The Cost of Nitrogen Pollution on the European Economy

A first ever report (ENA - European Nitrogen Assessment) was just released outlining the cost of nitrogen pollution on the European Union's Economy.  


The study carried out by 200 experts from 21 countries and 89 organizations estimates that nitrogen pollution costs Europe between USD 101 Billion - 461.7 Billion per year or USD 212.00 and USD 1,062.00 per person per annum.   These costs are more than double the income gained from using nitrogen fertilizers in European agriculture.


The report also details a number of key assessments of nitrogen pollution including: 
Nitrates cause toxic algal blooms and dead zones especially in the North, Adriatic and Baltic Seas and along the West Coast of France in Brittany.
AND
at least ten million people in Europe are potentially exposed to drinking water with nitrate levels above recommended levels.


The study also states that at least half the world's population is dependent on food that is grown with nitrogen based fertilizers but that the environmental costs of nitrogen pollution to Europe are very high and that the benefits of nitrogen abatement achieved by applying and using fertilizers more efficiently and reducing meat consumption outweigh the costs of other options.


Click here for the full report

Westchester County Engineering Expo 2011- SUCCESS

Sunday, April 3, 2011, we participated in the 8th Annual Lower Hudson Valley Engineering Expo.  This expo was designed to show middle and high school students what a career in engineering can be.  The expo took place at White Plains High School in White Plains, NY.


We had many different engineering disciplines represented - chemical, solar, civil, stormwater, marine, motion picture, structural, computer, municipal, and more.  In addition, we have numerous college and universities represented to discuss with students and their parents college engineering programs.


It was a great opportunity to learn about careers in engineering!  Stand by for 2012 details!

This is one of the gyms at White Plains HS

Second gym at White Plains High School

Robotics!!!

From Storms to Sewers - lecture/program about Long Island Sound

Last night I attended the "Storms to Sewers" program in Greenwich, CT at the Bruce Museum.  WOW!  There was really a great turn-out for this program.  I am guessing there were 100 or so people in attendance.  The whole presentation was extremely well presented by Leah Schmalz from Save the Sound/CT Fund for the Environment.  In a very short period of time, she clearly communicated all of the issues that affect The Sound.  The topics covered included: a look at the watershed, Long Island Sound Study, sources of pollution, oxygen levels in the Sound, low impact development, rain barrels, nutrient loading, trash control, the status of projects such as sewer separation and waste water treatment facility upgrades, and stormwater authorities, FUNDING and MORE.  It really was an excellent program and at the end, there were a lot of good questions from a very active and interested audience.

By the way, a quick websearch revealed a fact sheet (from 2005) put together by the EPA.  Click here for the link.

Long Island Sound Citizen's Summit sponsored by Save the Sound and CT Fund for the Environment is coming up on May 7th - we will be a vendor there.  Hope you can make it.

Yale Environmental Film Festival in New Haven - April 6-11, 2010

Cool!  It looks like there is something for everyone!  Maybe we will see you there.

Here is the link so you can see dates/times and see what is playing.

Storms to Sewers program - March 31st - Hope to see you there!

STORMS TO SEWERS:
A Program on CT's New Programs for Clean Rivers, Open Beaches, and a
Healthy Long Island Sound

Promising new policies and innovative funding solutions for stormwater
management are floating to the surface-- and just in time.  Insufficiently
managed rainfall can wreak havoc by creating flooding, raw sewage
discharges, shellfish bed and beach closures, and contributing to low
oxygen levels in Western Long Island Sound. As older cities find increased
challenges in combined sewer overflow separation and municipalities
throughout Connecticut look to fund their compliance with the Clean Water
Act’s stormwater requirements, inventive solutions with increased job
potential are needed. Specific issues to be discussed include: stormwater
impacts, stormwater authorities, green infrastructure, and the CT Clean
Water Fund.

Presented by
Leah L. Schmalz, Director
Legislative and Legal Affairs
Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment
These stormwater forums are provided, in significant part, by support from
the Fairfield County Community Foundation

When:  Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Time:  7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where:  Bruce Museum
100 Museum Drive
Greenwich, CT

This program is presented free of charge to public.
It is being co-sponsored by the Town of Greenwich Conservation and Planning
and Zoning Commissions, and the Bruce Museum.

Trash control - an $11.5 billion dollar problem and a major contaminant for stormwater

Stormwater contaminants are, for the most part, usually the same. The issues that we typically see in our business center on: heavy metals, hydrocarbons, phosphorous, and sediment loading. Another MAJOR issue our clients have is TRASH CONTROL.

It might not be an issue that you have thought about, but I spent some time this afternoon looking to see if anyone had calculated the amount of trash and debris that finds its way into Long Island Sound. While I didn't find information specifically targeted for Long Island Sound, I did find a nation-wide study funded by the non-profit organization, Keep America Beautiful, detailing the volume of trash/litter found in the US, the toll it takes on the American economy and behaviors that contribute to littering. The results of their survey were released on December 3, 2009.

Some shocking key findings from their report:

Litter conservatively costs our nation $11.5 billion per year. These are direct costs, including cleanup and prevention programs, and are carried largely by businesses and taxpayers. Not included in this figure are significant indirect costs:

• Decreased property values. 93% of homeowners, 55% of real estate agents and 90% of property appraisers surveyed stated that a littered neighborhood would decrease their assessment of a home’s value
• "Opportunity Costs” such as decreased commerce and tourism in blighted areas
• Health effects and related costs of littered environments

The study concludes that at least 51.2 billion pieces of litter are left on roadways in the U.S.; an average of 6,729 pieces of litter per mile.

Cigarette butts comprise 38% of all items littered on the highways, streets, parks and playgrounds (in urban, suburban and rural areas of America).

The Keep America Beautiful Report detailed littering behaviors, identified factors that encouraged littering and made suggestions on how to reduce litter. I think it is an important report and encourage you to read their findings in full. For executive summary and full report, click here.

More on trash control tomorrow.

Hold the Salt, Pass the Brine -upcoming meeting on de-icing

Being involved in stormwater, we attend a lot of environmental meetings. There was an excellent meeting we attended in 2006 on brine systems. We got an invitation to attend a follow-up meeting on this topic and it is coming up on Friday, December 4th. These meetings are sponsored by Westchester County Parks - their Conversations on Conservation series. Meetings are always educational and instructive. Here are the details. I hope you can make it.

Hold the Salt, Pass the Brine
Environmentally Friendly Methods for De-icing our Roads
Friday, December 4th, 2009
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
8:00 AM registration
Location: Greenburgh Public Library
300 Tarrytown Road
Elmsford, NY

Topics covered:
Benefits of De-icing with Brine
Michael Simone, Supt Highways, Town of Carmel, NY

Environmental Impacts of traditional vs. Modern De-icing
Jim Reed, Reed Environmental Enterprises Inc.

Impacts of Road Salt on the Environment and Organisms
Dr. Stuart Findlay, Aquatic Ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystems Studies

Joseph "Bud" Nicoletti, Commissioner of Public Works, White Plains, NY will be moderating

RSVP by December 2nd: 914-864-7047

We wrote an article on the last meeting and posted it on our website. Click here
to read about the last meeting. Hope to see you there!

A Trend - the rise in storm water authorities

Recently an article came over my desk which detailed Washington, DC's new program to charge DC land and property owners a storm water fee based on impervious surface rather than water usage. This is not a new concept, but rather one that is gaining in popularity. As an unfunded mandate, cities and towns are scrambling to figure out how to implement the NPDES Phase II guidelines and in many cases, it is easy to see why they would consider setting up a special fund for storm water.

In our daily course of business, we sent out this article to a few of our clients just to keep them "in the know". Some like to know what is happening around the country while others responded to us asking for more information so they could explore setting up their own storm water utility. One client in Tennessee advised me that this fee is already on his home water bill and he was certain the money would be collected just so agents could be sent out to fine people. That is probably a natural thought if you don't really follow storm water.

At this point, we know of active storm water utility programs in Wilmington, DE and Washington, DC.

It was interesting to learn that sound shore communities in Westchester County, NY are also exploring the possibility of setting up a storm water authority. Click here for more information.
We will research this trend further and update as we learn more.

Need a new job? Here is your opportunity!

As a vendor that attends and participates in many local trade shows, one of the ways that I promote my company is to call on past show attendees and invite them to visit our booth. Over the last several weeks, I have been calling waste water treatment plants and was told by many plants that they could not attend this particular show because their plant was short-staffed.

In fact, one of the vendors participating in the show was the MDC from Hartford. Their booth was specifically set up to recruit new staff. In my brief conversation with them, they told me the trend here in Connecticut is that older workers are retiring and younger people are just not getting into the field. YIKES!

So... this could be YOUR opportunity. Or maybe you know a high school student that doesn't want to go to college or can't afford it right now that would appreciate the opportunity to start a solid career that offers:

• a great starting salary
• excellent benefits such as:
• vacation, sick and holiday pay
• tuition reimbursement
• health and dental insurance
• AND
• a pension plan

Not to mention the opportunity to learn a lot.

If you are interested, click here to learn more. Or, maybe you just want to check with your home town facility.