Volunteers needed for rain, snow monitoring network
It can be fun to monitor the precipitation that falls in your own backyard and then compare it to other places in Carbon County, and even the entire state.
Penn State University’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences has set up a network of volunteers across Pennsylvania who monitor rain and snow amounts. The program is called FROST. It is administered by the Pennsylvania State Climatologist.
Volunteer opportunities are open to all Pennsylvania residents, who will take daily observations (when possible) of rain and snow measurements. These observations will then be reported through a user-friendly Web entry form.
Read more about this network at The Times News
How pure is bottled water?
Drinking enough water is important for good health, but what should the average consumer make of the dizzying array of flavored, sparkling and ‘vitamin’ bottled waters on the market today?
You can get it with fruit flavors, vitamins or tingly carbonation. You can choose from 3,000 brands around the world, all proclaiming their products are natural and healthy. You can get it anywhere — at the market, the gas station, the gym. A lot of people say it’s not much different than what comes out of your faucet, but it sells because it’s handy, cold, portable and kind of chic.
To read more: http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2006/0718/life/stories/bottledwater-718.htm
EPA Meetings to Address Hometown Superfund Site
The federal Environmental Protection Agency will hold two meetings on Thursday, July 20 to address future plans for the Eastern Diversified Metals Superfund site in Hometown, the Pottsville Republican reports. At 4 p.m., EPA officials will meet with Rush Township supervisors at the township building, followed by a public session from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hometown fire company.
Read more at Hometown Hazards
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Sewage sludge dumping: who decides?
Read more in the newspapers: The Times News and The REPUBLICAN & Herald
Carbon County declared federal disaster area
Carbon County has been declared a federal disaster area because of damage from recent flooding, clearing the way for residents to be reimbursed for flood damage and business owners to qualify for low-interest loans, officials announced Monday.
County Emergency Management Director Mark Nalesnik said the disaster designation under the Individual Assistance program was unexpected, because Federal Emergency Management Agency officials had told him the county didn’t have extensive personal property damage.
Nalesnik is urging residents and business owners to report their damage to FEMA at 1-800-621-3362 or online at http://www.fema.gov .
Welcome to the CCGG Water Cooler
Welcome to the blog of the Carbon County Groundwater Guardians. Watch this space for interesting information and news that affects all of us and the groundwater that we depend upon.
And be sure to comment on the stories you feel strongly about. We are very interested in what you have to say and welcome your comments.
If you want to contact us privately, you’ll find all of our contact information back on the Carbon County Groundwater Guardian’s official website, Carbonwaters.org.