Dec 16, 2010 — In a settlement deal between General Motors and the White House, the car maker will set aside nearly three quarters of a billion dollars for environmental clean up of contaminated properties. The public got to weigh in on plans for a site near Syracuse last night. As the Innovation Trail's Ryan Morden reports, there are worries about PCBs.  Go to full article

Dec 02, 2010 — Lake Champlain is back in the news this week, as politicians from New York, Vermont, and Quebec signed a new compact aimed at cleaning up the lake. Phosphorous pollution has been a growing problem for decades, triggering noxious and potentially toxic algae blooms. A new film about the problem, called Bloom, airs tonight on Mountain Lake PBS.

Brian Mann first reported in-depth on this debate in 2007. In today's Story 2.0, we revisit Brian's trip to talk to the major players in the valley.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Oct 08, 2010 — The group 350.org is spearheading a world-wide community workday Sunday. It's called 10.10.10. Volunteers across the region will pick up hammers, shovels and garden tools and join the Global Work Party. It's being called the world's largest day of practical action to fight the climate crisis. Todd Moe found some SUNY Potsdam students and community volunteers who got ahead of the game last weekend by helping with fall chores at a community garden in Potsdam.  Go to full article

Sep 22, 2010 — When you did laundry this week, did you hang it outside to dry? Alexander Lee is hoping so. He's the founder of Project Laundry List and is leading the "Right to Dry" movement. Lee is biking from New Hampshire to Canton for the Sustainable Living Festival this weekend. Todd Moe spoke with him about using traditional clotheslines instead of dryers. Lee has been featured in People magazine, the Colbert Report and even Swedish radio.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Jun 29, 2010 — New York State's Department of Health recently published an Internet-based map of cancer data by county. (see link below)

The American Cancer Society says the maps can be misinterpreted, and that the huge amounts of information on chemicals, and cancer, need further study. But public health advocates are raising alarms over a class of chemicals we eat, drink and breath in, and that can stay in our bodies for years. On the list: dioxin, PCBs and other organic compounds. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Lake George, NY, Jun 25, 2010 — The mayor of Lake George says he'll drink a glass of water from the lake. That in itself wouldn't ordinarily be much of a news story. But it's been slightly less than one year since thousands of gallons of raw sewage spewed into the Lake. Village mayor Robert Blais says it happened last July 4 weekend at Shepard Park, a popular swimming beach on Lake George. Blais says it was a blow to the community, which was barred from a favorite free beach. And many people in the area worried about their drinking water and their livelihoods. Todd Moe has more.  Go to full article

Watertown, NY, Jun 04, 2010 — More than a hundred people came to the Department of Environmental Conservation's first public hearing last night in Watertown about outdoor wood furnaces. The DEC says the boilers are a significant source of air pollution and have never been regulated. It wants owners to replace old furnaces within ten years and erect higher chimneys to keep smoke away from neighbors. But the message in the room was nearly unanimous. People said the new rules are a major government intrusion and should be scrapped. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Watertown, NY, Jun 02, 2010 — New York's largest farm lobby group is pushing back, hard, against proposals to tighten regulation of outdoor wood-burning boilers.

The Department of Environmental Conservation wants new boilers to burn more cleanly, and wants old boilers modified to reduce pollution. The agency cites nuisance complaints about low-lying smoke from the burners, and concerns about air quality and public health.

Dean Norton, president of the New York State Farm Bureau, says the Department of Environmental Conservation's proposed restrictions will affect thousands of farmers and homeowners. He says the costs of compliance could reach into the thousands of dollars, at a time when framers are already struggling.

The first of several public hearings on the proposals is tomorrow evening in Watertown. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Washington, DC, Jun 02, 2010 — A new report says stopping deforestation in the rainforests will benefit farms in the U.S. Mark Brush reports, it calls for money to be set aside to pay for rainforest conservation.  Go to full article

Jun 01, 2010 — This week, the U-S Environmental Protection Agency will release much-anticipated new rules limiting sulfur dioxide in the air. As Tanya Ott reports, it's almost certain to result in years of legal battles.  Go to full article