The BEAT News

May 8, 2009

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

return to top

Amphibian malformations and deformities

It's spring once again and the time to see metamorphosing frogs and salamanders is approaching quickly. If you are a field biologist, a naturalist, or just an interested citizen who would like to know more about amphibians, you are invited to visit the USGS-NBII online Amphibian Portal. This comprehensive website features summaries of important issues related to amphibian biology and conservation and provides links to additional online resources. It also provides a comprehensive listing of upcoming meetings, seminars, and workshops for amphibian biology and wetland conservation. You can visit the site at: http://www.nbii.gov/amphibians

Also, the North American Reporting Center for Amphibian Malformations is available for the online reporting of amphibian deformities and malformations. If you observe malformed or deformed amphibians at any time in the field, you can submit a record online to be added to the database. Each new record is reviewed and by amphibian biologists and all sensitive data and private information are removed from each record before it is added to the database. You can also search for similar records by species or region using our database search engine. To learn more about amphibian malformations and deformities, or to report new records, please visit: http://www.nbii.gov/narcam
return to top

GreenHouse Gas and Global Warming Solutions Act comment period

For those of you interested in Greenhouse Gases, implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act, and/or biomass policy, here are some opportunities to comment:

Public Information Sessions & Hearing Notice for the Global Warming Solutions Act and Green Communities Act comment deadline June 1
and
Proposed Amendments to Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Regulation (proposing to count “biogenic” carbon emissions e.g. biomass burning separately from fossil fuel emissions) comment deadline May 11
http://www.mass.gov/dep/public/publiche.htm

PUBLIC HEARING DRAFT Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Level: 1990 Baseline and 2020 Business As Usual Projection
http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/climate/1990bau_drf.pdf
return to top

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture - out of the Pioneer Valley - has a new video on Youtube

CISA has been strengthening farms and communities since 1993 - connecting neighbor to neighbor to ensure that local agriculture is a growing part of our lives. Help us build community as we strengthen local farms. Join our community membership initiative today at www.buylocalfood.org.

We invite you to view this video that demonstrates how CISA has helped bring more locally grown food to your table. Watch Why Buy Local? at Youtube.com
return to top

MassWoods Conservation Organization Listings
Help Us Help You Inform Landowner Decisions

Your Organization's MassWoods Listing

Three years ago, we launched our website, MassWoods (http://www.masswoods.net) with the intent of helping to inform landowner decisions by connecting landowners to conservation organizations working in their town. 

One of the ways we facilitate this connection is through a contact map which allows landowners to enter a zip code or click on a map to find their town.  MassWoods then displays a list of conservation groups that have agreed to be listed in that town.
 
Our ability to help landowners find you is only as good as the contact information we have for you listed on the site.  In the next week or two we will be sending out a short survey which will allow you to verify that the information on MassWoods is up-to-date and let us know of any changes.
 
In the interest of saving paper, we thought we'd send out this e-mail in advance and let you know that you can also respond in a paper-less fashion by taking the survey online by FOLLOWING THIS LINK
 
I hope MassWoods is a helpful tool in your conservation efforts.  Thank you in advance for helping us keep MassWoods updated. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  I hope you are well.
 
Sincerely,                                                       
Paul Catanzaro
return to top

Battle of the Bags - Great Barrington

On Thursday, May 28, from 6:30 ­ 8 PM, the Mason Library, Great Barrington will be showing a film entitled Battle of the Bags. This 40-minute Canadian documentary on the subject of plastic shopping bags and their environmental effect, is at once entertaining and informative, presenting many sides of this timely issue. Following the film, there will be opportunity for discussion of the topic, which will be led by members of Green for a Change, a local environmental group committed to decreasing the use of plastic bags.
return to top

From Susan Olshuff, Lenox Events Planner

This month, Berkshire Grown has kicked off its Farmed and Foraged initiative, bringing farmers and chefs together to showcase locally grown foods. There are many special dinners around the county, but I’d like to bring your attention to the one I can guarantee will be a rare treat.

On May 16, at 6:30 at EnlightenNext in Lenox, gourmet Executive Chef Katherine Miller will be offering a candlelit, sumptuous vegetarian dinner overflowing with the bounty of Berkshire County’s wild and cultivated veggies: wild ramps from our own forest, cattails and watercress from our protected wetlands, the first offerings from the EnlightenNext garden and local farmers, along with select organic wines. For more info or to reserve a spot, call 413-637-6021, or email kmiller@EnlightenNext.org to get in on this rare treat. Cost is $55/person plus gratuities.

I’d also like to ask you to stay home on Memorial Day weekend. We are hosting here in Lenox Inside/Out – wellness for the individual, the community, and the planet. There are 8 events – and that’s all before the parade. It’s a great weekend to invite folks to visit the Berkshires. I’ll paste in below the brief outline of these events. I’d like to ask two favors: HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Please send this info to all your friends and colleagues whom you think might be interested. If there is a way to get the events into your bulletin or e-newsletter, that'd be so helpful! If you'd like posters, just let me know. Thanks!

I’ve ventured into the facebook world, so become my friend! I have a page on Lenox events that has just begun, so become a fan! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Lenox-Events/165276865503 Help me go viral!

I’m also looking for volunteers to help run all these events, so if you think you might have time on Memorial Day weekend, let me know.

Sorry to be so longwinded… but there’s lots going on. More details coming soon. Hope to see you somewhere soon!

Susan Olshuff
413-637-2643

SAVE THE DATES! Inside/Out: Wellness for you, your community, the planet

Wed, May 20, 7:30pm – Lenox Community Center - Move to Heal – A Workshop by Uli Nagel, Pilates
Understand why how we move is just as important as that we move. FREE

Thurs, May 21, 7pm – Morris Elementary School, Lenox - Wellness in our Schools – A Dialogue Opening a discussion on how to make our schools truly healthy environments for learning and growth. - FREE

Fri, May 22, 7:30pm – Tanglewood Room, Cranwell, Lenox - Four Voices on Health
Richard Squailia, yoga teacher; Andrew Goldman, osteopath; Michelle Hemingway, a medical doctor traditional and alternative; and Katherine Miller, Executive Chef at Lenox-based non-profit EnlightenNext. – FREE

Sat, May 23, 10 to noon – Lilac Park, From Haybales to Tomatoes: The NO DIG Way ! - Mary Acton-Adams
Learn to garden using permaculture-like methodology - without having to dig! - FREE

Sat, May 23, Noon to 6:00pm – Lenox Town Hall - Our Bright Future – Berkshires Extreme Green Expo - Put on by Volunteers for Change If you feel that simply changing your light bulbs doesn’t do justice to these remarkable times, this afternoon can help you find out more about what is possible, and connect to your own passion for change. -  FREE

Sat, May 23, 8:00pm to Midnight – Lenox Library Reading (and rocking!) Park - Bootleg, Nude Eel, and more
Put on your dancing shoes, come out on this beautiful evening, and have a great time. Good music, good fellowship, good fun, and good for our health! Rain location: Lenox Town Hall . FREE

Sun, May 24,  10am to noon – Family Hike and the Lorax - Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Lenox
Do a short walk or a long trail. Be outdoors! Bring picnic lunch. Kids’ film, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, will be shown in the barn at 11 and at 12. The Lorax speaks for the trees! FREE

Sun, May 24, 6 – 10pm – Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival Duffin Theater, Lenox High School , Prepare to be inspired, educated, and moved to action. Whatever your interests, these films will expose you to forward-thinking ideas and global awareness. - $8/person; $14 per family

For Information: Susan Olshuff, 413-637-2643; events@lenox.org
return to top

Midsummer 4s and 5s (4 classes)
Sponsored by Berkshire Sanctuaries

Class dates and times:
Mon, Aug 03, 2009 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Tue, Aug 04, 2009 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Wed, Aug 05, 2009 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Thu, Aug 06, 2009 10:00 am - 12:00 pm  

Location: Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
Instructor: Gayle Tardif-Raser - Education Coordinator, Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries
Audience: Children (suitable for ages 3.5 - 5 yrs)
Fee: Children $75.00m/ $85.00nm

These four-day sessions engage preschoolers in age-appropriate, hands-on, outdoor discovery activities and crafts that explore the wonders of nature during the summer season. Parents are welcome to leave their children for the program or stay.

Instructions and Directions: Dress your child for the outdoors. Children should be between 3 1/2 and 5 years old. A snack is provided.
Registration is required.
Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries
Massachusetts Audubon Society
472 West Mountain Road
Lenox, MA 01240
413-637-0320
www.massaudubon.org
return to top

Toxic Driveways?
from the Circuit Reader News

Pavement Sealcoat A Source Of Toxins In Stormwater Runoff (April 14, 2009) -- Driveways and parking lots may look better with a layer of sealcoat applied to the pavement, but the water running off the surface into nearby streams will be carrying more than just oxygen and hydrogen molecules. New research indicates that sealcoat may contribute to increasingly significant amounts of polyaromatic hydrocarbons entering waterways from stormwater runoff. ...
return to top

What's the Air Quality Like? Go to MassAir Online -
from the Circuit Reader News

MassDEP’s web site now has an exciting new feature: MassAir Online.  MassAir Online provides the public with near real-time data from our statewide network of air quality monitors.  It uses a familiar Google Maps® interface and color coding to display relative health risks from ozone, fine particles and other significant pollutants measured at 21 monitoring locations across the state.  This is the first time that complete and up-to-date data will be available on-line from this strategic environmental monitoring program.
http://public.dep.state.ma.us/MassAir/

return to top

Global Warming Solutions Act Public Hearings
From the Massachusetts Climate Coalition

A round of public hearings have just been scheduled that we knew you would want to know about. Last Wednesday, members of the steering committee attended a briefing on the first steps towards implementation of the Global Warming Solutions Act.  The briefing concerned the recently released draft report from the office of Energy and  Environment al Affairs concerning the establishment of 1990 baseline and 2020 business as usual projections for global warming pollution*. 

Below is a list of upcoming public hearings about the establishment of these numbers.  WE NEED TO TURN OUT TO THESE HEARINGS. Unfortunately, the business-as usual-projections do not include any of the clean energy and energy efficiency measures the state is already taking in connection groundbreaking clean energy legislation that became law last year.  

We know Dominion [coal plant owner] and other big polluter interests, still smarting from our victory last July, are pulling all the stops to convince the administration that a 25% reduction from 1990 levels, the minimum scientists say we need, is unrealistic.  We need to let the administration know that the 25% target is not  too ambitious, but is necessary and possible. 

That  is why we need A MASSIVE TURNOUT to these public hearings; to remind them that we are already on the right track and to make sure they know we are watching.  Lets send the message that now is not the time to bend to polluter interests over public safety and the future of our planet.

May 6, 2009: 6-8 pm 
MassDEP Central Regional Office 
627 Main Street, Worcester, MA01608 

May 11, 2009: 6-8 pm 
Springfield Public Library, Main Branch 
220 State St., Springfield, MA 01103

If you are planning on attending, please RSVP to Ben Wright ben@environmentmassachusetts.org and make sure to forward this message to your coalition partners. 

Sincerely, 
The Massachusetts Climate Coalition Steering Committee

http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/climate/index.htm
**********************
Cindy Luppi
Clean Water Action
New England Co-Director
www.cleanwateraction.org

262 Washington St. #301 
Boston ,  MA  02108
Ph: 617/338-8131  ext 208
Fax: 617/338-6449
return to top

Mount Greylock Roads Will Re-open Soon
By Ryan Hutton, New England Newspapers
Updated: 05/02/2009 07:17:16 AM EDT

Saturday, May 02
ADAMS — After two years being closed, the roads leading to the peak of Mount Greylock will re-open on May 22 — fully restored and modernized.
State Department of Conservation and Recreation Press Secretary Wendy Fox said the state will be holding some type of celebration for the grand re-opening but hasn't decided what the event will include yet. <more>
return to top

Plastic Bag Bills
by Jamie Cooney

There are 2 bills pertaining to plastic carryout bags in the Massachusetts legislature this year.

One version bans retail stores from providing them to customers. Compostable plastic bags are exempt as are plastic bags intended for produce, baked goods, candies, bulk foods, and loose hardware. The bag ban bill in the House is H798. The Senate version is S395. House bill H719 is a variation of this. It states that supermarkets shall provide only recyclable paper bags, compostable plastic bags, or reusable bags to customers. These bills were referred to the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

The second version of the bag bill levies an excise tax on plastic carryout bags. There is no tax on compostable plastic bags, reusable bags (plastic or cloth) and plastic bags provided instore for bulk goods. H2686 levies a 5c excise tax on supermarkets for every plastic bag provided to customers at checkout. The Senate version of this bill, S1284, levies the tax on retail stores grossing more than $1M / yr. It starts with a 2c excise tax per bag with annual increases that reach 15c in 2016. Sen. Downing is a co-sponsor. These bills were referred to the Joint Committee on Revenue.

More info can be found on the Mass Legislature website
www.mass.gov/legis

Bill texts are at
House www.mass.gov/legis/hbillsrch.htm
Senate www.mass.gov/legis/billsrch.htm
return to top

Bisphenol A (BPA) Campaign
from Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow

You've heard about BPA in children's products. Last week you heard about BPA in canned food and beverages, such as soda, infant formula, beans and tomatoes. Clearly our health is not being protected, we need regulation now!

Let's be heard! Please sign a pledge to participate in our Call-In Day on May 12th.
The Governor's leadership is needed to protect our health from toxic chemicals: he can support the Department of Public Health to ban and he can proactively support the Safer Alternatives Bill.

Call the Governor on May 12th.

But please don't stop there, use the Tell-A-Friend form to forward information about the call-in day and a link to the pledge to your friends. Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow needs all the help we can get!

More about the campaigns

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a toxic chemical found in polycarbonate plastic that is widely used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, teethers, toys, pacifiers, and utensils as well as being in the epoxy resins of cans of baby formula and other foods. The DPH has the legal power to ban the sale of toxic household products and can insist that the products on our store shelves are safer.

Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow is calling on the governor to support the DPH to ban the sale of all products containing Bisphenol A (BPA), intended for use by children 3 years of age and under, that may be mouthed or ingested, and also to issue a consumer warning to avoid products containing BPA directed to pregnant women, woman planning to become pregnant, and those undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

The Safer Alternatives Bill

The Safer Alternatives Bill, An Act for a Competitive Economy Through Safer Alternatives to Toxic Chemicals, is sponsored by Representative Jay Kaufman (D-Lexington) and Senator Steven Tolman (D-Brighton). It will create a pragmatic and flexible program in Massachusetts to replace toxic chemicals with safer alternatives, wherever feasible.

In this economy, the bill is needed more than ever. The Safer Alternatives program will help Massachusetts businesses stay competitive on the global market which is rapidly moving towards a demand for safer products and services. The program will is funded by a fee on toxic chemicals brought into the state primarily by out-of-state firms. We can act now to begin a positive pragmatic program that will create healthy residents and a healthy economy.
return to top

EPA Promotes American Wetlands Month, 2009: Learn! Explore! Take Action!

Throughout the month of May, EPA and its wetland partners across the country are celebrating the vital importance of wetlands to our nation’s ecological, economic, and social health.  EPA and a host of other public and private partners are planning a number of events as part of this year’s celebration. In particular, 2009 marks the 20th Anniversary of the National Wetlands Awards program (143 champions of wetlands conservation honored since 1989). On May 12, the Environmental Law Institute, EPA, and other federal partners will, once again, honor a diverse group of individuals for their extraordinary commitment to conserving wetlands at an award ceremony on Capitol
Hill (http://www.nationalwetlandsawards.org)

Other highlights include EPA's Science Notebook focus on wetlands that will highlight the diversity of wetlands and wetland research being undertaken by EPA across the country using assorted multi-media tools such as blogs, podcasts, interviews, and photo diaries http://www.epa.gov/sciencenotebook and a National Webcast "Wetlands–Re-connecting Youth with Nature" on May 28th" that will explore the unique role wetlands can play in connecting young people with nature http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/webcasts 

EPA regional activities planned for the month of May include educational displays, discussions, presentations, special feature articles, wetland walks and celebrations, and an array of other outreach and communication events.  Information on national, regional, and local activities planned for May will be updated and posted throughout the month on
EPA’s American Wetlands Month website: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/awm   

Feel free to contact Kathleen Kutschenreuter
(202) 566-1383 or Gregg Serenbetz (202) 566-1253 for more information.
return to top

EPA Region 8 Video “Wetlands and Wonder: Reconnecting Children with Nearby Nature” Wins International Award   

A wetlands education video produced by the Ecosystems Protection Program in Region 8 has won a Merit Award from the International Wildlife Film
Festival. http://www.wildlifefilms.org   As the recipient of a merit award, EPA is found in the company of other winners such as BBC, Disney
Nature, and Animal. Key Region 8 staff involved in producing the video included Darcy Campbell, Gene Reetz (now retired) and Julia McCarthy.
The video, which includes an interview with Richard Louv, internationally acclaimed author of Last Child in the Woods, was also chosen by
EPA’s Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds to be a focus for American Wetlands Month in May.  The film will be screened at the Festival
in Missoula, Montana on May 12, 2009. 
return to top

New Local Website for Gardeners and Farmers

A farmer from Plainfield had created a very useful and fun list-serv site for local growers to share information and services, http://growingthevalley.proboards.com/  It's easy and free to join, Please share this information with any local gardeners who might be interested.
return to top

East New Lenox Rd. Garden Club
from Pittsfield City Councilor Mike Ward

This year is the 45th anniversary of that beautiful little triangle garden at the top of East New Lenox Road in Pittsfield.  The garden is the work of the East New Lenox Road Garden Club, who also sponsors a Spring Roadside Cleanup from May 3-9.  The club asks that you choose any time during this week that suits you and pick up some litter from alongside the road.  Want to join the club?  Send a dollar (or more, c'mon) payable to East New Lenox Road Garden Club, 867 East New Lenox Road.
return to top

How Green is my Town?

Grassroots Environmental Education, a New York-based non-profit, is pleased to announce the launch of a new comprehensive, science-based greenweb, www.HowGreenIsMyTown.org.

Our 200-plus page online initiative draws together resources from government agencies and non-profits across America to address the issues of climate change, sustainability and environmental health in one user-friendly site. It’s designed to give local citizens and decision makers the tools they need to bring about meaningful and lasting change.
The website provides ready-to-go policy solutions, program ideas and links to the most innovative, cost-effective and award-winning solutions from entities that have found their “piece of the puzzle.” Additionally, our unique “Green Links” contain hundreds of carefully screened companies offering truly green solutions. (Finally, a “No Greenwash Zone” for products and services.)

The program also provides 142 rating criteria to assess the green infrastructure of towns and cities. Colleges and universities across the country are partnering with Grassroots to evaluate the towns in their counties.

Michael Crowley - 
Director, “How Green is My Town?”
Grassroots Environmental Education
michael@grassrootsinfo.org
www.HowGreenIsMyTown.org
www.grassrootsinfo.org
52 Main Street
Port Washington, NY 11050
516-883-0887 (Phone)
516-944-6586 (Fax)
return to top