September 2007 News

September 2007 News

(The most recent news stories are at the top.)

• Russell Station plans change — Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. has withdrawn its application to convert Russell Station to a clean coal power plant and will instead go with the option of rebuilding the Greece site as a natural gas power plant. (September 29, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• ENVIRONMENT: Corbett's Glen fight moves to Brighton - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper Penfield Planning Board members say they're opposed to the commercial component of a controversial development planned near Corbett's Glen Nature Park. Board members expressed their opposition at a work session last night. The last word on the development, however, will have to come from the Town Board. (Sept. 26, 07) Rochester City Newspaper
• Clean Sweep of Downtown Rochester - More than 400 volunteers gathered at the Genesee Crossroads Park in downtown Rochester Friday afternoon -- to spend several hours cleaning up the Inner Loop.(2007-09-28) WXXI Public Broadcasting Council
• Moose regain footing in N.Y. Roughly 500 of the animals are thought to be in rural areas — ALBANY — The moose are loose in northern New York. The number of moose, which until 20 years ago were almost never seen in New York, is now estimated at 500, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said Thursday. "It's wonderful to see this marvelous animal make its way back to New York," said DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, who noted that the moose disappeared from New York around the end of the Civil War because of unregulated hunting and the chopping down of woodlands for farms. (September 30, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Victor cleanup on the horizon - Mystery of plume lessens, but grievances linger — State investigators still don't know who dumped toxic solvents near a gravel mine in Victor decades ago, causing a contamination problem that haunts part of the town today. But they are closer to solving that mystery than before and are, for the first time since the solvents were discovered 17 years ago, making plans to begin cleaning up the mess. (September 30, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• New organic initiative announced - Albany -- New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker Wednesday announced a new initiative within the department that will focus on organic farming. In response to the increasing demand for organic products and the marketing opportunity for New York farmers, the Department has added a full-time organic agriculture specialist position, and has added a new section to the department’s website, Organic Farming Resource Center. (Sept. 27, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• Hospital Admissions for Heart Attack Decline Due to State Clean Indoor Air Act Most Extensive Study to Date Links the Act to Improved Health Outcomes Albany, N.Y.  New Yorkers are having fewer heart attacks, thanks to the state's Clean Indoor Air Act that took effect in July 2003, according to a study to be published today by the American Journal of Public Health. The state Department of Health study found 3,813 fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks in 2004, an 8 percent decline, than would be expected in New York without a comprehensive indoor smoking ban. Fewer hospital admissions translate into direct health care cost savings of $56 million in 2004 alone. (September 27, 2007) –New York State Department of Health
• 'Green' schools are on the rise - State sets guidelines for energy-efficient construction — ALBANY — Obvious differences between standard and "green" schools may be few, but improved efficiency and air quality and less maintenance make for a noticeable change in cost and student health, officials said Thursday in announcing guidelines for energy-efficient construction. "It turns out to be the right thing to do. It also turns out to be something that's cost effective. It also produces a very, very good learning environment," state Education Commissioner Richard Mills said, adding that green schools have better attendance rates because they have a healthier environment — no mold, for example. (September 28, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• No West Nile here so far in 2007 — The hot, dry summer has been good for one thing: Monroe County health officials have had no reports of West Nile virus so far this year. No mosquito-born virus has been found in humans, horses, live birds, dead birds or mosquito pools all year, which is a first in Monroe County since 2000, the first full year after West Nile virus was initially found in New York state. August and September are usually the riskiest times for people to be infected by the virus, which is carried by birds and spread to people by mosquitoes. (September 27, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Climate change, VHS stress fishery MANITOWOC - Global climate change and a recent influx of a deadly fish virus are stressing the Great Lakes fisheries, said two experts at a lecture on Monday. Climate change, which is caused by too much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is turning up the heat on Great Lakes waters, lowering water levels and reducing ice coverage in the winter, said Brian Shuter, research scientist at the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. (September 25, 07) The Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Latest Headlines
• Schumer on Russell Station - News - MSNBC.com New York's Senior U.S. Senator is threatening to torpedo a proposed merger between RG&E parent company Energy East and a Spanish energy company, Iberdrola. Senator Chuck Schumer was in Greece Monday. He says he wants assurances that RG&E aging Russell Station, a coal-fired plant, be switched over to clean burning natural gas. (Sept 26, 07) MSNBC - WHEC-TV
• Task force reconvenes to promote renewable energy agenda - Albany -- Lieutenant Governor David Paterson, chairman of the State’s Renewable Energy Task Force, joined the other members of the Renewable Energy Task Force in creating a framework for New York to develop and promote renewable energy technologies. The second meeting of the Task Force integrated the work of subcommittees that have met over the course of the year. (Sept. 26, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• Fisher, UR nourish students with more locally produced foods — Trying to nourish a household with foods from nearby farms is one thing. Feeding a campus (or other private or public entity of size) is something entirely different. Yet two institutions of higher education have made significant inroads to find the food less traveled. (September 25, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Senator Schumer Wants Guarantee to Rebuild Russel Power Plant ROCHESTER, NY  Senator Charles Schumer says the sale of Rochester Gas and Electric to a Spanish company shouldn't go forward -- until the company agrees to convert R-G-and-E's Russell Station to the latest natural gas burning technology. (2007-09-24) WXXI NewsRoom
• MPNnow Expert to visit Victor pollution site RSS Victor, N.Y. - New state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 8 Director Paul D'Amato will escort an environmental staffer from state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office Wednesday on a visit to the contaminated area on a western part of town. Town environmental consultant Paul Lytle announced the visit Monday at a Town Board meeting. (Sept.25, 07) Messenger Post Newspapers
• No Diapers, No Problem! - 13WHAM.com Some mothers are raising their babies diaper free. Advocates say "elimination communication" makes babies happier, saves money, and helps the environment. (September 25, 07) - 13WHAM.com 
• globeandmail.com: The Great Lakes disappearing act As all five shrink at an alarming pace, some people have begun to fear global warming is the culprit - The Great Lakes, so named because of their immense size and prodigious water content, aren't as great as they used to be. Government forecasters are projecting that Lake Superior, the largest of the five, will fall to its lowest level for September since modern recordkeeping began nearly a century ago. The amount flowing out of the lake at its outlet, the St. Mary's River, has plunged too, and would have to rise by a staggering 50 per cent to reach the average of the past century. (September 24, 07) globeandmail.com: Canada's National Newspaper
• RIT getting serious about the environment  - ROCHESTER - Some of the best minds in America on "Green energy" gathered at RIT Thursday, just a week after Tom Golisano promised $10 million to put RIT at the forefront of this growing field. (September 20,07) www.whec.com
• Flu shot supply to be plentiful - Area doctors urge children, pregnant women to get vaccine — Plenty of flu vaccine is expected to be available this year — the most ever — so health officials are encouraging anyone who wants to avoid a week of misery to get the shot sometime in October or November. Rochester-area doctors' offices and public clinics are just starting to receive the first of their vaccine shipments. (September 24, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• Buffalo grant to support Olmsted Parks - Buffalo -- The October Surprise Storm of 2006 destroyed or damaged the most of trees throughout the City of Buffalo, including trees in city parks, which encompasses the landmark Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park system. It is estimated that the storm damaged 80 percent to 90 percent of the nearly 12,000 trees in the Olmsted Park and Parkway System, which at one time had 40,000 trees. (September 20, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• Symptoms of trouble seen along coastline N.Y. panel says coordinated effort needed to fix ecosystems — ALBANY — The state's "coastal ecosystems are in trouble" and require a coordinated approach from governments at all levels to fix, the head of the state's coastal-management efforts said Wednesday. The state's 3,200 miles of coastline include land abutting the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, Long Island Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the Hudson River estuary. (September 20, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• More West Nile virus discovered on Long Island - North Babylon -- The New York State Department of Health has notified Suffolk County that additional mosquito samples have tested positive for West Nile virus. One sample was collected from Blydenburgh County Park in Islip on September 7th. (Sept. 15, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• The Buffalo News: Other WNY: Wind farm with 55 turbines is proposed CENTERVILLE — An application to develop a wind farm has been submitted to the Town of Centerville in Allegany County. Noble Environmental Power is seeking approval of 55 turbines in a 100-megawatt wind energy generation facility that is expected to include another 12 turbines in the adjacent Town of Rushford. (Sept. 14, 07) The Buffalo News
• Back to Albany for Victor contamination issue - Rochester, NY - MPNnow Victor, N.Y. - Town Supervisor Leslie Bamann Monday will attend a key meeting in Albany that she hopes will put state and local officials on the same page in working to settle a groundwater contamination case. (Sept. 15, 07) Homepage - Rochester, NY - MPNnow
• Hundreds gather to clean shores - Volunteers comb 11 local areas as part of an international effort — Intermittent rain Saturday morning didn't deter glove-clad volunteers from picking up litter — and documenting each food wrapper, Styrofoam worm tub and cigarette butt — along Irondequoit Bay. (September 16, 07) Democrat & Chronicle
• Earth's vital signs in bad shape: report | Reuters DALLAS (Reuters) - More wood was removed from forests in 2005 than ever before, one of many troubling environmental signs highlighted on Thursday in the Worldwatch Institute's annual check of the planet's health. The Washington-based think tank's "Vital Signs 2007-2008" report points to global patterns ranging from rising meat consumption to Asian economic growth it says are linked to the broader problem of climate change. (September 13, 07) Breaking News, World, U.S., Video, Investing and Business News & More | Reuters.com
• Wind turbines move forward despite resistance - The Steel Winds turbine project in Lackawanna may be at the edge of the water, but it could be just the initial wave of windmills in the area. Construction has already started on 67 windmills in the Wyoming County Town of Eagle, and there are at least a dozen wind projects in various stages of development across the region that could bring several hundred more to Western New York’s landscape. (Sept 15, 07) The Buffalo News
• DiNapoli issues executive order to make state more green - New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli Thursday signed an executive order aimed at reducing energy use and implementing green practices in the Office of the State Comptroller. He also directed his auditors to evaluate whether state agencies, public authorities and local governments are complying with environmental and energy requirements. (Sept. 14, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• County lets landfill plan move forward - Rochester, NY - MPNnow Canandaigua, N.Y. - The Ontario County Board of Supervisors voted last night to let Casella Waste Systems Inc. move forward with a plan to take in 49 percent more garbage at the county landfill off Routes 5 and 20 in the town of Seneca. (Sept. 14, 07) Homepage - Rochester, NY - MPNnow
• Environmentalists: New community could pose problem to wildlife - Rochester, NY - MPNnow Brighton, N.Y. - As plans move forward for the construction of a residential community featuring more than 300 living units on 63 acres in Brighton, local conservationists are unhappy about the threat to wildlife. (Sept. 14, 07) Homepage - Rochester, NY - MPNnow
• EPA finishes clean up at Diaz in Holley The dismantling of buildings at the former Diaz Chemical plant in Holley has been completed - a major step toward the completion of the clean up of the contaminated site. The Environmental Protection Agency has been a presence in the Village of Holley for many years now, but its work is nearing its end, Michael Basile, public relations coordinator of the EPA said. "Once we went in to the plant, following the chemical spill in 2003, we staged the chemicals that needed to be removed and began the clean up," he said. "The demolition of the buildings that were contaminated or structurally unsound has been finished. The buildings that are still standing will remain and could be used in the future." (Sept 9, 07) Westside News Inc.
• Golisano gives $10M to RIT for sustainability institute — Tom Golisano, founder and chairman of Paychex Inc., has donated $10 million to Rochester Institute of Technology to create the Golisano Institute for Sustainability. The institute will provide an environment in which businesses, governments and academic researchers can collaborate to improve manufacturing processes and products in order to increase usability and reduce negative environmental impacts. (September 12, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• ENVIRONMENT: Wind storm - a debate over power and place - News & Opinion - Rochester City Newspaper In the latest debate over power plants, the symbol of controversy isn't a smokestack or a reactor. It's blades. Along country roads around Upstate New York, you see the signs: pictures of windmills and words of support or opposition: "Wind Power Yes," "Clean and Green," "No Wind Turbines." - Rochester City Newspaper
• Brooklyn woman tests positive for West Nile virus - New York -- The Health Department Friday confirmed the season’s first human case of West Nile virus in a 41-year-old Brooklyn woman. (Sept. 9, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• NPR : Middle East Virus Likely Cause of Honeybee Collapse For more than a year now, a mysterious plague has been ravaging honeybee populations all over the United States. Beekeepers who have lost hives by the thousands call it "Colony Collapse Disorder." Now a group of scientists say they may have figured out what's causing it. (Sept. 06, 07) http://www.npr.org/
• Does this cat have legal claws? - Rochester, NY - MPNnow American Indians, consummate woodsmen and hunters, saw them so infrequently that they called them the ghosts of the forest. Diaries from the 1800s include detailed descriptions of encounters with the menacing cats. In our times, it seems like everyone in the Bristol Hills or other rural parts our region at least knows someone who claims to have seen a cougar. Each new reported sighting brings up the familiar debate: Do eastern cougars — also known as mountain lions, pumas, catamounts or panthers — really exist in our area? And if cougars really live here, are they part of a natural breeding population or are they merely a handful of pets that were released into the wild? (Sept. 5, 07) Homepage - Rochester, NY - MPNnow
• Canadians alarmed over climate change OTTAWA - Canadians are now expressing alarm about climate change in greater numbers than in any developed nation except France, according to a poll released Tuesday. Unless politicians respond with aggressive action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, they risk paying a heavy price, warns the president of the polling firm that commissioned the survey. (Sept 7, 07) http://www.canada.com/
• STUDY: RESTORING GREAT LAKES WORTH THE COST - A new study says investing in Great Lakes restoration will bring big economic benefits - including increased tourism. (Photo by Andy Brush) A new study released this week (September 5th) says spending money on the Great Lakes will have major economic benefits. (Sept 7, 07) Environment Report
• Anti-asthma bills signed into law - Albany -- With over three million children across New York heading back to school, Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed into law two significant pieces of legislation to help combat New York’s nation topping asthma rates. The legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Peter Rivera and Senators Andrew Lanza and Martin Golden will help combat rising levels of pediatric asthma by preventing the idling of school vehicles on school grounds and by requiring schools with nurses to maintain an asthma nebulizer on site for chronic asthmatic children. (Sept 7, 07) New York State News on the Net!
• DEC Using More Stringent Measurement for Air Quality Forecasts - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation New York State will be incorporating a new, more stringent air quality measurement in forecasting air quality health advisories. The revision incorporates a reduction enacted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in fine particulate matter exposure to protect public health and the environment. In December 2006, the EPA revised the 24-hour national ambient air quality standard for PM 2.5. The standard was made more stringent by reducing PM 2.5 to 35 micrograms per cubic meter in response to the latest research indicating that the previous standard of 65 micrograms per cubic meter did not adequately protect public health. While the EPA has not yet revised the AQI to reflect the lower standard, DEC determined that the new standard should be used when forecasting PM 2.5 levels to better protect public health. --from NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
• State: Ozone issues likely today - Air quality advisory in effect for area — State officials have issued an air quality health advisory for the western and central New York and eastern Lake Ontario regions through 10 p.m. today because of ozone levels. The advisory means that people, especially young children, who exercise or do vigorous work outdoors and those with respiratory diseases should consider limiting outdoor activity in the afternoon and early evening, when ozone levels are highest. Anyone experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing should consider consulting their doctor. (September 7, 2007) Democrat & Chronicle
• CDC to Recognize the First World Rabies Day! - WORLD RABIES DAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2007 Working together to make rabies history! Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• State Health Commissioner Urges Rabies Prevention: Observes September 8 as 'World Rabies Day' Albany, N.Y.  The New York State Health Department today joined public health leaders worldwide in an effort to eliminate the fatal disease of rabies by observing September 8 as World Rabies Day. "Rabies is a viral disease that leads to a brain infection and death in almost all cases," said State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. "While New York has not seen a human rabies case since 2000, more than 3,000 individuals received treatment for exposure to rabies last year." There were 612 reports of rabid animals in New York last year. (Sept. 7, 2007) - New York State Department of Health

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