• Terrorist Preparedness Test Set for Indian Point Reactor
  
• Twelve Chemical Companies Put Millions at Risk
  
• Poll: Voters Want Fuel Economy, Ethanol, Hydrogen
  
• Ship Rules May Save Last North Atlantic Right Whales
  
• Tacoma's Commencement Bay to Get $30 Million Cleanup
  
• International Paper Pledges Aquatic Species Conservation
  
• Small Grants for Smalltown Scenic Byways
  
• West Virginia Groups Clean Clay County's Elk River
  

Terrorist Preparedness Test Set for Indian Point Reactor

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the federal government has come under criticism from local government and citizens groups concerned that the emergency planning for an accident or terrorist attack at the plant would not be adequate to safeguard the millions of living near the plant.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Nils Diaz said the exercise is "the first of a kind."

"Yes, we have an emergency preparedness exercise that will take place at the Indian Point Power Plant in New York that contains a terrorist scenario, and that has been the subject of significant attention, both by Homeland Security, the NRC, and especially the local authorities, the county executives and the state of New York," he told a press briefing May 27 sponsored by "Energy Daily."

He said the participants "are prepared." for the force-on-force test, tabletop exercises involving state, local and federal agencies and a comprehensive preparedness exercise for the response to a terrorist attack.

But Tuesday's drill will take place on paper and no one will be evacuated - a main concern of those opposing the plants.

“If FEMA’s top priority is protecting public health and safety in the event of a radiological release at Indian Point, then the upcoming exercise must be based on a fast-breaking release scenario and the whole exercise must be open to independent evaluation,” said Alex Matthiessen, executive director of Riverkeeper.

“Only a realistic scenario could evaluate the true adequacy of Indian Point’s emergency plan. Another staged exercise will be worse than meaningless – it constitutes reckless endangerment of human lives,” said Matthiessen.

Officials from Entergy Nuclear Northeast, which owns and operates Indian Point, dismissed many of the coalition's criticisms.

Diaz said it will be "fairly tough test" that "involves a significant amount of resources, and in which we're going to test all of the elements of emergency preparedness, including these issues that have been brought up regarding communications."

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is planning 25 such emergency response exercises this year.

Twelve Chemical Companies Put Millions at Risk

In the report, "Dangerous Dozen: A Look at How Chemical Companies Jeopardize Millions of Americans," U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) analyzes the chemical companies' own estimates submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The 12 companies whose facilities endanger the most people are JCI Jones Chemical, The Clorox Company, Kuehne Chemical, KIK Corporation, DuPont, Pioneer Companies, Clean Harbors, GATX Corporation, PVS Chemicals, Dow Chemical, Ferro Corporation and Occidental. These companies own 154 high hazard facilities in 31 states.

U.S. PIRG is the national advocacy office for independent state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), non-profit, non-partisan public interest advocacy organizations.

U.S. PIRG is asking the federal government to require high hazard chemical plants to review and use safer chemicals and processes wherever possible and to enact strict security standards where safer chemicals are not feasible.

Meanwhile, the advocacy organization is calling on these 12 companies to reduce the threat to nearby communities by using safer chemicals and processes wherever possible.

Since 1990, the National Response Center (NRC) has received more than 8,400 reports of incidents involving oil or chemical spills at facilities owned by these 12 parent companies.

"It is unacceptable that these 12 companies endanger so many lives," said U.S. PIRG Environmental Health Advocate Meghan Purvis."Unfortunately, the Bush administration and the chemical industry continue to oppose strong, mandatory chemical security regulations."

The three companies whose facilities put the greatest number of people at risk are JCI Jones Chemical, The Clorox Company, and Kuehne Chemical, which put a total of more than 20 million, 14 million, and 12 million people at risk, respectively.

The chemical industry and the Bush administration argue that voluntary industry security programs are enough to protect America from accidents or attacks at these facilities.

The American Chemistry Council, a lobbying organization that works on behalf of the chemical industry, opposes mandatory chemical security regulations and instead favors voluntary measures. Half of the 12 companies profiled in the PIRG report are Chemistry Council members.

"Despite lax security at many plants, the chemical industry would prefer to ignore the best way to reduce the threat these facilities pose to surrounding communities - using safer chemicals and processes wherever possible," said Paul Orum, director of the Working Group on Community Right-to-Know.

Poll: Voters Want Fuel Economy, Ethanol, Hydrogen

Ship Rules May Save Last North Atlantic Right Whales

Fewer than 300 North Atlantic right whales still survive after commercial whaling and the increasing number of commercial and military vessels in their feeding, breeding, calving or migratory waters.

The proposed measures would apply to both domestic and international vessels, 65 feet and longer, in U.S. waters. Military vessels would be exempt but could voluntarily comply. The strategy includes measures tailored to vessel traffic patterns, ocean conditions and right whale behavior.

"To fully implement, the strategy will require both federal regulations and rules negotiated through the International Maritime Organization," NOAA said.

It relies on a combination of routing and speed options that would be narrowly defined - in time and area - by right whale presence along the East Coast, taking into account commercial ship traffic patterns and navigational concerns.

"We believe the strategy proposed today can make U.S. waters safer for right whales," said Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries. "Vessel strikes are a leading human caused threat to these rare whales, and we have worked closely with maritime commerce professionals to devise this strategy."

The strategy would address conditions in each of three major regions along the East Coast - mid-Atlantic ports, southeast ports and northeast.

In the northeast, management measures are being considered for Cape Cod Bay, an area off Race Point, the Great South Channel, and in the Gulf of Maine, all areas where right whales concentrate to feed.

These measures may include routing changes to reduce the overlap between the ships and whales and/or speed reduction to give both animals and mariners additional time to take avoidance action.

For mid-Atlantic ports along right whales' migratory pathway, vessel speed restrictions are proposed. For the southeast ports that overlap with right whale calving grounds - Jacksonville, Fernandina, and Brunswick - traffic lanes may be established and subject to speed restrictions.

The proposed measures are adapted to each area's likely right whale seasonal occurrence, commercial ship traffic patterns, and navigational concerns. The strategy also recommends continuing support for existing protective actions, expanded education and outreach initiatives.

View the strategy at: http://www.nero.noaa.gov/whaletrp/trt/shipstrike/index.htm. Public comments will be accepted until August 2.

Tacoma's Commencement Bay to Get $30 Million Cleanup

The consent decree filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington will require Atofina Chemicals, Inc. and General Metals of Tacoma, Inc., to spend approximately $30 million to clean up the Head of the Hylebos Problem Area.

Under the terms of the settlement, the companies will receive approximately $7 million from a previous cash out settlement to help fund the cost of cleanup.

The companies will dredge and remove about 400,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments and cap four acres of contaminated sediment.

The channel bottom and intertidal areas of the Hylebos are contaminated with chemical wastes, sludges, and miscellaneous industrial waste from a variety of nearby sources.

The EPA designated two problem areas in the Hylebos Waterway that require clean-up: the Mouth of the Hylebos, and the Head of the Hylebos.

While the agreement concerns clean-up of the Head of the Hylebos Problem Area, the Justice Department says the government expects to conclude negotiations shortly for consent decrees which will require the cleanup of the Mouth of the Hylebos Problem Area. Together, these agreements will achieve 100 percent of the required cleanup of the Hylebos Waterway.

In the last year the government also has received commitments for clean up at the Thea Foss Waterway and the Middle Waterway. These settlements provide for a comprehensive, cooperative approach to addressing the environmental problems throughout the Commencement Bay Site.

The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30 day public comment period.

International Paper Pledges Aquatic Species Conservation

These species may get a break if they are located on International Paper forestlands. Under a new agreement reached late last month by the company and the U.S. Interior Department the freshwater ecosystems on which these species depend will be managed with their survivial in mind.

The 10 year agreement covers 5.5 million acres of International Paper forestlands in nine Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The Aquatic Resources Conservation and Management Partnership Agreement is the first comprehensive agreement that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has signed with a corporation to foster conservation of aquatic species, habitats and ecosystems," said Service Director Steve Williams. "It lays the groundwork for future conservation of aquatic species in other habitats across the United States."

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists will provide technical assistance as the company conducts ecological surveys and conservation projects to help recover imperiled aquatic species and restore their habitat.

"International Paper is pleased to be involved in the first agreement of its kind to focus on protection, recovery and management of aquatic resources across a broad area," said George O'Brien, IP's senior vice president for forest products. "We look forward to working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on this groundbreaking agreement, showcasing the spirit of voluntary conservation measures."

Interior Secretary Gale Norton sees the agreement as a victory for the voluntary approach that is a hallmark of the Bush administration. "This landmark agreement is a model of how voluntary partnerships with landowners can achieve far more for the conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitat than the government can by itself," Norton said at a ceremony on the banks of the Altamaha River near Brunswick, Georgia on May 26.

The agreement calls for identifying areas on International Paper land to survey for the presence of imperiled aquatic species where they might occur but have not yet been detected.

Best management practices to protect water quality during forest operations are to be implemented and measured. Where there is suitable habitat on International Paper forestlands imperiled species will be reintroduced, and propagated. Public awareness programs also are part of the agreement.

Well known species such as largemouth bass and channel catfish are expected to benefit as well as imperiled species like the boulder darter, a fish found in Alabama and Tennessee; and the flattened musk turtle, a rare amphibian threatened by disease, overcollecting, and by water pollution from mining, forestry, agriculture, and industrial and residential sewage effluents.

Small Grants for Smalltown Scenic Byways

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta Thursday announced grants for 104 projects in 37 states that are part of the Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byways Program.

The program recognizes roads around the nation based on their archaeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational or scenic qualities. The new grants will help fund such projects as scenic overlooks, visitor information centers, educational and promotional materials, pedestrian trails, bike paths and safety improvements.

“The only way to visit many of our nation’s treasures is to travel on a scenic byway,” said Mineta. “Investing in these roads is the best way to bring travel and tourism dollars to many of America’s small towns.”

“Our nation’s scenic byways provide a vital link between countless travelers and America’s small towns and rural areas, supporting hundreds of “mom and pop” shops along the way,” said Federal Highway Administration Administrator Mary Peters.

Currently, the America’s Byways system includes 96 roads in 39 states. Studies suggest that byway designations increase the number of visitors to rural communities by up to 20 percent, resulting in jobs, because the typical byway visitor spends between $100 and $200 per trip.

More information about the National Scenic Byways Program is available online at www.bywaysonline.org or by calling toll-free, 1-800-4-BYWAYS.

A list of states and projects receiving fiscal year 2004 National Scenic Byways Program grants is posted at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa0407.htm.

West Virginia Groups Clean Clay County's Elk River

“It’s a huge effort,” said Greg Rote, a district manager in the Pollution Prevention and Open Dump Program. “It’s going to take a lot of people power.”

Lasting 15 days, the Elk River Cleanup is the first collective effort to beautify littered sections of the Elk River from Clay County line to Clay County line.

The program is being sponsored by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Pollution Prevention and Open Dump (PPOD) program, the Clay County Solid Waste Authority, the Human Resource Development Fund, the Clay Family Resource Network, the Division of Natural Resources and the Department of Health and Human Resources.

“Some people have already come out to choose their section of the river,” Rote said. “We’re hoping for a huge turnout for this.”

Rote says he was approached by Clay residents who wanted a comprehensive cleanup of the river. It is an unprecedented effort because most PPOD cleanups involving volunteers don’t last more than a few days at a time and they take place in smaller areas.

The Elk River Cleanup will stretch for approximately 46 miles. Boats, trucks, and trailers will be used during the effort.

“It’s a unique request, but when people approach us for help, we do what we can. They want to see the river beautiful and clean and are willing to roll up their sleeves and work with us,” Rote said. “We’re all for that.”

Volunteers from the sponsoring agencies have been planning the event for months. A logo contest resulted in T-shirt and poster designs from Clay County students, grades one through 12.

The overall winner was Kristen Clonch, 16, a junior at Clay County High School. Her depiction of a wild turkey on a sign won her $200 in savings bonds. Her artwork will be featured on T-shirts.

To volunteer, adopt a section of the river, or for more information on the cleanup, contact Greg Rote at: 304-558-7763.

For copies of artwork from the logo contest, contact Lalena Price, Public Information Office, email: lprice@wvdep.org.