The Dems have taken back some of the power and I won't deny that I think that this is a positive move. I am hestitant - extremely hesitant - to say that this recent election is positive for environmentalists. The voters guide here in Grand Rapids did contain the word sustainability - once. Jim McKay, the Democrat running for County Drain Commissioner, was the only candidate to use the word 'sustainable' in any of the answers to the posed questions. He lost.
We have a lot of work to do. The Republicans destroyed most of the legislative gains environmentalists made from the 1970's through the 1990's. We are starting from scratch, and I fear we still have an uphill battle to fight due to the large number of conservatives still holding office.
We are starting from scratch. No new species have been added to the Endangered or Threatened species lists in the past six years - not because of bad science - because executives and managers within the Interior Department have blocked it. Mountain-top removal in Appalachia by the coal industry has decimated hundreds of thousands if not mililons of acres of forest. Oil and gas exploration on public lands reached a fever pitch last year, especially in Wyoming and Colorado. Millions of acres of roadless area are being mined, though a judge has reinstated the Roadless Area protections. There is much to be done.
Greens did not fair in this election, they generally had a poor showing statewide in Michigan and they didn't do well anywhere else either. Less than 1%. That is not a good sign.
Yes, there are reasons to be hopeful, but we must not lie back and assume that we have won anything. Now is the time for environmentalists to stand up and be heard. Now it is time to pick up the pieces. We must form new policy initiatives, we must introduce new legislation on the local, state and federal levels, and we must begin to fundraise for the next election cycle and be prepared to take even more seats locally and on the state level.
In January there will be a few more folks in Washington DC that might just listen to us. Now is the time to raise some hell. Get your ass in gear.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Great Lakes Circumnavigation: Stage One
I've decided to start working on a book/video documentary/blog about my adventures as I make a journey around each of the Great Lakes. My intention is to encircle each of the five lakes on foot, mountain bike, kayak and pick-up truck starting with Lake Superior - the largest - moving east to Huron, Erie, Ontario and the back to Lake Michigan. I was originally considering doing the whole thing on foot, but it's not practical. The lakes are huge and their are time constraints. What? Did I just write that? Yes, I most certainly did.
My plan so far includes taking a Mac Powerbook and video camera with the software to do sound and video editing and maintaining an internet link. I think a good insurance policy is also in order, as I always end up hurting myself no matter what I attempt.
Yes, I've thought about just riding a mountain bike around each of the big lakes, but my knees might not allow me to make the journey. I've been having a lot of trouble with my right knee lately, especially now that I'm taking yoga. My 'salutations to the sun' are frequently painful.
The goal of this is quite simple. It's a giant sociology experiment. I want to show the variety of people that exist in this region, and how they live and spend their days. I think it's worthy of a National Geographic special. Okay, it's obvious that the folks living in Thunder Bay, Ontario on the north side of Superior are altogether different than folks living in Toledo or South Bend. Shouldn't someone examine that? How can governments and communities make decisions regarding their relationship with the Lakes without examining the details of how others are dependent and interconnected with the Lakes. The whole damn place is almost too big to contemplate. How can we make informed decisions about pollution prevention, hazardous waste dumps, and most importantly water usage without knowing how our actions will affect those on the other side of the body of water we're dealing with? Of course, one of the primary difficulties will be sponsorship. Who would support me while I do this? (Mom?) If anyone has any suggestions, or you know anyone who may have a barrel of money lying around, then please contact me through this site.
I have considered asking the Catholic Church for sponsorship. There were some French priests - I think they were Jesuits, not sure - who came up the St. Lawrence River and then crossed Ontario and Michigan on foot to arrive in the Grand Rapids area in the early 1700's. They were the first white men to come to West Michigan, and they settled near the Ottawa and Potowanamee tribes and traded with them. What if I dedicated a portion of my time to retracing the path of these early missionaries? There is a new bishop in Grand Rapids, not sure what he is like. I wonder if he would be open to considering funding a portion of my journey?
What do you think of my idea?
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Keith Olberman slams Bush, Cheney, McCain
A true patriot speaks! Olberman is simply a genius. Yes, I am becoming a YouTube junky. You gotta watch this!
VOTE!!!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Talking Points for Democrats, How to Respond to Assinine Republican Statements
Have you seen the documentary "Loose Change"? You can find Loose Change on google video and portions of it on YouTube. If you've got 90 minutes to spend getting enlightened you'll want to check it out. If you want to be a patsy and let these asshole NeoCons drive your country into the ground for awhile longer, than you can ignore it. But you will get no respect from me.
Google "Loose Change" the 2nd edition. You'll want to have a strong drink in your hand because you're about to have your mind completely blown about 9-11. There is so much to question, so much that didn't appear in the 9/11 Commission's report, so many lies and distortions. You'll need to watch a little Bill Maher to cheer you up afterward. Make sure you vote Democrat, or Green, or Libertarian, or whatever the fuck you want, but for the love of God DON'T vote Republican. They've stolen our country, they've driven us so far into debt with their deceit. They need to be kicked to the curb people. Wake up and VOTE. If you don't vote, you are handing it over to these lying fucks who will continue flushing our country down the toilet.
This election isn't about the troops. They don't care about the troops. If they did, they would get them the hell out of there. This election isn't about your security. We're the most powerful people on Earth, if we wanted to secure our borders we could do so in an hour. We've got the guns. We've got the planes and the ships. We've got the will. They maintain their power by keeping you afraid. Where is Osama? 5 years and they haven't caught him. The planet isn't that big. The US Marshalls arrested 11,000 fugitive sex offenders two weeks ago. Maybe we should send the Marshalls out to find bin Laden.
The Republicrats don't give a damn about you, only lining their own pockets. Why aren't the American people surrounding the capitol building and tearing it apart brick by brick? They don't give a damn about you, only want to scare you to keep you in line.
Go ahead, vote Republican. Give in. Surrender. Lie still so they can ram the pole in further and turn you into a good little puppet. They don't give a rats ass about you. They don't give a rats ass about the unborn. They don't give a rats ass about anything but the dollar signs. Vote Republican, and then lie still and take it in the rear like a congressional page.
Bush has lost this war. He has lost the War he started for false reasons, that his cohorts lied to Congress to get them to support. It's time to impeach this fucker. It's time to lock him up for lying to us. It's time to lock them up for ending habeus corpus, it's time to lock them up for taking away our rights to privacy, it's time Bush, Cheney & Rumsfeld were tried and convicted for war crimes by an International court. It's time. At least we'll be able to save face.
Now, laugh at Bill Maher.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Congressman Hoekstra Orders Nuclear Weapons Secrets To Be Made Available on the Internet
Oh, spank me! Hoekstra, a Republican Congressman from Holland, Michigan - chair of the House Intelligence Commitee - worked together with the Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas and the Bush adminstration to make information about how to make nuclear weapons available to everyone. Why? (They're power hungry madmen?) Their goal was to legitimize the invasion of Iraq by proving Iraq had access to nuclear weapons designs. Rep. Hoekstra and Senator Roberts should RESIGN immediately!!!
Friday, November 03, 2006
Dove Hunters: A Bunch of Sissy-boys
Let me say that again so that you know I'm serious. Only a sissy-boy, a make-up and glitter wearin' nancy-boy, would shoot a tiny bird for fun. Vote NO on Proposal 3 to ban dove hunting.
Look, I've got no beef with legitimate hunters, real MEN who go out and get whitetails or an elk to feed their families. I'll drink a beer with any of those guys any day of the week. We could crack open a few cold Pabst Blue Ribbons and discuss the best tree-stands or argue about the best scope to mount on your rifle. But it turns my stomach, it really makes me truly ill, to think of some yahoo getting drunk and blasting away at tiny birds because it's fun. That isn't fun, my friends, that is an act of depravity. Killing small animals for kicks or just for target practice is an obscene act. I don't give a rat's ass what Ted Nugent says.
Be a real man and put down the gun, then go to a bar or restaurant and actually try talking to a real-live woman for a change. Am I wrong? Is killing little birds all you've got to do fella? Then you aren't thinking about the ladies much. Are you wearin' Victoria Secret lace panties under your camo-pants?
Here are the facts:
Hunting doves is unnecessary and serves no wildlife management purpose. There is no reason to open a shooting season on doves. Mourning doves are ground-feeding birds that eat pest weed seeds; they pose no threat to agricultural crops, homes, or anything of value to people. Other northern states also have long-standing policies of protecting doves. There are no management problems within those states and no one has suggested that doves are overpopulated.
Mourning doves have significant economic value as live songbirds. Doves are beloved backyard birds and are an important part of the multi-billion dollar bird watching and feeding industry in Michigan. As a backyard songbird, scientific research studies show the mourning dove as "the second most-frequently reported bird at feeders." More Michigan residents participate in wild bird watching and spend more doing it than any other outdoor activity including all forms of hunting combined.
Doves are not a viable human food source. As small birds, even if shot properly, doves have very little "edible" flesh on them. During the 60-day shooting season of September and October, doves are actually at their lightest body weight for the entire year. However, doves are an important source of food for protected birds of prey such as eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls.
Shooting doves is known to produce orphaned young. Doves are scientifically known to still be nesting during the 60-day shooting season of September and October. Doves mate for life because both parents are required to successfully fledge squabs. The killing of one parent is known to cause unnecessary suffering of dependent young who will die in the nest of starvation.
There is an unacceptably high wounding rate for dove hunting. Scientific research studies confirm an average wounding rate of 30 percent in hunted areas - meaning that nearly one in three birds is wounded and not retrieved after being shot. In Michigan, where there is no tradition of dove hunting and where few Michigan hunters have had the experience of shooting at doves, we can expect an even higher wounding rate. If shooters kill 300,000 mourning doves a year, we can expect they will wound and fail to retrieve nearly 100,000 others.
Look, I've got no beef with legitimate hunters, real MEN who go out and get whitetails or an elk to feed their families. I'll drink a beer with any of those guys any day of the week. We could crack open a few cold Pabst Blue Ribbons and discuss the best tree-stands or argue about the best scope to mount on your rifle. But it turns my stomach, it really makes me truly ill, to think of some yahoo getting drunk and blasting away at tiny birds because it's fun. That isn't fun, my friends, that is an act of depravity. Killing small animals for kicks or just for target practice is an obscene act. I don't give a rat's ass what Ted Nugent says.
Be a real man and put down the gun, then go to a bar or restaurant and actually try talking to a real-live woman for a change. Am I wrong? Is killing little birds all you've got to do fella? Then you aren't thinking about the ladies much. Are you wearin' Victoria Secret lace panties under your camo-pants?
Here are the facts:
Hunting doves is unnecessary and serves no wildlife management purpose. There is no reason to open a shooting season on doves. Mourning doves are ground-feeding birds that eat pest weed seeds; they pose no threat to agricultural crops, homes, or anything of value to people. Other northern states also have long-standing policies of protecting doves. There are no management problems within those states and no one has suggested that doves are overpopulated.
Mourning doves have significant economic value as live songbirds. Doves are beloved backyard birds and are an important part of the multi-billion dollar bird watching and feeding industry in Michigan. As a backyard songbird, scientific research studies show the mourning dove as "the second most-frequently reported bird at feeders." More Michigan residents participate in wild bird watching and spend more doing it than any other outdoor activity including all forms of hunting combined.
Doves are not a viable human food source. As small birds, even if shot properly, doves have very little "edible" flesh on them. During the 60-day shooting season of September and October, doves are actually at their lightest body weight for the entire year. However, doves are an important source of food for protected birds of prey such as eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls.
Shooting doves is known to produce orphaned young. Doves are scientifically known to still be nesting during the 60-day shooting season of September and October. Doves mate for life because both parents are required to successfully fledge squabs. The killing of one parent is known to cause unnecessary suffering of dependent young who will die in the nest of starvation.
There is an unacceptably high wounding rate for dove hunting. Scientific research studies confirm an average wounding rate of 30 percent in hunted areas - meaning that nearly one in three birds is wounded and not retrieved after being shot. In Michigan, where there is no tradition of dove hunting and where few Michigan hunters have had the experience of shooting at doves, we can expect an even higher wounding rate. If shooters kill 300,000 mourning doves a year, we can expect they will wound and fail to retrieve nearly 100,000 others.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Making Cash out of Methane
The Asian Development Bank has joined the international Methane to Markets Partnership. The Philippines based organization has extensive experience with clean energy projects, including methane recovery and use at landfills and coal mines. ADB is the second multilateral development bank to join the Methane to Markets Partnership after the World Bank, and its participation will increase our ability to mitigate global climate change. Most recently, ADB provided a $117 million loan to the Jincheng Anthracite Coal Group in Shanxi Province, China which will be the world's largest power plant fueled by coal mine methane (Caterpiller Corp. was awarded a huge contract).
Reducing methane emissions provides immediate environmental and energy benefits. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is over 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at capturing heat in the atmosphere. Because methane is also the primary component of natural gas, capturing and using methane as a clean fuel also provides immediate economic and energy security benefits.
What does this mean to you? It will affect the US economy in four sectors: agriculture, coal mines, landfills and oil and gas. Private firms, banks, NGOs and any interested in using methane as an alternative fuel will be cashing in. The Bush Administration committed $53 million to this initiative over the next five years, but with ADB's backing much more work will be accomplished.
Reducing methane emissions provides immediate environmental and energy benefits. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is over 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at capturing heat in the atmosphere. Because methane is also the primary component of natural gas, capturing and using methane as a clean fuel also provides immediate economic and energy security benefits.
What does this mean to you? It will affect the US economy in four sectors: agriculture, coal mines, landfills and oil and gas. Private firms, banks, NGOs and any interested in using methane as an alternative fuel will be cashing in. The Bush Administration committed $53 million to this initiative over the next five years, but with ADB's backing much more work will be accomplished.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Democratic Landslide for Michigan! GO BLUE!
Recent polling of local Michiganders here in Grand Rapids gives ALL the local elections to the Democrats. How many people were surveyed? Okay, I didn't really keep an accurate count - this was entirely non-scientific - but no one I spoke to was considering voting for a Republican.
Here are a few comments:
This should give you some insight into what your neighbors are thinking. Don't believe me? Go ask them for yourself. There are no DeVos lawn signs in my neighborhood, lots of liberal Catholic Democrats around here.
My Prediction: Democratic Landslide in Grand Rapids!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Illustrated Bear
Returning Black Bear Speaks readers will recognize that this is a new logo! For those of you who've never been to this site before, here's the logo!!!
This bear was lovingly created by illustration professor Molly Corriveau, who is also a master sculptor and painter. Professor Corriveau teaches at Kendall College of Art & Design here in Grand Rapids, which is part of Ferris State University. Her work has appeared in numerous shows and in a large number of publications. Corriveau completed her MFA at the California College of Art in Berkeley, CA and has also taught at Ohio University in Athens, OH. She recently received tenure at Kendall. She is well known here in Grand Rapids, not only for her fantastic sculptures, but also because of her exceptional teaching ability and dedication to her students. Ask anyone who's ever taken one of her classes, they all love her. Corriveau has received a number of awards for her artwork - far to many to list here - and she has been voted "favorite instructor" repeatedly by her students at Kendall.
This bear was lovingly created by illustration professor Molly Corriveau, who is also a master sculptor and painter. Professor Corriveau teaches at Kendall College of Art & Design here in Grand Rapids, which is part of Ferris State University. Her work has appeared in numerous shows and in a large number of publications. Corriveau completed her MFA at the California College of Art in Berkeley, CA and has also taught at Ohio University in Athens, OH. She recently received tenure at Kendall. She is well known here in Grand Rapids, not only for her fantastic sculptures, but also because of her exceptional teaching ability and dedication to her students. Ask anyone who's ever taken one of her classes, they all love her. Corriveau has received a number of awards for her artwork - far to many to list here - and she has been voted "favorite instructor" repeatedly by her students at Kendall.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
BROWNFIELDS: Clean-up to Begin in Port Hope
Port Hope, in Huron County, just landed a $750,000 Brownfield Redevelopment Loan to be used to clean-up nine individual parcels located near the shore of Lake Huron. The Port Hope Redevelopment Project is located on 24 acres near downtown that was formerly a wastewater treatment plant, grain elevator, tannery, a train depot area, and petroleum distribution center. The funding announced today was awarded as a part of Govenor Granholm's "Jobs Today/Jobs Tomorrow" initiative.
Hope for Port Hope! Private investment of $19,000,000 is anticipated. This has the potential to create 25 full-time jobs in a village of approximately 300. The new use for the properties will be residential units near the lakeshore, and commercial units near the downtown corridor.
The state of Michigan's Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and Loan Program provides funds to local government for clean-up of brownfield properties where redevelopment is proposed. Brownfield properties are vacant or abandoned properties with known or suspected chemical contamination. The Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and Loan Program has provided $129 million for 303 projects statewide since it began in 1988.
There is, of course, much more to be done. There are a lot of toxic chemical dump sites in Michigan.
Hope for Port Hope! Private investment of $19,000,000 is anticipated. This has the potential to create 25 full-time jobs in a village of approximately 300. The new use for the properties will be residential units near the lakeshore, and commercial units near the downtown corridor.
The state of Michigan's Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and Loan Program provides funds to local government for clean-up of brownfield properties where redevelopment is proposed. Brownfield properties are vacant or abandoned properties with known or suspected chemical contamination. The Brownfield Redevelopment Grant and Loan Program has provided $129 million for 303 projects statewide since it began in 1988.
There is, of course, much more to be done. There are a lot of toxic chemical dump sites in Michigan.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Michigan Getting Tough with Mercury Polluters
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Department of Attorney General announced today that the state has entered into an agreement with The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company (Cliffs) to resolve issues related to mercury contamination in Deer Lake, north of Ishpeming.
The company has agreed to restore the quality of Deer Lake by assuring that the present water level of the lake is maintained, addressing sources of mercury to the lake, and monitoring the mercury level of fish in the lake, notifying those results to the public. Cliffs will also hand-over extensive acreage, properties, easements and rights-of-way to the state of Michigan that will dramatically increase public access to Deer Lake and other lakes and rivers in the area.
The company will also establish a Deer Lake restoration fund in order to create and upgrade public access to recreational areas and to restrict development in order to protect the water quality, maintain the aesthetics, and preserve the woodlands along the shores of Deer Lake. 775 acres and 34,000 feet of shoreline of Deer Lake will be deeded to local government and 541 acres along the Carp River downstream of the Deer Lake dam will be deeded to the state of Michigan. Cliffs will also provide funding to a dam maintenance account that will ensure the dam remains properly maintained.
Cleveland-Cliffs will also provide acreage, easements, and financial support to create or enhance the use of, and public access to, a number of other Marquette County lakes, rivers, streams, and impoundments. This work will include improved access to the waters, and will offer additional recreational opportunities in the area.
The company has agreed to restore the quality of Deer Lake by assuring that the present water level of the lake is maintained, addressing sources of mercury to the lake, and monitoring the mercury level of fish in the lake, notifying those results to the public. Cliffs will also hand-over extensive acreage, properties, easements and rights-of-way to the state of Michigan that will dramatically increase public access to Deer Lake and other lakes and rivers in the area.
The company will also establish a Deer Lake restoration fund in order to create and upgrade public access to recreational areas and to restrict development in order to protect the water quality, maintain the aesthetics, and preserve the woodlands along the shores of Deer Lake. 775 acres and 34,000 feet of shoreline of Deer Lake will be deeded to local government and 541 acres along the Carp River downstream of the Deer Lake dam will be deeded to the state of Michigan. Cliffs will also provide funding to a dam maintenance account that will ensure the dam remains properly maintained.
Cleveland-Cliffs will also provide acreage, easements, and financial support to create or enhance the use of, and public access to, a number of other Marquette County lakes, rivers, streams, and impoundments. This work will include improved access to the waters, and will offer additional recreational opportunities in the area.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Surfing the Grand River in Grand Haven, Michigan
Here's an awesome video made last week of two guys surfing the the mouth of the Grand River, at the channel where it flows into Lake Michigan. If you know these guys names let me know, I'd like to buy them a beer! That water is seriously cold.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Black Bear Book Recommendation
Paper or plastic? Bus or car? Old house or new? Cloth diapers or disposables? Some choices have a huge impact on the environment; others are of negligible importance. To those of us who care about our quality of life and what is happening to the earth, this is a vastly important issue. In these pages, the Union of Concerned Scientists help inform consumers about everyday decisions that significantly affect the environment. For example, a few major decisions - such as the choice of a house or vehicle - have such a disproportionately large affect on the environment that minor environmental infractions shrink by comparison.This book identifies the 4 Most Significant Consumer Related Environmental Problems, the 7 Most Damaging Spending Categories, 11 Priority Actions, and 7 Rules for Responsible Consumption. Learn what you can do to have a truly significant impact on our world from the people who are at the forefront of scientific research.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Vote Environment November 7th!
Bears can't vote, but you can. Get to the polls on November 7th and vote Environment. If you're not convinced, watch Mr. Bear's cartoon!
$13.9 Million Clean Air Act Settlement: Major Pollution Reductions in Eight States
A multi-state Clean Air Act settlement, reached today with oilseed processor Bunge North America Inc. and three of its subsidiaries, will eliminate more than 2,200 tons of harmful pollution emissions per year when fully implemented. The $13.9 million settlement covers 12 plants in eight states, each of which has joined the United States as a co-plaintiff.
The settlement covers eleven soybean processing plants – in Decatur, Ala.; Marks, Miss.; Destrehan, La.; Emporia, Kan.; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Delphos, Ohio; Marion, Ohio; Decatur, Ind.; Morristown, Ind.; Cairo, Ill.; and Danville, Ill. – as well as a corn dry mill extraction plant also located in Danville, Ill. The U.S. alleges that at some or all of these 12 plants, Bunge or a subsidiary violated the CAA by constructing major modifications that increased emissions without obtaining pre-construction permits and without complying with applicable standards of performance for new air pollution sources.
The settlement, which follows other settlements with oilseed processors, including Cargill Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), will continue the imposition of lower emission standards on soybean processing plants and will also require other pollution reduction projects, including piloting of a new technology to reduce harmful emissions from coal-burning boilers. When fully implemented, the settlement will eliminate more than 2,200 tons per year of harmful emissions of smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM).
"This settlement will result in healthier air in the 11 airsheds where the plants are located. Eliminating over 1,000 tons of emissions of volatile organic compounds, for example, will reduce the formation of ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs and exacerbates diseases such as asthma," said Sue Ellen Wooldridge, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "We remain committed to working with EPA and the states to bring companies and industries into compliance with the laws that protect public health and our environment."
Bunge, a multi-state agribusiness based in St. Louis, is the North American operating arm of multinational corporation Bunge Limited, and a leading oilseed processor, corn dry miller, and U.S. exporter of soybeans and soybean-derived products. To extract oil from soybeans or corn, Bunge and its subsidiaries use volatile organic solvents. Emissions of VOCs result because some of the solvent escapes to the atmosphere. NOx, SO2 and PM are emitted when fuel is burned to provide heat for the process; additional PM is emitted by handling and preparation of the soybeans or corn.
Once fully implemented, the settlement will cause Bunge and its subsidiaries to reduce their emissions of harmful air pollutants as follows:
· Using engineering approaches appropriate for each plant, the 12 plants' emissions of VOCs, including n-hexane, which is a listed hazardous air pollutant, will be reduced by 1,122 tons per year (tpy).
· A host of pollution control projects at the plants, including the innovative technology pilot, will reduce emissions of SO2 by 574 tpy, of NOx by 278 tpy, and of PM by 258 tpy.
The emission reduction projects will cost an estimated $12 million. Bunge will also pay a $625,000 civil penalty, which will be divided among the federal government and the eight states. In addition, Bunge will spend more than $1.25 million to implement supplemental environmental projects which go beyond mere compliance to achieve additional environmental benefits. The supplemental projects, which were selected by and will be supervised by the eight states, include removal of mercury, lead or asbestos from schools in Louisiana, providing hazardous materials response equipment and training in Illinois and Mississippi, providing environmental education in Kansas, abatement of residential lead contamination in Illinois, and retrofitting diesel school buses or other diesel vehicles in Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa and Alabama.
The settlement covers eleven soybean processing plants – in Decatur, Ala.; Marks, Miss.; Destrehan, La.; Emporia, Kan.; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Delphos, Ohio; Marion, Ohio; Decatur, Ind.; Morristown, Ind.; Cairo, Ill.; and Danville, Ill. – as well as a corn dry mill extraction plant also located in Danville, Ill. The U.S. alleges that at some or all of these 12 plants, Bunge or a subsidiary violated the CAA by constructing major modifications that increased emissions without obtaining pre-construction permits and without complying with applicable standards of performance for new air pollution sources.
The settlement, which follows other settlements with oilseed processors, including Cargill Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), will continue the imposition of lower emission standards on soybean processing plants and will also require other pollution reduction projects, including piloting of a new technology to reduce harmful emissions from coal-burning boilers. When fully implemented, the settlement will eliminate more than 2,200 tons per year of harmful emissions of smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM).
"This settlement will result in healthier air in the 11 airsheds where the plants are located. Eliminating over 1,000 tons of emissions of volatile organic compounds, for example, will reduce the formation of ground-level ozone, a pollutant that irritates the lungs and exacerbates diseases such as asthma," said Sue Ellen Wooldridge, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "We remain committed to working with EPA and the states to bring companies and industries into compliance with the laws that protect public health and our environment."
Bunge, a multi-state agribusiness based in St. Louis, is the North American operating arm of multinational corporation Bunge Limited, and a leading oilseed processor, corn dry miller, and U.S. exporter of soybeans and soybean-derived products. To extract oil from soybeans or corn, Bunge and its subsidiaries use volatile organic solvents. Emissions of VOCs result because some of the solvent escapes to the atmosphere. NOx, SO2 and PM are emitted when fuel is burned to provide heat for the process; additional PM is emitted by handling and preparation of the soybeans or corn.
Once fully implemented, the settlement will cause Bunge and its subsidiaries to reduce their emissions of harmful air pollutants as follows:
· Using engineering approaches appropriate for each plant, the 12 plants' emissions of VOCs, including n-hexane, which is a listed hazardous air pollutant, will be reduced by 1,122 tons per year (tpy).
· A host of pollution control projects at the plants, including the innovative technology pilot, will reduce emissions of SO2 by 574 tpy, of NOx by 278 tpy, and of PM by 258 tpy.
The emission reduction projects will cost an estimated $12 million. Bunge will also pay a $625,000 civil penalty, which will be divided among the federal government and the eight states. In addition, Bunge will spend more than $1.25 million to implement supplemental environmental projects which go beyond mere compliance to achieve additional environmental benefits. The supplemental projects, which were selected by and will be supervised by the eight states, include removal of mercury, lead or asbestos from schools in Louisiana, providing hazardous materials response equipment and training in Illinois and Mississippi, providing environmental education in Kansas, abatement of residential lead contamination in Illinois, and retrofitting diesel school buses or other diesel vehicles in Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Iowa and Alabama.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Innovation grants benefit local students
Projects being done by 42 student design teams received $420,000 in grants from EPA to research and develop sustainable environmental solutions. Students at Southern Illinois University will develop green roofs made of plants for improved storm water management, increased energy conservation, reduced urban heat island effects, and extended roof life - - all of which means saving dollars! Students at the University of Tennessee will test whether algae (one-celled plants) can generate enough hydrogen energy in a biohydrogen facility to produce transportation fuel for a city of 100,000 people.
Started in 2004, the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) sustainability design competition encourages university teams to develop projects that are: Environmentally protective - use or release less toxic chemicals, efficiently use natural resources - conserve resources for future generations, and economically competitive - make a profit.
Businesses are taking notice - - last year, four P3 design projects became new commercial ventures.
A P3 winner in 2005 from Oberlin College designed a system to monitor energy and water use in colleges with easy-to-read, real-time data on energy at the dormitory level, allowing the school to reduce energy costs by pinpointing areas of overuse. This project is now a small business with clients that include Southface in Atlanta, Ga.; The Zenergy Group in Orlando, Fla.; Duke University; Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., and others.
Another 2005 P3 Award winner from the University of California at Berkeley has developed a technology that households can use to disinfect contaminated water. The team has been working with the Mexican Institute of Water Technology and the National Council for the Promotion of Education in Mexico and Haiti Outreach: Pwoje Espwa (HOPE) in Haiti.
There will be demonstrations of student projects on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in next April when the 42 teams will compete for the EPA's P3 Award. The P3 award is given to the highest-rated student designs. The award includes additional funding up to $75,000 that enables the teams to further develop their designs for sustainability, test their projects in the field, and move the designs to the marketplace. The National Academy of Engineering, part of the National Academies, will convene a panel to evaluate and recommend the award winners who will be chosen by the EPA.
EPA is now requesting applications for the 2007 P3 National Student Design Competition for Sustainability. EPA plans to award up to 50 grants to student teams for a maximum of $10,000 in the autumn of 2007. The P3 competition is open to teams of students attending colleges, universities and other post-secondary educational institutions. Interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged, including representatives from multiple engineering departments and/or departments such as chemistry, architecture, industrial design, economics, policy, social sciences, and business.
Started in 2004, the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) sustainability design competition encourages university teams to develop projects that are: Environmentally protective - use or release less toxic chemicals, efficiently use natural resources - conserve resources for future generations, and economically competitive - make a profit.
Businesses are taking notice - - last year, four P3 design projects became new commercial ventures.
A P3 winner in 2005 from Oberlin College designed a system to monitor energy and water use in colleges with easy-to-read, real-time data on energy at the dormitory level, allowing the school to reduce energy costs by pinpointing areas of overuse. This project is now a small business with clients that include Southface in Atlanta, Ga.; The Zenergy Group in Orlando, Fla.; Duke University; Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., and others.
Another 2005 P3 Award winner from the University of California at Berkeley has developed a technology that households can use to disinfect contaminated water. The team has been working with the Mexican Institute of Water Technology and the National Council for the Promotion of Education in Mexico and Haiti Outreach: Pwoje Espwa (HOPE) in Haiti.
There will be demonstrations of student projects on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in next April when the 42 teams will compete for the EPA's P3 Award. The P3 award is given to the highest-rated student designs. The award includes additional funding up to $75,000 that enables the teams to further develop their designs for sustainability, test their projects in the field, and move the designs to the marketplace. The National Academy of Engineering, part of the National Academies, will convene a panel to evaluate and recommend the award winners who will be chosen by the EPA.
EPA is now requesting applications for the 2007 P3 National Student Design Competition for Sustainability. EPA plans to award up to 50 grants to student teams for a maximum of $10,000 in the autumn of 2007. The P3 competition is open to teams of students attending colleges, universities and other post-secondary educational institutions. Interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged, including representatives from multiple engineering departments and/or departments such as chemistry, architecture, industrial design, economics, policy, social sciences, and business.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)