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Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Environment - Stories today

"Dairy CAFO permit contested" reports the headline to this story in the Muncie Star-Press. Some quotes:

WINCHESTER - Members of Environmentally Concerned Citizens of Randolph County announced Monday they would appeal the state's issuance of a permit to Tony Goltstein to build a 1,650-cow dairy CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation).

In making the announcement, the group noted that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week confirmed that five northwest Ohio dairy CAFOs associated with Vreba-Hoff Dairy Development have been accused of violating the Clean Water Act.

ECCRC claims the site Goltstein chose for the dairy southwest of Winchester is inappropriate for a dairy CAFO that includes a 7.2-acre, 20-million-gallone manure lagoon because of seasonal high water tables, shallow residential water wells nearby, and proximity to Sparrow Creek.

"Whiting refinery cited by EPA:: Agency alleges illegal discharge of lead, cadmium" is the headline to this story in the Munster Times today.

The Washington Post reports today that:

Cities across the country are manipulating the results of tests used to detect lead in water, violating federal law and putting millions of Americans at risk of drinking more of the contaminant than their suppliers are reporting.

Some cities, including Philadelphia and Boston, have thrown out tests that show high readings or have avoided testing homes most likely to have lead, records show. In New York City, the nation's largest water provider has for the past three years assured its 9.3 million customers that its water was safe because the lead content fell below federal limits. But the city has withheld from regulators hundreds of test results that would have raised lead levels above the safety standard in two of those years, according to records.

The result is that communities large and small may have a false sense of security about the quality of their water and that utilities can avoid spending money to correct the problem.

In some cases, state regulators have helped the utilities avoid costly fixes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is supposed to ensure that states are monitoring utilities, has also let communities ignore requirements to reduce lead. In 2003, records show, the EPA ordered utilities to remedy violations in just 14 cases, less than one-tenth of the number ordered in 1997.

The Post story includes a number of useful links in the sidebar. As readers may recall, it was revealed last year that the District of Columbia has a tremendous problem with lead in its drinking water.

"Indiana Streamlines Electronic Permitting Processes" is the title to this story today in Government Technology. Some quotes:

The new online service provides all the forms needed to apply for Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) permits. It also currently links to water permits provided through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Additional DNR permit applications will be added next year and, eventually, all the state's permit forms will be online. * * *

The permit wizard acts much like the Turbo-Tax software that millions use each year to file their taxes. Users will answer a series of questions at www.myPermit.IN.gov, and at the end of the electronic interview, the online tool will provide a list of the necessary forms and, if appropriate, prompts them to visit the DNR permit Web site.

The permit wizard also provides contact information for the staff member who will handle the permit applications and more information on the permitting process.

"This wizard creates the front door for IDEM permits," said John Goss, director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. "When we fully connect the DNR's water permit applications in December, applicants will know whether or not they need a DNR permit just by answering a few questions online."

IDEM staff has been working for the past few months with the accessIndiana Web team to build the permit wizard. In building the wizard, the design team had to link several different databases and programs that previously could not "speak" to each other. They also had to deal with the different permit needs of IDEM's three program offices, said accessIndiana General Manager Candy Irven.

I read this story with particular interest as this is the kind of work my company, Environmental Information Solutions, does (see last item here).

Posted by Marcia Oddi on October 5, 2004 07:39 PM
Posted to Environmental Issues