ENS News - Energy Dept.Deal with E.Europe; Eco-Disaster in Penn.Refuge Fri, 11 Feb 2000 23:05:07 -0500 Via NY Transfer News * All the News That Doesn't Fit Environment ENS -- Environment News Service ENERGY DEPARTMENT SIGNS DEAL WITH BALTIC COUNTRIES WASHINGTON, DC, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - Energy Secretary Bill Richardson signed a joint statement last week with representatives from three Baltic countries to cooperate on the development and use of clean energy supplies. He also announced the signing of a cooperative agreement with Estonia on oil shale research and scientific exchange. "The agreement reinforces each countries' commitment to succeed in making sustainable energy development a strong force in economic development policies," said Richardson. "By signing the clean energy agreement we recognize the benefits of strengthening the integration of energy sectors and environmental policies." Representatives from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia signed the agreement during Richardson's visit to the three countries. The Joint Statement on Development and Use of Sustainable Energy and Cooperation in Support of the Environment and Climate Change outlines three goals: 1. Promote the development of market based power generation and improvements to existing energy infrastructure 2. Remove barriers to energy trade and investment 3. Promote the development and implementation of climate change national action plans which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The second agreement with Estonia on oil shale research and development represents a union of scientific and technical abilities unique to the U.S. and Estonia. Establishing scientific exchange and exploring commercial products from oil shale will provide alternatives to oil imports for both countries. Both countries have interest in improving the use of oil shale reserves for commercial profit and sustainable energy development. * * * $75 MILLION OFFERED FOR CLEAN FUELS RESEARCH WASHINGTON, DC, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - The DOE is targeting $75 million to develop new ways to produce ultra clean fuels and better vehicle pollution control devices. "Driving now accounts for 30 percent of the total air pollution in the United States," said Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. "This initiative points to the day when Americans will breathe cleaner air not only because we supported tougher regulations but also because we invested in better technologies. In addition, if we can develop a low-sulfur, high-performance diesel fuel, we can take an important step toward dramatically improving fuel economy while we cut air pollution." Sulfur in gasoline reduces the effectiveness of catalytic converters, the devices that reduce engine exhaust pollution. The DOE is asking for research proposals in three categories: 1. ultra-clean fuels produced from fossil fuel based energy resources 2. innovative emission control systems and verify their performance in engine tests 3. innovative fuel making processes, components, materials or technologies that could be incorporated into future fuel, engine and emission control systems Candidate fuels could include low-sulfur gasoline, diesel fuel or any liquid fuel that enables a vehicle to achieve ultra-low emissions. All fuels produced in the new program must be compatible with the nations existing transportation system infrastructure. The DOE will make the funding available in 2000 through 2005 and will require industry partners to share from 35 to 50 percent of a projects cost, depending on the type of project. More information is available at: http://www.netl.doe.gov/business/solicit * * * 32,000 GALLONS OF OIL SPILLED IN PENNSYLVANIA REFUGE PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - At least 32,000 gallons of crude oil spilled from a refinery pipeline into the John Heinz Wildlife refuge near Philadelphia on Saturday. The spill was discovered by a hiker who reported smelling petroleum. Officials at Sunoco Inc. are not sure how long the oil had been leaking from their pipeline, which leads from a Sunoco dock on the Delaware River to the Hog Island Tank Farm. Two 24 inch Sunoco pipelines were shut down Saturday after the leak was reported, though only one was found to have been leaking. Sunoco spokesperson John McCann said the company has five pipelines that pass through the refuge. The oil pooled beneath the ice in a 145 acre pond. About 32,000 gallons of crude had been pumped out by Sunday night, with an unknown amount still under the ice. No birds or other wildlife have been found oiled, but Dick Nugent of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serice said there is concern that threatened and endangered species, including the coastal leopard frog and red bellied turtle, could be affected. The 1,200 acre refuge is named for the late U.S. Senator John Heinz from Pennsylvania. * * * THREATENED LISTING PROPOSED FOR STEELHEAD TROUT LONG BEACH, California, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is proposing to list a Northern California steelhead trout population as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The action is a reconsideration of the agencys 1998 decision not to list, based in part on a State of California conservation effort designed to protect the fish. "The state, particularly the Fish and Game Commission, has made great efforts to implement the conservation plan for steelhead, but has been unable to implement critical elements of steelhead habitat protection on forest lands," said Rod McInnis of NMFS. "Without the protection we anticipated from the changes in forest practices, we had to reconsider our earlier decision to not list this steelhead population. However, we remain committed to protecting and restoring steelhead and other salmon in the most efficient, and least disruptive way possible, and we expect to continue working with the state and with public and private landowners to restore and protect steelhead habitat." The California Board of Forestry was unable to finalize modifications to a series of Forest Practice Rules to meet steelhead protection requirements. The state also fell behind in developing rule changes designed to meet federal steelhead conservation requirements. Federal officials were therefore compelled to reconsider their 1998 decision, and will seek public comment on the proposed listing for the next 60 days. Comments should be sent to Craig Wingert, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Room 4200, Long Beach, California, 90802. NMFS plans to issue a final listing determination by May 31. * * * TROUT UNLIMITED FINDS ERRORS IN FEDERAL SALMON REPORT PORTLAND, Oregon, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - The federal government's evaluation of the risks and management options for Snake River salmon contains seven critical errors, says the national conservation organization Trout Unlimited (TU). The errors in the NMFS Cumulative Risk Initiative (CRI), the assessment of extinction risks and recovery options for the Snake River salmon, were discovered through an independent scientific analysis commissioned by TU. "These errors allow the federal government to overestimate the time we have to save the Snake River salmon and underestimate the impacts of dams on their survival," said Jeff Curtis of TU. "The study is flawed and if it is not corrected, it will result in the federal government making flawed decisions concerning what is the best course to take to prevent the wild Snake River salmon from becoming extinct." The seven errors include the use of unrealistic salmon numbers - one fish or fewer - to determine if a species is functionally extinct. TU says the CRI also uses outdated timeframes to measure existing salmon populations, and questionable methods of determining pre-hydro and post-hydro system mortalities of migrating Snake River salmon. "I don't know if these errors were intentional, but I do know they allow the federal government to pretend we have longer to save the salmon than we do and to point to sources other than the dams for the high mortality of young Snake River salmon," Curtis said. "Whether you support dam removal or not, it is in everyone's best interest to make sure that any decision the federal government makes is based on good science." The full TU report is available at: [24]http://www.tu.org/ * * * COMPUTER SIMULATION COULD REPLACE NUCLEAR TESTING WASHINGTON, DC, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - The Department of Energy's (DOE) Stockpile Stewardship Program has completed the first ever three-dimensional (3-D) simulation of a nuclear weapon "primary" explosion. Modern nuclear weapons consist of two main components: the "primary," or trigger, and the "secondary," which produces most of the energy of a nuclear weapon. Demonstrating the ability to compute and analyze what happens to each of these components is a critical step in simulating an entire nuclear weapon's explosion in three dimensions. "This three-dimensional simulation is a key advance in our science based work to secure the safety and reliability of America's nuclear deterrent without underground testing," said Energy Secretary Bill Richardson. "The same advances in computing that make this possible will also allow for important advances infields ranging from medical and pharmaceutical research to aerospace, combustion and global climate modeling." The simulation, which ran on the IBM Blue Pacific supercomputer at DOE's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, required about 300,000 megabytes of random-access memory (RAM). For comparison, a conventional desktop computer is equipped with just a few hundred megabytes of RAM. Even with the supercomputer, calculations ran for more than 20 days. A desktop would have taken 30 years to accomplish the same task. The computer systems and architecture did not exist five years ago. They are being developed through partnerships between DOE and U.S. computer industry innovators to help the agency maintain the nations nuclear weapons stockpile without underground testing. * * * WILDERNESS SOCIETY HONORS GLORIA FLORA WASHINGTON, DC, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - The Wilderness Society is presenting Gloria Flora the Olaus and Margaret Murie Award in recognition of her courageous decisions as a forest supervisor in Nevada. The award recognizes a front line federal or state land management employee who is innovative and has taken significant risks to promote the principles of environmental conservation. Last year, Flora left her position as supervisor in Nevada in order to draw attention to what she described as an "atmosphere of hostility and distrust toward federal employees." What she found there were pervasive, almost institutionalized, anti-federal and anti-environmental sentiments. "No one has put themselves on the line for public land more than Ms. Flora," said Wilderness Society president, William Meadows. "In fact, she has risked her career for what she believes is right. Two and a half years ago, as Supervisor of Montana's Lewis and Clark National Forest, Gloria took the bold step of withdrawing from oil and gas leasing 400,000 acres of the Rocky Mountain Front. She incurred the wrath of the industry and of some members of Montana's congressional delegation." The award is named for Olaus Murie, president of the Wilderness Society from 1945 to 1962. Both he and his wife, Mardy Murie, promoted legislation to protect the last of the wild places from development. President Bill Clinton presented Mardy Murie with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 1998. The Murie Award carries a $2,000 donation, from an anonymous donor, to a conservation organization of the recipient's choice. * * * NEW PRODUCTS ADDED TO GOVERNMENT RECYCLED PURCHASING LIST WASHINGTON, DC, February 4, 2000 (ENS) - As part of continuing federal efforts to encourage use of recycled materials, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding 18 new items to the list of products that government agencies must purchase from recycled sources. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Executive Order 13101, "Greening the Government Through Waste Prevention, Recycling, and Federal Acquisition," issued on September 14, 1998, requires federal agencies to buy recycled products designated by EPA. The government's purchasing power can divert materials that would otherwise be discarded into the manufacture of products made with recovered materials. The 18 new items include carpet cushions, flowable fill (used for filler around pipes and in trenches), railroad grade crossing surfaces, park benches/picnic tables, playground equipment, food waste compost, plastic lumber landscaping timbers/posts, solid plastic binders, plastic clipboards, plastic file folders, plastic clip portfolios, plastic presentation folders, absorbents, industrial drums, award plaques, mats, signage and manual grade strapping. In addition, the EPA has revised its recovered materials content recommendations for steel shower and restroom dividers/partitions, steel recycling containers and waste receptacles and the steel components of traffic barricades and delineators. These items will now appear on the Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines issued by the EPA. More information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/cpg * * * NEW YORK COMPLETES STERLING FOREST DEALS ALBANY, New York, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - Governor George Pataki today announced plans to purchase the final three parcels needed to protect Sterling Forest State Park. The completed deals will bring New Yorks largest state park to more than 19,000 acres. "By adding to the magnificent Sterling Forest State Park, which is just 90 minutes from Manhattan, we are giving millions of New Yorkers a wonderful opportunity to enjoy outdoors New York at its natural best," Pataki said. "By working together, we have created an incredible State Park for generations of New Yorkers to hike its trails, gaze over its scenic vistas and enjoy the peaceful sounds of the forest. At the same time, we are continuing to protect drinking water for millions of New York and New Jersey residents." The Sterling Forest property is part of the Ramapo River Watershed, which provides drinking water for 25 percent of New Jersey's population. New York State has paid New York University (NYU) $860,000 to acquire a 659 acre parcel bordering the park. Another $610,000 paid for 209 privately held acres on the west side of the park. New York has also reached an agreement with Zurich Centre Group to purchase about 1,350 acres for $8 million, with the State contributing $4 million. Pataki has requested funding through the federal government's Forest Legacy Program to assist in this essential acquisition. The State Park was created in 1998 with the $55 million purchase of 15,000 acres along the New York-New Jersey border. * * * LEONARDO DICAPRIO ASKED TO MAKE EARTH DAY MEAT FREE WASHINGTON, DC, February 7, 2000 (ENS) - The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has asked actor Leonardo DiCaprio to help promote a vegetarian diet. DiCaprio will chair this years Earth Day celebration in Washington, D.C. on April 22, and PETA is urging DiCaprio to make the event meat free. "There's good reason to promote vegetarianism on Earth Day," PETA tells the Oscar nominated star in a letter faxed last week. "According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the meat industry's factory farms pollute our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined." PETA also hopes DiCaprio will consider the plight of animals who suffer at the hands of the meat industry. Each year, nine billion animals are killed to be eaten in the U.S. alone. "This Earth Day, please encourage people to respect the planet and all its inhabitants by going vegetarian - for at least this one important day," PETA asks the "Titanic" star. DiCaprio, who returns to theaters next week in "The Beach," has been quick to debunk rumors that the film's production harmed the ecosystem of a beach in Thailand. The full text of the letter to DiCaprio is available at: http://www.peta-online.org/pn/leoletterbig.gif ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012 http://www.blythe.org e-mail: nyt@blythe.org ================================================================= nyteeu-02.11.00-23:05:09-10410