Town Meeting: Sudbury Votes on Pot Businesses, Plastic Bags, Bottled Water, Budgets, More.
SUDBURY, MA — Sudbury’s voters will make decisions on funding for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, whether or not to establish a moratorium on marijuana business in town, sidewalk improvements, purchases for the fire department, as well as approve budgets for the town and the school, at Town Meeting and Special Town Meeting this week.
The town will also decide whether to implement bylaws that affect the use of plastic bags and the regulation and sale of bottled water.
And that’s just a smattering.
View the full warrant, which includes 36 articles, with arguments for and against each, and a full financial budget proposals for the town, schools and other municipal departments.
Town Meeting takes place on Monday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Lincoln- Sudbury Regional High School.
The Special Town Election is also taking place on Tuesday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.
View the full warrant, and special town election information, here.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/News

That’s the odd question that popped into my mind when I read about a controversy in New Zealand.
The Kiwis I met were all happy to tell me their country is beautiful because the environment and sustainability are a priority for both the people and the government.
Does the water cycle waste water?
This is part of a quote from Bruce Lisbet, managing director for Alpine Pure: We’ve had a lot of interest in this proposal from overseas companies, and a couple of times we’ve started chilling the champagne.
Pristine water has been falling on the Southern Alps for a million years, and it would usually be wasted by flowing directly out to sea.
His statement got me wondering: how exactly is rain water that flows out to sea wasted?
It’s part of the water cycle, and it’s an integral part of the earth’s natural rhythm.
Bottled water consumption is on the rise This particular fight is happening in New Zealand, but this is an issue for all of us.
Here in the U.S. last year, bottled water consumption overtook soda consumption for the first time ever, according to CBS News.
Those who live in Flint, Michigan, for instance, have a good reason to choose bottled water.

WATER ADVISORY: County urges bottled water for towns Onalaska and Holland.
A water advisory is in effect for the Town of Onalsaka and the Town of Holland.
Residents in those towns are urged to use bottled water and test their wells for nitrates.
Women pregnant or trying to do so, along with infants under six months are highly urged to use bottled water.
"We’re finding levels of nitrates that are higher than the recommended standard and we’re also finding the presence of bacteria, especially ecoli, which is concerning for health," La Crosse County health director Jen Rombalski said, adding that an audit of a state run program led them to more closely inspect levels of private wells.
An audit of the Wisconsin Pollution and Discharge Elimination System led La Crosse County officials to investigate.
The bacteria and e-coli found in the tests affect health for everyone and could cause gastrointestinal issues.
Public meetings will be held in both towns next week.
Water testing kits are available at the La Crosse County Health Department or at your local village/town hall or library.

Boil water alert issued for 3 Bergen County towns after tests show E. coli.
A boil water alert was issued for Ridgewood, Wyckoff and Glen Rock.
Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation until further notice.
Here’s what to do when your town has a boil water alert: DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.
Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.
Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term health effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.
* The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water.
If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.
People at increased risk should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking this water.

Fracked natural gas is dirtier than coal?
Yes.. Jan, a student in my environmental economics class, expanded on his blog post in his class paper [pdf] on the costs and benefits of hydraulic fracking of shale to free natural gas (aka, methane).
This result is driven by the far stronger impact of unburned (compared to burned) methane on climate change and the high cost of trying to control leaks in the many steps between the well and final user.
Given that 1,000 cubic feet (MCF) of natural gas weighs 62 pounds and 1 MCF sells for about US$4 (C$5 or so), the simplest rule would be to, for example, close an open valve (cost = $0) that’s leaking more than 11,000 MCF per year as that’s worth about C$55,000.
Going back to that "open valve", we’re talking about a leak that would have a social cost of $277,000 (C$370,000), which is nearly 7 times higher than its market (lost opportunity to sell) cost.
Alberta’s regulator, in other words, is allowing far more leakage and venting based on private costs and benefits than it would if it used social actual costs and benefits.
This result doesn’t surprise me, since the regulator works for industry, but it should help you see how mismanaged the natural gas industry is.
(Don’t even get me started about "voluntary data reporting" etc.!)
Bottom line: Years ago I suggested that the natural gas/fracking industry should "take the high road" to setting tough regulatory and performance standards as that would allow them to make greater profits and keep the public on their side.
They have failed to do this in a rush to make profits… and hasten climate change.

3 AACo schools to get bottled water due to iron in water system.
Bottled water stations are being installed in three Anne Arundel County schools after efforts to flush iron out of the water system didn’t meet federal EPA standards.
School superintendent George Arlotto sent a letter to parents last week, saying officials have been “conducting a campaign to more aggressively flush water” through pipes at Chesapeake High School, Chesapeake Bay Middle School and Bodkin Elementary School for several weeks.
While Arlotto said progress is being made, data showed iron levels exceeded federal and state standards for six out of 12 days of testing at Chesapeake Bay Middle School, and just one day at the two others.
The water is safe to drink, Arlotto said, but the presence of iron creates a “rusty color, sediment, metallic taste, and reddish or orange staining.” Parents have complained that students and staff are refusing to drink the discolored water, which is provided by well water.
They’ve even started a Change.org petition garnering 894 signatures to date.
Arlotto said the bottled water stations are a temporary solution, and are scheduled to be installed at all three schools just after spring break.

The Flint water crisis, precipitated by the Republican state government’s penny wise and pound foolish money “saving” strategy, has left behind years of damage not just to the city’s lead pipes, but to the lives of its residents.
Now that a lawsuit brought by several organizations including the ACLU of Michigan, Concerned Pastors for Social Action, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, as well as Flint resident Melissa Mays, has been settled, there may be a modicum of progress towards making Flint whole again.
It mandates the replacement of 18,000 lead and galvanized steel service lines that the corrosive Flint River water damaged, causing lead to leach into residents’ drinking water.
The settlement legally binds the State of Michigan to lay out $87 million to pay for the new lines along with an extra $10 million in case there are unexpected expenses, and aren’t there always?
Remember, this $97 million is a cost that could have been avoided entirely if Flint’s emergency manager had decided to stick with water piped in from Detroit, like the residents wanted.
Also required by the settlement, the State must test the water before and after the service line replacements, as well as contract with a third party (approved by both sides) to test the water in 100 homes for three years afterward.
Unfortunately, the settlement allows the State to gradually close distribution points where Flint residents have been able to pick up cases of bottled water for their families.
Not every Flint resident is able to pick up bottled water, whether it’s because their work hours don’t allow them to stop at the distribution centers while they’re open, or because they are disabled or don’t have appropriate transportation and can’t lug multiple 8-pound gallons of water however-many miles home.
These folks have been able to have water delivered within 24 hours by calling an emergency number, but even these deliveries may cease if tests show the level of lead has been reduced below the federal action level of 15 ppb.
Michigan Politicians ADMIT Flint Water Not Safe W/ Filter, by TYT Politics The State is expected to maintain a staff for education and outreach to make sure Flint residents know how to use their water filters and when to replace them.

Anne Arundel school officials put bottled water in 3 well-water schools.
Anne Arundel County school officials will pay for bottled water at three public schools after efforts to flush iron and mineral buildup from the water supply did not work.
About a month ago, parents began organizing the community to demand school officials make the water clear at Bodkin Elementary School, Chesapeake Bay Middle School and Chesapeake High School in Pasadena.
School officials reported improvements in a March 24 letter to parents.
School staff are figuring out long-term solutions such as replacing pipes or using additives to treat the water and pipes.
Bodkin Elementary, Chesapeake Bay Middle, and Chesapeake High are three of 20 county school buildings on well water.
Water test results from November to February in the three schools show iron levels as high as 3.32 milligram per liter, the results from a test conducted on Dec. 5 at Chesapeake Bay Middle, state data shows.
In March, the iron levels were above the EPA suggested level at Chesapeake Bay Middle School in six of the 12 tested days.
At Chesapeake High and Bodkin Elementary, only one of the 12 tested days showed levels higher than the EPA standard.
Parents who have insisted on bottled water for the three schools welcomed Arlotto’s letter.

This country lowered its hygiene test standards so 75 bottled water makers could pass.
Image: Shutterstock / Tarasyuk Igor You might want to be careful the next time you reach for a bottle of water in Myanmar.
Some 70 drinking water brands were granted brand licenses despite failing FDA-administered tests, after the government decided it was easier to lower test standards than for the brands to improve the quality of their water.
All water brands in Myanmar were previously required to contain less than 100 colonies per millilitre — the same standard used in places like the US and EU.
However, several of the brands that failed had over 300 colonies per millilitre.
"In U.S. and the E.U., the standard is 100 bacterial colonies.
Our standard was also [set at that level] but that was apparently too high for domestic brands," FDA director-general Dr Than Htut told news outlet Eleven.
Dr Htut added that the country "still won’t approve any brands whose drinking water contains coliform bacteria, including E.coli".
The FDA declined to reveal the brands that initially failed the microbial test.
Clean water is one of Myanmar’s biggest problems — in a country where it is unsafe to drink tap water, many still draw water from unprotected wells as they cannot afford or have no access to bottled water.

Commemorative Obama Bottled Water Celebrates the Legacy of the First African American to Have Served as President.
— Perfect for collectors of American history memorabilia — Nationwide — Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States and the 1st African American to have served as President – his legacy and history-making Presidency have been commemorated by way of a 13″ tall, sleek 750ml bottle of Natural Spring Water.
This bottle of elegantly branded Bottled Water is not a beverage but a keepsake for years to come and something to pass down through the generations of the first African American President of the United States and the First Family.
Options include a beautiful and tasteful picture of America’s First President of Color emblazoned on the bottle with a red, white and blue background.
There is also the Family option showing the President standing proudly with his wife and two daughters under the Cherry Blossoms of Washington D.C. Collectors of American History have the option to collect individual bottles or by the Commemorative Pack including one of each style – perfect for the true collector!
For more details and/or to place an order, visit www.BuyObamaWater.com About PLWC – Premier Label Water Co Aqua Resource, Inc. dba.
Premier Label Water Company (PLWC) (www.PLWC.net), is a Black woman-owned business that was founded in 1992 by a husband and wife team.
They are a leader in the private label bottled water industry.
They have created a network of bottling facilities throughout the U.S. and are proud of their ability to achieve excellent pricing, on-time delivery, and outstanding customer service.
Robert Nejman Aqua Resource PLWC sales@plwc.net 888-628-0798