NOAA holding public listening sessions to guide new aquaculture policy

Thought this was really cool!  NOAA is looking for recommendations from the public to help develop a new national policy for sustainable aquaculture.  First date is in New England in Narragansett, RI coming up April 14th, 2010. 

Here is the link for the NOAA webpage.

NOAA will hold six listening sessions in April and May to hear recommendations from the public that will help the agency develop a new national policy for sustainable marine aquaculture. Marine aquaculture is the cultivation of marine organisms, such as shellfish and finfish, for food and other products.

Dates for the listening sessions with NOAA officials are as follows:

• April 14 in Narragansett, Rhode Island
• Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
• Location: University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus, Coastal Institute Building, Hazard Room, 1st floor
• Address: 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882
• April 19 in New Orleans, Louisiana
• Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
• Location: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District Building
• Address: 7400 Leake Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118
• Note: You must present a U.S. government-issued photo ID to enter this building.

• April 22 in Seattle, Washington
• Time: 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
• Location: Seattle Aquarium
• Address: 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101

• April 27 in Honolulu, Hawaii
• Time: 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
• Location: Ala Moana Hotel
• Address: 410 Atkinson Drive Honolulu, Hawaii 96814

• April 29 in Menlo Park, California
• Time: 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
• Location: U.S. Geological Survey Visitors Center Conference Room
• Address: 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, California 94025
• Note: You must present a U.S. government-issued photo ID to enter this building.

• May 6 a national call-in hosted by NOAA
• Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. (Eastern)
• Note: A toll-free call-in number will be posted closer to the date.

Beginning April 6, the agency also will accept public comment through the Web. Instructions for submitting comments electronically will be posted on this website.

After the listening sessions, NOAA will analyze the public input and develop a draft national policy for review and public comment. Once that process is complete, the agency will issue the new NOAA aquaculture policy. NOAA’s goal is to issue a new national policy that will enable sustainable marine aquaculture within the context of the agency’s multiple ocean stewardship missions and broader social and economic goals.

Here is a little rain for you - very cool!

If there is no rain in sight but you want some, click on this Youtube link.  Very creative.

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.

Enter to win the 2010 ConocoPhillips Energy Prize - win cash for your ideas

A while ago we attended a meeting on energy conservation that was hosted by Conoco Phillips.  We have been on their mailing list ever since.  They have announced an opportunity to enter the 2010 ConocoPhillips Energy Prize.  If your ideas are good enough, win a cash prize!  Below are the details:


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Because of your involvement in creating a dialogue about ways we can work together to solve our energy challenges, we thought you’d be interested to know more about the 2010 ConocoPhillips Energy Prize sponsored by ConocoPhillips and Penn State. The program, now in its third year, will award up to $300,000 for the best concepts that promote advances in energy diversity, improve energy efficiency, or combat climate change.

The ConocoPhillips Energy Prize will accept entries through May 21 and is open to all U.S. residents who are at least 18 years of age at the time of entry. Entrants must submit a comprehensive proposal via the Internet at www.conocophillips.com/energyprize or by mail.

We hope you will let your friends and colleagues know about the ConocoPhillips Energy Prize by encouraging them to visit www.conocophillips.com/energyprize. It is our hope that by fostering innovation no matter where inspiration may strike, we can create a path to a more secure and environmentally conscious energy supply.  


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Good Luck!

Improving stormwater quality in an existing parking structure with a hydrodynamic separator and only losing ONE parking space

Late last year we were contacted by a new client who was required to improve the stormwater at his site.  This would not be unusual except that his site was an existing parking structure.  He had researched and priced other systems, but they were too large, inefficient, difficult to maintain and ultimately would not work in his application.  In his quest for answers, this client was referred to us.

We were most interested in working on the project, but our hydrodynamic separators are manufactured with concrete.  As heavy structures, they are usually installed in the ground during the first phase of a project when it is no problem to lift the unit into place with a crane.   So.... what to do???

How about manufacturing the TerreKleen hydrodynamic separator out of marine grade aluminum?  A TerreKleen made from marine grade aluminum would not only:

• improve the water quality in this parking structure
• would be easy to maintain
• would work efficiently
• could be maneuvered into place by hand and 
• would take up minimal space in the parking garage.  

So... last week after undergoing water-tightness testing, the TerreKleen was delivered.   This unit was light weight enough to be delivered by pick-up truck and unloaded by a few workers on-site.  It was moved in the garage on the pallet jack until the sprinkler heads started to hang too low.  Then, the TerreKleen was easily removed off the pallet and guided into place by hand.

Here is the TerreKleen in place - client was thrilled that they will lose only one parking space in their parking structure.  A very big deal in this urban area.

EPA asks for public comment on what to do about significant pollution problems facing our waters

Upcoming EPA Conference Title:  Coming Together for Clean Water

EPA is looking to meet and discuss significant pollution problems facing our watersheds.  They have invited the public to comment on three topics prior to their meeting.

Topic 1: The Watershed Approach

Topic 2: Managing Pollutants from Nutrients

Topic 3: Stormwater Pollution

Here is the introduction what is posted on the EPA Blog:

Nearly 40 years ago, Congress passed a truly remarkable piece of legislation—the Clean Water Act. This document outlined sweeping commitments to restore and maintain the integrity of our nation’s waters, rid them of pollution, and make them safe for humans and wildlife alike.

For even longer, the Environmental Protection Agency has worked to fulfill these ambitious and important goals. Our efforts have made our water resources cleaner and safer in many ways, but new challenges arise everyday.  This April, Administrator Lisa Jackson and I are inviting 100 leaders in water issues to help us sharpen our thinking during a one-day event, Coming Together for Clean Water, on how we can meet these challenges.

Specifically, we’ll discuss what we can do about the most significant pollution problems facing our waters. These evolving issues pose complex challenges to restoring healthy watersheds and creating sustainable communities across the country.

These priorities are important to all of us, and cannot be achieved in one day. That’s why Administrator Jackson and I are asking you to participate in this discussion forum, which was designed around the questions we’ll tackle during the Coming Together for Clean Water conference. I encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences on these topics, so we can use them to inform our discussion.

Addressing water pollution is an enormous task that will take a variety of ideas and experiences. I thank you for helping us in this effort.

–Peter Silva
Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water
US EPA

Click here to go to the EPA website for more information and to leave a comment.