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News and Action April 23, 2006
Thank you to all new and renewing members! |
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- Membership Meeting Wednesday, April 26, in Sylva, NC work session for legislative mailing on PSD/NSR Disapproval Bill - Two New Organizations Affiliate With the Canary Coalition - Energy at the Crossroads Tour Heads for Charlotte, NC, April 27 - Michegan Governor Mandates 90% Mercury Reductions - NC Utility Commission Sets IRP Hearing for May 1 - Volunteers Needed for Greening Up the Mountains, April 29 - Housing Needed in Sylva for Canary Coalition Summer Intern. |
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Membership Meeting Wednesday, April 26, in Sylva, NC work session for legislative mailing on NC PSD/NSR revision Disapproval Bill.
The April membership meeting will be, Wednesday, April 26, 7 pm, at the Canary Coalition office in Sylva, 530 west Main Street. mapquest directions This will be a working session to mail letters to all NC legislators asking that they support the Bill of Disapproval to be introduced at the beginning of the legislative session in May. We will also be discussing logistics for the Energy at the Crossroads Tour, the 2006 Relay for Clean Air and AirAid.
Food and drink
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Two New Organizations Affiliate With the Canary Coalition We welcome Airaware, of Indiana, as a new membership organization in the Canary Coalition and we're looking forward to the news from the midwest that will come from their activities and information network about clean air issues. Another exciting addition to our membership is the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance in western North Carolina. Thanks folks. Your affiliation makes the Canary Coalition and the clean air movement stronger. We look forward to working with you. |
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Energy at the Crossroads Tour Heads for Charlotte, NC, April 27 The Energy at the Crossroads Tour will be making its second stop on April 27 in Charlotte. There will be a press conference at 11 am in the Atrium of the Government Building, 900 west 12th Street and the Energy Future Resolution will be presented to the offices of the Charlotte City Council and the Mecklenburg County Commission. Then 7-9:30 pm there will be a public forum that will include a 30-minute screening of Jeff Barrie's powerful documentary film "Kilowatt Ours", speakers, a satirical comedy skit and an open discussion. The forum will be held at the Central High Building, room 301, on the campus of Central Piedmont Community College, 1141 Elizabeth Ave. The Tour will continue in Raleigh with a press conference at the Legislative Building on May 9, the opening day of the 2006 NC legislative session. More details to follow about the forum in Raleigh. The Energy at the Crossroads Tour is an eight-state collaborative project between the Canary Coalition, Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and the Southern Energy and Environment Expo (SEEEXPO) in response to dozens of applications to construct new coal-burning and nuclear power plants throughout the southeast. The Charlotte
"stop" of the Tour is being co-sponsored by fourteen community
organizations: Canary
Coalition, More information and poster download.
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Michegan Governor Mandates 90% Mercury Reductions April 17, 2006 LANSING
– Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced a proposal to reduce
mercury emissions from Michigan power plants by 90 percent by 2015.
The plan is designed to protect the health of Michigan’s families
and the environment from the harmful effects of mercury emissions. “Michigan
must take actions to protect its citizens and environment from mercury
contamination, but we must do so in a way that balances energy, environment
and the economy,” Granholm said. “Mercury poses a real and serious
health concern for the people of Michigan.
We are ensuring that future generations can enjoy clean air, and safe
water.” Under
the new rule, Michigan power plants will have to reduce mercury emissions by
90 percent by 2015 based on a system-wide approach. The first phase would
use the reduction in emissions authorized under the federal Clean Air
Mercury Rule (CAMR). The second phase would go beyond the CAMR reductions to
get to 90 percent. The
Governor asked that the rule take into account both technological and
cost-based considerations. A utility would be given additional time to
comply if it installs and operates mercury reduction technology, but upon
testing is unable to demonstrate compliance with the required reduction or
emission limits. Second, additional compliance time would be provided if a
power plant demonstrates that the annualized incremental cost of mercury
reduction technology to go beyond CAMR will exceed a specified percentage of
the gross revenue from electric generation for the utility system. In
a letter to Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Director Steven E.
Chester, the Governor also noted that the governors of Minnesota, Illinois,
Pennsylvania and Georgia have all recently announced their intentions to
reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent “Mercury
is a potent neurotoxin that is a significant health concern, in particular
for children and women of child-bearing age,” Granholm said.
Currently,
all of Michigan’s inland lakes are under a statewide advisory limiting the
consumption of fish due to mercury contamination. The
plan will be implemented by Director Chester, whose agency will draft a rule
under Michigan’s Clean Air Act to achieve the emission reduction goals set
forth by the Governor.
In her letter, Granholm directed that the rule should not allow
interstate trading, but that it could include a utility system-wide approach
as long as it would not result in “hot spot” mercury emissions that
would place Michigan residents at risk Director
Chester cited the risk mercury poses to Michigan’s vast water and fishing
resources that are critical to the state’s tourism efforts for economic
development.
“Our
waters play a critical role in our economy, and in our success as a
state,” said Director Chester.
“This new rule will protect our citizens, and improve our quality
of life by making our waters safe to fish, swim, and boat in.” Director
Chester indicated that the DEQ would begin working on promulgating the rule
by initiating a formal stakeholder group process to implement the
Governor’s directive.
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NC Utility Commission Sets IRP Hearing for May 1 From Ulla Britt Reeves of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE): Friends -- |
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Volunteers Needed for Greening Up the Mountains, April 29 Volunteer are needed to help with tabling at the Greening Up the Mountains festival in Sylva, NC, Saturday, April 29. We will also need volunteers for upcoming events throughout the spring and summer. Call the office toll free, 866-4CANARY, or email |
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Housing Needed in Sylva for Canary Coalition Summer Intern The Canary Coalition welcomes Kok Lee Yew as a summer intern funded through the Duke University Stanback Intern Scholarship program. Kok Lee will begin working with us in the Sylva office on May 10 and we need to find housing for him. If you have a spare room or know of someone who might provide inexpensive housing please notify our office. Call toll-free 866-4CANARY or email Kok Lee will be focusing on a research project to quantify the loss of jobs in North Carolina due to air pollution. |
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If you have not already done so, please renew your annual membership with the CanaryCoalition and help keep the database updated with your most recent contact information. There is no annual membership fee, although all donations are gratefully accepted (and very much needed). All new and renewing members receive the interactive membership computer CD. The membership CD is a powerful tool that aids its owner in being a clean-air activist. It contains a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation about air quality issues and the Canary Coalition that can be shown to friends, groups, classrooms, etc. Also on the membership CD is a library of documents containing information about important air quality issues. There are also graphics for iron-on applications, printable membership forms and a link to the Canary Coalition website. For donations of $35 or more tee-shirts are available upon request. Send contact information and donations to: The Canary Coalition PO Box 653 Sylva, NC 28779
or you can donate online
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