January 2014 E-News

VNRC Supporting Healthy Connecticut River as State, Entergy Enter Agreement
In late December, the State of Vermont and Entergy announced a settlement, which supports the continued operation of the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant through 2014, while outlining provisions for economic development in Windham County, site restoration and decommissioning. The settlement defers the issue of the thermal discharge (dumping of hot water) to the Agency of Natural Resources and their discharge permitting process.

VNRC has been arguing, along the Connecticut River Watershed Council, that Entergy’s discharge permit is flawed, outdated and will negatively affect fish in the Connecticut River.

“We will continue to advocate for the health of the Connecticut River through this process,” said Jamey Fidel, General Counsel for VNRC.

The Public Service Board still needs to issue a permit or “CPG” approving the plant’s operation for another year, and the Board has scheduled a round of hearings and briefs over the next month to determine if they will accept the terms of the agreement between Entergy and the State of Vermont. Stay tuned!

Jared Carpenter, VLS Grad, Helping VNRC Track Legislation at the State House
Jared Carpenter, a recent graduate of Vermont Law School, will be helping VNRC track legislation this year. Jared serves on the board of Friends of the Winooski River and on central Vermont’s Mad Dog Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Jared grew up in Connecticut, attended the University of Colorado – Boulder for undergraduate education and is now a resident of Montpelier. When he has free time, he is probably fishing.

“I’m looking forward to working with the VNRC team to advance good legislation this year, particularly to protect our lakes and rivers,” he said.
VNRC’s Greenwood Talks Water Quality at Local Chapter of Trout Unlimited

Kim Greenwood, VNRC’s water program director and staff scientist, recently met with the Mad Dog Chapter of Trout Unlimited and discussed VNRC’s work on various water quality fronts.
Kim was part of a panel that included Anthony Iarrapino from Conservation Law Foundation, Ann Smith of Friends of the Winooski River, and Rep. David Deen, chair of the House Fish Wildlife and Water Resources Committee.
The panel took place during the monthly meeting of the chapter. Panelists discussed work they are doing to protect and improve water quality in rivers as well as lakes.
Kim discussed groundwater, river management, and dam removal as well as the how intact and healthy forests keep water clean.
The Mad Dog Chapter of Trout Unlimited covers the general watershed area of the Mad and Dog Rivers.

For a Working Lands Update, Take This Digital Tour of Vermont’s Rural Renaissance
Rural entreprenuers are putting to use the new capital created by the Working Lands Initiative by creating value added products coming from Vermont’s farms and forests. See some of those entrepreneurs in this digital tour.

This year, Gov. Shumlin has proposed increasing funding for the program by five percent, bringing the allocation to nearly $1.5 million.

“The Governor and legislators recognize that this initiative is an investment in jobs, the economy, and our distinctive landscape,” said Kate McCarthy, VNRC’s Sustainable Communities Program Director. “They deserve credit for supporting it and as part of the Working Lands Coalition, we look forward to working with legislators to maintain this in the budgeting process,” she said.

Current Use Action Pending in the Senate; VNRC Supports Long-Term Enrollment
The Vermont Senate will soon begin debating a bill making changes to the Current Use program, and Vermonters will have a chance to weigh in on the issue next Tuesday, January 28 from 6-8 PM in Room 11 at the State House in Montpelier.

In 2013, the Vermont House passed H.329 that would, among other things, strengthen the program by raising the penalty for taking land out and developing it.

The Senate is now considering other changes to Current Use, but instead of raising the penalty for people who develop their land, a proposed bill would penalize people who are enrolled in the program by capping the benefit in areas with high land values.

“We should not penalize people who are in the program, especially famers or forestland owners who are land rich and cash poor and happen to be in areas with high property values,” said Jamey Fidel, VNRC’s forest and wildlife program director. “The cap could be a recipe for subdivision,” he said.

He said that raising the penalty is a better idea because it would deter land speculators from abusing the program by “parking” land in Current Use for a few years, reaping the tax benefit, paying the currently modest penalty, and then developing the parcel. It is also a better revenue source to support the long-term viability of farms and forests.

Here is an overview of the issue prepared by VNRC. Email Jamey Fidel for further information, including details about the upcoming hearing.

Vermont Legislature Kicks Off Work for 2014, and VNRC Staff is Tracking, Testifying
Lawmakers have been in Montpelier for about two weeks, and as they grapple with a variety of issues, VNRC is focusing principally on four major initiatives: shorelands protections, changes to electric net metering, the Current Use program, and growth center designation improvements. VNRC has been testifying on much of this legislation, and as always, expects to be present in the State House until the final gavel this spring.

“We are working closely with partners, legislators, and the Shumlin administration to be sure these measures are good for the environment and continue to spur a cleaner, renewable energy future,” said Jake Brown, VNRC’s Communications/Government Affairs Director. Please contact him at jbrown@vnrc.org with questions or to learn how you can get involved.

New Stream Alteration Rules, Spurred Partly by Post-Irene River Digging, Now in Effect
The Rivers Program at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation has finalized new rules governing human-made alterations to streams, like installing culverts, building bridges, and berming channels. These regulations, which, for the first time in any state, are based on the science of stream geomorphology, require activities to be evaluated based on the impact to stream equilibrium conditions, or the least erosive form to which a stream may evolve.
The rules give the state a well-defined process for authorizing stream activities during and after an emergency, and cities and towns also have clearer reporting requirements.
Some of the requirements in the new rules were spawned by the unauthorized and damaging river work that occurred in the immediate wake of Tropical Storm Irene.

Learn more on the Department of Environmental Conservation’s website>>

Proposed Amendments to Vermont Water Quality Standards: Information Session Set for Feb 3
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s Watershed Management Division is initiating a pre-rulemaking stakeholder outreach meeting on Monday, February 3 in the Winooski Room of Montpelier’s National Life building from 10 am to 12 pm. The Department will present an outline of proposed amendments including:
 Amendments to E. coli criteria.
 Amendments to Criteria for the Protection of Human Health and Aquatic Biota, presented in Appendix C of the Water Quality Standards.
 Addition of Criteria for Chloride, to be contained in Criteria for the Protection of Human Health and Aquatic Biota, presented in Appendix C of the Water Quality Standards.
 Addition of Criteria for Total Phosphorus in wadeable streams and inland lakes and ponds.
The Department will present an outline of each of these four amendments and take questions from the public. This meeting is intended as an initial presentation, to be followed by specific meetings on each amendment based upon interest from participants.
Read the current Water Quality Standards>>
One-page summaries describing the proposed amendments>>
Contact Neil Kamman, neil.kamman@state.vt.us, for more information or to RSVP for remote access.

Waypoints Fly Fishing Film Showing in Waitsfield Thursday, February 6 at 7 pm
Calling all anglers and adventure enthusiasts! Come see Waypoints, a new film about fly fishing, at the Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield on Thursday, February 6 at 7 pm.

This Confluence Films production covers angling in off-the-grid locations from the Indian Himalayas to Chile.

(This is the perfect way to pass a cold winter’s evening in Vermont!)
Watch the trailer>>

Free Workshop: How We Can Move, Together, Toward 100 Percent Renewable Electricity by 2050
The Citizens Awareness Network (CAN) is partnering with the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) to train organizers to organize on local and state levels for sustainable energy solutions.

The workshop will provide details on how the U.S. electricity sector can be converted to an efficient and 100% renewable system by 2050, perhaps earlier. With rapidly declining costs of rooftop and other small and medium-scale solar photovoltaic installations, an opportunity is emerging to “democratize” the energy sector. We will cover how variability of wind and solar can be addressed so that reliability and affordability are maintained.

There is no fee to participate in the workshop; participants will be asked to contribute financially to a catered lunch.
When: February 1, 9:30- 4:00
Where: Park House 6039 Main Street, Manchester Center, VT 05255
Please contact the Citizens Awareness Network at (802) 767-9131 for more information or to sign up.

Fossil Fuel Extraction and Transportation Continuing to be Dangerous Across North America
Increased fossil fuel extraction and transportation in North America continues to pose significant risks for human health and safety, the environment and climate. Another spate of accidents has added to the saga of North America’s rush to capitalize on fossil fuel resources.

Two weeks ago, 7,500 gallons of chemicals used to process coal leaked from a storage facility into the Elk River in West Virginia, leaving 300,000 people without water for five days.

In late December a training carrying crude oil derailed in North Dakota, spilling more than 400,000 gallons of oil. The accident occurred just a week after a freight train carrying oil and propane derailed and exploded in Plaster Rock., NB., causing 150 residents to evacuate their homes. These incidents come just five months after a train carrying crude derailed and exploded in Lac Megantic, Que., killing 47 people.

Many Vermonters and organizations are taking proactive steps to keep unconventional fossil fuels, like tar sands, from passing through or being used in Vermont. Check out 350Vermont’s website for more information and how you can take action.

Sanders to Big Networks: Put Climate Change, The Greatest Crisis Facing the Planet, on Television!
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is pushing networks to cover climate change more. Specifically, he and a group of other Senators are urging them to dedicate more time to the issue on the Sunday morning political shows, like Face the Nation and others.
“This is the greatest crisis facing our planet, and the major networks on their important Sunday news shows have devoted all of eight minutes to discuss that issue,” Sanders said. “That has got to change.”
A letter calling on the networks to cover climate change more was signed by Sen. Sanders as well as Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairman of the Senate environment committee, and by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). All of the senators who signed the letter are members of a newly formed Senate Climate Action Task Force.
The senators noted that big oil and coal companies spend significant amounts of money advertising on the commercial television networks. “We hope that this is not influencing your decision about the subjects discussed or the guests who appear on your network programming,” they said.