THE GREEN SHEET

Vol. 9 - No. 6
July 2004

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

Time to Renew

State energy planners have been given a road map to a cleaner, more secure and efficient energy future. Now it is up to the Pataki Administration to act, says Environmental Advocates of New York Executive Director Robert Moore.

Under consideration by the state Public Service Commission (PSC) are recommendations for an aggressive renewable energy standard that would increase the amount of electricity generated by renewable resources in New York to 25 percent by 2013. New York currently generates about 19.5 percent of its electricity using renewable fuels like wind, solar and hydro. Despite increasing awareness of the importance of moving away from reliance on fossil fuels, New York was doing a lot better 40 years ago, when about 34 percent of its electricity was generated by renewables, mostly large hydro projects. Today, it will take increasing investments in wind, solar and fuel cell technologies, coupled with energy conservation, to get the state moving in the right direction.

The 25 percent Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) was first announced as a goal by Gov. George Pataki in his 2003 State of the State message. Since then, a collaborative case involving over 150 parties has been conducted by the PSC. The commission could act on the recommended decision in August.

Testifying in late June at the last of eight public hearings on the plan, Moore said: “Increasing the use of renewable energy in New York is an essential part of the state’s energy future. By doing so we decrease our dependence on imported fossil fuels, protect ratepayers from the unpredictable prices of international natural gas markets and reduce New York’s contribution to air pollution that threatens public health and the quality of our environment. Moreover, adoption of the RPS is needed for New York to take responsibility for its contribution to global warming.”

In a parallel development, the federal Environmental Protection Agency announced in late June that nearly 100 million people, including many in New York, are breathing air that flunks federal air standards because of microscopic soot from power plants and other sources. This is another problem clean, renewable energy will help solve. To learn more about the RPS and to submit supporting comments, see www.eany/issues/cleanair.html.

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On the Alert

♦Rules of the Road: The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently proposed closing 54 roads in the Adirondack Park to all-terrain vehicle (ATV) use. State law prohibits the use of ATVs on roads that are open to motor vehicles, unless they provide the only available access to certain adjacent areas. After evaluating roads currently open to ATV access within the Aldrich Pond, Independence River, Black River and Watson’s East Wild Forest areas, DEC concluded that many do not comply with the law and must be closed to ATV use. The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) will decide on DEC’s recommendations at a July 8-9 meeting. Write: Rick Weber, NYS APA, PO Box 99, Route 86, Ray Brook, NY 12977; call: 518-891-4050; or fax: 518-891-3938. For more information, visit: www.apa.state.ny.us/Mailing/stateLand.htm, or contact the Adirondack Council at 877-873-2240.

♦Off the Mark: On July 21, 2004, the US House Resources Committee will mark up HR 2933, the Critical Habitat Reform Act of 2003. This bill would make the designation of critical habitat for endangered wildlife discretionary rather then required, gutting an important part of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). On the same day the committee will also mark up and possibly pass HR 1662, which would amend the ESA to require the Secretary of the Interior to give greater weight to certain types of science over others. Such a change could significantly slow government action to protect species and undercut the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Urge your representative to oppose HR 1662 and HR 2933 because they do not protect endangered wildlife. For more information, email Corry Westbrook at Westbrook@nwf.org.

♦Sound Off: Earlier this year, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that contaminated dredge spoils from Connecticut harbors and waterways can be disposed of in Long Island Sound. Opposition to the plan has been broad-based, especially in New York, which has invested significant resources in cleaning up the state’s marine waters. The NY Department of State is sponsoring two forums to review current treatment technologies and relevant case studies on the successful beneficial reuse of dredged material as an alternative to dumping. The two symposia, Sensible Solutions for LI Sound, are supported by EANY, Citizens’ Campaign for the Environment and the Sierra Club among other groups (see The Month Ahead). For information on the events, contact Veronica King of the Citizens Environmental Research Institute, 516-390-7150.

♦Road Rage: The Bush Administration is still trying to weaken the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, perhaps in July, threatening nearly 60 million acres of forestland. The nation’s largest national forest, Alaska’s Tongass Rainforest, has already been exempted and is now threatened by some 50 timber projects in pristine areas. Visit http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/save_roadless to send a letter to the White House.

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For Your Information

♦Nuclear News: Citizens Awareness Network (CAN) is challenging new regulations recently adopted by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in federal court that will limit the public’s right to have on-the-record hearings on issues affecting nuclear plant siting. In June, five state attorneys general (MA, NY, CT, NH, and CA) filed an amicus brief with the court also challenging the rule. The new regs will reduce participation by citizens and elected officials on license renewal (many of New York’s nuclear power plant owners are in the process of applying or will soon apply for 20-year license extensions), cleanup standards for decommissioning reactor sites, and siting permits for new nuclear reactors. For information, contact Deb Katz, CAN, at 413-339-5781.

♦ Shore Thing: The 19th Annual NYS Beach Cleanup is coming to a shoreline near you. On September 18, thousands of volunteers led by beach captains from local environmental groups and schools led by scout leaders, corporate public service directors, civic associations, and others will clean up and document litter on hundreds of beaches across the state. To organize a cleanup in your area and for more information, contact NYS Beach Cleanup Coordinator Barbara Cohen, American Littoral Society, at ALSBeach@aol.com, 800-449-0790, or visit: www.alsnyc.org.

♦ Mercury Message: To raise awareness about human health hazards associated with dirty energy, Greenpeace is sponsoring a nationwide mercury-testing project. Using do-it-yourself test kits, participants will discover their own mercury levels and help pressure the Bush Administration to make the switch from polluting fossil fuels, to healthier, renewable energy. The cost of the test is $25. Find out how you can get tested by going to: www.greenpeaceusa.org/cen/mercury.

♦ Award Show: Applications are now available for DEC’s First Annual Environmental Excellence Awards. This program recognizes organizations that excel in one or more of the following areas: innovative practices, sustainable practices, or the establishment of partnerships efforts. Eligible applicants include business/technical assistance providers, non-governmental organizations, municipalities, and individuals. Applications for the Fall awards are available at: www.dec.state.ny.us under “Highlights,” and must be postmarked by July 15, 2004. For more information, contact Michelle Hinman at 518-402-9469 or mjhinman@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

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Activists' Corner

Working to Green: A new organization dedicated to creating worker owned and environmentally friendly manufacturing businesses in the South Bronx launched in May 2004. Green Worker Cooperatives (GWC) is an outgrowth of New York City’s environmental justice movement and a realization that polluted neighborhoods must create their own alternatives to address environmental and economic problems.

Much of the 13,500 tons/day of non-fill construction and demolition waste produced in NYC ends up in the South Bronx. As its first project, GWC will work to create a Building Materials ReUse Center and DeConstruction Service to recover valuable building materials from construction and renovation projects. A feasibility study has been completed and GWC is preparing a business plan and searching for suitable warehouse space.

For more information, contact Omar Freilla, director, at 718-617-4668 or omarfreilla@ssbx.org.

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The Month Ahead

July

6-15: Great Hudson River Paddle. Celebrate the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail, public access to the river and the riverside communities of the Hudson River Valley. Contact Scott Keller at 518-473-3835 or info@hrwa.org.

8: Adirondack Park Agency Public Hearing on 114-foot Nextel Cell Tower on Pilot Knob Road in Fort Ann. Pilot Knob Volunteer Fire Company Hall, 1750 Pilot Knob Rd, Fort Ann. 1:00PM-3:00PM and 5:00PM-7:00PM. Call George V. Outcalt or Mitchell Goroski at 518-891-4050.

12-16: Environmental Investigators Camp. From water to soil, urban areas to forested lands, discover the dangers to the environment and how to help. Ages 9–11. Cost to be determined. Rochester Museum and Science Center. 9:00AM-4:00PM. Call 585-271-455 ext. 342.

14-18: Sustainable Communities Conference, sponsored by Global Community Initiatives. Workshops will highlight the cutting edge of sustainability planning, collaboration, implementation, and evaluation. Burlington, Vermont. Visit: www.global-community.org/conference or call 802-272-2684.

17: Annual Loon Census, organized by The Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program (ACLP). This annual event helps ACLP monitor and assess long-term trends of the loon population summering in the Adirondack Park. 8:00AM-9:00AM. Call 518-891-8836 or email: mgr@juno.com to sign up. Visit: www.adkscience.org/loons.

18: Community Garden Volunteer Work Day, organized by Times Up! United We Stand Garden, 138th St. and Cypress Ave., Bronx. 1:00PM. Email: richkrollman@yahoo.com or bronx_garden@yahoo.com.

19: Implementing a High Performance Lower Manhattan, a Beyond 16 Acres panel discussion presented by Regional Plan Association and Urban Agenda, with Green Ground Zero. Wall Street Rising Downtown Information Center, 25 Broad St. at Exchange Pl., Manhattan. 5:30PM-7:30PM. Free. Space is limited. RSVP to info@civic-alliance.org or 212-253-2727 ext. 319.

20: Sensible Solutions for LI Sound – A Public Symposium. Sponsored by NYS Department of State. Farmingdale State University, Little Theater, Roosevelt Hall, 2350 Broadhollow Rd., Farmingdale. 7:00PM-9:00PM. Also: 7/21, Pace University, White Plains School of Law Campus, NYS Judicial Institute, 78 North Broadway, White Plains. 7:00PM-9:00PM. (See Sound Off, On the Alert).

20: Invasive Species Task Force (ISTF) Meeting No. 2. The agenda will include: a progress report from the ISTF Steering Committee; a presentation by Lori Williams, executive director of the National Invasive Species Council; and field visits to sites of active restoration projects nearby. Adirondack Park Agency Headquarters, Ray Brook. 10:00AM-3:00PM. Call Lynette Stark, DEC, at 518-402-8560.

21: NYS Dept. of Transportation advisory panel hearing on long range state transportation plan. Offices of the Long Island Association, 80 Hauppauge Rd., Commack. 11:00AM. Also: 7/22, St. John’s University, 101 Murray St., Manhattan, 11:00AM; 7/27, Orange/Ulster County BOCES, Gibson Rd., Goshen, 11:00AM. Call 518-457-6400.

August

12-15: Northeast Organic Farming Association’s 30th Annual Summer Conference. Hampshire College, Amherst, MA. Fees vary. Contact Denis & Audrey Cronin at 508-799-2278 (before 9:00PM) or nofareg@juno.com. Visit: www.nofa.org.

15: Make Every Day Earth Day Expo, sponsored by Western New York Earth Day. Buffalo Zoo. 10:00AM-4:00PM. Email info@wnyearthday.org or visit: www.wnyearthday.org.

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THE GREEN SHEET
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Environmental Advocates of New York.
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Managing Editor • Jeff Jones
Editor • Laura DiBetta

To Contact Elected Officials:

Governor George E. Pataki
Executive Chamber
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
518.474.8390
www.state.ny.us/governor

New York State Senate
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

US Capitol Switchboard
202.224.3121