The BEAT News

June 1, 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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Can We Grow Enough Food to Feed Ourselves in New England?

 

Great blog (& a cool video of a meeting in Amherst) by John Gerber, Professor of Sustainable Food and Farming, at UMass.

http://world.edu/content/grow-food-public-opportunities-responsibilities/
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Darrow Students Immersed in Experience-based Education

New Lebanon, NY—For Darrow School’s annual Spring Term—a dynamic, week-long intensive on a variety of engaging topics—students have engaged themselves in everything from multimedia design to Spanish language immersion, wooden boat building, community supported agriculture, and conservation photography. The program, a Darrow tradition that takes place after final exams from May 25 to 31, gives students the opportunity to study a subject of interest in greater depth, and allows them unique opportunities for research, problem solving, and hands-on work.

            For Head of School Nancy Wolf, Spring Term is one of the most exciting times of the school year. She says, “Spring Term is a capstone experience following a full year of classes that emphasize hands-on learning and bringing real-world issues into the classroom for discussion and analysis. The breadth of the offerings engages and enriches the students, and provides an opportunity for faculty to share their interests in an exciting format.”

            Some Spring Terms will take place off-campus. These include internships aboard the educational Hudson River sailing vessels Clearwater and Mystic Whaler, in which the students serve as sailors and volunteer educators of elementary-age children; “Biking the Berkshires,” an exploration of local natural and cultural landmarks while enjoying a leisurely cycling trip; backpacking and learning outdoor skills in Vermont; rock climbing in the Adirondacks, traveling to the Dominican Republic for a cross-cultural language immersion experience, and to Acadia National Park to experience and photo-document life on the Maine Coast.

Other Spring Terms have been based on the Darrow campus, with occasional trips off-site. Among this group are the offerings “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Film-making,” an effort to create an original film from start to finish, “From Farm To Fork,” an exploration of how food is grown and transported, with firsthand participation in a Columbia County community-supported farm, and cooking gastronomic delights; “Seeking the Ground-Wave,” a tour of local skateboarding venues; “Sail Your Heart Out,” a week of sailing Flying Scott sailboats on local lakes, and “Darrow School growing.greener,” a week dedicated to enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity.

            Darrow School, located at the historic Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village on the New York–Massachusetts state line, is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12. Darrow’s small classes and challenging college-preparatory curriculum afford all students the opportunity for active participation in the learning process. The School has been recognized as a pioneer in the field of “hands-on learning,” and Darrow teachers use real-world topics and a dynamic approach to capture the imagination and make the subject matter come alive. The School is dedicated to serving students with diverse backgrounds and abilities, building on each student’s individual talents and interests to inspire enduring confidence for success in college and life.
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GE To Begin Dredging 40-Mile Stretch of Hudson River to Remove PCBs
Published: Sunday, May 29, 2011
By The Associated Press The Associated Press

FORT EDWARD, N.Y. (AP) — A fleet of barges and tugs will hit the upper Hudson River soon to begin the main phase of a massive, multi-year dredging designed to finally rid the river of its most infamous pollutant.

General Electric Co.’s PCB cleanup along the thin stretch of river just south of the Adirondacks could run well over $1 billion and last five or more years. It will be one of the largest and most complex federal Superfund projects ever.

Environmentalists and federal regulators see this second phase of Hudson dredging as the crowning achievement of a decades-long effort to clean the river and make its fish safe to eat. Residents of this hilly area of woods and farms remain divided on whether the cleanup is needed — but they are more united in bracing for a series of busy, noisy summers on the river.

“I just think, ‘Is my summer going to be ruined? Am I going to have to keep my window closed so I don’t hear the noise?’” said Kathy Burke, drinking coffee with her husband in a village diner.

“On the other hand, we’ll probably get used to it,” her husband, Mike Burke added. “It will be like white noise.”

The Burkes, who live by the connecting canal being used by cleanup crews, favor a clean river but question whether dredging makes sense before separate work to stop underground PCB leaks into the river is finished.

This year, GE plans to remove 350,000 cubic yards of sediment — enough to fill more than 100 Olympic-sized swimming pools — along a 2-mile stretch of river by the end of fall. Crews will return to the river each spring until all 2.65 million cubic yards of targeted sediment is removed along a 40-mile stretch north of Albany. The Environmental Protection Agency expects the project to take five to seven years.

“This is when we’re going to get most of the PCBs out of the river,” said EPA regional administrator Judith Enck. “So this is the Hudson’s best chance at recovery.”

GE plants upriver discharged about 1.3 million pounds of PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, over three decades ending in 1977, leading the EPA to declare the river a federal Superfund site in 1984. The gooey PCBs once used as coolants in electrical equipment are a suspected carcinogen and the upper river is considered so polluted that health officials warn people not to eat the fish.

Fairfield, Conn.-based GE waged an aggressive public battle against dredging as the cleanup was being considered by the EPA, but began negotiating with the agency after it called for dredging in 2002.
The company oversaw the cleanup of about 10 percent of the contaminated sediment in 2009 then paused for a year to give independent scientists time to assess the work.

A few issues stood out. The contamination was deeper and more concentrated than expected and workers often dug into buried logs and other debris, which slowed the cleanup. The work also led to higher-than-desired levels of PCBs released into the water.

Results of the first phase gave ammunition to people on both sides of the dredging debate. Opponents said the PCBs re-released into the river reinforced the wisdom of leaving the contaminants buried. Supporters pointed out the end result: 35,000 pounds of PCBs permanently removed from the river.

This year, crews will cut deeper to remove more contamination with fewer passes — a practice designed to increase efficiency and kick up fewer PCBs. Some contaminated areas that can’t be dredged will be capped. GE hopes to dredge out 24 percent more sediment this year than in 2009.

The process will look the same from the shoreline. Dredging buckets will chomp up contaminated river sediment and dump it on barges around the clock, six days a week. The contaminated sediment will be shipped a short ways on the Champlain Canal to a sprawling “dewatering” plant, where it will be pressed dry there and then shipped by train to one of several burial sites outside of New York. <MORE>
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EPA Plans To Crack Down On Wood Smoke Emissions
By Tux Turkel tturkel@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer


The wood-burning fireplace warming the den is cozy, but it can belch as much pollution as an old diesel bus. That vintage wood stove cranks out heat, but it can contribute to asthma attacks in the neighborhood, or even inside the house.

When fuel oil prices soar, as they have this year, more Mainers turn to wood heat. But wood smoke contains fine particles that can cause health problems. In some locations, especially river valleys, residential wood smoke is a major source of winter air pollution.

Now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing regulations meant to tighten emissions limits for new residential wood heaters. For the first time, these regulations will cover pellet stoves and outdoor boilers -- heat sources that have become popular in Maine.

Also likely to be included are new indoor furnaces and cookstoves.  <;MORE>
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More Farmers Markets are opening!  Hurray!!!!!!!!!!              
Support your local farmer

    
Description: Hawk                                       Dance Farm at Sheffield F M 2010Wednesday June 1: TNC Farmers' Market, Great Barrington 

Thursday June 2: Farmers' Market at CHP, Great Barrington 

Thursday June 9: Pittsfield Farmers' Market 

 Friday June 24: Adams Farmers' Market  

Picture of Hawk Dance Farm at Sheffield Farmers Market 2010 
 
 MORE FARMERS' MARKETS on MAP-O-LICIOUS 


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Canoe & Kayak Cruise Offers New Look at the Westfield River

WESTFIELD , Mass. (5-29-11) -- On Saturday, June 18, the Westfield River Watershed Association will sponsor a scenic, six-mile paddle from the new Great River Bridge in Westfield to Robinson State Park.  Bring your own canoe or kayak, paddles and personal safety devices.

Organizers recommend that participants be experienced paddlers, given that river conditions may be unpredictable.  For those used to seeing the river only in glimpses when driving along Route 20, the canoe cruise offers a new, close-up view of the waterway.

Admission is $7.00 per person, $20.00 per family.  Refreshments will be served.  Registration is from noon to 1:00 pm in the parking lot off Meadow Street near the Great River Bridge in Westfield.  Participants will unload boats and gear, drive their vehicles to Robinson State Park and return to the launch area by shuttle.  Departure will be at 1:00 pm.  For more information, visit www.westfieldriver.org or call Fran S. at 413-562-4998.
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African Farmers Turn to ‘Fertiliser Tree’ To Boost Crop Production
by Joseph Kanyi  

A tree that is almost perfectly complementary to crop growing, doubles and even triples crop yields, and thrives in dry areas, is being rolled out across Kenya in a drive to use the ‘fertiliser tree’ to regenerate soils so poor they are damaging agricultural output and human health.

In Zambia, where over 160,000 farmers are using the Faidherbia Albida tree over an area of 300,000 hectares, unfertilised maize yields are averaging 4.1 tonnes per hectare when planted near the tree, compared to 1.3 tonnes per hectare for those grown away from the tree’s canopy.

Now, some 2,200 farmers from Eastern and Western Kenya are piloting the planting of the tree, which also conserves soil moisture and provides fodder feed for livestock.

The tree’s natural habitat is dry tropical Africa, yet it remains rare in Kenya’s arid North Eastern region. However, it is now the central platform of a new wave of farming across Africa called Evergreen Agriculture, which is combining fertiliser trees with minimal ploughing and permanent soil cover to raise soil fertility. <MORE>
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Attention: Sustainable Farmers and Farm Education Programs


Up to 67 acres of prime farmland will soon be available for lease in Northampton, MA. Interested farmers please apply.


The non-profit organization, Grow Food Northampton, Inc. (www.growfoodnorthampton.com) has purchased 120 acres of farmland in Florence, MA to create the Northampton Community Farm. Grow Food Northampton intends to lease up to 67 acres of this land in fall 2011 and/or early 2012 to farmers who share our vision of sustainable community farming. Through our first call for applications, we selected a vegetable CSA operation, Crimson & Clover, which now occupies 37 adjacent acres of land. At this time we are seeking proposals from additional community-oriented farm operations, in particular those that complement Crimson & Clover. Leases may be long-term. Farmers will own and independently operate their businesses.


Our vision for the land includes:

  • Sustainable, diversified agriculture using organic practices
  • Food production for local markets
  • Educational opportunities such as farmer mentoring, farm camps,
    community workshops, or school programs
  • Community engagement such as harvest celebrations, volunteer work-
    days, contributions to our local food pantries, etc.


We are seeking the right farm businesses to join our project. Farmers will demonstrate extensive experience in sustainable farming, alignment with Grow Food Northampton's goals, and a strong business plan. Proposals will be accepted May 20 – August 15, 2011. To request an application and for more information, please contact Annie Sullivan-Chin, chullivan@gmail.com, (413) 336-5502.
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Job: Teach Gardening to kids 5 -11 year olds in an outdoor educational summer youth program taking place in ROELIFF JANSEN PARK for the Town of Hillsdale, NY. Two mornings a week in a community garden (6 hours per week) (3 groups of 15-20 grouped by age) beginning Thursday July 7 through week of Aug 15. Must have gardening knowledge and bring enthusiasm and fun and games/activities into growing and tending.

$15 per hour. Contact Caroline Stewart ASAP- 917 854 787 or cstewart321 (at) aol.com.
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