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The BEAT
News
October 29, 2008 |
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Follow all the environmental news and events in Berkshire County delivered to your computer weekly.
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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 Berkshires
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From Hancock Shaker Village
Biofuel crops make the grade
As part of a collaborative research project managed by UMass Amherst, Hancock Shaker Village has been cultivating biofuel crops in a reclaimed Shaker garden area along Route 20. One acre was planted this past spring with Crambe, Switchgrass and Sunflower. Our first report card is in, and the HSV crops recieved an A- from the research team! More about the biofuel project and Shaker agricultural practices
Wintering Over - garden tips from HSV
How did our Victorian Gardens last through recent frosts? Location! The garden is located in a protected area on the Southeast side of a large, two story building. This location created a micro-climate, sheltering the Victorian gardens so the frost didn’t settle on the plants. Micro-climates occur everywhere from the deserts of Africa to the rolling hills of the Berkshires. A gardener would be wise to locate a micro-climate on their own property to extend the season. Shakers experimented with crops and growing styles, one of the reasons they were renowned as expert gardeners. Give the experimental gardener technique a try and reap the rewards! Sign up for HSV gardening workshop mailing list
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NPDES News - October 22, 2008
Webcast on EPA's Industrial Stormwater Permit (MSGP), Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008 – 12:00 – 2:00pm Eastern
On September 29, 2008, EPA released a new industrial stormwater permit, the Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP), regulating the discharge of stormwater from industrial facilities in 29 different industrial sectors. The MSGP 2008 replaces the MSGP 2000 that expired on October 20, 2005. The MSGP 2008 requires industrial facilities to implement and maintain site-specific stormwater control measures and to develop stormwater pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs).
This webcast will introduce industrial dischargers, members of the public, and State or Tribal permitting authorities to the new requirements of the MSGP 2008. The webcast will include a section-by-section summary of the permit’s requirements, highlight changes from the MSGP 2000, discuss SWPPP requirements, and describe how to apply for permit coverage. To sign up for this free webcast, go to www.epa.gov/npdes/training
National Research Council Report on Urban Stormwater
The National Research Council, Water Sciences and Technology Board has just released the report "Urban Stormwater Management in the United States." The report is the product of a 2-year process undertaken by a 15-member committee of national experts. The study was commissioned by EPA in 2006 to evaluate the NPDES stormwater program program and make recommendations for improvement of the program. The 513 page report provides a description of the history of stormwater management in the United States; an overview of stormwater regulations and the federal regulatory program; and information on a number of relevant scientific and technological issues such as hydrology, geomorphology, biology, monitoring and modeling. The report also provides a number of significant findings and recommendations on how stormwater management in the United States should be improved to achieve better environmental outcomes.
The study report is available at:
www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater
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Green Scene: Tap Water vs. Bottled Water
(from Water Headlines October 27, 2008, a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water)
Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, discusses the issues surrounding the tap vs. bottled water debate, including the health, economic and environmental impact of both.
To watch the interview: www.epa.gov
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New WaterSense Factoid
(from Water Headlines October 27, 2008, a weekly on-line publication that announces publications, policies, and activities of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water)
If every home in the United States installed WaterSense labeled faucets or faucet aerators in the bathrooms, it would save 60 billion gallons of water annually?saving households more than $350 million in water bills and about $600 million in energy costs to heat their water. Additionally, water and waste water utilities would save 200 million kilowatt-hours of electricity normally used for supplying and treating that water. The WaterSense website has a complete list of WaterSense labeled products, http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/index.htm.
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Proposed $545 Billion Blueprint for Transportation Spending - 10/08
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has adopted a proposal for the 2009 surface transportation policy calling for $545 billion in spending over six years. Keep in mind that SAFETEA-LU, the last such funding enacted in 2005, was around $286 billion.
AASHTO ‘s board of directors has representatives from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
The proposal calls for no more than 5 percent of the total funding available for member earmarks – a response to the famous “bridge to nowhere” Alaskan earmark in 2005.
The proposal focuses on six main areas: preservation of the current transportation system, interstate commerce and freight movement, safety, mobility enhancements such as congestion reduction, system operations, and environmental protection. Much of this sounds like what Massachusetts has been trying to do with the “Fix It First” policy.
We still do not know what money will be available for ecosystem/wildlife mitigation. With our storms getting "flashier" (short, but intense storms), we need money to replace culverts and bridges that do not meet current River and Stream Crossing guidelines (pdf).
Read more on BEAT's Road Ecology page.
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Olver Newsletter 10/23/2008
**Renewable Energy Credits Signed Into Law for 2009 and Beyond**
In the last day of votes before the October adjournment, Congress rallied to pass what I have considered one of our top priorities for this year: renewable energy tax credits. With a total of $18 billion of incentives that were signed into law on October 3rd, I believe that these credits will truly help our country break its dependence on fossil fuels.
This summer’s record energy prices demonstrated the danger of relying on petroleum to fuel our economy. It is imperative that we transition towards clean, renewable fuels that can be produced domestically. To that end, the bill includes:
- an 8-year extension of the tax credits for businesses and homeowners to install renewable equipment such as solar panels and wind turbines
- a one to three-year extension of tax credits for generating renewable energy from sources as diverse as wind, solar, and marine technology
It is clear that these incentives are essential to growth. The production credit for wind power has expired three times since 1999, and each time, new capacity has dropped to a quarter or less of the previous year’s new capacity. If the credits had been allowed to expire again, it would have been at great detriment to the renewable energy industry, and at an estimated cost of over 116,000 jobs. By contrast, with support from the tax credits, installation of new solar and wind capacity doubled from 2006 to 2007.
These tax credits, though, are not just about large-scale changes in energy use. Many provisions are specifically designed to help families make the transition to energy-efficient cars and homes that will reduce carbon emissions and save money over time.
For example, the bill:
- establishes a new credit for plug-in electric vehicles: $2500 to $7500 to use as credit against the alternative minimum tax (AMT)
- extends for 2009 a one-time, 10% tax credit of up to $500 for qualifying energy-efficiency improvements for a home, such as adding insulation, replacing windows, or purchasing an energy-efficient water heater
Other provisions authorize $800 million for clean energy bonds for states and localities to use renewable generating facilities and create incentives for carbon capture demonstration projects. In addition, all $18 billion is fully paid for by closing tax loopholes that benefit profitable oil and gas companies.
I believe that global warming is one of the biggest challenges of our times, and I have said before that I see energy as a national security issue. These credits will reduce greenhouse gas production, decrease our reliance on oil imports from unfriendly foreign nations, and ensure that when our domestic reserves are used up, we have well-developed alternatives. Finally, by enacting them, I believe that we will spur new investment and new opportunities, including for businesses and families in Western Massachusetts.
Sincerely,
John W. Olver
Member of Congress
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Dear Friend of Rivers,
As you've undoubtedly read in the papers, state tax revenues are flagging and Governor Patrick has been implementing a round of significant mid-year cuts to the state budget. Environmental programs have shared in those cuts with an overall reduction of about 7%. However, we were troubled to see that the tiny and uniquely effective Riverways Program was singled out for a disproportionate and damaging 30% staffing cut.
Please help ensure that Riverways remains a viable part of the Department of Fish and Game in Fiscal Year 2009 and in the Governor’s yet to be released budget for Fiscal Year 2010. Riverways should not be subject to further disproportionate cuts.
If you care about any river in Massachusetts , please do two quick things:
Visit Governor Patrick's "issues" website and add your name to the post made by Shep Evans of Stockbridge in support of a strong Riverways Program.
Then add your name to the list of signatories below and forward this message to your friends and contacts.
Sincerely,
Ian Cooke, Neponset River Watershed Association
Andrea Donlon, Connecticut River Watershed Council
Dennis Regan, Housatonic Valley Association
Mettie Whipple, Eel River Watershed Association
Donna Williams, Blackstone River Coalition
More About Riverways
The Riverways Program, housed in the Mass Department of Fish and Game, is a small, award-winning, state program that partners with citizens, towns, landowners and nonprofits to protect local rivers and their watersheds. Riverways staff train stream teams, teach science-based flow monitoring techniques, work on dam issues, serve on technical and advisory committees and help troubleshoot river problems all across the state.
By encouraging local stewardship, Riverways leverages a small state investment to pull in much larger matching resources from federal, local, private and volunteer sources – producing tremendous benefits for communities and taxpayers statewide and producing more “bang per buck” than most government programs. Watershed associations, conservation groups and communities depend on Riverways to help them tackle tough problems.
As taxpayers, we realize that all government programs have to absorb their fair share of the financial pain. However the 30% cut in the Riverways budget seems disproportionate to the overall 7% cut in environmental programs, and can't be easily absorbed in a small program that's already "fat free." Please take a moment to support keeping a strong Riverways Program in the Department of Fish and Game by signing on to the Riverways issue page.
The Massachusetts Watershed Coalition
....Creating a Network of Watershed Partners.
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