News for January 2006 - most recent stories are at the bottom.

• Local wastewater facility graded D- in disputed report - Area experts argue that sewer overflows have dropped - — Most people prefer not to think about what happens after they flush the toilet. But living here, on the rim of one of the Great Lakes, which together contain 20 percent of the world's fresh water, the ultimate destination of waste can play a big role in our daily lives. Boaters, fishermen and swimmers all suffer if waste makes its way into Lake Ontario, heightening the algae and bacteria problems that make some local beaches unusable at times each summer. With the year's end, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment released a report card suggesting that the Great Lakes Basin — and Rochester's Frank E. VanLare Wastewater Treatment Facility in particular — could do a better job of safeguarding water quality. The report was disputed locally.  (January 4, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
•  City Newspaper: News & Views: News articles: City gets tough lead law For years, Tim Mains has lobbied for legislation to end poisoning from lead-based paint in the city of Rochester. Finally, last Tuesday, inside a packed chamber, Mains, a 20-year Council veteran and a city school principal, got his wish. During its last meeting of the year and Mains' final session as a Council member, City Council unanimously approved mandatory inspections for lead-paint hazards in Rochester's poorest neighborhoods. And to Mains' and many others' surprise, Council also agreed to the tougher examination Mains had sought: inspectors will use dust wipes rather than just visually checking for flaking or deteriorated paint. Under the new legislation, houses that pass an initial visual inspection will then get dust-wipe checks. The dust-wipe legislation targets rental housing in specific city blocks where county health department data indicates that 90 percent of all lead poisoning is occurring. ( January 4, 2006) City Newspaper
•  Don't Trash It, Recycle Instead - Don't just throw away your Christmas tree with the trash. Recycle it instead. The City of Rochester and Monroe County are urging people to use free recycling programs to prevent trees from going to landfills. R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  Free computer recycling available this month - News - MSNBC.com RCR&R, the Regional Computer Recycling & Recovery, is offering free computer recycling until January 31 for residents of Monroe and Ontario counties. Rochester, NY news from WHEC-TV - MSNBC.com
•  Area land trust purchases Wayne County farmland  — Rochester city dwellers will be able to get their hands in the dirt and grow their own fresh produce with the Genesee Land Trust's purchase of 140 acres of farmland. The deal to preserve the Wayne County farmland, which includes Peacework Organic Farm, was finalized Friday afternoon. The new preserve will include 20 acres of organic community farmland as well as hay fields, wetlands and a portion of Ganargua Creek, in the towns of Newark and Arcadia. (January 7, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program (CSOAP) - CSOAP In 1993, a massive underground wastewater tunnel system became fully operational, completing over 20 years of design and construction. This Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program (CSOAP) has drastically improved the quality of Rochester area waters by virtually eliminating the 60-70 annual sewer overflows that had occurred prior to its existence. The county took advantage of federal and state programs, which paid for nearly 88 percent of the tunnel system's $550 million design and construction costs. --from Monroe County Environmental Services.
•  TheStar.com - City to test wind farm City to test wind farm Could an offshore wind farm help solve the city's power shortage? Toronto Hydro will test out the idea this spring - Someday in the not-too-distant future, Torontonians may be able to stand on the Scarborough Bluffs and see as many as 30 big wind turbines turning, two kilometres out in the waters of Lake Ontario. Toronto Hydro plans to start testing the lake winds this spring, setting up a tower to support an anemometer — a device that measures wind speed. If the results are favourable, the company will consider building a 60-megawatt wind farm offshore — enough electricity to power 20,000 homes.
•  MAYOR DUFFY SAYS NO TO FAST FERRY BONDING REQUEST, SHUTS DOWN FERRY SERVICE Rochester Mayor Robert J. Duffy announced today he will not back City Council's request to bond for $11.5 million to keep the Fast Ferry operating in 2006. Without the bonding, the ferry continues to be out of money. The Mayor's decision effectively ends the ferry service. “The City of Rochester is no longer in the ferry business,” said Duffy. “This was not an easy decision. But after thinking about what the priorities of this city must be, weighed against what it would require to continue the ferry's operation, the choice became obvious to me.” --Welcome to the City of Rochester
•  RochesterEnvironment.com goes on Television: Tune in for RochesterEnvironment.com on "Chatting with Rocco" on Cable 12 West, Monday, January 16 at 7:30PM. 
•  Greens put their issues on air - Party taps Hollywood expertise for cable show GreenLine - — Clipboard in hand, Deborah Magone-Fragale is every inch the professional producer — directing camera angles with one hand while scanning the crowd for potential interview subjects during a recent demonstration of voting machines. But after 20 years in Hollywood, Magone-Fragale, 46, has moved home to her native Rochester and is filming an ultra-low-budget show called GreenLine for local cable television. (January 11, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Birth of the cool - After a few false starts, a coalition of seven Northeastern states has taken the lead in curbing greenhouse gas emissions. - With the federal government downplaying the problem of global climate change and all but ignoring industry's role, the governors of seven states decided to take things into their own hands. The result is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which uses a market-style "cap-and-trade" system to create economic pressures on industry and government to reduce their own emissions. Sources that emit more than their fair share of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases must buy credits from others that emit less than their allotment. You can find out more about the pact at www.rggi.org/agreement.htm - City Newspaper
•  Rare sighting of Northern Hawk Owl captivates bird lovers - LYNDONVILLE, N.Y. Bird lovers from across the state are flocking to western New York to get a glimpse of a rare owl. The Northern Hawk Owl is normally found in sparsely populated areas of Alaska and northern Canada. But one was spotted along Route 63 about 25 miles west of Rochester about a week ago, and birders have been lining up by the dozen to peer at it and take its picture. WSTM.com Home
•  Bird Team Disperses Auburn Crows -  AUBURN,NY-(AP) The crow problem seems to be getting better in Auburn, Cayuga County. An estimated 33,000 crows have disappeared. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's wildlife services division says the crow population in Auburn decreased to about 500. R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  SF ethanol plant on hold for now: Former depot among new sites being considered SENECA FALLS — Plans for a corn-to-ethanol plant in the town are on hold as a group of agri-business investors considers other sites, including the former Seneca Army Depot. Finger Lakes Times Geneva, NY
•  Effort is under way to control problem-causing foreign critters, plants — Invasive species. The words alone sound ominous. But until they hear "zebra mussels" or the name of another plant or animal that has affected their life, many Rochesterians are still befuddled by the term. They don't realize that invasive plants and animals can boost bacterial growth in their lakes, clog their sewer pipes and drive out their beloved bluebirds. That's precisely why state environmental leaders spent the past two years dissecting the issue before releasing the final report of the New York State Invasive Species Task Force in December. The report delineates the state's problem and proposes some solutions. This week, Gov. George Pataki proposed $2 million in funding to get the effort started. (January 21, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Hybrid vehicles' appeal still growing New tax credits mean that buying a hybrid vehicle this year could save you more than $5,000. And putting that car on the road could keep thousands of pounds of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. Tax credits With the start of 2006, buyers of hybrids became eligible for up to $3,400 in federal tax credits, depending upon the vehicle's emissions and fuel efficiency. However, only 60,000 buyers of each model will receive the credit, so industry analysts predict that the benefit could run out on popular models by midsummer. Gov. George Pataki has also proposed continuing a state tax credit of $2,000 for hybrid owners and offering discounts on tolls and other incentives to drivers of particularly efficient vehicles.- (January 19, 2006) — Democrat and Chronicle
•  13WHAM-TV || Rochester - Fuel Cell Technology – The Next Big Energy Alternative? Using fuel cells and renewable energy technology, Rochester Institute of Technology researchers are already working on ways to give cars thousands more miles of life. It’s part of their effort to find ways to make fuel cells affordable and make them practical for everyday life. (January 23, 2006) 13WHAM-TV || Rochester
•  To spray or not to spray? A citizen's request prompts officials to research the possibility of outlawing use of chemical lawn treatments.
  CANANDAIGUA - A weed killer used on the lawn of Granger Homestead last Halloween grabbed the attention of neighbors and environmental activist Joel Freedman. Now City Council will consider a request from Freedman to ban all lawn chemical use within city limits.(January 23, 2006)  Daily Messenger
•  Is our fuelish era at an end? The high cost of oil and natural gas will force Americans to change their lifestyles, says a Canandaigua economist.  GENEVA - Dwindling worldwide reserves of oil and natural gas may spell the end of the suburban lifestyle in America, according to a documentary film shown at the Finger Lakes Institute on Thursday evening. (January 23, 2006)  Daily Messenger
•  Bristol - Fur auction -  About 100 sellers and buyers showed up for Sunday's fur auction held by the Genesee Valley Trappers Association at its clubhouse on Route 20A. Although officials declined to give a dollar amount, prices were up from last fall, driven in particular by a demand for muskrat pelts in China, according to association President Bob Hughes of Perkinsville. A variety of pelts were sold. Animals trapped in the Finger Lakes region include red and gray fox, coyote, muskrat, mink, beaver, raccoon, skunk and possum. (January 23, 2006)  Daily Messenger
•  Change to dog licensing law takes effect Jan. 15 The State of New York Department of Agriculture & Markets has made changes to the dog licensing program, effective January 15. The new law requires that a dog license may not be issued for a time period extending beyond the expiration date of the dog's rabies certificate. Dog licenses issued on and after January 15, must not expire after the expiration date of the dog's rabies certificate. In order to receive a full year license, a dog that is due for a rabies vaccination booster within the next license year would need to be immunized prior to license renewal. (January 23, 2006) Westside News Inc.
•  Costly leaks from natural gas pipelines prompt scramble for new detection tools ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - A single-engine plane eases into the sky above the corn and onion fields west of Rochester, and its underside opens like the bay of a Second World War bomber. The gap exposes a 20-centimetre opaque glass prism that fixes on the landscape below, like a bug's round eye. (January 23, 2006) canada.com
•  Owl flap - The presence of a rare Northern Hawk Owl hanging out near Lyndonville (about 50 miles west of Rochester) has drawn more than a thousand visitors from all over the Northeast. The crow-sized Arctic bird, which is sitting in trees or perched on wires next to a farm near the corner of Routes 18 and 63, has been reported in Newsday, the Democrat and Chronicle, and on National Public Radio. (January 25, 2006) City Newspaper
•  Crows Leave Auburn, Flock to Geneva   The war against crows continues in the Finger Lakes. While Auburn has declared victory, Geneva is just beginning its fight. (Jan 22, 2006) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  Smaller wetlands awaiting protection - Bill returns after its failure in state Senate last year - — Every spring, Sara Rubin wades into an unnamed wetland on Crittenden Road in Brighton, near Monroe Community College, and scoops out the tadpoles swimming in deep tire ruts. "It's so fertile, it's unbelievable," she said. Utility trucks drive right through this seasonal wetland of about 8 acres, sullying breeding pools for several amphibian species. So Rubin takes the tadpoles home to the habitat she has created in her "really tiny little" Brighton back yard. It's all she can do. The trucks aren't breaking any laws. In New York state, wetlands smaller than 12.4 acres have little legal protection unless they are connected to navigable waters. But activists such as Rubin, a member of the Sierra Club's Rochester chapter, and Gov. George Pataki and legislators from across the state are committed to changing the rule. (January 27, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Webster doing homework on wind energy  — WEBSTER — Wind turbines are being considered as a source of some power for the town's sewage treatment facility and the village's water wells. Sustainable Energy Development Inc., based in Ontario, Wayne County, has submitted applications, at no charge to either municipality, to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. They are seeking funds to pay for studies of the turbine projects. (January 27, 2006) Democrat and Chronicle
•  13WHAM-TV || Rochester - Ginna Upgrades Communication Systems Kyle Clark (Ontario, NY) 01/28/06 -- About 60,000 people live within a ten mile radius of the Ginna Nuclear Power Plant. Half live in Wayne County, the other half in Monroe County, near Webster. Their safety is in the hands of Ginna's staff and the first reponders who protect the public in case of a problem.13WHAM-TV || Rochester
•  Residents fight for recycling center They say they would be willing to pay more to continue using the Sweden facility.  More than 150 Sweden and Brockport residents turned out at a public hearing Tuesday night to oppose the proposed closing of the Sweden Recycling/Refuse Center. Brockport Post