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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Advocacy News (Includes how to reach your legislators) DEP Enforcement Actions In The Berkshire return to top |
BCC to Announce Solar Panel Project What: News conference announcing approval and funding for probably the largest solar panel installation project at a public facility in Western Massachusetts Who: U.S. Senator John Olver (or representative); Massachusetts State Senator Benjamin Downing (and other members of the Berkshire delegation); Deputy Commissioner Mark Nelson, Division of Capital Asset Management; and BCC President Paul Raverta When: Monday morning, January 25, at 11 Where: Berkshire Community College , Susan B. Anthony Center, General Bartlett Room Contact: Pete Roming, 413-236-2112 |
FDA supports removing BPA from infant formula cans & baby bottles, but stops short of taking action Today the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an update to its position on BPA (bisphenol-A), the toxic chemical that we are exposed to through in baby bottles, sippy cups, infant formula and food can linings, and many other sources. FDA states that there is "some concern" about the safety of BPA for humans, and that they will work with other agencies to conduct further research. In conjunction with the FDA announcement, the US Department of Health and Human Services posted tips for parents to minimize children's exposure (such as to dispose of scratched or worn baby bottles). The agency was criticized by its own science review panel for its 2008 determination that products containing BPA were safe but the new announcement says, "Recent studies provide reason for some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children." It is a step forward that FDA now considers BPA to be a chemical of concern. Where the announcement falls short is that it does not take any steps to remove BPA from the store shelves and does not even give parents clear advice for how to keep minimize BPA exposure for their children on their own. Read the FDA announcement Action needed from Massachusetts More than ever, it's clear that Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health need to take action to regulate the sale of children's products, including infant formula cans, that contain BPA. FDA's announcement has confirmed that there is reason to act to protect health, but it will be years before FDA takes that action itself, if ever. What you can do now
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Wind site bill misses the point of conservation WHILE THE Cape Wind-Nantucket Sound drama between US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and the Wampanoag Indians drew the wind-energy spotlight last week, a quieter play opened on Beacon Hill, where the Senate Ways and Means committee reported out its version of the Patrick administration’s Wind Siting Reform Act. Good news for a greener Massachusetts? Not entirely. Rather than a comprehensive set of siting standards for onshore wind farms, the bill assaults the integrity of the Commonwealth’s environmental regulations and conservation legacy. The Berkshire Natural Resources Council, a land conservation organization, recognizes that wind power, in the right places and at the right scale, is one potential component in a larger strategy to address climate change. But we deplore the bill’s willingness to sacrifice generations of environmental progress to satisfy an agenda that is as political as it is scientific. The bill punts on the central question: What constitutes an appropriate site? That is, how much environmental degradation is tolerable in the name of creating “green’’ power to run our 47-inch TVs? Is appropriate siting all about a location’s wind speed? What about the site’s proximity to caves that support bats under pressure from white nose syndrome? Is a site’s historic or economic context pertinent? What about state forests? Are those the first place we should look, or the very last? Instead of grappling with these questions, the administration has pushed a “fast-tracking’’ bill based on the specious premise that developing wind power in Massachusetts is made too darn difficult by obstructionist local authorities and irresponsible NIMBYists exploiting regulations. In fact, no wind project in the Berkshires has been denied a permit by local authorities. And at the state level, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has excused most, if not all, onshore wind projects from the task of preparing an environmental impact report. The Berkshire poster children for fast-tracking - Hoosac Wind and Berkshire Wind - have been hamstrung not by regulations, but by self-inflicted wounds suffered after taking calculated shortcuts. Yes, their opponents have taken advantage of the openings, but ironically, had Energy and Environmental Affairs taken a stricter oversight role and required environmental impact reports, the agency almost certainly would have headed off the mistakes. Wind development is essentially the industrialization of sensitive ecosystems. As graceful as they may look from afar, wind turbines stand on massive concrete blocks sunk deep into mountain ledge. To build these machines, 18-wheelers climb up to and along remote ridgelines. Powerline cuts further fragment the surrounding forest. The projects must be held to high standards. But the bill instead would let wind projects avoid laws like the Wetlands Protection or Endangered Species acts by getting a one-stop permit from the Energy Facilities Siting Board. Supporters will point to the bill’s mandate that the siting board develop “standards’’ for wind projects that are “at least as protective’’ as existing law. But in multiple instances the bill gives the siting board the power to waive or relax those standards. Along with substituting malleable “standards’’ for time-tested law, the bill shuts the public out of meaningful participation in the process. Once the siting board receives a complete application, it would hold one omnibus non-adjudicatory public hearing. The process would not establish a framework for judicial review. The only redress would be to the Supreme Judicial Court, and the range of parties with standing to appeal would be narrowed practically to invisibility. The Patrick administration wants Massachusetts to be the nation’s green leader. But we can’t build our way out of global warming. By focusing on regulatory relief for developers, the wind energy bill endangers the Commonwealth’s conservation legacy. Tad Ames is president of Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Inc. in Pittsfield |
Sustainability Coordinator Position The Town of Lenox, MA seeks an energetic community organizer knowledgeable in the field of energy conservation. The Coordinator will lead a series of efforts geared toward mobilizing residents to reduce their energy consumption and engaging in community discussions about our energy future. Work hours are flexible with an expectation of devoting at least 12-15 hours a week to the position for six months (February through July). A monthly stipend of $1000 is offered. Depending on future grants, the time frame may be extended. Specific activities shall include: 1) The Lenox Take Charge Campaign: Working with existing community groups (faith based social action committees, school groups, etc) the coordinator will orchestrate a campaign where residents pledge to “take charge” of their energy consumption and lower energy use through various means (switch to CFLs, implement home energy audit recommendations, reduce space and water heating levels, etc.) The goal is to have a majority of Lenox households take the pledge. 2) Community Energy Forums: Organize a series of community forums on local sustainability with a focus on current energy sources/consumption and the prospects for local renewable supplies. The goal is to foster a community consensus on how best to meet the town’s energy needs. Can Lenox become a carbon neutral community? 3) Energy Consumption Baseline and Consumption Monitoring System: Help assemble an inventory of energy use in the community and put into place a system for on-going monitoring of energy consumption. 4) Assist with reducing energy use in Municipal operations: Analyze and recommend opportunities for reducing energy consumption in municipal operations. 5) Collaborate with neighboring communities: Take advantage of opportunities to reach out to other towns in the county to foster county wide efforts similar to Lenox’s efforts. Members of the Lenox Environmental Committee shall serve as the steering committee for the Coordinator’s efforts. Direct supervision will be provided by the Lenox Town Manager. Send a cover letter and resume, including 3 current references to: Gregory T Federspiel, Lenox Town Manager |
Comment on State Forest Management Over the past 100+ years, 308,000 acres of Massachusetts state parks and recreation lands have been conserved and are held in public trust. Presently, up to 80% of these lands are open to timber harvesting. In response to concerns regarding some recent forestry practices including clearcutting, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) convened a Forest Futures Vision process last spring. As part of this process, DCR is hosting five forums where the public will have an opportunity to provide input on how state lands are managed. We encourage you to: Support designation of a significantly expanded network of forest reserves, and a new category of "parklands" where no commercial timber harvesting will be allowed. Let the state know about your personal connection to the state parks and recreation lands - mention your favorite places and how you want to see them managed. How You Can Participate: Attend one of the public forums between February 4th and 11th, 2010. Submit comments to: Forum details: Thursday, February 4, 2010 Saturday, February 6, 2010 Saturday, February 6, 2010 Tuesday, February 9, 2010 Thursday, February 11, 2010 A draft report with the Technical Steering Committee's recommendations will be posted on DCR's website later this month, and there will be further opportunity for public comment at that time. |
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