For two years now, Maharashtra’s pollution control agency did not use 80% of the funds given to it to reduce air, water and noise pollution, HT has found For two years now, Maharashtra’s pollution control agency did not use 80% of the funds given to it to reduce air, water and noise pollution, HT has found.
In 2015-16, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) got Rs393.8 crore from the government; it spent only Rs68.26 crore.
While the MPCB has funds at its disposal, Mumbai continues to face a number of pollution problems, including overflowing dumping grounds, increasing pollution in the air we breathe, rising noise levels and heavily polluted water along our coast.
“Earlier, money was being spent on projects such as the National Water and Air Quality Monitoring programmes.
Not only is the MPCB not using funds allotted to it, it is also struggling to fill vacant posts, especially that of scientific officers.
‘We have an action plan ready’ P Anbalagan, member secretary of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) spoke to Hindustan Times and cleared the air on the current condition of the state pollution board, the problems being faced by them and the future plans to mitigate air, noise and water pollution.
Earlier money was being spent on various projects like National Water and Air Quality Monitoring programmes.
The plan is to go up to 900 posts.
The work order has been issued for 11 air quality monitoring stations for Mumbai – all the way from Colaba to Dahisar.
We are also setting similar air quality monitoring stations at Pune, Navi Mumbai and we are getting additional seven air quality monitoring stations from the central government at various areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region including Vasai, Virar, Palghar, Dombivali etc.

Dothan City Commission Agenda for May 16, 2017.
The Dothan City Commission will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16, at the Dothan Opera House.
Establishing the hours for which the polls will be open for voting in the Municipal Election to be held on Aug. 1, and the Run-Off Election, if necessary, to be held on Sept. 12.
Entering into a Ground Lease Agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of the Wiregrass for lease of property at 402 Sonesta Street (Young Junior Park).
2-1, Depositories for City funds designated; treasurer required to deposit all City funds therein, of the City of Dothan Code of Ordinances by adding Ameris Bank, Dothan, Alabama as a depository.
Amending Chapter 94, Taxation, Division 4, Sales and Use Tax Exemption, Sec.
82, Exempted from paying city sales and use tax of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Dothan (changing date for back-to-school purchases to period beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the third Friday in July of each year and ending at twelve midnight the following Sunday).
Declaring certain properties which are overgrown with weeds, scrub, wild bushes, grass and other vegetable growth as injurious to the health, safety and welfare of the community as nuisances and calling for a public hearing to be held on the matter during the regularly scheduled commission meeting on June 20.
Awarding the bid, entering into a contract, and issuing a Notice to Proceed, and other related documents to Construction Labor Services, Inc. for Selective Weed Control for Sewer and Electric Utility Lines Maintenance-of-Way for the sum of $38,116.60.
Acceptance of a temporary construction easement from Sharon Ann Watford Baxter for replacing sewer main and sewer lines on South Oates Street (Highway 231 South).

Merrimack River: MRWC wants CSO annoucements.
TEWKSBURY — The Merrimack River provides five cities and 600,000 residents in New Hampshire and Massachusetts with drinking water; it also collects sewage from treatment plants that do not have any obligation to inform anyone when they dump the combination of polluted rainwater runoff and raw sewage into the river.
“The Merrimack water isn’t clean; it has to be treated to be drinking water for Lowell, Lawrence, Andover, and other towns on the Merrimack.
Then, the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, which allowed the water from the combined source systems to be taken into sewage treatment plants.
“When it rains heavily, the sewage treatment plant can’t handle the amount of flow, so the proprietors have built an overflow valve that allows the sewage system to dump directly into the river.
The sewage system that is part of these cities (Manchester, Nashua, Lawrence, Lowell, and Haverhill) overflows into the Merrimack.” The concern for Russell and others at the MRWC is the number of people relying on the Merrimack River for drinking water.
“I’m not saying that the water is polluted, but it’s more at risk than other water systems.” “Some sewer systems allow people to sign up for an email list, so I get a notice from Haverhill at some point after there’s been a CSO,” said Russell.
The public doesn’t have a right to know.” His next step, after being a concerned citizen, is bringing more attention to Senate Bill 448.
Haverhill’s 2016 CSO report says that their combined sewage discharged into the Merrimack did not receive any treatment.
According to the MRWC, almost all of the 600,000 people drinking from the Merrimack live below at least one of the sewage treatment plants that release untreated combined sewage and runoff.

Hello valley gardeners!
The abundant rain this past winter had great impact on the volume and quality of blooms.
A minor pruning to remove old blooms will reset the cycle of blooming.
Continue shaping the bush for best production by pruning the cane to an outward facing bud.
As I always say, organics are much better for your soil, your garden and the environment.
One must cover up bare body parts when applying chemical treatments for disease or pests.
I prefer composted mulch, not course wood forest products, applied to a depth of four inches.
Some roses are now being grown in our area that are grafted onto Fortuniana root stock, and these roses have a different root habit – their root systems are shallower but also broader, so watering is best done covering the entire bedding area verses the local zone for Dr Huey grafted roses.
Use of organic fertilizer will eventually save you money as in time less is needed as it will improve the soil components instead of reducing the elements, especially if you also add three to four inches of composted mulch every two to three years.
I have grown many varieties of roses in my gardens.

Huntington to discuss principal post.
CHILLICOTHE – The Huntington Local Schools Board of Education is scheduled to discuss the high school principal’s position during its Monday meeting.
According to the agenda, a limited contract for a high school principal is to be voted on when the board convenes at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the middle school media center.
Other items on the Huntington agenda include approval of the five-year forecast, approval of this year’s list of high school graduates, approval of several supplemental and pupil activity contracts and several other personnel items.
The board will meet at 9:15 a.m. on a property appraisal of the former youth detention facility, then at 10 a.m. will open quotes for the repair or replacement of five existing home sewage disposal systems under the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund.
At 11 a.m., commissioners will attend the Community Advisory Panel meeting at the Mighty Children’s Museum.
Meetings of the commission are open to the public, and a public comment section will appear on the agenda.
Other agenda items include approval of the five-year forecast, approval of summer school courses, and approval of several teaching contracts.
The second will be at noon Wednesday and will involve certifying the results of the May 3 election, campaign finance pre-special reports and director and deputy reports.
•The Adena Local Schools Board of Education will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in room 106 of the Vo-Ag building.

OSM still reviewing Caperton’s financial disclosure for DEP.
Caperton, a lawyer and a mining engineer, filed two separate financial disclosures with Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, each listing different financial interests or business holdings.
Caperton marked that he was a consultant to the company and received a retainer.
Caperton also marked on the form that none of the financial interests he listed “represents an interest in an underground or surface coal mining operation.” Then, on Feb. 6, Caperton filed a second OSM 23 form with the federal agency.
The OSM blacked out the part of the form that described his interest in the company, but a separate blank on the form listed the nature of his employment or financial interest as “salary.” Caperton again marked that none of the financial interests he listed “represents an interest in an underground or surface coal mining operation.” Two days after filing his second financial disclosure with the OSM — and more than a week after the state’s legal deadline — Caperton filed a required financial disclosure Feb. 8 with West Virginia’s state Ethics Commission.
On his Ethics Commission form, Caperton reported at least 20 percent of his income last year came from the mining equipment sector.
Under DEP’s water pollution rules, the agency secretary cannot be someone who receives or has received during the previous two years a significant portion of income directly or indirectly from permit holders or applicants for permits.
Urtso said that Caperton also assisted last year when A.L.
Urtso is continuing to work with Strata as a consultant.
It’s important that you look the part like we do in the military.” Justice has caused a stir with repeated comments about the way he believes DEP inspectors dress, saying they wear “T-shirts and old jeans” or “show up in a tank top and flip-flops.” Urtso said that when he spoke with Caperton prior to the DEP training event, Caperton told him he had not seen any problems with the way DEP inspectors dress on the job.

May 3, 2017 Webinar: WASH Counts in Healthcare Facilities!.
To learn how WASH can prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections, join Medentech and the Global Handwashing Partnership on May 3 at 10 am EST for a webinar observing Hand Hygiene Day (May 5).
During this webinar, experts will share information on how to improve WASH in HCFs, including: The World Health Organization (WHO) will share an update from the WHO/UNICEF Global Action Plan on WASH in HCF; USAID’s Maternal & Child Program (MCSP) will discuss how WASH underpins quality of care and contributes to health systems strengthening effort, as well as the Clean Clinic Approach, a WASH program that empowers HCFs to become clean, safe, and desirable; The Beninese Association for Social Marketing (Association Béninoise pour le Marketing Social (ABMS), a member of the PSI network) will provide an overview of how it supports HCFs in Benin to improve hygiene and make services safer for patients; Medentech will share lessons learned from its work in infection prevention across the world and offer some tools for continued hygiene improvement in healthcare clinics globally.
Presenters will also share links to educational resources and tools during the webinar.
We look forward to having you join us on May 3 at 10 am EST!
Please register here: bit.ly/WASHinHCF.

In this six-part series, we are discovering what sustainability on Michigan farms means, looking at examples of how farms are demonstrating that sustainability, and how the Michigan State University Extension is working with producers to become even more sustainable.
As a reminder, the definition that is used by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program for sustainable agriculture is: “Sustainable agriculture is defined as an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term: satisfy human food and fiber needs, enhance environmental quality and the natural resources base upon which the agricultural economy depends, make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls, sustain the economic viability of farm operations, enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.” This third article’s specific topic is “Enhancing environmental quality and the natural resources base upon which the agricultural economy depends.” Although enhancing our environmental quality and natural resource base may seem difficult, it nonetheless is critical for agriculture and for our communities that rely on the food that agriculture produces.
But without an enhanced environmental quality and natural resource base, those gains will be short lived.
Michigan farmers continue to make improvements in this area, including being involved in voluntary programs such as the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP).
So what does MSU Extension do to help support sustainability in this area of “Enhancing environmental quality and the natural resources base upon which the agricultural economy depends?” One example is how MSU Extension is working with farms to fully account for the nutrients that manure brings to the soil, and also the utilizing those nutrients to the greatest benefit of crops through proper timing of spreading.
When is the best time to spread manure for optimal crop production and minimize environmental losses?
The right timing depends on the manure-handling system, cropping system, field conditions, weather forecasts, time and labor available, volume of manure in the pit and many other factors.
The best answer is to know the risk factors during the time of manure application and minimize those risks while optimizing crop production with those additional manure nutrients.
To help solve this complex scenario, a new tool is available for Michigan livestock producers to use when making decisions on when and where to spread manure.
The Michigan State University EnviroImpact Tool is part of the Michigan Manure Management Advisory System that was been developed through a partnership between National Weather Service/NOAA, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD), Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), MSU Institute of Water Research, Michigan Sea Grant and MSU Extension.

Town of Lewiston: Water, water, everywhere.
WWTP administrator discusses recent sewer back-ups Editor-in-Chief Following last week’s deluge of rains, there was water, water everywhere – much of it in residents’ basements – Lewiston wastewater treatment plant administrator Jeff Ritter told Supervisor Steve Broderick and the Lewiston Town Board meeting on Monday.
He told board members that, normally by this time of the year, Lewiston typically averages 6.6 inches of rain.
"It’s an all-time record for the treatment plant for the first five months of the year," Ritter said.
"The treatment plant can only pump the water as fast as it can get there," he continued.
"And there are several irate homeowners who blame the town when there is flooding."
Ritter said adding a half-dozen or more illegal sump pump hook-ups to the sanitary sewer "would definitely help surcharge the system."
They will essentially drain their lawn to the town’s sanitary sewer system, he said.
He told the board his department "responded to every call with a sewer backup."
The hearing was left open, with Town Board action expected at the May 22 session.

In fact, the process is sometimes dubbed “toilet to tap.” That’s a phrase the people at Pure Water Monterey quickly dismiss when talking about the new advanced water purification facility being built in Marina.
Other water recycling plants, like the ones in Orange County and Phoenix, Arizona, only use waste water.
Right next to where the plant will be built in Marina, there is currently a demonstration plant.
“We’re just trying to show people what is coming to the area,” says McCullough.
"So the ozone starts breaking down the molecules whether it’s bacteria, organics, things like that into smaller pieces," says McCullough.
McCullough ends every tour with an offer to drink the water now.
“We view this project as a very good step forward in providing what I call water security in the total portfolio,” says Dr. Wolff.
CalAm will buy this water for its Monterey Peninsula customers.
Dave Stoldt of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District says creating new sources of water is essentially for the Monterey Bay Area, which in the context of the state water system, is considered an orphan.
So you are really down to looking at recycling and desalination,” says Stoldt.