Complete list of press releases

Texas Lawmakers Urged to Take Action on Climate Change

January 22, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Austin – January 22, 2009) – A report released today presents a case for Texas lawmakers to support legislation positioning the state as a leader in responding to global warming and taking advantage of the opportunities of an emerging clean energy economy.

Texas at a Crossroads: The Case for Addressing Global Warming in Texas, is an Environmental Defense Fund policy summary outlining the immediate need for legislative climate action in Texas and the adverse environmental and economic impacts of inaction.

“While our state leaders are still deliberating the concept of global warming, consensus elsewhere has other states leaping ahead of Texas in attracting new energy investment,” said Jim Marston, EDF director of state climate initiatives. “Billions of dollars are going to companies in other states that have worked to be leaders in addressing climate change and have created markets for clean energy technologies. This puts Texas at a real economic disadvantage.”

Texas is at a crossroads, as the report title describes. It can choose to ignore or deny the problem and wait for the imposition of mandates crafted by others, or it can constructively engage in the federal policy debate while enacting state-based measures to begin reducing emissions, attracting clean technology industries, and proactively preparing for carbon regulations and unavoidable climate impacts.

The report is one of several similar reports providing data and critical analyses supporting Texas’ Changing Economic Climate: Risks and Opportunities in a Carbon Constrained Environment, a legislative conference at the state Capitol next week, Jan. 29. The British Consulate General-Houston, in partnership with EDF, will host the event intended to provide Texas legislative, business, and community leaders with insights on how taking early action on climate change can open possibilities for innovative economic frameworks using processes developed in the United Kingdom as a model.
Highway 50 Settlement is Evidence California Can Stimulate Economy without Sacrificing Clean Air

January 16, 2009

(Sacramento - January 16, 2009)—The announcement today of a settlement resolving air pollution concerns related to the Highway 50 expansion in Sacramento is evidence that California can stimulate the economy while also protecting clean air, land and water, according to state environmental groups.

The settlement demonstrates that the state’s most popular environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), can be used to bring parties together to negotiate better projects for Californians.

“We applaud the leadership of Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and all sides for coming together to create a solution that provides more public transit and less pollution,” said Kathryn Phillips, director of the California transportation and air initiative at Environmental Defense Fund.

“This shows that rather than exempting similar transportation projects from environmental review, California leaders should see the Highway 50 resolution as an example of how CEQA can produce better, smarter plans to grow our economy without going backwards on our environmental progress,” said Warner Chabot, CEO of the California League of Conservation Voters. “Lawmakers should take CEQA, which has nothing to do with solving the state budget crisis, off the table.”

During the past several weeks, the environmental concerns about Highway 50 and several other controversial transportation projects have been a leading cause of the budget stalemate, with GOP leaders asking that the projects be exempt from environmental review. The environmental groups are hopeful that a positive settlement of the Highway 50 case will demonstrate the economic and environmental importance of keeping California’s environmental laws intact for the good of all.

“We are pleased to see a resolution that keeps environmental review intact, helps improve air quality and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming,” said Phillips. “Environmental review delivers a better product that allows California to create a 21^st century transportation system.”

Background

Earlier today, a lawsuit between state highway officials and local environmentalists was settled to allow the state to move forward with plans for carpool lanes on Highway 50 in Rancho Cordova. Under the settlement agreement, the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) will contribute $8 million to help the Sacramento Rapid Transit District fund a project to add a second track to the light rail system between Sacramento and Folsom. This project will increase the availability of green transit options and should significantly increase ridership. The project also will include improved pedestrian and bicycle access to the light transit system.
Green Stimulus Package Will Boost California
January 16, 2009
Contacts:

Lori Sinsley, EDF, 415/293-6097

Jessica Lass, NRDC, 310/434-2300

Jenesse Miller, CLCV, 510/844-0235

Lori Sinsley, EDF, 415/293-6097

Paul Mason, Sierra Club, 916/557-1100 x120

Green Stimulus Package Will Boost California’s Economy, Green Groups Say

Green Stimulus Plan Calls for Infrastructure and Public Transit Investments

SACRAMENTO (January 14, 2009) – Californians will benefit from a new plan to create new green jobs, invest in our state’s clean energy future, and fix the budget through a green stimulus plan unveiled by state legislative leadership today. The proposal highlights a list of critical projects that nearly doubles the amount of economic stimulus in the governor’s plan, while creating jobs that protect California’s future.

The proposal is in response to the state legislature’s nearly five month budget stalemate with Governor Schwarzenegger. If a budget agreement is not reached by February 1, the state will have to suspend many essential transit and infrastructure projects, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

Today’s proposal invests in infrastructure projects that can increase California’s economic growth and create good, environmentally-friendly jobs today. It is designed to invest in our state’s clean energy future, and fix the budget impasse (see plan highlights under “Background” below).

Following are reactions from several of California’s environmental leaders:

Warner Chabot, CEO of the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV):

“This stimulus is a powerful prescription for California’s continued economic success - it doubles the stimulus but doesn’t carry the side effects of adding to global warming and threats to public health from other proposals to build new highways. A green stimulus that puts Californians back to work and protects public health, public safety and the environment is just what the doctor ordered.”

Ann Notthoff, California advocacy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):

“This proposal is the kind of shovel-ready green investments that are needed to jump start the economy. We can give industries incentives to create good jobs, while creating an energy efficient and green economy without gutting bedrock environmental laws. California leads the nation in legislative initiatives to fight global warming and it’s vital we build on that success to provide a lasting recovery for our economy and a clean energy future.”

Kathryn Phillips, the Sacramento-based director of the California Transportation and Air Initiative for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF):

“We’ve proven over time in California that a clean environment and good jobs go hand in hand. Green jobs are real and can help dig us out of this tough economy.”

Tina Andolina, legislative director for the Planning and Conservation League (PCL):

“This proposal proves that not only can we jump start our economy while protecting our quality of life, but it also shows that green stimulus provides more and better jobs, faster. Our state leaders are clearly committed to investing in California and moving us toward a more sustainable future.”

Dan Jacobson, legislative director, Environment California:

“Green jobs are the perfect combination. This one two punch cuts pollution and puts paychecks in people’s pockets.”

Paul Mason, deputy director, Sierra Club California:

“What’s not to like about the Green Economic Stimulus Plan? Immediate action on this plan will pump thousands of jobs into California’s economy, while benefiting our environment and making our homes and roads safer. Once again, California can show the world that it’s possible to meet the triple bottom line: economy, ecology and social values.”

Background:

The Green Economic Stimulus Plan will train workers, restore infrastructure and reduce pollution by investing:

$800 million in Transportation for the 21^st Century: New funds for transit expansion to help meet rising demand and help get Californians where they need to go at a price they can afford.

$700 million Fix It First: Street &Pothole Repair: Funds to fix existing roads and bridges.

$100 million to Fixing Aging Parks and Recreational Facilities: New funds to repair aging state parks infrastructure and to create new construction jobs idled by the housing crisis.

$65 million to Restore Wetlands, Fish & Game Habitat, & Create Jobs: Fund shovel-ready community projects to enhance and restore natural systems while creating construction and other jobs.

$35 million to grow the California Conservation Corps: Create corps to educate, train, and employ hundreds of at-risk young adults, while providing recycling, energy efficiency, urban forestry, fire mitigation, public safety, natural resource protection and restoration, and other needed services to California communities.

$10 million to “Green” Urban Areas and Create Jobs: Implement urban tree planting projects that produce local community jobs and increase the livability of our communities.

Related links:

http://www.nrdc.org/media/2009/090107a.asp

Ann Notthoff blogs on California legislation and advocacy: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/anotthoff/

California League of Conservation Voters blog: http://www.ecovote.org/blog/

Environmental Defense Fund blogs: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=576

Paul Mason’s blog for Sierra Club California: http://www.sierraclubca.blogspot.com/
Stimulus Transportation Plan Gives States Flexibility to Build

January 15, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Dan Cronin, 202-251-9549, dcronin@edf.org

(Washington - January 15, 2009) America deserves to see whether the states will use the funds in the economic stimulus plan released today by the House leadership and President-elect Obama’s economic team “to buy ‘bridges to nowhere’ or a bridge to the 21st century,” according to Environmental Defense Fund.

“With tens of billions in new transportation spending, it’s more important than ever for states to respect President-elect Obama’s promise of transparency by making their spending priorities public as soon as possible,” said Michael Replogle, a civil engineer who is the Transportation Director for Environmental Defense Fund and an adviser to the U.S. Department of Transportation. “This bill leaves many decisions about how transportation funds will be spent to the states. That’s where we’ll see the effect of this investment on clean air, clean water and climate change for generations. Fewer than half the states have made public their proposed transportation project lists. ”

“States generally have flexibility to use highway funds to “fix-it-first” — repair existing bridges and roads — or to rush through new highway expansion that might otherwise fail to meet basic environmental needs,” added Replogle. “It’s time to shine a light on those priorities, to make spending decisions in a way that all can see the costs and benefits for health and environment.”

“The track record is clear: repairing roads, fixing bridges and investing in transit is the formula for more jobs and a better environment,” concluded Replogle. “Transit demand around the country is at an all-time high, but agencies are strapped for cash and cutting service. Expanding stimulus funds for transit would help cash-starved transit agencies offer more Americans an affordable and sustainable ride to work. It’s good that this bill would ensure all states spend at least a portion of their stimulus funds in metropolitan areas, the root of our nation’s economic strength.”
Obama Visit Highlights Manufacturer in New Energy Economy

January 15, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Emily Diamond-Falk, Environmental Defense Fund, 202-841-8605(c)

Obama Visit Highlights Manufacturer in New Energy Economy

(Washington— January 15, 2009) President-elect Barack Obama’s visit Friday to an Ohio company that makes screws and bolts for wind turbines will spotlight the manufacturing jobs that are the next frontier for U.S. industry, according to experts at Environmental Defense Fund which will cite the firm in a new nationwide survey of companies that are part of the new energy economy.

Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Company, a Bedford Heights, Ohio firm that employs 65 people, expects to double its sales and increase its workforce in the next two years despite the worst national and global economic conditions in decades.

“We expect to double our sales in the next two years,” said Dan Alvarez, product manager for Cardinal Fasteners. “That’s not going to come from our usual commercial sales for power generation, construction and heavy industry. Those guys aren’t growing. The biggest part of our growth is going to come from wind.”

The incoming Obama administration said the company is a model for its American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, a blueprint for saving or creating up to four million new American jobs and make the long-term investments to build a 21st century economy.

Environmental Defense Fund, a non-profit organization that partners with businesses, includes Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Company in a new nation-wide survey of hundreds of companies that are simultaneously growing the economy and contributing to limiting global warming pollution.

“Companies like Cardinal Fasteners show the concrete link between U.S. jobs and solutions to the climate crisis,” said Jackie Roberts, director of sustainable technology for Environmental Defense Fund. “These companies can help fix the climate problem and create more jobs to stimulate the economy at the same time.”

Officials of Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Company said products for wind turbines currently represent about 15 percent of the firm’s revenue, but said they expect that to expand to about 40 percent of its total revenue next year. Officials said the company hired 13 new employees this year and projects it could add up to 40 more people to its workforce next year.

“We just make screws and bolts — tower bolts, nacelle bolts, blade bolts — not nuts or anything else,” said Alvarez, 60, a native of northeastern Ohio who has been in the industrial fastener business for three decades. “But we think of ourselves as the Cadillac of bolts.”

Cardinal Fasteners vaulted into the wind turbine business several years ago, when a turbine manufacturer placed an emergency order for thousands of screws. The 25-year-old company now supplies some of the world’s largest turbine makers.

“Most wind companies are from Europe,” said Alvarez. “When they started building wind farms here they’d set up U.S. offices but bring everything over except the tower. After a while they started building plants to make the blades, but they’ve been slow to use the domestic supply chain for everything else.”

That is now changing, said Alvarez, adding that American firms like his are an increasingly important part of the global supply chain.

The company and its 95,000 square foot plant in the Cleveland suburbs is also a model for the transformation of the U.S. manufacturing industry, using steel melted and manufactured in America and employees trained on computer-driven threading and forging tools to produce products contributing to climate change solutions, EDF officials said.

“Usually if you see a president visiting a company it’s Caterpillar or Ford, some giant company,” said Alvarez. “It’s incredible he’s coming to see a little company like ours.”

Officials from EDF and Duke University, who recently released a report with labor co-sponsors show the value of supply chains and jobs associated with finding climate solutions, said hundreds of “green” companies like Cardinal Fasteners are the economic engine of the future.

“Until now, there was no tangible evidence of what these jobs are, how they are created and what it means for U.S. workers,” said Gary Gereffi, a Duke University professor of sociology and lead author of the report. “We don’t guess where the jobs are; we name them. Our report shows that clean technology jobs are also real economy jobs.”

A copy of the study, “Manufacturing Climate Solutions,” is available at http://www.cggc.duke.edu/environment/climatesolutions/. The survey of manufacturers and other companies that would benefit from new customers as the U.S. invests in climate solutions is scheduled for release in February.

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
Breakthrough Climate Change Agreement Opens Door for Federal Action in 2009

January 15, 2009

Contact:

Tony Kreindler, Environmental Defense Fund, (202) 445-8108or tkreindler@edf.org

(Washington- January 15, 2009) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and a broad coalition of major companies and non-profit groups today unveiled a groundbreaking new blueprint for federal legislation to fight climate change and jumpstart economic recovery with a cap on global warming pollution.

“This is an Obama Era blueprint — business and environmentalists working together for a bold, practical solution, and that solution is a cap,” said EDF President Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund.

“The cap protects the atmosphere – it’s the legal guarantee that pollution goes down. The cap also creates customers. And if America has ever needed customers, at home and abroad, now is the time,” Krupp said.

The blueprint, two years in the making, represents a consensus agreement among a diverse group of companies from across the U.S. economy and leading non-profit organizations on the design of comprehensive climate legislation. USCAP is calling on Congress and the incoming administration to pass a cap and trade bill as soon as possible.

The centerpiece of the USCAP blueprint is a mandatory and declining economy-wide cap on global warming pollution from electric utilities, transportation fuels and industrial facilities. It calls for aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reductions with targets and timelines consistent with President-elect Barack Obama’s proposals.

“The cap is the key. It mobilizes private capital to build the clean energy technologies that will solve climate change, and it breathes new life into markets for the U.S. manufacturers who build them. That means more jobs for American workers and a safer climate for everyone,” Krupp said.

Key elements of the USCAP blueprint for legislative action include aggressive emission reductions targets and timelines that follow the science — including an 80 percent reduction from 2005 levels by 2050 – mechanisms to manage costs without undermining environmental goals, and provisions to address economic impacts on consumers.

Full text of the USCAP blueprint is online at www.us-cap.org.
Congressional Leaders: Reject Request to Waive Environmental Laws in Stimulus Bill Transp. Projects

January 13, 2009

- American Lands Alliance - American Rivers - Audubon California - Breast Cancer Fund - California Coastkeeper Alliance - California League of Conservation Voters - California Native Plant Society - California Watershed Coalition - Center for Biological Diversity - Earthjustice - Defenders of Wildlife - Environment America - Environment California - Environmental Defense Fund - Food and Water Watch - Forests Forever - Greenpeace - League of Conservation Voters - National Audubon Society - National Parks Conservation Association - National Trust for Historic Preservation - Natural Resources Defense Council - National Wildlife Federation - Northern Alaska Environmental Center - Physicians for Social Responsibility - Southern Environmental LawCenter - The Center for Food Safety - The Lands Council - The Nature Conservancy - The Trust for PublicLand - The Wilderness Society -

January 13, 2009

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Harry Reid

Speaker of the House Senate Majority Leader

U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable James Oberstar The Honorable Barbara Boxer

Chairman, House Transportation Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Infrastructure Committee Public Works

U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate

Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20510

Re: Smart Economic Stimulus Decisions Require NEPA Compliance

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Reid, Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Boxer:

As you prepare to consider economic stimulus legislation, the undersigned organizations want to

underscore how past experience has shown that a key to good long-range development decisions is the high quality information provided via the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for projects funded and authorized by the federal government. Securing an effective economic boost, sustainable growth, revitalized infrastructure, and a cleaner, safer planet necessitates a real understanding of the consequences of stimulus investments. Part of the investment our Nation makes in economic recovery must therefore be an investment in smart and open decision-making.

NEPA is the federal government’s guarantee that the pros and cons of, and alternative approaches to, its investments and actions will be thoughtfully considered and informed by the best available scientific and factual information. It also ensures that your constituents will be able to understand and get orderly input into stimulus decisions. Inevitably, in the course of congressional consideration, special interests will assert that we cannot afford the NEPA process in a time of national urgency. The truth is that we cannot afford that kind of leap-before-you-look rashness. We have neither the time nor the resources to waste on measures that ultimately prove to be unproductive or harmful. Our members, like the American public as a whole, want to be sure that the prudent and knowledgeable approach of NEPA is integrated into all federal stimulus projects that affect the human environment.

To help achieve this outcome, projects eligible for funding under the stimulus should have all necessary state and federal environmental reviews in hand, including NEPA and other environmental and historical resource reviews, before commencing. Among State and local government-provided projects that could be funded under the package are many “shovel ready” proposals that have already completed environmental reviews. For example, Tennessee’s Department of Transportation notes that its entire list of $1.7 billion in stimulus projects includes only projects that have completed all needed environmental studies and obtained necessary permits. Similarly, Georgia submitted a list of $3 billion worth of projects that have passed environmental review and received all necessary permits. California has billions of dollars worth of sustainable projects that have completed environmental review - projects to restore delta levees, invest in a clean energy future, improve stormwater management, expand transit and more.

Previous stimulus legislation passed by the United States House of Representatives but ultimately not enacted (HR 7110), may serve as a model for the upcoming package. While it did require projects to meet a “shovel ready” timeframe, it did not alter NEPA requirements. The same must especially be true of the forthcoming stimulus package, conceived of as a green recovery vehicle that provides us with clean energy, building retrofits to achieve greater efficiency, and mass transit.

To promote timely decision-making, an important part of the economic investment that Congress makes should be in the capacity of federal and state agencies, and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to expedite their NEPA responsibilities. Federal agencies and CEQ have in recent years lost staff and budgets needed to fulfill their NEPA roles. Supplementation of their resources would reap major benefits in having projects approved and underway quickly.

It is important that projects with potentially significant environmental impacts go through state environmental review and the NEPA process in order to ensure that the best alternatives are considered, all potential impacts are fully known, and the public can have confidence that their government is proceeding in a manner that is optimal, safe, and transparent.

Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue,

Glenn Olson

Executive Director

Audubon California

Golson@audubon.org

Warner Chabot

Chief Executive Officer

California League of Conservation Voters

Wchabot@ecovote.org

Karen Wayland

Legislative Director

Natural Resources Defense Council

kwayland@nrdc.org

Bob Dreher

Vice President for Conservation Law

Defenders of Wildlife

BDreher@defenders.org

Michele Boyd

Director, Safe Energy Program

Physicians for Social Responsibility

mboyd@psr.org

Adam Kolton

Sr. Director, Congressional and Federal Affairs

National Wildlife Federation

Kolton@nwf.org

Mike Petersen

Executive Director

The Lands Council

mpetersen@landscouncil.org

Leslie Jones

General Counsel

The Wilderness Society

leslie_jones@tws.org

Marty Hayden

Vice President, Policy and Legislation

Earthjustice

mhayden@earthjustice.org

Dan Jacobson

Legislative Director

Environment California

djacobson@EnvironmentCalifornia.org

Pamela A. Miller

Arctic Program Director

Northern Alaska Environmental Center

Pam@northern.org

Randi Spivak

Executive Director

American Lands Alliance

randispivak@americanlands.org

Mike Clark

Interim Executive Director

Greenpeace

mike.clark@greenpeace.org

Bill Lee

Vice President for Government Relations

American Rivers

blee@americanrivers.org

Betsy Loyless

Senior Vice President for Policy

National Audubon Society

bloyless@audubon.org

Craig D. Obey

Senior Vice President for Government Affairs

National Parks Conservation Association

cobey@npca.org

Melva Bigelow

Director, State Government Relations

The Nature Conservancy

mbigelow@tnc.org

Elizabeth Thompson

Legislative Director

Environmental Defense Fund

EThompson@edf.org

Linda Sheehan

Executive Director

California Coastkeeper Alliance

lsheehan@cacoastkeeper.org

Luke Breit

Legislative Advocate

Forests Forever

Amanda Jorgensen

Executive Director

California Native Plant Society

ajorgensen@cnps.org

Wenonah Hauter

Executive Director

Food and Water Watch

Mary Lee Knecht

Executive Director

California Watershed Council

Tiernan Sittenfeld

Legislative Director

League of Conservation Voters

tiernan_sittenfeld@lcv.org

Nat Mund

Legislative Director

Southern Environmental LawCenter

nmund@selcdc.org

William J. Snape, III

Senior Counsel

Center for Biological Diversity

bsnape@biologicaldiversity.org

Anna Aurilio

Director, WashingtonDC Office

Environment America

asquared@environmentamerica.org

Emily Wadhams

Vice President for Public Policy

National Trust for Historic Preservation

emily_wadhams@nthp.org

Jeanne Rizzo, R.N.

President and CEO

Breast Cancer Fund

Rico Mastrodonato

Senior Governmental Relations Manager

The Trust for PublicLand

George A. Kimbrell

Staff Attorney

The Center for Food Safety

gkimbrell@icta.org

Cc.The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

The Honorable George Miller

The Honorable Henry Waxman
Groups to Legislature: Rescue Transit System; Unless Albany Acts by March, Downstate Fares Will Soar, Service Will be Slashed, and Rebuilding Work Faces Grim Future

January 13, 2009

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Gene Russianoff, (917) 575-9434, grussian@nypirg.org

Neysa Pranger at (917) 532-0567, npranger@rpa.org

Bennett Kleinberg, (212) 576-2700, bkleinberg@goodmanmedia.com

ALBANY – Two broad coalitions of civic, business, labor and environmental groups gathered here today to urge Governor Paterson and the state legislature to rescue the downstate transportation system or face a deeper and far more serious economic crisis.

The two coalitions — led by the Empire State Transportation Alliance (ESTA) and the Campaign for New York’s Future — launched the “Keep New York Moving” campaign and vowed a ‘full-court press’ until state legislature agrees to take action. Campaign partners will aggressively reach out to the public and elected officials through an on-the-ground and advertising effort. The groups already have set up a website, www.KeepNewYorkMoving.org, and they have distributed leaflets to transit riders urging they take action at the site. Thousands of people already have signed the online petition and postcards in support, which were on display during the news conference. Coalition partners also will hold community events, such as funerals for the “death of transit services,” and will visit Albany regularly.

“Riders are looking to Governor Paterson and the legislature to come to our rescue,” said Gene Russianoff, senior attorney for the Straphangers Campaign. “We urge them to agree on new revenue sources to make sure the costs and benefits of transit are shared fairly.”

The potential impact on riders on the pending MTA “doomsday” budget is staggering. Transit officials say they will vote by late March to raise the base subway and bus fare from $2.00 to $2.50; charge $105 for a 30-day MetroCard (up from the current $81); and make major service cuts, including eliminating two lines (W and Z), shortening three others (G, M and N) – increasing subway wait times and crowding – and eliminating or shortening dozens of bus routes.

Not only would commuters suffer, but the economies of both the city and state would be at serious risk. The current MTA 2005-2009 Capital Plan already has resulted in $29.2 billion dollars in statewide economic activity and sales in municipalities as far north as Plattsburg and west as Buffalo and Rochester. The effect on the downstate economy would also have wide ranging impacts for all New Yorkers. Every $1 billion in MTA capital spending generates 8,700 jobs, $454 million in total wages and $1.5 billion in economic activity in the NYC metropolitan region. Under the MTA “doomsday” budget, almost 30,000 construction jobs would be stripped from the city’s workforce by 2010, which would lower construction spending by 22 percent, putting industry employment at its lowest level in a decade and the effect on state revenues will be disastrous.

“We have a transit crisis on our hands with major service cuts, fare increases and no capital funding available. If not averted, it’s a crisis that will affect every community in the state,” said Kevin S. Corbett, co-chair of the Empire State Transportation Alliance. “The state is going to have to make tough choices for saving the transit system. It is in every New Yorker’s interest to keep transit, and revenues, flowing. We’re looking to Albany for the leadership New YorkState needs.”

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is projecting a $1.2 billion deficit in its $10 billion operating budget for 2009 and having no money available for its next $25 billion-plus five-year rebuilding program. The MTA has set a deadline of March 25 for the state legislature to act before the “doomsday” budget goes into effect.

“Even with the investments of the last several years, the transit system still is relying on portions of infrastructure that have been in place for eight decades. We need to ask where we would be today had previous generations of leaders not had the foresight to invest in the transit system, and we must recognize we are still are paying the price for those generations of leaders who did not maintain that investment,” said Denise Richardson, managing director of the General Contractor’s Association of New York. “We are faced with a clear choice: are we the leaders that will make the investment to maintain jobs and create a 21st century transit system or are we the leaders that will skirt responsibility and put New York City’s future as an economic powerhouse at risk?”

“Adequate support for operating, maintaining, and expanding New York’s transit system is essential for not only the New York City metropolitan region but also for the economic well being of New YorkState,” said Jim Melius, President of the New York State Laborers’. “We have procrastinated for too long. We need to provide a solid base of support for the MTA now and for the future.”

“In these tough economic times, fully funding and expanding transit is the key to keeping New York open for business,” said Mary Barber, campaign director for Living Cities at Environmental Defense Fund. “It’s not just essential for the economy; it’s also a green solution that improves the downstate quality of live and residents’ health. It is time to expand the transit lifeline to more people.”

Recognizing the transit’s system critical role in the health of the downstate region’s economy, last June, Governor Paterson appointed former MTA chairman Richard Ravitch and a panel of experts to examine how the state could meet the MTA’s financial needs,. In December, the Commission released its plan, which recommended bridge tolls on the Harlem and East River bridges, a modest fare increase and a regional payroll tax.

Members of the Keep New York Moving campaign added that they believed that city and state leaders now had the chance to hammer some combination of the proposals into a stable funding program to keep commuter rails, buses and the subways running and growing to meet riders’ needs.

“We will need strong leadership to turn the ideas into reality,” said Kate Slevin, executive director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a regional policy watchdog group. “There will be tough choices, but we must share the transit system’s cost. Everyone benefits from our robust public transportation network, so everyone – including businesses, riders, and drivers – should share the burden of paying for it.”

Riders already bear an extremely high percentage of the cost of transit service and are now threatened with an even higher burden,” said William Henderson, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. “It is time for our elected officials to back up their statements of support for transit with decisive action to ensure all who benefit from the MTA system will make an appropriate contribution to meeting its operating and capital needs.”

“Full, fair funding for a high-quality transit system is vital to keep New York moving toward a greener, healthier, more prosperous future, especially as we confront climate change, continued population growth and global economic turmoil,” said Michael O’Loughlin, director for the Campaign for New York’s Future. “The Ravitch Commission’s recommendations should jumpstart action from our elected leaders on a plan that stems the draconian cuts certain in the next few months, while also making the long-term investments that are so essential to New York’s long-term environmental and economic sustainability.”

“With the MTA facing its worst crisis in a generation, business-as-usual will not cut it this time. Unless legislators act now, the riding public will face skyrocketing fares and crippling service cuts,” says Peter Goldwasser, General Counsel and Special Projects Director for Transportation Alternatives.

Those signing on to today’s call for action and joining the “Keep New York Moving” campaign include prominent members of the business, civic and labor community, including the Regional Plan Association, NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, New York League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund, General Contractor’s Association of New York, Campaign for New York’s Future, New York Building Congress, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, Long Island Contractor’s Association of New York State, Natural Resources Defense Council, Construction Industry Council, Associated General Contractors of NYS, Transportation Alternatives, Vision Long Island, American Council of Engineering Companies, New York Roadway Improvement Coalition, New York State Laborers’ Unions, Building Trades Employers’ Association, NYU Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management and Partnership for Sustainable Ports, Inc.
New NC Fishery System Gets Thumbs Up Vote

January 13, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Dan Whittle, 919-931-9677, dwhittle@edf.org

Georgette Shepherd, 919-881-2927, gshepherd@edf.org

(Raleigh, NC — January 13, 2009) The NC Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture has recommended that the NC General Assembly pass legislation that would authorize the use of catch shares in the state’s striped bass fishery. The commission’s vote yesterday is the first step in making striped bass the first species in the state to be managed with catch shares.

The innovative, flexible approach for managing fisheries already has been endorsed by Congress for use in federal waters as a safe, effective way to conserve fish while protecting the economic health of fishing communities. The NC General Assembly must provide authority to the Division of Marine Fisheries to use catch shares in state waters.

Catch shares give fishermen a guaranteed percentage of the catch and that allows them to fish when prices are favorable and fishing conditions are good. Fishermen can catch their limit of fish or transfer their shares to other fishermen. Measures can be put in place to protect small-scale fishermen by capping the number of shares that any one fisherman can hold.

“Catch shares give fishermen a better way of doing business that protects their livelihoods and their communities,” said Dan Whittle, Southeast oceans director for Environmental Defense Fund. “Lawmakers should act quickly to approve the use of catch shares so that North Carolina fishermen and managers can design a system together that works well for everyone.”

According to scientific studies on catch shares, fishermen are safer, the fish are higher quality, unintentional bycatch of juvenile fish is lower, and prices are higher. Virginia has successfully used a version of the catch shares system to mange its commercial striped bass fishery for more than a decade.
EPA's Voluntary Reporting Program Fails to Deliver Data Needed to Determine Safety of Nanomaterials, Report Shows
January 13, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jennifer Andreassen, 202-572-3387, jandreassen@edf.org

(Washington, DC – January 13, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has acknowledged that its voluntary approach to reporting has yielded only limited information on a small fraction of the hundreds of potentially toxic nanomaterials already in commercial use or in development in the United States, according to Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).

In an “interim report” issued nearly a year after launch of its Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, EPA disclosed that it has received submissions addressing less than 10 percent of the more than 1,000 nanomaterials EPA identified as likely to be in commercial production. Moreover, the voluntary submissions contain scant environmental health and safety data, and much of the information they do contain is kept secret from the public because the companies submitting the data claim it is confidential business information (CBI).

“EPA’s voluntary approach has failed to provide both EPA and the public with critical data on the full range of nanomaterials in production and use in the United States,” said Dr. Richard A. Denison, a senior scientist at EDF, who advised EPA on its approach to nanomaterials as a member of the National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Committee (NPPTAC). “With hundreds of nano products already on the shelves, EPA has squandered precious time while it slowly developed and pursued a program that informed stakeholders cautioned would not yield what was needed.”

While still claiming the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program to be “successful,” EPA’s report concedes that the program has come nowhere close to assembling a full picture of research and commercial activity involving nanomaterials. The report’s other findings include:

The submissions encompassed only 1/7 of the unique chemical structures on which nanomaterials in use or development are based.

Toxicity and environmental fate data were provided for at most a few percent of these nanomaterials, confirming that only a small fraction of all nanomaterials have been sufficiently studied despite their rapid commercialization.

EPA acknowledged it cannot determine whether participants submitted information on all or only a subset of nanomaterials they produce, and whether information submitted for a given nanomaterial was complete or selective. EDF had predicted precisely this problem because of EPA’s failure to include these metrics in the design of the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program.

Only four companies have agreed to consider conducting any testing, leading EPA to conclude that “most companies are not inclined to voluntarily test their nanoscale materials.”

“We welcome EPA’s statement that it is finally ‘considering how to best use testing and information gathering authorities under the Toxic Substances Control Act’ to address the remaining gaps in information,” Denison concluded. “More than three years ago, the National Pollution Prevention and Toxics Advisory Committee advised EPA immediately to begin developing such mandatory measures as a supplement to the voluntary program, recognizing it would not be sufficient. EPA now needs to refocus its energies on these critical tasks.”

A list of companies participating in the Program is attached.

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Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

Companies and associations participating in EPA’s Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program

(as of December 8, 2008; see www.epa.gov/oppt/nano/stewardship.htm#participants)

Submissions under the Basic Program

Ahwanee

Altairnano

Arkema

BASF Corporation

Bayer Material Science

Dow Chemical

DuPont

Evonik/Degussa

General Electric

International Carbon Black Association

Nano-C

Nanofilm

Nanophase Technologies Corporation

Nantero

Office ZPI

PPG Industries

Pressure Chemical

Quantum Sphere

Sabic Plastic Innovations

Sasol North America

Selah Technologies, Inc.

Showa Denk KK

SouthWest NanoTechnologies, Inc.

Showa Denko KK

SouthWest Nano Technologies, Inc.

Strem Chemicals

Swan Chemicals Inc.

Synthetic Amorphous Silica and

     Silicate Industry Association

Unidym

Two companies with identities

     claimed as Confidential Business

     Information



Additional Commitments to Submit Information under the Basic Program

Angstron Materials

eSpin Technologies

Evident Technologies

Luna Nanoworks

MicroTechNano

Nanocyl North America

One company with identity claimed

     as Confidential Business

     Information

Commitments to Participate in the In-depth Program

Selah Technologies, Inc.

SouthWest NanoTechnologies, Inc.

Swan Chemicals Inc.

Unidym
New York is First U.S. City to Win International Award for Sustainable Transport

January 13, 2009

Contacts:

Sean Crowley, Environmental Defense Fund, +1-202-550-6524, scrowley@edf.org

Aimee Gauthier, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, +1-917-536-7908, agauthier@itdp.org

(Washington, DC – January 13, 2009) New York will be honored tonight as the first U.S. city to win the 5th annual Sustainable Transport Award. The other award finalists, Beijing, Istanbul, Mexico City and Milan will receive honorable mentions. The award presentations will take place at 6:30pm-7:30pm at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC as part of the Transportation Research Board Annual Conference, which is expected to attract 10,000 transportation professionals from around the world.

The Sustainable Transport Award is granted to cities for adopting innovative transportation strategies. This year’s nominees made noteworthy strides in confronting climate change and decreasing air pollution from vehicle emissions. Street space was reclaimed to build attractive public plazas. Increased public transit options led to a boom in ridership. New bicycle lanes were installed, prompting more commuters to bicycle. Pedestrian amenities were enhanced, encouraging more walking trips.

“As Congress crafts its stimulus bill, these cities serve as great models for how we can strengthen the environment, improve energy efficiency, and prepare our infrastructure for the 21st century,” said U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), the 2nd ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and a featured speaker at the awards ceremony.

“With much of the world looking for transport projects to provide an economic stimulus, this year’s winners demonstrate the sort of investments that would create the livable and competitive cities of tomorrow,” said selection committee member Dr. Walter Hook, executive director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “Other cities will be inspired by the achievements of the cities honored tonight.”

New York City, U.S.A. has demonstrated that political will, bold leadership and citizen engagement can lead to sweeping transportation reforms. In 2008, the city implemented key parts of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s long-term sustainability vision, PlaNYC 2030. The laudable changes made throughout 2008 have reshaped the experience of walking on New York City streets. The city has embraced biking and walking as investment-worthy transportation alternatives, while the traditional car-oriented mobility model is taking a back-seat.

“For a mega-city to embark on an EcoMobility agenda requires courage,” said Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, selection committee member and Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability based in Toronto, Canada. “New York must be congratulated for both courage and drive, and I am sure it will take the well deserved Award as an incentive to do even more.”

In 2008, New York City took 49 acres of road space, traffic lanes and parking spots away from cars and gave it back to the public for bike lanes, pedestrian areas and public plazas. Protected on-street bike lanes were part of the 140 miles (255 kilometers) of bike lanes implemented. Bike ridership increased by 35 percent from the past year. The city planted more than 98,000 trees, implemented a select bus service and introduced car-free Saturdays. The NYC Department of Transportation recycles 40 percent of the asphalt used to repair streets.

“In tough economic times, bus service is the most immediate and inexpensive way to meet growing commuter demand for transit in New York City,” said Michael Replogle, a civil engineer and transportation modeling expert who is the Transportation Director for Environmental Defense Fund, an adviser to the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as co-founder and president of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “It also makes the Big Apple more livable by reducing traffic congestion, air and global warming pollution.”

Beijing, China has made impressive efforts improving air quality and working to make transportation better and cleaner. The city implemented vehicle restrictions for the Olympics, most of which were re-instituted afterwards because of popular demand. The restrictions require owners to leave their automobiles home one day each week, getting 800,000 vehicles off the streets every day. The government mandated Euro IV fuel standards, which lowered the amount of sulfur allowed in gasoline and diesel from 150 parts per million (ppm) to 50 ppm. The city also added a new line to the metro system and two new lines for the bus rapid transit (BRT) system in 2008, extending the hours for both the metro system and BRT. Beijing increased its bus fleet, while decreasing the fleet of government vehicles by 30 percent. One-third of the police fleet is now patrolling the streets using non-motorized and electric bikes.

“The Olympics provided Beijing with a unique opportunity to introduce an impressive mix of measures that transformed the air quality and livability of the city,” said Sophie Punte, executive director of Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia). ”It is an encouraging example for other Asian cities, showing us that this transformation can only be achieved by an integrated approach that covers all aspects of transport.”

Mexico City, Mexico has continued its efforts to implement a cohesive and broad sustainable transport and development agenda, El Plan Verde. Metrobus, Mexico City’s BRT system, expanded along Avenue Insurgentes, and the city inaugurated the second line, Eje 4, in 2008. Metrobus now carries 320,000 passengers a day. Accidents dropped by 30 percent, and the corridor saw a five percent shift from private vehicles to public transport. Mayor Ebrard also initiated Sunday Closing – Paseo Domincal – which closes Reforma and other major avenues from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm every Sunday. This transformation has helped to stimulate a growing cycling and walking culture. The city approved a bicycle master plan and a pilot new bikeway, but has not yet implemented the plan or built the bikeway.

“Mexico is one of the world examples of congestion, but now it is a world example of how a megacity can improve substantially by implementing well-thought out projects,” said Manfred Breithaupt of GTZ, the German technical cooperation enterprise on sustainable development. “Replication effects in other cities of the country show its snowball effect.”

Istanbul, Turkey has quickly moved to open Metrobus, a BRT system that now carries 450,000 passengers a day over 43 kilometers (about 27 miles) of segregated busway. After pursuing many high cost, not terribly sustainable transport projects, Istanbul opened one of the most effective BRT lines in the world. Metrobus was built on expressways, so it reaches exceptionally fast travel speeds at 40 kilometers per hour (about 25 miles per hour), reducing travel times by 75 percent. The system is also integrated with the underground metro and existing bus services. Other cities in Turkey are looking to this low cost, quickly implemented example as a model.

“It is impressive that after so many wrong starts with transportation projects in Istanbul, the city quickly and with dedication moved to implement this,” stated Dario Hidalgo senior transport engineer at EMBARQ and former deputy director of TransMilenio, Bogotá’s BRT system. “It is always nice to look for inspiration in New York City, but not less interesting to find remarkable efforts in other cities like Istanbul.”

Milan, Italy introduced Ecopass in January 2008, which is designed to restrict access to the central Cerchia dei Bastioni area of the city by charging the most heavily polluting vehicles. It is the first urban environmental policy worldwide in the transport sector based on the European Union’s “polluter pays” principle and is an evolution of the London’s congestion charge. Milan also just unveiled its bike share program, BikeMi, with 1,300 bikes and 103 stations.

“It is an ambitious project which has already shown a reduction in car traffic. The public transport offer should be increased to make it more attractive than driving the car. This system is different from London’s because it is based on environmental performance,” observed Heather Allen, senior manager of Sustainable Development at the International Association for Public Transport (UITP). “Ecopass not only addresses the increasing congestion and high levels of pollution in downtown Milan, but it also sends a strong signal to citizens that there is a choice.”

Since February 2008, there has been a 19.2 percent traffic reduction within — and an 8 percent reduction outside — the Ecopass enforcement time. As a result, public transport speed increased by 11.3 percent, passenger ridership increased on public transport by 9.7 percent and in two months the government generated revenues of 3.9 million Euros (about 5.6 million in U.S. dollars). As a result, carbon dioxide has decreased by 12 percent during the enforcement period, and particulate matter has decreased by 19 percent.

The selection committee includes the most respected experts and organizations working internationally on sustainable transportation with representatives from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (Senior Transport Advisors to the Clinton Climate Initiative); Environmental Defense Fund; the Transportation Research Board Committee on Transportation in Developing Countries; the Clean Air Initiatives for Asia (hosted by the Asian Development Bank), Latin America (hosted by the World Bank), and Africa (hosted by UNEP); GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit); EMBARQ (The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport); ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability); UITP (International Association of Public Transport); and the United Nations’ Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD). For more information, photos, and videos about the award and its current and past winners, visit www.st-award.org.
Improve Environmental Performance Today with New Environmental Defense Fund Business Community

January 12, 2009

(Washington, DC – January 12, 2009) Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today launched the Innovation Exchange (http://Innovation.edf.org), a first-of-its-kind online resource that allows businesses to quickly identify and share ways to improve their environmental performance and reduce costs.

“In today’s tough business environment, no company can afford to miss out on proven strategies to cut costs and improve brand value. EDF Innovation Exchange provides the information and inspiration that companies need to achieve market leadership and meet essential environment demands worldwide,” said Gwen Ruta, vice president, corporate partnerships at EDF. “This new community will enable businesses leaders to learn from their peers, contribute ideas and success stories and leverage the power of collective innovation.”

The Exchange provides a no-cost, comprehensive set of recommendations, case studies, publications and tools for companies to improve their environmental performance.

“Access to proven environmental strategies is more vital to business success than ever before,” said Lisa Manley, director of environmental communications, The Coca-Cola Company. “Collaborative innovation between companies will play a major role in helping us meet our sustainability goals.”

The site also includes a five-step “Getting Started” resource that includes recommendations for companies just beginning to understand their environmental performance who need guidance on everything from measuring impact to taking concrete action.

Many of the tools, best practices and case studies on the site are based on EDF’s twenty years of experience creating environmental innovations through partnering with Fortune 500 companies including McDonalds, Wal-Mart and FedEx. The Exchange also includes links to numerous external resources that have been vetted by EDF experts. The site will continue to grow and evolve, fostering a dynamic community of users working together to create the next generation of environmental best practices for businesses.

In the coming months, EDF will build out the interactive aspects of the Exchange and develop offline initiatives such as webinars, training programs and fellowships. More information is available at http://Innovation.edf.org.
EPA Calls for Overdue States to Cut Air Pollution in National Parks

January 9, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jennifer Chavez/Kathleen Sutcliffe, Earthjustice, (202) 667-4500

Kevin Lynch, Environmental Defense Fund, (832) 524-4814, klynch@edf.org

(Washington, DC – January 9, 2009) As a result of legal action by three environmental groups, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today determined that more than three dozen states have failed to submit programs required by the Clean Air Act to cut air pollution drifting into national parks and wilderness areas. The determination means that EPA must work with the states to take corrective action or put in place a federal clean air plan.

“Today’s action gets the country back on track in restoring clean air to our national parks,” said Kevin Lynch, attorney for Environmental Defense Fund based in Colorado. “We look forward to working with EPA’s new leadership and the states to clean up the industrial smokestacks that pollute our national parks.”

“EPA’s action is good news for anyone who enjoys visiting our nation’s magnificent national parks,” said Earthjustice attorney Jennifer Chavez. “We look forward to working with EPA and the states to achieve clean air and clear vistas in the parks.”

The Clean Air Act required states nationwide to submit plans by December 2007 to clean up the air pollution — and to remedy existing and prevent future visibility impairment — in 156 premier national parks and wilderness areas. They include: Acadia (Maine), Grand Canyon (Arizona), Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee and North Carolina), Mount Rainier (Washington state), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), Shenandoah (Virginia), Theodore Roosevelt (New York), Yellowstone (Idaho/Montana/Wyoming), Yosemite (California), and Zion (Utah).

If states fail to meet these obligations, EPA must identify the deficiencies and work with the states to take corrective action or put in place a federal clean air plan. After states missed this legal deadline and EPA failed to take the corrective action required by the Clean Air Act, Earthjustice, Environmental Defense Fund, and the National Parks Conservation Association recently went to court to compel EPA to take corrective action.

37 states have not submitted the clean air plans for national parks and wilderness areas required by the December 2007 legal deadline, although five of those – Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, New Mexico, and Wyoming – have submitted a portion of the required cleanup plans. About 13 states submitted clean air blueprints. The latter group includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. EPA must review these plans for adequacy.

Much of the pollution problem in national parks comes from old power plants and factories with inadequate pollution controls. Emissions from these plants can travel hundreds of miles, contributing to regional haze that obscures scenic vistas over large areas. Each state’s clean air plan must include rules to limit these emissions, limits that will achieve cleaner, healthier air for our people and our parks.

According to the National Park Service, human-caused air pollution reduces visibility in most national parks throughout the country.   Average visual range — the farthest a person can see on a given day — in most of the western United States is about one-half to two-thirds of what it would be without man-made air pollution (about 60 to 100 miles). In most of the east, the average visual range is about one-fifth of what it would be under natural conditions (less than 30 miles).

For a map of national parks with links to air quality data and photos of visibility conditions at parks nationwide, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/air/visibility/monitor.html

Contact Kevin Lynch at klynch@edf.org if you would like to see the findings that will be published in the Federal Register shortly.

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About Earthjustice

Earthjustice is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations, coalitions and communities. For more information visit www.earthjustice.org

About Environmental Defense Fund

A leading national nonprofit organization, Environmental Defense Fund represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

About NPCA

Since 1919, the nonprofit, nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice of the American people in protecting and enhancing our National Park System. The National Parks Conservation Association, its 340,000 members, including 9,300 in Arizona, and partners work together to protect the park system and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren. For more information, visit www.npca.org
Green Groups to Schwarzenegger: You Don't Need to Pave the Environment to Pump the Economy

January 7, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jessica Lass, NRDC, 310/434-2300

Jenesse Miller, CLCV, 510/844-0235

Lori Sinsley, EDF, 415/293-6097

SACRAMENTO (January 7, 2009) – Environmental groups today urged Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to uphold critical environmental safeguards affecting a dozen major transportation projects that could harm California’s air, water and wilderness. In an alarming letter sent Tuesday, Governor Schwarzenegger asked President-elect Obama to “waive or greatly streamline National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requirements consistent with our statutory proposals to modify the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) for transportation projects.” This dangerous precedent would allow the state to build the transportation projects without environmental review.

If such safeguards are removed at federal and state levels, billions of dollars of new, polluting projects could receive federal funding priority over approved clean projects that are designed to protect public health and natural resources. The governor has frozen roughly $16 billion in existing, state-approved, environmentally reviewed projects that could be started this month and would provide badly needed jobs.

Following are reactions from several of California’s environmental leaders:

Warner Chabot, CEO of the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV):

“We urge Governor Schwarzenegger to uphold his long-standing principles that the economy and the environment are compatible. We can achieve a swift, effective economic stimulus without sacrificing our bedrock environmental laws and our health. We call on the Governor and the leadership of both parties in the state Senate and Assembly to provide the solutions that our state and nation require to solve this economic crisis.”

Ann Notthoff, California advocacy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):

“All Californians care about the fiscal health of our state, but relaxing environmental law is not the way to do it. California’s dedication to our workforce and investment in developing clean energy technology has built our economy into the eighth largest economy in the world. These are tough times, but it’s times like this that we need to work toward what’s best for California.”

Kathryn Phillips, the Sacramento-based director of the California Transportation and Air Initiative for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF):

“Dirty projects that circumvent environmental protections are more costly in both the short and long run than clean ones. California should only fund projects that deliver good jobs and clean air instead of ones that will make matters worse.”

Tina Andolina, legislative director for the Planning and Conservation League (PCL):

“At a time when our nation has embraced the concept of investing in a clean and green future, in energy independence and a better quality of life, Governor Schwarzenegger is insisting on steering our state in the opposition direction. He is holding the entire state budget hostage and demanding that we throw out our basic public health and environmental safeguards to advance a few of his favorite pet projects. Then to suggest that the entire federal stimulus package sidestep environment review of any kind shows us clearly that he has turned his back on the promise of clean air and water.”

Dan Jacobson, executive director, Environment California:

“California can and should continue to lead the way in showing a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. Relaxing environmental laws is the wrong way for California.”

Paul Mason, deputy director, Sierra Club California:

“This move flies in the face of Governor Schwarzenegger’s global warming agenda. He is wrong. We don’t have to weaken environmental and public health protection to stabilize California’s budget and keep people working. This is looks like a play from the Bush/Cheney playbook.”

Background:

California has the largest economy in the United States as well as some of the highest environmental standards in the world. Governor Schwarzenegger has repeatedly said that the state’s economy cannot flourish without a clean and healthy environment, and that principle has guided decades of public policy in the state.

For instance, last month the California Air Resources Board adopted two air pollution rules that will save nearly 10,000 lives, more than $40 billion in healthcare costs, prevent thousands of air pollution-related illnesses, and contribute to California’s global warming emission reduction goals. California also has some of the strongest coastal conservation laws, ensuring California’s Ocean Economy will continue to provide hundreds of thousands of jobs, more than $40 billion in revenue, and more than $11 billion in annual wages. Many state and federally funded programs are designed to protect California’s natural resources and save taxpayer dollars that can go back into the economy instead of toward cleaning up after poorly designed infrastructure projects.

Related links:

Ann Notthoff blogs on California legislation and advocacy: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/anotthoff/

California League of Conservation blog: http://www.ecovote.org/blog/

Environmental Defense Fund blogs: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=576

Paul Mason’s blog for Sierra Club California: http://www.sierraclubca.blogspot.com/

###

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing.

Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 500,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.

The political muscle of the environmental movement in America’s leading environmental state, the California League of Conservation Voters (CLCV) uses sophisticated campaign tools to help elect pro-environment officials – and to hold them accountable for passing legislation to protect health, communities and the environment. CLCV publishes the annual California Environmental Scorecard, which rates the actions of every state legislator and the Governor on the state’s environmental priorities each legislative year. For more information, please visit www.ecovote.org

The Planning and Conservation League (PCL) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit lobbying organization, working in the State Legislature and at the administrative level in state government to enact and implement policies to protect and restore the California environment.

Environment California is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization. Our professional staff combines independent research, practical ideas and tough-minded advocacy to overcome the opposition of powerful special interests and win real results for California’s environment. Environment California draws on 30 years of success in tackling our state’s top environmental problems.

Sierra Club California represents nearly 200,000 California Sierra Club members before the Legislature, Governor and state agencies.
Struggling Gulf Grouper Fishermen Approve Individual Fishing Quota Plan in Landslide Vote

January 7, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather Paffe, Environmental Defense Fund, 512.691.3401-o or 512.431.6854-c or Dean Pruitt, Gulf Fishermen’s Association, 727.512.2609-c
Media Contact: Laura Williamson, Environmental Defense Fund, 512.691.3447-w or 512.828.1690-c or lwilliamson@edf.org

(Austin, TX – January 7, 2009) Gulf of Mexico commercial grouper and tilefish fishermen overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new management plan called an individual fishing quota (IFQ) for their fishery, the National Marine Fisheries Service recently announced. The concept of managing fisheries through IFQs is gaining momentum in the Gulf as a means of ensuring a viable future for the commercial fishing industry and coastal communities. They work by dividing the scientifically set catch limit among fishermen and giving them the flexibility to determine how and when to catch their allotment of fish.

“The biggest benefit for grouper fishermen is that they will never have to worry about season closures again,” said Dean Pruitt, a grouper fisherman and founder of the Gulf Fishermen’s Association. “The IFQ will create a year-round season that will eliminate “derby” fishing and allow us to fish when the prices are high. This IFQ is good for our future.”

Ninety percent of the 303 fishermen eligible to vote cast ballots, resulting in 220 fishermen voting in favor of the plan. After approval of the results at the Jan. 27-30 Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting, the plan will be sent to the federal government for implementation, expected for the 2010 fishing season.

“An 81 percent landslide vote in favor of an IFQ clearly shows that fishermen want new management,” said Heather Paffe, Director of the Gulf of Mexico Oceans Program for Environmental Defense Fund. “This IFQ will create value and stability in an industry that hasn’t had any before, while simultaneously ensuring stewardship of the resource and its habitat. We’re thrilled that fishermen have taken the final step in making this IFQ a reality.”

An IFQ program for red snapper was implemented in 2007 and has already shown positive results for the fishing industry, local economies and the ecosystem, including a significant reduction of wasted fish, an extension of the fishing season from 90 days to year round, and an increase in the quality and market value of the fish.

“The final step in securing the future of the Gulf’s commercial reef fish fishery is to include the last three commercially valuable species into the IFQ along with red snapper, grouper and tilefish: vermillion snapper, amberjack and triggerfish,” said Paffe. This will create a consistent management structure for the entire fishery and is likely to show the same benefits as other IFQ programs, including longer fishing seasons.”