Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Creature Feature – Channel Catfish

Clearwater Editor — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:46:26 +0000

By Kathleen Murphy

The Mystic Whaler hauled up a channel catfish measuring 19 inches long and 4.5 inches wide on Thursday morning while sailing with Arlington High School! Captain John Eginton said it was the largest catfish he had ever caught.

The channel catfish, also known by its scientific name as Ictalurus punctatus can grow to a weight of up to 20 lbs or more and is distinguished by its forked tail. Juvenile channels are covered in black spots, which fade once the catfish reaches adulthood.

Catfish are hardy creatures, withstanding low oxygen levels and high levels of turbidity. They have been known to survive by burying themselves in mud and breathing through their skin, much like eels. The channel catfish is one tough cookie!

“Eels On Wheels” at the Queens Library

Clearwater Editor — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:11:34 +0000

Posted by Eli Schloss

On May 2nd I had the pleasure of working with 30 kids at the Discovery Center in Jamaica Queens. The Center is part of the main branch of the Queens Library and it is a wonderful interactive space that opened last year. They have an afterschool program attended by children in the area. I brought in 7 glass eels and one adolescent, or yellow eel. I showed the students a Powerpoint of the eels’ life cycle, had them calculate its migration route from their brithplace to the NY Harbor (more than 1,000 miles), and of course they got to get their hands wet and touch a live specimen.

Eels begin their life as planktonic larvae found in great numbers in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda. They drift with the currents for up to a year or more. Once they reach the coastline they transform from a 1/4 inch willow leaf shape to a long, thin, transparent glass eel. These glass eels enter the estuary and come to reside in the tributaries of the river, a good place to hide from predators and grow to their next stage, the “yellow eel”. This is the stage most common in the estuaries and rivers. Yellow eels have been found as far from the ocean as Iowa. They live in the river systems from 4 to 20 years, eating fish, fish eggs, insects, and crustaceans, until they transform once again for their final journey back to the Sargasso. These “silver eels” are darker in color with a silver underside and large eyes. They stop eating, descend the rivers and begin their migration to the Sargasso Sea, their nursery and tomb.

But the great mystery is how they breed. We have never seen a live adult specimen in the Sargasso nor do we know exactly where they breed. The Sargasso is where we find the smallest larvae, so we presume that is where they hatch.

Realize that the entire breeding population of North American Eels gather in one spot. So if the eel is from Jamaica or Jamaica Queens, they all return to the Sargasso to complete their life cycle.

Would you like to pet an eel?

The students were excited and engaged to learn more about this amazing creature. They asked many questions, respected the animal, and took part in all the activities. The Queens Library program is a great asset to the community. I look forward to working with the students again.

First Volunteers of the Mystic Whaler’s Season

Clearwater Editor — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:01:18 +0000

By Shannon McMulkin, Mystic Whaler Educator.

One of the first things I was told about the Mystic Whaler program was that “we couldn’t run it without the volunteers.” On our first week of educational sails, I quickly learned why.

Our three volunteers for the week, Nuh Ann, Greg, and Scott, joined us in Beacon for a transit up to Poughkeepsie. While underway they had to learn all the information to teach five educational stations and how to help sail the boat in only a few short hours. They rose to the challenge and jumped right into learning all that they could, even helping us to set the trawl net for the first time this season.

Their knowledge was soon put to the test as we kicked off our season with two sails with Biology students from Marist College. Though nervous on their first day, our volunteers impressed us with how quickly they picked up the protocols and how smoothly the first sails of the year ran. Captain John said that night at dinner that he couldn’t believe this was the first day of the season; we all seemed like we’d been crew for years.

After a few more days of educational sails, we gave our volunteers another exciting day of boat life. Catching an albino hogchoaker in our morning trawl with a group from Carrie Tompkins Elementary was only the beginning of a busy day that also included a head bucket drop off in West Point – complete with props from the costume bag just for the occasion, grocery stop in Cold Spring, and a transit back up the river. Our amazing volunteers all took a turn at the helm and climbing up into the rigging.

By the middle of the week the volunteers were part of the family and I quickly realized how much I had to learn from them. Greg was an amazing flamenco guitar player and he spent every night teaching all of us new tricks on the guitar which we eagerly used to break silence at the next day’s ed sail.

Thursday and Friday were filled with energetic fourth graders from Lenape Elementary. By this time I could relax and feel confident that all the crew would be teaching stellar classes about the Hudson River. On Friday I got the chance to sit back and observe our volunteers and interns engage the students in their own way, from letting students touch a fish to having a tug of war to learn about mechanical advantage.

Thanks to Nuh Ann, Greg, and Scott for all their hard work and dedication this week. We couldn’t run this program without your help, and if it meant not meeting people as wonderful as you, why would we want to?!

Ultrarunner Todd Jennings Set to Begin Hudson River Run 2012

Clearwater Editor — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:26:24 +0000

315-mile Run to Raise Awareness for the Hudson and Funds for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater

Momentum and support is building for ultrarunner and lifelong New York State resident Todd Jennings as he enters the final stage in preparation for running the entire 315-mile length of New York’s Hudson River. Beginning on May 12th, Jennings will traverse the river’s banks over eight consecutive days, averaging almost 40 miles per day in the process. The journey will start at the Hudson’s headwaters at Lake Tear of the Clouds on the face of Mt. Marcy and finish at The Battery in New York City.

“Hudson River Run 2012” was created to bring awareness and support to Hudson River Sloop Clearwater’s mission to preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries for the benefit of its eco-system and human communities. Many of those communities – like Albany, Catskill, Port Ewen, Bedford, Cornwall-on-Hudson and New York City – have rallied around Jennings, providing emotional, logistical and financial support. Meanwhile, runners are joining his fundraising team.

“In order for this to succeed, the communities all along the Hudson have to be involved,” Jennings said. “The river belongs to all of us and it is our responsibility to care for it.”

As examples of that care, on April 12th, New York City retailer JackRabbit Sports hosted a successful in-store merchandising event to support Hudson River Run 2012. The Leatherman Harriers of Bedford, NY made a sizable private donation, and will be meeting Jennings en route. And on May 15th – as the run passes through New York’s capital – the Albany Pump Station will host a fundraising dinner.

“Todd’s run of our great Hudson River demonstrates the spirit and love we need to protect and restore her,” said Jeff Rumpf, Clearwater Executive Director. “His commitment is an inspiration and will bring awareness to America’s most influential river and our region’s natural, cultural, and economic center, while raising essential funds to support Clearwater’s work in building a new generation of environmental leaders for a sustainable future.”

All net proceeds from donations will go directly to help support the programs and initiatives of Clearwater. Funds will be raised through three mechanisms: individual “per-mile” sponsorships, fundraising events created in association with the run, and corporate and private charitable contributions. “We believe we can raise at least $50,000 near-term, but would love to set our sights on $100,000 before the run is completed,” Jennings said.

The public is invited to follow Jennings on his preparation and training for the Hudson River Run 2012 on Facebook, and at Jennings’ popular “Into the Woods” trail running blog, http://trailtodd.wordpress.com, or follow him on Twitter: @HudsonRun2012, or visit the event Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hudson-River-Run-2012/206616579427914.

Todd Jennings will spend the night of May 18 onboard the sloop Clearwater in Haverstraw and will be available for interviews. To make arrangements, please contact Richard D’Ambrosio, 917-679-2933, rich@hvcomms.com; or Todd Jennings at 845-235-2788, todjen@optonline.net

The public is also encouraged to participate in the success of this Hudson River Run 2012. Here are three ways to get involved:

Make a Donation
By giving, demonstrate to your friends, colleagues and family that you care about the environment, and the future of your children and grandchildren. Make your donation at http://www.crowdrise.com/HudsonRiverRun2012 .

Spread the Word and Encourage Others to Donate
This is called ‘casting the net wider’ and is a great way to contribute to the success of any goodwill endeavor. Forward this link http://www.crowdrise.com/HudsonRiverRun2012 to people in your contact list who you think will be interested in supporting Hudson River Run 2012.

Run With Todd and Become A Member of the Fundraising Team!
Todd is asking for people to join him for some of the many miles of the run. This is an opportunity to be an integral part of Hudson River Run 2012. Your presence will be a source of great comfort and support for Todd. If you are a runner, you are invited to come out and run part of the course with Todd.

Step 1 – Join Crowdrise at http://www.crowdrise.com/register/personal/step1/4f7b10b6c28af and then join the Hudson River Run 2012 project team.

Step 2 – Decide where and how far you want to run (see the Run Schedule below)

Step 3 – Ask everyone you know for support.

Maps of each day’s run:

About Todd Jennings

Todd Jennings is a lifelong endurance athlete and trail running advocate. He has run ten marathons, including four Boston Marathons, four 50Ks, has completed the nationally known Escarpment Trail Run six times, and is the only person ever to have run all 240 miles of marked/maintained trails in New York’s Harriman State Park in one season. He has also served three terms as president of the Orange Runners Club (Middletown, NY), and makes his home in the Lower Hudson Valley. Through his company City View Promotions, Todd helps promote endurance events and other endurance athletes like the internationally recognized Marshall Ulrich.

Hudson River Estuary Added to “Great Waters” List

Clearwater Editor — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:03:43 +0000

Leading environmental groups cite designation as foundation for region’s future

HUDSON VALLEY—America’s Great Waters Coalition has declared the Hudson Estuary and watershed as one of the nation’s “Great Waters,” recognizing the river’s national importance and laying the groundwork for more effective federal contributions to the river’s restoration, according to leading river advocates. Building on the Hudson River’s reputation as the birthplace of the modern environmental movement and its naming as an American Heritage River, this new designation validates and reinforces the vision a broad array of partners has established for sustainable development centered on protecting the region’s natural resources and connecting more people to these irreplaceable treasures.

The heads of the region’s most prominent environmental organizations—Jeff Rumpf, executive director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater; Barbara Kendall, coordinator of the Hudson River Watershed Alliance; Joan K. Davidson, chair of the OurHudson Steering Committee; Paul Gallay, president and Hudson Riverkeeper; and Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson—proclaimed that with this designation, now is the time to focus on a new model for federal involvement on the Hudson River that will sustain the estuary as a natural resource and a foundation for creating a sustainable economic future for the valley. They noted that the template for action in the region is embodied in New York State’s Hudson River Estuary Program Action Agenda, which has developed a regional vision for the environment and compatible economic development that builds on the valley’s history of innovation and leadership.

“Great Waters” is a designation bestowed by America’s Great Waters Coalition, which consists of 70 local, regional and national organizations that believe that speaking with a united voice and working together will help nationalize clean water, habitat restoration, watershed-based planning and public education efforts throughout the country as well as strengthen each region’s local efforts. New York State is in a leadership position to garner federal support and attention for the Hudson because of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program, which has developed a regional vision for the environment and compatible economic development that builds on the Hudson Valley’s history of innovation and leadership. Visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/4920.html for more information about the Hudson River Estuary Program.

Shared goals for a healthy, livable and prosperous valley

The valley’s residents, visitors, communities and businesses will benefit from:

a swimmable river where water quality is regularly tested and reported, allowing the public to recreate safely in a Hudson that is free of sewage from outdated storm water and wastewater infrastructure;
a fishable river where Hudson Valley residents can once again eat local fish without health concerns and limited commercial fisheries can thrive;
completion of General Electric’s cleanup of toxic PCBs it dumped in the Hudson;
a robust habitat restoration plan for the river that will allow communities to revitalize their waterfronts and attract new business and tourism investments.

Hudson River Estuary Added to “Great Waters” List

65,000 acres of the most important scenic, ecological and agricultural significance along the Hudson forever protected, with riverfront parks where people can experience the river’s majesty and power to inspire;
a heritage trail on both sides of the river from Albany to New York City that affords walking, kayaking/canoeing and other recreational opportunities and ways to experience history in a region designated by Congress as a National Heritage Area;
development of regional watershed plans to address surface water and storm water management needs;
a Hudson River estuary that boasts vibrant land, water and wildlife, with protected land that will buffer the impacts of global climate change;
the establishment of the Hudson River as a great learning resource and creating a “pipeline” of new green leaders through support and advocacy for comprehensive environmental-education programs;
the establishment of effective diversity outreach and consistent dialogue efforts to all people along the river, focusing on environmental justice and staunch protection of our natural resources;
a shifting of our focus to create a sustainable economy based on building eco-friendly green cities.

“Designation of the Hudson Estuary as a Great Water builds on years of work by the state’s Hudson River Estuary Program and its partner organizations to enhance the region’s environment and economy through watershed planning and restoration initiatives. This is a big step forward,” said Barbara Kendall, coordinator of the Hudson River Watershed Alliance.

“Today we are one Hudson—united for America’s First River. This is the beginning of a new prominence and a new day for Clearwater, our Hudson River partners and the Hudson River Estuary. Thank you to our partners who have worked to achieve this great accomplishment; the tide is turned, and our shared fortunes are rising,” said Jeff Rumpf, executive director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

Joan K. Davidson, chair of the OurHudson Steering Committee, expressed, “Congratulations to all the people and organizations, big and small, that have worked together to win this national salute to the greatest of America’s Great Waters, from the Adirondacks to the Verrazano Narrows. Excelsior!”

“It’s fitting that the Hudson River should be recognized as a Great Water in this, the 40^th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Although we still haven’t achieved the act’s goal of a ‘fishable, swimmable’ Hudson, this designation is an important recognition and should stimulate the increased investments we need to achieve these important goals,” said Paul Gallay, president and Hudson Riverkeeper.

“The Hudson Estuary has for generations inspired the nation to develop environmental policies and compatible economic development strategies. With the recognition of the Hudson and the NY-NJ Harbor as one Great Water, we have a new opportunity to restore our shared waters, revitalize our waterfronts for public use and create jobs,” said Ned Sullivan, president of Scenic Hudson.

Connection to New York-New Jersey Harbor important to success of initiatives

The New York-New Jersey Harbor was named a Great Water in 2010, but the designation did not extend up the Hudson River at that time. The announcement of the entire Hudson River watershed as a Great Water acknowledges the natural hydrological connections between the harbor, the estuary and their tributaries and creates new opportunities for collaboration.

Roland Lewis, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance and co-chair of the Harbor Coalition, a leading advocate for the New York-New Jersey Harbor, stated, “The goal of the NY-NJ Harbor Coalition is to galvanize support for transforming our urban waterfronts with exciting parks and docks that can accommodate everything from kayaks to tall ships, plus restored natural areas, enhanced waterfront neighborhoods and vital and sustainable port operations. By joining forces with other regional advocates through the Great Waters Coalition, we can amplify our voices and work together to secure the investment needed to make this vision a reality and create a tide that really does lift all boats.”

Estuary advocates cited that their agenda and the interests of the Harbor Coalition were remarkably similar and that both regions could be more effective at meeting their shared goals by working together.

Media Contacts:
Julia Church, Clearwater, 845 265 8080, ext. 7112; commun@clearwater.org
Barbara Kendall, Hudson River Watershed Alliance, 914 474 2759; bkendall@hudsonwatershed.org
Tina Posterli, Riverkeeper, 914 478 4501, Ext. 239; tposterli@riverkeeper.org
Jay Burgess, Scenic Hudson, 845 473 4440, Ext. 222; jburgess@scenichudson.org

Public Comment on Controversial Rockland Desalinization Plant Closes This Week

Clearwater Editor — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:55:16 +0000

Unsafe, Unneeded Project Would Pit Water Rights of Rockland County and New Jersey Residents Against Each Other for Corporate Profit at Both Ends
Rockland Legislature Passed Unanimous Resolution to Postpone

A private, for-profit, multinational corporation wants to make homes and businesses throughout water-rich Rockland County pay to drink desalinized brackish water taken out of the Hudson River’s Haverstraw Bay, 3.5 miles from the leaking Indian Point nuclear plant. United Water New York (UWNY) is a subsidiary of the international Suez Environnement Group based in France. It proposes to build a desalinization plant that would pipe treated Hudson River water into homes and businesses throughout Rockland County, greatly increase water costs and energy use, degrade the environment and drinking water quality, permit more of Rockland’s reservoir water to be sold in New Jersey, and create a destructive, farreaching precedent for desalination in water-rich areas as a tool for water speculators. It would also generate huge profits for United Water New York and United Water New Jersey. The public comment period closes on April 20, after just one day of public hearings and just three months to absorb United Water’s 4,000-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which few people have read. Among those who have are an independent economist and hydrologists hired by the citizens’ group Rockland Water Coalition. They found it riddled with gaps, questionable methodologies and unreliable cost estimates. Rockland municipal, county and state officials are calling for an extension of the comment period, including in a unanimous resolution that passed the Rockland Legislature. Some 20,000 residents have signed petitions opposing the project. But the issue remains underreported in major media, and time is running out.

The following experts and advocates are available for interviews now on what concerned citizens need to know about the Rockland desalinization plant:

Bob Dillon – associate member, Rockland County Water Quality Committee; member, Rockland Residents Against Flooding Tomorrow (RAFT); member, Rockland Water Coalition
Manna Jo Greene – Environmental Director, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. Peg Kurtz – president of the Rockland County chapter of the Sierra Club
George Potanovic, Jr. – President, Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment (SPACE); member, Rockland Water Coalition Laurie Seeman – associate member, Rockland Water Quality Committee; member, Rockland Water Coalition
Eric Weltman – Senior Organizer, Food & Water Watch WHEN &

These experts are available for phone or in-person interviews now. They are based in the New York area and can travel as necessary. To request an interview or for more information, contact Stephen Kent, skent@kentcom.com, 914-589-5988.

WHY? Like Rockland’s water, the flow of reliable information to those who need it is also threatened by UWNY and its proposed desalination plant. The fast-track DEIS process has limited opportunities for public scrutiny and comment, leaving it to local citizens’ groups to uncover and point out the problems with the proposal, and leaving area residents with a steep learning curve on a complex issue to climb fast. Examples of points that need scrutiny include:

• Public health threats: Haverstraw Bay is brackish, has industrial discharge and is not classified by New York State as a drinking water source. The desalination plant’s intake of River water would be sited 3.5 miles from the Indian Point nuclear plant, which is leaking tritium and strontium-90 and other radioactive isotopes into the Hudson River. Tritium cannot be removed by the plant’s reverse osmosis process. Low levels of strontium-90 have been found in test results of a pilot operation. Health and safety impacts of such low-level exposures in drinking water have not been adequately assessed. Suez Environnement Group’s parent company GDF Suez is a major owner/operator of nuclear plants.

• Environmental threats: Withdrawing 10 million gallons of water and injecting 92,000 gallons of wastewater a day, desalination would damage the sensitive, critical habitat of Haverstraw Bay, expressly violating existing water resource conservation and coastal management plans, and further compromising declining fish populations, including Atlantic sturgeon which are on State and federal endangered species lists. Residents are also concerned it would accelerate overdevelopment of an area already burdened with heavy development pressures.

• Needless expense: Desalination is the most energy-intensive and expensive form of drinking water there is, and UWNY has testified about possible “rate shock” when consumers get the bill. Desalination should be a last resort for arid places with no choice. Yet Rockland is water-rich and has a large reservoir that together with groundwater sources should adequately supply residents’ needs given proper management. A 2011 United States Geological Survey survey released after United Water’s test plant was already built shows Rockland has plenty of groundwater resources to meet resident needs – more than previously thought. But if Rockland needs more fresh water in the future, conservation, green stormwater infrastructure practices and recycling can provide it without resorting to an extremely expensive, energy-intensive desalination plant.

UWNY has violated industry best practices by virtually ignoring more appropriate, less expensive or invasive options, such as wastewater return, that don’t involve building large infrastructure and making large profits for the company. If it succeeds in Rockland, that pattern is likely to be repeated throughout our region and to reverberate nationally. Selling Rockland’s water to New Jersey: United Water New York is owned by Suez Environnement which profits from privatizing water resources around the world and made over $18 billion in 2010. If it builds the new plant, Rockland residents would bear the capital costs, while UWNY would charge them for the desalinated water. Meanwhile UWNY and its affiliate United Water New Jersey also make money by discharging water from Rockland’s DeForest Lake Reservoir into New Jersey, where residents pay to use it.

With more of Rockland’s water coming from a desalinization plant, less would be drawn from the DeForest Lake Reservoir, leaving more of its water to spill into New Jersey for use there. United Water has a history of sending much more of the Reservoir’s water to New Jersey than its discharge permit allows, and was fined by the NYSDEC for doing this in 2007. Data from the United States Geological Survey indicates excess releases from Lake DeForest to New Jersey have continued for decades, and between 1991 and 2007 United Water took roughly double the permitted limits. Yet when the reservoir was built, the NYS authorization for it stated that it was to be “operated solely for the benefit of the citizens of Rockland County. The only benefit to the Hackensack Water Company (United Water New Jersey) and the people of New Jersey is the incidental benefit of a regulated flow in the river.” The desalinization project pits the interests and water rights of Rockland against New Jersey, with United Water profiting at both ends.

For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Stephen Kent, skent@kentcom.com 914-589-5988

Submit your comments the DOC and DEC to these addresses:

The New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources
One Commerce Plaza
99 Washington Avenue Albany, New York 12231
Telephone (518) 474-6000; Fax (518) 473-2464
cr@dos.state.ny.us

Christopher Hogan
NYS DEC – Division of Environmental Permits
625 Broadway, 4th Floor Albany, NY 12233-1750
depprmt@gw.dec.state.ny.us

Clearwater Festival Adds New Performers to Line-Up

Clearwater Editor — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:48:46 +0000

Josh Ritter, Alejandro Escovedo, Bhi Bhiman, Jose Conde Y Ola Fresca, Forro in the Dark, and Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole to perform at Great Hudson River Revival

Clearwater’s 2012 Great Hudson River Revival, also known as the Clearwater Festival, the country’s oldest music and environmental festival, has just added Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Loudon Wainwright III, Alejandro Escovedo, Bhi Bhiman, Jose Conde Y Ola Fresca, Forro in the Dark, and Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole to its weekend line-up. The Clearwater Festival takes place June 16 and 17 at the beautiful Croton Point Park in Westchester County, NY. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at www.ClearwaterFestival.org, or by calling 845 236-5596.

Each year Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival presents a diverse program of musical and performance artists—all superb entertainers who inspire audiences to become involved in protecting our planet for future generations. All the stages at Clearwater Festival are powered with sustainable energy, including solar, bio-diesel and wind sources.

World Music will have a bigger presence at the festival this year. “Festival will feature a global line-up that has cross-generational appeal,” said Steve Lurie, Festival Director. “From Folk to Bluegrass, Native American to African, Cajun to Swing and Indie-Rock to Blues, we have a line-up that transcends musical boundaries and geographic borders.”

Artists confirmed to date include Ani DiFranco, Béla Fleck, Dawes, Deer Tick, Punch Brothers, The Klezmatics, Donna The Buffalo, Peter Yarrow, Tom Paxton, Holly Near, Aoife O’Donovan, Tim O’Brien, Tom Chapin, Joanne Shenandoah, Toshi Reagon & Big Lovely, Tao Seeger Brass Band, Raul Midón, Jill Sobule, Sara Watkins, Ollabelle, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Guy Davis Band, David Amram, Joe Purdy, Melissa Ferrick, Joseph Firecrow Band, The Deadly Gentlemen, Dala, Joel Rafael, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason with Swingology, Jesse Lége & Bayou Brew, Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys with many more to be announced. To view the performance schedule for the weekend, please visit http://www.clearwater.org/festival/performers.html

Clearwater Festival will celebrate a number of milestones this year with sets by Arlo Guthrie & The Guthrie Family in honor of Woody Guthrie’s 100^th birthday, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is celebrating their 50th anniversary, and Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, who will perform with Peter Yarrow,is celebrating their 25^th anniversary.

World music artists will have a bigger presence at Clearwater’s Festival this year, including Tinawiren, a group of Tuareg-Berber musicians from the Sahara Desert region of Mali. Balkan Beat Box elicits a blend of musical styles fusing electronica with hard-edged folk music from North Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe. Alsarah & The Nubatones perform a unique blend of East African retro-pop influenced by the spirit of Sudanese and Nubian cultures.

Clearwater Festival is a festival family-oriented weekend event taking place every year at Croton Point Park in Westchester County, NY. The Festival offers attendees an opportunity to gather to enjoy music, celebrate the Hudson River, and take part in the organization’s commitment to protect our environment, and mission to inspire, educate and activate the next generation of environmental leaders.

The Festival’s family-oriented programming includes the Family Stage, juggling and roving artists, face painting plus lots of other activities and vendors. Kids 12 years old and under get in free.

Performances that make the Clearwater Festival unique include Story Grove, where festival goers can sit under the cool shade trees and listen to America’s best-loved storytellers. The Arm-of-the-Sea Theater, a contemporary mask and puppet theater company, performing large-scale production by the river’s edge.

New to the festival this year is The Traveling Musical Petting Zoo – from accordion to zither, The Zoo’ is a fully interactive, hands-on exhibition for musicians, young and old, novice to professional.

The Festival offers much more than just great musical artists; at the Working Waterfront, attendees can go out on small boats and tall ships, including the sloop Clearwater and the Mystic Whaler.

The Discovery and Tideline Tents feature Clearwater’s original hands-on environmental education programs and Hudson River research.

The Environmental Action Tent will highlight Clearwater’s watershed and environmental justice initiatives in cities up and down the Hudson.

The juried Crafts Area showcases over 50 crafters and folk artists with quality hand-made items, demonstrations and workshops. The Green Living Expo Tent is the place to learn about products, services, concepts and technologies that can inform your lifestyle and business choices.

An expanded Artisanal Food & Farm Market, a big hit at last year’s festival, will offer up Hudson Valley foods and specialty items.

Over 1,000 volunteers are behind making the Clearwater Festival experience happen each year. Everyone is invited to get involved with Clearwater as a festival volunteer, with over 45 committees to choose from, including Site Crew, Working Waterfront, Environmental Action and many others. Those interested in volunteering at the Clearwater Festival should contact Linda Richards, volunteer coordinator at VolCoord@Clearwater.org, or 845-726-8080, ext. 7105.

The festival is wheelchair accessible and most stage programming is staffed with American Sign Language Interpreters. All proceeds from the Clearwater Festival directly support Clearwater’s environmental education, advocacy and research to help preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries, as well as the communities of the Hudson River Valley.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.ClearwaterFestival.org, or call 845 236-5596.

$1.2 Million DEC Fine Marks Significant New Level of Enforcement

Clearwater Editor — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:30:28 +0000

Underscores a Pattern of Violations at Indian Point

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s imposition of a $1.2 million fine on Entergy marks a new and welcome level of enforcement of public safety requirements at the Indian Point nuclear plant. The DEC fine, which stems from a November 2010 transformer explosion, fire and oil spill into the Hudson River at Indian Point 2, is as far as we can determine the largest fine Entergy has paid — significantly higher than any the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has imposed — for non-compliance at Indian Point. Hudson River Sloop Clearwater joins others in praising the State’s move to make Entergy more accountable for its longstanding violations of laws and regulations.

“This action demonstrates that the DEC is taking its responsibility to protect the Hudson River seriously,” said New York State Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera of the Bronx. “The DEC and the Attorney General’s office are also calling for closed cycle cooling to protect our declining fish population and addressing many other technical issues related to the relicensing of Indian Point. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, on the other hand, seems to be more interested in assuring that nuclear power plants are relicensed than in taking a hard look at the implications of relicensing in the context of a post-Fukushima world. Because the NRC considers evacuation to be out of the scope of the relicensing process, I am calling for the New York State Assembly to hold hearings on the viability of current evacuation plans for Indian Point and what can be done to better assure the public health and safety.”

In light of the 2010 explosion and a pattern of other violations and preventable mishaps at Indian Point, Clearwater is renewing its call for the NRC to deny a 20-year renewal of Indian Point’s operating licenses, set to expire in 2013 and 2015, and for the plant to shut down. The same sort of chronic failures to properly inspect, report, and maintain Indian Point’s transformer facilities as required by law can also lead to other, more serious accidents and releases of radioactivity.

“This is symptomatic of how disasters happen,” said Clearwater’s executive director Jeff Rumpf. “We are told we are safe and that redundant protection systems will work, but they did not work. There was an explosion, and toxins were released into the Hudson. If the same thing were to happen where spent fuel rods are stored, we would have a disaster of great magnitude. I applaud the State for stepping in and being vigilant where the Federal government has not.”

“This was not the first transformer explosion at Indian Point,” said Clearwater’s environmental director Manna Jo Greene. “This one resulted in the spilling of thousands of gallons of petroleum-based transformer oil into the discharge canal and into the Hudson River when the containment system failed. That was completely preventable and should never have happened. When the first transformer fire occurred years before, it should have signaled the need to change out all the transformers in this aging system. Failure to insist on this mechanical upgrade demonstrates Entergy’s wait-and-see attitude, and faulty oversight by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.”

In April of 2007 there had been a similar transformer explosion and fire at Indian Point 3. At that time, Entergy spokesperson Jim Steets claimed that the transformer had just gone through a rigorous, monthly inspection that found nothing wrong. “There was no reason from the program” why the transformer should have failed, Steets said. But according to The New York Times, “The Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigated and said plant workers had failed to spot potential deterioration in a part, which contributed to the fire.”

NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan cited failed bushings (ceramic insulators on top of the transformer) as the part that apparently caused the April 2007 explosion. According to the DEC’s consent order, in November 2010, the same problem, a failed bushing, again caused Indian Point 2’s transformer to explode (twice) and burn.

In the 2010 explosion, all 20,000 gallons of insulating oil the transformer contained leaked out, and the surrounding containment wall and moat were breached. Entergy hired private contractors who managed to recover some 10,000 gallons of the spill from the containment moat area, the discharge canal, and the Hudson, but the rest escaped and much of it contaminated the River, violating Indian Point’s State Pollution Discharge Elimination (SPDES) permit. $600,000 of the $1.2 million DEC penalty is to fund an environmental cleanup plan, yet to be specified.

DEC investigations of the 2010 incident found Entergy had violated multiple state and federal laws, regulations and codes, including the Clean Water Act. In addition to violating its SPDES permit, by law Entergy was obligated to “properly maintain all disposal facilities…to achieve compliance with the conditions of the SPDES permit,” but did not — the DEC discovered that the containment wall around the transformers had been notched and cracked. Entergy decided not to disclose the spill to the public at all, and was slow to report it to the DEC. Entergy is required by law to notify the DEC of the discharge immediately, and in no circumstances more than two hours after the incident, but failed to report the November 2010 incident for nearly three hours. Critics charged Entergy even made it difficult for DEC officials gain access to the site to assess the full extent of the spill.

The DEC investigation found additional violations in Entergy’s chemical storage tanks. Entergy’s Spill Prevention Report (SPR) left three storage tanks out entirely, while the SPR and compliance reports for IP2 and IP3 failed to include sufficient detail (such as information tank life expectancy) going back as far as nine years. Tanks were left uninspected for longer than the mandated five-year period. Though tanks not inspected within five years are required to be taken out of service, these uninspected tanks continued to be used.

Despite the DEC investigation and fine, serious problems with Indian Point’s transformers persist. In late February, Indian Point 3 shut down due to the buildup of hydrogen and other combustible gases in transformer oil, a sign that the transformer equipment is degrading. Although this time it did not result in an explosion, sparks could have touched one off. The transformer was taken offline and troubleshot, according to Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi, quoted in a March 2 news report. At that time he said it was “too soon to tell” whether the malfunctioning transformer would be replaced or repaired and put back into service.

Entergy’s reluctance to replace aging, malfunctioning equipment is intolerable in the post-Fukushima world. While an oil leak is not comparable to the disastrous meltdown in Japan a year ago, transformer explosions are very dangerous events, and Entergy’s track record of longstanding, repeated violations and preventable mishaps at Indian Point indicates a cavalier attitude towards legal and regulatory compliance that ignores and denies the lesson of Fukushima, that “it could happen here.”

In fact, Indian Point has risk factors that are not only comparable, but in some cases far worse than those of Fukushima, including Indian Point’s location at the convergence of two earthquake fault lines, the much greater population density surrounding it, and its totally inadequate, unimplementable evacuation plan. Indian Point’s spent fuel pools contain about three times as much radioactivity as all the spent fuel pools of Fukushima’s stricken reactors put together.

To mark the one-year anniversary of Fukushima, Clearwater recently organized a forum for first responders and emergency planners in our region. It featured visiting Japanese experts and eyewitnesses who lived and worked through the disaster. They told the audience that even Japan’s evacuation and safety procedures, which are much more robust and rigorously drilled than ours, left residents unprepared. In the end, the plans and procedures bore no relationship to what actually happened during the disaster. Still less will Entergy’s management of the plant, the current level of federal oversight and current emergency planning protect us from or prepare us for a serious nuclear accident at Indian Point.

“It is imperative that emergency response and evacuation procedures be revamped to consider the real possibility of a serious accident at Indian Point” said Peekskill Mayor Mary F. Foster. “There is much that can be learned from the first responders at Fukushima and I am thankful that the Governor and NYS DEC are taking these possibilities seriously.”

The DEC’s demonstrated willingness to ramp up enforcement and accountability at Indian Point focuses scrutiny on Entergy’s pattern of non-compliance, and is a significant and welcome step forward. Clearwater also believes that in order to eliminate the unacceptable risk of a catastrophic accident at Indian Point, extension of its operating licenses must be denied, and the plant must close.

For more information, please contact Manna Jo Greene, Environmental Action Director at MannaJo@Clearwater.org, or 845-265-8080, ext.7113.

NOTE TO EDITORS AND PRODUCERS: To request interviews with spokespeople quoted above, contact Julia Church, julia@clearwater.org, 845-265-8080 x 7112, or Stephen Kent, skent@kentcom.com 914-589-5988

Rivera & Experts: Show Us the Nuclear Accident Evacuation & Preparedness Plans

Clearwater Editor — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:10:09 +0000

For Immediate Release

Contact: Guillermo Martinez for Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera – 518-455-5844
Tina Posterli for Hudson Riverkeeper — 516-526-9371
Laura Haight for New York Public Interest Group – 518-436-0876
Manna Jo Greene for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater — 845-265 8080, ext.7113
Elliott Negin for Union of Concerned Scientists — 202-331-5439

Bronx Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera calls for Public Hearing to Examine the Emergency Plans of Local and State Governments in the Event of a Nuclear Accident at Indian Point Energy Center, National Experts, Riverkeeper, NYPIRG, Clearwater Join Call to Examine Emergency Response

BRONX, NEW YORK – (4/3/2012) — A year after one of the worst nuclear power plant catastrophes on the planet and 54 weeks after she first announced legislation mandating a comprehensive emergency plan to safeguard New Yorkers beyond a 10-mile radius of the Indian Point Energy Center, Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera is calling for a Statepublic hearing to examine evacuation and emergency preparedness in case of a radiation leak at the nuclear facility.

In a letter, released to the public today, to senior members of the legislature who chair committees with direct oversight over emergency planning and preparedness of state and local governments, Assemblywoman Rivera wrote, “Recently the Nuclear Regulatory Commission denied a request for the operators of Indian Point Energy Center to provide an emergency preparedness and evacuation plan for the surrounding communities which are home to 20 million Americans in a tri-state area. In addition, there are serious questions as to the ability of local, state and federal government agencies to communicate and react to a nuclear emergency.”

According to Doctor Irwin Redlener, Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, “Safe operations of a nuclear power plant must include detailed response plans that will protect thepublic in the event of a catastrophic emergency. The Indian Point facility does not satisfy this very basic requirement because, among other problems, should there be a large-scale radiation release, the evacuation plans designed to move people out of harms way are inadequate to the extreme. Evacuation planning for Indian Point remains inconsistent with a real understanding of population density, likely area of contamination, human behavior expectations, transportation realities or readiness of host communities.”

According to Rivera, “As scrutiny of nuclear energy facilities across the nation grows and with the revelation that the Indian Point nuclear power plant is located over fault lines that make it vulnerable to a strong earthquake, the public is entitled to know that New York has in place a comprehensive and well-prepared plan that can save the lives of millions of New Yorkers, including those downwind of the Indian Point nuclear power plant.” The Bronx is 24 miles from Indian Point and almost all ofNew York Cityis within 50 miles of the nuclear reactors.

“The Fukushima crisis clearly demonstrated that radioactive releases from nuclear plant accidents can have significant impacts well beyond the 10-mile zone currently covered by emergency planning requirements,” said Dr. Edwin Lyman, senior scientist in the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Global Security Program. “Computer modeling performed by the Union of Concerned Scientists in 2004 predicted that a severe accident or terrorist attack at Indian Point could expose New York City’s children to high levels of radioactive iodine and could even trigger the need for the evacuation of Manhattan. The NRC needs to overcome its pervasive attitude of denial and take action now to protect the millions of people who are being exposed to needless risk.”

“A review of the adequacy of the emergency response plans for Indian Point is long overdue,” said Laura Haight, Senior Environmental Associate with NYPIRG. ”New Yorkers will be shocked to learn how little protection they have in the event of a nuclear disaster. We applaud Assemblymember Naomi Rivera for calling for this hearing.”

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater shares Assemblywoman Rivera’s concern and supports her proposed legislation. “Given the fact Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant is located at the intersection of two earthquake faults, as identified by a 2008 study by Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, and that ’spent’ but still highly radioactive fuel rods are stored on-site in unprotected fuel pools, a much more robust emergency plan is needed,” said Manna Jo Greene, Clearwater’s Environmental Director. “In addition to the chaos and gridlock that would rapidly ensue throughout the greater metropolitan area, our emergency medical response system would quickly be overwhelmed in the event of a radiological disaster,” she added.

“We cannot wait until a potentially deadly catastrophe involving the accidental release of radiation by the Indian Point nuclear power plant before we realize that New York State does not have available the first-line-of-defense resources that can save the lives of millions of our fellow residents, including millions of children,” stated Assemblywoman Rivera, member of the Assembly Standing Committee on Health.

Phillip Musegaas, Hudson River Program Director at Riverkeeper, stated, “Riverkeeper joins Assemblywoman Rivera in demanding better for New Yorkers. The 10-mile emergency plan New Yorkers have in case of a disaster at Indian Point is wholly insufficient and gives no meaningful thought to the 20 million of us who would be affected. Assemblywoman Rivera is right to call out the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop a real plan for evacuation, an issue that the agency won’t even allow into Indian Point’s relicensing hearing.”

“New York must learn from the tragic events taking place inJapan. We need to take action today and expand the disaster and evacuation plans from the current 10-mile radius of Indian Point power plant,” Rivera said.

In her letter to colleagues in the legislature, Rivera, a member of the Assembly leadership and the Assembly Steering Committee wrote, “While current federal requirements mandate a 10-mile radius action plan in the case of an emergency at the nuclear power plant, New Yorkers are absolutely unaware of any such plan. Simultaneously, logic and historical precedence dictate that the proliferation of any radiation potentially released will not be limited to 10 miles of Indian Point Energy Center. In fact, within 5 days of the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, Japan, dangerous levels of radiation had traveled 160 miles and hovered over Tokyo, prompting the United States military to issue potassium iodide pills to armed forces and their families and ordering American military ships out of Tokyo ports to avoid contamination.”

Legislation by Assemblywoman Rivera mandating that New York stockpile potassium Iodide pills and calling for a detailed emergency plan for their distribution in case of a nuclear accident was unveiled over a year ago on March 16, 2011. The legislation is currently pending in Committee (A.7426B).

Rivera added, “New York City and its nine million residents are downwind of Indian Point. Surrounding counties and neighboring states are the home of almost 11 million more Americans. There is no logical reason forNew York to not have a proper stockpile of potassium iodide pills on hand and a tested mechanism for their mass distribution in case of a nuclear fall-out emergency to prevent thyroid cancer.”

The thyroid gland needs iodine to produce hormones that regulate the body’s energy and metabolism. The thyroid absorbs available iodine from the bloodstream. The thyroid gland cannot distinguish between stable (regular) iodine and radioactive iodine and will absorb whatever it can. According to Rivera, “In babies and children, the thyroid gland is one of the most radiation sensitive parts of the body.” Potassium iodide protects the thyroid from radioactive iodine from all sources – air, food, milk, and water.

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Clearwater’s 2012 Public Sailing Adventures

Clearwater Editor — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:43:42 +0000

Offer Passengers an Opportunity to Sail the Hudson River aboard a Tall Ship

BEACON, NY – Clearwater invites the public to experience the beauty of the Hudson River and its shores from a new perspective aboard the sloop Clearwater, or the schooner Mystic Whaler. Passengers can meet the crew of an authentic, working tall ship and learn about the Hudson River, the estuary, and the Clearwater organization while relaxing and enjoying being out on the water in the company of family and friends.

The sloop Clearwater is a 106-foot long tall ship, a replica of the cargo sloops that traveled the Hudson River in the 18th and 19th centuries. The sloop sails from early April through the end of October, casting off from, and returning to numerous docks along the Hudson River from Albany to New York City, New York Harbor, and western Long Island Sound. The sloop Clearwater is a nationally-recognized symbol of environmental awareness and provides regionally-based, high quality, experiential education opportunities.

The schooner Mystic Whaler, a reproduction of a late 19th century coastal cargo schooner designed for the passenger trade, joins the sloop again this season, April through June, to complement Clearwater’s educational and public sail programs. Both vessels will also offer public sails at Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17 at Croton Point Park, in Westchester County, NY.

Public sailing adventures are suitable for all ages, and engage with special themes, guest speakers, and musicians. Every sail is an ecological adventure as well as a voyage of discovery, those onboard learn about the Hudson, and are invited to join in songs about sailing and environmental concerns. All sails include an opportunity to

* Learn about the Hudson River, its place in American history, biology, and environmental concerns
* Enjoy the Hudson Valley’s beautiful vistas and historic landmarks
* Join in “all hands to the halyards” to help hoist the sails
* Steer the boat with the 11-foot tiller
* Experience Clearwater’s tradition of a moment of silence and reflection
* Sing along or just enjoy music provided by the crew
* Take time to relax and enjoy being out on the water

Clearwater’s “Eco-Sails” are designed to inspire, educate, activate and promote an inclusive community environment to make a difference for the future of our environment. Clearwater delivers powerful shipboard youth and adult programs that emphasize environmental stewardship and green leadership. Passengers have an opportunity to experience the Hudson River and the estuary’s ecosystem firsthand. The sloop and its crew also model low-impact, sustainable living practices that contribute to a healthy Hudson River and a healthy planet.

The public can check to see when the sloop Clearwater or the schooner Mystic Whaler will be near their town and make their reservations to go on a Public Sail at http://www.clearwater.org/come-sailing/public-sail-schedule. Sails are $50 for adults; $35 for members; and $15 for children 12 years of age and younger. Clearwater members receive a special discount when booking passage. Most sails are three hours long, with 5-hour sails and extended programs also available.

To book your sail or for more information, please contact Catherine Stankowski, Sail Program Manager, at (845) 265-8080, ext.7107, or SailCoord@Clearwater.org