SYRACUSE, New York, January 22, 2009 (ENS) – In the state of New York consumers pay a five-cent deposit on beer and carbonated beverages and get that nickel back when they recycle the containers. In his 2009-10 budget Governor David Paterson has proposed expanding the law to apply to non-carbonated beverages to raise more money for the state and recycle more containers.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis is urging support of the “Bigger Better Bottle Bill,” saying it would reduce litter, keep million of containers out of our landfills, help in the fight against global warming and generate badly needed revenue.

“As Governor Paterson has made clear, New York is facing a staggering budget deficit and must make many hard choices. But updating New York’s 27-year-old Bottle Bill is not one of them,” Grannis said on Wednesday during a news conference at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse.

“Expanding the law to cover non-carbonated beverages such as fruit juice, water and sports drinks is long overdue,” he said.

“It makes no sense to continue to differentiate these containers based on their contents – especially with non-carbonated drinks now making up more than one-quarter of the beverage market,” Grannis said.

“An expanded bottle bill also will keep New York’s roadsides, waterways and parks cleaner. Right now, too many plastic and glass containers end up as trash in our parks, playgrounds, rivers and lakes, the commissioner said. “And this problem will continue to grow as people buy more water and sports drinks.”

Environmentalists are in favor of expanding the bottle bill. Dereth Glance, executive program director for Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said, “New Yorkers, from Montauk to Buffalo, have called for the modernization of our successful bottle bill for many years. Now economic realities make expanding the bottle bill a necessity. No longer can unredeemed nickels pad corporate bonuses, this revenue must now be directed to benefit the people, environment, and economy of New York State.”

Cornelius B. Murphy Jr., president of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, ESF, has a special reason for supporting the expanded bottle bill.

“An ESF alum coined the phrase, ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,’ which is at the heart of the expansion of the bottle bill to non-carbonated drinks,” he said.

Bottles and other trash between the tracks at a New York City subway station. (Photo by digital_trash)

State number crunchers have come up with precise reasons to support the bill. They calculate that since the original bottle bill was enacted in 1982 requiring a five-cent deposit on beer and carbonated drinks, roadside litter has been reduced 70 percent.

More than 90 billion containers and six million tons of glass, aluminum and plastic have been recycled, resulting in saving more than 50 million barrels of oil and eliminating five million metric tons of greenhouse gases – a sum equal to getting 600,000 cars off the road for one year, according to state figures.

These numbers translate into public support for expansion of the bottle bill said Tom Rhoads, executive director of the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency.

“Every year, folks flock to our State Fair booth to passionately champion this popular issue,” he said. “As a result, OCRRA has signatures from over 5,000 New Yorkers who are in favor of expanding the bottle bill. These supporters realize that updating this legislation makes both environmental and fiscal sense.”

“I am also pleased to note that my peers in all three statewide waste management associations support this important opportunity to make the world a better place for our children,” said Rhoads.

Grannis cited a 2005 study by the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency that found that while 80 percent of plastic soda bottles are recycled, just 16 percent of plastic water bottles are recovered.

The proposed bill would require the beverage industry to return unclaimed deposits to the state of New York, which would generate much needed revenue to cover state services that might otherwise be cut in these tough economic times.

“Currently, nickels that customers pay on soda and beer containers but never reclaim remain with the beverage manufacturers,” Grannis said. “Under the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, the industry would be required to return these funds to the state. This would amount to more than $100 million a year at a time of enormous financial difficulty.”

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ALBANY, New York, November 28, 2008 (ENS) – The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will unveil proposals to clean up contaminated soils in two Onondaga Lake tributaries at a public meeting on December 10. The meeting will be held to present the plans, to elaborate on the reasons for recommending the preferred remedies, and to receive public comments.

Developed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and in consultation with the New York State Health Department, the proposals center on excavating contaminated soil and restoring streambeds, banks and wetlands to achieve a long-term solution for pollution at Ninemile Creek and Geddes Brook.

Located northwest of the city of Syracuse, New York and south of Lake Ontario, Onondaga Lake has been described as one of the most polluted lakes in the United States, primarily due to industrial dumping. The state Health Department has issued warnings against consumption of walleye and bass due mercury and PCB contamination.

The lake in the summer is covered in many areas with algae that creates a vile odor that can be smelled for miles. Onondaga County is spending $500 million on a 15-year project to stop polluting the lake with sewage by 2012. The county is under a federal court order to make the lake safe for swimming and fishing and comply with the federal Clean Water Act.

Geddes Brook flows through this culvert,
passing under the Erie Canal. (Photo
by Ian Tuckerman)

Contaminants at the two sites covered by the DEC plans include mercury, arsenic, lead, PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, phenol and other contaminants.

At Ninemile Creek – which has been a source of contamination to Onondaga Lake – the preferred remedy proposed by the federal and state agencies includes the dredging/excavation and removal of approximately 64,000 cubic yards of contaminated soils over approximately 15 acres.

Clean materials would then be placed throughout the site, including a habitat layer, backfill and, where needed, an isolation cap.

Contaminated soils removed from the creek and floodplains would be disposed of at Honeywell’s LCP Bridge Street sub-site containment system.

Restoration of the streambed and banks, wetlands and habitats would include placement of a habitat layer as well as the plantings of appropriate species of vegetation. It is estimated that this project will take two years to complete and will cost approximately $20.2 million.

The plan for an interim remedial measure at Geddes Brook focuses on disposal of contaminated soil excavated from a section of the brook and in its adjacent floodplain, and includes actions to manage the contaminated soil.

Work proposed at the site includes full bank-to-bank removal of an estimated 4,200 cubic yards of sediments. In addition, floodplain soil would be excavated and removed to a depth of approximately two to four feet.

Approximately one foot of vegetated cover would be placed in certain areas to establish an emergent wetland.

The DEC encourages the public to provide input on the proposed remedies, which are posted on the agency’s website at: www.dec.ny.gov The public comment period concludes on January 2, 2009.

Comments on both plans can be made in writing, via e-mail or in person at the public meeting scheduled for 7 pm, December 10, 2008, at the Martha Eddy Room at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

Comments on the Ninemile Creek plan should be sent to: Timothy Larson, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, 12th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-7013 or tjlarson@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

Comments on the interim remedial measure at Geddes Brook should be sent to Tracy Smith, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, 12th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-7016 or txsmith@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

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RYE, New York, September 29, 2008 (ENS) – Grants for improving water quality in Long Island Sound were announced Friday at a gathering of federal and state environmental officials in Westchester County near the shore. The water quality grants were among 35 grants to state and local governments and community groups made to upgrade the Sound’s environment under the Long Island Sound Futures Fund.

The $913,000 in grants will be leveraged by $1.4 million raised by the recipients themselves, providing a total of nearly $2.3 million towards conservation in Connecticut and New York.

“These funds will support endeavors that reduce stormwater runoff, restore habitat and tidal flow, develop watershed plans, and create educational programs in order to ensure a protected and preserved Sound for the future,” said James Gilmore, director of the Bureau of Marine Resources for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, the Connecticut River and New York’s East river that provides economic and recreational benefits to millions of people, while providing natural habitats to more than 170 species of fish, and dozens of species of migratory birds.

More than eight million people live within its watershed. Connecticut cities on the Sound include Bridgeport, New London, Stamford, Norwalk, and New Haven. New York cities on the Sound include Port Jefferson, New Rochelle and the New York City boroughs of Queens and the Bronx.

But the Sound is polluted. New York City and other municipal sewage systems have long dumped nitrogen, among other pollutants, into the Sound, which contributes to a dead zone. Polluted sediment from harbor, river and waterway dredging has been dumped in four sites in the Sound, although in late 2007 officials said two of them at the eastern end of the Sound will be closed at an unspecified future date.

In an attempt to improve the environment, the Sound Futures Fund was begun in 2005 by the Long Island Sound Study through EPA’s Long Island Sound Office and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a nonprofit group created by the U.S. Congress.

This year’s program funded 17 grants in New York and 18 grants in Connecticut. Four grants were awarded for habitat restoration; five grants for planning and stewardship; five for education; three for improving water quality and three for conservation of native fish and bird species.

Thirteen small grants totaling $68,000 were awarded to increase understanding and appreciation of the Long Island Sound through community events and activities.

With these grants, groups will restore 17.45 acres of grassland for birds, beaches and aquatic eelgrass, which benefits fish and water quality.

A snowy egret and a great egret in the
Barn Island Wildlife Management Area,
Stonington, Connecticut (Photo by
Rick Newton)

A project at Sunken Meadow Park will open 111 acres of salt marsh and underwater areas, which currently have restricted natural tidal flow.

An award for Connecticut’s Barn Island Wildlife Management Area will be used to help acquire 48 acres of tidal wetlands.

Nassau County will seed two million shellfish to repopulate Hempstead Harbor, once an abundant fishery.

Approximately 300,000 gallons of stormwater will be treated by a green roof at Randall’s Island Park in New York City.

The projects will open up 33 river miles for fish passage, and restore 193 acres of critical fish and wildlife habitat, including lakes, underwater grasses, woodlands, meadows, tidal wetlands and park frontage.

Seventy communities and more than 100 municipal officials and community leaders will develop a range of tools to deal with water pollution and to prepare watershed plans for their communities.

“As an active partner in the Long Island Sound Study, Connecticut DEP is very pleased to work with an energetic group of federal, state and local partners to make this program a success, and we are particularly pleased with the work that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has done again this year with the Long Island Sound Futures Fund projects,” said Brian Thompson, director of the Coastal Program at the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

“Our staff really enjoys reviewing the project proposals and taking part in a process that leverages significant environmental dollars for local habitat restoration, education and land use projects that help to preserve and protect Long Island Sound,” Thompson said.

Since 2005, the Sound Futures Fund has provided $3.6 million to 117 projects in communities surrounding the Sound.

With a grantee match of more than $10 million, over $14 million in locally-based conservation has been, in part, galvanized by the grant program.

The grant program pools funds from the EPA, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Shell Marine Habitat Program for projects to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound.

The Long Island Sound Futures Fund grew out of a partnership that achieves environmental protection through collaboration and shared resources,” said Alan Steinberg, U.S. EPA regional administrator for Region 2, which includes New York. “These grants help local experts achieve results that will benefit the Sound and its inhabitants for generations.”

The Long Island Sound Study, developed under the EPA’s National Estuary Program, is a cooperative effort between the federal agency and the states of Connecticut and New York to protect and restore the Sound and its ecosystem.

Robert Varney, regional administrator for EPA’s New England region, which includes Connecticut, said, “EPA’s funding for these important projects, along with the support from other organizations, substantially boosts our efforts to target environmental concerns and take action to protect the Sound.”

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ALBANY, New York, August 11, 2008 (ENS) – For years, environmental and health officials have instructed people to flush unused pharmaceuticals down the toilet, but low levels of drugs have now been detected in drinking water supplies, prompting these same officials to reverse their policy and warn people not to flush unwanted drugs.

A new initiative to keep pharmaceuticals out of New York waters was announced Friday by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The “Don’t Flush Your Drugs” campaign and website [www.dec.ny.gov] is intended to raise public awareness and provide information about how to dispose of both prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines to help prevent future problems with water quality.

“It is critical that all New Yorkers do their part to protect the state’s water resources,” said Governor David Paterson. “While recognizing that the presence of pharmaceuticals in the water is a multi-faceted issue with no single solution or easy technological fix, all of us need to take precautionary action on the things we can affect immediately.”

“This is an emerging environmental issue and the consequences are not yet clear,” said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis.

Flushing drugs can pollute water
supplies. (Photo courtesy Connecticut
Dept. Consumer Protection)

“We recognize that we’re now asking residents to change something that has been standard practice for years, but we know everyone wants to protect New York’s water quality and public health,” Grannis said. “New Yorkers can help out by not flushing unused drugs and instead using alternate disposal methods.

Instead of flushing medicines, Grannis says New Yorkers should place their unused, unwanted or expired drugs in the trash.

To avoid accidental or intentional misuse of drugs, treat liquids and pills by adding water and then salt, ashes, dirt, cat litter, coffee grounds, or another undesirable substance, officials now recommend.

Hide all medications in an outer container, such as sealable bag, box or plastic tub to prevent discovery and removal from the trash. Seal the container with strong tape. Do not conceal discarded drugs in food to prevent consumption by scavenging humans, pets or wildlife. Further suggestions are on the new DEC website www.dontflushyourdrugs.net.

A nationwide study done in 1999 and 2000 by the United States Geological Survey found low levels of antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives and steroids in 80 percent of the rivers and streams tested.

Though no New York community was singled out, recent studies show that pharmaceuticals can be found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.

The concentrations of the pharmaceuticals are far below typical medical doses but studies have found problematic impacts on wildlife, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has acknowledged that the issue is a serious concern.

At least 24 major metropolitan areas in the U.S. have been identified as having pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies. Philadelphia officials found 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in the city’s treated drinking water. Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications were detected in a Southern California drinking water supply. Three medications, including an antibiotic, were found in the water supplied to Tucson, Arizona.

“New York’s public drinking water is of high quality, but keeping unused drugs out of our waters helps to maintain or improve that quality,” said New York State Department of Health Commissioner Richard Daines, MD. “Hospitals and other institutions can also help with these efforts.”

“The State Education Department recognizes this emerging environmental problem and is working with the DEC to address the proper disposal of drugs.” New York State Education Commissioner Richard Mills said.

“The Education Department, with the advice of its Board of Pharmacy and the pharmaceutical community that it regulates, continue to study why so many dispensed drugs go unused and to determine appropriate strategies to insure that New Yorkers and their environment are protected,” said Mills.

Scientists say pharmaceuticals get into water when individuals and institutions flush unused drugs and when drug manufacturers discharge pharmaceutical wastes.

Also, when unabsorbed drugs pass through the through the human body they may not be completely decomposed in septic tanks. Wastewater treatment plants are not specifically designed to eliminate these types of chemicals, so treatment of municipal and industrial discharge is not the entire answer. Nor do drinking water treatment plants remove all drug residues.

Under the new campaign, DEC will take pro-active steps to address the issue. These include educating the public about the potential hazards of pharmaceuticals in the water and about the proper disposal of unused drugs. This will include consumer guidance on DEC’s web site and education materials in pharmacies.

New York agencies will collaborate on a new state guidance for pharmaceutical disposal practices at hospitals and other institutions. Led by the DEC, this task force will work with the institutions to ensure the guidance is workable and to spread the word about newly prescribed disposal methods.

DEC will encourage pilot collection programs for pharmaceuticals, either by pharmacies or local governments and seek federal funding to create pilot programs and determine the feasibility of a statewide collection program.

New York agencies will combine research efforts with federal environmental and health agencies and will urge the EPA to update and revise federal regulations for disposing pharmaceuticals and update water standards. Grannis says New York and most other states do not have the resources to do this on their own and most of EPA’s water quality criteria date back to the early 1980s.

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ALBANY, New York, August 6, 2008 (ENS) – The Pepsi Bottling Group has been fined $65,000 for distributing drinks in New York state with illegible refund information on the bottles.

Improper labeling of bottles prevented some consumers from redeeming the containers, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said Thursday.

An investigation by DEC Environmental Conservation Officers revealed that Pepsi had manufactured 24-ounce and 12-ounce bottles of Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry and Diet Mountain Dew with refund information that was too small or illegible.

The products were provided to Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Target, Tops, Wegmans, and small independent stores in various upstate locations.

Pepsi now uses labels instead of
printing refund information on bottles.
(Photo courtesy Pepsi)

Customers who tried to redeem the bottles, especially at smaller convenience stores without automatic bottle return equipment, were turned away from claiming a bottle’s refund.

The printed refund information on the bottles was so small that the store owners assumed a bottle was purchased in a state which does not have a bottle bill deposit and refused to issue refunds.

Larger stores with the automatic bottle returns use scanners that were able to read the tiny bar codes on the bottles.

Pepsi cooperated with DEC and supplied information about the number and types of bottles distributed with improper labeling.

The company quickly corrected the problem and has since changed to a label instead of printing refund information directly on the bottle.

Most of the fine will go to fund projects that promote recycling programs in schools and among the public.

As required by the settlement, $40,000 of Pepsi’s fine has been provided to the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling, or NYSAR3. The advisory organization helps people reduce, reuse and recycle through information and promotion of best management practices.

The organization can use the funds for a variety of activities and purchases from providing composting bins for use at schools and community recreational facilities, buying recycling collection containers, and creating signage and educational materials.

Under a cooperation agreement, NYSAR3 will distribute the funds with DEC approval.

People who have problems claiming their refunds at a store that accepts redeemable containers can contact DEC at 1-800-TIPP-DEC.

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SYRACUSE, New York, May 11, 2008 (ENS) – The developer of the Greenport Commons retail project on Route 9 in the town of Greenport, New York has been slapped with the largest stormwater penalty in the history of New York state.

Widewaters Greenport Co. LLC has agreed to pay a $100,000 settlement to resolve numerous stormwater violations at the development and must also temporarily stop work on the site until state officials approve the company’s stormwater prevention plan.

Widewaters is headquartered in Syracuse. Its $70 million Greenport Commons project is a 500,000 square foot retail center in Columbia County that is expected to be anchored by Lowe’s and a Wal-Mart super center.
Sign welcomes visitors to the town of Greenport, New York. (Photo credit unknown)

The violations at the Greenport development occurred because the company started work without putting in place proper erosion control and sediment control measures, as required by the company’s stormwater pollution prevention plan.

Also, Widewaters had not secured written permission to disturb more than five acres – when, in fact, almost 40 acres of soil had been disturbed and were left exposed and vulnerable to erosion from a rain event.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis and Region 4 Director Gene Kelly said that as part of the settlement, Widewaters must hire an independent inspector, in addition to the required existing daily inspector, to monitor the construction site at least twice every seven days to ensure compliance with their stormwater pollution prevention plan.

The inspector must compile and submit to the Department of Environmental Conservation a weekly report detailing compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

“Widewaters exhibited a blatant disregard for the stormwater regulations of the state and created the potential for a significant water-quality violation,” Kelly said.

“Luckily, we had a long stretch of dry weather which averted any significant turbid discharges to the nearby Claverack Creek,” he said. “The magnitude of this penalty, which is the largest stormwater penalty in the state’s history, reflects the seriousness with which DEC views violations of this sort.”

Marco Marzocchi, general counsel for real estate development at Widewaters, based in the town of DeWitt, declined to say exactly how the problem occurred. He told the Albany “Times Union” newspaper that the company would not dispute the state’s findings.

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ALBANY, New York, April 6, 2008 (ENS) – A new reporting standard to help track the emissions of greenhouse gases in North America was announced Wednesday by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis.

The Climate Registry, a nonprofit partnership of which New York is a board member, released its General Reporting Protocol which provides a comprehensive guideline for how greenhouse gas emissions will be measured, verified and reported by participants in the Registry’s voluntary program.

“Every New Yorker has a vital stake in the success of controlling greenhouse gas emissions and limiting climate change,” Grannis said.

“Through The Climate Registry, we are beginning the crucial work of developing a reliable inventory of actual greenhouse gas emissions. Any firm, institution or organization that emits greenhouse gases needs this information to make the right decisions about how real reductions can take place and make a difference in the fight against global warming.”

Correct information about emissions is the basis for effective climate change policy and for cost-efficient investments in greenhouse gas reduction.

The Climate Registry provides a consistent way for companies, governments and organizations to count and report their emissions from greenhouse gas sources under their control, and to track progress toward meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

By enrolling in the Registry, participants benefit by getting access to user-friendly web-based software and technical assistance in developing their greenhouse gas inventories.

The Climate Registry is a national, nonprofit organization that has established a common system for state and tribally recognized greenhouse gas emissions records.

The organization’s Board of Directors includes representatives from 39 U.S. states, including New York, eight Canadian provinces, six Mexican states, three native tribes, and the District of Columbia.

The Registry’s General Reporting Protocol announced today is significant because it defines the methodology that will be used to calculate, verify, and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions.

Correct data in The Climate Registry will ensure that emissions reduction programs are consistent across borders and industry sectors, and that responsibility for controlling emissions is shared equitably.

The new protocol will ensure that the emissions data are accurate, complete, consistent, and verified.

The Registry will ensure consistency and transparency between programs, and will establish a high level of integrity in emissions accounting and reporting. The Protocol document incorporates public comments from workshops conducted throughout North America.

All New York businesses, nonprofit organizations, universities and municipalities are encouraged, although not required, to join The Climate Registry and begin measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions.

Seventy-three corporations, nonprofit organizations, cities, and counties are currently reporting their greenhouse gas emissions to The Climate Registry.

Entities reporting to The Climate Registry agree to calculate both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Direct emissions include those from on-site combustion, manufacturing processes and transportation fleets.

Emissions associated with electricity and steam consumption are the only indirect emissions required to be reported. However, reporters to the Registry are also encouraged to register additional indirect emissions.

Reporters measure and report emissions of the same six greenhouse gases specified for reduction by the Kyoto Protocol – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is currently in the process of joining the Registry as a reporting member, and will voluntarily report the agency’s emissions data.

Organizations that join The Climate Registry as reporters before May 1, 2008, will be considered “Founding Reporters” and will receive continued recognition for their outstanding environmental leadership in measuring and publicly reporting their greenhouse gas emissions on a voluntary basis.

The Climate Registry is complementary to New York’s ongoing implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, a program in which 10 Northeastern states have agreed to implement a carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program for the generation of electricity.

RGGI’s first auction of carbon dioxide allowances has been set for September 2008, with implementation of the RGGI program beginning in January 2009.

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ALBANY, New York, March 24, 2008 (ENS) – Ten Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states working together to reduce greenhouse gases from power plants will hold the first auction of carbon dioxide emissions allowances in the nation for a mandatory emissions reduction program on September 10, 2008.

The 10 states are participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, RGGI, a cap-and-trade program coupled with a market-based emissions trading system aimed at limiting climate warming.

“Climate change is the most significant environmental problem of our generation,” said Pete Grannis, the chair of RGGI, Inc. and commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

“Absent federal leadership, the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states of RGGI are taking action to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce their impact on the environment,” Grannis said. “Our CO2 auction will be the first in the nation and it is one that should be replicated at the federal level.”

The RGGI will set a limit or cap on the amount of carbon dioxide that can be emitted. Companies that need to increase their emissions must buy credits from those who pollute less. The transfer of allowances is referred to as a trade.

In effect, the buyer is paying a charge for polluting, while the seller is being rewarded for having reduced emissions by more than was needed. Thus, in theory, those that can easily reduce emissions most cheaply will do so, achieving the pollution reduction at the lowest possible cost to society.

New Hampshire’s Merrimack coal-burning
power plant (Photo courtesy Public
Service New Hampshire)

The first compliance period for the RGGI cap-and-trade program will begin January 1, 2009. The program will require electric power generators in participating states to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

At first, the program will work to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the participating states, while maintaining energy affordability and reliability. After the cap-and-trade program for power plants is implemented, the states may consider expanding the program to other kinds of sources.

The 10 states participating in the RGGI, or Reggie, are Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The RGGI states have agreed to participate in quarterly uniform regional auctions for the allowances that each state will be offering for sale.

In conducting regional auctions, the RGGI states have come to agreement on a number of design elements.

Through a competitive process, RGGI, Inc. has selected several companies that will each deliver important services.

World Energy Solutions, Inc. was selected to provide services related to the design and implementation of a regional allowance auction.

Perrin Quarles Associates, Inc. was selected to provide services related to the development and implementation of an emissions and allowance tracking system.

ICF International was selected to provide services to support the implementation of the emissions offset component of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, including the development of model application and submittal documents and model guidance documents.

The Greenhouse Gas Management Institute was selected to provide services related to the development of an accreditation process for independent verifiers of offset projects.

These selections are tentative pending the outcome of a contract negotiation process and final agreement of contract terms and conditions.

“We look forward to working with all of these vendors in support of the implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s CO2 cap-and-trade system,” said Grannis.

In New Hampshire, while Governor John Lynch signed onto the RGGI agreement in 2005, and the state Department of Environmental Services played an integral role in developing the initiative, a bill to allow the state to officially join the initiative is just now working its way through the state Legislature.

“We are dedicating ourselves here in New Hampshire to reducing the pollution that causes global warming and climate change, and joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is a major part of that effort,” Governor Lynch said. “Cutting our greenhouse gas pollution is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our citizens, the health of our environment and our economy.”

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ALBANY, New York, March 12, 2008 (ENS) – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today that state-owned forests have regained their status as “green certified” by internationally recognized standards, meaning they are managed with the highest sustainability requirements.

The designation applies to all state-owned forestlands outside the Adirondack and Catskill parks – about 762,900 acres. This status has been awarded to only 10 percent of the world’s forests and only a few American states.

“At first blush, saying you manage a ‘green’ forest might sound redundant. But it’s a designation few have earned,” said Grannis. “We’re very proud of this recognition. It not only validates the state’s efforts to practice forestry in an economically, environmentally and socially-responsible way, but also adds value to our forest products.”

State-owned forests previously had been certified but certification lapsed several years ago following a period of cutbacks in the department. When he assumed leadership of the DEC in April 2007, Commissioner Grannis made a goal of regaining the designation.

Green certification is not only a validation of management practices, but similar to the organic label on grocery products, certified forest products can carry a stamp or imprint that increases their value in the marketplace.

New York state-owned forests annually generate about $5 million in revenue from the sale of forest products such as lumber, furniture, flooring, pulpwood, particle board and paper products including envelopes, greeting cards, catalogs and other products.

Interest in certified products has been growing and there are now roughly 80 green certified paper or wood businesses in New York, ranging from paper mills to printers to flooring suppliers.

“A majority of our state forests were acquired over 75 years ago, not as healthy forests but as abandoned farmland with depleted soils and serious erosion problems,” said State Forester Robert Davies. “The recognition we are receiving is due to the support of Commissioner Grannis and the dedication of the department’s past and present professional forestry staff.”

“Forests are key to keeping our air and water clean, conserving biodiversity, and helping ameliorate the impacts of climate change,” said Albert Caccese, executive director of Audubon New York, the state program of the National Audubon Society. “Sustainable forest management can provide habitat to many species of birds and other wildlife, and also support the economies of rural communities.”

The green certified status was granted by third-party independent certification auditors NSF-International and Scientific Certification Systems, who assessed the state’s forest practices and forest management plan against the standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council, FSC, and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.

These independent, nonprofit organizations establish forest-certification standards to guide forest management activities on lands across the country. Auditing of New York forests began in the summer of 2007.

To make the grade, a state must meet strict measures in nine categories, including sustainable practices of cutting and planting, forest health, and biological diversity, as well as soil and water protection.

The auditors found that New York excelled in protecting mature forests, limiting the impact of invasive plants and insects, identifying and protecting imperiled species and using easements to conserve working forests.

“The State of New York is joining rare company – only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified. The state has taken a true leadership role in managing our forests for future generations while meeting the needs of the marketplace,” said Kathy Abusow, Sustainable Forestry Initiative chief executive. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the State of New York’s commitment to the environment by taking this important step to support and promote responsible forest management.”

Robert Hrubes, Scientific Certification Systems senior vice president, said, “Conformity with the rigorous FSC standard assures the public that New York State is practicing exemplary forest management.”

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ALBANY, New York, March 4, 2008 (ENS) – The Rochester Institute of Technology has been selected to host the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, a new research and development center that will design and test green manufacturing methods and provide technical support to businesses for pollution reduction measures that will help make them more competitive.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announced the selection of RIT on Friday. The governor proposed $4 million for the Institute in his 2008-09 Executive Budget, building on the $2 million he and the Legislature included in last year’s budget to launch the Institute.

“By creating the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, we are seizing an opportunity to help businesses become greener while improving productivity and reducing environmental damage,” said Governor Spitzer. “There is tremendous job creation potential that can come from new innovations from the research efforts of the Institute and its partners.”

Rochester Institute of Technology
(Photo credit unknown)

RIT’s primary mission will be to promote cost effective pollution prevention techniques so that large and small business can reduce energy costs, hazardous substances, and wastes.

The Institute will work collaboratively with businesses, provide professional education and training and create a pipeline of technical advancements.

The Institute will assist industry in reducing its environmental impact by decreasing the use of toxic chemicals, cutting waste generation, reducing exposure risks to workers, and promoting more efficient use of raw materials and energy.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation evaluated proposals from universities across the state to host the Institute. A technical review committee unanimously selected RIT, noting that its proposal was bolstered by solid agreements with other New York universities and regional technology centers to build a research-sharing network.

“We are delighted that RIT has been selected to host this significant research and development center that will benefit all New Yorkers,” said RIT President Bill Destler. “It will not only leverage the extensive expertise that RIT has accumulated in this important field, but it will enable us to collaborate with an extraordinary group of academic partners and technology organizations throughout New York state.”

A key part of RIT’s winning proposal includes the creation of 16 research and development “test beds,” or technological laboratories, across the state, through partnerships with Clarkson University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, RPI, and the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Capabilities of these test beds include environmental engineering of nanotechnology materials and printing applications at RIT, green processing and biofuels testing at Clarkson, polymer processing and testing at RPI and sustainable chemical processes at Buffalo.

RIT plans on creating a partnership with the 10 regional technology development corporations (RTDC) to help disseminate data, tools and strategy. The RTDCs recently formed a “green sustainability” working group to bolster environmental opportunities across the State.

RIT will use $20 million in leveraged funding from public and private sources to augment the Institute and technical programs. RIT also will tap into its existing programs, such as its National Center for Remanufacturing and Resource Recovery, which focuses on industrial processes. It also plans to create a community pollution prevention program to assist nonprofit groups.

Personnel at the Institute and its partner universities will focus their skills in the areas of toxics use reduction, hazardous and solid waste reduction, green chemistry, product reuse and remanufacturing, “design for the environment” projects, resource conservation, pollution prevention methods, chemical safety assessments, environmental management systems, green cleaning products, and academic course development.

A 2003 report by the New York State Assembly found that the lack of a focused research and development center and on-site technical assistance for businesses was a major shortcoming in the state’s pollution prevention efforts.

In 2005, the federal Toxics Release Inventory revealed that New York companies reported 312 million pounds of toxic chemical waste generated and 42 million pounds released into the environment.

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ALBANY, New York, January 31, 2008 (ENS) – State environmental officials and caving organizations are asking people not to enter caves or mines with bats until further notice to avoid the possible transfer of a mysterious new bat disease from cave to cave.

Thousands of hibernating bats are dying in caves in New York and Vermont from unknown causes, prompting an investigation by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC, as well as wildlife agencies and researchers around the nation.

The most obvious symptom involved in the die-off is a white fungus encircling the noses of some, but not all, of the bats.

Bat with white nose syndrome
(Photo courtesy West Virginia
Association for Cave Studies)

Called “white nose syndrome,” the fungus is believed to be associated with the problem, but it may not contribute to the actual cause of death. It appears that the impacted bats deplete their fat reserves months before they would normally emerge from hibernation, and die as a result.

“What we’ve seen so far is unprecedented,” said Alan Hicks, DEC’s bat specialist. “Most bat researchers would agree that this is the gravest threat to bats they have ever seen.”

Last year, some 8,000 to 11,000 bats died at several locations in New York, the largest die-off of bats due to disease documented in North America. This year, an unknown number of bats are at risk.

“We have bat researchers, laboratories and caving groups across the country working to understand the cause of the problem and ways to contain it,” said Hicks. “Until we know more, we are asking people to stay away from known bat caves.”

Craig Stihler, a bat specialist with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, says, “The fungus has been identified to the genus Fusarium, a common and widespread genus usually associated with plants. Pathologists that have examined the carcasses recovered from the New York sites do not believe the fungus is the main culprit. One guess at this time is that the fungus invades after the bats are stressed by some other factor.”

Bat biologists across the country are evaluating strategies to monitor the presence of the disease and collect specimens for laboratory analysis. Biologists are using sanitary clothing and respirators when entering caves to avoid spreading the disease in the process.

“Our primary concern is to limit the disease from spreading further to other caves and mines that have larger numbers of hibernating bats,” said Scott Darling, Vermont state wildlife biologist. “Here in Vermont, the disease has been documented in Morris Cave in Danby, and we will be checking other caves and mines.”

Bat populations are particularly vulnerable during hibernation as they congregate in large numbers in caves – in clusters of 300 per square foot in some locations – making them susceptible to disturbance or disease.

Because these bats then migrate as far as hundreds of miles to their summer range, impacts to hibernating bats can have significant implications for bats throughout the Northeast.

“Bats from a cave in Dorset, Vermont have been documented traveling in the spring as far as Rhode Island and Cape Cod,” says Darling.

The vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of bats known to hibernate in New York do so in just five caves and mines. Because bats migrate as far as hundreds of miles to their summer range, impacts to hibernating bats can have significant implications for bats throughout the Northeast.

Indiana bats, a state and federally endangered species, are perhaps the most vulnerable. Half the estimated 52,000 Indiana bats that hibernate in New York are located in just one former mine – a mine that is now infected with white nose syndrome.

Eastern pipistrelle, northern long-eared and little brown bats are also dying. Little brown bats, the most common hibernating species in the state, have sustained the largest number of deaths.

DEC has been working closely with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Northeast Cave Conservancy and the National Speleological Society, along with other researchers from universities and other government agencies.

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