March 2007 News

• URMC receives money for new bird flu research center - News - MSNBC.com The medical center has been awarded tens of millions of dollars to establish a new bird flu research center. The National Institutes of Health hopes to lower the yearly death toll from seasonal flu and to make future influenza pandemics less deadly.  (March 31, 07) Rochester, NY news from WHEC-TV - MSNBC.com
• MPNnow.com: Mixed reviews on lawn-care pamphlet - Canandaigua's effort to educate homeowners on pesticides and fertilizers is watered down, some say. City officials hope education will curb the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers polluting lake and ground water. Copies of the pamphlet, "Healthy Lawns for Canandaigua Lake," were mailed the first week of March to some 3,600 city homeowners. The facts and figures were compiled in collaboration with the Lake Watershed Council and the Cornell Cooperative Extension. (March 31, 07) MPNnow.com: Rochester and Western Finger Lakes News, Entertainment, Sports, Opinions, Photos and More
• State Senator Wants Plastic Bag Ban - 13WHAM.com Paper or plastic? Soon, you may not get a choice. State Senator Jim Alesi (R-Perinton) is drafting a bill that would make drug and grocery stores cut their non-biodegradable plastic bag use in half by the end of 2010 and stop using them altogether by the end of 2012.  - (March 30, 2007) Home - 13WHAM.com
• Buzz in Bee Biz—Not Sweet - 13WHAM.com (Hamlin, N.Y.)- Huge numbers of honey bees are mysteriously dying out, both locally and across the country. The buzz in the bee business is colony collapse disorder. At Doan's honey farm in Hamlin, Ed Doan finds hive after hive has been annihilated. - (March 29, 2007) Home - 13WHAM.com
• Genesee River Dredging Funds Cut - 13WHAM.com - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will not dredge the Genesee River as planned this summer, because of federal budget cuts. The $920,000 funding cut came as a surprise to local officials and Charlotte residents, who did not learn of it until a major cargo ship got stuck in the mouth of the river last Thursday.  - (March 29, 2007) Home - 13WHAM.com
• Hamlin beekeeper testifies at hearing — WASHINGTON -- In a Capitol Hill hearing Thursday, the chairman of a key House agriculture subcommittee promised to help the nation’s beekeepers and farmers find the cause of a massive die-off of honey bees over the past year.- (March 29, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• A honey of a mystery stings area - Hamlin farmer to testify in Congress today about puzzling loss of bees. In his four decades of beekeeping, Jim Doan has never seen anything like it. He'll check on a hive and the bees will be gone. Like other beekeepers across the country, this Hamlin man is witnessing a mysterious phenomenon. Bees are vanishing from hives without a trace. (March 29, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Silt levels of Genesee surveyed next week - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers doesn't expect to get a survey crew out on the Genesee River to measure the extent of shoaling at least until Monday. (March 29,07) Democrat & Chronicle
• MPNnow.com: Pollution draws calls for resignations An overflow crowd turned out in Victor last night to get information and vent frustration about contaminated groundwater on the west side of town. VICTOR — Concerns over groundwater contamination drew a crowd of roughly 150 residents to a community forum last night that had to be moved from the Town Hall to the Victor Intermediate School auditorium to fit everyone in. A panel of state environmental and health officials tried to quell residents' fears with information about an investigation they launched several weeks ago into groundwater contamination. They also fielded questions from about two dozen worried residents, including Michael Barry, who called for the resignations of two town officials. (March 27, 07) MPNnow.com: Rochester and Western Finger Lakes News, Entertainment, Sports, Opinions, Photos and More
• Monroe passes its test on flu-shot efficiency - 270 mock patients turn out in drill at Dome Center - The county timed how long it took to get 500 people to fill out medical forms and go through vaccination stations. Many volunteers went through the line twice to help the county reach its goal. ( March 28, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• Rochester City Newspaper - TRANSIT: In new plan, cyclists get a boost As it turns out, several years' worth of substandard air quality may be good for our region's health, at least in the long term. In its proposed new five-year plan, the Genesee Transportation Council has included $7 million worth of bicycle and pedestrian improvements. That's five times more money for those improvements than in the last plan. The new plan also includes money for service stations that would provide fuel such as ethanol for government vehicles. The service stations would likely be operated jointly by the city, the city school district, and the county. (March 28, 07) Rochester City Newspaper
• Deadly fish virus spreading west A deadly fish virus that already is wreaking havoc in the eastern Great Lakes is spreading west and could one day reach Lake Superior, where it could have potentially devastating effects on Minnesota's fisheries. (March 27, 07) http://www.startribune.com/
• KEEPING INVASIVE SPECIES OUT - Harbors in the United States risk biological pollution every time a foreign ship comes into port. The ships often carry foreign aquatic animals that can cause environmental and economic damage. Lester Graham reports the problem is known, acknowledged, and still the government has not taken the measures needed to stop the problem:  (March 26) The Environment Report
• MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARING BEES Brownish-orange bumps on the backs of these bees are Varroa jacobsoni mites, a possible cause of CCD. (Photo courtesy of the USDA) Millions of honeybees across the country are dying mysteriously. Entire hives or colonies of bees are collapsing. Scientists say it's some new threat. They're scrambling to find answers. As Bob Allen reports, bees are crucial in pollinating billions of dollars worth of crops every spring: (March 26) The Environment Report
• EPA official says he'll look into Victor contamination - (March 26, 2007) — As Victor town officials plan a “community briefing” for this evening on groundwater contamination in a section of the town, the top federal environmental official in New York state said he would inquire about the matter. (March 25, 07)  Democrat & Chronicle
• Potential danger for homeowners was not clarified -  (March 25, 07)  Democrat & Chronicle
• Plume of poison: Gov. Spitzer must make Victor cleanup a top priority - Beneath some of the region's most alluring real estate, much of it rolling hills loaded with wildlife, lurks danger. At least a mile of this acreage is toxic, and too many residents who live nearby in western Victor don't even know it.  (March 25, 07)  Democrat & Chronicle
• Old waste poses new woe: Toxic vapors - We're just beginning to understand the problem with noxious gases - One of the latest public health concerns involves a new problem at old locations: toxic vapors that could rise from long-known dump sites. In recent years, environmental and health officials in New York and around the nation have come to the conclusion that volatile chemicals pooled far below ground have the capacity to rise in vapor and accumulate in the basements of homes and other buildings. (March 25, 07)  Democrat & Chronicle
• Danger below: Toxic vapor woes in Victor also a threat elsewhere - Last month, environmental officers began going into the basements of homes set amid the cornfields and hillsides of western Victor. They told residents they were there to test the air for the presence of toxic vapors rising from industrial chemicals in groundwater below their homes. (March 25, 07)  Democrat & Chronicle
• Fish get a charge out of trout survey — URBANA — Counting fish in a Steuben County creek to get a sneak preview of the upcoming rainbow trout season is a shocking experience — at least for the trout. Wading into the creek with an electrically-charged wand, fish nets, tape measure, scale and clipboard is an annual pregame ritual performed by the state Department of Environmental Conservation for the opening of the trout season April 1.(March 23, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• toledoblade.com -- Wind power plan for lake gains speed; efforts totaling over $1M seek to win new industry More than $1 million could be spent in the coming months pursuing offshore wind power in Lake Erie, even though the region just lost out on a bid to have East Toledo host the nation’s first testing laboratory for offshore wind turbine blades. A $250,000 wildlife study, funded by a grant the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority obtained from U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo), recently began along the western Lake Erie shoreline. (March 23, 07) The Toledo Blade
• DEC announces availability of environmental justice grants - The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Wednesday announced the availability of 2007 State assistance funding under the Environmental Justice Community Impact Research Grant program. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Environmental justice efforts focus on improving the environment in under served communities, specifically minority and low-income communities, addressing disproportionate adverse environmental impacts that may exist in those communities, and ensuring meaningful public participation and environmental benefits. (March 22, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• DEC Adopts revised emergency regulations to help prevent spread of VHS -The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has announced the adoption of new emergency regulations to help prevent the spread of the Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) virus to additional waters in the State. The new emergency regulations, which were filed with the Department of State and took effect on Friday, March 9, 2007, replace previously enacted emergency regulations and reflect some changes incorporated as a result of public comments on the limits of the possession, sale, transfer, taking and release of certain baitfish and other live fish species to be placed in New York waters. VHS is a pathogen of fish and does not pose any threat to public health. (March 20, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• FURNACES SMOGGING UP NEIGHBORHOODS The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency wants wood-burning furnaces to be cleaned up. But many cities aren't waiting for the EPA to act. They're calling the furnaces a menace to public health.
• globeandmail.com: Joint pledge to accelerate cleanup of Great Lakes hot spots The Ontario and federal governments say they hope to clean up four of the 15 most polluted sites on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes by 2010. Under a proposed agreement between the two governments, details of which were published in the Canada Gazette on Saturday, Ontario and Ottawa say they intend to remediate Jackfish Bay and Nipigon Bay in Lake Superior, along with Wheatley Harbour on Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall -- sites that have been polluted by decades of abuses, such as the dumping of industrial waste, poorly treated municipal sewage, and agricultural run off. (March, 19 2007) globeandmail.com: National
• Brooks Joined GM to Unveil Fuel-Cell Vehicle - Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks joined General Motors to unveil the company’s new Chevy Equinox Fuel Cell vehicle. The fuel cell system powering the vehicle is the result of the work of researchers at General Motors’ Honeoye Falls facility. MyMonroe. Opening Up Government. | Monroe County, NY
• Land purchase protects lake -16-acre plot near Canandaigua's southern tip thwarts development - — A land trust's recent purchase of 16 acres near the south end of Canandaigua Lake is good news for those worried that development is displacing nature. The Finger Lakes Land Trust's purchase has significance that goes beyond the 16 acres because the land had been slated for development and borders the state's High Tor Fish and Wildlife Management Area, 6,100 acres of wooded terrain and marshlands. (March 19, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Wind Proposal Meets Opposition - Wind farms continue to rise across New York to meet the state's need for alternative energy sources. But the first proposed for Monroe County is running up against opposition where there's talk of a moratorium on wind farm development. An area off Redman and Moscow Roads is where a wind farm is proposed for the town of Hamlin. Up to 50 towers nearly 200 feet tall are the first proposed wind turbines for Monroe County. (March 12, 07) http://www.rnews.com/
• Birdcam has new handlers - Area Audubon Society will take over falcon-watching Web site — Kaver and Mariah, the peregrine falcons made famous by Eastman Kodak Co.'s birdcam, are back. But to watch them, falcon enthusiasts will now have to go to a different Web site. After nearly a decade of hosting a popular falcon-watching Web site, Kodak has turned over the job to the Genesee Valley Audubon Society. The new site, www.rfalconcam.com , went live late Friday afternoon and the local Audubon chapter plans to announce the news Monday. (March 18, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Phthalates Linked to Fat, Low Testosterone in Men - ROCHESTER, New York, March 15, 2007 (ENS) - Exposure to phthalates, chemicals found in everything from plastics to soaps, has for the first time been linked to abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in adult males, according to a study by the University of Rochester Medical Center. The phthalate family of chemicals is used in cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, lotions, lubricants, paint, pesticides, and plastics. Phthalates soften plastic tubing and are also used in the coating of some timed-release medicines. --Environment News Service (ENS)
• Niagara Gazette--POWER: NYPA granted new federal license for Niagara Power Project -Funds, low-cost power will flow in September -Federal regulators issued a decision Thursday that unlocks plans for a half-billion dollars in recreational and environmental improvements in Niagara County over the next 50 years. (March 16, 2007) Niagara Gazette - Homepage
• FERC approves new license for Niagara Power plant - The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Thursday approved a new 50-year license for the Niagara Power Project. This is the final federal step in moving the funding secured in a settlement agreement between Buffalo and Erie County and the New York Power Authority, which operates the Niagara Plant. (March 16, 2007) New York State News on the Net!
• New York State Health Department Releases Ventilator Allocation Guidelines for Comment - Proposed Hospital Policy Would Take Effect during a Severe Influenza Pandemic ALBANY - March 16, 2007 - The New York State Health Department today released for public comment guidelines for rationing mechanical ventilators during a severe influenza pandemic. The proposed hospital policy was developed following extensive deliberation by a panel of experts convened by the New York State Task Force on Life and the Law. "Although New York State continues to purchase and stockpile ventilators as part of our pandemic preparedness, we know that if a severe pandemic occurs, shortages are inevitable," Acting New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. said. "We must plan ahead to ensure that decisions to triage ventilators will be fair, and will benefit as many patients as possible." --from New York State Department of Health
• DEVELOPMENT: The deer dilemma at the Seneca Army Depot - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper White deer were spotted in the Depot during World War II. The commanding officer sent down word that they were to be protected. If anyone shot a white deer, they would be re-assigned to Greenland. These were not albino deer, but deer resulting from a manifestation of the recessive gene for white coloration --- apparently carried by one or more of the brown deer originally confined. Over time, the white deer increased in number. Being fenced in forced them to interbreed and remain on the Depot grounds. (March 14, 07) Rochester City Newspaper
• House plan targets release of waste into Great Lakes Washington - The House approved a proposal Friday that would require study of wastewater treatment plants that discharge into the Great Lakes. The measure, introduced by Rep. Bart Stupak, Democrat of Michigan, was included in a larger bill on paying for wastewater and sewage treatment programs to encourage cooperation between the United States and Canada on monitoring water quality. (March 14, 07) cleveland.com: Everything Cleveland
• Plan for wind farm stirs debate -Developers are in earliest stages in Hamlin - As developers gather data to see whether Hamlin really is a good place for a wind farm, the town joins others scrambling to write laws governing where the turbines can go. Without such laws, towns have little power to regulate their placement. (March 12, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• Coyotes too close - News - MSNBC.com Just a day after News 10NBC aired the amazing video of a coyote caught at a shopping plaza in Macedon, the Department of Environmental Conservation tells us we could see more of that in the future. (March 9, 2007) Rochester, NY news from WHEC-TV - MSNBC.com
• Genome sequencing aids ethanol production ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 8 U.S. scientists have discovered how biomass genes are turned on in a microorganism that produces ethanol from materials such as grass and cornstalks. University of Rochester researchers say their discovery might mean waste products such as grass clippings and wood chips --once thought too difficult to turn into ethanol -- could be fodder for hungry, gene-tweaked bacteria. (March 8, 07) The Earth Times Online Newspaper, Serving the Planet
• MPNnow.com: The 'greening' of Brighton How one town and one of its residents are taking part in environmental preservation. BRIGHTON – Brighton Town Supervisor Sandra Frankel wants to engage the community in a discussion on global warming and the steps residents can take to lessen its effects.  (March 5, 2007) Messenger Post Newspapers
• Mayor Robert J. Duffy today announced a host of activities offered for youth at City Recreation Centers, along with other opportunities open to the public, to celebrate Earth Day, Sun., Apr. 22, 2007.
  • EARTH DAY POSTER CONTEST Entry Deadline: Mar. 28 at any City of Rochester recreation center Theme: "What Earth Day Means to Me" Youth invited to create a 12 x 18 poster and enter by age group (6-11 and 12-15). Posters will be displayed at local Recreation/Community Centers. Prizes will be awarded.
  • SCOUT SWEEP 9 a.m.-12 noon, Sat., Apr. 21 -Area scouts and other volunteers will pitch in to clean the entire length of the Genesee Riverway Trail from Turning Point Park to Genesee Valley Park. Scout troops may contact Otetiana Council at 244-4210.
  • CITY OF ROCHESTER EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AND CLEANUP -9:30-11:30 a.m., Sat., Apr. 21 Maplewood Park, Lake Ave. & Driving Park Ave. Durand Eastman Beach and Park, Lakeshore Blvd. Volunteers will gather to clear Maplewood Park and trails and help to clean winter debris from Durand-Eastman Beach and Park. Meet at Lake Ave. and Driving Park Ave. parking lot or parking lot A on Lakeshore Blvd. Supplies will be provided or bring your own loppers, folding saws, hand pruners and rakes. No preregistration required.
  • "CACHE IN, TRASH OUT" Earth Day Activity for Youth (ages 10-15) 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (Picnic at Noon), Sat., Apr. 21 Turning Point Park and Nature Area, 370 Boxart St.( off Lake Ave.) in Charlotte. To participate, register by April 5 at any City Recreation Center. Scavenger hunt that includes walks, games and demonstrations aimed at educating families about the natural environment. Each team also responsible for removing a trash bag of debris. Teams of youth and adult leaders from each recreation center will use global positioning systems to navigate through Turning Point Park located along the Genesee River. Parents welcome.
  • FREE ENVIRONMENTAL CLASSES FOR YOUTH Month of April Contact your nearest City Recreation Center for details and registration. Outdoor activities for ages 6-18. Earth Day activities are a part of the City's Flower City Looking Good Program for Gardeners and Environmentalists, sponsored by the City with corporate support from Preferred Care, the Democrat and Chronicle and Wegmans. For information about the City's Earth Day activities call Stacey Estrich at 428-6770, or visit www.cityofrochester.gov .
   
• Wanted: volunteers for flu exercise — Monroe County is looking for up to 500 volunteers for a pandemic flu exercise in which the county will practice trying to give out vaccine or medication to a large number of people in a short amount of time.Volunteers will assemble at the Dome Arena in Henrietta March 27 and either pose as a patient, or be recruited to help county workers deliver the simulated shots.  (March 5, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Eastman Kodak reduces methylene chloride emissions Kodak is the world's foremost imaging innovator, providing leading products and services to healthcare and the photographic and graphic communications markets. With annual sales of more than $14 billion, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak's system of digital and traditional image capture products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere. Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional, and digital printing and document imaging. Creative Professionals rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images. (March 6, 07) Reliable Plant RSS
• ONTARIO FISHING IMPERILED BY NEW VIRUS - The fishing industry in Upstate New York is in serious jeopardy because of a newly discovered virus that has made its way into the water systems. The size and scope of the Lake Ontario fishing industry is largely undetermined, but it is thought to be a multi-million dollar industry. “We can put a $170,000 figure on one processing plant, but the bait fish industry in New York State is huge,” said Dave MacNeill, fishery expert for New York State Sea Grant. (March 06, 07) The Palladium Times Online

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