Photo: J. England

NOTE. Next event in this Speaker Series – January 15.

On December 11 the first in the Beyond Tunnel Vision Speaker Series featured two green infrastructure experts who drew on their experience with national green infrastructure leaders – Philadelphia and New York City. Green infrastructure offers facilities and natural features, such as trees, green roofs, rain gardens and smart streetscaping, that capture and hold rainwater where it falls reducing the flows that need to be conveyed and processed. The ‘Gray’ infrastructure currently adopted by ALCOSAN involves the design and construction of massive underground tunnels and storage facilities, and expanded treatment capacity. (more…)

The Clean Rivers Campaign is hosting a monthly speaker series to share information from other regions about how we can make green infrastructure a reality in Pittsburgh. The next event will be held:

6:30 pm, Tuesday, January 15
“Lessons from Cincinnati: Working Together for Green Infrastructure”
Reception (with food and beverages) at 5:30 pm.
Sharon Jean-Baptiste will talk about Cincinnati’s
Green Infrastructure Initiative.
The Kingsley Association
6435 Frankstown Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15206

For more information, contact Jennifer Rafanan Kennedy at jenny at pittsburghunited dot org. or (412) 231-8648.

The coal industry often argues that it is being strangled by regulations. Evidence of why such regulations are needed was given on December 31 when the owners of the Emerald Mine #1 in Greene County were sued for years of dumping pollutants and wastewater into tributaries of Monongahela River. The citizen suit was filed in US District Court by the Center for Coalfield Justice (CCJ) under the Clean Water Act, and calls for remediation of the pollution and the payment of civil penalties. (more…)

Elected officials, community leaders, and citizens outside Alcosan hearing, Oct. 19. Photo: Tom Hoffman

Community leaders and environmental groups turned out in full force at ALCOSAN’s final hearing on plans to stem the flow of sewage into our rivers during a storm. ALCOSAN was urged to replace their $2.6 billion ‘grey’ solution with a cheaper, more ecologically sound, and feasible ‘green’ solution. Typical of the testimonies presented to ALCOSAN officials was that of Barney Ousler on behalf of the Clean Rivers Campaign.

Enacted by what now seems a far different Congress, the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 stands as one of the pillars of environmental protection. As the NRDC’s Peter Lehner points out in Politico, the Act is still an essential component of the toolkit that citizens and organizations need to protect the public’s health. Unfortunately, the CWA is under attack from right-wing elements in Congress, as shown by the Sierra Club’s recent accounting of fourteen House votes aimed at gutting the CWA. Among our Western Pennsylvania Congressmen, only Mike Doyle received an ‘A’ grade, and all other failed, both Dems and Reps.

PLEASE JOIN OUR PRESS CONFERENCE at 11 am

Endorse the “Green Solution” HERE.

For the problem of storm water overflow mixing with sewage, ALCOSAN has proposed a $2.8 billion ‘gray’ solution that involves construction of huge tunnels and additional sewage treatment facilities. The Clean Rivers Campaign offers an alternate ‘green’ solution.

The last chance for public input before ALCOSAN submits a final plan to the EPA will be:

Press Conference – 11 am
Hearing 9 am to 5 pm
Friday, October 19
ALCOSAN Office on the Northside
3300 Preble Avenue (Off Beaver Ave)
Pittsburgh, PA 15233

This hearing is FREE and open to the public, and reservations are not required. Comments will be accepted both in writing and/or orally. Refreshments will be provided.

Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner speaking at the press conference before Alcosan public hearing. Photo: Tom Hoffman.

More than 100 people turned out August 16 for the first public hearing on ALCOSAN’s proposal to prevent the mixture of storm water and sewage flowing into our rivers during wet weather. The ‘gray’ proposal that ALCOSAN has proposed involves construction of huge tunnels and additional sewage treatment facilities, at a cost of $2.8 billion to customers. Citizens and elected officials, including County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Councliman Peduto, are urging ALCOSAN to consider a ‘green ‘ solution to the problem at a much lower cost to customers. The public may comment on the ALCOSAN Wet Weather Plan by completing this FORM. The series of public meetings on the Draft WWP will continue until October 19.

For years the problem of overflow from combined storm water and sewer lines has been a major problem quietly waiting for resolution. In 2008 ALCOSAN signed a court-ordered consent decree with the federal EPA to devise a plan to solve the problem in the 83 municipalities that it serves. To adequately solve the problem ALCOSAN developed a $3.6 billion proposal that relies on a ‘grey’ solution of massive storage tunnels, new treatment facilities, etc. As an alternative, the Clean Rivers Campaign recommends using ‘green’ solutions to the overflow problem.
On July 31 ALCOSAN announced that it would ask EPA to approve a smaller $2.8 billion plan, even though that plan would not completely solve the wet-weather problem. Barney Ousler of the Clean Rivers Campaign told the Post-Gazette “Green infrastructure can be cheaper and can be built more quickly. We’re asking Alcosan to join us in our EPA-funded study of its potential for use locally.”
The public may comment on the ALCOSAN Wet Weather Plan by completing this FORM. There will also be a series of Draft WWP public meetings, beginning August 16.

This is the first of a series of public meetings hosted by ALCOSAN to present an overview of the draft Wet Weather Plan and provide an opportunity for public comments regarding the Plan and its cost.

6:30 to 9:00pm, Thursday, August 16
(NOTE: Important press conference at 6:00 pm.)

Sheraton Station Square
300 W. Station Square Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

FREE and open to the public. Light refreshments. Reservations are not required.

Last week the EPA announced that it has awarded a $75,000 ‘green infrastructure’ grant to be shared by the Clean Rivers Campaign (CRC) and the 3 Rivers Wet Weather Program (3RWW) in Pittsburgh. Since 2007 the EPA has promoted the use of sustainable solutions to the problem of stormwater runoff. The grant will be used to assistance in evaluate the feasibility of incorporating green infrastructure in wet weather planning for the municipalities in the ALCOSAN area. (more…)

Audience with postcards for the EPA, at Clean Rivers Campaign kick-off event.

The temperature in the parking lot was still in the low nineties, but in the basement of the Operating Engineers Local 95 union building on Saline Street 175 people coolly celebrated the official launching of the Clean River Campaign. Chaired by Chris Moore (WQED, KDKA), the event opened with IUOE business manager Bill Cagney describing how the new permeable sidewalks complement the solar panels on the union building rooftop. Brenda Smith (Nine Mile Run Watershed Association) then explained the campaign goal of providing a ‘green’ alternative to ALCOSAN’s ‘grey’ solution to keep raw sewage out of our rivers. (more…)

The Clean Rivers Campaign will hold a workshop:
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 23
Fairhaven United Methodist Church
2415 Saw Mill Run Boulevard
Pittsburgh PA 15234

Did you know that:

• Nearly every time it rains in Allegheny County, raw sewage and other pollutants flow into our rivers and streams?
• Fixing this problem will be the largest public works project in our region’s history and that ALCOSAN ratepayers will pay for it?
• Many cities are choosing to solve this problem by catching the rain where it falls with trees, gardens and pavement that lets rainwater soak through?
• These “green” solutions have many other benefits such as increased property values and revitalized business districts?

To find out more about these important water quality issues, please join us at the workshop on May 23.

For more information, contact Tom Hoffman tomhoffman at cleanwater dot org or call (412) 765.3053 x202.

April is normally the wettest month of the year in central Pennsylvania, but this year the Susquehanna River was so low that the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) temporarily suspended the withdrawal of water from the river for drilling. The companies were able to get water from other sources, but with the need for about five million gallons of water per well, this has to be a concern for the future. According to the SRBC, the Susquehanna River is at levels that haven’t been seen since the severe drought years of 1910 and 1946, even though 2011 was the wettest year on record for Harrisburg. The irony is that the burning of natural gas contributes to climate change, producing more extreme weather and greater chances of drought in Pennsylvania. NOTE. We should also mention that American Rivers has ranked the Susquehanna as the most endangered river in the nation.

Will Shell’s ethane ‘cracker’ plant reverse air quality and make the Ohio River even more toxic?

The good news is that in one regard the air in Allegheny County is healthier now than for more than 100 years. County Exec. Rich Fitzgerald announced that the “Liberty/Clairton area meets the annual air quality standard for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) for the first time and has come into compliance more than three years ahead of the required attainment date of August 2015.”

The bad news is that according to a PennEnvironment/ Frontier study, in 2010 almost three times as much toxic waste was discharged into the Ohio River than any other river in the nation. In addition, the Monongahela River saw the 17th largest amount of toxic discharge at 2,626,677 lbs. The Allegheny River was not listed, but elsewhere in the state the Delaware was 5th, the Schuylkill 49th, and the Susquehanna last at 50th.

The Allegheny Defense Project is organizing an outing to map natural springs in the Allegheny National Forest. This will be the first effort to visit several natural spring sites and develop an inventory of springs for subsequent water quality testing. The outing may also visit areas of proposed or existing shale gas drilling sites so bring your cameras. We will meet at the Bucktail Hotel in Marienville, PA at 11:30 am. Contact Matt Peters to carpool from Pittsburgh: ( mattnedludd at gmail dot com ) or phone 412-320-0739.