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GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 040528

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May 28, 2004, 1:53:11 AM5/28/04

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GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
{*} THE SIX MOST ENDANGERED NATURAL AREAS IN THE BAYSHORE
{*} SAVING NORTH JERSEY'S WATER WILL PROTECT PINELANDS' SUPPLY
{*} U.S. ARMY JETTISONS ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
{*} ADMINISTRATION MAY EASE ENVIRONMENTAL RULES ON GASOLINE
{*} DEP FINES HERCULES $80,000 FOR CLEANUP DELAY
{*} HARBOR DREDGING COULD BEGIN EARLY NEXT YEAR
{*} STEVENS GARAGE PLAN IS POUNDED AT 'LAST' HEARING
{*} MASSACHUSETTS SETS NEW LIMITS ON MERCURY EMISSIONS
{*} SPRAY CANS WARMING PLANET, ONE DUST-BUSTING PUFF AT A TIME
{*} DARWINIAN SHIFT: SURVIVAL OF THE SMALLEST
{*} ENERGY STAR PROMOTES ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING DESIGN
{*} `SPECIAL EYES ON THE ENVIRONMENT' PHOTO EXHIBIT OPENS
{*} TEACHER WORKSHOPS AT STONY BROOK MILLSTONE WATERSHED
{*} TOUR OF THE SOURLANDS - JUN 12
{*} WILDLIFE HABITAT COUNCIL RESTORING GREENSPACE - JUN 23-24

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THE SIX MOST ENDANGERED NATURAL AREAS IN THE BAYSHORE

Date: 040528
From: http://www.ahherald.com/

OLD OAK TRAIL
By Joe Reynolds
j...@ahherald.com

Atlantic Highlands Herald, 27 May 2004

Some of you I am sure by now know that I am co-chair of the Bayshore
Regional Watershed Council (BRWC), an all-volunteer group made up of
local citizens in the Bayshore region, stretching from South Amboy
eastward to the Highlands with a goal of preserving Raritan & Sandy
Hook bays. Recently, the BRWC has been alerting local residents,
business owners, and government officials that they need to act now to
protect what few natural open areas exist before they are gone forever
due to over-development and poor planning.

The BRWC has identified below six environmentally sensitive areas in
the Bayshore region that are most endangered of being lost or severely
degraded due to development activities in the next few years. The
sites listed are in no particular order.

- Luppatacong Creek in Keyport: Kara Homes has submitted plans for a
44 unit multi-family complex of 3 buildings at the corner of Beers
St, and West Front Street with parking on the banks of the creek.
The project so overwhelms the site that a walkway along the creek
will be cantilevered over the water on pilings to fit in the
parking. The project's "Storm Water Management" report indicates
that the infiltration basin requires maintenance multiple times a
year with the expense picked up by local taxpayers.

- Freneau Woods in Aberdeen, near Lake Lefferts: The more than 100
acre undeveloped Freneau Woods is in danger of loss to new compact
housing. The area is located between the intersections of Routes
516 and 79, and Route 34. The landscape consists of wetland and
upland forests with a variety of wildlife habitats that include
vernal pools, steep slopes, rare plants, and scenic vistas of Lake
Lefferts. The site has what may be the most vast, contiguous stands
of ground-pine club moss Lycopodium in the Bayshore region. The
area also has potential historic value as a Revolutionary War era
African American graveyard.

- The Mouth of Many Mind Creek in Atlantic Highlands: This area of
largely un-built waterfront is threatened with dense townhouses,
new commercial development, and expanded parking lots that would be
located right next to Sandy Hook Bay. Looming development would
degrade both sides of the creek and block important public access
to the bay. The site is an important fish spawning area and a
feeding spot for two NJ State endangered species - the Least tern
and the Black skimmer. The site also contains saltwater wetlands,
coastal dunes, and a wide sandy beach.

- The Stone Road meadows in Hazlet Township: This 26-acre abandoned
agriculture field borders Highway 36 and is part of the Flat Creek
watershed area. The meadows are threatened with new commercial
development on an already over-crowded and congested highway. The
area is one of the last large-scale open space areas on Highway 36
between the Garden State Parkway and Sandy Hook. The site provides
ideal nesting habitat for field birds and would provide wonderful
public recreation in an existing highly developed landscape.

- The Ladyslipper tract in Holmdel Township: This approx. 12 acre
site next to Allocco Park along flood prone Waackaack Creek is
threatened with dense new housing. In order for the development to
fit on-site, a new access road off Middle Road would have to be
constructed and a large detention basin in a present
forested/wetland area along the creek would be needed. The uncommon
Pink ladyslipper orchid can be found here within the site's sandy
Pine Barren-like soils.

- The Mouth of Marquis Creek in Old Bridge Township: This site has
been degraded by decades of illegal dumping activities of fill and
solid waste by residents and businesses. In 1994, NJ Audubon
Society identified this site as being heavily used by feeding
herons, ducks, and shorebirds. It is also an important spawning
area for horseshoe crabs and a feeding area for spring migratory
birds, such as the NJ State endangered Red knot. The site has the
potential for much needed public recreation including fishing,
crabbing, birding, and walking.

The BRWC realizes that development will persist as long as landowners
are responsible under the state's inequitable tax system to pay for a
majority of local school and civic services. Nevertheless, the BRWC
believes strongly that we should not lose sight of the need to protect
our environment. Where will the Bayshore region be in twenty years if
we keep building and forget about water quality, open space, and clean
air?

Preferably, the BRWC would like to see open space protected in its
natural state.

To protect these areas, greater public funds need to be committed by
the State of New Jersey to protect natural resources in the Bayshore
region.

Elected and appointed government leaders in the Bayshore region need
to urgently inventory and analyze all remaining natural areas and
actively devise acquisition and protection plans, and utilize Green
Acres financial support as much as possible. Towns also need to work
together to establish or strengthen regional planning that is
watershed based, and to seriously rethink zoning and planning
regulations that cover natural areas, and to create new ordinances
that preserve water quality and open space.

Citizens can help preserve natural areas in their municipalities by
urging their elected officials that growth should occur where
infrastructure already exists, and by monitoring their town's
enforcement of ordinances designed to protect the environment.

It is essential to get this work done before developers arrive with
applications and blueprints that would create still further dense
buildings and sprawl.

The BRWC encourages Bayshore municipal officials and residents to
contact the council if they require assistance or are interested in
information about land preservation. The BRWC meets the second
Thursday of every month at 7:30pm, inside Aberdeen Town Hall on Church
Street.

* * *

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SAVING NORTH JERSEY'S WATER WILL PROTECT PINELANDS' SUPPLY

Date: 040528
From: http://www.app.com/

Editorial by Jaclyn Dispensa, Asbury Park Press, 5/27/04

Much of the debate bogging down the Highlands Water Protection and
Planning Act seems to focus on the question: How is this bill fair to
southern New Jersey and the Pinelands?

One answer is that the Highlands bill will help the Pinelands and
South Jersey by protecting water supplies. According to the U.S.
Geological Survey, the Highlands provide much of the drinking water
for more than 2 million South Jersey residents. (Amazingly, the
Highlands water was labeled a desirable source back in 1874 by the New
Jersey state geologist!)

If water supplies and/or quality are compromised in the Highlands,
there will be that much more pressure to take water from the aquifers
in South Jersey such as the Kirkwood Cohansey aquifer. Today, water
from this aquifer is protected by a special law that bars transporting
it no more than 10 miles outside the Pinelands. In the wrong
circumstances, that law could easily be revoked.

Some have questioned whether South Jersey will lose out to the
Highlands on Green Acres funding for open space purchases. This
question has been answered in amendments to the Highlands bill. Green
Acres funding provides money for acquisition of lands to save from
development. The Highlands bill specifies that Green Acres money will
be available for all portions of the state and not favorably allocated
to one half or the other.

Unfortunately, land-use decisions in this state are based for the
most part on economic gain, because localities rely on the tax base
for revenue. Naturally, local government officials may prefer to have
more development, but they tend to overlook the costs in comparison to
the benefits. Any comparison of local tax rates proves that in New
Jersey, more development, no matter what kind of development, leads to
higher local taxes.

There are ways to develop in a "smart" way that will promote
continued growth, but will also preserve the necessities for a good
quality of life. In a recent study led by Bob Burchell of Rutgers
University, also author of "Costs of Sprawl" (2002), the overall costs
of two alternative forms of development were examined. These forms
included compact growth and sprawling growth - or, as defined by the
researchers, low-density growth. Overall, more compact growth saved a
lot of money for several reasons: shorter trunk lines for roads and
utilities, more open-space uses, lower public service costs, etc.

South Jersey has the opportunity to address its concerns outside of
the language for the Highlands bill via smart growth and good local
planning. The Highlands bill will not take money or the power to do
good planning away from South Jersey. If anything, the Highlands bill
will help by strengthening the smart growth ethic growing in New
Jersey and by avoiding calls to divert South Jersey's aquifers for
North Jersey development.

It is time to act now and work together for approval of the Highlands
bill. Senators should vote "yes" on this critical issue.

- - -

Jaclyn Dispensa is director of conservation policy for the Pinelands
Preservation Alliance.

* * *

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U.S. ARMY JETTISONS ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

Date: 040528
From: http://www.ems.org/

"SEVERE" ENVIRONMENTAL CUTBACKS TO MAKE UP FOR BUDGET SHORTFALL

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, May 27, 2004

Washington, DC - Army bases across the U.S. have been ordered to
severely reduce anti-pollution and wildlife protection spending,
according to an internal memo released today by Public Employees for
Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Citing mid-year fiscal shortages due to "fighting a war on several
fronts, maintaining combat readiness on others, and transforming our
warfighting force :being executed simultaneously," Major General
Anders Aadland, head of the Army's new Installation Management
Activity command, sent a memo to all garrison commanders on May 11
ordering immediate cutbacks in "discretionary" spending on items
including personnel, travel and training, as well as the environment.
As for environmental protection, Gen. Aadland directed -

"Take additional risk in environmental programs; terminate
environmental contracts and delay all non-statutory enforcement
actions to FY05."

"This is an order to base commanders authorizing pollution of
American soil when it saves money," stated PEER Executive Director
Jeff Ruch, pointing to Gen. Aadland's "take additional risk" language.
"Protecting America's land, air and water is not a secondary mission
that should be shirked when budgets get tight."

In his memo, Gen. Aadland notes, "All reprogramming fences are lifted
to allow reprogramming of funds from:environmental or other accounts
restricted in previous FY04 funding guidance." While this will allow
funds that Congress appropriated for specific purposes to be used for
other purposes, it is not clear that Congress has approved this
redirection of spending.

Congress is now reviewing Pentagon requests for exemptions from the
Clean Air Act and federal toxic control laws. This year, as in the
prior two years, the Pentagon claims that these anti-pollution
measures hurt military readiness and that military safeguards are
sufficient to protect the environment.

"The Pentagon asking for additional environmental leeway is like the
habitual drunk driver lobbying for liquor sales to be extended after
midnight," commented Ruch. "The Pentagon is now the planet's most
prolific and persistent polluter; its record makes a compelling case
for more oversight, not less."

U.S. Army bases cover some 11.8 million acres in the domestic U.S.,
an area approximately the combined size of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Military bases from all the services, called Defense lands, total some
25 million acres in the domestic U.S., an area approximately the size
of the State of Kentucky.

- - -

Contact: Chas Offutt (202) 265-7337

Read the environmental cutback memo from General Aadland to all Army
garrison commanders:
http://www.peer.org/Military/armyslashesenvironment.html

* * *

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ADMINISTRATION MAY EASE ENVIRONMENTAL RULES ON GASOLINE

Date: 040528
From: http://www.enn.com/

ADMINISTRATION LOOKING AT WAYS TO BOOST
GASOLINE SUPPLIES, MAY EASE ENVIRONMENTAL RULES

By Martin Crutsinger, Associated Press, May 27, 2004

Washington - The Bush administration is considering easing
environmental requirements for a multitude of gasoline blends and
streamlining permits for new refineries to increase fuel supplies and
fight soaring prices, Commerce Secretary Donald Evans said Wednesday.

Evans, a former Texas oil company executive, said that the cost of
gasoline, which hit a record national average of $2.06 per gallon this
week, was affecting driving habits, with people making fewer trips to
the store.

Mindful that oil shocks in the 1970s and 1980s were severe enough to
push the country into a series of recessions, Evans said the
administration was taking very seriously the current run-up in prices
and the impact it might have on consumer's buying patterns.

"It is of great concern to us," Evans said. "The president will take
all the steps we can to deal with the problem."

A CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll on Wednesday indicated that almost six in
10 people surveyed said they expected gasoline prices would cause them
a financial hardship this summer and lead them to drive less.

The administration is feeling political heat as well from the surge
in energy prices. Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry,
blaming Bush's foreign policy, said Wednesday that "instability and
danger in the Middle East are driving up the price of oil."

On a campaign swing in Oregon and Washington states, Kerry said
people are paying more for gasoline because the administration did not
pressure the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to
lower prices by producing more oil.

Evans said the administration was exploring ways to reduce the
requirements that now exist for gasoline blends in different parts of
the country to deal with specific air pollution problems.

"We've got to think real hard whether we need 17, 18, 19, 20,
whatever it is, different varieties of fuel in this country," Evans
said. "That puts certain areas of the country at a very high risk of
being dependent on a single source supplier."

Evans said the need for these "boutique fuels" was hurting the
country's ability to import gasoline. While there is surplus capacity
at refineries worldwide, foreign refiners often do not produce the
specialty blends required only in America.

But Vickie Patton, a senior lawyer with Environmental Defense in
Boulder, Colorado, said that the use of cleaner-burning gasoline
blends had been "consistently one of the single most effective
measures to protect public health and the environment from harmful air
pollution."

Evans also suggested looking "at the regulations and permitting
processes as to expanding and building our own refineries here in
America." He said a new refinery had not been built in this country in
more than 25 years.

Evans is the second Cabinet member to raise the issue of the numerous
gasoline blends that are required to meet environmental standards.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, testifying before a House panel
last month, said the administration was seriously considering requests
from California and New York to waive requirements that they sell
specially blended gasoline. The requirements for the special blends of
gasoline make fuel more expensive.

EPA spokesman John Millett said the agency has not indicated when it
might make a decision.

Evans also noted that Bush's energy bill was still tied up in
Congress. Many Democrats are opposed to a proposal that would open an
Alaskan wildlife refuge to oil drilling.

* * *

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DEP FINES HERCULES $80,000 FOR CLEANUP DELAY

Date: 27 May 2004
From: "Debra Hoover" {Debra....@dep.state.nj.us}

DEP COLLECTS $80,000 PENALTY FROM
HERCULES INCORPORATED FOR CLEANUP DELAYS

STATE TO DEVELOP INVESTIGATION PLAN FOR
SIMMONDS SITE TO MOVE CLEANUP FORWARD

5/27/04

Trenton - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
today announced that Hercules Incorporated paid an $80,000 penalty for
delays in completing a full investigation and cleanup at its Simmonds
Precision site located in Chester Township, Morris County. DEP is
preparing an investigation plan for the Simmonds site that will
identify all actions required to generate a protective cleanup, both
of which Hercules must implement or face further enforcement action.

"This action compels Hercules to accelerate cleanup work at the
Simmonds site due to the company's non-compliance with past DEP orders
to remedy contamination problems," said Assistant Commissioner Joseph
Seebode. "The company agreed to pay a penalty and conduct cleanup work
following a specific schedule to address decades-old contamination at
this former aircraft parts manufacturing plant."

Hercules posted a $3 million letter of credit to cover any future
cleanup costs should it default on its obligations to finish remedial
work required by DEP at the Simmonds site. Also, DEP is in settlement
negotiations with Hercules to address the company's natural resource
damage liability resulting from discharges that occurred at the
Chester site.

This month, DEP authorized $84,000 to hire a contractor to develop a
comprehensive plan and schedule for investigation of remaining
contamination at the site. Hercules is required to reimburse the
Department's costs to prepare the report and will have 30 calendar
days to comment on the draft plan. The company then will be required
to implement the remedial work. Otherwise, DEP will begin the
investigation work using a portion of the funds set aside by Hercules.

Hercules first entered into an Administrative Consent Order in 1988
with DEP to conduct a remedial investigation and site cleanup. The
ongoing non-compliance by Hercules involves its long-standing failure
to submit technical documents of acceptable quality, which resulted in
numerous deficiency letters and regulatory admonishments from 1997 to
2004.

On May 9, 2003, DEP first issued a demand for stipulated penalties to
Hercules for cleanup delays and submission of deficient remedial
documents related to the Simmonds site. DEP also terminated Hercules'
active role in the investigation and remediation of the site on
December 18, 2003. Hercules and DEP this month amended the 1988 order
to resolve outstanding cleanup delay issues.

The Simmonds Precision site covers nine-acres and is bounded by the
Black River Wildlife Management Area. The company manufactured
electrical wiring harnesses for military and civilian aircraft until
cessation of plant activity in 1993. Contamination from the site has
been found in nearby surface water bodies and a private well, which
required the company to install a point-of-entry treatment system to
provide a safe supply of potable water. Hercules installed a ground
water treatment system in 1998 that remains operational. However, the
system has failed to control the ongoing discharge of ground water
contamination to the Black River Wildlife Management Area and adjacent
Oakdale Creek. Various chlorinated solvents including
trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene have been found in soil,
ground water and sediment in wetlands. Metal contamination, including
zinc and cadmium, have been detected in soils and sediment.

* * *

Contact: Fred Mumford, (609)984-1795

NJ Department of Environmental Protection

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HARBOR DREDGING COULD BEGIN EARLY NEXT YEAR

Date: 040528
From: http://www.nj.com/newsflash/jersey/

DEAL MEANS 50-FOOT HARBOR DREDGING COULD BEGIN EARLY NEXT YEAR

By Steve Strunsky, Associated Press, 5/27/04

Newark - A $1.6 billion project to dredge the region's shipping
channels to accommodate the latest generation of container ships could
begin by early next year, after finalization of an agreement between
federal officials and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,
officials said Thursday.

Completion of a project cooperation agreement between the Port
Authority and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, scheduled for Friday,
means the first dredging contract could be awarded in December, with
work beginning shortly after that, said Col. John B. O'Dowd, the Army
Corps' chief engineer for the New York District.

Port Authority Chairman Anthony R. Coscia said Thursday that he would
sign the agreement with O'Dowd on Friday, in a ceremony in Elizabeth
to be attended by Gov. James E. McGreevey and the Army's assistant
secretary for civil works, John P. Woodley Jr.

The project, which could be spread out over as much as 14 years, will
deepen the shipping channels around New York City and New Jersey to 50
feet. The depth is required for the so-called post-Panamax generation
of ships, which carry up to 7,000 containers each, and are already
putting in to ports in Long Beach, Calif., and Halifax, Nova Scotia,
O'Dowd said.

The new ships will eclipse the far less efficient vessels now used
into the region, which draw 45-feet and carry a maximum of 3,000
containers. Shipping containers directly to the New York region from
Asia and elsewhere could drastically reduce trucking and other
transportation costs.

"Our economics on this show for every dollar we spend on the project,
you'll return 2.6 dollars in transpiration costs alone, and the hope
is that those savings will get passed along to the consumer," O'Dowd
said.

Referring to the region's shipping companies, Coscia said: "We want
those companies, when they're deciding where their future's going to
be, we want them to make the decision to keep their vessels right here
in the New Jersey ports."

The agreement calls for the federal government to fund 54 percent of
the project, with the balance borne by the Port Authority. The Bush
administration has requested $110 million for the project in its
fiscal 2005 budget proposal.

Rock dredged from the Arthur Kill, Ambrose Channel and other harbor
passages will be used for artificial reefs, O'Dowd said. He said
relatively clean silt will be used to cap a former ocean dumping
ground six miles off Sandy Hook, NJ, while contaminated dredge
material will be mixed with cement and used to cap landfills.

The harbor region is essentially an estuary with a natural depth of
18-19 feet, and the Port Authority and federal government have already
spent $1.2 billion since 1997 on a series of dredging projects
deepening channels to up to 45 feet.

O'Dowd humorously noted: "2009 will be 400 years since Henry Hudson
sailed (the Half Moon) into the harbor. Eighteen feet was fine for
Henry Hudson, not for the new class of container ships."

* * *

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STEVENS GARAGE PLAN IS POUNDED AT 'LAST' HEARING

Date: 27 May 2004
From: FBW {f...@betterwaterfront.org}

FOES RIP VARIANCE BIDS VOTE IS EXPECTED JUNE 7

By Wesley Yang, Jersey Journal, May 22, 2004

Hoboken - Opponents and supporters of the 725-space parking garage
proposed by Stevens Institute of Technology traded familiar charges
for nearly four hours Thursday night, forcing the Zoning Board to
postpone a vote on the controversial project for one more meeting.

The public comment portion consumed most of the meeting, which ended
eight months of testimony on the four-story structure slated to go up
on Sinatra Drive and Fifth Street.

Stevens is seeking 14 variances, including one to put up more than
one building on the lot, one to permit a new use on the lot, and
relief from requirements to set it back 100 feet from the street and
at least 25 feet from the next building.

About a dozen opponents of the project, including the members of the
Fund for a Better Waterfront, a nonprofit community advocacy group
that hired an attorney to oppose the garage, attacked various aspects
of Stevens' case.

Most were skeptical of the university's argument that the garage
would streamline and reduce traffic on surrounding streets and that it
would be open to the general public for users of the athletic fields
across the street.

The 400-foot concrete fa?e[sic] will blight the waterfront, said Ron
Hine, president of the FBW.

"It deadens the streetscape, it doesn't bring life and activity to
the waterfront, it has the exact opposite of the effect we want our
projects to bring to the waterfront," he said.

In his summation, FBW attorney Michael Garafolo argued that relevant
case law forbids the Zoning Board to, in effect, arbitrarily rezone
the garage's lot by approving a project with so many deviations from
the Master Plan.

"You are not entitled to give this relief," Garafolo told the board.

Attorney Charles Liebling, representing the university, retorted that
Stevens had made a good faith effort to change the zoning to permit
the lot but the proposal sat in the Planning Board's docket for
several months.

Liebling said the unusual conditions of the project, the public
benefits it will offer, and its necessity permit the board to grant
the variances.

The board will meet June 7 at 7 p.m. to discuss the project and take
a vote.

* * *

# # #

Ron Hine
Fund for a Better Waterfront
201-217-0500
r...@betterwaterfront.org

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MASSACHUSETTS SETS NEW LIMITS ON MERCURY EMISSIONS

Date: 040527
From: http://www.boston.com/

STATE POWER PLANTS FACE FIRM DEADLINE

By Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe Staff, May 26, 2004

Massachusetts today plans to unveil the toughest limits in the nation
on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, three years after
the previous administration promised to clean up the state's dirtiest
electricity generating facilities.

The rules will force operators of four power plants - in Salem,
Somerset, and Holyoke - to install equipment to capture 85 percent of
their mercury emissions by 2008 and 95 percent by 2012. Mercury, a
naturally occurring element that is released when coal is burned, can
damage the developing brains of fetuses and children exposed to
elevated levels, usually when they or their mothers eat fish.

Activists who live near the power plants and who have been pushing
the state on the issue for years were heartened by the results, though
disappointed by the delays in issuing the regulations and their
effective date.

"I'm really glad this is going to happen. I can't believe I'm glad
it's going to happen in 2012," said Sally Huntington cq, a Westport
mother of three who lives near the Brayton Point Station in Somerset
and has been advocating for changes for eight years.

Power plants produce about one-fifth of mercury emissions in
Massachusetts. The output is still dwarfed by the amount produced by
trash incinerators, which burn up products like thermostats and car
switches that contain mercury and account for about half the
emissions, according to the state Department of Environmental
Protection. Three years ago, Acting Governor Jane Swift announced a
crackdown on Massachusetts' oldest, dirtiest power plants, whose age
exempts them from modern, federal air pollution standards. The so-
called "Filthy Five" regulations actually required six power plants to
cut emissions of four pollutants, but put off setting specific
targets.

Regulations on two of the other pollutants - sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide - are already being phased in.

Limits on carbon dioxide have yet to be set by the Romney
administration, which has focused on working with other Northeast
states to develop a regional program to limit emissions of the gas,
which contributes to global warming. These states are working on a
plan to allow companies that cut emissions to sell their pollution
rights to industries and power plants that don't meet reduction
targets - a program similar to the one that helped control acid rain.

The mercury rule was delayed by the change of administrations, and
the drafting of and public comment on the regulation.

"We really are first in the nation to create a standard for mercury
in the electricity sector," said Ellen Roy Herzfelder, the secretary
of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. "It's a huge step
forward in bringing clean air to Massachusetts."

The mercury rule comes as the US Environmental Protection Agency is
grappling with the first federal regulations of the pollutant,
measures viewed by advocates as being far less stringent than
Massachusetts' action. The proposed federal rules call for 70 percent
mercury reductions, but would not take full effect until 2018 and
would allow plants to buy and sell pollution credits.

"This is an enforceable regulation that's going to happen," Cindy
Luppi, organizing director for Clean Water Action, said of the state
standard. "It's really a very strong step forward for the state to be
taking." She and other advocates were pleased that Massachusetts
dropped a provision that would have given power plants more time to
cut mercury emissions if they helped recycle mercury from other uses,
such as thermometers in schools. Environmental groups argue that
trading programs are better geared toward global pollutants than
metals like mercury, which have the most detrimental effects on local
communities.

Herzfelder echoed advocates' concerns that mercury not only drifts in
from other states but causes an immediate local health concern. "When
it comes out of a stack, it does travel - but it goes right next door
into the lake right nearby," said Herzfelder.

Health advisories continue to spotlight the risks of eating fish
exposed to mercury. The EPA recently doubled its estimate of the
number of children born in the United States with dangerous levels of
mercury in their blood - to more than 600,000. Massachusetts warns
pregnant and nursing women, as well as children, not to eat any native
fish caught in fresh water in the state. In Swampscott, the local
health board is making restaurants post warnings that eating fish can
be dangerous.

But messages are often lost on consumers - especially those who don't
speak or read English. In Fall River, immigrant families can often be
seen fishing on the Taunton River, without the benefit of translated
warnings, said David Dionne, a Westport selectman who served as
spokesman for the Campaign to Clean up Brayton Point.

The regulations call for four plants - Salem Harbor Station in Salem,
Mount Tom in Holyoke, and Brayton Point and NRG Power Station, both in
Somerset - to cut the amount of mercury escaping their smokestacks.

Mercury emissions have already been trimmed - from 566 pounds a
year - as the plants used scrubbers and other means to cut other
pollutants required under the Filthy Five regulations, said Ed
Coletta, DEP spokesman. Collectively, the plants now give off about
185 pounds of mercury per year, according to DEP, with Brayton Point
Station contributing most of the emissions.

Total power plant mercury emissions are expected to drop to 86 pounds
in 2008 and 29 pounds by 2012.

A spokesperson for National Energy & Gas Transmission Inc., whose
subsidiary owns the Brayton Point and Salem plants, could not be
reached for comment. Lesa Bader, a spokeswoman for NRG Inc., said she
could not comment on the impact on NRG Somerset Power Station until
the company reviewed the new rules.

"While these new regulations are very challenging, we have every
intention of meeting the new standards," said Joel Weinberg, spokesman
for Northeast Generation Services, which maintains and operates the
Mount Tom plant.

* * *

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

SPRAY CANS WARMING PLANET, ONE DUST-BUSTING PUFF AT A TIME

Date: 040528
From: http://www.asahi.com/

By Toru Ishii , Asahi Shimbun, May 27,2004

Sprays for cleaning computers and cameras contribute to global
warming.

Like a man-made butterfly effect, a "harmless" blast of air can have
a far-reaching impact on the entire planet.

It isn't a typhoon whipped up halfway around the world by the
stirring of a tiny wing. It is actually something far worse-and even
preventable.

Each gust of air from an aerosol can-to blow dust, say, from a
computer keyboard-releases a gas into the atmosphere linked to global
warming. Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), an industrial gas, is an alternative
to banned fluorocarbon gases such as chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), which
eat away the protective ozone layer far above the Earth's surface.

The impact of HFCs is quite alarming. One 500-gram spray can is
estimated to contribute as much to global warming as the carbon
dioxide an average person causes to be released by consuming energy in
the home for six months.

As computers continue to proliferate-and with them sprays to clean
them-HFC emissions from aerosol cans are on the rise.

According to the Aerosol Industry Association of Japan, 1,850 tons of
HFCs were distributed in about 4.5 million cans in 2003, up
considerably from 1,050 tons in 1995. It's estimated that 80 percent
of these cans are used to blow away dust. But the gas specifically
used for this purpose-HFC134a-has a global warming potential 1,300
times that of carbon dioxides.

A can of spray sold for around 2,000 yen contains about the same
amount of HFCs as a car's air-conditioning system. Apart from computer
appliances, these sprays are also used to clean cameras, ATMs and
pachinko machines.

Alternative fluorocarbons, including HFC, came into use to replace
fluorocarbons-a compound of fluoride and carbon once widely used as
coolants for refrigerators and propellants in sprays. Fluorocarbons
were found to contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer.

While these alternative fluorocarbons have the merit of not
destroying the ozone layer, on the downside they do augment global
warming. The greenhouse effect of some of these gases is thousands of
times stronger than that of carbon dioxide gases. Recognized as
greenhouse gases in the Kyoto Protocol, Japan is obliged to reduce
emissions of these alternative fluorocarbons, along with carbon
dioxide, by 6 percent from 1990 levels.

Since 2002, Japanese law has required that CFCs and their
alternatives be reclaimed and destroyed. This means, for instance, in
order to junk a car, the owner must first buy a 2,580-yen
"fluorocarbon ticket" from the post office or a convenience store to
have the air conditioner disposed of.

Between October 2002 and March 2003, 107 tons of HFCs were reclaimed
and 46 tons destroyed.

The law, however, applies only to industrial refrigerators, as well
as home and vehicle air conditioners, but does not cover aerosol
products.

Kiko Network, a nongovernmental organization involved in preventing
global warming, estimates that one aerosol can is as damaging, in
terms of carbon dioxide released, as leaving on a 21-inch TV set for 4
hours every day for 22 years.

Alarmingly, a single can more than offset the painstaking efforts of
individuals who dutifully switch off lights and unplug appliances to
save energy. The network has been calling on consumers not to purchase
or use sprays that contain HFC.

The trade ministry and industry groups are also taking the problem
seriously, having adopted measures to switch to HFC152a, a gas with
only one-tenth the global warming potential of HFC134a. But this is
proving a slow process. HFC152a is flammable and it accounts for less
than 20 percent of all HFCs in use.

Last July, the ministry set up, in conjunction with related
industries, a research group to develop a compact mechanic device to
blow dust off appliances.

"Condoning global warming in exchange for preventing damage to the
ozone layer is certainly contradictory," commented one environment
ministry official. "We are considering regulations that would limit
the use of HFC gases to only those cases that are unavoidable."

* * *

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DARWINIAN SHIFT: SURVIVAL OF THE SMALLEST

Date: 040520
From: http://csmonitor.com/

By Peter N. Spotts
Christian Science Monitor Staff Writer, May 20, 2004

It's a rule every weekend angler knows: Throw back the small fish. It
helps the population survive long term. Right?

Wrong. Mounting evidence suggests that by harvesting only the biggest
fish - or biggest mammals, for that matter - mankind is unwittingly
forcing many species to evolve rapidly. This process, called
"contemporary evolution," isn't taking place over centuries. It's on a
fast track that can happen within a few decades.

At a minimum, these changes can reduce a species' economic value. At
worst, they can help drive it to extinction. And while that may not be
news to biologists, it's throwing a Darwinian challenge to those who
manage wildlife, preserve habitats, deal with endangered species, and
control invasive species.

"Like it or not, we're having massive effects on many other species,
and we're changing their evolutionary context in radical ways - and
rapidly," says Donald Waller, professor of botany and environmental
studies at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Contemporary
evolution is being seen as "an important factor in conservation
biology."

Once, such up-tempo evolution was thought to be the exception rather
than the rule, researchers say. Now, it's seen as widespread,
affecting organisms ranging from bacteria to bighorn sheep.

For example: One of the big puzzles for managers of fisheries
involves the plunge in Atlantic cod populations around southern
Labrador and Newfoundland's Grand Banks. Between the early 1960s and
the early '90s, the number of cod there plummeted by 99.9 percent -
one of the worst collapses of extant marine or land animals ever.

The cod that remained were smaller, matured at a younger age, spawned
much earlier in their lives, and yielded weaker offspring than did
their ancestors. In 1992, the Canadian government closed the
fisheries. With the ban, fisheries managers expected the stocks to
rebound. Yet today the populations remain at historic lows.

So Esben Olsen, a Norwegian marine ecologist, and a team of
researchers decided to find out why. Were factors such as low food
supplies or unusual ocean conditions responsible for the population's
failure to rebound? Or did the fishing industry, by pulling up the
larger fish, channel the populations' evolution toward smaller sizes,
earlier maturity, and less reproductive success?

After analyzing nearly three decades' worth of data, the scientists
concluded that evolution was indeed at work: Survival of the smallest.
Dr. Olsen's team reported its results in the April 29 edition of the
journal Nature.

"This shift toward early maturation could slow down the recovery of
the population" because the fish can't produce offspring as robustly
as the older fish could, Olsen says in a phone interview from his Oslo
home.

The team made another key finding. The change showed up in the cod's
population statistics before the collapse actually snowballed. He says
this approach could be used as an early warning system for
evolutionary trouble ahead.

Such a finding implies big changes for the way fisheries managers
operate. If they are to take contemporary evolution into account,
managers will have to cut back fishing of endangered populations
earlier than ever - when the genetic changes are beginning to appear
rather than when populations begin to collapse.

Another potential change: a more rigorous process for preserving
genetic diversity. That would involve, scientists say, better
screening to identify individuals to reintroduce; more detailed,
persistent monitoring programs to find out how they're faring; and a
focus on the genetic adaptability of distinct populations of a
species, rather than on organisms thought to be most representative of
a particular species.

Fast-track evolution affects more than fish. Last December,
researchers in Alberta who closely tracked family histories within a
group of mountain sheep at Ram Mountain reported that over a 30-year
period, the rams in the population matured to smaller sizes and
sported ever-smaller sets of horns.

The reason: Trophy hunters focused on taking the largest rams with
the largest horns. These rams typically were shot before they reached
their peak reproductive years. So, with many of those animals gone,
the gene pool narrowed to favor the smaller rams.

The same trends and mechanisms also appear to be affecting two other
wild sheep populations subject to the same management regime, says
David Coltman, a University of Sheffield evolutionary biologist who
led the team conducting the study.

Several factors have led to a deeper appreciation of the role
contemporary evolution can play in the wild.

By the mid-1990s, an increasing number of researchers were finding
examples of contemporary evolution - ranging from Darwin's finches in
the Galapagos Islands and guppies in Trinidad to bacteria that quickly
developed resistance to antibiotics. Moreover, researchers had new
tools - from increasingly sophisticated statistical models to DNA
sequencing. This allowed them to ask questions and test ideas in ways
that hadn't been possible before, Dr. Coltman says.

Finally, "wildlife managers and people interested in ecology came
from different schools from those of us who worked in evolutionary
biology. We traditionally worked on different questions," he says.
These days, an increased emphasis on interdisciplinary science has
brought these groups of researchers together, he adds.

In some respects, several conservation approaches already account for
evolutionary effects - if inadvertently - in the populations they seek
to protect.

Coltman says that in Europe, for example, the size of the animals
that hunters are allowed to bag depends on the experience level of the
hunter. The biggest, wiliest game are reserved for those who have been
hunting the longest.

Thus, human predation on game is spread more randomly throughout the
game animal's population, and hunters are allowed to take females. The
regime more nearly mimics predation found in the wild, and so doesn't
put undue evolutionary pressure on the animals that can provide the
most robust breeding stock.

Such techniques are more problematic in fisheries, says David
Conover, marine ecologist at the State University of New York, Stony
Brook. Historically, management regimes have specifically protected
smaller fish while allowing the largest to be caught, he notes.
"Rather than use a harvest strategy that mimics nature, fishing
reverses the tables 100 percent."

Dr. Conover has studied the evolutionary effects on laboratory
populations, harvesting only the heftiest of the fish known as
Atlantic silverside. He says that for fishing techniques such as
trawling, net design would make it difficult to toss back the biggest.
Yet gill-net and long-line fishing, in which more fish are handled by
humans as they are brought in, could be regulated in ways that reduce
their evolutionary effect on fisheries, he adds.

Another approach, already being applied along coastal stretches of
the United States, is to establish protected areas where fishing is
banned and stocks are allowed to rebuild with as much of their natural
genetic variation as possible, he adds.

For endangered species, the implications of managing for as natural
an evolutionary future as possible holds its own challenges. For
example, selection pressures on a species can vary greatly along the
length of a river and within its tributaries, says Michael Kinnison, a
biologist at the University of Maine in Orono who has studied the
intersection of ecology and contemporary evolution.

Each population adapts to its local conditions. Thus, when it comes
to reintroducing species to portions of a river from which it
vanished, one can't always pluck salmon from one tributary and use
them to populate another.

* * *

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ENERGY STAR PROMOTES ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDING DESIGN

Date: 27 May 2004
From: Tyson....@epamail.epa.gov

May 27, 2004

Washington, DC - To reduce the air pollution caused by commercial
building energy use, EPA is expanding the ENERGY STAR program to
include new commercial buildings by encouraging the design of energy
efficient buildings. Architecture firms will now be able to
distinguish buildings that have been designed to be among the most
efficient buildings in the country as "Designed to Earn the ENERGY
STAR."

Recognizing the influence that the nation's architects can have in
reducing the environmental impact of buildings, EPA is providing this
new designation. Commercial buildings alone emit about 20 percent of
the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. Expanding the ENERGY STAR to
cover new construction fulfills recommendations outlined in the
President's National Energy Policy.

A building design will be eligible for the new designation if the
building is expected to qualify for the ENERGY STAR label once in
operation. The ENERGY STAR is EPA's designation for superior energy
performance. Buildings that have been in operation for at least one
year qualify for the ENERGY STAR by scoring 75 or higher on EPA's 100-
point national energy rating scale.

Existing buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR label use about
40 percent less energy than average buildings, without compromising
comfort or services. They also conserve natural gas.

EPA finds that newly constructed buildings are not significantly more
efficient than buildings constructed years ago. With this new
designation, EPA hopes to call attention to building design practices
that are expected to deliver high quality and energy efficient
commercial building space.

In 1999, EPA announced its national energy performance rating system
for commercial buildings. The rating system now includes 10 types of
buildings representing more than 50 percent of commercial building
square footage across the country. Currently, more than 19,000
buildings have been rated nationwide, and more than 1,400 have earned
the ENERGY STAR. By earning and displaying the ENERGY STAR plaque,
organizations demonstrate their commitment to energy efficiency and
environmental stewardship ' while saving money on power bills.

Introduced by EPA in 1992 for energy-efficient computers, the ENERGY
STAR label is now featured on products in more than 40 categories,
including lighting, appliances, home office equipment, home
electronics, and heating and cooling equipment. Since the mid-1990s,
EPA has collaborated with the U.S. Department of Energy, which has
responsibility for certain product categories. Efficient new homes
became eligible for the ENERGY STAR label in 1995. Last year alone,
ENERGY STAR helped Americans save enough energy to power about 20
million homes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those
of 18 million vehicles. These reductions also saved Americans
collectively $9 billion on their energy bills.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR, visit: http://www.energystar.gov .

* * *

Contact: John Millett, 202-564-7842 / millet...@epa.gov

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

`SPECIAL EYES ON THE ENVIRONMENT' PHOTO EXHIBIT OPENS

Date: 27 May 2004
From: "DCA News" {dca...@DCA.state.nj.us}

STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CAPTURE BEAUTY AND BLEMISHES OF NATURE

May 27, 2004

Trenton - More than 100 special needs students, school staff and
dignitaries gathered yesterday at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage
Finance Agency (HMFA) for the Special Eyes on the Environment (S.E.E.)
Eighth Annual State Capitol Environmental Photography Exhibit and Gala
Opening.

"This exhibit reminds us to appreciate the beauty and delicacy of New
Jersey," said Susan Bass Levin, Commissioner of the Department of
Community Affairs and HMFA Chair. "I commend these remarkable young
photographers for overcoming the challenges in their lives to help
others realize the majesty of our environment. We are honored to share
this day with such talented students, and I thank them all for their
dedication and hard work."

S.E.E. provides an opportunity for students with special needs to
develop an awareness of the environment, while overcoming their
disabilities and improving their self-esteem. The students use black
and white photography to capture their vision of nature's beauty and
depict the damage humans can do to the environment.

"HMFA looks forward to proudly showcasing the outstanding work of
these young photographers each year," DellaVecchia said. "The powerful
photography attests to each student's unique talent and insight."

Each year, the gala provides statewide exposure for the students'
work in an effort to increase public awareness of the impact we make
on the environment. Six New Jersey schools participated in this year's
gala opening, including: Lord Stirling Schools; High Point Schools;
Lakeview School; Mary A. Dobbins School; Rock Brook School; and
Trenton Public Schools.

The S.E.E. program has become a vital part of several special
education schools through New Jersey and is embraced by the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection as one of the leading
educational vehicles for statewide watershed protection. In 2002,
S.E.E. expanded to include after-school youth programs in Elizabeth
and youth-at-risk programs in Trenton.

The students' photography will remain on display through early June
at the Gallery at HMFA, the Mary Roebling Building Lobby and the
Richard Hughes Justice Complex.

For more information about the Special Eyes on the Environment
program, contact Ross Lewis, President and Founder, at 732-828-2225.

For information on HMFA consumer mortgage programs, call 1-800-NJ-
HOUSE. Speech or hearing impaired individuals may call the TTY hotline
at
1-877-325-6524.

* * *

Contact: Jennifer Monaghan, PIO, (609) 292-6055

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TEACHER WORKSHOPS AT STONY BROOK MILLSTONE WATERSHED

Date: 27 May 2004
From: bmu...@thewatershed.org

SUMMER TEACHER WORKSHOPS AT STONY BROOK MILLSTONE WATERSHED

WILD SCHOOL SITE
A Workshop for all educators
Thursday, June 24, 2004
9:00am - 3:00pm
Fee: FREE

Developed with The Coalition for Schoolyard Habitats and the New
Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, this workshop assists classroom
teachers, administrators, nature center staff and community members in
planning wildlife habitat improvement projects on school grounds.
These projects become outdoor learning centers enabling teachers to
conduct "field trips" right outside their classroom walls. The
workshop process promotes team building, encourages interdisciplinary
planning, and provides information on wildlife, natural landscaping
and cycles. We will also visit the Kate Gorrie Butterfly House
examining the garden within and the planning process. This workshop is
sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

- - -

WATERSHED EDUCATION ON A RIVER
A Workshop for Nature Centers and all educators
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
8:30am - 4:30pm
Fee: $40 includes canoes, guides and education activities

Spend the day exploring the Millstone River by canoe. This
interdisciplinary field study is designed to help educators enhance
canoe trips and complement studies on watersheds, the environment, or
ecology. Participants begin on the banks of the river using GIS maps
to determine the various components of the watershed. While on the
river, we will meet a myriad of plants and animals who form the
riverine community; discover various examples of point and non-point
source pollution; gain valuable skills for assessing water quality;
and learn first hand our relationship with the state of the watershed.
Interdisciplinary activities will be incorporated into the trip and
will encompass language arts, visual arts and history.

- - -

WATERSHED EDUCATION INSTITUTE
A Workshop for all educators
July 5 - 9, 2004
9:00am - 4:00pm
Fee: $25 non-refundable registration fee

Join our fourth annual WATERSHED EDUCATION INSTITUTE! Teachers will
examine a wide range of watershed issues through interdisciplinary
activities and field studies in their community. The Watershed
Education Institute provides teachers with training in a variety of
water quality monitoring techniques; in-class activities; inquiry-
based, hands-on investigations; and more. The institute also
incorporates multi-stakeholder perspectives and promotes watershed
stewardship lending a real-world relevance to the curriculum. Space is
limited. For further information, contact us at (609) 818-9277.

- - -

RIVER FRIENDLY SCHOOLS
A Workshop for educators of grades 7 - 12
Tuesday, August 26, 2004
9:00am - 3:00pm
Fee: $25 per person

Become a River Friendly School and empower your students to make a
difference in their school. Create, design and manage a stewardship
project to improve or protect the water supply on campus. The workshop
will provide outdoor, hands- on, inquiry-based science activities that
students can carry out at home and on campus. Through these
activities, students realize they are inextricably connected to and
dependent upon the environment. The program will also include how to:
decide a stewardship project, set developmental goals, achieve success
at each stage, enlist the support of administration and community, and
meet core curriculum standards. All participants and their classes
will be invited to share their River Friendly School Projects at a
colloquium the following spring. This workshop is sponsored by Johnson
& Johnson Consumer Products, Inc.

To register, note the workshop title, your name, address, phone
number and mail with payment to: SBMWA 31 Titus Mill Road Pennington,
NJ 08534 Or call 609-737-7592 or email b...@thewatershed.org

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TOUR OF THE SOURLANDS - JUN 12

Date: 27 May 2004
From: "Steven Sacks-Wilner" {ste...@sacks-wilner.com}

SOURLAND'S TOUR REVEALS RICH HISTORY, BEAUTY, AND CALL TO PRESERVE

By Ruth Palmer, Montgomery News, May 27, 2004

It was a picture-perfect spring morning on Sat., April 17, as a group
of local residents boarded a bus to learn about the wealth of history,
abundant wildlife, and preservation efforts of the Sourland Mountains.

For those who were unable to attend this sold-out tour, take heart,
due to the overwhelming demand, the tour will be repeated on Sat.,
June 12. Two tours are planned that day. A few seats are still
available for the 12:30 pm tour. In addition, a map and cassette tape
are being planned by the Sourland Planning Council, that will enable
residents to take their own driving tour of the Sourlands.

Jennifer Bryson, Sourland Planning Council president, served as guide
for the tour, called "Montgomery's Mysteries."

The tour spanned the eastern half of the Sourlands, the largest
forest in central NJ, a ridge over 60-square-miles that is divided
among three counties and five townships, including Montgomery. Much of
the tour was based on information revealed in T.J. Luce's recently
published book, New Jersey's Sourland Mountain.

Much of the history of the Sourlands is what you might expect. For
example, the history of the Lenape Indians, the important role this
area played in the American Revolution, the mills built along the
waterways in the 18th and 19th centuries, the valuable source of
lumber the area provided in the Civil War era, the peach tree farming,
the Dutch settlers who came to farm in the area.

Now, for "the rest of the story." Most likely, you know about the
Lindbergh kidnapping and murder that took place in the Sourlands. It's
ironic that Charles Lindbergh specifically chose the Sourland
Mountains for his home in 1930, because it was a refuge from the
spotlight of fame. He found the property on a flight over the area.
Its remote character attracted the famous aviator and many others,
including playwright Eugene O'Neill; schoolteacher, playwright, and
author C.W. Larison; patriot John Hart; and others. We learned about
other historical figures like Sylvia DuBois, the slave who lived to be
120.

Although Mr. Luce states in his book, "The Skillman camp meetings
were noted for the good behavior of the participants and the great
care they took in their dress," the all-day camp meetings, sometimes
call "quarterlies," were often in reality, all-day drunken brawls

The impressive rock formations in the Sourlands have been a major
attraction and source of legend. "Knitting Betty," is a large rock
found on Zion Rd. where legend has it a young woman named Betty would
wait for her sweetheart, a Revolutionary War soldier, knitting to pass
time, waiting for his return. Upon word of his death, she refused to
believe it, and continued to keep watch for him at the rock. Her
spirit is said to haunt this site.

The unusual rock formation called "Three Brothers Rock" is found in
East Amwell, where legend has it that the devil turned three men into
stone.

In the 1970's, it is well known that hippies found the Sourland
Mountains an attractive retreat. One of them is rumored to be the
famous singer Bob Dylan. Once a Skillman farmhouse was raided based on
a tip to authorities that marijuana was growing on the property. Found
there was a flock of sheep dyed in various pastel colors grazing in
the pasture.

The history doesn't stop here. There were several murders, robberies,
illegal "moonshine" distilleries during prohibition, and other rumored
illegal activities.

In Montgomery, the tour followed the Rock Brook along Hollow Road
where the remains of several old mills can be viewed. Ms. Bryson
pointed out the Grandview Bridge, the only remaining single lane
bridge in the region, calling it "the most endangered species in the
Sourlands."

Near the conclusion of the two-hour tour, was a lovely drive along
Wertsville Road, known as the "last Sunday drive," because every farm
property along the route is preserved. The views are beautiful and it
was a great reminder of how important it is to protect this land. The
protection of the Sourlands was a major emphasis of the tour,
including what local residents can do to help.

"Long eared owls, wood turtles, and red shouldered hawks are all
endangered, but they will continue to live here if they get help from
Montgomery residents," stressed Ms. Bryson. Gwen Farley, Co-chair of
Montgomery's Environmental Commission, stressed that, "Small actions
by homeowners can protect Montgomery's environmental mysteries." She
explained,

The Sour land's aquifer is the only source of drinking water for
mountain residents and many nearby communities. The mountains also
provide an essential stopover for migratory birds, and a critical
habitat for numerous species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and
plants.

Housing development in the area has had a negative impact on the
Sourlands. "More homes bring more wells and changes to land cover,
reducing already limited groundwater recharge," Ms. Bryson said. She
described how 10-20 acres are destroyed for every one acre of cleared
land. "What we see as an inviting patch of lawn, is like a black hole
to some animals that are fearful of crossing open spaces to get food
and water," Ms. Bryson explained. She advocates comprehensive planning
to protect forest resources.

The Sourlands are also well known for a network of beautiful, well-
marked trails, used for hiking, mountain biking, birding, and more.
The nearby Sourland Mountain Preserve, one of several Sourland
Mountain parks and preserves, can be accessed off of East Mountain
Rd., just across the border in Hillsborough Township. Much of the
preserve is in Montgomery Township.

The tour was sponsored by the Montgomery Environmental Commission,
Montgomery Friends of Open Space, Montgomery Recreation, and the
Sourland Planning Council, a non-profit volunteer organization formed
to promote a comprehensive approach to planning that preserves natural
and historic resources.

For more information, visit the Internet at http://www.sourland.org
or call 908-369-1751.

# # #

Steven L. Sacks-Wilner, Esq.
489 Dutchtown-Zion Rd
Skillman, NJ 08558-1307
ste...@sacks-wilner.com
Tel. & Voice Mail: 908.359.8884
Fax: 908.359.5550

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WILDLIFE HABITAT COUNCIL RESTORING GREENSPACE - JUN 23-24

Date: 040528
From: http://www.ems.org/

USING ECOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENTS AT REGIONS 2 & 3 CONTAMINATED SITES

June 23-24, 2004
Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue

The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) works with its member companies
and conservation groups on voluntarily enhancing properties for
wildlife habitat benefits and promotes the inclusion of ecological
enhancements as part the restoration efforts for a site.

WHC has made significant progress in achieving these goals through a
series of conferences. The first three conferences were designed to
discuss the barriers and develop strategies associated with the
implementation of ecological enhancements on contaminated lands. The
'white paper' entitled "Making the Case for Ecological Enhancements"
was generated by participants to highlight the benefits, relevant
considerations and implementation standards used in the development of
ecological enhancements. Proceedings of all the conferences are posted
online at http://www.wildlifehc.org/events/rcra.cfm.

Moving to the regional level, WHC is promoting on-the-ground measures
and developing demonstration sites to increase the use of ecological
enhancements in restoration efforts. The 2003 conference in EPA Region
5 coordinated with the opening of WHC's new office in Hammond,
Indiana, successfully forged new relationships for increasing
restoration and reuse activities. We hope you can join us at this
year's conference.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES

* Present findings of policy and technical experts in Regions 2 and 3
on benefits and lessons learned from projects where ecological
enhancements have been implemented as interim remediation measures
and end uses.

* Take a first hand look, via field trips, at sites in Regions 2 and
3 where ecological enhancements have been successfully incorporated
as part of site restoration efforts.

* Identify innovative partnerships and approaches to brownfields
remediation using ecological enhancements in the urban environment.

* Establish a multi-stakeholder workgroup that will work in Regions 2
and 3 after the conference to develop an implementation action plan
to increase the use of ecological enhancements.

As background, for the past three summers, WHC organized and hosted
meetings of industry, government and conservation organizations to
promote the inclusion of ecological enhancements as part of site
restoration programs in Superfund, RCRA Corrective Action and
Brownfields. Some key results of the conferences are the creation of
an Objectives and Action Agenda that presents a set of recommendations
and strategies to an assembled audience of key stakeholders in
industry, government and the conservation community on how to
implement this concept more efficiently. Also, WHC entered in
cooperative agreements with EPA's OSWER and OUST to implement the
recommendations of the Objectives and Action Agenda.

- - -

The Wildlife Habitat Council is a nonprofit, non-lobbying
organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of
wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. WHC devotes
its resources to building partnerships with corporations and
conservation groups to create solutions that balance the demands of
economic growth with the requirements of a healthy, bio-diverse and
sustainable environment. http://www.wildlifehc.org

Visit the conference website:
http://www.wildlifehc.org/events/restoringgreenspace.cfm

Wildlife Habitat Council
8737 Colesville Road, Suite 800
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: 301.588.8994
Fax: 301.588.4629
W...@wildlifehc.org

* * *

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Many thanks to our Volunteers:
Tricia Aspinwall, Michele Cooklin, Jerry Cullins, Peter
Montague, Paul Neuman, Scott Olson, Mary Paist, Penny
Pollock-Barnes, Phil Reynolds, Pat Rolston, and to all
you folks out there who contribute in so many ways.
If you have a couple hours a week, and would like to
help out, please email us at: mai...@gsenet.org

George-Therese Dickenson - Editor - dick...@gsenet.org
Ivan Kossak - Executive Director - kos...@gsenet.org

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Back issues of the Garden State EnviroNews are available at
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/11gsn.php

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Garden State EnviroNet, Inc.
19 Boonton Ave, Boonton NJ 07005
Tel: 973-394-1313 - Fax: 973-394-9513
mai...@gsenet.org - http://www.gsenet.org/

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