The BEAT News

July 6, 2011

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 Berkshire

Please send items of interest to kristen@thebeatnews.org
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9 Toxins to Avoid in Personal Care Products
from Green American
http://www.greenamerica.org/pubs/greenamerican/articles/MarAprMay2011/Nine-Toxins-to-avoid-in-personal-care-products.cfm

Find product safety ratings at CosmeticDatabase.org.
Find research on individual ingredients at Toxipedia.org,
and always avoid these nine worst toxins.


Description: http://www.greenamerica.org/images/pubs/greenamerican/83/9Toxins.jpg

Download an 8x10 poster of these nine toxins »

1. PARABENS: They’re in adult and baby shampoo and many other products, and they are estrogen mimickers that can lead to cancer.

2. FRAGRANCE: The FDA requires that food, drug, and body care companies list their ingredients on their products—but chemicals used to scent products can be clumped under the vague term “fragrance.” Found in everything from shampoo to deodorant, a single product’s secret fragrance mixture can contain potentially hundreds of toxic volatile organic compounds.

3. NANOPARTICLES: Found in lotions, moisturizers, make-up, and particularly sunscreen, these untested ingredients are so small, many scientists are very concerned about their potential health effects, as they can penetrate cell walls and are highly reactive. Products with nanoparticles aren’t often labeled as such, so check your conventional body care products at CosmeticDatabase.org or NanotechProject.org/inventories/consumer/.

4. FORMALDEHYDE: A common hardener in nail polish and an ingredient in bath products, this chemical is a known carcinogen. Nail polish also often contains the developmental toxicant TOLUENE.

5. PHTHALATES: These hormone disruptors have been linked to male genital abnormalities, liver and kidney lesions, and higher rates of childhood asthma and allergies. They’re often hidden in the fragrances of an array of products for men, women, and children, and listed as DIBUTYL PHTHALATE in nail polish.

6. PETROLEUM BY-PRODUCTS: Listed as mineral oil, petrolatum, liquid paraffin, toluene, or xylene, these chemicals are found in a dizzying number of products, including many shampoos and soaps. Of most concern is the fact that they are often contaminated by cancer-causing impurities like 1, 4 DIOXANE, which is a probable carcinogen. Industry has done very little to prevent such contamination.

7. TRICLOSAN: A primary ingredient in anti-bacterial soaps and products, triclosan has been linked to hormone disruption and the emergence of bacteriaresistant “superbugs.”

8. LEAD: It’s a potent neurotoxicant, and it’s been found in several popular brands of lipstick and men’s hair coloring kits.

9. MERCURY: A neurotoxicant that can severely damage human health, mercury— often listed as “thimerosol”—is still used in some cosmetics like mascara.

BEAT Note: Please take note that there are two active bills that would go a long way toward protecting consumers from toxins in our personal care products. It is very important that we let legislators know that this should be a priority!:


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EPA Releases New Online Training Module on Water Quality Standards
from Water Headlines for the week of July 5, 2011

A new online training module intended to encourage and facilitate public involvement in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Water Quality Standards program is now available on EPA's website. "How to Develop and Implement Public Involvement Programs and Practices" outlines the requirements of public involvement and highlights good practices for creating an effective public participation process in decisions that affect water quality. Links to EPA policy, resources and tools are provided throughout the module and compiled at the end of the presentation for further development of a tailored public involvement process. To experience the new module go to: http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/academy/special/public/player.html


More on EPA’s Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters and related information: http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/index.cfm
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Widespread Stream Biodiversity Declines at Low Levels of Urban Development
from the DEP Western Region Circuit Rider News

Widespread stream biodiversity declines at low levels of urban development (June 13, 2011) -- Biology researchers have found that there are consistent and widespread declines in stream biodiversity at lower levels of urban development more damaging than what was previously believed.

BEAT Note: BEAT and others are working to stop water from parking lots and roads from going into catch basins and being piped to our rivers and lakes. Instead that water should soak into the ground as close to where it falls as possible to replicate the natural cycle.
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Bottle Bill Update
from Mass Audubon Weekly Beacon Hill Update

The date and location have been set for the hearing on the updated bottle bill (HB890). We hope to see a great turnout of supporters for this long-overdue update, which would expand our container deposit system to include non-carbonated beverages like water, iced tea, juice, and sports drinks. It would decrease litter - and increase recycling! You can find out more about all things bottle bill at: http://www.massbottlebill.org/ubb/index.htm

Hearing details:
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
10:00 a.m.
Gardner Auditorium
State House

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Williamstown Rural Lands to Hold Summer 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.


Summer Seedlings, a nature discovery program for 6-8 year-olds, will be held the week of July 11. Environmental educator and Science Enrichment Specialist Kathy Chesney will lead this fun and educational program. In addition to extensive teaching experience, Kathy has a variety of experience in running summer nature programs and is currently designing and teaching preschool programs in science and math for the Williamstown Preschools, and teaching science at the Hiland Hall School in Bennington.


WRLF Executive Director Leslie Reed-Evans states “Kathy brings to Sheep Hill the enthusiasm and experience needed to connect children to the wonders of, and inspire their curiosity about, the natural world. We are very excited to welcome Kathy back to Sheep Hill.”


The week-long programs will introduce children to Sheep Hill’s pond and meadow and their winged and four-footed inhabitants. Nature drawing, nature crafts, and cooking will also be a part of the program. The session will run daily from 9AM to 1 PM. The week of


Beginning July 25th artist and art educator Julia Morgan-Leamon will offer a week long Art in Nature program for children aged 9-12. The 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 an outdoor skills program that features a camp-out on the last day. Survivor Sheep Hill will teach basic first aid, way finding, rustic shelter building, knot tying, and other skills needed to survive in the wilderness for ages 9-12. The program is led by outdoorsmen Dave Ackerson and Art Evans and will run daily 9 AM to 3 PM Monday August 15 through Thursday August 18, 2011. Thursday night, weather permitting, the camp out will be held. The program concludes after breakfast Friday.


The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, celebrating its 25th year, 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.
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Cuomo Will Seek To Lift Ban on Hydraulic Fracturing
from Environmental Health News

The Cuomo administration is seeking to lift what has effectively been a moratorium in New York State on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial technique used to extract natural gas from shale, state environmental regulators said on Thursday. New York Times [Registration Required]
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/nyregion/cuomo-will-seek-to-lift-drilling-ban.html
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Bats—Help DFW Locate Summer Bat Colonies
from MassWildlife News

Because Massachusetts and other northeastern states have lost thousands of bats due to a fungal infection on bat called White-Nose Syndrome, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) is asking for reports from property owners with a summer colony of 10 or more bats. Please provide the location (street address), type of structure where the bats reside, number of bats in the colony, and your contact information by calling (508) 389-6360 or emailing mass.wildlife@state.ma.us.

Bat mortality rates are at an alarmingly high level in Massachusetts and other northeastern states. Surveys in Massachusetts caves and mines conducted by biologists from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in February and March of 2009 have shown dramatic rates of mortality; perhaps as high as 98 percent. The state's largest hibernacula normally contained 8,000-10,000 hibernating bats in winter, but over the winters of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010, nearly all the bats died. Biologists are attributing this die-off to White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease characterized by a white, crusting fungus on their muzzles and other parts of their bodies. Biologists from state and federal agencies and other conservation organizations across the country are trying to find a way to protect bats from this deadly fungus. Efforts are underway to understand how this fungus is spreading and killing bats. The WNS fungus has just recently been described as a new species of cold-loving fungus, but why it has suddenly become a problem is unknown.

Ecologically, high bat mortality is a major concern to biologists because most types of bats raise only one pup per year. It would take decades for a bat population to rebound after a large die-off. Concerns have also been expressed about the agricultural and economic impacts of these die-offs. Bats are important predators of mosquitoes and other insects. In a recently published paper in Science, estimates suggest that a single Little Brown Bat can consume 4-8 grams of insects each night during the active season. When extrapolated to the one million bats estimated to have died from WNS, between 660 and 1320 metric tons of insects, including pest species, are no longer being consumed.

With summer's hot, humid weather here, some Bay State homeowners may discover bats in their homes. Attics are the most common portion of a house in which bats roost and raise their young. After a few hot summer days, an attic may become too warm for the bats, forcing them out and sometimes into people's living quarters as they search for cooler places to roost. What's a homeowner to do? Fortunately, a single bat flying in a room can usually be dealt with quite easily. Open an outside window or door in the room where the bat is located and close off the rest of the room from the house. It's usually only a matter of a few minutes of circling before the bat locates the open window and leaves the house. Bats do not attack people or fly into people's hair.

If a bat has landed, assist it out of the house (wearing gloves) in the following ways: For a bat on a curtain, place a jar, coffee can or small box over the bat, carefully working the animal into the container, and cover it. A bat on the floor can be covered with a towel. Another method is to simply pick up the bat and release it outdoors. Don’t handle a bat with bare hands, use gloves but avoid cotton gloves. Whatever method is used, don't be surprised if the bat squeaks loudly when handled. Take the bat outdoors and release it. If anyone has had direct contact with a bat or if a bat is found in a room with a sleeping person, the bat should be safely captured but not released. Contact local health officials for assistance in evaluating potential rabies risk and submitting the bat to the Department of Public Health for rabies testing.

Little Brown Bats and Big Brown Bats are the most likely species to be found in buildings. In some cases, with small numbers of bats, people don't mind their presence and concentrate on blocking holes and cracks leading into the human living quarters. Where there is a large colony in house walls, biologists recommend that homeowners wait to initiate eviction proceedings until the first week of August through November. Waiting to evict the colony allows time for young bats to mature and leave the house on their own. Otherwise only the adults will be evicted, leaving the young pups to die and creating a smelly attic.

Learn about the different kinds of bats in Massachusetts, how to evict bats safely, and how to live with them using information from www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/wildlife/living/living_with_bats.htm. A booklet, A Homeowner's Guide to Bats, is also available from MassWildlife offices. To receive a hard copy of the booklet by mail, send a self-addressed, $1.50 stamped 6-inch by 9-inch envelope to: "Bat Booklet", DFW, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd, Westborough, MA, 01581.
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Job Opening: Westport River Watershed Alliance Executive Director
The Westport River Watershed Alliance (WRWA, http://www.wrwa.com/), is searching for an Executive Director to succeed Gay Gillespie, who is leaving that leadership role after 27 years. I am a member of the WRWA Board of Directors, who have asked me to coordinate the search. The attached position specification provides information about both our organization and the attributes of the individual we hope to recruit.

If you know individuals who appear qualified for and may be interested in this position, I encourage you to make them aware of this opportunity, and/or let me know so I may contact them directly. Please feel free to circulate this email and position specification. If you have any questions or wish to provide information privately, please call.

Thanks for your assistance.

Tom Schmitt, Director
Westport River Watershed Alliance
508-636-3932
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