CENTRAL LIBRARY HOSTS "GREAT LAKES WATER CONCERNS" DISPLAY The
Central Library of Rochester and Monroe County is proud to host an
informative display on “Great Lakes Water Concerns” by the Great Lakes
Committee of the Sierra Club Rochester Regional Group. The display will
be on view August 1-29 in the Lower Link Gallery at 115 South Avenue.
(July 31) Welcome to the City
of Rochester
U.S. and Canada split over Lake Erie drilling Drilling
ban for oil, gas likely to remain in effect
for portions within U. S. border WASHINGTON — Offshore drilling has
become one of the hot political issues in a new era of $4-a-gallon
gasoline. But no one is pushing for drilling off the north shore of the
United States — except the Canadians. (July 28, 08)
Buffalo News
State Health Department Warns New Yorkers: Don't Eat Wild Mushrooms
One Death, Two Other Hospitalizations Associated With Eating Wild
Mushrooms ALBANY, N.Y. (July 25, 2008) - The New York State Health
Department is warning New Yorkers not to eat wild mushrooms following
the death of a Westchester County resident from eating toxic wild
mushrooms earlier this month. Two Rensselaer County residents were also
hospitalized with severe illness this month after eating wild mushrooms.
(July 25, 08)
New York State Department of Health
MAYOR APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF GREAT LAKES COMPACT RESOLUTION Mayors
of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative (GLSLCI), a
coalition of more than 55 U.S. and Canadian cities, commended members of
Congress today for introducing a joint resolution providing consent to
the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. "Lake
Ontario is an incredibly valuable asset for our region,” said Mayor
Robert J. Duffy, a member of the GLSLCI Executive Committee. “As a
GLSLCI member City, Rochester can be proud of our support of the Compact
and the work being done to protect and restore the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence basin. The joint efforts of the mayors with their respective
states is to be commended." (July 25, 08)
Welcome to the
City of Rochester
Great Lakes preservation won -
ALBANY - Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Wednesday announced a major
victory in his efforts to protect New York State’s Great Lakes from
environmental damage caused by the dumping of contaminated ballast water
by large commercial ships. (July 24, 08)
New York State
News on the Net!
Walsh Co-Sponsoring Great Lakes Cleanup Bill
ROCHESTER, NY (2008-07-24) Western New York Congressman
Jim Walsh announced he is co-sponsoring legislation to clean up the
Rochester-area shore of Lake Ontario. The reauthorization of the Great
Lakes Legacy Act would be extended for five years and triple the amount
of funding from $50-million, to $150 million dollars. One of the
projects included would be the removal of contaminated sediment along
the Rochester Embayment
WXXI NewsRoom
ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO ANNOUNCES MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL VICTORY IN
PROTECTING NEW YORK’S GREAT LAKES FROM INVASIVE SPECIES New York,
other Great Lake border states win case against EPA over ballast water
discharge regulations - Cuomo: Decision will Protect NY's Great Lakes
from Invasive Fish and Aquatic Species that have devastating affects on
environment, economy and human health ALBANY, N.Y. (July 23, 2008) –
Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced a major victory today in his
efforts to protect New York state’s Great Lakes from environmental
damage caused by the dumping of contaminated ballast water by large
commercial ships. New York, together with five other Great Lakes states
and several environmental groups, won a court decision stipulating that
large vessels and other oceangoing freight ships can no longer discharge
pollutant-containing ballast water without a permit. (July 23, 08)
Office of New York State Attorney General Andrew M Cuomo
www.ny.gov
- GOVERNOR PATERSON SIGNS BROWNFIELDS REFORM LEGISLATION IN BUFFALO
Sustainable Cleanup Program Will Help Revitalize Cities and Towns While
Protecting Public Health and the Environment - Long Overdue Changes Are
a Victory for the Paterson Administration and the State - Governor David
A. Paterson today signed landmark legislation that reforms the State’s
Brownfield Cleanup Program to better target incentives for cleanup and
redevelopment of contaminated sites. This important legislation, which
will greatly benefit the Upstate economy, was one of 26 agreements
reached between Governor Paterson and the State Legislature during this
year’s session, and brings long-overdue reforms to this important
program. (July 23, 08)
www.ny.gov/governor
www.ny.gov
- GOVERNOR PATERSON SIGNS BILL UPDATING OIL AND GAS DRILLING LAW;
PLEDGES ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH SAFEGUARDS Governor Directs
DEC to Update Environmental Impact Statement - Legislation Will Increase
Administrative Efficiency, Without Sacrificing Environmental Protections
- Governor David A. Paterson today signed a bill that extends the
State’s uniform well spacing system to include additional wells and
drilling activity, including horizontal well drilling. The Environmental
Conservation Law previously established “spacing units” and “set back”
requirements only for some types of drilling activity. A spacing unit is
the land area from which a well is expected to recover oil or gas; a
setback is the distance that a well must be from the boundaries of the
spacing unit. The bill also adds requirements about how wells may be
located within spacing units. (July 23, 08)
www.ny.gov/governor
DEVELOPMENT: Pipe dreams - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper
A new water plant in Webster will bolster the regional water supply but
it could also be a sprawl enabler. The Monroe County Water Authority has
received the permits it needs from the Department of Environmental
Conservation to build the plant. There are more permits to be obtained
from other agencies, but the DEC permits are the most significant step,
say authority officials (July 23, 08)
Rochester City
Newspaper
Eco-tourism Eco-tourism, It's a phrase that is popping up more and
more these days. There are several different ways to define it, but it
essentially means trips that have a low impact on the environment.
Whether it's Sonnenberg Gardens, or High Falls, or even a destination
little farther away, more and more tourists are flocking to the great
outdoors. (June 12, 08)
RochesterHomePage.net
Ohio.com
- Congress asked to stop Great Lakes diversion The movement to
protect Great Lakes water is shifting to Congress. In a letter to the
eight Great Lakes governors, 53 members of Congress from Ohio, Michigan,
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and New York
pledged to support the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water
Resources Compact. (July 23, 08)
Ohio.com
DEC
Investigating Fish and Mudpuppy Die-off on Lake Erie Shore - NYS Dept.
of Environmental Conservation Public Advised To Take Care in
Handling Fish and Game, Call DEC If Dead Wildlife Is Found The New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is investigating
the deaths of mudpuppies and fish washing up on the shore of Lake Erie.
Mudpuppies, an aquatic salamander, along with smallmouth bass, catfish
and sheephead are among the species that have been found dead at
locations including Point Gratiot, Sunset Bay, Evangola State Park, and
Sturgeon Point. (July 18, 08)
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC investigating fish and mudpuppy die-offs on lakeshore - Observer
Today ALBANY - The New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) is investigating the deaths of mudpuppies and fish
washing up on the shores of Lake Erie. Mudpuppies, an aquatic
salamander, along with smallmouth bass, catfish and sheephead are among
the species that have been found dead at locations including Point
Gratiot, Sunset Bay, Evangola State Park and Sturgeon Point. (July20,
08)Observer Today
www.News10NBC.com - Cats running wild in Naples The village of
Naples is having a problem with cats running wild near a baseball field
and they’ve hired a contractor to trap the animals. The former mayor
says it's been a problem for years but its gotten worse near the high
school field. The cats could be heard in the bushes but went quiet once
they heard humans. (July 21, 08)
Rochester, NY -
MPNnow
Long Island mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile
virus - HAUPPAUGE - The New York State
Department of Health has notified Suffolk County that an additional
mosquito pool has tested positive for West Nile virus. The sample was
collected from the Belmont State Park by the Suffolk County Department
of Health Services on July 11. This is the forth positive sample in
Suffolk County to test positive for West Nile virus this year. There
were also two crows collected that tested positive for West Nile virus,
one in Greenlawn and the other in Huntington. These are the second and
third birds collected this year in Suffolk County to test positive.
(July 22)
New York State News on the Net!
Rabies Back in Monroe County -
Monroe County Health Officials have confirmed four cases of rabies in
the Rochester area this year. Several Pittsford children may have
recently been exposed to the disease after bringing home a rabid baby
raccoon they found on a golf course in Perinton. A Churchville woman may
have also been exposed after fishing a rabid bat out of a pool then
trying to nurse it back to health. (July 17, 08)
R News: As It Happens,
Where It Happens
TorontoSun.com - Canada- Mayors given a say on Great Lakes issues
Municipalities will now be able to weigh in on any funding issues
concerning the Great Lakes after signing a pact yesterday with the
Ontario government. At the annual meeting of the Great Lakes and St.
Lawrence Cities Initiative, 50 mayors and city officials from Canada and
the U.S. signed a memorandum of co-operation with the province to
protect waterfront areas. (July 18, 08)
TorontoSun.com
Two more samples test positive for West Nile in Suffolk
County - HAUPPAUGE - The New York State
Department of Health has notified Suffolk County that two new mosquito
sample has tested positive for West Nile virus there have been three
positive pools to date. The samples were collected from a mosquito pools
found in Greenlawn and Huntington by the Suffolk County Department of
Health Services on July 10. These are the second and third samples in
Suffolk County to test positive for West Nile virus this year. There
were also two crows collected in the same locations that tested positive
for West Nile virus. These are the second and third birds collected this
year in Suffolk County to test positive. (July 19, 08)
New York State
News on the Net!
Wind power investment may fly away
- It’s coming down to the wire for Iberdrola SA’s $4.6 billion bid to
buy the company that owns New York State Electric & Gas Corp., and all
eyes are on the state’s Public Service Commission. The PSC is the final
regulatory agency that needs to sign off on Iberdrola’s purchase of
Energy East Corp. — a deal that already has won approval from regulators
in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine, the other states the company
has utility operations. (June 29, 08)
Buffalo News
Failed plant casts doubt on "clean coal" - Crain's New York Business
New York Power Authority aborted plans for a "clean coal" facility in
western New York, and steep costs could quell demonstrations elsewhere.
= The New York Power Authority on Wednesday nixed plans for a “clean
coal” facility at its Huntley plant in western New York, casting doubt
on the financial viability of clean coal technology. NYPA officials say
the electricity produced by the Huntley plant, in Tonawanda, N.Y., would
be too expensive, requiring some $150 million a year in subsidies to
compete with more conventional sources of generation. In a letter to New
Jersey-based NRG Energy, which owns the Huntley plant, NYPA executives
said they were not able to overcome the "substantial" financial hurdles.
(July 16, 08)
Crain's New York Business
WIVB-TV News4 Buffalo, NY |Local coal plant my be scrapped
TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) - - A more than one billion dollar project to
replace a local coal generation plant is being scrapped. It was a
billion dollar dream. An advanced coal burnig facility at the Huntley
Power Station in the Town of Tonawanda. Greener is cleaner. However, New
York Power Authority Chairman Roger Kelly tells me, the project simply
costs too much. (July 18, 08)
WIVB-TV News4 Buffalo, NY |WIVB-TV 4 Home
WBEN 930 :
NYS Scuttles Tonawanda Clean Coal Plan The New York Power Authority
on Wednesday abandoned plans for a clean-coal power plant at the Huntley
Station in western New York after efforts to ensure it would produce
affordable electricity fell short. NYPA awarded the $1.5 billion project
to NRG Energy in 2006 on the condition that, before going forward, the
New Jersey-based company would work with NYPA to lower the expected
market cost of the power. An 18-month deadline was set to make the
technology less expensive. After pursuing various state grants and tax
incentives, NYPA determined it is not possible to fully close the gap
between what NYPA would have to pay for electricity and competitive
market rates. (July 17, 08)
WBEN : NewsRadio
930 : Buffalo & Niagara Falls, New York
Ageing pipes raise stink The effects of Tuesday's intense storm are
still rippling across Toronto, with six of the city's 11 beaches closed
today, four days after the Humber River belched a plume of E.
Coli-contaminated water into Lake Ontario on Wednesday afternoon. (July
12, 08) National Post | Canadian
News, Financial News And Opinion
ENVIRONMENT: UV clean - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper
City officials have eliminated two controversial options for meeting
federal drinking water regulations. The Cobbs Hill and Highland Park
reservoirs will not be covered with plastic and no new storage tanks
will be built in the parks. Ultraviolet disinfection equipment will be
installed at the two reservoirs instead. (July 15, 08)
Rochester City
Newspaper
Saving Water at Home More and more people are looking for new ways
to be environmentally friendly. Some install solar panels and wind
turbines, but doing your part doesn't always take that much effort. In
fact it can be as easy as doing the laundry or flushing the toilet.
(July 17, 08)
GoGreen -RochesterHomePage.net
Buffalo seeks to boost its poor rate of recycling
Residents’ anemic response to blue boxes is spurring officials to
motivate better, try mini-totes that don’t require sorting
Something is wrong with Buffalo’s recycling program, and city officials
are scrambling to fix it. Only about 9 percent of the city’s waste is
being recycled by no more than a third of all households. According to a
2007 city study, participation can dip as low as 8 percent in some
neighborhoods. (July 15, 08)
Buffalo News
toledoblade.com -- New EPA rules to target invasive species Invaders
have plagued Great Lakes for years - CLEVELAND - One by one, more than
180 fish, mussels, plants, and other aquatic forms of life that don't
belong in the Great Lakes have established a stronghold, messing up the
food web for native fish that drive the region's multibillion-dollar
tourism industry. The invasive species also have dealt blows to property
values - and have helped to increase the cost of treating drinking water
for 35 million people who live in the basin. (July 14, 08)
http://toledoblade.com/home
Suburban Bus Routes More Crowded - 13WHAM.com The number of daily
Park and Ride passengers on Regional Transit Service buses is up 12
percent this year to 2,200. The number of overall RTS passengers is up 3
percent this year to 50,000 a day. (July 14, 08)
Local News -
13WHAM.com
NYSDOT highlights summer air quality initiative upstate
- ALBANY - New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner
Astrid Glynn has highlighted a summer clean air initiative upstate, an
educational program that notifies travelers and residents when air
quality is poor so that they can make small changes in their everyday
transportation choices to reduce vehicle miles travelled and improve air
quality. (July 14, 08)
New York State News on the Net!
Cat
Crisis in Monroe Co. Every week during the summer hundreds of cats
wind up in area shelters because of extensive breeding. Lollypop Farm,
Monroe County's Humane Society took in 8100 cats last year. 4,000 of
them were put to sleep because no one adopted them. The cat crisis
continues this summer. (July 13, 08)
RochesterHomePage.net
Long Island mosquito sample tests positive for West Nile
- ALBANY - The New York State Department of Health has notified Suffolk
County that a mosquito sample has tested positive for West Nile virus.
The sample was collected from a mosquito pool found in Greenlawn by the
Suffolk County Department of Health Services on July 1st. This is the
first sample in Suffolk County to test positive for West Nile virus this
year. (July 12)
New York State News on the Net!
POLITICS: Last states pass Great Lakes pact - News & Opinion - Rochester
City Newspaper It's now up to Congress to approve a pact that would
keep Great Lakes water in the Great Lakes region. All states bordering
at least one of the lakes have passed the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River
Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement. It's a pact that sets
limits on taking water from the lakes for use outside the region.
(July10, 08)
Rochester City Newspaper
TheVoiceNews.com: Healthy Lakes bring a healthy economy 07/09/08
Earth Voyager tour brings awareness, support to lakes - There's little
doubt that when it comes to the economic and cultural identity of
southeastern Michigan, the Great Lakes are essential. However, the
health of those lakes is seriously being threatened by problems such as
untreated sewage and invasive species. Enter Earth Voyager and the
Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives tour, which is traveling the Great Lakes to
bring awareness to the environmental and economical issues plaguing the
waterways today. (July 09, 08)
TheVoiceNews.com
DEVELOPMENT: DEC approves new Webster water plant - News & Opinion -
Rochester City Newspaper The Monroe County Water Authority is one
step closer to building its Webster water plant. The Department of
Environmental Conservation has finished its review of the authority's
proposed East Side Water Project and given it the go-ahead. The $80
million project includes a station in Webster that would pump Lake
Ontario water to an inland water-treatment plant. (July 8, 08)
Rochester City
Newspaper
CITY TO HOLD PUBLIC SCOPING MEETING ON MIDTOWN RISING PROJECT The
City will conduct a public scoping meeting on the Midtown Rising
Project, 6:30 p.m., Tues., July 29 in City Council Chambers at City
Hall, 30 Church St. The purpose of the meeting is to seek comments
from the public about what should be included in the contents, or
“scope,” of an environmental impact statement (EIS) currently being
developed for the project under the N.Y. State Environmental Quality
Review Act. The EIS is public document that identifies and analyzes the
potential environmental impacts resulting from proposed projects and
proposed mitigation measures. Discussion of reasonable alternatives for
the project is also included in the EIS. (July 8, 08)
Welcome to the
City of Rochester
Boaters Upset Over New Federal Rules
- Boaters across the state are wondering what the federal government is
thinking. A new federal rule could require recreational boat owners to
pay hundreds of dollars for a water pollution permit. A federal court in
California ruled last year that the EPA should regulate how ships
discharge water taken from the ocean, then dumped in fresh water. The
rule is designed to limit pollution and limit the spread of invasive
species. July 6, 08)
R News: As It Happens, Where It Happens
Slowing fish virus a task for all :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Outdoors
Boaters, fishermen must be aware of regulations to control VHS spread
The standard photos of fish infected with Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia
--dead and bloodied from the virus -- look horrific. VHS has been
confirmed in Illinois fish, as has been expected for the last year or
so. (July 8, 08)
Chicago Sun-Times
Rare Insect Infects Local Trees - 13WHAM.com Rochester, NY --- A
rare insect has returned to Monroe County after a nearly ten year
absence. The insect is known for killing hemlock trees, and it’s now an
uninvited "guest" of the Seneca Park Zoo. (July 4, 08)
- 13WHAM.com
DEC Adds
Public Hearings on Proposed Rule to Eliminate Open Burning Statewide -
NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Additional Hearings
Scheduled for Further Opportunity to Comment In an effort to expand
opportunities for public input, New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation has scheduled additional hearings on the
proposed changes to extend the ban on open burning statewide. The
proposed rule would ban most open burning statewide. Currently, it
is only banned in cities, villages and in towns with population greater
than 20,000. In addition, the revised rule will limit agricultural
burning to naturally grown products such as vines, branches, leaves and
stubble. It will also specifically allow such things as fire training,
small cooking and camp fires, and ceremonial fires (e.g., proper
disposal of U.S. flags by open burning). Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008, Public
Hearing: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.; Information Session: 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. at
Jamestown Community College, Training Center, Room 117, 10785 Bennett
Road (Route 60), Dunkirk, NY 14048. --Press
Releases - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
DEVELOPMENT: Farms are key to open space preservation - News & Opinion -
Rochester City Newspaper Communities across Monroe County have tried
to make sure that farmland stays viable and undeveloped. In Pittsford,
Penfield, and Webster, residents approved multimillion-dollar plans to
protect farmland and open space. Ogden town officials approved an open
space plan in 2006. Last week they presented, for the first time, a list
of 185 town properties they want to preserve. (July 2, 08)
Rochester City
Newspaper
Governor urges feds to declare 23 counties agricultural
disaster areas - ALBANY - Governor David
Paterson Friday urged the federal government to declare 23 New York
counties agricultural disaster areas. In a letter to Secretary of
Agriculture Ed Schafer, Governor Paterson requested disaster assistance
from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for farms that experienced crop
damage from severe hail storms on June 16th. Twenty-three counties
across New York State were hit with large sized hail, high winds and
excessive rain. Counties included in the Governor’s disaster assistance
request are: Albany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Columbia, Dutchess, Erie,
Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Monroe ( June 28, 08)
New York State
News on the Net!
NY's Seaway Trail preened as world-class birding region - San Jose
Mercury News The Seaway Trail has the potential to rival renowned
birding destinations such as Cape May, N.J., Chesapeake Bay's Delmarva
Peninsula, and the World Birding Center in the lower Rio Grande Valley
of Texas, said Kara Lynn Dunn, publicist for the Seaway Trail.—Braddock
Bay, on Lake Ontario a few miles northwest of Rochester, where hawk
watchers recorded nearly 63,000 migrating raptors this spring and
volunteers band nearly 10,000 birds a year. (June 30, 08)
- San Jose Mercury News
Cayuga Lake monitoring plan presented
- ITHACA - The public had an opportunity Wednesday night to learn about
an expanded, comprehensive monitoring plan to help identify sources of
pollution in southern Cayuga Lake. About 30 people attended the meeting
to hear about and provide input on the program, developed through a
partnership involving the County’s Water Resources Council and Cornell
University staff and faculty. The plan, drafted by the community
partnership (July 1, 08)
New York State
News on the Net!