April 07 News

• Ebola-like virus killing fish in Great Lakes - A deadly Ebola-like virus is killing fish of all types in the Great Lakes, a development some scientists fear could trigger disaster for the USA's freshwater fish. Because of a lack of genetic resistance to viral hemorrhagic septicemia, fish populations could be damaged in the same way the smallpox virus struck Native Americans and Dutch elm disease decimated elm trees, says Jim Winton, chief of fish health at the U.S. Geological Survey in Seattle. (April 29, 07) http://www.usatoday.com/
• Monroe County distributes potassium iodide to Ginna-area residents - Monroe County officials are again distributing potassium iodide – also known as KI – to residents who live within the 10-mile emergency planning zone of the Ginna Nuclear Power plant. The medication – supplied by the state Emergency Management Office – will be provided free at three area Wegmans stores from now through May 25. (May 1, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• Concerns Over Landfill Expansion - (April 28, 07) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
• ENVIRONMENT: State takeover likely for Hemlock, Canadice - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper There's been concern that city officials might sell land around Hemlock and Canadice Lakes to developers. But a stronger bet may be that the state buys the land. During the Rochester Sierra Club's annual Environmental Forum on April 19, city and state officials said they want to work together to preserve the land and lakes by putting them in the state's hands. (April 24, 07) Rochester City Newspaper
• Pine-killing wasp spreads in upstate New York - ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Almost three years since a pine-killing wasp was found in upstate New York, its first discovery in any American forest, scientists have caught others in traps from western New York to the Adirondacks. The Sirex woodwasp, native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa, kills pines and sometimes other conifers by introducing a toxic mucus and fungus when the female lays her eggs through the bark and into the sapwood. (April 30, 07) The Ithaca Journal - www.theithacajournal.com - Ithaca, NY
• Elm trees making national comeback - Group's restoration efforts made possible with fungus-resistant variety — UTICA— Like many American communities, the streets of this upstate New York community were once shaded by a canopy of majestic American Liberty elms that towered like proud sentinels of civic character. And, like all those other communities, the elms were ravaged by an outbreak of Dutch elm disease that left behind a blighted landscape. (April 29, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• 1,000 tidy up city in Clean Sweep— City residents Carlotta and Dwayne Carson cleared piles of leaves, candy wrappers and discarded cigarettes Saturday along Genesee Street in southwest Rochester. - (April 29, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• RG&E to pump $500 million into Greece plant - News - MSNBC.com Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. plans to spend $500 million to re-power the Russell Station coal-burning power plant, officials said this week. The plan reverses the company's decision in 2003 to shut down the 59-year-old facility, which produces 257 megawatts of electricity and some 25 percent of the region's electrical needs. (April 20, 07) MSNBC - Top Stories
• Investigator assigned to find origin of toxins in Victor — As rumors swirl in Victor, a criminal investigator has been assigned to help environmental officials track down the origin of toxic industrial solvents that have contaminated groundwater in Victor. The decision to bring a state Department of Environmental Conservation investigator into the case was made this afternoon, less than a day after state officials appealed at a public meeting for tips about the source of the solvents. In response to the appeal, several residents offered information about possible sources, and tips continued to come in today. (April 27, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Cornell expert paints grim picture of climate - ALBANY -- Imagine if summers in New York were more like those in Georgia. Huge rainstorms cause massive floods that are followed by months of drought. Snow-belt strongholds such as Rochester and Buffalo see only a few days of snow every winter. This is the picture that a climate change expert painted here Friday. (April 4, 07) http://www.stargazettenews.com/
• Legislators proposing tax break on hybrids - Bipartisan bill would drop state sales levy, let localities do same. ALBANY — Buying a hybrid car can save drivers hundreds of dollars on gasoline, and ownership could get even cheaper if a bill proposed Wednesday becomes state law. Two lawmakers propose to eliminate New York sales tax on the purchase of a new or used hybrid vehicle. The bill also would let cities and counties join in the tax waiver. (April 19, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• Bee decline worries growers Beekeepers warn of disappearance from hives; some blame pesticides - In “Silent Spring,” ecologist and writer Rachel Carson pondered a season without bird songs as she detailed an unintended consequence of pesticides: a serious decline in bird populations. Today, beekeepers here and around the country are warning that a new spring season begins with a mysterious loss of bees. (April, 22, 07) The Buffalo News
• Great Lakes fish virus may threaten U.S. aquaculture - Yahoo! News CHICAGO (Reuters) - A virus in the U.S. Great Lakes that has killed tens of thousands of fish in recent years is spreading and poses a threat to inland fish farming, a U.S. Agriculture Department official said on Monday. (April 26, 07) The top news headlines on current events from Yahoo! News
• Victor town bans outdoor furnaces for 6 months — The Victor Town Board has approved a six-month moratorium on installing outdoor wood-burning furnaces.- (April 24, 2007)  Democrat & Chronicle
• Hazardous waste collected from 2 towns - The Monroe County Department of Environmental Services has joined forces with the towns of Penfield and Webster to hold an appointment-only household hazardous waste collection at the Town of Webster Highway Garage, 1005 Picture Parkway, from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. (April 25, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• State considers cancer cluster study in Victor — The state Department of Health is weighing a request that it conduct a cancer cluster study in a part of Victor beset with contaminated groundwater. The request for a cancer study, passed on to Albany last week by state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, originated with a Victor citizens group that is pressing for more answers on the health impact of the contamination. The group’s agenda also includes a better explanation of the results of recent testing for the presence of toxic vapors in Victor homes. (April 25, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Great Lakes under siege Lawsuit opens new front in battle against invasive species. - TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Shipping companies, scientists and environmentalists have long debated how to stop the onslaught of exotic species such as zebra mussels in the Great Lakes. Now, lawyers are getting involved. Many of the 183 invasive species known to inhabit the lakes arrived in ballast water dumped by oceangoing ships. A Michigan law that took effect this year requires freighters to sterilize ballast before discharging it into the state's waters. (April 25, 2007) South Bend Tribune
• U.S. Adults Less Likely Than Europeans to Think Humans Are Contributing to the Increase in Global Temperatures Germans, British, and Americans least likely to think global warming will present a threat in their lifetime ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the nation celebrated Earth Day this past weekend, there is a definite difference in how those in the U.S. feel about global warming when compared to their European counterparts. While two-thirds of U.S. adults (65%) believe humans are contributing to an increase in global temperatures, this is less than the British (77%), Italian (87%) and French and Spanish (88% each) who believe this. The country where they are most likely to believe humans are contributing to this increase in temperatures is Germany (92%). http://www.sys-con.com/
• Spitzer given green grades for first 100-days - The non-partisan New York League of Conservation Voters released a report Thursday tracking the environmental progress made by Governor Eliot Spitzer and his administration in its first 100-days. (April 23, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• Clean sweeps to begin - Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy asked the community Monday to pitch in for the second annual Clean Sweep program. Last year, more than 5,000 volunteers helped out in spring cleaning efforts. More than 1,500 tons of debris was collected. (April 23, 07) RochesterHomepage.net
• Great Lakes fish virus may threaten U.S. aquaculture - Yahoo! News CHICAGO (Reuters) - A virus in the U.S. Great Lakes that has killed tens of thousands of fish in recent years is spreading and poses a threat to inland fish farming, a U.S. Agriculture Department official said on Monday. The pathogen, viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, causes internal bleeding in fish. It does not harm humans, even if they eat infected fish. (April 23, 2007) The top news headlines on current events from Yahoo! News
• Warming study sees problems for Great Lakes Drop in water quality tied to lower levels - WASHINGTON — Global warming is likely to dramatically alter the Great Lakes region in the coming decades, making the world’s largest body of fresh water shallower and dirtier while hurting the region’s ability to capitalize on its greatest natural resource. That’s the conclusion the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change delivered Monday as it released the North America chapter of its much publicized report on the worldwide impact of higher temperatures. “In the Great Lakes and major river systems, lower levels are likely to exacerbate challenges relating to water quality, navigation, recreation, hydropower generation, water transfers and bi-national relationships,” the report said. (April 23, 07) The Buffalo News
• Earth Day taps into pride, accountability Scottsville tries to connect with vital issues -  (April 21, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Earth Day events cover UR campus  — University of Rochester will be the scene of a variety of Earth Day events today. Students and Boy Scouts will pick up trash at Genesee Valley Park at 9:30 a.m. Then from noon to 4 p.m., campus and community groups such as the Nature Conservancy and the Farm Sanctuary will be manning tables with information about local environmental efforts. (April 21, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Watershed's future on line - Forum focuses on finding way to shield Canadice, Hemlock lakes forever — Environmentalists, city and state officials believe the time is right for Rochester to sell 7,100 acres of land to the state if the parties can agree on a price and use of the land — despite the area being an abundant, natural supply of drinking water for the past 130 years. About 200 people attended a Sierra Club environmental forum Thursday at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester to hear about the watershed of Hemlock and Canadice lakes, about 30 miles south of Rochester. (April 20, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Children unearth pearls of wisdom amid rubbish— Several students from the Edgerton Community Center spent their Saturday morning engaged in a technological scavenger hunt of sorts at Turning Point Park and Nature Area and cleaned up the environment at the same time.  - (April 22, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Community Environmental Equity Act reintroduced - In recognition of Earth Day, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) Friday reintroduced the Community Environmental Equity Act, to protect working families in New York City, and across the nation, from being exposed to a disproportionately high concentration of pollution-producers that result in high asthma rates and other illnesses, in their neighborhoods. (April 22, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• RG&E to pump $500 million into Greece plant - Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. plans to spend $500 million to re-power the Russell Station coal-burning power plant, officials said this week. The plan reverses the company's decision in 2003 to shut down the 59-year-old facility, which produces 257 megawatts of electricity and some 25 percent of the region's electrical needs. (April 21, 2007) 10NBC / WHEC TV-10
• County recycling stagnant amid blue-bin knowledge gap - But many local residents are not well-versed in recycling. Even though four years ago the county expanded its list of what can be put in a blue recycling box, the amount recycled at the Monroe County Recycling Center has remained about the same — 60,000 tons a year. "Recycling can have a profound effect on the environment — by not putting all these things back into the ground. And it's a simple thing to do," said Frank Regan, communications chairman for the Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club. (April 21, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• www.ny.gov - NEW STATE PLAN SETS GOALS FOR REDUCING ENERGY COSTS, CURBING POLLUTION AND ADDRESSING GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE Energy Efficiency, Conservation, and Renewable Energy Sources Are Called the Keys to Achieving Economic and Environmental Goals  - Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lt. Governor David A. Paterson today announced a comprehensive plan for reducing energy costs and curbing pollution in New York. The plan focuses on energy efficiency, conservation, and investment in renewable energy sources as the keys to achieving economic and environmental goals. (April 19, 2007) New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer Press Releases & Audio
• Governor announces environmental agenda - Governor Eliot Spitzer Thursday announced a comprehensive plan for reducing energy costs and curbing pollution in New York. This approach sets New York apart with the most aggressive energy efficiency goal in the nation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the state. The plan focuses on energy efficiency, conservation, and investment in renewable energy sources as the keys to achieving economic and environmental goals. (April 20, 2007) New York State News on the Net!
• NRC to discuss 2006 assessment for R.E. Ginna nuclear plant - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual assessment of safety performance at the R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant, in Ontario, N.Y., will be the subject of a public meeting on Wednesday, April 25. NRC staff will meet with representatives of plant owner Constellation Energy, LLC, at 7 p.m. to discuss the assessment, which covers the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006, and was documented in a March 2 letter to the company. The session will take place at Ontario Town Hall, 1850 Ridge Road, Ontario. Before the meeting is adjourned, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the performance of the Ginna plant, as well as the role of the NRC in providing oversight of plant safety. (April 19, 2007) New York State News on the Net!
• MPNnow.com: Rochester council rejects appraisal of watershed An environmental advocate says he expects Mayor Robert Duffy to return to the council with a revised proposal. ROCHESTER — By a vote of 5 to 2, Rochester’s City Council rejected Mayor Robert Duffy's request last night that it fund a $28,000 appraisal of the Hemlock and Canadice lakes watershed properties the city owns. A packed City Council chamber heard 11 speakers oppose the wording of the mayor's request that the land be appraised for a variety of uses, including the possibility of being subdivided for development. (April 18, 2007)  Messenger Post Newspapers
• FINGER LAKES: City would like state to buy Hemlock and Canadice - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper Could the state become the owner of the city-owned Hemlock and Canadice Lakes and the land around them? Mayor Bob Duffy that would be "the best of both worlds." Duffy had hoped to have the properties appraised, but at their meeting on Tuesday night, City Councilmembers turned him down. Their concern: that the appraisal might open the door to selling the land to developers. Duffy said last night that his push for an appraisal doesn't mean he is rushing to put the prime Finger Lakes real estate on the market. But, he said, not knowing the value of the city's assets is bad management. (April 19, 2007) Rochester City Newspaper
• REGION: Bees are threatened - and crops, too - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper In the midst of Justice Department investigations and wrangling over the Iraq War, a Congressional subcommittee was looking into another problem last month: something dramatic is happening to honeybees that is causing their colonies to die off. (April 19, 2007) Rochester City Newspaper
• Council Rejects Appraisal of City-Owned Wildnerness Land - ROCHESTER, NY (2007-04-18) A request from Mayor Bob Duffy to find out how much Rochester's watershed lands might be worth was rejected by City Council Tuesday night -- after environmentalists worried that it might be a prelude to selling the city-owned wilderness to developers. The land around Hemlock and Canadice Lakes in Livingston County has been protected from development by the city for 130 years. The lakes feed the city's water system. The city's protection has left them the only two of New York's Finger Lakes still in a wildnerness state. (April 18, 2007) WXXI NewsRoom
• Rochester's Step It Up 2007 -Rochester's event on Saturday when well with lots of speakers and citizens calling for measures to curb global warming.  We hope your were there to make your voices heard.  (Click the image to enlarge.) Go to: Step It Up Rochester
• Victor voices vapor qualms - Residents ask for help with interpreting data, senator says  — Victor homeowners, concerned about a mile-long plume of tainted groundwater in a western portion of the town, on Sunday implored a state senator to ensure that the state's response to the contamination is quick and thorough. (April 16, 2007)Democrat & Chronicle
• ENVIRONMENT: Council nixes appraisal of Hemlock-Canadice land - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper The Duffy administration had hoped to hire a firm to appraise the city-owned land around Hemlock and Canadice Lakes. But last night City Council turned down his request, 5-2, citing concerns that in the future the city might want to sell the land. Mayor Bob Duffy has not said that he wants to let the land be developed, but some Councilmembers didn't buy the administration's argument that the city should at least be aware of the property's value. (April 18, 2007) Rochester City Newspaper
• City Council rejects watershed appraisal - Members wary of Hemlock, Canadice development — City Council rejected an administration request Tuesday to appraise the Hemlock and Canadice lakes watershed. Some members said they will not consider the question again unless development is off the table. Mayor Robert Duffy and his staff never have indicated an interest in development, but have said all options are being considered as the city reviews its water system. Deputy Mayor Patty Malgieri said that also meant having data necessary to review those options. (April 18, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Hundreds flock to bay to watch birds of prey (April 15, 2007) — GREECE — Most people never get within arm's length of a hooting owl, a soaring eagle or a feisty red falcon. But this weekend at Braddock Bay Park hundreds of people are rubbing feathers with these flying raptors as they celebrate Birds of Prey Days. (April 15, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Hemlock, Canadice proposal defended - Appraisals of waterfront land will keep all city options open  — City Hall insists a plan to appraise the watershed properties surrounding Hemlock and Canadice lakes does not indicate a plan to sell the land to developers. Rather, it is the first step in an effort to place a dollar value on the entire water system, which is needed information as the city continues to evaluate the system's future, Deputy Mayor Patty Malgieri said. One possible outcome is that the state buys the last two undeveloped Finger Lakes and creates a permanent preserve. (April 15, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Panel: US Faces Change As Climate Warms - UNITED NATIONS -- Chicago and Los Angeles will likely to face increasing heat waves. Severe storm surges could hit New York and Boston. And cities that rely on melting snow for water may run into serious shortages. These are some of the findings about North America in a report by hundreds of scientists that try to explain how global warming is changing life on Earth. The scientists with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a summary of their findings on global warming last Friday and outlined details of the report focusing on various regions on Tuesday. (April, 14, 07) washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines
• Victor vapor data released - State says detailed info shows no 'huge alarm for neighborhood' — State officials Friday released detailed data that they say supports the claim that residents in western Victor shouldn't be overly concerned about vapors wafting into homes from a contaminated site. (April 14, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• DEC announces nearly $8 million in statewide brownfield grants - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis Thursday announced $7.9 million in Environmental Restoration Program grants for the remediation and investigation of environmental contamination at sites in the City of Newburgh-Orange County, the Village of Haverstraw-Rockland County, the Village of Adams-Jefferson County, the City of Syracuse-Onondaga County, the City of Peekskill-Westchester County, the City of Rome-Oneida County, the City of Rochester-Monroe County and the Village of Ellisburg-Jefferson County. The grants are being funded through the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act. (April 13, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• State Health Will Host "Science at Your Service" Lecture Series Beginning in April - ALBANY, April 12, 2007 – State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., today announced that the State Health Department will recognize the groundbreaking work of Wadsworth Center's public health scientists by hosting a lecture series about food and waterborne disease outbreaks, human exposure to secondhand smoke, toxic metals and other environmental threats and newborn screening. The series "Science at Your Service" will be held at Wadsworth's David Axelrod Institute, 120 New Scotland Avenue, Albany. The lectures are free and will begin at 7 p.m.; seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and photo identification will be required. New York State Department of Health - For more information, about the lecture series please visit: www.wadsworth.org/educate/lecture_series/2007.shtml
• Xerox Redesigns Products for Lower Energy Use, Meeting Tough New EPA ENERGY STAR Criteria - ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 2007--Over the past two years, Xerox Corporation scientists and engineers have trained their sights on developing products that use significantly less energy. The payoff: More than half of the company's office and production product offerings meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rigorous new ENERGY STAR(R) requirements that went into effect on April 1. http://www.csrwire.com/
• Flu vaccine produced in insect cells appears promising: study - An experimental influenza vaccine produced in insect cells appears safe and effective in healthy adults, says a preliminary US study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The results offer the promise of a more rapid development of vaccines against flu or avian influenza in case of a pandemic, say the study's authors, scientists at the University of Rochester in New York state, in JAMA's April 11 edition. (April 13, 07) France 24 - 24 hour International News Channel
• Rochester City Newspaper - REN SQUARE: MCC's all set, but other questions remain The county hopes to begin demolishing buildings at the Renaissance Square site in late summer or early fall, and the city has already begun to dismantle the Mortimer Street garage there. But some important issues haven't been settled, including what the operating costs will be and who will pay for them. (April 10, 07) Rochester City Newspaper
• New York, New England states develop plan to reduce mercury deposition - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis Wednesday announced the release of a draft plan for reducing mercury in the waters of New York State and New England to eliminate fish consumption advisories caused by mercury from air deposition. Seven states -- New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont -- collaborated with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission to produce the plan, entitled the draft Northeast Regional Mercury Total Maximum Daily Load, which is currently available for public comment. (April 12, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• Virus Vaccine to be Cultivated in Caterpillar Cells - Study authors from the University of Rochester, the University of Virginia, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, published their findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association today, April 11. Doctor John Treanor from New York's University of Rochester, led the research. The Earth Times Online Newspaper, Serving the Planet
• Warming could spark N. American water scramble-UN | Reuters NEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters) - Climate change could diminish North American water supplies and trigger disputes between the United States and Canada over water reserves already stressed by industry and agriculture, U.N. experts said on Wednesday. Breaking News, World, U.S., Video, Investing and Business News & More | Reuters.com
• Electronics drop set for Penfield - PENFIELD — Town residents can drop off computers and other unwanted electronic devices at the Penfield Community Center, 1985 Baird Road, from 4 to 8 p.m. April 19. Democrat & Chronicle
• Toxins sickening kids; more oversight urged — ALBANY — A recent spike in chronic illness and developmental disabilities among children is linked to environmental toxins and warrants increased oversight by the state government, according to a report released Wednesday. "Young children are uniquely vulnerable to environmental hazards because their body organs and systems are still developing," said George Dunkel of the state chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. (April 12, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• ARBOR DAY COMMITTEE INVITES COMMUNITY TO ENJOY ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION (City of Rochester News Release - 04/12/2007) The Greater Rochester Arbor Day Committee hosts its annual Arbor Day Celebration, 11 a.m., Fri., Apr. 27, in Highland Park (along Robinson Rd. between South and Mt. Hope Aves.), rain or shine. The public is invited to attend. Paul Holahan, the City's Commissioner of Environmental Services, will be joined by area dignitaries and students from nearby grade schools to plant a memorial tree honoring Alvan Grant, former Director of the Monroe County Parks Department, who passed away in Feb. 2007. Grant retired in 1977 after twelve years as director and more than 30 years with the parks system. During the Arbor Day ceremonies, the National Arbor Day Foundation will recognize the City of Rochester as a "Tree City USA" for the 26th consecutive year. The "Tree City USA" program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. Students (grades 1 to 8) who received honors in this year's Arbor Day poster competition, sponsored by the Gardenscape Professionals Association, will also be recognized. Free seedlings provided by Monet Goodrich Nursery, Arbor Day posters and bookmarks will be given away to all attendees. The Greater Rochester Arbor Day Committee, comprised of members from the City of Rochester, Monroe County Parks, the Gardenscape Professionals Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension, will host the event. For more information call the City Forestry Division: 428-7581.
• Woman Promotes Earth Conservation - A mother of three in Livingston County wants to show just how many plastic grocery bags consumers use on a daily basis. (April 6, 07) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
• Lead poisonings diminish - County finds 85% drop among infants, toddlers For many Rochester children, a monster truly does lurk under the bed — in the dust that collects there, and on windowsills, paint chips and bare patches of lawn. New figures released Monday indicate that lead is less of a threat here today than it was 10 years ago, particularly among 1-year-olds. But there's still cause for concern about lead poisoning in older children. (April 10, 07)Democrat & Chronicle
• County Plans Ethanol Plant - Turning beer waste into ethanol is Monroe County's plan. Now it has to figure out a way to pick up the tab. Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks announced the ethanol plant would be built at High Falls Brewery. R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
• DEC grants available for eradication of invasive species - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis Tuesday announced that grant applications are now being accepted for projects proposing to eradicate terrestrial and aquatic invasive species. Applications will be accepted until Friday, June 29, 2007. New York State News on the Net!
• Global warming could pummel Lake Erie economy Lake Erie could suffer the ravages of global warming in the next century, while also buffering Northeast Ohio from the worst effects. That's the opinion of some in response to dire warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which released its fourth report in Brussels last week. In short, the IPCC report claims that if world temperatures rise even slightly, as projected, there will be increased mortality from heat waves, floods and droughts and 30 percent of the world's species will be at risk of extinction. (April 8, 07) cleveland.com: Everything Cleveland
• Troubled waters at Durand beach - Whether it opens this summer may depend on a solution to the E. coli problem — With much fanfare last summer, the city reopened Durand-Eastman beach for the first time in nearly 40 years. But the contamination that prompted its closure decades ago still affects the beach to a troubling degree today, threatening public health, the environment and the city's plans to keep the beach open. - (April 8, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Warming saps Great Lakes Water levels could take big drop as Earth gets hotter WASHINGTON -- Data from a new United Nations report on climate change make it more likely that an increasingly arid American southwest will seek access to Great Lakes water, Michigan's top climate official said Friday. The report also strengthens scientific opinion that Michigan will see other dramatic effects in the coming decades: lower Great Lakes water levels, a dramatically receding Lake St. Clair, and summers by the end of the century that feel more like northern Mississippi than to what Michiganians are now accustomed. And the findings are likely to increase political pressure on the embattled U.S. automakers to increase fuel efficiency, something Detroit's automakers have said will cost money and jobs. (April 10, 07) Detroit News Online
• Drop of 85 percent announced in childhood lead poisoning - The number of lead poisoned children in Monroe County has been reduced from a high of 3,710 in 1995 to 571 in 2006, county officials announced Monday. (April, 10, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• MPNnow.com: The ebbs and flows of life near a ditch For some along Penfield Center Road, flooding from the nearby Commission Ditch and Hipp Brook watersheds takes some adjusting. ( April 4, 07) MPNnow.com: Rochester and Western Finger Lakes News, Entertainment, Sports, Opinions, Photos and More
• Green efforts grow to save green - Communities try to conserve energy to relieve budget stress. Across the Rochester area, municipal leaders are looking to similar energy-conserving technologies to relieve stress on their budgets as well as the environment. Last year, Monroe County finished replacing the lights at all county-controlled traffic intersections with light-emitting diodes. These devices use about 80 percent less energy than the old bulbs. The county estimates that the replacement will save $400,000 a year. (April 8, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• County to recycle old computers at no cost— Monroe County will hold its first home computer recycling event later this month in partnership with Metro Wastepaper Inc. and its subcontractor Sunnking Inc. "This free recycling event provides a great opportunity for residents to celebrate Earth Day one day early and recycle their old computers and other electronics," County Executive Maggie Brooks said Friday.  (April 7, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle

• NYSDEC: Emergency Regulations in response to VHS Summary of Fish Health Emergency Regulations Effective March 9, 2007. Expires on: June 7, 2007. On March 9, 2007, new fish health emergency regulations were put in effect to prevent the spread of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) and other fish diseases into the inland waters of New York. A summary of the revised emergency regulations that the Department has adopted is as follows:--New York State Department of Environmental Conservation - Protecting NY's Environment and Managing its Natural Resources

• Help Prevent Invasive Insect Infestations: Don't Move Firewood! It's time to head off to open the camp in the spring. The firewood left over from winter won't get used at the house during the summer, so it makes sense to toss it in the truck to take up to camp. But because spring and summer turn out to be warm, that firewood doesn't get burned right away. It stays there neatly stacked and covered all summer until fall, when a warm fire is a necessity at the end of a long chilly day outdoors. --New York State Department of Environmental Conservation - Protecting NY's Environment and Managing its Natural Resources

• MPNnow.com: State pledges action on Victor pollution The town supervisor met with top state environmental officials regarding underground contamination on the west side of town. ALBANY — State officials have agreed to increase the scope of water and air testing in the area of groundwater contamination that runs about a mile from the Syracusa Sand and Gravel mine to the Modock Road springs. They also agreed to begin a remediation plan this month that involves getting at the source of the contamination and identifying the extent and concentrations of the pollutants, industrial solvents that are believed to have spilled at or near the mine as far back as 1981. (April 6, 07) MPNnow.com: Rochester and Western Finger Lakes News, Entertainment, Sports, Opinions, Photos and More

• OUTDOORS: DNR response to virus: Moratorium The Department of Natural Resources announced on Wednesday a one-year moratorium on stocking of millions of walleyes, northern pike and muskellunge in an effort to keep viral hemorrhagic septicemia out of the state's fish hatcheries and limit the spread of the lethal fish disease. The disease, which almost certainly came into the Great Lakes in the ballast water of a saltwater ship, has caused major fish kills from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron over the past two years. (April 5, 07) Detroit Free Press

• ENVIRONMENT: Alesi wants to ban plastic bags - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper San Francisco has banned the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags by large grocery stores and pharmacies. Could New York State be next? State Senator Jim Alesi is drafting a law that would require businesses to phase out the bags. (April 3, 07) Rochester City Newspaper

• A fresh alarm on dangers of lead - UR official urges passage of state bill to kill 'silent monster.' - (April 5, 2007) — ALBANY — A former Rochester school principal who discovered that more than 41 percent of incoming pupils had dangerously high lead levels in their blood urged lawmakers Wednesday to pass legislation to kill a "silent monster." Democrat & Chronicle

• Brooks Announces Collaborative Civil Preparedness Initiative - Joined by local Supervisors and Mayors, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks announced a new Civil Preparedness Initiative (CPI). Under this cooperative initiative, every Supervisor and Mayor has agreed to identify and help operate Point-of-Dispensing Clinics (PODs) in the event of a large-scale public health emergency. MyMonroe. Opening Up Government. | Monroe County, NY

• RG&E to upgrade Genesee plants - Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. will spend $20 million over the next three years to add 9 megawatts of generating capacity at two hydroelectric plants on the Genesee River, the company said Wednesday. (April 4, 07) Rochester Business Journal

• Land preservation mostly fallow here - Monroe lags other counties in saving farm acreage - Monroe County loses about 700 acres of farmland a year to development. But preserving farmland has not been a priority for Monroe County government as it has for other counties. While other counties are actively chasing dollars to preserve agricultural land, Monroe County has been sitting on money earmarked for open space protection that has been collecting interest for five years. (April 04, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• Undredged river caused shallow Port - A survey of the Genesee River at the Port of Rochester this week found water depths have lessened as much as three feet in the past year, making the waterway more shallow. The U.S. Corps of Engineers survey, released today, found the outer channel between the river piers is among the most affected by sediment build up, or shoaling. Last month, the Stephen B. Roman, a cement boat and the only freighter still operating on the river, ran aground as it attempted to traverse the river. (April 4, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• UR tapped for flu bug work  Medical center to get $26M as part of U.S. anti-influenza effort — The University of Rochester Medical Center has been chosen as one of six sites nationwide that will work to unlock the mysteries of how the body responds to influenza and how to stop its spread. UR will receive $26 million over seven years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to create the New York Influenza Center of Excellence. (April 3, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• EPA gives progress report on Holley chemical plant site - A high-ranking Environmental Protection Agency official gave a progress report this afternoon about the contaminated former Diaz Chemical Corp. site. Alan J. Steinberg, the EPA’s region 2 administrator, said since the EPA has begun cleanup in 2002, the agency has removed 9,000 drums of chemicals, 112,000 gallons of chemicals and 51,000 feet of chemical piping. (March 26, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• TheStar.com - News - Pathogen stalks fish Scientists urge action; shipping industry fears cost of controlling virus could be catastrophic - Sometime this spring, Great Lakes fish could start dying by the tens of thousands. It happened a few times last year: This year might be worse. The killer will be viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, a virus that's a mystery except for one thing – it spreads fast and kills many types of fish. (April 3, 07) TheStar.com
• N.Y.'s montezuma wetlands are a vital stopover for migrating birds  - Every spring and fall, the Montezuma Wetlands Complex in New York's Finger Lakes region is the site of a great feeding frenzy. A solitary great blue heron stalks fish and frogs, blizzards of sandpipers and plovers peck in mud flats for crustaceans, kestrels swoop down on field mice. Two American bald eagles perch on the high branches of a dead tree, their yellow eyes trained on muskrats nibbling cattail shoots in shallow Tschache Pool. (April 1, 07) North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!
• State Health Commissioner Kicks Off "Public Health Week" with Visit to Monroe County Public Health Sites - New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D., today kicked off National Public Health Week in New York State with a visit to Monroe County, where he met with Monroe County Health Commissioner Andrew S. Doniger, M.D., M.P.H., and viewed local public health efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning and sexually transmitted diseases. - New York State Department of Health

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