23 Dec 2015

WHERE TO DROP OFF RECYCLABLES, E-WASTE, BULBS AND MEDICAL SHARPS

By Brandy Walvaert

Construction at Scott Area Recycling Center creates changes for residents

DAVENPORT, IA–Construction is ongoing at the Scott Area Recycling Center, 5640 Carey Ave., Davenport. The Recycling Center remains closed as updates are made to accommodate new single-stream operations. In the interim, residents may continue to dispose of several items at the Carey Avenue campus:

  • • As of Monday, Dec. 28, household recyclables may be dropped off during daylight hours at the Recycling Center using the Carey Avenue entrance, which will reopen. (The Carey Avenue entrance has been closed since October) Drop-off recycling containers will be located in front of the Recycling Center (south side) rather than behind it, as in the past.

  • • Electronic waste, fluorescent bulbs, and full containers of medical sharps may be dropped off at the Electronic Demanufacturing Facility. Residents also may pick up new sharps containers at the facility, which continues to be accessible only from the north at East 59th Street. (It cannot be reached from the Carey Avenue entrance.)

The Household Hazardous Materials Facility located at Carey Avenue remains closed, including the drop-off area for used oil and oil filters. Residents may continue to drop off hazardous materials, including oil and filters, at the Scott Area Landfill, 11555 110th Ave., Buffalo. Appointments are no longer required to drop off materials from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays. To drop off materials on a Saturday morning, residents must make an appointment online at www.wastecom.com or by calling (563) 381-1300 during business hours.

Waste Commission of Scott County (Commission) anticipates that the Scott Area Recycling Center will reopen as a single-stream facility in summer 2016 and extends its gratitude to residents and customers for their patience during this major project.

The Commission is an inter-governmental agency whose mission is to provide environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management for Scott County. For more information about the Commission, please call (563) 381-1300 or visit www.wastecom.com.

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08 Dec 2015

Join the Bald Eagles in the Quad Cities

By QCCVB

Plan a trip to see these majestic birds roosting in trees along the Mississippi River. Bald Eagle Days is January 8-10, 2016, at the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 4th Ave., Rock Island, Ill. Hours: Fri. 4-8 pm, Sat. 10 am-8 pm, and Sun. 10 am-5 pm. It is the largest event in the Midwest dedicated to the United States' national symbol of freedom. Thousands turn out for the annual event which includes: live eagle programs, Pella Wildlife Company Wolves, rock-climbing wall, exhibits, and activities.

Bob Motz has been hosting bald eagle safaris for more than 20 years, and has welcomed people from across the globe. During the Eagle Safaris, high-powered spotting scopes, connected to the car window, provide excellent viewing. The spotting scopes are powerful enough to see the gold of the eagle's eye, the nostrils in its beak, and the black talons extending from its toes.

The tours are 2 to 3 hours in length and run a flat rate of $20.00 per hour whether its 1 or 4 people. You can reserve a safari for family, friends with a maximum of four people. Larger groups come each winter in buses, for which the charge is $40.00 per hour. And, yes, he does guarantee eagle sightings or your money back! To make a reservation for an Eagle Safari, contact Bob Motz at (309) 269-3922 or eaglemotz@aol.com.

In 2007 the bald eagle, America's national symbol, flew off the Endangered Species Act's "threatened" list. In the winter, the bald eagles flock to the Quad Cities from mid-December through mid-February. Why do eagles like the Quad Cities? The bald eagles migrate south along the Mississippi River each winter as waters freeze in the northern U.S. and Canada. Eagles feed mainly on fish and need open waters to feed. Waters below Locks and Dams do not completely freeze over in the winter and allow eagles prime feeding opportunities. Plus the Quad Cities has many wooded river bluffs that allow eagles a prime habitat for perching & evening roosts. Click here for eagle watching tips and etiquette.

06 Dec 2015

Heartland Institute Experts React to House Blocking President Obama's Clean Power Plan

By Randy Stalsberg

Repudiation Comes As President Leaves Paris, Heartland Arrives for COP-21

Within days of President Barack Obama's speech at the COP-21 climate conference, House lawmakers voted to repeal key aspects of the administration's climate change platform, the Clean Power Plan. The regulations are intended to limit the amount of carbon emissions from new and existing power plants.

The Heartland Institute arrived in Paris today for COP-21, the United Nations climate conference - a meeting press and world leaders are calling the last chance to "solve" the global warming crisis. The contingent of climate realists led by Heartland will be there for a week to prove with globally accepted scientific data that there is no human-caused global warming crisis to solve.

A day-long program on Monday, December 7 - called the "Day of Examining the Data" - will be held in the San Francisco Room at the Hotel California, 16 Rue de Berri, 75008 Paris, France. The program begins with a press conference at 9:00 a.m. CET, followed by panel presentations and a keynote luncheon address. Presenters will make the compelling case that an objective examination of the latest climate science shows humans are not causing a global warming crisis, and the United Nations' plans to restrict fossil fuel use in emerging economies will keep the world's poor from rising out of poverty.

The event is open to the public. Credentialed media should RSVP by contacting Heartland Institute Director of Communications Jim Lakely at jlakely@heartland.org or 312/731-9364.

The following statements from energy and environment experts at The Heartland Institute - a free-market think tank - may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact Donald Kendal, new media specialist, The Heartland Institute, at dkendal@heartland.org or 312/377-4000.

"The House is to be applauded for following the Senate's lead in exercising their authority under the Congressional Review Act to block the Obama administration's costly, ineffective Clean Power Plan regulations. The administration has admitted the CPP will do nothing to prevent rising temperatures or sea levels. And every independent analysis conducted thus far shows the rules will raise energy prices substantially, leaving people and businesses with less income, resulting in lower economic growth and higher unemployment - and, because higher energy prices hurt the poor the most, increased poverty.

"Because President Obama has promised to veto the resolutions should they reach his desk, Congress's action is largely symbolic - but it's a powerful symbol, showing world leaders gathered at the United Nations climate summit in Paris the president's ability to follow through on any commitments the U.S. makes in Paris to enact meaningful domestic climate legislation is sharply limited. By acting now, forcing a presidential veto in the midst of climate negotiations in Paris, the House has reinforced the message to Paris climate negotiators Congress does not back the president's climate pledges."

H. Sterling Burnett
Research Fellow, Environment and Energy Policy
The Heartland Institute
Managing Editor, Environment & Climate News
hburnett@heartland.org
800/859-1154

04 Dec 2015

Call for Entries: Urban Land Institute Urban Open Space Award

By Jane Fraser

Winner To Be Announced at the 2016 Fall Meeting in Dallas

WASHINGTON (December 1, 2015) - The Urban Land Institute (ULI) today announced that it's now accepting entries for its Urban Open Space Award, an annual program that recognizes outstanding examples of successful large- and small-scale public spaces that have socially enriched and revitalized the economy of their surrounding communities. The Institute will accept entries until February 22, 2015.

To be eligible for the competition, an open space project must have been opened to the public for at least one year and no more than 15 years; be predominantly outdoors and inviting to the public; provide abundant and varied seating, sun and shade, trees and plantings with attractions; be used intensively on a daily basis by a broad spectrum of users throughout the year; have a positive economic impact on its surroundings; promote physical, social, and economic health of the larger community; and provide lessons, strategies, and techniques that can be used or adapted in other communities.

The award was created through the generosity of Amanda M. Burden, former New York City planning commissioner and 2009 laureate of the ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development.  In 2011, the Kresge Foundation, MetLife Foundation, and the ULI Foundation joined forces to continue the award. Last year, ULI reaffirmed its commitment to the award and announced it would expand the program to include global submissions.

Juries of ULI Full Members, chaired by ULI Trustees, choose finalists and winner. Jury members represent many fields of real estate development expertise, including finance, land planning, development, public affairs, design, and other professional services. They also represent a broad geographic diversity.

Finalists for the awards will be announced in the summer of 2016. The winner will be honored October 5-8, 2016 at the ULI Fall Meeting in Dallas. Online entry forms and complete information on eligibility and requirements are available at uli.org/awards.  For more information, email awards@uli.org.

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About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute (uli.org) is a global nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the Institute has more than 36,000 members representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines.

19 Nov 2015

Court Rulings Could Undermine Safeguards for Migratory Birds

By Darin Schroeder, American Bird Conservancy

(Washington, D.C., November 19, 2015) Nearly a century ago, in one of the nation's early steps to protect wildlife, Congress passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The law was a response to the slaughter and commercial trade of birds that contributed to the extinction of the Passenger Pigeon and nearly finished off the country's Snowy Egrets, too.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act remains a flagship piece of environmental legislation today. Its language is clear: Without a permit, it is illegal to pursue, hunt, take, capture, or kill migratory birds "by any means or in any manner."

Despite its straightforward language, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act is now under attack. In September, in United States v. Citgo Petroleum Corp., the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a regrettably narrow interpretation of the Act, overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's successful prosecution of an oil company for the deaths of ducks in its uncovered wastewater tanks.

Toxic wastewater ponds are a foul mix of water, oil, and industrial waste. It's not hard to cover them with netting to make them safe for wildlife, and leaving them uncovered is a known invitation to bird deaths: Uncovered pits have killed hundreds of thousands of birds.

Nevertheless, the appeals court said the oil company wasn't to blame for the dead ducks. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the court held, prohibits only "deliberate acts done directly and intentionally" to kill migratory birds, like hunting and poaching.

Disagreement in the Courts

The Department of Justice has declined to appeal the 5th Circuit's decision in the Citgo case. This means companies in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi?a regional stronghold for oil extraction and production?will not be prosecuted under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act if birds perish at their facilities.

Elsewhere in the country, however, it's a different story. Other federal appeals courts have recognized the broad language of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act as proof that Congress intended to prohibit not just deliberate acts, but also acts of negligence that predictably kill birds.

That has been the stance of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. The court held in 2010 that Apollo Energies had violated the Act by leaving uncovered field equipment known to cause bird deaths. The company, the court said, "knew its equipment was a bird trap that could kill."

A Dangerous Precedent

The 5th Circuit's decision allows a variety of corporate practices?building wind turbines along migratory routes, for instance?that could harm huge numbers of birds. All a company has to do is say with a straight face, "We didn't mean to."

This is a dangerous precedent. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act may have a long history, but its current application matters now more than ever, when many bird populations are in decline.

And so we are now at an important juncture: If we allow court rulings to erode the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, what protections do birds have from toxic wastewater ponds and other predictable yet solvable threats?

American Bird Conservancy supports the Fish and Wildlife Service's right to enforce the Act in cases where bird deaths are predictable and companies are on notice. In the meantime, instead of trying to dismantle an important environmental law, companies should undertake corrective efforts to protect birds.

It's the right thing to do?and it's the law.
18 Nov 2015

Governor Branstad joins lawsuit opposing EPA's Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule

By Rick Martin

EPA's federal overreach imposes barriers on advancement of innovative, water quality improvements within the State of Iowa and harms Iowa farmers and small businesses

(DES MOINES) - Today, Gov. Terry Branstad intervened in a case pending in the U.S. District Court of North Dakota Southwestern Division against the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and their overreaching Waters of the U.S. rule.  Gov. Branstad joins in support of 13 other states: North Dakota, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and New Mexico.  Nationwide, governors or attorney generals from over 31 states have taken action to ensure innovative state-based water quality initiatives, like the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, are not bogged down in Federal bureaucratic red tape.

"The WOTUS rule is a federal overreach that imposes significant barriers and impairs Iowa's ability to advance innovative, water quality practices that would actually advance our common goal of water quality," Branstad said.  "I ran for Governor in 2010 to return predictability and stability to Iowa and this federal rule increases, rather than decreases uncertainty for Iowa farmers and small businesses."

In October 2014, Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Reynolds, Sec. Bill Northey and various state leaders commented on the proposed WOTUS rule and stated that the Federal government's rule seems to be more concerned with Federal control over local water bodies than actually improving water quality.

"The rule is an overreach by the federal government that hurts Iowa farmers and small businesses."  Reynolds said.  "I applaud the work Senators Grassley and Ernst, and other member of the Iowa congressional delegation and hope this rule is withdrawn so Iowa can continue to improve water quality through the collaborative and innovative Nutrient Reduction Strategy," said Reynolds.

Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said, "The misguided WOTUS rulemaking process has created uncertainty and has threatened to impede our efforts to get conservation and water quality practices on the ground.   Joining this lawsuit is the right thing to do and I hope that ultimately the courts will overturn the rule."

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05 Nov 2015

Waters of the United States

By Grassley Press

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015

Sen. Chuck Grassley released the following statement after the Senate passed a resolution of disapproval of the Waters of the U.S. rule.  Grassley is a cosponsor of the resolution, which was introduced by Sen. Joni Ernst.  A resolution of disapproval is a legislative procedure used to try to overturn regulations and rules put forth by the executive branch.  A simple majority of the Senate is needed for passage.  The House of Representatives must now pass the resolution before it can be sent to the President.  The President has threatened to veto this resolution.

"It's clear that EPA overstepped its bounds in the Waters of the U.S. rule.  Federal courts said it when they determined that the rulemaking by EPA was flawed.  And, now, a bipartisan majority of the Senate voiced its agreement today.

"WOTUS is a massive power grab by EPA.   This was clearly an effort by a bloated federal agency to push its own agenda.  The rule was crafted outside of EPA's authority in a process that left out the states and other key parties that are affected by the rule.  And, legitimate concerns raised during the public comment period were ignored.

"The result of this absurd rule is not cleaner water, but a bigger roll of red tape.  What EPA defines as a 'navigable river' could encompass everything from a small pond to trickling creek bed to land that is dry most of the year.   Under EPA's definition, WOTUS affects everyone from farmers, to construction companies to golf course managers in their day-to-day decision making.  This red tape rule would require permits for just about any changes to land in 97 percent of Iowa.  That would discourage common sense projects to prevent erosion or control runoff, resulting in dirtier water.  Talk about Washington being an island surrounded by reality."
04 Nov 2015

USDA Invests $30 Million to Improve Water Quality in Mississippi River Basin

By USDA Office of Communications

73 projects will help farmers, ranchers target conservation in high-priority watersheds

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2015 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest $30 million this year in 33 new projects and 40 existing projects to improve water quality in high priority watersheds the Mississippi River Basin. These projects reduce loss of nutrients and sediment to waters that eventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico.

"By targeting small priority watersheds within the Mississippi River basin, we are helping to deliver local water quality benefits and contributing to large-scale improvements for the Basin as a whole," Secretary Vilsack said. "Water quality is important to everyone, at all levels of government, to private landowners, and in rural and urban areas alike. The many partnerships created through this initiative are both impressive and promising to the future of these watersheds."

These projects are funded through NRCS' Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI), which uses several 2014 Farm Bill conservation programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to help farmers adopt conservation systems to improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and restore wetlands. Since MRBI's start in 2009, NRCS has worked with more than 600 partners and 5,000 farmers to make conservation improvements on more than 1 million acres in the region.

Through these partnerships, the initiative more than quadrupled the number of contracts addressing water quality concerns in targeted project areas. NRCS will invest $30 million per year over the next three years, as part of a $100 million commitment from the 2014 Farm Bill.

New projects include :

  • Kickapoo River, Wisconsin: NRCS will work with Crawford and Vernon County Land Conservation Departments and others to assist landowners and producers in addressing nutrient and sediment losses from cropland and degraded pastures. Citizen water quality monitoring from the Valley Stewardship Network volunteers will provide data to support load-reduction goals. NRCS plans to invest $847,000 in fiscal year 2016 as part of a $5.3 million commitment in the watershed over four years.
  • Upper Birds Point, Missouri: NRCS will work with Mississippi County Soil and Water Conservation District and others to target high vulnerability cropland and implement a system of practices to reduce sediment and nutrient loss, improve migratory bird habitat and protect shallow groundwater. NRCS plans to invest $436,000 in fiscal year 2016 as part of a $2 million commitment in the watershed over four years.
  • Upper Bayou-Macon, Arkansas: NRCS will work with Desha County Conservation District and others to implement water quality practices on 35 percent of high-priority acres to significantly reduce nutrient and sediment loading to Upper Bayou Macon and improve habitat for four threatened and endangered aquatic species found in Bayou Macon - the Pallid Sturgeon, Fat Pocketbook, Pink Mucket and Scaleshell. NRCS plans to invest $794,000 in fiscal year 2016 as a part of a $4 million commitment in the watershed over four years.
  • Slocum Creek, Iowa: NRCS will work with the East Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation District, the City of Oakland, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, among others, to identify and treat high priority acres in the watershed. This project will support efforts to improve water quality for residents of the watershed as well as the Iowa nutrient reduction strategy. NRCS plans to invest $294,000 in fiscal year 2016 as part of a nearly $700,000 commitment in the watershed over the next three years

See the full list of projects.

Findings from a 2013 report by the USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) show that conservation work on cropland in the Mississippi River Basin has reduced the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus flowing to the Gulf of Mexico by 18 and 20 percent, respectively. CEAP models have also shown that the targeted approach of MRBI has enhanced the per-acre conservation benefit by 70 percent for sediment losses, 30 percent for nitrogen losses and 40 percent for phosphorus losses, when compared to general program activities.

MRBI is one of many landscape-level efforts to address water quality. Similar efforts are ongoing in the Great Lakes region, Gulf of Mexico region, Chesapeake Bay watershed and California Bay Delta region.

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04 Nov 2015

Clean Energy Forum Hosted by Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and Rep. Mike Smiddy.

By Jessica Waytenick

Thursday, November 12

6PM-7PM

Black Hawk College, Moline, IL

Building 4 - Rooms 209-210

 

State legislators will be making important decisions about the future of energy in Illinois this year.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently made history by announcing that for the first time, it will require carbon to be treated as a pollutant.  This gives Illinois the chance to move towards a cleaner, more reliable, and affordable energy economy while creating thousands of jobs.  There are several proposals in Springfield that address energy issues that are under consideration this year and next.

Experts from several environmental organizations will give information on the Clean Power Plan and on the proposed Illinois Clean Jobs bill.  Representative Mike Smiddy will attend and provide his insight into overall energy issues in Springfield.

RSVP at www.ilenviro.org/qcforum or iec@ilenviro.org.  Call 217-544-5954 with any questions you may have.

Attendees will need to park in Lot 3 on the south side of 34th Avenue and walk through Building 3 to get to Building 4. There are stairs and an elevator to access the Conference Rooms in Building 4 (as well as stairs and an elevator in Building 3).
26 Oct 2015

CONSTRUCTION FORCES TEMPORARY CHANGES AT SCOTT AREA RECYCLING CENTER

By Kurt Liske

DAVENPORT, IA–Construction work has begun on the Waste Commission of Scott County's Scott Area Recycling Center, 5640 Carey Avenue, Davenport. The new addition will allow for single stream recycling operations. During construction there will be periodic closures at our Carey avenue entrance requiring all traffic to be re-routed to our 59th street entrance.

Due to the construction work all Household Hazardous Material (HHM), used waste oil, oil filters, and antifreeze disposal will be directed to the Commission's HHM facility at the Scott Area Landfill -- 11555 110th Avenue (County Road Y-48), Davenport, IA 52804. During this time residents of Scott and Rock Island Counties will be able to dispose of household hazardous items during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday. Residents may drop off household hazardous items on Saturdays by appointment only. Waste motor oil, oil filters, and antifreeze disposal will also be handled through our landfill HHM facility during regular business hours, no appointment necessary. We anticipate construction work on our single stream recycling facility to wrap up in the summer of 2016. Thank you to our customers for their patience during this major project.

Waste Commission of Scott County is an inter-governmental agency whose mission is to provide environmentally sound and economically feasible solid waste management for Scott County. For more information about the Commission, please call (563) 381-1300 or visit www.wastecom.com.

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