• Ship Leaks Pesticide Off South Carolina Coast
  
• Marietta, Ohio Air Toxics to Get More Study
  
• Florida Developer Sets Aside Bay to Bay Wildlife Corridor
  
• Southern Rockies Wildlands Network Vision Farsighted
  
• Sea Turtle Bycatch Could Be Reduced by 90 Percent
  
• Landowners Get $25.8 Million in Federal Conservation Grants
  
• Civilian, Military Agencies Partner to Manage Resources
  
• Sponges Yield New Nanoscale Materials
  

Ship Leaks Pesticide Off South Carolina Coast

The Sealand Pride ran into rough seas about 200 miles off the coast of New York on February 19 that damaged some of the pesticide tanks in one of the containers on board, U.S. Coast Guard officials say.

Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Dave Murk said the 3,900 ton ship anchored off Charleston on Monday, with several containers damaged on deck.

Others had been lost overboard in the heavy seas.

Maersk has hired an environmental response team to stop the leak and clean up the pesticide, which is used to kill insects on farm crops and in gardens, to treat lice on humans, and to treat fleas on pets.

Murk said that as many as eight of the 16 pesticide tanks in the container could have been broken, and estimated that eight tanks could hold about 6,000 gallons of malathion.

The leak could be cleaned up today, if the weather permits, he said.

The ship left Bremerhaven, Germany on February 5 and was due in Charleston on February 17 on its way to Houston, Texas.

Marietta, Ohio Air Toxics to Get More Study

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, last week released its public health consultation on a location known as the Washington County Air Quality site.

Saying there is not enough data to make a final determination, the ATSDR categorized the site as an "indeterminate public health hazard." The agency said air modeling and additional air sampling should be conducted to determine if there is contamination at levels that could cause adverse health effects.

The site includes facilities operating at a former Union Carbide facility located on Route 7 in Washington County several miles outside the city of Marietta. There is a residential area to the north of the facility. An AMP Ohio electric substation is located across the street.

The four companies using the site are Eramet Marietta, Inc. (EMI), which produces and sells manganese products used by the steel industry; Eveready Battery; Solvay Advanced Polymers, which manufactures ultra-high performance polymers for the aerospace, automotive, electronics, food service, industrial equipment, medical, plumbing, and water purification industries; and the Chevron-Phillips Chemical Company.

The ATSDR decided that toxic exposure cannot be adequately assessed at this time because the locations for the air sampling data may not reflect the most highly exposed populations.

ATSDR says that either its staff or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should model emissions from EMI, Eveready, Solvay, Chevron, and AMP Ohio to determine what contaminants could be present in ambient air and the locations where they are likely to most significantly impact human health.

After modeling is completed, ATSDR, the Ohio EPA, and the U.S. EPA should determine what additional ambient air data is necessary to adequately investigate the impact of facility emissions on the health of residents.

When contaminants of concern have been identified, additional, long-term sampling should be performed for one year or more.

Then, the agency says it should evaluate the data collected to better assess air pollutant exposure levels and the potential for health consequences in area residents.

Residents expressed their concerns in a December 2003 meeting with ATSDR officials during a public meeting at Washington State Community College. In addition, state agencies have found high levels of toxics in the city and county.

According to the Ohio EPA's Toxic Release Inventory released in May 2003, Washington County is No. 2 in the state for release of toxic chemicals.

Washington County is one of 33 counties that failed to attain federal standards for ground level ozone, or smog, according to the Ohio EPA's July 2003 report.

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Committee found in 2002 Marietta has a high concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the air. Production of PCBs was stopped in the United States in 1977 because low levels were known to cause health problems.

Florida Developer Sets Aside Bay to Bay Wildlife Corridor

A publicly traded real estate operating company, The St. Joe Company is the state's largest private landowner.

The ecosystem management agreement (EMA) between the state and the company is an alternative to traditional permitting that uses a comprehensive, coordinated approach to regional development and is intended to provide greater environmental benefits.

Voluntary until signed, once agreed an EMA is legally binding. It requires the company to go above and beyond standard environmental requirements to protect natural areas.

The plan agreed Wednesday covers more than 31,350 acres of St. Joe owned property stretching from West Bay to Choctawhatchee Bay along a stretch of northwest Florida land known as the Emerald Coast, a region known for its biological diversity.

The agreement authorizes dredge and fill activities and construction and maintenance of stormwater facilities associated with building roads, homes, shopping centers and communities. But it imposes strict requirements for minimizing impacts to wetlands, wetland mitigation, habitat conservation and stormwater management during residential, commercial and recreational development.

As part of the agreement, The St. Joe Company is setting aside thousands of acres of high quality habitat for preservation. The conservation areas create a two pronged Bay to Bay wildlife corridor linking public land from Choctawhatchee Bay to St. Andrew Bay and preserving the ecological integrity of two of northwest Florida’s most rapidly developing watersheds.

The agreement also includes two mitigation banks covering 7,686 acres. These large, regionally significant areas are set aside for environmental restoration and enhancement, which is conducted in advance of permitted projects. They are intended to offset the environmental damage done by the permitted development.

“This agreement provides unparalleled wetlands protection,” said DEP's Northwest District Director Mary Jean Yon. “By taking a regional approach and working closely with our federal partners, we are able to preserve sensitive natural resources and achieve more protection for Florida's environment."

Outgoing DEP Secretary David Struhs praised department staff for convincing St. Joe to enter into the agreement. “Florida’s environmental team has secured a commitment that will better protect the resources that matter most. This will avoid traditional piecemeal development that would be insensitive to our desire to protect the entire landscape.”

The St. Joe Company has extensive landholdings in Northwest Florida, some of which is earmarked for residential, commercial and recreational development, which requires environmental permits. The agreement provides protective guidelines for activities associated with building roads, homes and community infrastructure and establishes two mitigation areas for environmental enhancement and restoration.

The agreement is a companion to the general permit under consideration by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which covers more than 47,500 acres including property owned by other landowners. Both the management agreement and general permit determine the extent of land conservation, wetland impact and mitigation before any development gets underway.

"This serves as a national example of responsible growth,” said newly appointed DEP Secretary Colleen Castille. “Not only does the agreement allow the region's economy to grow, it does so in a way that safeguards important water resources and protects the quality of life of those that live and work in Northwest Florida.”

The public has 14 days to review the agreement before it becomes final. For more information, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/northwest.

Southern Rockies Wildlands Network Vision Farsighted

The Colorado Mountain Club Press based in Golden, Colorado, is the publisher of the Southern Rockies Wildlands Network Vision, available for purchase at: http://www.cmc.org/press/southern_rockies_vision.htm

Sea Turtle Bycatch Could Be Reduced by 90 Percent

Under the proposal, turtle takes would be reduced by up to 90 percent, the agency says, and U.S. fishermen would regain access to prime swordfish fishing grounds in the Grand Banks.

All species of sea turtles in U.S. waters are threatened or endangered with extinction as a result of many human related activities, including the incidental capture in fisheries worldwide.

NOAA Fisheries is responsible for overseeing the conservation and recovery of these species. A critical step towards recovering sea turtles is reducing bycatch in the deep sea longline fishery.

“We are concerned that the incidental take of sea turtles last year exceeded anticipated levels. One possible reason for the increase in take is that certain participants in the longline fleet may have switched from circle to ‘J ‘ style hooks,” said Rebecca Lent, deputy director of NOAA Fisheries. “But the good news is that a number of longline fishermen want to protect sea turtles and have worked along side us over the past few years to develop new turtle-friendly fishing methods and gear technologies.”

NOAA Fisheries recommends, but has not proposed a requirement, that one type of mouth opener/mouth gag allow for hands-free operation of the dehooking device or other tool, after the mouth gag is in place. Only a canine mouth gag would satisfy this recommendation. Also, a “turtle tether” and a “turtle hoist” are recommended, but are not being proposed as requirements.

NOAA Fisheries is proposing minimum design standards for this gear as well as an initial list of approved gear. The agency will examine and approve other devices, as they become available, if the devices also meet the design standards.

The agency is proposing changes to hooks and bait that would help longliners decrease the catch of sea turtles by up to 90 percent.

The proposal calls on fishermen to switch from the traditional “J” style hook to large circle hooks. All deep sea longline vessels would also be required to carry certain types of equipment and utilize handling protocols to facilitate the safe release of turtles that could not avoid capture.

NOAA Fisheries prohibited the American deep sea longline fishery from operating in the Grand Banks in 2001 because of turtle catches in that area.

Between 2001 and 2003, the agency conducted cooperative research with the industry to determine which hook and bait treatments successfully avoided sea turtles and to develop gear technology that would aid in safe turtle handling and release.

The experiment concluded that the best reduction rate for loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles catches was achieved using an 18/0 circle hook with specific bait. For loggerheads, the greatest reduction was 91 percent, using mackerel bait and an offset circle hook. For leatherbacks, the greatest reduction was 75 percent, using squid and a non-offset circle hook.

The public is invited to comment on the proposed regulations by March 15, 2004. Submit comments to: Christopher Rogers, chief of Highly Migratory Species Management Division, NOAA Fisheries, at: 0648AR80.PROPOSED@noaa.gov. Please include “0648-AR80" in the subject line.

For more information, or copies of the Environmental Impact Statement, contact Russell Dunn at: 727-570-5447.

Landowners Get $25.8 Million in Federal Conservation Grants

The grants, part of the administration's Landowner Incentive Program started last year, will support innovative partnerships in 40 states and the Virgin Islands.

State fish and wildlife agencies, landowners or non-profit groups must put up at least 25 percent of the cost of projects. With these grants, states will be able to provide financial and technical assistance to interested landowners.

"From restoring streams and riparian areas to bringing back natural prairies, we are empowering landowners to undertake conservation projects that they otherwise could not afford while restoring habitat on private lands that are vital to threatened, endangered and other imperiled species," Norton said. "These funds help Interior extend a hand to work with the nation's many citizen stewards, who often are the nation's most effective conservationists."

The program is based on the Texas Landowner Incentive Program developed by then Governor George W. Bush in 1997 to involve landowners in voluntary efforts to benefit rare species in several Texas counties.

The goal of this ongoing state program is to help avoid the listing of at-risk species and assist in the recovery of listed species. Landowners benefit through the continued use of their lands.

Landowners can remove exotic plants, adapt grazing practices to enhance riparian habitat, provide instream or streambank structural improvements to benefit aquatic species, close roads to protect habitat, and encourage conservation easements.

"We do our best work for at-risk species when we cooperate with our state, local and private partners," said Service Director Steve Williams. "Thanks to cost-share funding programs, such as the Landowner Incentive Program, the Service is strengthening and expanding these vital conservation partnerships across the United States."

For example, In California, a $1.3 million grant to help landowners in the Sacramento Valley, Delta/Suisun Marsh and San Joaquin Basin to manage 1,130 acres of riparian habitat fora three-year period and 1,000 acres of native grasslands for a four-year period until these habitats are self-sustaining.

Landowners will also manage 950 acres of critical, permanent wetlands to meet the needs of at risk wetland species and provide an additional 2,500 acres of post-harvest flooded cropland directly beneficial to fall migrant shorebirds and breeding waterbirds.

Overall, the President's 2005 budget includes $507.3 million for the Interior Department's cooperative conservation programs, more than a 43 percent increase for these programs since 2001.

Within this total, the President's budget includes $129.5 million - a 25 percent increase - for the Cooperative Conservation Initiative. During 2003, CCI's first year, the initiative funded 256 projects in more than 40 states and Puerto Rico.

Civilian, Military Agencies Partner to Manage Resources

With the signing of a Partnership Agreement and a Memorandum of Agreement Wednesday, both agencies are embarking on a renewed partnership for the collection, interpretation, management, and reporting of natural resource scientific information of mutual interest. Their collaboration will involve interagency training assignments.

"The USGS is pleased to announce its renewed commitment to work with the USACE. These new agreements will encourage and better enable scientists and engineers from both agencies to plan and collaborate where significant resource management and scientific challenges exist," said USGS Director Charles Groat.

Both agencies said they want to find more ways to work together. They are focusing on resource issues in the Florida Everglades, the Mississippi Delta region, the Missouri River, and the Pacific Northwest, and other areas that will be faced with resource management challenges in the future.

"We intend to build sustainability into our water resources activities, and it is critical that we adapt our management of America's rivers to meet the needs of the human and natural communities," said Lieutenant General Robert Flowers, the Army's Chief of Engineers. "The USGS has a great deal of expertise to help us make that possible."

As part of the renewed collaboration, the Corps has joined the Advisory Committee on Water Information, managed by the USGS on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior.

The Committee represents the interests of water information users and professionals in advising the federal government on the effectiveness of their programs in meeting the nation's water information needs.

Sponges Yield New Nanoscale Materials

Now they are now seeking new biotechnological routes to make high performance electronic and optical materials.

"We are now learning how to harness the biomolecular mechanism that directs the nanofabrication of silica in living organisms," says Morse. "This is to learn to direct the synthesis of photovoltaic and semiconductor nanocrystals of titanium dioxide, gallium oxide and other semiconductors – materials with which nature has never built structures before."

Most recently, Morse and his students have made advances in copying the way marine sponges construct skeletal glass needles at the nanoscale. The research group is using nature's example to produce semiconductors and photovoltaic materials in an environmentally benign way – as they report in a recent issue of the journal "Chemistry of Materials."

"Sponges are abundant right here off-shore and they provide a uniquely tractable model system that opens the paths to the discovery of the molecular mechanism that governs biological synthesis from silicon," says Morse. "This sponge produces copious quantities of fiberglass needles made from silicon and oxygen."

Morse directs the new Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, an initiative led by University of California, Santa Barbara and funded by a grant of $50 million from the Army Research Office, which operates in partnership with MIT and Caltech. He also directs the Marine Biotechnology Center of UCSB's Marine Science Institute.

The work is particularly exciting, according to Morse, because silicon has been called the most important element on the planet technologically – silicon chips are fundamental components of computers, telecommunications devices, and in combination with oxygen forms fiber optics and drives other high-tech applications.

He explains that his research group discovered that the center of the sponge's fine glass needles contains a filament of protein that controls the synthesis of the needles. By cloning and sequencing the DNA of the gene that codes for this protein, they discovered that the protein is an enzyme that acts as a catalyst, a surprising discovery.

Never before had a protein been found to serve as a catalyst to promote chemical reactions to form the glass or a rock-like material of a biomineral.

From that discovery, the research group learned that this enzyme actively promotes the formation of the glass while simultaneously serving as a template to guide the shape of the growing mineral (glass) that it produces.

"Most recently in this research, which is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Sea Grant Program and the Department of Energy, we've discovered that these activities can be applied to the synthesis of valuable semiconductors, metal oxides such as titanium and gallium that have photovoltaic and semiconductor properties," says Morse.

The group is using a synthetic mimic of the enzymes found in marine sponges.

These discoveries are significant because they represent a low temperature, biotechnological, catalytic route to the nanostructural fabrication of valuable materials. The research group is now translating these discoveries into practical engineering.

Currently these materials are produced at very high temperatures in high vacuums, using caustic chemicals. With these latest discoveries, scientists have found that nanotechnology can copy nature and produce materials in a much more environmentally friendly way than the current state-of-the-art.