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NFC: Fw: RiverCurrents: December 14, 2001
RiverCurrents readers,
You may notice a slightly different look to this issue. That's
because we are sending RiverCurrents out through a new email system.
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information. And as always, please send your comments to
asouers at amrivers_org. Thanks!
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RiverCurrents: December 14, 2001
Brought to you by www.americanrivers.org:
The online community for river activists and river friends
AOL KEYWORD: American Rivers
RiverCurrents is a weekly summary of river news and information as
reported by media outlets across the country. The inclusion of a
story or point of view in RiverCurrents does not necessarily indicate
endorsement by American Rivers. If you have clarifications or
corrections about a story in RiverCurrents, please send them to
asouers at amrivers_org.
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The clock is ticking!
Do your holiday shopping...and help rivers!
When you buy your gifts here this holiday season, a percentage of
each purchase will be donated to river conservation efforts.
There are 14 featured gift ideas in our River Marketplace --
and links to hundreds more. Come check it out!
www.amrivers.org/feature/happyholidays.htm
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This week's river news:
1) Making hydropower dams more "river friendly"
The Hydropower Reform Coalition this week applauded the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for shining a spotlight on 39
rivers across the country that are burdened by antiquated dam
licenses. But the HRC qualified its praise by saying that "action
must follow."
The HRC also called on Congress to include language in its energy
bill to ensure that modern licenses for the more than 450 dams due
for licensing in the next 10 years are issued in a timely manner with
appropriate conditions to protect the health of public rivers.
"Chairman Wood's attention to these antiquated hydropower dam
licenses is a positive sign for the future of our rivers," said Matt
Sicchio, Coordinator of the HRC.
"We hope this attention is followed by action that brings these dams
up to modern environmental standards as soon as possible. After all,
these dams have been using public rivers with little or no
environmental protections for decades."
Read more: http://www.amrivers.org/pressrelease/hydro12.12.01.htm
Get a clear overview of the issues and solutions in our user-friendly
online information kit:
www.amrivers.org/hydropowerdamreform/hydropowerreform.htm
2) "Citizen scientists" monitoring Pennsylvania's streams
Bud Bankert, a retired biology teacher, and Ernie Lauer, a retired
Harley-Davidson engineer, today are "citizen scientists" watching
over Pennsylvania's rivers and streams. The two men are among 1,000
seniors who have signed up with Pennsylvania's Senior Environment
Corps.
The Corps is a volunteer program launched in 1997 through an
agreement between the state departments of aging and environmental
protection and a Virginia-based nonprofit organization (Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette, 12-9-01).
"We decided it would be a good thing to be involved with, mainly
because most people don't realize how critical the water situation is
becoming," said Bankert, 73. "The only way we can ensure we have good
water in the future is to keep monitoring it."
As reports the Post-Gazette, "State officials say the program --
funded with about $300,000 in state grants, combined with federal and
private grants -- illustrates how teamwork between citizens and
government can benefit the environment. Most of the money is used to
train volunteers and provide them with test kits and other light
equipment needed to do their sampling."
Bankert, Lauer, and the other volunteers wade into streams to test
phosphate, nitrate and sulfate levels, as well as alkalinity and
acidity. They also conduct macroinverterbrate inventories and look
for signs of erosion along the banks. The information is entered into
an internet database and used by Department of Environmental
Protection officials and watershed groups.
"There are 83,000 miles of waterways in Pennsylvania, and are we
hitting them all? No," said Beth Grove, an Environmental Alliance
employee who works with Pennsylvania volunteers. "But we're making
one heck of a dent in them."
Fifteen other states-- including California, Oklahoma and New
Hampshire-- have used Pennsylvania's model to start their own
programs.
Get your own stream survey forms (provided by Tim Craddock, the
Citizens Monitoring Coordinator for the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection)
www.amrivers.org/streamrestorationtoolkit/sampledoc.htm
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funds will be allocated. Please click here to vote online for
American Rivers and other organizations you would most like to
support. The deadline is December 31, 2001.
Click here to vote:
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3) Public says Texas water plan needs work
Two thousand people submitted comments to the Texas Water Development
Board about the state's water plan, "Water for Texas 2002."
Environmental groups say roughly 96 percent of these public comments
point out shortcomings in conservation and fish and wildlife habitat
protection.
According to one national environmental group, one of the problems
with the $108 billion plan, which addresses water usage in Texas
through 2050, is that it does not use conservation as a water supply
strategy. In addition, plan allots $17 billion for dams and pipelines.
"More and more water will be demanded by growing urban areas," added
Mary Kelly, executive director of the Texas Center for Policy
Studies. "If we don't manage that demand wisely, fish and wildlife
resources and rural economies that rely on those resources could be
damaged irreparably. That doesn't have to happen if the board will
just listen to what the general public is saying." (Greenwire, 12-11-
01).
4) Groups criticize plan to save fish
Two environmental groups say that a plan hailed by states and water
users is not enough to save the Colorado River Basin's humpback chub,
bonytail chub, razorback sucker and Colorado pikeminnow.
Utah-based Living Rivers and the Desert Fishes Council have outlined
several criticisms, saying the plan-- under consideration by the US
Fish & Wildlife Service-- places too much reliance on hatcheries to
increase fish numbers; not enough habitat restoration; and not enough
attention on removing invasive fish.
"We're concerned that the agency, in its eagerness to please water
and power interests in the seven Colorado River basin states, is
rushing to set criteria that will cost taxpayers millions more
dollars while not helping recover the fish they're supposed to be
saving," said David Orr of Living Rivers (Las Vegas Sun, 12-12-01).
5) Report: West Virginia Rivers
The West Virginia Rivers Coalition released a report this week
concluding that the state must make tougher water pollution limits
more of a priority. The report points to the positive developments
that have taken place across the state, but says that the "real test"
will come over the next few years when hundreds of TMDLs (Total
Maximum Daily Loads) are written.
According to the report's author Evan Hansen, the state and the
Environmental Protection Agency have so far written 25 TMDLs. But,
says Hansen, none of the TMDLs spell out how required pollution
reductions would be achieved (Charleston Gazette, 12-12-01).
"The DEP has not publicly committed itself to methodically and fully
implementing TMDLs," the report says.
The Bush administration has withdrawn the Clinton administration
proposal that would require all TMDLs to contain implementation
plans.
Hansen told the Gazette, "Our state lists over 700 polluted river and
stream segments and lakes, and cleanup plans have been developed for
fewer than 200 of these water bodies. And most of the cleanup plans
were developed just this year."
6) Report: Colorado water
A recent report from the University of Colorado Natural Resources Law
Center concludes that "a more flexible and sophisticated approach
will be needed to meet the challenges of water management in the 21st
century" (Denver Post, 12-11-01).
As Colorado continues to grow, so will water demands. That's why the
state should prepare a variety of management tools to address future
needs, says Peter Nichols, one of the report's authors.
The report makes several recommendations, including the "reuse of
wastewater to help provide cost-effective supplies for nonpotable
uses, including industrial and landscaping irrigation."
University of Colorado professor David Getches, a natural resources
law scholar and author, told the Denver Post, "The report is
remarkable in that it looks at growth and water together. That
inextricable connection is something that should concern everyone."
"Up to now, we've emulated Southern California at every turn, and
that has led to a land-use nightmare," Getches said. It's crucial for
people to understand the implications of growth and development on
water resources and the report helps illustrate these issues, he
said.
"For example, if people knew that living on a quarter-acre lot with a
bluegrass lawn means there will be no place to fish for trout within
an hour's drive, they might be willing to accept smaller lots,"
Getches said.
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Colorado water facts
(as reported by the Denver Post)
* Coloradans use about 208 gallons per day for "domestic use,"
compared with a national average of 179 gallons.
* Largely because of irrigation, total per capita off-stream water
use in Colorado is 3,690 gallons per day, nearly three times the
national average of 1,280 gallons per day.
Only four other states have higher levels of use: Idaho, Montana,
Nebraska and Wyoming.
* More than 90 percent of water consumed through human activities in
Colorado occurs in agriculture.
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7) Toms River families settle in cancer suit
A group of 69 families in Toms River, N.J. this week settled their
claims against three companies that the families blamed for causing
cancer in their children.
As reports the Philadelphia Inquirer (12-14-01), the mediated
settlement came just five days before New Jersey health officials are
to release a study on whether the cancers could be attributed to
polluted water. Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed,
and the companies - Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp., Union Carbide
Corp., and United Water Resources Inc. - did not admit fault.
The families maintain that the cancers were caused by pollutants in
their water generated by Ciba and a contractor hired by Union
Carbide. The chemicals involved were used in the manufacture of
epoxies, resins and dyestuffs.
One high-profile lawyer in the case was Jan Schlictmann, whose
efforts in a Woburn, Mass., case were depicted in the book and movie
A Civil Action.
Bruce Anderson, a lifelong resident of the Toms River area-- and
whose son was found to have a rare form of leukemia-- told the
Inquirer that he started a website, www.tr-teach.org, to educate
people about environmental hazards in their communities.
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About RiverCurrents
RiverCurrents is a weekly summary of river news and information as
reported by media outlets across the country. The inclusion of a
story or point of view in RiverCurrents does not necessarily indicate
endorsement by American Rivers. If you have clarifications or
corrections about a story in RiverCurrents, please send them to
asouers at amrivers_org.
About American Rivers
American Rivers has a national office in Washington, DC and field
offices across the country. We are a non-profit conservation
organization dedicated to protecting and restoring rivers and to
fostering a river stewardship ethic.
If you'd like to support our conservation efforts, please consider
becoming a member of American Rivers. Call 1-800-296-6900 x3009 to
find out how to become a member or to give a membership as a gift.
Additional information is available at our website,
www.americanrivers.org.
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