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February 21, 2002
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed, A tree that looks at God all day, A tree that may in summer wear, Upon whose bosom snow has lain, Poems are made by fools like me, Brownfields Redevelopment. The event will be held March 21 & 22 at Birmingham Southern College. For additional details and registration information and forms visit http://www.region2020.org. 1. Alabama Delegation Grades Poorly On LCV Environmental Scorecard - Alabama's congressional environmental voting scorecard is ranked among the lowest in the country, according to a League of Conservation Voters (LCV) report released this week. The 2001 National Environmental Scorecard is a compilation of environmental votes our congressional delegation took during the first session of the 107th Congress. Twenty-three national environmental and conservation organizations selected the votes on which the congressmen were graded. Some of vote descriptions were based on issues such as drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and public lands, spending on environmental programs, and fuel economy standards. Here are the Alabama delegation LCV scores: Senator Richard Shelby - 0%, Senator Jeff Sessions - 0%, Rep. Sonny Aderholdt - 7%, Rep. Spencer Bachus - 7%, Rep. Sonny Callahan - 0%, Rep. Bud Cramer - 29%, Rep. Terry Everett - 0, Rep. Earl Hilliard - 64%, Rep. Bob Riley - 0%. According to the Anniston Star, in response to the scorecard, Sen. Sessions defended his record citing his sponsorship of the Dugger Mountain Wilderness and the newly created Cahaba River Wildlife Refuge. Several congressmen complained that the scorecard did not include many other local environmental projects and accomplishments. To access the LCV National Environmental Scorecard, visit their website at http://www.lcv.org 2. Senator Richard Shelby Calling For Gulf Mercury Answers - U.S. Senator Richard Shelby's office said last week that he was calling on the heads of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service to ensure that mercury from oil and gas operations is not harming the environment or affecting fish in the Gulf of Mexico. In a letter to the agency heads, Sen. Shelby referred to recent published reports in the Mobile Register which revealed that extremely high levels of methylmercury can be found around oil and gas platforms as a result of discharged drilling fluids. "Given the extensive commercial fishing activities in the Gulf, I feel it is important to reassure the citizens of Alabama that these fish are safe to consume. The health and safety of consumers are of paramount importance, and it is the responsibility of both MMS and EPA to ensure that oil and gas platforms are being operated in a manner that does not harm the environment." stated Sen. Shelby in his letter. To learn more about the Mobile Register's Mercury series and their latest article on mercury and oil and gas drilling, visit their website at http://www.al.com/specialreport/?mobileregister/mercuryinthewater.html 3. Congressional Panel Investigating Anniston Pollution To Hold Hearing - According to the Birmingham News, a panel of the U.S. Senate will hold a hearing on the Environmental Protection Agency's actions regarding PCB contamination in Anniston. Leaders of the subcommittee that approves funding for the EPA have agreed to Senator Richard Shelby's request for a hearing. A local Anniston health and environmental group, Community Against pollution (CAP), last week, also asked Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, chair of the subcommittee and Sen. Edward Kennedy, to investigate what it called EPA's 30 year failure to control the actions of Montsanto Co. In information provided to Sen. Shelby's office earlier this month, the EPA said it first became aware of the industrial operations in Anniston in 1979 and has been involved with monitoring the site ever since, including ordering a clean-up plan. 4. Land Trust of Huntsville Ends 2001 With 243 Additional Acres - This just in from The Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama's annual report. Last year, the Land Trust added 243 acres of new property. More than 170 acres of the 243 acres were located within the Huntsville city limits. Since its inception, the Land Trust has bought and protected 2743 acres in North Alabama. Along with its successful land acquisition program, the Land Trust in 2001 built an Outdoor Learning Center pavilion on Monte Sano and more than 3900 volunteer hours were donated. Building on last year's success, the Land Trust announced last week the purchase of "Smoke Rise" a 118 acre piece of land that juts above one of the growing areas in Huntsville. To check out the Land trust of Huntsville and North Alabama, visit their website at http://www.landtrust-hsv.org 5. BEN Notes: TVA Reservoir Operations Study, Wolf Bay Watershed Group To Meet, State Arbor Day Event To Be Held In Montevallo, Mt. Laurel Organic Farm Camp, National Geographic's Smart Growth Website TVA Reservoir Operations Study - The Tennessee Valley Authority has begun a comprehensive study of it's Reservoir Operations. The study will address water quality, flood control and land use issues. The agency is seeking comments from the general public. Public meetings will be held throughout the Valley in March and April. For more information about the study and meeting dates, visit the TVA website at http://www.tva.gov/feature_rostudy/index.htm Wolf Bay Watershed Group To Meet - The kickoff for the Wolf Bay Watershed Project will be on Saturday, February 23rd, 10:00 a.m. at the Miflin Community Center in Baldwin County. The Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) is seeking input from local activists about the area's problems and potential solutions. If you would like to hear more about this project, please contact the ACF at 866-990-6002 or email abrowning@alcoastalfoundation.org. State Arbor Day Event To Be Held In Montevallo - The State Arbor Day event will be held at Orr Park in Montevallo at 10:00 a.m. The Arbor Day Poster winners will be announced and there will be a tree planting ceremony. For more information about Arbor Day events statewide, visit the Alabama Urban Forestry Association's website at http://www.aufa.com or National Arbor Day Foundation http://www.arborday.org Mt. Laurel Organic Farm Camp - The Mt. Laurel Organic Farm Camp is looking for people to help teach children about farming, health and the environment. Training will be offered on March 3rd from 1:00 until 5:00. Interested? Please contact Caraway Seed at 205-991-0864 or carawayseed@hotmail.com. National Geographic's Smart Growth Website - What is "Smart Growth?" Check out this National Geographic Society website which takes children and adults on a "virtual tour" of a "Smart Growth" community. The site is located at : http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse/sprawl/us.html. While at the National Geographic site also visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/earthpulse. 6. Websites Featured In BEN #171 Region 2020 League of Conservation Voters Mobile Register Mercury Articles Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama TVA Alabama Urban Forestry Association National Arbor Day Foundation National Geographic ************************************************************** |