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Dashing through the Watershed
By F. X.
Browne, Inc.’s
(Best
sung in a Streisand-esque nasally voice to the tune
of “Jingle Bells”)
Dashing
through the watershed
On a
well-kept gravel road
Noting as
we pass
The
stormwater flow has slowed
A rainbarrel ‘neath each roof,
Manure
neatly stored,
Rainwater
being infiltrated
Even when
it pours!
Oh,
watershed, watershed, every day and night
Nutrients
and sediments are treated on the site!
Watershed,
watershed, the streambanks are so stable
Replacing leaky
septic systems whenever we are able!
A day or two
ago
I thought
I’d take a ride
Past the
constructed wetlands
With E&S controls along the side.
The farm
fields nicely vegetated,
And
streambanks neatly fenced,
Parking
lots with filter strips,
And the
buffers were immense!
Oh,
watershed, watershed, waters clean and clear
New stormwater
BMPs make runoff disappear!
Watershed,
watershed, now we can enjoy
Swimming in
the lakes again, with each little girl and boy!
Hey!
If you are interested in reading last year’s Lake and Watershed News holiday poem, click here.
Editors Note
The Citizens' Agenda for Rivers has
been developed by river users and professionals from across the country to send
a message to elected officials and other decision-makers that Americans demand
clean water and healthy rivers. Visit
http://www.healthyrivers.org to read and endorse the agenda. Their
year-end endorsement goal is 1,000 groups and 1 million Americans.
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News Clips
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PA DEP Announces Changes to NPDES Permit Form As of
November 1, the PA DEP is requiring use of the new Notice of Intent (NOI) form for General and Individual NPDES Construction
Permits.
More…
Students Grade Their Schoolyards Students
across the
Poll Contradicts Building Patterns
Americans
are starting to change their minds about where they want to live, according
to a recent Smart Growth America poll.
More…
Panel Says
Time is running
out for the restoration of the |
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Policy Update
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The US
EPA has approved and is now distributing the 2004 Guidelines for Water Reuse
Manual (EPA625-R-04/018). The document updates the 1992 Guidelines document
by incorporating new information on water reuse, including expanded coverage
of water reuse issues and practices in other countries.
http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/pubs/625r04108/625r04108.pdf
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The USEPA CAFO Managing Manure
Guidance Document is now available. It provides technical information on how
to carry out EPA's revised regulatory requirements for NPDES permitting of CAFOs.
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/info.cfm#manure
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PA DEP is
reminding residents that debris from the September flood can be removed from
creeks and streams without obtaining a DEP water obstruction and encroachment
permit if proper guidelines are followed.
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=9588&SubjectID=
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The NJ
Governor’s office recently announced up to $30 million in funding to purchase
and preserve critical watershed lands in the |
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NJ DEP recently announced the adoption of new rules
that establish the strongest mercury and arsenic standards in the nation.
These rules will reduce mercury emissions from certain facilities by up to 90
percent by the end of 2007 and will establish a maximum contaminant level of
five parts per billion (ppb) for arsenic concentrations in drinking water,
effective January 23, 2006.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2004/04_0130.htm
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Former NJ Governor McGreevey
issued an executive order delaying Smart Growth regulation implementation, calling
for more public debate and broadening the range of environmental programs
that might be spared from the early deadlines in the new measure.
http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/governor/njnewsline/view_article.pl?id=2213
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NJ DEP is proposing to recodify
and amend the Ground Water Quality Standards (GWQS)
rules that govern the quantities of some 200 chemicals allowed in the state's
groundwater.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/rules/rules_pdf/ver2GWQSwithDisclaimer.pdf
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The |
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The |
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The White House and 11 federal departments signed a
memorandum of understanding to develop strategies to promote the growth of
the electronics reuse and recycling industry, reduce the environmental
life-cycle costs of federal electronic equipment, increase the demand for
more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable electronics, and
implement best life-cycle management practices for electronics. |
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PA Environmental Education Grants
PA Coldwater Heritage Partnership Grants
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Most people know that the reason for
the different seasons on earth is because the earth rotates around the sun.
However, the change of seasons is also a factor of the earth’s tilt on its
axis of some 23.5 degrees towards the plane of its rotation. Because of this
tilt, during the winter, the Northern Hemisphere receives less direct
sunlight because the earth is tilted away from the sun, while the Southern
Hemisphere receives more direct sunlight (creating summer). As the Earth
continues its orbit, the hemisphere that is angled closest to the sun changes
and the seasons are reversed.
http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/stargaze/Sseason.htm
The winter solstice marks the
shortest day and the longest night of the year as the earth is tilted
farthest away from the sun. Ancient cultures celebrated the solstice with
rituals involving bonfires and chants to bring back the light. Many modern
December holidays incorporate candles and lights as remnants of the ancient
traditions. This year’s winter solstice will take place at 7:42 am EST on
December 21. |
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Events
NY Stormwater Program and Design
Institute
NJ Quality-Of-Life Indicators
Symposium
NJ Environmental Education Conference
NCSE Conference: Forecasting Environmental Changes
Villanova University Short Courses
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Holiday Harvest
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Link Of The Month
If you’re looking for a way to
brighten the smile of a youngster in your life this holiday season, visit
http://www.santalovesme.com/. You can
order online a personalized letter from Santa that will be sent to the child of
your choice in early December, complete with “North Pole Snow” and other
goodies. No two letters are alike. Santa will mention friends' names, family
members, pet's names and even the special treats left on the plate for him last
year. Plus, ten percent of profits from the site are used to buy hats and
mittens for the
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New Publications
RAMSAR Handbooks For The Wise Use Of Wetlands
The second
edition of the Ramsar Toolkit, the "Handbooks
for the Wise Use of Wetlands", consists of 14 volumes containing major
wetlands guidance documents combined with additional illustrative material such
as background studies, case studies, photographs and tables. This series of
Handbooks has been prepared by the Secretariat following the 7th and 8th
Meetings of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP7 and COP8) held in
San José, Costa Rica, in May 1999 and Valencia, Spain, in November 2002.
http://www.ramsar.org/lib_handbooks_e.htm
Animal Feeding Operations Virtual
EPA has
developed a comprehensive internet guide to provide quick access to livestock
agricultural information in the
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Guidance
Manual
The Center
for Watershed Protection has developed the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
Guidance Manual, a comprehensive manual that includes details on the types of
testing used to detect illicit discharges, information on estimating program
costs in terms of capital and personnel expenses, and timelines that estimate
how long program implementation will take. This Manual is available for free
download for a limited time at:
http://www.cwp.org/idde_verify.htm.
Online Clean Water Act Training Class
The River
Network recently launched a new on-line training class, "Understanding the
Clean Water Act" (CWA). The course, which is
accessible at
http://www.cleanwateract.org/, is designed to help watershed practitioners and others learn about CWA programs and tools. Searching by category provides a
quick overview of the problem as well as descriptions of the most relevant CWA programs. Summaries of state water quality programs and
a section on teaching aids are also included.
Chesapeake Bay Water Trails
170 new
water trail miles were developed in the
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Newsletter Editor:
Design and Layout: |
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Subscribe to this newsletter! An email version
of F. X. Browne, Inc.'s |
F. X.
Browne, Inc. – Environmental Consulting
F. X. Browne, Inc.
Engineers – Planners – Scientists
27 Years of Excellence & Innovation
Corporate
Office:
Pocono Office:
For more information, call us at (215) 362-3878 or visit:
http://www.fxbrowne.com.
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