Editor's Note

Editor's Choice

National News

Legislative News

State News

Resources/ Publications

Potpourri

Job Openings

Student Jobs

Meetings/ Training

ASWM Calendar

INDEX:

---EDITOR'S NOTE--

---EDITOR'S CHOICE---

·	May is American Wetlands Month
·	President’s Earth Day (DEQ) Wetlands Report Documents Progress
·	Envisioning the Future of Coastal Management Stakeholder Meetings
·	USGS Conducts Congressional Briefing on Climate Change:  Impacts on Water Resources
·	MT: Partnership Reaches Children with Wetlands Education
·	Water Indicator Questionnaire for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Project

---NATIONAL NEWS---

·	Interior Secretary Says U.S. Must Focus on Preventing Species from Becoming Endangered
·	Emphasis Shifts in U.S. Conservation Policy
·	U.S. EPA orders Bay Area company to comply with Clean Water Act

---LEGISLATIVE NEWS---

·	Senator Feingold Discusses Restoring Federal Jurisdiction over U.S. Waters in the Current Issue...of 'National Wetlands Newsletter' by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI)
·	New Bill Would Halt Waste Dumping in Lakes, Rivers, Streams

---STATE NEWS---  

·	MI: Many Help With Wetlands Cleanup
·	NJ: Where Town-House Plan Stands
·	LA: Wetlands Area Hearing Set for Monday (5/14/07)
·	TX: Judge Allows Building Permits on Galveston Wetlands
·	MD: State Dives Into Dispute
·	CA: Climate Change Threatens California Water Supply
·	CO: TNC Protects 200+ Playas With CO Ranch Purchase
·	MD: Maryland Passes Tough Stormwater Runoff Controls
·	HI: EPA, DOJ, and State of Hawaii Reach Agreement
·	NY: 73 Companies Sign On With EPA To Complete Comprehensive Study of Passaic River
·	PA: Endowment Secures Wetlands Donation
·	IN: 'Constructed Wetlands' Eyed as Green Solution to Problem
·	KY: Builder Developed Wetlands Without Permit
·	VA: Water Projects Tax is Sought
·	MD: Maryland’s Coastal Grass Continues to Vanish
·	OH: Casto Asked to Change Rezoning Request
·	WI: 'Wetlands Warrior' Nania wins National Award
·	MD: Leopold Seeks to Protect Wetland
·	MA: Wetlands Map Said Lacking
·	MT: DEQ Leader Honored for Wetlands Work
·	WI: Letter to the Editor: Dane County Sets Good Example on Wetlands
·	ME: Sherman Lake's Death Gives Life to Marsh – Again
·	NH: New Hampshire Flood Data for April 2007 Released by USGS
·	WA: Ecology, Capitol Land Trust Team Together to Protect Black River Habitat

---RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS---

·	Rapanos Essays Published by Vermont Law School’s Land Use Institute
·	NAWMP Assessment IDs JV Strengths, Weaknesses
·	Developing Vernal Pool Conservation Plans at the Local Level Using Citizen-Scientists
·	Grassland Bird Study – Prairie Pothole Region
·	Duck Species Study
·	CPRA Releases Master Plan as a Comprehensive Guide to Save and Restore Louisiana's Coast
·	Expanded Online Washington Coastal Atlas Provides Interactive Mapping, Photos, Satellite Information
·	Two Web Resources for Stream Restoration
·	Water Quality Statistical and Pollutant Loadings Analysis Green-Duwamish Water Quality
·	New EPA Watershed Planning Tool
·	Special Offer on Wetland and Watershed Publications

---POTPOURRI---

·	Bald Eagle Numbers Soaring
·	Virginia Tech Awarded Bay Project Funds
·	Environmental Groups Ask U.N. To Take Stand Against Appalachian Coal Mining
·	The Underdog of Wetlands
·	Rare Salamander Habitat Protected Near Santa Cruz, California
·	Survey on the Great Lakes to “Test the Waters”
·	Wind Farms Useful but May Threaten Birds
·	Spotted Frogs Released in Mountain Wetlands
·	Mt. Washington Wetland Saved
·	Call for Papers: Ecological Complexity Special Issue on New GIS Technology

---JOB OPENINGS---

·	DU Biologist Opening - Virginia (Added 6/12/07)
·	Invasive Plant Coordinator with The Nature Conservancy, Florida Chapter
·	Wetlands & Waterfowl Conservation Specialist
·	Mid/Senior NEPA & Natural Resources Specialist/Project Manager
·	Assistant Research Scientist - Stream Ecology

---STUDENT JOBS ---

---MEETINGS AND TRAINING---

·	Aquatic Nuisance Species Meetings for State Management Planning
·	New Jersey Meadowlands Symposium
·	Celebrating Aquatic Habitat Restoration in Massachusetts
·	Rachel Carson 100th Anniversary Events
·	ASWM’s Western State Workshop
·	IJC 2007 Great Lakes Biennial Meeting
·	Third-Party TMDL Development Tool Kit and Workshop
·	Eastern Regional Wetland Restoration Institute September 9-14th, 2007
·	3rd Box Turtle Conservation Workshop
·	Call for Papers: Floodplain Ecosystems Symposium

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For a rolling calendar of meeting, conferences, and other events visit the ASWM calendar.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Earlier this month I visited a restored wetland in my hometown, where the Damariscotta River Association (DRA) protected the 100 acre Salt Bay Farm. I wanted to show my boyfriend, Greg, this place because it’s one of my family’s favorites for walks and bird-watching. One redwing blackbird posed atop a cattail long enough for me to take its picture and a pair of Canadian geese flirted with us from behind the reeds. We walked to the river’s edge, looked over the bay and mutually missed our life on Mount Desert Island, where we enjoyed similar views on a daily basis. Greg noticed an osprey nest mounted on top of a man-made post and said something like, “nature reclaims it.” Both of us felt spoiled by living right smack in the middle of Acadia National Park before we moved to southern Maine—and now we live surrounded by pavement, near a paper mill, where our two cats can’t go out because of fast roads. Our walk at DRA’s Salt Bay Farm somehow inspired us to look for a small house (closer to the ASWM office) where we may start a garden and regain the proximity to nature that we value without, of course, infringing on wetlands. May is National Wetlands Month. ASWM is waist-deep in registrations for the Western State Workshop to be held in Park City, Utah in June and organizing Wetlands 2007 in Williamsburg, Virginia this August. I recently learned that Elizabeth II, the Queen of England, had planned a visit to the states for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Virginia in early May, which was her second visit to the landmark area in 50 years. Alas it was not the same week as Wetlands 2007. Nonetheless, it will likely be an extraordinary time to be in the Jamestown/Yorktown/Williamsburg area this summer especially for those interested in Colonial American history. This early European settlement also has many interesting wetlands located on and near the site. Many thanks go to the contributors to this issue: Bill Wilen, National Wetlands Inventory, USFWS; Dennis Albert, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Michigan State University Extension; Kinvin Wroth, Land Use Institute; Eleanor Ely, the Volunteer Monitor Newsletter; Jasper Lament, Ducks Unlimited; Carrie Loyd, BHE Environmental, Inc.; Tom Biebighauser, Wetland and Stream Center for Excellence. For all those with green thumbs or well-intended garden gloves, happy planting! Leah Stetson Editor, Wetland Breaking News

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EDITOR'S CHOICE

May is American Wetlands Month

EPA’s Nonpoint Source News Notes – May 2007 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its partners in federal, state, tribal, local, nonprofit, and private sector organizations once again celebrate May as “American Wetlands Month.” American Wetlands Month is an annual celebration of the vital impor­tance of wetlands to the nation’s ecological, economic, and social health. It also celebrates efforts to conserve these invaluable habitats. To raise citizen awareness and inspire action, EPA and its partners are honoring the 2007 National Wetlands Award winners at a cere­mony in May. The partners are also offering ideas for activities that citizens could undertake to celebrate American Wetlands Month, such as wetland restoration and clean up projects, lectures, and festivals. For a link to find out more about how to host a wetlands event, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/awm/  For information on how to host a wetlands festival, visit: http://www.aswm.org/propub/15_wetlandfest_6_26_06.pdf  For a link to EPA’s Nonpoint Source News Notes May issue, go to: http://www.epa.gov/owow/info/NewsNotes/issue81/81issue.pdf

President’s Earth Day (CEQ) Wetlands Report Documents Progress
By Bill Wilen – USFWS – April 23, 2007 The President’s Earth Day Wetlands report documents progress towards the goal he set on Earth Day 2004 to create, improve, and protect at least three million wetland acres by Earth Day 2009.  It includes descriptions and accomplishments of programs that restore, improve, or protect wetlands.  According to the report, specific achievements between Earth Day 2004 and Earth Day 2007 include:
	·	888,000 acres restored or created
	·	1,029,000 acres improved and
	·	852,000 acres protected.
The report also includes a description of the key federal programs contributing to the goal and their planned accomplishments for FY 2008. For a direct link to the Council on Environmental Quality report, go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov:80/ceq/wetlands/2007/index.html
Envisioning the Future of Coastal Management Stakeholder Meetings
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Coastal States Organization (CSO) want to improve the way our nation manages its coasts. Please join the discussion at one of five stakeholder meetings being held around the nation.  The meetings are designed to solicit innovative ideas that will shape legislation being submitted to Congress later this year.  The meetings will be held in: Boston, MA - May 8; Chicago, IL - May 21; Atlanta, GA - May 31; Honolulu, HI - June 7; and San Francisco, CA -June 12.   During the meetings, NOAA and CSO will present our joint initiative, Envisioning the Future of Coastal Management, followed by facilitated comment sessions. We want to hear your success stories, best management practices, and innovative solutions for how coastal management can be better. Topics will include: coastal issues, current policies and programs, solutions, setting goals and measuring success. Attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached. Please register at http://colamedia.com/cm/. There is no registration fee to attend and lunch will be provided. If you have any questions, please contact our contractor Resource Plus at vikram.bapat@resource-plus.com or (617) 385-5028. If you are unable to attend the meetings, please submit your comments via the web.  A full meeting schedule and additional information about the Envisioning project and submitting on-line comments can be found at http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/czm/czma_vision.html.

USGS Conducts Congressional Briefing on Climate Change:  Impacts on Water Resources

USGS News Release – April 27, 2007 In the coming decades, climate change may significantly alter the availability of water across the United States and beyond. Growing population centers in already stressed areas, such as the arid West, will be particularly challenged. USGS and its partners are providing the science that resource managers and communities need to address the potential impacts of climate change on the Nation’s water resources. USGS hydrologist Chris Milly, Kathy Jacobs from the Arizona Water Institute and Curt Schmutte, an engineer with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California gave a congressional briefing on April 27th in Washington, DC. For a link to where the speakers’ power point presentations, and other handouts, can be accessed, visit: http://www.usgs.gov/solutions/climate_change_27apr07.html  For more information about USGS, go to:http://www.usgs.gov

MT: Partnership Reaches Children with Wetlands Education

Contact: Stephanie Kaleva – Project Wet & Ducks Unlimited – April 26, 2007 Many people are unaware of the tremendous value wetlands provide to the environment. In an effort to conserve these valuable habitats, Ducks Unlimited and Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) have partnered to reach children with wetlands education, instilling in them an appreciation of wetlands. With this appreciation, today’s children, tomorrow’s conservation leaders, will be able to make informed decisions about wetlands conservation. Ducks Unlimited and Project WET will use Project Webfoot, a Ducks Unlimited program launched in 2005, as the vehicle for reaching children with wetlands education. In communities across the nation, children’s classrooms participate in Project Webfoot through the support of local businesses, corporations, foundations, and individuals. For the full release, go to: http://www.projectwet.org/newsroom/ducks-unlimited-wetlands-education.html

Water Indicator Questionnaire for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Project

Dennis A. Albert, PhD, a research ecologist working in Michigan, was asked to identify potential biotic indicators for water-level fluctuation as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers scoping project for the Upper Great Lakes. He will be working on this project through May.  If you are interested in participating, the questionnaire can be found at: http://aswm.org/wbn/water_level_indicator_questionaire_0507.pdf   Dennis Albert can be reached at the Stevens T. Mason Building, PO Box 30444, Lansing, MI 48909-7944; Office: (517) 373-1552 FAX: (517) 373-9566 Email: albertd@michigan.gov (or) albertd@msue.msu.edu

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NATIONAL NEWS

Interior Secretary Says U.S. Must Focus on Preventing Species from Becoming Endangered

By Rod McGuirk, Associated Press – ENN – May 4, 2007 The U.S. interior secretary defended a new policy that makes it harder to list disappearing species as endangered, saying on Friday the government needs to focus less on lists and more on helping wildlife populations rebuild and stay strong. "I think we need to put greater emphasis on recovery and efforts in that direction," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne told reporters in Australia, adding that only one percent of the 1,500 species listed as endangered in the past 30 years had recovered. As an example, he said the U.S. government was moving to improve the habitat of the sage grouse, whose numbers are declining, so that that bird is never listed as endangered. For the full story, visit: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=12704

Emphasis Shifts in U.S. Conservation Policy

By Roger Claassen – Amber Waves, USDA – May 1, 2007 Recognizing the potential negative impact that some farming practices (excess fertilization and manure, for example) can have on our Nation’s natural resources, policymakers have been devoting more attention and funding to conservation policies and programs. From the mid-1980s until 2002, the bulk of USDA conservation funds went toward land retirement: paying farmers to remove environmentally sensitive land from crop production for a time period specified under contract. As of January 2007, almost 36.7 million acres were retired from crop production—about 10 percent of U.S. cropland. For the full article, visit: http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/Features/Emphasis.htm

U.S. EPA orders Bay Area company to comply with Clean Water Act

Contact:  Maggie Witt – EPA News Release – April 19, 2007 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Bay Ship and Yacht Co., a ship repair facility in Alameda, Calif., which discharges storm water to the San Francisco Bay, to comply with federal Clean Water Act requirements. “We will ensure Bay Ship and Yacht will take the steps needed to protect San Francisco Bay from industrial runoff,” said Alexis Strauss, Water Division director for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region.  “We will continue to monitor industrial and construction activity to ensure adequate pollution controls are in place.” The EPA is ordering Bay Ship and Yacht to perform regular inspections of industrial and construction activity areas, develop and implement an updated storm water pollution prevention plan and submit weekly inspection reports to the EPA. For the full release, visit: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/fdeef3661eb3b846852572a00065683e/036938c62b44684f852572c2006428c5!OpenDocument

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LEGISLATIVE NEWS

Senator Feingold Discusses Restoring Federal Jurisdiction over U.S. Waters in the Current Issue of 'National Wetlands Newsletter' by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI)

By Rachel Jean-Baptiste – ELI’s National Wetlands Newsletter – May 9, 2007 Recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court have limited federal jurisdiction over waters of the United States beyond the original intent of the Clean Water Act. In the current National Wetlands Newsletter® (May-June 2007), Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) discusses legislation he plans to introduce this session that would restore the federal government's role in protecting the nation's waters. "Currently, the federal government's jurisdiction over U.S. waters is ambiguous, especially in light of the Supreme Court's recent ruling in Rapanos v. United States and the lack of agency guidance," said NWN editor Rachel Jean-Baptiste. "This legislation could provide much-needed clarity to wetlands professionals." For full article, go to: http://www.enn.com/net.html?id=1951  To learn more about the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), visit: http://www2.eli.org/index.cfm

New Bill Would Halt Waste Dumping in Lakes, Rivers, Streams

Environment News Service (ENS) – May 4, 2007 A bi-partisan bill was introduced in the House Thursday to restore a 25 year old prohibition under the Clean Water Act that prevented mining companies and other industries from dumping masses of solid industrial wastes into the nation's waters. Representatives Frank Pallone, a New Jersey Democrat, and Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican, introduced the Clean Water Protection Act. Already, more than 60 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives have co-sponsored the bill. The legislation overturns a 2002 rule change by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that allows coal mining companies to create enormous valley fills, burying thousands of miles of streams, to make the practice of mountaintop removal mining cheaper. For the full article, go to: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2007/2007-05-04-09.asp#anchor3

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STATES NEWS

MI: Many Help with Wetlands Cleanup

By Nicole Gerring – Times Herald – May 13, 2007 Harry Wilson, 46, and Harry Wilson Jr., 15, both of Wales Township, spent Saturday morning combing the edge of M-29 near St. John's Marsh for garbage. "We're doing it to keep the marsh clean, to help preserve the wetlands," Harry Wilson Sr. said. "Plus we don't have to see everybody's garbage." The Wilsons, who hunt turkey, duck and other birds, were part of a group of 200 volunteers dispersed alongside M-29 and around the 5,000-acre marsh to pick up large items such as cardboard boxes and rugs as well as smaller trash such as Styrofoam cups, water bottles and cigarette butts. In addition to ruining the appearance of the marsh, much of the garbage is toxic to plants and animals, Wilson said. "It affects everybody. Pollution's bad for everyone," he said. For full story, go to: http://www.thetimesherald.com:80/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/NEWS01/705130325/1002

NJ: Where Town-House Plan Stands

By James Yoo – North Jersey Media/Morris County News – May 13, 2007 Developer Centex Homes received a letter from the state Department of Environmental Protection last week on concerns the Pequannock River Coalition had raised about the proposed Argonne Woods project in Butler. At a meeting with the DEP, coalition members said they were concerned about building the 69-unit town house complex and its roads within buffers that the state set up for the wetlands. Other concerns included the project's impact upon waters feeding into the wetlands, a new road that would be too close to wetlands and how the design of the stormwater management system could raise temperatures of trout-producing streams. The coalition offered some suggestions, including broadening the wetlands to lessen the loss of buffers, and said the DEP didn't give the public a chance to comment after a stream encroachment permit was approved. For the full story, go to: http://www.northjersey.com:80/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk0MjQmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxMzQzMTQmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkz

LA: Wetlands Area Hearing Set for Monday (5/14/07)

By R. Warner – The Times Picayune – May 12, 2007 New Orleans City Council members Cynthia Willard-Lewis and Arnie Fielkow will host an eastern New Orleans "wetlands" town hall meeting Monday to address issues of concern to people living or owning property outside flood protection levees. The Lake Catherine Civic Association helped organize the meeting, which will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the University of New Orleans' Lindy Boggs Conference Center. The wetlands area of New Orleans east has a unique place in our larger community, and as a consequence, has a specific set of issues that city leaders continue to address," said Fielkow, an at-large member and vice president of the council. Willard-Lewis represents District E. For more information, visit: http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/05/wetlands_area_hearing_set_for.html

TX: Judge Allows Building Permits on Galveston Wetlands

By Harvey Rice – Houston Chronicle – May 11, 2007 A federal judge dealt a setback to environmentalists Thursday in a ruling that allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue issuing building permits on Galveston Island without considering the cumulative effect on the environment. The ruling was the second blow for environmentalists, following a decision by the city of Galveston to shelve a geological hazard map intended to guide the regulation of construction in areas subject to erosion, storm damage and sea-level rise.

U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent lifted a 2004 injunction on a wetlands permit that had caused the corps to withhold all permits for construction in wetlands on the island until the case was resolved. The Corps and developer Blackard Pirates Galveston Development LP had asked Kent to lift the injunction, but environmentalists had hoped he would order the Corps to assess total damage to the environment by development on the island. For the full article, visit: http://www.chron.com:80/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4794737.html

MD: State Dives Into Dispute

By Andrew Green – Baltimore Sun – May 10, 2007 Concern about the environmental impact of a proposed 1,300-home development along Kent Island's waterfront - and local officials' inability to talk about it - prompted the Board of Public Works yesterday to get in the middle of a long-simmering dispute over building in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The three-member state board heard hours of testimony from the developer and from Queen Anne's County residents who worry about the effect of the project on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, eventually deciding to delay approval of a routine wetlands license to gather more information. For full story, go to: http://www.baltimoresun.com:80/news/local/politics/bal-md.kent10may10,0,86475.story?coll=bal-mdpolitics-headlines

CA: Climate Change Threatens California Water Supply

by Leonard Anderson - Reuters News Service - May 10, 2007 California could lose 30 percent to 70 percent of the snowpack to the ills of greenhouse gases and global warming, Steven Chu, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the 1997 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, told Reuters. A "bad scenario" of atmospheric carbon could mean the loss of 70 percent to 93 percent, Chu said in an interview, citing published climate models. California depends on the snowpack to generate hydroelectricity, help irrigate the biggest agricultural economy in the United States, fill reservoirs, and support wildlife and recreation on the state's rivers. "I think that's a much more serious problem than the gradually rising sea level, unless Greenland just completely melts," Chu said. "This is a huge water supply concern for California and the Southwest." For the full story, go to: http://www.planetark.com:80/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41798/story.htm  For additional story, visit: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2007/2007-05-04-09.asp#anchor3

CO: TNC Protects 200+ Playas with CO Ranch Purchase

Playa Post May 2007 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Colorado is making history by being the first to protect a major playa complex in one fell swoop. Last month, TNC announced it was purchasing the 23,000-acre Smith Ranch in Lincoln County, Colorado. The property adjoins another 26,000 acres of conserved ranchlands, which together contain more than 200 playas. “This is a unique property in that there are so many playas, and so many large playas, none of which have been substantially altered,” said TNC’s Peak to Prairie Project Manager Frogard Ryan. “That’s quite unusual. Most of the time we are looking at properties with just one playa, and in many cases it’s been pitted. This property certainly got our attention.” For full story, go to: http://www.pljv.org/cms/latest-news

MD: Maryland Passes Tough Stormwater Runoff Controls

Environmental News Service – May 10, 2007 Maryland has enacted a law that sets higher standards for new development to reduce the polluted runoff that washes off parking lots, roofs, and roads, to end up damaging streams and polluting the Chesapeake Bay. The Stormwater Management Act of 2007 was signed into law April 24 by Governor Martin O’Malley along with 172 other bills. It requires the state Department of the Environment to adopt new regulations and a model ordinance to manage stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff is the fastest growing source of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Stormwater runoff also carries chemicals and other toxins into Maryland’s rivers and the bay. Scientists suspect stormwater runoff was responsible for the cancerous lesions found on fish in the South River last summer. "Controlling storm water is isn't sexy," said Maryland State Senator James Rosapepe, a Democrat, the Senate sponsor of this legislation. "But it's critical to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. For the full story, go to: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2007/2007-05-10-09.asp#anchor5

HI: EPA, DOJ, and State of Hawaii reach agreement with the City and County of Honolulu to address vulnerabilities that led to Waikiki sewage spill EPA Media Contact: Dean Higuchi – EPA News Release – May 8, 2007 The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office, and the Hawaii Department of Health have reached an interim agreement with the City and County of Honolulu that will correct the most significant problems in Honolulu’s wastewater collection system.  This settlement resolves a civil enforcement action that the United States and the state have filed against the city. “This agreement will result in measures by the city to prevent catastrophic spills from Oahu’s most vulnerable sewage pipes,” said Wayne Nastri, the EPA’s Administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. “We will continue to work with the city to improve its wastewater system.” “Today’s settlement shows a commitment by the City and County of Honolulu to protect human health by making significant improvement to its wastewater system,” said Matthew J. McKeown, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are pleased to have worked cooperatively with our federal and state partners to reach this important settlement.” For the full release, go to: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b853d6fe004acebf852572a000656840/2289b07775836b20852572d60001afab!OpenDocument

NY: Seventy-Three Companies Sign On With EPA To Complete Comprehensive Study of Passaic River

Contact: David Kluesner – EPA News Release – May 8, 2007 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has reached agreement with 73 companies considered potentially responsible for contaminants in the lower Passaic River to pay for the completion of a comprehensive study of the river, relieving the burden on taxpayers. The agreement, contained in an Administrative Order on Consent (AOC), calls for the parties to complete an ongoing study of co