FALL QUARTERLY MEETING – Thursday, November 16, 2006 - 10:30 A.M.

PLACE: The United Church Of Spring Valley-Mendum Room
East Church Street at Centre, Spring Valley, New York
Parking behind Church in Memorial Park
Please use front door of church.

10:30 A.M. Environmental Reports

11:15 A.M. Program: Author Laurence Pringle presents his thoughts
on writing books for children

Laurence Pringle is an award-winning author of over a hundred books about
nature, science, health, and environmental issues. He and his family live in
Rockland County. We look forward to learning about his many writings and
inspiration for his many books.

*Lunch will be provided by the Board of Directors*

Newsletter-Dorice Madronero Distribution-Faith Leigh, Betty Hedges

RCCA MEMBERSHIP 2006
Special thanks to our members. Your dues and contributions provide the
income for this nonprofit, volunteer organization. Please invite your friend to join.

RCCA Board of Directors

A Sneak Preview by our Speaker Laurence Pringle

Growing up in rural western New York, I had two strong interests: reading, and learning about nature. I was one of those "bookworm" kids, not good at sports. I loved to explore outdoors, roaming woods and fields, investigating ponds. I never dreamed that a person could have a career that called for lots of reading, and learning about wild animals. And if you asked me--in elementary school, or high school,or even after college--if I would ever write a book, my answer would have been a loud, clear "No!"

Life is full of surprises. In 2003, my one hundredth children's book was published. I'm thrilled, and also proud because each of those books took a lot of hard work. My books have been praised for their high quality--by reviewers, teachers, librarians, scientists, and by the children and young adults who read them. It feels great to know that the Chicago Tribune called me "one of America's top nonfiction writers for young people," with "a remarkable ability to succeed with topics others would turn deadly dull." A reviewer for the American Library Association's Booklist called me "an esteemed children's author whose gift is turning natural history and science into page-turning reading." Also, in addition to rave reviews for individual books, I have received major awards from the National Wildlife Federation, the American Nature Study Society, and the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild.

Monarch Butterflies stop along the Hudson River at Hook Mountain

Update on Ford Motor Company Paint Sludge Ramapo Clean-up

IBoard members Geoff Welch and Chuck Stead will provide an update on how they are progressing in the studies and remediation plans for the large areas of Ford Motor Paint sludge dumped decades ago at five (or possibly more) locations in Rockland County.

Locations of contamination include: three areas in Torne Valley, North of Sharp Industries, right above the State line in Hillburn, and in the Mount Ivy Swamp in Ramapo.

Reports prepared for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) can be viewed in the Suffern Library and at the Town on Ramapo Clerk’s office.

State Seeks Comments on Coal-Fired Power Plants- Mercury Emissions

Excerpt of comment submitted by RCCA:

For decades Rockland County has been a host community to the Lovett Generating Station, a coalfired facility. Over the years this plant has appeared on the nation’s and state’s dirtiest polluter list. This distinction engenders great concern for the health and well-being of our families. Mercury is a known, potent neurotoxin that bioaccumulates. Rockland is unique, in that we obtain our drinking water from within our borders. Therefore, we are acutely vulnerable to the effects of local impacts, as well as atmospheric exposures of mercury.

Studies show that local power plants are a significant portion of the mercury contamination problem. The most recent information comes from an EPA-funded study in Steubenville Ohio, which found that about 70 percent of the mercury pollution from local coal plants fell within 60 miles.ⁱ This puts a finer point on EPA's 1997 estimate that these types of mercury emissions travel 50-500 miles.ⁱⁱ The data make it clear that local controls will mean less mercury pollution falling into local waters.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), “Mercury has been well known as an environmental pollutant for several decades. As early as the 1950's it was established that emissions of mercury to the environment could have serious effects on human health. These early studies demonstrated that fish and other wildlife from various ecosystems commonly attain mercury levels of toxicological concern when directly affected by mercury-containing emissions from human related activities. Human health concerns arise when fish and wildlife from these ecosystems are consumed by humans.”ⁱⁱⁱ

RCCA encourages a more robust enforcement program that imposes greater fines for noncompliance. In an effort to ensure compliance we support continuous monitoring of emissions, especially for mercury. There are well recognized questions of “hot spots” where local output sources exist.

“EPA brought significant scientific, technical, and modeling expertise to bear in developing a specific methodology to consider the potential for mercury hotspots. Several uncertainties associated with key variables in the analysis could affect theaccuracy of the Agency’s conclusion that the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) will not result in “utility-attributable” hotspots. We noted:

• gaps in available data and science for mercury emissions estimates,
• limitations with the model used for predicting mercury deposition,
• uncertainty over how mercury reacts in the atmosphere, and
• uncertainty over how mercury changes to a more toxic form in waterbodies.”^iv

Given the void of available data it is reasonable to follow precautionary measures to safeguard the public and environment from a known dangerous neurotoxin. Homes in the vicinity of the Lovett Generating Station are known to have fine dust particles on the outside, believed to be from the emission stacks. Analysis of this dust compared to what is emitted from the plant may be a good source review to begin filling those gaps of data.

As far back as 1306, King Edward I attempted to regulate the burning of coal in London. “In 1775, Percivall Pott, a London physician, suggested that the very high rate of scrotal and nasal cancers among chimney sweeps was a result of their exposure to soot. This was the first indication that exposure to certain chemicals in the environment could be an important factor in cancer.”vvi There are no secrets that avoidance of exposure to toxins supports well-being.

ⁱ Gerald J. Keeler, Matthew S. Landis, Gary A. Norris, Emily M. Christianson, and J. Timothy Dvonch. Sources of Mercury Wet Deposition in Eastern Ohio, USA, Environmental Science & Technology 40 (19). September 8, 2006.
ⁱⁱ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Volume III: Fate and Transport of Mercury in the Environment. 1997
ⁱⁱⁱMercury Contamination of Aquatic Ecosystems http://water.usgs.gov/wid/FS_216-95/FS_216-95.html
^ivUSEPA Office of Inspector General; At a Glance May 15, 2006 Monitoring Needed to Assess Impact of EPA’s Clean Air Mercury Rule on Potential Hotspots http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2006/20060515-2006-P-00025-glance.pdf 5National Institutes of Health Cancer Institute Cell Biology and Cancer, Teacher’s Guide http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih1/cancer/guide/intro1.htm