Newswise — Bottles of beer, wine and spirits contain potentially harmful levels of toxic elements, such as lead and cadmium, in their enamelled decorations, a new study shows.
Researchers at the University of Plymouth in England analysed both the glass and enamelled decorations on a variety of clear and coloured bottles readily available in shops and supermarkets.
They showed that cadmium, lead and chromium were all present in the glass, but at concentrations where their environmental and health risks were deemed to be of low significance.
However, the enamels were of greater concern, with cadmium concentrations of up to 20,000 parts per million in the decorated regions on a range of spirits, beer and wine bottles, and lead concentrations up to 80,000ppm in the décor of various wine bottles. The limit for lead in consumer paints is 90ppm.
The study also showed the elements had the potential to leach from enamelled glass fragments, and when subjected to a standard test that simulates rainfall in a landfill site, several fragments exceeded the US Model Toxins in Packaging Legislation and could be defined as “hazardous”.
Published in Environmental Science and Technology, the research was carried out by Associate Professor (Reader) in Aquatic Geochemistry and Pollution Science, Dr Andrew Turner.
Lake Hopatcong’s phosphorous levels this June are the highest in 17 years of data .
Exposure to the toxins that the cyanobacteria create can cause a range of health effects, including rashes, allergy-like reactions, flu-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, respiratory irritation, skin rashes and eye irritation.
The kind of weather New Jersey gets in the coming days will determine whether the dangerous algae blooms affecting Lake Hopatcong and Spruce Run Reservoir will last days, weeks — or much of the summer.
A stretch of sunny days could help cause the blooms to crash, said Fred Lubnow, an aquatic and watershed management expert with Princeton Hydro. Or, a major storm with lots of rain could help flush the lakes clean.
But a continued pattern of short, intense storms followed by warm days could set the lakes up for persistent algae blooms through the summer, he said.
The state has bathing beach closures in effect for Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey’s largest lake, bordered by Sussex, Passaic and Morris counties, as well as at Spruce Run Reservoir in Hunterdon County — putting a damper on this weekend’s water sports activities there.
The current bloom in Lake Hopatcong “is the first of this magnitude in New Jersey,” Bruce Friedman, director of water monitoring at the state Department of Environmental Protection, said Friday evening. “We’ve never seen a bloom that covers a majority of a New Jersey lake.” Usually they have been limited to a specific cove.
“How long the bloom will persist is impossible to estimate,” Friedman said. “Some blooms in the past have persisted into the fall. Hopefully that won’t happen here, but it is a possibility.”
Spruce Run Reservoir in Hunterdon County has had bathing beach closures because of a harmful algae bloom (Photo: Chris Pedota /The Record)
So far this year the harmful blooms have also hit Deal and Sunset lakes in Monmouth County, and Swartswood Lake and Lake Mohawk in Sussex County.
The problem has also cropped up in lakes in New York and Pennsylvania. “This has been a regional phenomenon,” Lubnow said Friday.
“One reason is that last week we got a lot of intense short storms where it rained heavily for 20 to 30 minutes and then stopped and were followed by 80-degree days,” he said. “That rinsed the watershed of nutrients, which went into the lakes, where they sat.”
Those nutrients – mainly phosphorous – provided an abundance of food for the algae to feed on. The blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, prefer three conditions to bloom – warmer water, still water and elevated nutrient concentrations.
Smaller lakes have not been as affected this year so far because even during short rain storms the water level will spill over the lakes’ dams, helping to clear out the algae and nutrients.
By Kellen Browning Boston Globe Correspondent June 28, 2019, 8:04 p.m.11
Aiden O’Dell, 9, of Wellfleet, headed into the surf at Newcomb Hollow Beach. His mother, a lifeguard, was on duty.(JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF)
WELLFLEET — Christiane Boezio stood overlooking the Atlantic Ocean at Newcomb Hollow Beach on a sunny afternoon, keeping a watchful eye on her two young children.
Anthony, 6, and Oliver, 4, were entertaining themselves with plastic boats in a shallow tide pool cut off from the ocean by a sandbar, and Mom wanted to keep it that way.
“We used to go all the way out in the water and not have any concerns about swimming,” said Boezio, of Somerville.
Last year, though, a fatal shark attack at Newcomb Hollow, a favorite spot for Cape Cod locals and a haven for tourists from New York to the Carolinas, changed everything.
The death of 26-year-old Arthur Medici prompted local officials and legislators to take several steps to keep people safer on the Cape’s beaches, including new warning systems, improved call systems to summon emergency personnel, and better medical treatment.
Medici, an avid surfer from Revere, was boogie boarding 300 yards offshore when he was dragged underwater and badly bitten by a shark. He died from his injuries, marking the first fatal shark attack in Massachusetts since 1936.
Because cellphone service at Cape beaches is spotty, officials have installed emergency landline phones in many beach parking lots. The phones automatically dial 911 when picked up. Many beaches also have publicly accessible “stop-the-bleed” kits with a tourniquet and special bandages that encourage blood clotting.
Many beaches have taken measures to deal with possible emergencies, including the installation of bleeding control kits.(JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF)
Suzanne Grout Thomas, Wellfleet’s beach administrator, said lifeguards were trained to use the kits, but they can also be used by beachgoers to “stem the bleeding until paramedics and ambulance could arrive.”
Grout Thomas said the town also bought an inflatable boat with a jet engine, which lifeguards can use to check for sharks if someone reports seeing a fin in the water. On Saturday, Wellfleet will receive an off-road vehicle that can quickly traverse sand dunes with a medical kit and stretcher, she said.
Solar panels seem to be popping up all over. On the rooftops of homes, businesses, and churches. Covering old landfills and industrial sites. Over parking spaces in office parks and now even powering the rides at Six Flags Great Adventure.
For some of us, they still seem relatively new but the fact is that the dark-blue rectangles have been generating electricity for more than 30 years and some of them are wearing out and have begun showing up in scrap yards.
Jimmy Carter’s White House solar panels in 1979
President Jimmy Carter had 32 panels installed on the roof of the White House in 1979. Ronald Regan (not a fan) had them yanked in 1986. Barack Obama, in 2014, installed a new set that is six times more powerful than the originals. They are expected to pay for themselves within eight years. (Shh. Don’t tell the current resident)
Barack Obama’s White House solar panels in 2014
Can solar components be safely recycled and put to new uses? Two state legislators, Senator Bob Smith and Assemblywoman Nancy Pinkin, want to know and sponsored identical bills, S601 and A4011, establishing the New Jersey Solar Panel Recycling Commission to investigate those questions.
Initial research already has been performed. A 2016 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Program (IEA-PVPS) found that over 90 percent of materials in typical photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, silicon, aluminum, and glass can be recycled and used again to produce new solar panels.
The nine-member New Jersey commission would conduct its own investigation and submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature within one year. The report would be published on the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) website.
Both bills passed their respective houses on unanimous votes in the past week and have been sent to Gov. Phil Murphy for his consideration.
Should the governor sign the legislation? Tell us what you think in the comment box below and we’ll hazard a wild guess about your political inclination.
But not a single Republican voted for the larger spending bill of which the initiative was a part, making its passage in the Republican-controlled Senate uncertain.
An airboat travels through the Everglades. (Susan Stocker / South Florida Sun-Sentinel )
An initiative to thwart an oil drilling plan in the Everglades passed the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, putting a potential hurdle in front of a controversial project proposed for western Broward County.
But not a single Republican voted for the larger spending bill of which the initiative was a part, making its passage in the Republican-controlled Senate appear uncertain.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat whose district covers parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties, proposed the initiative as an amendment to a spending bill for federal agencies involved in energy and water.
“We must do all we possibly can to protect our sensitive River of Grass,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement Wednesday. “Drilling within the Everglades Protection Area is reckless, rapacious and symbolizes just how much those who advocate for the senseless pursuit of fossil fuels will risk, even if it destroys our most treasured ecosystems. It’s absurd it even has to be said, but we must fight any drilling in the Everglades.”
John Kanter, president of the company, declined comment.
The amendment would impose a one-year moratorium on the issuance of wetlands permits by the Army Corps of Engineers in the Broward portion of the Everglades. The moratorium would last from Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020.
Kanter Real Estate LLC, which has won a series of court fights over its proposal for an exploratory well in western Broward County, needs a Corps permit to destroy wetlands on the site.
Christopher Flavelle reports for the New York Times June 8, 2019
WASHINGTON — Despite years of devastating flooding and hurricanes, the number of Americans with flood insurance remains well below its level a decade ago, undermining the nation’s ability to cope with disasters just as climate change makes them more frequent and severe.
In some of the states hardest-hit by the recent brutal flooding in the Midwest, the number of federal flood insurance policies has dropped by at least one-third since 2011. As a result, in Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri, the share of homes in floodplains that have flood insurance is now 15 percent or less.
The declines have persisted despite a two-year campaign by the Trump administration aimed at doubling the number of Americans insured against floods, which standard home insurance policies typically don’t cover. That effort has faltered, and officials are now beginning to worry about the disaster after the disaster: What happens as the water recedes, and many people can’t afford to rebuild?
“They think they can gamble and avoid buying flood insurance,” said Paul Osman, chief of state floodplain programs for Illinois. “Low-income folks without a flood policy will likely be forced just to walk away from the damaged home.”
Peter Genovese reports for NJ.com – Posted June 07, 2019
Andrew Mills I The Star-Ledger
The Jersey Shore is our greatest treasure and a source of jealousy for at least 45 other states. Yeah, it’s maddening and mobbed in the summer, but that doesn’t stop millions of us from making the trek down the Parkway every year just to enjoy pesky parking meters, packed beaches, and overpriced boardwalk food, among other indignities.
Why do we put up with it all?
Because the Shore is in our DNA, that’s why. We all have our special places down the Shore — the towns, beaches and restaurants we hit every summer, and that bring with them a flood of wonderful summertime memories. We also have our secret spots — the ones we don’t always want to share with others for fear that they will spoil our tiny slice of paradise.
Here’s our list of those places. You may have heard of some of them, but chances are you’ve never been there. We did similar lists in 2018 and 2017, but this is an all-new one.
What are your favorite secret Shore spots? Let us know in the comments section.
Crabby Jack’s, Somers Point
The Crab Trap in Somers Point is an enormously popular Shore restaurant; long waits for a table are often common. Avoid the crowds and get a spectacular view in the process by heading to Crabby Jack’s, a tiki bar behind the Crab Trap. You can order from a scaled-down menu from the Crab Trap, and the waterfront setting is marvelous. That’s Ocean City in the shimmering distance.
New Jersey Museum of Transportation, Allaire State Park, Wall
Did you know there is a New Jersey Museum of Transportation? I sure didn’t until recently. It’s supported exclusively by train fares, souvenir sales and private contributions is not funded by the state, and is staffed by volunteers. It operates the Pine Creek Railroad, one of the oldest operating narrow gauge rail lines in the country. You can ride the train seven days a week from July 1 to Sept. 2, and on weekends in the fall. The fare for the 15-minute ride is $4 for anyone 3 and older.
Lakes Bay Preserve, Egg Harbor Township
“Down a sand and clamshell road, away from the bustle of nearby Atlantic City, there is a secluded stretch of beach and marsh that juts into Lakes Bay.” If that description, from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, doesn’t convince you Lakes Bay Preserve is worth a visit, nothing will. The 27-acre site, a mix of saltwater marshes, bayberry thickets, and sandy beaches, is a paradise for windsurfers, board sailors and kayakers. The New Jersey Conservation Foundation saved the property from development in 1998 and now operates it with the help of the nonprofit Lakes Bay Recreation Association. You can become an association member and enjoy full privileges, but the preserve is open to the public. Public parking is outside the gate on Bayport Drive. The bay is named after Simon Lake, a Pleasantville native whose submarine was the first to make a successful voyage on the open sea.
HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Duke Farms and Rutgers University are collaborating to conduct research on natural solutions to climate change.
The Duke Farms property is the site of a range of wetlands, grasslands, stream corridor, and lakeshore restorations, afforestation and reforestation projects, as well as sustainable farming practices. These areas and practices offer great promise as natural ways to sequester carbon.
“The very forward-thinking team of land managers at Duke Farms is providing us with an exciting living laboratory opportunity to conduct research regarding carbon sinks that will have value for these types of vegetative and agronomic systems within and beyond our region,” said Marjorie Kaplan, associate director of the Rutgers Climate Institute and research project director.
“Applied research such as this project, which will help improve practices and technologies at the critical nexus of agriculture, natural resources, and climate change, is a prime example of Rutgers’ land grant mission,” said Bradley Hillman, director of research at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers.
Rutgers University researchers will conduct research and monitoring on-site at Duke Farms, starting with baseline data to understand carbon stocks associated with various land types and land management strategies. They plan to devise strategies to remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soils and vegetation (referred to as a carbon sink).
There are three main components to establishing this carbon mitigation and research monitoring program:
• Field Sampling and Assessment Elements: measuring vegetation and soil carbon in different land types and uses (e.g., forest lands, wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands); • Scaling Up Element: estimating Duke Farms’ baseline carbon stocks and sequestration based on the field sampling, mapped soils, vegetation and terrain data, and computer modeling; • Carbon Footprint Element: estimating the net greenhouse gas emissions supporting the operation of Duke Farms in comparison to the amount of carbon stored at DukeFarms.
Through this partnership with Rutgers Climate Institute, Duke Farms seeks to demonstrate techniques in mitigating climate change through minimizing carbon emissions and maximizing the 2,742-acre property as a carbon sink. Ideally, these practices can be replicated by private and public landowners to empower people in the face of climate change.
“Natural climate solutions offer a great opportunity to complement emissions reductions and prevent the worst adverse impacts of climate change,” said Michael Catania, executive director of Duke Farms. “While there has been much discussion of these solutions in the recent scientific literature, what is needed now are specific, scientifically valid data generated by monitoring recent restoration projects and changed farming practices. Our partnership with Rutgers should address that need and help demonstrate the efficacy of using natural climate solutions.”
About Duke Farms: Duke Farms Foundation is a leader of environmental stewardship and education. Through the beauty of its natural setting, the diversity of its wildlife and the scope and quality of its programming and research, Duke Farms inspires people to transform their approach to conservation and to start building a more sustainable future. Duke Farms is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, which is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, 501(c)(3).
About Rutgers Climate Institute: Rutgers Climate Institute is a university-wide effort to address one of the most important issues of our time through research, education, and outreach. The Institute draws upon the strengths in many departments at Rutgers University by facilitating collaboration across a broad range of disciplines in the natural and social sciences, the humanities, engineering, law, and medicine. Faculty affiliates are scholars whose research covers areas as close to home as the Raritan River and Jersey Shore and as far away as Africa and Indonesia. A key aspect of Rutgers Climate Institute is public outreach, education, and service to New Jersey.
Reid Frazier reports for State Impact Pennsylvania
Range Resources and other defendants agreed to pay $3 million to settle a lawsuit last year with three Washington County families who alleged the natural gas drilling company contaminated their properties and made them sick, according to a court document obtained by The Allegheny Front and StateImpact Pennsylvania.
In a separate release, Range revealed that the company’s insurance carrier paid $1.88 million to the plaintiffs to settle the case. “We have voluntarily released the settlement agreement that resolved prior litigation with eight landowners in Washington County. We believe this additional transparency resolves any outstanding questions on this topic,” Range spokesman Mark Windle said in an emailed statement.
The settlement, agreed to in January 2018, remains sealed, though much of its contents are now public. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is suing to have the agreement made public.
Terms of the settlement were spelled out in a court order dated Aug. 31, 2018 and signed by Washington County Court of Common Pleas Judge Katherine B. Emery. The order was issued under seal but was publicly available over the course of at least two days, May 28 and May 29, on the Washington County Prothonotary’s Public Case File Database.
Washington County Prothonotary Joy Ranko said on May 30 that the order had not been uploaded into a public-facing database where the county stores its court records. She later told the Washington Observer-Reporter that the document was public because of a computer error.
On May 30, after learning that The Allegheny Front and StateImpact had obtained the record, Emery issued an injunction against the news organizations, barring them from reporting on its contents, and setting a hearing date for Tuesday.
At the hearing Tuesday in Washington County common pleas court, Range told Emery it would publicly release settlement terms that apply to Range, and did not ask Emery to continue her order for the injunction. They said the company was seeking “peace” in the matter.
Offshore wind projects could be delayed because of legislative language in a spending bill. The Block Island Wind Farm is seen off the coast of Rhode Island.
Offshore wind developers are up in arms over a provision inserted into the Defense appropriations bill earlier this week requiring the Pentagon to study the impact of turbines on military radar and sonar.
The American Wind Energy Association labeled the study “duplicative” in a statement yesterday, while the National Ocean Industries Association warned that it “threatens to derail” the nascent industry.
The outcry follows the House Appropriations Committee’s passage of a nearly $690 billion Defense spending bill Tuesday. Included in the legislation was a requirement that the secretary of Defense submit a study of “any potential national security concerns with respect to the construction of offshore wind arrays, to include an examination of legacy and new turbines, and any appropriate mitigation measures that should be implemented to address these concerns.”
An amendment carrying the language said, “The Committee recognizes that wind turbine structures, particularly when arranged in large arrays, may cause interference to standards and that vibrations generated by the operation of turbines may cause sonic interference to underwater sonar.”
The origin of the language wasn’t entirely clear. The Defense Department did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the committee’s chairwoman, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), said the committee doesn’t “discuss the origin of report language.”
“This is report language that requires the Defense Department to submit a report and does not have any effect on ongoing offshore wind development,” said Evan Hollander, a spokesman for the committee.
Wind industry officials said they suspected that Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) was the provision’s author. Harris, a member of the Appropriations Committee, represents Maryland’s Eastern Shore and has emerged as an outspoken opponent of offshore wind development in recent years.
In a statement, the congressman did not claim responsibility for the provision but said, “I agree with the Committee Report language — we need to be absolutely certain we are not impairing defense capabilities as we consider the advisability of further development of offshore wind in the Mid-Atlantic area. Several reports and studies indicate there may be serious national security concerns.”
A spokesperson for Harris did not respond to follow-up questions.
Supporters of offshore wind expressed surprise at the budget language and promised to fight it.
“All proposed offshore wind developments must already consider any national security implications, and to date, none have been raised as New England begins to build turbines off of our coast that can power homes and employ a new generation of workers,” said Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a Massachusetts Democrat who has championed the industry. “Any effort to delay the permitting process and deployment of offshore wind turbines is deeply troubling and I will work with my colleagues to address those concerns.”
The offshore wind industry has emerged as a central tenet of Northeastern states’ attempt to green their power sectors, meet their climate goals and drive new investments in aging ports in recent years.
