October 2004 news

•  Democrat & Chronicle: 1,000th customer catches the wind RG&E plan brings in power on the breeze. To learn more on RG&E's Catch the Wind, call (877) 743-9463 or go online to www.rge.com. — The winds of fortune were with Nancy Runser of Fairport this week. The stay-at-home mother of three was named the 1,000th customer for Catch the Wind. The Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. program, announced in April, offers a way for customers to buy wind-generated electricity. Most power is generated from such sources as coal, natural gas and nuclear energy.  (October 1, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Rochester in test for toxic house dust - — Six urban areas in New York, including Rochester, are part of a new seven-state study of household dust intended to show the hazards of chemicals used in carpeting, furniture and other household goods. The sponsor is Clean Product Action, an international advocacy group with an office in the Buffalo area. Laboratory results from the survey are expected by January. (October 6, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  environment: Sealing all the windows for winter is not the way to go - But before you start eyeing your thermostat or breaking out the plastic to seal your windows, turning your home into an airtight bubble, here are a few things to consider: Also: Beware of radon. - Another gas, this one is natural, radioactive and present in soil — and it can cause lung cancer. If the ground around your house is frozen, radon frequently has nowhere to go except into unfrozen basements. Because this gas is invisible, odorless and has no taste, special kits must be used to detect it. To order a radon detection kit, call the New York State Health Department at (800) 458-1158. For more information on radon, go to: www.epa.gov/RadonPubs/rducrsks.html  - (October 6, 2004)  insider - Rochester remixed
•  Lakeside memories preserved -A South Bristol man has donated 38 acres of undeveloped land in memory of two special women in his life.
  SOUTH BRISTOL - Looking out from his property near County Road 12, Odell Scott has an expansive view of Canandaigua Lake and surrounding forest and grassland. (October 6, 2004) Messenger Post Newspapers
•  MSNBC - Diaz holds public meeting Rochester, NYUSA - People in Holley came out Tuesday night to learn more about the Environmental Protection Agency's role in clean up efforts following a chemical leak at the Diaz Plant in 2002. (October 6, 2004) MSNBC
•  Love Canal Removed from Superfund - Federal officials say cleanup work has been completed in the Niagara Falls neighborhood more than two decades after 950 of its families were evacuated. - (October 6, 2004)  R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  ATTORNEY GENERAL LOOKS INTO TACTICS USED TO OBTAIN GAS LEASES In response to scores of consumer complaints, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said today that his office was investigating tactics used by energy companies to obtain leases for natural gas exploration and extraction in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions. "The extensive underground reservoir of natural gas in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions holds great promise for the regional economy," Spitzer said. "However, concerns have arisen about initial efforts to secure leases from landowners to explore and extract this important energy source." Spitzer urged landowners who have complaints about tactics used to obtain a lease to contact his office at 1-607-721-8771, or fill out a complaint form at www.oag.state.ny.us .(October 6, 2004) Office of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
•  State Health Commissioner Offers Advice in Response to National Flu Vaccine Shortage Albany, NY, October 6, 2004 — In the wake of yesterday's announcement that nearly half of the nation's expected doses of influenza vaccine will not be available this flu season, State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr. P.H. is urging New Yorkers to take simple precautions to prevent the spread of the flu virus and to help health practitioners and officials better ensure that the currently available doses get to New Yorkers who need them most. Based on the shortage, which occurred when the British government prohibited the Liverpool, England-based vaccine manufacturer, Chiron Corporation, from releasing nearly 50 million doses of flu vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made interim recommendations for influenza vaccination during the 2004-05 season. New York State Department of Health
•  Area aids study on perils of household dust - Six urban areas in New York, including Rochester, are part of a new seven-state study of household dust intended to show the hazards of chemicals used in carpeting, furniture and other household goods. The sponsor is Clean Product Action, an international advocacy group with an office in the Buffalo area. Laboratory results from the survey are expected by January. (October 7, 2004) —Democrat and Chronicle
•  Landfill plan raises stink in Riga - RIGA — A county proposal to allow the Mill Seat Landfill to accept waste from outside the county is angering town officials. The Town Board met Monday — nine months after some town officials were introduced to the proposal — to discuss who promised what to whom concerning the proposed change in landfill use. (October 12, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  "FeederWatchers" Track Birds in Unexpected Places, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Seeks Volunteers to Watch Birds - Some might be surprised to find hummingbirds at feeders in the Southeast in winter, or robins and bluebirds at feeders in the North. "Common knowledge" places these birds in warmer climates during the coldest times of the year. Thanks to the help of bird-feeding enthusiasts from across North America, researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are learning that conventional wisdom is not always correct.  (October 13, 2004) ENN.com
•  Monroe County Wants to Import Trash - Strapped for cash, Monroe County wants to import trash to the Mill Seat Landfill in Riga. The county needs approval from the town. (October 13, 2004) WROC TV NEWS 8 NOW ROCHESTER NEW YORK
•  WXXI: Health community works to meet flu vaccine needs in Rochester area (2004-10-12) ROCHESTER, NY (2004-10-12) The Monroe County Medical Society is working with the health department and local physicans on a plan for distributing flu vaccine to high-risk patients. The Centers for Disease Control and the pharmaceutical company Aventis have developed a plan for allocating the remaining flu vaccine throughout the country. The country's supply of vaccine was cut by half last week with word that the British company Chiron was not releasing its doses of vaccine because of contamination concerns. (October 13, 2004) Public NewsRoom
•  70,000 at high risk here, but flu shot unlikely - — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday it has developed a plan to redistribute 22.4 million of unshipped flu vaccine to places nationwide that need it most.  (October 13, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  CANADA FALLING SHORT ON KYOTO ENFORCEMENT? Smog hovers over Toronto as some at the Sierra Club of Canada worry about the government's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo by John Hornak) GLRC
•  RIT spotlights green energy - Renewable resources at heart of new network — At home in Clarkson, Shawn Lessord has solar panels on the roof and a 20-foot wind turbine in the yard. "We've been saving energy since 2001," he said. (October 14, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Storm clouds gather over wind power farms - (October 16, 2004) — Just south of Rochester, a fight is brewing that will likely be repeated in New York many times in the next decade. At issue is wind power, a source of renewable energy that now accounts for only 1 percent of electricity used statewide.  (October 16, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Water is safe, supplier says -Despite a recent Sierra Club report, Water Authority director Jim Smith said there is no risk to drinking water.
  Jim Smith has one message for the people of Monroe County: the drinking water is completely safe, no matter how close a contaminated, post-industrial site is to the Shoremont Water Treatment Plant in Greece.  (October 16, 2004) Greece Post
•  Brooks Opens Lehigh Valley Trail Linear Park - County Executive Maggie Brooks joined other officials to dedicate the Lehigh Valley Trail Linear Park, located in the Towns of Rush and Mendon.. (October 19, 2004) .Monroe County
•  TheStar.com - MP wants to ban water exports OTTAWA—An NDP MP has introduced a private member's bill to ban the export of Great Lakes water outside the Great Lakes basin. Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre) says piping water out of the Great Lakes would threaten Canada's water supply and damage the lakes' delicate ecosystems. "The Americans have their eye on our water perhaps more than any other resource and they're perhaps getting fidgety and getting impatient about accessing this precious natural resource," he said. (October 20, 2004) TheStar.com - News/News
•  3M to keep Brockport site green — BROCKPORT — The village and 3M Co. have agreed that a site on Oxford Street will remain green instead of being developed. 3M's dropping of its request to rezone a portion of the site from residential to industrial stem from a request from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.  (October 25, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  IS SEWAGE AN UNTAPPED ENERGY SOURCE? - Who would've thought that sewage could produce electricity? The University of Toronto's David Bagley did. A Toronto researcher says most communities are underestimating a potential source of cheap electricity – raw sewage. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Karen Kelly reports: GLIN - News in the Great Lakes Region
•  Scientist sees hope in acid rain fight -In June 1963, during field work in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, scientist Gene E. Likens discovered acid rain. Some of his first samples back then were 100 times as acidic as unpolluted rain. That started decades of scientific inquiry, policy change and debate. (October 21, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Riga Landfill Raises A Stink - (Riga, NY) 10/26/04 - Some people in Riga say they are being dumped on by Monroe County, which is considering opening the Mill Seat Landfill to incoming trash from outside the county.   County officials are also proposing increasing the volume of trash. (October 27, 2004) WOKR-TV 13 || ROCHESTER
•  Invasive Species Wreaking Havoc on Great Lakes Food Web, According to National Wildlife Federation Report - Scientists, Lawmakers, Industry Leaders Can Overcome Challenge of Invasive Species, Says Congressman Ehlers - GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The Great Lakes remain in a fight for their survival due to the devastating effects of invasive species, according to a new report by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). -"This report is a wake-up call," said Andy Buchsbaum, director of NWF's Great Lakes office. "We are witnessing profound and rapid changes in the Great Lakes food web that are unprecedented in the recorded history of the Great Lakes. Our Great Lakes are in trouble, and we need to act to save them." --(October 27, 2004) Enn.com
•  Get the lead out - Rochester, NYUSA - Close to a thousand children under of the age 6 who live in the city have lead poisoning. That's according to Rochester Mayor Bill Johnson. The mayor says that number is way too high and there needs to be a greater fight against lead poisoning in city homes. Tuesday morning he cut the ribbon on a new bus that advertises the city's GetThe Lead Out program. MSNBC - News
•  TheStar.com - Liberals to stem sprawl, protect key land Greenbelt from Niagara to Scugog  Legislation means `winners, losers' Land development in a vast stretch of land around the Golden Horseshoe will be permanently halted in an effort to stop urban sprawl, the Ontario government will announce today.  Municipal Affairs Minister John Gerretsen will introduce greenbelt legislation that, sources say, exceeds a Liberal election promise to end the erosion of some of the province's most valuable farmland. The move is also billed as an attempt to protect waterways and leave adequate space for recreation.  "It's breathtaking," one source said of the scope of the proposed area. TheStar.com
•  Landfill plan rankles Riga - Residents don't want site to take in more trash — RIGA — County Executive Maggie Brooks was heckled, and a team of town and county officials failed Wednesday to convince Riga residents that accepting trash from across the state at the Mill Seat landfill is in their best interests. Emotions ran high inside the meeting at the Churchville-Chili Intermediate School auditorium. And Brooks couldn't escape heckling — even though she exited the meeting 17 minutes after it started. (October 28, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  3 pit bulls taken from city home; dog fighting suspected  — Three dogs, two of which may have been used in dog fighting, were taken from a Rochester home Tuesday night, investigators said. Investigators from The Humane Society at Lollypop Farm took the three pit bull terriers after following up on an anonymous tip, said Richard Gerbasi, vice president of operations and field services. (October 28, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  City's Loose-Leaf Pickup Begins - Now's the time for Rochester residents to start raking those leaves curbside as the city prepares to begin its annual autumn cleanup. Crews will hit the streets with leaf vacuums and street cleaners for loose-leaf pickup beginning Monday, Nov. 1. Residents can expect a schedule in the mail that outlines pickup dates for specific neighborhoods over the next four weeks. (October 28, 2004) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  DEC may cut waste sites requiring monitors - — A proposal by administrators at the state Department of Environmental Conservation would substantially alter a 15-year policy that requires monitors at sites such as Kodak Park, where hazardous waste is disposed of, created or stored. If enacted, the policy would not specify the types of sites where monitors are required, and it would allow polluters to hire their own monitors. (October 29, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Cleanup nears end after 2001 CSX spill - Charlotte work to be done in a month - — CHARLOTTE — Nearly three years after a scorching train wreck spilled thousands of gallons of solvents, the final step of the cleanup could come as early as next week. In the past month, contractors for CSX Transportation have used a massive crane to scoop 2,000 tons of contaminated sediment from the Genesee River. (October 30, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  $16.5 MILLION AVAILABLE TO HELP PROPERTY OWNERS "GET THE LEAD OUT" - The City today announced an expanded $16.5 million program of forgivable loans to help families and property owners to get rid of the lead poisoning hazards threatening the futures of children who live in Rochester’s older housing stock. As a result of that hazard in aging homes and apartments, the City has been going after--and getting--more federal money for lead hazard reduction and control. The funding (up to $24,000 per unit) provides help to families and an incentive to property owners to address the lead issues on their property. "I want Rochester residents and property owners to be fully aware, especially during National Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, that our children’s future and the future of this community depends on the health and welfare of our youngest citizens. The potential they represent is being jeopardized if we continue to ignore the presence of lead paint in our city properties," Mayor William A. Johnson Jr. said. City of Rochester
•  Riga Residents Talk Trash - A Monroe County proposal to accept out-of-town garbage at the Mill Seat Landfill stinks, say many Riga residents who spoke at a public hearing on the issue Wednesday night. (October 31, 2004) WROC TV NEWS 8 NOW ROCHESTER NEW YORK - Local News
•  Riga landfill dispute - There were arguments Wednesday night, over the landfill in Riga, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks was even booed. Monroe County wants to open the landfill up to trash from across upstate New York.  (October 31, 2004) 10NBC / WHEC TV-10
•  Riga residents would get property tax breaks under plan to expand landfill - A Monroe County proposal to expand the Mill Seat Landfill in Riga is causing a big stink among people who live there. The county wants the landfill to accept trash from across the state, which could mean an additional 2,000 tons of trash each year. In exchange, residents could eliminate paying property taxes and receive free trash pick-up. (October 31, 2004) 10NBC / WHEC TV-10
•  MSNBC - Corn farmers to build ethanol plant in Seneca County Rochester, NYUSA - SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - A group of New York farmers announced plans Friday to build an $80 million plant in the upstate Finger Lakes region to convert corn to ethanol, a gasoline additive that helps fuel burn cleaner (October 31, 2004) MSNBC - News Front Page