The Water Cooler

EPA Encourages Water Conservation

2008-09-11T12:29:00.000-04:00

Water usage has gained national attention with current flooding and drought conditions in over half of the United States.

PHILADELPHIA (September 10, 2008)
Contact: David Sternberg, 215-814-5548 sternberg.david@epa.gov

Water is a precious resource that is taken for granted until its availability becomes limited, and the growing demand for water and increasing population can create water shortages.

Across the country a typical family of four spends about $850 on water and sewer costs per year, so reducing water use can also save money. A typical family of four can save $210 per year by changing over to water-efficient appliances and fixtures, and by adopting other water saving practices.

"The average American uses a whopping 100 gallons of water per day, so making these few day-to-day sacrifices should not be a problem," said Donald S. Welsh, EPA regional administrator.

EPA offers these water conservation tips:

Avoid using the garbage disposal or water softener which requires lots of water. Garbage disposals use approximately 11.5 gallons of water. Try composting organic wastes instead.

Take short showers. Soap up and turn on the shower only to rinse off. A 10-minute continuous shower uses about 45 gallons of water.

Use dishwashers and clothes washers only when fully loaded. A clothes washer uses about 50 gallons of water per load.

Turn off faucets while brushing teeth and shaving. An open conventional faucet allows five gallons of water flow every two minutes. Instead of running water, clean razors in a small pool of water or a glass of water.

Refrigerate a pitcher of water for drinking, instead of running the water until it gets cold.

Repair leaky faucets, toilets and pumps. A silent leak in a toilet can waste 500 gallons of water a day and cost $1000 a year. A toilet built before 1982 is a candidate for replacement, saving upwards of 25,000 gallons per year for a family of four.

Now is a good time to install low-flow faucets, showers, and toilets, if you don’t already have them. Conventional toilets use 3.5 to 5 gallons of water per flush, compared to low-flow toilets that use 1.6 gallons or less. Low-flow toilets save enough water to pay for themselves in about five years. Replacing an older washing machine with a new Energy Star machine will use 35-50 percent less water and 50 percent less energy per load.

Replace a 4.5-gallon-per-minute showerhead with a 2.5-gallon-per-minute head. This can save a family of four 20,000 gallons of water a year. A three-member household can save a total of 54,000 gallons of water per year with low-flow plumbing, and save $60 per year on water bills.

Use a toilet displacement device, such as a brick or plastic jug (with the top cut off) filled with pebbles. Place it in the toilet tank to reduce the amount of water used per flush. Make sure it does not interfere with the flushing mechanisms or the water flow. More than a gallon of water can be saved per flush.

Don’t use toilets as a waste basket.

Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around pumps.

When cleaning a fish tank, use the drained water on plants. The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, a healthy treat for plants.
 For further information: http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/index.htm
http://www.energystar.gov/products. For a virtual tour: http://www.h2ouse.org.  

Carbon plans recycling event

2008-09-05T08:49:00.000-04:00

Carbon County is hosting a Special Recycling Event at the Lower Towamensing Township Municipal Building on Hahn’s Dairy Road, Palmerton, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 30.

Anything electronic will be accepted at no charge to the county or residents. Televisions have been added this year, however, there is a charge of $5 each.

Acceptable materials that will be received at no charge include: VCRs, DVD players, radios, stereo equipment, computers, mainframe and telecom equipment, application equipment, test equipment, circuit boards of any kind, fax machines, and also new this year the Carbon County Department of Solid Waste will collect air conditioners and humidfiers.

Also new this year, vegetable oil will be collected and textiles will be collected.

Old clothing and cloth items such as curtains, bedding, towels and other fabrics will be accepted in cooperation with Floyd’s Used Clothing.

White goods, such as appliances are still not acceptable.

Contact the Department of Solid Waste at 610-852-5111, with questions.

DEP TO GATHER PUBLIC COMMENTS ON DRAFT STATE WATER PLAN

2008-09-04T15:12:00.000-04:00

Department to Host 6 Regional Meetings This Month

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvanians will have a chance to provide input on how the commonwealth manages its vast water resources during a series of public meetings to be held across the state this month. The Department of Environmental Protection, along with members of six regional water resources committees, will accept testimony on the draft state water plan that is being developed in accordance with the Water Resources Planning Act.

“This document will serve as a blueprint that guides sustainable water use throughout the commonwealth for the next 30 years,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Water Management Cathy Curran Myers. “Our water resources are important to our economy and our quality of life, so it’s essential that we have a plan in place that ensures that we are good stewards of these precious assets. Once finalized, this plan will serve as a tool for everyone—for the public, for municipalities, and for businesses interested in creating jobs here.”

The Waters Resources Act requires DEP to develop a new state water plan that includes inventories of water availability, an assessment of current and future water demands, an evaluation of resource management alternatives, and proposed methods of implementing recommended actions. Developing the plan is the first step in analyzing problems and needs associated with specific water-related activities, such as navigation, stormwater management and flood control.

Each public meeting will be preceded by an open house from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. to give people a chance to review displays and maps of the respective regions. From 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., DEP staff and members of the respective regional committees will give presentations on the draft plan and conduct an informal discussion period. The department will begin accepting formal comments on the draft plan beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Anyone planning to testify should register in advance by contacting Karen Price at 717-783-9499 or by e-mailing kprice@state.pa.us. A written copy of the testimony should be provided to department staff at the hearings. Written testimony also will be accepted through Sept. 30 and may be sent to Leslie Sarvis, DEP Water Planning Office, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063. Each regional water resources committee will conduct a regular business meeting from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the same date and location as the public meeting. The business meetings are open to the public.

The draft state water plan and agendas for each meeting are available through the Public Participation link at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Participate. ###

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a list of meeting dates and locations: • Sept. 8 – Ohio Regional Water Resources Committee meeting, Seven Fields Community Center, 380 Castle Creek Dr., Seven Fields, Butler County. For information, contact Lori Mohr, DEP Water Planning Office, 717-787-4628 or laumohr@state.pa.us.

• Sept 9 – Great Lakes Regional Water Resources Committee meeting, Erie County Conservation district, 1927 Wager Rd., Erie. For information, contact Lori Mohr, DEP Water Planning Office, 717-787-4628 or laumohr@state.pa.us.

• Sept. 11 – Delaware Regional Water Resources Committee meeting, Room 605 Fowler Family Southside Centre, Northampton Community College, 511 E. Third St., Bethlehem. For information, contact Leslie Sarvis, DEP Water Planning Office, 717-772-5634 or lsarvis@state.pa.us.

• Sept. 15 – Lower Susquehanna Regional Water Resources Committee meeting, Radisson Penn Harris Hotel & Convention Center, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill, Cumberland County. For information, contact Leslie Sarvis, DEP Water Planning Office, 717-772-5634 or lsarvis@state.pa.us.

• Sept. 17 – Upper/Middle Susquehanna Region Water Resources meeting, Holiday Inn, 100 Pine St., Williamsport. For information, contact Lori Mohr, DEP Water Planning Office, 717-787-4628 or laumohr@state.pa.us.

• Sept. 18 – Potomac Regional Water Resources Committee meeting, Multi-Purpose Center, Penn State Mont Alto Campus, One Campus Dr., Mont Alto, Franklin County. For information, contact Leslie Sarvis, DEP Water Planning Office, 717-772-5634 or lsarvis@state.pa.us.

Science that Weathers the Storm…..

2008-08-29T13:35:00.000-04:00

Track Flooding During Tropical Storm Gustav in Real-Time

News Release

U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey

For release: August 29, 2008
Contact: Eastern States (FL, AL, GA, MS), AB Wade, 703-648-4483, abwade@usgs.gov
Central States (LA, TX), Heidi Koontz, 303-202-4763, hkoontz@usgs.gov
Headquarters, Jennifer LaVista, 703-648-4432, jlavista@usgs.gov

Reporters: Want to accompany a USGS crew as they install mobile gages or storm surge sensors? Contact Brian McCallum at 404-375-2505 or bemccall@usgs.gov.

Real-time flooding and storm surge information is available as Tropical Storm Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast by visiting the interactive US Geological Survey (USGS) Water Hazards Map.

The map provides flooding and storm surge data from Gulf Coast streamgages, which is imperative to local, State and Federal officials in order to forecast floods and coordinate flood-response activities in the affected area.

“We could not accurately forecast river flows and water-levels without the data and support we receive from the USGS,” said Dave Reed, Hydrologist-In-Charge of the National Weather Service Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center in Slidell, LA. “When river and tide data are not available, our job of forecasting is much more difficult and typically results in diminished accuracy of those forecasts.”

The USGS, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, has just installed five new strengthened, or “hardened,” tidal gages along the Louisiana Gulf Coast and Mississippi Sound. These gages were designed to withstand a category 4 hurricane storm surge. Real-time data from hardened gages, as well as and storm-surge sensors and rapidly-deployable mobile gages will also be accessible on the USGS Hazards Map on a Google Map interface by visiting http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/gustav.

Access other USGS Tropical Storm Gustav efforts by visiting http://www.usgs.gov/gustav.

USGS scientists will install rapidly-deployable mobile gages and storm-surge sensors starting tomorrow. Real-time data from these devices will also be visible on the hazards map. These temporary gages provide additional real-time monitoring data in critical areas needed for effective forecasting and emergency response.

Rapidly deployed mobile stations provide special, short-term data in critical areas lacking long-term streamgages. These mobile real-time stations will help emergency needs and improve coastal flood forecasts. They provide up-to-the-minute data that is critical to the National Weather Service and other partners involved in issuing flood warnings and the evacuation of communities.

USGS also has a network of rugged, inexpensive water-level and barometric-pressure sensors, called
storm-surge sensors, which are ready to be installed right before Gustav hits land. These sensors provide information about storm surge duration, times of surge arrival and retreat, and maximum depths, which is useful in forecasting and modeling future events. Tropical Storms Katrina and Rita vividly demonstrated that coastal storm surge can be as dangerous as inland flooding caused by rain.

For more than 125 years, the USGS has monitored flow in selected streams and rivers across the United States and does so in cooperation with over 850 federal, state and local agencies.

State Contacts:

If you would like to know more specific information about USGS Tropical Storm Gustav response activities in your area, please contact the appropriate person listed below.

Alabama: Athena Clark, 334-395-4141, athclark@usgs.gov
Florida: Barry Rosen, 407-803-5508, brosen@usgs.gov
Georgia: Ed Martin, 770-903-9166, ehmartin@usgs.gov
Louisiana: Charles Demas, 225-298-5481 Ext. 3117, crdemas@usgs.gov
Mississippi: Michael Plunkett, 601-933-2940, plunkett@usgs.gov
Texas: Robert Joseph, 512-927-3500, rljoseph@usgs.gov

USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov.

Subscribe to USGS News Releases via our electronic mailing list or RSS feed.

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Federal Agency to Discuss Polycythemia Vera Investigation Findings at Public Meeting on August 25

2008-08-19T10:23:00.001-04:00

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Protecting America’s Health from Toxic Exposure

Media inquiries: 770-488-0700 or atsdrmediainquiries@cdc.gov
ATSDR Web site: www.atsdr.cdc.gov

Note to correspondents: ATSDR staff will be available for a press availability session to discuss the updates of the investigation from 5:30 until 6:00p.m. on Monday, August 25 at Genetti’s Best Western Hotel, located at 1441 N. Church St. in Hazleton. No appointment is needed.

For Immediate Release: August 18, 2008

ATLANTA – The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will hold a public meeting to discuss the final findings of an investigation of the polycythemia vera (PV) cases in Schuylkill, Luzerne, and Carbon counties. The federal public health agency will also outline areas for future research.

The meeting will be held on Monday, August 25 from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. at Genetti’s Best Western Hotel, located at 1441 N. Church St. in Hazleton.

National experts on PV and representatives from the Pennsylvania Departments of Health (PADOH) and Environmental Protection will participate in the community meeting.

PV is a rare illness that causes the body to make too many red blood cells. In August 2006, PADOH asked ATSDR to help determine the number of PV cases in the tri-county area and to look for possible factors in common among them.

ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances.

###

Members of the press can request an interview with ATSDR staff by calling the NCEH/ATSDR Office of Communication at 770-488-0700. The updates on the investigation will be shared at the press availability session and community meeting on August 25.

Deep-well natural gas drilling a concern for state's water quality

2008-08-18T11:10:00.000-04:00

Penn State Ag Sciences Newswire (08.18.08)
http://live.psu.edu/story/33947/nw69
Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Reminiscent of Pennsylvania's halcyon days of oil production and coal mining early in the last century, the current boom in natural-gas well drilling is a concern for the state's streams and groundwater, according to an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Decades ago, we weren't careful with coal mining. As a result, we are still paying huge sums to clean up acid mine drainage from that period, and we will be for a long time," said Bryan Swistock, water resources specialist with Penn State Cooperative Extension. "We need to be careful and vigilant or we could see lasting damage to our water resources from so many deep gas wells being drilled across Pennsylvania."

This latest wave of gas-well drilling is unlike other previous exploration because the wells are so deep, tapping the Marcellus shale formation, which is a mile or more below the surface of much of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and New York. Scientists have known for years the gas was there, but it wasn't until new drilling technology was developed that it could be extracted. This method uses hydraulic pressure to fracture the shale layer so trapped gas can escape.

"Fracking, as they call it, can require several million gallons of water for each gas well, and some wells may be fracked more than once during their active life, which might span more than a decade," Swistock explained. "Where that water comes from, and what the drillers do with it when it is recovered, is a big issue for our state. The fracking water can have various chemical additives along with natural contaminants from deep underground when it comes back to the surface, so it needs to be collected and treated or recycled properly."

In other states, fracking water has been found to contain numerous hazardous and toxic substances, including formaldehyde, benzene and chromates. Most municipal sewage-treatment plants can't or won't accept gas-well waste fluids. Another potential hazard from gas-well wastewater is the release of radon and other naturally occurring radioactive materials, noted Swistock.

''Radioactive substances are not uncommon in Pennsylvania groundwater to begin with,'' he said, adding that the waste fluids that come with gas production also may contain high levels of salt, various metals such as iron and manganese, and traces of barium, lead and arsenic. "Although highly diluted with water, the proper treatment of all gas-well waste fluids is a big issue that needs to be addressed."

People who live close to gas-drilling operations should have their water tested by a third-party, DEP-approved lab, advised Swistock. "Homeowners who have their own well or spring and are within 1,000 feet of a gas-well site are very likely to be visited by water-lab employees hired by the gas company," he said, adding that homeowners should take advantage of this free testing and make sure to get copies of the results, which they are entitled to by law.

"If homeowners decide to do their own water testing, it's important that they have an unbiased expert from a state-certified lab collect the samples in case the sample results are needed for legal action," he said.

The timing of sampling is also important, according to Swistock. Well owners should have their water tested within a few months before the start of the drilling. Once a company has started drilling, it's too late because there won't be a record of the well water's quality before drilling. If a resident decides to test for any impacts after the drilling has occurred, that needs to be done within six months because drillers are presumed responsible for any damage to water supplies within six months after drilling has begun.

"Although we have occasionally seen effects on water supplies beyond 1,000 feet, the regulation that is written into the gas and oil act states that any water supply within 1,000 feet of a gas well is the driller's responsibility for six months after drilling," he said. "If there is any complaint, the driller is guilty until he is proven innocent; outside the 1,000-feet distance and six-month time frame, the burden of proof shifts to the homeowner."

While contamination from waste fluids is one concern, another is where the companies will get all of the fresh water they need for drilling and fracking. Swistock warned that taking too much water from headwater streams may disrupt sensitive aquatic ecosystems.

"Our mountain streams, many of which harbor wild trout, are precious resources and we cannot allow them to be dewatered to dangerously low levels," he said. "Two drilling operations in Lycoming County recently were shut down by the state Department of Environmental Protection because they were drawing huge volumes of water from small streams in violation of the Clean Streams Law."

Complicating the water-usage issue is differing oversight across the state. Both the Delaware River and Susquehanna River Basin commissions require permits from well drillers who plan to withdraw large amounts of water. The Ohio River basin currently has less oversight.

Growing up in Indiana County, Swistock saw both the benefits and negative effects of gas-well drilling. "The economic impact can be tremendous, and the environmental effects can be minimized if we are careful," he said. "The newer, deeper drilling in the Marcellus shale is different than the gas-well drilling we are accustomed to, and it's happening very quickly.” We need to adapt our regulations and strengthen our regulatory agencies to make sure we are prepared to protect our water resources."

Strategy to Assess the Nation’s Ground-Water Availability

2008-08-14T13:46:00.000-04:00

News Release

U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey

For release: August 14, 2008
Contact: William Alley, 619-225-6125, walley@usgs.gov
Jennifer LaVista, 703-648-4432, jlavista@usgs.gov

Strategy to Assess the Nation’s Ground-Water Availability

Scientists proposed a strategy to study the Nation's ground-water supply as part of the Federal government’s effort to help address the Nation’s increasing competition for water.

Declines in ground-water levels have led to concerns about the future availability of ground water, which provides half the country’s drinking water and is essential to the vitality of agriculture and industry, as well as to the health of rivers, wetlands, and estuaries throughout the country.

The report, “Ground-Water Availability in the United States” examines what is known about the Nation’s ground-water availability and outlines a strategy for future national and regional studies that would provide information to help state and local agencies make informed water-availability decisions. View the report on-line at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1323/.

“An assessment of ground-water availability is critical for state and local agencies to make decisions about important issues such as drinking water, industrial and energy production, and agricultural uses,” says William Alley, USGS Office of Ground Water Chief.

The approach outlined in the report is designed to provide useful regional information for State and local agencies who manage ground-water resources, while providing the building blocks for a national assessment. The report places the regional studies by the USGS Ground-Water Resources Program as a long-term effort to understand ground-water availability in major aquifers across the Nation. The report contains information about 30 regional principal aquifers and five case studies to illustrate the diversity of water-availability issues. The report is written for a wide audience interested or involved in the management, protection, and sustainable use of the Nation’s water resources.

Ground water, a hidden resource found below the surface of the Earth, is among the Nation’s most important natural resources. Extensive use of ground-water resources and other effects of pumping has led to concerns about the future availability of ground water to meet domestic, agricultural, industrial, and environmental needs.

Determining ground-water availability is a complex process. Issues affecting ground-water vary from location to location and commonly require analysis in the context of ground-water flow systems to achieve a meaningful perspective. Even if water resources are abundant regionally, heavy water use in centralized areas can create local stresses. As water-related problems evolve in complex ways, an up-to-date and comprehensive evaluation of ground-water resources that builds on the foundation of previous studies is needed to meet society’s ever-changing water demands.

This report is an outgrowth of a pilot study, National Assessment of Water Availability and Use, that began in 2005 at the request of Congress. The report also builds on regional ground-water availability studies recently undertaken as part of the USGS Ground-Water Resources Program. The approach to national ground-water assessment is a key element of the water census of the United States, which has been proposed as part of the proposed Federal science strategy to meet nationwide water challenges by the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality.

USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov.

Subscribe to USGS News Releases via our electronic mailing list
[ http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/list_server.asp ] or RSS feed [http://www.usgs.gov/rss/newsroom.rss }

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Test your knowledge of water trivia

2008-07-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

What do you know about water? Take this test and see how you do.

1. Water is the only substance found on earth naturally in three forms?

2. Does water regulate the earth's temperature?

3. At what temperature does water freeze?

4. At what temperature does water vaporize?

5. How long can a person live without food? Without water?

6. How much of the human body is water?

7. How much of the earth's surface is water?

8. How much water must a person consume per day to maintain health?

9. Of all the earth's water, how much is ocean and seas?

10. How much of the world's water is frozen and therefore unusable?

11. How much of the earth's water is suitable for drinking?

12. Is it possible to drink water that was part of the dinosaur era?

13. How much water must a dairy cow drink to produce one gallon of milk?

14. How much water does the average residence use during a year?

15. How much water does an individual use daily?

16. What does a person pay for water on a daily basis?

17. How many community public water systems are there in the United States?

18. How much does one gallon of water weigh?

19. How much water does it take to process a quarter pound of hamburger?

20. How many miles of pipelines and aqueducts are in the United States and Canada?

21. How many households use private wells for their water supply?

22. What were the first water pipes made from in the United States?

23. Where was the first municipal water filtration works opened and when?

24. How much water is used to manufacture a new car, including new tires?

25. How much water is used to produce a single day's supply of U.S. newsprint?

Answers: 1. TRUE (solid, liquid, gas). 2. YES. 3. 32 degrees F, 0 degrees C. 4. 212 degrees F, 100 degrees C. 5. More than a month; about one week depending on conditions. 6. 66 percent. 7. 80 percent. 8. 2.5 quarts from all sources. 9. 97 percent. 10. 2 percent. 11. 1 percent. 12. YES. Water is constantly recycled. 13. Four gallons. 14. More than 100,000 gallons. 15. More than 100 gallons. 16. National average is 25 cents. 17. 54,000. 18. 8.34 pounds. 19. About one gallon. 20. About 1 million miles or enough to circle the earth 40 times. 21. More than 13 million. 22. Fire-charred, bored logs. 23. Paisley, Scotland in 1832. 24. 39,090 gallons. 25. 300 million gallons.

More questions are available at: http://www.epa/gov/safewater

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Two 500-Year Floods Within 15 Years: What are the Odds?

2008-07-02T15:53:00.000-04:00

Heavy rainfall across the Midwest has caused major flooding, which has been described as a "500-year flood." So what does that mean? This term is based on the annual likelihood of the degree of flooding. A 500-year flood magnitude has a 0.2 percent chance — or 1 in 500 — of being exceeded in any one year. A 100-year flood magnitude has a 1 percent chance — or 1 in 100 — of being exceeded in the same place, and so on. These statistics are not dependent on what happened last year, 15 years ago or even 100 years ago. Instead, they are calculated by taking annual peak flow values from the network of USGS streamgages and feeding that data into highly developed probability models. Streamgages provide long-term stream flow data that scientists need to better understand floods and define flood-prone areas. For more information about Midwest flooding, visit http://www.usgs.gov/homepage/science_features/flooding_june08.asp. To listen to an interview with USGS scientist Robert Holmes on this topic, visit http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ID=81. For more information, contact Heidi Koontz at 303-202-4763 or hkoontz@usgs.gov.

EEC Hosts Program on Rain Gardens

2008-06-23T07:53:00.000-04:00

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: June 23, 2008

"EEC Hosts Program on Rain Gardens"

The Carbon County Environmental Education Center will host a program on the use of rain gardens and rainwater collection on Friday, June 27th, at 7:00 pm.

Cindy Kerschner, a member of the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians, will show participants how to use gardening techniques to slow or stop the effects of erosion and runoff on their property. She will also demonstrate how to construct a simple rainwater collection system - a "rain barrel" - for very little money.

The Groundwater Guardians are an all-volunteer group dedicated to public education on groundwater and drinking water issues.

The program is free to CCEEC members, and a small donation is requested from non-members. For more information or to register, call (570) 645-8597.

The EEC is located at the west end of Mauch Chunk Lake Park, just outside Jim Thorpe, along the Lentz Trail Highway.

What do you think about your community?

2008-06-19T14:52:00.002-04:00

We all have opinions about the community where we live. We like and don’t like some things. We probably would like to see some changes and leave the rest alone.

If you live in Luzerne, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne counties, the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development Council (PNERCD) wants to know your opinion on what is your community’s biggest need?

PNERCD is a regional, nonprofit organization that has been working since 1980 within northeast Pennsylvania.

There is an online Survey at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=p0VKf0EMGcuNUe6wMU2rUA_3d_3d
where you can express your feelings about economic development, historic preservation, reclaiming abandoned mine land, watershed management, forest management, land conservation, air quality and alternative energy opportunities.

Your answers will help guide the PNERCD from 2009 through 2014.

The Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Council is located at the Saint Rose Academy Center in Mayfield, PA (1300 Old Plank Road, Mayfield, Pennsylvania 18433) and on the web at http://www.pnercd.org/.

More consumers turning on the tap

2008-06-19T13:35:00.000-04:00

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that one effect of the credit crunch and ailing economy is that more consumers are forgoing bottled water and turning back to tap water. It may also have something to do with more awareness of the negative environmental impact of plastic bottles.

I'm not sure how that will impact us here in Carbon County as I haven't seen the standard of living change all that much over the past year. Most of us aren't all that comfortable hanging with the high-end bottled water sipping crowd. Even so, as more folks turn back to their tap water in rural areas, more attention will be focused on their private water supply systems.

The first thing they'll probably notice is that it tastes different. We should be ready to answer their questions when they ask if that means there is something wrong with it.

Lightning Safety Awareness Week

2008-06-19T07:48:00.001-04:00

June 22-28, 2008

The Nation will celebrate its seventh annual National Lightning Safety Awareness Week, June 22-28, 2008.

Join NOAA all week long as they examine the following topics:

* Monday: Lightning Overview
* Tuesday: The Science of Lightning
* Wednesday: Lightning Safety Outdoors
* Thursday: Lightning Safety Indoors
* Friday: The Medical Aspects of Lightning

To find out more visit: Lightning Safety Awareness Week

New EPA Guide to Help Businesses Confront Climate Challenge

2008-06-18T07:11:00.000-04:00

Contact: Marilyn Franklin, (202) 564-4355 / franklin.marilyn@epa.gov

EPA is releasing a new resource, A Business Guide to U.S. EPA Climate Partnership Programs, for businesses committed to addressing the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. The guide features profiles on 35 EPA climate-change related partnership programs, as well as a handy table so companies can look up programs most appropriate for their industry and business objectives. Each program profile defines the environmental value delivered by the program and the business case for participating, such as cost savings, operational efficiency, reduced business risk, new or expanded markets, enhanced reputation and brand protection.

The guide also describes the benefits of partnering with EPA, such as environmental performance benchmarking, public recognition, professional training and networking, and preparation for regulatory developments. There are currently more than 13,000 firms and other organizations participating in EPA climate-related partnership programs. Through participation, members are investing in energy efficiency, clean energy supply, and other practices and technologies for mitigating climate risks.

EPA developed the guide in consultation with Businesses for Social Responsibility (BSR), a nonprofit business association. BSR, which provides practical resources for businesses seeking sustainable solutions, is promoting the guide to its 250 members and other Global 1000 enterprises.

For copies of this guide and for more information about EPA Partnership Programs, visit: http://www.epa.gov/partners

For more information about BSR, visit: http://www.bsr.org

Lead Leaching And Faucet Corrosion In PVC Home Plumbing

2008-06-04T08:46:00.000-04:00

ScienceDaily (Jun. 2, 2008) — Scientists in Virginia are reporting that home plumbing systems constructed with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipes may be more susceptible to leaching of lead and copper into drinking water than other types of piping -- especially when PVC systems include brass fixtures and pipefittings.

Marc Edwards and colleagues point out that more water purification plants in the United States are using chloramine to treat water. At the same time, builders are plumbing more houses with plastic pipe, rather than copper, to cut costs. Past studies have found that ammonia formed in chloramine-treated water can trigger a series of events that corrode brass faucet components and connectors commonly used in PVC plumbing systems. Corrosion of brass (made with copper, zinc and lead) releases those metals into water pipes and makes faucets prone to failure.

In the new study, researchers sampled water from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), copper, lead, and other pipe material under a range of experimental conditions. They found that corrosive conditions were often worst in plastic pipes, which could be expected to cause higher metal leaching of zinc and lead from brass faucets used in homes and buildings.

ScienceDaily 2 June 2008. 4 June 2008 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602091241.htm>.

Journal reference:

Zhang et al. Nitrification in Premise Plumbing: Role of Phosphate, pH and Pipe Corrosion. Environmental Science & Technology, 2008; 0 (0): 0 DOI: 10.1021/es702483d

Adapted from materials provided by American Chemical Society.

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR)

2008-06-03T07:18:00.000-04:00

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from the nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Working with the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) Emergency Alert System , NWR is an “All Hazards” radio network, making it your single source for comprehensive weather and emergency information. In conjunction with Federal, State, and Local Emergency Managers and other public officials, NWR also broadcasts warning and post-event information for all types of hazards including natural (such as earthquakes or avalanches), environmental (such as chemical releases or oil spills), and public safety (such as AMBER alerts or 911 Telephone outages).

Known as the “Voice of NOAA's National Weather Service,” NWR is provided as a public service by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), part of the Department of Commerce. NWR includes more than 985 transmitters , covering all 50 states, adjacent coastal waters, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. Pacific Territories. NWR requires a special radio receiver or scanner capable of picking up the signal.

Click on the following link to find out more about where to listen to NOAA Weather Radio in your area:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/stations.php?State=PA

Call Sign	Site Name	Site Location	Frequency	Power
WWG51	Warren	Youngsville	162.450	1000
WWG52	Huntingdon	Three Springs	162.525	1000
WWG53	Parker	Parker	162.425	1000
WNG704	Hibernia Park	Chester County	162.425	1000
KZZ32	Meadville	Meadville	162.475	300
WXL39	Allentown	Allentown	162.400	1000
WXM33	Johnstown	Laurel Hill	162.400	250
KZZ42	Punxsutawney	Punxsutawney	162.500	300
WNG705	Honesdale	Wayne CO	162.450	300
WXL40	Harrisburg	Blue Mtn.	162.550	1000
WXL55	Williamsport	Montoursvil	162.400	1000
WNG589	Altoona	Frankstown	162.425	300
WNG591	Coudersport	Coudersport	162.500	600
WXM94	Wellsboro	Dutch Hill	162.475	1000
KIH28	Philadelphia	Philadelphia	162.475	1000
KEC58	Erie	Erie	162.400	330
WXL52	Clearfield	Clearfield	162.550	500
WXL43	Wilkes-Barre	Penobscot Knob	162.550	250
WXM59	State College	Little Flat Mtn.	162.475	100
KIH35	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	162.550	1000
WXM95	Towanda	Mt. Pisgah	162.525	1000

GOVERNMENT SCIENTISTS ARE THE LAST TO KNOW

2008-06-01T10:49:00.001-04:00

Reprinted from dante7.com - Posted - June 1, 2008

Fly Ash Dump Within 13-Mile Radius of McAdoo Associates

Superfund Site

Have you ever noticed that government scientists are the last to know when a chemical has been causing health problems in an exposed population?

For example, some reports indicate that as early as World War I, U.S. soldiers referred to cigarettes as "coffin nails" and "cancer sticks." However, it wasn't until 1964 that the U.S. Surgeon General announced medical research showing that smoking was a definite cause of cancers of the lung and larynx (voice box) in men and chronic bronchitis in both men and women. It took government scientists years to confirm what many smokers had known almost 50 years!

The story with dibromochloropropane (DBCP) is similar. DBCP is a chemical used to kill worms that live in soil and plague a variety of crops. For years workers at a chemical facility in California knew that if you worked in the DBCP plant, you didn't have to worry about having children, that is, you became sterile. Finally in 1977, after years of research, government scientists "discovered" that workers in the DBCP plants were sterile. Holy Discovery, Batman!

The situation is no different here. In 2004, the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians uncovered an unusual cluster of people with polycythemia vera living on Ben Titus Road along the Still Creek Reservoir in Rush Township. Polycythemia vera is a rare bone marrow cancer occurring with a frequency of about one in 100,000 people per year in the general population.

The Carbon County Groundwater Guardians initially uncovered three and possibly four patients, including two in one household, among approximately one hundred or so people living in the area. It was obvious to us that there was a significant increase in the incidence of polycythemia vera in this area. We then wanted to know what was the cause of this increase.

There is a hazardous chemical waste dump known as the McAdoo Associates Superfund Site, a waste coal-burning plant and a fly ash dump located about one mile north and uphill of Ben Titus Road. There are five waste coal-burning plants, four Superfund sites and numerous fly ash dumps within a 13-mile radius of the McAdoo Associates Super fund site. The 13-mile radius encompasses parts of three counties: Luzerne, Schuylkill and Carbon.

More than four years and three studies by government scientists later, we are no closer to identifying the cause of the problem. In fact, it took the government scientists more than three years to confirm that there was a significant increase in the incidence of polycythemia vera in the three counties!

To their credit, the government scientists did identify the 13-mile radius area where individuals had a four and a half times greater risk of developing polycythemia vera compared to individuals residing in the three county region. Since the three county region already had an elevated polycythemia vera rate, individuals within the 13-mile radius had an approximate 15 times greater risk of developing polycythemia vera when compared to the national average!

Since government scientists are the last to know when a chemical has been causing health problems in an exposed population, the onus falls on us to prove what is the cause. With this in mind, we suspect that coal-fired plants are the problem or a significant part of the problem. We also suspect that the fly ash dumps and the Superfund sites are also contributing to the problem.

We must now try to prove that toxic emissions from the five coal-fired plants in 13-mile zone significantly contribute to or cause the increase in the incidence of polycythemia vera in this area. If we are able to prove the cause, the government scientists will conduct studies over a period of years and then officially "discover" what we have already proven. They will, of course, take credit for the findings.

Drinking Water Protection Workshop

2008-05-11T08:21:00.000-04:00

The workshop will be held from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Fogelsville, Lehigh County.

The workshop will explore how communities can assess the areas surrounding water sources, facilitate better local decision making on land use and open space preservation, and involve the public in contamination prevention efforts. Information on DEP's source water protection technical assistance program will also be presented.

Water suppliers can treat water through technological methods and procedures, but protecting the water sources is essential to ensuring quality drinking water.

The workshop is being sponsored by DEP, the League of Women Voters, the Lehigh County Conservation District, the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association (PRWA), and other organizations.

PRWA will provide 3.5 contact hours for certified operators.

Those interested in attending must pre-register for this free workshop by visiting www.drinkingwaterwise.org or by contacting Julie Kollar of the League of Women Voters' Water Resource Education Network at juliekwren@verizon.net or 267-468-0555.

Composting – The Next Step in Recycling!

2008-05-01T10:15:00.001-04:00

See below for information on composting workshops at Beltzville State Park

Contact: Bonnie Smith 215-814-5543 /smith.bonnie@epa.gov

International Compost Awareness Week is May 4 to May 10, 2008

PHILADELPHIA (May 1, 2008) -- Are you ready for free fertilizer and a soil conditioner that will give your flowers and vegetables a boost? Then break out the compost bin.

For people who recycle regularly and are looking for ways to reduce their household waste even further, composting is the sensible next step. Yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 24 percent of the U.S. municipal solid waste stream. That's a lot of waste to send to landfills especially when you could put it to good use in your garden.

Tea bags, coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peels, pet hair, dryer lint, egg shells, leaves, and grass clippings – almost any organic materials -- can be thrown into the compost pile.

You can get started quickly and easily. You don’t need special equipment – just a level, well-drained space outdoors for a compost pile, which shouldn’t be larger than 3 feet by 3 feet. It could take a year or two, but eventually you will get rich, dark humus that will keep your plants healthy.

Many homeowners invest in a compost bin to save space, hasten decomposition, and keep the yard looking neat. These are available in home and garden centers and on the internet.

The most important thing is to keep the compost aerated. Be sure to mix it up whenever you add new materials. That will add oxygen, which will speed up the process. You will also want to keep the compost pile fairly balanced with materials. Too many leaves, for example, will cause the material to break down too slowly.

When your humus is ready, your soil will love it. You will, too, when you notice a reduction in your water bill. Compost improves the soil’s ability to hold water. And with regular use of compost, you’ll greatly reduce the need for chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, which is not only good for your wallet but will reduce contamination to streams, lakes and other waterbodies.

For more information, go to www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/composting/basic.htm.

FREE Backyard Compost Bin Workshops!

Choose One! Location: Beltzville State Park’s EIC

*Wednesday, May 14 @ 6:30 pm

*Wednesday, July 16 @ 6:30 pm

*Tuesday, August 12 @ 6:30 pm

*Thursday, August 21@ 6:30 pm DONATIONS ARE WELCOME!

Would you like to have rich soil for your garden or your flowerbeds? FREE! Attend a Compost Workshop! Leave the session with a FREE Compost bin (valued @ $115) (limit one of each item per household) and all the knowledge you need to get started. The Penn State Cooperative Extension – Carbon County Master Gardeners and Beltzville State Park is offering free compost workshops at Beltzville State Park. Biodegradable waste such as vegetable peels, apple cores, leaves, coffee grounds, grass clippings, and even shredded newspaper breaks down into compost which can be spread over gardens, flowerbeds and lawns to add nutrients to the soil. Soil test kits will also be available. This is recycling in its purest form. This program is funded through a DEP grant. This program is very popular! Pre-registration is required. Contact the Beltzville State Park office at 610-377-9150 or 610-377-0045 or email Beltzvillesp@state.pa.us with your name, phone number, email address, # of people attending and date of workshop you wish to attend. Registration is limited.

Free electronics recycling event slated for Friday and Saturday

2008-04-29T08:05:00.000-04:00

From the Times News

The Carbon County Department of Solid Waste will be holding a two-day electronics recycling event on Friday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event, which is free and open to all Carbon County residents, will be held at the Lehigh Township Municipal building, 1741 South Lehigh Gorge Drive, Weatherly.

At the collection site, workers will be accepting electronic items such as VCRs, stereos, computer monitors, towers, printers and scanners, mainframe and telecom equipment, circuit boards of any kind, telephones, fax machines, and DVD and CD players. Television sets or household appliances will not be accepted.

For more information, call the Carbon County Department of Solid Waste at (610) 852-5111.

“BE AIR AWARE”

2008-04-28T08:38:00.000-04:00

Air Quality Awareness Week  April 28 thru May 2, 2008

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service urge Americans to “Be Air Aware” during Air Quality Awareness Week, April 28 - May 2, 2008

Join the EPA and NOAA all week long as they examine the following topics:
• Monday: Ozone and particle pollution
• Tuesday: What causes poor air quality?
• Wednesday: Keeping your lungs and heart safe
• Thursday: How to get current air quality information.
• Friday: What can you do to help make the air cleaner?

To find out more visit: Air Quality Awareness Week
http://www.epa.gov/airnow/airaware/airaware.html

WHERE ARE SPECTER, THE ATSDR AND THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH?

2008-04-28T07:58:00.000-04:00

From: http://www.dante7.com/ [Posted - April 28, 2008]

As most people in northeastern Pennsylvania know, we have a highly significant polycythemia vera cancer problem in this area. A 2007 investigation by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) indicated that our rate of polycythemia vera is at least 4.5 times the national average www.washingtonindependent.com...ATSDR.pdf!

On October 6, 2006, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter and representatives from the ATSDR and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) first announced a study of our polycythemia vera epidemic www.tnonline.com.

At the time of the announcement, Senator Specter stated, "This area has been a dumping ground. We understand your concerns and we share your concerns. When I hear about cancer, I'm especially concerned." Senator Specter emphasized, "We'll do everything that can be done."

U.S. Senator Arlen Specter
On October 24, 2007, officials from the ATSDR and the PA DOH reported the results of their preliminary study confirming the elevated rates of the rare cancer in this area. Dr. Steve Dearwent, Chief of the Health Investigation Bureau, Division of Health Studies, represented the ATSDR.

Dr. Steve Dearwent, ATSDR
The Lehighton Times News reported, "Dearwent stressed that ATSDR will continue to follow up by studying spacial distribution of the cancer within the area" www.tnonline.com. In addition, Dr. Michael Huff, Deputy Secretary, PA DOH, stated, "We are committed to doing additional work and study."

Dr. Michael Huff, PA DOH
It has been between six and 18 months since "We'll do everything that can be done," "ATSDR will continue to follow up " and "We are committed to doing additional work and study."

Where are the officials from the ATSDR and the PA DOH? Representatives from these government agencies are nowhere to been seen.

Please contact your elected representatives and demand that they do their jobs by getting officials at the ATSDR and the PA DOH to do their jobs.

The Mythical Daily Water Requirement

2008-04-02T10:47:00.000-04:00

Scientific American - USA
So the Pennsylvania docs scanned the literature. Do we really need to drink eight glasses of water each day? They discovered that drinking water does help the kidneys clear out salt and such. ...

To read the article, click HERE

Get daily EPA tips in April on 'going green'

2008-04-01T19:22:00.000-04:00

Contact: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543, smith.bonnie@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (April 1, 2008) Everyday there are reports in newspapers, on television, on the radio and the web with suggestions on how to reduce our carbon footprint, make our homes and businesses more energy efficient and create communities that are sustainable. Now, you can now sign up for daily environmental tips sent directly to you by e-mail from EPA throughout April at http://www.epa.gov/earthday/tips.htm. Also available is a green tip "widget" you can download for daily environmental tips. A widget is a small piece of Web programming code that can be added to a blog, wiki, or Web page.

These daily environmental tips are a part of EPA's 2008 Earth Day celebration. April 22 is Earth Day and this year, EPA is launching several initiatives throughout the month of April to help raise environmental awareness.

On April 22, 1970, twenty million people across America celebrated the first Earth Day. Now, Earth Day is celebrated around the world.

National Poison Prevention Week (March 16-22)

2008-03-18T07:41:00.002-04:00

From: "U.S. EPA"
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Play It Safe, Prevent Poisonings, Lock Up Pesticides

Contacts: (Media only) Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / kemery.dale@epa.gov
(All other inquiries) Darlene Dinkins, (703) 305-5214 / dinkins.darlene@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - March 17, 2008) Every 13 seconds, a U.S. poison control center receives a call about an unintentional poisoning. The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that more than 50 percent of the two million poisoning incidents each year involve children younger than six years old. In 2006, poison centers reported more than 77,000 calls made to poison centers with concerns about potential exposure to common household pesticides (potential exposures do not necessarily represent a poisoning).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) observes National Poison Prevention Week each year to increase awareness of the danger to children of unintentional poisonings from pesticides and household products, and to encourage parents and caregivers to lock up products that could potentially harm children.

In observance of National Poison Prevention Week (March 16-22), EPA has launched a poison-prevention segment on Green Scene, EPA's new series of environmental videos. During an interview on Green Scene, Assistant Administrator Jim Gulliford, of the Office of Prevention Pesticides and Toxic Substances, discusses Poison Prevention Week, how to protect your children from toxic substances around the home and how to respond in case of accidental poisoning.

EPA is also conducting extensive outreach targeting the Hispanic communities, including television interviews to be aired on "Cada Dia," Telemundo's national morning program and the Telemundo Washington affiliate in DC. Other interviews include Univision TV and Radio and CNN Radio en Espanol.

Link to Green Scene Podcast: http://www.epa.gov

EPA's Poison Prevention Web site: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/poisonprevention.htm

The National Poison Center hotline is 1-800-222-1222.

View all news releases related to pesticides and toxic chemicals
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/poisonprevention.htm

Sent by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · (202) 564-4355