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RochesterEnvironment.com

February 2010 NewsLinks Archived 

RochesterEnvironment.com

These archived Newslinks for this month represent just one month in over a decade of posting Rochester-area NewsLinks for our area.

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Don't have the time to check this site every day for Rochester environmental news --Get RochesterEnvironment.com Newsletter one a week in your e-mail. & get all the news, events, actions for the week. RENewsletter - a WEEKLY newsletter about Rochester, New York's environment.  Get the most important news of the day and monitor your environment. This newsletter provides you with the news you need, not simply the news you want--like most other media services. 

 

• Scientist promises urgent quest for methods to prevent Asian carp from overrunning Great Lakes | Markets | Market News | Canadian Business Online (AP) - Scientists are stepping up the quest for new poisons and other tools that could prevent Asian carp from gaining a foothold in the Great Lakes, Obama administration officials told a congressional panel Thursday. (February 26, 2010) [More on Invasive Species in our area]
• EPA admits blame for invasive species  | A 41-page report from the Environmental Protection Agency released this week that acknowledges that, until recently, the agency hasn't done enough to keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes. The admission in the "Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Action Plan" comes as environmentalists and anglers alike are in a tizzy over the potential invasion of the dreaded Asian carp. (February 25, 2010) The Detroit News | detnews.com | Friday, February 26, 2010 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan [More on Invasive Species in our area]
• Asian Carp Invasion of Great Lakes - 13WHAM.com - Rochester News, Weather, and Sports Rochester, NY --- Asian Carp could be on their way to Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes.  It’s a scary possibility that many are hoping against.  Asian Carp are considered invasive species and their presence in the largest freshwater system in the world could doom populations of other fish such as trout or salmon. (February 24, 2010) Home - 13WHAM.com - Rochester News, Weather, and Sports [More on Invasive Species in our area]
• Scientists to explore sex lives of gobies Study aims to control invasive fish | University of Windsor researchers are hoping to exploit an invasive species' romantic side -- and save the Great Lakes sport fishery in the process. The researchers have snagged a $446,690 grant for a three-year study aimed at tricking female round gobies into thinking males of the species are nearby (February 24, 2010) Windsor Star - Breaking news Ontario, business, sports, entertainment and more [more on Invasive Species in our area]
• Housing Authority holds off on turbine stance |GENEVA — The Geneva Housing Authority Board of Commissioners is not taking an official position on the wind turbine project proposed by its neighbor, Zotos International. (February 24, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Route 332: Still plenty of land for sale - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — By 2020, 15 million square feet of commercial space would go up along the seven-mile stretch of Route 332 from the state Thruway in Farmington to the city of Canandaigua — the equivalent of a dozen Eastview Malls. (February 25, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow[more on Urban Sprawll in our area]
• PARKS: Paterson proposal would close Chimney Bluffs, limit swimming at Hamlin Beach - News Articles - Rochester City Newspaper The Paterson administration today released a proposal to close a number of state parks and to reduce the programs and amenities offered at others. (February 19, 2010) PARKS: Paterson proposal would close Chimney Bluffs, limit swimming at Hamlin Beach - News Articles - Rochester City Newspaper [more on Parks in our area]
• Meeting to discuss Greece Canal Park upgrades | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle GREECE — New trails, additional road access, more lodges and additional parking are just some of the possible park improvements Monroe County officials will discuss during a meeting today at Greece Canal Park. (February 25, 2010) Democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Parks in our area]
• DEC Slates Three "State of Lake Ontario" Meetings in March - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Biologists to Update Status of Lake's Fisheries The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced three public meetings to discuss Lake Ontario fisheries. The annual "State of Lake Ontario" public meetings will be held in Niagara, Monroe and Oswego counties during March. Wednesday, March 10, 2010: 7 - 10 p.m. at the Imaging Sciences Auditorium, in Chester F. Carlson Building (76) on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus, Rochester, 14623 (Monroe County). The meeting is co-hosted by RIT and the Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board. For information, contact Web Pearsall in the DEC Avon office at 585-226-5339. (February 23, 2010) New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• Spills of drilling chemicals worry experts | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal DRYDEN -- Two chemists and an endocrinologist spoke Tuesday night about the science and potential health effects of unconventional natural gas drilling to roughly 100 people at Tompkins Cortland Community College. (February 23, 2010)  theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal | Ithaca news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Ithaca, NY [more on Energy in our area]
• Marcellus drilling creates new world | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal Much has been written, and will continue to be written, about the Marcellus shale; on one side about how much money and jobs it will bring, and on the other, about how much environmental damage may result. But this battle of words, being waged by gas development's proponents and opponents, is mostly speculative. There is probably some truth as well as exaggeration coming from both sides, but the argument may be missing the point. Here in Susquehanna County we are beginning to experience the reality - and the reality is very disheartening. (February 23, 2010) theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal | Ithaca news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Ithaca, NY [more on Energy in our area]
• NY-PA trail blends recreation, conservation - SunGazette.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette When they decided they had a common interest of creating recreational trails, two professors determined it was time to band together with one another and others to blaze a 230-mile path connecting Williamsport and Rochester, N.Y. Jon Schull, Rochester Institute of Technology associate professor of innovation and invention, said he and Allen Kerkeslager met a couple months ago in Philadelphia, where Kerkeslager is a professor at St. Joseph's University. (February 19, 2010) SunGazette.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Community Information - Williamsport-Sun Gazette [more on Transportation in our areda]
• Companies to build high-speed rail cars in the US / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com It's been decades since iconic American companies such as Budd and Pullman built passenger-train cars that let Americans sleep or dine in comfort as they rolled across country by rail. But President Obama's $8 billion plan to kick-start high-speed rail construction in 13 areas around the country has US and foreign companies announcing plans to expand or build new factories to produce equipment for these passenger trains. (February 19, 2010) The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com[more on Transportation in our area]
• Top Scientists Affirm Consensus on Global Warming SAN DIEGO, California, February 20, 2010 (ENS) - A panel of eminent U.S. and European scientists has confirmed the widespread scientific consensus that the Earth's climate is warming due to human activities, but said they and their colleagues should have responded more quickly and effectively to news of an error in a major climate report and hacked researcher e-mails. In a symposium Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement Science, AAAS, the scientific leaders acknowledged errors in a 2007 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and possibly impolitic email exchanges by East Anglian University climate researchers. (February 20, 2010) Environment News Service [more on Climate Change in our area]
• Naples family saves $600 switching to solar - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Last year, 24 solar panels installed on the roof of his wine building — near the two-story farmhouse he shares with his wife, Shirley — began producing electricity. While the entire system, which includes some cable and monitoring boxes, intrigued him, it was a bill he got in July that really tickled his fancy. “I got a got a credit of $180,” Bruan said. (February 23, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Energy in this area]
• Henrietta recycler eases vexing chore | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The Henrietta Redemption Center takes in between 40,000 and 50,000 recyclables each week. | The Henrietta Redemption Center takes in between 40,000 and 50,000 recyclables each week.  (February 23, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Recycling in our area]
• High-speed rail plans for New York take shape - RocNow.com Having been largely shut out of federal high-speed rail funding, state transportation officials are turning their attention to a handful of rail projects that did win federal support — including the first tangible piece of the long-sought high-speed passenger rail corridor across upstate New York. (February 23, 2010) RocNow.com [more on Transportation in our area]
• View bleak for state parks -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY ALBANY -- Eight state parks and historic sites in the Capital Region, including John Boyd Thacher State Park at the Helderberg Escarpment, would be closed this year to help narrow the cash-strapped state's budget deficit, according to plans released Friday.   Statewide, the plan calls for the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites, and service reductions at 23 parks and one historic site. The state system currently encompasses 178 parks and 35 historic sites. (February 21, 2010) Albany NY News - Times Union - Serving Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Troy [more on Parks in our area]
• WXXI: Local Parks on Closure List from NY State (2010-02-19) ALBANY, NY (WXXI) - Several parks in the Rochester Region face closure or a significant reduction in services due to New York State's budget crisis. Parks officials recommend the closure of Chimney Bluffs State Park in Wayne County and Oak Orchard State Marine Park in Orleans County along with 39 other state parks and 14 historic sites. (February 19, 2010) WXXI NewsRoom [more on Parks in our area]
• N.Y. proposes closing, reducing use of area parks | Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information Hamlin Beach State Park would be closed to swimmers three days a week, and two parks in Wayne County and one in Orleans County would be shut down for 2010-11 as part of recommendations announced Friday by state officials. Dozens of closings statewide are being planned to help eliminate an estimated $8.2 billion budget shortfall, officials said. (February 19, 2010) Home | Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information [more on Parks in our area]
• Congress Launches Investigation Into Gas Drilling Practices - ProPublica Two of the largest companies involved in natural gas drilling have acknowledged pumping hundreds of thousands of gallons of diesel-based fluids into the ground in the process of hydraulic fracturing [1], raising further concerns that existing state and federal regulations don't adequately protect drinking water from drilling. (February 19, 2010) ProPublica - Journalism in the Public Interest [more on Energy in our area]
• Top NY court allows projects into cleanup program - BusinessWeek New York's top court ordered conservation officials Thursday to allow the Lighthouse Pointe redevelopment project in Rochester into the state's brownfields cleanup program, making it eligible for an estimated $25 million in tax credits and release from further liability for old contamination after the job is done. The Court of Appeals concluded that the 47 acres along the Genesee River and Lake Ontario are sufficiently contaminated to qualify and that the Department of Environmental Conservation threshold was too high. (February 18, 2010) BusinessWeek - Business News, Stock Market & Financial Advice [more on the Genesee River in our area]
• Energy company: Well wouldn’t have been threat | PULTENEY — Chesapeake Energy’s withdrawal of its permit application to store wastewater from natural gas drilling in a town of Pulteney well was not due to environmental concerns or vocal opposition to the project. William M. Fowler, the company’s environmental and regulatory affairs director, outlined the reasons for the withdrawal in Feb. 16 letters to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (February 21, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Energy in our area]
• Genesee River watershed targeted in Obama plan to clean up Great Lakes | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — The Obama administration has developed a five-year blueprint for rescuing the Great Lakes, a sprawling ecosystem plagued by toxic contamination, shrinking wildlife habitat and invasive species. The plan, released today by Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, envisions spending more than $2.2 billion for long-awaited repairs after a century of damage to the lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world's fresh water.  (February 21, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on the Genesee River in our area]
• EPA outlines plan to save Great Lakes | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The Genesee River watershed is one of five areas singled out for extra attention in a report released Sunday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Obama administration has developed a five-year blueprint for rescuing the Great Lakes, a sprawling ecosystem plagued by toxic contamination, shrinking wildlife habitat and invasive species. (February 22, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York  [more on Great Lakes in our area]
• Cleanup resumes at illicit toxic dump in Sweden | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle More than a decade after a prolonged and costly cleanup at the biggest illicit toxic dump site ever found in the Rochester region, workers have returned to the site in the town of Sweden this month to do still more work. Now a grass-covered field about three miles south of Brockport, the site was an unauthorized burial ground from which more than 2,500 drums and bottles of industrial waste were removed in the 1990s. More than 2,000 tons of contaminated soil was treated on-site to remove toxic chemical residue.  (February 22, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York  [more on Brownfields in our area]
• Great Appliance Swap Out extended | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle If you couldn't get to an appliance store before Sunday and thought you missed out on a rebate for upgrading to an energy-efficient appliance, don't fret. The state extended its Great Appliance Swap Out, originally a two-week program slated to end on Sunday. (February 22, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Recycling in our area]
• Do European bats hold key to saving US cousins? | Science & Technology | Deutsche Welle | 19.02.2010 The fungus was first discovered in bats hibernating in New York | Wildlife pathologists in Berlin are testing European bats for the presence of a fungus that has been linked with the deaths of over a million bats in the US. The research could help the US populations avoid extinction. (February 19, 2010) Home | Deutsche Welle [more on Wildlife in our area]
• Trail group sets opening date of June 1 | FAYETTE — The roughly seven-mile-long Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail from Geneva to Waterloo is targeted for completion June 1. If so, there would be an official dedication and opening ceremony June 5. (February 19, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Brownfields in our area]
• Proposed Rochester riverside development gets a boost - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Rochester, N.Y. — New York’s top court ordered conservation officials Thursday to allow the Lighthouse Pointe redevelopment project in Rochester into the state’s brownfields cleanup program, making it eligible for an estimated $25 million in tax credits and release from further liability for old contamination after the job is done. (February 19, 2010) [more on Brownfields in our area]
• State Park recommended closings released; local parks spared - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Ontario County, N.Y. — The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its proposed 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State's historic fiscal difficulties. As part of a comprehensive plan to close an $8.2 billion deficit, the 2010-11 Executive Budget included necessary cost reductions to each executive State agency, as well as cuts to education, health care, social services, and every other area of State spending. (February 19, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Parks in our area]
• New York officials propose closing parks, historic sites | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Next Page 1 | 2 Previous Page Fewer days to swim at Hamlin Beach, no hiking at Chimney Bluffs in Wayne County and one fewer place to launch boats into Lake Ontario from Orleans County — thanks to the state's fiscal problems, summer could be a bummer. In response to Gov. David Paterson's budget that would reduce every area of state spending to close an $8.2 billion gap, the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation proposed a list of closures and service reductions for parks and historic sites that would save $6.3 million. (Februrary 20,2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York[more on Parks in our area]
• Gas drillers find welcome mat in New York state | Reuters BINGHAMTON, New York (Reuters) - New York landowners whose properties sit on the gas-rich Marcellus Shale are pushing back against calls for greater environmental regulation, saying it has halted the U.S. gas drilling boom at the New York border. Their concerns have opened a new front in the gas drilling wars, in which environmentalists and neighbors opposed to seeing gas wells in their back yards have put a drag on the exponential growth of onshore U.S. natural gas production (February 17, 2010) Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com [more on Energy in our area]
• 700 wind turbines proposed for lakes Erie, St. Clair WINDSOR, Ont. -- Seven hundred offshore wind turbines are being proposed for Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair including 165 turbines north of Lakeshore and wind farms off Amherstburg, Colchester, Kingsville and Leamington. (February 18, 2010) Windsor Star - Breaking news Ontario, business, sports, entertainment and more [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Parks could close under governor's budget plan | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette ALBANY -- Some state parks across New York could be forced to close because of steep budget cuts proposed by Gov. David Paterson, parks officials are warning. The state Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation is stressing that no decisions have been made on potential closures, but the agency says some of the state's 178 parks and 35 historic sites would have to close if the governor's cuts were adopted by lawmakers. (February 19, 2010) stargazette.com | Star-Gazette | Elmira news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Elmira, New York [more on Parks in our area]
• Closings loom for state parks, historic sites - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports- ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York state's parks system, the nation's oldest, is facing another round of budget cuts that is likely to result in some parks being closed this summer, something officials and advocates say would be a first in its 125-year history. (February 17, 2010) WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports- - Home WCAX.com [more on Parks in our area]
• OK for West Lake development likely next week - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — The town has not yet signed off on a 60-home subdivision on West Lake Road that has been working its way through the planning process for six years. (February 19, 2010)  [more on Urban Sprawl in our area]
• Schumer: Biodiesel Plant At Risk  | A Wayne County business is hoping for a federal tax incentive to be re-instated. Senator Charles Schumer stopped by Northern Biodiesel in Ontario on Thursday. It's the only biodiesel plant in New York. (February 19,2010) http://rochesterhomepage.net/ [more on Energy in our area]
• A Number Of State Parks Could Be Shut Down Park lovers will likely cringe at the facts and figures coming out of the governor's office. The state park system is looking at a 22% cut under Governor Paterson's proposed 2010-2011 budget. That would mean a 40% cut in the last 2 years. (February 19, 2010) http://rochesterhomepage.net/ [more on Parks in our area]
• Court rules Irondequoit housing project should be in brownfield program | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Next Page 1 | 2 Previous Page After a three-year legal battle, an Irondequoit development group won access Thursday to a state environmental program that may allow the group to fulfill its dream — construction of a $250 million residential-commercial complex atop an old dump along the Genesee River. (February 19,2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [More on Brownfields in our area]
• Conflicts on PCBs' removal -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY General Electric, federal EPA offer views on future of Hudson River dredging SARATOGA SPRINGS -- General Electric Co. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offered different lessons Wednesday on the first year of PCB Hudson River dredging -- starting with how much PCBs were removed. (February 18, 2010) Albany NY News - Times Union - Serving Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Troy  [More on Brownfields in our area]
• An Ominous Warning on the Effects of Ocean Acidification by Carl Zimmer: Yale Environment 360 A new study says the seas are acidifying ten times faster today than 55 million years ago when a mass extinction of marine species occurred. And, the study concludes, current changes in ocean chemistry due to the burning of fossil fuels may portend a new wave of die-offs. (February 15, 2010) Yale Environment 360 [more on Climate Change in our area]
• Possible mass radiation exposure investigated - The Globe and Mail The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission says as many as 217 workers may have been exposed to radioactivity at the Bruce nuclear power station on the shores of Lake Huron while refurbishing a reactor in late November. It is believed to be one of the largest mass exposures to radiation at a Canadian nuclear site. The station operator, Bruce Power, said a preliminary review of the radiation exposure indicates no one received an excessive dose. The company is taking the incident "very seriously," said John Peevers, a Bruce spokesman, while cautioning that "all indications are that there is nothing there approaching the regulatory limit" for radiation. (February 17, 2010) News from Canada and the world - The Globe and Mail [more on Energy in our area]
• WXXI: Gillibrand Calls for Green Jobs (2010-02-16) ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - The December 2009 unemployment number for Rochester was 8-percent, according to the New York State Labor Department. And Tuesday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand made a visit to Rochester, to discuss how to bring that number down. Gillibrand talked about a new jobs bill during a Rotary Club Luncheon at the Riverside Convention Center. (February 16, 2010) WXXI | Go Public. [more on Green Business in our area]
• Plan to send fracking wastewater near Keuka Lake is abandoned | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal Next Page 1 | 2 Previous Page A contentious plan to locate a wastewater disposal site in the Steuben County town of Pulteney is officially dead, although the company that proposed the project is leaving the door open for similar facilities in the future. (February 16, 2010) theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal | Ithaca news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Ithaca, NY [more on Energy in our area]
• New York Submits Comments on "Phase 1" of Hudson River PCB Dredging Project - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today submitted its comments and recommendations to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the first phase of the dredging of the Upper Hudson River to remove PCB-contaminated sediments near Fort Edward. (February 17, 2010) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation [More on Brownfields in our area]
• 02/17/2010: One Year Later, EPA-Funded Recovery Act Projects Yielding Cleaner Air, Water and Land Across New York State; EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Visits Renewable Energy Installations in Syracuse (New York, N.Y.) One year ago today, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and over the last year, projects funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have yielded cleaner air, water and land, and new jobs across the country. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in New York State, where EPA’s Recovery Act funding has spurred cleanups of toxic waste sites and leaking petroleum storage tanks, cleaner water, and projects to reduce air pollution from diesel engines. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Peter S. Silva today visited one such project, a drinking water system in Syracuse that will soon be partially powered by wind and hydroelectric energy thanks to Recovery Act funding. (February 17, 2010) U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on Air Quality in our area]
• Arcuri says he's 'not convinced' on cap and trade | He favors eco-friendly policies instead GENEVA — Cap-and-trade legislation intended to protect the environment could instead hurt local businesses, Rep. Michael Arcuri said yesterday during a visit to Guardian Glass. (February 17, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Climate Change in our area]
• Turbine concern growing - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow MPNnow.com — As concerns mount over industrial wind turbine development in the Finger Lakes region, a new citizens’ group has formed — with hopes of joining forces with other like-minded organizations. (February 17, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Wind turbine forum grabs attention of VIPs - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Finger Lakes, N.Y. — State and federal authorities have largely ignored the needs of rural communities faced with pressure from industrial wind turbine developers. That was the message delivered today during a more than three-hour forum at Bristol Harbour Resort sponsored by Citizen Power Alliance  (February 17, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Wind-energy opponents share ideas | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The town of Italy, tucked away in the hills southeast of Canandaigua Lake, is Yates County's least populous town and perhaps its most remote one. It has no post office, no pharmacy, no library, no cable television and no sewage treatment plant, town Supervisor Brad Jones said Tuesday. But it has untamed beauty and a population that's attracted to it. "We value tremendously what people call a rural recreational lifestyle," Jones said. "We love the natural environment and tranquility." (February 17, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Michigan Messenger » Federal carp control strategy is widely criticized | Obama's split-the-baby plan displeases both sides in dispute | A $78.5 million dollar federal plan to keep Asian carp from becoming established in the Great Lakes is drawing criticism from diverse groups that say the proposed temporary closure of the locks in Chicago area canals will disrupt the economy without stopping the spread of aquatic invaders. (February 15, 2010) Michigan Messenger [more on Invasive Species in our area]
• NYS Proposes Massive Slashes to Environmental Funding Massive Cuts to Waterfront Revitalization, Parks, Zoos, Recycling; Zero Money for Land Preservation | Last year, the Legislature appropriated $255 million for critical environmental programs that positively affected every New Yorker. This year the Governor proposes to slash funding to $145 million. That’s a cut of over 40% to the state’s environmental budget! For the first time in the history of the EPF, the Governor’s proposal terminated funding for land preservation, essentially halting statewide and local land preservation efforts. (February 15, 2010) CCE - Water Protection Public Health Energy Renewable Policy Toxic Wildlife Chemical Contamination Subscribe Newsletter Jobs Calendar Pollution Air Quality Advocacy Farmingdale White Plains Albany Syracuse Buffalo [more on Parks in our area]
• Stimulus funds to clean up two brownfields - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnowAlbany, N.Y. — Federal stimulus funds are being used to clean up two contaminated sites in Monroe County. (February 15, 2010)  Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Brownfields in our area]
• Appliance swap at $4M in four days | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle New York energy officials say about 30,000 people around the state have claimed rebates in the first four days of the state's Great Appliance Swap Out. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority said Monday that residents had claimed about $4 million in rebates. (February 15, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Recycling in our area]
• Windmills stir up a storm in Cape Vincent | News from The Post-Standard - Cape Vincent, NY -- Across the St. Lawrence River from Cape Vincent, 86 windmills — each more than 400 feet high from base to blade tip — tower over Canada’s Wolfe Island. They’ve been there less than a year, a preview of what could be in store for Cape Vincent if two proposed wind farms, totaling more than 100 turbines, are built.  (February 14, 2010) Syracuse NY Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Pulteney officials, residents rally against waste plan | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette If Chesapeake Energy goes forward with plans to create a wastewater disposal facility in the town of Pulteney, it will face overwhelming public opposition. The big question, however, is if the plan is still viable. Chesapeake Energy indicated last week that it would not pursue plans to build the facility, in part because it has other ways to handle wastewater from the natural gas exploration process known as hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking. (February 14, 2010) http://www.stargazette.com/ [more on Energy in our area]
• Waterloo resident: Board members are ‘addicted’ to landfill  (February 14, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Recycling in our area]
• Coler Natural Insulation aims to spread idea of environmentally friendly insulation | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Under lock and key at the Plant Genetic Resources Unit in Geneva, the United States Department of Agriculture keeps a cache of tens of thousands of seeds. "So if the world were ever to come to some catastrophic whatever, we'd be able to replant," said Ed Bailey, carpenter shop supervisor for the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, where the seeds are located. (February 14, 2010)democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Green Business in our area]
• Dozens of Abandoned, Leaking Petroleum Sites across the State to Be Cleaned up through Stimulus Funds - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation New York to Use $9.2 Million to Spur Environmental Cleanup, Economic Investment Dozens of petroleum spill sites across New York will soon be cleaned up and ready for redevelopment thanks to more than $9.2 million in federal stimulus funding, state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. Funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is supporting the investigation and cleanup of approximately 60 sites with underground storage tank petroleum leaks, with several projects already underway. ( February 12, 2010) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation [more on Brownfields in our area]
• Agencies: N.Y. plan threatens water quality | stargazette.com | Star-Gazette Water quality in the Southern Tier could suffer under budget cuts proposed by Gov. David Paterson, according to local agencies responsible for maintaining a healthy watershed. Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties are among 25 counties in the Lake Ontario watershed basin that each receive $85,000 a year for conservation projects through the Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance. (February 11, 2010) http://www.stargazette.com/ [more on Water Quality in our area]
• 02/12/2010: As Anniversary of Recovery Act Nears, EPA-Funded Projects Yielding Cleaner Air, Water and Land Across New York State; EPA Regional Administrator, DEC Commissioner Visit Cleanup Project in Albany (New York, N.Y.) As the one-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act nears, projects funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are yielding cleaner air, water and land, and new green jobs across the country. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in New York State, where EPA’s Recovery Act funding has spurred cleanups of toxic waste sites and leaking petroleum storage tanks, cleaner water, and projects to reduce air pollution from diesel engines. EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today visited one such project, the cleanup of an abandoned gas station and repair shop in Albany, N.Y. The greatest potential hazard from a leaking underground storage tank is that the petroleum or other hazardous substances seep into the soil and contaminate ground water, the source of drinking water for nearly one-third of all Americans. (February 12, 2010) U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on Air Quality in our area]
• PSC approves energy efforts | Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information Tariff filings from six utilities participating in a net metering initiative—including Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. and New York State Electric & Gas Corp.—were approved Thursday by the state Public Service Commission. (February 11, 2010) Home | Rochester Business Journal New York business news and information [more on Energy in our area]
• Savannah OKs funds to start water project SAVANNAH — The Town Board voted unanimously Monday night to spend money to qualify Savannah for USDA Rural Development grants and low-interest loans to pay for a $3.4 million project to upgrade water filtration to state standards and replace the hamlet’s water district infrastructure, some of which is 90 years old. (February 12, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Water Quality in our area]
• Stimulus money to clean spilled gasoline at Thurston Road, Ridge Seneca Plaza | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Two petroleum spill sites in Rochester are among 60 statewide that will be cleaned up using $9.2 million in federal stimulus funds. Contaminants at the 60 sites do not pose a direct health threat but are harming the environment and impeding economic development, state Department of Environmental Conservation officials said Friday. "February 13, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Brownfields in our area]
• Cutting-edge clean power technologies now eligible for net metering ALBANY – The State Public Service Commission Thursday approved tariff filings of the six investor-owned utilities in New York to encourage the installation of residential micro-combined heat and power (micro-CHP) and fuel cell electric generating systems that will enable homeowners to sell excess power to the utility. The utilities participating in this net metering initiative include Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., National Grid, New York State Electric & Gas Corporation, Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc., and Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation. (February 12, 2010) New York State News on the Net! [more on Energy in our area]
• New York program offering rebates to swap clunker appliances for efficient models kicks off today | News from The Post-Standard - Albany, NY -- Today New York starts handing out $16.8 million to people who buy Energy Star appliances. It’s part of a $300 million federal effort to save energy and stimulate the economy. But economists are skeptical the program will do much to increase sales or create jobs. (February 12, 2010) Syracuse NY Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more on Recycling in our area]
• Feds pass on surest solution to Asian carp advance - washingtonpost.com TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The surest way to keep rampaging Asian carp from gaining a foothold in the Great Lakes is to sever the link between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River basin, created by engineers in Chicago more than a century ago. (February 11, 2010) washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines [more on Invasive Species | Great Lakes]
• EPA launches Marcellus Shale watchdog program | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal Uncle Sam's chief environmental agency is launching a citizens' watchdog program to help track water pollution and waste disposal related to natural gas production from the Marcellus Shale. The number: (877) 919-4372. Information about the program (February 11, 2010)  http://www.theithacajournal.com/ [more on Energy in our area]
• New York's Great Appliance Swap Out The New York State Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate Program Your eligible appliance(s) must be purchased between February 12th through 21st, 2010 to qualify Welcome to "New York’s Great Appliance Swap Out" website which will provide all the information you need in order to participate. This rebate program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is available to residential consumers replacing existing appliances of the same type with new ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances or High Efficiency ENERGY STAR appliances. A larger rebate will be granted to consumers who recycle their discarded appliances. (February 11, 2010) New York's Great Appliance Swap Out [more on Recycling in our area]
• Governments Confirm Climate Accord Pledges, No New Commitments BONN, Germany, February 8, 2010 - The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has received national pledges to cut and limit greenhouse gases by 2020 from 55 countries, including China and the United States that together account for 78 percent of global emissions from energy use. The national pledges were required under the Copenhagen Accord agreed at the climate change talks in Copenhagen in December. The pledges were made for the period after the end of 2012 when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol emissions targets expires. (February 11, 2010) Environment News Service [more on Climate Change]
• GoErie.com: Local News - Lake Erie could freeze over entirely for first time in years Frozen water tames lake effect, shipping The power is running out on the Lake Erie snow machine. And more cold weather could just about pull the plug on it. The lake is about 90 to 95 percent ice-covered, and more cold temperatures forecast for the next week or so could freeze the entire lake, National Weather Service meteorologists in Cleveland said. (February 10, 2010) GoErie.com: Local News - Lake Erie could freeze over entirely for first time in years [more on Great Lakes]
• Hess prepping massive gas-drilling operation in Wayne and Susquehanna, Pa. counties | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal Hess Corp., once a major prospect for natural gas development in Broome County, has set its sights south of the New York and Pennsylvania border. (February 10, 2010) http://www.theithacajournal.com/ [more on Energy in our area]
• Town of Aurora to study wind-energy code issue : City & Region : The Buffalo News For the next six months, the Town of Aurora will closely study wind energy and how the town should address the issue in its code.  (February 9, 2010) The Buffalo News [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Watertown Daily Times | Hammond committee to mull wind law HAMMOND — A Wind Advisory Committee will be named to modify the town of Hammond's wind facilities law. In an effort to find an acceptable compromise to the current law before the expiration of a recently established six-month moratorium, the town board voted 4-1 Monday night to create a new committee. Councilor James E. Langtry was opposed.  (February 9, 2010) Watertown Daily Times | Local News, Sports, Features, and Community Information for Jefferson County, St. Lawrence County, and Lewis County in Northern New York [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Watertown Daily Times | Opponents organizing to fight wind plans Legislators and other officials from Jefferson and Oswego counties will begin mounting opposition to New York Power Authority's proposal to put 500 megawatts of wind energy development in Lake Ontario. (February 9, 2010) Watertown Daily Times | Local News, Sports, Features, and Community Information for Jefferson County, St. Lawrence County, and Lewis County in Northern New York [more on Wind Power in our area]
• US to commit $78.5M to try to halt spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes | News from The Post-Standard - WASHINGTON — Navigational locks and gates in Chicago-area waterways may be opened less frequently than usual in a stepped-up campaign to prevent Asian carp from overrunning the Great Lakes, federal officials said Monday. The plan falls short of closing the navigational structures entirely, as demanded by Michigan and five other Great Lakes states, including New York. They fear the locks will provide an opening to the lakes for the giant carp, which some scientists say could devastate the region’s $7 billion fishing industry. (February 8, 2010) Syracuse NY Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more on Great Lakes]
• New Gas Drilling Rules, More Staff for Pennsylvania’s Environmental Agency - ProPublica For months, the gas drilling industry and environmentalists alike have been fixated on New York, waiting for its environmental agency to hash out final drilling regulations so companies can take advantage of the vast gas reserves buried there. (February 9, 2010) ProPublica - Journalism in the Public Interest [more on Energy in our area]
• NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State of New York Announce Settlement Agreement on Hydropower Expansion Project Provides Access to Historic Habitats for River Herring and Eels and Protects Habitat of Endangered Shortnose Sturgeon NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today announced measures to restore access to former habitats for several migratory fish species and protect shortnose sturgeon spawning habitat in the Hudson River. The measures are included in a settlement agreement with the Green Island Power Authority, which is seeking to expand hydropower capacity on the river. (January 27, 2010) NOAA Fisheries Service (NMFS) Northeast Regional Office (NERO) - 978-281-9300 [more on Wildlife in our area]
• Casella seeks on-site mine | Operation would be much smaller than one proposed by Seneca Meadows SENECA — Casella Waste Management officials have asked Ontario County to seek a modification of their landfill permit to allow the mining of soil from a nine-acre site on the landfill property. (February 9, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Recycling in our area]
• Cool Rochester Supports Homes, Business | My Efficient Planet One not-for-profit organization in the Rochester-area is willing to take on a global issue and bring it to the local level. Cool Rochester is launching a 3-year effort to engage 80,000 households in the greater Rochester area to reduce the total annual CO2 emissions of the area by 1 billion pounds. The project, called the Cool Rochester Challenge, will introduce participants to a variety of simple actions that they can choose from to reduce their household energy usage and their CO2 emissions. (February 8, 2010) My Efficient Planet Green Information [more on Green Living in our area]
• Feds may close locks to stop Asian carp - Chicago Breaking News At a White House meeting today on the Asian carp threat to the Great Lakes, federal officials said they may seek to close navigational locks on Chicago-area waterways for up to three or four days a week, a move that would restrict cargo shipping and recreational boating. (February 8, 20100) Chicago Breaking News  [more on Great Lakes in our area]
• Curb Your Car Week Way to Go” is a nationwide program encouraging the use of cheaper, healthier, and more earth-friendly transportation alternatives. During the week of May 16 to 22, 2010, if you normally use an automobile for daily transportation, please consider walking, biking, car pooling, or riding the bus as alternatives. (February 9, 2010) Home Page - Color Brighton Green [more on Green Living in our area]
• Business & Technology | Even if you're careful, drugs can end up in water | Seattle Times Newspaper The federal government advises throwing most unused or expired medications into the trash instead of down the drain, but they can end up in the water anyway, a study from Maine suggests.  (February 7, 2010) The Seattle Times | Seattle Times Newspaper [more on Water Quality in our area]
• NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Commerce Department Proposes Establishment of NOAA Climate Service New office would target nation’s fast-accelerating climate information needs NOAA launches www.climate.gov as portal for climate science and services February 8, 2010 Individuals and decision-makers across widely diverse sectors – from agriculture to energy to transportation – increasingly are asking NOAA for information about climate change in order to make the best choices for their families, communities and businesses. To meet the rising tide of these requests, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced the intent to create a NOAA Climate Service line office dedicated to bringing together the agency’s strong climate science and service delivery capabilities. (February 8, 2010) NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [more on Climate Change in our area]
• 2010 State of the State Announces Excelsior Jobs Program to Replace Empire Zones – Three Strategic Incentives to Target Growth Industries Including High Tech and Clean Energy Calls for Revitalization of Prime Vacant Housing Stock in Urban Areas across the State with Sustainable Neighborhoods Project (January 6, 2010) Press Releases [more on Green Business in our area]
• Health board looks at adding fluoride to water | WATERLOO — The Seneca County Board of Health is exploring the cost of fluoridating the county’s municipal water supplies. (February 8, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Water Quality in our area]
• Hundreds turn out to oppose wastewater facility - Corning, NY - The Corning Leader The estimated population of Pulteney is about 1,300. At times Sunday it looked like every one of them was crowded into the Pulteney Fire Hall to discuss the proposed plan to deposit contaminated wastewater in a former natural gas well. More than 300 people came to hear a panel discuss the plan. Chesapeake Energy approached Pulteney officials last fall about the plan to dump the wastewater, which is generated from the hydrofracking process, into a well about a mile west of Keuka Lake. (February 8, 2010) Homepage - Corning, NY - The Corning Leader [more on Energy in our area]
• Heat rises for mercury recycling -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY ALBANY -- Millions of homes in New York state likely have a tiny blob of toxic mercury on the wall, hidden in the control for the thermostat. So far, efforts have been lagging to get that dangerous heavy metal recycled when an old thermostat is replaced, according to a report issued by environmental and public health groups. (February 6, 2010) Albany NY News - Times Union - Serving Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Troy [more on Recycling in our area]
• Arctic climate changing faster than expected | Reuters WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Climate change is transforming the Arctic environment faster than expected and accelerating the disappearance of sea ice, scientists said on Friday in giving their early findings from the biggest-ever study of Canada's changing north. (February 7, 2010) Business & Financial News, Breaking US & International News | Reuters.com [more on Climate Change in our area]
• Winter Wildlife Watching Events Being Held around the State - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation DEC and Partners Offer Dozens of Activities to See Nature First-hand Even in the chill of winter, New York's "Watchable Wildlife" initiative has slated a series of fun activities throughout the state to help connect people to nature, Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. DEC is working with The Nature Conservancy, Audubon New York, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, and Empire State Development (I Love NY) to promote dozens of activities to view, interact and appreciate nature in all seasons. (February 4, 2010) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
• 4-day work week among 'green' ideas in Penfield | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle PENFIELD — Wind energy exploration, four 10-hour workdays, and performance appraisals that include an employee's efforts to be green were among the many suggestions made at the inaugural meeting of the Penfield Energy & Environmental Advisory Committee. (February 8, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York  [more on Green Living in our area]
• Gillibrand's goal: 10 million solar systems in New York - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand introduced legislation this week to encourage the installation of 10 million solar systems on the rooftops of homes and businesses over the next decade. (February 06, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Energy in our area]
• Opinions shift on Rochester-area wind farms | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle Wind-energy developers, who have flocked to the breezy hills south of Rochester, now are finding parts of the region a less-than-hospitable one. A cross-border project has been blocked by local officials in Steuben and Yates counties, prompting aggressive lawsuits by the developer involved. (February 6, 2010) democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Rochester, New York [more on Wind Power in our area]
• Lack of snow could cause low lake levels | detnews.com | Detroit -- Several months of sporadic snowfall may cause Great Lakes water levels during the summer boating season to be a bit lower than last year, according to meteorologists with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The first decade of the 21st century provided many moments of concern among those who live and play on the lakes. For the first seven years, levels slowly declined in each of the lakes until the summer of 2007, when Lake Superior reached its lowest point on record.  (February 4, 2010) The Detroit News | detnews.com | Friday, February 5, 2010 | News, sports, features, blogs, photos and forums from Detroit and Michigan [more on Great Lakes]
• Seneca Falls OKs landfill audit Town will get $2.7M from Seneca Meadows in '10 SENECA FALLS — The Town Board Tuesday set in motion the process that will result in the town receiving more than $2.7 million from Seneca Meadows landfill in 2010. SENECA FALLS — The Town Board Tuesday set in motion the process that will result in the town receiving more than $2.7 million from Seneca Meadows landfill in 2010.  (February 4, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Recycling in our area]
• Pure waters: Well for gas waste poses 'very high risk' to watershed Letter urges stringent regulations | GENEVA — The Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association is expressing “deep concerns” about a proposal to inject the wastewater resulting from proposed hydraulic fracturing drilling for natural gas into a well in the Finger Lakes area. (February 5, 2010)  [more on Energy in our area]
• Watershed watchdogs ramp up development scrutiny - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow With increasing development around Canandaigua Lake, organizations and others concerned with protecting the watershed are exercising more oversight over building projects. (February 4, 2010) Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [more on Wetlands in our area]
• NY conservation officials cite cleaner waterways | News from The Post-Standard - ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York conservation officials want to remove dozens of waterways from the list of those considered “impaired” by pollution, citing measures to reduce stormwater and agricultural runoff, sewage discharges and smokestack pollution. (February 3, 2010) Syracuse NY Local News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - syracuse.com [more on Water Quality in our area]
• Lag causes state to trail in funds for rail work : Home: The Buffalo News WASHINGTON — New York State won a tiny fraction of the federal high-speed rail money that Florida and California will receive — all because federal officials think the state is far behind its big-state competition in planning for the service. (February 3, 2010) Buffalo News -- Home [more on Transportation in our area]
• Wayne Schools Project Includes Wind Turbine - Rochester.YNN.com The proposed construction project will also include a wind turbine. It would be built near the high school and middle school campus and is expected to save the district around $135,000 a year in energy costs." (February 4, 2010)http://rochester.ynn.com/ [more on Wind Power in our area]
• 02/03/2010: Obama Announces Steps to Boost Biofuels, Clean Coal WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama today announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs. At a meeting with a bipartisan group of governors from around the country, the President laid out three measures that will work in concert to boost biofuels production and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. (February 3, 2010)U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on Energy]
• 02/03/2010: ASIAN CARP REGIONAL COORDINATING COMMITTEE TO HOLD FEB. 12 PUBLIC MEETING IN CHICAGO Chicago (Feb. 3, 2010) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on behalf of the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee, will hold a meeting in Chicago on Feb. 12 to discuss plans and get recommendations on Asian carp control efforts. The committee will answer questions and listen to comments from the public. A second meeting will be scheduled in the near future elsewhere in the Great Lakes basin. The meeting also will be available via live web stream at: http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/live. Those who cannot attend the meeting in person can submit questions on the Web site. (February 3, 2010) U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on Invasive Species]
• VHS in Lake Superior another blow to tribal fishing |The deadly fish virus VHS in Lake Superior is threatening one of the Anishinaabe people’s most valuable resources. Joe Cadotte reports from Superior. The Anishinaabe people have relied on Lake Superior for centuries, fishing its waters as one of its main sources of food. Red Cliff Band of Chippewa Vice Chair Marvin Defoe says the presence of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in Lake Superior could cause major fish kills, as it has in other Great Lakes. (February 2, 2010) Duluth Minnesota Newspaper - Wisconsin Newspaper Online - Business North [more on VHS in our area]
• Suffolk to experiment with solar carports HAUPPAUGE - Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy announced legislative approval of an agreement with a California-based wind and solar project developer for the installation of solar carports in as many as seven major county parking lots. (February 2, 2010) New York State News on the Net! [more on Energy in our area]
• Historic” solar energy project announced ALBANY – Governor David Paterson announced a new clean energy project that will more than quintuple the amount of solar energy currently produced in New York State, and will foster the development of solar technologies, support public sustainability efforts and stimulate the economy with new clean energy jobs throughout the State. (February 1, 2010) New York State News on the Net! [more on Energy in our area]
• World Wetlands Day Focuses on Role of Wetlands in Addressing Climate Change – Climate-L.org 2 February 2010: World Wetlands Day was celebrated on 2 February 2010 around the theme “Wetlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change,” with the slogan “Caring for wetlands: an answer to climate change.” In a message to mark the Day, Anada Tiéga, Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, explained that the Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of these vital ecosystems for our common future and that this year’s theme “captures the sense of urgency we all feel about the need to address the potentially disastrous consequences of global climate change as quickly as possible, particularly in the wake of the Copenhagen meeting of the UNFCCC.”  (February 2, 2010) Climate-L.org [More on Wetlands)
• Obama's 2011 Budget Trims Environment, Fattens Energy Spending WASHINGTON, DC, February 1, 2010 (ENS) - The Obama Administration today sent to Congress an overall budget of $3.8 trillion in fiscal year 2011 that projects a record budget shortfall of $1.6 trillion. There are 126 terminations, reductions, and other areas of savings identified that will save approximately $23 billion next year, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget. (February 1, 2010) Environment News Service [more on Great Lakes in our area]
• 02/02/2010: EPA and DOE Join States to Speed Energy Efficiency Progress in the United States WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to increasing energy efficiency and reducing costs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network. This network is meant to help states achieve maximum cost effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices, buildings and industry by 2020. Strengthening energy efficiency initiatives across the country helps to save money and protect the environment at the same time. (February 2, 2010) U.S. EPA Newsroom - News Releases [more on Energy in our area]
• President Obama Sets Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target for Federal Operations | The White House Target to Drive Energy Cost Reductions in Federal Operations, Creating Clean Energy Jobs WASHINGTON, DC – President Barack Obama today announced that the Federal Government will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by 28 percent by 2020.  Reducing and reporting GHG pollution, as called for in Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability, will ensure that the Federal Government leads by example in building the clean energy economy.  Actions taken under this Executive Order will spur clean energy investments that create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy industries. (January 29, 2010) The White House [more on Climate Change in our area]
• Methane pipeline proposed After initial cost, Seneca Meadows project would bring free gas to schools SENECA FALLS — Seneca Meadows District Manager Don Gentilcore publicly introduced plans Monday for a methane gas pipeline that could potentially deliver free energy to the school district. (February 2, 2010) Finger Lakes Times Online - Front [more on Energy in our area]
• Vermont nuke plant: 27th of 104 US reactors with known leaks of radioactive tritium - chicagotribune.com MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Radioactive tritium, a carcinogen discovered in potentially dangerous levels in groundwater at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, has now tainted at least 27 of the nation's 104 nuclear reactors — raising concerns about how it is escaping from the aging nuclear plants. (February 1, 2010) Chicago Tribune breaking news, sports, weather and traffic in Chicago - chicagotribune.com [more on Energy in our area]
• Powder Mills hatchery readies for opening day of trout season - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Perinton, N.Y. — The fully stocked Fish Hatchery at Powder Mills Park is busy preparing for spring and will release thousands of more trout prior to the April 1 Riedman Foundation Opening Day Tournament. (February 1, 2010)  [more on Wildlife in our area]
• Obama wants fed government emissions cut 28% | detnews.com | The Detroit News Washington -- Saying he wants to lead by example on global warming, President Barack Obama on Friday directed the federal government to reduce its emissions of heat-trapping gases 28 percent in the next decade -- a goal that exceeds targets for the country as a whole. (January 29, 2010) http://www.detnews.com/ [more on Climate Change in our area]
• www.WHEC.com - Obama seeks $300 million for Great Lakes cleanup President Obama's newly released budget requests $300 million to continue an environmental restoration program for the Great Lakes.       The total, announced Monday, is down from the $475 million Obama successfully sought last year. The Environmental Protection Agency blames the reduction on the poor economy but says the president remains committed to the Great Lakes initiative.  (February 2, 2010) www.WHEC.com - Rochester, NY News [more on Great Lakes in our area]
• NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State of New York Announce Settlement Agreement on Hydropower Expansion Project  | Provides Access to Historic Habitats for River Herring and Eels and Protects Habitat of Endangered Shortnose Sturgeon NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation today announced measures to restore access to former habitats for several migratory fish species and protect shortnose sturgeon spawning habitat in the Hudson River. The measures are included in a settlement agreement with the Green Island Power Authority, which is seeking to expand hydropower capacity on the river. (January 27, 2010) Northeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [more on Wildlife in our area]
• Bottled water sales slow amid backlash - Going Green- msnbc.com Consumer backlash begins to bite, but recession also likely to blame | A debate over water is boiling over in the United States and elsewhere amid growing environmental concerns about bottled water and questions about safety of tap water. (December 18, 2009) [more on Recycling in our area]
• Greece environmental group files suit against the town - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow Greece, N.Y. — An environmental group made up of local residents has filed a lawsuit against the Town of Greece. In a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court on Thursday, Jan. 21, the local environmental group CA-POW! (Citizens Alert: Protect Our Waters) is taking on the Town of Greece, saying it has not taken the necessary steps to protect its residents from the dangers of improperly treated stormwater run-off. (February 2, 2010)  Home - Canandaigua, NY - MPNnow [Water Quality]
• Going Green: Food for thought | We're all pretty familiar with Christmas trees, tree limbs, leaves, and grass being turned into mulch or compost but what about food waste. “Most food waste ends up in a landfill, where it readily decomposes and becomes a greenhouse gas,” said Gregory Gelewski, OCRRA Recycling Operations Manager. (January 21, 2010) http://rochester.ynn.com/ [more on Recycling in our area]
• Green Teams - Many Rochester schools have "green teams." They are partnered up with companies in the community that help them get ideas for projects. This group works with Larsen Engineers. (January 28, 2010) RochesterHomePage [more on Environmental Education in our area]
• Brownfield Cleanups Completed in Communities Across the State - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Ten cleanups of abandoned or underutilized contaminated sites in communities throughout New York were certified as complete by the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in December 2009, Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today. Two other sites were also completed earlier in the year. All twelve sites had remnants of industrial or commercial activities that led to varying degrees of contamination, and all will now provide new residential, recreational, or economic opportunities. (January 28, 2010) Press Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation [more on Brownfields in our area]
• Clean-diesel buses added to RGRTA fleet as a result of stimulus money | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle The Rochester region will be getting clean-diesel buses, thanks to a $12.2 million grant via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority took shipment of 50 buses in late 2009, and $1.34 million of those stimulus funds will go to the 2009 bill, according to Jacqueline Halldow, spokeswoman for the RGRTA. The buses, made by Gillig Corp. of California, burn diesel in a cleaner manner than older models. They arrive as ridership is up. (February 1, 2010)  [more on Energy in our area]