• New Jersey Flood Disaster
  
• Washington State Will Sue to Halt Nuclear Shipments to Hanford
  
• Shutdown at Illinois Nuclear Reactor Merits Special Inspection
  
• Oregon Opposes Salmon Summer Spill Reduction
  
• Hawaii Seeks to Protect State Waters in Northwestern Islands
  
• Wildlife Groups Back Bipartisan Bill to Help Lions, Wolves
  
• Feds Award $25 Million in Biomass Energy Research Grants
  
• Ag Department Releases Dry Milk as Cattle Feed
  

New Jersey Flood Disaster

Schneibner is one of thousands of people in Burlington County, New Jersey affected by floods last week that swept across the south-central part of the state. More than a foot of rain fell Monday and dams broke one after another, sending water rushing down from the upper region of Medford Lakes into the lower lakes and tributaries.

Hundreds of people were evacuated, parks and lakeside beaches were destroyed, and cars were washed away. Schneibner's home in Medford was filled with more than three feet of water.

The reamins of a dam that burst, releasing floods across south-central New Jersey. (Photo courtesy Bill Stevenson)

New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey declared an emergency in Burlington and Camden counties on Tuesday to mobilize state resources to deal with flooding and power outages, and damaged homes, dams and bridges.

President George W. Bush declared a major disaster for New Jersey, clearing the way for the use of federal funds to help meet the recovery needs of flooded families and businesses.

Michael Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, designated the counties of Burlington and Camden eligible for federal aid that can include grants to help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster-related expenses. Low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

In addition, Brown said federal funds will be provided for the state and affected local governments in Burlington County to pay 75 percent of the eligible costs for debris removal, emergency services related to the floods and the repair or replacement damaged public facilities.

Peter Martinasco of FEMA was named by Brown to coordinate federal recovery operations. Martinasco said that affected residents and business owners in Burlington and Camden counties can begin the disaster application process by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers opened Saturday and will be staffed from 8 am to 6 pm seven days a week until further notice.

Under the declaration, the counties of Burlington and Camden are eligible to apply for federal funding on a cost-shared basis for approved projects that reduce future disaster risks, Brown said. He indicated damage surveys are continuing and additional designations may be made later based on the results of the assessments.

Washington State Will Sue to Halt Nuclear Shipments to Hanford

This week, attorneys for the state will ask a federal judge for permission to expand the state’s original lawsuit, Washington v. Abraham, to include low-level and mixed low-level radioactive waste. The original lawsuit, filed in 2003, involves only shipments of transuranic waste.

Governor Gary Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire said Friday that the state intends to challenge the adequacy of the DOE’s environmental analysis, including the recently released Hanford Solid Waste Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The state believes the EIS does not comply with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

"Even if the EIS does comply with NEPA, the federal government should be barred from importing to Hanford until it is compliant with all cleanup law," Locke said.

The state will argue that the Energy Department has never provided a full accounting of the basis for its selection of Hanford as the disposal site for huge amounts of waste from around the country, and has done an inadequate analysis of the environmental risk posed by the massive groundwater contamination at Hanford.

"DOE has failed to prove that shipping more waste to Hanford won’t make the nation’s most contaminated site even worse," Gregoire said. "We expect DOE to fully comply with environmental safeguards and honor their Tri-Party clean-up commitments before any more waste is added to an already troubled situation."

The Tri-Party Agreement is a comprehensive cleanup and compliance agreement signed in 1989 by the Energy Department, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the State of Washington Department of Ecology.

It governs cleanup on the 586 square mile Hanford Site is located along the Columbia River in southeastern Washington State. A plutonium production complex with nine nuclear reactors and associated processing facilities, Hanford played a pivotal role in the nation's defense for more than 40 years, beginning in the 1940s. Today, Hanford is engaged in the world's largest environmental cleanup project.

At the Hanford Site are more than 50 million gallons of high-level liquid waste in 177 underground storage tanks, 2,300 tons of spent nuclear fuel, 12 tons of plutonium in various forms, about 25 million cubic feet of buried or stored solid waste, and about 270 billion gallons of groundwater contaminated above drinking water standards, spread out over about 80 square miles, more than 1,700 waste sites, and about 500 contaminated facilities.

In the lawsuit, the state will contest DOE’s decision that some ground water at Hanford is "irreversibly and irretrievably committed."

"The federal government cannot be allowed to walk away from cleaning up the ground water at Hanford," Gregoire said.

The state will seek an injunction halting further waste shipments of low-level and mixed low-level waste until DOE adequately addresses the environmental effects of shipping and storing more radioactive waste at Hanford.

Under DOE’s plan, 62,000 cubic meters of off-site radioactive waste, 20,000 cubic meters of off-site mixed low-level waste, and 15,500 cubic meters of transuranic waste would be shipped to Hanford.

But the EIS that Energy Department's plan is based on allows for as much as 219,663 cubic meters of low-level waste and 140,435 cubic meters of mixed low-level waste to be brought to Hanford.

To stabilize the high level nuclear waste that is already at Hanford, vitrification facilities are being constructed that will encapsulate it in glass. The Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will be the world’s largest radiochemical treatment facility. Scheduled for full operation in 2011, the WTP design work is currently 66 percent complete, while construction is 27 percent complete.

Shutdown at Illinois Nuclear Reactor Merits Special Inspection

Oregon Opposes Salmon Summer Spill Reduction

The "summer spill" over the dams helps young salmon migrate to the sea, but it cuts the output of hydroelectric facilities and utility executives have lobbied long and hard against the practice.

In its final decision, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said new mitigation measures will offset any harm caused to the fish by the reduced spill, citing the approval of the plan by NOAA Fisheries.

Federal officials estimate the reductions will cut summer spill at the four dams some 39 percent and will save Northwest ratepayers some $18 million to $28 million this year.

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski said the Bush plan does little to help ratepayers or the small businesses and rural communities that depend on commercial and sport fishing.

"No one has been able to guarantee that they will lower rates for consumers as a result of shutting off spills to generate and sell more power," Kulongoski said. "What is guaranteed, however, is that shutting off water spills will kill more fish."

The plan affects four dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers - in past years, summer spill continued through August 31 at the four dams.

The new plan will end spill operations at the Snake River’s Bonneville dam and the Columbia River’s The Dalles dam at the end of July.

Spill operations at Ice Harbor and John Day dams – both on the Columbia River – will end on August 22.

Critics argue the mitigation efforts fall far short and say the cuts in spill violate the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and gut the faltering federal salmon plan.

U.S. District Court Judge James Redden ruled in May 2003 the plan violated the ESA because there was no certainty that the recommended actions in the plan would be carried out.

Fear over the court’s reaction to reducing summer spills kept federal managers from approving the policy for the BPA in summer 2003.

Judge Redden originally ordered the Bush administration to revise the entire plan by June 2004 – in May he gave them an extension until November, but called for a draft to be released by the end of August.

The coalition filed a motion on Friday for a preliminary injunction to stop the plan from proceeding.

The motion is slated to come before Judge Redden on July 28, with a decision expected on July 30.

Hawaii Seeks to Protect State Waters in Northwestern Islands

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands coral reef ecosystem extends approximately 1,250 miles across the Pacific Ocean and encompasses an area of 131,800 square miles from Nihoa Island just northwest of Kauai to the northwesternmost point of land, Kure Atoll.

The region hosts more than 7,000 species, including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, threatened and endangered sea turtles and millions of seabirds.

The existing federal Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve boundaries surround, but do not include, state waters. State waters constitute the heart of the coral reef ecosystem, holding the majority of the area’s biodiversity.

The proposed marine refuge would establish long term conservation measures and implement an entry permit program for the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands within the jurisdictional boundaries of the State of Hawaii.

The DLNR says the proposed refuge would "strengthen coordinated management in the region by supporting appropriate research, monitoring, enforcement, restoration, and marine debris removal."

The proposal allows access for Native Hawaiian cultural, subsistence, and religious practices. A precautionary approach for decisionmaking outlined in the proposal would minimize risk when impacts of an activity are unknown.

Entry permits would be granted if they will "cause no harm to the refuge resources and be consistent with the management programs in the adjacent National Wildlife Refuge and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve area."

Fishing by hook-and-line methods would still be allowed in some specified areas, but some fishing vessels now operating in these waters would not be able to continue fishing.

KAHEA:The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance, an environmental organization that works for protection of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, says that "Native Hawaiian people, including kupuna, commercial fishermen, and coral scientists from throughout the world all support strong protections for the fragile ecosystems in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and recognize that this area is considered to be unique on the planet."

KAHEA Executive Director Cha Smith says the intent and purpose of the rule "should be revised to state that the principal purpose of the refuge is to ensure the long term conservation and protection of the unique coral reef ecosystems and related marine resources of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in their natural character for future generations."

Smith says that only the Board of Land and Natural Resources should issue permits to enter the state refuge waters. A provision in the rule allowing the DLNR Board to delegate permit authorization to a "representative" should be deleted, she says.

Public hearings on the proposed state rule will be held from July 21 to 29. For a complete schedule of hearings visit: http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/announce.htm

The proposed rule is online at: http://www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar/regs/ch60.5dr2.pdf

Wildlife Groups Back Bipartisan Bill to Help Lions, Wolves

The Great Cats and Rare Canids Act of 2004 was introduced July 13 by Congressmen Clay Shaw, a Florida Republican, and Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat.

It is supported by Defenders of Wildlife, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, Conservation International, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and World Wildlife Fund.

"This bill is an important contribution to U.S. efforts aimed at helping to conserve some of the world’s most cherished and imperiled animals. It underscores the recognition that assisting other nations in sustainably managing their natural resources offers a powerful and worthwhile opportunity for American leadership," said Nicholas Lapham, vice president for policy at Conservation International.

The legislation would establish a fund for the conservation of rare wild cats and wild dogs that are listed by the IUCN-World Conservation Union, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) or the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

"Of the 37 wild felid species worldwide, all are currently recognized as species in need of protection under the IUCN Red List, the lists of species in CITES appendices I, II, and III, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973," the bill states. "Of the 35 wild canid species worldwide, nearly 50 percent are recognized as in need of such protection."

Rare felids and canids face an array of threats, the bill states, including loss of habitat and natural prey, intentional and unintentional takings by humans, and disease transmission.

Their conservation requires "global commitment," and must be addressed in a coordinated manner, the bill states.

Canids identified in the bill as specifically in need of protection are a subspecies or population of dhole (Cuon alpinus), the gray wolf (Canis lupus), the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), and the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus).

Felids named as in need of protection are the lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), jaguar (Panthera onca), snow leopard (Uncia uncia), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), and Iberian lynx (Lynx pardina).

"The wild cat and dog species protected by this bill face a growing host of threats. Loss of habitat and habitat degradation, poaching and exploitation for skins and medicinal trades, disease, and pollution are all taking their toll," said Nina Fascione, vice president of field conservation for Defenders of Wildlife. "Fortunately, many of these threats are controllable. Today’s bill sets up a fund to assist in the conservation of these important species."

"This bill is a natural complement to other Multinational Species Conservation Funds established by Congress which contribute immensely to the conservation of flagship species," said Tom Dillon, director of species conservation for World Wildlife Fund. "The population of critically endangered black rhinos, for instance, has increased by 50 percent in just 10 years, from 2,400 to 3,600, thanks to funding from the U.S. and matching grants from private and public sources."

"Healthy populations of these species act as an important indicator of the integrity of entire ecosystems and, because they require large wild spaces to persist, benefit entire ecosystems and a large number of other species," the bill reasons. "Measures taken to benefit these keystone species will ultimately benefit a great number of other species."

Feds Award $25 Million in Biomass Energy Research Grants

Weyerhaeuser Company of Vanceboro, North Carolina was awarded $1.07 million for the advancement of high temperature black liquor gasification technology. Black liquor is the spent liquid left after the chemical process of turning wood into pulp for papermaking.

Rohm and Haas Company of Spring House, Pennsylvania, a specialty materials company with annual sales revenue of US$6.4 billion, was granted $2 million to develop new sustainable chemistry for adhesives, elastomers and foams.

These are two of the 22 projects that will receive $25.48 million in federal funds as part of the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, according to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.

Including the cost sharing of the private sector partners, the officials said Friday, the total value of the projects is nearly $38 million.

The joint grant program is part of the Bush administration's effort to increase America's energy independence through the development of additional renewable energy resources from the agricultural and agroforestry sectors.

Increased demand for production and processing of biomass will support traditional U.S. commodities such as corn, as well as create new cash crops for America's farmers and foresters said Abraham and Veneman.

"A new bioindustry will also encourage better use of agricultural and forestry residues, such as woody biomass. New processing facilities resulting from this increased demand will help stimulate rural communities and economies," they said.

In December 2003, President George W. Bush signed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act, which was aimed at reducing forest fire risks by making productive use of thinnings from forest lands. The brush and small diameter trees taken from public forests could be converted into multiple forms of fuel, the officials said.

"Our agencies have been working together over the last few years to promote our nation's biomass resources, which we believe will enhance our energy security, provide for a cleaner environment, and help to revitalize America's rural economy," said Energy Secretary Abraham.

"The projects announced today will move us closer to our goal of establishing biorefineries that produce power, fuels, chemicals and other valuable products," he said.

Some of the grants went to non-corporate organizations. In 2002, the Imperial Young Farmers and Ranchers of Imperial, Nebraska won a $40,000 grant to conduct a feasibility study for developing a biomass ethanol and electric facility that utilizes waste crops such as corn stover and wheat straw.

On Friday, the Imperial Young Farmers and Ranchers was granted $2 million for a project entitled, "Biomass Opportunity for Imperial Nebraska Region: What is the Value?" No description of this project was given, but the value is clear - it is $2 million at the very least.

Ag Department Releases Dry Milk as Cattle Feed

Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said Friday that the program will help livestock producers "maintain their herds until pastures regain growth."

In April 2003, Veneman established a national interagency drought council to monitor ongoing drought conditions and the impact on agriculture producers. The council also has worked to find ways to use existing programs and develop new initiatives to provide assistance to farmers and ranchers.

One of the programs developed by the council began last year and utilized surplus stocks of non-fat dry milk, which are not destined for human consumption.

About 95 counties in nine states currently meet the initial eligibility criteria for the nonfat dry milk program. The states with eligible counties are: Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.

To date, USDA has provided almost 400 million pounds of nonfat dry milk in 10 states and 85 counties to supplement the feed for 2.3 million head of beef cattle, sheep, goats and bison.

The non-fat dry milk program is in addition to emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program Acres that Veneman announced June 24 to provide relief for farmers and ranchers in qualifying areas.

To help producers find hay supplies, USDA has a website for producers to list information about the need for hay or the availability of hay for sale. The Hay Net website is located at: www.fsa.usda.gov/haynet/. Information about other programs available can be located at: www.disaster.usda.gov/.

The administration has enhanced the risk management tools that farmers have at their disposal. Last year, the Risk Management Agency provided more than $3.2 billion in indemnities and provided coverage for more than 75 percent of total cropland acreage.

The current drought is lowering reservoir levels and reducing irrigation supplies across the Wets, the USDA says.