Archive for February, 2011

TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT!

Saturday, February 26th, 2011

Greetings River Lovers ~ Happy Pre-Spring! Save Maumee Logo

Upcoming Save Maumee Events ~ Working to improve your waterways all year long!

TODAY ~ Saturday February 26, 2011 Save Maumee Presents another FUN & educational evening!

Enjoy yourself at Dash-In with us and live entertainment to celebrate awareness and forward progress coupled with great LIVE MUSIC and delicious FOOD & DRINKS and door prizes!

Who is playing:     Sounds of Saturn      9pm-11pm –  cosmic vibrations & instrumental jazz
Les Nester               11:30pm- 2 am-ish – scintillating sound

Location: Dash-In (814 Calhoun Street, downtown Fort Wayne, IN 46802)
Time: 9pm-2am (ish)
Age: 21+,
Cost to improve your waterways: $3 cover OR $5 gets you in the door AND in the raffle for door-prizes:
What door prize?: Neuhouser Nursery Gift Basket, The Green Dog-dog bathing, and Fort Wayne Outfitters/Bike Depot compostable water bottle/t-shirt and free canoe/kayak rental for 2, Save Maumee T-Shirts, $25 GAS Gift Certificate, Hall’s Gift Certificates! ~Drawing throughout the evening…Must be present to win.
Check out Facebook Invitation HERE

All proceeds go to riverbank restoration materials for Save Maumee’s 6th Annual Earth Day 2011!

Other Upcoming Events for 2011

  • Sunday April 17, 2011 ~ Save Maumee’s 6th Annual Earth Day!  11am-4pm on Niagara Dr. on the north side of the Maumee River.
    Fun includes clean-up and planting, Soaring Hawk presentation, Horse Tours, river and environmental education, and so much more!
    Click here for more Earth Day Details
  • Date (?weekend after Earth Day?) TBA – Mother Bed Planting – at the Save Maumee / Top Notch Tree Service Greenhouse
  • September 17, 2011–  4th Annual Canoe Clean Up, Can YOU Clean Up?  11am- 4pm Free canoes from Fort Wayne Outfitters Bike Depot with ID.  Spend a fun day with family and friends on the river cleaning up and educating yourself!  Canoe Clean-Up Details HERE
  • October 4 OR 24, 2011- 3rd Annual Seed Harvest at Fox Island Nature Preserve 1pm – 4pm, exact date to be announced depending harvesting availability.   Seed Harvest Details HERE

We have also discussed having ACTION MEETINGS.  We meet and discuss our plan of what to do in a time frame of 1 month.

Suggestions have included so far:

  • “I will go with a friend of mine and pick up trash and record it and put it on YouTube by next month.”
  • “My plan of action is to make a poster board with all the water related issues locally, so people can understand through cartoons.”
  • “I will write an article of how I feel about our waterways for Save Maumee Blog by next month.”
  • “My band will play for a Save Maumee Benefit.”
  • “I will go to represent northeast Indiana and Save Maumee in Washington D.C. for Clean Water Week the first week in March.”
  • “I will write my views about pollution in my water and send it to my Congressman, Senators and House of Representatives.”

THIS is how grassroots organizing does it! Everyone just does one thing with their talents… and 30 goals can be accomplished in one month!  We all have different talents and Save Maumee is willing and able to put them to good use to benefit our rivers.  Since we are all unpaid volunteers it takes a community to improve WATER QUALITY.  We are looking for input (and action) on our non-traditional ways to move forward and progress towards cleaner water!

A SEWER FULL OF POLLUTERS’ AMENDMENTS

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

These amendments have no place in a spending bill and they effectively aim to “handcuff” EPA and other federal agencies from enforcing current law or help to relax current law:

Where should we dump it?

Amendment No. 10 from Rep. Cliff Stearns (FL-6) would prevent EPA from developing or issuing standards that list coal ash as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Amendment No. 13 from Rep. Tom Rooney (FL-16) would stop EPA from using its funding to implement, administer or enforce new water quality standards for Florida’s lakes and flowing waters, which were issued in November.

Amendment No. 109 from Griffith (VA-9)  would block EPA from using its funding to implement or enforce new guidance for the review of water pollution from proposed coal-mining projects, including mountain-top removal mining.

Amendment No. 216 from Rep. David McKinley (WV-1) would stop EPA from administering or enforcing section 404 (c) of the Clean Water Act, which governs dredge-and-fill permits.

Amendment No. 217 from McKinley (WV-1) would also block the EPA coal ash rules.

Amendment No. 218 from Rep. Bill Johnson (OH-6) would prevent EPA from issuing new rules for the circumstances under which mining may be conducted near streams or from conducting an environmental impact statement on the impact of the rules.

Amendment No. 230 from Rep. Goodlatte (VA-6) would block EPA from implementing the federally-mandated water pollution “diet” for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Amendment No. 279 from Rep. Aaron Schock (IL-18) would stop EPA from using its funding to re-evaluate health effects of the approved herbicide atrazine, a known endocrine-disruptor.

Amendment No. 289 from McClintock (CA-4) would block the Department of the Interior from issuing grants under the WaterSMART program. This conservation initiative, which was created by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last year, is intended to find solutions for the water crisis in West.  [Water should be used for needs, but not move so much water that it is displaced to areas of greed. (i.e. Las Vegas or water intensive plants in desert agriculture)]

Member Name DC Phone DC FAX
Senator Richard G. Lugar (R- IN) 202-224-4814 202-228-0360
Senator Dan Coats (R- IN) 202-224-5623 202-228-1377
Representative Peter J. Visclosky (D – 01) 202-225-2461 202-225-2493
Representative Joe Donnelly (D – 02) 202-225-3915 202-225-6798
Representative Marlin A. Stutzman (R – 03) 202-225-4436 202-226-9870
Representative Todd Rokita (R – 04) 202-225-5037 202-226-0544
Representative Dan Burton (R – 05) 202-225-2276 202-225-0016
Representative Mike Pence (R – 06) 202-225-3021 202-225-3382
Representative Andre Carson (D – 07) 202-225-4011 202-225-5633
Representative Larry Bucshon (R – 08) 202-225-4636 202-225-3284
Representative Todd C. Young (R – 09) 202-225-5315 202-226-6866

Bill Watch 2011

Saturday, February 5th, 2011

Indiana Wildlife sent me their bill watch.  Keeping laws transparent and legislators honest should be demanded by the we the people.

Pork = Renewable energy?

Wildlife Management
SB 0017 Exotic animals. Support restricting release of exotic animals into the wild.
Hunting/Fishing
SB 0153 Disabled veteran hunting and fishing licenses. Opposed to new lifetime licenses
HB 1036 Exemption from hunter education course. Opposed to new exemptions
HB 1299 Animal hunting facilities Opposed to any hunting within fenced area
HB 1448 Lifetime senior hunting license. Opposed to new lifetime licenses

Water Quality

SB 0113

Confined feeding operation approvals. Generally support improved water quality protections from excess nutrients, E coli and other pollutants

SB 0118

Ordinances regulating fertilizers. Support local communities’ prohibitions on fertilizer pollution of waterways

SB 0200

Environmental general permits. Generally support proper NPDES permit requirements to protect water quality

SB 0202

Environmental approvals and other issues.Generally support for proper requirements to protect water quality

SB 0236

Septic tanks and sewer systems.

SB 0556

Confined Feeding Operations and CAFOs. Generally support for proper requirements to protect water quality

HB 1134

Confined feeding operation manure. Generally support for proper requirements to protect water quality

HB 1169

Soil and septic system education and research. Generally support additional research and educational out-reach on this topic

HB 1187

Manure storage structures. Generally support for proper requirements to protect water quality

HB 1425

Restrictions on fertilizer containing phosphorus Support – INCA Priority –

Natural Resource Management

SB 0157

Great Lakes task force. Generally support increased emphasis on Great Lakes water quantity and quality issues

SB 0265

Fish and wildlife rulemaking Generally Opposed. Support current system of using Natural Resources Commission setting rules for fish and wildlife management rather setting up new commission.

SB 0375

Sustainable natural resource task force. Support – INCA Priority 

SB 0379

Lake and river enhancement fund. Support the protection of the fund from reversion by the administration

SB 0412

Ballast water and sediment in oceangoing vessels. Support for further restrictions to keep out invasive aquatic species in Great Lakes

SB 0532

Various natural resources matters. Support for DNR proposals

HB 1097

Lake management work group.  Support continuation of work group

HB 1172

 Indiana heritage trust fund. Support extra funding for IHT but this bill would compete for dollars on the state tax form with the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund tax checkoff

HB 1198

Lake and river enhancement fund.  Opposed – allows funds to be used on logjams – not the intent of the fund

HB 1343

Lake and river enhancement fund Support for use of funds for controlling exotic and invasive species

HB 1348

Soil and water conservation districts. Support for administrative wording improvements

HB 1392

Sustainable natural resources task force Support – INCA Priority –

HB 1570

Backcountry issues. Generally opposed to arbitrarily setting aside forest areas for no management. Mature forest areas must be a part of an overall plan to support all fish and wildlife resources

Energy   -related bills but have not taken positions on them.)
SB 0015 Low carbon and noncarbon dioxide emitting plants.
SB 0066 Amend definition of “renewable energy resources”.- may consider trash burning and tree burning renewable
SB 0072 Carbon dioxide pipelines and eminent domain.
SB 0102 Utility recovery of federally mandated costs
SB 0260 Clean energy improvement financing district. Support – INCA priority 
SB 0314 Guaranteed energy saving contracts.
SB 0453 Renewable energy development
SB 0481 Wind power device exemption.
HB 1128 Hydrogen as a renewable energy resource.  
HB 1196 Wind power device deduction limitation.
HB 1231 Low carbon and noncarbon dioxide emitting plants.
HB 1235 Climate expenditure accountability
HB 1262 Energy savings contracts.
HB 1351 Wind energy conversion systems.
HB 1363 Rural renewable energy production.
HB 1407 Alternative energy.
HB 1445 Net metering.
HB 1457 Clean energy improvement financing district. Support – INCA priority

2011 Indiana Senate Pro-Consumer Voting Records

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Several bills are being voted-on right now.
SB72, eminent domain for CO2 pipelines,
SB71, hydrofracking, remains on 2nd reading in the Senate.
SB102, tracker bill, remains on 2nd reading in the Senate.

DUKE ENERGY is a large electric utility service for Indiana and has been in the news several times over the past few weeks for a range of issues: including Contractor says Duke took risks at plant and Utilities Back Bill to Cut Regulation and of course the newest report Dirty Energy’s Assault on Our Health: Mercury

Citizens Action Coalition’s fact sheet (below) is about Indiana General Assembly pro-consumer voting records thus far.  It is important to note that legislators need to know what YOU think.  Please take this opportunity to send them your views, whether it is through email, personal letter or a phone call.
FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR CLICK HERE:

A few things to remember when writing or speaking to your legislator:

1) Be SPECIFIC on what you want to happen or your view on an issue – short and concise
2) Be nice yet firmly held in your beliefs – respect will get you further than a personal attack
3) Ask for their stance on the issue and/or how they will vote – urge a response to your views
4) Personalize, let them know how their decisions in this matter will affect you, your family or business.
5) Tell them you are one of their constituents
6) Conclude your letter by urging the legislator to take action in support of your position and thank them for taking the time to consider your view.

***Do not forget your return address (or you are not considered a real person).
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It says (at the bottom) that this information was collected by Follow the Money.  The campaign contributions are a total of contributions that the legislators accepted from Utility, Coal, Oil and Railroad Corporations