Riverkeeper and Scenic Hudson applaud DEC’s progress towards Clean Water Act enforcement

(Tarrytown, NY) The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has determined that the Indian Point nuclear power plant’s cooling water intake system causes adverse environmental impacts on Hudson River fish. The DEC will now move forward to require closed cycle cooling at Indian Point, which would reduce water usage and fish kills by 95 percent or more. Hearings on the new draft permit, which would mandate closed cycle cooling, are tentatively scheduled for spring, 2009. The legal decision was authored by Assistant Commissioner of the DEC J. Jared Snyder, and published on August 15, 2008. Continue reading →

Nyack’s library expansion will use geothermal energy to save on heating on cooling costs, according to the project’s operations manager Stephen Hoefer. “The geothermal system will use much less energy, does not burn fossil fuels, does not produce pollution, and is estimated to save the Library $30,000 a year in heating and cooling costs for the life of the system,” he says.

The system consists of thirty 450 foot deep wells which circulate a coolant composed of water and glycol. In the summer, the coolant dissipates heat from the library into the ground. In the winter, the constant 55 degree temperature at this depth is used to warm the coolant when it is pumped back to the surface.

Grant money and rebates from the NYS Energy Research Development Agency will cover 60 percent of the geothermal construction costs.

Source: Library Expansion Blog
See also: US Dept Of Energy Geothermal Basics, NY EcoSpaces Blog

Riverkeeper and Teva footware are sponsoring a hands-on opportunity to help clean up the Hudson by removing ecologically hazardous trash from at the Piermont Pier. Volunteers will meet on Saturday, July 26 from 10:30a to 1p in Piermont at the pier. Kayakers can do their part, too, by paddling from Nyack’s Memorial Park to Piermont starting at 9am and picking up trash from the water.

Participants will have a chance to win tickets to see Jack Johnson perform at Liberty State National Park in NJ, August 8-10.

Additional information and directions are available from Riverkeeper.

It took a bit of sleuth work, but I think I understand about the paper bags for leaves and small brush. Seeing them out on the curb around the Village, I wondered how to get them and if they are going to a composting facility.

Unfortunately they are not. They just get thrown in with the trash by our Highway Department. If you live in an unincorporated part of the Town of Orangetown, your compostable materials are picked up and taken to the Town of Clarkstown’s composting facility. It is the big pile of smelly material at the corner of Rte 303 and Rte 59 that you can sometimes smell from the mall’s parking lot.

The County is apparently working on a plan to deal with trash separation, so that recyclable and compostable material doesn’t end up in the landfill. The Village has a group working on ways to make itself more “green”. Separating compostable materials from the waste stream would be a good start.

If you do want a bundle of those paper bags for free, you can go to the Town of Orangetown Hall and pick one up. All you need to do is write down you name and address on a list.

A 37 year-old leaky oil tank has been discovered underground on land adjacent to the Nyack Plaza development. The Rockland Department of Health says there is no immediate health risk, but residents are concerned because the site is adjacent to a basketeball court and childrens’ playground.

Source: Journal News, July 12, :”Buried Tank Abandonment Regulations,“inspect-ny.com; July 13, WCBS-TV

Green-friendly Nyack has more than its share of solar panels and Priuses. Don’t be surprised if you see both combined in the near future.

Toyota plans to add solar panels to the Prius as early as next Spring, says the Japanese newspaper Nikkei. The sun soaking option, initially available on high end models, will offer solar panels on the roof to supply some of the 2-5 kilowatts of power used to run the air conditioner.

Continue reading →

Announcing a brand new breed of Mommy support groups.

West Nyack mom Laura Rose has created an online support and social group for moms of babies and toddlers that combines play dates, potlucks, and stroller walks with discussions about reducing our environmental footprint, teaching children about the natural world, and being community activists. “We don’t just talk about our lovely children, we talk about what local bills are coming up in Clarkstown Chamber that we moms have a say in,” says Rose, the mother of a three month old. All moms and moms-to-be are welcome to join.

For more information about the group and to join, visit http://moms.meetup.com/3463/

Urban planning can be alot like fashion: what was once old is now new, again.

Transit Villages are designed to build shops, housing, and offices together in areas that are well served by public transportation, much like older downtown districts. An alternative planning approach which avoids urban sprawl, transit villages uses past experiences building towns and cities before automobiles created the suburbs we know today.

The updated transit village version, moderate- to higher-density development is directed to areas within an easy walk of public transportation with special attention is given to the needs of pedestrians.

The main benefits of transit villages stem from more efficient land use and more compact building. Building up uses far less land than building out and allows for growth without using open space. Building more compactly means there are more destinations at each transit stop within easy walking distance. As a result transit can run more frequently and thus be more convenient for more people.

This LoHud story talks about using the transit village concept to incorporate some of the ideas mentioned in the Riverspace Downtown project, especially as it pertains to increased density and a friendly pedestian enironment.

Sources: Sierra Club, NJDOT, Federal Highway Administration (Bay Area Fruitvale Transit Village Project

Many households generate more recyclables than general trash. The Village of Nyack is great at carting away trash, but has hired out recyclables to Miele Sanitation, a New Jersey firm which only does it twice a month. That can be a drag if you miss the day and have to go 4-5 weeks without pickup. Continue reading →

If we only knew how dangerous thermometers were when we were young!

If you still have an old-style thermometer, you can get a free one from Rockland County by turning in yours in. More info at www.rocklandrecycles.com/authority/thermometer.html.