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The BEAT News

April 2, 2008

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Follow all the environmental news and events in Berkshire County delivered to you computer weekly.
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In the News:

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Environmental Monitor
Public Notices Alphabetically by town
The BEAT News Archives

Advocacy News (Includes how to reach your legislators)

DEP Enforcement Actions In The Berkshires

BEAT to Present Two Workshops on Vernal Pools

April 12 - Vernal Pools – Ecology and Conservation with Tom Tyning
This workshop will provide an in depth look into the science and policy of vernal pools.  It is recommended for Conservation Commissioners, City Planners, foresters, educators, and anyone else whose profession brings them into contact with these natural wonders.

April 13 -Berkshire Environmental Action Team is presenting a Vernal Pool Certification Training Workshop for lay-people, volunteers, and concerned citizens.  This afternoon workshop will offer a FREE crash course in vernal pool certification to anyone who is willing to commit to certifying at least one pool over the coming year.
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Students work to restore ecology of Connecticut River banks near Holyoke

Undergraduates from an Environmental Sciences course are working with a community group to restore an ecologically sensitive area of the Connecticut River shoreline near Holyoke.

Professor Guy Lanza, who teaches the honors class, says the restoration project involves a partnership with Nuestras Raices (Our Roots), a grassroots organization that promotes sustainable development projects in Holyoke that relate to food, agriculture and the environment. The 17 students in the class, whose majors range from Environmental Science to Resource Economics, Psychology and Japanese, bring their own skills to the effort.

“The idea is to actively engage students in solving an important environmental challenge in the community in a way that provides a diversity of learning perspectives and a pathway to sustainable solutions,” says Lanza.

The students are working with Eric Toensmeier, the Tierra de Oportunidades Project director for Nuestras Raices on an ecological restoration of the banks of the Connecticut River just outside of the urban industrial core of Holyoke. The area of riverbank habitat under restoration includes about 30 acres that are considered a Riparian Area, Core Habitat and Priority Habitat of Rare Species by the Living Waters Project of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

“The area is very important because it provides critical habitat for 11 rare and endangered species including fish, birds, mussels and insects,” says Lanza. “The species are currently in grave danger because of encroaching development pressure that could erode their habitat and the increasing impacts of invasive non-native plant species.”

The students are working with Nuestras Raices to help in managing the site for sustainable agriculture while improving habitat for the state-listed rare and endangered species. The general idea is remove invasive species in the riparian forest and replace them with more desirable species that will support and sustain the rare and endangered species. The students are hand-cutting and removing unwanted plants and also using the “biopower” of pigs and goats to root out and remove invasive plants, and to produce manure for use as an organic fertilizer for crops.

Areas cleared of unwanted plants will be planted with native plants, trees, shrubs, vines and herbs and then maintained using basic management practices that will provide long-term environmental sustainability. In some cases the habitat will be planted with native species with good potential for erosion control and the repair of abused soils and groundwater. Some of the plants will be selected for their ability to remove, immobilize, or breakdown soil pollutants, a green technological approach known as phytoremediation.

“Phytoremediation is a green technology based on an elegant natural system; the plant is the solar powered engine and pump, and even the pollutants themselves can supply some of the fuel,” says Lanza. “One of the exciting things is that the class provides an interesting mix of learning experiences that allow students with different interests to collaborate on solving environmental problems. Class experiences include a blend of traditional agricultural techniques and information about how invasive species can teach us about basic ecological processes such as extinction, ecosystem function, and climate change.”

“I just learned about wetlands and the watershed and the natural way the plants are used to clean the system,” says Roger Neeland, an Environmental Design major.

Josh Stoffel, a third-year Environmental Sciences student who has a passion for sustainable communities and student active learning, is supervising the student team. “The class offers students hands-on experience using the skills they have to solve real life problems while dealing with the social implications of both the problem and the possible solutions they create to address the problem,” he says.

The students seem to agree. Alexandra Abed, a first-year Environmental Sciences major, says, “I feel the class gives a way to connect with the world outside of the UMass bubble. At Nuestras Raices we are given the chance to use information in a setting where it is far more useful and appreciated.”

Another first-year Environmental Sciences major, Wendy Ratner agrees. “What excites me the most about this class is that I have a sincere personal interest in the outcome of my work—more so then in a lecture class I have to show up for three times a week.”

Sophomore Japanese major Cory Telman says, “This is what education should be — combining research and experience, not isolated in one discipline, and learning by working towards a real goal. On top of that, we get to play with goats and pigs. I wish all my classes were like this.”
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EPA Seeks Public Comment on Water Strategy to Respond to Climate Change
(from Water Headlines for March 31, 2008, a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a draft strategy that describes the potential effects of climate change on clean water, drinking water, and ocean protection programs and outlines EPA actions to respond to these effects. The National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change focuses on actions designed to help managers adapt their water programs in response to a changing climate.

"Our draft strategy is a timely response to a serious challenge. We look forward to getting comments from the public and continuing our pro-active and responsible approach," said Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles. "Clean water and clean energy go hand in hand and the actions we take under our National Water Program are integral to the agency's overall work on climate change."

Other elements of the draft strategy include steps needed to strengthen links between climate research and water programs, and to improve education for water program professionals on potential climate change impacts. The strategy also identifies contributions that water programs can make to mitigate greenhouse gases. Some of the potential impacts of climate change on water resources reviewed in the strategy include increases in certain water pollution problems, changes in availability of drinking water supplies, and collective impacts on coastal areas. The public comment period is open for 60 days. Information on the National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change
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Army Corps and EPA Improve Wetland and Stream Mitigation
(from Water Headlines for March 31, 2008, a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a new rule to clarify how to provide compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to the nation's wetlands and streams. The rule will enable the agencies to promote greater consistency, predictability and ecological success of mitigation projects under the Clean Water Act.

"This rule greatly improves implementation, monitoring, and performance, and will help us ensure that unavoidable losses of aquatic resources and functions are replaced for the benefit of this Nation. This is a key step in our efforts to make the Army's Regulatory Program a winner, and the best it can be for the regulated community we serve and those interested in both economic development and environmental protection," said John Paul Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

"This rule advances the president's goals of halting overall loss of wetlands and improving watershed health through sound science, market-based approaches, and cooperative conservation," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, Benjamin H. Grumbles. "The new standards will accelerate our wetlands conservation efforts under the Clean Water Act by establishing more effective, more consistent, and more innovative mitigation practices."

Benefits of the compensatory mitigation rule include: - Fostering greater predictability, increased transparency and improved performance of compensatory mitigation projects - Establishing equivalent standards for all forms of mitigation - Responding to recommendations of the National Research Council to improve the success of wetland restoration and replacement projects - Setting clear science-based and results-oriented standards nationwide while allowing for regional variations - Increasing and expanding public participation - Encouraging watershed-based decisions - Emphasizing the "mitigation sequence" requiring that proposed projects avoid and minimize potential impacts to wetlands and streams before proceeding to compensatory mitigation

Each year thousands of property owners undertake projects that affect the nation's aquatic resources. Proposed projects that are determined to impact jurisdictional waters are first subject to review under the Clean Water Act. The Corps of Engineers reviews these projects to ensure environmental impacts to aquatic resources are avoided or minimized as much as possible. Consistent with the administration's goal of "no net loss of wetlands" a Corps permit may require a property owner to restore, establish, enhance or preserve other aquatic resources in order to replace those impacted by the proposed project. This compensatory mitigation process seeks to replace the loss of existing aquatic resource functions and area.

Property owners required to complete mitigation are encouraged to use a watershed approach and watershed planning information. The new rule establishes performance standards, sets timeframes for decision making, and to the extent possible, establishes equivalent requirements and standards for the three sources of compensatory mitigation: permittee-responsible mitigation, mitigation banks and in-lieu-fee programs. The new rule changes where and how mitigation is to be completed, but maintains existing requirements on when mitigation is required. The rule also preserves the requirement for applicants to avoid or minimize impacts to aquatic resources before proposing compensatory mitigation projects to offset permitted impacts.

Wetlands and streams provide important environmental functions including protecting and improving water quality and providing habitat to fish and wildlife. Successful compensatory mitigation projects will replace environmental functions that are lost as a result of permitted activities. For more information on the compensatory mitigation rule visit: Army Corps' website or EPA's website. Information about the importance of wetlands is available at the following website.
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Updates that DEP and EPA prepared in response to some questions posed by CCC members in recent weeks

East Street Area 2-North
This area is bounded by New York Avenue, Merrill, Road, Tyler Street and Woodlawn Avenue. GE completed the removal of approximately 900 cubic yards of soil from this area and transported all the soil to a licensed off-site landfill. GE has substantially completed restoration activities, with the exception of some paving. The pavement will be installed shortly after the asphalt plants open for the summer construction season.

Storm and Sanitary Sewer re-routing at the Hill 78-Remainder Area.
GE is continuing with the project to re-route the storm and sanitary sewer around the Hill 78 Landfill. Construction began in November. The installation of the new sewer pipes is currently estimated to be completed by the end of April. Site restoration activities, including grouting (filling with concrete) of the existing sewer pipes and landscaping the work area is estimated to be completed by the end of May.

Bldg_71_Leachate_pdf.pdf

March_2008_DEP_Upates.doc

Unkamet_Brook_and_Silver_Lake_Flow_Information_march_2008.pdf

BEAT's Questions in response:

  • PEDA - I would like to know if I am the only one confused by the PEDA site? If I am not alone, I would like a presentation by PEDA and whatever regulatory agency is appropriate, on the current state of the PEDA site. It appears to me that some of this site was not under the Consent Decree when demolition took place. There are stories of barrels being brought down into tunnels and sub-sub basements before the buildings were demolished on top of these sub-structures. The engineer for PEDA was drilling to test for building footings and ran into large impenetrable objects and huge voids.  I want to know where there was demolition prior to the Consent Decree. What testing was done where on the site? Who is responsible for the fact that the soils are not sufficient to support the kinds of buildings that PEDA evidently thought could go there? What are "all of the non-soil materials" that "had not been sampled when PEDA acquired the property"? Is this buried material? How deep did the GE sampling on this site go? What did they do if they hit an impenetrable object? What was the grid size?
  • West Branch/Dorothy Amos Park - I am very glad that this remediation is on track for 2008. I would still urge GE to try to find a way to keep the basketball courts open this summer if at all possible. This has been tremendously popular and a real plus for the neighborhood. And thank you in advance to GE for also removing any shopping carts, the over-stuffed chair, and other trash along with contaminated soils and sediments.
  • Springside Reservoir - thank you. I look forward to seeing the pictures.
  • Unkamet Brook - What are the culvert dimensions? (And why on earth would you collect the velocity and height and not calculate the flow, when it was flow that was requested.)
  • Silver Lake - Water Surface Elevations (wsel) varied by 0.8 feet on days of data collection with the low being 5/9 to the high on 4/17.  The lake level is controlled by the weir at 975.93'.  It seems likely that this covers high flows well. I am not clear that it covers very low flows which seem more likely in late August or early September. I would like to know, on all the data collection days, was water flowing over the weir? What was the corresponding lake level?
  • Building 71 - I will admit there has been a tremendous drop off in leachate now that this landfill has NO water getting in. It is lined and capped. Hill 78 will never be lined. It undoubtedly sits in groundwater. We will never know what it contains below all the PCB material that has been allowed on top of it. If Building 71 still has thousands of gallons of leachate being removed each month - what is happening under Hill 78?
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Riverways’ Adopt-A-Stream Program’s Stream Team Implementation Awards and River Instream Flow Stewards Restoration Grant for FY08

Riverways continues to celebrate our two decades’ worth of work on behalf of the river systems of the Commonwealth.  Partnering with you has helped us to be cognizant of changing conditions that require new approaches and techniques to meet the needs of the rivers and our partners.  These changes include:

  • a growing awareness of instream flow issues and an increasing lack of water in the rivers. Riverways’ Margaret Kearns gave a PowerPoint presentation to the Mass. Water Resources Commission in January which provided graphic evidence of streams going dry before an official Drought Advisory was declared last October.  There's a link to her presentation on Riverways' home page (its large size might take awhile to download)



  • an emphasis on aquatic habitat and river restoration, leading to actions to remove barriers and improve connectivity (see, e.g., Riverways’ Stream Restoration and River Continuity web pages); and



  • Increasing concern about the effects of climate change on aquatic habitats (see NewsNotes 26’s lead article).  Climate change is expected to result in higher flows in the rivers in the winter—some flashy floods resulting from impervious surfaces—and even less water in the rivers in the summer, times that fish and other riverine organisms and habitats are especially vulnerable to harm from depleted streamflows.  

    At the same time, we have remained true to our earliest principle: partnering with citizens, municipalities, watershed groups, businesses and others to protect and restore the rivers, streams and riparian lands of the Commonwealth.

    Click here to read Joan’s Dear River Advocates letter in its entirety  

    Your events wanted for the 2008 Massachusetts Rivers Month Calendar (please submit by 4/24/08)

    Support Land and Water Conservation with a “Land and Water” Specialty License Plate

    Riverways’ Adopt-A-Stream Program’s Stream Team Implementation Awards and River Instream Flow Stewards Restoration Grant for FY08

    Click here to read the lead article
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  • c
    POSITION DESCRIPTION
    __________________________________________________________________________________________

                Title:                                                   Land Protection Specialist
                Job #/Grade/FLSA Status:               450004 (Conservation Practitioner IV) / Grade 5/ Exempt
                Location:                                            Chester, MA
                Date:                                                   March 25, 2008
    __________________________________________________________________________________________

    SUMMARY OF POSITION:
    The Land Protection Specialist works closely with Massachusetts Chapter staff to implement Conservancy land protection activities in Western Massachusetts.  Responsibilities include identifying, tracking and screening protection projects,  initiating contact with priority landowners, negotiating gifts, purchases, conservation restrictions and management agreements for natural areas; raising public funds for protection projects and operations; developing public support for natural areas protection; and coordinating Conservancy protection efforts with other conservation organizations.  The Land Protection Specialist is in the Conservation Programs department and works closely with other program areas, including science and stewardship, government relations, legal, Western MA Program and development staff, as well as Conservancy donors.  S/He is supervised by the Western Massachusetts Program Director and does not supervise staff.

    DUTIES:
    1) Work with staff to coordinate all aspects of land acquisition projects within Western Massachusetts.  This includes screening of potential projects and responding to requests for information regarding potential gifts, sales or other projects; property inspections; tracking and recording project progress; contracting for appraisals, hazardous waste inspections, and surveys; preparation of project packages and protection reports; and coordinating with TNC legal staff..

    2) Coordinate with State agency and nonprofit partners to acquire interests in land in mutual high priority areas.  Provide outreach, negotiation, legal, or transactional assistance to state partners in high priority locations.

    3) Conduct outreach to owners of high priority tracts as identified through land protection planning to educate owners on the importance of their lands and the possibilities for conservation.

    4) Assist with fundraising for land protection projects, operations and other programs through corporate, foundation and individual development as directed. Assist with stewardship, field trips, speaking engagements, public event, media contacts, and Chapter Board relations and other special activities as needed.

    5) Pursue government grant funding for land protection projects including identification of grant sources and appropriate land projects, development of application, coordination with partners, and assurance of compliance with Conservancy procedures.

    6) Assist with the screening, acquisition and sale of properties through the Tradelands and conservation buyer program, as well as other projects and tasks that may be assigned.

    7) Assist in providing project management for projects that promote connectivity in freshwater ecosystems, potentially including culvert replacement and dam removal.

    8) Assist with other Western Massachusetts land protection, conservation science, and planning projects.

    ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

    1) Degree in resource protection and management, natural science, real estate, business, planning, or law and at least 3-5 years of successful work experience in land protection or a closely related field; or equivalent experience.

    2)Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and effectively with state government agencies, landowners, corporate executives, foundations, and colleagues in other organizations. 

    3) Demonstrated ability to produce tangible results, work independently and as part of an effective team.  Ability to make public presentations and to write clearly and persuasively.

    4) Proven organizational and negotiating skills.  Ability to pay close attention to detail.

    5) Ability and willingness to travel frequently and on short notice, and to work extended hours when required.

    6) Firsthand knowledge of the conservation community and landscape in Massachusetts preferred.

    7) Familiarity and experience in freshwater ecology or policy preferred.

    8) Valid state or international drivers license and ability/willingness to drive necessary.

    9) Familiarity with GIS preferred.

    Please send cover letter & resume to:
    Meg Connerton
    The Nature Conservancy
    205 Portland Street, 4th FL
    Boston, MA 02114
    maforesumes@tnc.org
    No phone calls please.

    THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
    The Nature Conservancy is committed to diversity in the work place, with particular emphasis on areas in which minorities have been historically under-represented in the environmental professions.  We strongly encourage African-Americans, Hispanics/ Latinos, Asians/ Pacific Islanders and Native Americans to apply.
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