Workforce Development Leads to Environmental Protection My Story

After working in the field of environmental education, conservation, and management as an educator and a licensed professional, it is my professional opinion that the long-term solution to effective environmental protection comes through not just awareness programs, but workforce development programs.  When individuals and families are supported by stable growing and expanding careers we have the opportunity and luxury of getting them to take a moment to think about how their choices impacts the community, other citizens, and the environment.  After 30+ years of attending workshops, fairs, and other educational events, I have found that the bigger barrier to positive change does not come through “progress”, “fear-mongering”, or “shame”, but through environmental education and workforce development opportunities.   At one event, there was a group of kids at a presentation that were not paying attention.  Rather than asking them to stop, I said the following “Boy that Presenter seems lame”, they all said “Yeah”, I then said it is rather strange, because I pay him over $ 50,000 per year, but he knows his stuff.  The kids were shocked that this guy that was dressed in jeans, ratty hair, and to be honest looked like a “nerd” made that kind of money.   I had 75% of the kids, stop talking and pay attention for the rest of the presentation.  In fact, three of the kids asked questions, and 1 stayed to here the presentation again.

Note: You do not have to change all, but if you can get their attention and change one – this is a Win!.

As a kid, I played in mine spoils, acid mine drainage, and when the streets would flood, I got my inter-tube.   Then I did not know, the flooding in the streets meant the stormwater and sewage water piping were backing up and creating a pond of contaminated water in the streets.  Also, my parents did not know this either, but I had fun. Now I did grow up in a mining town and I did graduate high school with a 5 grade reading level, it was not the “Sky is Falling”, “Global Cooling”, or “Fears of Over-Population”, that sparked by interest in the environment is was the Boy Scouts, mentoring with individuals that loved their job,  career, and were passionate about their communities.  Through mentoring and Scouting, I learn a respect for the environment and my fellow man, self reliance, and skills in leadership and planning and earned the honor of being an Eagle Scout.

Note: Yes, I graduate from high school with a 5th grade level of reading and writing and I found this out in college.  I was diagnosed with dyslexia in college. It was hard getting a BS and MS degree and then working in a professional that requires me to write reports, but I did it.  Why?  Because I found my weaknesses and did not avoid them, but took them head on and started pushing the boulders up and over the hill.

We are in a world today that appears to be in a bit of a mess, but it has been worse.  From my experience, the following has been some of the biggest weaknesses on the education side of the issue. In my classes, I use a method called POT.  POT is good. In the case of career training and workforce development, this means prepare (start pushing the boulder up hill), observe (your situation/weaknesses), and translate (put into action).  We need to stop blaming others and begin to work together, this means solid self reflection and being willing to offer a “hand-up” not a “hand-out”.  I never learned to fish, but I did learn how to take care of myself, family, and community in other ways.  If a short stocky kid can push boulders up and over the hill, so can anyone else.

Some of my first steps – Prepare   (I have provided links to training programs that seem to be on-point).

Reading / Writing Issues

Reading/ Writing – If you have a problem reading and writing – get help.  When I was 16 yrs old there was no online education that was visual now there are a lot of programs.  I might recommend the following: Ready, Set, Read!  –  This is a class for teachers that helps teach others to read.  This will help identify issues and challenges.

Reading – If you need to speed up your reading, Try Merrill Ream Speed Reading.

Start a Introduction to Journaling.

Reading/Writing/and Speaking – Start a Blogging and Podcasting for Beginners.

Math

Math Skills- Try the Math Refresher Course.

Resume and Job Search
Try the Resume Writing Workshop.

Job Search – Try Twelve Steps to a Successful Job Search.

Read
In this climate, I would suggest reading some of the classics like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Hitchhikers Guide the Galaxy, Gulliver’s Travels, and any book written by Mark Levin, Bill O’Reilly, or Mark Twain (others).   If you have a reading problem like I did, I would start with comic books, reading out loud, and any book about the Knights of the Round Table.  This is where I started when I was in college.  If you have a reading problem, you may want to look into public speaking and debate.  You may find this is a strength and now there are lots of audio books.


Note: I did not recommend any inspirational authors – inspiration comes from faith, yourself, and family.  Start looking in the mirror and take a hard look at yourself. You can do it.

If you are past this issue and need training in a workforce development career – I would recommend trying 360 Training.

I know this is a bit off topic – but please bare with me.  The next article will focus on Preparing Study Habits/Learning/ Supporting Yourself and than an introduction to Observe. Observe will be more about learning about YOU/Yourself.

Safe Journey!

Second Thought – A book I would recommend reading.


Susquehanna River Basin Commission – Water Withdraws – Fact Sheet Registration.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (Commission) is contacting you because you may have clients who are affected by a new program for registration of unapproved water withdrawals and consumptive water uses in the Basin.  We are seeking your assistance to help ensure that facility managers are aware of and complete registration by the deadline of December 31, 2019.

An initial contact letter and registration factsheet (GFregistration-grandfathered-water-withdraws-factsheet) was sent to more than 1,300 facilities by direct mail this week. The targeted grandfathered facilities/sources are those where water withdrawals or consumptive uses equal or exceed the regulatory thresholds, but began operating before the applicable regulations became effective. These water withdrawals and uses are generally considered to be exempt from obtaining a Commission docket, provided there has been no environmental harm and no changes are made at the facility.

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The Commission has initiated the registration effort after reviewing the results of our Cumulative Water Use and Availability Study that highlighted major gaps in the data the Commission needs in order to effectively manage the water resources of the Basin.  We estimated that there are possibly more than 700 older, unpermitted facilities with an estimated water use of nearly one billion gallons per day. If accurate, this volume of water use is roughly equal to the total amount currently accounted for, and managed, by the Commission across the entire Basin.

Informational webinars explaining the registration program will be conducted by Commission staff on November 14 and December 13, 2017. To register for a webinar, visit www.srbc.net/grandfathering-registration.

If you need additional information or assistance, visit the website or contact Commission staff at GFregistration@srbc.net.

Thank you,

Susquehanna River Basin Commission

Starting Off the New Year Right – Drinking Water Water Resources Sustainability

Starting Off the New Year Right

by Brian Oram

Happy New Year, I would like to propose we make one additional commitment this year.  This commitment is to care about the water we drink as we try to remember how we impact or influence the quality and quantity of the water resources.  Although it is the beginning of a new year (wishing you GOOD Luck in 2017!), for the water cycle the new year started in October.  This is the time of the year when the aquifer begins to recharge. Many people are unaware that the aquifer must recharge, it is not infinite.  In Pennsylvania and the Northeastern United States, we are blessed with having abundant water resources, but something we should not take for granted.   In 2016, we had an interesting election year that brought up many concerns. Also in the news, came a reminder of the limitlessness of the water.  A number of regions of Pennsylvania were put on a drought advisory and many small streams, springs, and even a few shallow wells dried up, i.e., no water.  With 2016 in the rear-view mirror, I would like to suggest a few small steps to help move us forward in a positive direction.  These steps are as follows:

  1. Learn about how and where you get your drinking water – Does your water come from a private source or city water supply source?
  2. If the water is from a private well- When did you have the water tested? For parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey, it is not uncommon for about 40 to 50% of private wells to have a problem that may make the user or a guest sick.
  3. If you are on a city water source- Have you ever looked at the Annual Confidence Report about the quality of your drinking water? The most common problem with community water sources is elevated levels of trace metals like lead and chlorine by-products like trihalomethanes, i.e., suspected carcinogens.  For information on water testing, please visit water-research.net.
  4. Are you using your water wisely? There are ways to use our drinking water resources more efficiently.   A website titled, wateruseitwisely.com, offers over 100 tips on how to best use water.  My favorite tip is “Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save up to 4 gallons a minute. That’s up to 200 gallons a week for a family of four”.  There are over 4 million households in Pennsylvania, this one lifestyle change could save 41.6 billion gallons of water.  This is only one change!
  5. Our surface water and groundwater are connected, and “we all live downstream”. This phrase means that how we use the groundwater resources directly impacts the surface water resources and we all are interconnected.  Therefore, when using cleaning products, chemicals, or managing a waste we all live downstream from someone else.   For example, the biggest source of man influenced global oil pollution is not massive spills or leaks.  Only 8% of man influenced oil pollution comes from pipelines and major releases. The biggest sources are the small leaks from our boats, cars, and other means of transportation and the improper disposal of waste oil by individuals.
  6. Know Your H20? – it is important to know how you can influence the quality of the water resources, but it is also important to know the historic hazards in your community that may be contributing to a problem. With this in mind, it is important to learn about the historic hazards in your community and surrounding your home.  The Keystone Clean Water Team offers neighborhood or community hazard survey reports for communities within the Unities States.  The 501 c3 offers a few free reports each month.  To get more information about this program, please visit – https://www.knowyourh2o.com.

The best way to start off the New Year is not with a significant lifestyle change, but baby steps.   Make a few basic commitments and make small changes that will help you and your family save and conserve water, check the quality of your drinking water, learn about the hazards in your community, and perhaps implement 1 item each month that will save and conserve water.   It is important to remember that the less water you use, the more money stays in your pocket.

A few short phrases we should try to remember.

We ALL Live Downstream !

Groundwater and Surface water are Connected!

We are Part of the Water Cycle – Not just an Observer!

You can help – Make A Donation !

 

 

Wayne County Pennsylvania “EDIBLE YARDS” and FREE Seed Swap

FREE forum “EDIBLE YARDS” and FREE Seed Swap

 SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support) kicks off its 2016 education series with a free forum on Edible Yards to be held Tuesday, March 29 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Park Street Complex, 648 Park Street in Honesdale.

Learn how to grow healthy food while becoming more self-reliant and creating a bio-diverse environment for a healthy planet.

Several expert panelists will share their tips and tricks on topics including

raising chickens, foraging, growing fruit trees, beekeeping, and much more. In addition, members from the Audubon Society and Master Gardeners will be part of this informative event with plenty of time for Q & A.

No space? No problem! Learn about Honesdale’s Community Garden that provides plots for residents.
SEEDS will also be hosting a free Seed Swap. Bring seeds you’ve collected from your own garden or extra seeds you’ve purchased, and share with others.

Come and participate in this fun and informative evening.

Baked goods and light refreshments will be served. There will also be door prizes.

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) is a non-profit organization that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable living.  Visit www.seedsgroup.net to join our newsletter list to be notified of all our upcoming free forums.

Training Courses on Green Infrastructure, Sustainability, Alternative Energy, and More.
Hazards in Your Community ?  Get Your Report – Know Your H20?

PADEP pipeline task force gives 184 recommendations

Note Our Work – Email blast  from PIOGA

A state task force on natural gas pipelines is making 184 recommendations touching on everything from location of pipelines to emergency response plans, all designed to promote “responsible” pipeline development in Pennsylvania. The 335-page document, crafted by the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force, has been posted online for public review.

“It is important to remember that the report is not meant to be the final word,” said DEP Secretary John Quigley, who chaired the task force. “When we present our report to the governor in February 2016, I anticipate that the next step will be to determine the feasibility and implementation strategies for each recommendation.”

The 48-member task force was created in May by Governor Tom Wolf to develop policies, guidelines and tools to assist in pipeline development, operation and maintenance.

Recommendations in the draft were assembled by delegates from sectors affected by pipeline development, Quigley noted, including agriculture, communities, environmentalists, cultural resource advocates, industry officials, government agencies and emergency responders.

That lengthy list of recommendations starts with “educate landowners on pipeline development issues.” Other recommendations:

  • Implement full-time environmental inspections during pipeline construction.
  • Monitor water quality during construction.
  • Establish planning coordination between county agencies and pipeline developers.
  • Require pipeline abandonment plans.
  • Standardize emergency response plans and provide 911 addresses for pipeline-related facilities.
  • Do not locate pipelines parallel to waterways within their 100-year floodways.
  • Conduct early outreach with affected communities.
  • Minimize impact on local roads.
  • Create various statewide bodies and processes, including an all-region DEP pipeline review committee, a statewide pipeline information center for the public, and a DEP design manual for pipeline construction.

A 30-day public comment period on the draft report will run through December 14. [Read more]

Please note – there is no assumed responsibility associated with Pipeline Construction for Private Well Impacts – therefore it is important to document baseline conditions for your existing water sources and water wells.  Primary items of concern are aesthetic water quality issues, future methane and other gas releases, spills, local disturbances, discolored water, and related contaminants. The Know Your H20? App for Baseline Testing in PA should help.

New Tools and Courses

Know Your H20 Phone App and Database Search
Citizen Scientists – The Online Water Quality Index Calculator is Available.
Training Courses on Natural Gas Development and Environmental Concerns
Stream Restoration, Wetlands, and Water Resources Management 

Actions:

  1. If you have any testing done as part of this action, please consider releasing this data to the Citizen Groundwater and Surface Water Database.  Fill out the attached form and mail the data to the following address:
    Mr. Brian Oram, PG
    Keystone Clean Water Team
    15 Hillcrest Drive
    Dallas, PA 18612
    Please note- if you have baseline testing done already you may have some information on the level of surfactants in the water if you had a MBAS test done.
  2. Informational Screening Testing – Get your water screened for water contamination including isopropanol – Informational Screening Water Kit (Not Certified) Covers about 200 parameters, plus a review of any predrilling data – Only $ 275.00.  Email
  3. Drinking Water Guide for Pennsylvania.

 

Farming In Fear- Martha Boneta story a Virginia farmer

Earlier this week, I attended an event in Michigan that included a screening of a brand-new documentary called Farming In Fear. The film, just 28 minutes long, tells the story of Martha Boneta, who bought a small farm in Virginia and tried to make a go of it by selling produce and so on. She was viciously harassed by a variety of government agencies and environmental groups who evidently intended to drive her out of business.

It appears to be a classic example of the abuse of regulatory power to promote private interests and ideological agendas. Ms. Boneta’s farm home was subjected to repeated and apparently purposeless inspections of closets, bathrooms and so on. At one point, she was cited for holding an “event” without obtaining thousands of dollars worth of licenses and permits. The “event” was a birthday party for a friend’s daughter.

The story ends happily, as Boneta’s case became notorious and Virginia’s legislature eventually passed legislation that brought the harassment to a stop. Both Ms. Boneta and the filmmaker attended the screening and answered questions; she was very impressive. The film is produced by the Charles Koch Institute.”

The link to the embedded video 

Comments and Thoughts

  1. there needs to be balance in all things.  This includes a balance between economy and environment, private property and public good, and community interest over individual interest.
  2. it should always be about balance, current laws and freedoms, and facts – Not Fear.
  3. do we need a National Organization that protects landowners ??
  4. are we over regulating?  “Should we not want more small family farmers and farms?”

Online Training Courses
Stream Restoration – Course 1 of 6.
Wetland Science Course
Sustainability
Stormwater Harvesting
Regenerative Landscape Design
Natural Approach to Stormwater Management

Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to U.S. Premature Births

http://earthhopenetwork.net/Pesticides_Fertilizers_Linked_US_Premature_Births.htm

Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to U.S. Premature Births

ENS  May 7, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana

The rising premature birth rate in the United States is associated with increased use of pesticides and fertilizers containing nitrates, according to research by a professor of clinical pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.Paul Winchester, MD, reports his findings today at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting in Toronto, Canada, a combined gathering of the American Pediatric Society, the Society for Pediatric Research, the Ambulatory Pediatric Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. “A growing body of evidence suggests that the consequence of prenatal exposure to pesticides and nitrates as well as to other environmental contaminants is detrimental to many outcomes of pregnancy. As a neonatologist, I am seeing a growing number of birth defects, and preterm births, and I think we need to face up to environmental causes,” said Dr. Winchester.

20070507_winchesterpaulDr. Paul Winchester is a professor of clinical pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine and medical director of Newborn Intensive Care Services at St. Francis Hospital, a community hospital in Indianapolis.

A premature baby is born before the 37th week of pregnancy. Premature birth occurs in between eight to 10 percent of all pregnancies in the United States.The rate of premature birth in the United States has risen about 30 percent between 1981, when the government began tracking premature births, and 2005, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The prematurity rate was 9.4 in 1981; it has increased every year since then except for slight dips in 1992 and 2000.
Winchester and his colleagues found that preterm birth rates peaked when pesticides and nitrates measurements in surface water were highest, from April through July, and were lowest when nitrates and pesticides were lowest, in August and September. More than 27 million U.S. live births were studied from 1996-2002. Preterm birth varied from a high of 12.03 percent in June to a low of 10.44 percent in September.

The highest rate of prematurity, 11.91 percent, occurred in May and June and the lowest, 10.79 percent in August and September. These results were independent of maternal age, race, education, marital status, alcohol or cigarette use, or whether the mother was an urban, suburban or rural resident.
Pesticide and nitrate levels in surface water were also highest in May-June and lowest in August and September, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“Preterm births in the United States vary month to month in a recurrent and seasonal manner. Pesticides and nitrates similarly vary seasonally in surface water throughout the U.S. Nitrates and pesticides can disrupt endocrine hormones and nitric oxide pathways in the developing fetus,” Winchester said.

Premababy_incubatorture baby in an incubator, a controlled safe environment where it can grow until it is functioning independently.

Because they are born too early, premature babies weigh much less than full-term babies. They may have health problems because their organs did not have enough time to develop and need special medical care in a neonatal intensive care unit, where they stay until their organ systems can work on their own.”I believe this work may lay the foundation for some of the most important basic and clinical research, and public health initiatives of our time,” said James Lemons, MD, professor of pediatrics at the IU School of Medicine.
Dr. Lemons is director of the section of neonatal-perinatal medicine at the IU School of Medicine and heads the Riley Hospital for Children of Clarian Health’s section of neonatal-perinatal medicine. “To recognize that what we put into our environment has potential pandemic effects on pregnancy outcome and possibly on child development is a momentous observation, which hopefully will help transform the way humanity cares for its world,” Lemons said. In young infants, ingestion of nitrates, components of fertilizers that are often washed into surface water and groundwater, can reduce the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.

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20070507_fertilizerToday it is possible to minimize fertilizer applications. Mounted on a high-clearance sprayer, this crop canopy sensors monitor plant greenness, which is translated into a signal by an onboard computer that controls the application rate of nitrogen fertilizer to the soil.

The association between nitrate-contaminated well water and inability of the blood to carry oxygen was first described by Hunter Comly, an Iowa City physician during the early 1940s. In 1974, the Safe Drinking Water Act set a maximum contaminant concentration for nitrates of 10-milligram per liter for public water supplies, but it does not apply to private wells. In a 1994 survey of 5,500 private water supplies in nine Midwestern states, 13 percent of the wells were found to have nitrate concentrations greater than the standard. The state of Wisconsin is well aware of the problems nitrates in drinking water can cause for premature babies, especially in rural areas. In 2006, the state Department of Natural Resources, DNR, issued a warning that nitrates that are washed into groundwater from fertilizer can be dangerous to infants, and especially to premature infants. “All infants less than six months of age are at risk of nitrate toxicity, but premature babies and babies with other health problems are more sensitive than healthy infants,” the DNR said.

Well owners are advised that the only way to know if their drinking water contains nitrate is to have a water sample tested by a certified laboratory. Testing is recommended for well water used by pregnant women and is “essential for a well that serves infants under six months of age,” the DNR says.  The state of Indiana Department of Natural Resources does not address this issue.

20070507_pesticideAt the Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory in Wapato, Washington, a technician applies a test pesticide to a rapeseed variety being grown for canola oil production.

For the past four years, Winchester and colleagues have focused attention on the outcomes of pregnancy in Indiana and the United States in relation to environmental pesticides and nitrates in surface and drinking water. Last year at the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting, Dr. Winchester reported that birth defects peak in Indiana and in the United States as a whole during April through July, the same months as pesticides and nitrates reach their maximum concentrations in surface water. This year’s presentation expands upon that work. Collaborating with Dr. Winchester on this study were Akosua Boadiwaa Adu-Boahene and Sarah Kosten of the IU School of Medicine, Alex Williamson of the U.S. Geological Survey, and Ying Jun, PhD of the University of Cincinnati. The work was funded by the Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics of the IU School of Medicine.

Glyphosate Testing – RoundUp in Drinking Water

Get Your Drinking Water Tested – Well Water / City Water