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27 July 2011
from SAFE Co-Chair, Pat Gozemba:
Next meeting of the Friends of Winter Island
Broad Street in Salem, the Council on Aging Building
Please come and support Winter Island. It’s a treasure!
--Patricia A. Gozemba
Posted by ahanscom at 7:00 PM
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24 July 2011
from Atlantic Wind Connection:
"America needs an offshore wind energy industry off the Mid-Atlantic states."
"America needs an offshore wind energy industry off the Mid-Atlantic states. This emerging industry will create thousands of jobs and improve consumer access to clean energy sources...."
Posted by ahanscom at 7:52 PM
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24 July 2011
Winter Island Wind Facebook page
Posted by ahanscom at 7:48 PM
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24 July 2011
Opinion page in the Salem News, July 18, 2011
"Island upgrade next step for Salem port plan"
"A recent focus of efforts to improve the city's historic waterfront has been Winter Island, the much-used but still rather forlorn-looking peninsula at the entrance to Salem Harbor.
"Following months of study and discussion, Boston-based planner Steven G. Cecil rolled out his firm's vision for the property at a meeting of The Salem Partnership on Friday.
"The plan is conservative in some respects, emphasizing recreation over the commercialization of the site, but ambitious in others, such as suggesting the construction of a wind turbine at the southwest corner of the property (facing the power plant) that might help fund needed improvements that, if fully implemented, could cost up to $10 million...."
Posted by ahanscom at 7:46 PM
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24 July 2011
The Regional Impact of Mining in Colombia: Labor, Environment, and Communities
(where the coal for Salem Harbor Generation Station has come from)
From: Avi Chomsky, Professor of History and Coordinator of Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies, Salem State College
“...as a result of this summer’s delegation, we’ve been working on organizing a conference on The Regional Impact of Mining in Colombia: Labor, Environment, and Communities. There is a lot of exciting organizing going on both at the local level and the national level, and it seemed to everyone like a propitious moment to bring together the different communities in La Guajira and Cesar, the unions, and the national coalitions and organizations working to defend human, labor, and environmental rights in the mining sector.
“The conference will take place September 3-4 at the University of Santander in Valledupar. Witness for Peace and Indepaz are coordinating with the communities, the unions, and the Colombian organizations, and we’re working with organizations in Switzerland, Canada, Germany, and the US to bring people from different unions and solidarity organizations, and to fund some activists from Guatemala and maybe Brazil.
“If anyone is interested in coming to Colombia, meeting some of the amazing people involved in the struggles there, and being part of this event, let me know!”
Posted by ahanscom at 7:32 PM
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24 July 2011
Winter Island Wind Public Forum
Learn more and join in a discussion about the City's proposed wind turbine project for Winter Island.
Scheduled for Tuesday, August 2 · 6:30pm - 9:30pm in the large 3rd floor conference room at City Hall Annex, 120 Washington St. Salem, MA.
RSVP on the Facebook page ... or just show up!
Posted by ahanscom at 7:19 PM
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24 July 2011
File sent by Greenpeace to SAFE:
Examples of power plant site redevelopment
Posted by ahanscom at 7:07 PM
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24 July 2011
from the Salem News:
Salem hopes to build wind tower on Winter Island
July 23, 2011
By Tom Dalton
Staff writer
“Although the wind project has been investigated for a few years, the first public forum is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 120 Washington St., the City Hall annex.
“A consultant working with the city's Renewable Energy Task Force recently completed a study based on a one-year wind test on Winter Island. Meridian Associates of Beverly concluded that ‘the site selected for this feasibility study appeared to have sufficient wind to be considered a financially feasible on-site wind generation project….’”
Posted by ahanscom at 6:52 PM
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23 July 2011
Green Salem Business Challenge
from the City of Salem
Enrollment in the 2011 Green Salem Business Challenge is now open!
The Green Salem Business Challenge (GSBC) is designed to promote sustainable business practices within the local business community, to establish a standard of excellence for local green businesses, and ultimately to develop a rating system that allows consumers to gauge the relative "greenness" of a local business.
[click link above for more info]
Posted by ahanscom at 12:00 AM
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23 July 2011
Mayor Bloomberg gives $50 million to fight coal-fired power plants
from the Washington Post
"New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced Thursday that he will donate $50 million to the Sierra Club to support its nationwide campaign to eliminate coal-fired power plants.
Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune described the gift from Bloomberg Philanthropies, to be spread over four years, as 'a game-changer, from our perspective.' The group will devote the money to its Beyond Coal campaign, which has helped block the construction of 153 new coal-fired power plants across the country since 2002. The campaign will expand from 15 to 45 states, plus the District of Columbia."
Posted by ahanscom at 12:00 AM
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09 July 2011
Salem protected from plant tax loss
July 2 Salem News
By Tom Dalton
Staff writer
"The Massachusetts Legislature adopted a compromise proposal yesterday ensuring that Salem taxpayers won't have to reach into their own pockets to replace lost revenue due to the pending closure of the Salem Harbor Station power plant.
"Under the so-called outside budget amendment, which still needs the governor's approval, the city would receive the difference between the $4.75 million that Dominion, the power plant owner, currently pays in taxes and fees and any future payments, which are expected to drop...."
Posted by ahanscom at 7:39 PM
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09 July 2011
BOTTLE BILL UPDATE HEARING!
MASSPIRG Fact Sheet on Updating the Bottle Bill
Wednesday, July 20 · 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon Street
Boston, MA
Come to Beacon Hill for an important public hearing on updating the Bottle Bill, which would more than DOUBLE the recycling rate for non-redeemable containers by giving consumers more of an incentive to recycle.
Since the Bottle Bill's inception in 1983, over 30 billion containers have been redeemed, contributing to a healthier environment, and cleaner and safer communities.
However, many beverages such as water, tea, juice, and sports drinks are not redeemable under the current law.
We need your support to make sure that after 14 years, we update this critical piece of legislation!
Posted by ahanscom at 7:27 PM
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09 July 2011
from the Alliance to Save Energy:
Oppose the BULB Act
http://www.efficientamerica.org/c.ghLUJ9PLKsG/b.2018485/k.8C61/Action_Center/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=ghLUJ9PLKsG&b=2018485&aid=16249
Next week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the "BULB Act" (H.R. 91), which would repeal the energy efficiency standards for light bulbs that Congress enacted in 2007, standards that are already helping American households save money every month on their energy bills. Let your Representative know that you oppose the repeal of this energy- and money-saving legislation.
Posted by ahanscom at 7:15 PM
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08 July 2011
from State Representative Lori Ehrlich:
Important hearing next Tuesday at the State House
“...interrupt your normally scheduled programming to call your attention to a very important hearing next Tuesday at the State House, 10:00, in Gardner Auditorium.
“I expect that it will be a big crowd mostly because of the Safer Alternatives Bill but if you come in for that or are similarly moved to tell the Wenham Lake cautionary tale in under 3 minutes, I hope you will also testify in favor of my coal ash bill.
“Many of us originally wrote that bill in 2001! I think we've been patient enough. Please come and exercise your right to be heard.”
Representative Lori A. Ehrlich
Vice Chair Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
State House Room 39
Boston, MA 02133
Posted by ahanscom at 12:00 AM
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07 July 2011
City needs fresh ideas for polluted power plant site
Brian T. Watson column/Salem News
"Although no specific plan has been proposed — it's too early in the study for that — the audience requested the mayor and consultants to think long-term and perhaps unconventionally. During a lengthy question-and-answer period, conducted after the consultants had done a good job briefly summarizing some of the features and constraints of the site, the very progressive and environmentally conscious audience challenged them to come up with proposals that are thoroughly green, non-polluting, and that reflect both what we have learned is wrong with our old energy paradigms and what we now know is needed for the 21st century and beyond...."
Posted by ahanscom at 12:00 AM
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07 July 2011
from the Conservation Law Foundation Blog:
A Hearty Thank You to EPA from New England: We will breathe easier now
by N. Jonathan Peress
"The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule ('CSAPR'), released today by EPA, is designed to reduce ozone and particulate (e.gt., soot) emissions from power plants in the upwind states to our west that cause death and sickness in the states receiving those emissions, like the New England states (known to some as the 'tailpipe of the nation'). The actions leading to the rule began in the late 90s, when Massachusetts and its fellow Northeast states petitioned EPA under the Clean Air Act 'good neighbor rule,' which prevents emissions in an upwind state from harming air quality as prevailing winds transported the pollution...."
The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
http://www.epa.gov/crossstaterule/
Posted by ahanscom at 12:00 AM
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06 July 2011
Citizens speak up on plant
from the Salem News, July 1, 2011
[note: the article is accidentally dated June 1st instead of July 1st]
From wind energy to shipping, ideas abound
By Tom Dalton Staff writer
[excerpt] --
"Our biggest challenge," Driscoll said, "is to make sure the site doesn't sit abandoned for many, many years. ... My biggest fear is seeing padlocks go on (the gates) ..."
"If a padlock goes on, I fear (the closed plant) will be there for years," she said, citing the example of the Universal Steel property on Bridge Street, which has been abandoned and undeveloped for years.
Several speakers praised Driscoll and other local leaders for having the foresight to initiate this study long before the plant closes.
There were also calls for local leaders to be "visionary" and "bold."
"I would, at this point, swing for the fences," resident Geoff Millar said.
A few speakers did.
"I would like you to think about wind offshore," said Pat Gozemba, a local environmental activist.
Posted by ahanscom at 5:48 PM
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