• Population Council Report Advises Investing in Young People
  
• New Mexico Uranium Enrichment Plant Comment Period Extended
  
• Banner Year Forecast for Wind Power
  
• EPA Buys Three Years Worth of Biomass Power
  
• Illinois Refinery Superfund Site to Be Restored
  
• Male Fish in the Potomac River Grow Eggs
  
• Research Using Embryonic Stem Cells May Aid Aquaculture
  
• Hawaii Grocers Leave Bottle Redemption Centers on the Shelf
  

Population Council Report Advises Investing in Young People

View the full report at: http://www.popcouncil.org

New Mexico Uranium Enrichment Plant Comment Period Extended

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has extended until January 7, 2005 the public comment period for the draft environmental impact statement for the plant because public access to documents concerning the license application of Louisiana Energy Services for the proposed facility was limited after the Commission shut down its online documents library for a security review.

The agency is placing on its website redacted versions of the draft environmental impact statement, the environmental report submitted by Louisiana Energy Services (LES) as part of its application, and LES’s responses to NRC staff requests for additional information related to the environmental report.

These documents will be available no later than today at: http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/lesfacility.asp.

The redactions withhold potentially sensitive information relating to the security of the proposed facility.

The LES partnership is made up of Urenco, Exelon, Duke Power, Entergy, and Westinghouse. The partnership intends to use Urenco's sixth generation gas centrifuge technology that is now being used in Europe, but has not been used in the United States to date. Currently, Urenco has a capacity of about 15 percent of the world's enrichment market.

Enrichment of uranium is necessary because the fuel for nuclear reactors has to have a higher concentration of U-235 than exists in natural uranium ore. U-235 is the key ingredient that starts a nuclear reaction and keeps it going. Normally, the amount of the U-235 isotope is enriched from 0.7 percent of the uranium mass up to about five percent.

The environmental impact of the proposed uranium enrichment facility would be small to moderate, according to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in October. A final EIS is supposed to be ready by June 2005.

The proposed location in the town of Eunice, is near one other major industrial facility, the Lea Refining Corporation. A working class community of about 2,500 people in which 18 percent of the population lives below the poverty level, Eunice has lost about a third of its population over the past 20 years due to its dependence on the one refinery. Many of the state and local officials and citizens want to diversify the economic base of the area.

At a public meeting October 14, Eunice Mayor James Brown expressed his support for the enrichment facility, which he said would have "a positive impact and that is an increase in population and jobs."

In a statement, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman, a New Mexico Democrat, said he supports the LES facility because it will help increase competition in the nuclear energy industry.

Rose Gardner, a Eunice resident and member of the Nuclear Resource and Information Service and Public Citizen, told the public hearing that she is worried that a terrorist attack might rupture the tanks of nuclear waste produced by the plant. "A ruptured container can cause death and excessive radioactive materials are released to the air and surrounding environment. What would happen if at some point all 15,727 containers ruptured due to a possible terrorist attack? This is an item not covered in the EIS."

She asked for proof that the waste would be disposed of properly, and expressed concern about the amount of the area's scarce water the enrichment plant would use.

Gardner pointed out that the New Mexico Environment Department and New Mexico Attorney General’s Office had been left out of the hearing process although New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who served as Energy Secretary in the Clinton administation, had requested participation for those two offices.

Read a transcript of the October 14 public meeting at: http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/ml043090069.pdf

Access to other documents is at: http://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/lesfacility.htmlhttp://www.nrc.gov/materials/fuel-cycle-fac/lesfacility.asp

Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement should be postmarked by January 7, 2005 and sent to Chief, Rules Review and Directives Branch, Mail Stop T6-D59, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail to nrcrep@nrc.gov or by fax to (301) 415-5397, attention: Anna Bradford. Please note Docket Number 70-3103 on all submissions.

Banner Year Forecast for Wind Power

"Wind plants are no longer the relics of environmental activism in the 1980s," says William Ambrose, president and founder of EER. "Wind power has now become mainstream for U.S. and Canadian utilities."

While not all North American utilities have turned on to wind energy technology, a growing number are beginning to purchase substantial amounts of wind power, and others are experimenting with new projects. These and other findings are contained in "US/Canada Wind Power Markets and Strategies, 2004-2010," EER’s newest study of wind power growth.

The factors driving the growth of wind energy are many - state and provincial renewable portfolio mandates in the U.S. and Canada and the growing competitiveness of wind technology as compared to rising natural gas prices.

Failure by the U.S. Congress to renew the production tax credit, a renewable energy incentive, at the end of 2003 resulted in a complete shutdown of wind energy projects in 2004.

Passage of a bill re-authorizing the production tax credit in October restarted some of those projects but the future is still uncertain as current tax credit is due to expire at year-end 2005.

If the tax credit is not extended, the market is expected to spike in 2005, as projects are accelerated to meet the deadline, but will come crashing to a halt in 2006.

"If we can stabilize the regulatory environment," says Ambrose, "the industry would scale dramatically, creating thousands of U.S. jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and construction; reducing our dependency on foreign and polluting energy; and ultimately rendering wind power as a low cost energy source."

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), an industry group, says wind power accounts for less than one percent of the electricity generation in the United States, but it is increasingly competitive in many areas with other forms of electricity generation.

Wind power has become the fastest growing type of generation in the United States, averaging over 23 percent growth annually in the past five years, says the AWEA.

GE Wind, the only wind turbine manufacturer with full scale facilities in North America, has emerged as the dominant market leader. GE Wind has benefited from the weakness of the dollar against the euro, providing it with a decided cost advantage vis-à-vis its European competitors, according to EER.

World market leader Vestas of Denmark has recently announced plans to establish a manufacturing facility in 2005 after having abandoned similar plans in 2003 when the production tax credit was allowed to expire. Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa is in the process of selecting a site in Pennsylvania for a blade plant.

For more information, visit: www.emerging-energy.com

EPA Buys Three Years Worth of Biomass Power

The contract, signed November 1, but made public only Wednesday, commits the EPA to purchase 100 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of power in the form of renewable energy certificates in each of the three years.

The waste pulp is generated from the operations of the Weyerhaeuser paper mill in Port Wentworth, Georgia. The electricity was procured through Unicoi Energy Services by the Defense Energy Support Center, a branch of the military that provides the Department of Defense and other government agencies with fuel.

The largest EPA Green Power procurement to date, the amount of power covered by the 100 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy certificates is equivalent to the energy consumed by 3,680 homes each year.

The EPA defines Green Power as electric power derived from renewable resources such as wind, sun, and biomass - including burning of wood waste, plant materials and landfill gas.

Currently, the EPA annually purchases more than 220 million kWh of Green Power for 26 of its facilities, laboratories and offices, across the nation, and Green Power now accounts for 77 percent of EPA’s estimated national electricity consumption.

In announcing the new power purchase on Wednesday, the EPA mentioned that its purchases of green power were mandated by White House Executive Order 13123 "Greening the Government through Efficient Energy Management."

Signed by President Bill Clinton in 1999, the Order requires that federal agencies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent from 1990 levels by 2010.

The Order encourages all federal agencies to expand the use of Green Power by developing renewable energy projects, supporting the development of renewable projects by others on federal land and purchasing electricity from renewable energy sources.

Green Power sources have lower emissions than fossil fuel generating plants, and generally have less adverse impact on the environment.

For more information on EPA’s Green Power program in general, go to: http://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/greenpower.htm.

Illinois Refinery Superfund Site to Be Restored

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed an agreement with former owner, Chevron Texaco, committing to an extensive restoration project at Indian Refinery Superfund site located on 990 acres along the Embarras River.

The agreement follows a consent decree filed in federal court, under which ChevronTexaco was ordered to conduct a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study. This study will help to determine extent of natural resource injuries to wildlife habitats, including wetlands.

"This marks a critical step in restoring nearly 1,000 acres to natural habitat," said Joel Brunsvold, IDNR director. "There is no doubt this site has been the location of great environmental pollution for decades. From trees dying to deer disappearing in quicksand-like pools of waste, we have seen evidence of destruction at this location. Now, that damage can be reversed."

The agreement, known as a Natural Resources Damages Assessment Funding and Participation Agreement, provides a funding mechanism to evaluate the damage caused by contamination and restore natural resources in southern Illinois.

"This agreement puts in place a funding mechanism that will result in the first formal Natural Resources Damages Assessment work performed in conjunction with a site investigation and cleanup in Illinois," said IEPA Director Renee Cipriano. "We believe the agreement and spirit of cooperation it represents will be a model for similar work at other sites."

The next step will be to develop an assessment plan that outlines a number of alternatives to adequately address the resource damages, including realistic restoration options to make the public whole. This evaluation will be a cooperative effort between the Natural Resources Trustees and Chevron Texaco.

"The cooperative spirit that brought us together to forge this agreement can continue to be the driving force in our efforts to restore a piece of the natural legacy of Southern Illinois," said Robyn Thorson, Regional Director of USFWS.

The Indian Refinery operated from the early 1900’s until the mid 1990’s. Contamination from the petroleum refining processes has been identified across the entire property.

Texaco left the site in 1985. In 1992, the Illinois EPA entered into a consent order requiring environmental assessment of the facility including the wastewater treatment pond, tar pits and the 26 acre disposal area, known as Indian Acres.

In October 1996, the state and federal EPAs initiated immediate removal action in a residential area near Indian Acres. Tar-like waste was excavated from properties on Fourth and Hickory Streets, some residential properties were purchased, and access was restricted.

The following June, hydrocarbon material floating on the groundwater was discovered entering nearby wetlands. Assessment revealed hydrocarbon product floating on the groundwater discharge at several points into wetlands, impacting Embarrass and Wabash Rivers. Vegetation in the wetlands was found dead or damaged.

Environmental sampling found benzene, toluene, zylene, methylnaphthalene, naphthalene, trimethylbenzene and total petroleum hydrocarbons. In response, the U.S. EPA began emergency stabilization efforts.

In 1998 demolition of the main refinery units began.

In 2001, the Illinois EPA and the Illinois Attorney General filed an action against ChevronTexaco Corporation in federal court. The court ordered testing at the site, where samples showed a release of oil or hazardous substances might have injured natural resources the soil surface. At this time the site was placed on the Superfund List where it is eligible for long term cleanup.

Male Fish in the Potomac River Grow Eggs

In October, U.S. Geological Survey researchers found the "intersex" bass by accident when they were dissecting fish in the South Branch of the Potomac in in Hardy County, West Virginia to find out why they were developing lesions and dying in large numbers.

They have not yet identified the cause of those deaths, and now they have another mystery on their hands.

Earlier this month, a second group of intersex bass were found, this time in the Potomac River near Sharpsburg, Maryland, 170 miles downstream from the first location.

USGS fish biologist Vicki Blazer says the water where the latest group of unusual bass were found has been sent for testing, but meanwhile she suspects the problem could be caused by pollutants from sewage plants, feedlots and factories that can interfere with animals' hormone systems. These chemicals are called endocrine disrupters - chemicals which mimic or inhibit the effects of hormones, including reproductive hormones.

"It certainly indicates something's going on, but what, we don't know," Blazer told the "Washington Post" for an article published Sunday.

More than 3.6 million people in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs get their drinking water from the Potomac River.

Research Using Embryonic Stem Cells May Aid Aquaculture

In human medicine, embryonic stem cell research offers the possibility of curing fatal and debilitating diseases; in aquaculture, it may enhance fish production and reduce environmental risks.

Paul Collodi and colleagues cultured stem cells from zebrafish that can form viable eggs or sperm when transplanted into an embryo - providing the means to pass on key traits.

Although their research is in early stages, they hope these cell lines can be used to grow fish that lack the hormone necessary for fertility. Controlling fertility in aquaculture production can reduce the threat of non-native species escaping and disrupting the balance of local waterways - as happened with Asian carp. To reverse the fish’s infertility, hormones can be added to their diet.

The technology can enhance aquaculture by allowing desirable genes to be manipulated in fish.

"In an aquaculture setting, we may be able to control growth, disease, and reproduction rates, or change species characteristics and improve survival capabilities," said Collodi. "This work may also have implications for research into the genetic basis for human disease and the development of new drugs."

Collodi now has funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture the National Institutes of Health to continue this work.

Zebrafish as model animals for genetic research offer a number of advantages, Collodi said.

They are far less expensive than mice to produce and raise. Many generations can be produced quickly because it only takes about three months for zebrafish to reach maturity once the eggs are fertilized.

He says that 50 to 100 embryos result from one fish in one day. Each fish lays eggs every four to five days. The line of fish the Purdue scientists are using are nearly transparent, any mutation is seen at once.

Hawaii Grocers Leave Bottle Redemption Centers on the Shelf

The Sierra Club, which has backed the bill, is concerned that customers will become frustrated searching for a redemption center to take their drinks containers back to for the five cent return.

Early drafts of the bottle bill at the state legislature required large retailers to provide redemption for beverage container deposits, but pressure from the retailers led to an amendment which requires only Oahu retailers of a certain size to operate a redemption center if no other such facility exists within two miles.

At the time, recycling proponents believed that market forces would pressure grocery chains to operate redemption centers at their store - or contract with a recycler to operate the redemption center or reverse vending machine.

"We believed that the major retailers would participate in the program as a marketing tool and as good corporate citizens," said Sierra Club Hawaii Executive Director Jeff Mikulina. "Apparently we were wrong on both counts."

"Many stores on the mainland provide an in-store credit for recycled bottles and cans," Mikulina said. "Why the grocery stores in Hawaii would want to turn away such business is beyond us. These stores spend millions in advertising to drive customers to their stores. Why would they ignore a program guaranteed to bring people through their doors?"

Under the bottle law, consumers will receive five cents back for returning bottles and cans for recycling. The 10 states with bottle bills recycle over 80 percent of bottles and cans - more beverage containers than the other 40 states combined.

"We hoped that Safeway, Foodland, Times, and others major retailers would simply be good corporate citizens and make life easy for their customers," said Mikulina. "It is unfortunate that we may have to legislate that they do the right thing."

Some 800 million beverage containers are used in Hawaii annually, but only about 20 percent are recycled. Mikulina says that on average, 75,000 beverage containers are thrown in the trash or littered every hour in Hawaii.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, beverage containers covered under Hawaii's bottle bill comprise 4.4 percent of the total waste stream, on average.