AmeriScan: June 26, 2001

U.S. GOVERNMENT SUED OVER RULING ON AIR CONDITIONERS

NEW YORK, New York, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - A legal challenge has been filed against the Department of Energy (DOE) over the agency's attempts to block an energy efficiency rule for air conditioners.

The state attorneys general of New York, Connecticut and California have joined the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Consumer Federation of America and the Public Utility Law Project in filing suit against Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham for his department's attempt to weaken a rule made in the final days of the Clinton administration.

"This is a time when the federal government should be doing everything possible to encourage the efficient use of energy," said New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. "Instead, the Bush administration has dramatically weakened one of the most effective ways to conserve energy. With this lawsuit, we are seeking to compel the administration to adopt a more forward looking course that will help lower energy bills and reduce air pollution."

In separate lawsuits, the plaintiffs charge that the DOE has illegally attempted to delay and weaken a final rule that set the minimum energy efficiency standard for residential air conditioners and heat pumps at a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of 13. That SEER represents an efficiency increase of 30 percent from the previous federal standard of 10.

The Bush administration wants to weaken the air conditioner standard from 13 to 12 SEER. NRDC calculates that the roll back would increase peak electric demand in the U.S. by 18,000 megawatts (MW) by 2030, forcing the construction of 60 new power plants of 300 MW capacity.

Total annual electricity consumption by U.S. households would increase by 11 billion kilowatt hours by 2020 and over the period from 2006 to 2030, U.S. consumers would pay a total of $18.4 billion more to run air conditioners. Emissions of carbon dioxide would also increase by 45 megatonnes.

"Secretary Abraham's plan to weaken the air conditioner efficiency standard is in blatant violation of federal law," said NRDC attorney Katherine Kennedy. "Under federal energy law, DOE can't change an energy efficiency standard to make it weaker, so DOE is trying to act as if the Clinton Administration's final rule was just a proposal and make it go away."

AGRICULTURE AGENCY AWARDS $2.4 MILLION FOR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WASHINGTON, DC, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved $2.4 million in grants to promote the development of alternative energy sources.

"These grants will help further the development of biomass fuel facilities that utilize agricultural products in finding long term energy solutions," said Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman. "Agriculture is part of the solution to energy shortfalls and we continue seeking these type of projects in support of the President's energy strategy."

In May, President George W. Bush unveiled his national energy policy, which included a greater reliance on alternative and renewable energy sources, including the use of biofuels and biomass energy sources. Ethanol is the most widely used biofuel, and its production is now 1.9 billion gallons a year, representing an almost ten fold growth from about 200 million gallons a year in 1980.

When complete, the new USDA grants will bring an additional 105 million gallons of ethanol production to the U.S.

"For centuries, America's agricultural producers have brought us safe and reliable food for our tables," said Veneman. "Today, agriculture is a leading force in finding alternative uses for raw commodities and playing a key role in developing renewable sources for tomorrow's energy needs."

Examples of funded projects include a proposal in Michigan to construct a soybean oil refinery capable of converting raw soybean oil into food grade oil; efforts in North Dakota to develop a marketing and sales strategy for fiberboard products made of wheat straw; and in California where grant funds will be used for market development of a new wild rice product.

Funds for the Value-Added Agricultural Product Market Development Grant program are administered through the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, an agency within USDA Rural Development. Additional program funding and grant application procedures are available at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov

A complete list of grant recipients is available at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/newsroom/2001/vadgrecips.html

$1.4 MILLION AWARDED FOR NEW CARISSA OIL SPILL DAMAGES

COOS BAY, Oregon, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - Clausen Oysters of Coos Bay, Oregon has been awarded $1,425,486 in damages caused by the oil spill from the NEW CARISSA in February of 1999.

On Friday, a 12 person federal jury in Eugene, Oregon, after deliberating for about three and a half hours, returned a unanimous verdict in favor of Clausen Oysters. The company's losses were due to the large number of oysters killed by exposure to oil from the ship that entered and circulated in Coos Bay on the strong winter tides following the grounding.

The damages were awarded under the federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Oregon Oil Spill Act. Under the Oregon Oil Spill Act, the Clausens are also entitled to obtain their attorneys' fees and other litigation costs from the owner of the vessel.

"We are absolutely delighted for the Clausens," said Bud Walsh, lead attorney for Clausen and a partner with the San Francisco law offices of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. "Their small business had been brought to its knees by this tragic event and the refusal by the ship's claim adjusters to offer a settlement that made them whole."

Walsh called upon the NEW CARISSA's owners and insurers to pay as soon as possible both the amount awarded by the jury and the costs the Clausens were forced to incur in fighting to get fair payment for their injuries.

"It is truly disappointing that the Clausens had to fight one of the world's largest shipping companies to recover their losses," Walsh added. The vessel and the oil in it were owned by Taiheiyo Kaiun Co., Ltd., a Japanese company.

CLIMATE SUMMIT DRAWS SCIENTISTS, BUSINESS AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS

WASHINGTON, DC, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - A coalition of community leaders - representing more than 100 million Americans and over $300 billion in annual revenues - gathered Monday at a Citizens Summit on Climate Change to urge lawmakers to slow global warming.

"We come from different backgrounds and perspectives, but we all agree that global warming is one of the century's most pressing environmental, economic and ethical concerns," said Howard Ris, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists. "All segments of society have a responsibility to act, and our government, including both the Congress and the Bush administration, should lead the way."

About 40 business executives, religious leaders, economists and scientists from 12 key states are attending the three day Citizens Summit, which includes workshops, an interfaith service, and meetings with congressional representatives and their staff. The sponsoring organizations' members include faith groups such as the United States Catholic Conference and the National Council of Churches of Christ, and businesses such as Enron, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Maytag, and York International, as well as scientists conducting research on climate change.

"To be faithful stewards of the Earth, we must curb global warming," said Paul Gorman, executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. "The United States is disproportionately responsible for the global warming problem. As a result, our nation has a moral obligation to lead the response."

At the summit, 12 state petitions signed by more than 800 scientists were sent to Capitol Hill calling for stronger congressional leadership and policies to stem global warming. The scientists agree that an unprecedented consensus exists among the world's climate change community that global warming is underway.

The scientists are convinced that enough is known about global warming to warrant bold action to prevent the worst consequences of a warming climate.

"Businesses across the country have demonstrated that reducing carbon emissions will not threaten economic growth," said Michael Marvin, president of the Business Council for Sustainable Energy. "In fact, clean energy technologies could substantially slow climate change while cleaning the air and creating more jobs."

MASSACHUSETTS FUEL CELL RESEARCHERS GET $17.9 MILLION

BOSTON, Massachusetts, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - The Department of Energy (DOE) is making $17.9 million in financial assistance awards to fund new research in advanced fuel cells at three Massachusetts companies.

The announcement came as part of a visit to highlight the Bush Administration's National Energy Policy and its impact on the New England region.

"One of the key recommendations of the National Energy Policy is to improve energy efficiency through the implementation of innovative technology," said Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. "Fuel cell research is very promising as a future power source for transportation and buildings but high component costs, start up time, and size and weight remain barriers to introducing these new technologies to the public."

Nuvera Fuel Cells was selected for a $11,350,000 cost shared contract to develop an advanced high efficiency quick start fuel processor for transportation applications.

Mechanology LLC will receive a $2,735,000 contract to develop and test the Toroidal Intersecting Vane Machine (TIVM) air compressor/expander/motor (CEM) design.

Arthur D. Little Inc. was selected for several contracts including a $425,000 contract to study fuels for vehicle fuel cell power systems; a $2,200,000 contract to develop a next generation hybrid compressor/expander module for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell system; a $580,000 contract to analyze the use of polymer electrolyte membrane and solid oxide fuel cells for vehicles; and a $620,000 contract to analyze the potential impact of fuel cell commercialization on the platinum group metal market.

Secretary Abraham also participated in a roundtable discussion with high-tech and energy investment leaders on the National Energy Policy, and viewed a presentation of products produced by several Boston area high-tech companies.

"The Bush Administration recognizes that the private sector must ultimately finance and make the investments in America's energy infrastructure to construct new power plants, add new pipelines and upgrade the transmission grid," said Abraham.

NEW YORK CITY STOPS SHIPMENTS OF SEWAGE TO TEXAS DUMP

SIERRA BLANCA, Texas, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - The largest sewage sludge dump on Earth, the 81,000 acre municipal industrial dump at Sierra Blanca, will no longer be accepting toxic sewage from New York City.

The New York Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) has canceled its 15 year, $500 million contract with MERCO NYC, which runs the Sierra Blanca dump in the high desert of Texas. MERCO was in its third year of the contract, which was renewed in 1998.

MERCO earned $168 million from the NYC DEP by dumping New York City sewage at Sierra Blanca between 1992 and 1998.

Ten dry tons of sludge cake were spread on each acre of the dump each year. A minimum of 250 tons per day and a maximum of 400 tons a day were dumped over the surface of the registered 81,000 acre land application area, under the guise of fertilizing the desert land.

The sewage sludge contained several contaminants, including lead, PCBs, dioxin, pesticides and other pollutants. New York City sewage is not allowed to be spread or even landfilled in New York State, because the material fails state standards for copper and lead at many of the NYC treatment plants.

RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDITS COULD SUPPORT GREEN POWER

NEW YORK, New York, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - Thirty of the nation's top renewable energy professionals gathered last week to discuss future markets for Tradable Renewable Energy Credits.

The tradable credits are touted as a new means for facilitating the development of environmentally friendly renewable energy.

Hosted by the Center for Resource Solutions, the meeting aimed to create a set of recommended criteria for the certification of renewable energy products. Tradable Renewable Energy Credits (TRCs), also known as green tags or green certificates, represent the collective environmental, social and other benefits that can be separated from the electrical power generated at renewable energy facilities.

TRCs may be sold separately from electricity or combined with system power at the point of sale. Energy experts and representatives from public utilities, electricity generating companies, renewable energy marketers, state regulatory agencies and renewable energy advocacy organizations, came to the table for discussion on this emerging advancement of renewable energy.

The attractiveness of TRCs is that they allow customers anywhere to support the development of renewable energy.

"Now consumers in states that have not deregulated, or who have little choice about the source of their electricity, can support renewables such as wind, solar, biomass, hydro and geothermal power," said Dan Lieberman of the Center for Resource Solutions.

The Center for Resource Solutions runs the Green-e program, which certifies renewable energy. Green-e is the nation's first voluntary certification and verification program for renewable electricity products.

GOPHER TORTOISE GETS FIRST CONSERVATION BANK

MOBILE, Alabama, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - A 222 acre conservation bank has been set aside in Alabama to aid the threatened gopher tortoise by moving them off land slated for development.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Mobile Area Water and Sewer System, Environmental Defense and Southeastern Natural Resources announced the new Habitat Conservation Plan for the gopher tortoise on Monday. The plan creates the first federal conservation bank for the tortoise, and the first such bank in Alabama.

The public-private partnership will help protect the gopher tortoise and restore its vanishing habitat - the longleaf pine ecosystem.

"It is a win-win partnership for the species, the habitat, conservationists, landowners, and local, state and federal officials," said Sam Hamilton, Southeast regional director for the USFWS. "This is a great step in conserving the gopher tortoise and its habitat in the face of rapid development in Mobile County."

Under the Habitat Conservation Plan, a routine permit can now be issued to property owners for relocation of tortoises from their property to the bank property without lengthy delays. Mitigation costs of $3,500 per tortoise cover species and habitat management at the bank in perpetuity.

The bank enables construction to proceed without expensive delays, while restoring and protecting tortoise habitat. The gopher tortoises will receive permanent protection and ongoing management.

"We are so pleased to be the host for this unique conservation bank which so perfectly illustrates the tenets of sustainable development," said Mark Nix, chair of the Board of Commissioners, Mobile Water and Sewer System. "All of us are eventually responsible for helping to sustain the diversity of our environmental heritage, and through the help of these partners, we are taking a step in that direction."

PROTECTING GULF OF MEXICO REQUIRES 5-13 MILLION WETLAND ACRES

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 26, 2001 (ENS) - Saving the Gulf of Mexico from polluted runoff is possible, but it requires creating or restoring at least five to 13 million acres of wetlands in the Midwest and the lower Mississippi River basin, according to a new report by environmental researchers.

Led by William Mitsch, a professor of natural resources and environmental science at Ohio State University, the scientists recommend creating or restoring 19 to 48 million acres of streamside forest areas.

The Mississippi River feeds the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mississippi River basin includes 40 percent of the lower 48 states. Runoff from watersheds in the basin makes its way to the Gulf, carrying nitrogen and other chemicals that algae thrive on.

Resulting algal blooms deplete the water of almost all dissolved oxygen, turning the Gulf each spring into what has been called a dead zone. Dissolved oxygen levels dip below two parts per million, a level lethal to most aquatic species.

The American Midwest has lost an estimated 80 percent of its wetlands in the last two centuries, compared to a 50 percent loss in the contiguous United States. Wetlands create buffers between agricultural lands and streams and rivers. They also reduce the level of chemicals - agricultural and otherwise - that wash into waterways.

Under current conservation programs, about 577,000 acres of wetlands have already been created or restored. About 10 to 25 times more wetlands are needed to cause a significant reduction of nitrogen levels in the Gulf, said Mitsch.

"There are countless federal programs to help support wetland restoration and creation," he said. "And that may help solve half of the problem. It could cost anywhere between $300 to $2,000 per acre to restore and create wetland areas in the Midwest; it's less expensive to create a wetland in an area that used to be a wetland."

In comparison, Mitsch said efforts to restore the 1.4 million acre Everglades National Park are costing taxpayers about $8 billion.

The report appears in the May issue of the journal "Bioscience."