1) Ozone Solutions? ADEM Steps Forward With Draft Plan
2) Water War Talks Extended 120 Days
3) Recycle the Spirit! Recycle Your Christmas Tree at Bruno's
4) Statewide Alabama Asthma Summit to be Held
5) Auburn's Weaver Lecture Series: Tree Rings and Forests Ecosystems
6) New Enviro Websites

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1. Ozone Solutions? ADEM Steps Forward With Draft Plan - In a Birmingham News December 30th op-ed, Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) director James Warr outlined ADEM's efforts to draw up an ozone attainment plan for the Birmingham area. The following excerpt from the op-ed reveals ADEM's draft plans on how they expect to reach ozone attainment in Birmingham.

... In late 1997, ADEM committed to submit to EPA by fall 1999 a revision to Alabama's SIP (state implementation plan) providing emission reductions to levels which would achieve ozone attainment. ADEM undertook the complex studies which evaluate the effectiveness of various control strategies and a draft revision to the SIP was sent to USEPA in early September 1999. EPA's action of Dec. 16 formalized the process of securing the SIP revisions.

The draft revision, which predicts attainment beginning in 2003, relies on emission reductions in three areas: USEPA's completion of rules mandated by the Clean Air Act Amendments (e.g. the significant reductions in emissions from new vehicles and a requirement for cleaner gasoline nationwide, both beginning in 2004, announced by President Clinton on Dec. 21), continuation through 2003 of the clean gasoline program which was in effect in Jefferson and Shelby counties in the summer of 1998 and 1999, and reductions at two of Alabama Power Company's facilities northwest of the city."
(Excerpt from "State worked hard to write ozone plan for EPA")

Are there additional ozone control strategies missing from ADEM's list? ADEM's strategic plan leaves out vehicle emission inspections and improved public transportation - just to name two. ADEM's plan also depends on new regulations that have been introduced by an outgoing President that won't get enacted until 2004. This makes you wonder how ADEM's "studies" predict
attainment by 2003.

2. Water War Talks Extended 120 Days - Last week, negotiators from Alabama, Georgia and Florida officially agreed to extend their water compact negotiations for the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) and Apalalchicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river basins. The extra time will actually amount to an extension of 60 days for negotiations and an additional 60 days for public comment upon any agreement that may be made between the states.

Alabama, Georgia and Florida are considering a formula for sharing water that flows between the states. The decisions made during these talks will determine the environmental future of the basins. For more information about this very important issue, contact the Alabama Rivers Alliance at 205-322-6395.

3. Recycle the Spirit! Recycle Your Christmas Tree at Bruno's - Since the early 90's Alabama Power and Bruno's have organized a statewide Christmas tree recycling project called "Recycle the Spirit". This holiday season 45 Bruno stores (this includes Food World, Food Max, and Food Fair) across Alabama are accepting trees. Here are Alabama cities where stores are taking the trees: Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Anniston, Jasper, Tallassee, Clanton, Eufaula, Fayette, Selma, Auburn, Enterprise, Pell City, Dothan, Gadsden and Oxford.

This program prevents thousands of trees from needlessly going into the local landfill. Recycled trees will be used as landscaping mulch and fish habitat for Alabama Power lakes. Additional sponsors of this project include: the Alabama Environmental Council, B. A. S. S., BFI, Boy Scouts of America and Superior Waste. This is a great public and environmental service provided by Bruno's and Alabama Power. The last day to recycle your Christmas tree is January 8, 2000.

4. Statewide Asthma Summit to be Held - According to the American Lung Association and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, more than 280,500 Alabamians have a prevalence of asthma. Of that number more than 81,000 pediatric cases have been identified.

On January 21st the American Lung Association of Alabama (ALAA) is sponsoring a statewide Asthma Summit in Montgomery. Ozone air pollution is considered one of the "triggers" for asthma attacks. For activists who care about clean air, this is an important conference. The registration deadline is January 7th. For more information and registration details call the ALAA at
205-933-8821.

5. Auburn's Weaver Lecture Series: Tree Rings and Forests Ecosystems - Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Weaver Lecture Series will be holding a fascinating presentation on "Tree Rings and Forest Ecosystems" by Dr. Thomas W. Swetnam, director of the Laboratory of Tree Ring Research at the University of Arizona. The lecture is scheduled for January 20th - 3:30 at the Dixon Conference Center on the Auburn campus.

The lecture will center on dendrochronlogy, the study of past and current environments and cultures using tree rings. For more information about the Weaver Lecture Series and the "Tree Rings" lecture contact Dr. Mark Dubois at: dubois@forestry.auburn.edu

6. New Enviro Websites - During the holiday break I received news of two new informative websites. Please take a look at these two sites.

Birmingham Botanical Gardens - http://www.bbgardens.org - This site will provide you with the BBG's ambitious schedule of events and educational activities. It is a very impressive site.

Bicycle Site - http://www.connection.com/~regan/ - Ever wanted to know great facts about bicycling and the need for transportation alternatives? This Canadian site has some great tips and facts about why we should be calling for more bike lanes and greenways.

Please share BEN with friends and fellow conservationists. If you have any questions or comments about this publication, contact Pat Byington, the author and publisher of BEN at 205-226-7739 or pkbyington@aol.com We also encourage readers to visit our website at : http://www.BamaNews.com