The Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania State Police have agreed to increase funding for inspections in the coming year that will ensure waste haulers are obeying state laws.

The unannounced roadside inspections, commonly known as FracNet and TrashNet, have removed hundreds of unsafe and illegally-operated waste vehicles from the roadways, including trucks operating in support of Marcellus Shale gas drilling operations.

"Pennsylvania is one of the largest importers of trash from other states and has also seen a dramatic increase in the number of vehicles hauling wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling sites," DEP Secretary John Hanger said. "This partnership with the state police has proven to be an effective method in addressing waste hauling safety and compliance issues throughout the state, and in putting drilling operators and their contractors on notice that we expect them to comply with our laws."

The two agencies have signed a memorandum of understanding that provides funding to the state police from the Waste Transportation Safety Account, which is supported by fees, fines and penalties paid by the waste-hauling industry. The agreement will enable both agencies to conduct roadside inspections with increased frequency and duration.

"We're pleased to resume our working relationship with our counterparts in the DEP," said State Police Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski. "This year's agreement will allow us to replicate and expand past enforcement operations as each agency shares the common goals of removing violators from our highways, improving public safety, and decreasing the potential for environmental hazards."

In the first half of 2010, roadside inspections by the state police and DEP found that more than 40 percent of the large trucks serving the Marcellus Shale natural gas industry were operating in violation of state motor carrier safety regulations. Nationally, since 2006, the trucking industry averaged only a 23-30 percent out-of-service violation rate.

In June, a three-day enforcement effort involving DEP, state police, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration focused on trucks hauling waste water from Marcellus Shale gas drilling operations and resulted in 250 commercial vehicles being placed out of service for various vehicle safety deficiencies. Under a similar interagency agreement in 2009, state police and DEP inspected more than 4,300 waste haulers along Pennsylvania roadways, placing 770 vehicles out of service and issuing 2,654 traffic citations.

During FracNet and TrashNet enforcement operations, DEP inspectors check to ensure that waste vehicles have proper signage and required authorizations, and that daily logs specifying the origin and type of waste are accurate and up-to-date. Vehicles are checked for weight and leakage, the presence of working fire extinguishers and to verify that loads are properly enclosed and secured.

State police teams check vehicle braking systems, exterior lighting and other equipment that plays a role in operational safety. They also check drivers for appropriate operator licenses.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us or www.psp.state.pa.us.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published two rapid screening methods for chemical dispersants in sea waters using Waters® ACQUITY UPLC®/Quattro Premier™ XE (UPLC/MS/MS).  These analytical procedures were developed by Dr. Lawrence Zintek, National Organic Methods Development Expert, and Dr. David Schroeder, US EPA Region 5 Chicago Regional Laboratory (CRL) in collaboration with Dr. Johnson Mathew, Region 6 Houston Laboratory.  

These two methods specifically target the analysis of dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether (DPGBE), ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGBE), and dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS) in sea water; three compounds used in the Gulf of Mexico in response to the oil leak.

"The key to these dispersant methods developed by EPA Region 5 Laboratory is the direct sample injection while meeting the water quality criteria goals," said Joe Romano, Senior Manager of Chemical Analysis for the Waters Division. "While the scientific community is just starting to understand the impact of the oil spill in the Gulf, what is clear is that preparing samples, such as sea water samples, may be the most challenging step in the analytical process. Direct injection of sea water into the UPLC/MS/MS system streamlines sample preparation and ensures analytical consistency from analytical run to analytical run. This rapid low level analysis also saves time and money."

The methods are available from the US EPA Region 5 Chicago Regional Laboratory by contacting Dr. Lawrence Zintek at zintek.lawrence@epa.gov.

About Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

For more than 50 years, Waters Corporation has (NYSE: WAT) created business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters' technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

With revenue of $1.5 billion in 2009 and 5,200 employees, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.

SOURCE Waters Corporation

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The following is a statement by Ronald L. Stotish, Ph.D., Executive Director, President and CEO of AquaBounty Technologies:

This press release is inaccurate, deliberately misleading, and intended to create fear and misunderstanding. AquAdvantage salmon are, quite literally, the most studied fish in the world.  In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has spent the last fifteen years creating a robust regulatory process to ensure these fish and other transgenic animal applications are appropriately evaluated and regulated.

AquAdvantage salmon are a possible solution to many of the environmental concerns associated with salmon production. AquaBounty has taken unprecedented steps to assure that the fish cannot interact with wild populations.  Not only are they all sterile females, as a condition of approval they will be raised in land-based contained aquaculture systems – making escape into the wild an impossibility.  Furthermore, the author of the Trojan gene hypothesis raised by the coalition has specifically said it does not apply to salmon, nor to AquAdvantage salmon in letters both to AquaBounty and to members of the coalition.

AquAdvantage salmon represent an opportunity to avoid many of the concerns associated with conventional salmon aquaculture, and also present a lower carbon footprint and environmental impact because of their efficient growth. They can be grown economically closer to population centers, reducing the need for long distance transportation, a huge benefit to the environment. AquAdvantage Salmon represent an opportunity to provide a safe and sustainable supply of high quality seafood to a growing world population. In an era of shrinking wild fish stocks, AquAdvantage salmon should be applauded by environmentalists and responsible people concerned with food security.

About AquaBounty Technologies: Our mission is to play a significant part in "The Blue Revolution" – bringing together biological sciences and molecular technology to enable an aquaculture industry capable of large-scale, efficient, and environmentally sustainable production of high quality seafood. Increased growth rates, enhanced resistance to disease, better food-conversion rates, manageable breeding cycles, and more efficient use of aquatic production systems are all important components of the sustainable aquaculture industry of the future.

SOURCE AquaBounty Technologies

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A first-ever, federally required review shows that Pennsylvania's woodlands will face future challenges requiring continued planning and management, State Forester Daniel Devlin said today.

"Pennsylvania is blessed with abundant forests providing many values and benefits to society, from clean air and water to wood products, biological diversity, recreational opportunities and scenic beauty," said Devlin. "However, there are many challenges to conserving these forests. We can only be successful by working strategically and collaboratively with our partners and stakeholders."

"Overall, Pennsylvania's forests are 'sustainable,' but we need to keep our 'eye on the ball' on certain issues to ensure this trend continues," said Devlin, citing forest-condition indicators featured in the report.

Some of the concerns Devlin cited include invasive plant and insects; white-tailed deer impacts; forest loss and fragmentation; energy development; and overall forest health and tree diversity.  

The state forester's comments came at the completion of a statewide forest assessment performed as part of a national effort toward protecting and sustaining healthy forests—an effort Devlin termed "essential steps" to safeguarding Pennsylvania forests for future generations.

DCNR's Bureau of Forestry documented state, and privately owned forests, and formulated strategies for their long-term sustainability, as well as future management goals and initiatives. The Statewide Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy is prescribed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and is required every five years under the 2008 Farm Bill in order to ensure continued funding for Pennsylvania's forestry programs.

"Besides meeting federal requirements, the bureau is using this process to undertake a holistic, long-term evaluation and strategic planning effort for Pennsylvania's forests," Devlin said. "The completion of these Farm Bill requirements is the first step of this longer-term, continuous endeavor, including updating the bureau's strategic plan—Penn's Woods—which was developed and adopted in 1995."

The assessment provides an analysis of forest conditions and trends in the state, and identifies priority rural and urban forest areas and issues, Devlin said. Strategies, meanwhile, provide long-term plans for addressing needs identified in the assessments through state agency initiatives, federal investments and partner engagement.

"The Bureau of Forestry will be seeking additional stakeholder involvement in developing annual work plans to address the assessment and strategies," Devlin said. "Our conservation partners and stakeholders were essential in shaping this document and will continue to play a role in identifying and implementing strategies and opportunities."

The bureau's Assessment and Strategy records compiled a wealth of information on Pennsylvania's forests and strategies for addressing key forest sustainability issues, including forest health, forest management, climate change, communicating natural resource values, energy development, wild land fire and public safety, plant and animal habitat, and recreation and quality of life.

The process was guided by three national priorities: conserve working forest landscapes; protect forests from threats; and enhance public benefits from trees and forests. Using public input, local expertise and the best available data on forest conditions, the documents also incorporate existing forest management plans, including state wildlife action and community wildfire protection plans.

For details of the Pennsylvania Statewide Forest Resource Assessments and Strategy, visit www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/farmbill/index.html.

Media contact: Terry Brady, 717-772-9101

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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NASA Johnson Space Center's ongoing efforts to go green, increasing energy efficiency and environmental friendliness, received high recognition recently as the U.S. Green Building Council awarded the center its second gold certification.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20081007/38461LOGO)

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold distinction, which highlights excellence in carbon emissions reduction, water efficiency, energy savings, sustainable materials selection and indoor air quality, was awarded to the JSC Public Affairs Office building Aug. 19. Originally constructed in 1964, the center refurbished the 17,644 square foot building in 2008. It is the second building at JSC to receive the LEED Gold Certification.

"We are extremely proud of the record of green building we are establishing at JSC," said JSC Center Operations Director Joel Walker. "But we are not satisfied. We have several more projects in the works and our goal is to meet the highest standards provided by the Green Building Council. We plan to continuously reduce the impact of JSC on the environment while providing the highest quality workplace for the unique skills and talents of NASA."

JSC now has five LEED certified buildings, including two Silver certified buildings. JSC has three additional buildings that are currently under consideration for LEED status.

"We have a great team at JSC that has planned, designed and implemented these projects, with continuously improving results," Walker said. "I cannot say enough about their diligence and dedication in reaching these goals and striving for more."

JSC is the home of Mission Control, the NASA Astronaut Corps and management of the Space Shuttle Program and International Space Station Program with leading expertise in space medicine, life sciences research, spacecraft engineering, astromaterials research and robotics. The center provides mission planning, training and execution for all U.S. human spaceflight activities.

For more information on JSC, visit: www.nasa.gov/johnson

SOURCE NASA

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