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TMDLs for Delaware and Pennsylvania Available for Public Comment
EPA Region 3 has published public notices on the availability of three Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports. These TMDLs address impairments including bacteria, mercury from atmospheric deposition, and excessive nutrients and sediment from nonpoint sources in Pennsylvania and Delaware. TMDLs are being proposed for: Skippack Creek in Montgomery County, PA.; Lake Wallenpaupack in Pike and Wayne Counties, PA.; and the Christina River Basin, which spans Chester County, PA. and Newcastle County, Del. Public meetings will be held during the weeks of February 7 and 14, and the public comment period closes in March. EPA’s proposed TMDLs are available online at: http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/tmdl/index.htm
| From all of us at F. X. Browne, Inc., our hearts go out to the victims of the tsunami disaster and their families and friends. If you have not already done so, please consider making a donation toward the relief effort at one of the charities listed at http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html. |
Dam Removal 101
Although dams have many societal benefits, they can also cause considerable harm to rivers. Dams can block fish migrations, flood spawning and riverside habitat, increase stream temperatures, and change the natural flows of a river. According to American Rivers, At least 465 dams have been removed from our nation's waterways - and at least 100 more are either committed for removal or under active consideration for removal. More....
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Dam facts
On average, we have
built one dam a day every day since the signing of the Declaration of
Independence.
Currently, 600,000 miles of our rivers lie behind an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 dams. (source: National Park Service)
The 600,000 miles of
rivers lying behind dams amounts to fully 17% of our nation’s river
mileage.
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 Pennsylvania Lake Management Handbook Completed
The Pennsylvania Lake Management Society (PALMS) has released a comprehensive resource for lake and watershed best management practices (BMPs) geared toward Pennsylvania lake associations, lake managers, municipal officials, and interested citizens. More…
EPA Develops LID Design for Headquarters
In 2004, EPA Office of Water staff teamed with EPA's Facilities Management Division to develop a long-range plan to use the EPA's Federal Triangle complex in Washington, D.C. as a Low Impact Development demonstration site. More…
Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance Launched
The Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance (DVSGA) is a new initiative of various government, private sector and non-profit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia tri-state region to assist developers with incorporating Smart Growth into their development plans. More…
Study Shows Even Small Developments Near Wetlands Affect Wildlife
When lawns, roads and buildings begin moving closer to tidal marshes, it means many of the birds living in those areas will soon be moving out. More…
PA Gov. Rendell Unveils Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy
PA Governor Rendell recently unveiled a wide-ranging water quality initiative designed to clean up the state’s rivers and streams, enhance the health of families and preserve the rural character and farming economy of Pennsylvania. More…
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The Pennsylvania House Republicans have announced a plan, called Green PA , to issue an $800 million bond to pay for environmental programs. Like the Governor's Growing Greener II proposal, House Republicans have proposed a bond to fund their initiative, and proposed to pay for that bond with waste-related fees. http://www.greenpaplan.com. |
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The U.S. EPA has reached agreement with six states and the District of Columbia to set permit limits on nutrients being discharged from more than 350 municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities throughout the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay watershed. http://www.epa.gov/reg3wapd/npdes/pdf/CB_Permitting_Approach_12_29_04.pdf |
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The New Jersey DEP has outlined an 18-month project to evaluate water supply infrastructure throughout the state. The study will investigate ways to mitigate and avoid drought emergencies and address what measures are needed to prevent a catastrophic loss of water due to natural disasters or terrorism. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/newsrel/2005/05_0002.htm |
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water and the U.S. Army’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works have entered into an agreement to establish a collaborative watershed partnership. http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/watersheds/partnership.html |
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New rules from the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service will let federal agencies give assurances to home builders, timber and mining companies and other developers that they won't have unforeseen requirements to protect rare species once a project has begun. http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=586 |
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EPA and eight partner organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding to address environmental problems resulting from failures of decentralized wastewater treatment systems (septic systems). The agreement focuses on better planning, septic system design, and long-term operation and maintenance of septic systems. http://www.epa.gov/owm/septic/pubs/septic_mou.pdf |
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Chesapeake Bay region government leaders met recently to set the stage for the development of an innovative regional financing strategy for the multi-billion dollar restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The Council also adopted new measures that will improve migratory fish habitat, restore native oyster populations, and reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture. http://www.chesapeakebay.net/2005exec.htm |
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The US EPA announced the first of two proposed rules intended to reduce the time and resources needed to submit annual reports to EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). http://epa.gov/tri/tridata/tier3/formsmodrule.html |
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The US Congress recently passed the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research Amendments Act (S. 3014), which provides $197 million over four years to study harmful algal blooms and improve the government’s response to them. http://www.aswm.org/wbn/archive/05/051230.htm#20 |
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Roses Are Red… Roses are a traditional Valentines Day gift, but before you buy roses for your sweetheart, make sure you know what message you're really sending.
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Rose Color/Type: |
Message: |
| Red |
I love you |
| Light Pink |
Fun and happiness |
| Deep Pink |
Thank you |
| Lilac | Love at first sight, enchantment |
| White | Truth and innocence, I miss you |
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Coral, Orange, Peach |
Desire |
| Yellow |
Friendship, congratulations |
| Dead Roses |
It's over |
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Long Stemmed Rose |
Love |
| Short Stemmed Rose | Sweetheart, Girlhood |
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Two Roses Entwined |
An engagement or marriage is imminent |
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The Wisdom of Albert Einstein
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The US EPA is implementing a multi-year project to scan copies of major National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and make them easily available to the public on their website. Over 2000 NPDES individual and general permits can be found at http://www.epa.gov/npdes/permitsearch. |
| Remember how much fun it was as a kid to make paper snowflakes? Now you can make your own Virtual Snowflake online at http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/. You can add your snowflake to the online gallery, print a picture of your flake, or even purchase a rubber stamp made from your very own design! |
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DOD Issues Low Impact Development Manual
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) recently published a document entitled "Design: Low Impact Development (LID) Manual." The manual represents a major step forward in promoting LID techniques for federal and other facilities nationwide. http://www.ccb.org/docs/UFC/3_210_10.pdf
Study Confirms Watershed Approach to Water Quality Best In Southwest PA
A comprehensive, watershed-based approach is needed to effectively address water quality problems in southwestern Pennsylvania, says a new report from the National Academies’ National Research Council (NRC) entitled, “Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania.” The report outlines a technical framework called the Three Rivers "Comprehensive Watershed Assessment and Response Plan" (CWARP) to deal with these problems, and suggests ways to better unify and coordinate the region's efforts. http://www4.nationalacademies.org/news.nsf/isbn/0309095247?OpenDocument
PA Organizational Development Training Notebook
The Pennsylvania Organization of Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) recently announced the availability of the Organizational Development Training Notebook. The Notebook materials are designed to offer assistance to new watershed groups in their startups, as well as previously incorporated groups that face sustainability challenges. http://www.pawatersheds.org/orgdevnotebook.asp
Report on Role of White-Tailed Deer Populations in Eastern Forest Ecosystems
A group of scientists and resource managers has released a report on the role of deer management in protecting ecosystems in Eastern forests. The major premise of the Deer Management Forum is that the restoration and maintenance of fully functional forest ecosystems, containing a full component of native biological diversity at all levels including the understory, will best serve the long-term interests of the people of Pennsylvania and the region. A switch to ecosystem-based management would involve a program to maintain or restore ecosystem structures and processes, not just healthy populations of deer. The report authors recommend that it be carried out using the decision-support concept of adaptive resource management (ARM), which is a science-based way of “learning by doing.”
http://pa.audubon.org/deer_forum_report_main.htm
Environmental Management Systems: A Guidebook for Improving Energy and Environmental Performance in Local Government
A new guidebook is available from the PA DEP called “Environmental Management Systems: A Guidebook for Improving Energy and Environmental Performance in Local Government” to assist local governments with implementing and integrating improved management systems (EMS). EMS programs enable governments to reduce their environmental impacts and increase their operating efficiency. http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/pollprev/Iso14001/EMSLocalGov.htm
The US EPA is also leading a program to work with non-profit organizations, called EMS Local Resource Centers, to help increase the number of local governments that adopt EMS. These centers provide a range of services to local governments including education, training, workshops and guidance. There are 11 local resource centers around the country; the center closest to Pennsylvania is at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. http://www.peercenter.net/
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