CARE
Crawford Renewable Energy (CRE) continues to move forward with plans to construct a
large Tires to Energy Plant in the Greenwood Industrial Park ten
miles south of Meadville and at the front door of
Geneva Marsh . The
Marsh is the largest in the entire state of Pennsylvania ; it is an
important nesting site for Bald Eagles and an important stop-over for
many migratory birds. The entire marsh area is teeming with diversity
and a habitat area for many native plants and animals.
Geneva Marsh is also
an integral part of the
French Creek Watershed area. French Creek is
one of the most biologically diverse creeks in the entire nation. It
provides a habitat for many rare and endangered species.
Members of the
Crawford Area Residents for the Environment, or CARE, have been
concerned about the proposed tire burning facility ever since it's
location was moved from the shores of Lake Erie to inland Crawford
almost two years ago. There was stiff local objection to the tire
incinerator on Lake Erie from residents and government officials.
On November 24 , two
local members of CARE, Dr. Robert Concilus and Leah Humes,
filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) which lists 15 objections to an Air Quality Permit issued in
late October by DEP. A date for the appeals hearings is uncertain at
this time.
The Tire plant, which
will be known as the Meadville Power Station, will burn
discarded tires , about 900 tons every day, and, according to CRE, will produce
enough electrical power to fuel 75,000 homes. CRE claims it will use
the latest technological processes and equipment to eliminate any
air and water pollutants.
CARE has taken the
lead in questioning the CRE claims. CARE claims that the testing
currently available for
air borne pollutants are flawed and the
amounts of Lead, Mercury, Dioxins and other dangerous substances are
not known.
According to the DEP,
there are about 2 million scrap tires in piles in Pennsylvania, a state with numerous tire
recycling industries to handle the estimate annual 12
million discarded tires. The current estimate of 2 million tires
available for burning would feed the Meadville Power Station for less
than a month. The CRE company has not indicated other sources of
additional scrap tires to fuel the Power Station.
Donations are needed
by CARE to help fund the appeals process. Please take the time to
research this issue, clicking the links above, or click
CARE , and/or
Energy Justice , and take citizen action to protect our environment.
The issue just isn't about Greenwood Township in rural Crawford. It
is much larger. Contact
Care if your concerned about your family's health and our environment.
Hunting
The PA State
Legislature is moving closer to a compromise on the possibility of
Sunday Hunting in the state under legislation introduced by State
Representative John Evans. The ban of hunting dates back to the
1870's based on then held religious beliefs. The ban was enacted as
part of a series of
Blue Laws to protect the Sabbath as a day of rest
and prayer; at one time Sunday baseball and fishing were also illegal
under those laws. Sunday baseball was made legal in 1937 and fishing
in 1934 was made legal.
The Pennsylvania State
Farm Bureau is leading the fight against the proposed Sunday Hunting
proposal. The organization claims the agricultural community needs a
family day of relaxation and rest from the pressures of hunting and
dealing with possible trespassing issues. Safety issue have also
surfaced with nature observers and hikers and other outdoor
recreation sports.
However, Pennsylvania
is one of only six states which continue to ban the Sunday sport and
no safety issues have surfaced in the other 44 states. And many
landowners want the ability to legally hunt on their own property on
Sundays and with their
families as well as provide fresh and
nutritious food for the table.
Please contact your
local state Representative or Rep John Evans and express your views.
Evans
can be reached at his various district offices: Edinboro, (814)
734-2793; Girard, (814) 774-2892; Linesville, (814) 683-5550; or
Harrisburg, (717) 772-9940. His e-mail is jevans@pahousegop.com.
If the rural Meadville
Power Station is allowed to go online, how safe and nutritious will
be the game and fish for Pennsylvania residents. Clean air and water
just aren't human issues alone. Hunting is an economic boom for many
small communities, and Sunday hunting will bring added revenues for
many smaller ma and pop stores.
What happens to this
multi-million dollar recreational sport if the wild game and fish
become toxic?
Rose Hips
Rose hips are actually
the fruit of a rose. They are healthy and flavorful and are
decorative berries for home arts and crafts. The bright red berries
are also a favorite food source for many birds and smaller animals.
The colorful berries
add a touch of Yuletide color with the green
Christmas Ferns to
woodland areas.
Wild roses can be planted around the brush pile to make it look more attractive year round, good for wildlife and a free source of healthy food.
Good Blogs to Read
In the Woods Today
It was a cold morning and yesterday's snow is hardly melting even with the brilliant sunshine. The temperatures this morning were struggling around 15 degrees.
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