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Happy Halloween from F. X.
Browne, Inc.!
News Clips:
Down the
Drain: Wetlands as Sinks for Absorbing Reactive Nitrogen
EPA scientists conduct the first continental-scale analysis to estimate how
much nitrogen is removed by wetland ecosystems across the U.S.
EPA researchers are working to quantify
the ability of wetlands to absorb “reactive” nitrogen (Nr), which is
released into the environment mainly from agricultural fertilizers, sewage
treatment and fossil fuels. More...
Modular Wetlands Receives Washington State Department of
Ecology Approval
Washington State has approved the use of the Modular Wetland System (MWS) -
Linear Stormwater Biofiltration System to treat stormwater runoff.
More...
Busted Bridges in the Poconos: How bad are the ones
you use?
Monroe No. 2 in worst bridges in the state
Thirty percent of Monroe County’s bridges are rated “structurally
deficient,” and are in need of repair or replacement.
More...
Study Finds Predators Don’t
Benefit From Increased Insect Biomass Caused by Nutrient Enrichment
Researchers at the University of Georgia have
conducted a long-term study to determine the effects of nutrient
enrichment.
More...
Hurricane
Irene
Hurricane Irene
hit the eastern coast from August 22 to August 28, 2011.
More...
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Interesting Facts
about Water
• To
manufacture one car, including tires,
147,972 liters of water are
used.
• 13% of municipal piped
water is lost in pipeline leaks.
• The human brain is 75%
water.
• Outdoor watering uses
35 liters of water each minute
(over 9 gallons).
• One drop of oil can
make up to 25 liters of water unfit for drinking.
• Half of world’s
wetlands have been lost since 1900.
• Each year, over 89
billion liters of bottled water are sold.
For more interesting
water facts, visit
aquarius-systems.com
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"Success is foreseeing failure."
~ Henry Petroski, P.E. |
Policy
Updates:
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EPA/USDA Partnership to Promote Sustainable Drinking Water Systems to
Protect Public Health
The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) announced a partnership on August 8, 2011 to support communities
in upgrading their rural drinking water/wastewater systems to protect
the public health and water quality.
For more information, visit
http://water.epa.gov/type/drink/pws/smallsystems/partners.cfm#moa
For more about EPA's programs and tools for small water systems, visit
http://water.epa.gov/type/drink/pws/smallsystems/index.cfm
For information about USDA's Water and Environmental Programs for rural
communities, visit
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWEP_HomePage.html
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Update on EPA’s Effluent Limit Guidelines for Construction Industry
The EPA issued a numeric limit for turbidity in the 2009 final effluent
guideline rule for the Construction and Development Point Source
Category. This set national monitoring requirements and numeric
limitations on stormwater discharges from construction sites. They then
withdrew the limit to correct a calculation error. In December 2010,
they submitted a proposed rule to revise the turbidity limit. Recently,
they again withdrew this proposal. They have decided to collect more
data on treatment performance before proposing a revised numeric
turbidity limit.
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/guide/construction/index.cfm
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“Engineering is the art of modeling
materials we do not wholly understand,
into shapes we cannot precisely analyze so as to withstand forces we cannot
properly assess,
in such a way that the public has no reason to suspect the extent of our
ignorance.”
~ A.R. Dykes
Great American
Cleanup 2011
This
year, 159,922 volunteers collected 354,267 bags (7,085,340 pounds)
of trash along 13,140 miles of roads, railroad tracks, trails,
waterways, and shorelines, and 5,887 acres of park and/or wetlands
in Pennsylvania. Volunteers also planted 3,321 trees, plants and
bulbs. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania were represented in this
effort. Since the program began in 2004, over 61 million pounds of
letter and waste have been collected and tens of thousands of trees,
plants, and bulbs have been planted. The Great American Cleanup of
PA is sponsored by Keep America Beautiful.
To
view the 2011 Great American Cleanup of PA report, visit
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B4Y3VQLxjkxOZWViYzJm
NWUtZmM2ZC00YjkwLWJjMDMtZjhiMWI1NjM2MGUw&hl=en_US
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“Creed of the
Engineer: Measure with micrometer, mark with chalk, cut with axe.”
~ Anon
Grants
and Awards:
To view our list of available
grants, click
here.
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Marcellus Shale News and Resources
For the latest Marcellus Shale news and information sources, click
here.
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“Gravitation is not responsible for
people falling in love."
~ Albert Einstein
Link of the Month:
Web Soil Survey 2.3
The Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Web Soil Survey has been
upgraded to version 2.3. You can now save your Area of Interest (AOI)
as a Web Soil Survey URL so you can bookmark it for future use. You can
save your AOI as a downloadable zipped shapefile and create an AOI from
a saved shapefile or zipped shapefile. Additional improvements include
more recent aerial photography and a more user friendly Quick Navigation
tool.
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/NewFeatures.2.3.htm
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Old Gas Station Site Transformed Into Rain
Garden in Camden, NJ
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has dedicated
a new rain garden on the site of an abandoned gas station. The
half-acre site has been planted with native trees, shrubs and
grasses to collect and filter stormwater runoff. The site will
reduce stormwater runoff volumes and peak rates and will provide
habitat for wildlife. The rain garden was designed to manage a
million gallons of stormwater each year. It was also designed with
walkways to encourage visits by the public.
NJ DEP News Release, July 26, 2011
http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0089.htm |
"One
man with courage makes a majority."
~ Andrew Jackson
Tools and Publications:
EPA
Launches Revamped Sustainable Water Infrastructure Web Pages
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an enhanced website to
provide information and resources on water infrastructure challenges. They’ve
added a section specifically for local officials to provide information,
resources, and materials to address a community’s water infrastructure needs.
To view the revamped sustainable infrastructure web pages, visit
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/index.cfm
To view the local officials section, visit
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/localofficals.cfm
Economic Impacts of Restoration
Calculator for Oregon Counties v.1.0
This new tool allows users to calculate the economic impacts of ecological
restoration in Oregon counties. The calculator predicts county-level
employment, earnings, and overall economic impact for restorations. This site
also provides a Quick Guide for Monitoring Economic Impacts of Ecosystem
Restoration and Stewardship to assist those using the tool.
http://ewp.uoregon.edu/economy
Fish
Habitat Fact Sheets
State fact sheets are available to highlight the challenges and opportunities
facing fish and fish habitat conservation efforts. Development, agriculture,
pollution, dams, and culverts have degraded aquatic habitats. Approximately
7,000 of Pennsylvania’s rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and bays are considered
impaired. Visit the link below to learn more about the fish habitats in your
state.
http://fishhabitat.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=415:state-fact-sheet-test-page&catid=36:news&Itemid=50
To view the Pennsylvania fish habitat fact sheet, visit
http://fishhabitat.org/images/SFS/pafactsheet.pdf
"Those who cannot remember the past are
condemned to repeat it."
~ George Santayana
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Audubon Bird Town
The Audubon is working with municipalities in Pennsylvania to
promote conservation and create more sustainable environments
and habitats for people and birds. Municipality residents can
register their property and plant native plants to improve the
township’s scorecard. Audubon will provide brochures,
educational materials, articles, workshops, street signs, annual
analysis and reports on the municipality’s progress, and access
to qualified experts. Pennsylvania is located within the
Atlantic flyway and is important to a number of key species.
http://pa.audubon.org/AAH-BirdTown.html
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Newsletter Editor/Design and Layout:
Lisen Cummings
Poem and Quotes:
Frank Browne |
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F. X.
Browne, Inc. – Environmental Consulting
Engineers – Planners – Scientists
34 Years of Excellence & Innovation
Corporate
Office: Lansdale, PA
Pocono Office: Marshalls Creek, PA
New York Office: Saranac Lake, NY
For more information, call us at (215) 362-3878 or visit:
http://www.fxbrowne.com
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