Ripples

Saving Cook Inlet Belugas
Of the Alaskan coast’s 50,000 whales, Cook Inlet Belugas are among the most genetically distinct and isolated. Cook Inlet Beluga whales are also the most threatened. In the 1980s scientists estimated the population at around 1,300. Recent surveys show that there are as few as 278 Cook Inlet Beluga whales left. Oil and gas discharges, polluted runoff, shipping traffic and sewage threaten the whale and its habitat.

Cook Inletkeeper has been working to stave off extinction for these white whales for more than twelve years. This spring, after Cook Inletkeeper and environment groups urged the National Marine Fisheries Service to take action, the federal government proposed to list the Cook Inlet Beluga Whale as endangered. If approved, the agency will have one year to develop a recovery plan for the population. Inletkeeper will continue to play a leading role to ensure that Beluga whales remain part of Cook Inlet ecosystem for current and future generations.

Yarriambiack Creekkeeper Launches Documentary
On Saturday, February 3, Yarriambiack Creekkeeper, Doug Hallam, premiered the documentary Our Fair Share to a crowd of 140. The documentary reveals the stories and memories of the Yarriambiack Creek, located in the North West of Victoria, Australia. On hot days the once free flowing creek used to attract crowds of tourists eager to swim. Today the creek is a shadow of its former self as it is in desperate need of water. Helping to spread the message and galvanise support for a return of water to the Yarriambiack Creek, the documentary highlights its plight and its environmental, social and economic value to the district.

Faith Leaders Forum
Hurricane Creekkeeper John Wathen met with religious leaders at the Faith Leaders Forum on Global Climate Change held on April 20 in Alabama. The group’s consensus: it is time for science and religious leaders to come together to work on a plan to save the planet’s remaining life and ecosystem. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner E.O. Wilson was the guest of honor at the forum.

CAFO Buffer Law
Pennsylvania recently passed legislation that requires permitted factory farms, also known as CAFO’s to establish and restore riparian buffers. As a preliminary step to enforce the new law, this January Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper and environmental group PennFuture threatened to sue five different CAFOs for operating without a permit. Through their efforts, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper has compelled three CAFOs to comply with current regulations and obtain a permit. Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper continues to keep a watchful eye on the other two facilities who claim that they do not need such a permit.

South River Scorecard
South Riverkeeper recently published a Scorecard that assesses the health of the South River for 2006. This year the river received an overall score of 39 on a scale from zero to 100. A “perfect” score of 100 represents the state of the river as it was in the late 1950s, based on ten different water quality indicators. South Riverkeeper’s goal is to return the river to health through concerted efforts with government, citizens and partner organizations.

Preferable Purchasing
Most of us know about the dangers of mercury in thermometers and chemicals in cleaning supplies. But even unexpected items like streets signs and traffic marking paint contain chemicals that endanger our health. These latter items contain PBTs also, or highly-toxic and long-lasting substances that build up in our environment and our bodies.

Thanks to North Sound Baykeeper, citizens of Bellingham, Washington and the environment will now be far safer from the effects of these chemicals. Last fall, Baykeeper provided city officials with extensive background material on PBTs. In response, the city passed a resolution to implement a new program to purchase PBT-free products. Many items such as recycled paper, fuel alternatives, green cleaning supplies and energy efficient appliances will now be used in public places in place of outdated and highly-toxic options.

Stormwater Action
Stormwater runoff is the fastest-growing source of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. Runoff from parking lots, roofs, roads and construction sites also pollutes Maryland’s rivers and the larger Chesapeake Bay with chemicals and toxins. A new bill initiated by Patuxent Riverkeeper and signed into law this April by Maryland Governor O’Malley seeks to change this. The Stormwater Act of 2007 sets higher standards to reduce water pollution from Maryland streets, lots and buildings and makes mandatory eco-friendly building practices to curb stormwater runoff. Patuxent Riverkeeper marshaled a broad-based coalition of environmental organizations to work for the passage of this important new law.

Cherry Processor Busted
As you savor that plump, juicy cherry on your Shirley Temple or your ice cream sundae this summer, be sure that it comes from a reputable source. In Michigan, cherry processor Williamsburg Receiving and Storage has threatened nearby vital wetlands. The company discharged wastewater to the vast Ptobego Creek wetlands. The result? Dead trees and vegetation, contaminated groundwater and a putrid smell that no one could endure.

Grand Traverse Baykeeper decided that enough was enough. Baykeeper and partners sued Williamsburg for violating Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act. After a long court battle, Baykeeper and partners forced the company to pay $350,000 in damages. All cherry wastewater generated must now be hauled to a plant to be treated and cannot be stored at the site or discharged to adjacent properties. And of course the cherry-on-top — Williamsburg has also agreed to maintain odor control equipment at the plant and spend $100,000 to measure toxic emissions from the facility.

Buffalo River Legacy
The completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 transformed Buffalo, New York, into a hotbed of industrial activity. By the mid-20th century, grain, oil, steel and chemical production dominated the shores of the nearby Buffalo River. Many of those industries have since packed up and shipped out, but their polluted legacy lives on. Today the Buffalo River is polluted with metals, pesticides and industrial waste. The riverbed is heavily contaminated with dangerous chemicals called PAHs and PCBs known to cause liver and kidney damage, as well as cancer.

To put an end to Buffalo River’s polluted past, the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper and U.S. EPA signed an agreement this April to assess the levels of PAHs and PCBs in river sediments. The project will identify and analyze the most contaminated sections of the Lower Buffalo River. The results will form the basis of a plan to clean up the riverbed and reestablish the river’s true value and function for the citizens of Buffalo.