 percent, according to the "Annual Energy Review" released today by the Energy Information Agency, a division of the federal Department of Energy. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-07-06.html TEN CITIES SHOW IMPROVED AIR QUALITY The nonprofit Foundation for Clean Air Progress (FCAP) released its Top 10 Clean Air Success Stories on Tuesday, showing air quality improvements in urban areas. The list highlights the U.S. cities that have made the most significant progress in cleaning up their air over the last ten years, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Rochester, New York, tops the list, with a 75 percent decrease in high ozone days over the last decade. The other nine cities, in order, are: Buffalo, New York; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; San Diego, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Sacramento, California; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Newark, New Jersey; and Los Angeles, California. Overall, the cities in the nation's Top 10 Clean Air Success Stories show ozone reductions ranging from 75 percent to 40.7 percent over the last ten years. The average reduction is 54.3 percent. "We need to spread the word about how much cleaner the air has gotten in urban areas around the nation," said FCAP president William Fay. "Too many people are under the false impression that their air quality is getting worse, rather than better. When people are aware of what's possible, they're far more motivated to pitch in and help keep the progress going." Details on FCAP's Top 10 Clean Air Success Stories can be found at www.cleanairprogress.org WILDLIFE CORRIDOR SPANS REDWOODS CALIFORNIA COAST California Governor Gray Davis, a Democrat, committed $2.6 million in state funds last week toward the permanent protection of a wildlife corridor between the states redwood forests and coastal regions. The nonprofit Save-the-Redwoods League responded by buying 3,800 acres of forested land from Eel River Sawmills between Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the world's largest old growth redwood forest, and the Bureau of Land Management's
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: ENN Daily News - Tuesday, July 6, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENN E-mail Edition for Tuesday, July 6, 1999 Produced by the Environmental News Network Fish reintroduction plan sparks controversy A plan to reintroduce westslope cutthroat trout to 77 miles of stream in their native Montana habitat has environmentalists walking on the egg shells of a moral dilemma. The plan involves the use of toxic chemicals in pristine mountain waters to kill non-native fish species. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070699/wslope_4165.asp Nitrogen pollution, algae blooms linked A North Carolina Sea Grant study released June 30 blames increased atmospheric nitrogen pollution for harmful algae bloom activity in the North Atlantic Ocean Basin. "The study is significant because it reconfirms that atmospheric nitrogen has been found to be a regional and global source of pollution," said Hans Paerl, author of the report, which appeared in the June issue of the peer-reviewed Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' journal Ambio. He was one of the first environmental scientists to identify atmospheric nitrogen as a possible pollutant Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070699/blooms_4162.asp Conservation act gains support The Conservation and Reinvestment Act, considered by some the most beneficial conservation legislation in the last 50 years, has won the support of both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. As of Thursday, 100 members of the House were cosponsors of the bill. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070699/cara_4138.asp Non-native frogs hitch to Galapagos Islands Due to their intolerance to salt water, amphibians have generally been absent from the Galapagos Islands for the past several million years, researchers say. Historically only fish, reptiles, birds and mammals have been present in the remote oceanic archipelago. But recent human activity and climate change may have combined to alter the situation and frogs are now one of many non-native species found in the Galapagos. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070699/frog_3967.asp ENN Feature Site of the Week: The Heat is Online Author Ross Gelbspan has now launched a web site called The Heat is Online, which continues the work started in his book, The Heat is On: the High Stakes Battle over Earth's Threatened Climate. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/features/1999/07/070699/070699sow_4166.asp Tricking the gypsy moth The U.S. Forest Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will use pheromone treatments to prevent gypsy moths from mating in wooded areas along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The effort is aimed at protecting the large concentration of endangered Karner Blue butterflies there. Great Lakes Radio Consortium (1:06) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/07/070699/070699glrc8_4163.asp The Environment Show On this week's program: negotiators from the U.S. and Canada have come to an agreement on a treaty covering salmon fishing in the Northwest and Alaska; the impressive Congo Gorilla exhibit is opening at the Bronx Zoo; a profile of the environment group TreeUtah; loggerhead turtles are nesting on the islands off the coast of South Carolina; Peter Berle holds a discussion on the issue of dam removal and how this can help waterways and the life they support; helpful hints on natural remedies to kill fleas; scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder say that massive ice shelves are breaking away from the continent of Antarctica. (53:51) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/07/070699/070699esho_4164.asp Cracking down on ballast water stowaways Ships entering U.S. waters often carry ballast water if they are empty of cargo. When the ship is in port and ready to take on freight, the ballast water is drained into the harbor, introducing foreign plants and animals into the ecosystem. Earthwatch Radio (2:02) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/07/070699/070699crac_4161.asp Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS JUL 2
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Headlines July 02, 1999 Restoring the Florida Everglades: An ENS Two Part Special Report: Part I http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-01-01.html By Catherine Lazaroff Comprehensive Restoration Plan Handed to Congress WASHINGTON, DC, July 1, 1999 (ENS) - After years of lobbying by environmentalists, Florida residents and a handful of zealous politicians, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will present to the U.S. Congress today a $7.8 billion plan for restoring the Florida Everglades. Now, the real battle begins. Vice President Al Gore is introducing the plan at an event on Capitol Hill today. Canadian Senators Urge Action to Protect Boreal Forest http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-01-03.html OTTAWA, Ontario, Canada, July 1, 1999 (ENS) - The Senate of Canada has issued an uncharacteristically urgent call for action to save Canada's northern boreal forests. The boreal forest and its areas of old growth are threatened by climate change, acid rain, ozone depletion, resource extraction and over cutting. A new Senate report says six new national parks and a natural landscape management plan are needed. AmeriScan: July 1, 1999 http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-01-09.html Edwards Dam Removed on Maine's Kennebec River Appeal Filed to Uphold EPA Smog Soot Rules Trees Better Than Soil For Fighting Global Warming Uranium Plant Fined Over December Fire Bill Would Keep President from Creating Monuments Without Review Whale Detecting Buoys Could Help Save Endangered Species Alaska Residents Plan for Future Disasters Watertown, New York Fined for Environmental Violations Waste to Fuel Process Wins Green Chemistry Award Using Oxygen, Not Chemicals, to Purify Water Global Forest Trade Battle Shaping Up http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul99/1999L-07-01-02.html SEATTLE, Washington, July 1, 1999 (ENS) - International forest protection leaders have announced a global campaign to derail World Trade Organization (WTO) plans to write agreements that they believe will threaten the world's forests at upcoming high-level trade talks. The WTO's 3rd Ministerial Conference, scheduled November 30 to December 3 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, will open the next major world trade negotiations due to start early in 2000. Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS JUNE 30, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) AMERISCAN: JUNE 30, 1999 ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 30, 1999 Unified Federal Watershed Policy Draft Released Tax Incentives for Energy Efficiency Introduced in Congress University of Missouri Team Wins Sunrayce '99 Solar System Starts Generating Atop the Pentagon Plants from Around the World Tested for Cancer Prevention 100 Percent Recycled Newsprint Developed Scientists Climb Capitol Steps to Warn of Global Warming Alaska Looks Beyond Resource Extraction Florida Denies Suwannee American a Cement Plant Permit AmeriScan: June 30, 1999 UNIFIED FEDERAL WATERSHED POLICY DRAFT RELEASED The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Interior released a draft of a Unified Federal Policy for Ensuring a Watershed Approach to Federal Land and Resource and Management. The two primary goals of the policy are to use a watershed approach to prevent and reduce water pollution resulting from federal land and resource management activities and to accomplish this in a unified and cost effective manner. This working draft of the policy is a starting point for discussion and consultation with States, Tribes and others. The draft policy proposes that federal agencies take a watershed approach to federal land and resource management that emphasizes: assessing the function and conditions of watersheds incorporating watershed goals in planning enhancing pollution prevention monitoring and restoring watersheds recognizing waters of exceptional value expanding collaboration with others Later this summer the administration plans to publish this proposal in the Federal Register for public comment and to hold public meetings in Sacramento, Portland, Denver, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. The working draft is available on the home page of the Bureau of Land Management http://www.blm.gov/nhp/whatwedo/cwap/ and the Forest Service home page http://www.fs.fed.us/clean/unified/ A copy can also be obtained by calling the Forest Service at 406-329-3388. * * * TAX INCENTIVES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS Representative Bob Matsui, a California Democrat, introduced the Clinton administration's package of energy efficiency taxes to Congress Tuesday. It is intended to help America deal with global climate change and simultaneously open new economic opportunities. The five-year, $3.6 billion package provides tax incentives for consumers to buy more energy efficient homes, cars and other selected products, such as high-efficiency water heaters and rooftop solar systems. It will also encourage more production of renewable energy, such as wind power and power from farm and forestry resources. Vice President Al Gore commented, "For American families, consumers, and businesses, this legislation is about saving dollars and cents. For our environment, it is about common sense. This past year, a growing body of scientific evidence on global warming has thrown into sharp relief the magnitude of the challenge before us. 1998 was far away the single warmest year on record and it was punctuated by some of the severest weather of the century. I now urge Congress to pass this legislation into law." Gore thanked General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler, who helped develop the incentives for qualifying electric and hybrid vehicles. Republicans in Congress have generally opposed the Clinton administration's energy efficiency initiative until the Senate has ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations climate change treaty, something the Senate has voted to block until developing countries must also cut greenhouse gas emissions. * * * UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI TEAM WINS SUNRAYCE '99 The University of Missouri - Rolla took first place in America's largest solar car race Tuesday as 29 solar cars rolled across the finish line at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. This was the university's fourth Sunrayce competition and its first win. Sunrayce 99 was the fifth biennial intercollegiate solar car race. The 1,425-mile route was the most difficult because of the terrain and inclement weather conditions. The overall winning race time of 56 hours, 16 minutes and 44 seconds (56:16:44) and an average speed of 25.30 mph for the 10-day race. The U. of Missouri's winning entry powered by photovoltaic solar cells. During operation, PV solar cells produce no air pollution, hazardous waste or noise, and require no transportable fuels. The race got underway June 20 in Washington, DC and covered five states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, under consistently cloudy and often rainy skies. Awards include cash prizes, trophies, and an invitation for the University of Missouri - Rolla to compete in the World Solar Challenge in October in Australia. "Sunrayce provides students the challenge of taking an idea from the paper to the pavement as they design, build, and race a vehicle that is powered exclusively by
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS JUNE 23, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 23, 1999 Interior Appropriations Rider Would Gut Northwest Forest Plan Bill to Undermine Critical Habitat Designation Gets 1st Hearing White House Launches Wind Power Initiative Jet Travel Accelerates Global Warming Nuclear Commission Puts Brakes on Yucca Mountain Defenders of Texas Coast Sea Turtles Urge Marine Reserve New Jersey Wildlife Refuge Expands Continental Divide Trail Alliance Accepted by Federal Agencies Lawsuit Filed to Protect Rare California Plants Free Flea Beetles Aim to Purge Spurge Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-23-09.html AmeriScan: June 23, 1999 * * * BILL TO UNDERMINE CRITICAL HABITAT DESIGNATION GETS 1ST HEARING The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing today on a Republican sponsored bill that would bypass current requirements in the Endangered Species Act covering critical habitat designations. The bill, S. 1100, would require that determinations of critical habitat for threatened or endangered species be part of the development of recovery plans for the species. Now critical habitat is supposed to be designated as part of the listing of the species, early in the protection process. S. 1100 would allow the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service to decline to designate critical habitat if the agency cannot determine what the habitat area should be. This "not determinable" loophole was removed by Congress in 1983 because it was often used to avoid critical habitat designations. Environmental groups are lobbying heavily against the bill. * * * WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHES WIND POWER INITIATIVE The latest White House renewable energy initiative, Wind Powering America, which seeks to increase the use of wind energy in the United States has been launched by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. The program would supply at least five percent of the nation's electricity needs with wind energy by the year 2020. More than 5,000 megawatts of wind energy would be installed by 2005, and 10,000 megawatts would come on line by 2010. Eight states now have more than 20 megawatts of wind capacity. The initiative seeks to double that number to 16 by 2005, and triple it to 24 by 2010. The federal government's use of wind generated electricity would go up to five percent by 2010. Speaking to Monday's opening session of WINDPOWER 99, the annual conference of the wind energy industry, Richardson also announced nearly $1.2 million in Department of Energy grants to promote wind energy projects. "Wind energy has been the fastest growing source of energy in the world during the past decade and now represents a major economic opportunity for the United States," Richardson said. "Wind Powering America, together with these latest grants, will help combat global climate change by reducing carbon emissions while also helping us promote regional economic development and increased energy security." snipped * * * JET TRAVEL ACCELERATES GLOBAL WARMING By the year 2050, contrails from jet airplanes will impact global climate, says a study in the July 1 issue of the journal "Geophysical Research Letters." Contrails, ice clouds formed by jet engines, are short lived in dry air, but can persist for hours in moist air and become indistinguishable from natural cirrus clouds. A research team of American and German scientists, headed by Patrick Minnis of the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, reports that contrails cause atmospheric warming. Though the impact of contrails is currently small compared to other greenhouse effects, it may grow by a factor of six over the next 50 years as air traffic increases, the study says. In 1992, contrails added an estimated 0.02 watts of warming per square meter globally, about one percent of all manmade greenhouse effects. In areas where air traffic is concentrated, including the U.S. and Europe, warming effects from contrails reach up to 0.7 watts per square meter, or 35 times the global average. In parts of Europe with the heaviest air traffic contrails now cover up to 3.8 percent. In
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) - JUNE 21, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Activist Mailing List - http://get.to/activist ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) G-8 LEADERS LINK ENVIRONMENT WITH TRADE TALKS CLIMATE CHANGE COULD CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR EUROPE WILDERNESS SOCIETY NAMES 15 MOST ENDANGERED WILD LANDS FINDING NEW OIL IN OLD GROUND AMERISCAN: JUNE 21, 1999 HEALING OUR WORLD: WEEKLY COMMENT Y6B - It's Really Coming E-WIRE * ISSI Consulting Teams with Map Publisher to Create Updated Colorado Recreational Atlas * Rio Grande Basin Water Resources Study Contract Awarded by COE NM Stream Commission For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** G-8 LEADERS LINK ENVIRONMENT WITH TRADE TALKS COLOGNE, Germany, June 21, 1999 (ENS) - The major industrialized countries of the Group of Eight (G-8) ended their 25th annual summit Sunday by pledging to seek "a more effective way within the World Trade Organization (WTO) for addressing the trade and environment relationship and promoting sustainable development and social and economic welfare worldwide." Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-21-01.html *** CLIMATE CHANGE COULD CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR EUROPE LONDON, UK, June 21, 1999 (ENS) - Global warming and changes in rainfall patterns may have wide-ranging impacts on health in Europe, says a team of researchers in this week's "British Medical Journal." The team is part of the International Working Group on the early human health effects of climate change, convened by the Rome division of the World Health Organisation European Centre for Environment and Health. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-21-03.html *** WILDERNESS SOCIETY NAMES 15 MOST ENDANGERED WILD LANDS WASHINGTON, DC, June 21, 1999 (ENS) - The Wilderness Society released its 1999 report on America's "15 Most Endangered Wild Lands" today. This third annual listing of endangered national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and Bureau of Land Management lands nationwide focuses heavily this year on the western half of the country and on Alaska. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-21-02.html *** FINDING NEW OIL IN OLD GROUND SYDNEY, Australia, June 21, 1999 (ENS) - A new technology developed by Australian scientists is finding oil deposits in areas that had been given up as too poor to prospect. It could save oil companies millions of dollars by reducing the risk and cost of unnecessary exploration and could lead to exploratory activities in areas previously untouched. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-21-04.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 21, 1999 TEXAS ELECTRICITY DEREGULATION ADDS RENEWABLES TO THE MIX Texas Electricity Deregulation Adds Renewables to the Mix Texas Governor George W. Bush, a Republican, signed an electricity deregulation bill on June 18 that commits the state to developing 2,000 megawatts of new renewable energy sources by 2009, enough to meet the entire needs of 1.2 million homes. The bill includes precedent setting commitments to clean up the state's existing power plants... Deadline Extended for Listing Lynx as Threatened The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has extended for six months the deadline on a proposal to list the Canada lynx as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. The deadline had been July 8. Fuel Cell Brightens California Camp Ground The first commercially available fuel cell/photovoltaic hybrid power system will be dedicated Tuesday at Kirby Cove in California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The system will provide power for a camp ground open seven months of the year. Replacing an existing power line would have cost the Park Service approximately $160,000. The new power system combines a 2.5 kilowatt fuel cell, a 9.6 kilowatt photovoltaic system, and 9 kilowatt hours of battery storage. It costs only $47,000, a savings of $113,000. New Wildlife Refuge for Californias San Diego Bay A new 2,200 acre, coastal
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Activist Mailing List - http://get.to/activist 1) Struggle to protect land along Missouri River in South Dakota 2) State of the World's Forests 1999 3) Intersexed rodents found at Kesterton National Wildlife Refuge 4) Vote for Jet Skis as Worst Idea of the Century ~~~ Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 19:19:02 -0600 From: Paul Robertson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: struggle to protect land along Missouri River in South Dakota Dear Earth First, We are struggling to stop the largest ever turnover of treaty land (currently under federal control) to the state of South Dakota per Title VI of the 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act enacted in October 1998. There is a spiritual camp on LaFramboise Island just south of Pierre SD on the Missouri River and five tribes are working to stop this transfer to SD which has a terrible record of destroying the environment. Land to be transferred is delicate and contains cultural remains and burials. All will be more in danger than now if the minimal federal protections are lost, which will happen if the transfer to state of SD goes through. Please consider adding our site to your link list. We are at www.fireonprairie.org Pilamaya (thank you), Eileen H. Iron Cloud and Paul Robertson for the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council Committee Against the Mitigation Act and Fire on the Prairie. === Date: Fri, 11 Jun 1999 18:37:57 -0600 Sender: "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news" [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: David Inouye [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: State of the World's Forests 3. State of the World's Forests 1999 (SOFO) [.pdf, 154p.] http://www.fao.org/fo/sofo/sofo99/default.htm The latest edition of this biannual publication from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (last reviewed in the May 9, 1997 Scout Report offers one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date reviews of new developments in forestry and the condition of forests worldwide. SOFO 1999 reports on a number of significant events and developments of 1997-98, including "the latest figures on global forest cover; current efforts to assess forest resources; the forest fires of 1997 and 1998; recent trends in forest management; the significance to forestry of the Kyoto Protocol of the Framework Convention on Climate Change; current and projected forest products production, consumption and trade; recent trends in forest policy, legislation and institutions; and the international dialogue and initiatives on forests, among other topics." Aimed at policy-makers, academics, and the informed public, the report is offered in .pdf format, broken down into numerous sections. While this presentation strategy speeds initial download, it can slow navigation within the document. [MD] From the Scout Report. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/hotnews/stories/11/ kest Intersexed rodents found at Kesterton Friday, June 11, 1999 By Eric Brazil OF THE EXAMINER STAFF Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, already infamous as the place where selenium poisoned thousands of birds, has just presented scientists with a startling environmental puzzle: an outbreak of hermaphroditic rodents. A third of the 87 field mice, house mice, deer mice and California voles trapped during the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's annual biological monitoring study at the Merced County refuge had both male and female reproductive organs. Although all of the rodents examined had elevated levels of selenium in their livers, scientists doubt that the element caused the duplication of their reproductive systems. Studies of selenium's effect on laboratory mice have not induced similar deformities. The number of intersex mammals "was something we found very unexpectedly, and we're not sure what to make of it yet," said biologist Gary Santolo of the Sacramento consulting firm of C2HMHill, who headed the Kesterson field study. What makes the discovery even more mysterious is that it was evidently not caused by genetic mutation, Santolo said. "If the intersex abnormality was seen across four species, it is unlikely that it is the result of a genetic mutation, and it is probably the result of environmental influences," the report said. Hermaphroditism is a condition only rarely encountered at Kesterson in the annual biological monitoring studies that have been under way for more than a decade. "Why did we see more in '98 than in other years? What was different? It's going to take us a while to figure that out," Santolo said. Because Kesterson is a fairly closed system and no longer receives drain water from San Joaquin Valley farms, it has no obvious contaminant sources. Consequently, the report says, "naturally occurring agents should also be considered as having a role in this phenomenon." "It's fair to say that if it happened in four species
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: CANADIAN TRIBES, UNION ANGRY OVER SALMON TREATY VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada June 7, 1999 (ENS) - The Canadian backlash against the newly renegotiated Pacific Salmon Treaty is coming in, and it is harsh. Canadian First Nations tribal leaders are angry that they were left out of the negotiations while 24 United States tribes were at the table. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-07-03.html ~~ ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 7, 1999 California Lawmakers Prepare to Battle Off-Shore Drilling Forest Service Ordered to Stop Poisoning Prairie Dogs Pesticide Use in California Killing Birds Fish Symposium Looks at Satellites for Coral Reef Study Nuclear Agency Unveils Updated Inspection Program Health Research on Farm Animals, Fish, Wildlife Online Fair Promotes Public-Private Protective Alliances Ted Turner Seeks Water Rights for Lake Trout Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-07-09.html CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS SET TO BATTLE OFF-SHORE DRILLING Forty oil exploration and drilling leases off the California coast that were put on hold in 1993 are expected to be given the go-ahead by federal officials this month, but California Governor Gray Davis, a Democrat, has joined environmental groups in opposing renewed off-shore drilling. The 40 leases were drawn up as long as thirty years ago, and were excluded from a federal moratorium against new oil leases extended a year ago by President Bill Clinton, making them the only sites along the California coast where drilling may be allowed within the next 12 years. Governor Davis and other state lawmakers are looking at ways to block any attempt to resume drilling. The California Coastal Commission, which has the legal power to challenge drilling off the California coast, meets Tuesday to review the issue, and present a study of regional oil development to state resource secretary Mary Nichols. More than 30 large oil spills have polluted coastal waters and beaches along the states coast in the past 30 years, according to the Santa Barbara, California based Environmental Defense Center. The forty leases could potentially produce about one billion barrels of crude oil, more than has been produced from all federal waters combined in this century. If opponents do not succeed in blocking the leases, exploration could resume by the end of the year, and drilling could start by 2002. Four new oil drilling platforms are planned by the lease-holders, including Aera Energy, Conoco, Inc., Nuevo Energy Co. and Samedan Oil Corp., with construction slated to begin in 2005. * * * FOREST SERVICE ORDERED TO STOP POISONING PRAIRIE DOGS Black-tailed prairie dogs can breathe a little more easily. Gloria Manning, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) National Forest System acting deputy chief, has ordered her staff to immediately stop poisoning the burrowing prairie dogs on all lands administered by the Service. Manning was responding to a request by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), which filed a petition last July to list the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. NWF grasslands project director Cathy Carlson called the decision momentous. "It means that the Forest Service is getting out of the extermination business and into the business of protecting natural resources, where it belongs." Manning's order impacts 42,460 acres of Forest Service land where black-tailed prairie dog colonies are now found, but provides limited exceptions in what the agency calls "extremely rare situations." The prairie dogs, also called burrowing ground squirrels, can carry sylvatic plague. Manning's order allows wildlife managers to poison them if they fear the disease could enter recovery areas for the black-footed ferret, North America's most endangered mammal. A second exception would allow for poisoning if it is, "the only reasonable alternative to ameliorate human health or safety concerns." Black-tailed prairie dogs have been eliminated from 99 percent of their former land habitat due to development, unregulated hunting, poisoning and the plague. Other rare species, including the
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 4, 1999 President Clinton Orders Federal Buildings to Cut Air Pollution Public Comments Support Permanent Protection For Roadless Forests Global Warming Could Raise Sea Levels in New York City Ocean Ecosystems Suffering as Planet Warms Human Health Emphasized in Climate Change Assessment European Chicken and Pork Shipments Barred From the U.S. Algae Bacteria Can Help Reduce Herbicide Contamination Plan for Coping with Natural Disasters Updated Tortoises May Win Race For Habitat Protection Votes Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-04-09.html PRESIDENT CLINTON ORDERS FEDERAL BUILDINGS TO CUT AIR POLLUTION Federal buildings across the United States will be required to cut their air pollution and emissions by 30 percent under an executive order issued Thursday by President Bill Clinton. The new policy covers 500,000 government buildings, including the Pentagon. The President also called on the federal government to reduce energy usage by 35 percent by 2010. Clinton previously set a goal of a 30 percent reduction in energy use by 2005. The federal government currently uses about 32 percent more energy per square foot than the average private sector building. snipped * * * PUBLIC COMMENTS SUPPORT PERMANENT PROTECTION FOR ROADLESS FORESTS An estimated 200,000 public comments in support of permanently protecting national forest roadless areas were delivered yesterday to Vice President Al Gore and U.S. Forest Service chief Mike Dombeck by conservation groups. The Heritage Forests Campaign, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG), and several other conservation groups said roughly half of the comments were in the form of postcards and half were emails sent directly to Gore via the Heritage Forests Campaign's website. U.S. PIRG gathered 115,000 postcards addressed to the administration, calling for permanent protection of America's Heritage Forests. Working with major Internet sites, the Technology Project, the webmaster for the Heritage Forest Campaign, has promoted paperless petitioning. The Clinton administration is reportedly just weeks away from making a decision on how or whether to manage roadless areas in the national forests. "What the American public wants is for President Clinton to ban the bulldozers from forest roadless areas forever," said Ken Rait, director of the Heritage Forests Campaign. "The administration has repeatedly acknowledged the importance of roadless area protection. Unfortunately, they seem headed in a direction that misses the target," Rait said. Richard Hoppe, spokesman for the Campaign, rates the event a "smashing success," adding "We got our message across to the administration in an effective way." * * * GLOBAL WARMING COULD RAISE SEA LEVELS IN NEW YORK CITY Global climate change is expected to create challenges for New York City. Scientists and government agencies there are joining forces to address possible future problems for the city and the Eastern seaboard. Researchers from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) presented early results Friday of a landmark study on how climate change may affect the Eastern U.S., as part of the U.S. National Assessment on the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change. "Climate change in urban areas is understudied, and it is amazing to me how complex the metropolitan area is," says NASA researcher and study author Cynthia Rosenzweig. "We are looking at how people, place and decision mechanisms of the city respond to climate change and variability as well as to each other." The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now working with sea level change scientists to estimate future beach erosion rates due to sea level rise. Land surface scientists and city planners are working to project whether wetland areas will grow or shrink due to climate changes. Climate researchers are working closely with New York City planners to investigate the influence of the "urban heat island" effect on the city. This effect occurs because asphalt and concrete
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JUNE 3, 1999 Power Companies Back Measures to Reduce Toxic Emissions Santa Monica Chooses Geothermal Power Fluor Daniel Hanford Fined $330,000 California Governor Will Not Appeal Ward Valley Ruling Delaware, USDA Team Up to Protect Watersheds Enviro Groups Want Protection for Rare Plants Local Governments Ask Coca-Cola, Miller Brewing to go Recycled Expansion by Florida Tribe May Threaten Everglades Restoration A New Lake for Arid Tempe, Arizona Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jun99/1999L-06-03-09.html POWER COMPANIES BACK MEASURES TO REDUCE TOXIC EMISSIONS Several Northeastern power companies joined EPA administrator Carol Browner and the National Resources Defense Council yesterday to promote measures to decrease toxic emissions from power plants. For the first time, the utilities disclosed detailed emissions data from individual power plants, including information on mercury releases. The companies also called on utilities nationwide to disclose emissions data, to allow customers to understand the trade-offs between lower-cost, dirtier fuel and higher-cost, cleaner power. The companies hope that publishing this information will make it easier for them to compete in a deregulated electricity market with coal-burning plants in the South and Midwest. New emissions credits trading may also make cleaner fuel more cost-efficient, according to New York based KeySpan Energy, one of the companies backing calls by the EPA and NRDC for tougher emissions controls. Since the May 1 start of the first penalty period instituted by the EPA for nitrogen oxides pollution, KeySpan has bought less oil and more natural gas to generate electricity at its dual fuel power plants on Long Island, New York. The company calculated that the combined costs of NOx penalties and sulfur dioxide penalties would raise the cost of burning oil higher than that of natural gas. By opting for cleaner burning natural gas, the company avoids paying pollution penalties and may be able to sell emissions credits to companies with higher emissions. * * * SANTA MONICA CHOOSES GEOTHERMAL POWER Santa Monica, California, has become the first city to be powered entirely by a renewable energy source - geothermal energy. City officials decided to take advantage of the competitive market created by electricity deregulation and switch from burning fossil fuels to a cleaner source with fewer environmental impacts. Geothermal steam plants owned by Commonwealth Energy Corporation, based in Tustin, California, will now supply all the power needs of city-owned buildings. Though the city will pay about two percent more for green power, officials say the costs will be offset by changes the city has made to become more energy-efficient. Santa Monica mayor Pamela O'Connor says, "By going green, Santa Monica is reducing smog-producing air pollution that degrades public health and moving forward with our Sustainable City plan." The citys decision was prompted by a Go Green Power campaign waged by a Santa Monica based environmental group, Global Green USA. City officials hope to set an example for other cities across that country that green power is a workable alternative to more traditional power sources, including nuclear energy. "Since deregulation, every one of us now has the ability to take responsibility for the environmental impact of our energy use," notes Santa Monica City councilman Michael Feinstein. "This is our chance to change our global energy policy from the ground up." * * * FLUOR DANIEL HANFORD FINED $330,000 The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its first-ever Compliance Order to Fluor Daniel Hanford Inc., the managing contractor of the DOEs Hanford nuclear site in southeastern Washington state. The agency plans to fine the company $330,000 for violations of nuclear safety requirements, the largest penalty in the history of the Price-Anderson Enforcement Program. The order lays out specific milestones to ensure prompt and effective corrective actions for the violations at the Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project. This
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: MT. RANIER AIR POLLUTED BY SEATTLE TRAFFIC SEATTLE, Washington, May 29, 1999 (ENS) - The common assumption that ozone pollution is strictly an urban problem is proving to be false. The air in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park contains higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a major component of air pollution, than nearby urban areas, a new U.S. Geological Survey study has found. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-29-01.html ~~ ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: MAY 29, 1999 EPA's Coastal Crusader Chopper Keeps an Eye on Beaches Hurricane Surveillance Jet Tours Vulnerable Cities Fulton Fish Market Dealer Fined $1.72 Million Illinois Votes for Clean Energy Community Trust Memorial Day Battle Shaping Up in Oregon's Eagle Creek Wolf Recovery in Arizona Succeeding Three Western Plants Gain Endangered Species Protection Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-29-09.html EPA'S COASTAL CRUSADER CHOPPER KEEPS AN EYE ON BEACHES As tens of thousands head for the beach this Memorial Day weekend, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) environmental sampling and surveillance helicopter, "The Coastal Crusader," will begin its summer vigil, flying along New Jersey and New York beaches making sure the water is clean. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, EPA scientists use the Bell 212 helicopter to take hundreds of water samples, which are analyzed in EPA's lab. They also keep a watchful eye out for floating debris that could spoil summer fun. The results are shared with local communities to help them determine if beach closures are necessary. Garbage slicks are immediately reported to the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which dispatches vessels to skim the debris from the water to prevent wash-ups on bathing beaches. "When you head for the beaches this year, keep an eye out for the helicopter," said William Muszynski, EPA Region 2 deputy administrator. "The Coastal Crusader is making sure that your beach experience is a safe and pleasurable one." All area coastal waters have been in very good shape in recent years, Muszynski says. Less than 15 years ago, area beaches and coastal waters were plagued with high bacterial levels, huge algal blooms and extensive garbage and medical waste wash-ups. These incidents are now very rare. Information about area beaches can be obtained through EPA's new web site, Beach Watch at http://www.epa.gov/ost/beaches ~ HURRICANE SURVEILLANCE JET TOURS VULNERABLE CITIES A high-tech, high flying hurricane surveillance jet and down-to-earth specialists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will promote hurricane awareness in a three-day swing, June 1 to 3, though six vulnerable Gulf coast communities. The flight crew of NOAA's Gulfstream-IV jet and experts from the National Hurricane Center will focus attention on hurricane awareness and the technology of forecasting as they meet with local media, government officials and emergency managers in Corpus Christi and Galveston, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Tampa and Miami, Florida. "Given the deadly season last year and anticipated above average' number of tropical storms and hurricanes expected again this year, NOAA has increased the number of its awareness tours to include both U.S. eastern and Gulf states and the eastern and western Caribbean," said Jerry Jarrell, director of NOAA's National Hurricane Center. Capt. Donald Winter, commander of NOAA's Aircraft Operations Center in Tampa, said, "The jet flies at high altitudes, providing previously unavailable information about the steering currents of hurricanes. This data complements the low-altitude data gathered by our P-3 Orion hurricane-hunter aircraft." Jarrell said the trip is not just for show. "The G-IV jet is more than a showcase for hurricane-tracking technology and a platform for research. It's important for decision-makers and emergency managers to know the capabilities and limitations of the tools and processes we use - to inspect the technology standing between them and harm's way." ~~ FULTON FISH MARKET DEALER FINED $1.72 MILLION NOAA has charged a New York
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: MAY 27, 1999 Industries Violate Clean Air Act with Impunity Exxon to Clean Up W. Virginia Coke Works Superfund Site New EDF Website Ranks Integrated Iron And Steel Mills First Hybrid-Electric Big Rig Rolls Out House Considers Cutting Funds for Killing Predators Trumpeter Swan Migrates From Indiana to Ontario on Her Own Santa Fe River All Wastewater Below Treatment Plant Miccosukee Tribe of Florida Sets Everglades Water Standards Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-27-09.html INDUSTRIES VIOLATE CLEAN AIR ACT WITH IMPUNITY An Environmental Working Group analysis of recently released enforcement records from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reveals a persistent pattern of "significant violations" of the Clean Air Act in five major industries. Hundreds of large facilities in auto assembly, iron and steel, petroleum refining, pulp manufacturing, as well as metal smelting and refining are threatening public health by their repeated failure to comply with federal clean air safeguards. There has been little effort by state or federal officials to bring even the most flagrant offenders into compliance with current statutory requirements the analysis found. The Group studied records of compliance with air pollution standards at nearly 600 facilities across the U.S. during the past two years. These records, which were audited by polluters and state and federal enforcement agencies, have just recently been released to the public. They show that more than 39 percent (227 out of 575) of all major U.S. facilities in these five industries violated the Clean Air Act between January 1997 and December 1998. On average, these facilities violated the Act four out of the eight quarters during the two-year period analyzed. All of these infractions fit the EPA definition of "significant" violations of the law. Only about one-third (36 percent) of the 227 facilities violating the law have been fined by the U.S. EPA or state environmental regulators. Based in Washington, DC with an office in San Francisco, the Environmental Working Group produces reports and articles, and provides technical assistance and the development of computer databases concerned citizens who are campaigning to protect the environment. The Group has collaborative relationships with over 400 U.S. public interest organizations. * * * EXXON TO CLEAN UP WEST VIRGINIA COKE WORKS SUPERFUND SITE The Exxon Company signed an agreement this week with federal and state environmental regulators and community leaders to clean up the Sharon Steel Fairmont Coke Works Superfund Site in Fairmont, West Virginia. The cleanup will use a new approach developed by Exxon. The Exxon agreement, one of 12 pilots of its kind in the country, comes under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Project XL Program, which stands for eXcellence and Leadership. The program encourages companies to test cleaner, cheaper and smarter ways to achieve environmental results that are superior to those achieved under current regulations. Exxon will demolish and dispose of the buildings on site to add aesthetic value to the community and to facilitate redevelopment. The company will identify interested developers up-front and make the site readily available to them. Local government will provide future land use planning for redevelopment. Citizens will be involved throughout the cleanup process via the Fairmont Community Liaison Panel, which goes beyond what is required by Superfund law. The Sharon Steel Fairmont Coke Works site occupies 50 acres, 20 miles south of Morgantown, along the I-79 industrial corridor in Fairmont. A corporate predecessor of Exxon owned the site from 1918 to 1948 and then sold it to Sharon Steel Corporation which operated a coke production facility until operations ceased in 1979, due to Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations. The EPA began evaluating the site for placement on the Superfund List in 1987. The EPA removed all immediate hazardous waste threats from 1993 through 1996. In addition to the Exxon agreement, another 11 pilot XL
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: ENN Daily News - Friday, May 21, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENN DAILY NEWS Crisis in Kosovo Read and listen to dispatches from National Geographic writers directly from the heart of the crisis. http://www.ngnews.com/kosovo/ E-mail Edition for Friday, May 21, 1999 Produced by the Environmental News Network Food scarce for ocean bottom dwellers Sea bottom dwellers in the deep eastern North Pacific are suffering from a long-term food shortage, according to a seven-year study conducted between 1989 and 1996. Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, say a likely culprit for the decline in food supply is a documented increase in ocean temperature that spans the same time period. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/052199/bottom_dwellers_starve_33 01.asp Suit threatened over Mojave mine A coalition of environmental groups has let the National Park Service know it intends to file suit unless the service makes a mining operation in the Mojave National Preserve comply with federal laws. Under the Mining Act of 1872, valid mining claims within a national park or preserve must be honored if they were established before the park or preserve. The Cima Cinder Mine in California's Mojave National Preserve is one such mine. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/052199/mine_3327.asp Texas begins crackdown on salvinia It may have the appearance of an attractive water fern, but the discovery of Giant Salvinia in Texas waterways has created a great deal of concern among local biologists. And for good reason the innocent looking plant has crept its way into the aquatic plant industry for use in aquariums and water gardens, causing significant environmental and economic havoc in major waterways on at least four continents. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/052199/salvinia_3321.asp Book documents invasion of U.S. waters Invasive fish species may be an important factor in the extinctions of many native fish species in the United States, according to a book published recently by the American Fisheries Society. The book, Nonindigenous Fishes Introduced into Inland Waters of the United States, was written by three U.S. Geological Society biologists who believe that invasive non-native fishes in the nation's waters are increasingly threatening aquatic systems. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/052199/nonindigenous_3318.asp News Bytes A quick look at more of today's environmental news. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/052199/bytes_3314.asp ENN Feature Volunteer vacation: Next time don't just watch the whales, study them Last year, Muriel Horacek spent two weeks camping in a cave in China as she monitored an endangered species of monkey. She has also radio-tracked cheetahs by airplane over Namibia, taken water samples from a rowboat in a German lake, and in St. Croix caught the eggs of nesting sea turtles in her bare hands. This was all after she turned 70. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/features/1999/05/052199/vacation_3320.asp ENN Multimedia The longest migration The Arctic tern, which travels from the Antarctic to the North Pole every year to breed, has the longest migration route of all birds. They need large stores of body fat to make the trip and must replenish along the way. EarthNews (1:30) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/052199/052199long_3316.asp Helping teens at risk with wilderness experience In his new book, Shouting at the Sky, Gary Ferguson chronicles a season in a wilderness program that confronts bright but troubled teenagers with the shock of the outdoors, and helps some of them discover a new path. High Plains News Service(5:14) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/052199/052199hpns_3298.asp Almanac anniversary The National Almanac Office is celebrating its 150th anniversary of publishing an almanac for sailors. Sailors use the almanac to determine their location at sea. The era of the almanac includes sailboats, steam engines and silicon chips. Earthwatch Radio (2:00) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/052199/051799alma_3319.asp ENN World Wire Only $12.95 per year! Click here Biotech industry urges caution on butterfly study Backers of food biotechnology reacted with caution Thursday to a study by U.S. scientists that asserted harmful effects on monarch butterflies from pollen produced by genetically modified corn plants. Mexico urged to ban Bt corn Environmentalists on Thursday urged the government to ban imports and use of genetically engineered corn, citing new research that it could contribute to deaths of monarch butterflies, which mainly winter in Mexico. EU freezes approval of pest-resistant corn The European Commission said Thursday in Brussels it would freeze the approval procedure for a genetically modified corn
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS MAY 19,1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: MAY 19, 1999 Year to Date 7th Warmest Fire at Pilgrim Nuclear Plant San Francisco Bay Contains Dioxins, Furans, DDT Rethinking Needed to Cut Cost of Natural Disasters Rays from Sun Lamps, Sun Beds May be Carcinogens Idaho Groups Fear Water Contamination from Montana Mine New Satellite Instruments Improve Ozone Measurements Ants Controlled with New Attractant Repellent Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-19-09.html AmeriScan: May 18, 1999 YEAR TO DATE 7TH WARMEST The year-to-date, January-April, was the seventh warmest January-April period in the lower 48 United States since records began in 1895, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported today. About 40 percent of the country averaged much warmer than normal, while near zero percent of the country averaged much cooler than normal. Preliminary precipitation data indicate that the year-to-date was the 47th wettest January-April on record for the lower 48. About two percent of the country was much wetter than normal for this period, while about four percent of the country was much drier than normal. This contrasts with the wettest January-April on record, which occurred just last year during the strong El Niño episode. For the year-to-date, January-April, 358 tornadoes have been documented. This ranks as the third most active year-to-date, behind the count of 373 recorded just last year. The most tornadoes observed during this same four-month period was 405 in 1991, while the fewest was 83 in 1987. During April 1999, 152 tornadoes were documented across the contiguous United States. The 47-year average for April is 111. The most tornadoes observed in the April record was 269 during the record outbreak month of April 1974, while the fewest was 20 in April 1987. Information on the year-to-date climate and on the climate of April are online at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/research/1999/apr/apr99.html * * * FIRE AT PILGRIM NUCLEAR PLANT A fire at the Pilgrim Unit I nuclear power reactor Tuesday night caused plant officials to declare an emergency before it was safely extinguished. Operated by Boston Edison Company, the reactor is four miles southeast of Plymouth, Massachusetts on the west coast of Cape Cod Bay. The fire in a main transformer occurred while the reactor was refueling, not producing power. During a test of the transformer, fire erupted, and the Plymouth Fire Department was called. Carbon dioxide was used for fire suppression, and no injuries were reported. The fire was extinguished within half an hour. No damage assessment has yet been released. * * * SAN FRANCISCO BAY CONTAINS DIOXINS, FURANS, DDT The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added dioxins, furans and the pesticides DDT, dieldrin and chlordane as high priorities to California's list of pollutants that are impairing water quality in San Francisco Bay. The chemicals are released during industrial and agricultural activities. The action is part of the EPA's larger decision to add 37 rivers and streams and 12 additional pollutants to the State Water Board's 1998 list of impaired waters in need of pollution control plans. The list includes 35 Bay Area creeks that are affected by the pesticide diazinon and Oakland's Lake Merritt, which has problems with low dissolved oxygen and excessive floating material. The EPA approved the state's list in November, which for the first time includes exotic species as a threat to the Bay. "It's time to get serious about dioxins and PCBs," said Felicia Marcus, EPA regional administrator. "This decision will focus federal and state attention on a series of pollutants that have been compromising San Francisco Bay and other critical California waterways for too long." These compounds include seven types of dioxin, 10 types of furans, and 12 types of PCBs. The state had already listed PCBs, but the EPA is setting a higher priority ranking for dioxin-like PCBs because they pose an unacceptably high health risk to people who eat fish from the Bay. The agency recently proposed a rule that would require a
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS MAY 14, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) GREENS URGE TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE IN KOSOVO CHILEAN TRIBAL LEADER ARRESTED AFTER ENVIRO, HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT A PASSIONATE JOURNEY TO SAVE INDIA'S TIGERS MEXICAN TOWN PROTESTS CANADIAN MINING OPERATION AMERISCAN MAY 14, 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** CHILEAN TRIBAL LEADER ARRESTED AFTER ENVIRO, HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT SANTIAGO, Chile, May 14, 1999 (ENS) - Pedro Cayuqueo, a leader of Chile's Mapuche indigenous people, was arrested by the international police on his arrival at Santiago's airport Sunday. He was returning from Geneva, Switzerland where he had taken part in the 55th annual session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-14-01.html *** A PASSIONATE JOURNEY TO SAVE INDIA'S TIGERS By Anthony Marr VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada, May 14, 1999 (ENS) - The tigress was sleeping on her side in the undergrowth deep within Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh, the self-appointed "tiger state" of India. She was scarcely visible in the dense foliage with her camouflage of brown and white patches and shadowy black stripes. Within tail-flicking distance behind her was a half-eaten carcass of a wild boar. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-14-04.html *** MEXICAN TOWN PROTESTS CANADIAN MINING OPERATION By Koren Capozza MEXICO CITY, Mexico, May 14, 1999 (ENS) - Beginning in the 16th century, rumors of mineral riches drew foreigners to the desert town of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Spanish conquistadors marvelled at the seemingly inexhaustible supply of silver and gold that lay beneath the town's soil. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-14-03.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: MAY 14, 1999 Court of Appeal Strikes Down EPA Soot Smog Regs Eastern States NOX Rules Defended by Utility VP Trees Immersed in CO2 Can Grow Faster Atomic Train TV Movie No Longer Atomic Dreamworks Has Legal Nightmares Over Ballona Wetlands City of Los Angeles Kicks Off Green Power Program Pennsylvania Funds Purchase of Alternative Fuel Vehicles Beverly Hills: Don't Tell Us How Fur-Bearing Animals Die Cassini Says Compassion is the Fashion Babbitt Hopes to Help Horseshoe Crabs Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/may99/1999L-05-14-09.html *** Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: Thursday, May 13, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENN DAILY NEWS Crisis in Kosovo Read and listen to dispatches from National Geographic writers directly from the heart of the crisis. http://www.ngnews.com/kosovo/ E-mail Edition for Thursday, May 13, 1999 Produced by the Environmental News Network No role seen for ethanol, MTBE in cutting smog The National Research Council reported Tuesday that oxygen additives used in reformulated gasoline have had little to do with a decrease in the emission of smog-forming chemicals. "Although additives do reduce some pollutants from motor vehicle emissions, the oxygenates appear to have little impact on lowering ozone levels," said committee chair William Chameides, regents professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/051399/rfgs_3180.asp 3 states urged to cooperate, cut mercury Water quality, conservation and sport fishing groups called on the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to work together to reduce mercury contamination in sport fisheries. Lakes and fish in the region have been hampered by mercury contamination from aging coal-burning power plants, medical wastes and other sources. Mercury causes nervous system damage and lowered IQs in children. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/051399/mercury_3186.asp Sounding the alarm on contaminated water Scientists will field test a new remote sensing system this summer designed to detect water contamination. If successful, the system may help protect valuable ecosystems from toxins and pollutants. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/051399/watercontamination_3178.asp Squirrel survival: let forest burn Scientists have found additional support for the federal government's "let 'em burn" wildfire policy in the form of a rare ground squirrel in Idaho. Without lightning-sparked fires, which naturally occur every 10 to 12 years, a few non-native plant species have taken over the Payette Forest of northern Idaho and populations of one species of ground squirrel are slowly starving, say biologists based at Cornell University and in Idaho. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/051399/squirrels_3116.asp News Bytes A quick look at more of today's environmental news. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/051399/bytes13_3179.asp ENN Multimedia In hot water Solar power has untapped potential and can be a practical source of energy even in the Midwest. Solar-powered water heaters can supply one half of the hot water to a household. Also, solar water heaters help save money and cut down on carbon dioxide pollution. Earthwatch Radio (2:03) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/051399/051399inho_3185.asp Foucault pendulum The Foucault Pendulum is a measuring device that demonstrates the turning on the Earth as it swings back and forth without changing direction. EarthNews (1:29) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/051399/051399fouc_3183.asp Nuclear waste issue splits Goshute tribe Nuclear fuel rods originally destined for burial at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada need a temporary storage site. Leaders of the Goshute tribe in Utah say the fuel rods could bring jobs and dollars to the tiny, remote, low-income reservation. Other tribal members are appalled. High Plains News Service (5:26) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/051399/051399hpns_3184.asp For all the news, visit our website at http://www.enn.com ENN is a Registered Trademark of the Environmental News Network, Inc. Copyright copy 1998 Environmental News Network, Inc. Thank you for your interest in ENN Daily News, a FREE service of the Environmental News Network. Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: ENN Daily News - Friday, May 7, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENN DAILY NEWS Understanding Renewable Energy This free web course addresses a variety of renewable energy issues and delves into the specifics of solar, geothermal, wind and hydroelectric power Enroll today at http://www.energy.com/eu/ E-mail Edition for Friday, May 7, 1999 Produced by the Environmental News Network Clinton urged to veto rider-laden aid bill A funding bill for humanitarian relief efforts and U.S. military aid in Kosovo is plagued with anti-environmental riders, according to conservationists who have asked President Clinton to veto any legislation that contains the riders. Congress is expected to vote within the next few weeks on the Fiscal Year 1999 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill. The bill would aid military personnel in Kosovo and provide food and shelter to storm victims in Central America. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/050799/riders_3072.asp Enzymes called key to low-sulfur gasoline A biotechnology firm that is developing a process to remove sulfur from gasoline with enzymes believes that its process will help refiners meet newly proposed federal standards for sulfur levels in gasoline. The proposed standards call for 30 parts per million sulfur in gasoline, down from the current average of 340 parts per million. The standards would allow automobiles to run 80 percent cleaner. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/050799/sulfur_3075.asp Kartchner Caverns State Park opens in fall In November, a 550-acre state park in the Chiracahuan desert with a stunning underground "living" wet cavern is scheduled to open. Kartchner Caverns State Park, kept a secret for 14 years, will test your spelunking skills and expose the secrets of underground caves. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/050799/caves_3063.asp World urged to preserve wetlands The progress of world wetland conservation will be the topic of discussion at The 7th Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention to be held next week in San Jose, Costa Rica. To coincide with the convention, the World Wide Fund for Nature has asked countries to strengthen their efforts to effectively protect and manage large areas of wetlands. The group also urged non-signatories with important wetlands -- Tanzania, Cameroon, Nigeria, Cambodia, Laos, and Cuba -- to join. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/050799/wetlands_3070.asp News Bytes A quick look at more of today's environmental news. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/05/050799/bytes7_3059.asp ENN Feature Urban trees: A win-win proposition Save forests and money with a saw mill and a community partnership? Some trail-blazing cities are proving it can be done. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/features/1999/05/050799/urbantree_3062.asp ENN Multimedia Healers of the wild Most deaths and injuries of wild animals are the direct result of human actions. The five most common causes of injury are collisions with man-made objects like cars, boats, planes and windows; cat and dog attacks; shooting and trapping; poisoning; litter and pollution. EarthNews (1:30) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/050799/050799wild1_3071.asp Friendly fungi Fungi are often a threat to forests and farm crops. But scientists say some fungi can be used as a natural pesticide. Scientists are working on fungi that attack insects, like the fungus that preys on the invasive gypsy moths. Earthwatch Radio (2:06) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/050799/050799frie_3073.asp Montana ban on cyanide heap leach mining intact Conservationists applauded last November when 52 percent of Montanas voters passed an initiative banning cyanide heap leach mining. Attempts to gut the initiative in this years state senate failed. Now, the fight moves into the middle rounds, as the mining industry plots a comeback. One thing is certain, the fight over the ban on cyanide heap leach mining in Montana is not over. High Plains News Service (5:06) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/05/050799/050799hpns_3074.asp ENN World Wire Only $12.95 per year! Click here Court OKs Yellowstone bison slaying The state of Montana is free to keep killing bison outside Yellowstone National Park to protect cattle from being infected with a livestock disease, a federal appeals court has decided. Humane Society takes notice of Montana's treatment of bison While the state of Montana and environmentalists continue to feud over bison control, the Humane Society of the United States has stepped up to the plate with a news release including video footage, chronicling buffalo harmed during the Montana Department of Livestock's roundup in mid-April. WWF sees environment crisis from Balkan bombing NATO's bombing campaign in Yugoslavia threatens to create an environmental crisis
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: SMALL BOOK CREATES BIG HEADACHE FOR AUSTRALIAN FOREST INDUSTRY By Bob Burton CANBERRA, Australia, April 15, 1999 (ENS) - Attempts by the Australian National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI) to use legal threats to stop the sale of a book advising consumers on alternative timbers to those from logging native forests, have backfired. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-15-01.html *** POACHERS CAUSE 2ND EXTINCTION OF ARABIAN ORYX GLAND, Switzerland, April 15, 1999 (ENS) - The Arabian Oryx could become extinct in the wild in Oman for the second time in 30 years, according to Ralph Daly, adviser for conservation of the environment in the Diwan of the Royal Court in Oman. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-15-03.html *** EUROPE'S PVC INDUSTRY FIGHTS POSSIBLE LIMITS BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 15, 1999 (ENS) - Europe's plastics industry has made a pre-emptive strike against possible future European Union (EU) restrictions on the manufacture and use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Website: http://www.ends.co.uk For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-15-04.html *** NEW DISCOVERY: WORLD'S LARGEST BACTERIUM BREMEN, Germany, April 15, 1999 (ENS) - A newly discovered bacteria visible to the naked eye has been discovered off the coast of Namibia, an African country bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-15-05.html *** AmeriScan: April 15, 1999 ALASKA NATIVES DELIVER CLIMATE WARNING TO BP AMOCO Alaska Natives today told BP Amoco shareholders at the oil giant's Annual General Meeting that the company's "insatiable drive for new oil worldwide threatens their culture and livelihood in the Alaskan Arctic." Three Natives of the Yup'ik and Gwich'in people travelled to London, UK to make their plea. Their peoples are campaigning with Greenpeace to highlight the threats from climate change and oil exploration. The Western Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average, the natives told BP Amoco directors and shareholders. Scientists have reported that the Arctic ice pack has been declining at a rate of 4.5 percent in the past decade, and threatening native wildlife including polar bears, walrus and caribou, they said. Allan Hayton, a Gwich'in Athabascan from Arctic Village, Alaska said, "For countless generations the Gwich'in people, my people, have relied on the land to provide for our survival. Already we are witnessing dramatic changes in our Alaskan climate from the burning of fossil fuels, and an oil spill on the North Slope would effectively destroy our abundant wildlife and our native cultures in the process. Sir John Browne, respectfully I ask you, will you cancel Northstar, and commit your company to not drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?" BP's $500 million Northstar development is the first offshore development in the Arctic Ocean. The natives have the support of former President Jimmy Carter who sent a letter to President Bill Clinton on April 9, encouraging him to support permanent protection for the Arctic Refuge Coastal Plain. President Carter wrote, "the Arctic Refuge coastal plain will remain imperiled until it is permanently protected." He told Clinton that he views the historic protection of Alaskan parks and refuges as "one of the most important and enduring achievements of my presidency." * * * FIVE ARRESTED AS BISON CAPTURED FOR BRUCELLOSIS TESTING Tuesday, buffalo protection volunteers counted 63 bison out of Yellowstone National Park grazing on the spring grass next to the newly constructed buffalo trap on the Gallatin National Forest. On Wednesday, the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) hazed with snowmobiles and captured over 60 buffalo in their new capture facility on Horse Butte, bringing the total number of buffalo captured this year to over 100. Molly Karp, 17, of
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: sent by: Martha ET ENN DAILY NEWS Looking to save energy? Join http://www.energy.com/ E-mail Edition for Wednesday, April 14, 1999 Produced by the Environmental News Network Settlement reached in Pikes Peak suit Water quality on Pikes Peak in Colorado is expected to improve as the result of a settlement reached Monday in a lawsuit between the city of Colorado Springs and the Sierra Club. The settlement would require the city to implement a 10-year, $14-21 million construction program to protect streams and wetlands on Pikes Peak, and to fund various other cleanup projects on the mountain. It must still be approved by U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch, who is hearing the suit. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/04/041499/pikespeak_2656.asp Waco challenged to use more wind power If Waco Mayor Mike Morrison gets his way, his Texas city will have one quarter of its electricity generated by green power producers. The mayor issued a challenge to Waco last week to have 25 percent of the city's electricity obtained from renewable energy sources. On Earth Day, April 22, Waco will get a head start toward this goal with the start up of the four largest wind turbines in the United States. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/04/041499/windenergy_2654.asp Pesticide laws inadequate, group warns A study released by Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides warns that state governments are not doing enough to protect the public from the hazards of pesticides used for indoor pest control. The study, "The Building of State Indoor Pesticide Policies," published in the latest issue of NCAMP's journal Pesticides and You, evaluated pesticide laws regarding public buildings, including workplaces, government buildings, commercial buildings, health care facilities and restaurants. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/04/041499/pesticides_2648.asp Poll echoes need for localized environmental protection Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe that state or local governments would do a better job at environmental protection than the federal government, according to a poll released Tuesday. "Americans are unquestionably pro-environment," said Jonathan H. Adler, senior director of environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the non-partisan policy group that released the poll. "But they are also suspicious of the extensive, command-and-control environmental bureaucracy headquartered in Washington, D.C." Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/04/041499/survey_2652.asp Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: AMERISCAN EXCERPTS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: AmeriScan: April 13, 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-13-09.html PUSH ON TO DEFEAT NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACT The Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project (CMEP) is mobilizing to pressure members of Congress to vote against the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1999. The bill is scheduled for a mark up by the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Power on Wednesday. If Congress passes this bill, the CMEP says, it will bring nuclear waste within one half mile of 50 million Americans in 43 states as it is transported across the country to Nevada and dumped at a temporary site. The Department of Energy's projections for an accident leading to a small release of radioactive material (1,380 curies) in a rural area show that it would: contaminate a 42 square mile area require 460 days to clean up carry a $620 million price tag for clean up Nuclear waste remains hazardous for a million years, the group says, and warns "there is currently no known technology for the safe disposition of nuclear waste." Transporting nuclear waste now, when the final disposition of waste is unknown, may require another round of transport from Nevada, the group says. The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board is still in the process of assessing the suitability of a permanent nuclear waste depository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, currently the only site under consideration. * * * FIREFIGHTERS ON ALERT ACROSS THE COUNTRY About 1,218 wildfire outbreaks have scorched 33,525 acres across Florida, prompting Governor Jeb Bush to declare a state of emergency for the entire state. The state's rainfall is well below normal for this time of year. Drought conditions are high in central areas with a rating of between 680 and 694 on the Ketch-Byram Drought Index in which 800 is the highest. In Connecticut, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today raised the forest fire danger level to "extreme" due to continuing sunny, dry and very windy weather conditions. "Forest fire danger ratings of 'extreme' are uncommon in Connecticut. The last 'extreme' danger level was issued in September, 1995. The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho reports the potential for wildfires remains above normal in all or parts of 16 U.S. states between now and May 5, particularly in the southwest and southeast. The largest area threatened includes western Texas, the southern half of New Mexico, the southern half of Arizona, Southern California, and the southern areas of Nevada and Utah. Conditions are so severe in Texas the governor recently submitted a request to FEMA for an Emergency Disaster Declaration to preposition resources in anticipation of the need for fire fighting later this year. * * * UNIVERSITIES, COMPANIES, NGO CREATE CLEAN CHARLES 2005 COALITION Boston's Charles River is significantly cleaner this year said John DeVillars, New England administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today. He gave the river a grade of B- up from a C a year ago. DeVillars said the river is nwo clean enough for boating 83 percent of the time, up from 70 percent last year and meets swimming standards 51 percent of the time, compared to 34 percent last year. DeVillars announced that a dozen private institutions along the river have joined forces with the EPA to create the "Clean Charles 2005 Coalition," to restore the river so it is fishable and swimmable by Earth Day 2005. The partnership includes five universities, six companies and an environmental group: MIT, Harvard, Northeastern University, Brandeis University, Boston University, Polaroid, Triumverate Environmental Services, Genzyme, Stop Shop, Mass General Hospital, Ionics Inc., and the Charles River Watershed Association. Members of the newly formed coalition announced that they will work together and as individual landholders to work towards voluntary stormwater management and river-related education and to focus attention on the need for water-quality research. The
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: Monday, April 5, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Produced by the Environmental News Network Carbon dioxide threatens tropical coral reefs As if there weren't already enough threats to coral reefs, now scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research have found that carbon dioxide dissolved in seawater could be a direct threat to these tropical ecosystems. "We believe that these findings represent some of the first evidence of a direct negative impact of increased CO2 on a marine ecosystem," lead author Joan Kleypas of the National Center for Atmospheric Research wrote in an article in the April 2 issue of the journal Science. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/04/040599/carbon_2488.asp USGS River Studies Station opens The U.S. Geological Survey has opened a river studies station at the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center in Columbia, Mo. The center's initial project will gather information on all aspects of the Missouri River system, from the impacts of major floods and droughts to changes in streamflow, sedimentation and habitats of the river system. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/04/040599/missouri_2495.asp ENN Feature The Worldwatch Report: Approaching the threshold One reason more people are aware of the environmental underpinnings of their lives now is that many more have been directly affected by environmental disruptions. And even when events don't impinge directly, media coverage is more likely to expose the damage now than a decade ago. Full Story: http://www.enn.com/features/1999/04/040599/threshhold_2457.asp From NGNEWS.com Florida's Indians Paid The Toll of Conquest The Spanish colonization of Florida was largely carried out on the backs of Native Americans, according to the curator of archaeology at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Today the exploited tribes are all but extinct, he says, and the Catholic mission system of the time is at least partly to blame. Full Story: http://www.ngnews.com/news/1999/04/040599/floridaindians_2374.asp A new method for dealing with old landfills Bioremediation involves stimulating the bacteria that occur naturally in soil. It may mean good news for the environment and for local governments bottom lines when dealing with old landfills. Great Lakes Radio Consortium (4:24) Full Story: http://www.enn.com/enn-multimedia-archive/1999/04/040599/040599glrc2_2492.asp BRITISH COLUMBIA/MACMILLAN BLOEDEL PACKAGE SLAMMED VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 5, 1999 (ENS) - The New Democratic government of British Columbia is planning to transfer to forest giant Macmillan Bloedel a package of land ownership and cutting rights are estimated at $83.7 million (US$55.7 million). Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-05-02.html *** From: Editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS SERVICE REPORTS: SINGLE SCREWWORM LARVA SCARES TEXAS MISSION, Texas, April 5, 1999 (ENS) - The Texas Animal Health Commission and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are alerting livestock and pet handlers to be vigilant for flesh-eating screwworm maggots as spring rolls in. Screwworms have been officially eradicated from Texas, but the discovery of a single immature worm, a larva, has mobilized the state's regulatory personnel. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-05-03.html *** HONG KONG CRACKS DOWN ON SHAHTOOSH TRADERS HONG KONG, China, April 5, 1999 (ENS) - Here in Hong Kong a trader in the soft underbelly wool of the endangered Tibetan antelope awaits sentencing. Recent tough action by the Hong Kong judiciary is an unprecendented effort to stop the illegal trade in this softest of all wools known as shahtoosh. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-05-04.html *** WORLD POPULATION WILL ADD TWO BILLION BY 2025 WASHINGTON, DC, April 2, 1999 (ENS) - The world's population will increase to eight billion by the end of 2026 and will reach 9.3 billion by 2050, according to an international brief released today by the United States Census Bureau. This year the world's population will pass the six billion mark, on or about October 12. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/apr99/1999L-04-02-01.html *** BADLY PROTECTED BRAZIL PARKS CHAMPIONED SAO PAULO, Brazil, April 2, 1999 (ENS) - The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) Brazil has opened a nationwide campaign on protected areas, the first of its in Brazil. The
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: AmeriScan: March 22, 1999 Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar99/1999L-03-22-09.html excerpts TEAM CHOSEN TO HANDLE SURPLUS WEAPONS-GRADE PLUTONIUM The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has contracted with Duke Engineering Services, French state-owned company COGEMA, Inc., and Stone Webster to provide mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication and reactor irradiation services in support of the department's mission to dispose of surplus weapons plutonium. The team, known as Duke Cogema Stone Webster (DCS), has its corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. Subcontractors to DCS include Duke Power Company, of Charlotte, and Virginia Power Company, of Richmond, Virginia, who will provide the reactor facilities in which MOX fuel will be used upon receipt of Nuclear Regulatory Commission license amendments. Other major subcontractors include Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc., Erwin, Tennessee; Belgonucleaire, Brussels, Belgium; and Framatome Cogema Fuels of Lynchburg, Virginia. "It is critical that the United States and Russia dispose of surplus weapons-grade plutonium so that it will never again be used in nuclear weapons," said Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. "This partnership with private sector companies sets the stage for Russia and the United States to work together to eliminate tons of excess plutonium." Under the contract announced today, DCS will design, provide construction management services, operate and deactivate a MOX fuel fabrication facility. The team will modify six existing U.S. commercial light water reactors at three sites to irradiate mixed oxide fuel assemblies. These reactors sites are Catawba in York, South Carolina; McGuire in Huntersville, North Carolina; and North Anna in Mineral, Virginia. Two technologies will be used to dispose of surplus weapons-grade plutonium.end excerpt PACIFIC NORTHWEST CAN EXPECT HEAVY FLOODING The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hydrologists released their flood assessment Thursday predicting parts of Oregon and Washington and much of Idaho have a greater than average potential for flooding this spring. The area's greater-than-average snow pack is the primary factor. NOAA's forecast is based upon hydrology studies that show that some areas in the Pacific Northwest have a snow pack that is as much as 200 percent above normal. In Idaho, for example, the snow pack in places represents up to 100 inches of water. Depending upon the snowmelt rate, severe flooding could affect many areas east of the Cascades and several drainages along the Idaho panhandle into the central part of the state. * * * BP TO PAY NEARLY $4 MILLION FOR FLARING VIOLATIONS BP Oil Company's Toledo refinery will monitor, report and correct process operations that result in the flaring, or combustion, of gases containing high levels of air pollutants under a first-of-its-kind settlement filed March 15 in federal district court in Toledo, Ohio. The company must also pay $1.75 million for its alleged illegal discharges of pollutants and reporting violations, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said. The agreement resolves claims that BP violated the Clean Air Act by emitting excess quantities of sulfur dioxide by unlawfully flaring gases containing high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide. Sulfur dioxide emissions from flares are released directly into the atmosphere and contribute to acid rain. "Flaring at a refinery can result in extremely high concentrations of air pollution emissions in very short periods of time," said Steven Herman, EPA's assistant administrator for enforcement. "This action serves notice to refineries nationwide that if they divert gases away from pollution control equipment or fail to have pollution control equipment available on a continuous basis, they do so at the peril of facing enforcement actions." BP must also pay a civil penalty of $1.4 million and spend $350,000 on two supplemental environmental projects. The first requires BP to spend $150,000 on an emergency response
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ABORIGINAL LEADER FACES JAIL AS AUSTRALIA PUSHES FOR URANIUM MINE By Andrew Darby DARWIN, Northern Territory, Australia, March 17, 1999 (ENS) - The Aboriginal leader Yvonne Margarula faces jail for walking on land her clan has held for millenia, but declared off limits for the Jabiluka uranium mine. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar99/1999L-03-17-01.html AMERISCAN FROM ENS NEWS SERVICE AmeriScan: March 17, 1999 http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar99/1999L-03-17-09.html PORTLAND, SEATTLE SALMON GET ENDANGERED SPECIES LISTING The National Marine Fisheries Service today added nine species of salmon and steelhead in Washington and Oregon, including metropolitan Portland and Seattle, to the endangered species list. This marks the first time federal protection has been extended to salmon found in streams in heavily populated areas of the Pacific Northwest. Land-use and water-development projects that degrade watershed and stream conditions are blamed for the lack of salmon as are habitat loss, over-harvesting, dam construction and operation, and certain hatchery practices. "One of our greatest challenges is to restore the great salmon runs of the Pacific Northwest to sustainable levels," said Terry Garcia, assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.END EXCERPT +++ $5.5 MILLION ADDED TO BATTLE LONGHORN BEETLE EMERGENCY Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has signed a declaration of emergency, transferring $5.5 million in new funds to assist in detecting the Asian longhorned beetle, identifying infested areas, controlling and preventing the spread of the beetle to non-infested areas, and eradicating the pest. Some of the funds will be used to compensate the city of Chicago and the state of New York for beetle survey and infested tree removal costs. "The Asian longhorned beetle is a pest that threatens trees in our forests, rural areas, and even urban neighborhoods," Glickman said. The Asian longhorned beetle, a native of Japan, Korea, and northern China, bores into the trunks of healthy hardwood trees. The beetles lay eggs inside the trees and feed until larvae emerge in the spring. The trees later wither and die. The nation's only known Asian longhorned beetle infestations are located in and around Chicago and New York City. Up to $2.5 million will be dedicated to Asian longhorned beetle activities in Illinois. END EXCERPT. +++ NOVEL BACTERIUM CAN HELP SLOW GLOBAL WARMING A bacterium that digests methane is doing its bit to slow global warming, say the American, German and Russian researchers who discovered it. But they warn that the bacterium - the first of its kind to be found in acidic wetlands - is being poisoned by industrial pollutants. "The bacterium is a real novelty in two ways," says Werner Liesack, a team member from the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg. It is unrelated to other methane-eating bacteria, and it thrives in acidic conditions. Although most of the bacteria that produce methane live in acidic wetlands in the northern hemisphere, these environments were thought to be unsuitable for bacteria that digest the gas. But the scientists noticed that some wetlands in Europe were only producing about half as much methane as expected - and this led them to the bacterium. "It plays a vital role in protecting the atmosphere," says Liesack. END EXCERPT * * * PAPERWORK CUT FOR AUTO EMISSIONS STANDARDS Every year, the Environmental Protection Agency certifies that new passenger cars and trucks will meet air pollution emissions standards before they are sold. In the past, annual certification applications for a large volume manufacturer could typically amount to 13,000 pages and take 120,000 hours to complete, costing a company $8.4 million. A new program announced today, Compliance Assurance Program (CAP 2000) cuts this workload for certification in half - an industry-wide savings that works out to $55 million. At the same time, the CAP 2000 program is a more effective way to ensure that vehicles actually achieve the emissions reductions for which they are certified. Currently, certification focuses
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: MARCH 16, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOAD GENE POTATOES UPROOTED IN NEW ZEALAND EUROPE'S CRISIS CRIPPLES ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY-MAKING FOAM CANCELS BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN MOMENTS AMERISCAN: MARCH 16, 1999 E-WIRE * New Charging Station Powers Electric Car with Green Energy * Household Water Treatment at an All-Time High; Quality Concerns Remain High * Postal Service Named Environmental Mailer of the Year For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** TOAD GENE POTATOES UPROOTED IN NEW ZEALAND By Andrew Darby CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, March 16, 1999 (ENS) - The destruction by green activists of potatoes partly modified with toad-like genes has set alight the widening food genetics controversy in New Zealand. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar99/1999L-03-16-02.html *** EUROPE'S CRISIS CRIPPLES ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY-MAKING BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 16, 1999 (ENS) - Last night's shock resignation of all 20 European Commissioners could have a significant impact on the development of important European Union environmental policies, Brussels insiders suggested today. For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar99/1999L-03-16-03.html *** FOAM CANCELS BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN MOMENTS ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, March 16, 1999 (ENS) - A sudsy foam created from ordinary substances found in common household products could be a first line of defense against a terrorist release of chemical or biological warfare agents. The single decontaminant is effective against all chemical and biological agents. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar99/1999L-03-16-04.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: MARCH 16, 1999 Cousteau Free Willy Keiko Create New Society Sale, Import of Undersized Swordfish Banned New Techniques Could Protect Environment from Petroleum Manhattan Jewelry Maker Punished for Metal Wastes Blow Down Salvage in Routt National Forest Opposed Renewable Energy, Electric Car - 21st Century Combination Home Water Treatment Booming Florida Moves to Protect Sea Turtle, Beach Mouse Habitats Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/mar99/1999L-03-16-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** *** TO BUSINESS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND MEDICAL EDITORS: Consumer Use of Household Water Treatment at an All-Time High as Americans Remain Concerned About Quality The Water Quality Association Releases Findings from National Survey in Advance of its 25th Anniversary National Trade Show and Convention, To be held March 18 LISLE, Ill., March 16 -/E-Wire/-- As the 21st Century approaches, an overwhelming majority of American adults continue to have doubts about their household water supply and health-conscious consumers indicate that the use of home water treatment systems has become a habit, not a fad. /CONTACT: Tom Hardy, 312-494-4263, for the Water Quality Association/ For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/march/mar169901.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1991-1998. All Rights Reserved. Send comments and newsworthy information to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS:
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Via ENS NEWS SERVICE FIXING THE WEATHER (MESSING WITH THE WEATHER) By William Thomas SEATTLE, Washington, February 22, 1999 (ENS) - Someone is finally doing something about the weather. As water authorities around a parched globe rush to contract weather modification specialists to replenish depleted reservoirs for irrigation, drinking water and hydroelectric generation, weather modification has become a growth business. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/feb99/1999L-02-22-04.html Long article...worth the read...science is arrogant..they do not understand with what they tamper...IMO Ish BIOSAFETY TALKS COLLAPSE CARTAGENA, Colombia, February 22, 1999 (ENS) - International talks on a legally binding treaty governing transborder trade and transport of genetically modified products broke down in the early hours this morning without agreement. The Biosafety Protocol was to be agreed by this morning to be adopted by the 174 Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at an extraordinary session today and Tuesday. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/feb99/1999L-02-22-01.html HEALING OUR WORLD: WEEKLY COMMENT By Jackie Giuliano, Ph.D. Its What We Dont See That Will Hurt Us In a little known action, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shocked the environmental world by approving the use of genetically engineered crops by the Monsanto Company and Novartis, among others, in 1995. Today, after a few years of the use of these plants in commercial agriculture, an environmental calamity may be in progress. The genie is out of the bottle, and there may be no way to stop it. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/feb99/1999L-02-21g.html *** OPINION: REALLY MEAN REALLY STUPID: EXXON FUNDS ATTACK ON PUNITIVE DAMAGES By Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman WASHINGTON, DC, February 22, 1999 (ENS) - On March 23, 1989, the Exxon Valdez, one of Exxon's largest oil tankers, under the command of a captain who had been drinking and who abandoned the bridge, struck a reef and spilled eleven million gallons of crude oil into the Prince William Sound in Alaska. For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/feb99/1999L-02-22-03.html Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS: (ENS) NEWS FEBRUARY 19, 1999
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS) BRITAIN PUSHES PANIC BUTTON OVER BIOTECH FOODS PCBs IN DOLPHINS A WARNING TO HUMANS AMERISCAN: FEBRUARY 19, 1999 E-WIRE * Climate Change Ozone Protection Conference Scheduled for September * Ecodemocracy Foundation Sparks a Censure Movement For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com *** Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** BRITAIN PUSHES PANIC BUTTON OVER BIOTECH FOODS LONDON, UK, February 19, 1999 (ENS) - An unprecedented wave of debate on genetic technologies in agriculture has overtaken the UK over the past week, putting the government and biotechnology firms firmly on the defensive. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/feb99/1999L-02-19-01.html *** PCBs IN DOLPHINS A WARNING TO HUMANS COLLEGE STATION, Texas, February 19, 1999 (ENS) - A study of bottlenose dolphins that stranded and died in Texas Matagorda Bay has found toxic levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in their tissues. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/feb99/1999L-02-19-03.html *** Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/feb99/1999L-02-19-09.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS: Second Annual Climate Change and Ozone Protection Conference Scheduled for September WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 -/E-Wire/-- The Second Annual Earth Technologies Forum, the preeminent conference and exhibition on global climate change and ozone protection technologies and policies, will be held September 27-29, 1999 at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. /CONTACT: Dave Stirpe, 703-243-0344, for ICCP/ /Web site: http://www.earthforum.com/ For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/february/feb189901.html *** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *** TO NATIONAL, LOCAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS The Ecodemocracy Foundation, Inc. is sparking a people's movement to draft and sign a censure of President Clinton with teeth, announced Minna Post Peyser, President. KEY WEST, FL. FEB.19 - /E-Wire/-- The Ecodemocracy Foundation, Inc. tod ay issued the following: "The 72% who forced Clinton's acquittal must take responsibility to control him. He must redeem himself with corrections of his and the Senate's deeds that violated the public's right-to-know new legal options to create vast new wealth to solve urgent environmental, social and security problems," they said, adding, "This is a unique opportunity to put his feet on the fire and shape better future politics in Campaign 2000." /CONTACT: Min Post-Peyser - 305-296-2443 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/february/feb18990.html Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: Enviro Briefs
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: February 11, 1999 All news stories can be found on the web: http://www.envirolink.org/environews (including previous days' headlines) Environmental Headlines from Around the Internet: 9-year-old ban on ivory export to Japan to be lifted -- An international convention on endangered species unanimously approved Wednesday a one-time sale of elephant ivory to Japan from two African nations beginning in mid-March, lifting an embargo made by the convention in 1989. Link between lead poisoning, fuel under scrutiny -- The link between lead poisoning and fuel came under scrutiny as an international conference in southern India wrapped up. World Bank economist Magda Lovel, who has since 1995 been spearheading a campaign to phase out lead from automobile fuel, said Wednesday that lead from vehicle emissions accounts for 80 to 90 percent of the airborne lead in Indian cities where leaded gasoline is still used. EPA, FBI Argue Over Chemical Data -- The Environmental Protection Agency is exploring ways to provide sensitive chemical accident information to the public, yet keep it out of the hands of potential terrorists, an agency official said Wednesday. The release of information about so-called "worst-case" accident scenarios at chemical plants has been a subject of intense negotiations between the EPA and security officials for months. Virginia is for lovers, of trash that is -- Virginia is tired of other folks dumping on it. Virginia landfills took about 3.2 million tons of out-of-state garbage in 1997, second only to Pennsylvania, and the amount is growing. Now Republican Gov. Jim Gilmore has made cutting garbage imports a top priority of the legislative session that ends Feb. 27, and has been submitting bills to keep the garbage trucks at bay. Diesel pipeline bursts in Tenn. -- A 10-inch pipeline burst Wednesday morning, sending 85,000 gallons of diesel fuel spewing onto homes and flowing into the Tennessee River. No injuries were reported, but 10 homes hit by the fuel were condemned, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. Attempts to set Ore. ship afire fail -- Navy demolition experts with grenades failed to set fire to a grounded cargo ship Wednesday night, leaving it vulnerable to an advancing storm that threatened to break it apart and cause a disastrous oil spill. Flames flickered and black smoke billowed out of the New Carissa, but within seconds the only thing burning aboard the 639-foot ship was a small smoldering fire in one cargo hold. Coast Guard officials had said that burning the ship could be like lighting a barbecue grill - it could take several tries to get the heavy, low-grade oil to burn. Taking stock of our stuff -- Individuals, communities, and businesses are finding innovative ways to make do with less, and in the process improve economic performance and quality of life. "Groups as different as neighborhood associations and corporations are discovering economic well-being is not necessarily linked to using vast quantities of materials," says Gary Gardner, a senior researcher at Worldwatch. "In fact, getting more of what we want through smarter use of materials is a winner for the bottom line and the environment." All news stories can be found on the web: http://www.envirolink.org/environews (including previous days' headlines) This edition of the EnviroLink News Service is sponosored by Knauer Communications (http://www.knauer.com). If you would like information on how your company or organization can become a sponsor, please contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] The EnviroLink News Service | E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] A Project of the EnviroLink Network | Phone : (412) 420-6400 General Info: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Web: http://www.envirolink.org Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Send News Tips and Story Leads to [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE JUSTIFIED, AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION SAYS WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 1999 (ENS) - Human activities are responsible for the increase in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, the Council of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) said today. The AGU believes that "the present level of scientific uncertainty does not justify inaction" in dealing with human-induced climate change. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan99/1999L-01-28-05.html *** NUCLEAR WASTE AT BULGARIAN REACTOR TRIGGERS PROTEST SOFIA, Bulgaria, January 28, 1999 (ENS) - Bulgarian environmentalists organised a symbolic shipment of radioactive waste from the National Electricity Company to the Parliament building Wednesday. The transportation of containers marked with radiation signs went through the main streets of Sofia. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan99/1999L-01-28-04.html *** $100 MILLION PACIFIC SALMON RECOVERY FUND FLOATED WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 1999 (ENS) - A new $100 million fund to help restore coastal salmon in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska will be in the Clinton administration's Fiscal Year 2000 budget. Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan99/1999L-01-28-03.html *** EU RECYCLING FORUM OPENS ITS DOORS BRUSSELS, Belgium, January 28, 1999 (ENS) - The European Commission has launched its recycling forum - a cross-sectoral talking to shop to look at new ways to increase the competitiveness of the EU's recycling industry. For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan99/1999L-01-28-01.html *** ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE AMERISCAN: JANUARY 28, 1999 Driftnetting for Atlantic Swordfish Banned Lead Poisoning Treatment Hindered Whistleblower Firing at Millstone Nuclear Plant Under Scrutiny Washington State Consults Public on Ending Toxic Releases Clearwater National Forest in Court on Management Plan Groups Sue to Protect Old Growth Trees, Water Quality Impact of New Virginia Highway Feared California Green Power Customers Get Rate Break Hudson River Research Grants Available Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan99/1999L-01-28-09.html Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
NATIVE_NEWS: ENVIRO BRIEFS
And now:Ish [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/dec98/1998L-12-07-09.html SURFERS AND KAYAKERS HOLD CLEAN WATER PADDLE People from the Massachusetts Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation promoted water quality testing legislation by paddling surfboards and kayaks in Winthrop Harbor yesterday. The Clean Water Paddle, which took place in the shadow of the Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant, drew attention to the importance of clean coastal water in Massachusetts. "It may seem wild to surf in the wintertime, but what's even more unbelievable is to go swimming any time of the year without knowing whether the water you swim in is polluted with raw sewage or toxic runoff," said Elizabeth Sturcken, spokesperson for the Surfrider Foundation. About 23 million gallons of untreated sewage is washed into Massachusetts coastal water with each heavy rainfall - roughly 1.1 billion gallons annually. More than one in ten Massachusetts beaches has no water quality monitoring and less than half monitor at least once a week. Even if the water is tested, safety notices are rarely posted. Legislation just filed in the Massachusetts State House would solve problems of inconsistent testing and public notification. * * * ALASKA TO STOCK WATERS WITH SALMON, TROUT The Department of Fish and Game plans to stock Alaska's waters with over 8.33 million fish this spring and summer to benefit anglers. Most of the fish will be chinook salmon, coho salmon and rainbow trout, Arctic grayling, Arctic char, and lake trout. The 1999 stocking plan for recreational fishing in Alaska from 1999 through 2003 is now in draft form and available for public comment. Just over half of the releases in 1999 are slated for Southcentral Alaska, with over 4 million fish due to be released into the region's waters. The primary purposes for the sport fish stocking program are to maintain and improve existing angling opportunities, relieve pressure on depressed fish stocks, and create new fisheries. Funding for these projects comes from a federal tax on fishing tackle, boats, and motorboat fuel and from the sale of sport fishing licenses and king salmon tags in Alaska. Send comments on the plan by January 6, 1999 to Carmen Olito at Alaska Dept. of Fish Game, 333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, AK 99518. Tel: 907-267-2368. * * * MOST TOXIC CHEMICALS LIST OPEN FOR COMMENT A list of 53 persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals and chemical categories which may be found in hazardous wastes regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is now available. This list will be used to promote voluntary waste minimization efforts which reduce the generation of PBT chemicals found in RCRA hazardous waste by at least half by the year 2005. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish a final RCRA PBT List in 1999. An overall strategy will encompass the PBT priorities and programs identified by other EPA offices, particularly those that cannot be addressed by single media controls and approaches. The EPA is requesting comment on the RCRA Waste Minimization PBT Chemical List and the methodology used to develop the list. Contact Gary Bertram, U.S. EPA, Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Website: http://www.epa.gov/region07/specinit/p2/update.htm * * * UTAH'S GOBLIN VALLEY PARK EXPANDS A land grant from the Bureau of Land Management has increased Utah's Goblin Valley State Park by 775 acres. The new lands include Wild Horse Butte, the grand entrance to the park. Utah State Parks Director Courtland Nelson says the newly acquired land will be used to reroute the entrance into the park and to add more camping sites and hiking trails. BLM Price field office manager Dick Manus said, "The lands originally designated as Goblin Valley State Park were
