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Sustainable
Biomass
In recent years, environmentalists and policymakers have struggled
to evaluate the merits of various biomass resources. This has posed
a challenge; in part, because biomass brings together a host of
environmental disciplines, including air, water, land-use, climate,
and energy. Since few people have expertise in all of these areas,
the full range of environmental impacts -- both positive and negative
-- are not as readily apparent for biomass as they are for solar,
wind, or traditional fossil resources. As a result, environmental
groups, large and small, approach the topic of biomass with exceeding
caution, despite the fact that biomass has the potential to be one
of the few carbon-neutral and renewable energy resources that is
available on demand and has large-scale, commercially viable applications.
Biomass electricity generation, or "biopower," is a multi-stage
process that converts non-fossil fuel derived organic material into
electricity. Biomass can also be used to produce fuels, "biofuels,"
that can be used in vehicles. Because the vegetation that is the
base for all biomass can be regrown, biopower and biofuels can be
renewable. This means that biopower and biofuels can help reduce
our dependency on fossil fuels and nuclear power. If the biomass
is regrown, then it will sequester all of the carbon dioxide released
when the biomass is burned. This means that biopower and biofuels
can help reduce the risks of climate change. Furthermore, since
biomass can be stored and burned when needed, biopower can be available
on demand, unlike wind and solar which are only available when the
wind blows and the sun shines. For information on sustainable biomass,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/biomassdefinition/index.html. |
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Virginia
Legislation Would Reduce Power Plant Emissions (Virginian-Pilot
1/28)
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=65246&ran=34025
Momentum is building to pass HB 1472, legislation that would reduce
air pollution and would cost consumers only about $1 more on their
monthly electric bills, according to environmentalists and health
groups. The bill would force eight power plants in Virginia, including
ones in Chesapeake and Yorktown, to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions
by 88 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 75 percent by 2015.
Mercury emissions would drop by 90 percent by 2008. Power plants
emit anywhere from 50 percent to 65 percent of the air pollutants
in Virginia, according to the American Lung Association of Virginia.
The pollutants include sulfur dioxide, a powerful asthma trigger,
and nitrogen oxide, which is a component of ozone smog. Ozone caused
by power plants is largely responsible for making the Shenandoah
National Park the nation's second most polluted national park, according
to the Virginia Sierra Club. The bill is similar to one passed by
North Carolina's legislature in 2002 to cut emissions from 14 power
plants. It would allow the affected power companies, primarily Dominion
Virginia Power, to recoup the costs of scrubbers and other technology
upgrades from ratepayers. For more information on cleaning up power
plants, visit: http://www.serconline.org/clean/index.html. |
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"Freedom
to Fish" Act Returns
Marine ecosystems, just as important -- and just as threatened --
as terrestrial ecosystems, are a public resource that should be
managed for the public good. One crucial management tool is the
creation of fully protected marine areas, where no extractive activities
are allowed, which benefit fish populations, other marine life,
and the entire coastline by providing a refuge for marine animals.
Legislative language, introduced in eleven states last year and
three states so far this year, would make it almost impossible to
set up fully protected marine areas, denying states an important
conservation tool. Maryland SB 13, New Hampshire HB 1420, and New
Jersey AB 692 would prohibit the creation of areas closed to recreational
fishing unless the state can prove that recreational fishing is
the cause of a specific problem. The legislation, promoted by the
Recreational Fishing Alliance, puts the burden of proof on those
who want to protect marine resources rather than on those who are
consuming -- and potentially harming -- them before taking action.
Clearly, this is a dangerous precedent. These bills would make it
impossible for states to protect and restore ocean ecosystems by
unnecessarily restricting a state's ability to manage its coastal
habitats. If your state has a coastline, watch out for this type
of bill. For more information on "freedom to fish" acts,
visit: http://www.serconline.org/freedomFish.html. |
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Higher
Fees for Polluters, Clean School Buses Urged in New York
(Albany Times-Union 1/30)
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?category=STATE&storyID=213904&BCCode=
&newsdate=1/30/2004
Ton for ton, New York's worst polluters pay less in state
fees than smaller, cleaner companies. Companies with stationary
pollution sources -- like power plants -- are charged $45
a ton for each pollutant they pump into the air. But the fee
is capped at 6,000 tons of pollution. The rest is penalty-free.
Assemblyman Alexander "Pete" Grannis said the state
should drop the current limits on the pollution charges companies
face, and use the new revenue to clean up school bus emissions.
He estimates that making companies pay for all their pollution
would bring in about $9 million, enough to clean up pollution
from the roughly 55,000 school buses in New York. Scientists
have found the air inside the buses can be worse than outside.
New York has made steps to retrofit older school buses to
reduce diesel-related pollutants, but environmentalists and
several lawmakers Thursday said only a fraction of the buses
on the road today are in line to be upgraded. For more information
about cleaning up school busses, visit: http://www.serconline.org/schoolbus/index.html.
For more on how to save your state money and clean up the
environment at the same time, visit: http://www.serconline.org/fiscalreform/pkg_frameset.html. |
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Washington
Effort Will Target Dangerous Flame Retardant (Seattle
Post-Intelligencer 1/29)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/158494_toxic29.html
A fire retardant that has been showing up in frightening levels
in Washington eagle eggs and fish -- even the breast milk
of Northwest women -- is the new target of a state program
devoted to reducing toxic chemicals in the environment. Gov.
Gary Locke signed an executive order last week reviving an
Ecology Department program, announcing that it will address
the growing threat of polybrominated biphenyl ethers, or PBDEs.
PBDEs, which are used as flame retardants in many consumer
products, may have a number of potential negative health effects,
including hormone disruption, neural damage, birth defects,
and possibly cancer. California recently passed a law to ban
the most dangerous types of fire retardants, and lawmakers
in Maine are considering a ban. Locke's executive order instructs
the Ecology Department to develop an "action plan"
for dealing with the PBDE problem within a year. The governor's
order doesn't give the department the money it needs to get
the job done, but Locke and legislators promised yesterday
to fight to include $686,000 for the program in this year's
budget. Rep. Kelli Linville, who serves on the Appropriations
Committee, said that "prevention of these chemicals from
entering the environment is going to be more cost-effective
than cleaning them up after. It makes good public health sense
and good fiscal sense to do these programs." For more
information about PBDEs, visit: http://www.serconline.org/PBDEs.html. |
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Cruise
Industry to Come Under Additional Regulations (Honolulu
Advisor 1/20; Seattle Times 1/28)
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2004/Jan/20/bz/bz03a.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001845353_ship28m0.html
Both Hawaii and Washington are moving to regulate pollution
from cruise ships. Rep. Brian Schatz, chairman of the House
committee on economic development, plans to propose legislation
that would amend Hawaii's Clean Water Act and ban discharges
of sewage, wash-water drainage, oily bilge water, solid waste,
hazardous waste, and medical waste into state waters. Cruise
ships would be required to install devices that would allow
the Department of Health to more cost-effectively monitor
discharges. Furthermore, cruise companies would be required
to register ships, immediately report violations, and allow
officials to board vessels for inspections. Cruise ships,
paying a visit to Puget Sound, will be subject to tighter
water pollution control measures under a proposed law by State
Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson. HB 2549 would prohibit cruise ships
from discharging sewage, oily bilge water, and graywater into
state water. It would regulate any commercial passenger vessel
with overnight accommodations and 50 or more paying passengers
attempting to dock at a Washington port. Before entering Puget
Sound, the owner or operator of each ship would be required
to register annually with the state Ecology Department. They
also would have to sign an agreement to comply with state
waste-discharge laws. Ship owners or operators would be fined
up to $25,000 for each violation. Cruise ship companies would
prefer entering into voluntary agreements, but the Washington
bill supporters are wary of such agreements. |
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Vermont
Lawmakers Seek to Prevent Light Pollution (Burlington
Free Press 1/28)
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/bfpnews/news/wednesday/4000h.htm
Progressive House member Bill Kiss proposed legislation this
week that would gradually phase out sky-blinding outdoor lighting
in Vermont. He argues that the aesthetic and economic value
of a star-lit night is important to his state. The bill includes
a ban on bright outdoor fixtures unless they have shields
to direct light toward the ground. The ban would be phased
in over four years. First, unshielded bright lights couldn't
be sold in Vermont. Then, they would be banned from any new
installations. Finally, old lights would have to be replaced.
Those opposed to the bill include businesses that rely on
intense outdoor lighting, such as ski resorts that offer night
skiing, and fans of other nighttime sporting events. Some
businesses also complain that the phase-out isn't gradual
enough, and would be too costly in the short term. Kiss claims
that he isn't as concerned with strictly enforcing the phase-out
as he is with making people aware of how outdoor lighting
affects viewing the night sky. For more information, visit:
http://www.serconline.org/darkSkies.html. |
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California:
Study Concludes High Speed Train Beneficial (San
Jose Mercury News 1/27)
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/7806189.htm
A draft environmental impact statement released this week
in California concludes that a high-speed train network is
the most effective means of accommodating increased intra-city
travel in the state. The report considers two other choices:
1) building only those airport projects and highway lanes
already in planning, or 2) building those projects plus 2970
more miles of highway lanes and 60 more airport gates. According
to the report, the first option would result in a traffic
nightmare, and the second would cost $82 billion, more than
twice as much as the best proposal, which involves the train
project supplementing the airport and highway projects already
in planning. The trains would link Fresno, Sacramento, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego -- 700 miles of rail
line in all -- and would travel at speeds in excess of 200
mph. The entire train project will cost taxpayers $33 billion
to $37 billion and carry as many as 68 million passengers
a year by 2020. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is urging a postponement
of a bond measure on the ballot this November that would authorize
part of the funding for the first third of the project. State
Sen. Dean Florez, a key supporter of the project, agrees with
the governor and is willing to put off the measure until 2006
when he thinks the economy might be stronger and the public
more willing to foot the bill. For more ideas on how your
state can accommodate its traffic needs, visit: http://www.serconline.org/trafficcongestionrelief/index.html. |
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North
Carolina: Hearings to Begin on Fish Limits (Charlotte
Observer 1/26)
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/local/7797419.htm
Hearings began last week in the Carolinas on a controversial
proposal to address overfishing off the south Atlantic coast,
creating refuges for the bottom-dwelling reef fish that are
in most trouble. Marine protected areas, as they are called,
are relatively new to the Carolinas. The South Atlantic Fishery
Management Council, whose jurisdiction extends from three
to 200 miles offshore, has proposed nine areas from the N.C.
coast to the Florida Keys where it would be illegal to catch
eight species of deep-water fish, including snapper and grouper.
Kerry O'Malley, a fisheries biologist with the South Atlantic
Council, said the areas would be the first established in
the Southeast solely to protect fish. The proposed plan is
part of an effort to restore dwindling populations of 73 reef-fish
species and could later include new catch limits and closures
during spawning season. The Coastal Conservation Association,
which represents recreational saltwater fishermen, says marine
protected areas should be used only when other management
tools have been exhausted, although the group supports a proposed
area to protect snowy grouper. Commercial fishermen remain
unconvinced of the need and successfulness of marine protected
areas. |
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West
Virginia Legislators to Look at Water Usage Bill
(Charleston Gazette 1/27)
http://wvgazette.com/section/News/Other%20News/2004012619
SSB 163, a bill that tackles West Virginia's ownership of
state water and proposes a year-long study to find out where
the state's water is going, was brought before legislators
last week. The survey would be conducted by the state Department
of Environmental Protection over one year and include statistics
from the past five years. Under the bill, industries using
750,000 or more gallons of water a month would have to send
information about their water use to a five-member commission.
Most industries have opposed any type of water-use legislation,
even though West Virginia is only one of three Eastern U.S.
states, which have not staked a claim to their own water.
Property owners fear their riparian rights, which allow them
to use water from a river or stream adjacent to their property,
may be taken away from them. Senator Randy White commented
that Western states have fought over water rights for years,
and expects the debate to move East as metropolitan areas'
water demand grows. Interest in the bill stems from water
possibly being taken from the state and sold without West
Virginia having any claim to it. For more information on how
your state can monitor water usage, visit: http://www.serconline.org/land&water.html. |
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New
Jersey Assembly to Bring Back Environmental Prosecutor
(The Star Ledger 1/27)
http://www.nj.com/statehouse/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1075186698273260.xml
An Assembly committee backed a bill last week that would create
a state environmental prosecutor, a position invented by Gov.
Jim Florio, abolished by Gov. Christie Whitman, and absent
so far from the administration of Gov. James E. McGreevey.
Business lobbyists say the position is unnecessary because
state government officials have done a good job handling environmental
crimes. The proposal comes after the McGreevy administration
recently won a $16.9 million fine from three companies for
the contamination of Hudson and Essex counties with chromium.
However, Assemblyman Louis Manzo, who investigated that case,
said that the fine for those 189 contamination sites should
have been much higher, and was reduced by powerful lobbying
interests. Manzo said the lobbying influence would be reduced
if the state reestablished the position of environmental prosecutor,
which under the amended bill would be able to pursue civil
penalties and criminal convictions. |
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Wisconsin
Bill to Restore Comprehensive Energy Planning (The
Capital Times 1/26)
http://www.madison.com/captimes/news/stories/66045.php
A bill introduced by state Rep. Spencer Black would require
comprehensive planning and coordination to meet Wisconsin's
electric demands. Comprehensive utility planning has been
absent from the state since the late 1990's, and the bill's
advocates note that, since then, electricity prices have risen
by 40 percent. The bill's provisions are directed to the Public
Service Commission (PSC). Among other things, the bill would
require the state's adequacy and reliability of energy sources
to be examined every two years and would require that conservation
and promotion of renewable energy sources be a part of the
PSC's plan. The bill would also allow approval of large power
plants and high voltage transmission lines only if they are
addressed in the PSC's plan. The Citizens' Utility Board and
the Coalition of Energy Consumers, which represent consumers
and major energy users in Wisconsin, both support the bill. |
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Controversy
over Utah Alternative Energy Bill (The Salt Lake
Tribune 1/26)
http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Jan/01262004/utah/132744.asp
Utah SB 19 is meant to stimulate alternative energy projects
by providing exemptions on sales and use taxes for equipment
and materials used in the construction of alternative energy
projects. The bill, introduced by Senator Leonard Blackham,
passed unanimously in the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee
last week. Although alternative energy advocates applaud the
legislature's desire to increase Utah's role in alternative
energies, they are also critical of tax exemptions for hydropower
or waste-to-energy projects, unless their environmental effects
can be mitigated, said Sarah Wright, director of the nonprofit
Utah Clean Energy Coalition. Hydropower and waste-to-energy
projects can have negative environmental effects if not planned
and operated effectively. Because most of the potential for
alternative energy in Utah is in projects below 1 megawatt,
Wright also opposed parts of the bill that would have limited
tax breaks to projects greater than 1 megawatt. Blackham has
since said that he will significantly reduce the power-output
threshold in the bill so that small commercial projects below
1 megawatt will be able to qualify for tax breaks. For more
information on how your state can provide positive incentives
for renewable energy innovation, visit: http://www.serconline.org/RPS/pkg_frameset.html. |
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