• Arizona Wildfire Burns Within One Mile of Sedona
  
• First Three State Roadless Area Petitions Accepted by USDA
  
• House Resources Committe Passes Deep Ocean Drilling Bill
  
• NOAA Reports One-Quarter of U.S. Fish Stocks Overfished
  
• Cyanide and Sewage Kill Fish in Pennsylvania Creek
  
• Firms Sponsor EcoZone Signs to Fund Capital District Improvements
  
• New York City Green Building Competition Winners
  

Arizona Wildfire Burns Within One Mile of Sedona

Firefighters described the behavior of the fire as "extreme" today due to hot, dry weather and steep, rugged terrain. Flame lengths reached 50 to 70 feet.

Oak Creek Canyon and two subdivisions north of Sedona have been evacuated including homes, businesses and Forest Service campgrounds. Highway 89A remains closed. Firefighters focused on structure protection in the evacuated areas.

An evacuation center has been set up by the American Red Cross at West Sedona School for residents from north Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon south of Indian Gardens. Evacuees from north of Indian Gardens are being housed at the Northern Arizona University Field House in Flagstaff. For emergency and shelter information, call the Coconino County Emergency Operations Center at 928-679-4175. Animal control officials are working to accommodate pets taken to the evacuation centers.

Sedona businesses remain open. Visitors to the area should access Sedona via state Route 179 through the Village of Oak Creek or from Cottonwood via U.S. Highway 89A.

Effective Friday, June 23, the Coconino National Forest will close to public access. Conditions have warranted closure of the entire national forest. Closures in the past have proven to be an effective means of reducing the number of human-caused fires.

“While campfire and smoking restrictions have been effective in terms of minimizing the number of fires, we are at the point that we cannot afford the risk of any human-caused fires,” says Coconino Forest Supervisor Nora Rasure.

“Several recent fires have exhibited extreme fire behavior, including the Woody and Brins Fires. We are not only concerned about the risk to communities and natural resources, we are concerned about the potential difficulties evacuating recreationists from remote areas should a wildfire start,” Rasure said.

The closure will be lifted when enough rainfall is received to adequately reduce the risk of wildfire to a manageable level, and hot, dry weather conditions are not forecast to continue.

For evacuation concerns, contact the Coconino County Sheriff's Office at 928-774-4523. For emergency and shelter information, call the Coconino County Emergency Operations Center at 928-679-4175.

For further information about closures and restrictions in the Coconino National Forest, call 928-226-4601 or toll-free 1-877-864-6985 between 6:00 am and 10:00 am. Information is posted at: www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino.

First Three State Roadless Area Petitions Accepted by USDA

These are the first state petitions considered under the new Bush administration system for dealing with roadless areas in national forests. Critics say these approvals are no guarantee of protection for roadless areas.

"We are committed to working closely with the nation's governors to meet the needs of our local communities while protecting and restoring the health and natural beauty of our national forests," said Johanns.

The three petitions were reviewed by the 13 member Roadless Area Conservation National Advisory Committee, established by Johanns to provide advice and recommendations on implementing the State Petitions for Inventoried Roadless Area Management Rule.

Governor Easley said, "I am pleased that North Carolina is among the first states to have its petition accepted but this is only a first step in protecting these roadless National Forest areas in North Carolina from development. We look forward to joining with the National Forest Service representatives to expeditiously work toward putting permanent rules in place so these lands remain unspoiled for future generations."

Governor Sanford said, "The quality of life in our state is going to be an increasingly important part of South Carolina's competitive edge when it comes to the global race for jobs and investment. The approval of our request to keep these areas roadless - along with our ongoing efforts to protect other ecologically significant land in the state - is an important step toward preserving the way we look and feel as a state and preserve our competitive advantage with respect to our quality of life."

Governor Kaine said, "My administration looks forward to beginning the rulemaking process as we continue working to protect the important roadless areas in our national forests."

Heritage Forests Campaign Director Robert Vandermark, said, "Protection requested on paper doesn’t necessarily translate into protection on the ground. The fate of these roadless areas remains uncertain."

"We certainly hope the administration will grant these petitions in good faith, but the current pattern of approving incursion projects in roadless areas, despite assurances to the contrary, is cause for great concern," Vandermark said. "It's disingenuous for this administration to publicly applaud the efforts being made in the petition process while pushing for harmful logging projects in roadless areas from New Hampshire to Oregon."

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski said June 9 that he will file for a temporary restraining order in the Federal District Court in San Francisco to stop the federal government from proceeding with the sale of timber in the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area of the Siskiyou National Forest because it would "foreclose his ability to influence the management of Oregon’s unroaded national forests" when he petitions the federal government later this year.

During the state petitioning process, the Forest Service said it "will continue to maintain interim measures to conserve inventoried roadless areas," but the Oregon timber sale is proceeding regardless.

The Forest Service will now work with North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia to develop and publish proposed state-specific rules. The rulemaking process will include National Environmental Policy Act analysis and invite public input during a notice and comment period. USDA will make the determination on the adoption of any final federal rule.

USDA is accepting state petitions until November 13, 2006. After a petition is received, the advisory committee has 90 days to review it and provide recommendations to the Secretary.

If a state chooses not to file a petition, its inventoried roadless areas will continue to be managed under each national forest's land and resource management plan.

House Resources Committe Passes Deep Ocean Drilling Bill

The Deep Ocean Energy Resources (DOER) Act was passed by a vote of 29 to 9. The Act was authored by Republican Congressmen John Peterson of Pennsylvania and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, as well as Democrats Neil Abercrombie of Hawaii, and Charlie Melancon of Louisiana, all members of the Resources Committee.

"A quarter century of one-size-fits-all management bans have led to skyrocketing consumer prices and the loss of millions of American jobs," said Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo of California.

"This policy was based on the false notion that energy production and environmental protection were mutually exclusive. The now universally-accepted truth is that we can, and must, have both," said Pombo.

The bill would give states that support offshore drilling a share of the royalties.

"Offshore drilling has created good-paying jobs for many Louisianans, but the state has also had to shoulder the burdens that result from supporting this industry, including an eroding coastline and the cost of infrastructure like ports and highways," said Congressman Melancon.

"The DOER Act would give states that support offshore drilling an equitable share of the royalties, and Louisiana has plans to put this new funding to good use. We are passing a constitutional amendment to require that our share of the revenue be used solely for building a comprehensive hurricane protection and coastal restoration system, shielding our citizens from future hurricanes and repairing the environmental damage our coastline has suffered."

Congressman Jindal said, "My bill provides the best chance that Louisiana has ever had in receiving the offshore energy royalties, and this legislation will help encourage more domestic energy exploration which will help our country reduce our reliance on foreign sources of energy."

Opponents pointed to environmental degradation and financial problems that could result from offshore drilling. Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia, the committee's ranking Democrat said, "At a time when our nation is staggering under the weight of record deficits, the bill before us today would throw open the doors to the Treasury."

During a hearing held by the Resources Committee last week the Bush administration's Minerals Management Service spokesperson testified, "The revenue sharing provisions of H.R. 4761 are inconsistent with the President’s budget priorities and would have a significant, long-term impact on the budget deficit."

While neither Congressional Budget Office nor the administration has estimated the cost of the bill, Rahall cited an estimate from an unnamed source predicting that Louisiana alone would receive $10 billion during the first 10 years of the revenue-sharing program, increasing to $50 billion over the first 30 years.

"Meanwhile," Rahall said, "the federal government gets a pittance share of revenues on resources that belong to, and help to fund programs, for all the American people including, I might add, the Land and Water Conservation Fund."

"All of this takes place within the context of an OCS leasing program awash in fiscal irresponsibility, one plagued with a documented and endless history of royalty holidays and royalty underpayments," Rahall charged. "The American taxpayer has not been and is not receiving a fair share of these OCS royalties."

But Congressman Abercrombie said the measure "represents a significant step toward energy independence, preserves states' authority over the coastlines, and respects the environment."

NOAA Reports One-Quarter of U.S. Fish Stocks Overfished

In 2005, NOAA scientists determined population levels for 206 fish stocks and multi-species groupings known as complexes. Of these, 152 (74 percent) were not overfished, but 26 percent are overfished, according to the report.

NOAA scientists also determined the harvest rates for 237 stocks and found that 192 (81 percent) were not subject to overfishing.

The agency says the annual Status of the Stocks Report report shows progress in rebuilding overfished species.

Pacific lingcod stocks became fully rebuilt three years ahead of schedule and were added to the list of healthy, sustainable fisheries in 2005.

Six stocks grew to a level that they were no longer overfished in 2005 – barndoor skate, bluefish, golden tilefish, widow rockfish, Bering Sea snow crab, and Eastern Bering Sea tanner crab.

Seven stocks whose population levels were unknown in 2004 were determined not to be overfished in 2005 – starry flounder, blackgill rockfish, gopher rockfish, California scorpionfish, kelp greenling, and Gulf of Alaska rex sole, and Gulf of Alaska rougheye rockfish.

Three stocks were determined to be overfished due to population declines in 2005 – Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, scup and Pacific ocean perch.

One stock whose population level was unknown in 2004 was determined to be overfished in 2005 – the Caribbean grouper unit 4 complex.

Changes in harvest rates between 2004 and 2005 show that six stocks were no longer subject to overfishing in 2005 – American plaice, witch flounder, golden tilefish, lingcod, shortspine thornyhead, and the north population of black rockfish.

Ten stocks whose fishing rates were unknown in 2004 were determined not to be subject to overfishing in 2005 – little skate, winter skate, barndoor skate, thorny skate, clearnose skate, rosette skate, smooth skate, Gulf of Alaska skate, shortraker rockfish, and longnose and big skates.

Four stocks were determined to be subject to overfishing in 2005 – Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, Georges Bank winter flounder, Central Western Pacific yellowfin tuna, and the Caribbean grouper unit 1 complex.

Three stocks whose fishing rates were unknown in 2004 were determined to be subject to overfishing in 2005 – Caribbean grouper unit 4 complex, Caribbean snapper unit 1, and Caribbean parrotfishes.

When a fish stock is determined to be either overfished or subject to overfishing, the regional fishery management councils must develop a plan to correct the problem. The councils were notified of the four new overfished and seven new overfishing determinations for 2005, and have taken corrective action or are scheduled to take action this summer.

Matt Rand, marine fisheries campaign director with the National Environmental Trust, commented, "The real story here is what's behind the numbers. Almost one third of our nation's fish are still being overfished or they're already severely depleted. We need to strengthen the requirements in the Magnuson-Stevens Act to end overfishing and rebuild depleted fish populations."

The U.S. Senate passed a Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization bill on Monday that meets with NOAA's approval. "I'd like to thank and congratulate the United States Senate for its leadership in passing a Magnuson-Stevens bill, “said Bill Hogarth, director of NOAA Fisheries Service. “We hope to see passage of a House version soon so the Congress can develop a final Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization bill.”

But Rand said the House version proposed by House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo, a California Republican, sends fisheries management in the wrong direction. "His legislation guts current requirements to rebuild those fish populations struggling to stay alive," said Rand.

Cyanide and Sewage Kill Fish in Pennsylvania Creek

NORRISTOWN, Pennsylvania, June 21, 2006 (ENS) - A Monday night power outage at the Ambler Borough wastewater treatment plant resulted in the release of approximately 55,000 gallons of raw sewage into the Wissahickon Creek, a southeastern Pennsylvania stream impacted less than a week ago by problems discovered at the Upper Gwynedd wastewater treatment plant.

“While the plant operators in Ambler responded quickly to secure a temporary power source when a circuit breaker failed, this release of raw sewage is a serious matter and warranted swift response and oversight from DEP,” said Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Regional Director Joseph Feola.

A DEP water quality specialist was dispatched to the site and reported no obvious impact to aquatic life. Permanent power was restored at 4 am and the plant is operating within normal limits using ultraviolet light disinfection.

The state is still investigating a chemical release upstream that killed as many as 1,000 fish in Wissahickon Creek last week near the outfall of the Upper Gwynedd wastewater treatment plant.

Samples taken last week after the fish kill confirm the presence of a cyanide compound in both the raw water coming into the Upper Gwynedd treatment plant and the effluent discharged by the facility, the DEP reported Tuesday.

The test results show that a cyanide compound entered the plant through its sewage collection system. Investigations into the source of the contamination continue.

While earlier field tests indicated the presence of the compound cyanochloride, other forms of cyanide have been identified. The concentration of cyanide in the creek was high enough to kill the fish. Whether other compounds may have been responsible for the fish kill will become clearer as more laboratory data becomes available.

Advisories to avoid recreational contact with Wissahickon Creek remain in effect.

Firms Sponsor EcoZone Signs to Fund Capital District Improvements

WASHINGTON, DC, June 21, 2006 (ENS) - The city of Washington, DC will launch the nation's first EcoZone program, a public-private partnership designed to fund technologies and solutions to improve the local environment in the areas of air, water, energy and greenspace. At the kick-off event Tuesday, corporate executives said they would sponsor the entire initiative, and District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams promised there would be no additional cost to DC taxpayers.

"In partnering with the federal government and the private sector for revenue and support, the city can now address some of the most urgent environmental challenges in our city - at no additional cost to District taxpayers," said Mayor Williams.

Under the EcoZone program, 100 EcoZone signs featuring environmental messages will be posted throughout the city reminding people to recycle, ride-share, turn lights off when not in use and avoid littering, among other eco-friendly tips.

Half of the revenues from the EcoZone corporate sponsorships of educational outdoor signage will go to a dedicated and audited government account to fund environmental projects selected by the District government.

The selected projects will help the city comply with federal environmental regulations, and/or fund new local environmental programs that otherwise would not happen.

EcoZone projects can include storm drain catch basin insert filters that clean stormwater runoff. At the event Tuesday, Glenn Rink of AbTech Industries provided a demonstration of stormwater filters, one of the environmental products that the EcoZone/Adopt-A-Waterway program has funded in the past.

EcoZone projects may be hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles for municipal fleets that improve air quality and energy efficiency.

Projects may be solar paneling placed on city facilities to provide alternative, cleaner energy, or greening projects to convert industrial lots into green space.

Initial corporate sponsors for the District of Columbia's EcoZone program include DaimlerChrysler and CH2M HILL, AbTech Industries, Inc., Alcoa, BAE Systems, Zipcar and Willard Intercontinental Hotel.

CH2M Hill's Senior Vice President and Northeast Regional Manager Liliana Maldonado said, "We are proud to join in the launch of today's EcoZone program, a partnership project between communities and companies, because it reflects CH2M HILL's ongoing mission to protect and preserve natural resources around the globe."

The environmental and engineering consulting services company provides drinking water and sanitation, environmental remediation, sustainable development, habitat restoration, energy efficiency, green architecture and low impact development for communities around the world.

John Bozzella, vice president of external affairs and public policy, Americas, with the DaimlerChrysler Corporation said, "The EcoZone program complements our commitment to developing vehicles that have less impact on our environment, whether that's through reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, emitting less CO2 or developing new alternative drive systems, such as fuel cells."

Government agencies supporting EcoZone include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Energy.

The EcoZone project is the brainchild of EcoMedia, an environmental media company based in New York City that generates market-based media initiatives to address environmental challenges.

Paul Polizzotto, founder and CEO, EcoMedia, said, "The District's EcoZone program, we hope, will be the beginning of a national grassroots movement among cities, corporations and consumers working together to improve and strengthen our environment."

Additional cities and states to be included in a 2006 national rollout of the EcoZone program include Miami, Long Beach and other Southern California communities, and the state of New Jersey.

New York City Green Building Competition Winners

NEW YORK, New York, June 21, 2006 (ENS) - A new green design for the New York City Department of Transportation's maintenance facility is the Grand Winner in the Green Building Competition for New York City, federal and city officials announced Tuesday.

The New Sunrise Yard designed by Gruzen Samton LLP architects, planners, interior designers, is a 46,300 square foot facillity that achieves a 65 percent energy savings over the technical baseline through measures such as use of high performance glass, clerestory roof system, a high efficiency lighting system, radiant floor heating, demand based ventilation, and use of high efficiency boilers.

Demolition waste generated by the facility will be reused and water efficiency will be achieved through native landscaping and maximizing pervious surfaces. Runoff is contained on the site and construction vehicles will use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. The facility is part of the NYC Department of Design and Construction’s sustainable design pilot program.

The Green Building Competition for New York City, a competition sponsored jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), attracted professionals and students to submit their projects and concepts for the city.

EPA Regional Administrator Alan Steinberg and DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd Tuesday announced the selection of winners at an awards ceremony at the Center for Architecture in New York.

“New York City is taking the lead in innovative designs for sustainable development. The city that never sleeps never stops building either, so it’s only appropriate that it integrate green building practices at every step of the development process,” said Steinberg.

DEP Commissioner Lloyd said, “The designs being recognized today promote sustainable development that will enable us to maintain the water, air and land resources that are crucial to our long-term health and survivability."

The design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings account for enormous amounts of energy, water, and generate large quantities of air and water pollution. By adopting green building strategies, building owners can maximize both economic and environmental performance.

Other Green Building Competition winners include: