• Scientists Warn EPA Underestimates Ozone Health Risk
  
• Critics Question Idaho BLM Reorganization
  
• New Jersey Moves to Fight Sprawl, Protect Water Quality
  
• New Tanks Could Solve MTBE Worries
  
• New Sonar Could Be a Big Step Forward for Marine Navigation
  
• Survey Hails Beaver Baffling
  
• Feds Ask for Private Lands Conservation Proposals
  
• Researcher Studies Birds for Insights Into Hunger
  

Scientists Warn EPA Underestimates Ozone Health Risk

To calculate air quality standards for ozone, the EPA distinguishes between the background or "natural" levels of ozone in the air and that caused by pollution in North America.

But research by the scientists indicates that the agency is "overestimating the background level, and as a result is underestimating the health risk associated with ozone pollution," explains atmospheric chemist Arlene Fiore says.

This assumption skews the air quality standards that EPA sets, making them weaker than they could be, Fiore and co-authors report in the "Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres", which is published by the American Geophysical Union.

Ozone pollution, formed by reactions involving hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, is a key component of smog and a serious air pollutant in cities across the United States.

Ozone causes respiratory health problems and is of particular concern for children, the elderly and individuals with existing respiratory ailments.

The Harvard team used a three dimensional model of atmospheric chemistry to simulate background ozone for the United States and found great variability in ozone, depending upon the season, elevation, and geographic area.

"It is highest at high altitude western U.S. sites in spring," Fiore said. "Results from our modeling study also indicate that frequent springtime high ozone events, which were previously attributed by some researchers to a natural, stratospheric source, are driven largely by pollution."

The researchers say the big question now for the EPA and the scientific community is whether risk levels of ozone should be calculated on a type of sliding scale, depending upon the season and place.

Fiore says the research team's answer is "a resounding yes."

"Our modeling study shows that background ozone concentrations in surface air are highly variable, and this variability in background ozone - and its associated risk level - should be taken into account," she said.

Critics Question Idaho BLM Reorganization

Lynn Bennett, Idaho BLM state director, says the reorganizations are supported by a broad cross section of Idaho's citizens and governmental entities. In an announcement of the reorganization, Bennett said the effort involves establishing a new district office in Twin Falls, renaming several offices and separating the Owyhee and Bruneau field offices, which were merged in 2000.

"We will be working to accomplish these organizational shifts over the coming year," Bennett said. "Suggestions and ideas enabling implementation of these refinements are welcome; it is my intent to continue to seek and be responsive to public needs, employee concerns and improve intergovernmental coordination".

But some conservationists say the reorganization plan will hamper the BLM's ability to effectively manage federal lands in Idaho.

"BLM is playing a million dollar game of musical chairs while neglecting gaping wildlife, range and land management needs," said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

The largest element of this reorganization involves splitting the Owyhee Field Office in two with one of the new separate field offices to be located in Marsing, some 35 miles from Boise. PEER says this will involve moving some 20 employees from the Boise office, a move that will cost some $1 million and reverses cost saving consolidations undertaken in the 1990s.

"This move is political payback to a very few but very connected Owyhee ranchers who want revenge against BLM range staff but since the BLM staff cannot be fired for doing their jobs, the next best thing is to induce them to resign or retire to avoid being moved to Idaho's version of Siberia," Ruch said.

PEER says hostility from Owyhee County officials has caused BLM staff to request a safety review to address staff concerns about assaults and lack of local law enforcement cooperation.

In a letter to Rebecca Watson, the Assistant Secretary of Interior, PEER is asking that the agency reconsider the reorganization and examine the manner and motives of BLM Idaho State Director K. Lynn Bennett in ordering the personnel shifts.

The organization contends that the effort is moving staff away from land users, cooperating agencies and the public customer base and is wasting valuable and limited BLM resources.

In addition, PEER says Bennett did not consult all major stakeholders about the plan - in particular tribes, wild horse advocates and conservation groups were not contacted or consulted about the move.

PEER maintains that the move to Marsing was already set in concrete without any evaluation of the field office's customer base, without establishing the cost of a new office and without thinking through the effects on employees and the future of BLM Idaho.

"The only result we can count on from this reorganization is that BLM Idaho will have more managers and fewer staff in the field," added Ruch. "Some people strive for achievement while others merely reorganize."

New Jersey Moves to Fight Sprawl, Protect Water Quality

The rules aim to minimize the impact hundreds of new development projects by encouraging recharge of rainwater into the ground and controlling development within a 300 foot buffer around more than 6,000 miles of high quality waterways.

McGreevey said the new rules reflect that the state will not bow to pressure from developers and other industry groups who are displeased with efforts to limit development in order to protect drinking water and preserve open space.

"Our efforts to protect drinking water will only get stronger, not weaker," McGreevey said. "These stormwater rules are the most comprehensive set of water protections in the nation - no other state has required statewide 300-foot buffers around its high quality waters. They will prove to be a critical tool in our fight against sprawl."

The first set of adopted rules updates the state's Stormwater Management Rules for the first time since their original adoption in 1983. The rules provide the basis for municipalities to develop stormwater management plans and also will affect requirements of several state-issued permits such as freshwater wetlands and stream encroachment permits.

The second set of adopted stormwater rules requires municipalities, large public complexes such as hospitals, and highway systems to develop stormwater management programs through the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) permit program.

The new NJDPES permits address requirements of the federally mandated Environmental Protection Agency Phase II stormwater rules published in December 1999.

While at least six other states provide for protective buffers and groundwater recharge in certain areas, no other state calls for a 300 foot buffer around all of its critical waterbodies and no net loss of recharge into underground aquifers.

"This is a huge victory for our environment," said Jeff Tittel, executive director of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club.

The Stormwater Management Rules also stress performance standards for ground water recharge to increase the integrity of the state's aquifers. They establish a goal of maintaining 100 percent of the average annual groundwater recharge for new development projects, a major initiative toward mitigating future droughts and flooding.

In addition to recharge standards, the regulations also stress water quality controls, such as best management practices to reduce runoff of total suspended solids by 80 percent and other pollutants up to the maximum extent feasible.

The rules promote smart growth techniques, stressing low impact site designs for stormwater management systems that maintain natural vegetation and drainage and reduce clear cutting and the unnecessary loss of trees.

Many of the rules are waived and streamlined in urban areas, however, promoting urban redevelopment while still protecting the environment.

"With these rules, Governor McGreevey has taken the single, largest step of any state in the nation to protect drinking water, the environment and future generations," said Maya von Rossum, the Delaware River Keeper. "He has set the standard for the rest of the nation to follow."

New Tanks Could Solve MTBE Worries

The study, which appears in the January 1 issues of "Environmental Science & Technology," reports there are more than 1,100 gas stations with leaking underground fuel tanks in the greater Los Angeles area.

The researchers analyzed data from groundwater samples taken at 868 of these facilities, measuring the concentration of each oxygenate, such as MTBE, and examining the "plume length" - the distance that leakage travels.

MTBE - methyl tertiary butyl ether - is fuel additive that has been used in U.S. gasoline at low levels since 1979 as an octane enhancer and in larger concentrations since 1992 to reduce harmful emissions from gasoline.

It has helped reduce emissions, but MTBE is readily soluble in water and has been detected in ground and drinking water in every state in the nation.

Although the health risks of the suspected carcinogen have not been widely researched, low levels of MTBE can make drinking water supplies undrinkable due to its offensive odor and taste and the chemical is relatively persistent in ground water.

The researchers caution that expanded use of MTBE alternatives may pose as much of an environmental threat as their predecessor

"Several other fuel oxygenates with similar properties are present in formulations supplied to gasoline stations," said Tom Shih, an environmental scientist with the California Environmental Protection Agency. "However, unlike MTBE, there is virtually no research on the environmental behavior of these alternative fuel oxygenates."

Without a better understanding of these chemicals, there is a risk of repeating the MTBE problem, Shih said.

The study focused on MTBE and four other additives with similar properties: tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA), tertiary amyl-methyl ether (TAME), diisopropyl ether (DIPE), and ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE).

As the researchers expected, MTBE was the most common contaminant; it was detected at 82.5 percent of the sites. TBA was a close second at 61.1 percent, while the other three oxygenates were all detected at frequencies below 25 percent.

"All indications suggest that the alternative oxygenates would pose groundwater contamination threats similar to MTBE if their scales of usage were expanded," the researchers said.

The implication, according to Shih, is that replacing MTBE with other oxygenates could lead to a replay of the current problem with a different contaminant.

The solution, Shih says, is to stop the leaks before they start.

"With proper design, it is entirely possible to have underground fuel tanks that do not leak," Shih says.

California, Connecticut and New York enacted bans on MTBE on January 1 and 17 other states are considering restrictions or bans on the fuel additive.

New Sonar Could Be a Big Step Forward for Marine Navigation

With a range of 1,000 feet, a 90 degree field of view, and a refresh rate of just two seconds, the device will allow marine vessels to avoid collisions with submerged obstacles

"We have been told that we have broken the laws of physics with this technology, but we have not - we have just opened the world up below the water line," said James Miller, a professor of ocean engineering at the University of Rhode Island.

Miller began development of the technology at the university along with former student Matthew Zimmerman, who is now the vice president of engineering for FarSounder, which recently began commercial production of the new sonar system.

"This is a revolutionary leap for marine navigation, especially since most navigational charts in use today are more than 50 years old and many waterways are constantly changing," Miller said.

The company says the FS-3 device could potentially save the marine industry $2 to $3 billion per year in direct and indirect damage costs.

The FS-3 is designed primarily for midsize workboats (70-200 feet) like barges, tugs, offshore oil supply boats, research vessels, and ferries, but it is also of interest to large recreational vessels, the Navy and its contractors, and many others.

It provides high resolution images of common hazards such as submerged shipping containers, whales, coral reefs, buoys, rocks and coastal ledge, and it is especially useful in navigating shallow waters or for nighttime navigation in unfamiliar harbors.

"There are 22,000 floating shipping containers in the oceans on any given day, and they are of great concern to ships' captains around the world," said FarSounder CEO Cheryl Zimmerman. "Owners of petro-chemical barges, in particular, are concerned about any type of collision due to the environmental costs that might result from damage to their vessels."

"Just think of the cost of the Exxon Valdez disaster," Miller added. "If that captain could have had a map of the seafloor ahead of him, that disaster could have been avoided."

The sonar transmitter and listening devices are encased in a bow-mounted transducer that operates at frequencies well above the hearing range of whales, so marine mammals will not be impacted by its operation, company officials said.

Survey Hails Beaver Baffling

When beavers build dams in culverts, streams, and other waterways, they often cause a backup in water flow that can flood roads, yards, and septic systems.

State wildlife agencies often promote beaver trapping to mitigate these problems, but The Fund for Animals says this is inhumane and ineffective because migrating beavers move in when others are removed.

The organization's beaver baffling program includes installation of pipe based water flow control devices inserted through beaver dams or culverts to keep water at the desired level.

"Beavers have an instinctive response to block any spot where they hear the sound of running water, yet the device works through deception," said Laura Simon, urban wildlife director for The Fund for Animals. "It moves water silently so the beavers do not hear the sound of running water, and the water level can then be controlled unbeknownst to the beavers."

The key is simply proper installation and maintenance, Simon says.

Thirty six people were interviewed for the survey, representing sixteen town or agency staff and twenty private homeowners. Because multiple devices were installed for some respondents, this survey assessed how a total of 54 devices were working.

"This survey proves that humane methods are effective and cannot simply be dismissed by trapping proponents," said Simon. "It shows a low failure rate with minimal maintenance requirements, and the vast majority of respondents found the maintenance to be well worth the effort."

Feds Ask for Private Lands Conservation Proposals

Some $7.1 million is available to support on the ground conservation efforts on private lands through this grant.

The program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to individuals and groups engaged in voluntary conservation efforts on private lands that benefit imperiled species including federally listed endangered or threatened species as well as proposed, candidate, and other "at risk" species.

Landowners and their partners may submit proposals directly to the Service for funding to support those efforts.

"This cost share grant program exemplifies President Bush's cooperative conservation initiatives," said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. "Private stewardship grants encourage and support landowners and their partners to design and carry out efforts to conserve species and protect habitat on private lands."

In May 2003, the Service awarded 113 grants totaling more than $9.4 million to individuals and groups to undertake conservation projects for endangered, threatened and other at risk species on private lands in 43 states.

These grants have supported private conservation efforts and foster the development of voluntary partnerships - for example, a $100,000 grant was used to help restore fish habitat in Idaho's Teton River.

A $127,700 grant helped Umikoa Ranch on the Big Island of Hawaii implement a program to protect endangered species by improving habitat while reducing threats posed by invasive species.

The private landowners constructed a pond to benefit endangered wildlife; installed an ungulate exclusion fence to protect 50 acres of land to benefit endangered plants and enhance native habitat; and plan to eliminate invasive species within special management areas.

The endangered Hawaiian Duck has been sighted on ranch lands and the project is located within the historic range of numerous other listed species such as the Hawaii Creeper and the Hawaiian Hawk.

For more information regarding this grant opportunity and on how and where to submit proposals, visit the Service’s Private Stewardship Grants website here.

Researcher Studies Birds for Insights Into Hunger

"We often think of our stomachs as having a clock," said Thomas Van't Hof, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Wright State. "We anticipate food, and our gastrointestinal tract is prepared for food when it arrives. Our research investigates how this happens."

Van't Hof says biological clocks in the brain, and maybe in the gut, guide hunger impulses and other daily activities in mammals and birds.

He recently returned from Japan, where he presented lectures and conducted research on circadian - or 24 hour - rhythms in birds.

Van't Hof's research in Japan involved clock genes, or genes that cycle in a daily pattern, that are found in the gut.

"We want to understand how the clock in the gut is sustained, the role of food and nutrition in sustaining the gut's rhythm and the role of melatonin, a chemical in the brain, in organizing the activity of the gut," he explained.

Van't Hof said the goal of his research is "to increase our understanding of these clocks in the gut with respect to metabolic conditions, and also to shed light on why we get hungry when we do and why we often eat more than we should."

The Wright State faculty member has presented several lectures on this topic in the past year in Japan and the U.S. and has been pursuing research on biological clocks for more than 10 years.