To All, Don McEnhill, Executive Director of Russian Riverkeeper is a featured interview in: THE RUSSIAN RIVER: ALL RIVERS – THE VALUE OF AN AMERICAN WATERSHED “The time of using greed to justify degrading our environment is over.” “We need to get very honest with the amount of water we have in the worst year. […]
Read MoreCategory: Pesticide pollution
Obama Administration Agrees to Stronger Protections for Salmon From Pesticides
Fishing and conservation groups praise stronger stream buffers from toxic sprays This is a huge step forward for the health of our rivers and salmon fisheries. Before this agreement, we lacked effective ways to keep these poisons from entering our rivers and streams. EPA and the Fisheries Service can now continue to work together toward […]
Read MoreCitizen Group Sues Paul Hobbs
By PAUL PAYNE THE PRESS DEMOCRAT November 26, 2013 A citizens group is suing Sebastopol winemaker Paul Hobbs and Sonoma County over a 48-acre vineyard conversion project it says was approved in violation of state environmental laws. Watertrough Children’s Alliance alleges in court papers filed Monday that Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar erred in issuing a permit June […]
Read MoreAction: Red Wine or Redwoods? Your choice…
Dear All, You know what California has plenty of? Wineries. You know what it’s rapidly losing, and what it can never replace? Its ancient redwood forests, some of which have trees that are more than 2,000 years old.<http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/AhZwZ/zoLT/AJaEt> A Spanish winemaker wants to chop down 154 acres of coast redwoods and Douglas firs to make […]
Read MoreAction to Strengthen not Weaken the Clean Water Act
To All, Right now, 117 million Americans are at risk of drinking contaminated water. It sounds outrageous, I know. But a Bush administration loophole for polluters means that huge amounts of our nation’s streams, rivers, and wetlands are not currently covered by the Clean Water Act. Oil companies can dump crude into a stream, factory […]
Read MoreHow Pesticides Change the Environment
Universitaet Tübingen, August 16, 2013 The number of humans on the planet has almost doubled in the past 50 years — and so has global food production. As a result, the use of pesticides and their effect on humans, animals and plants have become more important. Many laboratory studies have shown that pesticides can harm […]
Read MoreReport Finds “Probably Carcinogenic” Chemicals in All Municipal Water Samples Tested
August 21, 2013 By Dr. Mercola The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has once again released a report that should grab your attention. After analyzing water samples from 201 municipal water systems from 43 states, EWG found chemicals considered “probable human carcinogens” in every single water system they tested. The watchdog organization wants the government to […]
Read MoreAction against Artesa’s Large Forest Conversion Project
To All, FYI: I’m forwarding a little experiment direct emailing to Keith LaVine, the CEO of Artesa who was hired in 2011, and inherited the Artesa vineyard project in Annapolis. It’s aim is to precipitate a prelude to what we expect will be a wave of public relations aimed at Artesa coming this summer, in […]
Read MoreWest Coast Salmon Show Up in East Coast Courtroom
by Lori Abbott | Posted: Thursday, October 25, 2012 11:30 am A federal court in Virginia is being asked today to overturn a decision with major impacts on salmon and steelhead in California and three other western states. The National Marine Fisheries Service recommends buffers of at least 500 feet where certain pesticides can’t be […]
Read More“Low-Dose” Effects of Environmental Chemicals
To All, Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) Partnership call: The Dose Versus the Poison: “Low-Dose” Effects of Environmental Chemicals Thursday July 21, 2012 at 10:00 am Pacific / 1:00 pm Eastern RSVP for this call Earlier this year, a landmark paper appeared titled Hormones and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Low-Dose Effects and Nonmonotonic Dose Responses, published […]
Read MoreRegarding GMO Farming and Glyphosate
To All, According to the California Pesticide Department (www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/pur/purmain.htm ), in 2009 Sonoma County used 43,763 pounds of glyphosate and in 2010, 54,690 pounds in 2010, which is in line with national averages of increasing yearly amounts due to resistance from super weeds. Ag Commissioner Tony Linegar did support the use in some cases at our tech […]
Read MoreNew Rules for Nitrates
Janice Kaspersen, Stormwater Editor Comments March 20, 2012 Nitrate pollution is getting a lot of attention in California. Even as other states—notably Florida—enact TMDLs for nutrients, California’s Central Coast Regional Water Quality Board recently adopted new rules for agriculture, requiring ag operations to reduce nitrate and pesticide pollution. Just before the new rules were announced, […]
Read MoreSan Pablo Bay receives most toxics in state
Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal, March 22, 2012 San Pablo Bay receives the highest volume of toxic discharges in the state, according to a report issued Thursday. The report, titled “Wasting Our Waterways: Industrial Toxic Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act,” was issued by Los Angeles-based Environment California, which analyzed U.S. Environmental […]
Read MoreComments on Low Dose Pesticide Risks
To All, Subject: [chescience] EHN/YaleEnviro360: Excellent summary of seminal Vandenberg/Colborn/Hayes/vomSaal/Myers paper on low-dose risks While this is centered on human health it is safe to assume there are similar impacts on the balance of the food chain. Who is looking? T Yarish Friends: the paper reviewed here by Vandenberg et al is a truly critical […]
Read MoreField Research on Bees Raises Concern About Low-Dose Pesticides
Erik Stokstad Science 30 March 2012 Five years ago, bees made headlines when a mysterious condition called colony collapse disorder decimated honey bee colonies in parts of the United States. Now bees are poised to be in the news again, this time because of evidence that systemic insecticides, a common way to protect crops, indirectly […]
Read MoreScientists Warn of Low-Dose Risks of Chemical Exposure
By Elizabeth Grossman, Yale Environment 360 March 26, 2012 Since before the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring 50 years ago, scientists have known that certain synthetic chemicals can interfere with the hormones that regulate the body’s most vital systems. Evidence of the health impacts of so-called endocrine-disrupting chemicals grew from the 1960s to the […]
Read MoreA Report from the Soil and Water Conservation Society
Dear Interested public: One of the objectives of the growing community with respect to changes to Vineyard and Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance (VESCO) is to satisfy conditions of Reg’l Board’s Irrigated Lands waiver. Although the condition of our impaired water bodies and fisheries are the public’s business, the growers do not want the public […]
Read MoreThe Department of Terroir Security Website
I came across this interesting website–The Department of Terroir Security–that seems to focus on the rampant increase of vineyards/wineries everywhere and the environmental/social impacts. Who are those guys? http://terroirsecurity.com/?p=595 Larry
Read MoreGrapevines or Redwoods?
I thought you might be interested. Now there are blogs discussing western Sonoma County in the LA Times. Have a glorious summer week, Rue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2011/08/grapevines-or-redwoods.html Daily Dish The inside scoop on food in Los Angeles Grapevines or redwoods? Sonoma County may have to choose August 25, 2011 | 10:31 am The Pacific coast of […]
Read MoreJoin Call About Toxic Chemicals that Disrupt Hormones
Please join us on Wednesday, August 24th for a one hour discussion with environmental biologist Dr. Frances Solomon. Dr. Solomon has more than 25 years of experience in state and local environmental agencies, focusing on the biological impacts of toxic water pollutants, pollution prevention and control, and cleanup of contaminated sites. Join this call to learn more about: […]
Read MoreChance to tour the Russian River County Sanitation District August 6
Your chance to tour the Russian River County Sanitation District August 6. See attached. Stephen The Russian River County Sanitation District is hosting a public tour of its wastewater treatment plant on Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 10 a.m. to noon. The tour is free and District ratepayers are encouraged to attend. Information presented on […]
Read MoreNews Blackout on Clearing Redwoods for Vineyards
I thought I would share a letter sent to the Press Democrat who blatantly had a story blackout on a crucial issue for Sonoma County–clearcutting hundreds of acres of redwoods to put in more grapes for wine making while the rest of the state and country had the story covered. Shameless. –Larry Dear Editor: Newspapers […]
Read MoreNOTICE OF PUBLIC WORKSHOP PROPOSED TOXICITY STUDY
NOTICE OF PUBLIC WORKSHOP PROPOSED TOXICITY STUDY Edmund G. Brown Jr. Governor STATEWIDE GENERAL NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT FOR RESIDUAL PESTICIDE DISCHARGES FROM AQUATIC ANIMAL INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL APPLICATIONS, SPRAY APPLICATIONS, VECTOR CONTROL, AND WEED CONTROL (COLLECTIVELY STATEWIDE GENERAL PESTICIDE PERMITS) Wednesday, June 22, 2011 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Klamath Training Room […]
Read MoreA New Advisory and Guideline for Eating Fish in the Bay
This is a message from the State Water Resources Control Board. On May 23 the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) released an updated health advisory and safe eating guidelines for San Francisco Bay fish and shellfish. To view the associated press release, report, fact sheet with consumption recommendations, and answers to some Frequently […]
Read MoreUrgent Action on EPA Stormwater-Send by Monday, May 16
Dear Partners for Clean Water, As partners in a statewide effort to secure protections for polluted waterways, we ask for your help in letting U.S. EPA know that Californians support strong federal leadership on reducing storm water pollution and restoring the health of polluted lakes, rivers, streams, estuaries and coastal waters. In November 2010, EPA […]
Read MoreAction on Ending Methyl Iodide
Environmental groups have been working hard the past five years to stop the use of cancer-causing methyl iodide, called by scientists “one of the most toxic chemicals on earth.” Now, that work is beginning to pay off. The EPA is currently reconsidering its decision to keep methyl iodide on the market, despite intense pressure from […]
Read MoreAction to Save the Bees!
Hi, Easy and important action request! Thank you. (Sorry to be a bit off topic on water… but food is essential too.) Veronica Since 2006, U.S. honey bee populations have been in precipitous decline, with some estimates suggesting losses as high as 30% per year. While that’s terrible, the problem is far greater than just […]
Read MoreKistler Bodega Ranch Winery/Minor Timberland Conversion Zoning Permit
Kistler Bodega Ranch Winery and Minor Timberland Conversion Zoning Permit SCH Number: 2010112021 Document Type: MND – Mitigated Negative Declaration Project Lead Agency: Sonoma County Project Description Request for 1) a Use permit for a new winery with a maximum annual production capacity of 7,500 cases to include a 18,870 square foot production/processing building with […]
Read MoreOur Rivers, Lakes And Streams Reports
Corporate Agribusiness and America’s Waterways November 2010 Executive Summary Pollution from agribusiness is responsible for some of America’s most intractable water quality problems – including the “dead zones” in the Chesapeake Bay, Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie, and the pollution of countless streams and lakes with nutrients, bacteria, sediment and pesticides. Farming is not […]
Read MoreNew Winery Permit Info Near Raford House, Forestville
Wed. 12/15/10 Season’s Greetings, Hope all are well and enjoying this festive season. Many of you already know that there were no surprises on Dec. 9th, and that the new date was set for: Thursday January 13th, 1:05pm at PRMD. Some new developments include: – Extensive boring, sampling, and testing followed by a 61 page […]
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