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 timber harvest projects were halted on the ANF after it was reported that the endangered Indiana Bat inhabited the forest. A citizen lawsuit filed by two forest protection groups helped halt logging on the ANF. The Shingle Mill timber sale is the first project to be allowed to resume timber harvest. Pennsylvania Congressman John Peterson, a Republican, worked with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a plan to resume logging while protecting endangered species....>>>>>>>>>>> Idaho Wolf Pack Loses Alpha Pair A wolf pack living in Idaho’s Jureano Mountains has lost two adults, the alpha female and male, within a one month period. Both wolves were killed by humans, but under very different circumstances. Rancher Van Eron Coiner shot the Jureano Pack's alpha female in August as it was chasing elk on his remote property near the Salmon-Challis Forest. Coiner claimed he did not intend to kill the wolf, but under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), even harassing an endangered species is illegal. On September 17, Coiner was fined $1,500 for the shooting. That same day, the USFWS authorized the killing of another member of the Jureano Pack that had been killing livestock on Coiner’s ranch and elsewhere. "Once a wolf fixes on domestic livestock as part of its prey 'search image' you can bet on more trouble, unless control measures are effectively applied," said Roy Heberger of the USFWS..>>>>>>>>> Increasing Population, Vanishing Water The Worldwatch Institute, a Washington, DC based nonprofit research organization that analyzes global environmental and development issues, says Earth’s population is in danger of running out of water. As the United Nation’s predicted Day of Six Billion on October 12 approaches, Worldwatch’s Lester Brown and Brian Halweil say competition for fresh water could cause major conflicts, both military and commercial, in the next century. By some population counters, more than six billion people already live on Earth. Water tables are now falling in China, India, and the U.S., which together produce half the world's food. Lower water tables could threaten the irrigated farming techniques that make high levels of food production possible. In China, water tables are falling almost everywhere that the land is flat. Where wells have gone dry, farmers have been forced to drill deeper, or abandon irrigated agriculture, converting back to lower yield rainfed farming. In India, the pumping o! ! f un derground water is now estimated to be double the rate of aquifer recharge from rainfall.....>>>>>>>>> Y2K: 100 Days and Counting One hundred days from the Year 2000 turnover, the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem released its final report on the Y2K computer problem Wednesday. Based upon interviews and testimony from a wide array of witnesses and experts, the reports finds, "The Y2K problem still has the potential to be very disruptive, necessitating continued, intensive preparation in the time remaining. Y2K risk management efforts must be increased to avert serious disruptions." Eight critical U.S. sectors - including transportation, utilities, health care and financial services - were assessed as well as international and personal preparedness. The overall observations are positive, "and will cause more inconveniences than tragedies." While "a prolonged, nationwide blackout will almost certainly not occur," the report says "local and regional outages remain a distinct possibility." Local government, small businesses, health care and education are also listed as areas of pos! ! sibl e disruption in the U.S. The Committee also expressed serious concerns about international preparedness, particularly "with China, Russia, Italy, and several of the countries from which the U.S. imports oil." Disruptions in those countries could cause U.S. shortages, and major environmental disasters remain a significant worry. The full report can be viewed on the Senate Y2K Committee website at: http://www.senate.gov/`y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ >>>>>>>>>>>> North Carolina Fisheries Damaged by Hurricanes Commerce Secretary William Daley announced Wednesday that five fisheries in North Carolina suffered severe losses during Hurricane Floyd last week and Hurricane Dennis in early September. Commercial losses are estimated by state officials at $19 million due to damage to the coastal environment. The hurricanes eroded or displaced prime oyster and scallop beds, and flooded many ocean areas with deadly amounts of fresh water from torrential rains, forcing salt water marine species to flee or die. The two storms damaged the white shrimp fishery, the crab fisheries, the oyster and scallop fisheries, the inshore flounder fishery, and the snapper/grouper fishery. Daley’s declaration opens the way for Congress to appropriate funds to help North Carolina fishermen. "We can't keep Mother Nature from disrupting commerce," Daley said. "But we can do our part to help those fishermen who face economic ruin due to her actions.">>>>>>>>>>>>> Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1999 For full text and graphics visit: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-23-09.html *************************************************************************** E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE *************************************************************************** TO CITY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND MEDICAL EDITORS: Millions of Children in the World's Largest Cities Are Exposed to Life-Threatening Air Pollution MEXICO CITY, Sept. 23 -/E-Wire/-- Millions of children living in the world's largest cities, particularly in developing countries, are under daily threats of life-threatening air pollution. Children in these mega-cities experience air pollution levels two to eight times above the maximum World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Indeed, more than 80 percent of all deaths in developing countries attributable to air pollution-induced lung infections are among children under five. /CONTACT: Frank Dexter Brown 202-729-7745 or Mary Houser 202-729-7744; both of World Resources Institute/ /Web site: http://www.wri.org/ For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens.lycos.com/e-wire/Sept99/23Sept9901.html *************************************************************************** To Find Out How To Transmit Your News On E-Wire Call 1-888-764-NEWS E-Wire Is Broadcast To Millions Of Readers Worldwide. *************************************************************************** Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 1991-1999. All Rights Reserved. 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