• Brownfields Legislation Passes the House
  
• Olympic, Shell Fined for Pipeline Explosion
  
• Climate Change Depletes Ozone Layer
  
• Environmental Problems Linked to Political Instability
  
• Coalition Aids Imperiled Butterflies
  
• African Energy Training Gets U.S. Support
  
• Texas Opens New Coastal Research Center
  
• U.S. Sites Featured as Whale Watching Hotspots
  

Brownfields Legislation Passes the House

By a unanimous voice vote, the House passed the Brownfields Redevelopment Enhancement Act of 2001 (HR 2941), designed to improve local communities' flexibility in redeveloping brownfields properties.

"The purpose of H.R. 2941 is to provide cities with new financing options for brownfields redevelopment," said Representative Gary Miller, the California Republican who drafted the legislation.

The bill separates the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department's Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) grants from its Section 108 loan guarantee program. Under current law, in order to access a BEDI grant, cities must first obtain a Section 108 loan guarantee that is secured by its Community Development Block (CDBG) grant.

Because CDBG grants are the largest source of federal assistance to state and local governments for community development activities, cities are reluctant to use these funds as loan collateral. As a result, the BEDI grant program has been difficult to access.

"This bill is about making government work better for local cities and our environment. By making it easier for cities to access the BEDI grant, we promote the clean up of brownfields and reuse of previously developed sites, as opposed to existing greenspaces," Miller explained.

The bill also creates a pilot program for the national redevelopment of brownfields. This pilot program would allow the HUD secretary to develop, maintain and administer a common loan pool.

The National Association of Realtors, the National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Conference of Mayors all support the bill, which must still be considered by the Senate.

"I worked with 15 of my colleagues in the House and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to produce a solid bill that will help cities throughout the country. I hope the Senate will take it up quickly," Miller said.

Olympic, Shell Fined for Pipeline Explosion

Ecology said it plans to wait for a report by the National Transportation Safety Board on the cause of the rupture before deciding whether to penalize a third company, IMCO General Construction, Inc. of Bellingham. The report is expected later this summer.

The June 1999 pipeline explosion and fire killed three people, including two 10 year old boys, and injured eight others. The broken pipeline spilled more than 230,000 gallons of gasoline into Whatcom and Hanna Creeks, scorched a 1.5 mile stretch of streambank, and damaged several buildings.

A year ago, Ecology charged all three companies with negligence in causing the spill. The department calculated and announced a likely penalty of $7.86 million and has attempted to negotiate a settlement with the companies.

Ecology has been coordinating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which, in addition to civil fines, is negotiating comprehensive pipeline management, maintenance and repair measures to avoid future spills from the pipeline. Because of the coordination with EPA, Ecology delayed settling with Shell and Olympic.

"It has taken longer than we would have liked to impose these penalties, but it will be worth the extra time if we can prevent this disaster from ever happening again," said Ecology director Tom Fitzsimmons. "The tragedy in Bellingham deserves the full enforcement of both federal and state laws."

During negotiations over the past year, it became apparent that the companies were unwilling to jointly settle the penalty, Fitzsimmons said, so Ecology decided to issue the full penalty amount to both companies, as authorized by state law.

The penalty calculations by Ecology are based on a combination of factors, including the size of the spill, the degree of harm on public health, the compliance history of the companies, the speed and thoroughness of the cleanup, the sensitivity of the environment that was damaged, the number of days water quality was impaired, and the degree of culpability.

Under the state's oil spill prevention law, negligence carries a fine of up to $20,000 for each day that the spill poses risks to the environment. To determine the total penalty amount, Ecology multiplied the maximum daily penalty by the number of days that water quality in Whatcom and Hanna creeks violated state standards - which was 393 days.

On May 30, the federal government filed a civil suit against both Shell and Olympic, seeking fines and damages of up to $18.6 million each. The companies are also facing criminal charges over the pipeline explosion.

Climate Change Depletes Ozone Layer

While industrial products like chlorofluorocarbons are responsible for most of the ozone depletion occurring today, that could change over the next few decades, said Drew Shindell, an atmospheric scientist from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Shindell found that greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide are changing the climate in many ways. Some of those effects include water vapor increases and temperature changes in the upper atmosphere, which may delay the recovery of the ozone layer over populated areas.

CFCs, once used in cooling systems and aerosols, can last for decades in the upper atmosphere, where they break down and react with ozone, destroying it. Scientists have expected the ozone layer to recover as a result of international agreements to ban CFCs.

"It's hard to tell if those great international agreements [to ban CFCs] work if we don't understand the other big things that are going on in the stratosphere, such as increases in greenhouse gases and water vapor," Shindell said.

The stratospheric ozone layer shields the planet's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation and makes life on Earth possible. Besides CFCs, other pollutants, including the greenhouse gas methane, can interact with ozone to destroy it and thin this protective layer.

Climate change from greenhouse gases can also affect ozone by heating the lower stratosphere where most of the ozone exists. When the lower stratosphere heats, chemical reactions speed up, and more ozone gets destroyed.

Shindell used computer simulations to show that as CFCs decline, the ozone layer could make close to a full recovery by 2040, if global warming is not taken into account. But when CFCs, water vapor and temperature changes were combined in a computer model, ozone levels recover only slightly from their current low point by 2040.

These computer simulations suggest that climate change from greenhouse gases may slow any anticipated ozone recovery, Shindell said. The effects of climate change need to be better accounted for as scientists and others try to track the success of international agreements, like the 1987 Montreal Protocol that banned CFCs, he added.

Shindell's paper appears in the latest issue of the "Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres."

Environmental Problems Linked to Political Instability

Kennedy, now editor in chief of the journal "Science," detailed his arguments May 28 during a seminar at Stanford titled "Environmental Change and Conflict Liability," sponsored by Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC).

The informal event was attended by about a dozen CISAC members who specialize in international security issues - including co-director Christopher Chyba, member in residence Herbert Abrams and senior research scholar Lynn Eden.

"My task is to persuade you - in case some of you need persuading - that an environmental scientist concerned with the processes that drive environmental change can say something useful about security," Kennedy told the group.

He described the problems he and his colleagues faced when they attempted an earlier collaborative study on environmental policy and regional conflict.

"The idea was that, if you could somehow match social, religious and historical tensions on one set of maps, and put environmental change and environmental change liabilities on another map and overlay them, you could identify hotspots where it might be predicted that regional conflicts would take place," Kennedy said.

That approach proved far too simplistic, Kennedy said. Nevertheless, he noted, there are three main topics that analysts may find useful when attempting to predict where environmentally driven social conflicts are likely to occur: climate change, biogeographical redistribution and resource availability.

The threats related to climate change include disruptions caused by severe weather events like hurricanes and typhoons. Climate change may also reduce the productivity of some agricultural areas, causing food shortages.

Kennedy also pointed to studies predicting that climate change will cause malaria and other pathogens to spread across the globe.

Kennedy noted that globalization is also increasing the movement of diseases around the globe. He cited the uncontrolled discharge of ballast water from ships at ports around the world - a practice that has been blamed for spreading tropical diseases and introducing countless exotic marine organisms that compete with native species.

As the human population increases, resources are dwindling, Kennedy said, noting that international conflicts are likely to arise over shared resources like river basins. According to Kennedy, upstream residents can do several things to a river that affect downstream populations.

For example, the 1922 Colorado River treaty between the United States and Mexico has been the source of increasing tension. The two nations now extract so much of the river's water that the river no longer reaches its historic mouth in the Gulf of California.

Coalition Aids Imperiled Butterflies

The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Wildlife Federation, the Xerces Society and 35 AZA accredited zoos and aquariums have founded the Butterfly Conservation Initiative (BFCI) in response to recent declines in butterfly populations.

Butterflies and other insects are considered indicators of the overall health of an ecosystem.

"People know butterflies as colorful, ephemeral creatures that delight us on sunny days," said Sydney Butler, executive director of AZA. "What they might not realize is that insects pollinate the vast majority of all food plants on Earth. The loss of butterflies and other pollinators would be an aesthetic and biological disaster."

Butterflies, like many invertebrates, are threatened by habitat loss due to urbanization, the widespread use of pesticides and the introduction of invasive species that out compete native plants.

"Effective conservation of threatened and endangered species is based on a partnership between people and the government. The Butterfly Conservation Initiative exemplifies this principle, and could serve as a model for other cooperative endangered species conservation efforts," said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. "Together, we can work to conserve and recover these amazing species for future generations."

There are now 22 butterfly species listed as either threatened or endangered, and that number is expected to grow without efforts to halt the decline. BFCI members will work to help at risk butterfly populations by raising public awareness about habitat protection and by undertaking restoration efforts where appropriate.

The participating organizations will work together to involve the public in outreach, education and community conservation activities. The BFCI will focus first on the Karner blue butterfly, an ideal start because the founding partners, including the Toledo Zoo, have already done so much to aid its recovery.

The initiative will prioritize all at risk species to help maximize the impact of its butterfly recovery work.

The BFCI has received a challenge grant for $52,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and $10,000 from the USFWS to support this initiative.

African Energy Training Gets U.S. Support

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and Moroccan Energy Minister Mustapha Mansouri have signed an International Accreditation for the Renewable Energy Development Center of Morocco that will expand existing training activities for Moroccans and other African post-baccalaureate students. The students will study renewable energy technologies, such as programs to install and service photovoltaic, wind turbine, or other renewable energy systems.

"This marks a very significant step in Africa's development of and attention to energy resources," Abraham said. "The Renewable Energy Development Center of Morocco is highly respected in the field of energy research and provides techniques and avenues for improvements to the African energy industry. Today's agreement means that it will also continue to provide significant educational experiences and opportunities to the men and women of Saharan and sub-Saharan Africa as well."

The Renewable Energy Development Center will provide training for Moroccan and other African students to expand and improve Africa's energy research and development programs. By training technicians in renewable energy systems, the region hopes to attract international investment in renewable energy technologies and other energy related fields.

The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory will expand its existing cooperative efforts with the Moroccan Ministry of Energy to include the new training program. The agreement also outlines opportunities for a major expansion of renewable energy programs in Morocco through new energy infrastructure, public/private partnerships, environmental protection programs and expansion of capabilities at Morocco's Center for Renewable Energy Development.

The signing ceremony was the first public event associated with the third African Energy Ministerial Conference, which began in Morocco on June 4. The conference will provide the U.S. and the African nations the opportunity to build upon the achievements of the previous conferences, including a focus on development of the energy sector in African economies and support of environmentally safe, affordable energy supplies in Africa.

The U.S. hosted the first U.S.-Africa Energy Ministers Conference in Tucson, Arizona in 1999, and South Africa hosted the second Ministerial Conference in Durban in 2000.

Texas Opens New Coastal Research Center

The new Conservation Center of Excellence center has been established at the private, 4,000 acre Fennessey Ranch near Corpus Christi by the ranch's owners and the University of Houston.

The center will provide university faculty and students with a site for Texas coastal conservation research and the development of techniques to safeguard coastal resources.

"The University of Houston and the University of Houston System are increasing their research and educational activities associated with several environmental areas, including air and water quality, ecology and environmental law," said Arthur Vailas, vice chancellor for research and intellectual property management for the University of Houston System.

"This partnership with the Fennessey Ranch gives us an opportunity to expand our field based studies on coastal ecosystems, providing our faculty and students with a living laboratory," Vailas added.

The proximity of the Fennessey Ranch to Mission Bay, Copano Bay and the Gulf of Mexico as well as to the Mission River/Aransas River watershed area will allow the University of Houston to create a world class research center for environmental studies, Vailas said.

Several agencies already conduct environmental research at the ranch, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.

"Rural America is dying," said Brien O'Connor Dunn, owner of the Fennessey Ranch. "Through private stewardship of the land we can bring urban dollars into the rural economy while saving habitat and practicing good land use."

Focusing on ecotourism, the Fennessey Ranch is designed to help create new revenue sources for Texas ranches and communities. In 1997, Dunn received the National Land Stewardship and Wetland Preservation Award for outstanding leadership in habitat and wetland conservation.

Launched 14 years ago, the Fennessey Ranch opened to the public in 1991. Recreational opportunities available include bird watching, wetland educational tours, fishing and hunting for species including white-tailed deer, dove, quail, turkey and wild boar.

The ranch provides a diverse habitat including wetlands, natural lakes, meadows, forests and rivers. The environmental plan developed by the Fennessey includes wetland enhancement, wildlife management and a grazing program designed to maximize habitat diversity.

U.S. Sites Featured as Whale Watching Hotspots

The WWF's top 10 list includes the coasts of Massachusetts, Alaska and Hawaii.

"For young and old, single travelers and families, the hale and hearty or the physically challenged, whale watching offers an unbeatable outdoor adventure," said Karen Baragona of WWF's whale conservation program. "From a land-based outlook or while cruising the seas, whale watching offers the sheer excitement of seeing up close the world's largest mammal in its habitat, and without expensive equipment or strenuous effort."

Recent studies by conservation groups and state tourism and commerce departments show that the number of whale watchers has grown over the past decade from four million to more than 10 million participants worldwide, with annual tourism revenues now topping $1 billion.

"The rise in responsible whale watching programs is good news," said Kerry Green Zobor, WWF senior communications officer. "Experiencing whales in the wild inspires conservation and new data indicates that revenues derived from whale watching activities can exceed those gained from commercial whaling."

"Conservation conscious whale watchers and tour operators take care not to disrupt the feeding and mating habits of whales, remaining at a safe distance so as not to stress or harm whales, and not polluting the air or the water," Zobor added.

Whale watching is offered in almost 500 coastal communities around the world, about 200 more than found in a 1994 study. WWF's list of the world's most spectacular whale watching spots includes:

Massachusetts - Once a base for New England's whaling industry, the coastline off Massachusetts, particularly the Stellwagen Bank in Cape Cod National Seashore, now offers some of the world's greatest whale watching. Tours set off from shore mid-April to mid-October with sightings of the humpback, fin, minke, and the occasional rare North Atlantic right whale.

Alaska - Southeast Alaska offers abundant whale watching opportunities from June to early September with most whale watchers agreeing that August is the optimal month when considering weather, water and whales. In July and August, the waters around Glacier Bay National Park feature humpbacks and orcas.

Hawaii - Whale watching areas abound on the island of Maui's west shore, at the whale reserve on Lanai and on the big island of Hawaii's west shore. Hawaii is a seasonal home to humpback whales, which come every year to mate and raise their calves. Short finned pilot whales and other species can be spotted year round.

The WWF also cites Argentina, Antarctica, Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy, Baja, Mexico and the Dominican Republic as prime whale watching territory. In a bit of irony, two countries that support commercial whaling - Norway and Iceland - also made the top 10.