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FARM & HOME ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS
This quarterly electronic newsletter of FARM & HOME ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS aims to inform interested readers about voluntary pollution prevention programs around the nation and about new research and policy impacting the management of environmental risk on farms and in homes. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this online newsletter, for more information, or to contribute to this newsletter, please refer to our website (http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/), or email editor Mrill Ingram mingram@wisc.edu We welcome comments and feedback!
USDA-CSREES, USDA-NRCS, and the U.S. EPA provide support for our programs.
Farm and Home Environmental Management Programs
Room 303
Hiram Smith Hall
1545 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI
53706
Phone: 608-262-0024
FAX:
608-265-2775
Website:http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION GETTING AHEAD OF MOLD IN NEBRASKA
Recent high winds, multiple tornadoes and flooding in Nebraska have caused extensive economic and physical damage to homes, businesses and farmsteads, especially in Lancaster and surrounding counties. Dr. Shirley Niemeyer, Extension Specialist in Housing and Environment at the University of Nebraska, IANR, along with Extension Educators Diane Swanson in Gage County and Leanne Manning in Saline County, has been working to provide proactive as well as reactive education for homeowners and renters suffering from weather disaster-related problems. The group has especially focused on problems related to moisture and mold, and providing information about disaster resistant housing construction.
In addition to their ongoing indoor air quality education programs and extension efforts related to lead, radon and other issues, the educators developed three educational programs related to mold and moisture. For one of the three programs "Mold and Moisture Problems in Tornado and Flood Damaged Homes," the Extension Educators in the disaster area were provided with Moisture Meters, which check moisture levels in walls and floors and other surfaces so that people can be sure a surface is dry enough for painting or covering in some other way. Four more meters were made available for check out. Twenty-five educational packets, with extensive mold information, were prepared for Extension offices and also provided to the Federal Emergency Management Association and a Red Cross emergency site.
The team also created eleven news media releases for Extension Educators to use with local news sources, and to assist in answering questions. Many of these can be viewed at the Lancaster Country Extension site http://lancaster.unl.edu/home/consumer.htm. Two additional articles were provided to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Community and Information Technology program for distribution to all Nebraska media and radio stations. Three local radio stations interviewed mold specialists, as a result. Two radio programs were taped for distribution to all NE radio stations. The Lincoln Journal also ran a front-page article on the issue, and Extension Educator Lorene Bartos provided an article about the disaster and related education with some information about mold in her regular housing column in the Lincoln Journal.
For more information about these efforts to assist Nebraskans in coping with weather-related mold and moisture problems, contact: Shirley Niemeyer, Ph.D. Extension Specialist, Housing & Environment, University of Nebraska-Lincoln 402-472-6319; SNIEMEYER2@unl.edu.
NAWQA DATABASE A FLOOD OF WATER QUALITY INFORMATION.
The U.S. Geological Service has posted information on invertebrate communities from 1,700 stream sites in more than 50 major U.S. river basins. The long-term goals of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources, and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary factors affecting the quality of these resources. The data is available on the web at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/data
The program recently released the last 15 of 51 reports on water quality in major river basins and aquifers across the country, and findings of regional and national interest were highlighted in a separate report "Water Quality in the Nation's Streams and Aquifers-Overview of Selected Findings, 1991-2001." Free copies of the NAWQA reports are available from 1-888-ASK-USGS, by fax 303-202-4693 or online at http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/.
Among other findings, the report highlights how changes in land management can improve stream-water quality. For example, best management practices that began in the 1990s in much of the Yakima River Basin, Washington (such as converting from rill, or "furrow" irrigation to sprinkler and drip irrigation) have reduced runoff from farm fields, thus reducing suspended sediment, total phosphorus, dissolved nitrate, and organochlorine compounds (such as DDT) in streams. Concentrations of DDT in largescale suckers, smallmouth bass, and carp from the lower Yakima River decreased by about half from the late 1980s to 1998.
In New England a legacy of urban and industrial activities, together with recent development in forested areas, has negatively affected the quality of rivers and ground water in cities and rural areas. The impact is reflected more quickly than expected as development begins to take hold. In New England elevated levels of arsenic, mercury, zinc, lead, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were apparent in river sediments in highly urbanized areas, such as Boston and Providence. All of these contaminants were detected at concentrations exceeding guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. Levels of organic compounds, such as the gasoline additive MTBE and solvents used in industrial cleaners, were below drinking water standards and guidelines, but were still frequently found in ground waters used for drinking. "We were surprised to find that the quality of streams begin to degrade earlier than we thought as watersheds develop. Because of this finding, stream protection measures need to be in place even in the more rural areas where development is beginning to occur," said Keith Robinson, USGS Hydrologist and principal investigator of the study. "These results indicate the need for regular testing of ground water supplies, especially those from private water wells used by individual homes, since these contaminants were often found," Robinson added.
To access a brochure on MTBE, offering basic information for private well owners including a list of resources for more information, please visit: http://www.uwex.edu/farmandhome/wqpaap/pdf/mtbe.pdf
In additional news on MTBE, a NAFTA investment dispute hearing was recently convened because of a challenge by Methanex Corporation to California's ban on MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether). In 1999 California decided to phase out MTBE, a gasoline additive suspected by the World Health Organization of being carcinogenic. MTBE, which is meant to reduce air pollution, had made its way into the groundwater supplies of hundreds of communities across the state, making the water undrinkable. The MTBE ban went into effect January 1, 2004. Methanex Corporation, the Canadian parent company of a U.S. manufacturer of methanol (one component of MTBE) has brought a $970 million suit under NAFTA against the United States, demanding compensation for profits and business opportunities it claims to have lost because of California's phase-out. New Hampshire has become the fifth state in the nation (including Maine, New York and Connecticut) to ban the gasoline additive MTBE, which is blamed for polluting 15 percent of the state's public water supplies and thousands of private wells. The new state law will ban the sale and use of all by 2007. In order to gain final approval of the ban by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state had to submit alternative plans to reduce air pollution. Under the law, the state would adopt new rules that reduce ozone by requiring clean industrial and architectural coatings, solvents, and portable fuel containers. At least 17 states currently have MTBE bans or are considering them
NEW AG POLLUTION STANDARDS ON AIR QUALITY EMERGING
According to a New York Times article by Carol Pogash, as of July 8 farmers in California's fertile San Joaquin Valley were forced to comply with the most stringent agricultural pollution standards in the nation. Under a state law signed in by previous Governor Gray Davis, all but the smallest of farmers will be required to seek permits to operate and, like all other industries, to comply with the Federal Clean Air Act.
The area is a major source of the nation's fruits and vegetables and more of its milk, butter and ice cream than any other state. The area can also boast more days when smog levels exceed federal standards than anywhere else in the country. More than 16% of children in Fresno County, suffer from asthma, caused in part by agricultural pollution, according to a study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles.
The applications for air quality permits require farmers to document equipment like irrigation pumps, and future changes will require farmers to select the best air pollution control equipment available. Farmers have also been given a choice of some 100 conservation practices to comply with the new conservation management practices. They may decide to mulch rather than burn clippings and prunings, to cover soil with vegetation or to till at night when there is slightly more moisture in the air.
In Iowa, the Des Moines Register recently reported that Iowa's Environmental Protection Commission has voted 5-3 to adopt new anti-pollution rules aimed at applying air quality rules to hog farmers. The commission voted after hearing views voiced by many farmers and other rural Iowans regarding proposed hydrogen sulfide standards. According to health officials, low levels can cause eye irritation, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, and fluid in the lungs, but long-term, low-level exposure can result in fatigue, loss of appetite, and headaches.
The newly adopted rules, which will remain in limbo until September when they will be reviewed by a House-Senate committee on state agency rules, propose restricting hydrogen sulfide emissions to thirty parts per billion. Previously, the commission had adopted rules restricting animal confinements to a fifteen parts per billion standard, but they were resisted by state legislators. Earlier this year, Iowa lawmakers passed legislation that established a 70 parts per billion standard, but that measure was vetoed by Governor Vilsack for offering little protection to residents.
For more information about agriculture and air quality efforts related to the Partnerships for Livestock Environmental Management Systems project, visit: http://www.uwex.edu/AgEMS/livestock/pdf/TX2Pager.pdf
NOTES
New Report on EMS as Communication Tool. In an effort to make EMSs more useful to businesses, environmentalists, decision makers, and the public, the Pacific Institute, along with the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance (MSWG), has released "The External Value Environmental Management System Voluntary Guidance: Gaining Value by Addressing Stakeholder Needs." The document is available free of charge at http://www.mswg.org/EVEMS.htm.. In an effort to make EMSs more useful to businesses, environmentalists, decision makers, and the public, the Pacific Institute, along with the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance (MSWG), has released "The External Value Environmental Management System Voluntary Guidance: Gaining Value by Addressing Stakeholder Needs." The document is available free of charge at http://www.mswg.org/EVEMS.htm.
Community Watershed Restoration Grants. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Leavitt announced 14 watersheds (representing 17 states) are eligible for $15 million from EPA's Targeted Watersheds Grant Program. See, http://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=783.
USDA Announces $3.75 Million for New Source Water Protection Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in May that it is granting $3.75 million to the nonprofit National Rural Water Association (NRWA) for the implementation of a new initiative that will help prevent source water pollution in 33 states. Through the two-year program, NRWA will hire for each selected state full-time Rural Source Water technicians, knowledgeable and experienced in rural issues. The technicians will work with FSA and USDA NRCS to identify priority areas where local pollution prevention efforts are needed most, and to facilitate the creation of local teams comprised of citizens with diverse backgrounds who will collaborate in the development of Rural Source Water Protection plans to promote clean ground water. USDA Secretary Anne Veneman said, "This program will help producers install voluntary measures to promote safe drinking water."
EPA Offers Communities New Tool for Achieving Smart Growth and Water Quality Goals. EPA has released a new report, "Protecting Water Resources with Smart Growth." The report documents 75 innovative approaches -- including redeveloping abandoned properties, encouraging rooftop gardens, creating shared parking, and promoting tree planting -- that state and local governments and water quality professionals can use to achieve their smart growth and water quality goals. To receive a free copy of the report, send an email to: ncepimal@one.net or call 1-800-490-9198 and request EPA publication 231-R-04-002. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth.
Thirst. This documentary film (2004) by Alan Snitow & Deborah Kaufman investigates the privatization of water. Discusses how various countries throughout the world are dealing with water issues and the threat of corporate control over this precious resource. 62 minutes. For purchase or rental. Contact Bullfrog Films, Website http://www.bullfrogfilms.com.
Guidelines For Safe Recreational Water Environments, 2003. World Health Organization. Describes the impacts of recreational use of coastal and freshwater environments on public health. 219 pages. Available for free download at http://www.who.int.
USDA Forest Service Awards More Than $1.1 Million In Urban And Community Forestry Grants. http://www.usda.gov/Newsroom/0241.04.html.
Conservation Security Program: Interim Final Rule with request for Comments by September 20, 2004. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/pdf/CSPIntFinRul.pdf.
Conservation Effects Assessment Project. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service is partnering with Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Farm Service Agency (FSA) and other agencies to conduct a national assessment of environmental benefits and effects of 2002 Farm Bill programs. CEAP will study the benefits of most conservation practices implemented through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Conservation Reserve Program and NRCS Conservation Technical Assistance. This project will evaluate conservation practices and management systems related to nutrient, manure, and pest management, buffer systems, tillage, irrigation, and drainage practices, as well as wildlife habitat establishment, and wetland protection and restoration. Visit: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/NRI/ceap/.
Phosphorus Runoff Slashed Through Treating Swine Diets and Manure. Feeding phytase to swine, combined with adding aluminum chloride to their manure, can cut phosphorus pollution of water by as much as 70 percent, according to a study by Agricultural Research Service scientists and cooperators. Simply adding aluminum chloride to the manure reduced phosphorus in runoff by 53 percent. Adding phytase, an enzyme, to animal feed reduced phosphorus in manure by 13 percent. The study was published in the May-June issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality.
EPA Sustainability Web Site. Individuals, communities and institutions are developing and implementing sustainability practices with the help of dozens of EPA programs, partnerships and policy tools. This site provides links to many EPA programs and tools that contribute to sustainability. These are organized into three main areas: Planning and Practices, Scientific Tools and Technology, and Measuring Progress. Visit: http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/.
Great New Resource For Rural Grant Information. The Rural Information Center has a new database providing keyword and Boolean search capabilities. http://www.nal.usda.gov/ric/ricpubs/funding/federalfund/ff.html.
Proceedings Available for EPA Science Forum 2004: Healthy Communities and Ecosystems. Proceedings from the June event, held in Washington, D.C., are available on the Science Forum web site at:http://www.epa.gov/ord/scienceforum/ . (Click on the Science Forum 2004 hyperlink on the navigation bar on the left-hand side of the web page.) The long list of interesting topics includes: "The Impact of Lawn Care Practices on Aquatic Ecosystems in Suburban Watersheds" and "Using Canines in Source Detection of Indoor Air Pollutants."
A New Version of EnviroMapper is Now Available. EPA's Office of Water has just released a new version of "EnviroMapper for Water," a Web-based mapping connection to a wealth of water data. You can use it to view and map data, such as the uses assigned to local waters by your state (fishing, swimming, etc), waters that are impaired and do not support their assigned uses, the reasons why waters are impaired, water quality monitoring information, closures of swimming beaches, and the location of dischargers. Maps can be viewed at the national, regional, state or local levels. See: http://www.epa.gov/waters/enviromapper/. For more information, contact Tommy Dewald at dewald.tommy@epa.gov or 202-566-1178.
GAO finds flaws in watershed data coordination. The GAO is calling for better data coordination in watershed management efforts. As a result of system incompatibility, data is not easily managed across hundreds of agencies that monitor water quality, according to a report, released by the General Accounting Office. Read more at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04382.pdf.
GAO Testimony: EPA Continues to Have Problems Linking Grants to Environmental Results. EPA Grants Management: Addressing Environmental Results from Its Grants, before the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. See: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-983T
Environmental Protection Agency's National Risk Management Research Laboratory Issues New Reports. Two new reports of possible interest to the pollution prevention community include: "Ecosystem Restoration to Restore Water Quality; An Unrealized Opportunity for Practitioners and Researchers," and "Evaluation of Sediment Transport Models and Comparative Application of Two Watershed Models." Available at: http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/.
CONFERENCE & EVENTS
American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science Society of America-Soil Science Society of America (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) 2004 Annual Meetings. October 31-November 4 in Seattle, WA. For more information visit the Web site at: http://www.asa-cssa-sssa.org/anmeet/
AWRA's 2004 Annual Water Resources Conference. To be held: November 1-4, 2004 in Orlando, FL. For more information visit the American Water Resources Association Web site at: http://www.awra.org/meetings/Orlando2004/index.html
National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management, Symposium on State of the Science of Animal Manure and Waste Management. January 5-7 2005, Marriott River Center, San Antonio, Texas. The primary purpose of this symposium is to detail best available science for managing the manure and litter from the animal industry, and to identify those issues and activities for which national coordination among researchers, government agencies, industry, and nongovernmental organizations is required. Visit: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/natlcenter/center.htm.
USDA-CSREES National Water Quality Conference. February 7-9, 2005, in San Diego, California. Concurrent sessions will feature presentations in three areas: Agricultural Best Management Practices, Rural Environmental Protection, and Watershed Assessment & Restoration. Abstract proposals for oral and poster presentations will be accepted until September 30, 2004. Visit: http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/swetc/waterconf/main.waterconferenc.htm
2005 Agricultural Outlook Conference. February 24 to 25, at the Crystal Gateway, Marriott Hotel, Arlington, VA. Program details to be available this fall at: http://www.usda.gov/oce
2005 EPA Science Forum: Collaborative Science for Environmental Solutions. May 16-18, 2005, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC. Next year's Forum will focus on collaboration among public and private partners, Federal Agencies and International partners. Topics will include technology for sustainability, information and data systems and measuring and quantifying environmental benefits. More information will be posted on the EPA Science Forum web site as it becomes available: http://www.epa.gov/ord/scienceforum/.
