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| MA DCR Workshops on Forest Futures Implementation In 2009-2010, DCR undertook the Forest Futures Visioning Process, a year-long public process to develop a renewed vision and long-term strategy for managing the 308,000 acres of land within DCR's State and Urban Parks system. Since receiving the final Forest Futures recommendations in April 2010, DCR has been working on implementing the core recommendations, including the adoption of a landscape designation system for the DCR State and Urban Parks system. In November and December of 2010, DCR will be holding a series of six public workshops to solicit public input on the selection criteria for each of the three landscape designations that will be utilized in the process: Reserves, Parklands, and Woodlands. DCR will also be seeking input on draft management guidelines that are being developed for each of these three landscape designations. The public workshops are scheduled for: Monday, November 15, 2010, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission, Union Hall in Union Station, Worcester Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 6:30-8:30 p.m. North Middle School, 350 Southampton Rd., Westfield Thursday, November 18, 2010, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Ave., Pittsfield Monday, November 22, 2010, 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. 100 Cambridge St, Boston Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Bristol County Agricultural High School, 135 Center St, Dighton Thursday, December 2, 2010, 6:30- 8:30p.m. Essex Agricultural & Technical High School, 562 Maple St, Danvers For more information on these upcoming workshops, or the landscape designation process, please feel free to contact Jessica Rowcroft at either jessica.rowcroft@state.ma.us or at 617-626-1380. return to list of articles |
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Biomass Expansion in Northeast The Wilderness Society has published a map depicting existing and proposed biomass facilities in the northeastern U.S., including stand-alone electricity facilities, biomass co-firing with coal, combined heat and power (CHP), biofuels production, and pellet manufacturing. The Wilderness Society does not oppose all biomass incineration:
BIOMASS BUSTERS is a project of the Biomass Accountability Project, Energy Justice Network, Biofuelwatch, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, and Save America's Forests. return to list of articles |
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Pownal Biomass Proposed Plant Wants Water Withdrawal Permit Wednesday October 27, 2010 Beaver Wood Energy, LLC, wants to build the plant at the former Green Mountain Race Track site, which is adjacent the Hoosic River. A copy of the permit is available at the town offices on Center Street. According to the application, the facility would draw water from the river 80 percent of the time, at the average rate of 103,080 gallons per day, with a peak of 669,900 gallons per day, meaning that on average the plant would pump 72 gallons per minute and 465 gallons per minute at maximum usage. The permit would allow the plant to draw from an existing underground well during times when the flow rate of the river is too low for the state to allow water withdrawal. The water is used to cool the generating plant. <MORE>return to list of articles |
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Two VT Biomass Projects Wednesday October 27, 2010 Beaver Wood Energy, LLC, wishes to build two 29.5-megawatt biomass and integrated wood pellet manufacturing facilities in Vermont, but has received differing reactions from Pownal and Fair Haven. "The public was very pleased with it," said Fair Haven Town Manager Serena Williams. "We need something like this in Fair Haven." She said Beaver Wood described its proposed project to the Fair Haven Select Board at its Oct. 19 regular meeting. She said Beaver Wood intends to build the plant off Route 4, at the site of what used to be a proposed exit ramp. "It was very well received," said Thomas Emero, managing director of development and operations for Beaver Wood. The same isn’t exactly true for the plant in Pownal. A few months after it was presented to the Pownal Select Board, about 20 citizens formed the Concerned Citizens of Pownal, which began as an information gathering enterprise but later morphed into a full opposition group. More recently, they have been joined by a group in Williamstown, Mass., calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Williamstown. Both groups have held meetings and invited anti-biomass speakers to make presentations on the negative aspects of the biomass industry. Critics of the Pownal plant say it will have an undesirable impact on air quality, aesthetics, ground and river water, traffic, and the surrounding forests.<MORE> return to list of articles |
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| Nuclear Power: Pitfalls and Dangers of a Nuclear Renaissance
Hattie Nestel, a veteran nuclear opponent from the Citizens Awareness Network, will be in Williamstown on Friday to update the community on recent nuclear developments. Nestel is scheduled to speak first at the Williams College Log Lunch at 78 Spring St., the white-frame college building at the foot of Spring Street, where a homemade vegetarian lunch prepared by students will be served for $4 from noon to 1 p.m. Reservations are encouraged through kfletcher@williams.edu, before 9 a.m. Thursday. The event is part of a series of environmental talks open to the public. Nestel also will be available from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a happy hour at Spice Root on Spring Street. Students and residents are welcome and may ask for a special table. On November 6, the public has been invited to breakfast at 8 a.m. at Sweetwood Senior Residence, 1611 Cold Spring Road, as guests of resident Joy MacNulty. Nestel will provide information on the burgeoning nuclear industry worldwide, facts of general concern about the aging plants across the country, and a look at the particulars of the local nuclear plant, Vermont Yankee. Nestel is a member of Shut-It-Down affinity group, and Citizens Awareness Network, and was a participant in the successful citizens movement to shut down the nearby Rowe reactor. return to list of articles
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Co-op Power Free Energy Audits Co-op Power can perform free energy audits on homes that are serviced by WMECO. If you all have friends in any of the following towns, and would like to invite them to contact me for a free audit (which will be much more comprehensive than the ones offered by the utility companies), that would be wonderful. The towns that use WMECO as their electric provider are:
In addition, there are a few audits available through this same program for households that heat with gas and use Berkshire Gas. (Some of the towns that Berkshire Gas services are: Most towns in the northwest corner, and those in a straight line down to Great Barrington, plus Greenfield, Montague, Deerfield, Whately, Hatfield, Sunderland, Hadley and Amherst. Jane return to list of articles
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| Holyoke Power Station Faces Fines for Clean Water Violations
A power station located in Holyoke, Mass. faces up to $177,500 in Clean Water Act (CWA) fines for allegedly discharging muddy storm water and other pollutants into the Connecticut River. return to list of articles |
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| Avoid Invasive Plants for Holiday Decorating from MassWildlife News As part of the upcoming holiday season, many people are using plant material to decorate their houses or businesses. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) and the Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR) highly recommends that people avoid using certain exotic, invasive plants such as Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) in holiday decorations. Though these plants are attractive, it is best to refrain from using them. Birds eat and carry away the fruits from wreaths and garlands and the digested but still-viable seeds sprout where deposited. Exotic, invasive plants create severe environmental damage, invading open fields, forests, wetlands, meadows, and backyards, and crowding out native plants. Bittersweet can even kill mature trees through strangling. Both plants are extremely difficult to control: when cut off, the remaining plant segment in the ground will re-sprout. It is illegal to import or sell bittersweet and multiflora rose in any form (plants or cuttings) in the state of Massachusetts. Backyard gardeners, nursery staff, landscapers and conservationists can learn more about invasive plants from the DFW A Guide To Invasive Plants. In the Guide, each invasive plant description includes a photograph, the plant's regulatory status, key identification characteristics, habitats where the plant is likely to be found, type of threat the plant poses to native species and habitats, and its current distribution and place of origin. Similar plant species are also briefly described to aid in plant identification. The Guide includes definitions of three categories of invasiveness, brief explanations of how invasive plants are introduced and spread, why invasives are a problem, how to learn more about controlling invasive plants, and the state agricultural regulations regarding their importation, sale and propagation. Useful invasive plant websites are also referenced. To purchase a guide from DFW, stop in the Westborough office during business hours or send a request to “Invasive Plant Guide,” MassWildlife Field HQ, NHESP, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd, Westborough, MA, 01581, and include a check for $5 (per copy) payable to: Comm. of Mass.--NHESP. Sorry, but credit cards are not accepted. For more information visit the DFW web page at: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/conservation/invasives/invasive_species.htm, the DAR website of prohibited plants at: http://www.mass.gov/agr/farmproducts/Prohibited_Plant_Index2.htm or visit the New England Wild Flower Society website at http://www.newfs.org/protect/invasive-plants. return to list of articles |
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Land Protected in Ashfield and Hawley In early October, state officials, conservation organizations, community leaders and close friends of Calvin and Annette Farrell gathered at the Ashfield Rod and Gun Club to honor the couple, formerly of South Easton, for their generous bequest of approximately $375,000, which made possible the acquisition of a 278-acre tract of wildlife habitat in the towns of Ashfield and Hawley. At the land dedication ceremony, the group viewed the unveiling of a plaque honoring the couple to be permanently mounted at the entrance of the new Wildlife Management Area (WMA). "The Farrell's gift is an extraordinary example of the commitment outdoorsmen have to conservation," said DFW Director Wayne MacCallum. "In the late 1980’s, a few forward-looking sportsmen and women happened upon a truly great idea – to create a fund within the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for the conservation of wildlife lands dedicated to hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related recreation. The Wildlands Fund is supported by private donations and by the sale of so-called Land Stamps, which license holders may buy when they acquire their licenses. Although we imagined generous private donations being made to this Fund, I can honestly say that we never imagined a gift as generous as the bequest received from the estate of Calvin Farrell. We thank and honor the Farrell family for their generous gift and for ensuring future generations enjoy wildlife and related recreation in this area." The new 278-acre Ashfield-Hawley WMA primarily consists of northern hardwoods with over 3,000 feet of frontage along the West Branch of the Swift River. Not to be confused with the Swift River associated with the Quabbin Reservoir, this Swift River begins in Hawley and flows into the East Branch of the Westfield River in the town of Cummington. This western Swift River is a Coldwater Fisheries Resourc (CFR) stream, annually stocked with salmon fry as part of the Division’s salmon restoration effort. The river is also stocked with trout and mapped as Priority Habitat for state-listed reptiles. The combination of forest and wetlands on the property provides excellent habitat for many kinds of other wildlife including bear, moose, turkey, grouse, deer, beaver, and bobcat. The new WMA is situated among other parcels of protected open space. It abuts two tracts protected by Agricultural Protection Restrictions and is located across Plainfield Road from the 5,000-acre Kenneth Dubuque Memorial State Forest in Hawley. "The gift of land or funds to protect critical habitat does more for wildlife conservation than anything else people can do," said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Mary Griffin. "I would like to thank the Farrell family and especially recognize Calvin and Annette Farrell for their foresight and incredible generosity." To make a donation to the Wildlands Fund, a check made out to: Comm of Mass – DFW Wildlands Fund and send to: DFW Wildlands Fund, MassWildlife Field HQ, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough MA 01581. For a listing of wildlife lands acquired by the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife through the Wildlands Fund and other funding sources go to the DFW website at: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/habitat/land/land_acquisitions.htm. return to list of articles |
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| Water Infrastructure Public Hearings In recent months, the media has covered stories that highlight the importance of public investment in water infrastructure across the Commonwealth. The public is increasingly aware that burst or leaking pipes, water contamination, inadequate treatment, and flood waters can be major inconveniences and sometimes can lead to tragic outcomes. The Water Infrastructure Finance Commission was established by Act of the Legislature pursuant to Section 145 of Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2009. The Commission is charged with developing a comprehensive, long range water infrastructure finance plan for the commonwealth and its municipalities. I was appointed Chair of the eighteen member Commission by Governor Patrick, and Representative Carolyn Dykema is the House appointee. The Commission has been meeting regularly since May and will hold a series of hearings across the state, and invites local municipal officials, water department and water district officials, groups and agencies interested in water policy, environmental and consumer protection groups, professionals in the fields of water supply engineering and pricing, and other interested members of the public to participate. I encourage you to attend the public hearing and to distribute this notice to those who may be interested in attending. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact my office. The Commission invites written and brief oral testimony on the following: *Issues in identifying and understanding the water, waste water, and storm water infrastructure needs of the Commonwealth; * Issues with the current and potential capacity to finance these needs; * Recommendations on ways to meet operation, maintenance, and capital needs of municipal water systems in the Commonwealth; * Recommendations on potential changes in local, state, and federal approaches to water infrastructure financing; * Fair and equitable means of financing water infrastructure investments, including the role of fees, rates, taxes, loans, grants, and other financial vehicles; * The technical and financial feasibility of sustaining public water systems, conservation and efficiency programs, wastewater systems and storm water systems of municipalities and the commonwealth; * Potential for cost savings through consolidation, coordination, reorganization, or regionalization; * Potential for cost savings through innovations in water technology Very truly yours, James Eldridge State Senator Middlesex & Worcester District Monday, November 15, 2010, 10 am Pioneer Valley Planning Commission 60 Congress Street - Springfield, MA 01104-3419 (413) 781-6045 Questions can be directed to Brendan Jarboe at 617-722-1120 or Brendan.Jarboe@masenate.gov return to list of articles |
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US EPA Orders Restoration of Damaged Wetlands on Massachusetts Farm Christopher and Bonnie Nash violated the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) by failing to obtain the required federal permit from the Army Corps of Engineers before performing work in the wetlands. Under the Clean Water Act, persons who discharged dredged and/or fill material into wetlands must obtain, in most cases, a federal permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to providing valuable wildlife habitat, wetlands also help to protect the health and safety of people and their communities. Wetlands filter and clean water by trapping sediments and removing pollutants. Wetlands also provide buffers against floods as they store enormous amounts of flood water. Wetlands also store and slowly release water over time, helping to maintain water flow in streams, especially during dry periods. More information: Enforcing wetlands requirements in New England (epa.gov/ne/enforcement/wetlands) return to list of articles |
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EPA announces 30-day extension to Public Input Revised CMS for Housatonic Rest of River The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing a 30-day extension to the Informal Public Input Period on General Electric Company's Revised Corrective Measures Study (CMS) Report for the Housatonic River Site, Rest of River. |
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UPCOMING GRANT OPPORTUNITY: FFY 11 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning, Pre-RFR Meetings The Department of Environmental Protection plans to hold two pre - RFR Informational Meetings [one has already taken place] to discuss potential projects before the FFY11 604(b) RFR is issued in early November 2010. We recommend potential respondents attend one of these meetings to discuss your ideas for new projects. The second meeting will be held in Conference Room 6003 at MassDEP’s Boston Office at One Winter Street on Thursday, October 28, 2010 from 10:00 AM to Noon. For FFY 2011, the Department will continue to focus 604b funds towards watershed or subwatershed based nonpoint source assessment-type grant projects leading to the: 1) determination of the nature, extent and causes of water quality problems; 2) assessment of impacts and determination of pollutant loads reductions necessary to meet water quality standards; 3) Green infrastructure projects that manage wet weather to maintain or restore natural hydrology; and 4) development of implementation plans that will address water quality impairments. Proposals that address data needs for the Massachusetts Estuaries Project, TMDL development, or water supply source protection planning will also be considered. MassDEP’s assessment needs are identified in: Pursuant to Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act, eligible grant applicants must be either Regional Public Comprehensive Planning Organizations or Interstate Organizations. Eligible entities include: regional planning agencies, council of governments, counties, conservation districts, cities and towns, and other substate public planning agencies and interstate agencies. Mass DEP encourages Respondents to propose water quality assessment/planning projects that will lead to direct actions by Municipalities and others to implement water quality improvements. MassDEP is seeking project proposals that will identify water quality problems and provide preliminary or final designs for BMPs to address these problems. Respondents should note that MassDEP's Division of Watershed Management (DWM) recently made adjustments to its surface water monitoring program to more efficiently focus field and laboratory resources. DWM plans to continue monitoring in accordance with a five-year rotating schedule, however, the assemblage of noncontiguous river basins and coastal drainage areas that were the focus of monitoring each year will now be grouped according to region. Further discussion of this new arrangement along with a map of the basin alignment can be found at: DWM will concentrate sampling efforts in central basins (Blackstone, French, Millers, Nashua, Quinebaug and Ten Mile) during 2011; and in western basins (Deerfield, Farmington, Housatonic, Hudson, and Westfield) during 2012. As the Commonwealth’s procurement rules prohibit MassDEP or any other RFR issuer from consulting with potential applicants to develop project ideas once an RFR is issued, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact MassDEP before the RFR issue date to refine project ideas and obtain feedback. Contact Gary Gonyea (617-556-1152 or gary.gonyea@state.ma.us) for a discussion of ideas and program objectives. The tentative schedule is as follows: The Massachusetts Watershed Coalition |
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