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ENS News Oct 29

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Rich Winkel

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Nov 4, 1998, 3:00:00 AM11/4/98

/** headlines: 138.0 **/
** Topic: ENS News: Mainstream Greens Deplore Vail Arson **
** Written 8:13 PM Nov 2, 1998 by econet in cdp:headlines **
/* Written 8:46 PM Oct 29, 1998 by edi...@ens-news.com in ens.news */
/* ---------- "(ENS) NEWS OCTOBER 29, 1998" ---------- */

ENVIRONMENT NEWS SERVICE (ENS)

FOOD SECURITY AT RISK AS WORLD LOSES SPECIES
WORLD WILDERNESS CONFERENCE URGES PRACTICAL CONSERVATION
INTERNATIONAL SHARK PROTECTION PACT AGREED
RUSSIAN JUDGE DISMISSES ALL EVIDENCE AGAINST NIKITIN

AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 29, 1998

ENJOY A GREEN HALLOWEEN
MAINSTREAM GREEN GROUPS DEPLORE VAIL ARSON
SHUTDOWN OF OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT PLANNED
JAPANESE MAY ADOPT U.S. ORGANIC FOOD STANDARDS
NEW RULES AIM TO IMPROVE HAWAII'S AIR QUALITY
TREE SITTERS BLOCK OTTER-WING LOGGING ROAD
ALASKA STUDIES OIL SPILL BURNING
HOUSTON COMPANY TO REMEDIATE VENEZUELA PETROL POLLUTION
LAWRENCE, INDIANA CITED FOR SEWAGE

E-WIRE

* CH2M HILL & DuPont Join Effort to Address Climate Change
* New Study Provides Framework for Countries in Global Climate Treaty
* Flexibility Must Be Focus of Buenos Aires Conference; Details on Sinks,
Emissions Trading
* League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club Highlight 1998 Election
Environmental Issues
* New Study Provides Framework to Determine Fair Commitments in Global
Climate Treaty

For Full Text and Graphics Visit: http://ens-news.com

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FOOD SECURITY AT RISK AS WORLD LOSES SPECIES

WASHINGTON, DC, Ooctober 29, 1998 (ENS) - Agricultural biodiversity is
being seriously jeopardized and lost under current patterns of development
globally, threatening food security in many parts of the world and
aggravating hunger for millions of people. This alarm is raised in a new
report issued Wednesday by the World Resources Institute, a center for
policy research.

In "Cultivating Diversity: Agrobiodiversity and Food Security," author Dr.
Lori Ann Thrupp, explains that "changes are urgently needed to overcome the
serious threats from erosion of genetic resources and agrobiodiversity."

Agrobiodiversity consists of "a rich basket of resources, says Thrupp,"
ranging from varieties of crops and livestock, to beneficial insects,
microscopic organisms, and genetic materials that make up healthy soils and
enable production of nutritious food.

In her report, Thrupp outlines agrobiodiversity-friendly policies and
best-practice recommendations for international agencies, national
institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and farmers.

These recommendations address the multiple challenges of achieving
long-term food security, building economic productivity, and maintaining
healthy ecosystems.

Thrupp recommends that policies promoting uniform single crop systems be
changed to support a diversity of crops and stock.

The protection of farmers' rights is an important part of Thrupp's program,
along with building upon successful local experiences. She recommends that
organizations "empower farmers and communities to protect their rights to
resources, support their knowledge and cultural diversity, and ensure their
participation in decision-making and conservation."

Develop an ecosystems approach, says Thrupp, using agroecology as a
"guiding scientific paradigm," to support and validate the sustainable use
and enhancement of agrobiodiversity.

The report illustrates lessons from experience that show practices and
approaches that enhance agrobiodiversity pay off for large and small scale
farmers. These approaches serve the interests of food security and
conservation, which benefits the broader public, Thrupp says.

Recognizing the erosion of domestic animal genetic resources around the
world, in September the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
launched an on-line and off-line computer-based system to help countries
sustainably use and develop their irreplaceable domestic animal breeds.

For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://ens-news.com/ens/oct98/1998-10-29-04.html

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WORLD WILDERNESS CONFERENCE URGES PRACTICAL CONSERVATION

By Keya Acharya

BANGALORE, India, October 29, 1998 (ENS) - Five hundred environmental
specialists from around the world ended the week-long World Wilderness
Congress here today with a resolution proposing to the United Nations that
the 21st century be devoted to "restoring the Earth."

This sixth World Wilderness Congress (WWC) is the first to be held in Asia.
Delegate discussions ranged from biodiversity and community issues, to
gender and environment, protection of wildlands and wildlife, environment
education, law, contrasting wilderness philosophies of the East and West,
urban and rural issues, and the development of local participation in
conservation.

WWC founder, Dr. Ian Player of South Africa, said the forum was aimed at
providing a platform for the "seed" of wilderness conservation to spread
through individual leadership. He pointed to the example of wildlife
scientist Dr. Franco Zunino of Associazione Italiana Per la Wilderness in
Italy, who was inspired by the first WWC in 1977 to press for wilderness
areas in Italy and bring the concept to the notice of the government.

Dr. Walter Lusigi, senior environmental specialist of natural resources
management at the Global Environmental Facility, a World Bank-related
funding body based in Washington, DC, said areas needing special attention
are population increase and corruption, both of which are "slowly eroding"
the conservation effort. "Huge concerns won't work," said Lusigi," it's the
little rural-based concerns that will help."

Dr. Kenton Miller, vice president of Washington, DC based World Resources
Institute, spoke of the fragmentation of ecological areas worldwide, which
will lead to "near total domestication" of all lands by 2050," if not
checked. Miller said one option for conservation is to retain areas in
different habitats, whether or not they are in old-growth forests.
Restoration could then be attempted on these. "Sustainable living will
depend on a secure flow of ecological services, social, ethical and
cultural," he said.

Mike McCloskey, president of the Sierra Club USA, worries about the 60
million people worldwide who have been dislocated due to big projects, 20
million of whom are in India. Indian activist Medha Patkar, who is fighting
for people being dislocated by big dams, thinks the Indian bureaucracy
knows the problems these people face, but takes no action.

Chief wildlife warden of Namibia's Waterberg Plateau National Park, Dr.
Trgyve Cooper of the Ministry of Environment in Namibia, said his country
is a leader in Africa with its comprehensive environmental programme. Yet
in spite of Namibia's best intentions population and land pressures are
making "irreversible inroads" into wilderness areas. The situation can only
be controlled by more laws and regulations, he said.

South Africa's 40 million people are putting pressure on the land in the
country's fine system of national parks, and there are real problems with
land claims. The basic factor in South Africa is that the concept of
wilderness is not understood by the poor man," said William Bainbridge,
retired head of the Natal Parks Board and presently an environmental
consultant in South Africa. South African parks also face challenges due to
declining government funding.

In the United States, the national park system has a "biopolitical"
problem, said Robert Barbee, regional director of the National Park
Service. People see the park service as a monolithic institution, a view
that gives rise to confrontation with various groups which is a "continuous
challenge." Jim Kurth, manager of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge said
that questions are arising in the country about the relevance of wilderness
areas which can be countered through using these areas for bioresources.

New Zealand maintains a rigorous wilderness policy, said Murray Reedy of
New Zealand's Department of Conservation. Its main problem is from
introduced animals. "There are more pests than pressure from man," he said.

In Scotland, "everything doesn't look like it did in 'Braveheart' the
film," said Alan Watson Featherstone, founder-director of Trees for Life,
Scotland. Scotland's rolling greens definitely need more attention from
conservationists. Watson said 21st century should be devoted to ecological
restoration.

The biggest challenge to wilderness and wildlife appears to be in Asia. In
India, nearly one-third of the approximately 29,000 elephants are facing
elimination, mostly in the northeastern region, said Dr. Charles
Santiapillai, a Sri Lankan wildlife scientist. Sri Lanka's own wildlife is
seriously jeopardized by civil war.

There is a "system failure" in dealing with elephant-human conflicts in
northeast India, said Dr. Lahiri-Choudhury, an elephant specialist who
reported on the state of elephant populations across Asia. Thailand's
elephants are mostly domesticated, while Cambodia's wilderness is largely
in "paper parks." Malaysia has a "good" system of national parks, but
Vietnam's is a "sad story," with just 60 elephants left in the wild, he
said.

It is a remarkable feat that China still has about 250 - 300 elephants, but
they "face no future", said Santiapillai. Tigers too are facing extinction
in their natural habitat, in spite of long-term projects for their
conservation.

Anil Agarwal, director of the Society for Environmental Communications and
editor of "Down To Earth" magazine, New Delhi, attacked India's bureaucracy
for the "serious crisis in natural resource management in India." Blaming
the administrative set-up and its mindset for leaving out local people in
managing biodiversity and wildlife, Agarwal believes that Indian scientists
have not addressed the conflict between people and wildlife efficiently.
They must gauge the impact of one on the other and take steps based on the
best possible science to bring these conflicting interests into harmony, he
said.

The congress endorsed a resolution calling for the legalization of regional
and local participation in wilderness conservation wherever necessary. A
resolution was passed to pay more attention to marine conservation, and
another deploring the lack of Russian participation in conservation. A
strong resolution was approved opposing international funding in developing
countries that does damage to the wilderness.

For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://ens-news.com/ens/oct98/1998-10-29-01.html

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INTERNATIONAL SHARK PROTECTION PACT AGREED

ROME, Italy, October 29, 1998 (ENS) - Members of the U.N. Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) from 80 nations reached agreement today on a
voluntary plan for improving conservation of sharks, skates and rays. The
plan calls for implementation of national shark management plans in 2001.

Delegates meeting at FAO headquarters in Rome through Friday are also
working on plans to reduce a worldwide glut of fishing boat capacity that
has resulted in widespread overfishing and to reduce the number of seabirds
killed unintentionally in longline fisheries.

The shark protection plan advocates use of the precautionary approach to
shark management, which requires taking some conservation measures even
before complete data on shark populations is available.

The plan establishes concrete and specific steps to improve the
conservation of sharks and shark-like species (skates and rays) at the
national, regional and global levels.

Nations are to conduct assessments of sharks taken as directed and
incidental catches and, if called for, develop national shark management
plans based on the precautionary management approach.

The plan provides guidelines to countries for conducting the preliminary
assessment of sharks taken within their waters of national jurisdiction and
in preparing national shark management plans. It also provides for improved
management of shark catches of all kinds, better data collection and
monitoring of the status of sharks, the minimization of waste, and improved
conservation and management of all shark populations.

"This International Plan of Action should establish sound management
practices world-wide for a vulnerable category of fish that, in most of the
world, are not managed at all," said chief U.S. negotiator Terry Garcia,
assistant secretary of commerce. The U.S. pressed to have the delegates
accept a precautionary approach to shark management.

The major shark fishing nations are Indonesia, followed by India, the U.S.,
Pakistan, Mexico and Taiwan Province of China. Other important shark
fishing countries are Japan, Argentina, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Malaysia,
France, the UK, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Spain, New Zealand and
Maldives.

There are about forty species of sharks that occur in Hawaiian waters
alone, ranging in size from the deep-water Pygmy Shark (about 8 inches) to
the Whale Shark (up to 50 feet or more).

The pressure of commercial demand for shark products makes shark
conservation increasingly urgent. The FAO says shark fishing is expanding
worldwide as the international trade in shark fins and other exotic shark
products grow rapidly. Shark fins, highly appreciated in oriental cuisine,
are one of the most expensive fish products in the world.

Sharks have no bones; their skeletal structure is all cartilage. Shark
cartilage is a food supplement made from the powdered cartilage of sharks
which have been caught for food. Demand for shark cartilage for medical,
nutritional and cosmetic products is on the rise.

Medical research on shark cartilage has involved its use in the treatment
of late stage, non-responsive malignant tumors. Some doctors suggest that
clinical quality shark cartilage may be helpful for the treatment of
diseases such as joint problems. Some athletes rely on shark cartilage as a
remedy for arthritis.

Lane Labs, based in New Jersey with a manufacturing plant in Brisbane,
Australia, specializes in "nutriceuticals." Its products include "Clinical
Strength" BeneFin Shark Cartilage, "the only shark cartilage used in
worldwide hospital research," the company states.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given Lane Labs permission to
begin Phase 11 clinical trials with BeneFin in the United States. With the
cooperation and approval of foreign governments BeneFin clinical trials are
under way in Chile. and will soon start in the Peoples Republic of China.

The Shark Foundation based in St. Gallen, Switzerland says thousands of
sharks are finned every year for their cartilage, which the organization
calls "a scientifically useless cancer remedy."

But in August, New Zealand scientists at the Wellington School of Medicine
isolated a compound in shark cartilage that encourages growth of new blood
vessels. It is the first time the compound has been isolated and a
provisional patent taken out. Earlier research showed shark cartilage also
contains an ingredient that could help prevent the growth of new blood
vessels essential to cancer tumors, the researchers said.

Shark cartilege is also in demand for cosmetics such as overnight skin
softening serum that claims to soften dried out, hardened skin.

In addition to the demand for shark cartilage, shark populations are being
decimated as many sharks are taken as bycatch in fisheries targeting
species such as tuna, swordfish, shrimps and squid. In these fisheries, the
sharks are usually thrown back into the sea alive after their fins have
been chopped off. The longline fisheries for tuna of Japan, the Republic of
Korea and Taiwan Province of China account for most of these bycatches, the
FAO states.

Sharks face many threats besides fishing vessels. Coastal developments have
eliminated critical shark breeding and nursery grounds. Pollution and
eutrophication caused by shrimp ponds and fish farms degrade coastal waters.

For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://ens-news.com/ens/oct98/1998-10-29-07.html

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RUSSIAN JUDGE DISMISSES ALL EVIDENCE AGAINST NIKITIN

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, October 29, 1998 (ENS) - The espionage trial of
Russian environmental activist Aleksandr Nikitin in St. Petersburg City
Court took a turn in his favor today. After more than two hours of
deliberation this afternoon, Judge Sergei Golets concluded that the
indictment was too unclear and that the court could not accept any of the
expert conclusions. He dismissed all the evidence presented in the
indictment and sent the case back to the prosecution for further
investigations.

Nitikin is a retired Russian naval submarine officer, who revealed the
potential for nuclear accidents emanating from the Russian Northern Fleet's
submarines and nuclear waste in a 1995 report for the Norway based Bellona
Foundation.

Nikitin was relieved and happy. At a press briefing shortly after the court
closed he stressed that although the judge's decision does not mean an end
to the process, it is the greatest victory so far in a series of
step-by-step
victories. "The Court confirmed our stand, that three years of
[Russian security police] FSB investigations have created utter bullshit,"
Nikitin said.
"This is a major victory for us, and a total defeat for the FSB," said
Nikitin's chief attorney Yury Schmidt after the ruling. "There are no easy
victories to be won against the FSB. The judge has made a courageous
decision, although not super courageous. To have Aleksandr declared 'not
guilty' would of course have been better, but we must understand the
enormous pressure against the judge."

"Never before in Soviet and Russian history was an indictment of treason
through espionage dismissed by the Court," said Thomas Nilsen, co-author of
the Northern Fleet report. "Therefore, today's decision is of historic
value."

At the end of September, before hearing the case Judge Golets ordered the
Russian Defence Ministry to produce secret decrees which constituted the
basis for the charges against Nikitin. It is the information contained in
those decrees that the judge dismissed today.

"This clearly shows that even the FSB may be fought against victoriously,"
said Bellona president Frederic Hauge. He emphasized that "next to the
environmental threat, apathy is our future's greatest enemy."

International observers from environmental and human rights groups and
lawmakers from Russia, France and the USA were present at various times
during the trial which began October 12. Three Duma deputies observed the
court proceedings. Brice Lalonde, France's former Environment Minister who
is now director of Generation Ecologie, was present today.

U.S. Congressman David Skaggs, a Democrat from Colorado, was in court
today, closely following Judge Golets as he summarized the sources in
connection with Bellona's northern Fleet report.

Nikitin was arrested on February 6, 1996. He was held in pre-trial
detention until December 14, 1996, and has been officially restricted to
the city limits of St. Petersburg since his release from custody.

"At least we will file a complaint on the prolonged city arrest," said
Schmidt. "We will spend the next few days evaluating our options, starting
today, and may well complain on more points."

"The prosecutor too, may appeal," Schmidt explained. "He may also decide to
drop the case. He should, as there are no more facts to find in this case."

For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://ens-news.com/ens/oct98/1998-10-29-05.html

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AMERISCAN: OCTOBER 29, 1998

ENJOY A GREEN HALLOWEEN
"It isnM-^Rt hard to keep the Earth in mind as you help your young ghosts and
goblins enjoy themselves on Halloween evening," Florida Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEP) secretary Virginia Wetherell. "Halloween
can be a lot of fun, but it also is a time when you can either trick, or
treat Mother Nature. Remember to reduce, reuse and recycle to help everyone
be good environmental citizens on this spooky night." Trick-or-treaters can
fill up reusable bags. Rechargable batteries can light the way, and
long-life fluorescent bulbs can light porches. For Halloween parties,
reusable utensils, plates, napkins and tablecloths add an elegant
atmosphere. Composting the leftovers can reduce landfill waste. Even
costumes can be used and traded again. "We can enjoy Halloween and protect
our environment at the same time...it doesnM-^Rt take any more work," said
Wetherell.

MAINSTREAM GREEN GROUPS DEPLORE VAIL ARSON
Mainstream environmental groups in Colorado and around the country have
condemned the October 19 arson incident at the Vail ski resort in Colorado.
Local community and environmental groups fighting to block Vail's planned
expansion onto public forest lands are angry. "The arson only creates
sympathy for Vail Resorts at a time when they are undertaking one of the
largest logging operations in Colorado," said Jeff Berman of Ancient Forest
Rescue, a state group fighting the expansion. Public comments on the
Environmental Impact Statement ran 93 percent against the expansion, said
Berman. Despite local, state and national opposition, the U.S. Forest
Service is promoting Vail Resort's expansion, which includes 885 acres of
new trail cuts and 12 miles of new roads into pristine forest. The Colorado
Land and Water Fund has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf the Colorado
Environmental Coalition, the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and the
Wilderness Society to block Forest Service permission for the expansion.
The irony, green groups say, is that far-right extremists with the
anti-environmental property rights' movement who are mounting a dangerous
campaign of terror. Federal land managers, forest rangers and others
working to protect the environment have suffered fire bombs, death threats
and attacks on their homes.

SHUTDOWN OF OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT PLANNED
Representatives of GPU Nuclear Inc. will provide Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) staff with plans for the possible permanent shutdown of
the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant on November 3. GPU owns and operates
Oyster Creek, a boiling-water reactor located in Lacey Township, New
Jersey. The presentation will cover decommissioning activities if a
decision is made to close the facility. GPU announced in July that its
efforts to sell Oyster Creek had been unsuccessful. The company plans to
either retire the plant early, in 2000, or operate it until its NRC license
expires in December 2009. A final determination will be made after the New
Jersey Board of Public Utilities issues a decision regarding GPU's
restructuring filing related to the deregulation of the electricity market.
Tuesday's hearing is open to the public. It begins at 1 pm at NRC
headquarters, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland.

JAPANESE MAY ADOPT U.S. ORGANIC FOOD STANDARDS
U.S. certified organic farm produce programs are of interest to a Japanese
prefectural official. Koichi Sato of the Shimane Prefectural government,
Japan Department of Agriculture, is visiting three states: California,
Rhode Island, and Florida. Sato hopes to apply some of these states'
organic certification knowledge in Japan, where standards currently are
inconsistent. Rhode Island certified organic crops are grown in accordance
with natural organic culture practice standards. The standards require soil
building and pest control methods that avoid the use of synthetic
materials. To be certified, a farmer must submit an application and soil
test results. After the farm is inspected, a group of three DEM staffers
and two organic farmers evaluates its management practices. Currently,
there are 30 organic farms in Rhode Island.

NEW RULES AIM TO IMPROVE HAWAII'S AIR QUALITY
Hawaii's new rules to improve air quality took effect October 23. "Waiving
unnecessary fees will save Hawaii businesses more than two million dollars
next year," said Governor Ben Cayetano. "The rule changes give businesses
an incentive to reduce pollution because it means they will pay less in
fees." One major rule change gives the State Health Director, with the
approval of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the ability to waive
annual fees from companies generating air emissions when the Clean Air
Special Fund's ending year balance exceeds a designated amount. As a
result, the State Health Department may waive fees for 1999 because more
than enough funds have been collected to cover air pollution program costs.
Another rule revises the way fees are calculated from "allowable" to
"actual." Prior to the new rules, fees were based on maximum emission
levels allowed in a company's permit. Now, fees are based on the actual
emission levels released at the company's facilities.

TREE SITTERS BLOCK OTTER-WING LOGGING ROAD
Three tree sitters are blocking heavy machinery from constructing the 1875
C road in the Otter-Wing Timber Sale on the South Fork of Idaho's
Clearwater River. Today the sitters celebrated their first week of living
80 feet high. On Friday, employees of Highland Enterprises returned to the
area to continue road building. Sawyers with the company are cutting the
trees in the road course both behind and in front of the sitters. No U.S.
Forest Service personnel or law enforcement have been observed in the area.
The tree sitters, who experienced death threats in the same area last
month, have vowed to stay until the weather makes it impossible for road
building to continue. Michael Bowersox, with the Cove/Mallard Coalition,
said, "These activists are trying to stop the degradation of the last good
aquatic habitat left on the along the South Fork of the Clearwater River."
The Otter-Wing Timber Sale includes 12 miles of new road construction and
620 acres of logging units. The area is home to many sensitive, threatened,
and endangered species. This tree sit is the eighth civil disobedience
action since road construction started in late July. Activists are facing a
total of 22 federal charges. The Otter-Wing Campaign is a part of a six
year effort by the Cove/Mallard Coalition to protect one of the largest
wilderness areas in the lower 48 states.

ALASKA STUDIES OIL SPILL BURNING
A simulated tanker spill of 210,000 gallons of Alaska North Slope crude oil
off the Washington coast last week allowed the Alaska and Washington state
environmental agencies to test guidelines for burning spilled oil. The
two-day simulation took place in Port Angeles, Washington. "The decision to
burn spilled oil during a response must be made quickly, and must be based
on the best information available," said Ed Collazzi, Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) project manager. DEC has contributed
$10,000 in oil spill research and development funds toward the joint effort
to develop a manual on all aspects of the burning of oil at a spill. DECM-^Rs
funding comes from monies appropriated from Exxon Valdez oil spill
judgements to enhance the ability of the State and industry to respond to
oil spills. Over 50 research projects on prevention and cleanup of oil
spills in Alaska have been undertaken or proposed under the program.
Observers from British Columbia, Oregon and California attended the
simulation.

HOUSTON COMPANY TO REMEDIATE VENEZUELA PETROL POLLUTION
Environmental Safeguards, Inc. said today that its wholly owned subsidiary,
OnSite Venezuela, Inc., has an agreement to provide soil reclamation and
hydrocarbon recycling services to the Venezuelan national oil company,
Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA). OnSite Venezuela will install its
Indirect Thermal Desorption (ITD) 6000 Mobile Oil Recovery System on the
edge of Lake Maracaibo near the town of Bachaquero. The system utilizes a
heat-jacketed rotating chamber that vaporizes hydrocarbons from
contaminated soil and drill cuttings, and a condenser that liquefies the
vapor into hydrocarbon liquids for reuse. A system can process six to 10
metric tons of waste per hour with up to 30 percent oil saturation,
discharging dry, inert soil that is returnable to the environment "without
latent liability," the company said. The discharged soil can be used in
making bricks, building roads, or as a landfill ground cover. With the
world's sixth largest oil reserves and the largest reserves in the Western
Hemisphere, PDVSA aims to increase oil production 68 percent and natural
gas production capacity 91 percent over the next nine years.

LAWRENCE, INDIANA CITED FOR SEWAGE
Following a sewage release that threatened human health and killed 2,400
fish in Geist Reservoir in September, the Indiana Department of
Environmental Management (IDEM) today issued a Notice of Violation against
the city of Lawrence, operator of the sewer collection system. The notice
is the first step in IDEM's enforcement process and can lead to fines or
environmental improvement projects by the city. City officials failed to
notify IDEM or the Marion County Health Department after the sewage release
on September 6. It was the third illegal sewage discharge by the city of
Lawrence in 18 months, none reported to state and county officials. The
Marion County Health Department posted signs in the Geist Reservoir area
where the spill took place and warned residents door-to-door.

For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://ens-news.com/ens/oct98/1998-10-29-09.html

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E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE E-WIRE PRESS RELEASE
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TO ENVIRONMENTAL AND BUSINESS EDITORS:

CH2M HILL and DuPont Join Growing Corporate Effort to Address Climate
Change; Move Signals Growing Shift in Climate Change Debate

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -/E-Wire/-- The Pew Center on Global Climate
Change announced today that CH2M HILL, a global leader in sustainable
design, construction and infrastructure management, and DuPont (NYSE: DD), a
global research and technology-based company, are joining the Pew Center's
growing efforts to address the problem of climate change.

As new members of the Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership
Council, CH2M HILL and DuPont join 18 other companies, many of which rank in
the Fortune 500. The group represents a diverse group of corporate
interests -- including auto manufacturing, energy and major appliance and
technology producers.

"The decision by DuPont and CH2M HILL to join our effort continues to
signal a growing shift in the climate change debate. Although the
businesses of these two companies may differ, they recognize that there are
solutions to climate change that can keep both the environment and the
economy healthy," said Eileen Claussen, executive director of the Pew Center
on Global Climate Change.

The Pew Center was established in May 1998 by the Pew Charitable
Trusts, one of the nation's largest philanthropies and an influential voice
in efforts to improve the quality of America's environment. The Pew Center
is conducting studies, launching public education efforts, promoting climate
change solutions globally and working with businesses to develop marketplace
solutions to reduce greenhouse gasses.

As with the current members of the Business Environmental Leadership
Council, both DuPont and CH2M HILL have a significant stake in the climate
change debate. CH2M HILL helps public and private clients worldwide realize
a greater return on their investment in energy and environmental
technologies. In 1991, DuPont voluntarily stepped forward to address the
problem of global climate change and is on track to achieve a 50% reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions for operations by the year 2000.

"DuPont is pleased to be joining the Business Environmental Leadership
Council and looks forward to playing an active role," said Dr. Paul Tebo,
Vice President -- Safety, Health and the Environment at DuPont. "Global
climate change is a complicated issue that must be dealt with responsibly.
The Pew Center serves an invaluable purpose by creating a positive,
constructive forum in which we in the business community can act to solve
this problem."

"There can be no more important work over the next decade than joining
with like-minded businesses to address global climate change in ways that
heighten the competitiveness of U.S. industry," said James J. Ferris,
president CH2M HILL Energy, Environment & Systems. " We expect the
engineering, construction and management skill sets we bring to the Business
Environmental Leadership Council to add a unique perspective to this already
impressive group."

All members of the Business Environmental Leadership Council are
committed to the founding principles of the Pew Center:

* First, we accept the views of most scientists that enough is known
about the science and environmental impacts of climate change for us to take
actions to address its consequences.

* Second, businesses can and should take concrete steps now in the
U.S. and abroad to assess their opportunities for emission reductions,
establish and meet their emission reduction objectives, and invest in new,
more energy-efficient products, practices and technology.

* Third, the Kyoto agreement represents a first step in the
international process, but more must be done both to implement the
market-based mechanisms that were adopted in principle in Kyoto and to more
fully involve the rest of the world in the solution.

* Fourth, we can make significant progress in addressing climate
change and sustaining economic growth in the United States by adopting
reasonable policies, programs and transition strategies.

"We applaud DuPont and CH2M HILL for stepping forward and
demonstrating there are steps businesses can and should be taking to address
climate change. The Pew Center is looking forward to working with
government, industry and the public to find fair and equitable solutions to
this very serious problem," said Claussen. Claussen is the former U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and
Scientific Affairs.

The additional members of the Business Environmental Leadership Council
include: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.; American Electric Power Company;
Baxter International Inc.; Boeing; BP America; Enron Corp.; Holnam Inc.;
Intercontinental Energy Corporation; International Paper; Lockheed Martin;
Maytag; The Sun Company; 3M; Toyota; United Technologies; U.S. Generating
Company; Weyerhaeuser and Whirlpool.

More information about global climate change and the Pew Center's
activities can be found at their Web site, located at www.pewclimate.org.
SOURCE The Pew Center on Global Climate Change

-0- 10/29/98

/CONTACT: Kelly Sullivan, of Pew Center, 202-289-5900; or Andre
Armstrong of CH2M HILL, 303-713-2425; or Lori Fenimore of DuPont,
302-773-0220/ (DD)

/Web site: http://www.pewclimate.org/
For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://www.ens-news.com/e-wire/october/oct299803.html
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TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

New Study Provides Framework to Determine Fair Commitments
for All Countries in Global Climate Treaty

Using Country-Specific Data, Report Addresses Major Obstacle Of
Contributions by Industrialized and Developing Nations

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -/E-Wire/-- A new study released today by the Pew
Center on Global Climate Change could help address one of the most
significant and polarized issues in the debate over a global climate change
treaty. The examination of global equity, released just days before the
next major meeting of Framework Convention on Climate Change in Buenos
Aires, for the first time differentiates the obligations of countries based
on three criteria: responsibility for the emissions that cause climate
change, standard of living or the ability to pay for mitigation, and the
opportunity countries have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Using these criteria, the report, "Equity and Global Climate Change,"
suggests that countries can be grouped into three tiers each with a
different level of commitment to reduce emissions. The first tier is
comprised of countries that must act now. The second tier includes
countries that should act now but differently than the first tier. And, the
third tier is made up of countries that could act now if feasible.

"We cannot begin to address the climate change issue until we are able
to resolve what is fair to expect of each country," said Eileen Claussen,
Pew Center Executive Director and a co-author of the report. "Until now,
people have assumed that there would be one standard for the industrialized
countries and another for developing countries. To tackle the climate
change problem fairly and effectively, we must get beyond these simple
divisions and agree upon a sound and constructive framework."

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change analysis confirms many
assumptions about the responsibilities of certain countries but it also
produces some surprises. For example, under the framework suggested by the
study:

* Tier one is comprised of 30 countries that have the greatest
obligation to act because of their high emissions and standard of living.
Many of these countries also have opportunities to improve their energy
efficiency. This tier covers most industrialized countries including the
U.S. and European nations, but also countries like Argentina and South
Korea.

* Tier two includes 52 countries that fall in the middle range using
the three criteria. These countries should act in order for the
international community to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but
their obligations should be somewhat different than the first tier,
typically because their standard of living is below the world average. Both
developed and developing countries fall into this tier including China,
India, Brazil, Russia, and Bulgaria.

* Tier three countries, 74 in total, contribute less to the problem
and have fewer resources to mitigate their emissions. This tier includes
countries like Vietnam, Bolivia and Morocco.

A complete list of countries by tier follows.

Along with the release of its report, the Pew Center On Global Climate
Change will begin running advertising in both US and international
publications. Featuring a baseball scene, the ads say, "Its time to step up
to the plate on climate change," and call on each country to take the field,
work to the best of its abilities and do its fair share to beat the climate
change problem.

"There should be no debate over the fact that the solution to global
climate change requires the support of the entire international community,"
Claussen said. "The framework established by this report can help bridge the
political divide that has stood in the way of international action and
created uncertainty in markets across the globe."

A copy of the report, "Equity and Global Climate Change," is available
on the Pew Center Web site at www.pewclimate.org.

The Pew Center's Business Environmental Leadership Council includes:
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.; American Electric Power Company; Baxter
International Inc.; Boeing; BP America; CH2M HILL; DuPont; Enron Corp.;
Holnam Inc.; Intercontinental Energy Corporation; International Paper;
Lockheed Martin; Maytag Corporation; The Sun Company; 3M; Toyota; United
Technologies; U.S. Generating Company; Weyerhaeuser and Whirlpool. DuPont
and CH2M HILL are the two newest members of the council, announced earlier
today.

Illustrative Example of Three Tiers

"Must Act Now" -- Tier 1

Argentina Greece Portugal
Australia Israel Saudi Arabia
Austria Italy Singapore
Belgium Japan Slovenia
Canada Korea, South Spain
Chile Kuwait Thailand
Czech Republic Malaysia United Arab Emirates
Denmark Mexico United Kingdom
France Netherlands United States
Germany Norway Venezuela

"Should Act Now, But Differently" -- Tier 2

Algeria Ireland Russia
Azerbaijan Jamaica Slovak Republic
Belarus Jordan South Africa
Belize Kazakhstan Suriname
Brazil Kyrgyz Republic Sweden
Bulgaria Latvia Switzerland
China Lithuania Syria
Colombia Mauritius Tajikistan
Ecuador Moldova Trinidad & Tobago
Egypt New Zealand Tunisia
Estonia Oman Turkey
Finland Panama Turkmenistan
Gabon Papua New Guinea Ukraine
Georgia Paraguay Uruguay
Hungary Peru Uzbekistan
Iceland Philippines Yugoslavia
India Poland
Iran Romania

"Could Act Now" -- Tier 3

Albania El Salvador Morocco
Angola Eritrea Mozambique
Armenia Ethiopia Myanmar
Bangledesh Fiji Nepal
Barbados Gambia Nicaragua
Benin Ghana Niger
Bhutan Grenada Nigeria
Bolivia Guatemala Niue
Botswana Guinea Pakistan
Burkina Faso Guinea-Bissau Samoa
Cambodia Guyana Senegal
Cameroon Haiti Sierra Leone
Cape Verde Islands Honduras Solomon Islands
Central African Republic Indonesia Sri Lanka
Chad Kenya Sudan
Comoros Kiribati Swaziland
Congo, Democratic Korea, North Tanzania
Republic of
Congo, Republic of Laos Togo
Cook Islands Madagascar Uganda
Costa Rica Malawi Vanuatu
Cote D'Ivoire Maldives Vietnam
Djibouti Mali Yemen
Dominica Mauritania Zambia
Dominican Republic Mongolia Zimbabwe

SOURCE Pew Center on Global Climate Change

-0- 10/29/98

/CONTACT: Kelly Sullivan, 202-289-5900, for the Pew Center on Global
Climate Change/

/Web site: http://www.pewclimate.org/
For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://www.ens-news.com/e-wire/october/oct299804.html
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TO NATIONAL, FOREIGN AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

Complete Flexibility Must Be Focus of Buenos Aires Conference; GCC
Looks at Details on Sinks, Rules for Emissions Trading

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Oct. 29 -/E-Wire/-- Rules for emissions
trading and participation of developing countries in the Kyoto Protocol will
be high on the agenda as the 4th Conference of Parties to the International
Framework Convention on Climate Change begins. With so many complex issues
outstanding, Global Climate Coalition leaders said today they do not expect
much progress on either front -- a position shared by many conference
leaders.

"The United States is looking for a workplan to decide how emissions
trading and the Clean Development Mechanism will work," GCC Chair Connie
Holmes said. "We do not support the Protocol and do not believe it can be
ratified by the U.S. Senate in its current form. But, if emission caps are
ever imposed, these market tools will be absolutely necessary to lessen high
economic burdens placed on our citizens."

"We support the Administration's desire to have an unrestricted
system," Holmes said. "The rules must be simple, reasonable and easily
enforced without creating large new bureaucracies. But, it will take a long
time to get these rules right and to involve developing countries. We hope
that our negotiators avoid the temptation to set arbitrary deadlines."

As the recent U.S. government Energy Information Administration study
shows unrestricted trading is necessary or the costs to our economy will not
just be high, they will be devastating and thousands more jobs will be lost,
Holmes added.

Participation by developing countries is also on the agenda, but it is
doubtful that countries such as China and India will agree to take actions
to reduce the rate of emissions growth they will experience in pursuing
economic development.

"Developing countries said 'no' in Kyoto, 'no' in Bonn in June and we
expect them to say 'no' again in Buenos Aires," Holmes said. "No matter
what happens, China and India must make a commitment because of the size of
their emissions."

Last year the Senate passed the Byrd-Hagel resolution on a 95-0 vote
that requires that both issues, rules on trading and participation by
developing countries be resolved before the Senate will consider
ratification.

In another area, carbon sinks are expected to be revisited because of a
recent study by scientists at NOAA, Columbia University and Princeton
published in Science magazine in mid-October. The study illustrates the
importance of sinks in mitigating carbon emissions and decisions at COP-4
must not eliminate or restrict their use. SOURCE Global Climate Coalition

-0- 10/29/98

/NOTE TO EDITORS: B-roll, Animation, video graphics of greenhouse gas
in atmosphere, breakdown of gases in the atmosphere and possible energy
price increases are available. For more information, please call the
contact below./

/CONTACT: Frank Maisano of the Global Climate Coalition, 202-628-3622/

/Web site: http://www.pcgpr.com/
For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://www.ens-news.com/e-wire/october/oct299805.html
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-- NEWS ADVISORY -- TO NATIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLITICAL EDITOR:

League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club to Highlight
Impact of the Environmental Issue in the 1998 Elections

The environment is a key issue for voters in the 1998 elections as a
result of the largest political expenditures in history by environmental
organizations. The League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club and
will offer post-election analysis of the impact of the environment in
national races at a news conference on Wednesday, November 4 at 1:30 p.m. at
the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington.

The LCV Action Fund is in the final week of its "Dirty Dozen"
campaigns, spending over $2.3 million on independent expenditure efforts to
defeat anti- environment candidates. The Sierra Club conducted grassroots
and media efforts in 45 priority races.

The League will release data compiled from election-eve polls to
demonstrate the ability of the Dirty Dozen campaigns to elevate the
environment as a top political voting issue in targeted races.

Sierra Club will analyze the role of the environment in selected races,
identify environmental issues that emerged during the campaigns, and offer
an environmental assessment of the newly-elected 106th Congress.

WHAT: Post-election news conference
Highlighting the impact of environmental campaigns on the
1998 elections and previewing top environmental issues facing
the
106th Congress

WHO: Leaders from the two most politically active national
environmental groups

League of Conservation Voters
Deb Callahan, President
Betsy Loyless, Political Director

Sierra Club
Chuck McGrady, President
Daniel J. Weiss, Political Director

Leading Democratic and Republican Pollsters
Al Quinlan, President of Greenberg-Quinlan Research, Inc.
John Deardourff, President of Deardourff-Bennett Research

WHEN: Wednesday, November 4
1:30 p.m.

WHERE: J.W. Marriott Hotel, Salon E
1331 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC

The Sierra Club is America's oldest and largest grassroots
environmental organization. With 550,000 members, the Club is working
aggressively to elect pro-environmental lawmakers.

The nonprofit League of Conservation Voters is the bipartisan political
voice for the environment. LCV is the only conservation organization
dedicated full-time to informing voters and holding Members of Congress
accountable for their environmental votes. The LCV Action Fund is LCV's
political action committee.

CONTACT: Lisa Wade of the LCV, 202-785-8683; or Kim Haddow of the
Sierra
Club, 202-675-7903.

SOURCE League of Conservation Voters

-0- 10/29/98

-/E-Wire/-- Oct. 29/
For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://www.ens-news.com/e-wire/october/oct299806.html
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TO NATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDITORS:

New Study Provides Framework to Determine Fair Commitments for All Countries
in Global Climate Treaty

Using Country-Specific Data, Report Addresses Major Obstacle Of
Contributions by Industrialized and Developing Nations

* Tier three countries, 74 in total, contribute less to the problem
and have fewer resources to mitigate their emissions. This tier includes
countries like Vietnam, Bolivia and Morocco.

A copy of the report, "Equity and Global Climate Change," is available
on the Pew Center Web site at www.pewclimate.org.

-0- 10/29/98

/CONTACT: Kelly Sullivan, 202-289-5900, for the Pew Center on Global
Climate Change/

/Web site: http://www.pewclimate.org/
For Full Text and Graphics Visit:
http://www.ens-news.com/e-wire/october/oct299802.html
***************************************************************************
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