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Environmental News
Governor Paterson's proposed budget would vastly rein in what New York can do with its environmental resources. The plan would slash the Environmental Protection Fund by a third. It would put a moratorium on new land aquisitions. And it would cut the Department of Environmental Conservation budget by 11%. Many observers say the DEC never recovered from deep cuts in the 1990s. DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis was in Clayton last Friday to mark the completion of a brownfield clean-up on the St. Lawrence River. He told David Sommerstein his agency does face big challenges.
When the computer-age took off in the 1990s, lots of people thought we'd use a lot less paper. But that hasn't happened. Julie Grant reports on why environmentalists are so concerned about all the paper we're still using in our offices and homes. More...
Governor David Paterson has named Peter Hornbeck to serve on the Adirondack Park Agency commission. Hornbeck is a widely-respected boat builder from Olmstedville in Essex County. But his nomination has sparked debate because of his strong ties to environmental groups. Martha Foley has more.
DEC chief Pete Grannis, left, with Clayton town supervisor, Justin Taylor.
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Friday, the community of Clayton celebrated the completion of a $2.5 million clean-up of prime waterfront on the St. Lawrence River. Frink America’s former snowplow plant polluted eight acres of riverside property in the heart of the Thousand Islands. Town supervisor Justin Taylor says the clean-up took almost ten years. The redeveloped property may include a hotel, multi-family residences, businesses, and a riverwalk. The head of New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation, Pete Grannis, came to Clayton to deliver the official certificate of completion in person. Grannis stayed in Clayton Saturday for Save the River’s Winter Weekend. He updated the members of the environmental group on the stalled study to control water levels on the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. In 2008, the International Joint Commission finished a 5-year, $20 million review of water levels and issued a new plan for controlling them. But then the IJC rescinded that plan, put the whole project on hold, and went back to the bargaining table. Grannis told David Sommerstein that was due to strong opposition from New York.
Essex County farmer Salim "Sandy" Lewis won another round in court yesterday in his battle with the Adirondack Park Agency. According to the New York Times, a state judge has ordered the APA to pay all of Lewis's legal fees and expenses following a lengthy court fight. Brian Mann has details.
Invasive species – from zebra mussels and round gobies to the bloody red shrimp discovered three years ago – are one of the top threats to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. They’ve done billions of dollars in damage to the region’s economy and environment. Most entered the Great Lakes through the ballast water of foreign ships on the St. Lawrence Seaway. Jeff Alexander has reported on invasive species for 25 years. He’s also written a book about how most of those critters got here – hidden in the ballast of foreign ships on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The book is called Pandora's Locks: The Opening of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway. Alexander is the keynote speaker at the Save the River Winter Weekend, Saturday, February 6 at the Clayton Opera House. Alexander told David Sommerstein he first training his reporting in invasive species in 1989, when zebra mussels shut down the municipal water system in Munroe, Michigan.
2009 was a bumper year for new windmills. But as Mark Brush reports, if it weren't for government money, it might have been a bad year. More...
The governor's proposed budget cuts will likely mean that some state parks will have to close. But, at a legislative hearing this week, the state parks commissioner would not reveal which parks are on the chopping block. Karen DeWitt reports. More...
"Clean coal" got a mention in President Obama's State of the Union address this week. Along with nuclear power and alternative energy sources, the President listed clean coal as an important sources for energy for the country.
He also promised to move forward on climate change reductions. And here, America is in a bind. Almost half of our electricity comes from coal. But compared to other power sources, coal produces the most carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Industry is testing new technology in hopes of fulfilling the promise of "clean coal." Shawn Allee has this update on a test project that has some hard work left to do. More...
A diverse group gathered yesterday to look at ways to keep the Adirondack Park Visitor Interpretive Centers in Newcomb and Paul Smiths going.
The meeting was hosted by Paul Smiths College, and came just over a week after Gov. David Paterson announced plans to close the two VICs by next January. Local and state elected officials, business owners, tourism officials, environmental groups and other NGOs came. No decisions were made, but as Chris Knight reports, the VIC-boosters had plenty of ideas for how to keep the popular facilites open, either in whole or in part.  NEW: See the latest 20 Environmental News stories on the map
 EnvironmentFebruary 7, 2010 | NPR· A group of scientists says the idea that life emerged from a prebiotic broth is past its expiration date. February 6, 2010 | NPR· Blue whales are updating their playlist, according to new research on the huge mammals. One scientist says it's because they've got more reason to sing. February 5, 2010 | NPR· New research dispels the notion that migrating insects are simply at the mercy of the wind. Researchers have found that the moths can actually select wind currents and often end up traveling faster than many migrating birds. February 4, 2010 | NPR· Heavy rains in California, record snowfalls in the mid-Atlantic and fires in Indonesia are all being attributed to the phenomenon. Government meteorologists say the effects of the most powerful El Nino since 1997-98 will very likely persist for another month or two. February 4, 2010 | NPR· After years of polluting and contaminating the environment, the American Smelting and Refining Company's notorious copper-smelting plant in El Paso, Texas, will be cleaned up this year. Asarco will also pay $1.79 billion to settle claims for pollution at more than 80 sites throughout the country.  Nature
 Consumer Consequences from APM: What would the world look like if everyone lived like you? Special Reports  Audio SeriesLocal Flavors: Todd Moe keeps it homegrown in this series focused on eating locally, and on sustainable agriculture and gardening. 
Audio Slideshow:A winter visit to an infected bat cave Wildlife researchers across the Northeast are scrambling to understand a mysterious ailment that is killing thousands of bats. "White-nose" syndrome has been found at sites in New York and Vermont. Brian Mann goes underground to see.  Audio SeriesHydo Power in Cree Country Brian Mann looks at hydro-electric development in Cree country in northern Quebec, where the desire for carbon-neutral energy resources comes into conflict with aboriginal rights, spiritual practice, and wilderness preservation.  Audio Slideshow:Beekeepers facing new challenges Lucy Martin visits with Ontario beekeeper Terry McEvoy and talks about colony collapse disorder and other apiary ailments that raise concerns about the food supply.  Audio Slideshow:The Slick of '76: Looking Back and Forward This summer marks the 30th anniversary of the “Slick of ‘76,” a 300,000-gallon oil spill in the heart of the Thousand Islands. The event re-shaped the way a generation views its relationship to the river. David Sommerstein reports.  Audio Slideshow:Researcher Finds New Mite Species In Adirondacks Heather Root has found at least one new type of tiny tree mite at the Huntington Wildlife Forest near Newcomb. Root does her research while dangling in a harness high above the ground in the maple tree canopy, where she also found rare forms of lichen not seen in the Adirondacks for decades.  Audio Slideshow:Chaumont Barrens: the North Country's Prairie David Sommerstein takes a nature walk on this unique Nature Conservancy land that contains some of the nation's easternmost prairie habitat. 
Photo Audio EssayProtecting the Tug Hill Plateau: Fish Creek Last summer, New York State, the Nature Conservancy, and a Boston-based timber company announced a plan to preserve 45,000 acres of forest on the Tug Hill Plateau. David Sommerstein visited the “East Branch of Fish Creek Working Forest” to see how the plan is shaping up.  Photo Audio EssayRestoring the Common Tern Once plentiful along the St. Lawrence, the common tern is now threatened. David Sommerstein joins volunteers creating artificial nesting habitat using Seaway navigational markers.  Audio SlideshowSuperfund and Brownfield Sites in St. Lawrence County Jody Tosti surveys the 20 Superfund toxic sites in St. Lawrence County.  Photo Audio EssayPCB Dredging at Alcoa/Reynolds in Massena Reports on how Alcoa/Reynolds, the EPA and the Mohawks see the PCB problem at the Superfund sites along the St. Lawrence River near Massena NY. Photo Audio EssayTurtle Cove: GM's PCBs on Mohawk Land The effects of GM's landfill on Turtle Cove and the people who live there. David Sommerstein reports.  Photo Audio EssayPreserving Adirondack Alpine Meadows Adirondack Nature Conservancy program volunteers haul rocks up into the High Peaks to protect fragile ecosystem from erosion.  Audio SeriesAmerica’s Largest Superfund Site, the Hudson River A special, three-part series on the Hudson River. The EPA has a plan for cleaning up toxic PCBs, dumped decades ago by General Electric. The corporation and many locals say the river is cleaning itself. We'll tell you about the public controversy, the health risks, and the impact of PCBs on the wildlife along the Hudson. Adirondack News Fund Founding Supporters: Paul Smith's College, The College of the Adirondacks · Wildlife Conservation Society · Adirondack Medical Center Foundation · Adirondack Museum · Niagara Mohawk Foundation · Schumann Foundation · John A. Sellon Charitable Trust · several anonymous individual donors |
