| News That Matters Good Monday Morning! There was a beautiful sunrise this morning. Air quality is supposed to be almost excellent, the sun will shine and this mid-fall day will be quite nice. If you can get outside at any time today, do so. Those of you who missed the Bob Hauver/Mike Latini ACT III show at the Arts Center on Saturday night are, well, let's just say you missed another great show. Last week I received several reports of problems with new voting machines New York will introduce next year and they were all remarkably similar; One reader who was working at the Southeast Town Hall reported that the machine wouldn't accept the paper ballot for scanning. A repairman was called and he declared it repaired a few minutes later. Another reader at the Rec Center in Patterson reports that the new machine experienced three failures and two successes. Again, the problem seems to have been a paper jam. At Sacred Heart Church in Patterson, the manual machine broke and voters were moved to paper ballots while it was being repaired. The electronic machine there also had paper jamming problems.
WCBS is reporting that a highly contagious stomach flu is circulating through New York City. From their report: The Health Department has issued a statement reporting that visits to the city's hospital emergency rooms have increased by 19 percent over the past two weeks, to about 400 a day, of people suffering from vomiting and diarrhea.If you work in the City, don't. Call in "Healthy" and work from home for the week. Property taxes are going down in Southeast by 1.4%. In order to make it happen, silliness was increased by 4.6%.
To facilitate this they've got a stainless steel portable carry-bottle that looks pretty neat and the price is right - $20. That fits right in with our $20 - Nothing From China holiday shopping program. But then I followed a link to the manufacturer of the bottles and guess what... they're made in China.It's not just the China thing, it's the amount of fossil fuels used in shipping these things half-way around the globe. Surely, not an environmentally sound choice. There must be a US manufacturer who could have made these bottles and saved the fossil fuels necessary to ship them half-way around the world. Oh well, maybe next year.
The 2008 Hunting season is just around the corner or has already started here in NY (bow hunters are already out there) with the bulk coming from November 15th until December 7th, and reports have started to come in of accidents around the country. Seems that this year hunters are shooting themselves - and others - accidentally, of course in large numbers. If you live in a wooded area or near where hunters are frequently found, be on the lookout! Make sure those *NO HUNTING* signs are posted along the back border of your property. Stay out of DEP, DEC and County lands for the time and stick to the State Parks where it's safe(r). And now, the News:
Clean water advocates could hit mother lode with mine rulingNinth Circuit Court denies permit for copper mine on Arizona stream because there was no cleanup schedule for the impaired waterwayBy Karl Blankenship It would seem that there is little to link the Chesapeake Bay and Pinto Creek, two waterbodies that are separated by almost an entire continent. One is the nation's largest estuary, the other an intermittent desert stream in Arizona's copper mining region. The regions around the Bay hold some of the fastest growing counties of the nation; Pinto Creek's watershed includes aging mining towns with names like Globe and Miami, which have been losing population for years. Yet the fate of Pinto Creek and the Chesapeake Bay could be intertwined. That's because the outcome of a decade-long battle over a proposed new mining discharge into Pinto Creek could strengthen efforts to clean up the Bay and other "impaired" waterbodies. Last fall, a federal court ruled that the EPA could not issue a permit for a new discharge into Pinto Creek because it would "cause or contribute" to a violation of water quality standards. No permit could be issued, the court said, unless there was a plan showing how and when that waterbody would be cleaned up. Simply put: no cleanup schedule, no permits. Read More Bottled water contains disinfection byproducts, fertilizer residue, and pain medicationOctober 2008Authors: Olga Naidenko, PhD, Senior Scientist; Nneka Leiba, MPH, Researcher; Renee Sharp, MS, Senior Scientist; Jane Houlihan, MSCE, Vice President for Research The bottled water industry promotes an image of purity, but comprehensive testing by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reveals a surprising array of chemical contaminants in every bottled water brand analyzed, including toxic byproducts of chlorination in Walmart’s Sam’s Choice and Giant Supermarket's Acadia brands, at levels no different than routinely found in tap water. Several Sam's Choice samples purchased in California exceeded legal limits for bottled water contaminants in that state. Cancer-causing contaminants in bottled water purchased in 5 states (North Carolina, California, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland) and the District of Columbia substantially exceeded the voluntary standards established by the bottled water industry. Unlike tap water, where consumers are provided with test results every year, the bottled water industry does not disclose the results of any contaminant testing that it conducts. Instead, the industry hides behind the claim that bottled water is held to the same safety standards as tap water. But with promotional campaigns saturated with images of mountain springs, and prices 1,900 times the price of tap water, consumers are clearly led to believe that they are buying a product that has been purified to a level beyond the water that comes out of the garden hose. Read More Editorial: Pursue study on Ten Mile floodsA proposed study of the Ten Mile River watershed, estimated to cost $2.5 million, is a necessary preventive measure to future flooding disasters in the eastern part of Dutchess County and part of Litchfield County, Conn. This is a good example of how smart spending up front could fend off bigger headaches and costs later on.After two major floods in 2005 and 2007, the Army Corps of Engineers recently issued a $100,000 reconnaissance report that says alternatives for flood damage risk reduction and ecosystem restoration can be identified in such a study. Essentially, the corps will address how the river has changed over the years and what steps can be taken to keep the river from flooding. Considering that the Town of Dover alone suffered $4 million in damage during the storms, this is the next logical step. The initial report looked at whether there was ecological and environmental justification for federal involvement. Since that is the case, Congress will be asked by U.S. Rep John Hall, D-Dover, for funding in January when the appropriations process begins again with the new administration. Read More Top Pesticide Foods to AvoidConcerned about pesticides? Thinking about going organic? If you are not ready for a 100% organic diet, then at least consider avoiding the most pesticide-laden foods from your diet. The Environmental Working Group has published a ‘dirty dozen’ list of the fruits and vegetables that you may want to consider avoiding.We have included a partial list of some of our favourite fruits and vegetables below that taste much better without the toxic chemicals. And no, washing fruits and vegetables will not eliminate pesticides. The Food News reports that washing and peeling will cut down on pesticide exposures but it will not totally remove them. Best to simply avoid eating the top offenders. Read More Local open space funding measures passed in the HighlandsNovember 6th, 2008 Posted in New Jersey, PennsylvaniaThe 11/4 election saw the passage of several open space funding measures in the Highlands of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A summary is below. Throughout the country, 88 measures passed, for a total of $8,410,616,140 in conservation funding! For more information, go to TPL’s LandVote database at: www.conservationalmanac.org/landvote/cgi-bin/register.cgi PENNSYLVANIA: 1) Adams County approved a $10,000,000 Bond for the preservation of farmland, open space, habitat, and watersheds. It passed by 75% approval. 2) Upper Saucon Township approved a $24,000,000, 0.25 percent earned income tax increase for open space and recreational lands. It passed by 50% approval. NEW JERSEY: 1) Hunterdon County approved a $152,000,000, 3 cents per $100 property tax extension for the preservation of open space, parks, and farmland. It passed by 76% approval. 2) Oakland Borough approved a $1,270,000 property tax, 5-year, extension of 1 cent per $100 open space tax. It passed by 70% approval. Read More Upper Saucon OKs open space question by 6 votes6,886 ballots were cast; official results are due Friday.By Kevin Duffy | Of The Morning Call November 6, 2008 Upper Saucon Township voters on Tuesday supported a tax increase to preserve open space -- by the narrowest of margins. According to unofficial numbers posted Wednesday by the Lehigh County Elections Office on its Web site, the referendum to boost the earned income tax rate by 0.25 percent to make land purchases and curtail development passed by just six votes. That was out of 6,886 ballots cast. Results won't be finalized until Friday, Supervisor of Elections Stacy Sterner said. ''It's still unofficial, but I feel really joyous right now,'' said Upper Saucon Supervisor Chairman Miro Gutzmirtl. Read More Florence voters OK open-space taxBy DAVID MACCARBurlington County Times FLORENCE — Township voters approved a public question in Tuesday's election asking whether they favored establishing a property tax to preserve open space and farmland. The issue passed by a vote of 2,252 to 1,774. As a result, property owners will be taxed at a rate of 1 cent per $100 of assessed property value annually for the next 20 years. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $117,248 will pay $11.72 a year. Florence becomes the 18th municipality in Burlington County to have an open-space tax. Burlington County also has an open-space tax. Township Administrator Richard Brook said the tax will generate an estimated $60,000 a year that will be put in a dedicated trust fund. Read More MN Voters Approve $5.5 Billion to Protect Land and Water Contacts: Susan Schmidt, 651-999-5317, Cordelia Pierson, cell 651-815-1268, |
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Monday, November 10, 2008
News That Matters - November 10, 2008
