When Governor Andrew Cuomo presented his 2014-15 budget earlier this year, he said he wanted the Legislature to renew and reform the state’s brownfield tax credit program. The program, which provides tax credits to developers who clean up and reuse contaminated properties, is set to expire in 2015. Neither environmental groups nor developers want to […]
environment
Posted inNews & Opinion
The no-win dilemma of oil trains and pipelines
New York certainly hasn’t been immune to the oil train boom, particularly in Albany where a company’s plan to enhance its crude oil transfer terminal has generated a lot of controversy. And the Rochester area, too, has crude oil-carrying trains coming through it (see “Rochester’s crude awakening” in this week’s edition of City). This morning, the New York […]
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Watershed moment
A lawsuit over the Village of Painted Post’s plan to sell public water to a company to use for fracking will be back in court on Monday, February 24. A panel of state Appellate Division justices will hear an appeal of a previous decision. The case goes back to a 2012 agreement between the village, […]
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Ash borer creeping along in Monroe County
Like many Monroe County communities, the Village of Fairport has a long-term plan to address the threat the emerald ash borer poses to its ash tree population. A few years ago, the village identified a number of ash trees susceptible to infestation by the invasive beetle, says Fairport Tree Board chair Ken Rohr. Every year […]
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Legislation tackles microbeads
New legislation headed for the state Assembly could ban personal care and hygiene products that contain tiny plastic beads, commonly known as microbeads. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office announced the legislation in a press release today, though Assembly member Robert Sweeney is introducing and sponsoring it. Sweeney is chair of the Assembly’s Environmental Conservation Committee. […]
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Locals tell Obama to reject Keystone XL
During the evening commute hours today, a group of Rochesterians lined Culver Road at Cobbs Hill Park to show their disapproval of the Keystone pipeline expansion.
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Report says Northeastern states could see more tar sands-derived gasoline
As more crude from Canadian tar sands heads to Gulf of Mexico refineries, Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states could see more gasoline derived from the oil. That’s the thrust of a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report says that in 2012, less than 1 percent of the gasoline sold in Northeastern and […]
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That’s a lot of fracking money
A new report from Common Cause/NY says that between 2007 and July 2013, pro-fracking interests outspent anti-fracking interests nine to one. The report, released yesterday, says that pro-fracking companies and groups contributed $15.4 million to political committees and spent $48.9 million on lobbying, while fracking opponents spent $1.9 million on political contributions and $5.4 million […]
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Trees for Mount Hope
Hundreds of trees in the historic Mount Hope Cemetery have fallen victim in recent years to weather, old age, and disease — about 250 trees since 2010. The comforting canopy of oaks, maples, spruces, and other tree varieties is a vital part of the aesthetic of the historic cemetery, officials say, so plans are under […]
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Protecting the Great Lakes from Asian carp
For the past few years, the US Army Corps of Engineers has been preparing a plan to stop the spread of Asian carp and other invasive species from Mississippi River basin waters into the Great Lakes. The report, released Monday, lays out seven possible approaches toward that goal, as well as a “no action” scenario. The […]
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Snowy owls sightings
Though the owls generally spend their winters far north of Rochester, they do show up in the area from time to time. And this year, snowy owls have been spotted across New York.
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Testing the waters
Monroe County public health officials may have found a better way to determine if and when the county’s beaches should be closed to swimming. The county has long used a model that considers several factors, including recent rainfall, algae levels, the Genesee River’s flow into Lake Ontario, and water cloudiness. The model has been refined […]
