December 2005 news

•  Land in Oak Orchard Watershed eligible for federal funding The Oak Orchard Watershed, which includes parts of Niagara, Orleans, Genesee and Monroe counties has been selected as one of the nation's priority watersheds for the 2006 Conservation Security Program (CSP) and farmers/producers in the watershed may be eligible for federal money. (Dec. 01, 2005) Westside News Inc.
•  Residents urged to attend water hearings  The Monroe County Water Authority (MCWA), which was invited to put together a proposal for the takeover of the Hamlin/Kendall Water Authority, will be presenting information at upcoming meetings in the two towns. "We were invited to come in and do a proposal for the towns," Ed Marianetti, executive director of the MCWA said. "We already supply the water to the towns wholesale and this would make the change to a 'retail' operation." (Dec. 01, 2005) Westside News Inc.
•  Wayne County open to wind farm talks, so far Some local leaders think Wayne County’s wind-swept drumlins could be used to manage high energy costs. Their idea — power-generating wind farms — may sound far-fetched. Wayne County, after all, lacks the high slopes of the Bristol Hills and the sea breezes of Long Island Sound, where similar projects have been proposed. But local proponents say the steep, narrow drumlins form perfect wind tunnels, and one wind energy company recently decided Wayne County was worth a visit. (December 01, 2005) Finger Lakes Times Geneva, NY
•  County Executive Issues Deteriorated Paint Report - County Executive Maggie Brooks issued a report detailing the results of Monroe County’s Deteriorated Paint Pilot Project. Brooks directed the Monroe County Health Department and Monroe County Human Services Department to jointly conduct the pilot program in order to benchmark the risk of lead poisoning in housing units occupied by public assistance clients. (December 03, 2005) Monroe County
•  13WHAM-TV || Rochester - New Legislation Would Get the Lead Out  - Getting the lead paint out of Rochester homes is the focus of historic legislation before City Council. On Friday, council members Loiss Geiss and Wade Norwood put out a plan to make Rochester lead-free by 2010.(12/03/05) - 13WHAM-TV || Rochester
•  'Whoosh' spells uneasy progress - Many say wind power is good for environment, economy; others say turbines are noisy, nuisance - — Richard Foringer gives an ironic little laugh when he talks about being accused of "NIMBYism" — shorthand for "not in my back yard," or a selfish aversion to development. Sitting at his kitchen table in Cazenovia, Madison County, he glances out the window to watch a 326-foot-high wind turbine's blades spin through the season's first snow. The behemoth, though not literally in Foringer's back yard, looms over his deck, just 1,000 feet from his house, on a neighbor's property. A slow, droning swish-thump is just barely audible through the walls and windows. (December 4, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Turbines' giant footprints generate wariness - Wind turbines are a mixed bag environmentally. The global benefits are clear but hilltops must be cleared of trees and brush for safety's sake and access roads must be built. Habitat disruption can expand far beyond a turbine's actual footprint. Studies worldwide support developers' claims that modern turbines are far less harmful to birds than the old-style turbines with lattice-work towers — ideal for perching — that actually attracted birds. Today, smooth towers, slower-moving blades and red flashing lights that help repel birds have made turbines less problematic. (December 4, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Towns struggle to set rules - Dolores Orman Staff Writer — As more private wind farm developers intensify efforts to find suitable sites for their projects, more communities are faced with the dilemma of what to do about them. At least 18 towns in the 10-county Rochester region — Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties — have been approached by such companies in recent years. And many communities — some that haven't even been contacted by developers — have imposed moratoriums to block wind farm proposals until they can get regulations on the books. (December 4, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Lead-paint sweep on track - City Council proposal targets thousands of rentals bordering downtown — A proposal to address lead poisoning dangers in Rochester's older housing would send city inspectors into thousands of rentals bordering downtown during its first three years. Draft legislation released Friday and slated to take effect July 1 relies on visual inspections and assumes that deteriorating paint in pre-1978 properties is lead-based, posing a health and safety hazard. The target area forms a half-moon over downtown, from the northeast to the southwest. Inspectors would cover the entire city within five years.  (December 4, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Green group talks business - Network of environmentally conscious firms to hold forum — At JASCO Heat Treating Inc., employees demonstrate their environmental commitment by firing up a garden hose. Over the past three years, the Fairport company, which processes metal parts, has saved 108,000 gallons of water by making a commitment to "green business," which includes swapping a water-intensive cooling bath for a spray system.  (December 3, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Kids exposed to "limited" chemicals The Rush-Henrietta School District uses two pesticides outdoors, but a local group says there is a better way.  When the bees are stinging and weeds encroaching, Rush-Henrietta School District uses pesticides to stomp them out. Henrietta Post
•  Thousands march in Montreal to urge climate action - Yahoo! News MONTREAL (Reuters) - Thousands of environmentalists, some banging drums or dressed as polar bears, marched in Montreal on Saturday to urge the United States and other nations at a U.N. climate conference to do more to curb global warming. Time is running out," banners proclaimed in a carnival-like rally in freezing temperatures through central Montreal, where many protesters accused the White House of blocking progress on climate change and threatening the world's future. (December 3, 2005) The top news headlines on current events from Yahoo! News
•  Kodak Reaches Recycling Milestone  Eastman Kodak reached a milestone with its recycling program today. The company reached the one billion mark on recycling its disposable camera. Dec 01, 2005 R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  Watchdog derides proposed EPA rule change - ALBANY — A proposed rule change by the Environmental Protection Agency will make it harder to track potentially harmful chemicals that are released into the state's air and water, according to analysis issued Thursday by a government-watchdog group. “It's going to have a lot of impact on local communities,” said Melinda Sobin, a spokeswoman for the New York Public Interest Research Group. “For someone living in a local community it's a way to assess what kinds of health risks are in that community.” The Ithaca Journal - www.theithacajournal.com - Ithaca, NY
•  'Katrina dogs' find homes in area  — Fourteen dogs from hurricane-scoured areas of Mississippi and Louisiana have traveled a long road to find a new home in western New York. From being separated from their owners and left homeless by Hurricane Katrina to adjusting to new homes with adoptive families in Rochester, these animals have endured a lifetime of upheaval in a short span of three months since the storm. (December 6, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Montezuma wetlands increased by 705 acres — The Nature Conservancy has acquired 705 acres of land to be added to the Montezuma wildlife area in Seneca and Cayuga counties. The $950,000 deal includes two parcels, totaling 565 acres, that will be turned over to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in Seneca County, as well as a third, 140-acre parcel in Cayuga County to be held by the state, said Jim Howe, executive director of the central and western New York chapter of The Nature Conservancy. (December 6, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Deer prudence: Watch out -- 15 hit in 19 hours -  — Motorists need to be aware that deer are running more, often in front of vehicles. Ontario County Sheriff's deputies reported 15 accidents involving deer and vehicles within 19 hours, from yesterday morning to early today. (December 6, 2005)Democrat and ChronicleAP
•  Unhealthiest Industrial Pollution Areas - ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) -- The Rochester area leads the state when it comes to the most neighborhoods with the highest health-risk measures from industrial pollutants. That's according to an analysis of federal pollution, health and census data analyzed by The Associated Press. According to the AP's analysis, the nine census tracks in New York where industrial air pollution poses the most serious threat to human health either border or lie within a mile or two of Eastman Kodak's sprawling industrial park in Rochester. WGRZ-TV -- 2 On Your Side in Western New York
•  Data say Monroe has state's unhealthiest air - Areas near Kodak Park rate high for risk — When school lets out in western Irondequoit, crossing guards walk children along the tree-lined streets to their snug brick houses. With Christmas lights twinkling at dusk, it looks like the perfect place to raise a family. But an analysis of federal air pollution data finds these streets harbor some of the state's unhealthiest air. What's at stake - Your health. Microscopic air pollution can cause respiratory and cardiac problems, while some toxic pollutants cause cancer. A new analysis of federal data indicates that the risk of developing these illnesses is 47 times higher in Monroe County than in the nation as a whole. Democrat and Chronicle: World and Nation (searchable database)  (December 14, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Stronger law on lead urged - Leaders of poor neighborhoods lobby council - (December 14, 2005) — Community leaders from some of Rochester's most impoverished neighborhoods will take their case to the public today, urging City Council to strengthen lead paint legislation scheduled for a vote next Tuesday. The group, identifying themselves as "Crescent neighborhood leaders," wants greater involvement by those they say are most affected — residents of poor neighborhoods that form a crescent around downtown's perimeter from the northeast to the southwest. Studies show this is where most of the residences with identified lead hazards are located.  (December 14, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  An update of the Environmental Health Report Card for Monroe County is available at the following web site: http://www.healthaction.org/EHReportCard.html
•  Council of Great Lakes Governors - Great Lakes Water Management Initiative - Great Lakes Water Management Initiative ANNEX 2001 IMPLEMENTING AGREEMENTS APPROVED AND SIGNED The Great Lakes Governors and Premiers today signed agreements at the Council of Great Lakes Governors’ (CGLG) Leadership Summit that will provide unprecedented protections for the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin. The historic agreements, which include a ban on new diversions of water outside the Basin with limited exceptions, were approved by the Governors of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and the Premiers of Ontario and Québec.
•  Clash on getting lead out  - City Council support for bill appears shaky — Legislation aimed at cleaning up lead hazards in Rochester's older housing is headed to the City Council but whether it will pass muster remains in doubt. The proposal moved out of committee 4-1 Thursday night, with City Councilman Adam McFadden opposed. A vote is set for Tuesday, and several council members remain uncertain. (December 16, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Lead law ready for vote When the current City Council meets for its last time, on December 20, it will vote on one of the most controversial pieces of legislation it has handled this year: a lead-abatement law. Under the law, apartments built before 1978 that have deteriorated paint indoors or outdoors will be cited for violations. To get a new Certificate of Occupancy --- which they must have in order to rent their apartments --- landlords will have to correct the problem and pass another inspection. (December 16, 2005) City Newspaper
•  Study: Kodak An Unhealthy Neighbor - Another report reinforces Eastman Kodak's reputation as New York state's largest industrial polluter. The Associated Press named the neighborhoods within a mile or two of Kodak Park among the most unhealthy in the state and the nation. (December 13, 2005) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  Seizure Nets Dogs Used for Fighting - Animal cruelty investigators with the Humane Society seized several dogs allegedly used in illegal fighting. After receiving a 911 call from a concerned citizen Monday, six pit bull terriers were taken from a home on Dengler Street. Three of the dogs had severe injuries that indicated they were involved in dog fighting. Three others were puppies.  (December 13, 2005) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  DEC Probes Deer Disease - The state is looking into the problem of chronic wasting disease in deer. It has collected more than 7,000 deer heads. (December 11, 2005) R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
•  Deadly toxin found in pet food - Mendon vets' suspicion led to 22-state alert; several dogs die - — Two local veterinarians who suspected that dogs were dying from tainted food quickly alerted Cornell University and other veterinarians, helping to prompt a 22-state alert by the dog food company.  (December 22, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Anti-lead paint plan saluted - Supporters call city's program 'one of the smartest' in U.S. -— Rochester's new lead paint ordinance may not be the strictest in the nation, but it's "one of the smartest," supporters of the policy said Thursday. Tuesday night, City Council members unanimously approved the new slate of regulations designed to help residents detect lead paint before children are exposed, making the city lead-free by 2010. The ordinance, like those in New York City and Baltimore, requires that apartments be inspected before they are rented to ensure that neither peeling paint nor invisible lead dust are present. What makes Rochester's approach unique is that the effort is targeted at a 7.5-mile swath of neighborhoods known as The Crescent, where income levels are among the county's lowest, and 90 percent of homes pose a lead hazard.  (December 23, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  You can guide a cleaner county - Officials seek input on latest environment report card — Monroe County officials want your help in determining where they should direct environmental health resources in coming years. Industrial pollution continues to decline, but health concerns resulting from the quality of the region's air, water and land remain, county leaders said Wednesday as they presented a report card on the region's environmental health to members of the county's advisory Environmental Management Council. (December 22, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  Birders' thrill of the count takes flight - Their annual tally is an exhilarating labor of love - — Birders think nothing of rising before 5 a.m. to search for owls in the snow. They call to hidden birds with a peculiar hissing noise known as "phishing," and when the birds respond with a seemingly random string of peeps and clicks and whistles, they know exactly which of the hundreds of species that visit this region they are listening to. (December 23, 2005) 2005 bird tally This year's Christmas totals, with 89 species and 55,000 individual birds, were about average for the 102 years of Rochester counts. For more information or to participate in the Little Lakes Count, a similar effort to tally birds Monday near Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice and Honeoye lakes, contact Bob McKinney at (585) 482-3588.Democrat and Chronicle
•  Ginna plant was prepared in October micro-quakes — Workers at the Ginna nuclear power plant didn't feel the ground shake on Halloween when rare micro-earthquakes jiggled the residents of northwest Wayne County. The epicenter of one of two quakes was just west of the 495-megawatt plant on the Lake Ontario shore. But the quakes were so minor they didn't even register on the plant's seismic equipment, officials said recently. (December 24, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  13WHAM-TV || Rochester - Duel Over Development In Geneseo- Is Geneseo on its way to becoming as populated and developed as Henrietta? The sign, "Geneseo, Yes, Genrietta, No!,” is a statement about commercial development that’s at the center of a fight over a proposed shopping center in Geneseo. (December 26, 2005)  13WHAM-TV || Rochester
•  Christmas Tree Recycling - You don't have to throw out your Christmas Tree. You can recycle it. Drop off points have been set up throughout Monroe County. At these sites the trees will be chipped into landscape mulch. Residents are asked to removed all decorations, plastic bags, wires, and nails before having their tree chipped. 10NBC / WHEC TV-10
•  Nature center may become county park Battered by budget cuts, Cumming Nature Center could become a full-time attraction again under Ontario County's ownership.  SOUTH BRISTOL - Ontario County has begun talks with the Rochester Museum and Science Center to take over its 900-acre Cumming Nature Center in South Bristol. (Decembr 27, 2005) Daily Messenger
•  Legislators aim to keep Great Lakes water safe Agreement calls for protecting resource from outside interests The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin comprises 90% to 95% of the fresh surface water in the United States - and 20% of the world's. Yet levels are dropping, and only 1% of the water taken out of the lakes is returned via precipitation. Lawmakers are concerned because the lakes are the source of drinking water and recreation for millions and are vital to commerce. (December 26, 2005) Port Huron Times-Herald - www.thetimesherald.com - Port Huron, MI
•  Many choose to 'freecycle' - Group's Web site lets people give away items they don't want - — Maybe snowman sweaters aren't your style, or your daughter has received three copies of Goodnight Moon. Maybe you just don't like long underwear — or fruitcake, for that matter. The concept is simple: Offer any item you don't want as a gift, no strings attached, on a local Web site. Another member of the network arranges, via anonymous e-mail, to come take it off your hands. On the Web For more information about freecycle, visit www.freecycle.org/ . To join the local network, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclerochesterny/ . For more information on Around Again of Rochester, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aagainrochester/ .(December 30, 2005) Democrat and Chronicle
•  EPA/OPPT/Lead: Renovation and Remodeling Rule Lead Safe Work Requirements to Protect Children During Renovation, Repair and Painting Activities - On December 29, 2005 EPA announced proposed requirements to minimize the introduction of lead hazards resulting from the disturbance of lead-based paint during renovation, repair, and painting activities in most housing built before 1978. The proposal introduces lead training, certification, and safe work practice requirements for contractors involved in these activities. It is one component of a comprehensive program to ensure the use of lead-safe work practices that will also include training and an education and outreach campaign targeted at both workers and consumers. EPA believes this new program will further its goal to eliminate childhood lead poisonings as a major public health concern by the year 2010. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
•  Christmas Tree Recycling Programs 2005-2006 - Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks announced that Christmas tree recycling programs are available across Monroe County at no charge to residents. Residents are encouraged to recycle their Christmas trees instead of disposing of them in local landfills...Monroe County
•  Water savers - Earlier this month, after four years of work, a monumental agreement protecting Great Lakes water from withdrawals and diversions was signed with little fanfare. The twin pacts, which together go by the unwieldy name the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and Agreement, all but prohibit taking water out of the watershed, and sharply limit water diversions within the basin --- for activities like irrigation, for example. City Newspaper
•  County closer to getting private recycling bids LYONS — Wayne County officials are “keystrokes” away from finishing a request for proposals to privatize the county’s recycling program, but they first need input from the Board of Supervisors. The board voted in October to solicit proposals after the Fiscal Advisory Team suggested it would be cheaper for the county to hire a private company than to run the program itself. Finger Lakes Times Geneva, NY
•  RTS unveils new fuel-efficient buses - News - MSNBC.com The Regional Transit Service unveiled the first of its new fuel-efficient buses Thursday that are also equipped with new passenger counting technology and safety features. Rochester, NY news from WHEC-TV - MSNBC.com
•  PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Talkin' turkey: DEC to launch four-year study Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan recently announced plans for the department to conduct a four-year study of wild turkey populations in the state. The study will be the first major assessment of New York's most popular small game species since the 1970s. Currently, wild turkey populations are estimated primarily from annual harvest surveys. The study will be far more intense and will be conducted in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, researchers from Pennsylvania State University and the National Wild Turkey Federation. Poughkeepsie Journal Home