Editors Note

Our longtime newsletter design and layout editor, Dianne Brown, has decided to leave F. X. Browne, Inc. Although I know I will have a difficult time filling her shoes, I am going to attempt to do the layout myself, so please bear with me during this transitional period!  On behalf of everyone at F. X. Browne, Inc., we wish Dianne the best of luck at her new job and we thank her for her years of service and artistic design work! ~ Rebecca 

Topic of the Month

Lake Dredging: The Ultimate Face-Lift

Dredging, or lake deepening, has been described as the “ultimate face-lift.” To find out why, read on...

Energy Efficiency Tax Savings   Making energy-efficient improvements to your home could net you a $500 rebate from the government thanks to the newly-passed energy bill. It gives consumers a credit off the bottom line of their 2006 or 2007 taxes equal to 10 percent of their energy-saving purchases. The maximum over the two years is $500 and applies to any owner-occupied home or condominium. The  process is pretty complicated, but the Energy Star Home Energy Advisor website can walk you through the process and help determine if the program is right for you: http://advisor.lbl.gov/hit/Controller

Policy Update
 

	Acting NJ Governor Codey recently extended indefinitely a moratorium on a bill aimed at speeding up some construction projects, the so-called “fast-track law.”
	The NJ DEP and DHSS issued revised fish consumption advisories based on recent data showing elevated levels of PCBs and mercury contamination in fish samples taken from   New Jersey  's Passaic Region.
	The New York State DEC and Agriculture and Markets are seeking public comment on the draft report of the  New York State Invasive Species Task Force (ISTF) until September 14.
	PA DEP announced new monitoring requirements for significant sewage and industrial dischargers as part of   Pennsylvania  ’s Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy.
	A municipality can condemn property through eminent domain to preserve it as open space and halt development, a New Jersey appeals court recently ruled.
	Pennsylvania public water suppliers may now use chemicals, materials and treatment devices certified by the Water Quality Association, a third-party certification organization, as acceptable for use with drinking water.
	The Bush administration is extending the public comment period for its controversial proposal to rewrite federal guidelines for restoring depleted fisheries to October 21.
	EPA has released the 2006 Integrated Report Guidance for states, territories, authorized tribes, and interstate commissions that help states prepare and submit Clean Water Act reports on their water quality.
	EPA is proposing new test methods that will lead to the detection of four types of bacteria in wastewater and sewage sludge.

Summer is over and what have we learned? We learned that time flies when you’re having fun, Popsicles melt really fast when it’s 95 degrees outside, and a wet dog (or two) can really stink up your car! We also learned some disturbing facts about water quality at our Nation’s beaches.  The NRDC has released its annual survey of water quality monitoring and public notification at U.S. beaches, Testing the Waters 2005: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches. The report finds that closings due to bacterial contamination are on the rise nationwide. Across the country, pollution caused nearly 20,000 days of closings and advisories at ocean and Great Lakes beaches during 2004 -- more than ever recorded in the survey's 15-year history. http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/titinx.asp

 

Events (Click on an event for more information) Only current events are listed on the events page   PA Lake Management Society Conference I&I Investigation and Abatement Course Treevitalize Tree Planting and Care Workshops  PA Green Building Tour and Workshop NJ Green Acres Funding Workshops WV Floodproofing Conference 2005 Pymatuning Waterfowl Expo PA Conference on Sustainability  POWR Sojourn Congress, Watershed Workshops  Internet Environmental Technologies Courses PA  Streamside Cleanup Workshops  PA Wastewater Biology Training Courses PA Sustainable Living Fair PA Test Methods for Water/Wastewater Operators Workshops PA Stormwater Management Symposium National Nonpoint Source Conference NJ Wetlands and Watersheds Workshop PA Environmental Compliance Conferences MA Stream Restoration Workshop NALMS 2005 CWP Stormwater Institute

To view upcoming lake and watershed workshops, events and conferences, visit the F. X. Browne, Inc. website at www.fxbrowne.com/html/workshops.htm

"Every man looks at his woodpile with a kind of affection." - Robert Frost

 

 

Link Of The Month EPA's Stormwater Phase II Menu of Best Management Practices (BMPs)   EPA’s online menu is intended to provide guidance to regulated municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) as to the types of practices they could use to develop and implement their stormwater management programs. The website includes a series of fact sheets describing the various components of the Phase II rule. A new addition to the site is a series of Stormwater Case Studies to help operators of regulated MS4s get started on or improve their stormwater management programs. The case studies are searchable by minimum measure, case study location, or by keyword search. Additional resources and tools for each case study and minimum measure are also provided. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/menu.cfm    F. X. Browne, Inc. can assist municipalities in designing and implementing stormwater BMPs that meet Phase II regulations. For more information, contact us at info@fxbrowne.com

Baseball Trivia   Q: The outfield seats in many ballparks are called “bleachers.” How did this name come about?    A: The wood planks used in old-time parks were under cover in the more expensive infield seating areas, but in the open in the outfield. Exposure to the sun would cause the planks to become faded, or “bleached,” over time. Thus, the “cheap seats” became known as the bleachers.    Thanks to the Philadelphia ASCE News for this tidbit!

 

 

New Tools and Publications

EPA Launches Watershed Discussion Board

As part of its second Webcast, the EPA Office of Water launched a new online Watershed Discussion Board. This forum offers watershed protection practitioners and citizens a platform to exchange ideas so that innovative solutions and ideas can be easily shared in (near) real-time. EPA hopes to engage watershed leaders from around the country in these interactive, on-line discussions. The Forum currently includes the following six categories: Community Involvement, Smart Growth/Low Impact Development, Source Water Protection, Stormwater Best Management Practices, Sustainable Financing, and Watershed Planning Tools. Anyone can view the discussion, but one must register to post messages and receive customized updates. http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/forum/forum.html  

Natural Stream Channel Design Tools Published

Pennsylvania’s Keystone Stream Team has developed and published the Natural Stream Channel Design (NSCD) Guidelines. The guidelines are intended as a resource tool for watershed groups developing and implementing stream restoration projects. The NSCD guidelines are an evolving document and the result of collective experience by a wide variety of professionals. The current NSCD guidelines are available for download by individual chapter or as a complete document. A new chapter on estimating costs of NSCD is also under development. http://www.keystonestreamteam.org/kst_guidelines.htm 

Book Encourages Sound Community Development in PA

The PA DCNR released a book, “Better Models for Communities in Pennsylvania,” intended as a tool for local governments to encourage development that makes their communities more attractive, livable and prosperous. This book, one of eight in a series, provides balanced and practical advice on growth issues facing communities throughout Pennsylvania, including how to protect the countryside, how to strengthen downtowns and how to improve the suburbs. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res2005/05-0802-bettermodels.aspx 

NYS Completes Hudson River Swim Study

New York State DEC recently announced the results of a two-year study to identify potential swimming sites along the Hudson River. The report, Swimming in the Hudson River Estuary, researched possible sites along the river from the Troy Dam to the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. The status of existing beaches was also examined, and recommendations were made for improvements at these sites. http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/hudson/swimstudy.html 

New York Flora Atlas Now Online

The New York Natural Heritage Program has finalized the New York Flora Atlas, a web-based atlas that details the distribution of the more than 4,000 plant species that grow in the state. The atlas maps the distribution of all plant types across the state and provides information about how rare or common they are, the habitats they prefer, and whether they are native, non native, or invasive. In addition, the atlas can generate county-specific lists of rare species or those that grow only in wetlands, thereby helping to target conservation efforts. http://atlas.nyflora.org/ 

EPA Releases Compliance Assistance Guide for the Construction Industry

EPA ’s Office of Compliance has just published Managing Your Environmental Responsibilities: A Planning Guide for Construction and Development (the MYER Guide). The MYER Guide contains two different sets of checklists and detailed discussion/case studies on major environmental areas (including stormwater) affecting the construction industry. It is designed to help the construction industry understand which environmental regulations apply to them during different phases of a construction project. The MYER Guide is designed so that each of the checklists and chapters can be pulled out and used in the field. http://www.cicacenter.org/links/.