• Kerry Pledges Environmental Protection
  
• Particulate Pollution, Heart Disease Connection Explored
  
• Steel Industry Faces New Emissions Limits
  
• Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant Leaks Sewage to Lake Ontario
  
• South Carolina Ag Commissioner Indicted in Cockfighting Case
  
• New Illinois Law Promotes Hunting on Public Lands
  
• California Hopes to Avert Blackouts With Flex Your Power Plan
  
• Urban Heat Island Effect Means Greener Cities
  

Kerry Pledges Environmental Protection

He described the United States as "a nation at war" and said much about war and peace and telling the truth to the citizens.

He said much about the outsourcing of American jobs and the shrinking of the middle class as jobs are shipped overseas and American people sink into poverty.

He said much about optimism and hope for the future under a Kerry administration.

And he even said a few words about the environment.

"My mother," said Kerry, "gave me her passion for the environment. She taught me to see trees as the cathedrals of nature."

When he was a junior in high school, Kerry told the convention delegates, he was inspired by President John Kennedy who "called my generation to service."

"It was the beginning of a great journey," he said, "a time to march for civil rights, for voting rights, for the environment, for women, and for peace. We believed we could change the world. And you know what? We did."

Then, envisioning himself as President, Kerry implicitly pledged to conduct the environmental business of the nation in an open and transparent manner, saying, "I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws."

With that comment, Kerry was referring to Vice President Dick Cheney's National Energy Task force, which conducted closed door meetings to write the National Energy Policy announced by President George W. Bush in May 2001.

Several lawsuits seeking documents from those meetings are still before the courts.

Kerry said American dependence on foreign oil leaves the country weaker than it should be and with less control of its future. "We value an America that controls its own destiny because it's finally and forever independent of Mideast oil," he said.

"What does it mean for our economy and our national security when we only have three percent of the world's oil reserves, yet we rely on foreign countries for 53 percent of what we consume?" he demanded.

"I want an America that relies on its own ingenuity and innovation – not the Saudi royal family," referring to President Bush's alliance with the Saudis and that of his father President George H.W. Bush.

"Our energy plan for a stronger America will invest in new technologies and alternative fuels and the cars of the future - so that no young American in uniform will ever be held hostage to our dependence on oil from the Middle East," Kerry pledged.

Particulate Pollution, Heart Disease Connection Explored

Leavitt said the largest research grant ever awarded by the EPA will be used to assess "the health risks from long-term exposure to particulate pollution, particularly as it relates to heart disease, the leading cause of death in our country."

The University of Washington (UW) will be the lead institution for the research, but nine other universities are involved. A total of 25 researchers, most of them from UW have been named to the project.

The grant is the largest ever awarded by the EPA for scientific research, and will contribute to a better understanding of the long-term health effects of breathing air contaminated by particulate matter and other pollutants.

In a recent evaluation of the EPA's research on particulate matter (PM), the National Research Council highlighted the need for a prospective epidemiology study to extend the government's knowledge of long-term PM exposure.

Leavitt said the grant responds to this need by examining the association between ambient air pollution, including fine particles and other pollutants, and the progression of cardiovascular disease in 8,700 people ages 50 to 89.

The study will track people who are from varied ethnic groups who live in cities across the country.

The researchers will evaluate whether long-term exposure to fine particles is associated with specific changes in atherosclerosis - buildup of plaque in the arteries - and other factors associated with heart disease.

Particulates are emitted by coal burning power plants, factories, construction sites, cars, trucks, buses, tilled fields, unpaved roads, stone crushing, and the burning of wood. Other particles may be formed in the air when gases emitted from burning fuels react with sunlight and water vapor.

Premature death and other health problems are strongly related to sulfates in the air and ambient concentrations of fine particles less than 2.5 micrograms. Long-term exposure to ambient, airborne particulate matter is associated with increased mortality, largely due to cardiovascular causes and serious respiratory problems. In addition, chronic exposure to particulates can cause decreased development of lung function among school-age children.

The University of Washington will provide the EPA with an annual scientific report of data and findings, which will be used to inform EPA research and regulatory decisions.

Steel Industry Faces New Emissions Limits

The proposal would apply to coke oven emissions from nine batteries at five coke plants throughout the country.

In 1993, the EPA issued emissions standards for these batteries, requiring them to utilize maximum achievable control technology (MACT) to reduce toxic air emissions.

The residual risk provisions of the Clean Air Act are intended to reduce health risks from coke oven emissions that remain now that MACT standards have been implemented.

Coke oven emissions include polycyclic organic matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, and other air toxics that are associated with a variety of adverse health effects including cancers and disorders of the blood, central nervous system, and respiratory system, the EPA says.

The proposal would require these batteries to meet more stringent visible emission limits using a combination of pollution prevention and work practices.

Among the new requirements proposed, allowable visible emissions from coke oven doors would be reduced. Allowable visible emissions from covers placed over openings through which coal is added to the oven would be reduced.

And allowable visible emissions from piping systems that provide passage for raw coke oven gas would be reduced.

The EPA says that the proposal "will have little economic impact on the coke industry" because most of these coke oven batteries are already reducing emissions beyond the 1993 MACT requirements and are achieving the proposed emission limits.

The EPA will accept public comment on the proposed amendments for 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. To read a copy of the proposal and a fact sheet summarizing the action, visit: http://www.epa.gov/airlinks/airlinks3.html

Nine Mile Point Nuclear Plant Leaks Sewage to Lake Ontario

South Carolina Ag Commissioner Indicted in Cockfighting Case

Sharpe is charged with 12 counts, including extortion, money laundering and making false statements to federal law enforcement officials. U.S. Attorney J. Strom Thurmond, Jr. announced the charges Thursday and said that Sharpe had been taken into police custody.

A statement released by Thurmond's office says the indictment alleges that Sharpe solicited and received payments from the South Carolina Gamefowl Management Association (SCGMA) and their associates.

Thurmond's office called SCGMA an organization of individuals "interested and involved in the raising, breeding and fighting of gamefowl." The indictment alleges that Sharpe attempted to "intercede on SCGMA's behalf with local law enforcement."

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is calling for Sharpe's resignation. "Commissioner Sharpe should immediately resign his position as Agriculture Commissioner because of the very serious nature of these accusations," said HSUS President Wayne Pacelle.

"If these charges are upheld at trial, Commissioner Sharpe will have been found to have abetted a barbaric form of animal cruelty, broken a range of federal laws, and completely violated the public's trust. In exchange for thousands of dollars, he has allegedly used his connections and his stature to provide protection for an organized criminal network of cockfighters," said Pacelle.

In addition to being what Pacelle calls "a gruesome and barbaric practice," he points out that breeding and transporting fighting roosters for cockfighting is implicated in the spread of diseases, such as Exotic Newcastle Disease, that can decimate the poultry industry.

New Illinois Law Promotes Hunting on Public Lands

“This new law recognizes the important role hunters and trappers play in conserving wildlife, habitats and the ecosystems on which wildlife depend, while at the same enjoying a form of outdoor recreation that has been part of our state’s heritage from its founding,” Governor Blagojevich said.

“Recreational hunting is perhaps the most important component of effective wildlife management, and this legislation helps remind us of the importance of our hunting heritage,” he said.

Illinois hunters shoot deer, turkeys, geese, ducks and doves, pheasant, and rabbits.

The law, which will take effect January 1, 2005, requires that lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources be open to access and use of recreational hunting, except when limited for reasons of public safety, fish and wildlife management, or homeland security.

The legislation requires that the Department support, promote, and enhance recreational hunting and, to the greatest extent possible, not take actions which result in any net loss of land available to hunting.

The new law also requires that the Department report annually whether any acreage it manages is closed to hunting and whether other lands are opened to hunting to compensate.

Department of Natural Resources Director Joel Brunsvold said, “We are always looking for ways to expand public access to hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation. One of our duties as a wildlife management and natural resources agency is to recognize, preserve, and promote our special heritage of recreational hunting and trapping and this new law supports that."

California Hopes to Avert Blackouts With Flex Your Power Plan

When the California Independent System Operator (ISO) or the state’s utilities determine that power reserves are expected to be tight, the coalition will activate a “Flex Your Power Now!” alert system, calling on Californians to immediately reduce their energy use. The coalition includes the California ISO, California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, as well as other municipal utilities and private companies.

These same organizations joined forces in 2001 to help Californians reduce overall average peak demand by a historic 8.4 percent and avert blackouts.

The California ISO has stated in its 2004 Summer Assessment report that under extreme weather conditions, with unforeseen power plant outages or transmission line problems, operating reserves could fall below required levels, thus prompting Stage One Electrical Emergencies.

On such days – Flex Your Power Now! days – the ISO will notify the coalition, which will then alert the general public and major energy users that they should follow simple conservation measures to reduce energy use.

Communication will occur through numerous channels including media, business associations, government entities and e-mail.

“Over the past several years, we ‘flexed our power’ and demonstrated that by working together, we can conserve significant amounts of energy,” said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “This summer, and in the future, I urge you to heed the Flex Your Power Now! message and take voluntary measures to conserve energy, help the state and save money on your energy bills.”

The California ISO has identified 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. as the critical time period when energy usage reaches its peak. The largest users of peak energy are air conditioners, appliances and lighting.

“The PUC has worked hard to ensure electricity reliability for California this summer and beyond,” said PUC President Michael Peevey. “This summer, should an unforeseen emergency warrant an immediate statewide conservation alert, Flex Your Power Now! will allow us to quickly reach Californians to ask them to increase their conservation efforts.”

"LADWP is prepared for the summer, but all of us need to pitch in to ease the load on our statewide power system," Mayor Jim Hahn said. "Simple steps like using your dishwasher after 6 p.m. or turning off your computer monitor when you are away from your desk will not only keep the lights on across the state, but will save you money on your electricity bill and help make our environment cleaner."

The effort builds on the Spare the Air campaign, which alerts Californians on high-smog days and asks them to reduce use of vehicles and other equipment that causes air pollution.

Urban Heat Island Effect Means Greener Cities

Urban areas with high concentrations of buildings, roads and other artificial surfaces retain heat, creating urban heat islands. Satellite data reveal that urban heat islands increase surface temperatures compared to rural surroundings.

Using information from NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Terra satellite, Boston University researchers discovered that city climates have a noticeable influence on plant growing seasons up to 10 kilometers (6 miles) away from a city's edges. Growing seasons in 70 cities in eastern North America were about 15 days longer in urban areas compared to rural areas outside of a city's influence.

"If you live in a rural area and drive regularly into the city, and if you pay attention to vegetation, you will see a difference in the growing seasons in early spring and late autumn," said Xiaoyang Zhang, the study's lead author and a researcher at Boston University. The study appeared in a recent issue of the American Geophysical Union's journal "Geophysical Research Letters."

Zhang said that urban heat islands provide a very good model to assess the effects of global warming on plant growing seasons and ecosystems.

Zhang and colleagues found that for every 1 degree Celsius (C) or 1.8 Fahrenheit (F) that temperatures rose on average during the early springtime, vegetation bloomed three days earlier.

Springtime land surface temperatures in eastern North American cities are warmer than surrounding rural areas, according to the study. These higher urban temperatures caused plants to start greening-up on average seven days earlier in spring. Similarly, in urban heat island areas, the growing season lasted eight days longer in the fall than the rural areas.

The researchers used MODIS surface reflectance data to measure seasonal changes in plant growth for the entire year of 2001.

By accounting for angles of views from the satellite, varying sunlight, land surface temperatures, cloud cover, and the presence of snow, the scientists were able to detect daily variations in the green color of plants.

Only eastern North American cities with urban areas larger than 10 square kilometers (four square miles) were included in the study.

The researchers found that the effect urban heat islands have on plants' growing seasons is exponentially weaker the further away from the city one travels. Significant effects were seen up to 10 kilometers (six miles) from city lines.

"Warming from global climate change will definitely impact ecosystems," Zhang said. "Thus, urban areas provide us with some measures of how changes in temperature might affect vegetation."