February 15, 1999
1) U. S. Forest Service Ceases Timber Cutting in Alabama
2) Plans to Reduce Air Pollution Will Include Power Plants
3) New Gas In B'ham: How about Adjacent Counties?
4) Alabama Environmental Council Annual Meeting Announced
5) Tips On Becoming More Energy Efficient
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Quote of the Month: "To waste, to destroy our natural resources,
to skin and
exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness,
will
result in understanding in the days of our children the very prosperity
which
we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed."
President Theodore Roosevelt
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1. Forest Service Temporarily Halts Timber Sales In Alabama
- According to
published reports off the AP wire and Birmingham News, forestry
officials
have temporarily halted timber sales for Alabama's National Forests
after a
Department of Agriculture criminal investigation found irregularities
within
the Shoal Creek Ranger District. John Yancy, supervisor for the
National
Forests of Alabama announced the suspension of timber operations
in all 6
ranger districts while an independent team of specialists conducts
a review
of the state's timber program.
BEN readers can view the Inspector General's report, which
set this
suspension in motion, by visting the following address:
http://www.usda.gov/oig/auditrpt/auditrpt.htm
In the Birmingham News report, environmental lawyer Ray Vaughan
and Wild
Alabama director Lamar Marshall expressed their "vindication",
after years of
timber appeals and public protest. To learn more about their fight
to reform
the Alabama Forest Service, visit the the Wildlaw website at
http://www.wildlaw.org or
call Wildlaw's office at 334-265-6529 or Wild
Alabama at 256-974-3166.
2. ADEM Will Target Power Plants For Air Pollution Reduction
- According to
a Tuesday February 9th Birmingham Post-Herald front page article,
ADEM is
preparing rules to require Alabama Power to reduce significantly
the level of
nitrogen oxide emissions at power plants that affect Jefferson
and Shelby
counties. The new rules along with cleaner gasoline and voluntary
measures
are part of a plan that must be submitted by ADEM this spring
to the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The comprehensive plan
must provide
measures addressing Jefferson/Shelby counties ground level ozone
air
pollution problems.
ADEM's new focus on power plants is a dramatic change in policy,
after the
agency filed last month an appeal to EPA's new plan to reduce
power plant
emissions in 22 states. Alabama is one of nine states fighting
the new
regulations. When asked if the new state regulations would come
up to EPA's
28% reduction, Ron Gore the Chief of ADEM's Air Division stated
in the
Post-Herald article, "At least". The major difference
between ADEM's and
EPA's plans will be ADEM's targeting of 4 out of 6 Alabama Power
plants, the
one's near Jefferson/Shelby counties.
3. New Gas For B'ham: What About Adjacent Counties?
- Currently ADEM is
considering implementing rules to place a cleaner gasoline, nicknamed
"Atlanta Gas", in gas pumps by the summer ozone season.
The gas would be
sold in Jefferson and Shelby counties between June and September
until 2003.
While the new gas is a step in the right direction toward solving
the
region's ozone air pollution problems, advocates from Jefferson/Shelby
Clean
Air Alliance are calling for the gas to be used in adjacent counties
and
during the entire months of May and October. According to 1990
Census data
(that's the latest data) more than 28,000 vehicles a day commute
into
Jefferson County alone. Obviously those numbers are much larger
since the
surrounding counties have gained in population, while Jefferson's
has been
flat.
The group also wants Atlanta Gas to be sold during the months
of May and
October. Yellow and red alert days have occurred during these
months. For
more information about the Jefferson/Shelby Clean Air Alliance
and the ADEM's
Atlanta Gas rules e-mail me (Pat Byington) pkbyington@aol.com
4. Snails, Trails, and Political Tales - The Alabama
Environmental Council
will be holding its 32nd Annual Meeting, March 13-14th, at Jacksonville
State
University (Registration begins at 9:00 A.M. Saturday morning).
The meeting
is packed with dynamic speakers and leaders within the Alabama
environmental
movement. This year's topics will include; "Snails' a discussion
about
endangered species and Alabama wildlife, "Trails" a
panel which includes
Alabama's leading land preservationists, and political "Tales"
moderated by
Former State Senator Doug Ghee and a group of key public officials
who will
make important conservation decisions in 1999 and beyond.
The conference fee is $20 for adults, $10 for students and
free for children
under 12. If you are interested in attending please send checks
to the
Alabama Environmental Council 2717 7th Ave. South Suite 207, Birmingham
Al.
35233. For more detailed information about the conference, call
1-205-322-3126 or e-mail the state office at
watchdog@alenvironmentalcouncil.org
5. Tips On Becoming More Energy Efficient - After about
4 weeks of abnormally
warm weather here in Alabama, winter is finally back. Here are
a few tips
and resources that will not only help save natural resources but
also save
you some money. These tips come from the Environmental Defense
Fund.
Be a Energy Star - The EPA has created the Energy Star label
to help you spot
high-quality, energy saving products, which typically use 20-40%
less energy
than standard new products. A typical household can save about
$400 per year
in energy bills with Energy Star products. For more info:
http://www.energystar.gov/
Check Your Thermostats - Almost every home has at least 3 important
thermostats: one for the heating and air conditioning system,
one for the
water heater, and one for the refrigerator/freezer.
Get an inexpensive electronic thermostat to turn your furnace
down when
you're sleeping and return it to comfortable temperatures before
you wake up.
Water heaters work most efficiently and safely between 120
and 140 degrees -
using a thermosmeter (carefully) to measure the hot water temperature
at the
closest faucet to your water tank, find out if your water heater's
thermostat
is set to high.
To keep food fresh and save energy, the temperature in your
refrigerator
should be about 37 degrees and the freezer should be about 3 degrees.
For
more infomation about saving energy, visit the Alliance to Save
Energy's
e-FFICIENCY NEWS at:
http://www.ase.org/e-FFICIENCY/index.htm
Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists.
If you have any questions about BEN, contact Pat Byington at
205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com
