• League of Conservation Voters Issues 2005 Environmental Scorecard
  
• Louisiana to Slow Hurricane Debris Disposal at New Orleans Landfill
  
• Hawaii Contributes $1 Million to Conserve Big Island Estuary
  
• Illinois Grills Exelon Nuclear Over Tritium-Laced Discharges
  
• Company Selected to Manufacture Advanced Hydrogen Sensors
  
• Pesticide Reduction Studied at New Jersey Cranberry Farms
  
• Philadelphia Riverfront Brownfields Funded for Upgrades
  

League of Conservation Voters Issues 2005 Environmental Scorecard

To view the entire 2005 National Environmental Scorecard, visit: www.lcv.org.

Louisiana to Slow Hurricane Debris Disposal at New Orleans Landfill

LEAN filed a lawsuit to shut the landfill down shortly after the state agency issued an order for the facility to reopen for disposal of construction and demolition debris on September 29, 2005.

The agreement between the two parties reached Wednesday calls for a limit of 19,000 cubic yards of debris per day at Gentilly until DEQ issues a decisional document on the emergency authorization under which the facility is operating. The decisional document will follow public notice and comment.

Gentilly Landfill has played "a vital role in the cleanup of the New Orleans area after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," said DEQ Assistant Secretary Chuck Brown.

DEQ also ageed to conduct groundwater and surface water monitoring at the landfill site. The monitoring plan is well on its way to being finalized because the department has been working on a groundwater monitoring plan for heavily used construction and demolition landfills.

The settlement comes after the release of a critical report Tuesday commissioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that says the agency could face liability if the site is later designated an environmental hazard.

The report said that the weight of the waste being dumped at Old Gentilly - more than four million cubic yards to date - could undermine the stability of the nearby levee.

"Very simply, there is a concern that relatively weak natural foundation soils underlying the Gentilly Landfill may be overloaded by ongoing waste placement and become unstable," the report said. "In particular, there is a potential that affected soils may include foundation soils below the MR-GO levee and extend out as far as the MR-GO canal face."

The city of New Orleans applied for a construction and demolition landfill with DEQ more than three years ago. In 2004, the permit application was put out for public notice and the department did not receive any comments. However, because of the newly generated interest in the landfill, the department agreed to evaluate additional information and to reissue a decision document.

The current decision document is online at: www.deq.louisiana.gov.

In the Gentilly permit application of 2002 there is a section that addresses the stability of the site. Brown says it shows that in a worst-case scenario, even taking in more waste than it has on daily basis since the hurricanes, how the site would handle large amounts of debris.

However, "out of an abundance of caution," Brown says, the DEQ will work the Army Corps of Engineers and other experts to show the levee system is safe.

“The main concern is to make sure we adequately respond to the needs of the impacted area during this emergency,” Brown said.

“The landfill meets all requirements that all construction and demolition landfills have to meet," he said. I think think the settlement is fair, even though the 19,000 cubic yard limit will slow the clean-up process."

Plans are advancing to open a new construction landfill on a nearby property that is adjacent to the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Reserve, a location previously rejected as a landfill site.

Hawaii Contributes $1 Million to Conserve Big Island Estuary

Illinois Grills Exelon Nuclear Over Tritium-Laced Discharges

During a meeting February 17, the Illinois EPA (IEPA) emphasized its concern about the safety of Illinois groundwater, and asked that Exelon perform additional investigation of not only the Braidwood facility, but of all their facilities in Illinois.

Exelon operates 10 nuclear reactors at five nuclear power plants in Illinois. In addition to its two reactors at Braidwood 23 miles southwest of Joliet, Exelon operates the two Byron reactors 17 miles southwest of Rockford, the two Dresden reactors nine miles east of Morris, the two LaSalle reactors 11 miles southeast of Ottawa, and the two Quad Cities reactors 20 miles northeast of Moline.

The state agency is asking for a report on how many releases have occurred and the extent of any resulting contamination of the groundwater.

The agency is also asking that Exelon sample all private drinking water wells that would potentially be affected by any of the releases.

“We were disappointed to learn about the old incidents only recently,” said Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott. “Groundwater is a precious resource belonging to the State of Illinois, and IEPA will aggressively work to protect it, as well as the people that rely on it for drinking water.”

The Illinois EPA first became aware of the potential for tritium contamination in groundwater, after being notified by the public in the fall of 2004 of a spill that occurred at their Dresden nuclear power plant, when tritium was detected in some on-site monitoring wells.

After discussions with citizens and local officials near the Braidwood plant, Illinois EPA became aware of tritium releases that potentially affected the groundwater and private drinking water wells near that plant as well. Since then, the agency has become aware of numerous releases of water containing tritium at several of Exelon’s nuclear facilities across the state.

Exelon requested the February 17 meeting to discuss their proposal to correct the consequences of the 1998 release of tritium, which the agency learned about in November 2005, as well as other releases.

The IEPA has issued a violation notice to Exelon on the 1998 tritium release.

“It has become apparent to me that the reporting mechanism in place is not adequate to protect the groundwater or the people that rely on it as a source of drinking water,” Scott said. “I also intend to pursue avenues to correct this gap and discuss options with U.S. Senators [Richard] Durbin and [Barack] Obama, as well as state elected officials.”

The current reporting process obligates Exelon to report spills of water containing tritium or other radionuclides to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. There is no process in place for Exelon to directly notify the state environmental agency, which is charged with protecting the state’s groundwater.

To ensure that citizens in the areas of these facilities receive the most recent information about Illinois EPA’s activities, the agency is establishing an online web page containing documents relating to the tritium releases at Exelon’s Illinois facilities.

In addition, a repository containing all documents related to the Braidwood facility will soon be available at the Godley Park District offices. Repositories will be developed for the other facilities as information becomes available.

The agency is compiling a contact list for any future mailings. If you wish to be added to this list, you may call Carol Fuller at 217/524-8807, or email her at Carol.Fuller@epa.state.il.us.

Company Selected to Manufacture Advanced Hydrogen Sensors

GOLDEN, Colorado, February 24, 2006 (ENS) - Seen as an emissions-free fuel for fuel cells of the future, hydrogen gas is very reactive. It only takes about five percent hydrogen in air and a small spark to ignite. Early detection of hydrogen leaks is essential to safely handling the gas.

To help address this limitation to hydrogen development, a new hydrogen detection technology has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for safety sensors that can be used in nuclear waste packages, automobiles, industrial plants and anywhere else hydrogen may be present.

On Wednesday, NREL selected a licensee to manufacture the sensors. Nuclear Filter Technology (NucFil) has been awarded licenses to manufacture the Fiber Optic Hydrogen Sensors. The licenses, together with a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), allow NucFil to work with scientists and engineers at NREL to further develop fiber optic hydrogen sensors.

NucFil is an award winning minority owned business based in Golden, Colorado.

“We at NREL are very pleased to have NucFil as our licensee to commercialize this technology and more importantly to be partnering with NucFil, under a CRADA to help in reducing the time to market.” said Gib Marguth, NREL’s director of research and technology applications.

Rich Bolin, the NREL licensing professional on the case, said, “Finding the right licensee is sometimes a difficult and time consuming process. It is great that we have been able to transfer NREL technology to just the right company that happens to be only a few minutes away from the lab.”

Roland Pitts, a co-inventor on the licensed technology and principal investigator for NREL under the collaborative agreement said, “We are particularly pleased to be able to work directly with the engineering staff of NucFil at their facility in Golden, Colorado, because of their proven track record at commercialization of related technology, and the entrepreneurial leadership from their CEO Gil Brassell. Close coupling with our industry partner is often the key to success.

Gil Brassell, a materials scientist and CEO of NucFil said, “NREL’s outstanding scientists and engineers have always been great to work with, and I’m sure that working with Roland and other NREL technical staff members in developing the sensors and partnering with them will be more of the same.”

“During the coming year we will focus on developing manufacturing processes and integrating the sensor into our core product lines, drum vent filters and nuclear material storage containers,” said Terry Wickland Vice President for Marketing. “Eventually we will have the sensors built into vehicles powered by fuel cells. These sensors are intrinsically safe, meaning the sensor, which is smaller than the eraser of a pencil, changes color in the presence of hydrogen and is detected with fiber optics.”

Pesticide Reduction Studied at New Jersey Cranberry Farms

BORDENTOWN, New Jersey, February 24, 2006 (ENS) - Rutgers University is undertaking a two year project to demonstrate that production of cranberries, one of the state’s highest valued crops, can be sustained while reducing farmers’ dependence on insecticides. New Jersey ranks third in cranberry acres harvested, behind Wisconsin and Massachusetts, with an annual crop value of $14 million.

On Wednesday, the Rutgers EcoComplex in Bordentown hosted the presentation of a $96,200 check from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the university to underwrite the project.

“New Jersey’s farms play an essential role in the state’s economy, but overuse of chemical insecticides can harm sensitive environments, such as the New Jersey Pinelands, where most of the state’s cranberries are grown,” said EPA Regional Administrator Alan Steinberg. “It’s a simple equation. The smaller the amount of chemicals applied to the cranberry crop, the smaller the amount that washes into our waterways.”

Rutgers will use the EPA funding to explore novel, reduced-risk methods for controlling insects and pests in cranberry production. The project is part of the agency’s overall efforts to promote Integrated Pest Management practices (IPM), protect public health and reduce nonpoint source pollution in ecologically sensitive watershed areas. It will also help reduce farm worker exposure to insecticide residues.

Rutgers University Blueberry and Cranberry Research and Extension Center will be working with state and county organizations and five farms in Burlington County to identify cost-effective ways to control fruit rotting diseases and track the impacts of reduced chemical pesticides on species in cranberry fields while measuring and recording the amounts of insecticides used.

Accepting the grant from EPA was Robert Goodman, the Dean of Rutgers University’s Cook College. The growers from the five farms, three in Chatsworth, one in Tabernacle and one in Browns Mills, also attended the presentation.

Integrated pest management relies on a combination of common-sense practices, such as mating disruption techniques.

The IPM approach includes the judicious use of pesticides, as compared to organic food production, which limits the use of pesticides to those that are produced from natural sources. The acceptance of the IPM approach in food production is best described as a continuum and Steinberg says the EPA’s goal is to move growers further along the continuum to using all appropriate IPM techniques.

Philadelphia Riverfront Brownfields Funded for Upgrades

The designation helps accelerate redevelopment deals and gives investors the incentive they need to clean up contaminated industrial sites. BAT projects typically get permitted in half the usual time.

“Our cities, towns and boroughs not only are economic centers, but they are regional hubs that offer residents culture, recreation and a unique way of living,” Governor Rendell said. “The ambitious projects planned here will make Philadelphia’s waterfronts more inviting and exciting places to live and play. It will also enhance the work we have done to make the city more attractive to investments that spur development and create jobs.”

The governor also announced the award of $400,000 to help develop a key recreational trail along the Schuylkill River.

Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty presented the $400,000 grant to the Schuylkill River Development Corp., a nonprofit community organization that is redeveloping the Schuylkill River corridor.

The group plans to create a 14 foot wide asphalt recreation trail along a section of the east bank of the river in the 34th Street-Grays Ferry Avenue area. The trail will provide recreational riverfront access that is now lacking.

“The riverfront access and recreational opportunities this trail will provide for families along the Schuylkill is a critical component to the larger redevelopment plans for this corridor,” McGinty said.

The Brownfield Action Team designation for the Schuylkill River site includes the planned assessment and remediation of several properties, which will then be developed as residential neighborhoods with supporting service businesses.

Approving a larger section of the riverfront as a BAT project now allows Philadelphia to add individual properties to this Schuylkill River Project as they become available, without having to apply for a new designation for each property. This will help to expedite the overall waterfront redevelopment.

The Northern Delaware River BAT site calls for the redevelopment of several properties into residential uses. These sites include Independence Pointe, Tacony Warehouse, Dodge Steel and Philadelphia Coke. As many as 2,600 residential units are planned for these properties, with supporting services businesses.

Philadelphia, Tacony Civic Association, Tacony Business Association and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council are all supporting the plan.

Launched in 2004, the Brownfield Action Team creates a single-point-of-contact to streamline permitting processes for sites that local officials target for redevelopment.

The BAT approach relies on communities to tell the DEP which brownfield projects are priorities for revitalizing an area and requires communities to show cleanup and financing plans as well as the proposed use of the site and its benefits to the area.

The funding comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfield Revitalization Act, which provides money to states to pay for assessments and cleanups. Pennsylvania has received about $1 million from the EPA in each of the last three fiscal years.