What Grows On in Rhode Island News

National Food Day & RI Food Assessment Report Release ~ October 24, 2011

RI DEM Press Release:

“OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION” SUMMARY OF THE RHODE ISLAND FOOD ASSESSMENT TO BE RELEASED AT STATE HOUSE EVENT CELEBRATING NATIONAL FOOD DAY NEXT MONDAY
 
            PROVIDENCE – Department of Environmental Management Director Janet Coit will join First Lady Stephanie Chafee; Department of Health Director Michael Fine, MD; Senator Susan Sosnowski; Henry Herrera, MD, general manager for Dig Deep Farms & Produce, a project of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs Activities League; and others to launch the RI Food Policy Council and release a summary of the RI Food Assessment on Food Day – Monday, October 24.
 
            The 10 a.m. State House event is planned to focus attention on the importance of ensuring a healthy, affordable, sustainable, and locally-grown food supply.  Promoting healthy diets and increasing access to fresh, safe, and affordable food is critical to improving residents’ overall health, and benefits low-income populations in particular.

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

Audubon: RI's air quality will be threatened if this Bill passes ~ Hearing June 16, 2011

From the Audubon Society of Rhode Island:

House Bill No. 5315, sponsored by Rep. Brien, entitled, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ENERGY proposes to allow burning of garbage in Woonsocket. Air pollutants, including potential dioxins plus increased acid rain and fog accompany incineration. 
 
Burning garbage to generate energy is inefficient and unhealthy.
  
Air pollutants don't know town boundaries. This is not just a Woonsocket issue.

Current RI General Law says:  
 
R.I.G.L. §23-19-3 declares that the "ultimate solid waste management objective of the state is to maximize recycling and reuse of solid waste."  
 
R.I.G.L. §23-19-3(16) declares that it is a policy of the state that "incineration of solid waste is the most costly method of waste disposal with known and escalating costs that would place substantial and unreasonable burdens on both state and municipal budgets to the point of seriously jeopardizing the public's interest." (emphasis added).  
 
Air pollutants move.  
 
Your taxes or disposal fees are at risk.
  
Please call or email your State Representative to express your concerns. To find your state rep use the links in the right-hand column.
 
Use this sample letter/ talking points:  
 
Dear Rep. or Sen. _____________________:  
 
As your constituent, I am concerned about the H-5315, proposing a municipal waste incinerator for Woonsocket.  
 
Woonsocket claims it will help their finances, but I am concerned about my family's health.  
 
Incinerating municipal waste can create dioxins, increase the acidity of atmospheric moisture (rain & snow), and vaporize toxic elements in the trash.
 
I wonder whether there will be sufficient enforcement in DEM, given recent budget cuts, to protect air quality from this proposed facility. Air does not recognize town boundaries.  
 
We live in the "air shed" of a Woonsocket incinerator.  
 
I think about the transportation of toxic ash from this plant, potentially through our communities.   
 
Please oppose this legislation.    
 
Thank you, [your name]

---------

If you would like more information on this important issue or help in contacting your representative, please contact me directly.

Please share this information with friends and neighbors by using the "forward email" button below or spread the word on Facebook.
 
Sincerely,
Eugenia Marks
Senior Director of Policy
Audubon Society of Rhode Island

emarks@asri.org

Contact your representative
 
Find the contact info. for your state representatives by clicking on the links below:
 
Your Representative

Your Senator
 
Just scroll down to "View general voter information", enter your address, and hit search. That's it! 
 
You can click on each official's name to get all their contact info and other details.
 
When you feel strongly about an issue, let them know-it really does make a difference.

-----

Ed. note: There is a hearing today on this bill in the House Committee on Municipal Government at the Rise of the House (after they meet in their session this afternoon), which will be somewhere around 4:30 or 5:00pm.

 

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

---

 

NOTICE OF MEETING

 

DATE:    Thursday, June 16, 2011

TIME:    Rise of the House

PLACE:    House Lounge

SCHEDULED FOR HEARING AND/OR CONSIDERATION


House Bill No. 5315
BY Brien
ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- ENERGY {LC258}
02/09/2011 Introduced, referred to House Municipal Government
03/24/2011 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
03/24/2011 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
06/16/2011 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration

TONIGHT! Community Forum on proposed I-195 Redevelopment District Commission ~ June 13, 2011

TONIGHT!
BetterProvidence & Common Cause RI

present
 
A COMMUNITY FORUM
on the
Proposed creation of the
I-195 Redevelopment District Commission
 
MONDAY, JUNE 13
6:00 - 7:30 PM
Doors open at 5:00 pm
The Spot Underground
15 Elbow St., Providence, RI 02903
 
Co-Sponsors:

Jewelry District Association
Fox Point Neighborhood Association
Greater City: Providence
American Institute of Architects Rhode Island

Last week, the RI Senate passed legislation to create a redevelopment district and a redevelopment district commission to be responsible for the use of land becoming available in Providence as a result of the relocation of I-195. The bill was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-Dist. 4, Providence, North Providence) and co-sponsored by the other members of the Providence Senate delegation. READ PRESS RELEASE HERE
 
READ THE LEGISLATION HERE 
 
The legislation is expected to be voted on in the House of Representatives soon.

Confirmed speakers at tonight's forum include:

• Kelly Mahoney, Policy Director, Department of Administration who will speak on behalf of the proposal representing Governor Chafee
• Thomas Deller, Planning Director, City of Providence
• Representative John Carnevale, Sponsor of the House legislation

 
Some key areas to be discussed include:

 Does the proposed Commission best serve the public interest, including the people of the City of Providence, as well as the State of Rhode Island?Has there been sufficient public input in the legislative process?Is the proposed commission an effective way to ensure efficient economic development of this large State-owned land parcel in Providence -- or is it "the next secure feed bag for the well-connected," as described by the Providence Journal editors?  
Forum Moderator: Mike Ritz, Executive Director of Leadership Rhode Island and I Heart Providence
 
This event is free and open to the public
Cash Bar
Plenty of on-street free parking
 

 
RSVP to: Karina Holyoak Wood
 
Hope to see you tonight!
 
Karina
 
Karina Holyoak Wood
Executive Director,
BetterProvidence

Source: BetterProvidence email

Warwick Comprehensive Plan Public Meetings ~ May 25 - July 27, 2011

The City of Warwick is seeking public input for help in updating the City's Comprehensive Plan. Public meetings will be held throughout the City starting on May 25 through July 27. Please visit the City's web site for more information, meeting dates and locations, as well as detailed information on the updating process. This is an opportunity to assist the Warwick Planning Department and provide input and vision in shaping the City's future.  

From the Plan Calendar:

Wednesday, May 25  

6:00pm   Ward 2 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

6:00pm   Ward 6 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

Wednesday, June 15

6:00pm    Ward 5 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

6:00pm    Ward 8 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

Thursday, June 16

6:00pm    Ward 3 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

Wednesday, June 22

6:00pm    Ward 4 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

6:00pm    Ward 7 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

Wednesday, July 27

6:00pm    Ward 1 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

6:00pm    Ward 9 Public Meeting: "Communities of Place"

NEW Core Land Use Curriculum ~ May 26, June 16, & June 23, 2011

Announcing New and Improved Land Use Training
for Municipal Officials

The RI Land Use Training Collaborative will be offering the following workshops:
 
NEW! Smart Growth and Community Planning
 May 26th 2011
Warwick City Hall
6:30-8:30PM
 
NEW! Conducting Effective Land Use Reviews
 June 16th 2011
Johnston Senior Center
5:30-9:00 PM

or

June 23rd 2011
Middletown Police Department
Community Room
5:30-9:00 PM 
 
Writing Sound Decisions
Will be offered Fall 2011
 
Smart Growth and Community Planning:  Led by professional land-use planners, provides the foundation material that all municipal officials need to proactively fulfill their community planning responsibilities....  RECOMMENDED FOR ALL PLANNING BOARD AND ZONING BOARD MEMBERS AND FOR TOWN COUNCILS AND INTERESTED CITIZENS.    

Conducting Effective Land Use Reviews: Led by experienced land use attorneys and planners, this workshop will guide you through your legal responsibilities as a public official in Rhode Island and discuss in detail the legally required procedures and best practices that should be followed in conducting land use reviews.  ... RECOMMENDED FOR ALL PLANNING BOARD AND ZONING BOARD MEMBERS AND MUNICIPAL PLANNERS AND SOLICITORS.   
 
Writing Sound Decisions: Taught by a Rhode Island land-use attorney, this workshop is designed to help municipal planners, legal staff, boards and commissions write decisions whose content will hold up in court and whose clarity will make them readily understandable for both enforcement officers and property owners.  It is specifically intended to address the problem, noted repeatedly in recent Superior Court and Supreme Court decisions, that written decisions coming out of municipal planning boards and zoning boards do not explain how the evidence contained in the record led the board to reach its conclusions.  RECOMMENDED FOR ALL PLANNING BOARD AND ZONING BOARD MEMBERS AND MUNICIPAL PLANNERS AND SOLICITORS.

Are you on a municipal board or commission? Scholarships may be available.  Please contact Lauren Pendergast at lpendergast@growsmartri.org or (401) 273-5711 x6 for more information.

Press Release from Grow Smart RI

Further information and Registration Forms

Narragansett Bay Watershed Counts ~ April 27, 2011

Environmental Report Card will Show Rhode Island Needs Improvement

New collaborative sends heads up to legislators

Press release from Narragansett Bay Estuary Program

Wednesday afternoon at the State House, a unique collaboration of 34 leading environmental agencies and organizations in Rhode Island will report the results of a year focusing on how to rate  the health of local natural resources. The report will take place on April 27 at 2:00 PM at the State Room in the State House. This presentation is part of the Environment Council of Rhode Island's Lobby Day activities.

The report, entitled “Watershed Counts,” both tells a story of the success and achievements of investment in environmental protection and pollution infrastructure, and addresses the many serious challenges that remain for RI’s lands and waters.
 
“This is an extraordinary effort to bring together the most knowledgeable people to tell us how our environment is doing and why. We should be proud of the progress, but we have a huge amount of work to do still,” said Baykeeper John Torgan of Save The Bay.
 
Some of the report’s highlights include:

• Recognition of improved water quality for swimming and shellfishing in Narragansett Bay and the state’s licensed beaches since 2006, a result of improvements in wastewater treatment and stormwater infrastructure
• Major water quality challenges remain, related to polluted runoff, excessive nutrients, and an increase in water temperatures
• Other serious environmental problems statewide relate to climate change, invasive species, and freshwater conservation and usage

 
The Watershed Counts report is the product of a broad coalition of agencies and organizations. The process was facilitated the Narragansett Bay Estuary program and the URI Coastal Institute, and included five RI agencies, environmental groups including Save The Bay, Audubon Society of RI, Environment Council of RI, and many other environmental experts.
 
“I am pleased to see in operation that which we knew all along: Rhode Island's environmental expertise is massive” said Judith Swift of the Coastal Institute. “The members of the community, whether they serve as regulators or advocates, are all willing to work side by side to ensure the quality of life we treasure as Rhode Islanders.”

News Advisory
For Immediate Release  April 25, 2011
Contact: Meg Kerr, Narragansett Bay Estuary Program 874-6525;
cell 714-2313, megkerr@cox.net

National Farm Bill Reform Rally ~ April 5, 2011

On Tuesday, April 5, concerned citizens around the country are calling on Congress to reform the Farm Bill in 2012.

What is the Farm Bill?  It is the clearest example of special interests distorting American democracy.  Indeed, nearly every major American newspaper and advocacy groups from all sides of the political spectrum, from the Heritage Foundation to the Sierra Club, recognize that the Farm Bill causes widespread damage to America's land, economy, health, culture, and international standing.

Protests are happening in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Ithaca, New York; Princeton, New Jersey; Meadville, Pennsylvania; Northfield, Minnesota; Walla Walla, Washington; and Providence, Rhode Island!

Join us in Providence:  Burnside Park (next to Kennedy Plaza) at 4:30-5:30 pm.

Questions?  Please email providencefarmbillreform@gmail.com.

Read more at http://bigagbill.org. Also see FarmBillOne-Pager

Find us on facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=194256927280123 

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