What Grows On in Rhode Island News

RI In the Know: Legislative Hearing ~ February 2, 2012 ~ Establishing 4x4 Trails on State-owned Land

The House Environment Committee will be holding a hearing at the rise (around 4:30 pm) on Thursday on three bills. One of those bills, H7195, would direct DEM to establish trails on state-land for 4 wheeling.

House Bill No. 7195
BY  Winfield, Petrarca
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO PARKS AND RECREATIONAL AREAS (would provide for the establishment of four-wheel drive (4x4) trails on state owned land.)
{LC707/1}
01/19/2012 Introduced, referred to House Environment and Natural Resources
01/31/2012 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/02/2012)
 
There are problems with this legislation: user conflicts, land management challenges, and other issues as they relate to allowing 4 wheeling on DEM/state land- or more broadly on land protected/procured using federal and private funding that restricts such a use. The challenges to establishing 4 wheeling trails on DEM land are numerous and would add responsibilities and costs for DEM at a time when resources are being reduced.

FYI: Here are links to the committee and to contact information for all members of the RI House of Representatives:

• House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Members
• Contact Information for RI House of Representatives

 

Buzzards Bay Oil Spill Restoration Planning Public Information Meetings ~ September 21 & 22, 2011

State and Federal Officials Schedule Buzzards Bay Oil Spill Restoration Planning Public Information Meetings

Public Invited to Attend Meetings in Fall River and at Mass. Maritime Academy

The Natural Resource Damages Trustee Council (NRTC) for the Buzzards Bay oil spill has scheduled two public information meetings next week as part of the development of a Restoration Plan (RP) to restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of natural resources injured by the April 2003 Bouchard B-120 barge oil spill and spill clean-up in Buzzards Bay. The development and implementation of the Restoration Plan will be funded by a May 2011 Natural Resource Damages (NRD) settlement of $6 million with Bouchard Transportation Co., Inc.

The public is invited to learn about the process for developing the RP and is welcomed to offer input on potential restoration projects addressing the injured natural resources. The following are the injury categories that will be addressed by the NRTC and discussed at the public meetings.

• Shoreline resources, including tidal marshes, sand beaches, rocky coast, and gravel and boulder shorelines;
• Aquatic resources, including benthic organisms such as American lobster and their habitats, and finfish such as river herring and their habitats;
• Ram Island shoreline resources, including marsh fringe, rocky coast, and gravel and boulder shorelines ;
• Piping Plovers (a federally threatened shorebird); and
• Lost uses, including coastal access, recreational shellfishing, and boating.

“We are excited to start this Natural Resource Damages process, an important milestone that will serve to restore Buzzards Bay’s precious resources,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan, Jr., who serves as Massachusetts’ Trustee for natural resources. “I urge residents in the Buzzards Bay area to attend one of these meetings and offer thoughts on how best to restore these valuable resources.”
 
“The State of Rhode Island joins Massachusetts and the Federal Trustees in looking forward to starting the restoration process,” said Janet Coit, the State of Rhode Island Director of Environmental Management.
 
A range of reasonable project alternatives will be included as part of the RP. Examples of projects that restore the injuries may include: tidal marsh restoration; fish passage projects such as dam removals and fishways; eelgrass bed plantings; enhancement of shellfish beds; acquisition of properties for public coastal access; installation of coastal boat ramps or access trails; and shoreline management for piping plovers. Restoration projects will be expected to address the natural resource injuries that resulted to both Massachusetts and Rhode Island shorelines and coastal waters.

The format of the public meetings will be as follows: The meeting will begin with an informal discussion at 6 p.m., followed by a formal Trustee Council presentation at 7 p.m., and concluded by a question-and-answer session. Following the public meetings, information obtained during the meetings will be used by the Trustee Council and technical agency staff to develop the RP and project alternatives. Once completed, a Draft RP will be released to the public for review and comment.

For the current settlement, the Trustee Council is composed of representatives from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, represented by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection; Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management; United States Fish and Wildlife Service, representing the U.S Department of Interior; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, representing the U.S. Department of Commerce. The spill also affected tribal resources, and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head previously settled separately with Bouchard.
 

The meetings will be held at:

Wednesday, September 21st   6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Admirals Hall, Harrington Building
101 Academy Drive  
Buzzards Bay, MA 02532

 

Thursday, September 22nd   6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Heritage State Park
Visitor’s Center
200 Davol Street
Fall River, MA 02720

Low Impact Site Planning and Design Guidance Manual Training Workshop ~ April 8, 2011

DEM, CRMC ANNOUNCE COMPLETION OF

RI LOW IMPACT SITE PLANNING AND DESIGN GUIDANCE MANUAL

Training Workshop for Local Officials and Site Designers Set for April 8th

 

Press Release

            PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management and the Coastal Resources Management Council announce the completion of the Rhode Island Low Impact Development Site Planning and Design Guidance Manual (LID manual).  This new low impact development (LID) manual is a companion guide to the recently revised Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual (stormwater manual).
 
            The LID manual was specifically developed to provide local planning officials with guidance and examples of how their ordinances can be amended to avoid and reduce stormwater impacts from new development or redevelopment, and encourage effective implementation of LID practices. The recommended site-planning and design techniques can help preserve community character, reduce flooding impacts, and save costs for municipal operation and maintenance. “This new guidance tool for low impact development was developed to assist our community partners accommodate desirable growth without sacrificing the environment or the quality of life that Rhode Islanders enjoy,” noted DEM Director Janet Coit.   “The new LID manual provides excellent examples and guidance to assist local decision-makers in making minor adjustments to existing ordinances to meet the goals of avoiding and reducing impacts to our public waters,” said Grover Fugate, Executive Director of CRMC.       
 
            In the past, stormwater management was primarily an engineering exercise to collect and dispose of runoff as quickly as possible. The new Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual, however, changes stormwater management to encourage or require more creative site-planning and design, as well as better engineering and maintenance practices in keeping with the requirements of the Smart Development for a Cleaner Bay Act of 2007.

            The new stormwater manual requires LID practices for all major development, representing a fundamental shift in how development projects are planned and designed. LID is a more comprehensive and effective approach to managing stormwater that uses site-planning and design techniques that store, infiltrate, evaporate, and detain runoff as close as possible to the point where precipitation reaches the ground.
 
            LID can be used to accommodate growth and reduce the environmental impact of site development. Many of the LID concepts employ non-structural onsite treatment that can reduce the cost of infrastructure while maintaining or even increasing the value of the property relative to conventionally-designed developments.  In the past the landscape was altered significantly to fit the conventional style of development, whereas the LID process is reversed such that the development is designed to fit the landscape and its natural features.
 
            DEM is partnering with the Narragansett Bay Research Reserve’s Coastal Training Program to offer training on the new Rhode Island Low Impact Development Site Planning and Design Guidance Manual for local officials and site designers. A free training workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 8 at DEM Headquarters at 235 Promenade Street in Providence. To register, contact Jennifer West at 222-4700 ext 7413 or via email at [email protected]
 
            The LID manual is available on DEM’s website at http://www.dem.ri.gov/programs/bpoladm/suswshed/pdfs/lidplan.pdf.  For questions or more information on the LID manual, contact Scott Millar at 222-4700 ext 4419 or via email at [email protected]

Contact:      RI DEM    Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402

RI Legislative Update ~ Producer Responsibility Bill ~ March 2011

Product Take-Back Bill Clears First Major Hurdle

 

 Ed Note: Providential Gardener distributes verbatim press releases from responsible environmental sources. For original investigative reporting, see eco-RI and other news media.

 

Press Release from Clean Water Action

 

PROVIDENCE – On March 22, 2011, the House Environment & Natural Resources Committee held a hearing for the producer responsibility bill (H5888) lauded by the DEM, Governor’s Office, and environmental advocates throughout the state. The bill, if passed, would set up a process to determine which products should be prioritized for manufacturer-funded collection and recycling programs in the state. The bill outlines three "starter" products- mattresses, paint, and medical sharps- all of which pose significant financial and environmental burdens on RI cities and towns.

Rhode Island already has three producer responsibility laws on the books. The collection of mercury auto switches, electronic waste, and mercury thermostats are managed through programs that are created and funded by manufacturers. The bill heard last night takes the next step in advancing these types of laws by establishing a framework to identify products and create subsequent management policies in a more timely and efficient fashion.

Framework approaches to product stewardship have been successful elsewhere, particularly in Canada. Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia have all enacted successful framework laws for managing waste, and the Canadian government is currently exploring the feasibility of a national framework policy. In 2010, Maine became the first state in the United States to pass framework producer responsibility legislation, and similar legislation has been introduced in five other states: California, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

 “RI has good conditions to pass this bill… you have a ready legislature, you have an able and willing DEM, you have the RIRRC who knows a lot about this issue… you have the right mix here to make it happen,” said Scott Cassell from the Product Stewardship Institute.

Despite some industry opposition, Chairman Art Handy emphasized the opportunity for industries to influence the process moving forward by participating in the conversation now. Tricia Jedele from the Conservation Law Foundation added that this bill “puts manufacturers at an advantage, because they are part of the process of deciding how products will be managed.”

Jedele also stressed a shared responsibility for managing our waste. “This is an air pollution issue, a water pollution issue, a worker safety issue, and a public health issue, but first and foremost it is a community issue. We’re all part of the same community, and, right now the only people paying to manage this issue are the taxpayers. They pay as consumers when they buy products, they pay taxes to dispose of the waste, and then we pay for the consequences of a failed waste management structure. It’s high time for other members of our community to begin to take responsibility for their share of the costs.”

Connie McGreavy, Executive Director of the RI Chapter of the US Green Building Council, also touched on economic and business aspects of the bill.  Said McGreavy, “This kind of bill will promote innovation… and we need to jumpstart our economy.”  Nicole Poepping, campaign organizer for Clean Water Action, provided numbers about job creation.  “Product reuse operations, such as computer reuse, provide 296 jobs per 10,000 tons of waste per year,” said Poepping, “and recycling-based manufacturers provide 25 jobs.  Landfill and incineration provide only one.  It’s clear that this bill will not result in job loss, but in job creation.”

Janet Coit, Director of the Department of Environmental Management, summed up the Department’s broader view: “We want to approach this on a systems level. We want to plan for the future in managing our waste stream.”

Contact for further information:

Ellie Leonardsmith
Grassroots Campaign Organizer
Clean Water Action
www.cleanwateraction.org

741 Westminster St.
Providence, RI
(401) 331-6972

RI Senate Committee on Environment & Agriculture Hearing ~ February 9, 2011

For Advice and Consent: The appointment of Janet L. Coit as the Director of the Department of Environmental Management to replace W. Michael Sullivan
 
       DATE:    Wednesday, February 9, 2011
       TIME:   Rise of the Senate
     PLACE:    Senate Lounge - State House

RI Gubernatorial Candidates Speak at Audubon Annual Meeting ~ October 24, 2010

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Candidates to speak at the Audubon Society of Rhode Island’s 113th Annual Meeting
 
Sunday, October 24, 2010
   Meeting 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
   Gubernatorial Candidates Speak 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.      
 
The Audubon Society of Rhode Island will celebrate 113 years of building environmental awareness and promoting conservation when members and supporters gather at the organization’s annual meeting on Sunday, October 24, at the Audubon Environmental Education Center in Bristol, Rhode Island.           

Rhode Island’s gubernatorial candidates have been invited to speak between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. They will be sharing their accomplishments and addressing pertinent environmental issues.  There will be a question and answer period after each candidate’s address.

Anyone can attend...but we ask that you register by Friday. (401)949-5454 ext. 3018 or email [email protected].

Green Report Card ~ a B- for the RI General Assembly

The biannual Green Report Card for the Rhode Island General Assembly and the Governor has just been released. Check to see how your legislators did!

View & Comment on the RI Gubernatorial Environmental Debate Videos

Let your voice be heard!

The Environment Council of Rhode Island has posted the recent gubernatorial debate on environmental issues in 10 segments on YouTube so Rhode Islanders can see and hear for themselves what the next governor thinks about the local environmental issues that affect all of our lives.

The Providential Gardener encourages Rhode Islanders to view the debate on YouTube and add comments so that the next governor can get a more complete perspective and overview of our environmental problems so that he will act in the state's best interest. Today's Providential Gardener post also links to published summaries of the debate as well as critiques of the candidates' responses.

Register Now for RI Gubernatorial Debate ~ September 28, 2010

Candidates for Governor to Debate “What’s Next For Rhode Island’s Environment?”

 



September 28 event at Providence College will give Rhode Islanders the chance to hear candidates discuss the state’s most pressing environmental issues

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI) will host a gubernatorial candidates debate on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 7:00 P.M. in ’64 Hall in the Slavin Center at Providence College. The event titled “What’s Next For Rhode Island’s Environment?” will be free and open to the public, but seating is limited so registration will be required by calling (401) 621-8048, e-mailing [email protected] or registering at the ECRI website at www.environmentcouncilri.org. The debate is co-sponsored by the Providence College Political Science Department and the Board of Programmers.

 



Sheldon Whitehouse's Earth Day Webcast ~ 9:30am, April 22, 2010

From Senator Whitehouse:
 
As the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day approaches, I wanted to let you know about a webcast I’ll be hosting to mark this important day. On Thursday, April 22nd, at 9:30 a.m., I’ll host a live video webcast to answer your questions on environmental, climate, and energy issues.
 
I’m eager to hear about what environmental issues are most important to you, and to help answer any questions you may have about environmental policy. One issue that I would like to discuss is climate change. As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I’ve been working hard to raise awareness and spur action on this issue. Last fall, our Committee passed legislation that would cut carbon emissions 20% by 2020, invest in the new clean energy economy, and fund natural resource adaptation and worker training programs in Rhode Island and across the United States. Of course, we still have much work to do, and I’d like to hear your thoughts on this pending legislation. I’d also like hear what you’re doing in your local communities on Earth Day to help improve Rhode Island’s environment and serve as a faithful steward of our planet.
 
If you’d like to submit your question in advance or highlight a local Earth Day event, please email me at [email protected]. We’ll also be taking some questions live during the webcast, but I urge you to submit questions ahead of time to ensure your request is processed in a timely manner.
 
The link for the webcast will be posted Thursday morning on my website: http://whitehouse.senate.gov.
 
I hope you can join me on this 40th Earth Day!

Sheldon Whitehouse.