Environment Action Committee

League of Women Voters^®
of Schenectady County

The latest actions of the environment committee.

Environment Committee Report 2009-2010. TRASH TALK: A look at solid waste planning. NUCLEAR ENERGY IN A WARMING WORLD. Contact Environment Action Committee Chair.

Environment Committee Report 2009-2010

ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE Submitted by Ruth Bonn, Chair
The Environment Committee has several areas of interest: Water resources in the County; Global Climate Change (a National League priority) and energy use; and Solid Waste (based on a four League regional position). During the year we have also closely followed the issue of natural gas extraction in the Marcellus shale field. Pat Rush, a committee member, worked with the State League in developing a statement opposing drilling without more environmental review. She also presented testimony at several hearings.
On November 22^nd we presented a well attended program, "Nuclear Energy in a Warming World." Carol Possin took the lead in organizing this very successful event. Howard Hart, GE research scientist, gave an overview of current and future energy needs and energy sources; Peter Ford, GE nuclear expert, addressed nuclear energy development, safety and disposal of nuclear waste. The Gazette published an article about the talk. The committee put together a summary article which appeared in the League Bulletin and the ECOS newsletter.
In January, Jeff Edwards, Solid Waste Planner in the County gave and informal but very informative talk to the committee about recycling and solid waste disposal in the County, and about the current efforts to plan for a regional solid waste facility, possibly including a waste-to-energy component. The County is mandated by the State to complete a new solid waste compliance plan by the end of 2010. Other issues were raised by his presentation. The committee decided to make following the issue of Solid Waste the priority of 2010-2011. The committee keeps abreast of a variety of environmental issues. We receive reports from members who observe at the Watershed Board, the Water Quality Coordinating Committee and Metroplex. Members are on the boards of ECOS (the Environmental Clearinghouse), SCEAC (Schenectady County Environmental Advisory Committee) and CREF (Capitol Region Energy Forum) and report to the committee. Several members are active in the Capital Region Smart Growth Forum. Members attended a Climate Action Rally in Albany in November.
Plans for next year include a program on "Peak Oil" with a film, "End of Suburbia" and a panel discussion. Tours of the new energy smart Price Chopper in Colonie, the LEED certified Golub office building on Nott Street are planned. We plan continued study of solid waste and recycling efforts in the County including a trip to the County Waste single stream recyling center in Albany. We will also be working with ECOS on a conference in February on Green development and combating sprawl and its harmful environmental and health consequences. Members of the committee are: Kathy Adams, Betsy Chase-secretary, Patrick Clear, Jan Elliott, Carol Furman, Nancy Peterson, Carol Possin, Patricia Rush and Katherine Wolfram. Thanks to all of them for their many, varied contributions to the work of the committee. We welcome new members. We are an active committee and welcome new members. We meet at the Moon and River Café on Ferry Street in the Stockade at 12 noon on the first Monday of the month.

TRASH TALK: A look at solid waste planning

Trash Talk: A Look at Solid Waste Planning Submitted by Ruth Bonn, Environment Committee Chair
At the January Environment Committee meeting, Jeff Edwards, Schenectady County Planner for Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator addressed the question of what happens to your trash once it has been collected. Currently the Schenectady County Inter-municipal Planning Unit, which include the towns, villages, the city and the county as lead agency, assigns responsibilities to communities. The planning unit has no budget and little power. It specifies what particular materials must be recycled by businesses and by private residences, but communities make their own regulations about how materials are recycled and collected. The City of Schenectady is the only place in the County where trash pick up service is provided. The Village of Scotia contracts with the City. In the towns, individuals contract with private haulers. Apartment owners, businesses, and schools must hire their own haulers in the City as well as in the towns. Some municipalities may not require that businesses recycle. The City is not in compliance with its own ordinance, which requires the separation of recyclables. All haulers are not doing it and the city is hot enforcing. Jeff suggested that the LWV could get involved in urging the City to enforce the code.
Albany is spearheading a regional approach to waste management because it is facing the closing of its landfill in 8 years .It has three alternatives: 1-export waste, compost food waste, recycle.
2-create a solid waste planning authority to write regulations, raise revenues, and have flow control (i.e. direct the stream of recyclables and waste to facilities of its choosing).

3-create a regional waste authority. A regional authority would have all the above powers but serve a larger population. A population of about 700 thousand would be needed to support such a facility. A waste energy facility could be built where waste is burned, creating useable energy. Any leftover debris (ash) would be exported. So far, Schenectady County has not supported the effort.
The local leagues in the Capital Region studied the issue in 1991 and have a position in support of a regional approach to solid waste planning which was reaffirmed in 2009. The Solid Waste Management Partnership (http://www.capitalregionlandfill.com) is leading the effort.

NUCLEAR ENERGY IN A WARMING WORLD

Submitted by Ruth Bonn, Environment Committee Chair
A standing room only crowd was not disappointed by the two speakers on "Nuclear Energy in a Warming World" at the Schenectady Public Library on November 24th. Dr. Howard Hart, a retired GE R&D materials scientist, provided an overview of current and future energy needs and sources. Dr. Peter Ford who serves on the independent Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, addressed concerns about the safety of nuclear power plants.
Starting from the premise that our fossil fuel based life style is unsustainable due to dwindling supplies of petroleum and the threat of global climate change, Dr. Hart gave an overview of energy sources and needs. At present renewable energy use is less than 8% of total energy consumed in the US. Wind, solar, geothermal and tidal combined represented just over 1% of the total with solar contributing the least. Biomass (think ethanol) is about 3.5% and hydroelectric just over 2%. Worldwide, renewable energy generation is comparable.
Reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 is a widely accepted benchmark. Given the continuing increase in energy consumption due to population growth and rising living standards in the developing world, and the general lack of political will, achieving this goal presents formidable challenges. Achieving significant reductions in the use of carbon emitting fuels will require considering all sources of power, not just one or two favorite ones. Solar and wind now contribute less than 1% of U.S. power. Practical realities mean that they cannot be counted on to be the answer for CO2 emission reduction. Nuclear power which supplies about 9% of power in the US and 6% worldwide, is a carbon neutral source which needs to be part of the mix along with energy conservation measures and increased development of renewable sources.
Dr. Hart cited a Scientific American article that said with changes in production on the order of magnitude of those that industry took to mobilize during World War II, carbon reduction goals could be met by 2030. But the reality is that the threat of global climate change is much more diffuse, much less immediate and, therefore, difficult to focus on.
Dr. Ford who specializes in the safety of nuclear power plants and consults throughout the world, addressed nuclear energy development and safety issues. Worldwide, 444 nuclear reactors produce 17% of the world's electricity. One hundred four reactors are in the United States and produce 9% of our electricity. In comparison, in France 76% of electricity is from nuclear power.
The safety of nuclear power plants is a major concern both of the public and of the nuclear power industry in the United States. Fears of a nuclear power plant blowing up are misplaced since they do not have the potential of exploding because of the composition of the reactor core. Even in the case of an accident such as a nuclear core melt down, the risk of radioactive release is practically non-existent. Unlike Chernobyl, U.S nuclear power plants are required to have many layers of containment. Natural and man-made sources of radiation (such as x-rays) present more danger and the risk of fatal accident from cars, falls or lightning is greater that any risk from a nuclear power plant according to Dr. Ford.
Disposal of the radioactive waste from nuclear plants is the other major concern. Spent fuel is stored and cooled on site in deep pools and after cooling in above ground dry casks. Eventual storage of spent fuel in a deep underground repository in Yucca Mountain is planned in the U.S. This plan faces opposition and concerns exist about transporting the spent fuel. Reprocessing of spent fuel was described by Dr. Ford as a way to reduce the amount of waste needing to be stored as well as providing more fuel. The plutonium which is recovered in the reprocessing can be used to fuel reactors and the remaining, lesser amount, of waste stored. This solution is also controversial.
The conclusion of the forum was that all sources of energy should be considered including nuclear reactors. Global climate change is a serious concern. Fears about nuclear safety need to be balanced against the very real possibility, or even probability, of catastrophic effects from global warming.

Contact Environment Action Committee Chair

Ruth Bonn, Chair
We meet regularly on the first Monday of each month at noon, but the location varies. Please contact for more information.

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