Trout season last saturday opened in parts of Pennsylvania and perhaps one day mercury, pcb, and other pollutants won't have contaminated our fish so that Pennsylvania must warn anglers about eating fish. But that great day is not yet here so the Commonwealth has a public health advisory in effect.
Before you eat fish caught in Pennsylvania, see: www.fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/sumconsumption.pdf.
And where does the mercury come from? Old coal fired power plants operating without mercury controls in America and around the world. Such plants must clean up, switch to natural gas or close.
Natural gas has no mercury and is one way to get the mercury out of our fish and ourselves.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Fukushima's Worst Fact Yet
The news from Fukushima gets worse. Twenty Five miles from Fukushima cesium 137 levels have reached more than twice the levels the Soviets used to decide whether or not land around Chenobyl should be abandoned, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency which is doing testing.
The IAEA team found radioactivity at 3.7 million becquerels per square meter and the Chernobyl standard for land abandonment was 1.48 million. Of all the disturbing facts out of Fukushima since March 11th, this one is the worst yet.
It is now probable that a substantial area around the plant will be unsafe to inhabit for decades and that thousands will experience health impacts, as the Japanese government still has not required evacuations to the 50 mile radius recommended now for more than a week by the American government.
Those following my Fukushima posts know that once the first hydrogen explosion happened at Fukushima on March 12th, I have believed that the facts indicated a terrible disaster. By March 14th events clearly marked Fukushima as more serious than TMI, and by March 16th Fukushima was akin to or in the same category as Chernobyl .
Each day Fukushima releases more radiation to the environment, and there is no clear ending point.
The IAEA team found radioactivity at 3.7 million becquerels per square meter and the Chernobyl standard for land abandonment was 1.48 million. Of all the disturbing facts out of Fukushima since March 11th, this one is the worst yet.
It is now probable that a substantial area around the plant will be unsafe to inhabit for decades and that thousands will experience health impacts, as the Japanese government still has not required evacuations to the 50 mile radius recommended now for more than a week by the American government.
Those following my Fukushima posts know that once the first hydrogen explosion happened at Fukushima on March 12th, I have believed that the facts indicated a terrible disaster. By March 14th events clearly marked Fukushima as more serious than TMI, and by March 16th Fukushima was akin to or in the same category as Chernobyl .
Each day Fukushima releases more radiation to the environment, and there is no clear ending point.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Statement on New DEP Marcellus Drilling NOV Directive
The new Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection directive requiring just Marcellus drilling inspectors to get approval to issue notices of violations (NOV) of regulations from the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is unwise and should be reversed. The new Marcellus directive represents a sharp break from the long-standing practice going back at least 5 secretaries and 3 governors of allowing professional DEP inspectors who are the only ones at the site and doing the actual inspections to make the initial decision on whether a violation of regulation exists.
Inspections of mines power plants, water treatment systems, sewer plants, x-ray machines and much more are not subject to this new review and approval process by the Secretary for the issuance of notices of violations. Singling out just Marcellus inspections and notices of violations for this unprecedented, special process is odd and compounds the error.
The professional, independent regulation by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection of our mines, power plants, x-ray machines, drinking water plants, sewer plants, construction sites and gas drilling sites is indispensable to public safety, public health, environmental protection. All of those who enforce our law, all our cops, environmental or otherwise, have tough jobs, are subject to second-guessing and attacks, and could not do their jobs if they had to get approval of each and every enforcement action before it was taken. While all enforcement work is controversial, Marcellus gas drilling enforcement has been especially controversial.
Pressures attacking the professional independence of inspectors have come from many directions, including those who oppose the industry. Resisting all these pressures must begin with insuring that the inspectors in the field will report the truth, the facts, no matter whom it pleases or displeases. A good regulator is not a friend or foe to anybody involved in the process.
Importantly the system of law that exists in Pennsylvania gives companies that disagree with the issuance of a notice of violation means to challenge or appeal inspectors's decisions. There is an existing process that serves as a check on the inspectors initial decision. This is a critical part of the process. Outside of the Marcellus area this is the process available to every other company or institution that disagrees with a notice of violation.
I have been asked today by the media if I believe the Marcellus industry lobbied for this directive. I do not believe that it did.
In my experience drilling companies resolved most notices quickly. Most companies fixed problems and spent considerable funds to do so. Sometimes companies did disagree with a notice and would avail themselves of the proper avenues to answer, modify or challenge a notice of violation. But the Marcellus industry, to its credit in my view, was not challenging most or even a significant number of violations.
I urge rethinking and rescinding the directive.
Inspections of mines power plants, water treatment systems, sewer plants, x-ray machines and much more are not subject to this new review and approval process by the Secretary for the issuance of notices of violations. Singling out just Marcellus inspections and notices of violations for this unprecedented, special process is odd and compounds the error.
The professional, independent regulation by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection of our mines, power plants, x-ray machines, drinking water plants, sewer plants, construction sites and gas drilling sites is indispensable to public safety, public health, environmental protection. All of those who enforce our law, all our cops, environmental or otherwise, have tough jobs, are subject to second-guessing and attacks, and could not do their jobs if they had to get approval of each and every enforcement action before it was taken. While all enforcement work is controversial, Marcellus gas drilling enforcement has been especially controversial.
Pressures attacking the professional independence of inspectors have come from many directions, including those who oppose the industry. Resisting all these pressures must begin with insuring that the inspectors in the field will report the truth, the facts, no matter whom it pleases or displeases. A good regulator is not a friend or foe to anybody involved in the process.
Importantly the system of law that exists in Pennsylvania gives companies that disagree with the issuance of a notice of violation means to challenge or appeal inspectors's decisions. There is an existing process that serves as a check on the inspectors initial decision. This is a critical part of the process. Outside of the Marcellus area this is the process available to every other company or institution that disagrees with a notice of violation.
I have been asked today by the media if I believe the Marcellus industry lobbied for this directive. I do not believe that it did.
In my experience drilling companies resolved most notices quickly. Most companies fixed problems and spent considerable funds to do so. Sometimes companies did disagree with a notice and would avail themselves of the proper avenues to answer, modify or challenge a notice of violation. But the Marcellus industry, to its credit in my view, was not challenging most or even a significant number of violations.
I urge rethinking and rescinding the directive.
Philly Makes Top Ten Clean Tech Cities
Philadelphia ranked 7th in Reuters' national top 10 clean tech cities list. See: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/28/idUS317857292020110328
The burgeoning clean tech investment and jobs are a major reason why Pennsylvania created the second most jobs in the nation in February and the third most in the nation. It is also one reason why Pennsylvania now has a lower unemployment rate than Texas, most of the sunbelt, and the nation as a whole.
The burgeoning clean tech investment and jobs are a major reason why Pennsylvania created the second most jobs in the nation in February and the third most in the nation. It is also one reason why Pennsylvania now has a lower unemployment rate than Texas, most of the sunbelt, and the nation as a whole.
Fukushima 160,000 Times Worse Than TMI
Measured by the amount of radiation released at Fukushima and TMI, Fukushima is 160,000 times worse than TMI.
According to a French agency and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (http://www.ieer.org/), as of March 22nd, Fukushima had released 2.4 million curies of iodine 131 or 160,000 times the best estimate of the release at TMI. Also Fukushima is estimated to have released half a million curies of cesium-134 and cesium-137.
As of March 22nd, the Fukushima releases were estimated to be 10% of the radiation released at Chernobyl. Unlike Chernobyl that had one reactor releasing massive amounts of radiation, Fukushima radiation releases are coming from 3 reactors plus 4 fuel rod cooling pools.
According to a French agency and the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (http://www.ieer.org/), as of March 22nd, Fukushima had released 2.4 million curies of iodine 131 or 160,000 times the best estimate of the release at TMI. Also Fukushima is estimated to have released half a million curies of cesium-134 and cesium-137.
As of March 22nd, the Fukushima releases were estimated to be 10% of the radiation released at Chernobyl. Unlike Chernobyl that had one reactor releasing massive amounts of radiation, Fukushima radiation releases are coming from 3 reactors plus 4 fuel rod cooling pools.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The PA Economy Roars & Beats Sun Belt
The Pennsylvania economy created 23,700 more jobs in February or the second most in the country. Only California that created 96,500 jobs created more.
For the 12 months from February 2010 to February 2011, Pennsylvania created 106,800 more jobs, ranking third in the nation. Pennsylvania ranked 7th in rate or speed of job creation, with North Dakota first and Vermont second, both of which are interesting states that are defying easy ideological classification or stereotype.
The Pennsylvania unemployment rate in February stood at 8.0 per cent or nearly a full point below America's 8.9 per cent rate.
Pennsylvania is leaving in the dust sun belt competitors like South Carolina at 10.2%, Georgia at 10.2%, North Carolina at 9.7%, Nevada at 13.6% (the highest in the nation), Kentucky at 10.4%, and Florida at 11.5%.
Pennsylvania also had a lower unemployment rate as well as a lower budget deficit than Texas, the state so many conservatives say is a model. Go to http://www.bls.gov/ and see the Regional and State Unemployment Report for February, 2011. Governor Corbett might want to rethink the line in his budget address about making Pennsylvania more like Texas.
Pennsylvania benefits from a diverse economy with strengths in education, health care, agriculture, manufacturing, energy of all sorts. The Marcellus gets a lot of understandable attention, and it is part of our job success.
But more attention should be paid to the 200,000 plus jobs in solar, wind, energy efficiency, recycling, environmental remediation.
More attention should be paid to the millions of jobs cumulatively in education, agriculture, manufacturing, health care companies and institutions that are making Pennsylvania a national jobs leader.
We should build on all of our strengths and not slash them as the proposed budget cut of 52% to state universities would do. The upcoming budget will be a watershed for our economy and future.
For the 12 months from February 2010 to February 2011, Pennsylvania created 106,800 more jobs, ranking third in the nation. Pennsylvania ranked 7th in rate or speed of job creation, with North Dakota first and Vermont second, both of which are interesting states that are defying easy ideological classification or stereotype.
The Pennsylvania unemployment rate in February stood at 8.0 per cent or nearly a full point below America's 8.9 per cent rate.
Pennsylvania is leaving in the dust sun belt competitors like South Carolina at 10.2%, Georgia at 10.2%, North Carolina at 9.7%, Nevada at 13.6% (the highest in the nation), Kentucky at 10.4%, and Florida at 11.5%.
Pennsylvania also had a lower unemployment rate as well as a lower budget deficit than Texas, the state so many conservatives say is a model. Go to http://www.bls.gov/ and see the Regional and State Unemployment Report for February, 2011. Governor Corbett might want to rethink the line in his budget address about making Pennsylvania more like Texas.
Pennsylvania benefits from a diverse economy with strengths in education, health care, agriculture, manufacturing, energy of all sorts. The Marcellus gets a lot of understandable attention, and it is part of our job success.
But more attention should be paid to the 200,000 plus jobs in solar, wind, energy efficiency, recycling, environmental remediation.
More attention should be paid to the millions of jobs cumulatively in education, agriculture, manufacturing, health care companies and institutions that are making Pennsylvania a national jobs leader.
We should build on all of our strengths and not slash them as the proposed budget cut of 52% to state universities would do. The upcoming budget will be a watershed for our economy and future.
PA Beats Texas
Pennsylvania had a lower unemployment rate than Texas in February 2011. The Pennsylvania unemployment rate was 8 per cent, while the Texas rate was 8.2%.
Governor Corbett might want to rethink that line in his budget address of making Pennsylvania more like Texas.
Pennsylvania has a few things it can teach the Lone Star state and a better economy with more opportunity, at least in February 2011.
How about celebrating Pennsylvania, our values, and our strengths?
Governor Corbett might want to rethink that line in his budget address of making Pennsylvania more like Texas.
Pennsylvania has a few things it can teach the Lone Star state and a better economy with more opportunity, at least in February 2011.
How about celebrating Pennsylvania, our values, and our strengths?
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