September 2004 news

•  Democrat & Chronicle: Report: Great Lakes not protected -  Canada and the United States are moving too slowly on water conservation measures in the Great Lakes -- and neither government has a good grasp of how much water is taken out of the lakes for drinking water and by industry and other users, a panel says. (August 31, 2004) — The report also urges U.S. and Canadian governments to: Step up bi-national efforts to map and investigate groundwater in the Great Lakes. This vast, unseen water resource, the report says, is "still a largely unstudied area." Better assure the public that international trade agreements will not allow large-scale commercial diversions of Great Lakes water. For the report, go to: www.ijc.org/php/publications/pdf/ID1560.pdf .
•  Democrat & Chronicle: More funds for Ontario Beach cleanup (September 1, 2004) — Late this morning, Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, announced $80,000 in new federal funding for a cleanup of algae at Ontario Beach Park. The money, from the fiscal year 2005 federal Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, expected to be approved by the Senate, would allow the Buffalo District office of the U.S. Corps of Engineers to finish an algae study that began five years ago.  (September 1, 2004)  Democrat and Chronicle
•  Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks announced the county will partner with others to collect household hazardous waste... COUNTY AND PARTNERS HOST HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION During 2003, DES, in cooperation with the Eastman Kodak Company, safely disposed of 241 tons of hazardous material. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks announced that the county’s Department of Environmental Services (DES) and the towns of Chili, Gates and Wheatland and the villages of Riga and Scottsville have joined forces to hold an appointment-only Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection at the Gates Highway Garage, 475 Trabold Road, on Saturday, September 18, 2004 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks
•  Health Department Offers Tips for Outdoor Activities, Urges New Yorkers to "Fight The Bite" ALBANY, NEW YORK, September 2, 2004 — Planning to spend time outdoors this Labor Day weekend as the days of summer run down to a precious few? The State Health Department has three words for you: Fight the Bite! As people make plans for picnics, camping, trips to the park or beach, or visits to the State Fair, State Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., is reminding them to pack some insect repellent along with their sunscreen, and to use it appropriately to prevent mosquito bites. "Most mosquito bites are merely annoying, but with mosquito-borne viruses like West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis currently present in some areas, why take chances?" Dr Novello said. "Proper application of an insect repellent containing DEET will help keep mosquitoes away. Wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, socks and shoes and apply repellent carefully to any exposed skin, especially if you are going to be outside during the early morning hours or after dusk. Enjoy your picnic without becoming a mosquito's meal!" New York State Department of Health
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Funds put Charlotte algae relief on track for '07  — With a brown surf pounding behind her Wednesday morning, Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, D-Fairport, announced $80,000 in new federal funding for an algae cleanup at Ontario Beach Park. The money would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete an algae study that was started five years ago. (September 5, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Village drops water service - The Monroe County Water Authority will take over Fairport's water system by the end of the year. After more than 100 years of providing water to its residents, Fairport says the county's water authority is a cheaper alternative for the future. Messenger Post Newspapers
•  Pit bulls to be put to death -But a court order doesn't assuage bitter feelings. CANANDAIGUA - Two pit bulls are scheduled to be put to death today under a court order issued this week. (September 5, 2004)  Messenger Post Newspapers
•  Mercury Spill on Merlin Street - The Monroe County Health Department is trying to figure out what caused a mercury spill Saturday morning. The spill was on Merlin Street which is in the Northwest part of the city of Rochester. Small amounts of mercury were scattered on the road and curb.(September 5, 2004)  10NBC / WHEC TV-10
•  WXXI: Slaughter Says Federal Funds to Clean Up Beach Algae (2004-09-01) ROCHESTER, NYFederal dollars will be used to help clean up the algae problem that frequently forces Ontario Beach to close in Charlotte. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter says the House of Representatives has approved 80-thousand dollars to complete a study that will determine the best way to get rid of the. (2004-09-01)  Public NewsRoom
•  Democrat & Chronicle: 'No-swim' days at Ontario Beach Park no surprise  — Heather Prichard took the four children she was baby-sitting to Ontario Beach Park on Friday with the hope that they could go swimming. But the beach was closed for swimming. As of Sunday, it had been closed 30 times this summer. (September 6, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Prep for CSX river dredge begins  — Contractors for CSX Transportation this morning started installing silt curtains in the Genesee River at Charlotte, the site of a 2001 chemical spill. The two-layer plastic devices will prevent contaminated spoils from entering the river during a dredging operation expected to last about two months. (September 7, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Kodak emits soot on neighbors Despite assurance that ash isn't health risk, critics urge testing.— A Kodak Park power plant sent a plume of coal soot into the air Wednesday morning, covering nearby houses, yards and vehicles with dust. A Monroe County Health Department spokesman said the soot, known as fly ash, is not toxic. But an environmental watchdog from Buffalo said the fly ash should undergo testing before it is declared risk-free. (September 2, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Gritty Morning For Some Kodak Park Neighbors - Wednesday morning, some neighbors living near Kodak Park woke up to a surprise. Black soot was scattered all over their cars and sidewalks. Kodak spokesman Chris Veronda says the substance is not harmful. He tells News 8 that like all power plants, once in a while a boiler tube fails and when that happens, soot is discharged into the air. WROC TV NEWS 8 NOW ROCHESTER NEW YORK
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Signs of hope for ferry emerge amid confusion, dismay — Confused and disappointed, community and political leaders began rallying Wednesday to restore high-speed ferry service between Rochester and Toronto. But many also expressed dismay that the private ferry company shut down with no warning this week and blamed seemingly everyone but itself for its financial troubles. (September 9, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  High Tech River Clean Up - Two years and nine months after a train derailment dumped thousands of gallons of chemicals in Charlotte, clean-up of the Genesee River is about to begin. Thousands of gallons of acetone and methelyne chloride seeped into the ground and water. (September 9, 2004) WOKR-TV 13 || ROCHESTER
•  Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter - REP. SLAUGHTER ANNOUNCES FUNDING TO FINISH ALGAE STUDY AT ONTARIO BEACH Rochester, NY - U.S. Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY28) today announced that she has secured $80,000 to help clean up Ontario Beach. The money, included in the FY 05 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, will finish the feasibility study to determine how to reduce algae accumulation, which forces the beach to close often. Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter - Home
•  STATES SUE HUD OVER PESTICIDE USE IN PUBLIC HOUSING New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and five other state attorneys general today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over the agency's failure to reduce use of pesticides in public housing as required by federal law. The lawsuit was filed by Attorneys General from New York, Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico, Wisconsin and the US Virgin Islands. Community and environmental leaders joined Spitzer in this announcement. Office of New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
•  Environment DEC: Statewide Waste Tire Cleanup to Begin this Fall Governor George E. Pataki announced that the state has completed a comprehensive plan that will result in the cleanup of 95 waste tire stockpiles, or 29 million tires, throughout New York State. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) will partner on an initiative to recycle scrap tires for use in state highway projects. -- Highlights of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
•  Canadice, Richmond to vote on boat, dock rules - Proponents say the law would prevent overdevelopment on Honeoye Lake. Opponents say it's just needless regulations. - Do Richmond and Canadice need to take steps to make sure Honeoye Lake doesn't turn into a clutter of boats and docks? Messenger Post Newspapers
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Nonprofit is 'hot' for conservation Land Trust is working to protect the lakeshore— Maps show where you are. They can also show where to go next. That's the idea behind the Great Lakes Greenprint, a two-year project of Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit conservation group with an office in New York City. (September 14, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Pit bull attacks woman; man faces charges — GENEVA - A Geneva man is scheduled to appear in Ontario County Court today in connection with a charge that he ordered his pit bull to maul an unidentified woman who lost her nose and suffered other severe facial lacerations in the attack. (September 14, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  MSNBC - EPA to buy homes for displaced neighbors of Diaz Chemical plant Rochester, NYUSA - BATAVIA, N.Y. (AP) - The Environmental Protection Agency will spend more than $1 million to buy eight houses whose residents were displaced by a chemical leak nearly three years ago.About 80 gallons of a pungent chemical called 2-chloro-6-fluorophenol leaked from Diaz Chemical in the village of Holley, about 20 miles west of Rochester, on Jan. 5, 2002.  (September 14, 2004) MSNBC - News Front Page
•  TheStar.com - Water-borne diseases new Great Lakes threat Report cites new drug-resistant types of bacteria - Curbs at source needed to restrict use of antibiotics - Emerging new diseases not previously contracted from water, carried by antibiotic-resistant pathogens, may present the greatest risk to the aquatic environment and public health, a report on water quality in the Great Lakes warns. (September 15, 2004) TheStar.com - News/News
•  ENN News Story - Resistant Bacteria and Mercury Threaten the Great Lakes and Human Health, Report Says WINDSOR, Ontario — Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, airborne mercury, and urban sprawl are threatening the health of the Great Lakes and millions of people who live around them, a report to the Canadian and U.S. governments concluded this week. While there has been a general improvement in water quality over the past 30 years, the International Joint Commission report warns new and emerging threats require urgent attention.  (September 15, 2004) Environmental News Network - ENN.com
•  Thousands of fish die on road  — Talk about a fish story. A truck driver dumped more than 11,000 pounds of live fish on the Thruway Tuesday in Farmington. The farm-raised fish were being taken from Syracuse to Toronto when the accident occurred about 6:30 a.m., said state Trooper Mark Villone.  (September 15, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  City Newspaper: Ferry tales It struck a pier in New York City and survived. It faced early delays and scheduling snafus. But it overcame those problems and was able to thumb its nose at skeptics, serving 73,000 riders in the month of August and making fans of many Torontonians.  (September 15, 2004) City Newspaper
•  Line forms for lake water - The state will soon review Canandaigua's request to draw more water from the lake, a process that puts other requests on hold. (September 15, 2004) Messenger Post Newspapers
•  EPA To Buy Contaminated Homes - There is some good news for the families affected by the January 5, 2002 Diaz chemical spill in the Village of Holley. The Environmental Protection Agency will spend more then $1 million to buy eight homes affected. (September 15, 2004)  http://www.foxrochester.com
•  WXXI: Truly Fishy Accident Hits Farmington (2004-09-14) State troopers who arrived at the scene of a truck accident on the New York State Thruway in Farmington Tuesday morning were confronted by hundreds of live, flapping fish. (September 15, 2004) Public NewsRoom
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Great Lakes plan in works Guidelines being written for control, possible sale of water.— Perhaps the greatest natural resource in our area is the massive fresh water of the Great Lakes. In an effort to better control what happens to that water — including possible attempts to move it to help arid states in the Southwest — the heads of the 10 states and Canadian provinces bordering the Great Lakes are developing guidelines on how the water is controlled and may be used. To see the proposed agreement, go to www.dec.state.ny.us/website/greatlakes/draftannex.html .(September 16, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  EPA Signs Environmental Self-Audit Agreements Covering Fourteen New York Hospitals, Two-Thirds of the Hospitals in Greater Rochester Area (#04135) New York, N.Y. -- Fourteen members of the Rochester Regional Healthcare/Joint Ventures Corporation have signed agreements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) committing to conduct comprehensive environmental audits of all their buildings and facilities. This represents 67% of all the hospitals in the Greater Rochester region. The agreements were reached through EPA's Healthcare Compliance Initiative, an innovative environmental program that helps hospitals and healthcare facilities comply with environmental regulations through self-audits. Participants assess their compliance with all major environmental programs and report and correct violations. If these institutions correct all violations and abide by the other terms of their individual agreements, EPA has agreed to waive "gravity-based penalties," which are penalties normally based on the seriousness of the violations. (September 16, 2004) Environmental Protection Agency
•  Tight supply means another winter of increasing natural gas costs - - Niagara Mohawk predicted Thursday that natural gas prices will be 10 percent to 15 percent higher this coming winter, meaning the average consumer will pay about $100 more to stay warm. "Because there are so many variables, we can't precisely predict what will happen to bills this winter. But from what we do know, this is our best estimate," said Joseph Ash Jr., Niagara Mohawk's vice president of energy supply, pricing and regulatory proceedings.  (September 16, 2004) 10NBC / WHEC TV-10
•  IJC and GLFC Urge Bi-national Action to Prevent Invasive Species - U.S and Canada Should Ratify IMO, Develop Stricter Rules for the Great Lakes - Ennis, Ireland – At the 13th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species, the International Joint Commission (IJC) and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) today released a document detailing progress in preventing the introduction of aquatic alien species in the Great Lakes. The document, Then and Now: Aquatic Alien Invasive Species and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Ecosystem, highlights the urgent need for more action on the part of the governments of the United States and Canada. International Joint Commission – News
•  Democrat & Chronicle: School recycles old roof Discarded slate pieces get decorative makeover for sale. — IRONDEQUOIT — Last year, they sold the windows. This year, they're selling the roof. In keeping with the tradition of recycling pieces taken from West Irondequoit schools during the district's recent $56.8 million expansion and renovation projects, the West Irondequoit Foundation is selling engraved pieces of slate taken from the roof of Dake Junior High School. The building's 75-year-old slate roof was replaced during the renovations, and about 250 pieces of the old roof were saved. (September 22, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  London Free Press: News Section - Great Lakes plan raises big concerns It was standing-room only at a London meeting last night about a controversial plan being sold as a way to protect the Great Lakes, but which some experts believe jeopardizes them. The proposal, the Implementing Agreement for Annex 2001, would end a virtual moratorium on new or increased Great Lakes water diversions south of the border. (September 23, 2004) London Free Press:
•  CANDIDATES PLAY ON WATER DIVERSION ISSUE - Great Lakes water has become an issue in this year's presidential campaign as both candidates try to pick up valuable votes in the swing states. Both of the major party candidates say they're against diverting the water to other states, and both say their opponent has been inconsistent on the issue. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium
•  Acid Rain Pollution Rose 4 Percent in 2003 -  WASHINGTON — Emissions of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain, rose 4 percent in 2003, but probably will not compromise long-term air quality goals according to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency.  Coal-fired power plants were the main source of the 10.6 million tons of sulfur dioxide. That total compared with 10.2 million tons in 2002 and reverted to the level from 2001. -- Enn.com
•  Power grid security study due at end of 2004 -- A report on protecting the state's electric generating system from terrorists is due at the end of the year. It was originally due at the end of last year. But Governor Pataki signed legislation extending the deadline because of the complexity of the power grid, which includes huge hydropower plants, nuclear plants, and thousands of miles of distribution lines. NewsCentral.tv
•  Area Parks and Beaches Get Clean Up - Rochester’s beaches and parks are looking a little cleaner . Dozens of volunteers spent their Saturday picking up litter as part of the annual International Coastal Cleanup. Volunteers cleaned up places like Genesee Valley Park, Durand Eastman Beach and Hamlin Beach.  (September 24, 2004) R News: Your NewsChannel
•  Democrat & Chronicle: Air pollution hot topic at seminar — Air pollution is much talked about in Rochester, a city that includes Kodak Park, the largest chemical manufacturing complex in the Northeast. A city that in April flunked new federal standards for ozone, a summertime pollutant linked to emissions from power plants and vehicles. (September 26, 2004) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Sierra Club Releases Report On Pollution - The Sierra Club has released a new report on pollution at Air Force plant 51 in Greece. The government made landing barges and other war equipment there during the 1940s and 50s.  (September 28, 2004) WOKR-TV 13 || ROCHESTER
•  Group Wants Former Plant Cleaned Up - Rochester's Sierra Club wants the government to clean up a former World War Two plant in Greece. The former plant known as Air Force Plant 51, used to make landing barges during the war and later bulkheads for B-52 bombers. (September 28, 2004) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  New rules to target toxic trash - Untreated waste would no longer be allowed to be buried at a Corunna site.- A community near Sarnia that's become a haven for hazardous waste from across North America will get relief thanks to rules announced yesterday by the Ontario government, area politicians say. Corunna has for decades had the only only place in Canada or the United States that allowed such waste to be buried without first being treated.  (September 29, 2004) London Free Press
•  Pact to protect Great Lakes water finds public support - Many at hearing call for more protections against withdrawals - West Allis - People attending a public hearing Tuesday night strongly supported the idea behind a proposed agreement by Great Lakes governors that would regulate large-scale diversions of water from the lakes. (September 29, 2004)  JS Online, Web site of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
•  An alternative energy source: Newark High gets solar panels - NEWARK — Newark High School will soon become one of the first schools in the region to use solar energy. A series of solar panels was installed on the roof of the Peirson Avenue school this week that will provide electricity to a pair of science classrooms. The school received a $30,000 grant state to complete the project, funded by the New York State Energy Research Development Authority. (September 29, 2004)  Finger Lakes Times Geneva, NY