Environment
Last Autumn, The Community Festival provided $1,000 to fund
the planting of dozens of trees in Iuka Park, between Summit St. & North
4th. Several species, including paw paw, ironwood, beech, tupelo, &
swamp white oak were planted. The work has been done in conjunction with
the Iuka Ravine Association, and currently includes added mulching and
chicken wire surrounds. ComFest regulars Maynard G Krebs (dubbed
"The Ranger of Iuka Ravine" by an area neighbor) and Bill Winkle are
seeing to the latest efforts. If you'd like to help them care for young
trees, contact: billwinkle1@hotmail.com and use
"Iuka Park Trees" in the subject line.
Two weeks ago, after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a staff report to Congress that said California’s electricity and natural gas markets were the victim of widespread manipulation by more than a dozen energy companies, the chairman of FERC and one of the agency’s commissioners took the unusual step of holding a private conference call with Wall Street analysts to calm jittery investors who feared the report would send energy company stocks plummeting.
One of the items that came up for discussion during the conference call was whether FERC would decide if California’s $20 billion in long-term electricity contracts should be abrogated because, according to California state officials, the deals were signed during the height of the energy crisis when manipulation in the state was rampant.
FERC Commissioner Nora Brownell indicated during the public meeting hours earlier that she would likely not support California’s argument that the contracts be voided because it would scare away investors or discourage companies from signing similar deals in the future.
One of the items that came up for discussion during the conference call was whether FERC would decide if California’s $20 billion in long-term electricity contracts should be abrogated because, according to California state officials, the deals were signed during the height of the energy crisis when manipulation in the state was rampant.
FERC Commissioner Nora Brownell indicated during the public meeting hours earlier that she would likely not support California’s argument that the contracts be voided because it would scare away investors or discourage companies from signing similar deals in the future.
The sky-high electricity and natural gas prices in California between 2000 and 2001 that bankrupted the state’s largest utility and caused several days of rolling blackouts was the result of widespread manipulation by several Texas-based energy companies with close ties to President Bush, federal energy regulators ruled Wednesday.
The energy companies, Dynegy Inc., Reliant Resources, Enron Corporation, all of which contributed heavily to Bush’s presidential campaign, must now refund California billions of dollars in profits it reaped between January 2000 and June 2001. Other energy companies, including Duke Energy, Mirant and Williams Companies, were also identified for taking of advantage of loopholes in California’s newly deregulated energy market to boost their profits and ordered to pay refunds.
In addition, FERC harshly criticized Reliant Resources for manipulating natural gas prices at the Southern California trading hub known as Topock. In FERC’s staff report to Congress, Reliant is accused of dominating the Southern California gas market, raising prices there and selling at the top of that market.
The energy companies, Dynegy Inc., Reliant Resources, Enron Corporation, all of which contributed heavily to Bush’s presidential campaign, must now refund California billions of dollars in profits it reaped between January 2000 and June 2001. Other energy companies, including Duke Energy, Mirant and Williams Companies, were also identified for taking of advantage of loopholes in California’s newly deregulated energy market to boost their profits and ordered to pay refunds.
In addition, FERC harshly criticized Reliant Resources for manipulating natural gas prices at the Southern California trading hub known as Topock. In FERC’s staff report to Congress, Reliant is accused of dominating the Southern California gas market, raising prices there and selling at the top of that market.
As the Senate and House both move to begin considering the Budget
Resolution
for Fiscal Year 2004, both chambers have been talking openly about
including
revenues from potential lease sales in the coastal plain of the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge. Lease sales will generate revenues that could
be
included in the budget, but only if drilling in the Arctic Refuge has been
approved.
This week, the Senate budget committee and the House Budget Committee both begin work on the FY 04 budgets.
On the House side, Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) has stated that he doesn't think Arctic drilling should be part of the budget resolution. The House Budget committee began deliberations on the budget resolution on Wednesday, March 12. Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, for the third year in a row, declined to include assumptions of drilling revenue in the resolution, which provides the broad framework for the annual spending and tax bills. The resolution is non-binding, but merely serves as a blueprint.
This week, the Senate budget committee and the House Budget Committee both begin work on the FY 04 budgets.
On the House side, Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) has stated that he doesn't think Arctic drilling should be part of the budget resolution. The House Budget committee began deliberations on the budget resolution on Wednesday, March 12. Committee Chairman Jim Nussle, for the third year in a row, declined to include assumptions of drilling revenue in the resolution, which provides the broad framework for the annual spending and tax bills. The resolution is non-binding, but merely serves as a blueprint.
The American people have been denied additional time to voice their
opinion
about the management of their public lands. A recent decision by the
administration rejects a request to extend the public comment period for
the
draft oil and gas leasing plan of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska's
northwest area. A coalition of conservation groups formally requested
extending the 60 day comment period to 90 days, as was requested and
approved in 1998 for the northeast planning area of the NPR-A. The same
group also asked for public hearings to be held in the lower 48 states,
just
as they were for the northeast planning area of this region, also called
the
Western Arctic.
Only a single hearing outside Alaska was granted, to be held in Washington, DC on March 13 - a mere five days before the public comment period ends March 18. With so much land in the crosshairs of big oil, and so little - less than 5 percent - of the nation's land permanently protected as wilderness, it is only fair that the public has adequate opportunity to speak up.
Only a single hearing outside Alaska was granted, to be held in Washington, DC on March 13 - a mere five days before the public comment period ends March 18. With so much land in the crosshairs of big oil, and so little - less than 5 percent - of the nation's land permanently protected as wilderness, it is only fair that the public has adequate opportunity to speak up.
This is long, so if you want to see exactly what the report says instead
of
looking at we say about it, the report is also available directly from the
National Research Council as follows:
Press Release: www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309087376
Summary (4 pages) books.nap.edu/html/north_slope/reportbrief.pdf
Full Report (viewable on screen and searchable but you cannot print or download it): www.nap.edu/books/0309087376/html/
Briefing as Real Player: video.nationalacademies.org/ramgen/news/030403.rm
Press Release: www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309087376
Summary (4 pages) books.nap.edu/html/north_slope/reportbrief.pdf
Full Report (viewable on screen and searchable but you cannot print or download it): www.nap.edu/books/0309087376/html/
Briefing as Real Player: video.nationalacademies.org/ramgen/news/030403.rm
The Alaska Wilderness League last week applauded a bipartisan coalition of
Senators for introducing legislation to permanently protect the Coastal
Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The legislation, which seeks
to designate the fragile 1.5 million-acre Coastal Plain of the Refuge as
statutory wilderness, was introduced today by Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT).
"We praise the leadership of Senator Lieberman and the other co-sponsors for coming together to support legislation that permanently protects Alaska's most threatened wilderness from the ravages of oil development," said Cindy Shogan, Alaska Wilderness League's executive director. "Sacrificing the crown jewel of our national wildlife refuge system for a six-month supply of oil that might be available 10 years from now is unconscionable."
"We praise the leadership of Senator Lieberman and the other co-sponsors for coming together to support legislation that permanently protects Alaska's most threatened wilderness from the ravages of oil development," said Cindy Shogan, Alaska Wilderness League's executive director. "Sacrificing the crown jewel of our national wildlife refuge system for a six-month supply of oil that might be available 10 years from now is unconscionable."
At the end of last month, the Bush Administration failed yet another test
of
responsible management on America's public lands, signing off on a forest
plan revision that fails to protect Alaska's magnificent Tongass National
Forest. The Forest Service reviewed over nine million roadless acres and
determined that not a single acre deserved long-term protection, leaving
open to logging much of what's left of the largest and oldest trees in the
rainforest.
February's decision builds off a bad draft plan which failed to recommend any new wilderness and drew widespread criticism in Alaska and nationally. During a public comment period on the draft plan, testimony at Alaska-based public hearings on the plan ran at almost ninety percent in favor of new wilderness protections. In addition, over 170,000 Americans from across the country submitted comments in support of new Tongass wilderness.
February's decision builds off a bad draft plan which failed to recommend any new wilderness and drew widespread criticism in Alaska and nationally. During a public comment period on the draft plan, testimony at Alaska-based public hearings on the plan ran at almost ninety percent in favor of new wilderness protections. In addition, over 170,000 Americans from across the country submitted comments in support of new Tongass wilderness.
New report reveals one fish kill incident a week in Ohio. Wildlife officers quick to respond and charge polluters, but fines rarely reflect full value of damage
On average a pollution spill or leak kills more than a thousand fish and other wildlife each week in an Ohio waterway. The majority of fish kills are linked to agricultural operationsóhowever, the source of many fish kills remain unknown. State wildlife protection officers do a good job of investigating and charging polluters for killed wildlife, but fines paid by polluters rarely represent the full value of damage to a waterway and its wildlife.
Those are among the findings of a comprehensive report authored by the Ohio Environmental Council that analyzed 356 documented fish kill investigations that took place in Ohio waterways between January 1997 and September 2002.
Other findings of the report include:
* More than half a million fish and other wildlife perished as a result of water pollution incidents.
* On average, 1,576 fish were killed per documented fish kill incident.
On average a pollution spill or leak kills more than a thousand fish and other wildlife each week in an Ohio waterway. The majority of fish kills are linked to agricultural operationsóhowever, the source of many fish kills remain unknown. State wildlife protection officers do a good job of investigating and charging polluters for killed wildlife, but fines paid by polluters rarely represent the full value of damage to a waterway and its wildlife.
Those are among the findings of a comprehensive report authored by the Ohio Environmental Council that analyzed 356 documented fish kill investigations that took place in Ohio waterways between January 1997 and September 2002.
Other findings of the report include:
* More than half a million fish and other wildlife perished as a result of water pollution incidents.
* On average, 1,576 fish were killed per documented fish kill incident.
The Sierra Club is continuing its legal actions against the City of Columbus Department of Sewers and Drains, (DOSD), which has been illegally dumping untreated raw sewage into Central Ohio rivers and basements.
The Club has compiled these statistics from its records search: 3 billion gallons of raw sewage and industrial waste bypassing Columbus' two sewage treatment plants each year, 900 illegal cross connections of sewer lines into stormwater lines, 800 illegally unreported sanitary sewer overflows, and 10,000 reported basement sewage backups in the last 5 years. The city also has issues of illegality surrounding combined sewer overflows (where stormwater and sewage flow in the same pipe and can mix in wet weather) and a 13-inch unpermitted sewer bypass pipe at the Jackson Pike Wastewater Treatment Plant. To get a perspective, the current bypass pipe at the plant is 8 inches in diameter. The city maintains that this new pipe is part of its floodwall project.
The Sierra Club has been disappointed that neither Mayor Coleman nor any City Council members have so far been willing to stand up and question the actions of the DOSD.
The Club has compiled these statistics from its records search: 3 billion gallons of raw sewage and industrial waste bypassing Columbus' two sewage treatment plants each year, 900 illegal cross connections of sewer lines into stormwater lines, 800 illegally unreported sanitary sewer overflows, and 10,000 reported basement sewage backups in the last 5 years. The city also has issues of illegality surrounding combined sewer overflows (where stormwater and sewage flow in the same pipe and can mix in wet weather) and a 13-inch unpermitted sewer bypass pipe at the Jackson Pike Wastewater Treatment Plant. To get a perspective, the current bypass pipe at the plant is 8 inches in diameter. The city maintains that this new pipe is part of its floodwall project.
The Sierra Club has been disappointed that neither Mayor Coleman nor any City Council members have so far been willing to stand up and question the actions of the DOSD.