Thursday March 18, 2010
“Hazardous Chemicals in Health Care, A Snapshot
of Chemicals in Doctors and Nurses”
The CDC’s National Biomonitoring Program, the National Report
on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, and Physicians
for Social Responsibility’s biomonitoring study, will be discussed.
Speaker: Holly Carpenter, BSN, RN, is a Senior Staff Specialist
for the American Nurses Association’s Center for Occupational and
Environmental Health. Read the rest of this entry »
From CODEPINK:
Bridges are all about connection. About bringing together people and lands that would otherwise remain separate, sometimes even in opposition. Peacework is all about building bridges, finding fresh and deep connections (something that women are especially good at!)
This Monday, March 8, for International Women’s Day, we are banding with Women for Women International as part of their Join Me on the Bridge campaign. Women will be joining in solidarity on bridges around the world to demonstrate how women have the power to say no to war and build bridges of peace and justice. When you join together on a bridge in your community, you are connected to the women of Iraq, Sudan, Nigeria, Bosnia Kosovo, and beyond.
“For environmental groups to take funding from the very people who are destroying the environment is preposterous–yet it is now taken for granted.”
Friends:
As you know, BASF saw the light and withdrew its proposal for an incinerator in Newport, DE. (See the official BASF announcement. BASF didn’t return calls from Green Delaware.) This was an important success. (But have you noticed the media blackout except on Al Mascitti’s show?) The next steps are to (1) stop a “electric arc furnace” incinerator scheme in Wilmington, (2) strengthen and update Delaware’s ten-year-old laws on incineration, and (3) get a serious “zero waste” program going in Delaware. Read the rest of this entry »
From: Michael E Heltzer [mailto:michael.heltzer@basf.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 1:28 PM
Subject: Statement from BASF
BASF and Intrinergy have mutually agreed to terminate the energy supply agreement that we signed in April of 2008, thus ending the project to develop a combined heat and power system for our Newport, Delaware site using biomass fuel. We continue to believe that it is important to explore alternative energy options that are cost effective and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels; however it is not feasible at this time. Ciba, and now BASF remains firmly committed to Responsible Care
Michael E. Heltzer
Government Affairs Manager
BASF Corporation
100 Campus Drive
Florham Park, NJ 07932
Phone: (973) 245-6035
E-mail: michael.heltzer@basf.com
We learned this morning that this project has been abandoned by BASF.
Thanks to all those who spoke out against it!
Two legislators played vital roles: Senator Karen Peterson and House Speaker Bob Gilligan. Speaker Gilligan said:
“I’m very glad to hear that CIBA has decided not to pursue the construction of a biomass incinerator at their Newport plant. Their proposal was clearly not in the best interest of the environment, and members of the community raised serious concerns about an incinerator’s impact on their long term health. Sen. Peterson and I strongly opposed their plans, and we’re happy they changed their minds.”
We aren’t out of the woods as far as burner schemes in Delaware–or the continuing shameful role of “Clean Air Council” in promoting them.
A strange and absurd scheme is being promoted in the City of Wilmington. The proponents say they want to use an electric arc furnace–the technology that is causing so many pollution problems in Claymont–to melt coal ash, melt steel, burn “biomass,” burn garbage, etc. It’s nonsense, but that likely won’t stop “Clean Air Council,” the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (the “Garbage Empire”) and others from promoting it. The promoters won’t tell us where they want to put it, other than “brownfield” sites in the City of Wilmington.
Still, the death of the Newport burner scheme is an important step. Hopefully it will help Delaware refocus on the many opportunities in zero waste, efficiency, solar, wind, and other truly sustainable energy options. Hopefully the Markell administration will come to its senses and stop supporting burners.
By the way, Delaware’s anti-incinerator laws are being copied in at least three other states. Details upcoming.
Take a moment to thank Senator Peterson and Speaker Gilligan.
[Press release from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection regarding the "deepening" of the Delaware river.] Read the rest of this entry »
Friends:
This doesn’t make entirely pleasant reading. It’s a bit long. But there is a reason for “going there:” The past is prologue. History is trying to repeat itself. Some of the names have changed but the underlying (incineration) scams remain. Read the rest of this entry »
The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, at the Millsboro Fire Company Banquet Hall. DNREC will provide an overview of a proposal to shut the coal-fired unit and will receive public feedback about the proposal.
See: “DNREC negotiating permanent shutdown of additional coal unit at Indian River Power Plant”