• U.S. Army Reinstates Environmental Budget
  
• Massachusetts Requires 85 Percent Mercury Capture by 2008
  
• Biscuit Fire Final Plan Fuels Logging Controversy
  
• G8 Leaders to Drive Electric Cars at Sea Island Summit
  
• Puerto Rico Agrees to Protect Lake Loiza
  
• Eastern Seaboard Water Grants Total $1.18 Million
  
• Tree-Ring Lab Will Study Asian Monsoon Climate
  
• Crowded Planet Needs Science of Ecology
  

U.S. Army Reinstates Environmental Budget

“Take additional risk in environmental programs; terminate environmental contracts and delay all non-statutory enforcement actions to FY05,” General Aadland wrote.

On May 27, General Aadland issued a new memo allowing previously budgeted spending on environment. "As result of your candid assessments and our ongoing work with the Army Budget Office," he wrote to the Garrison Commanders, "we have been afforded limited funding relief for some critical areas of concern. We will be able to restore funding to reverse previous direction to cut back or defer as follows: 1. Environmental: Proceed with all previously planned activities within your annual funded program; do not reduce or defer environmental projects..."

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a national alliance of local state and federal resource professionals, is claiming victory for the reversal as it is the organization that made both memos public.

The order restoring funding was issued less than one day after PEER released the first memo reducing anti-pollution and wildlife protection spending.

“What an amazing coincidence that the Army reversed course within hours of its decision to cut environmental protection becoming public knowledge,” marveled PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. “Despite this change of plans, the Army still apparently regards protecting America’s land, air and water as a discretionary matter that it can abandon when budgetary pressures return.”

Still, the EPA last week fined the U.S. Army and a contractor nearly $52,000 for releasing the chemical weapon VX on Johnston Atoll, the site of the nation's first chemical weapons disposal facility. Now closed, the facility some 800 miles southwest of Hawaii is being turned into a wildlife refuge.

As part of the settlement, the U.S. Army and its contractor, Washington Group International, Inc., will pay $51,699 for the August 2002 release of an unknown quantity of the nerve agent. There were no reports of anyone being exposed or harmed as a result of this incident.

In Ruch's view, "the fight is far from over." The Pentagon continues to argue for self-certification of environmental compliance, and Congress is currently reviewing Pentagon requests for exemptions from the Clean Air Act and federal toxic control laws.

Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a rule that will allow the Department of Defense to "take" migratory birds during military readiness training as allowed under the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act. The proposed rule appears in today's Federal Register.

"Protecting our nation, including its natural resources, is of utmost importance to Americans," said Service Director Steve Williams. "The Departments of the Interior and Defense have worked together to ensure the proper management of migratory birds while providing the military the ability to conduct important training for our men and women in uniform."

The proposed rule requires the Department of Defense to assess the adverse effects of military readiness activities on migratory birds in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act.

The rule requires the Defense Department to develop "appropriate conservation measures if a proposed action may have a significant adverse effect on a population of migratory bird species of concern" and to monitor the effects of military readiness activities on the migratory birds and the effectiveness of conservation measures.

"Many of these activities are already included in military installation Integrated Natural Resources Management Plans," said the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health, Alex Beehler.

"The Department of Defense has been an active participant in international bird conservation initiatives for more than a decade, including Partners in Flight and the more recent North American Bird Conservation Initiative," Beehler said.

Following a U.S. District Court decision on live fire military training, Congress enacted the 2003 National Defense Authorization Act, which authorized an interim period during which the prohibitions on incidental take of migratory birds would not apply to military readiness activities. During this interim period, Congress directed the Interior Secretary to write a regulation to deal with the incidental take of migratory birds in conjunction with military readiness activities from the take prohibition of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Public comments on the proposed rule are welcome through July 30 to the Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 4107, Arlington, Virginia 22203-1610, tel: 703-358-1714. Or comment online at: DODMBTARULE@fws.gov. The proposed rule is found at: http://migratorybirds.fws.gov.

Massachusetts Requires 85 Percent Mercury Capture by 2008

“Massachusetts is at the forefront of efforts to reduce air pollution, and the cleanup of our oldest and highest emitting power plants is a key component of that effort,” said Environmental Affairs Secretary Ellen Herzfelder.

“This mercury reduction rule is the next step toward our state and regional goals of reducing overall mercury emissions by 75 percent by 2010, and virtually eliminating the use and release of mercury over the long term,” she said.

Under the direction of Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican, the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) have promulgated a two phase mercury emissions standard.

The first phase requires facilities to capture 85 percent of the mercury contained in combusted coal by January 1, 2008. The second phase requires facilities to capture 95 percent of mercury in combusted coal by October 1, 2012. These limits are much tougher than the Bush administration for the country as a whole.

“By finalizing these mercury standards today, Massachusetts is making a strong statement that mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants can and must be significantly reduced,” said Cindy Luppi, organizing director for Clean Water Action. “We applaud the Romney administration for taking steps to protect our children from this proven neurotoxin, thereby ensuring a healthier future for generations of Bay State children.”

“Massachusetts is implementing the most aggressive mercury reduction programs in the nation,” said DEP Commissioner Robert W. Golledge Jr. “We have cut mercury emissions from trash incinerators by 90 percent, eliminated emissions from medical waste incinerators, developed a program to remove dental amalgam mercury from the waste stream and promoted recycling of mercury based products such as thermometers. These power plant emission rules will further minimize mercury as a pollutant of our valuable natural resources.”

The regulations will apply to four coal-fired power plants - Brayton Point Station in Somerset; Salem Harbor Station in Salem; Mount Tom Station in Holyoke; and NRG Station in Somerset. The two other facilities affected by the state’s comprehensive air pollution regulations – Mystic Station in Everett and Canal Electric in Sandwich – operate on oil and natural gas, not coal.

Power plant emissions standards for other pollutants, adopted by the state in 2001, will reduce annual emissions of sulfur dioxide by up to 75 percent or 84,000 pounds, cut nitrogen oxides emissions up to 50 percent or 15,000 tons, and achieve a 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions or about 1.9 million tons.

Mercury pollution is a priority because it can damage the developing brains of infants and children. It concentrates in fish and persists for long periods of time once released into the environment. In July 2001, state health officials issued a statewide advisory warning pregnant women, nursing mothers of reproductive age and children under 12 not to consume any native fish caught in Massachusetts’ freshwater bodies due to the health risk posed by mercury. Certain marine species, such as king mackerel, swordfish and tuna, have been added to the advisory.

The new mercury regulations are online at: http://www.mass.gov/dep/bwp/daqc/daqcpubs.htm#regs

Biscuit Fire Final Plan Fuels Logging Controversy

Read the FEIS at: http://www.biscuitfire.com/proj_plan_index.htm

View the Siskiyou Restoration Plan at: http://www.siskiyourestoration.info

G8 Leaders to Drive Electric Cars at Sea Island Summit

On Tuesday, the Sea Island Summit Planning Organization (SISPO) unveiled the GEM cars the leaders will use during the Summit next week on Sea Island.

Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson, Savannah City Council members, and Chatham County Commissioners paraded the GEM cars under police escort into Telfair Square in Savannah's historic district.

Mayor Johnson led the parade with one of the GEM cars designed for President George W. Bush. Officials followed in cars designed for the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the European Union - nine leaders in all. Two GEM cars were designed for each leader, making a total of 18 custom vehicles.

The GEM car that President George W. Bush will drive during the G-8 Summit (Photo courtesy SISPO)

GEM cars are produced by Global Electric Motorcars, LLC, a DaimlerChrysler Company, in Fargo, North Dakota. Currently, there are nearly 28,000 GEMs on the road across the country.

Street legal and designated by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration as Low Speed Vehicles, the GEM cars measure are a little over 10 feet in length and weigh over 1,200 pounds. They travel at speeds up to 25 miles per hour and last 30 miles on a full charge.

After the short parade, the cars were then transported to Sea Island in preparation for next week's G8 Summit events.

“We thank Mayor Johnson and all of the area's elected officials for their continued hospitality and assistance,” said Barry Bennett of SISPO. “Today's event is fitting symbolism for all the cooperation that has gone into preparing for the Summit."

President George W. Bush will host the 30th G-8 Summit at Sea Island, Georgia on June 8-10, 2004. The United States assumed the Presidency of the G8 from France at the beginning of 2004.

The Presidency of the G-8, and responsibility of hosting the G-8 Summit, rotates each year. Italy hosted the G-8 Summit in Genoa in 2001, Canada hosted in Kananaskis in 2002, and France hosted in Evian in 2003. The United Kingdom will host the G-8 Summit in 2005 and Russia will host in 2006.

Sea Island is located on the southern portion of the Georgia coastline, 80 miles from Savannah, Georgia. Previously, the United States has hosted G-8 Summits in Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico (1976), Williamsburg, Virginia (1983), Houston, Texas (1990) and Denver, Colorado (1997).

Puerto Rico Agrees to Protect Lake Loiza

PRASA agreed to pay $130,000 in penalties and undertake a $500,000 project to restore and protect the Lake Loiza watershed in the mountains of east-central Puerto Rico. The project will be the first conducted under the PRASA Stewardship Program, which provides a framework for developing and implementing water quality management plans for priority watersheds in Puerto Rico.

"This landmark settlement will provide the funds needed to make progress protecting drinking water in Puerto Rico at its source," said Jane Kenny, EPA regional administrator. "PRASA will use the money to target the most polluted watershed first. Drinking water standards in the watershed meet water quality standards, but can be improved if it is cleaned up."

The Lake Loiza watershed covers 536 square kilometers (207 square miles). It originates in the Espino Ward in the town of San Lorenzo and flows to the Atlantic Ocean at Loiza Aldea.

In a Memo of Understanding that established the PRASA Watershed Stewardship Program, four entities - PRASA, the Environmental Quality Board, the Puerto Rico Department of Health and the EPA - agreed that the highest priority watershed would be Lake Loiza because it serves as a major source of drinking water and receives a large amount of effluent from PRASA wastewater treatment plants.

The lake also is polluted by high nutrient concentrations from agricultural runoff, bacteria, pesticides, sedimentation, household garbage, dead animals and polluted runoff from urban areas.

PRASA will provide technical data and information to the Environmental Quality Board for its use in establishing pollution budgets, known as total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), for waters within the Lake Loiza watershed.

The TMDL, which establishes the amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards, is intended to bring water bodies that are not meeting water quality standards back into compliance.

PRASA will provide support to the Department of Health in implementing source water protection programs in the Lake Loiza watershed. PRASA will report progress every third year to executive and technical committees of the program made up of representatives from the EPA, the health department and the Environmental Quality Board.

Eastern Seaboard Water Grants Total $1.18 Million

"It is important that states continue to give a high priority to protecting surface water from everyday sources of pollution. These sources include storm water runoff and discharges from industries and water treatment plants," said Donald Welsh regional administrator for EPA's mid-Atlantic region.

The grant supports prevention and abatement of surface and ground water pollution from pipes and storm runoff. Funding can be used for water quality projects such as monitoring, developing pollution control strategies, issuing discharge permits and outreach efforts.

EPA also awarded $108,301 grant to Delaware for water planning projects that include data management and support for water quality planning, administrative assistance to support review of water quality standards, and development of total maximum daily load (TMDL) models in watersheds in the Delaware Bay Basin.

As part of the same series of grants, the EPA awarded a $386,800 grant to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to implement water quality and watershed assessments.

The commission, which includes three member states - Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York - coordinates local, state and federal water resource management, enforcement and compliance efforts.

"This funding supports continued efforts to protect surface water within the Susquehanna River Basin from everyday sources of pollution," said Welsh. "These sources include storm water runoff and discharges from industries and water treatment plants."

The grant includes funding to support and develop TDML plans that limit the amount of pollutants that can be discharged into stream segments within the Susquehanna River Basin.

Tree-Ring Lab Will Study Asian Monsoon Climate

"Tree-ring records provide quantitative estimates of past climate on a year-by-year time scale," said the study's principal investigator Ed Cook, who is associated with the Tree-Ring Laboratory of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. "This allows us to reconstruct more complete records of variations and interrelationships among the components of the Asian monsoon system."

The researchers say the Asian monsoon is one of the most important modes of natural climate variability on Earth, with different regional impacts over areas from Africa to Australasia, northward into central Asia, and across the Pacific Ocean.

David Verardo, director of the National Science Foundation's paleoclimate program, which provided $5.5 million to fund the five year project, says, "The science questions being asked are important, and the region being studied is vital to understanding fundamental climate processes at the planetary scale."

Dozens of countries and nearly half the global population are affected by the climate variability of the Asian monsoon rains. There is an urgent need for greater understanding of this system, say scientists, with the ultimate goal of improved prediction - by year, by decade and on longer time scales - that will allow for improved agricultural planning and risk assessment.

The study will apply the science of tree-ring analysis of the processes that drive development of the monsoon and its various characteristics through different regions.

The data will reveal information on three major process regions that drive much of the variability of the Asian monsoon - Asian land-surface air temperatures, sea- surface temperaures in the Indian Ocean, and tropical Pacific sea-surface temperatures associated with El Nino.

The scientists will use tree-ring analysis to reconstruct and analyze regional climate histories over timeframes of centuries to millennia.

Identifying interrelationships among these regions, and how the Asian monsoon manifests itself in different regions across the globe, will lead to the development of improved models for better long-term forecasting, the researchers believe.

Crowded Planet Needs Science of Ecology

The plan calls for greater use of ecological science in decisionmaking, research targeted at the sustainability of an Earth dominated by humans, and cultural changes within ecology.

"In 2002, the Governing Board asked the committee to develop a plan that would guide both the Ecological Society of America, as well as the science itself in addressing the growing number of environmental challenges we face globally," says ESA President William Schlesinger,.

The committee responded with a report that finds that "the central goal of ecology must become understanding how ecosystems function in all of their aspects." The underlying aim is that of helping to sustain humans and the ecological services that support them.

Targeted efforts must focus on sustainability of water resources and problems associated with the growth of urbanized areas, the group said, urgingincreased collaboration among ecologists, social scientists, policymakers, and practitioners.

The focus of the report is fostering an ecologically knowledgeable public today and in future generations by sharing information locally and internationally.

Committe Chair Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland said, "Creating a public that understands humanity's dependence on natural systems is critical. Without that, even the best science in the world will not take us far enough."

Complementing the ESA's action plan is an article, "Ecology for a crowded planet" also prepared by the committee, which appears in the journal "Science," a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Palmer says the article lays out the intellectual framework for the ESA action plan, calling for a research agenda focused on ecosystem services and the science of ecological restoration and design.

Sustaining a projected "extended human family of 8-11 billion people will be difficult at best," the ESA says in its article. Urgent questions that must be addressed now are - which ecological services are irreplaceable, which habitats are critical in providing such services, and how to combine ecological principles with new technology to design ecosystems that can deliver key services.

http://www.esa.org/ecovisions/ppfiles/EcologicalVisionsReport.pdf