Environmental Monitor Advocacy News (includes how to reach your legislators) DEP Enforcement Actions In The Berkshires NPDES News
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Pittsfield “Green Drinks” Gathering Scheduled 10/17
The first Pittsfield “Green Drinks” will be held at the Brew Works, 34 Depot Street in Pittsfield. The inaugural gathering will take place on October 17th beginning at 5:15 p.m. and every third Tuesday of the month there after. It is co- sponsored by the Center for Ecological Technology (CET) and the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT). What is Green Drinks? Green Drinks is an international forum where people who work in the environmental field meet for a beer and snacks at informal sessions. There will be a lively mix of people from Non-profit organizations, academia, government and business. Green Drinks is a great way of catching up with people you know and for making new contacts. These networking events are very simple and unstructured. Come along and you’ll be made welcome. CET & BEAT look forward to seeing you there. There are also Green Drinks in Great Barrington on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:15 pm at the Barrington Brewery, and in Northampton on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Northampton Brewery. For more information about Pittsfield Green Drinks, contact Jamie Cahillane at CET (413-445-4556 ext. 14) or Jane Winn at BEAT (jane@thebeatnews.org or 413-230-7321). |
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STATE PARKS MAKE 10 MOST ENDANGERED LIST 10/9
State’s Parks on 10 Most Endangered Resources List Some 450,000 acres of state-owned land have been deemed one of Massachusetts “The lack of maintenance of our park system is an embarrassment, not only to Lack of funding for maintenance, management and operations are at the root “We have an obligation as one of this country’s oldest and most beautiful |
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King Street Dump comment period will be extended
On September 14, 2006 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Solid Waste (BSW) released their Provisional Comprehensive Site Assessment (CSA) Review, King Street Dump, Pittsfield , Massachusetts. (pages 1-6 and pages 7-14 ) Although CSAs are not usually provisional, DEP BSW knew BEAT and other environmental groups wanted to review and possibly comment on the CSA, so they issued the CSA as provisional to allow us a chance to review the document. BEAT did not feel that 21 days was enough time to review DEP’s Provisional CSA Review, so BEAT has been talking with DEP BSW. They have offered to extend the comment period by 30 days. BEAT’s comments will include a request that other alternatives be analyzed, including complete removal of all the fill and removal of a wide band of fill to form a restored wetland between the dump and the river. This could have the added benefit of reducing flooding at Wahconah Park. BEAT will be working closely with the Housatonic River Initiative to identify other areas in the Dump that should be tested for PCBs. BEAT thinks all the abutters should have been notified as well as anyone who has commented in the past. We will be working with the other environmental groups to try to reach out to anyone who is interested in the King Street Dump to help them get information or make comments. If you have questions please email Jane@thebeatnews.org or call 413-230-7321. |
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LaValley Oil fined in fuel spill – North Adams – 10/2
LaValley Oil Co. has been fined $10,356 in connection with a June 16 diesel fuel spill at its facility, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. The fuel dealer is being held responsible for the incident, in which about 50 gallons of diesel fuel spilled at its bulk storage facility on Hodges Cross Road, according to the DEP. The incident was the result of a failed seal on a transfer pump. LaValley took immediate steps to clean the spill. The spill was contained within an earthen dike that encircles petroleum tanks at the facility. LaValley was fined for failing to correctly notify the DEP of the spill. The DEP must be notified of such spills within two hours of the time that a facility finds that a spill has exceeded 10 gallons of diesel fuel. Besides the fine, LaValley has agreed to retrain its employees to properly handle spills of hazardous materials. |
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Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area – 10/1
Congress gave final approval to legislation that will authorize $10 million for the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, which includes part of Berkshire County. The bill, just approved by the Senate, had been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July. It now goes to the White House for President Bush to sign into law. The 60-mile corridor includes 29 communities from Kent, Conn., to Lanesborough. It includes 139 properties and historic districts that are included on the National Register of Historic Places, such as Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox; Herman Melville’s home, Arrowhead, in Pittsfield; and W.E.B. DuBois’ boyhood residence in Great Barrington. |
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Strong Showing at “Listening Session” in Northampton 10/1
Despite the fact that the “listening session” was held in the middle of a working day, announced only a week before, and had no publicity; supporters of strong environmental laws managed to outnumber detractors last Friday. Approximately 60 people attended the hearing, and approximately half that number testified. Of those testifying, only five – including the first four speakers – developers and representatives of the homebuilders association clearly on the inside track regarding the organizing of this meeting – called for a weakening of environmental laws. Everyone else either addressed only increasing funding of local initiatives or called for the maintenance and enforcement of existing law or the strengthening of it. Those in the latter camp included representative of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Mass Audubon, the Sierra Club, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Heritage Forests Campaign, the Ruffed Grouse Society and several committed and concerned citizens. This testimony will help to establish a record of public sentiment that can be compared to administration actions. For more information and copies of testimony, see the website. |
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BerkShares Now in Circulation 9/29
E. F. Schumacher Society, a proud sponsor of BerkShares, sent out a press release about the launching of a new currency in the Berkshires. If our common interest is to create more sustainable communities, then part What then is the responsibility of concerned citizens in cultivating The building of new economic institutions is hard work. Most of us rest One of these is in the Southern Berkshire region of Massachusetts, home of The Southern Berkshire region, with its economic hub in Great Barrington, is Beginning tomorrow Berkshire residents can exchange federal dollars for Over 150 businesses have signed up to accept BerkShares and the number is Weekend launch activities began with a musical celebration at the recently To see images of the BerkShares local currency, access a directory of The E. F. Schumacher Society is proud to be a sponsor of BerkShares. Susan Witt for board of directors and staff of the |
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Williamstown residents deal with surge in floodwaters 9/27 From an article by Bonnie Obremski, North Adams Transcript More tree cutting as a result of area development could mean more water in back yards in the low-lying areas stretching southwest of the Spruces Mobile Home Park. North Adams’ Harriman and West Airport is responsible for some of that development; project engineers promised a hydrology report two years ago that has not yet arrived. While the Conservation Commission waits on answers, some residents have taken a solution into their own hands, building berms and cutting trenches to guide water away from gardens, sheds and foundations and onto the main roads. The Airport Commission is also chopping trees in order to ensure a safe takeoff path for its runway. The number of trees it cut two years ago in the first phase of development is uncertain, but a few residents are convinced it was enough to cause significant repercussions. In terms of the ecological impact of one tree, a mature oak can transpire (or move liquid from the ground up and out through its leaves as water vapor) up to 100 gallons of water a day, according to Wikipedia. com. Conservation Commission Chairman Henry Art said the airport will not be allowed to continue with the second phase of tree cutting until submitting the hydrology report. Gale Associates Inc. said this summer at a public hearing that the report should be ready some time this fall. “Trees do move a lot of moisture out of the ground and into the air. That’s what trees are very good at,” Art said. “It’s a question of how much and when and where. We share (the townspeople’s’) concern.” |
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How do I know if someone submitted a permit application? 10/2 response from one of our Circuit Riders in the Western Regional Office of the Mass. DEP How do I know if someone submitted a permit application for work in or near wetlands or waterbodies? The application for a permit to work in or near wetlands is called a Notice of Intent (NOI) and must be submitted to the local Conservation Commission and the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). You can go to http://edep.dep.mass.gov/wetland/wetland.aspx to take a look at whether or not someone has submitted a Notice of Intent to DEP and if DEP has issued comments. This website usually gets updated every night. If the Notice is not there, it means DEP has not received it yet. Sometimes Conservation Commissions will get a copy of the NOI and applicants forget to send one to DEP. Conservation Commissions are not legally required to hold a NOI hearing until within 21 days from receipt of a File Number from DEP. If a project is submitted as – “work being done ONLY in the buffer zone” – DEP doesn’t review it. The DEP Service Center takes a look at the check off box on page 2 of the Notice of Intent, and if the project is checked off as “Buffer Zone Only”, then they issue the File Number. (Page 2 of the Form is page 12 of the pdf file which has the instructions first.)
Several times a month our DEP office finds out that projects that have “Buffer Zone Only” checked off as yes, actually are resource area projects. In that case, DEP issues new file number comments. If a Conservation Commission – or the public – sees a NOI come before the Commission that has the standard buffer zone project language in the File Number comments, but is actually a resource area project, they should notify our DEP Circuit Riders immediately, so they can do a review. This typically happens when the project is a riverfront project, and the homeowner, who has done his or her own filing, did not realize the significance of the riverfront area. Here it is ten years after the enaction of the Rivers Protection Act and plans are still submitted with “200 foot riverfront buffer“. Riverfront is a resource area, afforded the same regulatory protection as Bordering Vegetated Wetlands or any other resource area and it has General Performance Standards that must be complied with if working in that area. Just like the other resource areas, 99% of the time when work is proposed to occur there, a Notice of Intent is required and a permit, called an Order of Conditions must be issued for that work. For more on understanding the Wetlands Protection Act see BEAT’s “Understanding the Regulatory Process“. |
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September 2006 Massachusetts Wetlands Restoration Update
A new update has been posted on the WRP web site that provides information on: |
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Keep Antibiotics Working 9/27
US FDA Advisory Committee Finds Using Human Antibiotic in Cattle Washington, DC – A key advisory committee of the U.S. Food and The surprise decision by the FDA’s Veterinary Medicine Advisory “VMAC’s decision represents an important victory for public The recommendations of the VMAC are not binding but it is rare In Europe, where cefquinome has already been approved and used “Several of the committee members raised concerns about the |
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Wildlife Event was a howling success
What were those yips and howls at the Berkshire Community College (BCC) Paterson Field House Thursday night? Not wolf, nor coyote, nor even fox. All the wildlife sounds were made by Sue Morse of Keeping Track, to help illustrate her visually stunning slideshow. It was an exciting evening at BCC with 263 people plus 15 staff and volunteers attending Berkshire Keeping Track’s Wildlife Event which was sponsored by BEAT and the BCC Conservation Club. The Event was co-sponsored by all four Berkshire County colleges: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Simon’s Rock College of Bard, the Center for Environmental Studies at Williams College who also provided some of the funding, and BCC who provided space, took care of renting tables and chairs, helped with the organization and set-up, and much more. Thank you to all!!! Berkshire Keeping Track gathered many interested volunteers to be trained to monitor the landscape for wildlife sign. There are still a few openings to form a group of eighteen participants to sign on for six full-day training workshops in the field plus two classroom sessions with Keeping Track founder, Sue Morse. Check the Berkshire Keeping Track part of our website for more information on becoming part of the Berkshire Keeping Track Monitoring Program. Then, when training is complete, volunteers survey once each season on an ongoing basis. Data collected by trained volunteers can be used to help educate the community about areas are vital to the well-being of wildlife populations; monitor changes in wildlife populations over time and space; contribute to land use planning efforts; support land protection projects; evaluate potential effects of proposed land use and zoning changes; and develop or update a conservation plan. Berkshire Keeping Track will share our information with land trusts, river groups, neighboring monitoring programs, the regional planning commission, and the state. In addition, BEAT will be starting our Berkshire Connections Project. Jane Winn, Executive Director of BEAT, has long been interested in wildlife corridors between large, appropriate habitat areas, and the blockages or bottlenecks caused by roads and other development. Now with the state setting aside 100,000 acres of forest reserves (see article) and committing to sustainable manage the other 400,000 acres of forest they own, this seems like a perfect time to look at ways to maintain and enhance connections between these and other large protected areas. BEAT will use the data Berkshire Keeping Track collects, along with other available data, to form maps using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, to identify existing and potential wildlife corridors among large protected areas and to identify blockages and bottlenecks in these corridors. |
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Massachusetts Forests – 100,000 acres in reserves, the rest to be sustainable managed 9/21
Secretary of Environmental Affairs, Bob Golledge, came to Jug End State Reservation and Wildlife Area in Egremont to announce the creation of Forest Reserves on state land. Golledge, along with Commissioner David Peters form the state department of Fish and Game, and Commissioner Stephen Burrington of the Department of Conservation and Recreation said yesterday they are setting aside about 100,000 acres of state forest to be managed for their ecological and recreational value, and to be allowed to develop into the old growth forests of our future. In Massachusetts native forests were largely cut by the mid-1800s for pastures, farmland, and to harvest lumber. While many trees have grown back, most of the stands are about the same age and do not support the wide range of biodiversity that once existed. The state does have some relatively small areas of “old growth forest” – areas that were never cut. Most of these are in areas too steep or remote to have been easily harvested. Golledge said that the Forest Reserve designation creates nine large preserves totaling 50,000 acres that represent large contiguous forests, mostly in the western part of the state, and many smaller reserves, which combined will be another 50,000 acres. The preserves will be off-limits to logging and will encourage only back-country experiences such as hiking and cross-country skiing. None of the areas has or will allowed motorized traffic such as all terrains vehicles. In addition to the Forest Reserves, Golledge announced a sustainable forest management initiative on the remaining 400,000 acres of state-owned forests. Sustainable forestry is the practice of harvesting trees using techniques and strategies that ensure continuous production and long-term forest health – strengthening both local economies and ecosystems. The state’s creation of a Forest Reserve system and its commitment to expanding sustainable forestry are in line with the “Green Certification” of state timberlands, which Massachusetts earned from the Forest Stewardship Council in 2004. Massachusetts was the first state to the receive Green Certification on all state-owned forest land. “This approach will ensure that we have balanced and sustainable habitats, including very young and very old forests,” said Golledge. “Forest reserves will allow us to study natural processes on unharvested lands and to apply this knowledge to our managed woodlands.” “Massachusetts’ forests are special places offering myriad benefits – from providing wildlife with areas to forage, breed and migrate to supplying people with clean water and tranquil settings for outdoor recreation,” said Wayne Klockner, Massachusetts state director of The Nature Conservancy (TNC). “These reserves are part of a comprehensive management strategy for state-owned forestland that strikes a balance between sustainable working woodlands, recreational opportunities, and habitat conservation – a formula we believe will enhance the biological and economic health of our forests and surrounding communities.” According to a TNC press release: The state saved tens of thousands of dollars, as well as time, by tapping TNC’s expertise and data on New England forests. Extensive data TNC has collected and analyzed over the past decade, in Massachusetts and beyond, was crucial in identifying nationally-significant forest resources. These areas, containing the most intact forests in the Commonwealth, form the basis of the reserve system. In addition to ecological data, the Conservancy provided analysis and mapping services to help the state determine the location and scope of reserves. The nine new large reserves, totaling approximately 50,000 acres, range from about 800 to 11,000 acres. Klockner noted that several fall within the Massachusetts Chapter’s regional landscape programs – providing opportunities to enhance The Nature Conservancy’s conservation efforts in these areas. In turn, The Conservancy’s land protection efforts augment and buffer the new state reserves. In the Westfield River Highlands, for example, the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation provided the first charitable investment devoted to protecting land around Massachusetts forest reserves with a generous gift that enabled The Conservancy to purchase 270 mostly-forested acres abutting the Middlefield Reserve. Elsewhere, the Berkshire Taconic Landscape’s Mt. Washington Reserve completes a 15,000-acre block of protected and ecologically managed forestland spanning the Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York borders. In Southeastern Massachusetts, the Myles Standish Reserve protects globally-rare and fire-adapted pitch pine-scrub oak forests – home to rare species such as the endangered Northern Red-bellied Cooter. Other large reserves include Greylock, Otis, Chalet, East Branch of the Westfield River and Mohawk/Monroe/Savoy in the state’s western regions; and Cunningham Pond in central Massachusetts. Representative of the state’s diverse forest systems, large reserves provide sanctuary for the full complement of animals and plants native to each site, and are exempt from commercial forestry and motorized recreation. The state is also in the process of defining some 50,000 acres of smaller reserves, most ranging from dozens to hundreds of acres. Scattered throughout Massachusetts, these smaller tracts will protect specific landscape features, such as vernal pools, or safeguard rare species habitat and other unique resources, while allowing hiking, bird watching, and other forms of non-motorized recreation. Management of the state reserves focuses on restoring habitat, removing invasive species, and conducting studies on undisturbed forest processes to inform forestry practices on the state’s “working woodlands.” State officials, The Nature Conservancy, and other stakeholders pointed out that increased sustainable forestry on state-owned land makes Massachusetts less dependent on imports. With 62 percent of its landscape covered in trees, Massachusetts is the country’s eighth most forested state. Yet, Bay State residents import 98 percent of their wood products from other states and countries – including ones that don’t place as high a premium on forest ecosystem concerns as Massachusetts now does. —– BEAT believes that one of the best ways to protect the scenic beauty of the Berkshires is to find ways to make sustainable farming and forestry pay well enough that families do not need to sell to developers. One way you can help is to buy locally grown – whether that is food or forest products. Currently this is difficult with forest products because we do not have much in the way of manufacturing in the Berkshires. Instead most of our local wood is shipped to Canada, where it is processed, and then shipped back to us as finished lumber. For more information see the Massachusetts Forestry Association, Massachusetts Woodland Cooperative, and UMass’ Natural Resources Conservation outreach pages. Learn more about Massachusetts’ new Forest Reserves . |
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Mt. Greylock roads to be fixed – but is that all?
Excerpts from Glenn Drohan, North Adams Transcript, Friday, September 22 with comments by BEAT at the end Anyone who enjoys driving to the summit of Mount Greylock better do it before the snow flies. Next year, the only way up may be on foot or by mountain bike. State environmental officials confirmed Thursday that the roads to the state’s highest peak will at last be repaired, beginning in 2007, at a cost of $12 million or more, under the long-stalled “Historic Parkways Initiative.” They also confirmed that the current plan calls for both Notch Road from North Adams and Rockwell Road from Lanesborough to be closed during construction — probably for a year or more — meaning that all traffic up (or down) the 3,491-foot-elevation mountain would be blocked, except for construction vehicles. “We are in fact moving ahead with that project,” Stephen H. Burrington, commissioner of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), said Thursday. He declined to elaborate on specific plans for the road project, saying he and other state officials would travel to Adams within the next three weeks to make the major announcement. Other officials confirmed, however, that the plans call for both access roads (and Summit Road at the very top) to be blocked so that construction could be completed faster. The previous plan, first announced in February 2002, had called for a three-phase project that was supposed to have begun in summer 2003 and been completed by 2005. It would have included the repaving and rehabilitation of all 13.5 miles of Notch, Rockwell and Summit roads, which were built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (which also built the historic Bascomb Lodge at the summit). The low bid for the work was $12 million, according to the DCR, but the state put the project on “indefinite hold” in July 2003 because of a lack of funding. An estimated 200,000 people per year visit the summit each year, with as many as 30,000 vehicles making the climb. The last major repairs to Notch, Rockwell and Summit roads were done in the 1970s, according to advisory council members. The three roads are closed during the winter. See the notice in the Environmental Monitor on BEAT’s Public Notices page. Comments are due by Oct. 2, and copies of the notice are available from Stephen Brown, (617) 616-1360. ———- Although we have not yet seen the plans, BEAT is concerned about segmentation of this project. From what we have heard, it appears there are more to the plans than just the road, including some – as yet to be determined – septic system? |
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Save energy and money – computer tips
–A single computer with monitor running 8 hours a day, 5 days a week –Limit screen-saver use. A screen saver does not save energy. In fact, |