Key to cleaner environment may be right beneath our feet
Lin and his crew working in Penn State’s Living Filter, surveying the subsurface using an electromagnetic induction device.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — While many people recognize that clean water and air are signs of a healthy ecosystem, most do not realize that a critical part of the environment is right beneath their feet, according to a Penn State hydrologist.
The ground plays an important role in maintaining a clean environment by serving as a natural water filtration and purification system, said Henry Lin, professor of hydropedology and soil hydrology. Understanding the components that make up this integral part of the ecosystem can lead to better groundwater management and smarter environmental policy.
“We look at nature and we see all the beauty and all the prosperity around us,” said Lin, “But most people don’t know or tend to forget that the key to sustainability is right underground.”
Lin, who reports on his research today (Feb. 17) at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston, said that the earth’s outer layer — from the top vegetation canopy to the strata of soils and layers of underground material — helps soak up and purify water by extracting excess nutrients, heavy metals and other impurities. The ground can also act as a storage container for freshwater.
About 60 percent of the world’s annual precipitation ends up in this zone, Lin said.
“In fact, there is more water under the ground than there is in the so-called ‘blue waters,’ such as lakes and rivers,” said Lin.
Besides using freshwater for drinking, people use large amounts of water to irrigate agricultural fields and as part of industrial operations. The researcher said that just as a global green revolution raised awareness about food security, a “blue revolution” may lead to efforts to water security with clean, safe water supply around the globe.
“Without water there is no life,” Lin said. “Without groundwater, there is no clean water.”
Lin said that the system is currently under threat from poor land management practices that fail to consider how ground water is affected by land uses, such as new building projects, underground storage and agricultural operations. Planners should consider, for example, how the ground and plants in an area can affect water run-off. In some cases, not taking the ground and underground features of an area into consideration can lead to flooding, or to the addition of impurities into drinking water supplies.
Besides reaching out to managers and planners, Lin said that the general public also must become more aware of groundwater management issues.
“In a lot of cases, for the general public and even people from government agencies and funding agencies, it’s out of sight, out of mind,” Lin said. “But, beneath the surface lies the foundation of our sustainability.”
Registration open for May 8 Pa. Groundwater Symposium
‘Emerging Issues in a Changing Landscape’ is the theme of the event.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In observance of National Drinking Water Week, Penn State Extension and the state Department of Environmental Protection are collaborating with numerous other sponsors to offer the 2013 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium.
Scheduled for May 8 at Penn State’s University Park campus, registration for the event now is open at this website and is limited to the first 150 registrants.
“Emerging Issues in a Changing Landscape” is the theme of the symposium, which will provide a forum for researchers, students, professionals and educators working in the groundwater field to exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources throughout the state.
“Millions of Pennsylvanians rely on groundwater for their drinking water,” said symposium coordinator Bryan Swistock, extension water resources specialist. “National Drinking Water Week provides the perfect opportunity for us to convene a symposium of groundwater experts who can share information to better understand and protect this vital natural resource.”
Morning and afternoon keynote speakers will address important water issues in Pennsylvania, including emerging contaminants and the potential impacts of natural-gas development.
The symposium also will feature several concurrent sessions with presentations on groundwater budgets and yields, tools for describing groundwater during natural-gas exploration, and broader studies characterizing groundwater and water wells.
A lengthy afternoon break and poster session will allow attendees to network while viewing numerous poster presentations. Abstracts for additional poster presentations will be accepted through April 3 on the registration website.
A nominal registration fee of $30 for the symposium is made possible by funding support from Penn State Extension and its Master Well Owner Network, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Mid-Atlantic Water Program, the Pennsylvania Ground Water Association and the Penn State Water Resources Research Center.
Additional partnering agencies include the U.S. Geological Survey and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
For more information, contact Swistock at 814-863-0194 or by email at brs@psu.edu.
news.psu.edu/story/142152/2013/02/07/registration-open-may-8-pa-groundwater-symposium
Land-use webinar offered by Penn State Extension on Feb. 20
news.psu.edu/story/264504/2013/02/18/land-use-webinar-offered-penn-state-extension-feb-20
UNIVERSITY PARK — A Web-based seminar focusing on limitations in municipal land-use authority will be offered by Penn State Extension at noon and 7 p.m. Feb. 20.
“How Pre-emption of Zoning and Other Local Controls Impacts Planning” will provide participants with an appreciation of how state laws can impact local land use.
In the one-hour session, attorney Charles Courtney, of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, will explain why planners, elected officials and other interested parties should understand how certain statutes can limit municipal land-use authority.
“Although municipalities have broad land-use authority under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, various commonwealth statutes limit that authority in specific areas — for example the Oil and Gas Act and the Nutrient Management Act,” he said.
“Under many of these statutes, the municipality is forbidden to impose any requirement that is inconsistent with the state statute. This pre-emption can be expressly written in the statute, or it can be implied.”
Understanding the limitations in local land-use authority will help municipal officials to be better planners, Courtney noted. The webinar, which will be moderated by Neal Fogle, Penn State Extension educator based in Northumberland County, will provide that insight.
The Feb. 20 presentation is part of Extension’s Land Use Decision-Making Monthly Webinar Series, which provides information about current planning issues, land use planning tools and techniques, local regulation and community engagement. The sessions are designed to help planners, elected officials and citizens better engage in land use decision-making processes.
Upcoming webinars will cover the following topics:
–March 20: “Renewable Energy Implementation and Land Use Regulations — Is There Conflict?”
–April 17: “Developing More Effective Citizen Engagement: A How-To Guide for Community Leaders”
–May 15: “Low Impact Development and Smart Growth: How Are They Best Integrated and Utilized in Our Communities?”
A webinar held Jan. 16, “Planning in Pennsylvania: Land Use, Communities and Beyond,” was recorded and is available to registered participants for viewing.
Registration cost for the entire webinar series is $25, and registrants can watch as few or as many webinars as they like. For more information, contact Jeff Himes, extension educator based in Tioga County, at 570-724-9120 or jhimes@psu.edu, or visit http://agsci.psu.edu/land-use-webinar.
Contacts:
Chuck Gill
cdg5@psu.edu
Work Phone:
814-863-2713
Webinar to highlight best shale gas extraction conservation practices
Shale-gas development in Pennsylvania forestlands has raised concerns about whether it can be done with minimal impact to the environment.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The best conservation practices for shale-gas extraction will be the focus of a free, Web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension at 1 p.m. on Feb. 21.
The presentation, “Evaluating the Scientific Support of Conservation Best Management Practices for Shale Gas Extraction in the Appalachian Basin,” is part of a monthly series of one-hour webinars.
This month’s webinar focuses on research done by the Nature Conservancy. That organization’s shale-gas specialists, Scott Bearer and Tamara Gagnolet, will discuss their analysis of practices that could benefit the environment.
“Shale-gas development in Pennsylvania forestlands has raised a broad range of concerns about whether it can be done with minimal impact to the environment and still allow the forests to provide outdoor enjoyment for the public,” Bearer said.
“During the webinar, we will provide an overview of our assessment of various conservation practices related to shale-gas extraction. We also will discuss which best-management practices are most supported by the science and therefore should be considered when developing a conservation-minded shale gas lease.”
Presented by Penn State Extension’s Marcellus Education Team, most of the monthly webinars will be offered from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays. Upcoming planned topics and presenters include:
— March 21: Stray Gas Migration — Fred Baldassare, senior geoscientist with Echelon Applied Geoscience Consulting.
— April 24: Utica Reservoirs — Mike Arthur, Penn State professor of geosciences and co-chair of the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.
–May 16: Shale Energy Development’s Effect on the Posting, Bonding and Maintenance of Roads in Rural Pennsylvania — Mark Gaines, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Maintenance, Operations and Roadway Management, and Tim Ziegler, Penn State Larson Transportation Institute, Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies.
–June 20: Royalty Calculations for Natural Gas from Shale — Jim Ladlee, associate director, Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.
Previous webinars, publications and information also are available on the Penn State Extension natural-gas website (http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas), covering a variety of topics, such as Act 13; seismic testing; air pollution from gas development; water use and quality; zoning; gas-leasing considerations for landowners; gas pipelines and right-of-way issues; legal issues surrounding gas development; and the impact of Marcellus gas development on forestland.
Registration for this webinar is not necessary, and all are welcome to participate by logging in to https://meeting.psu.edu/pscems . For more information, contact Carol Loveland at 570-320-4429 or by email at cal24@psu.edu.
2013 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium
In celebration of National Drinking Water Week, Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection along with numerous other sponsors invite you to attend the 2013 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium on Wednesday, May 8th at Penn State University in University Park, PA.
The Symposium theme: Emerging Issues in a Changing Landscape will provide a forum for researchers, students, professionals and educators working in the groundwater field to exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources throughout the state. Morning and afternoon keynote speakers will address important water issues in Pennsylvania including emerging contaminants and groundwater issues related to Marcellus Shale gas exploration.
The symposium will also feature several concurrent sessions with contributed presentations on groundwater budgets, tools for describing groundwater during natural gas exploration, and broader studies characterizing groundwater and water wells.
A lengthy afternoon break and poster session will allow attendees to network while viewing numerous contributed poster presentations. Abstracts for additional poster presentations will be accepted through April 3, 2013 on the registration website.
For more information and to register please use this link: http://agsci.psu.edu/pa-water-symposium
Online survey to gauge opinions about Pennsylvania’s water resources
live.psu.edu/story/63898#nw69
Friday, January 25, 2013
Researchers want to learn more about what water issues are most important to residents.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Pennsylvanians can express their opinions about the state’s water resources by filling out a brief online survey conducted by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and several partner agencies.
Researchers are interested in learning what residents believe about the current status of the Keystone State’s water and how they think funding and other resources should be prioritized to best protect and manage water resources.
The objective is to collect opinions from thousands of Pennsylvania residents, according to Bryan Swistock, Penn State Extension water resources specialist, who is coordinating the research.
He noted that the informal survey is intended as a public engagement project and does not necessarily represent a statistical sampling of opinions.
The five-minute survey can be completed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PaWater.
“This is your chance to be heard on the value and importance of water resources in Pennsylvania,” Swistock said. “We really need to learn more about what water resources issues are most important to the people of Pennsylvania so we can provide this information to both policymakers and those who fund water resources research.”
The survey, which will close Feb. 28, is open to Pennsylvania residents who are at least 18 years of age. A summary of results will be published this spring on the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center website, http://www.pawatercenter.psu.edu.
This survey is funded by the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center and Sea Grant Pennsylvania in partnership with Penn State Extension and the Pennsylvania American Water Resources Association.
Other Surveys
PA Residents – Marcellus Shale Concerns
Well Owners from Other States – Concerns Related to Shale Development
REMINDER – water webinar January 30 on baseline water testing for gas drilling
Bryan Swistock <brs@psu.edu>
The next webinar in our Water Resources series will be Wednesday, January 30, 2013 from noon to 1 PM (EST). More details below. Hope you can join us!
When: Wednesday January 30, 2013 from noon to 1 PM
Topic: A Study of Pre-Drilling Groundwater Quality in 700 Water Wells and Springs in North Central Pennsylvania
Speaker: Jim Clark, Water Resources Extension Educator, Penn State Extension, McKean County
Where: The live webinar can be viewed at https://meeting.psu.edu/water1
Webinar Description:
Jim Clark, a Penn State Extension Water Resources Extension Educator based in McKean County, PA, will discuss the results of a study of approximately 700 private drinking water supplies covering eight counties in North Central Pennsylvania. Clark has been a Penn State Extension Educator for 24 years and has completed private water supply testing projects in McKean County in 2006 and Cameron County in 2011. This current water testing effort was administered by the Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Clearfield County Conservation District. A grant from the Colcum Foundation funded the project. The Penn State Extension Water Resources Team partnered to offer a Water Test Report Interpretation Workshop in each of the eight participating counties and offered individual consultations for many of the private water supply owners who participated in the study. The combined workshop evaluation results and the results for the 21 parameters tested on the private water supplies will be shared and discussed.
About the Presenter:
Jim Clark is a native of Elmira, New York. He holds an Associate Degree in Animal Husbandry from Alfred State College and a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Arts and Teaching from Cornell University. He has been an Extension Educator with Penn State Extension since July of 1989, based in McKean County, Pennsylvania. He is Co Chair of the Penn State Water Resources Team.”
How to Participate
The live webinar will occur from noon to 1 PM and is accessible at: https://meeting.psu.edu/water1
You can access this webinar simply by signing in as a “guest”.
Taped versions of each webinar in the series are available at: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/past-webinars
If you have not registered for past water webinars, please visit the following website to register so we can keep you updated about future webinar offerings: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/schedule/registration.
If this will be your first webinar, you may want to test your
computer and internet connection for compatibility at:
https://meeting.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
Additonal Upcoming Webinars
Additional webinars on various water resources topics will be offered each month – generally on the last Wednesday of the month. A full schedule of webinars for the next 12 months can be found at: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/schedule.
The February webinar will be offered on 2/27/13 at noon on Innovations in Youth Water Education by Jennifer Fetter, Water Resources Educator, Penn State Extension, Dauphin County.
Please pass this along to anyone that might be interested in attending these webinars.
Other Training and Presentations on Common Water Quality Problems and baseline water testing.
Online Class for Homeowners with Private Wells
The Private Well Class is a free online service, grant-funded to educate homeowners about their private wells.
The Rural Community Assistance Partnership has received a grant from the USEPA to develop a free, online class for homeowners with private wells. We ask that you help promote the class with well owners and those that serve them in your region. If your organization has little contact with private well owners, please feel free to pass this information along to others who might be interested.
The class is set up to be self-help over 10 weeks, with materials emailed once a week to participants. Well owners can sign up anytime, and though the first week was sent on Jan 2, 2013, anyone signing up after that will start as soon as they sign up. So, someone just finding out about this in April can sign up and start the class then. There are three webinars that will provide well owners a chance to reinforce what they are seeing in the class material and ask questions of the presenters. Each webinar will be repeated every three months through August 2013, so no matter when someone starts the class, they will be able to see all three at least once.
Please take a look at the materials attached, visit the website [ http://www.privatewellclass.org/ ] and we encourage you to sign up as a partner. Partners will receive an email when a new webinar date is announced, or when additional information is added to the website. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Cassia Smith
cassiars@illinois.edu
217-333-8700
other
privatewellclass.net
PA Groundwater Online Survey
National Groundwater Issues Online Survey
For Local Case Studies on Groundwater Quality
More Videos on Groundwater Education
EPA recommends radon testing in January
Protect your family from the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
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PHILADELPHIA (January 8, 2013) – January is national Radon Action Month and the
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency encourages everyone to test their homes for radon. January is an especially good time to test homes and schools because windows and doors are closed tightly and people spend more time indoors.
Unsafe levels of radon can lead to serious illness. The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States with an estimated 21,000 deaths a year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. By making simple fixes in a home or building people can lower their health risks from radon.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas; so testing is the only way to know if radon is present in your home or school. Test kits are available in home improvement centers and hardware stores and costs approximately $20. The kits are simple to use with easy testing and mailing instructions.
Make the commitment to protect your family. Test for radon in air / water . Fix the problem if you find elevated radon levels. Save a life!
For more information about radon and radon testing see: http://www.epa.gov/radon/
Radon and other air/water testing kits
Website Provided for Educational Purpose.
Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
More Educational Materials Private Well Owner Outreach on Radon
Adult volunteer leaders sought for 4-H Stream Teams program
live.psu.edu/story/63390#nw69
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Extension is offering environmentally minded Pennsylvania adults the chance to share their interests with young people in their community.
Extension is seeking volunteers for its 4-H Stream Teams program, which guides youths in learning about local water resources and encourages them to become water stewards and involved citizens, now and in the future.
A four-part, Web-based training series for prospective 4-H Stream Teams adult volunteers will begin Jan. 29. Each live, one-hour webinar will be offered at noon and repeated at 7 p.m.:
— Jan. 29, Part 1: What is a 4-H Stream Team?
— Jan. 31, Part 2: Teaching Hands-On Water Education
— Feb. 5, Part 3: Connecting Youth to Local Water Resources
— Feb. 7, Part 4: Leading Youth in Water-Based Service Projects
This free training is open to anyone who already works with youth — such as 4-H volunteers, Scout leaders, camp directors or classroom teachers — and to any adult looking for an opportunity to share their interest in the environment with youth. 4-H programs also provide important leadership, citizenship and life skills that will benefit youth throughout their lives.
Registration for the training is required and can be completed at http://psu.ag/S5rX90. For more information, contact Jennifer Fetter at 4HWater@psu.edu or 717-921-8803, or visit http://ecosystems.psu.edu/youth/4-h-stream-teams-information.
Update -Image provided in the press release was deleted at the request of Jennifer Fetter of PSU on 10/12/2015.