The BEAT News June 6, 2012

News Headlines

• Additional Public Meetings on Housatonic River Status

• Take Action: Release the State Solid Waste Master Plan

• Massachusetts Companies Reduced Toxic Chemical Use

• White-Nose Syndrome Spread to Endangered Gray Bat

• Opportunity to Comment on Transportation Planning in the Berkshires

• Williamstown Rural Lands to Hold Summer Art and Nature Programs

• New Grant Program to Support Community Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Projects

Additional Public Meetings on Housatonic River Status

Here are the dates for the second round of public meetings:
Connecticut Meeting
Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 6:30 to 9:00 PM
New Milford High School, New Milford, CT.

Massachusetts Meeting
Wednesday, June 13, 2012, 6:30 to 9:00 PM
Lenox Memorial Middle and High School, 197 East Street, Lenox, Mass.

Both meetings will be available via live webcast.  Details will be in a press release later this week.

The videos of the May 2012 public meetings on the Status of the Housatonic Rest of River are available at:

http://www.housatonicworkshops.org/whatsnew.html

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Take Action: Release the State Solid Waste Master Plan

We need the state to release the two-year late Solid Waste Master Plan for 2010-2020.
from the Toxics Action Center

We recently received some terrific news from Department of Environmental Protection (DEP): Massachusetts soon will become the first state to ban commercial food waste from landfills and incinerators, requiring large businesses and institutions to compost leftover food scraps like kitchen waste from large restaurants and expired groceries from supermarkets.

This has the potential to make a big dent in our trash problem – but we’re not throwing a celebratory barbecue just yet. You might remember that in July of 2010, DEP released a draft Solid Waste Master Plan for 2010-2020, Pathway to Zero Waste, a roadmap for how we’re going to significantly reduce waste and increase recycling in the Commonwealth.  Nearly two years later, DEP has still not finalized the plan, and it’s now two years late.

We want to move towards zero waste. The car’s packed up, we’re buckled in, and the engine’s revved. But we have no map. Without a Master Plan, the DEP will keep stalling out.

Jane Winn at BEAT has joined the call for the state to release the Plan. Please join me in calling on the state to release the 2010-2020 Solid Waste Master Plan.  Let’s go on a roadtrip to zero waste this summer – with a map in hand!

 

from:
Meredith Small
Executive Director
Toxics Action Center

 

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Massachusetts Companies Reduced Toxic Chemical Use

Companies reduced use of toxic chemicals for the 19^th consecutive year, resulting in water conservation and energy use reductions.

Toxic Use Reduction 2011 Progress Report

 

List of companies by community that report toxic chemical use (pages 23-25)

 

Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rick Sullivan announced Massachusetts companies reduced their use of toxic materials by 75 million pounds in 2009, representing an 8 percent year-to-year reduction in chemical use and a 9 percent reduction in resulting waste.

 

The 2011 fiscal year report, containing the most recent company-reported data, from 2009, reveals that this is the 19th consecutive year in which companies have reduced toxics use.

 

“We’re working each day to help businesses make their operations more energy efficient and encourage them to reduce water consumption and solid waste,” said Secretary Sullivan. “These results are encouraging and we will continue to support this work, which is part of our larger effort to cut energy use and protect our environment.”

 

The results included energy reduction plans at 23 facilities saving 50 million kilowatt hours annually – enough energy to power nearly 7,000 Massachusetts homes for a year. Eight facilities are planning water conservation measures that will save 38 million gallons of water annually. Five facilities will reduce solid waste by 860,000 pounds.

 

There are approximately 500 Massachusetts companies that report information regarding toxic chemical use, natural resource management and energy efficiency data to the Department of Environmental Protection.

 

Recently, the Toxics Use Reduction Administrative Council, the six-member governing body of the toxics use reduction program overseen by EEA, and chaired by Secretary Sullivan, designated both hexavalent chromium compounds and formaldehyde as higher hazard substances and added 16 chemicals to the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) list of toxic or hazardous chemicals. The designations, which took effect on January 1, 2012, require approximately 20 additional companies to report on the use of these chemicals and evaluate whether there are cost-effective ways to reduce that use.

 

Adjusting for changes in production, companies covered under TURA have reduced the use of toxic substances by 21 percent since 2000.

 

Last year, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) processed TUR reports from more than 500 filers, conducted 13 enforcement actions for missing or incomplete TUR reports or plans. MassDEP officials also conducted 67 inspections for TURA compliance, resulting in four enforcement actions. Through annual fees, enforcement actions and late fees, $3,020,300 was collected in total.

 

The Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) assisted 24 companies in testing safer cleaning chemicals, funded five community groups to carry out toxics use reduction (TUR) projects and held more than a dozen workshops, conferences and public demonstrations of TUR practices.

 

EEA’s Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) provides many recommendations during visits, through email and phone communications, but primarily tracks results by following up on formal, written recommendations.

 

During the period covered in the report from July 2008 through June 2009, OTA’s work with companies has resulted in the adoption of 58 energy recommendations, 13 water conservation recommendations, 65 regulatory compliance recommendations and 21 pollution prevention recommendations. Since that time, an additional 86 energy, 10 water, 178 regulatory compliance, and 44 pollution prevention recommendations have been implemented – with several more in the planning stage.

 

Since 2008, TURA has given qualifying companies the option to develop a resource conservation plan that focuses on energy or water conservation, or the reduction of solid wastes.

 

In particular, two companies that filed resource conservation plans achieved significant results. One company that OTA has a long-term affiliation with, the Fall River-based Philips Lightolier, projected that it would save 27 million gallons – or 30 percent of its water use – by installing programmable controlled pumps to reduce water flow plant-wide, also increasing the re-use of cooling water, reducing irrigation water, and reducing flush volume for all sanitary uses. It was determined by OTA that the actual savings realized was 50 percent – more than 45 million gallons – signifying an annual savings more than five times the $50,000 investment.

 

Millipore in Bedford estimated that its projects would cut its energy use by five percent by installing solar panels, changing lighting, improving their air compression and boiler systems and using efficient motors. The projects resulted in a 21 percent reduction – more than 6 million kilowatts annually – with a payback of 2.3 years.

 

TURI and OTA collaborated on a demonstration event and case study at Ophir Optics. The demonstration event gave industry a chance to view the operations and hear about their use of lean manufacturing techniques to reduce volatile organic chemical use and hazardous waste generation, and increase energy efficiency.

 

OTA, the Commonwealth’s center for technical information and assistance, helps businesses and other organizations improve their environmental performance as well as conserve energy, water and other resources. OTA promotes the implementation of strategies that enable businesses to enhance their competitiveness as they reduce use of toxic chemicals, prevent pollution, conserve resources, and ensure worker health and safety. For nearly two decades, OTA has been a cornerstone of the Commonwealth’s efforts to provide citizens with a cleaner and healthier environment.

 

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White-Nose Syndrome Spread to Endangered Gray Bat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has confirmed the presence of white-nose syndrome in federally listed endangered gray bats (Myotis grisecens) in Hawkins and Montgomery counties in Tennessee.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) has decimated bat populations across eastern North America, with mortality rates reaching up to 100 percent at some sites. First documented in New York in 2006, the disease has spread into 19 states and four Canadian provinces. Bats with WNS may exhibit unusual behavior during cold winter months, including flying outside during the day and clustering near the entrances of caves and mines where they hibernate. Bats have been found sick and dying in unprecedented numbers near these hibernacula.

This is the first confirmation of WNS in federally listed gray bats. White-nose syndrome had previously been documented in six hibernating bat species, including the federally listed endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). Significant mortality has been documented in many colonies of hibernating Indiana bats in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states.  While no mortality has been observed in gray bats that can be linked to WNS, the confirmation that gray bats can be infected is cause for concern.

“The news that another federally endangered bat species, the gray bat, has been confirmed with white-nose syndrome is devastating for anyone who cares about bats and the benefits they provide to people,” said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “Bats provide tremendous value to the U.S. economy as natural pest control for American farms and forests every year. Research and management of this disease remains a priority for the Service, and we will continue to work closely with our partners to understand the spread of this deadly disease and minimize its impacts to affected bat species.”

The gray bats were discovered on two separate winter surveillance trips, conducted by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Biologists observed white fungus on the muzzles, wing, and tail membranes of several bats. Specimens were collected, and the disease was diagnosed by histopathology at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) at the University of Georgia, and later confirmed the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

“The documented spread of WNS on gray bats is devastating news. This species was well on the road to recovery, and confirmation of the disease is great cause for concern. Because gray bats hibernate together in colonies that number in the hundreds of thousands, WNS could expand exponentially across the range of the species,” said Paul McKenzie, Missouri Endangered Species Coordinator for the Service. “The confirmation of WNS in gray bats is also alarming because guano from the species is an important source of energy for many cave ecosystems and there are numerous cave-adapted species that could be adversely impacted by their loss.”

The gray bat, federally listed as an endangered species in 1976, occupies a limited geographic range in limestone karst areas of the southeastern United States.  With rare exceptions, gray bats live in caves year-round. Gray bats are endangered largely because of their habit of living in very large numbers in only a few caves, making them extremely vulnerable to disturbance. Cooperative conservation measures, such as restricting human access to critical gray bat hibernation and roosting sites, have been successful in helping gray bat populations recover in many areas.

The potential impact of white-nose syndrome on gray bats is still unknown. Visible fungal growth was observed on hibernating gray bats in both sites, but no other definitive field signs of the disease or mortality events have been documented.  The findings of these studies will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, and gray bat roosts will continue to be monitored for any indication of deleterious impacts.

“We are not sure what this diagnosis is going to mean for gray bats and the spread of WNS,” said Jeremy Coleman, National WNS Coordinator for the Service. “Increased vigilance and improved diagnostic procedures may mean that we have identified the very early stages of infection in a new species.  It is also possible that gray bats have been exposed for a few years, but do not succumb to the infection.  Individual bat species appear to respond differently to WNS, and only research and time will reveal where gray bats fit on the spectrum.”

The Service is leading a cooperative effort with federal and state agencies, tribes, researchers, universities and other non-government organizations to research and manage the spread of WNS. In addition to developing science-based protocols and guidance for land management agencies and other partners to minimize the spread of WNS, the Service has funded numerous research projects to support and assess management recommendations and improve our basic understanding of the dynamics of the disease.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.

For more information about white-nose syndrome, visit www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfwswns, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfws_wns, and download white-nose syndrome and bat photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq/collections/72157626455036388/.

For more information about the federally listed endangered gray bat, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/mammals/grbat_fc.html.

 

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Opportunity to Comment on Transportation Planning in the Berkshires

 

 

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Williamstown Rural Lands to hold summer art and nature programs

 

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is offering several summer art and nature programs for children at its Sheep Hill headquarters on Cold Spring Road (Route 7) in Williamstown.

 

For two weeks beginning the last week in June, environmental educator and Science Enrichment Specialist Kathy Chesney will return to Sheep Hill in Williamstown to lead nature programs for young children.                                                                                               In addition to extensive teaching experience, Kathy has a variety of experience in teaching science and in running summer nature programs.

 

Her week-long programs will run the last week of June, beginning the 25^th for 5-6 year olds, and the second week of July, beginning the 9^th, for 4-5 year olds, and will introduce children to Sheep Hill’s pond and meadow and their varied inhabitants.  Nature drawing, nature crafts, and cooking will also be a part of the program. Sessions will run from 9 AM to 1 PM. New this year are two short programs for preschoolers and parents, to be held July 5^th and 6^th from 10-11:30 AM.

 

Also being offered this summer are two art and nature programs led by artist and art educator Julia Morgan-Leamon.  The first program, Touch the Earth, is an art program about the idea of place for 8 -11 year olds beginning Monday July 16. The second program beginning July 30 is Fairies, Gnomes and Nature Sprites for 5 – 8 year olds, a week long program about Nature and the Imagination. Julia’s classes will run from 9 AM to noon.

With the inspiring backdrop of Sheep Hill, aspiring artists will make nature journals, draw and paint in the landscape, and create outdoor sculpture.

 

The final summer program offered at Sheep Hill is a two-day rustic furniture building workshop for 9-12 year olds. Led by outdoor educator Art Evans, participants will gather wild and recycled materials and build a chair using rustic techniques and hand tools.  The workshop will focus on basic design and building skills, safe tool use, and identification of suitable materials. After a half day for materials collection and preparation on August 7, participants may choose one full day for the building project, August 8 or 9.

 

WRLF Executive Director Leslie Reed-Evans states “Kathy, Julia, and Art bring to Sheep Hill the enthusiasm and experience needed to connect children to the wonders of the natural world, and inspire their curiosity and creativity.  We are very excited to welcome them back to Sheep Hill.”  Pre-registration is required for all summer programs.

 

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is a non-profit, member-supported land conservation trust committed to preserving the rural New England character of Williamstown and the surrounding area.  Sheep Hill is a conservation property and the WRLF headquarters, and is located on Route 7, about 1 mile south of the rotary in Williamstown center.

 

For more information or for registration forms contact the WRLF at ruraland@wrlf.org, or 413-458-2494.  Information is also available on the WRLF website, at www.wrlf.org.

 

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New Grant Program to Support Community Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship Projects

 

Wells Fargo and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation have announced Environmental Solutions for Communities, a new grant program to help communities in the United States create a more sustainable future through responsible environmental stewardship.

The program seeks to support projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment. Collectively, investments under this initiative will promote a sustainable future for communities by supporting sustainable agricultural practices and private lands stewardship; conserving critical land and water resources and improving local water quality; restoring and managing natural habitat, species, and ecosystems that are important to community livelihoods; facilitating investments in green infrastructure, renewable energy and energy efficiency; and encouraging broad-based citizen participation in project implementation.

Priority projects include innovative cost-effective programs that enhance stewardship on private agricultural lands to improve water quality and quantity and/or enhance wildlife habitat for species of concern, while maintaining or increasing agricultural productivity; community-based conservation projects that protect and restore local habitats and natural areas, enhance water quality, promote urban forestry, educate and train community leaders on sustainable practices, promote related job creation and training, and engage diverse partners and volunteers; demonstration projects that showcase innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approaches to the improvement of environmental conditions within urban communities by greening traditional infrastructure and public projects such as storm water management and flood control, public park enhancements, and renovations to public facilities; and projects that increase the resiliency of the nation’s coastal communities and ecosystems (including the Great Lakes) by restoring coastal habitats, living resources, and water quality in ways that enhance livelihoods and the quality of life in these communities.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c) organizations; state, tribal, provincial, and local governments; and educational institutions working in states and communities where Wells Fargo operates. Individuals, federal agencies, and private for-profit firms are not eligible. Projects that seek funding for political advocacy, lobbying, litigation, fundraising, or legally mandated mitigation projects are not eligible.

Grant awards typically range from $25,000 to $250,000. The ratio of matching funds offered is one criterion considered during the review process, and projects that meet or exceed a 1:1 match ratio will tend to be more competitive.

The initiative will award grants twice a year. In addition to this Request for Proposals, funding available under the partnership also will be used to leverage resources associated with other NFWF funding opportunities.

Visit the NFWF Web site for the complete RFP and application instructions.

Contact:
Link to Complete RFP

 

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