The Boondocks blog, No. 20 for the week starting March 19, 2007.
Monday
Don Hassig is Back, And Now In Plattsburgh
Thursday
Justice Teresi Says Rational Basis to DEC ATV Decision
Energy looks at high energy prices and our future.
Enviroman looks at man and the environment.
Hayseeds looks at politics and life in our nation.
Individual looks at myself and how I'm changing
Outblog is all about my outdoor experiences.
Transit looks at the changing ways we get around.
Truck gives you stories and trips in my Ford Ranger.
Don Hassig is Back, And Now In Plattsburgh. Our friend over at his own little organization, Cancer Action Network, traveled to Plattsburgh the other week to hold a press conference on why burn barrels are bad for the environment and the alike. From his face, you'd think that he himself has spent too much time breathing in plastic smoke.
At any rate, he says that cancer is up in Clinton County compared to other counties:
"But we can say we do know what some of the carcinogens are that people come into contact with regularly, and we can educate the public on what kind of exposures they do have some control over."
Hassig was in Plattsburgh Tuesday to acknowledge an increase in the number of cancer cases in Clinton County when compared to New York state numbers. He also announced some activities his group is promoting for better cancer awareness within communities.
I'm sure it's not because of more people burning trash or that the trash is more toxic in Clinton County then let's say Franklin County or Washington County. If anything, dioxins are down in that county like most others, because most non-agricultural and rural residential sources of dioxin are highly regulated—and are 1/10 of what they were 15 years ago.
More cancer is largely due to people getting older, as many studies have shown. Cancer rates would be a lot higher did we not have such good treatments, and such good controls on major polluters. We could do better, as we continue to bathe ourselves in all kinds of toxic chemicals, but that will require more refining of our manufacturing processes and rethinking how we do things in society. P'Link
Justice Teresi Says Rational Basis to DEC ATV Decision. In short the ever so controversial Justice Joesph Teresi made famous by the Diallo case has now released a ruling on EnCon's decision to close to trails in the Adirondacks.
In short, Teresi ruled that the DEC had a "rational basis" for it's policy choice in banning ATVs from certain forest roads in the Adirondacks that were previously open. That is (maybe unfortunately) the modern standard for any government policy.
He also ruled that the proposed regulation was not contrary to any laws of the state of New York. That's not surprising at all as the DEC is confused at best when it comes to ATVs as the State Law is confused to say the least. It's difficult to get anything done when you have a lobby so opposed to anything with them, that they won't even let you talk about trails.
Pete Grannis on ATVs. It related news was the Senate Hearing on Pete Grannis' confirmation to be commissioner of DEC. He made a few remarks about ATVs in the Park.
Earlier in the hearing, Grannis said ATVs rip up forest land when operators stray off designated ATV trails.
"I've seen the damage with misuse of these vehicles," he said.
Grannis said he would support a revision of the department's Adirondack Park open space master plan, provided the Legislature appropriates adequate funding for the process.
"It's long overdue," he said.
His confirmation has been put off for now it would appear. P'Link
Copyright ©1999-2008 Andy Arthur.
All mistakes are intentional or otherwise.
Mind where you step in a cow pasture or legal mindfield.