[LWV] League of Women Voters®
of La Plata County

Environment

the environment as it affects life in La Plata County

Upcoming Events.  Colorado News.  Letters.  Pending Positions.  Past Events.  References.

Upcoming Events

*The San Juan Mountains Association, a non-profit education support partner for the San Juan National Forest and BLM, will be sponsoring an Ecology Field Seminar Series on Saturdays June 14, August 2 and August 14. For more info, click SJMA
---------------------

Colorado News

*5/28/08 Denver Post, Energy laws aim to help homeowners Winter heating bills look tough for the poor By Joe Hanel Herald Denver Bureau Gov. Bill Ritter signed a batch of bills Tuesday that build on his signature issue of renewable energy.
The new laws attempt to let ordinary homeowners join in what Ritter calls the 'New En­ergy Economy.' To read more about these bills, click new energy economy


*4/10/08 By Joe Hanel, Herald Denver Bureau: Bill requires proof of water supplies The House approved House Bill 1141, which requires developers to prove they have adequate water supplies before city councils give their approvals to build.
to read the complete report, click DH4-10-08


*3/20/08 Durango Herald by Dale Rodebaugh: Local company takes on greenhouse gases- There's a new, local player in the carbon-offset game. To read about this Durango company, click DH3-20


*1/16/2008 Durango Herald Governor Ritter has picked a high-profile environmentalist for a 4-year term on the CO Public Utilities Commission. To read the article, click DH1-16-08

---------------------

Letters from our members

Letter to Senator Ken Salazar August 16 regarding the Desert Rock Energy Project, 2007
Letter to La Plata Board of County Commissioners August 23 regarding the land Use Code, 2007
Letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs September 12 regarding the Desert Rock Energy Project, 2007
---------------------

Pending Local Positions

Desert Rock Energy Project - proposed 9/11/2007


If you would like to comment on this subject directly to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, write to Harrilene Yazzie, Regional NEPA Coordinator, Navajo Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, P.O. Box 1060, Gallup, New Mexico 87305. Comments must be received by 4 p.m. October 9. In addition, we may send comments by e-mail to the project Web site, http://www.desertrockenergy.com, or to the BIA contractor's e-mail account for this project, desertrockEIS@urscorp.com. The BIA asks that comment writers please include the caption, `'Desert Rock Energy Project DEIS Comments," at the top of your letter or in the subject line of your e-mail message.

---------------------

Past Events

*LWV of La Plata members attended an informative tour of the Animas/La Plata Water Project on April 16. Click ALP to view some of our "hardhat crew"


*to read the remarks of Jack Rogers, Public Works Director for the City of Durango, from the Water Forum held March 19, click Rogers


*3/19/2008: Are you confused by water issues in Durango and La Plata County?
The League of Women Voters of La Plata County invites you to meet with local water experts on Wednesday, March 19 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM at Christ the King Church, 495 Florida Road. Hear Jack Rogers, Public Works Director for the City of Durango and Peter Butler, Chairman of the La Plata County Water Advisory Board and past member of the State Water Quality Control Commission speak on topics from proposed water districts to river basin sharing to potential impacts of climate change.
Remember to bring your questions!
for a copy of the flier, click 3-19-08

The following links are provided as references for the Water Forum
---------------------

References

*6/6/08 Dow Jones Newswires, US Climate-Change Bill Suffers Defeat In US Senate Record-high gasoline prices played into the hands of climate-change bill opponents on Friday, helping to defeat a sweeping U.S. Senate plan to drastically cut U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions and limit the effects of climate change.
The 48-36 vote in the U.S. Senate was 12 short of the number needed to bring debate to a close and vote on the bill. Democrats from oil and manufacturing states joined 32 Republicans to oppose going forward with the legislation by Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and John Warner, R-Va. To view the entire article, click climate change


*USDA: Climate change affects crops, livestock, water `Impacts are pervasive right now', Denver Post, 5/28/08 By Judith Kohler Associated Press Writer, for the complete article, click USDA5-28-08, Click U.S.Climate Change Science report for the complete report.


*3/20/08 Durango Herald, Chuck Slothower: Desert Rock sues the EPA-The developers of the proposed Desert Rock power plant have filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency seeking to force the federal regulator to issue a long-delayed air permit. To read the article, click DH3-20


*1/18/08 ECOS Consulting has recently completed a report on ways the Navajo Nation could obtain more permanent jobs and produce more energy using renewable resources than by constructing the Desert Rock Energy Project. To view the report (size 4.3mb), click Energy and Economic Alternatives to DREP

*11/11/07 Durango Herald Can't Stand the Heat Global-warming naysayers won't face proven facts, Author Richard E. White

Comments, suggestions, questions? Contact our webmaster. Last revised: July 16, 2008 14:34 PDT.

© Copyright League of Women Voters of La Plata County, Colorado. All rights reserved.