THE GREEN SHEET

Vol. 8 - No. 8
August 2003

Lead Story: Fish Story
On the Alert
For Your Information
Activists' Corner
The Month Ahead
Contact Information

Fish Story

When the power plants located along the Hudson River north of New York City are operating at full capacity, they withdraw up to five billion gallons of water per day for their cooling systems. Billions of eggs and larvae, not to mention fish crushed on the intake screens, are killed annually. Some years, according to the Hudson Riverkeeper, more than 40 percent of young striped bass are killed. Heated water returning to the river also takes a toll.

According to the federal Clean Water Act, the state must require plant owners to install the best technology available to minimize environmental impacts. Moving from open to closed cycle cooling at the Indian Point nuclear reactors in Westchester County, and at three plants in Rockland and Orange Counties, could cut water use and fish mortality by 97 percent. Plant owners argue that even with the massive fish kills, there is no significant habitat crisis to warrant the cost of upgrading the cooling systems. But they are wrong. Two valuable species – shad and herring – are not doing well. At least 17 percent of shad, a more vulnerable species than striped bass, born in the Hudson were killed by power plant intakes, according to 1997 data, the most recent available. And a recent state study reported that “rainbow smelt may be disappearing from some reaches of the Hudson because of thermal discharges from electric generating stations.”

Under the Clean Water Act, use of the river’s water is controlled and permitted under the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES). But New York has fallen behind in issuing the permits. The state was recently ordered in court to bring its SPDES permits up to date.

Currently, the state is reviewing the SPDES permit for the Danskammer power plant in Orange County, a 500 megawatt coal-burner built in 1950s. It uses 457 million gallons of Hudson River water daily for once-through cooling. Although DEC has issued a draft permit which requires immediate and significant reductions in the number of fish killed by the cooling process, it fails to require a switch to dry cooling. Written comments on the draft permit must be postmarked by August 11, 2003, and sent to Administrative Law Judge Daniel P. O’Connell, NYSDEC Office of Hearings and Mediation Services, 625 Broadway, First Floor, Albany, New York 12233-1550. For more information, contact Dave Gordon or Reed Super, Riverkeeper, at 845-424-4149.

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On the Alert

♦Who’ll Stop the Rain?: A new report by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) reveals that rain falling over a dozen Gulf Coast, southeastern and mid-Atlantic states contains levels of mercury well above what the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers safe for people and wildlife in surface waters. The chief source of mercury contamination is smokestack emissions from coal-burning power plants. Mercury is also used in hundreds of household products which enter the atmosphere when they are incinerated as waste. Cycle of Harm: Mercury’s Pathway from Rain to Fish in the Environment focused on 12 states, including New York, where 84 percent of samples were over the EPA limit. Even at low levels mercury can damage the brain, especially during fetal development. Write or call your members of Congress and urge them to reject President Bush’s Clear Skies Initiative, a revision of the Clean Air Act that would allow power plants to emit more mercury than is permitted under current law. Also, support a phase-out of mercury in manufactured products and improvement in the labeling and disposal of products containing mercury in New York State. To read the full NWF report and to send a fax to your representatives, visit: www.nwf.org/cleantherain.

♦Summertime Blues: Favorite summertime fishing holes and swimming spots could soon lose protections that help keep them clean. The Bush Administration has proposed changes to Clean Water Act rules that would limit the law that has guarded the nation’s water resources for over 30 years. The plan could remove safeguards for all waterbodies except those that can support commercial navigation or are directly next to navigable water. Over 60 percent of the country’s streams, tens of millions of acres of wetlands, and countless natural ponds would be affected under this proposal. Ask your members of Congress to tell the Bush Administration not to weaken the Clean Water Act. For more information and to take action, visit: www.savesummer.org.

♦Unkindest Cuts: Congress created the Conservation Trust Fund (CTF) to provide federal money for state wildlife grants, forest legacy, and the Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). In July the House approved a FY 2004 Interior Appropriations bill that underfunds CTF programs by over $500 million. In September, the Senate will consider its version which provides additional money for open space and forest legacy. Call your Senators and urge them to support increased funding levels for the conservation programs. For more information, call Lesli Gray, National Wildlife Federation, 202-797-6806.

♦Mail Call: A postcard in your mailboxes will arrive soon with an important announcement about The Green Sheet. Due to rising costs, we can no longer offer TGS for free. The postcard will tell you how you can keep on receiving TGS. We can save $ and resources if you receive TGS via email or view it online at www.eany.org. If you would like to receive TGS by email, send a message to gsheet@eany.org and include your full name. It will also become a benefit of membership in Environmental Advocates of New York.

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For Your Information

♦Up to the Challenge: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and its partners have launched the NY Energy Challenge, urging New Yorkers to pledge to reduce their energy consumption and/or substitute renewables to reduce or replace 2,000 megawatts of electricity – equivalent to the capacity of Indian Point nuclear reactors 2 and 3. Visit www.nyenergychallenge.org to sign up or fill out a paper pledge and mail it in. Call 845-454-7673 ext. 113 or 116 for more information.

♦ Put that Cap On: Without a mandatory carbon cap, US carbon dioxide emissions are likely to rise across a wide range of future energy scenarios, according to a new report released by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. US Energy Scenarios for the 21st Century looks at alternative paths for US energy supply. The report suggests that technology research and development efforts coupled with voluntary measures cannot sufficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights the need for a mandatory climate change policy to address carbon emissions. The full report is available at www.pewclimate.org.

♦ Island Getaway: The Governors Island National Monument in New York Harbor opened for public tours in July, the first regular public access to the Island in more than 200 years. The free tours are sponsored by the National Park Service, Governors Island Preservation and Education Corporation, Governors Island Alliance and Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. Tours will be offered Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10:00AM and 1:00PM through September (Thursday tours are for groups of 25 or more). Advance 48-hour registration is required for this vigorous,1.5 mile National Park Service Ranger-guided tour. To register, visit www.governorsislandnationalmonument.org or call 212-514-8296. For large groups, call Robert Pirani, Regional Plan Association, at 212- 253-2727 ext. 305.

♦ Get Smart: Wider roads, residential developments and high tech business parks threaten natural resources, including farmland, forests, wetlands and water supplies, and contribute to urban blight. But localities can take action and plan for future growth in sustainable ways. Pete Sheehan and Susan Lawrence of the Sierra Club’s Hudson Mohawk Group help local groups and individuals in this effort. Contact them at psheeha5@nycap.rr.com or shlawr2@aol.com.

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Activists' Corner

A Rational Approach: Auto-Free NY (AFNY) is a movement aimed at reducing car use in New York City in an effort to make it a more livable city. The organization promotes getting cars out of parks, increasing pedestrian space, investing in new transit options – including light rail and streetcars – and improving bicycling. AFNY is a unit of the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility.

AFNY has been hosting free monthly meetings featuring a wide variety of guest speakers since its founding in February, 1989. Usually held in lower Manhattan, they are open to the public and do not require a reservation. AFNY’s August 26th meeting will be a guided tour of the Hudson-Bergen light rail line (see Calendar).

For more information on Auto-Free NY, contact its chairman, George Haikalis, at 212-475-3394 or geohaikalis@juno.com. Visit Auto-Free NY online at www.auto-free.org.

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The Month Ahead

August

1-3: 25th Anniversary of Love Canal. Events include walking tours, news conferences, reception, awards ceremony and boat tour aboard a Niagara Clipper. Call Citizens’ Environmental Coalition at 716-885-6848.

6: Friends of the Bay’s Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring. Volunteers monitor water quality in Mill Neck Creek, Oyster Bay and Cold Spring Harbor. Every Wednesday until the end of October. Email bay@friendsofthebay.org or call 516-922-6666.

13: Rotational Grazier Breeding Success, a farm tour hosted by Keith and Lisa Saunders at Saunders Dairy and sponsored by the Regional Farm & Food Project. 72 McCormack Rd., Greenwich. 1:00PM-3:00PM. Call 518-271-0744 or email farmfood@capital.net to make reservations.

15-18: Hazon’s 3rd annual New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride. Raise environmental awareness and ride a beautiful 115-mile route from East Hampton to Manhattan. Open to riders of any religious background who are interested in supporting faith-based efforts to foster environmental awareness and protection. To register, visit: http://hazon.org.

17: Make Every Day Earth Day Exposition, sponsored by Western NY Earth Day. Children’s activities, earth-friendly demonstrations and displays, food, music, animals and more. Buffalo Zoo. 10:00AM-4:00PM. Free with Zoo admission. Call 716-855-7050 ext. 506.

19: Terrestial Invaders, talk by Dan Spada sponsored by the Lake George Association (LGA). Learn about the various species invading the Adirondack Park and what can be done to prevent their spread. LGA Building, Route 9N, South Luzerne Road, Lake George. 7:30PM. Call 518-668-3558.

24: The Geography of Long Island City, tour sponsored by the Municipal Art Society (MAS). See the effects of development on this former wetland area on foot and from the #7 train (Tour includes two subway fares). Meet urban geographer Jack Eichenbaum at the S.W. corner of 42nd St. and 5th Ave. 5:00PM. Call 212-935-3960 or email info@mas.org.

26: Guided Tour of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line, sponsored by Auto-Free NY (see Activists’ Corner). Meet inside the historic Hoboken Terminal Waiting Room. 6:00PM-8:00PM. No charge, except transit fares.

September

7: 14th Annual NYC Century Bike Tour 2003, sponsored by Transportation Alternatives. 100, 75, 55, 35 and 15 mile routes. Registration fees vary. Call 212-629-8080 or visit: www.transalt.org.

12-13: ReCharge Energy Expo and Conference: Smart Solutions for a Cleaner World, sponsored by Pace Energy Project. Bear Mountain Conference Center, Bear Mountain. Contact Dorice Madronero at 914-422-4415 or dmadronero@aw.pace.edu. Visit: www.rechargeexpo.com.

20: NYS Beach Cleanup, coordinated by the American Littoral Society. Join a shoreline cleanup in your area or form one of your own. Contact Barbara Cohen at 718-471-2166 or alsbeach@aol.com. Visit: www.alsnyc.org.

28: Hudson Valley Harvests: Abundance and Diversity, the 25th Annual Harvest Festival, sponsored by the Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center. Activities include a farmer’s market, music, food, crafts and more. 79 Farmstead Lane, Wappingers Falls. 12:00PM-4:00PM. Call 845-831-8780.

SAVE THE DATE!
October 15: Race to Stop Global Warming. Environmental Advocates of NY is forming a team to run/walk in Central Park representing the Cap Carbon Campaign. To join, call 518-462-5526 or visit www.capcarbonnow.com.

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Managing Editor • Jeff Jones
Editor • Laura DiBetta

To Contact Elected Officials:

Governor George E. Pataki
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State Capitol
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Albany, NY 12247
518.455.2800
www.senate.state.ny.us

New York State Assembly
Albany, NY 12248
518.455.4100
www.assembly.state.ny.us

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