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Still Cleaning Up After Frances, North Carolina Gets Ivan RALEIGH, North Carolina, September 17, 2004 (ENS) - The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) is sending emergency crews to western and central North Carolina to prepare for Hurricane Ivan, which is expected to bring heavy rain and winds to the state over the next several days.The storm is predicted to be a tropical depression when it reaches North Carolina today or Saturday, but it could bring 40 mile per hour winds and dump as much as 15 inches of rain on western parts of the state. The NCDFR, which has two teams helping residents in hurricane ravaged Florida, will dispatch today a 25 person team to the Western Branch of North Carolina Department of Emergency Management in Conover. “We feel very comfortable that even with the folks we have working in Florida we’re still very capable of handling anything that may arise here,” said Gary Wood, NCDFR’s fire department training coordinator who is helping dispatch Division personnel. The NCDFR teams in North Carolina will help fill county requests for items such as assembling swift water rescue groups, providing shelter and food to victims of Ivan and sending out chainsaw crews to remove downed timber from roads. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is responding to potential hazardous material and oil releases in western North Carolina, caused by flooding from Tropical Storm Frances 10 days ago. The Emergency Response and Removal Branch (ERRB) from the Agency’s Regional Office in Atlanta has been working with the state of North Carolina on assessment and recovery operations since September 8. With assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Gulf Strike Team and contractors, the EPA team has removed numerous drums, tanks, containers in the Pigeon River, near the town of Canton, and in the Swannanoa River, in the Toe River in Mitchell and Yancey Counties as well as Hominy Creek in Buncombe County. The agency has conducted a emergency removal operation to recover tanks floating on water bodies throughout the affected areas and has conducted hazardous material reconnaissance in Transylvania and Jackson Counties. The EPA has recovered 20,000 gallons of diesel oil and oil water from leaking tanks or from saturated soil to prevent releases into the Swannanoa River near Asheville. Also near Asheville, the agency has worked on mitigation of petroleum spills at Mountain Energy Corporation.
Pollutant Discharge Limits Set for California Offshore Oil SAN FRANCISCO, California, September 17, 2004 (ENS) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a final discharge permit for oil and gas offshore oil platforms located in federal waters off the coast of California.The discharge permit limits the amount of pollutants from oil and gas operations that can be discharged into the ocean from platforms located four miles or more from the California coast. The permit replaces existing permits that have expired, some more than 20 years ago. Signed on Wednesday, the permit will be effective December 1, 2004. "Today's permit provides for greater environmental protection than we've had over the last 20 years," said, Alexis Strauss, the EPA's water division director for the Pacific Southwest region. "And it provides the mechanism to set more protective limits in the future if warranted through further study." The new permit sets stricter effluent limitations for oil and grease, reducing the amount of oil and grease discharged to ocean waters by more than 1,250 pounds per day. The new permit will implement effluent limits for the oil and gas industry based on current EPA guidelines, which apply in other offshore locations such as the Gulf of Mexico. A one year study will be conducted to collect discharge information to establish effluent limitations. The study results and any new proposed permit limits will be submitted to the public for comment. The new permit allows discharge limits to be updated in the future with stricter standards if the study indicates they are necessary. The permit is issued under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System rules, which regulate discharges from industrial facilities under the Clean Water Act.
Safety, Permanence of Carbon Sequestration Tested WASHINGTON, DC, September 17, 2004 (ENS) - In a multinational project that includes the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 110 billion cubic feet of 95 percent pure carbon dioxide (CO2) have been injected into the Weyburn Oilfield in Saskatchewan, Canada, near the North Dakota border.The Weyburn Project is expected to store about 22 million tons of CO2 and produce 130 million barrels of oil over 20 years. Most of the injected CO2 comes from the Dakota Gasification Company's synfuels plant in Beulah, North Dakota, via a 300 mile long pipeline. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said, "Through this $27 million CO2 injection effort, the United States is poised to access new technologies from around the world, while contributing 15 percent of the project's costs." Injecting compressed CO2, a greenhouse gas, into the oilfield creates a CO2 "flood," said Abraham, that forces the remaining oil into a well where it can be harvested. The CO2 remains behind, safely and permanently stored beneath the earth's surface. The project's overriding goal is to expand the knowledge of the capacity, transport rate, and storage of CO2 in geological formations associated with enhanced oil recovery - in other words, to make sure that "safe and permanent" are just that, Abraham said. Since the launch of the Weyburn Project in 1999 by the Petroleum Technology Research Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan, and EnCana Resources of Calgary, Alberta, the project has attracted 15 sponsors from governments and industry, including the U.S. Department of Energy, Natural Resources Canada, Alberta Energy Research Institute, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, the European Community, and 10 industrial sponsors in Canada, the United States, and Japan. The project aims to achieve geological characterization of the geosphere and biosphere; prediction, monitoring, and verification of CO2 movements; CO2 storage capacity and distribution predictions and the applications of economic limits; and long-term risk assessment of the storage site.
Clean Air Rules Eased for Detroit DETROIT, Michigan, September 17, 2004 - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Leavitt has approved the ozone nonattainment reclassification of the Detroit area from moderate to the next lower classification marginal.The city's request has been approved because the Detroit area has shown it can achieve clean air standards three years earlier than required under the new, more protective health based air quality standard for ground-level ozone, Leavitt said Thursday. While moderate areas must attain the national air quality standard for 8-hour ozone by June 2010, marginal areas must meet the standard by June 2007. As a result of this action, a motor vehicle inspection program will not be mandatory for now, but could be implemented at the state's discretion if progress toward the clean air goal isn't fast enough. The action is approval of a state request to reclassify the eight county nonattainment area in southeast Michigan. The eight counties affected are Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Lenawee, Monroe, St. Clair and Washtenaw. Leavitt also announced approval of the ozone nonattainment reclassification of LaPorte County, Indiana from moderate to the marginal classification. "Our action is guided in part by recognition that the air quality in your communities is greatly influenced by pollution blowing across Lake Michigan," said Leavitt. "We will work with upwind communities to clean the air for everyone's benefit." "This action recognizes the hard work of local and state leaders and their renewed pledge to employ innovative local emission control programs to ensure our clean air milestones are met,"said Leavitt. The administrator's decision was based on a demonstration that the areas will be able to implement emission controls to attain the health-based ozone standard by 2007. The state has committed to engaging the public over the next several months to consider the range of available emission controls and selected measures to be implemented in order to reach attainment of the standard. Emission controls will be phased in starting in 2006. EPA approved the request under a Clean Air Act provision that allows reclassification of nonattainment areas if they are within five percent of a lower nonattainment classification. The areas now will have greater flexibility to select control measures that will be most effective in reducing ozone levels in their respective areas. While the action requires early attainment, areas will be subject to fewer mandatory emission reduction programs, such as motor vehicle emissions testing.
Virginia Greens State Health Care Industry RICHMOND, Virginia, September 16, 2004 (ENS) - The state of Virginia has become a partner in a national program that educates professionals in the health care industry about waste minimization and pollution prevention in hospitals.Hospitals for a Healthy Environment promotes strategies to eliminate mercury use and reduce other medical waste. Virginia is the first state in the mid-Atlantic region to join the program. The Virginia sponsors of this program are Virginia's Department's of Natural Resources, Health and Human Resources, and Environmental Quality, along with the Virginia's Hospital and Healthcare Association, Health Care Waste Management Cooperative and Dental Association, and the University of Virginia's MERCI Foundation. Seventy-two Virginia hospitals enrolled in the program on Thursday, pledging to eliminate mercury, reduce both hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and install energy-efficient lighting, computers, and televisions. Experts estimate that medical and municipal waste incinerators are responsible for 30 percent of the total mercury emissions to air. Hospitals for a Healthy Environment is a joint project of the American Hospital Association, Health Care without Harm, and the American Nurses Association, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and local agencies. More than 800 facilities and organizations have joined Hospitals for a Healthy Environment since it started in 1998. For a complete listing of all the partners and more information visit: http://:www.h2e-online.org
Nevada Senators Secure $13 Million for Lake Tahoe Protection WASHINGTON, DC, September 17, 2004 (ENS) - Nevada Senators Harry Reid, a Democrat, and John Ensign, a Republican, have labored together to secure $13 million for environmental projects to improve Lake Tahoe, one of the clearest large sub-alpine lakes in the world. The lake lies at an elevation of 6,225 feet on the California-Nevada border.The funds are included in the fiscal year 2005 Interior Appropriations bill that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday, and now heads to the Senate floor. This money is in addition to the $37 million from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act Special Account approved for Lake Tahoe projects in August. “Since Senator Ensign came to the Senate, he and I have been working tirelessly to protect and restore the beauty of Lake Tahoe,” said Reid, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. “This bipartisan effort is delivering funds to reduce fire risk, preserve water clarity and improve the health of the entire Tahoe Basin.” “Senator Reid and I have worked very hard to ensure that the environmental health and the unsurpassed beauty of Lake Tahoe are maintained for generations,” Ensign said. “These funds will continue to protect the lake and the surrounding communities so everyone can enjoy the pristine, blue jewel in the Sierras.” The measure allots $5 million for vegetation and watershed management, $4 million for hazardous fuels reduction projects, $2 million for land acquisition, and another $2 million for road decommissioning and trail improvement. There is strong community support for these measures, particularly for hazardous fuels reduction. In late 2003, after Southern California's catastrophic wildfires, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board directed its staff to make forest thinning and fuels reduction projects a top priority. John Cobourn of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition says, "This year, an unprecedented number of natural resource managers and planners are working closely with Lake Tahoe’s fire protection districts to integrate fire prevention practices with efforts to restore the ecosystem of the Tahoe Basin." "While public awareness of fire danger has been growing for years," Cobourn says, "last fall’s disastrous wildfires in suburban Southern California focused national attention on the need to address unsafe conditions in neighborhoods close to wildlands." At 1,657 feet, Lake Tahoe is the 11th deepest lake in the world. It is 23 miles long and 12 miles wide. Sixty-three streams feed into Lake Tahoe, but only one flows out – the Truckee River.
U.S. Coast Guard Hosts California Coastal Cleanup Site SAN DIEGO, California, September 17, 2004 (ENS) - For the first time, the U.S. Coast Guard is getting involved in California Coastal Cleanup Day, which is happening on Saturday.U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego will host a cleanup site that begins at G Street Pier and will include selected areas to the south and north. This is also the first time the California Coastal Cleanup event has scheduled this area to be cleaned. The Coast Guard says its Environmental Response Team in San Diego works daily investigating reported oil spills and working to prevent them. Being part of the California Coastal Cleanup is another way the Coast Guard is involved with environmental protection. “The Coast Guard is committed to a clean environment,” said Capt. John Long, Commander, Sector San Diego. “This is a terrific opportunity for Coast Guard folks to work with our neighbors for a cleaner San Diego Bay.” Coastal Cleanup Day is a statewide beach and shoreline cleanup held throughout California each year, the largest such cleanup in the country. Coastal Cleanup Day is a partnership between the California Coastal Commission, non-profit groups such as I Love A Clean San Diego and San Diego Baykeeper, and cities and counties throughout the state. It is a major part of International Coastal Cleanup, which is facilitated by The Ocean Conservancy and includes all 55 U.S. states and territories and over 90 countries. The California shoreline is one of the most beautiful in the country, yet each year thousands of tons of garbage end up on the beaches and in the ocean. This garbage can endanger wildlife and human health. Coastal Cleanup Day provides an opportunity for volunteers of all ages to work together and make a positive impact on waterways by reducing the amount of marine debris.
California Fuel Cell Partnership Road Rally Takes Off SACRAMENTO, California, September 17, 2004 (ENS) - Starting today, thousands of Southern Californians will be able to see and test drive zero emission, hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicles during the California Fuel Cell Partnership's (CaFCP) third annual road rally.The starter’s flag launched the rally at the South Coast Air Management District’s new hydrogen fuel station in Diamond Bar on Thursday. The Cruisin’ Southern Cal road rally will cover several hundred miles through three counties through Sunday. Public ride and drives will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center, the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, and in downtown San Diego. All eight of CaFCP’s automakers will provide fuel cell vehicles, while energy members will oversee hydrogen refueling and other members will support the events with educational and technical displays. In addition to the public ride and drives, whistle-stop events will be held in communities along the Pacific Coast Highway, offering local residents an opportunity to get a close look at the fuel cell vehicles “Hydrogen powered fuel cell technology offers the potential for zero tailpipe emissions, zero greenhouse gas emissions, and greater energy diversity, including increased use of domestically produced renewable fuels,” says Catherine Dunwoody, executive director of CaFCP. “The California Fuel Cell Partnership is dedicated to placing fuel cell vehicles on the road in very visible demonstrations, including these road rallies, to help develop the kind of public acceptance needed to realize a hydrogen economy and make fuel cell vehicles commercially viable,” Dunwoody said. Fuel cell vehicles run on hydrogen - the most abundant element found in the universe - which, when combined with oxygen from air, generates the electricity needed to drive the vehicle. The only tailpipe emissions are water and heat. Hydrogen can be obtained from fossil fuels and from renewable sources of energy, a fact that Dunwoody says can provide "fuel diversity for our transportation system and a viable option for a sustainable energy supply in the future." The California Fuel Cell Partnership is a voluntary, industry-government collaboration to advance a new vehicle and fueling technology that could move the world toward practical and affordable environmental solutions. CaFCP members are demonstrating fuel cell-powered electric vehicles under real day-to-day driving conditions; testing alternative fuels and demonstrating the viability of an alternative fuel infrastructure technology; facilitating the path to commercialization; and increasing public awareness of fuel cell electric vehicles. The CaFCP is working to facilitate placement of up to 300 fuel cell passenger cars and buses on the road by the end of 2007. The California Fuel Cell Partnership started in April 1999. It includes auto manufacturers DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen; and energy providers Air Products, BP, ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, Methanex, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Praxair, Proton Energy Systems, Shell Hydrogen, Stuart Energy, and Ztek. Technology companies Ballard Power Systems and UTC Fuel Cells participate together with government agencies the California Air Resources Board, California Energy Commission, South Coast Air Qality Management District, U.S. Energy Department, U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis; and bus transit agencies AC Transit, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and SunLine Transit Agency. Rally dates are:
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