2022 brings food waste recycling to California and New York

Under S.B. 1383, instead of putting food waste in the regular trash, residents of California are expected to put it in green bins and dumpsters.

They’ll be scraping along in New York State as well

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — As we ring in the New Year, 1,334 businesses and organizations that serve food in New York will legally need to handle their food waste in a specific way. The Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law aims to help the hungry and overflowing landfills, but it is up to the business whether to comply.

Have you ever wondered what makes up a landfill? According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the biggest category is food waste.

“I don’t think they realize it can be repurposed,” Mairead O’Donnel, Siena College Environmental Scholar, said. “People think, I’m not eating it, I’m just going to throw it away.”$4.1M now available for environmental grants 

An estimated 30 to 40 percent of the overall food supply becomes waste. In 2010, that waste added up to 133 billion pounds and $161 billion in food.

By January 1, any business or institution that creates an average of two tons of food waste per week must handle their food waste in a specific way.

Under the law, they must donate the edible food and compost the remaining scraps if the entity is within 25 miles of an organics recycler. 

However, some will be excluded from the new requirement; Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Adult Care Facilities, Farms, and K-12 Schools don’t have to make any changes.

 How Hannaford Supermarkets keeps waste out of landfills 

Colleges and Universities are a different story. The Senior Director of Dining Services at Siena College said they are ahead of the game because the college already has a composting system in place.

“We have about 3,500 students on campus, and they all have meal plans,” Rachel Miller said. “Composting isn’t pretty, but it’s effective.”

The biggest challenge for Siena’s Dining Services will be implementing a sustainable plan for donating any leftover edible food. 

“We might see an increase in expense, especially in the containers we need to put things in,” Miller said. “People are hungry, and if they can use the food, we should get it to them.”

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Bill supporting New Jersey dairy farmers signed into law

TRENTON, N.J. – Assemblyman Parker Space’s legislation that helps cover dairy farmers’ costs of participating in a federal insurance program for milk producers was signed into law on Tuesday.

    “Stepping up the support of our state’s dairy farmers is critical if we want to save this important industry,” Space (R-Sussex) said. “Milk producers, many of whom have been farming in New Jersey for several generations, are hurting from increased costs and supply chain disruptions stemming from government shutdowns during the pandemic. This law helps keep dairy farming alive and well in New Jersey.”

     The legislation (2020:A4336 / 2020:S3465) reimburses dairy farmers the annual premiums they pay to participate in the federal dairy margin coverage program, which is voluntary and provides risk protection to dairy farmers when milk prices are low and feed costs are high. A dairy operation that selects coverage above the catastrophic level is required to pay an annual premium based on the coverage level and percentage of production history.

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     The program delivers effective risk protection for dairies with herd sizes up to 250 cows, and partial risk protection for larger dairies. The average New Jersey dairy herd has 115 cows.

     “This federal program has proven to be a successful safety net, especially for small dairy farms like we have in New Jersey. We want to encourage dairy farmers to enroll in the program and ensure that coverage costs are not an impediment,” Space added.

     The law directs the N.J. Department of Agriculture to reimburse program participants up to the amount of the premium for coverage for the first 5 million pounds of annual milk production per farm. It also appropriates $125,000 for reimbursements. New Jersey currently has 36 dairy farms eligible for the program.

     The Senate companion bill (2020:S3465) was sponsored by Sen. Steve Oroho (R-Sussex). The measure passed both houses unanimously.

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Volcano in Tonga rises from the sea, sending a shock wave around the world

The eruption of Hunga Tonga was among the most spectacular displays caught by a weather satellite

By Matthew Cappucci Washington Post

On Jan. 15, a powerful eruption of an underwater volcano near the Tonga islands in the Pacific Ocean triggered tsunami waves around the world. (The Washington Post)

The Hunga Tonga volcano in the southwest Pacific erupted explosively on Saturday evening local time, producing a tsunami, sending ash 100,000 feet high and generating an atmospheric shock wave that rippled around the globe. The eruption was heard in Alaska, about 5,000 miles away, while an area the size of New England was blanketed by the ashen smoke plume.

Underwater Pacific volcano sends tsunami waves to Tonga, cutting off contact with outer islands

The volcano is about 40 miles north of Tonga’s main island, Tongatapu, near the international dateline. Tonga, home to 105,000 people, can be found northeast of New Zealand and southeast of Fiji.

Distress signal detected on Tonga islands after the volcanic eruption

“We have a nightmare situation of an isolated community experiencing the effects of a large volcanic ash plume producing significant volcanic lightning, as well as a tsunami,” Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program, wrote in a Twitter direct message. “Seeing that ash plume, that volcanic lightning, and that tsunami leave me feeling sick thinking about the people being impacted by this large eruption.”

In Volcano’s Aftermath, an Agonizing Wait for Tonga News

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Chemical Plant Fire in Passaic, NJ Contained, Evacuations Avoided

A fire at a New Jersey chemical plant with flames and smoke visible for miles in the night sky Friday spread to multiple buildings, threatening to reach the plant’s chemical storage area, authorities said.

A fire at a New Jersey chemical plant with flames and smoke visible for miles in the night sky Friday spread to multiple buildings, threatening to reach the plant's chemical storage area, authorities said.

By Megan VerHelst, Patch Staff

PASSAIC, NJ — A massive 11-alarm fire that broke out at a chemical plant in Passaic on Friday night has been contained after firefighters worked through the night, battling flames and frigid temperatures.

The fire broke out at Majestic Industries and the Qualco chemical plant in Passaic just after 8:15 p.m. Friday, ABC New York reported. The flames reached buildings housing plastics, pallets, and chlorine, officials told The Associated Press but did not reach the main chemical plant, which could have endangered the densely populated New York City suburbs of New Jersey.

No serious injuries were reported and no evacuation orders were issued.

Read the full story here

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Snowy owl makes rare flight–Canada to D.C.

People living in the nation’s capital were treated to a rare sight — a snowy owl perched on statues and monuments far from its breeding grounds in Canada.

A snowy owl is causing a hoot after landing in the District this week. Hobby ornithologists and non-birders alike are celebrating the somewhat-rare bird, which was first spotted around late December near the McMillan Reservoir, according to the Washington Post.

It’s since made several appearances throughout the National Mall and outside Union Station. The bird of prey has been spotted, uh, preying on the local delicacy of pigeons and rats. Lots of them.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Matt Felperin, a naturalist for Nova Parks in Northern Virginia, said the night owl has been using the area as a hunting ground after dark. And according to Felperin, it’s making a killing.

“She’s doing marvelously, and she’s doing us a favor with the rats,” Felperin said.

Meanwhile, some locals have begun to roost around the bird at Union Station. According to one bird enthusiast, they’ve even given her a name: Duchess.

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