http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/1655320.html

POLLUTION | Nixon proposes regulations to halt sewageRULES WOULD PROTECT LAKESIf enacted, laws would allow Missouri to limit wastewater facilities at certain locations.By KAREN DILLON, The Kansas City Star, December 30, 2009

Calling Erin Brockovich

Posted by Scott Dye, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

So, as Missouri Gov. Nixon and his DNR try to put the Dirty Watergate/E. coli­gate scandal behind them, uppops hexavalent chromium. Seems the DNR failed to notify residents of two Mississippi River cities for twoweeks of elevated hexachrome 6 in their drinking water, or that their drinking water treatment wasexacerbating the problem.

In the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Missouri Sentinel Ken Midkiff asks seemingly logical questions: ‘Still, someenvironmentalists question why more wasn't done to inform the public. "The people who drank the waterdidn't know," said Ken Midkiff, a clean­water advocate. "Why not notify the public that there might be aproblem? What's the harm in that?"’

So does GOP state senator Brad Lager: ‘"Who's running that place?" Lager said of the DNR.’

New tests find higher level of chemicalBy Kim McGuire and Tony MessengerST. LOUIS POST­DISPATCH

Truth, Out

Posted by Scott Dye, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ALL HAIL retiring Michigan DEQ Director Steve Chester for weathering the dark ages of the state’s Engleradministration, restoring some environmental integrity to the agency during the Granholm administration,and departing in a hail of truths.

From the John Flesher AP article:

‘Environmental activists, meanwhile, sometimes thought Chester wasn't tough enough. They protested whenthe DEQ approved permits for a nickel and copper mine in the Upper Peninsula and a new coal­fired powerplant near Bay City.

But they gave Chester mostly positive reviews, saying he restored the traditional watchdog role of an agencythey considered toothless and dispirited under the business­friendly administration of former RepublicanGov. John Engler.

"He got beat up ­­ a lot ­­ and was willing to take the heat and continue pushing forward to try and do theright thing," said Anne Woiwode, director of the Sierra Club's Michigan chapter. "While we didn't alwaysagree with his decisions, he based them on the law and science. He was willing to listen and haveconversations and disagree in a constructive way."

A healthy environment for Michigan also depends on improving the relationship between regulators andlawmakers, Chester said.

"Legislators have to trust the judgment of the department, they have to rely on science and cannot basetheir decisions on limited, anecdotal information," he said.

"Unfortunately, all too often it's those loud, well­heeled voices that get their attention, rather than the publicat large. It's hurting us as a state. We have to do better."’

Chester: Despite critics, Michigan DEQ accomplished much

John Flesher / Associated Press

Cash Creek Coal Plant Critique

Posted by Scott Dye, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ALL HALL Kentucky Sentinel Emeritus Lee Dew for his excellent counterpoint LTE in the SundayOwensboro Messenger­Inquirer.

From the LTE:

‘The letter by David L. Bailey published in the Dec. 22 edition supporting the building of the Cash Creekgenerating plant and attacking the Sierra Club and Valley Watch misses the point entirely.

We believe that the laws should be enforced. We hope that, for the good of all, other Kentuckians wouldrespect the fact that regulatory laws are indeed laws and should be enforced by these state officialscharged with their enforcement.

To do less would mean that we would be abrogating our responsibilities as citizens and the officials wouldbe violating their oaths to support the very laws which they sometimes seem to overlook.’

Environmental laws should be upheld on Cash Creek project

Conservation Loses an Icon

Posted by Scott Dye, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ALL HAIL the legacy of Rusty Gates, an icon of conservation and fly fishing, and founder of the Anglers ofAu Sable. The man is gone, but the “The Holy Water” rolls on.

From the article:

‘If you want to experience Rusty Gates’ legacy, drive this winter to the Mason Tract on the South Branch ofthe Au Sable River and snowshoe or ski through the snowy, hushed woods to the banks of one of the leastdespoiled streams in Michigan.

Listen to the wind sighing through the pines, the occasional soft “plop” of a clump of snow falling from a highbranch, the startling “grawk” of a passing raven. Then listen to what you don’t hear. Drink in the silencewhen the wind dies, a quiet so intense, it can be unsettling, and absorb a solitude that can be experiencedin few places in a state with 10 million people.

Gates founded the Anglers of the Au Sable in 1987 to defend the river system from a constant barrage ofthreats, ranging from polluted stormwater runoff to oil drillers, and was the organization’s president throughthis year.

“He taught us what to do and how to do it,” said Marvin Roberson of Marquette, a close friend and one of the900 members of the Anglers of the Au Sable. He has adopted Gates’ beloved Gordon setter bird dog,Buster. “Now we need to pick up his mantle and keep it going.” ‘

www.messsenger­inquirer.com

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/01/groups_want_epa_to_revoke_adem.html

Breaking News from the Mobile Press­RegisterGroups want EPA to revoke ADEM authorityBy Ben Raines, January 16, 2010, 6:15AM AZ Gov Loves Nukes, Uranium Mining & Coal

Posted by Scott Dye, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Or… Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh my! She also appears to be ignorant of the United States NationalPark Service.

ALL HAIL Arizona’s indefatigable Sandy Bahr for countering with some common sense in this Capitol MediaServices article.

From the article:

‘Gov. Jan Brewer wants more nuclear plants in Arizona, and more uranium mining in the state to fuel them.

And she said Arizona needs to continue to rely on fossil fuels, especially coal, brushing aside concernsabout particulate pollution.

Sierra Club lobbyist Sandy Bahr said Brewer's support of more nuclear power plants is based on theassumption the state needs more power. She said the best way to make more power available is to betteruse what we already have.

"We're a very inefficient state when it comes to our construction, buildings, houses,' Bahr said. "There's lotswe can do relative to retrofits and also having strong codes for new construction.'

Bahr also said that, given the time it takes to get a plant permitted by the federal government, relying onthis source makes no sense.

"It's just a huge distraction at a time when we should be focusing on the things that we have a lot ofagreement on,' she said, like producing energy from more renewable sources. Bahr said Arizona has "agreat opportunity to become leaders, to bring down the cost and to create jobs, all of those things that weneed instead of fighting over something that is so controversial.'

Gov. Brewer again: "Frankly, we don't need the federal government telling the Grand Canyon State how toprotect the Grand Canyon,' she said.

Bahr scoffed at the idea that Arizona politicians would do what is right.

"If it were up to them, Grand Canyon would have hotels all along the rim, a tramway to the bottom, lordknows what else, and, yes, uranium mines,' she said.’

http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=34402

Governor seeks more nuclear plantsBy Howard Fischer, Capitol Media ServicesFriday, January 08, 2010

Illinois Groups to Sue Coal Mine

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Heart of Illinois Group and our allies ELPC and Prairie River Network for taking the IndustryMine of Springfield Coal LLC to the legal woodshed. In addition to local coverage in the Peoria Journal Star,Jeff Biggers blogged on it on the Huffington Post. Both articles follow.

From the articles:

Three environmental groups announced Friday they intend to sue a coal mining company for what they claimare 300 water pollution violations at a coal mine near Macomb, and they say the same could happen if aproposed mine is allowed in Canton.

"This is outrageous. They have committed gross acts of pollution at the Industry mine," Heart of IllinoisGroup Sierra Club member Joyce Blumenshine said of the mine that is located in Industry, about 12 milessouth of Macomb in McDonough County.

The group found that the reckless coal company had over 300 documented exceedances of their NPDESpermit since July, 2003.

With less than 16 percent of the state's forests still standing in Illinois, the strip mine is located in an areathat was once one of the largest remaining contiguous woodland in western Illinois. Out of the once 5,000acres of old growth, the Great Chandler Timbers being strip mined are the last forests in the area withancient maples, oaks, and black walnuts trees, and iron woods, willows and wild cherry and thorn apples.

For local people in the area, the Great Chandler Timbers are also natural heritage sites that need to beprotected and used for local benefit; an extraordinary array of endangered birds and wildlife inhabit thewoods, including the Indiana Bat, the Alligator Snapping Turtle, and a Great Blue Heron rookery.’

___________________________________________________

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x962895366/Groups­plan­to­sue­coal­mining­outfit

Groups plan to sue coal mining outfitEnvironmentalists say Industry mine in 'flagrant' violation of Clean Water ActBy KEVIN SAMPIERof the Journal StarPosted Dec 11, 2009

and

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff­biggers/300­clean­water­act­viola_b_389049.html

Jeff BiggersAuthor, forthcoming "Reckoning at Eagle Creek: The Secret Legacy of Coal in the Heartland"

Posted: December 11, 2009 02:42 PM

Protecting the Verde

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Arizona Sentinel Gary Beverly for his stalwart work, words and videography to protect the UpperVerde River, one of the state’s crown jewels.

From the Canyon Echo newsletter: ‘The Upper Verde River flows free from the headwaters springs through50 miles of wild canyons in the Prescott National Forest (PNF), touched only by one road crossing and threesmall private in­holdings. The Upper Verde is a jewel of the Southwest and is the highest priorityconservation effort for the Sierra Club’s Yavapai Group.’

On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLxLjqq7yIc

_______________________________________________________

http://canyonecho.wikispaces.com/Upper+Verde+Update

Upper Verde Update

By Gary Beverly

The Upper Verde River flows free from the headwaters springs through 50 miles of wild canyons in thePrescott National Forest (PNF), touched only by one road crossing and three small private in­holdings. TheUpper Verde is a jewel of the Southwest and is the highest priority conservation effort for the Sierra Club’sYavapai Group.

Preserving Verde Base Flow

Bad news: All of our objections to the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) draft permitallowing Prescott to pump were soundly rejected by the Administrative Law Judge – who actuallyrecommended extra water for Prescott. ADWR Director Guenther finalized the original draft permit byrejecting the additional water and correcting 56 (!) statements in the judicial opinion.

Good news: Prescott voters approved the Taxpayer Protection Initiative by a 66 percent margin, nowrequiring voter approval before Prescott builds the infernal Big Chino Pipeline, which would dewater the riverin a century. Three objectors have filed a new complaint in Superior Court against the ADWR decision. Also,the objectors have submitted our arguments to Superior Court alleging that the state law permitting Prescottto transfer water is unconstitutional; the case looks very good!

Restoring Verde Native Fishery

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) issued a Verde River Focus Plan describing their strategy andgoals for the entire watershed. The plan envisions “…flowing water in its river and streams, (with) biologicallydiverse habitats….” Notably, the goal for the Upper Verde is to “restore the full suite of self­sustaining nativefish, amphibian, and aquatic reptile populations that were historically present in the Verde River and itstributaries.” One action to achieve that goal is to complete the Stillman Lake renovation project. Phase oneis now complete: non­native fish have been removed. USFWS are now restocking with razorback sucker androundtail chub.

Removing Invasive Species

The Nature Conservancy staff and volunteers are actively removing tamarisk from the Verde SpringsPreserve and the adjoining Arizona Game and Fish Department property. PNF is also very activedownstream.

Protecting Riparian Zones

On two fall outings covering 15 river miles, we found only one illegal off­highway vehicle (OHV) intrusion –real progress compared to dozens of destroyers we discovered two years ago. Our persistent complaintsconvinced PNF to increase patrols and to improve barriers and signage. However, we found 24 head of cattle

grazing the river. We reported the intrusion to PNF officials, who took quick action to have the cattleremoved. No breaches in fences were found; we don’t know how the cattle were trapped in the river corridor,but our current theory is that OHV riders opened a gate on the last uncontrolled illegal OHV access to theriver – one that we are working to close off. PNF is understaffed, so they appreciate having watchful eyes onthe river. If you are hiking on the Verde and see cattle or OHV tracks, please report your observations togbverde@cableone.net. Be sure to include the date, time, location, and a photo.

Perseverance furthers!

Gary, the Yavapai Group’s Vice­Chair, is speaking up for the Verde River.

No Fracking Way Says NY

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Comments (1) |Edit

ALL HAIL ‘everybody and their dog’ that have joined with our Atlantic Chapter in telling Gov. Paterson “NO”to horizontal gas drilling with hydraulic fracturing in The Great State of New York, including six otherenvironmental groups, four US Reps, state and county elected officials, and the EPA (in similar publiccomments).

From the PR, an article below that:

‘For the first time New York state, city, county and federal officials, representing constituents across thestate, joined the Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter (SCAC) and six other environmental groups to addressunconventional gas mining in New York.

Concern about serious inadequacies of the draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement(dSGEIS) issued by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to govern horizontal gas drillingwith hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations, united officials and environmentalistson the steps of New York City Hall on January 4.

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler said:

"A potential environmental crisis is facing all of us… "We believe that it is too risky ­ that it is wrong ­ to

subject, not just the water supply of New York City, but of surrounding areas and the entire state, tosomething this risky," Nadler told the crowd.

"The risk to clean, fresh water from gas hydrofracing in the New York City watershed is widelyacknowledged, but the rest of New York is similarly at risk and deserves equal protection," said JessicaHelm, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Conservation Chair [and Water Sentinel]. "The ability to drink the water

from a private well or irrigate farmland may be taken for granted ­ until it’s gone."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Steward Council Division 189 of the Public EmployeesFederation, representing 2000 of the DEC’s own scientific, professional, and technical workers, expressedsimilar concerns officially during the public comment period.’

____________________________

http://www.prleap.com/pr/145846/

DEC's Marcellus Shale Gas Mining SGEIS "Deeply Flawed" NY officials, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter,environmental groups tell Governor Paterson

ALBANY, NEW YORK January 07, 2010 Government News

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/27600/

Upstate Drilling Endangers NY’s Water, Say Groups

By Stephanie Lam, Epoch Times Staff, Jan 7, 2010

Upholding Certain Standards

Posted by Scott Dye, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ALL HAIL Ross Vincent and our Fountain Creek Sentinels, and our Blue allies, for respectfully insisting thatcertain moral standards are upheld in protecting Colorado’s citizens from public health hazards in theirwaterways.

From the Pueblo Chieftain article:

‘Environmental groups oppose a suggestion to lower water quality standards on Fountain Creek, accordingto documents filed this week.

The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission will consider recommendations by the state Water QualityControl Division to remove impairment status on two sections of Fountain Creek for selenium and arsenic.The division also is recommending E. coli impairment designation only during summer months.

“We're convinced that if the commission simply accepts the division's proposed changes in the impairmentrules ­ the likely path of least resistance for the commission ­ our collective efforts to achieve clean water inFountain Creek will suffer a serious setback,” said Ross Vincent, of the Sangre de Cristo chapter of theSierra Club.

The Sierra Club and the Rocky Mountain Environmental Labor Coalition filed a joint pre­hearing statementTuesday asking the commission not to remove the designations.’

____________________________________________________

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/01/07/news/local/doc4b457e6833215048241845.txt

Published: January 07, 2010

Fountain Creek changes protested, Archive for January 2010

Cleaning Up After Dirty Watergate

Posted by Scott Dye, Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ALL HAIL Sentinel Ken Midkiff for his comments on Missouri Gov. Nixon’s bold new proposal to protectstate waters from sewage. Good idea, but the MDNR will be financially insolvent by summer unless thelegislature acts to shore up funding. The story gathered dozens of multi­media hits and carried in everymajor media market in the state, including page­1 in the KC Star, and Joplin Globe, and the St. Louis Postbelow.

From the articles:

‘Gov. Jay Nixon proposed sweeping changes Tuesday to water quality laws in an attempt to stem the flow ofbillions of gallons of sewage into Missouri waterways.

If enacted, the laws would allow the state to designate certain waterways — including the Lake of theOzarks — as “distressed,” which would let the state limit the number of wastewater facilities at thosebodies.

At the same time, Ken Midkiff, chairman of the Sierra Club Clean Water Campaign in Missouri, wonderedhow DNR, which is facing extreme budget shortages, would be able to enforce the new laws. Several DNRprograms, including water pollution, face possible insolvency by summer if fees are not raised by thelegislature this session, DNR officials said.

“I’m not sure that kind of attention can be devoted to all the distressed water in the state,” said Midkiff, whoalso is an author on water issues. “I’m optimistic but skeptical.”’

Alabama Petition to Remand Enforcement to EPA

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the Alabama Sierra Club and other member organizations of the ARC (ADEM Reform Coalition)that have had enough of the miserable failings, deliberate ignorance and outright incompetence of Alabama’s“regulatory” agency. They have petitioned the US EPA to take over oversight and enforcement of the state’smyriad polluters.

From the article:

‘Charging that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management has failed to enforce key sections ofthe federal Clean Water Act, a coalition of environmental groups has asked the federal government to takeaway Alabama's regulatory authority.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would take over, should ADEM lose its authority to regulate

water permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

One of the key charges in the 77­page petition, which was sent to the EPA on Friday, is that Alabama hasfailed to provide adequate funding for ADEM. The agency has, in turn, failed to hire enough inspectors tokeep track of the thousands of pollution permits issued in recent years, according to the petition.

ADEM is also accused of failing to issue penalties for pollution violations as required by federal law, failingto respond to complaints and tips from citizens, and of inspecting just 20 percent of "major" permit holdersin 2009 instead of the 100 percent required by law.

ADEM has long been seen by many in this state as the No. 1 environmental problem," said Casi Callaway,director of Mobile Baykeeper. "We've tried for five years to improve how ADEM protects our water resources,with no luck. This is our last­ditch effort."’

http://www.messenger­inquirer.com/

Tests: Area waters still polluted

By James Mayse, Owensboro Messenger­Inquirer

Published: Monday, January 18, 2010

25 Years of Excellence

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Chapter Director Anne Woiwode for 25 years of exemplary service to the Sierra Club.Anne is beloved by all who work with her. Kind, patient, caring, supportive, meticulous, strategic, visionary,hard­nosed (as needed), whip­smart… I could go on, but you get the idea. Anne leads by example. Here’sto the next 25 years!

To commemorate her milestone, Anne is blogging on her experiences and the people who have been part ofher journey.

___________________________________

Friends:

Just a note on the 25th anniversary of my hiring by the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter – I have started a blogto talk about some of the stories and people who made a difference in Michigan’s environmental movement.Feel free to check it out – http://annewoiwode.wordpress.com/

And thanks to all of you who have made this quarter century really remarkable!

Anne

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anne Woiwode, State Director

Sierra Club Michigan Chapter

109 E. Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906

517­484­2372 anne.woiwode@sierraclub.org

Support Sierra Club Michigan Chapter! Go to http://www.michigan.sierraclub.org/joingive/give.html to makeyour donation!

"Is it fair to call climate denial a form of treason? Isn’t it politics as usual? Yes, it is — and that’s why it’sunforgivable." Paul Krugman, NYT, 6.29.09

Ten Years After: Area Waters Still Polluted

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinel Emeritus Lee Dew and Watershed Watch ally Wayne Rosso and a horde ofdedicated volunteers for a decade of due diligence in monitoring the Tradewater and Lower Green riverwatersheds, and reporting on their condition to elected officials, state regulators and the public.

From the article:

‘Tests performed in the spring and fall by an area environmental group revealed that creeks and streams inthe Daviess County region still suffer from high levels of pollution.

"About 60 percent of our creeks and streams are over the state maximum for body contact for E. coli,which means sporting use like fishing and boating," said Lee Dew, testing coordinator for Sierra Club WaterSentinels and Tradewater/Lower Green River Watershed Watch.

Some strains of E. coli bacteria cause gastrointestinal illnesses in humans.

The tests also found high levels of triazine in many creeks. Triazine ­­ which is known as Atrazine ­­ is usedas a herbicide on corn fields. The chemical has been banned in parts of western Europe.

Triazine is known to cause reproductive defects in frogs.

"First of all, it's easy to study reproductive systems in frogs. Second, frog reproductive biology is not thatdifferent from human reproduction," Dew said. "...Certain creatures (including frogs) are definitely abellwether species in water quality."

"This year was a challenge for farmers, because it was a wet year," which made it difficult for farmers toapply Atrazine to their fields, Dew said. "Yet we still had some incredibly high hits. In one place, it was fivetimes over the federal maximum."

"Triazine pollution could be dramatically reduced by the use of recommended conservation practices, suchas filter strips along the edges of fields," Dew said.

"These test are just a snapshot of the creeks on a particular day," Dew said. "...We have been samplingnow for almost 10 years and the average of our results seems to remain remarkably consistent.

"Our real concern with all of these pollutants is they flow into creeks that furnish drinking water ­­ which is tosay, public drinking water is not safe, but that it costs more to make it safe, so the consumer has to paymore of that cost," Dew said.’

http://www.lawnandlandscape.com/New_report_outlines_energy_savings_of_shade_trees_011110.aspx

Lawn & Landscape Magazine

Headline News

1/11/2010

New report outlines energy savings of shade trees

Bald Eagle Days in the Quad Cities

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sheri Colman and our Eagle View Sentinels for tabling at the Bald Eagle Days event in the QuadCities that draws around 20,000 attendees. Thanks to Art Norris, Quad Cities Waterkeeper ® for taking thephotos at thislink:http://picasaweb.google.com/quadcitieswaterkeeper/2010_01_09SierraClubBaldEagleDays#

Sheri’s report follows.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The 23rd annual Bald Eagle Days took place January 8th through 10th at the Quad City Expo Center. Theevent attracts nearly 20,00 people yearly to celebrate the migration of the bald eagles as hundreds of theNational Bird make the Quad Cities their winter home.

There were over 60 vendors and exhibitors varying from tropical butterflies, toy flying helicopters to our own

Eagle View Water Sentinels.

It was our first educational event and our theme was "Everything is Connected" with a map of the entireMississippi and telling how what goes into our waterways on the Upper Mississippi affects not only us butpeople the entire length of the river all the way to the Gulf including the Dead Zone.

We handed out several flyers and brochures and had two hands­on activities for the kids.

First was a simulated use of a turbidity tube using (duh) a tube and then having the kids add "pollutants" afew drops at a time.

The second hands­on activity was testing 6 different clear liquids using pH test strips. Although notcompletely accurate we related the results along with other contaminates to the feminization of fish andfrogs. The sequined "girly" fish and Prince­ess the frog were part of a study done by students of the WestHigh School Ecology Club in Davenport. Both West High students and students from the Rock Island HighSchool Environmental Action Club were enthusiastic volunteers working with the kids doing the hands­onactivities leaving we older folks free to talk to the parents.

Another of our strong talking points and reason why we monitor 16 streams along the Rock River is that theLower Rock River is now the 12th worst polluted river in the entire country.

Overall, even though competing with a chiropractor giving chair massages on one side and a glittering arrayof bangles and beads on the other, we felt we teached 'n' reached a goodly number of event goers and addedthree names to our growing list of Water Sentinels.

Sheri Colman

Eagle View Water Sentinels

(309) 786­8504

skcolman@aol.com

I Think That I Shall Never See..

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Arizona’s Sandy Bahr and ally Western Resource Advocates for a great report on the benefits oftrees and shade on our warming planet.

From the article:

‘Planting shade trees around homes and buildings is more than just an aesthetic consideration, it is aneffective way to reduce energy bills, too, according to a new report by Western Resource Advocates.

“In addition to saving energy, shade trees can help reduce the urban heat island effect and make ourcommunities more livable, plus provide wildlife habitat and air quality benefits,” said Sandy Bahr, ChapterDirector for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, a partner on the report. “We are especially pleasedthat this report focuses on planting native desert­adapted trees, which will require less water and will better

survive hot summers.”

The addition of 100,000 trees over a decade could reduce annual energy demands by about 14,000megawatt­hours annually in the Phoenix area. Individual homeowners could see a reduction of 4.6 percent oftheir energy use, roughly the amount of energy their refrigerator uses, by having three mature shade treessheltering the sun­struck sides of their house.’

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100111/NEWS16/1110320/0/COLUMNIST04

Article published January 11, 2010

Bryan takes lead in drive to protect its precious water

City seeks U.S. EPA recognition of aquifer that serves 3 states

By TOM HENRY

TOLEDO BLADE STAFF WRITER

Honoring the Memory of Sue Anne Salmon

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the memories of, and the environmental and social ethic left to us by, Kentucky’s Sue AnneSalmon. Even if you never met her, you know her—she’s that ‘go­to / ask and she’ll be there’ hardcorevolunteer in your Sentinels project or local group that you can always count on.

Following are remembrances of Sue Anne, by close friends Aloma Dew—Kentucky Sentinel, and TomFitzGerald—Kentucky Resources Council, by environmental reporter James Bruggers, and an article theMadisonville Messenger.

From: Aloma Dew [mailto:aloma.dew@sierraclub.org]

For those of you who knew Sue Anne Salmon, I am forwarding the tribute from Fitz. Sue Anne was one ofour Watershed Watch/Water Sentinel volunteers—on testing days, samples were dropped off at her housein Madisonville. She led the fight against CAFOs, a landfill, and other environmental and justice causes inMadisonville and the area and worked tirelessly for justice and the earth. She was truly a beacon of light ina dark world. We are all saddened by her death and will miss her energy and cheerfulness and strength.She taught us all, these last few years, about fighting and meeting death with grace and dignity. Her lightis not gone, we all have to pick it up and continue the good fight in her memory. Aloma

From: fitzkrc@aol.com

Kentucky lost a true environmental hero Wednesday evening, January 13, 2010. After a valiant battle over

nearly six years with ovarian cancer, Madisonville environmental and social justice advocate Sue AnneSalmon passed from this world. Sue Anne was involved in scores of local and statewide issues regardingwaste management, mining, and more ­ and spoke truth to power in her hometown and across theCommonwealth at a time when it took particular courage to do so.

Diminutive in stature, she was known as "mighty mouse" to her friends, always battling for justice. In herhonor, on January 9, 2010, the Board of KRC authorized the establishment of the first annual award evergranted by KRC in its 25­year history, to be called the "Sue Anne Salmon Community Advocacy Award."The award, details of which will be published next month, will recognize those who, like Sue Anne did herwhole life, demonstrate principled and courageous advocacy for the betterment of community and theenvironment.

When Sue Anne was told of the award last week by her sisters, she "smiled ear to ear," said her sisterLucy ­ "it just delighted her." We at KRC will forever cherish her friendship, and her exemplary patterning ofcourage, tenacity, grace, and love of others, and in her honor, we recommit ourselves to the unfinished taskof restoring sanity and equity to environmental policy.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 23. Details are pending and we will update the websitewhen they are known.

"Our hearts are not pure; our hearts are filled with need and greed as much as with love and grace, and wewrestle with our hearts all the time. The wrestling is who we are. How we wrestle is who we are. What wewant to be is never what we are. Not yet. Maybe that's why we have these relentless engines in our chests,driving us forward towards what we might be." Brian Doyle, essayist.

_____________________________________

KentuckianaGreen.com Blog

Loss of an environmental champion

By James Bruggers

The Kentucky Resources Council and other environmental advocates are remembering fondly the life of SueAnn Salmon, of Madisonville, who died on Wednesday after a six year battle with ovarian cancer.

KRC has announced that it will establish a Sue Anne Salmon Community Advocacy Award, which will

"recognize those who, like Sue Anne did her whole life, demonstrate principled and courageous advocacy for

the betterment of community and the environment." KRC notes that Sue Anne: was involved in scores of

local and statewide issues regarding waste management, mining, and more ­ and spoke truth to power in

her hometown and across the Commonwealth at a time when it took particular courage to do so.

I last crossed paths with Sue Anne when covering a Sierra Club healthy foods conference in 2008.Organizers of the event gave special recognition to Sue Anne, who had also been active with the Sierra Cluband Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.

She told me she appreciated the recognition, which included a proclamation by Gov. Steve Beshear.

During a break in the conference, Kentucky author, poet and farmer Wendell Berry, a featured speaker,

signed two books for Salmon, who said she took creative writing courses from Berry years ago at Universityof Kentucky.

"He told me, 'Not many students have I corrupted so thoroughly,'" she said with a smile.

Madisonville Messenger

January 17, 2010

Sue Anne Salmon, dedicated environmental activist and community advocate, died at home in Madisonvillethe evening of Jan. 13, after a long, brave battle with ovarian cancer. Her family, minister, Hospice nurses,friends and her dog, Petey, were at her bedside as she transitioned from this life. The daughter of the lateDr. James L. Salmon and Mrs. Ruth Salmon, Sue Anne graduated from Madisonville High School, receiveda B.S. in journalism and a master's degree in education from the University of Kentucky, as well as attaininggraduate education in graphic arts from the California College of Arts and Crafts. Sue Anne's skills as ajournalist, a photographer, a farm manager, a teacher for children with special needs, a master gardener andher ability to advocate for environmental issues were evident in her many activities in support of communitycauses.

Her unflagging service in Water Watch and other environmental efforts were recognized by numerousawards, including an outstanding achievement award from the Sierra Club and Kentucky Resources Councilin 2008. A nominee for the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission's Lifetime Achievement Award andthe Earth Day recognition award, she was described as a "a leader in Kentucky state environmentalawareness for more than 30 years and an intelligent and articulate spokesperson and a writer for diverseenvironmental causes." Kentucky Resources Council recently announced the establishment of an annualSue Anne Salmon Community Advocacy Award to honor her lifetime of advocacy.

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the­platform/published­editorials/2010/01/clean­water­for­dummies/

01.15.2010 9:00 pm

Clean water for dummies

By the Editorial Board

Protecting Our Underground Water

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel Lynn Henning and the residents of Bryan OH for thinking outside the box to

protect their underground drinking water source by getting EPA to designate the Michindoh as a SoleSource Aquifer. This would stem the flow of federal dollars to subsidize animal factories targeting andpolluting the region.

Bryan OH remains near to my heart as well. The Fountain City—not manmade fountains, but actual aquiferwater pouring up out of the ground—was the first place outside of my native Missouri where I went to helpstop mega­dairies from locating in the area, way back when I was the Club’s lead organizer against animalfactories. Good or bad, it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. We snuffed theirplans back in 1999, and Lynn is going to snuff them again.

From the article:

‘While the water­blessed Great Lakes region hasn't encountered Western­style conflicts over water yet,legal scholars expect that to change with the Earth's population rising and its climate warming.

Increased demands for food, energy, and manufactured goods this century are expected to drive up thevalue of water everywhere ­ not just that found at the surface of major lakes, rivers, and streams.

Such long­range forecasts haven't been lost on officials in Bryan, a small northwest Ohio city that's 12 mileseast of Indiana, 15 miles south of Michigan, and 60 miles west of Toledo.

Officials there have formed the hub of a regional effort to protect the Michindoh Glacial Aquifer, a relativelyunspoiled underground aquifer that didn't even have a name until 2003.

Having the U.S. EPA designate the aquifer as the region's sole source of drinking water is largely asymbolic gesture, albeit with some implied power.

For starters, it would attach new strings to any project using funds from or being subsidized by the federalgovernment.

Those could include highway construction projects. Or, perhaps, lagoons that large feedlots known asconcentrated animal feeding operations might build with the help of a U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Lynn Henning, a Hudson farmer and Sierra Club member who has tracked dozens of Michigan Departmentof Environmental Quality citations against Vreba Hoff mega­dairy farms, said she hopes the declaration willhelp the region do a better job of managing development.

Vreba­Hoff has a development firm in Wauseon that has played a key role in the growth of concentratedanimal feeding­sized dairy facilities across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. It has established numerous largedairy farms for European immigrants, mainly from the Netherlands.

Ms. Henning, who also is with a group called Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan,said that having the federal government lay out the parameters of a major aquifer and declare it as essentialfor the public should help settle future siting controversies.’

The EPA, Science and Mountaintop Mining

Is Mining an Exception to the ‘Base Our Decisions on Science’ Rule?

by Matthew Berger ­ Jan 11th, 2010

Clean Water For Dummies

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the St. Louis Post­Dispatch for calling out the Missouri Legislature to quit their political posturingand put their money where their mouth is—in protecting the state’s waters, and the public health of itscitizens. The P­D even rolled out a classic Matson © editorial cartoon to accompany their slap to head ofour elected officials. The Post’s Editorial Board has been listening to what we’ve been saying.

From the editorial:

‘Missouri’s system for ensuring water quality and safety is broken and about to go bankrupt.

It’s not broken only at Lake of the Ozarks, Hannibal and Louisiana; it’s broken everywhere.

Missouri has more than 3,600 streams and rivers and 456 lakes.

Mr. Nixon [Gov] has called for tougher laws to deal with polluters, but he’s yet to find anyone to sponsorsuch a bill in the Legislature. And he has not called for more inspectors.

Lawmakers have every right — indeed, they have an obligation — to ask about botched E. coli andchromium tests. If Mr. Nixon wants to avoid political heat for failing to release those tests, he should makesure his office isn’t involved in discussions about making them public.

But the failure to protect Missouri waters can come as no surprise to Mr. Lager [MO Sen­R] and hiscolleagues in the Legislature. He’s been a state lawmaker since 2002; he should have known about theproblem for years. If he didn’t before, he does now.

Clean water isn’t just a political football; it’s a right.

We’ve seen enough tortured rhetoric and political posturing. It’s time to protect Missouri waters — while westill can.’

http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100111/epa­science­and­mountaintop­mining

The EPA, Science and Mountaintop Mining

Is Mining an Exception to the ‘Base Our Decisions on Science’ Rule?

by Matthew Berger ­ Jan 11th, 2010

Clean Water For Dummies

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the St. Louis Post­Dispatch for calling out the Missouri Legislature to quit their political posturingand put their money where their mouth is—in protecting the state’s waters, and the public health of itscitizens. The P­D even rolled out a classic Matson © editorial cartoon to accompany their slap to head ofour elected officials. The Post’s Editorial Board has been listening to what we’ve been saying.

From the editorial:

‘Missouri’s system for ensuring water quality and safety is broken and about to go bankrupt.

It’s not broken only at Lake of the Ozarks, Hannibal and Louisiana; it’s broken everywhere.

Missouri has more than 3,600 streams and rivers and 456 lakes.

Mr. Nixon [Gov] has called for tougher laws to deal with polluters, but he’s yet to find anyone to sponsorsuch a bill in the Legislature. And he has not called for more inspectors.

Lawmakers have every right — indeed, they have an obligation — to ask about botched E. coli andchromium tests. If Mr. Nixon wants to avoid political heat for failing to release those tests, he should makesure his office isn’t involved in discussions about making them public.

But the failure to protect Missouri waters can come as no surprise to Mr. Lager [MO Sen­R] and hiscolleagues in the Legislature. He’s been a state lawmaker since 2002; he should have known about theproblem for years. If he didn’t before, he does now.

Clean water isn’t just a political football; it’s a right.

We’ve seen enough tortured rhetoric and political posturing. It’s time to protect Missouri waters — while westill can.’

___________________________________

http://www.obtu.org/Newsletters/june_09obtu.pdf

Flyer

OAK BROOK T R O U T U N L I M I T E D M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R

Trout in the Classroom – Release Day Fieldtrip

EPA, Science & Mountaintop­Removal Mining

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL my boss Ed Hopkins for telling the Obama administration that halfway isn’t good enough onstopping the horrific destruction of mountaintop­removal mining.

From the article:

‘EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has repeatedly said that her agency will base its decisions on “the bestavailable science,” but the EPA’s decision last week to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issuing aClean Water Act permit for the Hobet 45 mine flies in the face of the latest science.

The mine's operator, Patriot Coal, agreed to cut the impact its operations would have on streams by half —from burying six miles of stream to burying three. The EPA says this meets Clean Water Act requirements.The Science study, published two days later but already being discussed, calls that into question.

"If the Obama administration is serious about science driving policy, then this report should be the nail inthe coffin that prompts the administration to issue new Clean Water Act regulations that prohibit thedumping of mining waste into streams,” said the Sierra Club's environmental quality program director, EdHopkins.’

Trout In The Classroom

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

http://www.troutintheclassroom.org/

ALL HAIL Illinois Sentinel Cindy Skrukrud and partner Marvin Strauch, author of this great article in theFlyer(w/ 12 photos), the monthly newsletter of the Oak Brook Chapter of Trout Unlimited, on TU’soutstanding Trout In The Classroom program. It tracks the experiences of the 7th grade students of St.Patricia School as they raise trout from eggs to troutlings in their classroom, and then release them into thewild. The program is a great hands­on environmental education tool, and great for America’s trout fisheries.

From the article:

‘St. Patricia School was the first school in Illinois to sign on to the Trout In The Classroom program for the7th graders of Renee Bartley­Bogard’s class. And they were the first to receive their eggs, if only by acouple of hours. The Illinois DNR delivered 150 brown trout eggs. The aquarium tank was ready for them.OBTU’s Stan Zarnowiecki had spent many hours in the previous 4 months testing out the equipment – tank,filter system, air pump, and chiller unit – to ensure there were no leaks, and that the equipment held asteady cold temperature in the tank water. Then he set the equipment up at St. Pat’s and stopped infrequently to make sure everything was fine.

Throughout the entire development and first year’s program, the Illinois Department of Natural Resourcesfisheries staff, and Dan Sallee in particular have been indispensable. They provided our brown trout eggsand trout food. Dan Sallee arranged a class visit in late February, to meet the students and answer theirquestions about everything from trout to other wildlife in a coldwater environment.

We arranged a program of activities for the trout release field trip. Dan and Rick placed a net across thestream and took volunteers to kick around in the water to collect fish samples from the stream. Theycaught sculpins, dace, and crayfish.

After lunch, Cindy Skrukrud discussed water quality testing, displayed the equipment her group uses onstreams around Illinois, and compared her tests with the daily testing done by the students.

Finally the moment of truth! How would the troutlings respond to the new waters of Kinnikinnick Creek? Asthe students lined up, Stan and I netted and counted the trout, and placed them individually into cups (therewere 61 in all). The students then walked down to the stream, where Greg Prosen, Jeff Kroger, Ed Michael,Arnie Leder, and the DNR folks aided them in releasing the trout. Greg commented that the trout lookedimmediately at home in the stream, and soon had dispersed along the creek.

Our last activity was an invertebrate survey. The students were divided into groups with identification charts,collection trays, and tweezers. Everywhere kids were turning over rock from the stream bottom, anddiscovering the life there. They collected scuds, caddis cases, and free caddis, mayfly nymphs, frog eggsand snails. Some of the kids were a bit creeped by handling the samples, but most were interested in howmany different life forms they found. And of course, everyone waded into the water.

It was time to head home. Cindy Skrukrud had arranged for t­shirts and backpacks for all the students,which was great, and definitely unexpected. And soon they were on the way back to the southwest suburbs.

How do we judge the program? In my opinion, the first year was a definite success. The 7th graders of StPatricia monitored their trout, the water quality, and learned about the natural world of the trout. Their fieldtrip not only provided the link to their class work, it allowed 36 kids from the suburbs to stand in the coldwater of a trout stream, and discover the life in that stream. For many of these kids, it was a completely newexperience.’

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1685420674/Rice­Lake­project­draws­draws­concernsRice Lake project draws draws concernsSierra Club says public has had insufficient time to review plans for levee installation for wetlandsBy TERRY BIBO (tbibo@pjstar.com)of the Journal Star

Posted Jan 24, 2010

And So, The Army Grows

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinel Steve Pawlowski and Team Arizona for a great training event. Fifty volunteersbecame water­quality citizen scientists at the Jan 30 training at Prescott College in Prescott AZ.After spending three hours in the ‘classroom’ and two hours streamside, these Water Sentinelsand our Prescott Creeks’ allies are now deployed to protect Prescott’s many beautifulmountain­fed streams and the endangered Upper Verde River, a vital desert resource that isthreatened by dewatering schemes.A short YouTube of the training is live at:http://www.youtube.com/user/SierraSentinels#p/a/u/0/LHtgJcGdh5k

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1719611.htmlKansas City StarSun, Jan. 31, 2010Missouri contests ruling on factory farm buffer zoneBy KAREN DILLON

Wait Just a Dammed Minute There

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

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ALL HAIL Illinois Sentinel Joyce Blumenshine for asking hard questions of the US Army Corps ofEngineers—aka the US Bulldozing and Damming Dept—regarding proposed plans to alter astate­owned recreational lake.

From the article:‘The state of Illinois owns Rice Lake, a 6,800­acre backwater complex in Fulton County. Theproposed project includes rebuilding a levee, installing a pumping facility and discharge channel for"timely flooding," planting trees and grasses to restore historic vegetation and establishing egressstructures so fish have access to deep water.

Yet Heart of Illinois Sierra Club members might be first in line with questions about the plans.Among their concerns are the effects on eagles and ospreys, the impact of hauling an unknownamount of silt through the conservation area and the loss of acres of trees.

"The public needs to look into what is happening at Rice Lake Conservation Area," Sierra Clubvolunteer Joyce Blumenshine said. "If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is preparing to spend $14million of our tax dollars . . . they need to be accountable to the public as to what is the costbenefit."

Sierra Club members were concerned they had not had enough time to review the updated plan onthe Web, since the 1997 version was the only one posted. Niles said the most recent version shouldbe available at www.mvr.usace.army.mil/emp/hrep/ricelake.htm.

Blumenshine said some of the people keeping an eye on Rice Lake have fears that date to the 1980s.Elements of this plan are similar to proposals from a coal company that wanted to strip mine in thearea.

"With Illinois state government in the condition it is in, we have no confidence that there is not ahidden motive for this project," Blumenshine said via e­mail.’

___________________________________________________________________http://www.journaltimes.com/news/local/article_0d7cefd4­0ae4­11df­9430­001cc4c03286.htmlJanuary 27, 2010Lawmakers try to shut down ‘backyard dumps'PAUL SLOTH paul.sloth@journaltimes.com | Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 7:00 am

Koster the Imposter Draws Flak

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinel Ken Midkiff, the Kansas City Star and its Editorial Board, for banging hard onthe political­changeling Attorney General Koster the Imposter for his pigheaded appeal of a courtimposed 2­mile buffer zone keeping animal factories away from Missouri’s state parks and stateand federal historic sites. The elephant­in­a­donkey’s­clothes is still slopping the hogs, trying toprotect one­half of one percent of Missouri agricultural output—aka agri­industry (as furtherexplained in Midkiff’s pending LTE to the Star). The story and two hard­hitting editorials follow.From the article:

‘But DNR officials aren’t the only ones attracting the ire of environmentalists and preservationists.

Some also have little faith that Koster has their best interests at heart. They point to at least $12,500 incampaign donations that Koster received from Premium Standard Farms.

The money creates a conflict because Koster as attorney general oversees the state’s consent decreewith Premium Standard Farms, which has had problems with sewage overflowing from its factoryfarms into streams.

Ken Midkiff, the Sierra Club’s Osage Group conservation chairman, asked Koster to return thecampaign donations, but Koster has no plans to do that, said his spokeswoman, Nanci Gonder.’

From the editorials:‘Attorney General Chris Koster’s latest bid to open up Missouri to more factory farms stinks.

When he was a state legislator in Cass County, Koster promoted legislation that would have strippedcounties of their ability to regulate mega­farms that cram thousands of pigs and chickens in tightareas, creating problems with smell and manure.

Now, in his new job, Koster again is trying to kill local control and have state laws rule over giantanimal­feeding lots. It’s the wrong approach.

Not that any more evidence is needed, but the situation shows that Missouri needs to limit campaigncontributions. Environmentalists have of course noted that Koster received at least $12,500 fromPremium Standard Farms. He claims that kind of largess doesn't create a conflict with his workenforcing Missouri's laws. But people are always going to wonder.’

e1485e2100440855.txthttp://www.mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2010/01/31/main_line_suburban_life/news/doc4b6067Controlling climate change from Copenhagen to RadnorPublished: Thursday, January 28, 2010By Sam Strike

Down in the Dumps

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

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ALL HAIL Wisconsin’s John Muir Chapter Director Shahla Werner for helping to put an end tobackyard dumps in the Badger State.From the article:

‘The backyard dump could become a thing of the past. The Assembly on Tuesday passed a bill thatwould end what environmental groups call an outdated and dangerous practice ­ allowing propertyowners to bury garbage on their property.

As it stands, state law allows property owners to bury garbage on their property, as long as it istheirs. That can include appliances, batteries, used motor oil, electronics, officials say.

Shahla Werner, chapter director for the Sierra Club, was happy to learn that the Assembly hadpassed what she called "good common sense legislation." The Sierra Club was one of several stateorganizations to testify in support of the bill.

"It's definitely a safety hazard, because of the toxic materials that can be found. It's sort of anantiquated practice to say whatever happens on your property is your own business," Werner saidTuesday. "If it negatively affects our drinking water, we really need to be able to do something aboutit."’

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/6EFE98EAC0890941862576B8000A3574?OpenDocumentDNR short of funds; fees set to expire

By Kim McGuire

ST. LOUIS POST­DISPATCH

01/27/2010

Archive for Febuary 2010

Think Globally, Act Locally

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sierra Club Board member and Sentinels Program Lead Robin Mann for traveling toCopenhagen to help save our planet, and working locally in her Philadelphia suburb of Radnor tohelp save her corner of our planet.

From the article:

‘Mann said that while President Barack Obama exerted his leadership by pulling together a keygroup of countries (China, India, Brazil, South Africa and the United States) to create the accord, the“shadow” hanging over the United States was that Congress failed to pass clean­energy legislationbefore the conference.

The negotiating position of Obama was not as aggressive and the commitment to carbon reductionsnot as ambitious as some environmentalists might have wanted, Mann said. But the accord didcreate a political context for forward movement, she said, creating opportunities for countries tomake progress.

“We basically live to fight another day,” she said.

“The message came through – no matter how much stonewalling occurred at the national level...sustainability was happening at the local level. There was so much opportunity to find energysavings, sustainable solutions, and really make strides,” she said. “People all over the world aretaking initiatives at the local level.”

What struck Mann were the discussions on the opportunities to retrofit existing building stocks, onreinventing cities and towns in more sustainable ways and on improving quality of life, she said.

And that’s something to which the Main Line with all its existing development can relate.

This week Radnor Township released its greenhouse­gas emissions inventory report, data gatheredon the emissions amount, energy use and cost of its municipal and school buildings, vehicles, lights,waste and water and sewage treatment.

“Radnor has actually done a number of things over the years that were good initiatives,” includinginvesting in wind power, said Mann, who added that the township’s newly implementedsingle­stream recycling program could greatly reduce the amount of waste produced by residents.

In the greenhouse­gases study “we will be looking for ways we can pursue energy savings thatbenefit the township’s budget and are better for the environment,” she said.’

http://azcapitoltimes.com/blog/2010/01/27/lawmaker­tries­again­to­allow­waste­tires­to­fill­abandoned­mines/

Jones tries again to allow waste tires to fill abandoned mines

By Christine Harvey, Cronkite News Service

Published: January 27, 2010 at 9:36 pm

Brother Can You Spare a Dime?

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Missouri Sentinels for ringing the alarm bells about the state’s DNR going broke,which would result in EPA Region VII taking over the state’s regulatory responsibilities. But givenDNR’s longstanding poor performance, the state legislature doesn’t appear to care. It’s a mess.

From the article:

‘Dinged by criticism over the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' decision to delay the releaseof water quality results at Lake of the Ozarks this summer, Gov. Jay Nixon announced sweeping newinitiatives aimed at cleaning up the state's rivers, lakes and streams.

It was clear protecting water quality had become a top priority for the administration.

But now the Department of Natural Resources is teetering on the edge of being unable to pay forsome of its most basic regulatory functions such as protecting the state's water resources.

Since the Lake of the Ozarks scandal broke, the department has faced harsh criticism fromlegislators, environmentalists [that’s us] and even Nixon himself. A Senate investigation waslaunched, some department officials resigned in the scandal's wake and the DNR saw its politicalcapital further diminished.’

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=350502

No resolution in DuPage tree dispute

By Jake Griffin | Daily Herald Staff

Yet Another Really Bad Idea

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Arizona’s Grand Canyon Chapter Director Sandy Bahr for pointing out the obvious—thatlegalizing the dumping of waste tires into abandoned mine pits is a really bad idea.

From the article:

Rep. Russell L. Jones, a Yuma Republican, is sponsoring legislation that would allow waste tires

in mines in a five­year demonstration project. H2290 would allow the Arizona state mineinspector to test tires in five abandoned or inactive mines.

Sandy Bahr, conservation director for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, said the statemine inspector’s priority isn’t environmental health.

“Fire hazards, wildlife and threats to ground water suggest there should be an assessmentbeforehand,” she said.

Can't See the Forest For the Trees

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Sierra Club’s River Prairie Group for helping to promote a simple but better waytowards a smarter electrical power grid.

From the article:

‘The airing of the grievances has concluded, but the future of trees interfering with power lines alongtrails in DuPage County remains uncertain.

ComEd officials admitted that they "messed up" by lopping the tops off trees with branches reachinginto the power lines instead of just cutting down the entire tree, but said they were only followingstate and federal guidelines.

County board member Jeff Redick suggested that instead of passing the cost on to consumers toreplace the trees, the power company should take a more long­term look at a solution to theproblem. He believes that the company could save millions of dollars by removing trees that interferewith power lines and replacing them with trees and brush that will never grow to the height wherethey would interfere with the lines.

"In five years they'd be done," Redick said. "All the money they spend on trimming each year wouldbe eliminated. That would be a windfall."

Butler said that it's an idea worth investigating. Tom Richardson, a member of the local River PrairieSierra Club group, said the savings to both customers and ComEd makes it a viable solution.’

http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/140414073.html

Groups gauging Ohio River's pollution levels

By James Mayse, Messenger­Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Jan. 25

Keeping It Clean

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Alabama Sentinel and Director of the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Birmingham,Taylor Steele, for putting five tons of trash in its proper place.

From Taylor:

We have started off 2010 with a great clean­up event this past Monday Jan 18. In conjunction withMLK National Day of Service, we held a creek and preserve clean­up with a local volunteerorganization­ Hands­On Birmingham. Over 70 men, women, and children showed up toparticipate in removing almost 5­tons of trash from around Turkey Creek and the larger preservearea.

http://www.agriview.com/articles/2010/01/21/capitol_news/news02.txt

Opinions Differ on Effectiveness of Livestock Siting Law

BY RON JOHNSON, DAIRY EDITOR

Thursday, January 21, 2010 5:33 PM CST

Entering the Dead Zone

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, Febuary 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels Team Chair Hank Graddy and Kentucky Sentinel Emeritus Lee Dew for gettingThe Word out to the public on who and what is contributing to the Gulf’s Dead Zone, and the workof our national Mississippi River Issues Team.

From the page­1 above­the­fold article:

‘Environmental groups in a number of states, including Kentucky, are engaged in a lengthy projectto determine how runoff from farm operations is making its way to the Ohio River.

The groups are testing for nitrogen and phosphorus in creeks and tributaries that connect with theOhio River. Nitrogen is a common corn fertilizer, while phosphorus is found in animal manure,which is also used to fertilize fields.

Hank Graddy, chairman of the Water Watch of Kentucky water­monitoring program, said the goal isto determine the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus making its way into the river.

Last year, the state's Nitrogen and Phosphorus Team took water samples from 44 sites, includingsome in the Owensboro area.

Lee Dew, testing coordinator for Sierra Club Water Sentinels and Tradewater/Lower Green RiverWatershed Watch, said the group is trying to gauge where nitrogen and phosphorus are entering thewater across the entire Mississippi watershed.

"In the past, when people talked about the 'dead zone,' they blamed Iowa and Illinois," Dew said. Butthe Mississippi watershed stretches across much of the middle United States, including most of theupper Midwest, the Plains states and southern states such as Arkansas and Texas.

"Every county in the Mississippi valley that grows corn is a contributor, and any county that hasnitrogen runoff is a contributor," Dew said. "There is no action that doesn't have consequences.Everything we do affects the waterways, for which we pay a price."

The "dead zone" affects commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and reduces shrimp and oysterpopulations, Dew said.

"We feel pretty confident the bulk of the problem ... is from row crops and livestock," Graddy said."Kentucky is a major contributor of the phosphorus loading and a major contributor of the nitrogenloading."’

http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/state­and­regional/article_c2d8f81b­a236­50b6­b2be­b0d224670a6b.html

Enviros: Uranium mines still too hot

CYNDY COLE Flagstaff Daily Sun Staff Reporter | Posted: Saturday, February 20, 2010 5:15 am

Related Links

Related: USGS Report on uranium mining impacts

Livestock Law in America's Dairyland

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Wisconsin’s Jim Kerler for getting his common sense comments on the state’s livestocksiting law into an agribiz magazine.

From the article:

‘Is the rule that governs Wisconsin’s livestock siting law working?

It depends on who you listen to.

A handful of people were critical of the rule during the public comment period of last week’sWisconsin Agriculture Board meeting. More supported the law and its rule, while one landownersuggested that some of the broad economic impacts of the law need to be investigated.

Last week’s meeting marked the beginning of a review of the law’s administrative rule. Such areview is required once the siting law has been in force four years. The agriculture board approvedfour listening sessions on the livestock siting rule.

Jim Kerler, Lake Mills, vice president of the Sierra Club’s John Muir Chapter, said some people’s“health, wealth and quality of life are already greatly diminished by the presence” of large livestockfarms. Today’s “industrial­scale farms have a dramatically greater impact on the land and its citizensthan farming did previously,” he added.’

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/02/17/news/local/doc4b7b998d8f360655914371.txt

Published: February 17, 2010

Flaming Gorge pipe plan under review

Most comments are from Wyoming and are opposed to the 578­mile pipeline.

By CHRIS WOODKA

THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Uranium Mines Still Too Hot

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Arizonans and united allies who are guarding the Grand Canyon from uraniummines, old and proposed.

From the article:

‘Local environmentalists said Thursday's findings on past uranium mining confirmed what theysuspected: That it led to uranium contamination on the Arizona Strip north of the Grand Canyon,and that mining is not safe.

"Where there was mining activity, they found contamination. Where there wasn't mining activity,they didn't find contamination," said Roger Clark, who handles air and energy programs for theGrand Canyon Trust.

The Sierra Club in Arizona would oppose uranium mining anywhere in the watershed of the GrandCanyon no matter the research on whether it could be done safely, said Stacey Hamburg.

Clark concurred.

All Arizona Strip mine sites sampled had uranium levels higher than the surrounding areasaveraged, said Jim Otton, a USGS researcher who helped draft the report.’

http://voices.kansascity.com/node/7620

Weather doesn't mean diddly when it comes to global warming

By Ken Midkiff, Special to The Kansas City Star

February 16, 2010

Flaming Bad Idea­­2,000 People Can't Be Wrong

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the loyal opposition (almost 2,000, especially from Wyoming­Colorado) to a scheme tobuild a 578­mile pipeline to divert vast quantities of water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir andthe Green River over to Colorado’s Front Range.

From the article:

‘The Army Corps of Engineers is sifting through more than 2,000 comments mostly opposed toAaron Million’s proposal to build a pipeline from Flaming Gorge Reservoir and Green River inWyoming to Colorado’s Front Range.

The Corps released the comments Tuesday on its Web site as it continues the five­year process ofdeveloping an environmental impact statement for the controversial proposal.

About 63 percent of the comments are from Wyoming, where cities, counties, conservancy districts,businesses, recreation groups and environmental or wildlife advocates oppose the project.

Another 27 percent of the comments are from Colorado, where many of the same groups alsooppose or raise questions about the project. Even Front Range cities like Fort Collins, where Millionlives, object to the proposed pipeline route.

Among environmental or recreation groups opposed to the project were the Sierra Club, AudubonSociety, Wyoming Outdoor Council and the Colorado Environmental Coalition.’

Excellent Op­Ed on Global Warming

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Missouri Sentinel Ken Midkiff for an excellent opinion editorial in the Kansas City Staron global warming.

From the op­ed:

‘All that snow in DC and New York doesn’t mean much of anything when it comes to anunderstanding of whether global warming is occurring or not. Why?

In the Land Down Under, for example, temperatures ranged from 95 to 105 degrees. Warm, even hot,but just as the experiences with snow in New York and DC doesn’t mean anything, neither does theheat in Perth or Alice Springs. As it is usually cold in the Northern Hemisphere in the winter, it isusually hot in the southern half of the globe. That’s weather, not climate.

What global warming skeptics or deniers don’t seem to understand is that local weather doesn’tmean diddly when analyzing global warming. Rather, climatologists look at data on oceantemperatures, the size and rate of decline of glaciers, size of the ice sheets at the north and southpoles and the average temperatures of various spots around the earth, among other long­rangethings. They don’t pay any attention to what’s happening today in New York City or Perth. It is datathat is collected over decades that is important, not what's going on now.

The facts remain that the last decade (1999­2009) was hotter than any other decade and the previousyear was the 2nd warmest on record, when averaged on a worldwide basis and allowing for “heatislands” (cities where large building and lots of asphalt and concrete raise the daily temperatures).There is little doubt that glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, that oceanic temperatures arerising along with water levels, permafrost in the tundra is shrinking, that there is less ice in the Arcticand that ice sheets are breaking off of the Antarctic.

Unfortunately, global warming has become mired in politics. A few denizens in the US House andSenate seem to be more interested in today’s profit margins of coal, gas and oil companies ratherthan the long­term health of the planet. They seem to care more for immediate local and globaleconomic health, rather than tomorrow’s health of the earth and its peoples.

At the recent Copenhagen meetings, island populations and the folks most at risk from globalwarming protested mightily about the lack of action and commitments of the developed world anddeveloping nations. They were mostly ignored since global warming has not yet reached a crisisstage. We do really well at reacting to a crisis, but lousy at prevention.

But, as Bill McKibben, James Hansen and many others have warned, by the time this issue becomesa crisis, it’ll be too late.’

Mother Nature Network

http://www.mnn.com/technology/computers/blogs/sierra­club­launches­activist­network

MNN.COM > MNN BLOGGERS > Karl Burkart's Blog

Sierra Club launches activist network

The Sierra Club rolls out a social network for environmental activists, providing online resourcesand project 'matchmaking.'

Thu, Feb 04 2010 at 11:47 PM EST

Long Island Sentinels on TV and YouTube

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Long Island NY Sentinel Jessica Helm for her excellent long­format TV interview on thelocal access cable show, Keepin’ It Green. You can view 10 minutes of Jessica’s interview at ourfollowing YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SierraSentinels#p/a/f/1/9NRLOEOu8_A

http://docs.google.com/View?id=dgdgtsd_406d6xpjzd8

New sulfide mining proposal sparks criticism

By LAURA FOSMIRE

Capital News Service

February 5, 2010

Water Sentinels on Activist Network Highlighted

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL blogger Karl Burkart of the Mother Nature Network for highlighting Water Sentinels onthe Sierra Club’s new online Activist Network (AN).

From the article:

‘The Sierra Club has more than 700,000 members and its state, local and focus groups run literallythousands of projects, campaigns and events every year. Many of these groups — like the SierraClub Water Sentinels, whose 65 nationwide groups took close to 100,000 kids fishing last year —don't have the resources or time to put up a Website to organize participants and attract funding.

So the Sierra Club just rolled out the Activist Network. Like a "MySpace for environmentalists" thesocial network serves to link up people with groups and it gives a small local chapter or a newlyformed project a home (or tent, rather) on the Internet. The Team Page, as it's called, allows even nonweb­savvy environmentalists the ability to promote their activity online, shares photos and messagewith their group members without the overhead of a "webmaster."’

If you haven’t yet visited the AN, come on in, the water is fine.http://connect.sierraclub.org/ActivistNetwork/home______________________________________________________

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100214/NEWS01/2140335Chesapeake waste disposal plan puts small Steuben town at center of drilling disputeBy Tom Wilber •twilber@gannett.com • February 14, 2010

You Mess Up, We'll Catch You

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan’s Yellow Dog Sentinels in the Upper Peninsula and our Menominee Sentinelsalong the MI­WI border for laying a minefield of excellent baseline/background water­quality dataahead of proposals for sulfide acid hard­rock minerals mine locations.From the article:‘The state has already approved one controversial mine in the Upper Peninsula, and other companiesare poised to start the lengthy permit application process.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment approved a permit for the Kennecott MineralsCo. Eagle project in the Yellow Dog Plains earlier this year, and now the company awaits a permitfrom the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In the meantime, Aquila Resources Inc. is considering a large zinc deposit in Menominee Countyand intends to submit a permit application later this year or in early 2011.

But Rita Jack, the Cleanwater Program director for the Sierra Club, said there are seriousenvironmental consequences.

"If that mine goes through, it would be a combination deep­shaft mine and also a surface mine,"Jack said. "There's a lot more risk of acid mine drainage. Unless they build a heck of a roof over thetop of the whole thing, they can't keep rain and snow from getting inside."

Some U.P. residents are worried about potential environmental hazards the new mine couldproduce, and a group calling itself the Front Forty has assembled to fight the Back Forty proposal.

Jack said that while Aquila is still exploring the area, the Sierra Club is acting.

"We did start a water monitoring project similar to what we have going on in the Yellow Dog Plains,"she said. "The Sierra Club has been doing baseline water quality monitoring on all the streams. Ifsomething goes wrong, our guys are going to know about it.

"We're doing the same thing in Menominee County," she said.’

_______________________________________http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/02/08/tougher­water­regulations­get­final­approval/Radio IowaTougher water regulations get final approvalby Dar Danielson on February 8, 2010

http://www.bleedingheartland.com/diary/3654/good­news­for­iowa­water­quality­for­once

Good news for Iowa water quality (for once)by: desmoinesdemMon Feb 08, 2010 at 15:39:46 PM CST

Fracking Lunacy

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL New York State’s Rachel Treichler and the people of NY for saying “Hell NO” tohydro­fracturing mining (fracking) and its pollution—proposed for the scenic Fingers Lakes regionand the ecologically sensitive Marcellus Shale formation.From the Elmira NY article:‘What to do with Marcellus Shale waste?

Chesapeake Energy, one of the country's largest natural gas drilling companies, has proposeddisposing of it beneath the scenic heart of the Finger Lakes Region.

The plan to inject 181,000 gallons of industrial waste per day into a defunct well in the Town ofPulteney has met with stiff opposition from residents.

The debate unfolding in the small town, better known for vineyards and bed & breakfasts thanindustrial waste disposal, is at the heart of a regional issue. Production of the nation's largest naturalgas field is ramping up with thousands of wells coming on line in northern Pennsylvania.

Each one of those wells is capable of producing millions of gallons of liquid waste ­­ including brine,heavy metals, naturally occurring radioactive material and various chemical solutions. Fewconventional sewage treatment plants are equipped to handle it, leaving the industry searching foralternatives.

Industry officials say they are getting a handle on the problem with evolving technology allowingcompanies to more effectively recycle and reuse large volumes of solutions used in a process calledfracking, which involves injecting pressurized water and chemical additives into well bores tofracture bedrock and release gas.

Even so, there are limits to recycling fracking fluid, and recycling would not apply to fluids thaterupt from well bores after drilling.

Residents in Steuben County fighting the plan found little comfort in Sheppard's assurances Fridaythat the plan was dead.

"I don't think anybody is attaching particular significance to these statements as long as the permitapplication is pending," said Rachel Treichler, an attorney from Hammondsport who chairs the stateSierra Club's task force on drilling issues.’

__________________________________________________

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/02/09/news/local/doc4b70ef9c511d0056152428.txtFountain rules OK'dEnvironmental groups prevail in getting higher E. coli limits.

By CHRIS WOODKA

THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

February 9, 2010

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/02/06/editorial/doc4b6e0b63ac911724691008.txt

Editorial

Published: February 06, 2010 06:16 pmRidiculous

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/02/14/editorial/doc4b7632e7a99ca416547897.txtEditorial

Published: February 14, 2010 12:07 amA cleaner Fountain

Iowa Waterways Finally Get Some Protections

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Iowa Chapter Sierrans and our excellent allies for working hard to finally get somegood water regulations in place to protect the state’s residents and water resources.From the Radio Iowa piece:‘A state committee has signed off on tougher environmental rules aimed at keeping Iowa’s lakes,rivers and streams free of pollution. The new standards place stricter requirements on wastewatertreatment plants, planning to discharge into Iowa waterways.

Many cities and counties opposed the tougher rules, saying it will cost too much to upgrade theirplants. But the lawyer for Iowa’s chapter of the Sierra Club, Wally Taylor, says the new rules are

worth it.

“We all want clean water. Everybody says they want clean water. We all have to bear the burden ofensuring we have clean water. These rules are designed to ensure that the waters that are clean, stayclean. That’s what anti­degradation is all about,” Taylor says.’

From the Bleeding Heartland Blog:

‘State legislators have allowed clean water "anti­degradation" rules to stand, a step toward filling significant hole in Iowa's water quality regulations. A last­ditch effort by Republicans failed to win enough votes on the Iowa legislature's Administrative Rules Review Committee (ARRC) to set aside rules adopted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

I've joked that the ARRC's unofficial motto is "Where good rules go to die," because on several occasions the committee has rejected rules oriented toward environmental protection. Today Republican Senator Merlin Bartz tried to keep that tradition going with a motion to object to the new water quality rules. However, only Bartz's three fellow Republicans on the committee (Senator James Seymour and State Representatives Dave Heaton and Linda Upmeyer) voted for rejecting the DNR's rules. The six Democrats on the ARRC (Senators Wally Horn, Jack Kibbie and Tom Courtney, and State Representatives Marcella Frevert, Tyler Olson and Nathan Reichert) all voted against Bartz'a resolution.

"It's time we heard some good news about water pollution in Iowa," said Brad Klein of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, in a press conference prior to the ARRC decision.

Advocates at the press conference said the rules will provide additional protections for Iowa's few remaining high­quality waters, for example West Lake Okoboji and several trout streams in Northeast Iowa.

"Protecting lakes and streams from further degradation is important to our state's natural heritage as well as our tourism and recreation industries. An estimated 11,479 jobs, $242.9 million of income and $424.9 million of gross state product are associated with the spending by visitors to Iowa lakes alone," said Wally Taylor, legal counsel for the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter.

Taylor and others said the Iowa rules are long overdue and that they have worked for years to get Antidegradation Rules written and passed in Iowa.

With the passage of the federal Clean Water Act in 1972 states were required to enact Antidegradation rules to prevent the further pollution of lakes, rivers and streams in the nation by 1985. Iowa adopted rules but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency informed Iowa that its rules violated federal law as early as 1997. Repeated delays in rewriting the rules led a coalition of environmental organizations ­ Iowa Environmental Council, Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association, the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Environmental Law & Policy Center ­ to file a Petition for Rulemaking with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in 2007 requesting that the State act immediately to adopt antidegradation implementation rules. This action initiated a rule­making process that included several opportunities for public comment and a hearing before the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission, which approved the revised rules in December of last year. Monday's meeting of the legislative Administrative Rules and Review Committee marked the final

step in the decades­long process.

Advocates who testified at the hearing stressed that the rules will allow Iowa to grow sensibly and sustainably.

"These rules will stem the tide of declining water quality in Iowa, protect the outstanding jewels that remain, and serve as an economic engine for those communities with the foresight to protect and leverage the potential of these remarkable waters," said Shannan Garretson, water program legal analyst for the non­profit Iowa Environmental Council.’

___________________________________________________

Victory for Fountain Creek

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, Febuary 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Colorado’s Ross Vincent of our Fountain Creek Sentinels, our great labor partners, andnumerous other boon allies for winning stronger water quality protections for the Fountain.The hearings were covered extensively by the Pueblo Chieftain, with page­1 stories pre andpost­hearing, and strong editorials in support pre and post.Ross reports:Thanks to some exceptionally good work by Joe Santarella and his team, and by John Barthrepresenting Pueblo DA Bill Thiebaut, with support from others (see below), we were able toconvince the state health department staff and the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) thatthe water quality impairment ratings for Fountain Creek should not be downgraded.In the apparent final consensus among the WQCC members at yesterday's hearing in Denver, ofthe four relevant ratings under review (bacteria & selenium for each of the two stream segmentsbetween Colorado Springs and downtown Pueblo), one been improvedfrom the previous rating,two have been saved from backsliding, and one remains unchanged. The original CDPHEproposal called for upgrading one and downgrading two others.

Like most important environmental wins, we didn't make this happen alone. It was a classic teamvictory. None of it would have happened without the support ­­ moral and financial ­­ of the RockyMountain Environmental Labor Coalition (RMELC). They deserve our profound thanks and most ofthe credit.

People who deserve and have our sincere thanks are...Rick Allen, Chairman of the RMELC Board,Joe Santarella and his team who represented RMELC & the Sierra Club,John Barth representing Pueblo DA Bill Thiebaut,Pueblo DA Bill Thiebaut for his continued involvement and leadership on Fountain Creek,Pueblo County Commission Chairman Jeff Chostner and Pueblo City Council President LarryAtencio who wrote a strong, joint letter of support for protecting the Creek and the people who

use it, andCarlos Valverde of the Colorado Progressive Coalition for his powerful supportive statement at theWQCC hearing yesterday.From the articles:‘The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission put tougher water quality limits on parts ofFountain Creek Monday.

The decision represents a partial victory for environmental groups that argued for impairment ofboth reaches for E. coli and selenium, based on data that show Fountain Creek is nearing annuallimits. After meetings with various parties, the Colorado Water Quality Control Division revised itsinitial recommendations to make the standards tougher for E. coli north of Pueblo and to retainselenium as a listed contaminant.’

From the Chieftain’s Editorials:

(Pre­Hearing)

‘THE COLORADO Division of Water Quality Control has recommended lower standards for waterflowing down Fountain Creek.

The Sierra Club is concerned about the increase of flows on Fountain Creek projected undercompletion of the Southern Delivery System, according to Ross Vincent, chairman of the localchapter of the group. He points out that more strenuous limits are needed for the Fountain. IfColorado Springs is let off the hook for maintaining water quality standards from its sewer treatmentdischarges, the Pueblo County should reopen the 1041 land use permit granted the Springs for theSDS project.

Mr. Vincent is right. Pollution limits should be strengthened, not weakened.’

(Post­Hearing)

‘THE COLORADO Water Quality Control Commission overrode initial recommendations from stafferslast week and imposed tougher water quality limits on parts of Fountain Creek.

For that, the people of Pueblo and those who live downstream should thank those who went to batfor this region.’

_________________________________________________

Archive for March 2010

Water Sentinels and Partners Sponsor 'Earth Month' Events

Posted by Tom V

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

The Water Sentinels Program and partner groups are celebrating Earth Month all April long byhosting nearly 50 events (at latest count) around the country, from creek cleanups to serviceoutings, student field days to speaker engagements, water festivals to Earth Day tabling events.Find an event near you and dive in! A list of events can be found here, or click on the Projects tabat the top of this page and enter "water sentinels" in the Find a Project search box.

http://alabama.sierraclub.org/chapternews/march10/maggie.html

March 2010

Maggie’s Meanderings!

Growing Roots Workshop:

Connecting Educators and their Children to Nature

Alabama Sierra Club steps up again to support Environmental Education in our state. For the Fifth

year, the Executive Committee voted to help sponsor the 2010 Growing Roots Workshop: Connecting

Educators and Their Children to Nature. This sends a powerful message to not only the members of

Alabama Sierra Club, but also the community at large, that the Sierra Club is serious about making

the world a better place. Education is the key to a better future.

Today, we hear so much about “Nature Deficient Disorder” in children, but in actuality, many people

are suffering from this in one way or another. We rarely take long walks in the woods or linger by a

stream to watch for wildlife. Few people today are comfortable enough in the woods to even

consider taking their own family on a Nature adventure.

Alabama Sierra Club, Sierra Club H2O Sentinels, Birmingham Audubon Society and McDowell

Environmental Center are offering the perfect solution to this conundrum this summer. The Growing

Roots: Connecting Educators and their Children to Nature workshop will beheld June 21­23, 2009at

Camp McDowell near the Bankhead National Forest. Because of the grants from Sierra Club, the

cost for participants of the workshop is only $50 per family. This includes 2 nights lodging and

meals.

The workshop will allow a limited number of educators to bring their own child or grandchild on a

once in a lifetime journey that will include hikes to learn edible and medicinal plants, birding

opportunities, geology lessons and fossil digs at the Minkin Paleozoic Trackway. Participants will

combine nature and art through mosaics. Trips to wade and swim in beautiful Clear Creek will

include lessons on the invertebrates and fish that live in our local Alabama waters.

All of this adventure and learning is set against the backdrop of the beauty of Camp McDowell’s 1100

acres of forests, sandstone canyons, streams and waterfalls. And what an amazing way to inspire

teachers to go back into their classrooms and get students enthused about Nature! They will see that

spark of excitement in their own child, and want to share it with all their hundreds of students.

For more information, go to the McDowell Environmental Center webpage

atwww.campmcdowell.com/cmec. You can also download a registration form there. You may also

email Maggie Wade Johnston, Director of McDowell Environmental Center,

atmaggie@campmcdowell.com or call 205­387­1806.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123894530

Gov. Rick Perry To EPA: Don't Mess With Texas

by John Burnett

February 19, 2010

Listen to the Story

All Things Considered

[5 min 25 sec]

Featured Partnership: Growing Roots at McDowell Environmental Center

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL ally McDowell Environmental Center for another year of the Growing Roots workshop,connecting educators and their children to nature at Camp McDowell. MEC’s MaggieWade­Johnston gives the skinny on the workshop below.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial/local_story_058092520.html

Published February 27, 2010

In our view: Shuffling bureaucracy

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/mar/01/critics­pan­water­testing­proposal/

Critics pan water­testing proposal

Department switch won’t help, they say.

By Terry Ganey

Monday, March 1, 2010

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/02/25/1774735/missouri­senate­committees­draft.html

Lawmakers target Missouri DNR’s authority to test for E. coli

By KAREN DILLON and JASON NOBLE

The Kansas City Star

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Messing With Texas

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Lone Star Chapter Director Ken Kramer and new EPA Region VI Administrator AlArmendariz who have had enough of the state’s failures to enforce air pollution laws. Sounds likewith a new Sheriff in town, things are hopefully going to change.

From the NPR ‘All Things Considered” story:

‘The Environmental Protection Agency has kicked a proverbial fire ant mound in Texas. Theagency's campaign to tighten pollution regulations has led to a pushback in a state whose hugepetrochemical sector is a major producer of industrial pollutants and carbon dioxide.

On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and other state officials sued the EPA in federal court for its

recent finding that CO2 is a pollutant. However, the EPA also has a Texan on its side.

Environmental Lovefest

Texan Al Armendariz's appointment with the EPA recently prompted an environmental lovefest at a

Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin.

"We'd like to welcome you to a celebration of the appointment of Al Armendariz as the regional

administrator of Region 6 of the Environmental Protection Agency," said Tom Smith, director of the

Texas chapter of Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy organization.

The environmental activists here consider Armendariz as one of their own.

Now they may get their way. The Dallas EPA office is responsible for five states and 66 Indian tribes,

but Armendariz says since he began in November, air quality in Texas has occupied just half of his

time, as there's so much that needs fixing.

"There's no doubt in my mind or at any of the leadership in EPA," Armendariz says, "That the way

the air programs have been run in the state of Texas for the last 15 years is gonna end, and it's gonna

end really soon."

Talk like that has raised hackles in a state where business is king and the unofficial motto is "Don't

Mess With Texas."

Undeterred, Armendariz says Texas needs to do more to protect its air. "We're glad to see that in

many areas of Texas, air quality is improving," he says. "But there are still many communities in

Texas where there are levels of air pollutants that are too high."

Getting Tough On 'Accidental' Emissions

One of them is the Houston area — home to a vast petrochemical complex.

Two years ago, the Sierra Club and Environment Texas, advocacy groups acting on behalf of

citizens, sued Shell Oil for emissions at its Deer Park refinery that were far in excess of its permitted

limits. The lawsuit claimed that unauthorized "accidental" emissions occurred, on average, more

than once a week for five years.

Texas Sierra Club Director Ken Kramer, among others, blames state regulators for letting refineries

get away with these sorts of violations with nothing more than a slap on the wrist. "Because they say,

'Oh well, those are really accidental emissions; it's not part of our routine emissions. It was because

we had a problem with this particular unit,' " Kramer says. "But it happens over and over and over

again."

A federal judge agreed with the citizens' groups, and Shell agreed to reduce its upset emissions by

80 percent.

In its defense, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says it reviews all unauthorized

emissions and takes punitive action when industries break the rules.

But the Houston Chronicle, in a May 2009 editorial, asked why two environmental groups had to go

to court to do the job state regulators should be doing.

If the EPA has its way, this state of affairs is about to end.’

C+Gooch+s+resolution

Owensboro Messenger­Inquirer

Opinion, Letters to the Editor

March 1, 2010

Shuffling Bureaucracy

http://www.courier­journal.com/article/20100228/OPINION02/2280328/1016/OPINION/Reader+letters+%7

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinel Ken Midkiff and the Missouri media for properly panning a state Senate panelproposal to move lab analysis from MDNR to the useless, toothless Dept of Health and SeniorServices. In a show of spite over last summer’s E. Coli­Gate scandal that sickened several people atthe state’s largest tourist lake, Senate Republicants apparently wanted to ‘send a message’ to punishMDNR. Wrong message, and the wrong messengers. Instead, state lawmakers should fully fundMDNR so it can properly protect Missourians and their environment.

From an Editorial:

‘There’s no doubt that DNR failed to do its job, but making DHSS responsible in no way solves theleadership problems at the DNR. Moving the DNR lab to DHSS is ridiculous. The DNR lab is not toblame in the Lake of the Ozarks E. coli fiasco. The lab properly analyzed the samples. The fault waswith the higher­ups who did not release the results of the tests.’

From the articles:

‘Ken Midkiff, chairman of the Sierra Club’s Missouri Clean Water Campaign, called therecommendation “laughable.”

“DHSS over the years in both Democrat and Republican administrations has never notified the publicof an environmental threat to public health,” Midkiff said. “While DNR has, at times, been ineffectiveand bumbling, DHSS has been worse. DHSS has proved itself to be useless in matters ranging fromhigh lead levels in yards and roads at Herculaneum to high levels of toxins in the areas aroundPremium Standard Farms,” he said.

“Is this the same Department of Health and Senior Services that couldn’t find lead in Herculaneum?”asked Kathleen Logan Smith, executive director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.

…Although Smith and Midkiff agreed with many of the report’s conclusions, they pointed out thatDNR has been woefully underfunded for years.

“The General Assembly isn’t serious about monitoring and protecting the waters of the state ofMissouri,” Smith said.

Midkiff said that “to claim that somehow there are fundamental flaws in DNR’s operation is to ignorethe complicity of state representatives and senators in such flaws. The flaws alluded to have beendeliberately created by elected officials.”’

_____________________________________________________

http://www.courier­journal.com/article/20100315/NEWS01/303150064/Petition+asks+EPA+to+take+over+part+of+Ky.+enforcement+of+Clean+Water+Act

Petition asks EPA to take over part of Ky. enforcement of Clean Water Act

By James Bruggers • jbruggers@courier­journal.com • March 15, 2010

Using Sarcasm

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinel Emeritus Lee Dew for landing a good poke on a KY StateRepresentative who is climate change denier, playing petty state politics to try to stall EPA’sregulation of greenhouse gases.

From Lee’s LTE:

‘I believe he must have a secret agenda. Although he claims he does not believe in global climate

change, he supports policies which would guarantee an acceleration of that very climate change. Is

it possible that he foresees his hometown, Providence, as America's principal Gulf port for the 22nd

Century?’

_____________________________________________________________________

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2010/03/water­sentinels­leader­joins­corps­reform­network.html

March 26, 2010

Water Sentinels Leader Joins Corps Reform Network

Kentuckians Ask EPA to Take Over Enforcement of CWA

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Kentuckians for moving to stop the continuing failures of the state’s weak

environmental regulatory agency, and to save what’s left of Appalachia from the total destruction ofKing Coal.

From the article:

‘Environmental groups have petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take over a key

part of Kentucky’s enforcement of the Clean Water Act, saying state regulators have failed to protect

rivers and streams from mining pollution.

The four groups also made public an outside analysis of an EPA survey of streams near mining

activities in Kentucky and West Virginia that found 14 of 17 were toxic to aquatic life; eight of those

streams are in Eastern Kentucky.

At issue is the state program that regulates sources that directly discharge pollutants into Kentucky

waters. The EPA has delegated management of the program to the state while retaining oversight.

“We recognize we are asking EPA to take drastic action,” the petition to EPA Administrator Lisa M.

Jackson says. “Given the nearly complete breakdown of Kentucky’s implementation and

enforcement of its (pollution discharge) program, however, withdrawal of (that) program is the only

remedy that will bring Kentucky into compliance with the Clean Water Act.”

The groups — the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment, Sierra Club, Public

Justice and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth — cited numerous problems, including a lack of

staffing. For example, they said Kentucky water quality officials have to manage seven times as many

permits as their counterparts in West Virginia.

“The problem is much more widespread and more serious than the state admits,” said Tim Guilfoile,

a Northern Kentucky resident and Sierra Club representative.’

______________________________________________

ENVIRONMENTALIST OF THE YEAR AND

SIERRAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS LUNCHEON 2009

Sunday, March 21, 2010, from Noon – 4PM

Seatuck’s Scully Estate in Islip

…We will also be honoring Linda Freilich, our very own Coastal Waterways Chair, as Sierran of theYear for 2009.

Linda’s exceptional efforts on behalf of the National Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels Program hascaptured the imagination of the public, and her success in the water testing of Long Island’s estuariesand tributaries is taking off like wildfire. The Sierra Club of Long Island is really proud of Linda andwhat she’s managed to accomplish.

Sentinels Deputy Director Joins Corps Reform Network

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels Deputy Director Tim Guilfoile for his service on the Corps Reform Network, thenational organization who oversees the reform and operations of the US Army Corps of Engineers.

From the article:

‘"This links the Water Sentinels to a national organization whose job it is to oversee Corps reform,"Guilfoile says. "Many of the projects we're working on, including wetlands preservation and waterquality, are impacted dramatically by the Corps of Engineers."

As the nation's largest water management agency, the magnitude of Corps of Engineers projectsrivals that of any other federal agency or private company.

"Projects carried out by the Corps have a profound impact on our rivers, wetlands and coasts," saysGuilfoile, "and all too often they harm the natural environment, waste taxpayer dollars, and put thepublic at greater risk from natural disasters. It's important that the Water Sentinels stay on top ofCorps projects to make sure they're cost effective and environmentally sound by participating in theCorps Reform Network at the leadership level."’

_____________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/03/26/26greenwire­epa­proposes­veto­of­permit­for­major­mountain­90328.html

EPA Proposes Veto of Permit for Major Mountaintop­Removal Coal Mine

By PATRICK REIS

Published: March 26, 2010

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/us­proposes­to­veto­mountaintop­removal­coal­mine­1930127.html

US proposes to veto mountaintop removal coal mine

AFP

Monday, 29 March 2010

KC Weapons Plant Health Threats Exposed

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

It has been well known since 2001 that the Bannister Federal Complex is a festering hellhole ofdangerous leaching toxins, sitting smack dab in the middle of a predominantly poorAfrican­American neighborhood in Kansas City. Among several federal facilities onsite is the KansasCity Plant (KCP) – the source of the problems – that makes triggers for nuclear weapons, undercurrent contract by Honeywell for the US Dept of Energy.

But, we’d just never been able to break open the whole ugly story. However, working with alliesNuclear Watch, NRDC, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Peaceworks of KC et al, and some greatKC reporters, we’ve blown the story wide open, beginning last December.

In order, it has been revealed that:

* There are hundreds of dead and sick former and current workers at the plant with thousands ofoutstanding health hazard claims

* A state government worker leaked documents expressing concerns about the health impacts tochildren at the facility’s Day Care for workers’ children

* EPA joins the state’s investigation, and releases the list of 785 known toxins used at the KCP

* GSA exposed for covering up known cancer and other health concerns

* MO Senator Bond, R­Mo, takes the US Senate floor to say that the GSA has “apparently beenunresponsive to the ongoing health concerns of their employees and tenants at the Bannister FederalComplex” and calling for a full investigation by GSA’s Inspector General

* GSA clams up, ‘no further comment’

* GSA ‘accidentally destroys’ two samples from their Day Care investigation before the samples couldbe analyzed

* The allegedly ‘non­radioactive’ KCP has been using massive quantities (tons) of depleted uraniummore­on­than­off since 1959

* GSA’s Inspector General launches its ‘formal probe’ into workers’ health concerns

* CDC (US Centers for Disease Control) launches its own independent federal investigation of healthhazards at the KCP

* A 1989 spill of Promethium 147 is confirmed to have exposed several workers and theirhomes/families to radioactive poisoning

* US Sen. Claire McCaskill, D­Mo., and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, D­Mo. join Sen. Kit Bond,R­Mo., in the call for full investigations into deaths and illnesses of former and current workers at theBannister Federal Complex

* Last week, we exposed that there are 15 locations at the KCP in the Superfund database, firstdesignated in 1987, but the “government forgot to tell anybody in Kansas City”—one is a “ClassifiedBurial Trench.”

Reporter Russ Ptacek of local NBC Action News has run two dozen features at:

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/content/investigative/bannister/default.aspx

Nadia Pflaum at The Pitch, the city’s weekly alternative paper, has done a great job of poignantlycovering the suffering of the workers. Example at:

http://www.pitch.com/2009­11­19/news/honeywell­workers­exposed­to­beryllium­now­face­berylliosis­and­cancer

Search Dillon at www.kansascity.com to see the KC Star’s Karen Dillon’s reporting.

The latest TV feature is pasted below, because the reporter let me have some fun with my quotes, andfor the impressive list at the end, of the 785 “known” toxins used at the KCP.

From the story:

‘Former workers and environmental activists say they had no idea the Bannister Federal Complex,1500 E. Bannister Road, is listed as a Superfund site with the Environmental Protection Agency.

“I guess the government forgot to tell anybody in Kansas City,” said Scott Dye with the Sierra Club.“It's not on any Superfund list that I've seen.”

“It's confusing that over the years that if they've even considered that, that they wouldn't tell thepeople that were working there,” said former weapons plant worker Maurice Copeland. “No, I neverheard it.”

An NBC Action News investigation has uncovered a list of about a hundred dead and sick workersfrom the General Service Administration side of the facility and about 1500 claims of toxin relatedillnesses on the weapons side of the plant, according to a government report.

Dye said even EPA representatives at a recent public meeting on contamination at the Bannisterplant were confused.

“When I pinned down (the EPA official) at the meeting, she tried to deny it, but wilted when Iproduced the EPA Superfund letter,” Dye said. “She relented and said she would get me the exactdate the Bannister Federal Complex was designated. It took two more whacks upside the head, butthe cat is out of the bag now.”

Dye said it took a week before the EPA confirmed the plants Superfund status by e­mail.

“The entire complex was designated and listed in the Superfund database in portions, all in 1987,”Dye said. “By scoring it low in the Hazard Ranking System, that’s a sick joke, literally, they wereable to keep it off the National Priority List and deal with it quietly.

According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources the soil and ground water at the site arecontaminated with solvents, metals and petroleum contaminants.’

__________________________________________________________

Reported by: Russ Ptacek

Email: ptacek@nbcactionnews.com

Last Update: 3/04 7:38 pm

Video link:

Bannister's Superfund Site Status Confuses

Long Island Sierran of the Year

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Long Island Sentinel Linda Freilich for being honored as the 2009 Sierran of the Year bythe Long Island Group of the Sierra Club. This recognition is richly deserved and earned, asevidenced by the outstanding Sentinels program Linda initiated, that runs like clockwork.Congratulations, Linda!

____________________________________________________

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp­dyn/content/article/2010/02/28/AR2010022803978.html?hpid=topnews

BUSINESS: THE ENVIRONMENT 40 YEARS AFTER EARTH DAY

Manure becomes pollutant as its volume grows unmanageable

EPA's "Flying Cross­Chop Kick" to Mountaintop­Removal Coal Mining

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL my Boss, Ed Hopkins, for recently getting the last word in on an unprecedented EPA vetofor a mountaintop­removal mining permit in both the NYT and ‘across the pond’ in London.

From the articles:

‘"The best available science tells us that proposed mines like the massive Spruce Mine would pollutewaterways, destroy mountains and devastate communities," the Sierra Club's director ofenvironmental quality Ed Hopkins said in a statement.’

Last week, FINALLY, President Obama’s EPA moved to potentially permanently end this immoralabomination of our people and our planet. To which I can only add, “What in Hell were you waitingfor?”

ALL HAIL this straight dope from Sierra’s Hitched E­news:

‘MINE THIS ­ Lisa Jackson just kicked coal execs in the face! Ok, not literally, as cool as that wouldbe. What really happened is that last week the Environmental Protection Agency announced toughguidance for mountaintop removal coal mining near streams, which severely limits this mostdevastating form of coal mining.

Like a flying cross­chop kick, "the new policy represents the most significant administrative actionever taken to address mountaintop removal coal mining," said our own Michael Brune.’

And I really like this opinion piece on the most valiant champions of all in this righteous fight—ALLHAIL the local mountaintop­removal activists of rural Appalachia, who repeatedly put it all on theline, and demanded environmental justice.

http://www.diamondbackonline.com/opinion/epa­reaching­the­mountaintop­1.1305864

‘There are a lot of reasons for this victory. The largest by far is the mountaintop removal activists inthese Appalachian communities who mobilized year after year, repeatedly risking arrest (and gettingarrested) through civil disobedience when there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Chances aretheir steadfast determination in putting the spotlight on this issue forced the EPA’s hand.’

While Sierra Club’s motto and policy does not allow our participation in civil disobedience (“alllawful means”), it remains clear in American politics that such actions can indeed move mountains,or in this instance, keep mountains from being moved.

_________________________________

http://www.lib.niu.edu/2002/oi020612.html

"Fishin' Buddies!"

Fishing for a Brighter Future

They learn things that few other kids know.

STORY BY BOB LONG, JR.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF "FISHIN' BUDDIES!"

Water Sentinels Engaged 165,000 Youth in 2009

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Water Sentinels, who believe that our future begins right now, and who are passionateabout “building your Grandkids’ Sierra Club.”

And ALL HAIL our Sierra Club sister programs who share that passion, and who work tirelessly everyday to make sure that there is no child left inside.

_______________________________________________________________________________

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2010/03/water­sentinels­program­engages­hundreds­of­thousands­of­youth.html

(See great photos at the above link)

March 10, 2010

Water Sentinels Engage Hundreds of Thousands of Kids

The Sierra Club's Water Sentinels program engaged 165,000 youth across the country in 2009.Working with partner programs Military Families Outdoors, Inner City Outings, and Building Bridgesto the Outdoors, the Water Sentinels helped get more than 200,000 kids outdoors last year.

"The Water Sentinels program is changing the face of America by getting youth and ordinarycitizens involved in caring for our most precious resource," says Water Sentinels Deputy DirectorTim Guilfoile.

Through its partnerships with the Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, Inner City Outings, theNational Military Fish & Wildlife Association, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and other localyouth­oriented organizations, Water Sentinels got more than 90,000 youngsters out in fishing in2009.

"We've developed partnerships with schools, after­school programs, and summer camps to providestudents with streamside education," says Water Sentinels Director Scott Dye. "Kids go fishing and

floating, take nature hikes, do water­quality monitoring, and participate in outdoor education fairs,interpretive field trips, community litter cleanups, tree plantings along stream corridors, naturephotography, and a whole lot more." The Water Sentinels engaged 27,000 youth in 2009 throughthese outdoor educational events.

"The Water Sentinels program has also built relationships with school systems that want to toincorporate water­related environmental education into their classroom curricula," says Guilfoile."We work with teachers to identify age­appropriate educational materials that can be easily andaffordably integrated into their teaching programs."

Through this initiative Water Sentinels trained 640 teachers last year, reaching some 16,000 students.The program also engaged an additional 25,000 students through direct actions, from the streamsideto the classroom.

The Water Sentinels Program's Earth Day celebrations consistently engage around 5,000 youth everyyear.

Learn more about the Water Sentinels and how you can get involved where you live.

WAPO on CAFO

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel Lynn Henning for her comments in this page­1 article on animalfactories and the menacing mountains of manure they produce.

From the article:

‘Nearly 40 years after the first Earth Day, this is irony: The United States has reduced the manmadepollutants that left its waterways dead, discolored and occasionally flammable.

But now, it has managed to smother the same waters with the most natural stuff in the world.

Animal manure, a byproduct as old as agriculture, has become an unlikely modern pollutionproblem, scientists and environmentalists say. The country simply has more dung than it can handle:Crowded together at a new breed of megafarms, livestock produce three times as much waste aspeople, more than can be recycled as fertilizer for nearby fields.

The story of manure is already a gloomy counterpoint to the triumphs in fighting pollution since thefirst Earth Day in 1970. An air pollutant that causes acid rain has been cut by 56 percent. By one

measure, the output from sewage plants got 45 percent cleaner.

But, according to Cornell University researchers, the amount of one key pollutant ­­ nitrogen ­­entering the environment in manure has increased by at least 60 percent since the 1970s.

"We've dealt with the kind of conventional pollutants," that helped spark the first Earth Day, saidDonald F. Boesch, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "Now,we see the things that are eating our lunch, if you will, are natural products . . . that are justoverloading the system."

The result in farming­heavy places has been too much manure and too little to do with it. In the air,that extra manure can dry into dust, forming a "brown fog." It can emit substances that contribute toclimate change.

And it can give off a smell like a punch to the stomach.

"You have to cover your face just to go from the house to the car," said Lynn Henning, 52, a farmerin rural Clayton, Mich., who said she became an environmental activist after fumes from huge newdairies gave her family headaches and burning sinuses. The way that modern megafarms produce it,Henning said, "Manure is no longer manure. Manure is a toxic waste now."’

___________________________________________________________________

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/mar/07/stream­team­event­praises­monitor­role­new/

Stream Team event praises monitor role

New ‘impaired’ list on the way.

By Jodie Jackson Jr.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Featured Partnership: Fishin' Buddies

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL ally “Fishin’ Buddies” in south suburban Chicago, an outstanding African­Americanoutreach program for at­risk youth.

Their “Fishin’ Mission:

To introduce children to nature

To introduce children to science

To show learning can be fun

To show children the magic of life that lives all around us

To mentor those in need

To laugh, giggle and play

To catch some fish along the way

"Fishin' Buddies!" on teamwork

Tyree Major was 17 when he started as a Conservation Kid.

"The words restoration, rehabilitation, rehabitation, woodlands, wetlands, savanna had no meaningto me when I started," said Major, now 23. These words do not fall easily from the lips, especially forthose whom our schools may have left behind. But I learned them and much more. I also learned that(in areas) where you are weak, you work with someone strong. Where you are strong, you assistthose who need your hand. Together we can make it work."

More from a great article on the organization written by Northern Illinois University:

‘With a simple rod and reel, some bait, a little patience and mentoring by a caring adult, there's verylittle that can't be caught," said Richard Wilborn, longtime secretary and original founding memberof "Fishin' Buddies!"

“That's the key," Kidd said, "Caring adults. Children are waiting—willing to follow wherever theadults will lead. And we lead them to water and fish."

There are many philosophies reflecting various cultures and times in history at "Fishin' Buddies!"One revolves around work.

"Working with the mind ennobles the intellect and connects us to the universe. Working with thehands ennobles the spirit and connects us to the earth and each other," reads a sign at theorganization's headquarters.

Marilyn Malone, one of the original Conservation Kids who worked from age 16 through 19 noted,"My workmates and I learned more science, completed more science projects, and wrote morereports during my three 10­week summers, than we did during the same three years of school.

"It was intense and intensive," says Malone, now aged 22, "but most of all, it was fun. Thecamaraderie, the learning, the discipline turned out to be some of the most precious moments of myteen years.’

__________________________________________________

http://www.villagechronicles.net/the­news/item/974­council­examines­impact­of­phosphorus­on­environment

Warrenville IL Village Chronicles

Environment

Wednesday, 17 March 2010

Council Examines Impact of Phosphorus on Environment

Written by Crystal Lynn

Data Into Action: Exhibit B

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Missouri Sentinels who build upon the excellent training provided by the state’sStream Team program. It took a lawsuit to get the state to use volunteers’ data, but now it is a“driver” that can help get streams listed as impaired—a prerequisite to getting them cleaned up.

From the article:

‘Boone County Stream Team members got a collective pat on the back yesterday to become evenmore involved in helping to monitor water quality in the county.The Boone County Stream Team Summit assembled speakers for some 50 people in thecommunity room at Boone Electric Cooperative to discuss stormwater education, caveinformation, a primer on the county’s new stream buffer ordinance and pollution reportingprocedures.

There also was a presentation about the federal list of “impaired waters,” including 10 bodies ofwater in Boone County, by Bill Whipps, a state Department of Natural Resources environmentalspecialist.

Whipps said a new draft list outlining total maximum daily load, or TMDL, for pollution in HinksonCreek will be posted tomorrow for a 45­day public comment period.

Whipps said the Hinkson TMDL, which was due at the end of 2009, will be completed this year.The delay generated additional questions from Sierra Club representative Ken Midkiff, who notedthat his organization’s lawsuit against EPA to enforce the Clean Water Act spurred the necessity ofthe TMDL process.

Georganne Bowman, the Boone County stormwater manager, reminded the group that DNR isunder a federal mandate to issue TMDLs on waterways that don’t meet clean water standards.“This is their best modeling efforts to get this through,” she said.

The Stream Team program was initiated in 1989 by the Missouri Department of Conservation andhas grown to more than 4,000 teams with more than 80,000 individuals. Stream Teams might bebest known for picking up litter in and along waterways. Stream Teams also help monitor aquaticmacroinvertebrates — insects and their larvae — that are indicators of water quality. Thatinformation is valuable for DNR efforts to implement water quality improvements.

Boone County Presiding Commissioner Ken Pearson opened the summit by recognizing StreamTeam members for their efforts. “Almost everyone wants clean water and clean streams,” he said,“but they don’t really take the time to participate” in the effort.’__________________________________________

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas­politics/state­seeks­to­ease­water­quality­rules­356510.html

State seeks to ease water quality rules

Officials say the move will save money; environmental group says it jeopardizes health.

By Asher Price, Austin American­Statesman, March 15, 2010

Archive for April 2010

Data Into Action: Exhibit A

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the River Prairie Group Sentinels for turning their water­quality monitoring data intoaction, persuading their local city council to conduct a public information campaign to limitphosphorus pollution in local waterways.

According to RPG’s Paul Mack:

This article illustrates how both local decision makers and local media utilize our test data. Thereport they mention is freely available near the bottom of our webpage, beneath the raw test data.http://illinois.sierraclub.org/rpg/

From the article:

‘At its regular meeting on March 15, the Warrenville City Council directed the EnvironmentalAdvisory Commission to begin a public information campaign on the impact of phosphorus on localwaterways.

According to a 2007 River Prairie Group report, phosphorus levels in the West Branch of the DuPageRiver were found to be more than double the Illinois EPA guidelines, said Kanara. And althoughfertilizers are not the only reason for increased phosphorus levels in local waterways, eliminatingphosphorus­containing fertilizers will help decrease these levels.’

http://memphis.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2010/03/08/daily30.html?surround=etf&ana=e_article

Friday, March 12, 2010 | Modified: Monday, March 15, 2010

Big River completes LEED Silver project

Memphis Business Journal

Texas Steps Backward

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Lone Star Chapter Director Ken Kramer for calling “foul” on the state’s latest proposal toweaken water quality standards end expose its citizens to increased health risks.

From the article:

‘In a move that it says will save money and is a practical strategy for monitoring the state'swaterways, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has proposed loosening its waterquality standards.

The new standards have largely been applauded by some of the industries most likely to contributebacteria to waterways.

But the new bacteria standards, the loosest allowed by the EPA, amount to "backsliding," said ChrisHerrington, an environmental engineer with the City of Austin. Similar standards are in place in Utahand Colorado.

The LCRA also opposes the proposed bacteria standard, spokeswoman Clara Tuma said.

More forcefully, the Lone Star chapter of the Sierra Club said the new rules would increase the riskof illness.

"TCEQ is undertaking a systematic effort to weaken existing clean water standards that protect thehealth of people who recreate in or on Texas lakes and streams," Ken Kramer, director of the LoneStar chapter of the Sierra Club, said in a statement.

"The inevitable result of all the changes proposed by TCEQ is that tens of water bodies in Texascurrently considered as polluted because of bacterial contamination will now magically beconsidered clean, and TCEQ will no longer have to develop and implement clean­up plans for thosestreams," Kramer said.’

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=366202

Legendary Dundee­Crown environmental teacher retiring

By Jameel Naqvi | Daily Herald Staff

Published: 3/17/2010

LEEDing By Example

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Chickasaw Group and Sentinels for promoting green building techniques in Memphis.

From the article:

‘A former vacant warehouse Downtown has been renovated to LEED Silver certified status and is nowthe new home of Big River Engineering & Manufacturing.The 8,500­square­foot warehouse at 85 N. Fourth St. becomes the second building in Memphis tobecome LEED Silver certified and just the third in Shelby County, according to officials with theMemphis chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The local chapter of USGBC has scheduled an open on March 18 from 5­7 p.m. so builders,architects and others can see the transformation and learn more about the advantages of having aLEED facility.

The tour will highlight many of the water and energy conserving features of facility, includingskylights, automated daylighting controls and insulation made from 100 percent recycled products.The event is being held in conjunction with the Sierra Club’s local Chickasaw Group.’

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201003160407/GPG0101/3160544

Wisconsin considers limits on phosphorus pollution

Environmental groups say stricter rules needed to protect lakes, rivers

By TODD RICHMOND • The Associated Press • March 16, 2010

Legendary Teacher Retires Then Dives Back Into Our Environment

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL legendary teacher Gary Swick upon his ‘retirement’ from Dundee­Crown High School inCarpentersville IL. Mr. Swick is one of the finest environmental science teachers the State of Illinoisever certified. He had a uniquely effective way of getting students to understand that theenvironment, their environment, was intimately connected to their future lives as adults.

From the article:

‘Gary Swick wheels a cart down the empty halls of Dundee­Crown High School, collecting usedbottles, discarded newspapers, crumpled love notes, aluminum cans ­ all the things the teenage boysand girls need to last from the 7:40 a.m. bell until dismissal at 2:55 p.m.

Swick will be back in a week, wheeling a cart down the same hallways, collecting the same bottles,newspapers, notes, aluminum cans, aborted homework assignments. Maybe he's seen some of thethings before in earlier incarnations ­ a can of diet soda he drank last month, a copy of the ChicagoTribune he picked up at a gas station on Elgin's far west side, a plastic baggie he used to wrap asandwich he brought for lunch.

But soon, the cycle will be broken. Swick's easygoing demeanor; his folksy, self­effacing teachingstyle; the trademark Sam Elliot­style mustache and the smile it partially conceals; the rainbow beltthat holds up his blue jeans; the conviction in his voice when he talks about the joy of discovery ­ allof those things, familiar touchstones for 34 years at the Carpentersville high school, will soon begone.

In about three months, Swick will retire. The moment came a few years ago, when Swick lookedaround and saw former students who were now colleagues, teachers he had mentored who had goneon to become mentors themselves, new science labs, and a few more white hairs in that clump underhis nose.

After almost three­and­a­half decades of standing before a chalkboard, muddying his tennis shoes inthe swamps and fens of Dundee Township and pulling a paddle through the tranquil channels of theFox River, it would be hard for Swick to mothball his sport coat of recycled newspaper. So he won't.

Instead, Swick will focus on things he neglected because of his career. He will lobby Springfieldlawmakers for the Sierra Club, seek grant money for a water quality monitoring program he runs andperhaps apply for a teaching position at a community college.

Swick has had a hand in nearly all the major environmental initiatives in the northern Fox Valley: thesuccessful effort to save the Pure Oil silo in Carpentersville's Raceway Woods forest preserve fromdemolition; "Monitor with your Mother," an annual Mother's Day event that teaches families how tomonitor water quality in the Fox River; "Perry in the Prairie," a program that educates students fromDundee­Crown and Carpentersville's Perry Elementary School about the prairie ecosystem; the "CoolBus," a school bus that runs on biofuel and teaches area students about conservation; "TeenTeaching," which has high school students develop an environmental science curriculum for otherstudents; and the community's annual Earth Week celebrations.

Swick believes his most important lesson has been getting people to realize that everything they dohas an impact.

"These kids in the school don't even know there's a river down there. They drive over it, but they'redriving on a bridge. They have no idea how alive it is. 'Oh yeah, there's fish in there.' They have noidea how alive it is and how sensitive it is ­ and once they understand that, they behave differently.

"Once you get a kid in a stream to pick up a rock and find a damselfly larva on it, they will neverlook at that stream the same way again 'cause they know it's alive."’

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2010/03/02/news/local/doc4b8ca51c50340488426725.txt

http://www.journaltimes.com/lifestyles/relationships­and­special­occasions/article_b7cf38be­2d69­11df

­8646­001cc4c002e0.html

Racine WI Journal Times

Wild Oasis: Group hopes to establish wildlife refuge near Illinois border

DAVID STEINKRAUS dsteinkraus@journaltimes.com | Posted: Sunday, March 14, 2010

Gobbling Fishy Fish

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels Deputy Director Tim Guilfoile for the last word in this piece on the volume of fisheaten from the Ohio River, and the relative safety of that food source.

From the article:

‘People are eating an estimated 13 million pounds of fish per year from the Ohio River — and thatdoesn’t count fish caught by commercial fishers.

Yes, there’s a commercial fishery, too, along the 981­mile Ohio River.

“There’s a stigma that only when you are desperately starving would you go eat fish from the OhioRiver,” said Jason Flicker, the water resources program director for the Kentucky WaterwaysAlliance, a statewide environmental advocacy organization.

A new recreation survey of more than 5,000 people who live in communities in the river’s eight­statewatershed, however, challenges that notion.

Not only does the survey by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission indicate widespreadfishing and fish consumption — despite various health warnings from mercury and other pollutants— it suggests more than 1.2 million people each year are using the river for recreational activitiessuch as boating, waterskiing, swimming, hunting and fishing.

Peter Tennant, deputy director of ORSANCO, said Friday that he found the survey’s results startling.More people are using the river earlier in the year — in April — than officials had thought. He saidthat will prompt discussion about whether to start the recreational season, and its additionalprotections, one month sooner. “We need to take a look at that,” he said.

He also said he didn’t think so much fish was being eaten — essentially 13,250 pounds per mile peryear. He said that could eventually translate into requirements by states to lower the rates of pollutionallowed by water quality permits.

Tim Guilfoile, a Northern Kentucky resident and self­described life­long “river rat,” said he combedthrough Kentucky commercial fishing permits two years ago for a report, and interviewed some ofthe commercial fishers in the state. He estimates that another 1.2 million pounds a year of fish arepulled from the river by commercial fishers in the state and that some of it gets sold to processerswho turn it into fish sticks and fish sandwiches.

“If anything, this study says we ought to tighten the regulations and we ought to extend them,” he

said.’

__________________________________________

http://www.courier­journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201003151909/NEWS01/303150068

Survey: 13 million pounds of Ohio River fish eaten annually

By James Bruggers • jbruggers@courier­journal.com • March 15, 2010

Blowing Up Weapons

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Colorado Sentinel Ross Vincent for being rightly skeptical of the Army’s plans to destroychemical weapons without collateral harm to residents and water resources of Pueblo.

From the article:

‘The Army said its environmental assessment sees no problem with blowing up some of the chemicalweapons stored here but leaders of a local oversight panel called the report inadequate andquestioned the timing of its release.

The Pentagon, feeling the need to make a better effort to keep weapons destruction programsmoving in the eyes of other countries with their own programs, wants to bring equipment to thePueblo Chemical Depot in 2012 to start blowing up weapons two years before the earliest estimate forstartup of a water neutralization system.

The plant now under construction will clean out the weapons and chemically break down themustard agent.

The depot houses 780,000 mortar rounds and artillery shells containing 2,611 tons of mustard agentand the Defense Department figures it could blow up 125,000 of them over two years.

Irene Kornelly, chair of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Commission, hassaid that Pentagon officials tell her the State Department is concerned that it will look like the UnitedStates isn’t serious about its treaty obligation if it stops destruction activity after the last incinerationplant closes in 2012. The Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternative program, the Pentagon agencyoverseeing water neutralization programs at Pueblo and Kentucky’s Blue Grass Army Depot, calls thenew idea the “Bridging the Gap” program.

After reading the assessment, Kornelly said, “It’s a little short on any kind of details.” For example,she added, “It says, ‘We’re not going to use that much water,’ but they didn’t tell us how much we’re

going to use.”

Commission members have always known that some of the weapons, the more than 500 leakingones that have been secured in steel cylinders, would have to be destroyed in some sort of explosivechamber but the new plan is on an enormous scale.

Ross Vincent, of the Sierra Club and another commission member, agreed with Kornelly.

“I’m not surprised,” he said. “It is typically superficial and inadequate for a proposal that’s asdramatic as this one is. It’s a major change in the design for the destruction of chemical weapons. It’sinadequate in scope and detail and falls short of the kind of discussion (the National EnvironmentalProtection Act) requires. They need to go back to the drawing board. They need to do a full­scalesupplemental environmental impact statement."’

_____________________________________________

Published: March 02, 2010

Chem demil methods divide Army, local oversight panel

Blowing up weapons could start in 2012.

By JOHN NORTON

THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN

Limiting P

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Wisconsin Sierrans for badgering the Badger State into moving to stem phosphoruspollution in the state’s waterways.

From the article:

‘Wisconsin residents may soon pay more to flush the toilet, but enjoy cleaner lakes, rivers andstreams under a plan to more strictly regulate phosphorus pollution in state waterways.

The state Natural Resources Board today approved public hearings on tougher limits on thepollution, which can cause algae blooms and fish kills, endanger health and ruin beaches andfishing spots.

Environmental groups have applauded the proposed limits, saying they are long overdue and willhelp protect the public and state water quality.

Biologists believe phosphorus, a chemical commonly found in fertilizer and manure, can cause ugly

algae blooms and dissolve oxygen in the water, killing fish and insects. The blooms can producetoxins that can cause a host of health problems, including rashes, respiratory irritation, head­aches,fever and nausea and potentially cancer, according to the DNR.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been pushing states for more than a decade toimpose more precise standards, known as numeric limits, on the total amount of phosphorusallowed in a body of water, but only a few states have done so.

Last year, the EPA imposed standards on a state for the first time after a number of environmentaladvocacy groups sued to force the agency to take action in Florida. In November, several groups,including the Sierra Club and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, warned the EPA they planned tosue in Wisconsin unless action was taken.’

Hackmatack: Creating a Wild Oasis

Posted by Scott Dye

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Sentinel Cindy Skrukrud and her fellow visionaries for pursuing the new proposedHackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. Their dream took a major leap forward on Apr 8 as the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service announced their decision to proceed with a study to determine thefeasibility of establishing a Hackmatack NWR in the bi­state region of southeastern Wisconsin andnortheastern Illinois. Long known as an ecological hotspot, the region is home to many rare bird,fish, freshwater mussel and plant species, as well as some of the world’s most globally imperilednatural communities, including tall grass prairie and oak savanna.

From the article:

‘Among the barns, crops, fields, cattle, houses and factories, it's easy to lose sight of what Wisconsinwas. And yet, what Wisconsin was can return, and if a group of people in southeastern Wisconsinand northern Illinois get their way, it will.

This small group of people has a single goal. Within an area of about 11 by 14 miles straddling theWisconsin­Illinois border, they want the federal government to create a new national wildlife refugecalled Hackmatack. The name comes from one word for the larch, or tamarack, which drops itsgolden needles in the fall.

An important function of such a refuge would be to help connect existing preserves, said SarahSchuster, a resident of Lake Geneva, and one of the Wisconsin residents working on the refuge idea.It would create an oasis of wilderness within an easy driving distance of major urban areas, wouldprovide a stopping point for migrating birds such as whooping cranes and would help preserve anecosystem which is almost gone, advocates say.

The Hackmatack idea originated in Illinois. Over a period of months, some McHenry Countyresidents discussing preservation realized that federal interest in urban refuges combined with anumber of existing but scattered preservation efforts made a good case for establishing a nationalrefuge.

For slightly more than a year, the Hackmatack group has been talking to local and county officials intheir immediate area. Now they're extending their radius of contacts to build support, said CindySkrukrud, one of the refuge advocates and a staff member of the Sierra Club in Illinois.

The vision is not for a single piece of land. Land in the area is mostly private, and the federalgovernment will not seize land or force sales to create a refuge, said Chuck Traxler, spokesman forthe Fish & Wildlife Service regional office in Minneapolis. Rather, the government would buy landfrom willing sellers and would work with people interested in managing their land as a complimentto a refuge, he said. The result could look like Kettle Morraine State Forest which wraps aroundEagle and Palmyra and expands and contracts as it flows among farms and fields from Dousmanalmost to Whitewater.

The possibility of what a national wildlife refuge could be is hinted at now in Glacial Park, 3,200acres of savannah a few miles south of Richmond, Ill. Once it was home to one of the largest cattleoperations east of the Mississippi, Collins said. That was actually a benefit because the cattle fulfilledthe traditional role of elk which ate sprouting trees and bushes, preserving open spaces.

Winding through the park is Nippersink Creek. "On the Illinois side of the border we consider thatone of the highest quality streams in Illinois," Skrukrud said.

"The thing that excites me about this project," said Leach, the savannah expert, "is that this had tohave been one of the most beautiful places in North America, and very few people even know that."

Midwestern lands are not dramatic like the Rocky Mountains, Collins said. Here there is a subtlebeauty that may take years to appreciate. And there are the rare fens and almost­vanished oaksavannah.

"So is it nationally significant? Yeah," he said. "It's globally significant."’

How you can help to make the Hackmatack a reality:

Go to their website and sign the online petition.

http://www.hackmatacknwr.org/index.htm

Become a fan on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richmond­IL/Hackmatack­National­Wildlife­Refuge/331026000151?ref=mf

“Nothing happens unless first a dream.” – Carl Sandberg

Join the Dream.

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http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/apr/25/volunteers­tackle­trash/

Volunteers tackle trash

Effort rewarded with barbecue.

By T.J. Greaney

Sunday, April 25, 2010

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http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/04/24/volunteers­clean­columbia­despite­rain/

Volunteers clean up Columbia despite the rain

Saturday, April 24, 2010 | 4:43 p.m. CDT

BY Katelyn Amen

Featured Partnership: Turkey Creek Nature Preserve

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Taylor Steele, Manager of the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve near Pinson Alabama, and therock solid pivot point and state coordinator for all of our Alabama Water Sentinels partnerships.These dynamic partnerships engage thousands of predominantly at­risk Alabama youth annually,and include Birmingham­Southern College, Camp McDowell Environmental Center, AuburnUniversity Environmental Institute, and ‘Creek Kids” (AL DCNR & Parks), just to name a few. Theseyouth will soon lead our tomorrows—so we must reach them, and teach them well.

Turkey Creek “contains some of the most biologically diverse habitats in this region of Alabama.The waters of Turkey Creek are home to three endangered species of fish: the Vermilion Darter(Etheostoma chermocki), the Watercress Darter (Etheostoma nuchale), and the Rush Darter(Etheostoma phytophilum). The Rush and Vermilion Darters occur only in Turkey Creek andnowhere else in the world.” It is truly a magnificent natural gem.

Learn more about the Preserve at:

http://www.bsc.edu/sec/ecoscape/turkeycreek.cfm

See the Preserve, and meet Taylor, as he talks about his passion for the Preserve and for water,precious water, in this 2:50 video:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SierraSentinels#p/a/u/0/AS5dfJSH6to

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Cleanup Columbia

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL my hometown—Columbia, Missouri—for once again pulling off the largest annualsingle­day litter cleanup of any Missouri city. 1,535 volunteers—one out of every 65Columbians—scoffed at the rainy weather to show their civic pride and scrub our fair city free oftrash. Sierra Club has been a full cosponsor of the event since 2001.

Special thanks to Sentinels Program Assistant extraordinaire Therese Folsom and the indefatigableKen Midkiff for organizing the local Osage Group’s cleanup crew, while I was playing in the mud upChicago way.

From the page­1 above­the­fold articles:

‘Among the hearty souls who braved the weather were six volunteers from Egbe Omo Oduduwa, aNigerian group that has adopted the stretch of Walnut Street from Providence Road to Ninth Street.The group has tended to the road for the past 11 years. Wearing bright orange vests and speaking inrapid fire bursts of their native language, the group’s members said they take pride in maintainingthe stretch of roadway in the heart of Columbia.

“We live in this community; we love this community,” said Junoke Samusi. “And this is a way togive back to a community that’s been so good to us.”

MU graduate student Emily Groom is new to town and was happy to get involved with the CleanupColumbia event.

"I just moved here in August and Columbia is awesome, so I want to help keep it awesome," Groomsaid as she picked up trash along Rock Quarry Road near Capen Park. She worked alongside otherstudents and called the pickup a fun time with her friends despite getting a little wet.

City of Columbia Volunteer Programs estimated that 1,535 volunteers cleaned up around 220streams, parks and roadsides, Neighborhood Services Manager Leigh Britt said.

The number of volunteers makes this year's event one of the largest since Cleanup Columbia started14 years ago. The city provided participants with trash bags and safety vests for those working nearbusy roadways. They were also invited to a free picnic at Twin Lakes Recreation Area, whichattracted more than 500 volunteers who got to enjoy a few minutes of sunshine during their lunch,according to a news release from Britt.’

__________________________________________________________________

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/apr/18/psf­should­keep­its­promises/

PSF should keep its promises

Hog farm odors still a problem for some.

By CHRIS KOSTER

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Great Advertising­­Life Changing Results

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Boulder Valley ICO Sentinels for a great short bilingual video advertising theirafter­school Inner City Outings opportunities at partner Angevine Middle School in Lafayette,Colorado. Angevine has a 42% Latino student population, and students see the video on theschool’s closed–circuit TV system. Our BVICO Sentinels introduced 177 youth to nature in 2009.

See the 1:29 video at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SierraSentinels#p/a/4D909FCE50A374B9/1/6NA47SXgoD8

From the BVICO blog:

Boulder Valley Inner City Outings (ICO) is a community outreach program of the Sierra Club thatprovides free nature outings to children (and adults) who would not otherwise have theseopportunities. We take participants backpacking, hiking, fishing, snowshoeing, camping, mountainbiking, skiing, canoeing, etc. We also run a water sampling and fly fishing program in partnershipwith the Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels program and Trout Unlimited. And our Compass YouthLeadership program teaches more advanced outdoor leadership skills, critical thinking skills, thebasics of environmental stewardship, and basic earth and life science to kids with leadershippotential.

For more info:

http://rockymtn.sierraclub.org/ipg/bvico/

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http://verdenews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=35953&TM=82357.19

4/14/2010 8:41:00 AM

Upper Verde River Wild and Scenic idea resurfaces

By Joanna Dodder Nellans

Contributing Reporter

Missouri Attorney General's 'Slap Down' of PSF

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster for this stunning public ‘slap down’ of PremiumStandard Farms (PSF), the massive hog factory blight upon rural America owned by SmithfieldFoods. AG Koster ran an Editorial refuting PSF’s false propaganda, telling them ten­plus years ismore than enough time to solve their environmental problems, reminding them that they will besued in August when the unfulfilled current consent decree expires, and generally saying, ‘put up orshut up.’

Go Chris.

From the Editorial:

‘We all must live up to the agreements we make. As Missouri’s attorney general, I expect PremiumStandard Farms to live up to the promises it made to the people of this state. Ten and a half yearsago, PSF first agreed to enter into a consent judgment to resolve a lawsuit filed by then­AttorneyGeneral Jay Nixon. The state’s lawsuit, and resulting consent judgment, addressed a wide range ofproblems that PSF created in the 1990s with its development of farms in northern Missouri.

These concentrated animal feeding operations housed as many as 150,000 hogs at a single farm, farmore than were being raised at family farm operations then existing in northern Missouri, and theselarge farms created correspondingly large problems, including water pollution, odors and manurerunoff.

In that consent judgment, PSF agreed to develop and implement “Next Generation Technologies”that would “reduce or eliminate the release or threatened release, discharge or emission ofcontaminants, odor and or pollutants from all (PSF operations) to the fullest extent possible.” Thesewords mean what they say: PSF was to fix these problems “to the fullest extent possible.”

If you are one of the residents living with the problems of barn odor, I want you to know I am theattorney general of all Missourians. I will ensure PSF lives up to its agreement.

If you are one of the residents who have already benefited from this consent judgment, imagine if itwas you who still, after 10½ years, had not received the full benefit of this agreement. If you weredeprived of the full enjoyment of your home, if it was your property values that were threatened, you,too, would want PSF to live up to its promise. Let me assure you, the rumor that I will ask the courtto shut down PSF is simply false. But I will ask the court to make PSF keep its promises.’

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/21/1893831/meeting­tonight­on­bannister­complex.html

Posted on Wed, Apr. 21, 2010 09:16 PM

Former Bannister workers and families tell of deadly diseases

By KAREN DILLON

The Kansas City Star

Envisioning a New National Wild & Scenic River

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Gary Beverly and our Arizona Sentinels for having the vision and pursuing the means tohave the state’s Upper Verde River designated by Congress as a new National Wild & Scenic River.The Upper Verde is a crown jewel of the desert, nationally significant both ecologically andrecreationally.

We’re drawing a line in the sand to protect one of Arizona’s only perennial streams for futuregenerations.

From the Verde News article:

‘The idea of creating a Wild and Scenic Upper Verde River is surfacing in two parallel efforts.

The Sierra Club is working on a detailed proposal it hopes the U.S. Congress and president willapprove.

At the same time, the Prescott National Forest is reviving its analysis of the Wild and Scenic idea aspart of its forest management plan revision process.

"This is a green artery pulsing through the heart of Arizona," said the Sierra Club's Gary Beverly ofChino Valley, who is spearheading work on the group's 250­page proposal. "This is a resource everyperson in this state should be proud of."

The Sierra Club wants a Wild and Scenic designation for the upper 48.6 miles of the Verde, from theheadwaters near Paulden to a spot above Clarkdale, where the river flows out of the Prescott NationalForest into private land in the Verde Valley.

The Forest Service also has outlawed vehicular travel to the Upper Verde, a delicate ecosystem that ishome to threatened and endangered fish.

Sierra Club officials agree that the Upper Verde's condition has changed, and they believe now is theperfect time to get Wild and Scenic protections for the Upper Verde.

A Sierra Club ecological study has concluded that 70 percent of all Arizona invertebrates live in theVerde Watershed even though only 6 percent of the state's land sits in the watershed. That shows justhow ecologically important it is, Beverly said.

The club is seeking support for its proposal from the public and various agencies.

The City of Prescott and the Salt River Project, which holds senior water rights on the Verde Riverfor its Phoenix­area customers, already have expressed general support for a Wild and Scenic UpperVerde and a minimum streamflow in an agreement they co­signed earlier this year.

"Once this is designated, we'll have a resilient riparian habitat 160 miles long," said Beverly, pointingto other public lands along the Verde. "So there is a larger purpose... of completing this wildlifecorridor.

"It's important on a national scale."’

____________________________________________________________________

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/content/investigative/bannister/story/EPA­to­re­evaluate­Bannister­as­Superfund/FGKanb7ShEiQvBmfTLLtXQ.cspx

EPA to re­evaluate Bannister as Superfund

Reported by: Russ Ptacek

Email: ptacek@nbcactionnews.com

Last Update: 4/26 8:26 pm

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Going Nuclear

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

We laid down some heavy firepower in the media, to support our joint EPA Petition for AgencyAction, and just before a meeting of current and former workers at the Bannister Federal Complex inKansas City, who are injured by health impacts resulting from their employment at the nuclearweapons plant. It worked. EPA has agreed to reassess the entire federal complex for inclusion on

EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List.

From the KC Star article:

‘Former employees of the Bannister Federal Complex who believe they got sick from working at thefacility will get a chance to air their concerns this evening.

Although workers have been concerned for years about their exposure to a cornucopia ofcancer­causing chemicals, in the past year they have become more vocal.

“You just can’t have a Superfund site sitting in the middle of a metropolitan city and in apredominantly African­American community,” said Scott Dye, director of the Sierra Club’s WaterSentinels. “EPA has to take this seriously.”

Dye of the Sierra Club said it was time government agencies acted.

“You can’t wait around for everybody to die,” Dye said. “You are going to have to address thissooner or later.”’

From the NBC TV story:

‘The Sierra Club and an anti­nuclear group are petitioning the government to include the BannisterFederal Complex on the Superfund National Priorities List.

The Sierra Club and Physicians for Social Responsibility cited health hazards and illnessesuncovered by the NBC Action News investigation in making its request.

“The recent admissions of factual and potential harm, and the complete loss of the public’s trust thattheir government can protect workers and the public from occupational and environmental healthhazards at the complex, clearly it is long overdue for the EPA to reassess the threats posed by thisfacility, deemed by the U.S. Department of Energy to be “polluted into perpetuity,” said a newsrelease announcing the Sierra Club’s petition.

“The public doesn’t understand how the government allowed the discharge of hazardous pollutantsto continue for so many decades after the government acknowledged their existence,” said the newsrelease. “The public interest is in the public health and the environment, both of which have beengravely harmed by the continuing discharge ofhazardous pollutants for a very long time.’

From the KC Star article after the workers’ meeting:

‘Brain cancers, a rare bladder cancer, pancreatic cancers, lymphoma and other exotic malignanciesand illnesses.

People wept at a town hall meeting Wednesday, as they discussed how they watched loved ones

suffer and die.

They talked of their own painful illnesses, surgeries and chemotherapy.

Many of the 150 people attending the meeting, sponsored by Jackson County Executive MikeSanders, were former workers at the Bannister Federal Complex, where non­nuclear parts for nuclearweapons are made.

They all believe that working at the Bannister plant made them and their families sick.

Guy Beebe, a Marine who was stationed at the complex, didn’t understand how the governmentallowed people to even work at a Superfund site and didn’t understand the lack of hard data.

“Superfund sites were created to get people the hell out of the place,” Beebe said. “If we are allgoing to die horribly, let’s at least get the data so we can know.”’

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http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/21/1893831/meeting­tonight­on­bannister­complex.html

Posted on Wed, Apr. 21, 2010

Meeting tonight on illnesses reported at Bannister Federal Complex

By KAREN DILLON

The Kansas City Star

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http://www.nbcactionnews.com/content/investigative/bannister/story/EPA­urged­to­prioritize­Superfund­at­Bannister/Aol5­QehnUumLwb_zoDF7A.cspx

EPA urged to prioritize Superfund at Bannister

Reported by: Russ Ptacek

Email: ptacek@nbcactionnews.com

Last Update: 3:58 pm

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WIN: EPA to Reassess KC Weapons Plant for Superfund NPL

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the Sierra Club and ally Physicians for Social Responsibility for compelling EPA Region 7to conduct a full reinvestigation and reassessment of the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City,where triggers are manufactured for nuclear weapons. 15 severely contaminated sites at theBannister Complex were quietly placed in EPA’s Superfund database in 1987, but were neverannounced publicly nor added to Superfund’s National Priorities List (NPL). Inclusion on the NPLwould mean the facility will be prioritized for funding and cleanup.

Decades of rampant pollution, radioactive spills, cover­ups, and thousands of sick and dead currentand former workers finally forced EPA’s hand. As did relentless media pressure, and the dozens oflocal heroes who kept telling their horrifying personal stories of health impacts, insisting that the fulltruth be known and that environmental justice is served.

From the page­1 above­the­fold KC Star article:

‘The announcement by Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 administrator, comes after pressure from twogroups demanding an immediate reinvestigation of the site, where operations are scheduled to closeand move to a new plant farther south.

Activists and residents have argued that the Bannister plant should be cleaned up before a new plantis built.

They have raised concerns that the property would be abandoned and become a blight on theneighborhood.

The two federal agencies that oversee the site had previously said the property would be sold “as is”if possible.

Environmentalists and others were pleased by Monday’s announcement.

“That’s really great news,” said Scott Dye, national director of the Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels, whohas fought with environmental agencies since 2001 to clean up the pollution.

“It’s long overdue. The real winners here are the people of Kansas City, and especially the currentand former workers and their children, who have spent time at that site.”’

From the NBC Action News story:

‘According to an EPA statement, the complex is being reassessed for inclusion on a federal list of thenation’s “most serious hazardous waste sites identified for possible long­term remedial responseunder Superfund.”

For sick workers from the Bannister Federal Complex who link their illnesses to their jobs, the EPAmove creates new hope.

“I'm smiling because I feel like something is happening and I feel like the truth is coming out,” saidformer Bannister worker Maurice Copeland.

If assigned National Priorities status, Bannister would rank on the EPA's website as one of thenation's most serious hazardous waste sites, next to toxic threats like Love Canal at Niagara Falls, NYwhere the government literally relocated an entire community.

“This is an important step in providing both the current and former workers at the site the answersthey deserve to address their health and safety concerns," said Sen. Kit Bond, R­Mo.

“It's like a toxic soup that’s just sitting there," said Ann Sullentrop, with Physicians for SocialResponsibility… “It's contaminating the ground water, and there's two rivers going right by the

plant.”’

From the EPA’s press release:

‘“We believe that the concerns being raised show that a reassessment is both prudent and necessaryand is an appropriate next step,” said Karl Brooks, Region 7 administrator.’___________________________________________________________________________

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/04/26/1905144/epa­to­reassess­hazards­at­bannister.html

Posted on Mon, Apr. 26, 2010 10:44 PM

BANNISTER COMPLEX | Agency responds to pressure from groups

EPA TO REASSESS HAZARDS AT SITE

It was left off priority Superfund list decades ago, but health concerns prompt re­evaluation

By KAREN DILLON

The Kansas City Star

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Archive for May 2010

Water Sentinels Rocked Earth Month!

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, May 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Sentinels who rocked Earth Month with 80 (!!!) events.

During April 2010, Water Sentinels sponsored, cosponsored or participated in 80 events in 15 states.Deliberately focusing on a variety of hands­on interactive events and youth, we engaged 16,848participants. 10,378 of those participants were youth, including ~3,000 underserved youth.

18 trash cleanup events and one household hazardous waste (HHW) collection event recovered 46.4tons of trash, 43.8 tons of HHW, and 2.8 tons of recyclables.

We tabled at four large Earth Month events attended by nearly 400,000. Michigan Sentinel LynnHenning, winner of the 2010 Goldman Prize for North America, spoke at the Earth Day Rally at DC’sNational Mall, to an estimated crowd of 200,000.

Lynn Henning: 2010 Goldman Prize for North America

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, April 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel Lynn Henning who has been awarded the 2010 Goldman EnvironmentalPrize for North America. Considered the ‘Nobel Prize for environmentalism,’ one Goldman Prize peryear is awarded to an activist on each of the world’s six populated continents.

Lynn was recognized for her unparalleled success at stopping new animal factories, documentingpollution from existing animal factories, pioneering mapping and aerial photography techniques tobetter enforce clean water laws, and educating the public and media to the health and environmentalhazards posed by these operations. Her work has helped literally thousands of rural Americans stopnew animal factories and expose polluting operations.

Words truly cannot express how proud I am of Lynn, earning worldwide recognition as one of ourplanet’s finest warriors. Lynn is one of my own personal heroes, epitomizing the very heart and soulof our Water Sentinels leaders.

Michigan Chapter Director Anne Woiwode, who nominated Lynn for the award, sums it up best:"The Henning family, like so many neighbors of animal factories, has endured unspeakablepollution, horrible health impacts and direct threats to their safety and security for speaking outabout this outrageous pollution. Lynn’s response has been to fight harder, to learn everything shecould about CAFO pollution, to teach others what she knows and to advocate for solutions withanyone who could possibly stop this horror. Lynn is one of the bravest, smartest and mostdetermined people I’ve ever known, and an inspiration every day." Amen.

Lynn was recognized at ceremonies at the San Francisco Opera House in front of 3,200, followed bya gala reception at City Hall. She was also recognized in front of 500 at the Smithsonian in DC, andwhile in DC met with several Senators and Representatives, House Speaker Pelosi, EPAAdministrator Lisa Jackson, and President Barrack Obama.

See the Goldman Prize 4:28 video on Lynn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvfNEeQq6oo

Listen to Lynn’s interview on Sierra Club Radio:

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/sierra_club_radio/

Read the Sierra Club official press release:

http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=172442.0

Learn more about this phenomenal woman:

http://www.sierraclub.org/people/henning/

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http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2010/04/michigan­clean­water­activist­wins­2010­goldman­prize.html

April 20, 2010

Michigan Clean Water Activist Wins 2010 Goldman Prize

Lynn Henning, a family farmer and self­described "redneck" from Clayton, Michigan, is a 2010recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize.

Henning, 52, boarded an airplane for only the second time in her life this week to travel to SanFrancisco, where she received her award on April 19 along with five other winners. The GoldmanPrize is awarded to grassroots environmental heroes in the world's six inhabited continental regions:Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, South America, and North America.

After a dozen huge factory farms, or CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), beganoperating within 10 miles of Henning and her husband Dean's 300­acre corn and soybean farm, sheand her neighbors formed Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan to fightback and urge state and federal agencies to clamp down on CAFO pollution.

Henning, who joined forces with the Michigan Sierra Club as a volunteer Water Sentinel in 2001,regularly drove a 125­mile circuit to take water­quality samples, which she analyzed and took to stateregulators to encourage them to take stronger action.

As a result, she has been subjected to harassment and threats such as having her mailbox blown up,having dead animals left on her front porch, and being followed and run off the road while doingwater­quality monitoring. As she says in this video, "it didn't work."

"Lynn's response was to fight harder, learn everything she could about CAFO pollution, teach otherswhat she knows, and advocate for solutions with anyone who could possibly stop this horror," saysMichigan Sierra Club Director Anne Woiwode. "She is one of the bravest, smartest, and mostdetermined people I've ever known."

As a result of Henning's determination, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality haslevied hundreds of citations against CAFOs for environmental violations, and a new proposed factoryfarm in the state was recently denied an operating permit for the first time.

Henning joined the Sierra Club staff in 2005 as a Michigan Water Sentinel. "We're honored andhumbled that the Goldman Prize has recognized Lynn's outstanding work on the world stage," saysWater Sentinels Director Scott Dye.

The day after receiving her award, Henning boarded an airplane for the third time in her life to travelto Washington, D.C., where among other things she and her fellow award winners will meet withPresident Barack Obama.

Read more about Lynn Henning, the Water Sentinels, and what you can do to help protect cleanwater where you live.

Photographs by Tom Dusenbery, courtesy of the Goldman Environmental Prize.

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http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=172442.0

April 19, 2010

Contacts:

Orli Cotel, 415­977­5627

Oliver Bernstein, 512­289­8618

Sierra Club Activist Wins Prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize

Michigan farmer Lynn Henning recognized with $150,000 international prize for her work to protectwater and communities from factory farms

SAN FRANCISCO ­­ Michigan farmer and Sierra Club activist Lynn Henning has been awarded thisyear's prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, considered the "Nobel prize for environmentalactivism." Henning took action after concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO's) beganpolluting the water near the 300­acre corn and soybean farm she works with her husband in LenaweeCounty. Over the last decade she has become a leading voice calling on state and federal authoritiesto hold these livestock factory farms accountable to water and air quality laws.

"Lynn Henning represents the soul of grassroots activism," said Michael Brune, Executive Director ofthe Sierra Club. "Faced with a threat to her community's environment, Lynn organized with herneighbors and pushed successfully to hold the polluters accountable. This is a thrilling day for theSierra Club family."

When factory farms surrounded her property, Henning and other concerned neighbors formedEnvironmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan (ECCSCM) and began to organize.Reaching out to neighbors, fellow farmers and Environmental Protection Agency enforcementofficials, Henning gathered her own data on factory farm pollution. Regularly driving a 125­milecircuit multiple times a week to track factory farm pollution and to take water samples, Henninglearned about the sources of the pollution affecting her community and decided to take action.

"The Henning family, like so many neighbors of animal factories, has endured unspeakablepollution, horrible health impacts and direct threats to their safety and security for speaking outabout this outrageous pollution," said Anne Woiwode, director of the Sierra Club's MichiganChapter. "Lynn’s response has been to fight harder, to learn everything she could about CAFOpollution, to teach others what she knows and to advocate for solutions with anyone who couldpossibly stop this horror. Lynn is one of the bravest, smartest and most determined people I’ve everknown, and an inspiration every day."

Henning joined forces with the Sierra Club’s Michigan Chapter as a volunteer in the Water Sentinelsprogram in 2001, and she joined the staff in 2005. As a result of Henning's work, the state ofMichigan has levied hundreds of citations against factory farms for environmental violations, andfederal officials have taken notice. Sierra Club has proudly supported Henning's efforts to developwater quality monitoring programs nationwide to measure pollution levels from factory farms.

"The Sierra Club is extremely proud of Lynn's accomplishments in stopping new animal factories,

bringing polluting animal factories to justice and educating the public to the very serious health,food safety and environmental hazards they present," said Scott Dye, Director of the Sierra Club'sWater Sentinels program. "We're honored and humbled that the Goldman Prize has recognizedLynn's outstanding work on the world stage."

The Goldman Environmental Prize, now in its 21st year, is awarded annually to grassrootsenvironmental heroes from each of the world’s inhabited continental regions and is the largest awardof its kind. Winners receive $150,000 each and will be recognized at an invitation­only ceremonyMonday, April 19, 2010 at 5 p.m. at the San Francisco Opera House. Winners will also be honored ata smaller ceremony on Wednesday, April 21 at the Smithsonian's National Museum of NaturalHistory in Washington, D.C.

For more information visit http://www.sierraclub.org/people/henning

Tim Guilfoile: Sierra Club's 2010 Behind the Scenes Hero

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels Deputy Director Tim Guilfoile as the Sierra Club staff 2010 Behind the ScenesHero. Tim is an invaluable and tireless contributor and resource to not only the Water Sentinelsprogram, but also to the entire organization.

He earned the award by consistently providing exemplary service and commitment, and has earnedthe respect of dozens of his coworkers who wrote in support of his recognition.

Tim, you make us all proud to be Water Sentinels!

_________________________________________

http://www.sierraclub.org/people/staff/2010/

2010 Behind the Scenes Hero Award: Tim Guilfoile

This award is given to salute an employee whose tremendous efforts, skills and talents haverepeatedly and consistently supported and enabled others to advance the Club's mission in asignificant way, or to accomplish a large and important project. This employee is an invaluablebehind­the­scenes contributor who can be consistently relied upon by others for his or her highestservice standards. The employee must have at least 3 years of service with the Club.

Congratulations to Tim Guilfoile, our Regional Representative/Deputy Director for the WaterSentinels program in Kentucky. Tim received multiple nominations from his fans and co­workersoutside and inside the organization! They say his infectious passion about his work is a rare andbeautiful thing and really inspires others. One of Tim nominations said that Tim does not seek thelimelight and is always passing credit on to others he feels are more deserving. The nominator

described Tim as a modest, highly effective powerhouse, and richly deserving of this year's Behindthe Scenes Hero Award.

Tim is relentless in his contributions to help improve the overall effectiveness of the Sierra Club. Hesees the big picture and understands that everyone working on a project has important contributionsto make. After twice retiring, once as senior management at Children's Hospital in Cincinnati, andagain after building and selling a successful health consulting firm, Tim came to Sierra Club with acalling and a vision to use his considerable management skills and vast network of contacts to helpbuild tomorrow's Sierra Club.

Tim was hired as the first Deputy Director of the national Water Sentinels program in July 2009,based upon his five years of outstanding performance as the project director for Northern KentuckyWater Sentinels. Under his leadership, the project won many important conservation victories, andforged and fostered successful partnerships. Tim has since continued to profoundly strengthen thescope and mission of both the Water Sentinels program, and the Sierra Club. Tim has beeninstrumental in securing the intersection between Sierra Club and anglers. He has built nationalpartnerships with the Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, the National Military Fish & WildlifeAssociation (entrusted with conserving wildlife at US military facilities), and with corporate partnerTemple Fork Outfitters, who crafts the custom co­branded fly rods used in our national fishingpartnerships.

Partnerships like these are natural for Tim, since he is a longtime avid outdoorsman, fly fisher andupland birder himself. These successful national collaborations have taken over 150,000 youthfishing in the last 18 months, and continue to grow rapidly. Tim has led the Water Sentinels to thecutting edge of online communications. He helped create our vibrant new program website,connecting it with our largest Club Facebook membership after national Sierra (1,310 members), ourlargest Club YouTube presence after national Sierra (4,161 upload views), and our program's photoset on Flickr. Two online Convio petitions he crafted have gathered over 75,000 signatures. Tim's'unique skills and insights have also brought great value to the work of the Club's nationalLeadership Development Program, Outcomes Based Initiatives Committee and Youth WorkingGroup. His water­quality monitoring work for the Beyond Coal Campaign helped set the stage forLegal to notch important conservation victories.

Tim Guilfoile: FFF­SEC Conservationist of the Year

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Deputy Director Tim Guilfoile who was recently recognized by the national Federation ofFly Fishers—Southeastern Council as their Conservationist of the Year for 2009­2010. Tim wasrecognized at the Southeastern Conclave Banquet in northern Georgia with over 600 people inattendance.

A Life Member of the Federation, Tim was honored for his years of work to promote conservationpartnerships dedicated to preserving our waterways, as well as getting kids out fishing. A lot of kids!Our national youth fishing partnership with FFF is in its third year and has already provided more

than 100,000 youth with fishing opportunities, while making that all­important personal connectionwith the natural world.

http://northern.nmsierraclub.org/sites/default/files/sierran%20may%20june%202010%20web.pdf

Fund­raiser to Help Cancer Survivors

The Enchanted Circle Chapter of Trout Unlimited (ECTU), a cold­water conservation group dedicatedto habitat restoration and youth education, is sponsoring a very special program for breast cancersurvivors called Casting for Recovery. In the Casting for Recovery program, women who havesurvived breast cancer spend an all­expenses­paid long weekend at an outdoor resort to fly fish, meetother breast cancer survivors, and obtain both medical and social information about their medicalcondition. For more information about Casting for Recovery, go to castingforrecovery.org. To helpfund our conservation, education, and Casting for Recovery efforts, ECTU is holding an annualfund­raising banquet at the Sagebrush Inn in Taos on May 14 at 6:00 p.m. The evening will consist ofa social hour followed by dinner, a live auction, silent auctions, a grand raffle, and door prizes.Banquet tickets are $45 each and grand raffle tickets are $5, six for $25. In addition, the SagebrushInn is offering a 15% discount for banquet attendees. For banquet and grand raffle tickets, contactJason Sides (575/613­2451).

—Eric Patterson

Busy Summer Ahead for Taos Branch

Taos Annual River Clean­Up

On Saturday, June 12, at 8:00 a.m., the annual Taos River Clean­Up Day will begin at the CentinelBank parking lot on Paseo del Pueblo Sur. This year, in addition to the clean­up of the Rio deFernando, volunteers will be cleaning up a trail, picking up some trash on the Rio Hondo watershed,and helping kids plant trees along the Rio Fernando in Fred Baca Park. The day will end with aburger cookout around noon for all the volunteers. This annual event is sponsored by Centinel Bankof Taos, Amigos Bravos, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, and Sierra Club’s Sentinels—Rios de Taos.Bring gloves and sturdy footwear. This is a great opportunity to serve your community and to meetlike­minded people. For more information, contact Eric Patterson (575/776­2833, eepatt@gmail.com).

—Eric Patterson

Kids’ Fishing Derbies

Sentinels—Rios de Taos, New Mexico Game and Fish, the U.S. Forest Service, and the EnchantedCircle Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be co­sponsoring two fishing­derby days for young peoplebetween ages 7 and 17. No license is required. The first one is at Eagle Rock Lake, between Questaand Red River on Saturday, June 5. The second one will be at Canjilon Lake on Saturday, July 12.Sierra Club and Trout Unlimited will be donating backpacks and fishing rods to some luckyyoungsters. It is a real joy to watch a kid catch his or her first fish. For more information, contact EricPatterson (575/776­2833, eepatt@gmail.com ).

—Eric Patterson

Wilderness Opportunities in Taos County

Sierra Club is participating in two wilderness groups in the Taos area. The first one is Northern NewMexico Friends of Wilderness (NNMFW). NNMFW is a grassroots group that brings together diverselocal voices to protect the integrity of the wilderness areas of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and theCarson National Forest. NNMFW has opportunities for Sierra Club members and others to participatein on­the­ground projects and in the Wilderness Stewardship Program. The second is theColumbine­Hondo Wilderness Coalition. Its goal is to establish the Columbine­Hondo WildernessStudy Area, between the Taos Ski Basin and Questa, as a full­fledged designated wilderness in order

to preserve the ecological, cultural, and recreational values of this magnificent and life­givingwatershed for present and future generations. Coalition members meet or have a conference callevery two weeks. They have been attended by Sierra Club members Eric Patterson, Tom Gorman,and Norma McCallan. Other groups represented are grazing permittees, land grantees, AmigosBravos, Wilderness Alliance, Back Country Hunters and Anglers, Rivers and Birds, guide services,and others. If enough community support can be demonstrated, this wilderness designation has agood chance of getting through Congress in the next year or two.

For more information on NNMFW or if you would like to help get Columbine­Hondo WildernessStudy Area designated as wilderness by Congress, please contact Claire Long (575/776­5200,clairabell22@hotmail.com).

—Eric Patterson

Sentinels Rios de Taos Happenings

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinel Eric Patterson for keeping folks informed on the great work of the Sentinels Riosde Taos, including a fundraiser, a litter cleanup, kids fishing days, and pushing for more wildernessareas.

__________________________________________________________

Owensboro Messenger­Inquirer

Skills, technology can bring an end to oil dependence

In My View—Aloma Dew

June 5, 2010

Eagle View Water Sentinels ­ A Year of Achievements

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Eagle View Sentinels for an incredibly successful first year. EVG is a unique ClubGroup, as it straddles the Mississippi River covering the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. Sentinel

leader Sheri Colman recounts their great work in the Group newsletter.

__________________________________________

http://illinois.sierraclub.org/eagleview/Newsletter.pdf

Eagle View Water Sentinels – A Year of Achievements

Twenty­one volunteers were trained on April 29, 2009 as the first Sierra Club Water Sentinels in theQuad City area. The teams selected 14 streams/tributaries feeding into the Rock River as their watermonitoring sites. Prior to that time very little testing had been done along the Rock, and consideringthe fact that the Lower Rock River has been determined to be the 12th worst polluted River in theNation the group decided to accept the challenge.

Since the first monthly monitoring last May a database is being established and a pattern isbeginning to emerge. You can check some of the results on the new website with your browser athttp://maps.google.com/maps/ms? Or you can go to our Eagle View website and find it on the frontpage. This baseline data is now available to government agencies, organizations, colleges anduniversities. The results of the monitoring will enable the group to spot any extreme fluctuations andpinpoint the source of the pollution.

Last July, Scott Dye, National Director of the Sierra Club Water Sentinels visited the Quad Cities topersonally thank everyone by treating the members and their spouses to a fun night at Living Lands& Waters annual Barge Party.

The Eagle View Water Sentinels have been active in other water­related areas as well.

In the Fall of 2009 “an acre of trees” were purchased for reforestation of a site in Milan Bottoms inpartnership with the Natural Area Guardians and the National Forest Service.

The first 100 trees were planted in October. Another 200 trees were planted on April 24th of this year.Water Sentinels will continue to help in this project that includes not only the reforestation but alsothe development of an ephemeral wetland and nature trails.

Eight additional Water Sentinels have been trained since the initial group and there are now 17streams and tributaries being monitored along the Rock River from Port Byron to close to theconfluence with the Mississippi River. .

Several of these test streams are located in the area of the proposed Triumph Foods hog slaughterand processing plant. Because of our well established baseline data should the plant actually bebuilt we will continue to monitor and have nearly immediate and accurate data to turn over to theEPA and other agencies to take whatever legal action is deemed necessary to correct the problem.

Other activities of the group have included volunteering at the Eagle View exhibit at Bald Eagle Daysand the Earth Week Fair

You can expect to hear more from this very active and enthusiastic group. If you are interested inbecoming an Eagle View Water Sentinel contact Sheri Colman at (309) 786­8504 orskcolman@aol.com

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/92454479.html

Opinion

Phosphorus rule protects Wisconsin waters

By Eric Uram

Posted: April 29, 2010

Making the Local Hook on the BP Disaster

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinel Aloma Dew for a great opinion­editorial and a great letter­to­the­editor,making the local hook to the disaster in the Gulf.

Excerpts:

“It has now been more than six weeks since the beginning of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexicothat has resulted in 11 human deaths and the loss of untold numbers of maritime creatures and birdsthat have died or will die. As of Thursday, it is estimated that between 21 to 46 million gallons of oilhave spewed into the ocean and defiled important wetlands that are crucial breeding grounds forbirds and marine life.

In the short story “By the Waters of Babylon”, Stephen Vincent Benet posited that knowledge withoutwisdom is a dangerous thing. We have put too much faith in technology and not enough in beingwise and cautious and preparing for when things go wrong.

Here in Kentucky, we know the high cost as we see our mountains leveled, and we recentlyexperienced the loss of 28 lives in West Virginia and in Webster County — because it was cheaper toignore safety regulations than to take the time and money to provide every possible safety step.

Ash pits that threaten our rivers and water supplies if they fail, as one did in Tennessee in 2008, are aclear and present warning that our own waterborne catastrophe is waiting to happen here in theBluegrass State. When do we become outraged and demand safer, cleaner alternatives?

The time is now, the warnings are clear. This disaster, added to the recent ones in our area, is awakeup call. We need our leaders to deliver a plan to get us off oil and coal by proposing cleanenergy solutions.

And our outrage? Some of it has to be directed at ourselves because we have for too long acceptedand even demanded cheap energy at whatever costs.”

___________________________________

http://www.rrstar.com/carousel/x1560862702/Kishwaukee­River­cleaning­mussels­saved­from­road­work

Kishwaukee River­cleaning mussels saved from road work

ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR

RRSTAR.COM

Posted May 15, 2010

Stop P­ing

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Wisconsin Sentinel and John Muir Chapter Chair Eric Uram for his great op­ed in theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel on a new rule to limit phosphorus pollution in state waterways.

Excerpts:

‘Friday marks the end of the comment period on the newly proposed phosphorus rule promoted bythe Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a means to improve the health of the waters ofWisconsin. In considering this rule, I'm reminded of the old joke: "The 'p' in pool is always silent."Well that pee is really mostly nitrogen; this is a different "p."

Everyone who tends a garden or lawn knows about the N­P­K formula of fertilizer ­ the essentialnutrients to plant growth (along with air, water and sunlight). The nitrogen "N" and the potassium"K" in our waters aren't the primary problem; the phosphorus "P" is.

Quite a bit of the phosphorus that ends up in our waters comes from "hu­manure" and theprocessing of organic materials. It's right there on your bag of Milorganite. But treatment plants onlyremove about 80% of the phosphorus; the remaining 20% from an ever­expanding population isbecoming too much.

With a multibillion­dollar tourism and vacation home industry that champions lake and streamsideofferings, Wisconsin can't avoid paying in some way. If we want to improve the swimming, fishingand boating opportunities, we need to put this rule on the books and invest in protecting our watersas one of the key economic drivers for the state.’ ___________________________________________

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/2197616,2_1_AU25_RIVER_S1­100425.article

Troops groom the Fox

April 25, 2010

By LINDA GIRARDI For Sun­Times Media

Get Your Mussels Moving

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Sentinel Cindy Skrukrud for her great comments on this expansive article on theimportance of mussels in maintaining river health. Thankfully, IDNR officials understands that, andwill be moving mussels out of harm’s way prior to a bridge construction project.

From the article:

‘The Kishwaukee River is among the cleanest in Illinois thanks to the humble black sandshellmussel, which is just 5 inches long at full maturity but has the power to mobilize men, machineryand money.

The black sandshell is one of 19 mussel species that lives in the Kishwaukee River, and the only onethat appears on the state’s list of threatened species.

So before the Winnebago County Highway Department rebuilds the Kishwaukee Road bridge overthe river next summer, officials from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources will descend on thearea, buckets in hand, to move the mussels upstream from the construction site.

Freshwater mussels, like the black sandshell, are filter feeders that play an important role in keepingriver habitats clean and healthy by feeding on plankton and other suspended matter in the water —which is why they can’t stay where they are during construction.

The Kishwaukee River is rated a Class A river. That designation puts it in the top 15 percent of allwaterways in the state based on cleanliness and biodiversity, said Bob Schanzle, who reviewswaterway permit applications for the IDNR.

The river flows from Woodstock to Rockford where it meets the Rock River. It’s a waterway peoplelike Cindy Skrukrud have spent a good portion of their lives trying to keep clean.

“Because of its high quality, the Kishwaukee is home to very diverse, very rare fauna,” saidSkrukrud, who began her environmental advocacy in the 1980s and is now the clean water advocatefor the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club. “That includes mussels and, really, what’s become theposter child of the effort on the Kishwaukee and the Fox rivers, the Illinois otter.”

Skrukrud said the extra effort by the state to move the mussels and the extra precaution by thedepartment to reduce runoff pays dividends in the long run.

Her argument is one of conservation and economics. From a conservation standpoint, she said, it’simportant to keep natural areas as pristine as possible because the diversity of all the “strangecritters, like mussels” should be preserved for future generations.

Her economic argument revolves around eco­tourism.

“We take groups canoeing on the Kishwaukee and Fox rivers every year,” she said. “They stop andhave lunch or shop in places like Marengo, in Boone County, in Winnebago County. They bringmoney into these communities.”’

________________________________________________________

http://greatlakesecho.org/2010/05/10/concentrated­cafos­big­farms­tend­to­cluster

Concentrated CAFOs: Big farms tend to cluster

May 10 2010

Haley Walker

Troops Groom the Fox

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels program Co­Lead Fran Caffee of Aurora Illinois for her comments in this greatarticle on a local litter cleanup along the Fox River, and the value of working cooperatively to solvepollution problems.

From the article:

‘They didn't wear armor but were protectors all the same.

Supporters of the Sierra Club Water Sentinels ­­ a committee of the Sierra Club Valley of the FoxGroup ­­ participated in the annual "Clean Sweep" along the banks of the Fox River in Aurora onSaturday.

Fran Caffee, co­chairman of the Sierra Club Water Sentinels and a soldier serving in the trenches fordecades to protect the Fox River, dispersed her troops to both sides of the Fox River.

"The river is the cleanest we have ever seen it," Caffee said.

Caffee credits the river's progress to the increasing number of local organizations and individualswilling to help out on a regular basis.

"What good will it be if we solve climate change and there's no water?" Caffee said. She said the factthat Fox River communities utilize the Fox River as a resource for drinking water should be reason toprotect it.

The Sierra Club Valley of the Fox Group began monitoring the health of the Fox River in 1995,specifically checking for high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous found in lawn fertilizers.

The Water Sentinels has since initiated a new 2010­2014 plan to monitor the health of the river'stributaries. In 2001, The Fox River Study Group, a non­profit organization comprised ofmunicipalities and environmental groups, took the leadership role of checking the levels ofchemicals in the Fox River.

"Usually there's a fight with the environmentalists on one side and everyone else on the other. Wewere at each other for years," Caffee said.

"In 2000, we decided to work together," she said.’

http://www.badideanews.com/documents/2010/05­31­10.pdf

Watershed Group Fights for Doe Creek

By Dennis Shekinah

May 31, 2010

Concentrated Animals = Concentrated Pollution

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinels Lynn Henning and Rita Jack for graphically describing the publichealth and pollution impacts of animal factories, in this article by Michigan State U’s Knight Centerfor Environmental Journalism.

From the article:

‘Lynn Henning is convinced the location of her home has made her family sick.

But she’s not leaving.

Henning Farms, in Clayton, Mich. is where she has spent her entire life.

“My family has been here for generations,” Henning said. “We are fourth generation farmers.”

And after all, it wasn’t always like it is now, she said.

Henning said she lives within a 10­mile radius of 12 large livestock farms also known asConcentrated Animal Feeding Operations or CAFOs.

“Both my mother and father­in­law have been diagnosed with hydrogen sulfide poisoning and thedoctor actually diagnosed that it was from the CAFO from the emissions of the waste spread next totheir house,” Henning said. “And when the emissions are really high, I completely lose my voice.”

Two hundred thirty CAFOs concentrate in 39 of Michigan’s 83 counties. Several counties have morethan 15 operations, according to data from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment.

“They tend to concentrate in certain areas; in places they can get in,” Henning said.

But to Henning, it’s not just the state’s total number of farms or the number of animals confined. It’salso about where they are located.

Henning said her experience with the CAFOs has led her to take action with the Michigan chapter ofthe Sierra Club, monitoring air and water quality of the operations.

Earlier this month, Henning received an award from the Goldman Environmental Foundation formonitoring and reporting pollution associated with Michigan CAFOs.

‘They don’t look at the location of where they are to streams, ponds, rivers or even people, Henningsaid. “No facilities should be cited so close together, you are putting the drinking water at risk, andthe lakes at risk.”

“CAFOs don’t treat their waste, they spread it on the land,” said Rita Jack, Clean Water programdirector with the Michigan Sierra Club. “When the CAFOs do this, they are supposed to make surethat this is not done within predicted rainfall or any kind of precipitation, because its more likely towash off and end up in a waterway.”

In 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that animal feeding operations producedmore that 500 million tons of manure each year.

The waste from the facilities is also often stored in underground lagoons and can seep intogroundwater, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“We know there are places in the state where groundwater has been contaminated with animalfactory waste,” Jack said. “And an awful lot of people rely on groundwater for drinking.”

“We have a rural code: You don’t harm your neighbor and your neighbor don’t harm you, andCAFOs just don’t fit that code,” Henning said. “Right is right and wrong is wrong, and you don’tbring something into your community that destroys it.”’

http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest­news/2010­06­26/about­75­join­hands­fifth­street­bridge?v=1277580064

About 75 join hands on Fifth Street Bridge

Augusta ChronicleBy Ben Bussard

Staff WriterSaturday, June 26, 2010

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http://www.courier­journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201006262012/NEWS01/6260339

Protest targets oil drilling, dependence on coalBy Marcus GreenJune 26, 2010­­­­­­­­

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jun/26/memphis­area­activists­show­support­green­energy/Memphis­area activists show support for ‘green’ energyBy Emily GreenburgJune 26, 2010

WIN: Doe Creek Protected from Asphalt Plan

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, June 18, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinel Dennis Shekinah, president of the Watauga Watershed Alliance, the sisternonprofit of our Watauga Water Sentinels (E. TN), for this op­ed in the local online newspaperrecounting the legal victory to stop a proposed asphalt plant from fouling Doe Creek, an importantnative trout fishery.

After punching out a proposed animal factory four years ago, this intrepid band of Appalachianwarriors has notched another scalp.

From the article:

“Two years ago this reporter published a lament about the loss of a public appeal to ban thepermitting of an asphalt plant yards away from Doe Creek in Butler. The essay told about the futilityWatauga Watershed Alliance (WWA) members felt in fighting Radford Quarries’ asphalt plant and theinitial sense of hopelessness the group suffered in being unable to stop asphalt production on anative trout fishery.

The hope did not diminish, however, but grew and soon inspired them to look closer at RadfordQuarries’ present crushed stone operation in Butler.

WWA employed the services of Gary Davis, one of the few attorneys with a degree in environmentallaw practicing in Tennessee, to study the feasibility of holding Radford accountable for polluting DoeCreek, something the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) had provenitself unable, or unwilling, to do.

The action froze Radford’s state application to produce asphalt and to expand their quarry’sboundary.

Requests for leniency and compromise from Radford’s attorneys rose to a fever pitch in the finaldays, but WWA’s Board of Directors held firm. Finally, their attorney gave them the news: Radfordowners had agreed to settle in lieu of going before a judge. The news was met with cheers and tearsof relief. As hands were shook, WWA members said they felt the same raw surge of community andpurpose as they had nearly two years ago when faced with what they assumed was certain defeat.They had, legally and against all odds, protected Doe Creek.”

http://www.texasobserver.org/primary­sources/item/16746­a­partial­victory­for­texas­streamsA 'Partial Victory' for Texas Streams

TCEQ votes to keep strong bacteria standard (for now)

by FORREST WILDERPublished on: Friday, July 02, 2010

Hands Across the Sand

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

No sand? No problem.

ALL HAIL our inland Sentinels and our allies who participated in the international Hands Across the Sandday of action to move beyond oil (and coal) and to promote clean energy solutions.

From Augusta GA:‘Turnout for today's Hands Across the Fifth Street Bridge awareness event was higher than expected,according to the Augusta Sierra Club.

As part of the Hands Across the Sand national movement, people joined hands on beaches, bridges andcoastlines at noon to promote clean energy.

Sierra Club co­chairman Sam Booher said roughly 75 people turned out to join hands. ‘

From Louisville KY:‘With a coal barge drifting along the Ohio River as a backdrop, the Sierra Club initiated a protest Saturdaythat took aim at offshore oil drilling and Kentucky's dependence on coal.

The local event included 77 people ­­ and two dogs ­­ who lined up at Louisville's Cox Park to supportchanges in energy use and priorities.

In her remarks to the crowd, Sierra Club representative Lauren McGrath cited the deadly BP oil spill offLouisiana's coast and the April explosion at a Massey Energy mine in West Virginia ­­ a disaster that killed29 men ­­ as reasons to move beyond coal and oil.

"Both coal and oil are not our future," she said.

"We're saying as America we want to see a jumpstart in a clean energy economy and that America shouldbe leading this innovation," McGrath said…’

From Memphis TN:‘More than 40 people gathered today in Tom Lee Park to show their support for sustainable energy.

Kevin Routon, the conservation chair for the Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club, said attendees came fromall walks of life and included Interim Shelby County Mayor Joe Ford.

Routon says… “The major issue is with us. We’re the consumers.”’

__________________________________________________

Texas Holds the Line on Crap in the Water

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Lone Star Chapter Director Ken Kramer and crew for holding the line against a state proposal toallow more dangerous E. coli bacteria into Texas waterways. But, the bad guys will keep coming.

From the article:

‘Sometimes shit doesn’t roll down hill. Sometimes shit just stays where it’s at. That was the caseWednesday when the three Texas Commission on Environmental Quality commissioners decided to leavethe principal water quality standard for bacteria alone. I’ll let the Fort Worth Star­Telegram explain thedetails.

Texas waterways that are defined as primary contact recreation – where people can swim, wade, fish orkayak – can have up to 126 colonies of E. coli per 100 milliliters of water before being classified aspolluted. E. coli is a bacterium associated with human and animal waste.

Commissioners kept that standard rather than increasing it to 206 colonies per 100 milliliters asrecommended by the commission's staff.

The Sierra Club’s Ken Kramer called it a “partial victory.” Partial because the commissioners nonethelessset up a process in which lakes and rivers can be downgraded to a lower bacteria standard.

A few months ago, I interviewed Stephanie Stringer, a former TCEQ employee who was highly critical of theagency’s approach to water quality standards. An aquatic biologist, Stringer left TCEQ after fours weeks, inpart because of her frustration with the process of reclassifying streams. While at TCEQ, she had a directhand in both use attainability analyses and clean­up plans for polluted streams.

"It sounded like they had already made the decision to do the downgrading and you had to develop adocument to do that,” Stringer said. She said that the agency has developed a streamlined approach thatleans toward designating streams as non­swimmable.

Stringer had worked for years at the New Mexico Environment Department, where things were done quitedifferently.

It was "overwhelming to me that they [TCEQ] could get away with it,” she said. “It's so different from here inNew Mexico where it would take an act of God to downgrade a stream. And we're dealing with the sameregion and the same staff at EPA. Why are we dealing with such a dichotomy between these two states?”

Stringer said TCEQ management’s attitude was: “Ok, we've got this community that's not happy about [ariver clean­up] so we want to satisfy this particular community because they seem to be pulling strings withsomeone."’

More links:

State Capitol Report: http://texas.sierraclub.org/press/scr/scr20100630.pdf

Fort Worth Star­Telegram: http://tinyurl.com/2dtoweq

KUHF Public Radio (Houston) from the day before the vote:

http://app1.kuhf.org/houston_public_radio­news­display.php?articles_id=1277855497_____________________________________________________________________

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4310454

Be Cool, Go Green event is Saturday

Thursday, July 15, 2010

(Source: Messenger­Inquirer) By Joy Campbell, Messenger­Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

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http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=12806516

Owensboro mayor will lead Go Green bike ridePosted: Jul 14, 2010 1:15 PM CDT

Posted by Rich Miller

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Growing Roots

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL ally McDowell Environmental Center for growing Alabama’s green roots by hosting the 2nd annualGrowing Roots workshop—immersing 21 teachers and 31 of their kids and grandkids in Nature. It was allabout our future here on Planet Earth.

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http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2010/07/connecting­educators­and­their­children­to­nature.html

July 01, 2010Connecting Educators and their Children to Nature

The second annual Growing Roots Teacher Workshop was held at the Camp McDowell EnvironmentalCenter (MEC) in Nauvoo, Alabama, the next­to­last week in June.

Twenty­one teachers brought along 31 of their children and grandchildren to explore, learn, and—as MECDirector Maggie Wade Johnston puts it—"just have good old­fashioned fun together!"

The workshop was sponsored by the Alabama Sierra Club and the Club's national Water Sentinelsprogram.

"We learned how to create art through mosaics, using recycled and reused material," says Johnston, alongtime Sierra Club activist and former Alabama Chapter chair. "We studied fossils and then went to aworld­famous fossil site, the Minkin Trackway site, near the camp."

Workshop participants explored the creeks and ponds around Camp McDowell by studying the invertebratesand by tubing the waters of Clear Creek.

They also canoed, hiked, told stories and sang songs around the campfire, and learned about a range ofsubjects, from bird behavior to pond and stream ecology to Climate Change Made Simple.

"It was an amazing three days that was a time to bond, not only with your children, but also Nature and thewonders around us," Johnston says.

The Camp McDowell Environmental Center is part of the larger Camp McDowell, an Episcopal camp andconference center located on 1,100+ acres of forest, river canyons, and waterfalls in northwest Alabama.

Camp Director Mark Johnston (Maggie's husband) started the environmental center in 1991, the year afterhe became the camp's executive director. He traces his environmental activism to his confronting astrip­mining operation that was harming the watershed where he lived, near Camp McDowell. He led aneight­year fight that ultimately compelled the restoration of wetlands and water quality and the protection of226 acres of national forest lands.

See more photos of the Growing Roots workshop. And find the Sierra Club's Alabama Chapter on Facebook.

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http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/29/1980001/a­year­after­the­e­coli­scandal.html

A year after E. coli scandal, progress but still problems at Lake of the OzarksBy KAREN DILLONThe Kansas City Star

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Bike with the Mayor at Be Cool, Go Green Event

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinels Aloma Dew and Donnie Mayton for coordinating the 4th annual Be Cool, GoGreen event in Owensboro. Bike with the Mayor, learn about local sustainable food and green energyalternatives, and listen to Bluegrass music. Be Cool. Go Green.

From the print and TV stories:

‘Residents who are looking for fresh, locally grown food and flowers will get that and more at Saturday's BeCool, Go Green event from 7:30 a.m. to noon in the parking lot of Owensboro Christian Church, 2818 NewHartford Road.

It's a chance to bike or walk, buy and learn more about local foods and energy efficiency, to enjoy musicand get a sense of community, said Aloma Dew, associate regional representative of the Sierra Club WaterSentinels.

Owensboro Mayor Ron Payne will be the ride captain for the Be Cool, Go Green bike ride on Saturday, July17.

This is the fourth year the Sierra Club Water Sentinels has worked with the Owensboro Area FarmersMarket to promote its members' fresh products and to create energy and environmental awareness, saidDew.

The morning's activities also will include informational booths staffed by the Sierra Club, master gardeners,Daviess County District Health Department, the city of Owensboro, Girl Scouts, ‘bike club club doesn'thave a name,’ and First Presbyterian Church water program.

The Water Sentinels' focus for the event also is "to call attention to the connection between climatechange, energy use and how our food is grown, transported and packaged," Dew said.

"This is an opportunity to talk with local farmers and find out where and how your food is grown, to help builda local food economy, and to eat fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and eggs and take home locally grownflowers ­­ all close to home and seasonal," Dewsaid.’_________________________________________________________

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/29/2053181/a­year­after­the­e­coli­debacle.html

A year after the E. coli debacle, Missouri’s clean water program flailsKANSAS CITY STARJUNE 30, 2010By KEN MIDKIFF

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Dirty Watergate: One Year After

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Missouri Sentinels who last summer exposed a month­long cover­up of state agency datashowing that multiple public swimming beaches at Lake of the Ozarks should have been closed due todangerous levels of bacterial contamination. These beaches, however, were kept open, apparently to protecttourism during the summer’s peak recreation season. Several people were hospitalized with infections andintestinal illnesses.

Ultimately, eight state agency employees were terminated over the scandal that became known as DirtyWatergate (Missouri’s Governor is named Nixon).

The KC Star reporter, Karen Dillon, won Journalist of the Year from the Heart of Missouri Press Assn forbreaking the story and exhaustively reporting on the scandal.

From the Sunday page 1 story:

‘Last year, it took Missouri almost a month to notify the public about high E. coli readings in the Lake of theOzarks.

Last week, state employees needed only two hours and 17 minutes to sound an alert after learning abouthigh levels of bacteria at three beaches, including one at the lake.

This weekend marks the unofficial anniversary of the E. coli controversy at the lake, and clearly much haschanged.

The Department of Natural Resources has overhauled the way it sends an alarm about E. coli, which thegovernment calls a serious health hazard. Also, a task force has been formed to consider a centralizedsewer district around the lake, where thousands of septic tanks overflow into the water.

But at the same time, some of the plans that emerged last year are still just hopes. Gov. Jay Nixon’s pledgeto clean up the lake ran into a legislative mire, and bills that would aggressively attack the lake’s problemsdied on the last day of the session.

The DNR’s steps to notify the public are real progress, but other problems still need to be corrected, saidScott Dye, the director of the Sierra Club’s Water Sentinels program.

“You are talking about a problem that is enormous in scale,” Dye said. “There is no reason to expect thatthis problem is going to go away. It is in the best interest of everybody who lives and recreates or has abusiness at the lake to work together to find a permanent solution.”

Recent readings show the E. coli problem has not gone away. Bacteria continues to spike, especially afterrains wash feces into the lake.

While one major beach there remains open this weekend, Public Beach 1 at Lake of the Ozarks StatePark has now been closed for two weekends.

In July last year, The Kansas City Star reported that the DNR had sat for almost four weeks on a reportshowing dangerously high samples of E. coli taken the day after Memorial Day.

The article rocked state government.

In the ensuing fallout, the DNR’s new director was suspended for two weeks, others also were suspendedand several employees lost their jobs.

Lager’s committee investigated the DNR to determine, in part, what Nixon and his staff knew, and it came tolight that at least two staff members had known about the cover­up.

As a result, it is difficult to call enforcement at the lake a success or a failure. The state has cracked downon polluters, but few penalties have been levied so far.

Last summer, Nixon ordered the DNR to conduct a sweep of the 419 wastewater treatment plants that havea state permit to operate, including restaurants, resorts and condominiums with their own plants. The 50,000septic systems that are mostly residential are not included in the sweep.

Inspectors cited 208 violations at 154 treatment facilities and this spring began a second sweep. As of May21, inspectors had gone back to 142 facilities and issued 70 additional citations.

Some facilities voluntarily cleaned up their mess, state officials said. As for the rest, only two facilities haveagreed to pay a total of $2,250 in penalties pending cleanup. Two others had $5,750 in penalties that weresuspended pending the outcome of their cleanup.

Only 26 cases so far have been referred to Attorney General Chris Koster for further action. The rest of thecases are pending, a DNR official said.

Some say it could be years before developers and business owners face penalties.’

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To Fund or Flail

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Missouri Sentinel Ken Midkiff for giving an ALL FLAIL to the state’s inept water pollution“regulators,” and for properly scorching the state legislators who whine about the agency’s ineptness but

who have persistently cut their funding for years on end, ensuring the continuing failure to protect Missouri’swater quality and its public health.

Ken’s op­ed was carried in the KC Star, and then picked up by four other major state newspapers.

From the op­ed:

‘Last summer, after the E. coli fiasco, Gov. Jay Nixon ordered a “sweep” of all Lake of the Ozarks facilitieswith a state­issued discharge permit. Water protection staffers from all five of the Department of NaturalResources offices were called in to investigate the facilities, leaving their normal duties unattended.

After about a week, their investigations were completed and the findings posted. To no one’s surprise, theinvestigators found that of the 420 regulated facilities, about 27 percent were in violation of their permitconditions. Some hadn’t bothered to report anything, even though their permit requires monthly dischargemonitoring reports. Others had vastly exceeded their permit’s effluent limits — the amount of pollutionallowed to be discharged (some so egregious that referrals to the attorney general were made for legalactions).

From this, two things are learned:

•It took all of DNR’s water protection staffers to investigate dischargers in one lake in this state.

•If these findings are applied to all 13,000­plus facilities with a permit to discharge, then there are more than3,500 facilities in violation of their permits.

One of the results of DNR’s lack of funding is that the number of “impaired waterbodies” — ones that don’tsupport aquatic life or whole body contact — has gone up dramatically, from 65 in 1996 to 269 this year.

For years, since the early 1990s, funding to DNR has decreased. Legislators have used even that meageramount as a threat to DNR: “Back off, or we’ll cut your funding.” Even when DNR played along, funding wascut. When that happens, departing employees don’t get replaced, positions are eliminated and a fewunfortunate persons are “let go.” A once­effective program becomes lackluster.

Now, insult has been added to injury. DNR officials cite Sen. Brad Lager, Savannah Republican, as theperson responsible for ending what little funding DNR had to support its water protection program.

DNR is now scrambling to cobble together some source of funding in the hopes of keeping the waterprotection program alive. In the words of one DNR official, “We want to keep the doors open.” But what’s thesense in keeping the doors open if there’s nothing behindthem?’_______________________________________________________

Mountain Justice Monitors

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

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ALL HAIL Sentinels Deputy Director Tim Guilfoile for providing the training, and the Beyond Coal Campaignfor providing the equipment, to arm the best of the best warriors against the abomination known asmountaintop­removal coal mining. These newly trained and equipped monitors will fan out acrossAppalachia, providing valuable data to help stop the shameful greed that levels mountains.

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http://kentucky.sierraclub.org/newsroom/newsletter/pdf/2010/news0710.pdfTraining New Water Quality Monitoring Volunteersby Tim Guilfoile

Mountain Justice Summer is an annual training camp where people gather for ten days, cultivating the skillsand visions needed to abolish mountaintop removal. And like Sierra Club, they have a mission to buildvibrant, healthy, self­reliant communities in the coalfields. This year’s Camp was held from May 27­June 6thin Letcher County, Kentucky. The Camp was a time for training, strategizing, bonding, service and action forveteran and novice activists, for people living both within and outside of the coalfields, for people of all races,for youth and elders and anyone in between.

Mountain Justice is an organization that demands an abolition of mountaintop­removal coal mining,steep­slope strip mining and all other forms of surface mining for coal. The group works to protect thecultural and natural heritage of the Appalachian coalfields. Mountain Justice works to create diverse andsustainable economies in Appalachian regions that are traditionally dominated by the coal industry, bysupporting businesses, jobs and ways of living that are not environmentally or culturally destructive, and arenourishing to the social and biological fabric of healthy communities.

This year, organizers asked if I would conduct water­quality monitoring training for those participants ofMountain Justice Summer. The reason? Well, their own literature says it best: Where there were oncewater­producing mountains, now there are barren, scraped, biologically­dead toxic wastelands. Water isgoing to be more important to future generations than coal. You cannot drink coal. The Pentagon haspredicted that many of the future wars on our planet will not be fought over coal or oil—but for water. Thelack of clean drinking water is already a global problem for humanity and as our population increases, it willonly get worse. The destruction of water­producing mountains is not only a crime of the present—it is a veryreal attack on the future generations.

So with a generous grant from the Sierra Club’s Coal Campaign, I was not only able to provide training, butalso to provide each participant with equipment to take home to begin the process of documenting waterquality issues where they live and beyond.

The response to the training was overwhelming. There were 40 participants in the formal training workshopand then, for a few people who couldn’t make the scheduled training, I made provisions for them to receivethe training at other times throughout the day. So in all, over 40 new water­quality monitoring volunteerswere trained and provided monitoring equipment at this year’s Mountain Justice Training Camp.

What’s the next step? These new volunteers will begin monitoring streams, rivers and wells in theircommunities. The Sierra Club’s Water Sentinel program will provide ongoing support and consultation. Thereis nothing more powerful than to equip activists with tools that they can put to use, produce results, andthen change more people’s minds. Water­quality monitoring is just such a tool. The data that they collectwill provide a synoptic view of water quality in their region. The data will be used to educate communitiesregarding the impact that mining is having on their friends and neighbors and this will become an organizingtool with real data to support the organizer’s efforts. The data collected will be helpful for those who needfacts for the defense of our water and future regions that are threatened by mountaintop removal.

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Keeping Watch on the Verde

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Arizona Sentinel Steve Pawlowski for this good primer on the work of our Arizona Sentinels.

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http://arizona.sierraclub.org/echo/2010/Summer2010Echo_color.pdf

Keeping Watch on the Verde River: The Water Sentinels

By Steve Pawlowski

Who are the Water Sentinels?Water Sentinels are volunteers interested in hands­on conservation work to protect Arizona’s rivers andstreams. We’re part of the national Sierra Club Water Sentinels program, whose mission is to protect,improve, and restore the nation’s waters by fostering partnerships to promote water quality monitoring,public education, and citizen action to protect local watersheds.

What do the Arizona Water Sentinels do?Since December 2006, the Sentinels have been going to the Verde River every other month to measurewater quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and total dissolved solidsconcentrations. We collect water samples to determine concentrations of E. coli bacteria, arsenic, totalnitrogen, total phosphorus, and suspended sediment in the water.

We also monitor the base flow in the upper Verde River. We are developing baseline data on how muchbase flow there is and whether changes are occurring in the amount of flow over time. Sentinels organizeclean­ups, work to restore riparian areas, and train volunteers on monitoring procedures and protocols.

We’re active on the water policy front. Sentinels participate on a steering group working to develop a Wild &Scenic River nomination for a 48­mile reach of the upper Verde River.

Finally, we encourage Arizonans to get out there and enjoy our state’s beautiful rivers and streams byhiking, paddling, fishing, bird watching, wildlife viewing, and nature photography.

Where do Water Sentinels work in Arizona?The Water Sentinels have been working primarily on the Verde River, which was identified by AmericanRivers as one of the nation’s 10 most endangered rivers in 2006. Sentinels routinely go to six differentsampling sites on the Verde between its source springs near Paulden and Camp Verde to monitor waterquality. Flow measurements are taken at two of these sites.

The Sentinels are taking their first steps beyond the Verde River and have begun to work on other waterwaysin Arizona. For example, for the past year we have been working in an urban watershed on a project toremove buffelgrass, an invasive species, from the Rio Salado Restoration Area along the Salt River neardowntown Phoenix (see pg. 7). We’re also recruiting in the Sedona area to volunteer time and talent toprotect Oak Creek and its watershed (see pg. 9).

Why do Water Sentinels volunteer?Water is life. Arizona’s remaining perennial rivers and streams are precious resources that deserveprotection. Some Sentinels volunteer because they are passionate about a specific stream such as theVerde River. Others have seen too many Arizona rivers reduced to bone­dry washes through impoundments,diversions, and groundwater pumping or have seen them degraded by pollution. The Sentinels are dedicated

to protecting our remaining rivers and streams and restoring those that have been harmed.

Steve is the Chapter’s Water Sentinels Program Coordinator.

Man on a Mission

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Arizona Sentinel Gary Beverly for his relentless drive to document the beauty of the Upper VerdeRiver, sharing his passion for the river with the public, and working for its federal designation as a NationalWild & Scenic River. Gary won a Special Achievement Award from the Grand Canyon Chapter in 2009 forhis work to protect the Upper Verde.

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http://arizona.sierraclub.org/echo/2010/Summer2010Echo_color.pdf

Upper Verde Wild and Scenic River

By Gary Beverly

It is the green season. Ten Sierra Club hikers are exploring the longest surviving remnant of a living river inArizona, the upper Verde River between Clarkdale and Paulden. The riparian zone is an explosion of green,the birds are so thick they need air traffic control, and river otter and beaver sign are everywhere.

Unprotected and deeply threatened, this jewel is a rich and important ecological resource for the entireSouthwest.

The Sierra Club, working in a coalition of citizens and other environmental groups, is asking Congress todesignate 48 miles of free flowing river as the Upper Verde Wild and Scenic River (UVWSR), thusrecognizing a national treasure and protecting the Outstanding and Remarkable Values (ORVs): fish,wildlife, scenery, geology, recreation, cultural/historical, and ecology.

Throughout the river corridor, we have identified 34 ORVs that should be protected by the UVWSRComprehensive Resource Management Plan (CRMP), which is developed as an Environmental ImpactStatement with public input and scrutiny. For the first time, the riparian habitat could be managedconsistently across property boundaries, especially important for invasive species and wildlife. Destructiverecreation, including illegal off­road vehicle riders and trashy campers, would be better controlled. Culturaland historical resources will be protected. We will advocate that the entire river be managed as a nativefishery. The river will no longer suffer from management by obscurity, and river managers and stakeholderswill be required to work cooperatively. No new road crossings would be permitted in the 30 miles proposedas Wild, plus the water quality must be maintained or improved, an important protection to the native fishery.

Private property and ranching interests are not affected; we have taken pains to design the boundaries tominimize impacts while simultaneously protecting the river to the maximum extent allowed.

Although the UVWSR creates enormous protection for the ORVs, it will not guarantee the base flow of theriver from the biggest threat; unrestricted groundwater mining in the Big Chino Aquifer will reduce theuppermost 25 miles to a dry wash, destroying the existing riparian area. Wild and Scenic designation willnot interfere with water users with senior rights nor, unfortunately, will it stop overdraft. However, themanagers would be able to participate in a regional water district, and federal recognition as a Wild andScenic River may facilitate federal assistance to resolve local water resource problems.

The proposed UVWSR would protect the ORVs in the river – a great step forward. The CRMP will insuremore consistent and attentive management to protect the habitat, but it cannot fully protect the upper Verde;

that difficult task will require decades of effort.

Our draft proposal is now under review by the river managers. We will integrate their comments into a finalproposal to be released to the public and submitted directly to Congress late this year.

Protect the Verde!

Gary, the Yavapai Group’s Vice­Chair, is speaking up for the Verde River.

158 Stations, Millions of Listeners

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel and 2010 Goldman Prize Winner Lynn Henning for 20 great minutes on TheStory on American Public Media (produces NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion, Marketplace, etc). Lynn’s“Story” was carried on 158 radio stations, from Seattle to Miami, DC to LA, and 154 more points in between.

You can quickly download the file at this link, and slide Windows Media Player to Lynn’s slot. Lynn’s storybegins at 10:00 minutes into the show.

http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_1078_Haiti_Update_WLRN_Report.mp3/view

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article­1292011/The­truth­mega­farms­Chemical­fumes­distressed­animals­poisoned­locals.html

The toxic truth about mega­farms: Chemical fumes, distressed animals and poisoned locals drivenfrom their homes and worseBy Steve Boggan

5th July 2010

Saving the British From Themselves

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel and 2010 Goldman Prize Winner Lynn Henning for properly scaring the bloodyhell out of the British about the horrors of animal factories in the London­UK Daily Mail (circulation 2.2million). The UK is facing its first threats from proposed animal factories. Just say no.

From the expansive feature article:

‘This is a farm where huge quantities of hormones and antibiotics ­ administered because their miserable,cramped existences make the cattle prone to disease ­ are hosed away in the gallons of waste which theyproduce and stored in vast lagoons by the tens of millions of gallon, ready to be sprayed on to local

farmland as fertiliser.

And, terrifyingly, this could soon be the future of farming in Britain.

During the past year, planning applications for two dairy and one pig mega­farm have been lodged. There areplans being considered for a giant pig farm in Foston, Derbyshire, housing 2,500 sows and up to 15,000 oftheir piglets.

And in Lincolnshire, proposals for mega­dairy operations housing 3,000 cows in south Witham and 8,100 inNocton have been made ­ then withdrawn. But, crucially, the Nocton scheme ­ the biggest ever inWestern Europe ­ is expected to be re­submitted any day now, once final adjustments have been made.

One thing is sure: if the planning application is successful, then the Nocton farm may well be thebridgehead for other mega­farms to apply for permission. So what can Britain expect?

Lynn Henning, 52, lives on land that has been farmed by her husband Dean's family for five generations inClayton, Michigan.

'I moved into the family farm when we got married and I thought it was heaven on earth,' says Lynn. 'This isrolling, bucolic country and was very beautiful before the mega­farms began setting up in the mid­Nineties.Since then, it has been a nightmare.'

There are now 12 CAFO farms within a ten­mile radius of the Henning farm. 'There are 60 lagoons [of slurry]containing 400 million gallons of animal waste,' says Lynn.

'You have to dismiss the idea that you will be getting anything like an old­fashioned dairy farm over there inEngland. CAFOs are industrial factories and they use animals as machines to be exploited.

'I grew up with the smell of manure and I think it is a healthy country smell. What you get with mega­farmsis nothing like that. The gas that comes off these lagoons and off the fields when they spray them with thewaste makes you dry­heave and want to vomit. Your eyes water, you feel sick and dizzy.

'In wet weather the waste runs off the fields and pollutes creeks and rivers. In dry weather you get a browndust that rises and covers everything. You get millions and millions of flies. You gag and choke. You can'teven go outside.'

Tests on soil and water near Lynn's farm over nine years have revealed high concentrations of e.coli,salmonella, listeria, cryptosporidium, and other diseasecausing pathogens.

The problem is not with the animal waste per se, but with the concentration of it all in one place, becausesuch large herds are being cramped together.

'One cow makes as much waste as 23 humans,' says Lynn. A farm of 8,100 cows, therefore, (such as theone proposed for Lincolnshire) would produce the same waste as a city of 186,300 people.

'The difference with people is that their waste is treated, ' adds Lynn. ' With CAFOs, the waste is just storedand then spread over surrounding fields. It really is incredible when you think about it.

'I have a constant hacking cough and both my in­laws have been diagnosed with neurological damagecaused by the hydrogen sulphide. You'd have to be crazy to let one of these things anywhere near theEnglish countryside.'

It isn't only in Michigan that mega­farms have caused serious problems. According to a 2008 report by theAmerican Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) there are 9,900 across the USA.

They comprise only about 5 per cent of animal operations by number of farms but now produce more than50 per cent of the country's farmed animals.’

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http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4253682

Columbus sewer fix increased pollution for months

Sunday, June 27, 2010

(Source: The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio) By Spencer Hunt, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio

Going "All Erin Brockovich" on Animal Factories

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel and 2010 Goldman Prize Winner Lynn Henning for going “all Erin Brockovich”on the animal factory industry in this article on Bloomberg News. I love the article’s newly coinedcatchphrase—“When you go all Erin Brockovich on an industry…”

From the article (with five photos):

‘Harassment in Clayton, Michigan, is a dead animal tossed on your front porch, a mini­bomb in your mailboxor buckshot fired through a bedroom window.

For Lynn Henning, recent winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize, that’s the price of advocacy.

“We’ve brought some pretty bad stuff out to the heartland,” says Henning, 52, whose home is about 45miles southwest of Ann Arbor.

For the past decade she has been fighting pollutants that spew from factory farms in her area known as“concentrated animal feeding operations,” or CAFOs.

CAFOs surround the Hennings’ own farm. Most of the animals involved are cows ­­ hundreds, thousands insome cases. They’re crammed into milking assembly lines and rarely see the light of day.

In 2000, Henning co­founded Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan to fight theexpansion of these facilities in the state, and later became the Sierra Club’s water sentinel for the area. Shereckons she has driven more than a million miles on back roads, testing water and taking photographs,mostly of foul water being piped into cricks (as creeks are known around here), sprayed over fields or justsitting in open fields, rife with pollutants.

Henning’s tenacity has paid off. In 2008, Michigan denied a would­be CAFO a permit, in part because ofwater­quality data Henning made public. Other CAFOs have had to pay tens of thousands of dollars in finesfor violations, due to both Henning and lawsuits launched by the Sierra Club.

The problem isn’t just the waste. The tons of manure and urine are mixed with chemical solvents andsluiced into the open lagoons, along with all the other horrors attendant to large mammals in tight quarters:antibiotics, blood, hormones, pesticides, spoiled milk, even decaying body parts. The inevitable smellcomes with an eye­burning mix of methane, hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

Then it gets bad. The vile effluent has to go somewhere, or the lagoons would be quickly overwhelmed.Since it is not technically hazardous waste, the stuff is simply sprayed directly onto the fields.

“This,” Henning says with measured disgust, “is the land that produces our food.”

The health threats are more than theoretical. Her in­laws, both in their 80s and also farmers, were diagnosedwith hydrogen­sulfide poisoning in 2003. Last year, her husband, Dean, 55, had a heart attack in the fields,which he is certain was a direct result of the noxious vapors that pervade the landscape.

“This is not emotional rhetoric,” Henning says. “This is fact.”

As for the harassment, Henning shrugs it off. When you go all Erin Brockovich on an industry, feelings willbe hurt. Henning admits she was taken aback when her own pastor advised her to stop making waves orconsider leaving the church. She chose the latter, something we can all be grateful for.’__________________________________________________________

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010­07­06/fighting­sea­of­manure­from­factory­farms­woman­makes­enemies.html

Fighting Sea of Manure From Factory Farms, Woman Wins Award, Makes Enemies

Bloomberg News

By Mike Di Paola ­ Jul 6, 2010

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/michigan/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1675520/Michigan.News/Grand.River.Expedition.Will.Measure.River%27s.Health

(Above URL is recorded version, the interview was actually much longer)

Grand River Expedition Will Measure River's Health

Rina Miller (2010­07­14)

Michigan Radio Ann Arbor/Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids

Down in the Gutter

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Ohio Sentinel Matt Trokan and our Buckeye Crew for faithfully bird­dogging a $2.5 billion dollarfederal court settlement to finally force the City of Columbus to upgrade its failed wastewater infrastructure,and to stop putting public health at risk.

From the article:

‘It has been a bad year in Columbus' efforts to end sewage overflows that often foul the Scioto River whenrain falls.

Columbus missed a court­ordered October construction deadline and faced as much as $247,500 in finesfrom the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The agency's records show that the city's Southerly plantreleased nearly three times the amount of untreated sewage into the river this year compared with 2009.

But Ohio EPA officials granted the city an extension and agreed to waive the fines, which the city sayswould have been passed on to consumers.

Despite the setbacks, city officials say they will meet a more­important Thursday deadline to cut overflowsby 44 percent.

All this doesn't sit well with the Central Ohio Sierra Club, which is monitoring the city's progress on its40­year, $2.5 billion project. Columbus has spent more than $830 million on the project since work began

four years ago.

The work plan springs from Ohio EPA water­pollution settlements that Columbus signed in 2002 and 2004.The overall goal is to cut 93 percent of storm­induced sewer overflows by 2025.

The deadline extensions and fee waiver show that the Ohio EPA is reluctant to enforce the terms ofColumbus' cleanup agreement, said Matt Trokan, the group's conservation coordinator.

"They (city officials) knew going into this that there would be heightened overflows and that there would bemore sewage coming out for longer durations," Trokan said.

Trokan said the city could have taken steps to divert and reduce the flow of rainwater before it got to theplants.’

Bringing jobs back to Coloradohttp://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_15320038

The Denver PostBy Kirk Cunningham and Larry GrayPosted: 06/20/2010

Grand River Expedition Will Measure River's Health

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel Rita Chapman and some 200 other paddlers who are traversing all of part of theentire 225 miles of the Grand River Expedition 2010, documenting the river’s health and an inventory of thecritters in it and along it..

What it is:

“Following Expeditions 1990 and 2000, paddlers in canoes and kayaks will explore and document conditionsin Michigan's Grand River and watershed. We'll learn her history, build awareness and appreciation of howthe Grand connects our communities across the state. Festivals, camping, music, and fun activities willmake this a Grand Mid­Michigan adventure!

"We're going to do everything from observation of turtles, bird species that are along the corridor as we go,and then also macroinvertebrate studies, so they'll be looking for the types of aquatic insects thatfishermen will know an awful lot about," Chapman says.’

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/2D894009440712C18625772000151EF3?OpenDocument

Biomass as power source is generating oppositionBY KIM McGUIRESt. Louis Post­Dispatch05/11/2010

Rebuilding Colorado's Infrastructure and Jobs

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Boulder Sentinel and Rocky Mountain Chapter Conservation Co­Chair, Kirk Cunningham, andLarry Gray, Business Manager of the Rocky Mountain District Council of the Laborers' International Union ofNorth America, for tag­teaming a great guest editorial. The Blue–Green duo lay out their support for “BuildColorado 2010,” a vision to rebuild the state’s decaying water and transportation infrastructure.

From the editorial:

‘It sounds like a pipe dream. We can have safer roads and bridges, reduced traffic congestion, cleanerdrinking water and an end to overcrowded schools ­ all while creating 343,000 jobs right here in Colorado.

It's no pipe dream ­ in fact, it is closer to being a reality than it's ever been. The launch of "Build Colorado2010" just this month, with the backing of a broad coalition of elected officials, businesses, communitygroups and working people aims to make it real. The key: turning U.S. Senators, including Colorado's MarkUdall and Michael Bennet, into champions for building America.

"Denver's aging water supply malfunctions with increasing frequency, with 328 water main breaks in 2008,up from 306 in 2007 and 256 in 2006. More than 150,000 people state­wide drink from public water suppliesthat violate public health standards.

It's a no­brainer. The economic downturn has cost Colorado 57,500 construction jobs ­ we can get thosejobs back, and create thousands more, by addressing our basic needs. And we can leave behind realassets for taxpayers and a positive legacy for future generations, while making our nation more competitive.’

http://www.pitch.com/2010­06­17/news/e­coli­in­missouri­s­recreational­water/1

Everything is getting into Missouri's lakes and rivers except money

By Nadia Pflaum Thursday, Jun 17 2010

Biomass, or Biomess?

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Missouri Sentinel Tom Kruzen for pointing out that using woody biomass for greener energy isn’talways a panacea, in some locations it could be Pandora’s box.

From the article:

‘When Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition C in 2008, they made a commitment to supportrenewable energy, including biomass.

And energy producers responded, vowing to build several power plants that promise to turn timber, woodchips and even corn cobs into electricity to power thousands of Missouri homes.

But as those plans now go before state regulators, some environmentalists, property owners and timberindustry officials are beginning to balk. They worry some of the proposed plants will create new sources ofair pollution, strain local water supplies and possibly prompt Missouri's Ozark forests to be clear­cut.

While tires and trash might be outlawed, some landowners and wood products companies wonder just whatthe new biomass plants will burn to produce electricity.

They worry there aren't enough trees, wood waste and water to meet the plants' demand.

"We don't have the kind of forests that can support clear­cutting like the chip mills did several years ago,"said Tom Kruzen, a Mountain View landowner and longtime Sierra Club member. "And if it's going tojeopardize our forests and put our Ozark streams at risk, I'm against it."

An analysis conducted this year by the Missouri Forest Products Association found that thetimber­dependent towns of Salem and Ava do have enough woody materials to support biomass plants ifthey were relatively small. Still, association officials said some of their members worry new plants mightpose costly competition for woody materials also used in pallets, particle board and charcoal.

"There's no question, we're walking a tightrope on this issue," said Steve Jarvis, the association's executivedirector.’

http://www.ecofactory.com/news/animal­waste­factory­farms­comes­under­closer­epa­scrutiny­060210

Animal Waste on Factory Farms Comes Under Closer EPA ScrutinyWASHINGTON, DC, June 2, 2010 (ENS)

The Great State of Misery

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the alternative weeklies The Pitch in Kansas City and Riverfront Times in St. Louis for telling thishuge cover feature story on the sad state of Missouri politics, and the even sadder state of its waterways.

Harsh words, and appropriately so.

From the article:

‘If you think Missouri's water­quality issues are limited to the beaches at the Lake of the Ozarks, you ain'tseen shit.

A year ago this month, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources was getting spanked over therevelation that the department had failed to report data on dangerous E. coli levels at the lake. Themotivation, media outlets reported, was tourism dollars — the DNR knew about the high E. coli readingsbefore that Memorial Day weekend but didn't make them public until the holiday beach traffic subsided.

The resulting scandal prompted a state Senate investigation. That probe ceased in February, but falloutcontinued until, on the last day of the legislative session, the Senate's committee on Agriculture, FoodProduction and Outdoor Resources let the clock run out without passing the bill to renew the DNR's WaterProtection Program. Industrial and agricultural polluters pay for permits granted by the program; permit feesprovide as much as 37 percent of the DNR's regulatory operations. Because the bill didn't pass, the DNRwill be unable to collect permit fees in 2011. If the DNR can't afford to operate its federally mandatedclean­water program in 2011, under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency willstep in and take over the program.

Big­business lobbyists and Sierra Club activists agree that the Missouri DNR needs an overhaul. Right now,it can afford to monitor only a small fraction of the state's water bodies for pollutants and pathogens suchas E. coli. But building a new water­quality program under a different agency could take years.

Missouri's tourism slogan used to be "Where the Rivers Run" because more miles of water flow through thisstate than any other. More than 155,000 miles of Missouri's rivers and streams are "unclassified" by theDNR, meaning that the agency does not test them for bacteria or specific pollutants, including mercury, ironand lead. People are floating, boating, fishing and swimming in some of those waterways right now,downstream from a municipal water­treatment facility or a large factory farm with an unchecked spillover

from a lagoon of animal waste (two major sources of elevated bacteria counts).

The DNR's reason for not testing the water quality of 90 percent of Missouri's rivers and streams: money.Since the early '90s, the Legislature has consistently reduced the DNR's allocation from general revenue,and for the DNR, lack of money means lack of manpower.

"I find it extremely ironic that the Legislature is screaming at DNR for not doing their job competently andquickly enough, and then refuses to give them any resources to do their job," says Scott Dye, the nationalcoordinator of the Sierra Club's Water Sentinels program.

This summer, the DNR has published its notifications of bacteria levels at public beaches online, anobvious response to last year's fiasco. Department spokesman Judd Slivka tells The Pitch: "We're muchmore transparent. This year, we put 2.4 million archival lab records online, dating back from 2002. Our labresults now go online within 48 hours of them being delivered to the programs that ordered them. Every timethere's E coli exceedence, it's put on a blog."

Transparency is nice, Dye says, but it still doesn't address the heart of the issue. "The bottom line is, a lotof this is stuff that ordinary citizens shouldn't have to know," he says. "They should be able to visitrecreational areas with confidence that they're not going to get sick. This whole water­fees thing has createdone hell of a mess, and it's not good for any party involved."’

_________________________________________

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi­ap­wi­phosphorusrules,0,5101732.story

Wisconsin officials propose phosphorus limits for waters

By TODD RICHMOND Associated Press Writer

June 19, 2010

EPA 'Frustrates' Animal Factories

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL my boss, Ed Hopkins, Environmental Quality Program Director, for helping to turn the screws onthe evil forces of doom known as animal factories.

From the article:

‘In a legal settlement that could affect the entire U.S. meat industry, the Environmental Protection

Agency has agreed to identify and investigate thousands of factory farms that have been avoiding government regulation for water pollution with animal waste.

The settlement requires the agency to propose a rule on greater information gathering on factory farms within the next 12 months. It will require the approximately 20,000 domestic factory farms to report such information as how they dispose of manure and other animal waste.

The Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and Waterkeeper Alliance filed the suit in 2009 over a rule that exempted thousands of factory farms from taking steps to minimize water pollution from the animal waste they generate.

Litigation brought by these three groups has forced the EPA to revise its CAFO rules twice within the past decade to tighten the pollution control requirements on these facilities.

"The EPA's rules have failed to protect our rivers and lakes from polluting factory farms," said Ed Hopkins, director of Sierra Club's Environmental Quality Program. "Gathering more information to document factory farms' pollution will lay the groundwork for better protection of our waters."

The National Pork Producers Council expressed "deep frustration and anger" over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's continuing efforts "to develop costly agricultural regulations that provide few if any additional environmental benefits."’

SD again: Yeah, right. Cry us a river.

_________________________________________________

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/14358­1

Solar Energy Brightens in Illinois

June 14, 2010

Wisconsin Advances P Standards

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Team Wisconsin for advancing phosphorus limits for state waterways. They’ve now moved newnumeric standards past state regulators, and await the legislature’s anticipated approval.

From the article:

‘Wisconsin farmers would face phosphorus run­off limits for the first time and wastewater treatment plantswould have to follow tighter discharge standards on the oxygen­depleting nutrient under a sweeping rulespackage state environmental officials are poised to adopt.

The rules represent more than a decade's worth of work by the Department of Natural Resources to curtailphosphorus pollution in state waters. They address a wide range of pollution sources, from farm fields to

wastewater plants to developers. The Natural Resources Board, which sets DNR policy, is scheduled to voteon them Wednesday.

Biologists believe phosphorus, a chemical commonly found in fertilizer and manure, can cause ugly algaeblooms that deplete water oxygen levels, killing aquatic life. The blooms also can produce toxins than cancause a number of ailments, including rashes, headaches and nausea. The DNR considers 172 Wisconsinlakes, rivers and streams "impaired waters" because of phosphorus pollution.

Shahla Werner, director of the Sierra Club's John Muir chapter in Madison, said the package isn't perfect.

"It is something I think we can live with," she said. "This is a huge step in the right direction, even thoughthere are compromises."’

_____________________________________________

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/couriernews/news/2464708,3_1_EL05_08QUINN_S1­100705.article

Governor Quinn signs phosphorus bill in Elgin

July 5, 2010ELGIN COURIER­NEWSBy JANELLE WALKER For Sun­Times Media

Solar Shines in Illinois

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Sierra’s Chapter Director Jack Darin for some bright rays ofsunshine. Meanwhile, somewhere, a dirty coal plant is dying.

From the article:

‘The future of solar energy for Illinois is getting brighter. That's because a glut of solar supplies on themarket is reducing prices, and state lawmakers have passed new legislation aimed at promoting solarenergy. One of the new laws waiting for the Governor's signature requires utility companies to purchasesome solar energy to replace the use of coal.

Jack Darin, president of the Illinois Sierra Club says that's great news for everyone in Illinois.

"It's going to mean cleaner air and it's going to mean between 4,000 and 8,000 new jobs between now and2015."

That also means that homeowners who install solar panels will be able to send excess solar electricity back

to the grid and be compensated with renewable energy certificates (RECs), which can be sold for cash.’

________________________________________________________

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jul/15/state­spanked­on­cash­creek/

Cash Creek foes still fear river pollutionEvansville Courier­PressBy Chuck StinnettJuly 15, 2010

WIN: New Phosphorus Standards for Illinois

Posted by Scott Dye

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Illinois Sierrans, Sentinels and allies for winning a statewide ban on stream­chokingphosphorus in lawn fertilizers. It’s a big win for Illinois waterways.

From the article:

‘Before heading over to Elgin's Fourth of July parade for some campaigning, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a newlaw to help protect the Fox River.

During a ceremony Saturday morning on Walton Islands, Quinn signed House Bill 6099, co­sponsored bystate Sen. Michael Noland, R­Elgin, which helps protect waterways by banning the use of phosphorus inlawn treatment chemicals.

Illinois is not the first state to ban the use of phosphorus on commercial lawn fertilizers, said Jack Darin ofthe Sierra Club, which lobbied for the bill. Wisconsin has a similar law, he said, as do many individualcommunities along the Fox River and elsewhere in Illinois.

With the amount of phosphorus reduced in the Fox and its tributaries, the river will continue on the road torecover it has been on for the past 38 years, he said.

The impact of the law ­­ which takes effect immediately ­­ will be huge on the Fox River and its watershed,said Gary Swick of the Friends of the Fox River. He has seen the effect of phosphorus lawn chemicals inmany of the streams and creeks that dump into the Fox.’

___________________________________________________

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9GVNHI80.htm

The Associated Press

July 15, 2010

Groups denounce plan to use coal ash on leveesBy JIM SUHR

ST. LOUIS

No to Cash Creek Dirty Coal Plans

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinel Aloma Dew and our stalwart allies for continuing to battle against the proposedCash Creek dirty coal plant.

From the article:

‘Sixteen opponents — ranging from Catholic nuns from Daviess County to environmental activists fromEvansville and Owensboro — spoke out Thursday night against Kentucky's plans to issue a revisedwastewater discharge permit for the proposed Cash Creek Generation LLC coal gasification and power plantin Henderson County.

The Kentucky Division of Water issued a water permit for the project in February, but it made somemodifications to strengthen the permit after the federal Environmental Protection Agency raised someconcerns in May.

"EPA spanked the Division of Water," John Blair, the leader of the Valley Watch environmental watchdogorganization in Evansville, said at a public hearing conducted by the division at the Henderson CountyCourthouse.

"I appreciate the fact that the (state) recognized the deficiencies in the permit," said Aloma Dew ofOwensboro, a field organizer for the Sierra Club. "But even with the modifications, it is still not enough" toprotect the Green River from pollution.

Dew urged the state to withhold the permit until the EPA completes its study of the toxicity of coal slag,such as the waste material that would be stored on site.

"Let's focus on cleaning up the mess we've gotten ourselves into, not creating a new mess," urged SisterAngela Fitzpatrick of the Ursuline Sisters at Maple Mount in Daviess County.

The audience of more than 50 people at the hour­long public hearing was dominated by environmentalopponents sporting green armbands. A few Cash Creek supporters — including a union constructionadvocate and a coal company official — attended but didn't offer testimony.

… Blair said, "We're not going away. We'll fight this thing to our death."’

_________________________________________________

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20100728/NEWS01/7280325/High­water­level­could­complicate­cleaning­efforts

High water could complicate oil spill cleanupWildlife near Kalamazoo River at risk after spillAnnie Martin • The Enquirer • July 28, 2010

No to Toxic Coal Ash as Levee Fill

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the ‘Living,’ lining both sides of the Mighty Mississippi, who told the ‘Corpse’ of Engineers thatproposing to use toxic coal ash to shore up the river’s levees is, well, just damned dumb.

From one of numerous media articles:

‘A federal plan to use ash waste from coal­fired power plants to shore up some Mississippi River leveesdrew objections Thursday from environmentalists who are worried that toxins in the ash might seep into theriver and public water systems it serves.

The Sierra Club and other nature groups lined up against the Army Corps of Engineers' plan, worrying duringa public hearing that the use of coal or fly ash questionably could extend later to levees along other inlandrivers and perpetuate coal burning, widely believed to contribute to global warming.

"If this should turn out to be toxic (after it's been injected into a levee's weak spots), how do we get it backout?" Tom Ball, a member of the Sierra Club and Missouri Stream Team, pressed during the 90­minutehearing that drew about 50 people, including electric utility representatives.

"This fly ash is hazardous waste, regardless of what you call it," added Catherine Edmiston, anenvironmentalist heading an Illinois group opposing longwall mining. "I am against putting it against a majorriver. I think we need to think about this."

Various studies have suggested the ash ­­ long used in making roads and cement ­­ contains arsenic,selenium, mercury and other substances defined as hazardous, and may be closely linked to cancer.’

Kids Hooked on Fishing

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Fountain Creek Sentinel Jenny Kedward, Eric Patterson of Sentinels Rios de Taos and our Trout

Unlimited allies for getting the kids out fishing in Colorado and New Mexico.

In Colorado, Fountain Creek Water Sentinels and Trout Unlimited hosted the 3rd Annual Fishing Camp inPueblo. Ten students met on Wednesday, July 16 and 23 for an all day class each day. Kids aged 11­14were taught about basic fly and reel fishing, knot tying, fish ecology and anatomy, and what to do with a fishonce you catch them. They also looked at water ecology including tests of pH, dissolved oxygen andconductivity. Click here to see some photos. (Great pics!)

In New Mexico, Dr. Jim Morgan attended the Kids’ Fishing Derby sponsored by the Kiwanis Club at LakeMaloya near Raton on Saturday, June 5. Jim was representing both the Enchanted Circle Chapter of TroutUnlimited and Sierra Club. He donated 15 Sierra Club rod and reel combinations and 10 TU kids’memberships. There was a good turnout, and many fish were caught.

Meanwhile, Eric was on the other side of the range working the Kids’ Fishing Derby at Eagle Rock Lake thatattracted about 75 children along with quite a few parents and grandparents. The youngsters won 15 SierraClub backpacks, 14 Zebco rod and reel combinations, and a few T­shirts donated by Sierra Club. In addition,the first­and second­place winners of the 10­ to 11­year­old casting competition won Sierra Club fly­fishingoutfits. A good time was had by all.

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2010/07/water­sentinels­volunteer­tests­the­waters­in­pueblo.html

Meet the Sentinels: Fountain Creek's Jenny Kedward

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Fountain Creek Sentinel and Rocky Mountain Chapter Chair Jenny Kedward, profiled by theSentinels ‘official historian’ Tom Valtin on Scrapbook. Jenny gets it done with grace and good cheer,leading by example every step of the way.

_______________________________________

July 14, 2010Water Sentinels Volunteer Tests the Waters in Pueblo

After graduating from Colorado State University–Pueblo with a Biology degree in 2006, Jenny Kedward wentto work in the environmental health field in that city. She is now Environmental Coordinator for the HealthDepartment of the City and County of Pueblo.

An active member of the Sierra Club for the last seven years, with more than 20 volunteer leadershippositions under her belt, Kedward has served as Chair of the Club's Rocky Mountain Chapter since January2009.

"My goal is to engage more residents of Colorado in the work we're doing," she says, "especially in Puebloand areas along the Rocky Mountain Front Range, where the majority of Coloradans live."

Kedward is also the coordinator and founder of the Fountain Creek Water Sentinels, based in Pueblo.Above, Kedward and Pueblo high schoolers on an outing to Fountain Creek. Below, Kedward, at left, andfellow Water Sentinels volunteers stand behind the fruits of their labors after a creek cleanup.

The Sierra Club's Water Sentinels Program, with 51 projects and hundreds of partner programs in 41 states,trains volunteers to collect water samples and monitor data with the goal of getting America's waterwayscleaned up.

Kedward's biology training and water­testing skills came in handy when the Club's Sangre de Cristo Groupstarted the Fountain Creek Sentinels in 2005 after horrendous sewage spills upstream from Pueblo pollutedFountain Creek.

Longtime Sierra Club leader Ross Vincent, an inveretate clean water activist and now Sangre de CristoGroup Chair, recommended Kedward to national Water Sentinels Director Scott Dye, who asked Kedward tohead up the Fountain Creek program. That's Vincent, below left, with Sal Pace, district director for U.S.Congressman John Salazar (brother of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar).

"Through my education at CSU–Pueblo, I learned a great deal about how water works and why it is so vitallyimportant to life on this planet," Kedward says. "And thanks to a grant from our local wastewater treatmentplant, I'd spent a year doing a lot of water sampling along two of Pueblo's major waterways."

Below, Kedward trains volunteers to do water­quality testing in Fountain Creek.

"The big problem in Fountain Creek," she says, "and the reason we started the Fountain Creek WaterSentinels, is E. Coli pollution, mainly coming from the north, from the larger city of Colorado Springs, whereFountain Creek rises."

Compounding the problem was a chronic lack of attention to water quality in Fountain Creek amongresidents of Pueblo and Colorado Springs alike. "People were using the creek as a dumping ground,"Kedward says. "They just thought, 'Well, it's not next to my house, and whatever I dump in will be dilutedand won't stay around.'

"We knew that wasn't so," she says, "but the average citizen didn't. One of the things I'm proudest of is thatthe Water Sentinels have made great progress in terms of education and outreach—as have the cities ofPueblo and Colorado Springs. This program gives me an opportunity to teach others sampling skills theycan use to protect and advocate for our local endangered waters."

One aspect of the Water Sentinels' work that stands out for Kedward is that "volunteers love being able toget their hands dirty and their feet wet and not just go to meetings. They feel they're really making adifference." Below, young Pueblans from a local 4­H camp with water samples taken from Fountain Creek.

With prodding and assistance from the Fountain Creek Water Sentinels, the Fountain Creek WatershedVision Task Force was recently created by the county commissioners of El Paso (Colorado Springs) andPueblo Counties to address problems in the creek's 927­square­mile watershed. Recognizing that pollutionissues on Fountain Creek had come to a critical point, leaders in both counties began a discussion that led

to the drafting and signing of an intergovernmental agreement between the two counties and municipalities inboth jurisdictions.

Kedward and the Fountain Creek Sentinels are now helping coordinate efforts to create a regional parkalongFountain Creek, from Colorado Springs through the nearby community of Fountain and all the way down toPueblo—all of which sit astride Fountain Creek along the Rocky Mountain Front.

Among the highlights of Kedward's work with the Sentinels was being asked in 2007 to testify in a SierraClub lawsuit against Colorado Springs Utilities. "I felt honored to be able to speak on behalf of the WaterSentinels and Fountain Creek," she says. "I was even more proud when the Club won the lawsuit!"

Learn how you can get involved with the Water Sentinels near where you live.

Featured Partnership: Great Outdoors University

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our latest partner in youth fishing outreach, Great Outdoors University, who provides high­qualityoutdoor experiences to at­risk youth in Memphis (and coming soon to Nashville). And, ALL HAILTennessee Sentinel James Baker who reeled in our new ally.

From GOU:

http://www.tnwfconservation.org/great­outdoors­university/4­great­outdoors­university/56­great­outdoors­university

Great Outdoors University (GOU) is a youth conservation education program of the Tennessee WildlifeFederation (TWF) whose mission is to connect kids with the great outdoors in meaningful, life­changing andlasting ways. GOU participants are children and youth who would not likely have the opportunity to learnabout and experience the great outdoors otherwise.

Program ComponentsGOU accomplishes its mission through conservation education, day field trips and overnight campingexperiences. Day field trips take kids hiking or fishing within an hour’s drive of the inner­city; however thedestinations are not urban parks or nature centers. A primary goal of GOU is to expose kids to more remoteand wild areas. Great Outdoors University Weekends are overnight camping experiences held in the Springand Fall. These three­day, two­night events include courses in orienteering, archery, wilderness survivalskills, aquatic systems, hiking and fishing. Follow­up curriculum and activities are also provided to furtherthe impact of hands­on experiences.

ParticipantsGOU participants are sourced from partnering organizations who include outdoor education in their missionto serve underprivileged children and youth. In Memphis for example, GOU has partnered with the BoyScouts of America’s ScoutReach program (ensuring that all young people have an opportunity to joinScouting, regardless of their circumstances) and Girls, Inc. (dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong,smart and bold). GOU has filled a niche in order for these organizations to fulfill their mandate to provide

outdoor education while serving children and youth. Adult leadership for GOU comes from a variety ofsources. In addition to trip coordination by TWF staff, GOU contracts with professional naturalists andenvironmental educators for teaching and leading trips. Additionally, volunteers from area hunting and fishingorganizations accompany most trips to serve as mentors, and participating partnering organization staffmembers serve as chaperones.

OutcomesGreat Outdoors University is more than just taking kids out in the woods or to the lake for a day. GOUseeks to go deeper, to help develop a connection to, and an understanding of the natural world that will lastfar into the future. Our work is guided by recent research, particularly that of Dr. Richard Louv (“Last Child inthe Woods”), that has shown children in today’s urban world are suffering from “nature deficit disorder,” theimpact of which can lead to childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder and a general culture of stress anddepression. TWF is working towards giving all the children in Tennessee the opportunity to play in and learnabout the great outdoors, all while creating part of the remedy to the challenges of today’s electronic culture.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Oil, Oil Everywhere

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

The epic disaster in the Gulf, then the neighborhoods of Salt Lake City, and now more than a million gallonsspilled into the Kalamazoo River. We’ve got to break America’s addiction to oil—NOW!

ALL HAIL Sentinel Rita Chapman and the entire Michigan Crew for their rapid response to this most recentdisaster.

From the Battle Creek Enquirer article:

‘The proximity to several federally designated polluted sites and a high water level may complicate cleanupefforts after a pipeline leaked about 819,000 gallons of oil into the Kalamazoo River.

The leak resulted from a malfunction in an Enbridge Inc. pipeline near the Marshall and Fredonia townshipline.

The presence of petroleum in the water can limit the amount of oxygen and kill fish, said Rita Chapman,clean water program director for the Sierra Club's Michigan chapter.

"Anything that lives and breathes underwater will be affected and probably killed off," she said.

Damage to the river may be especially severe because it could reach Superfund sites downstream fromKalamazoo, Chapman said. Several paper factories once dumped paper sludge into the river, leavingpollutants attached to the river bottom. Petroleum acts as a solvent and may release those chemicals intothe river once again.

Arch Mercer of Portage stood on a bridge that crosses the river at Burnham Street near Riverside Drive onTuesday morning.

The community may not know the full extent of the damage for several years, he said.’

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2010/07/grand_rivers_latest_threat_asi.html#incart_rh

Grand River's latest threat: Asian carpPublished: Tuesday, July 27, 2010Jeff Alexander | Muskegon ChronicleHere's to the Mad Hatters

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL all of you Mad Hatters—those activists that wear many hats—serving for multiple worthyorganizations. You know who you are, also a: Trout Unlimited officer, Treasurer for your local communitygardens, member of Friends of Fill­in­the­Blank, et al.

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it.” – Lucille Ball

Here, Illinois Sentinel Cindy Skrukrud deftly wears two of her many other hats.

From the articles:

‘The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will study property in the township as part of its Hack­ma­tack Study,which is looking to turn sites in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois into a wildlife refuge.

The federal government's study now includes 350,000 acres bounded by Burlington Wis., Harvard, the ChainO' Lakes and Route 176 in Crystal Lake.

Federal officials want to study the area because they realize what is at stake, said Cindy Skrukrud, withFriends of Hackmatack.

"Not only is the area beautiful but it's very rare," she said. "We have ecosystems in our area that are rarerthan tropical rain forests."’

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‘The two water samples are brought back to the McHenry County Health Department lab where the water isplaced in a sealed tray and placed into an incubator for 18 to 22 hours. The next day, the lab techniciansplace a fluorescent light over the water samples and are able to see how much E. coli is in the water. Thehealth department then makes a call on whether to close the beach.

The number of beaches that had to be closed because of E. coli this year is the highest in the past 10years. This year, the area has seen higher rain amounts than in previous years, Weber said.

Reducing runoff would help, and there are steps people can take, said Cindy Skrukrud, chairwoman of thewater resources committee of the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

Skrukrud recommended that people direct downspouts for water off roofs into gardens instead of ontopavement.

Water that goes through soil will have nutrients and other pollutants broken down in the soil, which helpsclean the water.

New developments now have to meet regulations directing water into some sort of vegetation, Skrukrudsaid.

"We've recognized that it's not good to rapidly flush water off our property onto pavement and into bodies ofwater," Skrukrud said.

"We can't control the rain, but we can do something about how water runs off property," she said. "That'sthe issue everyone can get together and tackle."’

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­­Pay Links­­July 28, 2010

Feds to study Nunda land for wildlife refuge

By LEE ANN GILL ­ editorial@nwherald.com

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Aug. 3, 2010

Testing the water

E. coli levels close most county beaches in 10 years

By JOSEPH BUSTOS ­ jbustos@nwherald.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la­oe­brune­pipeline­rupture­20100806,0,3549344.story

The Kalamazoo River 'mess' is a lot more than that

An oil spill in Michigan's Kalamazoo River points out the grave flaws in America's energy policies.By Michael Brune and Anne Woiwode

August 6, 2010

Watch Out! Flying Carp!

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL Michigan Sentinel Rita Chapman for her comments in this article on the various threats to theGrand River, including the invasive menace of Asian Carp. When startled by the sound of boat motors theyleap out of the water, and have injured many boaters throughout the Midwest.

From the article:

‘Many experts believe Asian carp, some of which rocket out of the water when disturbed by the sound ofboat motors, will eventually colonize parts of the Great Lakes and rivers like the Grand.

Asian carp account for 90 percent of all fish in some sections of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

Experts fear Asian carp ­­ which hog fish food, breed like mosquitoes and usually dominate the ecosystemsthey colonize ­­ could devastate the $7 billion Great Lakes fishery and hurt the region's $16 billionrecreational fishery.

Asian carp aren't the only serious threat to the Grand River system. Poorly planned urban growth thatdestroys wetlands and polluted storm water runoff from farms and cities are the most vexing problemsfacing the river now and in the near future, according to several scientists and government officials.

The battle to further restore and protect the river will be won or lost on the roughly 5,000­square miles ofland that drains into the river and its tributaries, said Rita Chapman, clean water program director for theSierra Club's Michigan chapter.

"When you think about restoring a river, you'd better think about what happens on land," Chapman said,"because 95 percent of most watersheds is land."’

http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2010/07/a_mixed_record_on_the_environm.htmlA Mixed Record: On the environment, some achievements — and challengesPublished: Thursday, July 22, 2010

The Post­Standard Editorial Board

Kalamazoo River Oil Spill

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune and Michigan Chapter Director Anne Woiwode forthis great guest editorial on the recent Kalamazoo oil spill in the LA Times.

From the editorial:

‘If the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico is causing us to reconsider deep­sea drilling, then last week's oildisaster in Michigan should give us pause about constructing new oil pipelines. And taken together, thespills spotlight what's wrong with our nation's energy direction.

Patrick D. Daniel, chief executive of Enbridge, Inc., apologized last week for "the mess we made." He wasreferring to the pipeline rupture that dumped about a million gallons of crude oil into Michigan's KalamazooRiver. Though we're sure that Daniel genuinely regrets that it was his company's turn to advertise theobvious dangers of continuing our nation's dependence on oil, this time, sorry's not good enough.

The immediate consequences of this particular "mess" are bad enough. Thirty miles of the KalamazooRiver were fouled. Birds, fish and other wildlife were killed or oiled. People had to be evacuated from theirhomes because of high levels of benzene in the air. When the heavy crude passed through the city ofBattle Creek, the Kellogg Co. even had to stop making Corn Flakes.

Now the Obama administration is considering approval of a pipeline that would dramatically expandtar­sands oil distribution. It's called the Keystone XL. If you want a perfect example of what's gone wrongwith American energy policy, take a good look at the Keystone XL pipeline. Once built, it would traverse oneof the most important aquifers in the country on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. A single spill could threatenthe water supply for nearly one­fifth of the wheat, corn and cotton grown and the cattle raised in America.

Instead of allowing foreign oil companies to build more pipelines and operate more drilling rigs in theMidwest, the gulf and elsewhere, we should invest in clean, safe, American energy. And before anyone inWashington decides we should approve the Keystone XL, they should see what one small "mess" did to theKalamazoo.

It's ironic that Michigan must pay the price this time. The state is itching to take the lead in clean­energytechnology. In less than a year, 16 electric vehicle technology plants have opened there, and they'reprojected to create 62,000 new jobs over the next decade. And we could be doing even more.

If not, we'll all be sorry. As this summer has made clear, oil disasters can happen anywhere, and no part ofAmerica will be safe as long as we continue subsidizing Big Oil.’

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/08/01/copy/testing­lakes­not­funding­priority.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Testing lakes not funding priorityFar more goes to tourism, despite unsafe watersSunday, August 1, 2010 02:58 AM

By Gina PotthoffTHE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Paddlin' with the Governor

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL Missouri Sentinel Angel Kruzen and the Stream Team # 713 River Rats for hosting Governor JayNixon and wife Georgeanne on a float trip in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The Governor sang thepraises of Missouri’s most excellent volunteer Stream Team program, raised awareness about litter andpollution in the state’s waterways, and got in a little fishing.

The always irreverent St. Louis Riverfront Times had some fun with the story.

_______________________________________________

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2010/08/break_out_the_jello_shots_gov_jay_nixon_float_trip.php

Break Out the Jello Shots and Sunscreen: Gov. Jay Nixon is Going on a Float Trip

By Keegan Hamilton, Mon., Aug. 9 2010

Ah, the float trip. It's a rite of passage in Missouri summer ­­ a way to blow off steam in our steamy Augusttemps.

Today, in attempt to prove he is an everyman in touch with the environment in his home state, Gov. JayNixon is packing up the inner­tubes and canoes and heading out with his wife and a few state officials for afloat down the Current River.

Will the Gov hit the rope swing after he gets blackout wasted on Jello shots?

Probably not.

Nixon is using the trip to raise awareness about litter and pollution in Missouri waterways, so don't expectany little plastic cups or empty beer cans to be flung from his boat.

According to the Missourian, Nixon plans to "meet with members of a local 'stream team,' which helps pickup trash and stabilize stream banks." He'll also be joined by state conservation and parks leaders.

The governor and his wife Georgeanne opted for a seven­mile float on the Current, starting in the southernpart of the state near the border of Dent and Shannon counties.

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A photoset on Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48275616@N07/sets/72157624573705725/

­WIN: Tough New Phosphorus Regs for NY

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL Sentinel Linda Freilich and all of our Long Island Sentinels volunteers for leading the charge to getnew tough phosphorus standards for New York signed into law.

On July 30th, 2010, New York’s Governor David Paterson signed into law, S. 3780/A. 8914 which will lowerphosphates in dish detergents and lawn fertilizer. The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Bob Sweeneymakes New York one of 15 other states that have adopted similar measures.

The bill amends New York State’s Environmental Conservation Law to prohibit certain household cleansersfrom containing more than trace amounts of phosphorous. It also prohibits the sale of dishwashingdetergents that contain more than five­tenths percent phosphorus. Additionally, it prohibits the sale ofcleansing products used in food and beverage processing equipment and dairy equipment, which containmore than eight and seven­tenths percent phosphorus. The bill also bans the use of fertilizers containingphosphorus under certain conditions.

Phosphorus overloads cause potentially toxic algal blooms that choke waterways and deprive ecosystemsof oxygen which, in turn, may be harmful to humans and lead to fish kills. The Clean Water Act treatsphosphorus as a pollutant, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) hasidentified at least 43 water bodies that are so polluted by this pollutant that they require strategies to protectand restore water quality.

Long Island Water Sentinels were right in the thick of it and instrumental in the passage of this legislation.

Read a summary of the Bill at:

http://www.eany.org/capitolwatch/memos%202010/77_PhosphorousReduction.pdf

From an editorial in the Syracuse Post­Standard:

'On the legislative side, there have been victories for the environment this session, including new laws tocapture electronic waste and keep harmful chemicals off of children’s playing fields. A measure barringphosphorus from detergents, which brings New York in line with Massachusetts, Ohio and other states,should contribute to improved water quality throughout the state, including Onondaga Lake.’

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010­08­16/health/ct­met­slaughterhouse­controversy­20100816_1_large­hog­farms­factory­farms­slaughter­and­process

Proposed slaughterhouse stirs controversy in Quad CitiesActivists say it will bring environmental damageSupporters say the area needs jobsAugust 16, 2010 | By Monica Eng, Tribune reporter

Ohio's Neglected Lakes

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL Ohio Sentinel Matt Trokan for the last word in this article about the state’s failure to adequatelymonitor its public lakes to ensure public health and safety.

From the article:

‘The state will spend nearly $8 million this year to improve, promote and stock its lakes with sport fish.

Why? Because Ohio's 1.1 million anglers spend an estimated $1.1 billion annually related to fishing.

But with increasing reports of toxic algae choking Ohio's lakes, possibly sickening visitors, killing fish andmaybe even some pets, how much does the state spend on testing the 400 public lakes to ensure safeswimming, boating and fishing?

It will spend about $15,800 in state money to test bacteria levels at beaches and $80,000 in federal andstate money to test water in about 10 inland lakes this year.

The Ohio EPA stopped inland lake testing in 1995 when federal funds dried up. The agency restarted testsin 2007 with a one­time federal grant of $170,000 to test 20 lakes as part of a national survey.

The tests that year revealed that toxic algae was choking Grand Lake St. Marys in western Ohio. Last week,officials learned that at least three dogs that might have come into contact with lake water had died, and atleast nine people have complained of illnesses.

The problem has gotten so bad this summer that officials are warning people not to go in or near the water.And the blue­green algae is showing up in other Ohio lakes.

"It's pretty much like a dead zone," said Tim Lovett, president of the Lake Improvement Association, aboutthe 13,500­acre Grand Lake St. Marys in Mercer and Auglaize counties.

"Recreation and toxic ... I don't know how you use the two words in the same sentence."

Lovett said the smelly, toxic algae in the lake has emptied the state park and devastated local business.

Lake and stream testing in Ohio is more important than ever, said Matt Trokan, conservation coordinatorwith the Ohio chapter of the Sierra Club.

"It's better to protect our water at the source than to try and fix it after we've made it all polluted," Trokansaid.’

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http://www.nptelegraph.com/articles/2010/08/15/opinion/editorials/60006947.txt

Company should not be entrusted with our landPublished: Sunday, August 15, 2010

Slaughterhouse Fight Round 2

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL our Eagle View Group and Sentinels for gearing up for Round Two to stop a proposed hogslaughterhouse in the Quad Cities. Just say NO!!!

From the Chicago Tribune feature article:

‘A giant slaughterhouse in the Illinois river town of East Moline is creating a big stink — and it hasn't evenbeen built yet.

Supporters of the proposed facility, which would process thousands of hogs a day, say it would bring jobsand economic revitalization to the Iowa border community. Mayor John Thodos says he thinks it will create2,500 jobs in an area where unemployment has doubled in five years.

To opponents, the Triumph Foods project means environmental damage, bad odors and lost propertyvalues. The plant would be close to the Rock River and wetlands, they note.

"It's a huge plant being built on a wetland and a flood plain that could end up flooding nearby homes," saidJerry Neff, chairman of the local Sierra Club.

Critics also say the plant would encourage an influx of large hog farms that would contribute toenvironmental problems and wipe out smaller operations. The facility will "increase demand for food animalsthat will probably be met by factory farms in Illinois," said Max Muller of Environment Illinois, a nonprofitadvocacy group.

"We already have … all sorts of environmental problems from factory farms," said Muller, including manurespills into waterways and odor issues. "Until we clean up regulation of factory farm pollution, we don't want tobe furthering demand for the products from them."

The proposal by Triumph, a Missouri­based processor, has driven a wedge in the Quad Cities community fornearly five years. Though many issues are still pending, Triumph's Pat Lilly has told news organizations thatconstruction on the plant could start in spring.

Dismayed by Triumph's return, opponents of the plan recently regrouped in a church to share stories andstrategize over grass­fed beef tacos. They hope that a last push against the slaughterhouse may slow theapproval of federal and state aid — or at least prompt the government to produce an environmental impactstatement before building begins.

A tall, tan former hog farmer named Art Norris decried what he described as the inhumane treatment ofanimals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs), the staggering amount of feces created byhogs and the number of plants already discharging into the Rock River.

"Triumph already says that a lot of this meat will be going to Japan," said Norris, named the Quad Cities’Waterkeeper by a national advocacy group aimed at protecting waterways from pollution. "So they get themeat, and we get the waste they leave behind."

Despite the urgency of arguments on both sides, one factor destined to slow the process is that Triumphhas not applied for the permits it needs to build, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency."A project this complex could take months if not a year to process," an agency representative said.’

http://www.ens­newswire.com/ens/aug2010/2010­08­18­092.html

EPA Takes Aim at Toxics in Dyes, Flame Retardants, Detergents

Even Conservatives Don't Trust Big Oil

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

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ALL HAIL the North Platte (Nebraska) Telegraph for understanding “the truth”—Big Oil can’t be trusted—asthe state stares down the barrel of a proposed Keystone XL pipeline that would carry filthy Canadiantar­sands oil and the potential for disaster over America’s breadbasket and the vital Ogallala Aquifer, THEwater resource for much of the Great Plains.

From the paper’s Sunday editorial:

‘There would be very few more strident proponents of energy development than most conservatives. For anywho read this space long enough, we easily fall into that category.

However, the proposed pipeline that is to cross Nebraska has to be reconsidered. If the Deepwater HorizonRig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico did not cause an alarm to the dangers of oil, the recent disaster along theKalamazoo River in Michigan did.

The environmental affects are devastating to that area. It will take years, if not decades, to return the areato normal. It is a story we have heard far too often.

The Keystone XL, developed by TransCanada Corp., is to begin in Hardisty, Alberta, and end in Nederland,Texas. A span of 1,980 miles. In Nebraska, that could endanger the Ogallala Aquifer and the Sandhills,exceptionally environmentally sensitive areas.

We can hardly claim to be enthusiastic supporters of the Sierra Club, but in this case, the truth isimpossible to avoid. Enbridge Executive Vice President Stephen J. Wouri said, "I don't think the answer ismore government oversight or the need for new regulations." Unfortunately, he is serious.

We would be the last source to encourage anything that hints of growing government. Indeed, after theDeepwater Horizon explosion and subsequent oil spewing nightmare, we urged a rather calm reaction.However, the repeated disasters and the fallout, not just from an environmental standpoint, but from ageneral antipathy generated at business, is catastrophic. The regulators only blame is that they are notenforcing their findings with more zeal. Calm reaction is clearly not an option.

We have no reason to believe it would be better with this pipeline and a company that did not demonstrateimmediate response is simply not to be entrusted with our land. Or the water below it.

As hard as it is, the truth can capture us all.’

EPA Acts on NPEs

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Comments (1) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels Steering Team members Ed Hopkins and Albert Ettinger for praising the US EPA for*finally* moving to regulate NPEs (nonylphenol ethoxylates), a toxic chemical and known endocrinedisruptor most commonly used by industrial laundry operations. It’s been a long hard fight for us and ourlabor allies at Workers United/SEIU, but we’re finally moving in the right direction.

From the article:

‘The potential human health risks of chemicals widely used in dyes, flame retardants, and industrial laundrydetergents have prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study and potentially ban theirmanufacture and use.

The EPA today released "action plans" that address benzidine dyes, hexabromocyclododecane, HBCD, andnonylphenol, NP/nonylphenol ethoxylates, NPEs used in both consumer and industrial applications.

"These chemicals have been detected in people," the EPA declared.

… the Sierra Club, Environmental Law and Policy Center and Workers United/SEIU today circulated a jointstatement praising EPA's action.

"Union members have been demanding government and industry action on toxic detergents for over half adecade. The detergents have been banned in Europe and Canada for almost a decade," said Eric Frumin,health and safety director for Workers United/SEIU. "We commend Administrator Jackson for acting swiftlyon these hazards, and call upon the laundry industry to get rid of these chemicals immediately, as they havealready done Canada and in Connecticut."

"We know these chemicals are highly toxic and we know there are safer alternatives," said Albert Ettinger,senior attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center. "If we want to protect public health, thenNPEs should stop being used for many of their current applications. This action by the EPA is an importantstep in that direction."

Exposure to low levels of NPE has been shown to create "intersex" fish, male fish that produce female eggproteins, the Sierra Club points out, saying cases of "intersexed" fish have been documented "from thePotomac River to the Pacific coast."

"When chemicals in our environment, such as NPEs, affect the gender of fish, it's a danger sign that morescrutiny is needed for chemicals we produce and use," said Ed Hopkins, director of the Sierra Club'sEnvironmental Quality Program. "But Congress must give EPA the regulatory tools it needs to controldangerous chemicals more effectively."

In 2007, Sierra Club, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Workers United and three other nonprofitgroups petitioned the EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act to require further toxicity testing ofNPEs and to take steps to control it. EPA denied the petition.

The EPA is considering a range of actions under the Toxic Substances Control Act such as adding HBCDand NP/NPE to its new Chemicals of Concern list. This previously unused authority under the ToxicSubstances Control Desk signals the agency's commitment to use the tools currently available, whilesupporting legislative reform of the Act now working its way through Congress.

The agency could issue significant new use rules for all three chemicals.

In addition to EPA's efforts, the Textile Rental Services Association, which represents 98 percent of theindustrial laundry facilities in the United States, has committed to voluntarily phase out the use of NPEs inindustrial liquid detergents by December 31, 2013 and industrial powder detergents by the end of 2014.

"While EPA intends to address the potential risks associated with these chemicals," (EPA’s) Owens said,"we are pleased that the industrial laundry industry has decided to not wait for regulatory action to becompleted by the agency and is voluntarily taking steps now to phase out the use of NPEs."’

Water Sentinels Help Pass Tough New Phosphorus Regs

Posted by Tom V

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Comments (1) |Edit

On July 30, New York Governor David Paterson signed into law tough new phosphorus standards that willdramatically reduce the allowable amount of phosphates in lawn fertilizer and dish detergents throughout thestate.

The bill, introduced in the state legislature by Assemblyman Bob Sweeney and Senator Antoine Thompson,was championed and abetted by the Sierra Club's Long Island Water Sentinels. That's Water Sentinelsvolunteer leader Linda Freilich, above left doing water­quality testing, and below with Sweeney.

With the bill's passage, New York joins 16 other states that are clamping down on phosphorus pollution.Water­quality data gathered by Sentinels volunteers buttressed Sweeny's case as he shepherded the billthrough the legislature.

"Bob Sweeney is a great friend of the Sierra Club," says Freilich, who also serves as Coastal Waterwayschair of the Sierra Club's Long Island Group. "We encouraged him to follow our data in authoring andpromoting the phosphorus bill." Below, Water Sentinels volunteer Lou Siegel with a water sample.

Thirty­five to 50 percent of phosphorus pollution in New York comes from fertilizer and detergents, and muchof it enters through storm drains and sewage treatment plants. "Treating phosphorus in treatment plants isvery expensive, so you really want to stop it at the source," Freilich says. "If you reduce it at the source,

you'll reduce it where it enters the waterways."

Below, Bill Stegemann and Joe Aurelio doing water­quality testing.

Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from sewage treatment plants, agricultural runoff, dishwashing detergent,and lawn fertilizer is the most significant form of water pollution in the United States. The most dramaticexample of the damage it can do is the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Now grown to the size ofMassachusetts, it is so low in oxygen it hardly supports any aquatic life.

"New York is a very fertilizer­friendly state—especially Long Island—and phosphorus in our waterways ismuch higher than it should be," says Freilich. "We discussed the phosphorus bill with AssemblymanSweeney back in the spring. Once it was introduced, I contacted the national Water Sentinels program andtold them I needed better equipment to test waterways for phosphorus. I had it in two days."

Below, high school student Caitlyn Watson prepares to test water samples.

Freilich and other Sentinels volunteers conducted extensive water­quality testing in five waterways on LongIsland's south shore, and let Sweeney know where he could find the results. Next, they sent out emails tomembers of the Long Island Group and Atlantic Chapter (New York), asking them to write letters to theirlocal state senator urging support for Sweeny's bill.

"Huge credit for getting this bill passed goes to Michael Cafaro, political chair for the Long Island Group,"says Freilich. "If not for Michael, we wouldn't have people like Bob Sweeney in the legislature. Michael hasworked incredibly hard to cultivate relationships with elected official and help put environmentally­friendlycandidates in office." That's Cafaro below, with Sweeney.

The new phosphorus law prohibits household cleansers, dishwashing detergents, and cleansing productsused in food processing equipment and dairy equipment from containing more than tiny amounts ofphosphorus. Stores have 60 days to sell old inventories. Sales for commercial use are to end July 1, 2013.A similar ban will apply to lawn fertilizers starting in 2012.

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/01/1416548/activists­to­march­want­obama.html

Wednesday, Sep. 01, 2010

Activists to march; want Obama to abolish surface mining

By Dori Hjalmarson

Water Sentinels, Great Outdoors University Team Up

Posted by Tom V

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

James Baker, longtime clean water activist and volunteer coordinator of the Tennessee Water Sentinels inMemphis, had a dental appointment in late July. And, as many of us are wont to do after a good drilling, heengaged the receptionist in friendly conversation on his way out of the office.

"We got to talking, and I commented on the trains that pass close to the dentist's office," says Baker, belowcenter at a Water Sentinels training. "We talked about coal trains—how one coal train is about one day'ssupply of coal at most TVA coal­fired power plants. One thing led to another, and she told me that she's avolunteer with Great Outdoors University."

With a "hold that thought," Baker stepped outside and called Scott Dye, national Director of the SierraClub's Water Sentinels Program. In turn, Dye called up Kate Friedman, the Memphis­area Coordinator forGreat Outdoors University (GOU). Soon, two dozen Zebco 33 Automatic rod/reel combinations arrived atFriedman's office, courtesy of the Water Sentinels, for use on an August 14 GOU fishing trip. That's Dyebelow, with a box of Zebco rod­reel combos.

Great Outdoors University, says Friedman, is a youth­oriented conservation education program operatingunder the umbrella of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. Its stated mission is "to connect kids with thegreat outdoors in meaningful, life­changing and lasting ways." GOU participants are kids and youth whomight not otherwise have the opportunity to experience and learn about the outdoors.

"We're very pleased to be partnering with the Sierra Club, and we appreciate the donation of the fishingrods," says Friedman, below. "We're also looking forward to having Sierra Club members participate andshare their expertise."

"There are loads of ways GOU and the Sierra Club can collaborate," Friedman says. "We do Wolf River tripsseveral times a year where kids fish and do water­quality sampling, and we also do hiking trips and summercamps."

For the last several years, often coinciding with Earth Day, Baker and the Tennessee Water Sentinels haveconducted a Wolf River Harbor cleanup in Memphis, where the Wolf River empties into the Mississippi.Above, kids scour the shoreline during one such cleanup. Below, the 2007 haul.

Great Outdoors University currently operates in Memphis and Nashville, with plans to expand acrossTennessee. Eighteen more rods & reels have been sent by the Water Sentinels to the Army Corps ofEngineers, who are co­hosting an upcoming event with GOU in Nashville.

Learn more about Great Outdoors University, the Tennessee Water Sentinels, and how you can get involvedwith the Water Sentinels near where you live.

http://blogs.courier­journal.com/watchdogearth/2010/09/01/faith­and­the­environment­coal­ash/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JamesBruggers­WatchdogEarth+%28James+Bruggers+­+Watchdog+Earth%29

Faith and the environment: coal ash

Date: 01 September

Author: James Bruggers

Archive for September 2010

Taking Mountaintop­Removal Mining to DC

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 17, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels Deputy Director Tim Guilfoile for his damning documenting comments, and ALL HAILally Appalachia Rising for upping the ante to abolish the abomination known as mountaintop­removal mining.

From the Lexington Herald­Leader article:

'Environmental and human rights activists starting a new movement to march on Washington say theObama administration should not only tighten regulations on surface mining in Appalachia but abolish thepractice.

"We're about to take the EPA back," said Mickey McCoy, a retired high school teacher from Inez in MartinCounty and a leader of Appalachia Rising, a movement endorsed in part by Kentuckians for theCommonwealth, the Sierra Club and celebrities such as author Silas House, actress Ashley Judd and actorWoody Harrelson.

Appalachia Rising is planning a two­day conference at Georgetown University on Sept. 25 and 26, and amarch and acts of civil disobedience in Washington D.C. on a "day of action" Sept. 27.

The Sierra Club has tested hundreds of streams across the state in the past 2.5 years, said Tim Guilfoile,deputy director of the club's "Water Sentinels."

"There are very few, very few streams left in Eastern Kentucky that will support fish. There's just nothingleft," he said, adding that Kentucky has missed an opportunity to use streams as a tourism attraction andeconomic replacement for coal.’

http://boulderico.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 13, 2010

Gorgeous weekend to encourage youth to explore, enjoy and protect the great outdoors at LakePueblo

Boulder Valley Inner City Outings organized a weekend trip to the shores of Lake Pueblo insouth­central Colorado. The area lived up to its reputation of great weather to enjoy a myriad ofoutdoor activities. Our outing focused on learning the basics of mountain biking and low­impactcamping, and included a service activity of picking up trash along the trails and around thecampground. In partnership with the Trips for Kids organization, we stressed responsiblemountain biking ­ staying on designated trails, minimizing actions that cause erosion and yieldingto other trail users. We had rides for all levels, ranging from paved bike paths to gnarly, technicalsingletrack. The more advanced riders did almost 20 miles of riding over the two days. Althoughwe chose the most primitive walk­in tent campsites in the park, the youth loved the campingexperience. For many it was their first time camping. We organized a trash collection around thecampground so that the area was left cleaner than we found it.

We had a diverse group of eleven youth from low­income families in Boulder County, elevenother youth from Casey Middle School, one Casey teacher (and former pro bike racer), one set ofparents, one Trips for Kids staff member, and three ICO volunteers. We talked about thecommunity coming together in light of the recent devastating Fourmile Canyon fire that hit closeto home, and how this trip is a small example that exemplifies building community. The ICOvolunteers organized the trip from top to bottom, the Casey teacher led recruitment and groupcheers, while Trips for Kids provided bikes, ride guiding, and took care of mechanical issues.Sierra Club’s Building Bridges to the Outdoors and Water Sentinels sponsored the outing, andsome additional financial contributions were made by Casey parents and ICO volunteers.

Faith, Environment & Coal Ash

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 17, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinel Aloma Dew and ally Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light for rounding up theleaders of the faithful.

From James Bruggers’ KentuckianaGreen column in the Louisville Courier­Journal:

‘More than 50 people including several political leaders attended a Shively discussion about religious faithand the environment, focusing largely on coal combustion waste.

The nation’s power plants produce vast quantities of waste from coal, and not all can be recycled intoproducts. A lot is put in ponds or stacked in landfills, many without liners.

Thomas Pearce, a Sierra Club organizer, challenged the politicians in the room — including U.S. Rep. JohnYarmuth, D­Louisville — to join environmentalist in calling for stringent controls on managing coal ash at aU.S. Environmental Protection Agency hearing planned for Louisville on Sept. 28.

Tim Darst, with one of the meeting’s sponsors, Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light, said he hopes peoplecan begin to see the issue of how coal combustion waste is handled as a moral one. And several ministersattended the meeting, with three making that point during talks.

Father Joe Mitchell, director of the Passionist Earth and Spirit Center in Louisville, spoke broadly of howpeople have become disconnected from the Earth. He people often don’t know how to relate to the Earth,when in fact people are “of the Earth.” Our bodies are mostly water, and everything else in them comes from

the Earth, too, he said.

“If the water becomes toxic, I become toxic, and we begin to cry toxic tears,” he said.

The Ohio River is a drinking water source for 5 million people, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hascounted some 29 coal­fired power plants along its banks. Coal plants typically store their ash and sludge inponds or landfills on site, and some have been found to be leaking.

In May, the EPA proposed two approaches for managing the estimated 136 million tons of coal­combustionwaste produced every year.

One approach, preferred by the three environmental groups, would phase out all coal­ash ponds and relypartly on dry landfills with liners.

The second approach would allow ash ponds, but require plastic liners under them. Combustion wastelandfills would still need liners. In both approaches, the EPA says it would encourage recycling of thematerial into commercial products.’

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/Wisconsin­Board­Approves­Phosphorus­Regulations/2010­06­23/Article.aspx?oid=1127704&fid=CN­LATEST_NEWS_&aid=760

Wisconsin Board Approves Phosphorus Regulations

06/23/2010

FITCHBURG, Wis. (AP)

Sentinels Pitch In on Serve Outdoors 2010

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 17, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the 14 staffed and volunteer­led Sentinels sites that participated in Sierra Club’s Serve Outdoorsnational service drive, Sept 10­12. And ALL HAIL Sierra’s National Youth Programs and Building Bridges tothe Outdoors program for coordinating the massive overall effort.

Overall, Sierra Club hosted over 100 projects in 36 states during the weekend of remembrance and service,with a focus on involving America’s youth. Sentinels’ hosted a variety of events including stream andcommunity litter cleanups, youth fishing, water­quality monitoring, electronics recycling, invasive weedremoval, farmers markets, etc.

Here’s just one of the inspiring stories, from Boulder Valley Inner City Outings & Sentinels who do excellentwork in providing free nature outings and adventures to youth who would otherwise not have suchopportunities...

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=404767

EPA to limit cadmium in jewelry if consumer agency fails to act

Lynn Henning in O Magazine's 2010 Power List

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 17, 2010

Comments (1) |Edit

ALL HAIL Michigan CAFO Sentinel Lynn Henning, who is profiled in O Magazine’s “2010 Power List”(rightly, alongside women like Diane Sawyer, Vera Wang and Julia Roberts). Lynn, one of the planet’s mostfeared and respected warriors against animal factories, is the 2010 Goldman Environmental Prize Winner forNorth America. She was interviewed for the article by Erin Brockovich. The issue hit the newsstands Sept.14.

Thanks, Oprah! Thanks, Erin!

Lynn also recently appeared in MORE magazine, and the London­UK’s Guardian newspaper, and wasrecently interviewed for an upcoming issue of Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine. She’s taking thestory of the atrocity of factory farms, and their horrendous impacts on rural communities, air and waterpollution, food safety, and animal cruelty, to new heights and to new diverse audiences.

From the article:

‘Ten years ago when Lynn Henning realized that the factory farms proliferating near her family farm inMichigan were polluting the air and water and endangering her loved ones' health, she did what anyconcerned 42­year­old tractor­driving mom would do: She took them on.

"Unfortunately, we have agricultural standards that are not adequate to protect public health or theenvironment. Plain and simple. Our food's being subsidized through taxes, abatements, the farm billprogram. The big guys have jumped on the bandwagon and are trying to put the little guys out of businessso they can get more subsidies."

"My godmother always told me that right is right and wrong is wrong, and you have to stand on one side of

the fence or the other."

"We must change—it is the right thing to do. And if we do, I truly believe we will become a green,sustainable society. I am confident that we will make a difference together."'

Read the whole story at:

http://www.oprah.com/world/The­2010­O­Power­List (and)http://www.oprah.com/world/The­2010­O­Power­List/15

Watch a short video of Lynn at:

http://www.goldmanprize.org/2010/northamerica _______________________________________

The 2010 O Power List

O, The Oprah Magazine | September 14, 2010

A visionary educator...a headline­making newswoman...the designer every bride loves and cherishes... notto mention a 91­year­old who's still kicking up her heels: Meet 20 women (and one amazing horse) who blewus away this year.

WIN: Wisconsin's Tough New Regs on P

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 17, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Wisconsin, our Sentinels, Sierrans and allies for winning tough new regulations onstream­choking phosphorus. The state is the first in the US to regulate both point (discharge pipe) andnon­point (stormwater runoff) phosphorus pollution using numeric standards backed by years of scientificstudies. The new rules just passed legislative approval and await only the EPA ‘s expected approval (toavoid our and our allies’ joint lawsuit).

It’s a major win for water quality in the Badger State!

From an AP article:

‘State environmental officials adopted sweeping regulations Wednesday to control phosphorus pollution inWisconsin waters, hoping to slow runaway algae growth and preserve water­based tourism and recreation.

The package creates new restrictions on a wide range of potential sources, from farm fields and barnyardsto large­scale wastewater producers. The Natural Resources Board adopted the regulations unanimouslyafter about four hours of discussion.

"In the long run, this may be the single most important action on water quality the Natural Resources Boardhas ever done," said Jonathan Ela, the board's chairman. "This takes us a long ways."

Biologists believe phosphorus, a chemical commonly found in fertilizer and manure, can cause ugly algaeblooms that deplete water oxygen levels, killing aquatic life. The blooms also can cause health problems,including rashes, headaches and nausea. The DNR considers 172 Wisconsin lakes, rivers and streams"impaired waters" because of phosphorus pollution.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has been pushing states for over a decade to impose moreprecise standards, known as numeric limits, on the total amount of phosphorus allowed in a water body, butonly a few states have done it.

Last year, the EPA imposed standards on a state for the first time after environmentalists sued for action inFlorida. And in November, several groups, including the Sierra Club and the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation,warned the EPA they also planned to sue in Wisconsin unless action was taken.’

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/sep/08/regency­hotel­plan­moves­to­next­step/#comments

Regency Hotel plan moves to next stepBy Rudi Keller

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Childrens Toys ­­ First Lead. Now Cadmium.

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 24, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

What’s next? Uranium?

ALL HAIL the Sierra Club and our allies for crying foul when the toxic metal cadmium was recently found inchildren’s jewelry, prompting the US Environmental Protection Agency into action. Ed Hopkins, Director ofSierra Club’s Environmental Quality Program had some words on the subject.

From the Bloomberg News article:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it will set limits on cadmium in toy jewelry if the ConsumerProduct Safety Commission fails to act.

Retailers such as Dress Barn Inc. and Claire's Boutiques Inc. recalled necklaces, earrings and braceletsthis year after finding the products contained cadmium. McDonald's Corp. offered $3 refunds in June tocustomers who bought "Shrek" drinking glasses with high levels of cadmium in the paint.

The EPA will compel producers, importers and processors of cadmium to report on the metal's healtheffects under a law designed to limit toxic substances, Owens wrote to Ed Hopkins, director of the SanFrancisco­based Sierra Club's environmental quality program. The agency will go further and write ruleslimiting cadmium only if the consumer agency fails to do so, he said.

Cadmium, used in batteries and metal coatings, can cause lung disease through brief inhalation of high

concentrations, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

The Sierra Club, the Center for Environmental Health, the Empire State Consumer Project andRochesterians Against the Misuse of Pesticides asked the CPSC and EPA in May to ban cadmium, usingthe same rules applied to lead, unless a safe level for the metal can be established.

Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act in 2008 after lead was found in dangerouslevels in imported toys. The recalls show that more oversight is needed, and lawmakers may need to passtougher laws, Hopkins said.

"They got manufacturers to abandon one dangerous product, and they went to another dangerous product,"Hopkins said yesterday in a telephone interview. "That's not acceptable."

http://www.gazette.com/articles/penalties­104080­previous­colorado.html

Springs pays $50K fine for Fountain Creek 2006­2010 spillsSeptember 03, 2010

THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN AND THE COLORADO SPRINGS GAZETTE

Rivers are not Sewers

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 24, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Missouri Osage Group Sentinel Hank Ottinger who nailed a great quote in a Columbia Tribunearticle, regarding some sewage infrastructure issues before the City Council.

From the page­1 article:

‘Council members also voted to move ahead with a plan for an $8.1 million sewer trunk line despiteconcerns raised by environmentalists that it would add to pollution problems in Hinkson Creek.

The council vote on the Hinkson Creek sewer line pitted environmental concerns against a project designedto relieve pressure on sewers in the Bear Creek watershed while improving service to Ewing Industrial Parkand other areas slated for industrial development along Route B.

Mike Brooks, president of Regional Economic Development Inc., said he supported the sewer line as a wayto improve service and support industry. “We need to aggressively pursue that economic developmentstrategy, and this is important to help that occur,” he said.

But Sierra Club Osage Group Chairman Hank Ottinger said he fears the construction, which must crossHinkson Creek seven times along the proposed path, will only add to pollution issues in the waterway.

“This is a river,” he said. “Rivers are not sewers.”’

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/01/2194115/deal­on­hog­farm­odors­reached.html

Posted on Wed, Sep. 01, 2010Deal reached to fix odor problem on company's Missouri hog farmsBy KAREN DILLONThe Kansas City Star

Fined for Fouling the Fountain

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 24, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Fountain Creek Sentinels in Pueblo for keeping the pressure on Colorado Springs’ pollutingsewer utility, recently fined another $56,890. We continue to reap huge return­on­investment as a result ofour organizing and our successful pollution lawsuit.

Banging away at the utility since 2001, the meter keeps running—$56,890 in current fines; $400,000 inprevious fines; $35,000 in fines and recouped attorney’s fees from our lawsuit; $143 million in infrastructureimprovements (to reach $250 million by 2025); and the formation of the Fountain Creek Vision Task Force,and the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District.

From a rare joint article by The Pueblo Chieftain and The Colorado Springs Gazette:

‘Colorado Springs Utilities this month agreed to pay state penalties for contamination of Fountain Creekduring the past five years.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Water Quality Division determined thatUtilities violated previous compliance orders for sanitary sewer overflows. That resulted in civil penalties ofmore than $50,000, according to consent decrees on amendments to previous compliance orders.

The amount of contaminants spilled by Utilities in the last five years is far less than the discharges from1998­2005 that led to the compliance orders, but each incident is a violation of state law, according toamendments released this month by the Colorado Water Quality Division. Previous penalties have totaledabout $400,000.

Utilities has invested $143 million in wastewater system improvements since 2000, Murphy said, and willhave invested $250 million by 2025 to prevent spills.

Contamination of Fountain Creek led to federal lawsuits by the Sierra Club and Pueblo County in 2005. TheSierra Club prevailed on some counts after Pueblo County was tossed out of the case by a federal judge.Colorado Springs was ordered to pay a $35,000 fine and reached a settlement to pay Sierra Club legal feesin that case.

The political furor over the continued spills into Fountain Creek resulted in the Fountain Creek Vision TaskForce and led to the formation of the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District.’

_____________________________________________________________________

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2010/08/mark_templeton_leaves_missouri_dnr_for_bp.php

Missouri Official Proves It's Possible to Advance Career No Matter Your Job Performance

By Chad Garrison, Tue., Aug. 31 2010

Riverfront Times, St. Louis­­­­­­­­­­

http://www.joplinglobe.com/editorial/x329611045/In­our­view­Failed­tenure

August 31, 2010

In our view: Failed tenure

Premium Standard Hog Factories Settle with Missouri for $1M

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 24, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Terry Spence, Missouri Water Sentinel, longtime staunch mate in the trenches against animalfactories, and neighbor to my family farm upstate, for putting a game face on *another* settlement and*another* fine against Premium Standard (Smithfield Foods) hog factories.This renegade scofflaw company has made multiple settlements with the state for tens of millions of dollarsover the years, squandered tens of millions more on dubious ‘fixes’ for its horrific odor and pollutionproblems, lost over $10 million more in nuisance lawsuits from neighbors (with hundreds of plaintiffs stillawaiting trials), and yet continues to spit (rhymes with…) in the eyes of the State of Missouri and itsneighbors.

If their latest dubious scraper system works, they will have doomed the industry with a high­cost ‘fix’ forliquefied­feces­system hog factories, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll be there to document another failure.

From the KC Star article:

‘An agreement Wednesday could settle an epic battle over odors emanating from 365 hog barns, primarilyin northwest Missouri.

In the legal agreement, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster gave Premium Standard Farms two years toinstall odor­reducing technology in the barns.

For years local residents have complained that the stink from the barns was ruining their quality of life andin some cases making them sick.

Terry Spence, one of the local farmers near Unionville who has fought the odors since Premium Standardfirst set up business in the area in the 1990s, said he too was pleased with the settlement but was cautiousat the same time.

“I’ve got to hand it to Attorney General Koster for putting some teeth in it,” Spence said. “It’s something theyhave to comply with and they can’t be dragging their feet like they have for the last 10 years.”

Still, Spence said, the voluntary payment Premium Standard made is not enough.

“The million­dollar fine is mediocre for all the years and dragging of feet they have done,” he said.

And Spence said the agreement only requires Premium Standard to install the scrapers and does notensure that the odors will be reduced. Because the scrapers are new technology, it isn’t known whether theywill be effective in reducing the smell, he said.

Earlier this year, Premium Standard Farms asked the state for another extension to the consent decree,saying it needed to find better technology to install. Without more time, they said, the operations may needto move out of the state.

That split northwest Missouri, where workers were afraid for their jobs and others just wanted the stench tobe gone. Thousands turned out for meetings, many saying they feared a showdown between Koster and thehog corporation was coming.

With the August deadline approaching, the issue heated up quickly, with neighbors against neighbors.Angry words by Premium Standard supporters were bandied about on a Facebook page.

Now, with the extension in place, many corporate farm workers are likely giving a sigh of relief.

To an extent, Koster gave Premium Standard the extension it wanted.

The agreement requires that Premium Standard install the scraper systems in 48 barns by Dec. 31; in atotal of 136 barns by July 31, 2011; and in a total of 230 barns by Dec. 31, 2011. Finally, all 365 barnsshould have scrapers by July 31, 2012.’

Former "Failed" MO DNR Director Now Heads $20B BP Spill Victim's Compensation Fund

Posted by Scott Dye

Friday, September 24, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

No ALL HAIL here, just a “What the …?”

Missouri media expressed some frank thoughts on the departure after just one year of DNR Director MarkTempleton, who badly bungled a major E. coli bacteria scandal at the state’s largest recreation lake, butsomehow got promoted to oversee the $20 billion victim’s compensation fund created by BP’s Gulf oil spilldisaster. Go figure.

From an article in the St. Louis Riverfront Times and an editorial from the Joplin Globe:

RT: ‘A man suspended from his job for two weeks without pay last year, today has himself a new,high­profile job overseeing a $20­billion trust fund for those impacted by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Mark Templeton, head of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, is stepping down from his posttomorrow to take a job managing BP's massive victims' fund. Just last summer Templeton was suspendedwithout pay from his job when news came out that his agency withheld reports that a popular beach at theLake of the Ozarks had dangerously high levels of E. coli bacteria.’

Joplin Globe: ‘We have to wonder if anyone will even notice. That’s how ineffective the Department ofNatural Resources has become.

Templeton was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon in the spring of 2009. We had high hopes for a new leader ofthe state department charged with keeping our environment clean and safe.

Those hopes were quickly eroded after we learned of DNR’s botched handling of E. coli bacteria tests fromthe Lake of the Ozarks last summer. Officials knew there were high E. coli levels in the lake, yet waited amonth before releasing those test results.

Templeton, in our view, failed to ever engage in the job.

His departure could and should be an opportunity for the state. Whoever becomes the state’s new DNRdirector must push legislators to strengthen state laws protecting our rivers and streams.

We need a loud voice in that office.’

New Video From Ohio Clean Water Campaign

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinel Yang Xing and our Ohio Clean Water Campaign for a great new video about the variety of

their important work on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LPlt7w2Ilc

Nice work, Ohio!

Note: You don’t have to sign up or be a member of YouTube to view the video.

IL Nutrient Summit

Posted by Fran Caffee

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

Nutrients: A National OverviewNeed for Strong Partnerships & Joint AccountabilityNutrient SummitSpringfield, Illinois ­September 13, 2010Ephraim King –Office of Science & TechnologyUS Environmental Protection Agency

Larger Context: Litigation, Petitions, and Environmental Reports

•

NRDC Secondary Treatment Petition –Nov. 2007

•

Mississippi River Watershed Petition –July 2008

–

EPA Numeric Standards for MN, WI, IL, IA, MO, AR, KY, TN, MS, LA

–

Sierra Club Petition in Support –40,000 Signatures

•

Florida Wildlife Federation’s Lawsuit ­July 2008

•

PA TMDL Nutrients Litigation –Summer 2009

•

Wisconsin Notice of Intent to Sue –November 2009

•

Kansas Notice of Intent to Sue –Spring 2010

•

Missouri Notice of Intent to Sue –Summer 2010

•

Possible LA Litigation to Force Listing of Coastal Waters

•

EPA I.G. Numeric Nutrient Standards Report (August 2009)

http://www.sj­r.com/editorials/x1547939278/Our­Opinion­Wind­pact­can­still­work­out

Our Opinion: Wind pact can still work outTHE STATE JOURNAL­REGISTERPosted Sep 22, 2010 @ 12:10 AM

Making Wind Energy Work

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the Springfield State Journal­Register for this common sense editorial supporting the wind energyprovisions in the Sierra Club’s precedent­setting settlement over an Illinois power plant.

From the Editorial:

‘News flash: Clean energy costs more than the old fashioned kind.

Addendum to news flash: A bum economy means a bad market for power sales.

We’ve known this since 2006, when City Water, Light and Power negotiated a deal with the Sierra Club inwhich the utility agreed to buy up to 120 megawatts of wind­generated energy a year.

The city didn’t enter into that agreement out of altruism, of course. In exchange for the wind energyagreement and other environmental concessions, the Sierra Club agreed to drop a lawsuit that could havedelayed indefinitely the construction of the Dallman 4 plant. That could have added $150 million toconstruction costs.

We were neither surprised nor particularly bothered last week by a report that the wind purchase agreementhasn’t been a money­maker for CWLP.

We find suggestions that the city explore ways to break the Sierra Club agreement impractical at best —the city signed on in good faith and amid much publicity — and irresponsible at worst.

Springfield committed to the wind energy deal in 2006. It was profitable, and earned CWLP customerscredits on their bills, until the economy collapsed in September 2008. It was a forward­thinking moveenvironmentally and made economic sense in keeping the Dallman project moving.’

Aquaculture (Oceanic Factory Farms) Threatens Washington's Native Wildlife

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Washington State Sentinel Laura Hendricks for her article on the destructive aquaculture industrythat is wreaking havoc on the state’s native species. It’s that same old evil factory farming, only underwater.

_____________________________________________

http://cascade.sierraclub.org/files/crest_spring_2010.pdf

CASCADE CRESTWashington Cascade Chapter Journal ­ Spring/Summer 2010

Aquaculture Industry Threatens our Native SpeciesBy Laura Hendricks, Water & Salmon Committee

Whether you are strolling down the shoreline or reading the latest news about salmon and orcarecovery plans, reminders of our Washington native species are all around us. One of the benefits ofliving in Washington is being able to explore the low tides of spring with the hope of viewing thebeach life we all love to see.

A trip to the shoreline would not be complete without seeing red rock crabs, moon snails, starfish,sand dollars, sculpin or flounder. Kelp forests are growing now and they provide habitat (spawning,rearing, refuge and food) for native species including endangered salmon. Eelgrass meadows areexposed once more and provide a home for the forage fish—surf smelt, herring and sand lance.There is a springing forth of life as birds such as eagles, hawks, osprey, gulls, crows and heron hatchtheir young and use the food of the low tides to feed their hatchlings. A special delight is watchingthe migratory surf scotors dive and then pop up as if they were in a choreographed swim routine.

It is hard to imagine that most of these aquatic animals and vegetation have been targeted forremoval/ destruction or harassment because they are considered “pests” or “weeds” by the shellfishindustry. Vegetation is cleared for the ease of planting shellfish feedlots and animals are targetedbecause they simply are attracted to these areas for food for survival. Citizens have been reportingand taking pictures of masses of sand dollars thrown up on the beach to die, starfish piled up andcovered with lime or injected with bleach, crabs being dismembered, moon snails being tossed likebaseballs above the banks, masses of ducks being shot and left to die and vegetation being rakedand carted from the beach. Eagles are seen caught in geoduck feedlot nets left to drown if theycannot get free.

These native species are important to the aquatic web of life and belong to the citizens ofWashington. State officials are aware of these practices and need to hear from you that they are notacceptable. For more information and to take action, visit: http://washington.sierraclub.org/tatoosh/Aquaculture/index.asp

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/05/1464893/strong­standards­for­coal­ash.html

Strong standards for coal ashHealth threats are numerous

Opponents, supporters sound off on coal ash issue

By DYLAN LOVAN , 09.29.10, 08:05 AM EDT

EPA Under Legal Pressure on Kentucky Antidegradation Rules

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Kentucky Sentinels, Sentinels Team leader and attorney Albert Ettinger and KRC attorneyTom Fitzgerald, and our allies, for keeping the legal pressure on EPA to quit dragging their feet and finalizeantidegredation rules for the state that would keep pristine waters from being polluted and ensure that the“fishable and swimable” guarantees of the Clean Water Act are upheld.

From the Inside EPA article:

‘Environmentalists are asking a federal court to force EPA to finalize its review of an antidegredationimplementation plan submitted nearly a year ago by the state of Kentucky, a move that could eventually seta precedent for what the agency requires in other state programs to protect pristine waters.

The environmentalists’ suit could also have key regional impacts as activists hope the agency’s review willresult in a re­write of the state’s antidegredation rules to remove loopholes they say allow coal miningcompanies to dodge oversight.

But they fear the suit is more likely to result in further procedural fights and litigation over the state’s planthat has been in limbo for more than a decade.

In a Sept. 10 lawsuit, groups Kentucky Waterways Alliance (KWA), Kentuckians for the Commonwealth andthe Sierra Club say EPA has waited too long to approve or disapprove Kentucky’s most recentantidegredation plan, which the state submitted for agency review last November. It’s the latest version of aplan that has been proposed, disapproved, overturned in court or otherwise remained unfinalized since 1995,activists say.

EPA is expected to object to at least some of the Kentucky plan and require state regulators to revise it.While EPA could step in and rewrite the Kentucky plan itself, environmentalists seem skeptical that willhappen, instead predicting that disputes over the plan will continue with weak proposed revisions from thestate, complaints from environmentalists in public comments and potential further rejection by EPA andcontinuing lawsuits.

“We find ourselves . . . waiting for the umpire to make a call so we can start the next inning,” said AlbertEttinger, a senior attorney with the Environmental Law & Policy Center.

Environmentalists say Kentucky’s antidegredation plan is flawed in several ways and does not provide properprotections to high­quality waters in the Commonwealth that are capable of supporting aquatic life. A key

concern for the groups is that the plan exempts from antidegredation reviews mining activities authorizedunder the state’s general National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the sector.

EPA just last year approved the five­year general NPDES permit for surface mines and has acknowledgedthat it is does not have authority to change the permit until it expires, upsetting environmentalists who fretthat the vast majority of coal mining in the commonwealth is covered by the general permit, hindering otherEPA efforts to crack down on the controversial practice of mountaintop mining in Kentucky and otherAppalachian states.

However, if EPA were to reject Kentucky’s antidegredation plan and write a stricter replacement thateliminated the general permit exemption, it could force companies to perform more thorough antidegredationreviews to ensure that pristine waters are not being polluted and that there is a socioeconomic justificationfor any pollution they will create. Requiring antidegredation analyses would provide a fuller “opportunity forsomebody to look at the permit carefully because that’s not what’s happening now,” Ettinger said during theconference call.’

_____________________________________

www.insideepa.com (subscription only)

EPA Faces Legal Pressures To Make Decision On Landmark Antidegradation PlanSeptember 23, 2010

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=412074

No one neutral on whether to build Prairie ParkwayBy Marni Pyke | Daily Herald Staff

Kicking Ash

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the Lexington Herald­Leader for a strong editorial supporting stricter regulation of coal ash as ahazardous pollutant, as proposed by the EPA.

From the editorial:

‘Kentucky generates more waste from coal­fired power plants than any other state. With 44 coal ash ponds,we're second only to Indiana on that dubious measure.

Someone living near an unlined coal­ash pond has up to a 1 in 50 chance of developing cancer from

arsenic, according to a 2007 report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In Kentucky, the Sierra Club commissioned an examination of groundwater monitoring data for coal­ashdisposal facilities. Of the state's 44 ash ponds, the state Division of Waste had monitoring data for only 8,and that data was limited and incomplete. Even from the limited records, the researchers were able toconclude that contaminants had leached into groundwater at all eight sites.

Kentuckians' health is at risk from the waste from coal­fired power plants, waste that contains heavymetals, carcinogens and mutagens.

Yet at a public hearing in Louisville last week on stronger standards, the coal industry and utilities arguedthat we can't afford safer disposal methods.

How much would it cost? The Institute for Southern Studies in Raleigh, N.C., used a government analysis toestimate the cost of regulating coal­combustion waste as a hazardous waste.

Even in Kentucky, where the estimated increase would be the greatest of any Southern state at 2.3 percent,the average monthly residential bill of $89.35 would increase by just $2.06.

Twenty­five bucks a year to protect our water from a threat that grows in volume by millions of tons a year isworth it.’

http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_heart28_09­28­10_6CK41H0_v7.4d18d9c.html

Ed Hopkins/Eli Lehrer: U.S. must stop developing perilous placesTuesday, September 28, 2010WASHINGTON

A Parkway Runs Through It

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Sentinel Cindy Skrukrud for injecting common sense in the public discussion of a proposednew parkway through prime farmland, forests and wetlands.

From the article:

‘It's up to Illinois tollway directors to decide if the Prairie Parkway is a congestion­relieving economic

panacea or a farm­destroying boondoggle.

On Thursday, the plan to build a 37­mile four­lane highway connecting I­80 and I­88 took center stage. ThePrairie Parkway is estimated to cost $3.26 billion and would run through Kane, Kendall and Grundycounties. The project also is at the center of a lawsuit.

…Kendall County farmer Judy Maierhofer countered, "I am an endangered species. My farm is in thefootprint of the Prairie Parkway it would be totally obliterated."

… Zucchero noted the parkway would impact 2,505 acres of prime farmland and 188 farms, displace 21homes and affect forests and wetlands in the vicinity.

Cindy Skukrud, a Sierra Club clean water advocate, said the parkway would fragment habitats and damagestreams and forests. "I'm concerned about salt spray damaging trees and affecting water quality," she said.’

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt­and­politics/elections/article_255cd462­914c­5428­a11b­ec1d431d1dce.html

Prop. 110 provision for public vote on deals brings unity

Prop. 110 land­exchange plan is widely endorsedTony Davis | Arizona Daily Star

Posted: Thursday, September 30, 2010

When Liberals and Conservatives Agree

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Comments (1) |Edit

ALL HAIL Ed Hopkins, director of the Sierra Club’s Environmental Quality Program, and Eli Lehrer, nationaldirector of the Center on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate at the Heartland Institute, a conservative thinktank and advocacy group, for finding common sense and common ground regarding stopping development inperilous places.

From the joint op­ed in the Providence (RI) Journal:

‘Half a decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the United States remains unprepared fornature’s worst. Given that future mega­disasters are inevitable, this presents a major problem. Thechallenge doesn’t stem from a lack of financial commitment (Congress has spent around $19 billion to helprestore the Gulf Coast) or poor local efforts, but from policies that continue to focus development in harm’s

way. If it wants to avoid disasters, the United States should take a simple step: Revise national policies thatencourage development in dangerous areas. Instead, it should adopt a national mitigation strategy to getpeople out of harm’s way.

Hurricane­prone areas still continue to attract significant population growth, and many scientists believe thathuman­caused global climate change could intensify hurricanes for years to come. The consequences ofthe current course of action are simple: when major disasters strike, more Americans will be at risk and thecountry will have to borrow billions of dollars in order to rebuild.

In the end, no government action can entirely protect us from nature’s ravages. When possible, publicpolicy should help people survive nature’s worst. It’s almost always cheaper to prevent disasters than cleanup after them. A national mitigation strategy would help us do that.’

When Sierra Club and the Arizona Legislature Agree

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

…Pigs fly!

ALL HAIL Arizona, for agreeing on a common sense approach, which is rare in Arizona, to the future use ofpublic lands.

From the Arizona Star article:

‘Imagine the Sierra Club and the state Legislature agreeing on something.

It doesn't happen much, but they do agree this year on Proposition 110, which would legalize exchanges ofstate land for other public land. The unity has defused the controversy that has plagued, and ultimatelykilled, previous land­swap ballot propositions during the past 20 years. The exchanges would be allowedonly to protect military bases from development, and to improve protection or management of state land.

… on this issue, Sierra Club lobbyist Sandy Bahr and Sen. John Nelson, R­Glendale, Prop. 110's author,signed an argument in favor of it in the secretary of state's publicity pamphlet for the Nov. 2 election. Thereis no known organized opposition.

Many of the proposal's backers see it as a way to try to ensure that facilities such as Davis­Monthan AirForce Base, Fort Huachuca and Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix aren't encircled by new homes whoseresidents start complaining about noise from aircraft and other military facilities.

In the past, land­exchange propositions have been felled by opponents who didn't trust the state to doexchanges properly. The opponents argued that the state ­ and public agencies in general ­ often got a rawdeal in land exchanges with private entities. Exchanges of state land have been illegal in Arizona since thestate Supreme Court outlawed them in 1990.

This time, when Nelson called Bahr to try to work out a land­exchange proposal, "John Nelson said to me:'Look, we've tried everything else. We want to look at what you guys have proposed,' " Bahr recalled thisweek. "I had gone to Nelson a long time ago and said, 'If you guys want to do land exchanges, name thelands upfront and let the voters approve them. We need a process that has some accountability.' "

And, said the Sierra Club's Bahr, "if they try to put up some big rip­off, we can defeat it on the ballot."’

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Doris Cellarius Wins 2010 William E. Colby Award

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Arizona Sentinel Doris Cellarius, friend of the planet, and the 2010 Winner of the Sierra Club’sprestigious volunteer William E. Colby Award. The Colby Award “honors an individual for outstandingleadership, dedication and service to the Sierra Club.” Yep, that’s Doris.

Doris has been an invaluable advisor and member of the national Water Sentinels Team (formerlyCommittee) since 2003. Her wise counsel and strong support have been instrumental in helping to build theprogram from seven project sites in six states, to a nationwide program of projects and partnerships in 48states. Additionally, her leadership during the tenures of Sierra Club’s Clean Water Campaign and the Safe& Healthy Communities Conservation Initiative Committee provided important feedback and resources tostart numerous and now thriving volunteer­led Water Sentinels projects, who work to protect water quality intheir local watersheds.

Doris helped form a Water Sentinels project for her local Yavapai Group, working in close partnership withlongtime ally Prescott Creeks. She expanded our presence in Arizona by helping form and foster our UpperVerde River Water Sentinels project, fighting dewatering schemes targeting this critically endangered river.Bringing those efforts to full fruition, Arizona now has a full time Water Sentinels staff organizer working toprotect the Verde and other state waterways.

Doris is one of the Sierra Club’s most knowledgeable experts on many issues, including toxics, endocrinedisruptors and volatile organic compounds, and has helped countless activists understand and battle thesedeadly pollutants across the US. Her cheerful demeanor, knowledge, professionalism and willingness toassist others have made her one of Sierra Club’s most admired and respected leaders. Doris’sdistinguished record of service, spanning four decades from the local, group, chapter, national andinternational level, make her a definitive winner of the William E. Colby Award.

Congratulations, Doris!!!

Chesapeake Bay Restoration

Posted by Carol Nau

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

Hello,

I'm writing from my home in Maryland. It is a beatiful fall day and the streams are flowing after a morningrain. We have good news to report. The EPA has put forth a polution diet for the whole Chesapeake Bay

watershed and they are backing up the plan with strong regulations. Each state has prepared and submittedtheir plans to reach the diet goals. Maryland has delivered a decent plan but the rest of the states arescreaming, "no fair". The congressmen, ag groups and developers have joined together to ask the EPA topush back its dates. So far the EPA has not responded officially but rumors are flying that they are going tostick to the original dates. These dates were agreed to by government officials back in '08! Up next,comments to the EPA on the diet (also know as Total Maximum Daily Load) and the states plans to meetthe goals (also know as Watershed Implementation Plans) are due Nov. 8th 2010. If anyone has the timeand wants to read all about it, visit http://www.epa.gov/chesapeakebaytmdl/. There has also been rumorsthat this approach by the EPA may be duplicated in other regions.

If you are interested in helping us out, please let me know.

Thanks, Carol

http://triblocal.com/woodstock/community/stories/2010/10/sierra­club­welcomes­hackmatack­national­wildlife­refuge­proposal/

NatureFrom the communitySierra Club Welcomes Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge ProposalOctober 12, 2010By Jack Darin

11th Annual Healthy Food Local Farms Conference

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinel Aloma Dew and her most excellent crew for a most excellent HFLF Version11.0.

From Aloma’s Report:

‘The 11th annual Healthy Foods, Local Farms Conference was this past Saturday, Sept. 25 at SpaldingUniversity in Louisville. I think it was the best yet. We began the day with the Rethinkers from NewOrleans, young people who are taking charge of their environment and schools and have made wonderfulchanges in their school lunch program. Anna Lappe talked about the connection between climate changeand food—excellent tie­in with our energy work. There was a couple from Taiwan who are with the ChineseEnvironmental Education Association and shared international perspectives. Then we had a fantastic lunch,catered by Mark Williams, served in the college cafeteria—shows what school food could be like! Weended the day, after breakout sessions, with a showing of the film Lunch Line. The day’s theme of Climatefor Change resonated throughout the conference and then we adjourned to the Harlan Smith urban gardenwhere we saw what you can do with food, flowers, and chickens in a city setting. We had a couple offarmers selling their products. We did not quite make 200 in attendance, but it was a great conference with

lots of good conversations going on.’

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Proper Welcome for Hackmatack NWR Proposal

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Chapter Director Jack Darin and Sentinel Cindy Skrukrud (who will work the publicmeetings) for this excellent op­ed supporting the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. This greatnew NWR seems to be on the green light fast track.

From Jack’s op­ed:

‘As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service begins public outreach sessions today about a proposed newNational Wildlife Refuge in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, the Sierra Club is lending strongsupport for a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to preserve and restore beautiful landscapes and wildlife habitatfor future generations.

“This is an once­in­a­lifetime opportunity to bring a national wildlife refuge to theChicago­Milwaukee­Madison­Rockford metropolitan area,” said Jack Darin, director of the Illinois Chapter.“Over 12 million people would have easy access to the refuge where they could get out and experience thebeauty of oak savannas, tallgrass prairies, expansive wetlands and clear streams that are a legacy of ourregion’s glacial past.”

The proposed refuge could double the amount of wildlife habitat in the border region; 23,000 acres ofconservation lands are already protected by the McHenry County Conservation District, Lake County ForestPreserve District and the Illinois and Wisconsin departments of Natural Resources within the 55 square milearea being studied by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The study area contains parts of Walworth, Racineand Kenosha counties in Wisconsin and parts of McHenry and Lake counties in Illinois.

“Refuge lands could help connect existing parks and conservation areas, providing conservation corridorsfor wildlife,” said Cindy Skrukrud, Clean Water Advocate for the Illinois Chapter, who is participating in theFish and Wildlife Service’s open houses this week. “For example, a flyway for the endangered Whoopingcranes is being re­established between Wisconsin and Florida. Cranes need wetland stopover sites wherethey can rest and feed on their migrations; Hackmatack lands could help expand their habitat in the bistatearea.”’

______________________________________

www.azcapitoltimes.com (archives by subscription only)

Water watchers; Conservation group supplements ADEQ river­monitoring effortsBy Ryan Van Velzer ­ ryan.vanvelzer@arizonacapitoltimes.com

Published: October 11, 2010 at 6:50 am

Fran Caffee Featured on Activist Network Home Page

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Sentinel Fran Caffee, the program’s Co­Lead and # 1 Ambassador, and who has been astrong participant and supporter of the Sierra Club’s Activist Network. If you’re not yet on the AN, come onin, the water is fine.

__________________________________________

http://connect.sierraclub.org/ActivistNetwork/home/

Featured Activist

'When West Virginia native Fran Caffee moved to Aurora, Illinois, on the banks of the Fox River, there wasno local Sierra Club group. So she founded the Valley of the Fox Group. "There weren't many Club activistsin Kane County at the time," she says, "but there were a lot of like­minded people in the area; it just took alittle work to get them together."

In 1995 Caffee started the Valley of the Fox Water Sentinels, to monitor water quality in the Fox River. Fiveyears later the Sierra Club Water Sentinels Program was officially launched, and it now has active groups,projects and partnerships in 48 states.

"Water Sentinels is an easy way to get involved in conservation work," Caffee says. "And once people seethat they're making a real difference, they're hooked!"

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2010/10/doe_run_settles_with_epa_to_close_herculaneum_smelter_spend_millions.php

Doe Run Settles with EPA: Lead Company to Close Herculaneum Smelter, Spend MillionsBy Chad Garrison, Fri., Oct. 8 2010 @ 2:35PM

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http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/beebc0b489d357e08525735900400c2f/1510175059ac92c3852577b6005e1e47!OpenDocument

Water Watchers: Great Article on our Arizona Sentinels

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Arizona Sentinels, Chapter Director Sandy Bahr, Steve Pawlowski and Carole Piszczek, forthis great story on our work to protect the endangered Verde River. And ALL HAIL the Arizona DEQ forappreciating our dedicated contributions towards protecting Arizona waterways.

From the article:

‘Volunteers spend a day every other month wading through one of the state’s few perennial rivers,collecting samples to monitor PH levels, E. coli bacteria, arsenic, nitrogen, phosphorus and waterflows.

Although they aren’t scientists, the data they collect helps the Arizona Department of EnvironmentalQuality keep a closer watch than it otherwise could on the health of the Verde River, which is asignificant source of drinking water for Valley residents.

Officials say efforts of the approximately 60 volunteers in the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter’sWater Sentinels Program to test water and monitor flows are helping protect the river. The Verde waschosen in 2006 by conservation organization American Rivers as one of the country’s mostendangered rivers.

“The Verde River is very threatened primarily from water projects that would divert water from the river’sbase flow,” says Sandy Bahr, director of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club. “The programprovides good baseline data so we can see where there are impacts and use that information toaddress those impacts.”

ADEQ says volunteer groups like the Water Sentinels provide a valuable service by helping theagency maintain regular water quality­testing intervals required by section 305(b) of the Clean WaterAct.

"The state is becoming increasingly reliant on volunteer help because of budget cutbacks,” says MarkShaffer, communications director at ADEQ. “The sentinels help us out a great deal with water testingin the field.”

The Water Sentinels was created in 2006 out of concern for the future of the Verde River, says StevePawlowski, program coordinator. The group says the river is specifically threatened by excessivegroundwater pumping and sewage near its headwaters.

Pawlowski, who spent 21 years working for the ADEQ Water Quality Division, transports the samplesto an aquatic­testing laboratory where they are analyzed, compiled into a report and sent to theDepartment of Environmental Quality.

But testing water quality is only part of the mission of the Water Sentinels. It also functions as aconservation group, which educates the public about the river and coordinates monthly clean­upsalong its banks. “Our primary goal is to get people involved,” Pawlowski says.

“The biggest thing the program does is it connects people to the river,” Bahr says. “I have met peoplewho are new to the area who aren’t familiar with our desert rivers and don’t know how important they arein what they provide in the way of wildlife habitat and drinking water.”

Carole Piszczek leads the Verde Valley Water Sentinels Program. Piszczek says it’s because of thecritical nature of the Verde River, especially to wildlife, that she got involved with the program.

“Without it, the whole ribbon of green that runs through the Valley would disappear along with all theanimals and wildlife that depend on that river,” she says.

“If we like our lifestyle and we like living here,” Piszczek says, “we cannot afford to take it for

granted.”’

WIN: EPA Hammers Doe Run­­North America's Largest Lead Producer­­for Over $80 Million

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Missouri Sentinels Angel and Tom Kruzen, and other stalwart citizen activists like Leslie and JackWarden of Herculaneum, for over 20+ years of herculean efforts to expose the filthy and poisonousoperations of the Doe Run Company.

Finally, the EPA dropped the hammer—a $7 million fine and $65 million in remediation, shutting down theinfamous Herculaneum Smelter, and around $8 million MORE, at all ten of their Missouri lead mining andsmelting operations.

Finally, all we needed to say was ‘thank you.’ The tone and substance of the EPA’s words said it all.

From the St. Louis Riverfront Times and the national EPA press release:

‘"For more than a century, families in Missouri's lead districts have endured one of the most harmful formsof air and water pollution," EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said. "Lead's toll on their lives andhealth has been great, which is why the outcome of this enforcement action is so important. Four decadesafter taking the first steps to remove lead from gasoline, EPA has reached this settlement to keepsignificant amounts of lead from polluting Missouri's air, land and water. This is a historic milestone, and itcould not have happened without the effective, energetic cooperation of Missouri's Governor, AttorneyGeneral and Department of Natural Resources."’

‘The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Justice Department and the MissouriDepartment of Natural Resources today announced that Doe Run Resources Corp. of St. Louis, NorthAmerica’s largest lead producer, has agreed to spend approximately $65 million to correct violations ofseveral environmental laws at 10 of its lead mining, milling and smelting facilities in southeast Missouri. Thesettlement also requires the company to pay a $7 million civil penalty.

“This settlement will reduce lead pollution in the town of Herculaneum and in other southeastern Missouricommunities, as well as encourage the development of innovative technology and projects to improve theenvironment in impacted communities,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the JusticeDepartment's Environment and Natural Resource Division. “It should also send a message to all companiesthat handle hazardous waste, such as lead: You must comply with the laws that are intended to protectpublic health and the environment.”

Instead of installing pollution control technologies to reduce sulfur dioxide and lead emissions at its agingHerculaneum lead smelter, Doe Run has made a business decision to comply with its Clean Air Actobligations and shut down of the smelter by Dec 31, 2013. The company will also provide an initial $8.14million in financial assurance to guarantee cleanup work at the Herculaneum facility.

The closing of the Herculaneum smelter is expected to result in significant benefits to public health and theenvironment by annually reducing at least 101,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 22 tons of carbon monoxide, 2.5tons of volatile organic chemicals, 23 tons of particulate matter, 13.5 tons of nitrogen oxides, 42,000 tons ofsulfur dioxide and 30 tons of lead. These reductions will result in significant health and environmentalbenefits to the Herculaneum and St. Louis areas, which are currently violating federal air standards for lead,ozone and particulate matter.

The settlement also requires Doe Run to establish financial assurance trust funds, at an estimated cost of

$28 million to $33 million… and will spend an estimated $5.8 million on stream mitigation activities along 8.5miles of Bee Fork Creek, an impaired waterway near Doe Run’s Fletcher mine and mill facility.

The company will also spend $2 million on community mitigation projects over the next four years.

In addition to the consent decree, EPA is issuing for public comment a new administrative order thatrequires Doe Run to sample residential properties within 1.5 miles of the Herculaneum smelter, and cleanup all residential properties with lead soil concentrations of 400 parts per million or higher within that zone.The order requires Doe Run to conduct a final round of soil sampling and residential property cleanups inHerculaneum after the smelter is shut down.’

____________________________________________________

A Tribute to Carl Wolfe

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

It is with great sadness that I must report the passing of Tennessee Watauga Group Sentinel CarlWolfe. Someone like Carl cannot be replaced, but we can simply close ranks, honor his legacy andremember him fondly.

Our hearts, prayers and thoughts go out to Carl’s family, and the Watauga Group Family.

__________________________________________________

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2010/10/tennessee­volunteer­led­by­example­a­tribute­to­carl­wolfe.html

October 15, 2010

Tennessee Volunteer Led By Example: A Tribute to Carl Wolfe

The Sierra Club lost a true hero on September 25 when Carl Wolfe died of injuries sustained in anaccident near his home in Mountain City, Tennessee. He was 70 years old.

An avid outdoorsman and and steadfast volunteer with the Sierra Club's Water Sentinels Program,Wolfe devoted his retirement to environmental causes, most notably his single­minded determinationto clean up local creeks and roadways in Johnson County. By his example, he changed localattitudes and inspired a renewed sense of stewardship among his fellow citizens.

"Carl was one of the most natural grassroots activists I've ever met," says friend and local Sierra Clubleader Gloria Griffith. "His enthusiasm was boundless and contagious—he was a real driving force.For those of us who are trying to carve out a meaningful life of service, Carl will always be aninspiration."

Carl and his wife Iva Lee moved to Tennessee's mountainous northeast corner in 2005, after Carlretired from Piper Aircraft in Florida, where he worked as a company pilot.

The couple chose the area for its natural beauty, but were dismayed to find it marred by trash. Foryears locals had been dumping old appliances, tires, gas tanks, and other junk along Fall BranchRoad and in Fall Branch, a local creek. "The condition of the road, the creek, and the Falls at FallBranch was a disgrace," Iva Lee says.

While still finishing work on their mobile home, Carl found time to bag trash along the Fall BranchRoad. He then turned his attention to Fall Branch, which had been a dumping ground for years.Ascertaining that there were no available cleanup funds, he took matters into his own hands, weeklyrappelling 50 feet off a bridge to the creek bed, where he cleaned up trash in the creek and at thebase of Fall Branch Falls.

The pace picked up in 2007, when Wolfe's granddaughter Mariah, above with Carl, moved to townand began helping out, pulling up trash by rope that her grandfather had bagged down below. Overa six­month period they hauled more than 60 large garbage bags and dozens of old tires and otheritems out of the creek.

"Some folks said it couldn't be done," Wolfe said at the time, "but when someone tells me I can't dosomething, it makes me want to prove I can." Word of his good works spread, and in 2008 GovernorPhil Bredesen presented him with a Governor's Volunteer Stars Award, given annually to one personfrom each county in the state.

"Carl loved to help people, especially children, as long as the work put him outside," says Griffith."He was genuinely humble, never bragging about his accomplishments." In addition to jump­startingthe Johnson County recycling program, Wolfe led a "Fishing for Kids" program, sponsored by theTennessee Water Sentinels.

Wolfe also spearheaded a program to alert employers to signs of methamphetamine production, amajor threat to water quality.

"Carl always led by example," says Water Sentinels national director Scott Dye. "His was a shiningexample of a life well lived. It's a shame there aren't more Carls in the world."

A billboard with the words "Stop Litter" and a photo of Carl and Mariah hauling tires out of FallBranch now stands as a welcome to Mountain City. Carl and Iva Lee's daughter Brenda has alsoraised the idea of soliciting support from the Johnson County commissioners to erect a memorial toCarl at the site of Fall Branch Falls, which he worked so hard to keep free of trash.

At Wolfe's memorial service, granddaughter Mariah said she would carry on her grandfather's work,and take Iva Lee, who isn't mobile on her own, to every meeting of the Sierra Club'sWatauga Group.

Dye says Wolfe's attitude and approach to life are perfectly summed up in a comment he made to aSierra Club reporter last year: "Most people are takers," Wolfe said. "The world needs more givers."

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2010/oct/17/creek­cleanup­in­the­bag/

Creek cleanup in the bag

Hundreds turn out at six sites.

By Catherine Martin

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Ivy League Comes Clean

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Central Jersey Group Sentinels Leona and George Fluck, Ken Britton, and JoannePannone, and 14 members of the Student Volunteer Council of Princeton University for a greatcleanup along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

It was a hardcore cleanup by canoe barge and foot, as evidenced by the photos (so many goodphotos that you’ll need to click on the link to see them all). Princeton pride and Jersey grit got thejob done right.

_________________________________________

http://sierraclub.typepad.com/scrapbook/2010/10/jersey­sierrans­princeton­students­team­up­on­canal­cleanup.html

October 08, 2010

Jersey Sierrans, Princeton Students Team Up on Canal Cleanup

The New Jersey Sierra Club and the Princeton University Student Volunteers Council (SVC) teamedup this September to clean up two key sites along the Delaware and Raritan Canal in Lawrenceville,New Jersey.

The event was organized by Sierra Club volunteers Leona and George Fluck, in conjunction with theClub's Water Sentinels Program, which donated t­shirts, mesh bags, and vulcanized gloves & linersto all cleanup participants. "The Sentinels t­shirts are so important as a recognition for volunteers,"Leona says. "The students wore them proudly."

The Flucks, Sierra Club life members, have been organizing river­based cleanups in New Jersey foryears. "As leaders of canoe and kayak trips, we see first­hand the pollution and trash in our preciouswaterways," says Leona, who serves as Outings Chair for the Club's Central Jersey Group andcoordinates local Water Sentinels activities.

On the day of the cleanup, 14 Princeton students—mostly incoming freshmen—joined four SierraClub volunteers in collecting and bagging an estimated 820 pounds of trash and more than 1,200pounds of material suitable for recycling. The D & R Canal, connecting the Delaware and RaritanRivers, was built in the 1830s, prior to the advent of railroads, as an efficient and reliable means oftransporting freight between Philadelphia and New York City. In 1974, most of the canal system wasdeclared a state park, and today it is used for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and as a vital watersource—about 75 million gallons are pumped out every day by the New Jersey Water SupplyAuthority.

The ball got rolling back in July, when Ingrid Liu, a student coordinator for the Princeton SVC,contacted Leona, suggesting a D&R Canal cleanup and asking if they could partner with the SierraClub to make it happen.

"I was overjoyed when they reached out to us," says Leona. "Princeton is just a stone's throw fromthe canal, and students hike and bike along it every day. It's great to be working hand­in­hand withstudents to protect our Delaware River watershed."

In August, the New Jersey Bike & Walk Coalition held a ride to celebrate the completion of a 1.5­mile"hinge" connecting previously separated sections of trail along a bend in the canal. Leona andGeorge participated in the 14­mile round­trip ride between Lawrenceville and Trenton.

"That's when we identified the two areas for our cleanup," says George. "We ended up focusing on a1­mile stretch that's popular with fishermen, and another area near a boom across the canal thatcollects trash before it flows into Assunpink Creek and then into the Delaware River at Trenton."

Ingrid Liu suggested that canoes be used for the cleanup, and after meeting at the cleanup site—asection of the canal that was strewn with trash coming off nearby highways and from general heavyusage of the park—she and Fluck decided on a combined land­ and water­based cleanup.

"We used our personal canoes as barges to collect the trash and take it to the canal banks," Georgesays. All the students took turns in the "trash barge," hauling it onshore and then separating thetrash from the recycling before bagging it.

"This was the first volunteer experience of this kind for most of the students," says Leona, "and theyworked tirelessly. In one area they pulled a huge truck tire and an old wheelchair out of the water,and they scoured the towpath areas and worked along the canal banks and to the water's edge toremove trash and recyclables left by fishermen and other canal users.

"The SVC is an amazing group of community­minded students. They were a delight to workwith—good humored, singing songs, taking turns on the barge canoe, moving the baskets andbarrels onshore, separating the trash from the recyclables, opening each container and emptying thecontents if necessary. The SVC is a serious commitment for these students."

The Flucks emphasize that D & R Canal State Park staff were very supportive of the cleanup, pickingup the bagged trash and recycling at prearranged locations the following day. They also give aspecial shout­out to fellow Sierrans Ken Britton and Joanne Pannone, who helped organize the D&Rcleanup, and with whom they regularly kayak.

"Ken and Joanne are incredible volunteers," says Leona. "They pitched in on four different cleanupsduring Earth Week this year."

View more photos of the D&R Canal cleanup, and learn more about the Water Sentinels and how youcan get involved near where you live.

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2010/10/16/weather­makes­annual­clean­sweep­success/

Clean Sweep volunteers tidy up Columbia streams

Saturday, October 16, 2010 | 3:32 p.m. CDT

BY Álvaro Guzmán Bastida

Saturday, October 16, 2010 | 3:32 p.m. CDT; updated 6:59 p.m. CDT, Saturday, October 16, 2010

http://www.examiner.com/environmental­news­in­toledo/area­cafos­facing­financial­difficulties?render=print

Area CAFOs facing financial difficulties

October 15th, 2010

By Lisa Hossler, Toledo Environmental News Examiner

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http://toledoblade.com/article/20101010/BUSINESS07/10090368

Article published October 10, 2010

Foreclosure filed on Vreba­Hoff dairies

BLADE STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

7th Annual Hinkson Clean Sweep

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the 401 registered participants of the 7th Annual Hinkson Clean Sweep in mytown—Columbia, Missouri. The over 2.5 ton haul far exceeded my quoted expectations during theevent.

The fall Hinkson Clean Sweep is the instream version of our spring Cleanup Columbia event, thatregularly draws over 2,000 volunteers (1 of every 50 Columbians) to clean up our parks, streets andstreams.

From two print articles:

‘Trash. Piles of junk. And yet, an atmosphere of pleasure and well­being.

“It’s been an absolute success,” said Scott Dye, director of the Sierra Club Water Sentinels programand one of the event organizers. “This is a great thing about Columbians, you give them a gorgeousday like this and they all volunteer.”

And they did pretty well. Volunteers picked up 13 tires and nearly one ton of trash at the sixlocations where the event took place, including Flat Branch Park and Stephens Lake Park, Dye said.

Dena Castilow took two girls from her Girl Scout troop to the cleanup, along with her husband and4­year­old daughter.

“As juniors, they do a lot of community service,” Castilow said of the scouts, adding that theclean­up was a fun project for the girls.

“I liked helping my troop and cleaning up with other people,” her daughter Madison, 9, said.

Harry, Castilow’s husband, said he often goes with the troop when they volunteer throughout thecommunity. “We have to lead by example. I shouldn’t ask them to do something if I’m not willing todo it myself,” he said.

…“I’ve done this for years, it’s the civic thing to do,” [Terry] said. “I like keeping trash and debris outof the river, and it sets a good example for young people.”

After a long morning of collecting trash, Terry said he was ready for a break.

“I’m about ready to head to Booche’s for a beer,” he said.’

Vreba­Hoff Mega­Dairy Cartel Goes Down!!

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the demise of the Vreba­Hoff industrial dairy cartel. The Dirty Dutchmen went down inflames, with a $55 million foreclosure by lenders, a $580K State of Michigan lien for unpaidenvironmental fines, idling 16 factory farms and leaving animals and the environment in a hell of amess.

In my opinion, I can see three clear reasons for the collapse, among many. Arrogance, belligerence,and Lynn Henning—Michigan CAFO Sentinel and 2010 Goldman Prize Winner for North America.

From two articles:

‘Today the fate of several thousand cows in Michigan is in the hands of the court. The State of

Michigan has filed a $580,000 lien against several of Vreba­Hoff LLC’s dairies in Lenawee and

Hillsdale counties after they allegedly failed to pay an agreed­upon settlement in an environmental

case that began in 2001.

Vreba­Hoff is a Wauseon­based Dutch company owned by Willy van Bakel. When the Dutchman sawan opportunity to make a mint here in Ohio, he convinced over 70 fellow Dutchmen to sell theirfarms in the Netherlands and buy land in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. But in the tradition ofget­rich­schemes, things have gone sour. Financing fell through, and many of those farmers arefacing foreclosure.

Lynn Henning was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work monitoring creeks and

ditches around the CAFOs in Michigan, particularly Vreba­Hoff CAFOs. In 2002 she noticed a manurespill in Lake Hudson. She began testing the waters around the CAFOs. Eventually over 1,000environmental violations were cited due directly to her work.

[Vreba­Hoff’s] Mr. van Bakel is working on additional financing from investors in India. He also plans

on buying back some of the farms in foreclosure and build more farms in India and Africa.’

‘A mortgage company is seeking to foreclose on $55 million in loans to Vreba­Hoff dairies in

southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio.’

Missouri Water Sentinels Receive Hellbender Award

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Sentinels Angel and Tom Kruzen for more than quarter­century of protecting Missouri’swaters, forests, lands and air—so recognized by the Heartwood alliance with a 2010 HellbenderAward.

Thanks to Jill Mastrototaro for the following write­up. If after reading this message you still don’tknow what the hell a hellbender is, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender

Congratulations to Missouri Water Sentinels, Angel and Tom Kruzen, who were recognized byHeartwood at their annual reunion with a Hellbender Award!

The Hellbender Award is given to activists who made a significant difference or impact regarding thepreservation of forest, air, water and soil resources. Angel and Tom are much like the Hellbender* ­­very rare, valued, and elusive, so much so that often, the polluters just don’t see ‘em coming!

As one of four 2010 recipients, Angel and Tom were tapped for their 27­year battle against theexpansion of lead mining into the Scenic River watersheds of the Missouri Ozarks, specifically theJacks Fork, Current and Eleven Point Rivers. Angel and Tom eventually took their battle with NorthAmerica’s largest lead producer, Doe Run, to the company’s smelter towns of Herculaneum,Missouri, and La Oroya, Peru. La Oroya is the most polluted town in the Western Hemisphere.

As recently reported, EPA has come down hard on Doe Run, and the company now faces an $85million settlement agreement in Missouri and the complete closing of their smelter by 2014. The LaOroya Smelter has been closed for 1½ years.

The highest of praise for Angel and Tom in serving as a reminder that a few committed people are allit takes to change the world!

(*A hellbender is a giant salamander indigenous to the region Heartwood works in.)

http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2010­10­23/area­waterways­cleaned?v=1287875613

Area waterways cleaned up

Groups, volunteers collect debris

By Tracey McManus

Staff Writer

Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010

Catch of the Day

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our Watauga Group Sentinels for participating in the 1st Annual Watauga Lake Cleanup.260 total volunteers extracted over 2 tons of trash and debris, including an oxygen bottle fromStatesville NC and a coconut!?!

Tennes­Sierran

Sep/Oct 2010

Watauga Lake Cleanup Yields Unusual Catch of the Day

By Gloria Griffith

The 1st Annual Watauga Lake Cleanup (WLC) attracted 260 residents from Carter and JohnsonCounty, Tenn., who gathered 500 bags of litter and 100 vehicle tires.

Over 4,000 pounds of trash was extracted by community volunteer hands in less than five hours. Asan example, the Big Dry Run Fire Department landed seven boat loads of trash. At day’s end, twohuge construction debris trailers were loaded to the gills with the WLC "Catch of the Day."

Starting out early from Fish Springs Marina near Hampton, Tenn., Webb Griffith and Dean Whitworthpiloted a 16' jon boat they dubbed the “Watauga Queen.” They hauled out a TV set and car tirecomplete w/rim and hubcap in addition to the more typical debris like tennis balls, fishing lures,mono line, drink cans, bottles, Styrofoam and bobbers. Their heaviest item was an institutional sizeoxygen bottle labeled "Statesville, NC" and the most unusual find was a coconut!

Other Watauga Group members Ron Rairigh and Joanne Nelson gathered trash aboard a pontoonboat while Marilyn and George Hall walked the eastern shoreline gathering debris.

“Atta boys” go to hundreds of participants, numerous supporters and civic organizationsrepresented. A big shout out goes to event leader Mary Salter, Sugar Grove Baptist Church andcommunity and business leader sponsors like Johnson County Mayor Larry Potter and Fish SpringsMarina.

http://www.centerpostdispatch.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=1341

Cottonwood Creek controversy resolved

Posted: Thursday, Oct 7th, 2010

BY: TERESA L. BENNS

Augusta Cleanup

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Savannah River Group Co­Chairs Judy Gordon and Sam Booher for leading the SRGduring the recent Rivers Alive Communitywide Waterways Cleanup in Augusta GA. 250 totalvolunteers collected about 8 tons of trash.

From the article:

‘Judy Gordon waded in the bank of Lake Olmstead, reached beneath algae and plant life and

grimaced as she pulled out a rusted can of V8 vegetable juice.

"It's things like these, and shredded pits of Styrofoam and plastic that clogs up the gills of fish and

kill life in the water," said Gordon, a biology professor at Augusta State University and

co­chairwoman of Sierra Club Savannah River Group.

Gordon and about 250 volunteers spent Saturday morning cleaning trash from waterways aroundRichmond County for the Rivers Alive Community Wide Waterways Cleanup.’

_____________________________________________http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jOqVb85n­qTx­uXM4­DAfsF1hAnAD9IGE5200?docId=D9IGE5200

Peabody looks to expand southern Ill. coal mine

By JIM SUHR (AP) – 6 days ago

Putting Developers on Notice

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Rocky Mountain Chapter Conservation & Water Quality Chair and Sentinel KirkCunningham for putting developers on notice that we do expect environmental laws to be followed.

From the article:

‘Property owners in the Baca Grande subdivision have reached an agreement with the Baca GrandeProperty Owner’s Association (BGPOA) concerning the enforcement of covenants protecting theenvironment.

The covenants now will be enforced as initially written and will protect property owners fromenvironmental violations in the subdivision.

But later Saguache County Commissioners received a letter from the Sierra Club, Rocky MountainChapter, Committee of Water Quality and Wetlands that expressed the Club’s displeasure over theconstruction of the culverts.

The Sierra Club’s Conservation and Water Quality Chairman Kirk Cunningham stated in the letterthat the Grants/Quintana and another property owner named Harvey were in clear violation of section404 of the Clean Water Act in their placement of the culverts during construction of homes along thecreek.

The letter voiced concerns that the culverts endanger the ecological balance of the Baca WildlifeRefuge, downstream from the creek. The Sierra Club wrote that it is one of the group’s “highestpriorities” to enforce the Clean Water Act and prevent the occurrence of such damage.’

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 4:34 pm

Water: Taking the Phosphates Out of Detergent Leaves a Cleaner Planet—But Are the Dishes Dirtier?

Posted by Bryan Walsh

Peabody Coal Wants Expansion, We Think Not

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Heart of Illinois Group Sentinel Joyce Blumenshine and Kaskaskia Group’s Kathy Andriafor tag­teaming against Peabody Coal, before Mr. Peabody’s coal train hauls it away.

From the article:

‘Peabody Energy Corp. said Monday it expects to spend $175 million to expand one of its southernIllinois coal mines by 40 percent, extending by 16 years the life of a site that environmental criticsbelieve has no business getting bigger.

The St. Louis­based company, the world's biggest private­sector coal producer, said the move withinyears could boost annual output of the Gateway Mine near Coulterville — in Randolph County, about50 miles southeast of St. Louis — to 4.5 million tons. The underground mine last year accounted for3.2 million tons of coal, much of it for various Midwest utilities and industrial customers.

The Sierra Club's Illinois chapter worries that broadening Gateway could fan pollution of the area'swater and air. But the group's Joyce Blumenshine said challenging Peabody's push beyond just apublic hearing could be a David­vs.­Goliath scenario the cost­conscious agency may not be able toafford.

"At this point, our options are under consideration," said Blumenshine, the Illinois chapter'schairwoman on mining issues. Beyond making public objections, trying to block such expansion"involves lawyers and fees, and the resources required are huge and fall upon the public. The scalesare unfairly tipped in any situation in favor of huge international companies such as Peabody."

"If they keep expanding all the mines they own in southern Illinois, if and when they subside, we willhave our very own great lake," added Kathy Andria, another Illinois Sierra Club member. "Instead ofLake Michigan, we will have Lake Illinois — only it will be filled with arsenic and other toxic heavymetals."’

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

TIME on Getting the P Out

Posted by Scott Dye

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Washington State Water Sentinel Rachael Osborne for her comments in this TIME blogabout banning phosphorus from dishwashing detergents.

In 2010, Washington’s statewide ban takes effect, while we’ve also pushed through legislation in NewYork and Illinois that removes P from detergents and lawn fertilizers. Wisconsin went for The FullMonty in 2010, legislating numeric standards for P discharge into waterways.

From the article:

‘The Spokane river had a soap scum problem. Over the years the runoff of nutrients likephosphorous into the eastern Washington state waterway has encouraged the growth of algae,leading to green, icky waters in a process science teachers would call eutrophication and swimmerswould call icky. As the algae proliferates and then dies, their decomposition eventually sucksoxygen from the water, which is not good for aquatic life. (A similar process creates "dead zones" incoastal waters, including the Gulf of Mexico.) While there are many potential sources of nutrientrunoff—including fertilizers and human waste—a group of environmentalists led by the Sierra Clubfocused on dishwasher detergents, which at the time contained up to 8% phosphate content byweight. With the assistance of some friendly Washington state legislators—and against the efforts ofthe cleaning industry—greens pushed through a ban on phosphates in detergents in 2006, helping tosignificantly reduce the phosphorus reaching Spokane water treatment plants. (Though signed in2006, the ban was only rolled out for the entire state this year.) “There was a really broadconstituency for the idea of getting these chemicals out of the system,” says Rachael Osborn, apublic interest water lawyer who worked with Sierra Club on the campaign.

Apparently—16 states now ban phosphates in automatic dishwasher detergents, and on July 1 theindustry trade group representing most detergent manufacturers accepted a voluntary ban.

Perhaps—the story of environmental regulations is the story of industry fighting, then adjusting, thenthriving.’ _______________________________________________

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/10/27/water­taking­the­phosphates­out­of­detergent­leaves­a­cleaner­planet%E2%80%94but­are­the­dishes­dirtier/

TIME

Ecocentric Blog

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/31/fest­celebrates­citys­green­02/

Fest celebrates city’s green side

Event promotes clean, eco­friendly lifestyle

By Linda Moore

Posted October 31, 2010

Featured Partnership: Auburn University Environmental Institute

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kay Stone and the of the Auburn University Environmental Institute for their greatoutreach providing outdoor learning experiences for Alabama’s underserved youth.

From the article:

‘Kay Stone, outreach program administrator for the BBESAP program, said that key partnershipswith the Sierra Club Water Sentinels and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were vital to the successof the activities. The Water Sentinels provided T­shirts and backpacks for the students and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers provided trash bags, pickers and arranged for removal of collected litter.’

_________________________________________

http://www.eeweek.org/success/alabama

Alabama Students Learn Environmental Lessons on National Public Lands Day

The Black Belt Environmental Science and Arts Program (BBESAP) at Auburn University'sEnvironmental Institute has offered outdoor learning experiences for students in grades 5­8 for thepast nine years. BBESAP works with students from under­served rural schools in Alabama's BlackBelt region, a crescent­shaped prairie named for its unusual black soil, extending along the Alabamaand Tombigbee Rivers.

On National Public Lands Day 2010, the BEESAP engaged seventh grade students in a streamcleanup at Bridgeport Park in Wilcox County, Ala. The students also participated in an ecosystemstudy and learned how to identify animals in an area by looking for clues such as scat, tracks,feathers and shells. The students removed over 500 pounds of trash from the area that day.

Kay Stone, outreach program administrator for the BBESAP program, said that key partnerships withthe Sierra Club Water Sentinels and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were vital to the success ofthe activities. The Water Sentinels provided T­shirts and backpacks for the students and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers provided trash bags, pickers and arranged for removal of collected litter.

"Cleanups are great community service projects and working with a school gives you theopportunity to educate while removing unsightly and polluting materials from areas the students visitwhen not in school," Stone said.

Submitted by Kay Stone, Auburn University Environmental Institute

Missouri Activists' Long Battle for Clean Water Pays Off

Posted by Tom V

Friday, November 12, 2010

Comments (3) |Edit

Talk about staying power! Twenty­seven years after Sierra Club activists Angel & Tom Kruzen startedfighting the expansion of lead mining into the Scenic River watersheds of the MissouriOzarks—specifically the Jacks Fork, Current, and Eleven Point Rivers—the EPA announced onOctober 8 that Doe Run, the country's largest lead producer, will pay $65 million to correctenvironmental violations at ten of its lead mining, milling, and smelting facilities in Missouri.

The company has also decided to close its lead smelter in Herculaneum, Mo., by the end of 2013rather than try to bring the facility into compliance with environmental regulations. Below, dead fishand maggots float in Joachim Creek, which runs by the Herculaneum smelter.

"It's great news that the Herculaneum smelter will close, and gratifying to see this kind of settlement,"Tom says. "But ten times that much money would still be inadequate, considering people have diedor suffered irreversible health consequences due to Doe Run's carelessness. This isn't about themoney; it's about the company's sloppiness catching up to them."

"They're finally being exposed," says Angel, leader of Missouri's Water Sentinels Program. Below,silver bubbles indicate heavy metal in mine tailings at Doe Run's Fletcher mine in Bunker, Mo.

Missouri produces nearly three­quarters of the country's lead, most of it from the so­called Lead Beltin the southeastern part of the state. "For more than a century, families in Missouri's lead districtshave endured one of the most harmful forms of air and water pollution," says EPA RegionalAdministrator Karl Brooks. "Lead's toll on their lives and health has been great, which is why theoutcome of this enforcement action is so important."

Air and water pollution from the Herculaneum smelter has been poisoning residents for over acentury. In recent years, Doe Run has regularly had to dig up and replace peoples' entire yards to getrid of particulate matter from the smelter that regularly blankets the town. Dust on Herculaneumstreets, below, has been found to contain 300,000 parts per million of lead.

In the mid­1980s, Doe Run received permission from the Forest Service to start new lead miningoperations in the Ozarks. "We basically put our collective feet down and said, 'No! You're not goingto ruin these rivers,'" Tom says. "We educated ourselves, we helped organize local opposition, wewent to Washington and met with then­Interior Secretary Bruce Babbit, and we contacted reporters."

Over the years, Audubon, the New York Times, 60 Minutes II, Vanity Fair, Bill Moyers Now, the St.Louis Post­Dispatch, the Kansas City Star, Mother Jones, the Nation, and many other media outletshave all run stories on lead mining and smelting in Missouri and its detrimental effects.

In 1992, the Kruzen's photographs helped secure funding for testing equipment for the newly createdMissouri Stream Team program, and today some 5,000 volunteer teams have adopted a stream whichthey regularly monitor and then turn the data over to the appropriate state agencies. Tom alsocreated the Ozark Riverkeepers Network, and Angel was hired as one of the Sierra Club's originalWater Sentinels in 2001.

"It's taken awhile, but we've turned local attitudes around," says Angel. "The Sierra Club can be afour­letter word in these parts. When we first started opposing Doe Run, people would call us up andshoot guns off in the background. Once a dead cat was sent to our P.O. Box. But it didn't take toolong before formerly healthy employees in these communities started getting deathly ill. Nowadayswhen somebody has a problem with Doe Run, they call us."

Below, toxic trash at Doe Run's Mine and Mill #28.

During the formation of the Jacks Fork stakeholder group, the EPA insisted that there beenvironmental representation. "The locals said they weren't going to put up with any damnedenvironmentalists," says national Water Sentinels Director Scott Dye. "Angel said, 'I'm theenvironmentalist, representing the Sierra Club.' To which the locals responded, 'Well, that's OK,because Angel's one of us.'"

And now, largely as a result of the Kruzens persistence, their courage in an often hostileenvironment, and their ability to win the trust of local residents, one of the heartland's biggestpolluters will cease operating. "We never gave up," Tom says. "Now Doe Run is on the run, and theyhaven't expanded mining into the scenic rivers. It was our relentless pursuit of them over the yearsthat did it. Never say never."

The Kruzens have also taken their battle to La Oroya, Peru, where a Doe Run smelter operated until2009. La Oroya was named by the Blacksmith Institute as the most polluted town in the WesternHemisphere. "We met with nurses and others from La Oroya," Tom says. "We told them about theWater Sentinels Program, showed them testing kits from the Missouri Stream Team, and when theygot back home they secured funding from the Archbishop to start a Stream Team/Water Sentinelsprogram there."

For their nearly three­decade effort, the Kruzens were honored with a 2010 Hellbender AwardfromHeartwood, an Indiana­based regional network that protects forests and supports community activismin 18 eastern states, with a special focus on the remaining hardwood forests of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois,Kentucky, and Missouri. The Hellbender, a giant salamander native to North America, can reach 29inches in length and weigh over 5 pounds.

Also see this post on Scrapbook.

"Some Particpants, Like the Sierra Club, Were Expected"

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Tennessee’s Chickasaw Group and its Sentinels, because when Memphis puts on a greenparty, like the recent inaugural GreenUp Memphis festival, “some participants, like the Sierra Club,were expected.”

That’s solid local cred, that can only be built by always being there.

From the article in the Memphis Commercial Appeal:

‘Behind the mellow sounds of the Overton High School Blues and Jazz Ensemble, those wanting agreener Memphis and the groups that can show them how came together during the first GreenUpMemphis Festival on Saturday.

Held in conjunction with the Memphis Farmers Market on its last day of the season, the event behindCentral Station had a goal of helping Memphis become more eco­friendly and clean.

It was presented by Mayor A C Wharton and the Memphis City Beautiful Commission.

"We want to be the greenest city in America, and having folks collaborate and share their sustainablepractices is a great way to head in that direction," said Eldra White, City Beautiful executive director.

Some participants, like the Sierra Club and the Wolf River Conservancy, were expected, along withcity agencies like Memphis Parks Services.

Overall, with the mayor's support, the city is headed in the right direction, White said.

"Plus the community itself is wanting this," she said. "We're not driving it. We have to responds tothe citizens here. They want this and we're going to make it happen for them."’

Ohio Gets Its Clean Water Groove On

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Ohio Sentinel Matt Trokan and his crew who are cleaning up rivers, hawking greeninfrastructure, busting the chops of the City of Columbus over sewer overflows, doing excellentfundraising, and prepared to ramp up their water quality monitoring big time in 2011.

_____________________________

http://ohio.sierraclub.org/central/2010_11_CleanWater.asp

This article was submitted for the November / December 2010 issue of the newsletter.

Streamside with the Water Conservation Coordinator

By Matt Trokan, Ohio Sierra Club Water Conservation Program Coordinator

What’s new with the Central Ohio Sierra Club’s Clean Water Campaign? We have been busyhere along the streamside taking action and advocating for water quality!

Action: In partnership with Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) and the OhioState University Olentangy Research Park, Sierra Club coordinated 3 river cleanups in August,September and October. We have had roughly 100 people volunteer over 250 hours, removingover 500 bags of trash. Our monthly cleanups are making a difference along the Olentangy BikeTrail—our adopted area is cleaner than ever. Even

Mayor Coleman stopped on his bike in August to say thank you to our volunteers. Way to goguys!

Advocacy: The Clean Water Campaign has continued to advocate and develop partnerships topromote clean water. Green infrastructure is probably the most cost­effective way to keep urbanwater clean. It involves making landscape and architectural changes that help capture stormwater and allow it to seep into the ground naturally rather than going directly into our sewersand rivers.

We would like to congratulate Adam Peterca, who was awarded a 2010 Clean Water Fellowshipby the Ohio Sierra Club. The purpose of the Fellowship is to foster leadership and support localSierra Club Groups’ clean water work—in Adam’s case, work with the Central Ohio Group. As aClean Water Fellow, Adam will be researching green infrastructure and creating a cost­benefitanalysis based on a local project, the Brook Run rain garden in Westerville, near InniswoodMetro Park. The project consists of 16 rain gardens on residential property and 6 rain gardens inpubic rights­of­way, designed to reduce storm water runoff. Adam is also scheduling meetingswith local leaders as the Central Ohio Group advocates for green infrastructure solutions.

The Clean Water Campaign has made several requests for information from the OEPA,Columbus Public Utilities Department, and the Franklin County Board of Health regarding seweroverflows. What we have discovered is that the Department of Public Utilities has spent less than$16 million on green infrastructure over the past 5 years, while rates continue to rise. We havealso learned that there are numerous overflow and dry weather discharges associated with theCounty’s waste water (sewer) system that are not being reported to the public. We deservesustainable solutions to our waste water problems and to know the true facts about overflows.

We have attended meetings of the Columbus Sewer and Water Advisory Board, the Central OhioWatershed Council, and the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s Greenways Committeeand their Water Quality and Land Use Subcommittee. We have met with officials at the FranklinCounty Board of Health, the Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District, and the ColumbusDept. of Sewerage and Drainage. We most recently met with Ohio EPA where we asked for limitsto phosphorus and nitrogen in Ohio’s waters. We also asked OEPA to address concerns withColumbus’ Areawide Water Quality Management Plan and with Columbus’ sewer overflows. Weexpressed to OEPA our desire for a “credible data plan” that would set standards so residentscould take accurate water samples around the state and have them entered into a database to aidin mapping Ohio’s water quality.

We also attended a meeting with State Rep. Marian Harris, Franklin County CommissionerMarilyn Brown, Mid­Ohio Regional Planning Commission Director Chester Jourdan, recyclers,and Canal Winchester’s development director.We shared concerns that regional solid wasteauthorities’ dependence on landfill fees for their profit is an unworkable situation because itdoes not promote recycling.It was decided to form a statewide task force to look at public policyand recycling and also look at the economic viability of Ohio’s solid waste authorities.

If you would like to attend a water­related event or learn more about the Clean Water Campaign,please do not hesitate to contact me. See you by the streamside!

THANK YOU!

We have just learned that Aveda Institute Columbus’ fundraising efforts this year raised over$30,000 for the Sierra Club’s Clean Water Campaign in Central Ohio. This generous gift helpsmake much of our work possible. Sierra volunteers are energized by the enthusiasm with whichthe students and faculty of the Institute, and particularly its president, Patrick Thompson, haveworked to obtain these funds for us. Many thanks to Aveda. Stay tuned to the website for moreinformation and photos.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Life Below the Waterline

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Kentucky Sentinel Aloma Dew, a rock solid supporting cast and our partners, for againbringing in a huge aquarium filled with local fish to educate over 430 young students and a goodchunk of the local Owensboro populace about the bounty of aquatic life in their Ohio River.

From Aloma’s report:

Big Fish and Clean Water Woman

Life Below the Waterline was the subject of four days of educational programming around theORSANCO mobile aquarium in Owensboro the last week in October. The 31 species of fish in the

tank were stunned and captured in the Ohio River at Owensboro on Monday, October 25. As I flewhome from Italy and Slow Food Terra Madre, volunteers Lee Dew and Henry Connor weresupervising the filling of the tank and logistics for the week­long exhibit. Working with theOwensboro Museum of Science and History, with a grant from the Progeny Fund, Water Sentinelsbrought the aquarium to Owensboro for the second year.

Sierra Club Water Sentinel volunteers Lee Dew, Henry Connor, Nancy Flachskam, WendellThompson, Samantha Durham, Scott Waldie, Wayne Rosso, Michele Morek, Donna Hanley, ClaraVerst, Peter Kobella, Jill Flachskam and Dale Reynolds all helped with the event at English Parkand/or the Ohio River Visions Expo at the Museum on Oct. 30. Rev. Claudia Ramisch filled in asOllie the Otter and Jo Ann Palmer from the Division of Water did the Enviroscape each day. Thevolunteer participation was the best part of the event—they ably did water testing demonstrations,talked about forestry and water, helped get lunch ready and did a great job!

At the Below the Waterline event, there were stations for the school groups who were bused in toattend—Water Sentinels table, Forestry, Enviroscape, and the Museum had microscopes for the kidsto use, and of course, the ORSANCO staff did programs at the aquarium. I was Clean Water Womanduring the aquarium event. We had 430 school kids (public schools and a group of home schoolkids and adults) attend, a group of 32 homeless adults from the Boulware Center came in vans,several elderly people from the Fern Terrace Assisted Living facility next to the park came over, anda group of 12 autistic/special needs kids were bused in. About 100 a day—400 to 450 from childrento babes in arms to elderly came every day to see the fish. We had a public session on Thursdayafternoon, but there were people in cars and on foot all day, every day coming to marvel at thedisplay. I would conservatively estimate between 900 and 1000 people took advantage of the display.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2010/10/03/20101003phoenix­salt­river­riparian­area­preservation.html

Phoenix's Salt River sites reflect value of preserving riparian areas

Sites along the Salt reflect need to safeguard state's remaining rivers

by Shaun McKinnon ­ Oct. 3, 2010 12:00 AM

The Arizona Republic

Federal Agency "Skewered, Blasted" by Inspector General

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the Office of Inspector General for the General Services Administration for a scathingreport on the GSA’s conduct at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City. The GSA occupiesthe complex along with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s KC Plant that makes 85% ofthe American nuclear arsenal—everything but the bomb itself. The inspector General found thatofficials “operated a failed environmental program and misled workers and federal investigatorsabout health concerns and toxins.” We didn’t need to say a thing as the congressional delegationripped them aplenty.

The report generated a massive media response. From the KC Star and NBC Action News:

‘Federal employees installed wells to monitor pollution at the Bannister complex but seldom if everchecked them.

They said they performed annual environmental tests but there’s no evidence they ever did.

And they provided misleading information to the public about pollution on the site.

Those were among the findings in a scathing report released Monday by the inspector general for theGeneral Services Administration, and they brought an immediate response from Missouri’scongressional delegation.

“The people who have worked at Bannister have a right to be angry,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, aMissouri Democrat. “This (inspector general’s) report shows serious misjudgment on the part of thefederal government.”

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat, said the report showed GSA had mismanaged itsenvironmental obligations. “All of those faults are completely and utterly unacceptable,” Cleaversaid.

“This report should serve as an immediate wakeup call for the GSA,” said Senator Kit Bond(R­Missouri) in a statement. “The bureaucrats who mishandled information and failed to performadequate safety tests as documented in the IG’s report should be held accountable.”

The Bannister Federal Complex has a legacy of contamination problems. For decades, a wall hasseparated GSA offices from the area where nuclear­bomb parts are manufactured. GSA owns about40 percent of the complex, including a portion of the main building, a field office building and aday­care center.

Some workers who made the bomb parts have gotten cancer because of exposure to contaminants,including beryllium. The federal government has paid about $25 million in compensation to KansasCity Plant workers.’

From the Star Editorial:

‘Looking like a government bureaucracy run amok, the local General Services Administrationviolated the trust of its employees and the public by downplaying the extent of toxic contaminationat its south Kansas City facility.

The GSA’s credibility is in tatters.

As we have pointed out before, the federal government has taken far too long to clean up pollutionat the Bannister Federal Complex. The GSA’s failure to be honest with its employees is yet anotherexample of how federal agencies have irresponsibly handled this important environmental matter inKansas City.’

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http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/08/2409646/report­blasts­gsa­over­bannister.html

Posted on Tue, Nov. 09, 2010 10:36 AM

Report blasts GSA over Bannister complex

By KAREN DILLON

The Kansas City Star

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http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/08/2409047/the­stars­editorial­rx­for­losing.html

Posted on Mon, Nov. 08, 2010 10:15 PM

The Star’s editorial | Rx for losing public trust: Fudge the facts

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http://www.nbcactionnews.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/gsa­official­apologizes­as­audit­finds­bannister­agency­misled­sick­workers­and­investigators

GSA official apologizes as audit finds Bannister agency misled sick workers and investigators

Video Photo

Related Links

GSA Inspector General’s report of…

Posted: 11/08/2010

By: Russ Ptacek

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi­bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F11%2F18%2FMV2N1G8UIF.DTL

'New Environmentalists' ­ Goldman Prize winners

Julian Guthrie, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, November 19, 2010

Restoring a River Lost

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Arizona Chapter Director and Sentinel Sandy Bahr for her comments in this story of theSalt River. A river lost, and slowly being restored by piecemeal, and a reminder to not allow ourrivers to ever become lost.

From the Arizona Republic article:

‘Not many people would describe Phoenix as a river city, even though it rose along the banks of thelower Salt River and sprawls across the center of the Salt River Valley.

What's missing is the water. The dams and reservoirs that allowed Phoenix to flourish drained theonce­vibrant Salt, and now the river that for so long defined the region is often known better as alake ­ temporarily empty Tempe Town Lake.

Tempe sees the lake as the center of a wider riparian restoration effort, but for passionateconservationists, the lake is everything the river once was not: a sterile park setting, uninviting tomost wildlife. When a rubber dam burst and drained the lake this summer, its absence rekindled anappreciation for the value of water in a river.

Phoenix may never fully regain what it lost when the Salt dried up: the gathering place, the wildlife,the urban oasis. The next best thing, cities and conservation groups have decided, is to restore shortsegments of the river, committing time, money and imported water to create wetlands, trails andnative riparian habitat to evoke the essence of a desert river's nature.

It's an imperfect fix: Restoration projects require constant attention and as much or more water thanundisturbed rivers. The projects are expensive and take years to develop. Their progress is oftenslowed by businesses and other property owners with their own interests along the river.

As a result, advocates say, the work to revive the Salt is not so much a rebirth as a reminder to valueand preserve the state's remaining rivers and the water they carry.

The projects won't replicate the old Salt, supporters acknowledge, but they can restore the river'sessence and renew attention to other imperiled rivers.

"A lot of people come from other places, and sometimes their first exposure to an Arizona river isthe Salt River," said Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter in Phoenix."They think that's how desert rivers are supposed to look. In a lot of ways, that might havecontributed to the lack of attention to other rivers."’

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp­dyn/content/article/2010/11/24/AR2010112406111.html

McCaskill panel to probe federal use of publicity firms

By Lisa Rein

Washington Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, November 24, 2010; 6:05 PM

The New Environmentalists

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL 2010 Goldman Prize Winner and Michigan CAFO Sentinel Lynn Henning who is featuredin a documentary with all six 2010 Goldman recipients.

From the San Francisco Gate article:

‘The subjects of the film are as varied as the locations, from a farmer in Michigan who took on thepolluting practices of nearby livestock factories to a woman in Poland who fought to protect one ofEurope's last true wilderness areas from development.

What connects the six crusaders featured in the documentary "The New Environmentalists" is arefusal to listen to the word "no" and an unrelenting drive that pitted them against formidable ­ andat times dangerous ­ adversaries.

Antonelli and his fellow filmmakers Tom Dusenbery and Will Parrinello each take on two prizewinners (Goldman always chooses six activists).

"I do the North American stories because I'm the greatest chicken," joked Dusenbery, sitting lastweek at the cafe at Crissy Field. "Although this year, I was in Michigan with Lynn Henning and wegot a sense of the harassment she has endured speaking out. Her son had a bullet shot into hiswindow. It was nerve­racking for us in the short period we were there, and Lynn deals with thisdaily."’ _____________________________________________________

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x298231543/State­denies­permit­for­Banner­mine

Deal to mine in Banner (nearly) dead

IDNR director expected to sign paperwork to deny mining permit near marsh

By MICHAEL SMOTHERS

Journal Star

Posted Nov 17, 2010 @ 10:47 AM

Feds Spend $234K on "Spin" at Polluting Nuke Weapons Plant

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL the Kansas City media for blowing the whistle and Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill forlaunching a probe into the General Services Administration buying nearly a quarter­million dollarsworth of “spin” from a private propaganda firm to try to tamp down pollution and health concerns atthe Bannister Federal Complex. The GSA occupies the complex along with the National NuclearSecurity Administration’s KC Plant that makes 85% of the American nuclear arsenal—everything butthe bomb itself.

The government keeps lying while its workers keep dying.

From the Washington Post coverage:

‘The General Services Administration hired a public relations firm this year to manage negative

publicity over a long­standing pollution problem and its potential health fallout at a federal officecomplex in Kansas City, Mo.

Now Sen. Claire McCaskill (D­Mo.) has announced an investigation into how many other federalagencies have used taxpayer money to pay public relations companies to manage their images.

McCaskill spokeswoman Maria Speiser said the senator was "quite surprised" to learn that the GSAsigned a $234,000 "emergency communications plan" with Kansas City­based Jane MobleyAssociates to manage fallout from problems at the Bannister Federal Complex.… McCaskill noted that "publicity experts" cannot engage in "publicity and propaganda" unlessauthorized by Congress. "I am concerned whether spending money on these services is in the bestinterests of the taxpayer," she wrote.

The entire Bannister complex has shown signs of groundwater contamination, and workers havecomplained about health problems for years.

The government agreed recently to begin a cleanup. The [GSA] inspector general noted theprogress but said that until recently the agency lacked a "strong environmental managementprogram" for the building.

According to contract documents provided by McCaskill's office, Jane Mobley Associatesdeveloped a communications plan to help the GSA explain to a lay audience the technical andscientific nature of the environmental conditions at the complex. A statement of work described "animpending crisis event for the government" arising from a media probe and investigations bymultiple government agencies into potential health risks at the building.’

______________________________________

WIN: Banner Coal Mine Permit Denied

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL Illinois Sentinel Joyce Blumenshine and the Heart of Illinois Group and our staunch alliesfor stopping a proposed strip mine adjacent to public lands and along the Illinois River. A really badidea has now been sent to the dustbin of history. Good riddance.

From the articles:

‘Illinois Department of Natural Resources Hearing Officer Michael O'Hara on Nov. 12 issued an orderdenying Permit No. 355 for a surface coal mine at Banner.

The ruling and apparent demise of the strip mine was hailed by its opponents as a virtual salvationfor Banner itself as well as for the preservation of the area's unique but fragile ecology.

"You can only pretend for so long that a skunk doesn't stink," said John Grigsby Sr., head of theCitizens for the Preservation of Banner Township, a group formed to oppose the mine. “This minepermit should never have been approved in the first place. Information was available and waspresented that this mine permit was not feasible.”

“The fact that it took a court ruling to point out to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that

their own hearing officer did not follow the law is more than disconcerting: It shows deep andserious problems with the mine permitting and review process in Illinois,” commented JoyceBlumenshine, Heart of Illinois Group Sierra Club.

“This property was proposed for acquisition as part of Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area back inthe 1980's, and it should be protected for the federally endangered species and natural resourcesvalues there,” Blumenshine added in the prepared statement.”

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http://www.cantondailyledger.com/topstories/x291605436/Hearing­officer­denies­permit­for­strip­coal­mine­at­Banner

Hearing officer denies permit for strip coal mine at Banner

By JOHN FROEHLING of the Daily Ledger

GateHouse News Service

Posted Nov 18, 2010 @ 12:52 PM

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New Alliance Takes Military Families Fishing

Posted by Scott Dye

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Comments (0) |Edit

ALL HAIL our new allies, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) Take MeFishing™ campaign, and Zebco © ­­ America’s largest manufacturer of fishing rods and reels, foradding their full support to our work with the National Military Fish & Wildlife Association (NMFWA)to provide fishing opportunities for families and youth on U.S. military installations. NMFWA ischarged with protecting the bountiful fish and wildlife resources on the nation’s military bases, andprovides outdoor recreational opportunities to the youth of America’s service men and women.

Since 2009, more than 59,000 youth have benefited from our partnership with NMFWA on 17 militarybases in 11 states. With Zebco now donating the rods and reels, and RBFF throwing theirconsiderable visibility and heft behind the initiative, the sky is now the limit for this alliance. Andthe big winners will be hundreds of thousands of America’s military families and their kids, gettingto experience the simple joy of fishing and connecting with nature.

The following joint media advisory announcing the alliance was picked up by over 200 media outletsnationwide within two hours of its release.

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http://www.prnewswire.com/news­releases/conservation­and­industry­groups­team­up­to­bring­fishing­to­military­families­110123249.html

Conservation and Industry Groups Team Up to Bring Fishing to Military Families

Take Me Fishing™ Collaborates with Sierra Club Water Sentinels and Zebco to Donate Rods andReels to Military Families

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ ­­ In recognition of America's veterans and those

who currently serve in the military, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation's (RBFF) Take MeFishing™ campaign has partnered with the Sierra Club's Water Sentinels and the National MilitaryFish & Wildlife Association (NMFWA) to give families on military installations an opportunity toexperience the great outdoors through fishing. Rod and reel manufacturer Zebco donated more than500 rods and reels to the program, which otherwise would have fallen just short of reaching retailracks.

"Supporting this program was a very natural decision for us," said Zebco President Jeff Pontius. "Byproviding the repurposed rods and reels to military families, we not only have the opportunity toshow support for our troops, but also engage new anglers in the sport of fishing."

Take Me Fishing and Zebco shipped the most recent donation to the Sierra Club Water Sentinelswho will distribute the rods and reels to members of the National Military Fish & Wildlife Associationfor repeated use by families on military installations. The NMFWA will communicate thisopportunity to its members to solicit additional participation in the program. Since 2009, more than59,000 youth have benefited from the donation initiative on 17 military bases in 11 states.

"Our goal is to expose youth to the outdoor experience and our members will be thrilled with theopportunity to get youth on military installations involved," said NMFWA President Tammy Conkle."The premise of this program encompasses everything we stand for. It's outstanding."

"We're very excited by this partnership," said Sierra Club Water Sentinels Director Scott Dye."Together, we're making a difference in the lives of youth by engaging them in outdoor activities andefforts to clean up and protect America's water resources."

Since 2005, the Take Me Fishing campaign has played a critical role in helping generate nearly $20million for state conservation efforts and introducing more than one million youth and newcomers toboating and fishing. The campaign increases awareness of the need to protect, conserve and restorethe nation's aquatic natural resources through encouraging participation in recreational boating andfishing. The rod donation program is a means of both reaching a new audience to build thisawareness while at the same time supporting the nation's troops and their families.

The rods and reels provided by this program will extend the opportunity for outdoors experiences tothe nation's military youth, who may otherwise face barriers such as overseas deployment of parents.

"Our research shows that fishing is recognized as the top 'gateway' activity to other outdoorinterests," said RBFF President & CEO Frank Peterson. "We're hoping these fishing experiences willhave a positive impact on families when given the opportunity to get out and enjoy one of America'sfavorite pastimes together."

To learn more about the program or to donate your own rods and reels,visithttp://www.sierraclub.org/watersentinels/.

About RBFF

RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational anglingand boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation's aquatic natural resources. RBFF helpspeople discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreachprograms including the Take Me Fishing™ campaign and Anglers' Legacy™.

About the Sierra Club's Water Sentinels

The Water Sentinels are a program of the Sierra Club, the nation's largest and oldest grassrootsenvironmental organization. Sierra Club Water Sentinels work to protect, improve and restore thewaters of the United States by fostering alliances to promote water quality monitoring, publiceducation and citizen action. Sierra Club Water Sentinels are also committed to creating outdooropportunities for youth across the country.

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On the Road With the Water Sentinels: Part 1

Posted by Tom V

Friday, December 17, 2010

Comments (1) |Edit

It's coming on dusk in Birmingham, Alabama, when I rendezvous with Scott Dye, director of theSierra Club's Water Sentinels program.

Raised on a family farm in northern Missouri, Scott learned about water pollution the hard way whena factory farm operation moved in next door. Clean water has been his consuming passion eversince, and the Water Sentinels program, created in 2001, has grown to be a model of grassrootsactivism.

We're spending a week on the road in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri, hanging outwith some of those grassroots activists on their home turf and shooting video as they do their thing.

This evening we're hooking up with John Vande Wege, a videographer from Los Angeles who spent13 years with the L.A. Times, frequently on the environmental beat.

John, who's never been to Alabama before, flew into Nashville earlier this afternoon, and he's nowbarreling south on I­65 as Scott & I roll out of Birmingham heading northwest.

The plan is to meet up deep in the Alabama countryside at the home of Mark & Maggie Johnston, ahusband­and­wife team who are spreading the green gospel in the Heart of Dixie. Mark is a reverendand the director of Camp McDowell, an Episcopal camp and conference center. Maggie, a teacher bytraining, heads up the camp'sEnvironmental Center.

As we approach the town of Jasper, I glance at the directions Scott has jotted down: "…head northout of town for 17 miles... look for the third set of reflectors after the water tower…" It's pitch darkoutside, and I wonder how easy it's going to be for John to find the place.

My phone rings as we're exiting the highway.

"Hey, it's John. I just got to Jasper. Where are you guys?"

"We just got to Jasper. Are you near any landmarks?"

"I'm at a Chevron station right off the highway."

We're just zipping past a Chevron station, where a lone car is pulled off to the side. "That's him!" Iyell to Scott, who jams on the breaks and pulls over. We jump out and shake hands.

"This is a good omen," Scott declares.

Fifteen minutes later, after taking a couple wrong turns and getting barked at byless­than­cuddly­looking dogs, we're high­centering down a rough dirt road through the forest. Wepass a sign proclaiming "War Is Not the Answer" and startle several browsing deer before lightsfinally appear in a clearing ahead.

The first thing I notice on stepping out of the car is the Milky Way, stretching across the sky like acloud of cosmic dust. I'm definitely not in San Francisco anymore. Maggie greets us on the frontporch and welcomes us inside. A fire is crackling in a big stone fireplace and the smell of homecooking fills the air.

Mark, who built this house—not to mention the rural church where he began his career as areverend—pumps our hands and thanks us for coming. We're introduced to a dozen or so20­somethings who wouldn't look one bit out of place in Berkeley. They are instructors at theMcDowell Environmental Center, where tomorrow morning a hundred or so 5th­graders will bearriving for a 3­day workshop.

But tonight is about southern hospitality, and soon we're enjoying home­brewed beer and tuckinginto venison enchiladas, courtesy of Mark's hunting prowess and Maggie's culinary skills. Afterdinner guitars are passed around, and we trade songs until te fire dwindles to embers.

We bed down that night in the Scott House, a pre­antebellum log home that Mark took apart log bylog in Montgomery, painstakingly labeling each piece, and then rebuilt on the Camp McDowellgrounds. I rock awhile on the back porch, listening to the wind in the trees.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fconnect.sierraclub.org%2FTeam%2FSierra_Club_Water_Sentinels%2Fblog%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2Frestoring-a-river-lost&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGdPBm_YABDGRZiBKKhWEIl2WAs7Q