• Kerry-Edwards' New Plan Has Energy-Environment Component
  
• Coast Guard Imposes Ballast Water Rule to Bar Exotic Species
  
• Feds to Set Efficiency Standards for Air Conditioners, Furnaces
  
• Five Hydroelectric Projects Relicensed on the Idaho's Snake River
  
• Uranium Ash at Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Plant Draws Fine
  
• National Liquidators Fined for Selling Canadian Pesticides
  
• Wildlife Management Area Created in New Jersey Highlands
  
• Drought Cycles Thousands of Years Old Discovered on the Plains
  

Kerry-Edwards' New Plan Has Energy-Environment Component

Job creation is number one in the plan, and tax credits for renewable energy are one way the Democrats intend to stimulate the growth of new jobs. The wind power industry had enjoyed a tax credit for new construction until it expired on December 31, 2003. The reauthorization of that tax credit is part of the Bush energy bill that is stalled in Congress, and as a result the wind industry is stagnant this year after boom years in 2002 and 2003.

To creat "energy independence for a stronger America," Kerry and Edwards propose a new Energy and Conservation Trust Fund. This fund will use existing oil and gas revenues to accelerate the development of innovative technologies, such as the more efficient cars and trucks, the development of biofuels, and creating clean, secure, hydrogen-based energy.

The Democratic team supports a national goal of producing 20 percent of U.S. electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydrogen by 2020, a goal supported by conservationists.

The plan states the Democrats' intention to work with Canada and Mexico to expand North America's natural gas supplies and develop our own stranded gas supply on the North Slope of Alaska.

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. affiliate, plans to construct a 745 mile, $6.3 billion pipeline extending from the North Slope of Alaska near Prudhoe Bay to the Alaska-Yukon border. As designed, it would move 4.5 billion cubic feet of gas per day through a new, companion pipeline to be built in Canada to deliver gas to Canada and the lower 48 states.

Cleaner coal is part of the Kerry and Edwards plan. They will invest $10 billion over the next decade - a five-fold increase - to harness technology to deploy clean electricity from this abundant domestic resource.

Clean coal technology is already in the works. The Bush administration last week accepted $6 billion worth of research and development proposals and promised $1 billion in matching funds.

Kerry and Edwards promise to "cut the government's energy bill 20 percent within 10 years - saving the federal government $14 billion." They also will provide tax credits for energy-efficient buildings and homes.

Kerry and Edwards are committed to a significant increase in the fuel economy of automobiles, and will provide tax incentives for consumers to buy the efficient vehicles of their choice.

"To secure our full independence and freedom, we must free America from its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil," the Democrats said. "By tapping American ingenuity, we can achieve that goal while growing our economy and protecting our environment."

Coast Guard Imposes Ballast Water Rule to Bar Exotic Species

The regulations require vessels to maintain a ballast water management plan that is specific for that vessel and allows any master or appropriate official to understand and execute the ballast water management strategy for that vessel.

Future Coast Guard regulations may outline specific ballast water discharge standards, and approval procedures for ballast water treatment systems.

These regulations increase the Coast Guard’s ability to prevent the introduction of exotic, invasive species via ballast water as required by the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act and the National Invasive Species Act.

Every day, large quantities of ballast water from all over the world are discharged into United States waters. Along with this water are organisms from large plants and free swimming fish to microscopic bacteria and pathogens.

These organisms have the potential to become aquatic nuisance species that may displace native species, degrade native habitats, spread disease, and disrupt human social and economic activities that depend on water resources. Any ship carrying ballast water is a potential invasion source.

In recent years there has been increased international concern for the threats to human health, aquaculture, and coastal environments from aquatic nuisance species and diseases.

"The establishment of a nationwide mandatory ballast water management program is a major step by the Coast Guard in protecting our environment, food supply, economy, health and overall biodiversity from the impacts of non-indigenous species," said Captain David Scott, chief of the Coast Guard’s Office of Operating and Environmental Standards.

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy recently stated support for a national ballast water management program in its preliminary report.

"Studies have shown that ballast water is a major pathway for the introduction of non-native species into U.S. coastal waters," said Lori Williams, executive director of the National Invasive Species Council (NISC). This Cabinet level group is composed of the secretaries or directors of 12 departments and agencies charged with providing leadership to all federal programs on invasive species issues.

"The Coast Guard is an important member of NISC, and we congratulate all involved with the development of this regulation which should help aid in the prevention of future introductions and spread of potentially invasive species," Williams said.

More information on the Coast Guard’s ballast water management program can be found at: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/mso/ans.htm. This final rule can be found at: http://dms.dot.gov. In this web site, proceed to simple search, and under docket number, enter 14273.

Feds to Set Efficiency Standards for Air Conditioners, Furnaces

To comply with the law, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has announced the upcoming publication of Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemaking regarding energy efficiency standards for three products: distribution transformers, commercial air conditioners and heat pumps, and residential furnaces and boilers.

Each of these products will be the subject of an upcoming public meeting at which the Department of Energy (DOE) will summarize its analysis and seek public comment.

For each product the Department of Energy (DOE) has published a Framework Document that describes the procedural and analytical approaches the department anticipates using to evaluate the establishment of energy conservation standards

Ultimately, the department intends to select the energy conservation standards "that achieve the maximum improvement in energy efficiency that is technologically feasible and economically justified."

In the context of this process, the DOE says, economic justification includes consideration of the economic impacts on domestic manufacturers and consumers, national benefits including environmental, issues of consumer utility and impacts from any lessening of competition.

For all three products the environmental section of the standards analysis tracks three types of energy related emissions: sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrous oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2).

These emissions are calculated based on conversion factors developed by the Energy Information Agency for translating natural gas and oil savings into emission reductions.

The public meetings are scheduled for September 28, 2004, for distribution transformers; September 29, 2004, for residential furnaces and boilers; and September 30, 2004, for commercial air conditioners and heat pumps.

The purpose of the public meetings is to present DOE’s analysis methods and to characterize the results to date. DOE staff will discuss specific issues related to each rulemaking and seek input from attendees on methodologies, assumptions and data sources. Then staff will describe upcoming analyses and the next steps.

To date, the DOE says, energy efficiency standards have saved 7.9 quadrillion Btus (quads) of energy and have saved the nation $31.3 billion in reduced energy bills. Furthermore, existing energy efficiency standards are projected to save another 73.7 quads and $147.4 billion between now and 2030.

The three products subject to today’s announcement, currently use a total of 6.9 quads of energy per year: distribution transformers use 1.6 quads, commercial air conditioners and heat pumps use 0.7 quads, and residential furnaces and boilers use 4.6 quads.

The framework documents and contact information for submitting comments are online at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/

Five Hydroelectric Projects Relicensed on the Idaho's Snake River

Uranium Ash at Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Plant Draws Fine

NRC officials said the proposed civil penalty is based on a Severity Level II problem, the agency’s second most serious type of violation.

The agency alleges that eight violations resulted from the company’s discovery of uranium ash deposits in a plant incinerator off-gas system that exceeded allowable limits.

The NRC said there were "no actual adverse consequences" and the amount of ash discovered would not have supported a nuclear reaction, or criticality, at the concentration and shape in which it was found.

Still, the agency said the potential safety consequences were "significant" because Westinghouse Electric failed to establish, implement and maintain all criticality control systems as required.

The Westinghouse Columbia Nuclear Fuel Plant has no reactor but manufactures low-enriched uranium fuel for use at commercial nuclear power plants.

A nuclear accident at this type of facility would involve a sudden, localized burst of radiation in a production area inside the plant due to having too much fissile material in one place in a container of the wrong shape.

The NRC said the alleged violations were categorized collectively as a Severity Level II violation because, although no adverse consequences occurred, the factors involved collectively resulted in a significant increase in the likelihood of a nuclear criticality event.

NRC officials said the company has taken steps to preclude a recurrence of the problem and that Westinghouse has 30 days from receipt of the notification of the proposed civil penalty to pay it or to protest it, in whole or in part.

Westinghouse Electric Company is wholly owned by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd plc of the United Kingdom.

National Liquidators Fined for Selling Canadian Pesticides

The agency is seeking more than $500,000 in combined penalties for numerous violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The complaints against these two large retail outlets are based on the findings of EPA and state investigations conducted in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

All products containing a pesticide must have an EPA registration number and conform to EPA labeling requirements.

"Consumers should not buy products that claim to eliminate insects, rodents, microorganisms and bacteria but do not carry EPA approved labels for use in this country," EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny said. "While these products may be perfectly legal to sell in Canada, such products are not approved by EPA and may not carry proper precautions on their labels."

EPA charged National Wholesale Liquidators, headquartered in West Hempstead, New York, with 83 violations of FIFRA at its stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The agency is seeking fines of $273,900 against the retailer for illegally distributing a wide variety of misbranded household pesticide products in 2002.

EPA cited Odd-Job Stores, Inc, headquartered in South Plainfield, New Jersey, for 77 violations of FIFRA involving the illegal distribution and sale of misbranded disinfectant products since at least 2002. EPA proposed a fine of $254,100 against the retailer.

In order for a pesticide product to be used legally in the United States, it must have two sets of numbers on the front label of the container. The first number - the EPA registration number - indicates that the product is registered with EPA. The second number - the EPA establishment registration number - is placed at the bottom of the label and shows which facility manufactured the product.

To come into compliance with FIFRA regulations, National Wholesale Liquidators and Odd-Job Stores, Inc. must voluntarily recall the misbranded products from all their outlets and provide documentation that the products in question were sent back to their point of origin or disposed of at a licensed facility as hazardous waste.

Both companies have the opportunity to plead their case before an administrative law judge or to contact EPA to negotiate an informal settlement of the matter.

Wildlife Management Area Created in New Jersey Highlands

The property contains pristine wetlands, slopes, forested ridges, and a native trout production stream called Buckhorn Creek.

The DEP Division of Fish & Wildlife will manage the land as a new wildlife management area that will be open to public use for hunting and passive recreation such as fishing, hiking, and bird watching.

"The protection of these 433 acres in the New Jersey Highlands will protect wildlife habitat, ensure public recreation opportunities, and preserve the drinking water supply for millions of New Jersey residents," said Terrence Nolan, project manager for the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit land conservation organization, which negotiated the purchase of the property from a private landowner.

DEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell said, "Trout fishing is among the most popular recreational activities enjoyed by the 14 million people who visit the Highlands each year. Buckhorn Springs offers opportunities for hunting, fishing, and hiking that make the property an excellent addition to the state of New Jersey’s impressive collection of wildlife management areas."

State, county, federal, and local sources provided funding for the $3.25 million purchase. The U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program will provide $1.64 million to reimburse the DEP Green Acres Program.

The federal funds were secured through a congressional appropriation with the strong support of the New Jersey Delegation, especially Congressmen Rodney Frelinghuysen, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Representative Scott Garrett, both Republicans, and Senators Jon Corzine and Frank Lautenberg, both Democrats.

"Preserving open space and protecting vital water supplies is a major priority for all of us in New Jersey,’’ said Corzine. "I am proud that Senator Lautenberg, Congressman Frelinghuysen, Congressman Garrett, and I were able to gain federal funds to help secure the preservation of Buckhorn Springs for generations to come."

"New Jersey is the most congested state in the country and as a result more and more of our prized open space is being used up every day," said Garrett. "This vital funding will address this serious threat immediately and will continue to ensure that our natural resources are better protected and remain viable for our future generations."

"Buckhorn Springs and the entire Highlands region sit at the center of the most densely populated area of the country," said Rep. Frelinghuysen. "This funding we have secured for the preservation of Buckhorn Springs reaffirms our continued commitment to protecting the watershed, pristine land and natural beauty of the entire Highlands region."

"Areas like Buckhorn Springs are the gems of our state," said Senator Lautenberg. "They deserve special protections and we will continue to fight for federal funding to preserve them."

The preservation of Buckhorn Springs will protect significant water resources. The tract contains a pristine trout production stream, which feeds a reservoir on the property that formerly served as the direct water supply for the town of Belvedere, New Jersey. The property also includes views of the Delaware Water Gap.

Drought Cycles Thousands of Years Old Discovered on the Plains

Layers of charcoal left on the Great Plains by prehistoric fires have shown ecologists the pattern of past drought cycles - and they regularly lasted much longer than the great Dust Bowl of the 1930s, a multi-institutional research team has found.

A report on the research will be delivered Wednesday at the Ecological Society of America’s 2004 annual meeting in Portland.

"We were looking for the effects of past climate changes on ecosystems," said Jim Clark, professor of biology at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.

Clark and his colleagues examined evidence from the mid-Holocene period of 5,000 to 8,000 years ago in parts of the Dakotas, Montana and western Minnesota.

The group’s evidence shows that ancient droughts persisted for up to several decades each. At their heights, prairie fires became uncommon because there was too little vegetation left to burn.

The ages of charcoal deposits suggest instead that prairie fires occurred during intervening wet periods, with each wet-dry cycle lasting more than a century each.

"What would happen was that the grass would disappear," Clark said. "So the fuel for fire would be lost. We’d see the erosion start. The chemistry of the lakes would change. We would see these dust bowl effects."

"And then, within several decades to a century later," he said, "the grasses would come back, fires would start back up and erosion would stop."

To make these deductions, Duke post-doctoral investigator Kendrick Brown evaluated prehistoric charcoal deposits. Joe Donovan, a geophysicist at the University of West Virginia, studied the geochemistry of the soil samples. Eric Grimm and Pietra Mueller of the Illinois State Museum in Springfield investigated pollen in the sediments.

The regularity of these ancient droughts make much more recent Great Plains droughts in the 1890s and 1930s appear "unremarkable" by comparison, Clark said, even though the contemporary ones "walloped people."

The study did not speculate how the findings might relate to anticipated future climate change, when a surge of carbon dioxide from human activities is predicted to cause Earth's climate to warm appreciably.

"What we can say that is relevant is that these sort of drought cycles are common and most of the climate models predict increased aridity in continental interiors in the future," Clark said.

"One could speculate that the droughts could be all that much worse when you realize that it's not only climate change from changing CO2 content in the atmosphere, but also this natural variability out there that we don't fully understand," Clark said.