Staff Reporter

City Council Watch: Not In My Arm

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Published March 22nd, 2022 at 11:21 am

Meeting in person for the first time in two years, Albuquerque City Councilors took up taking care of the city’s business–well, sort of.

Not In My Arm

There never has been a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city employees yet the Council voted 5-4 to make sure there will never be a mandate. Councilor Dan Lewis continued his posturing with this measure by saying that this will give city employees peace of mind that they don’t have to make a decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine or lose their jobs. He said this was “a good fit” for frontline workers. It seems he means it is a good fit for those with hands-on the public not to be vaccinated against a highly contagious and deadly virus.

The hoopla came about when Mayor Tim Keller talked about a” vaccine or test policy” to comply with OSHA rules, but it was not implemented. Councilor Isaac Benton tried to be a peacemaker and introduced a measure that would have required only public safety employees to submit proof of vaccination or negative test results. He withdrew it saying he did not have the support to move forward with it. Those voting against this unnecessary bill said that the city should not give up its ability to regulate its public safety workforce against pandemic situations. Several Councilors who voted in favor of this measure said they think everyone should be vaccinated but support personal choice to be vaccinated or not. High five to Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn who was the only one visible in the council chambers wearing a mask.

Veto This

Mayor Tim Keller used his veto power and won. At the last meeting, the Council passed a bill that revokes what a mayor can do during a public health crisis. This bill limited the mayor’s authority to order places to close, cancel city events and reallocate up to $1 million within the city’s budget. A mayor would only be able to make advisory decisions and recommendations. Councilor Lewis was not able to come up with the six votes to override the veto.

Mayor Keller said in his veto message that the emergency powers allowed the city’s administrations to protect the city’s residents and employees by being able to quickly respond to the pandemic.

It’s worth mentioning the disrespectful way Councilor Lewis addressed Chief Administrative Officer Sarita Nair during the meeting. It seems Councilor Lewis has an axe to grind with this administration and this disrespect is a disservice to the citizens.

Smoke Here?

It’s no fooling, on April 1 recreational marijuana sales will start. Smoking cannabis in public is illegal under state law. The Albuquerque Clean Indoor Air Act is at issue. This act controls where tobacco is smoked in public. Councilors debated, then deferred, a bill that would possibly allow police officers to enforce this law in regards to marijuana. Councilor Fiebelkorn was the voice of reason saying there is already a state law that makes consuming marijuana in public illegal and therefore no need to duplicate. Councilor Louie Sanchez, who had to remind everyone that he is a retired APD cop, said this was about safety and doing the right thing. He spoke about what would happen if a child, or a police officer, walks by and a puff of marijuana smoke drifts into their face.

Councilor Klarissa Peña said these types of laws target people of color. She said she wished laws were fair for everybody. Councilor Sanchez went on the defensive and said in his 26 years on the force he never saw any officer do anything to target people of color. Councilor Brook Bassan said she is not a fan of duplicating laws and asked what the urgency was.

The bill will be back at the April 4 meeting for more debate and posturing.

Quick Hits

-Among the items deferred was a bill to rescind the 1/8th of one percent Hold Harmless Gross Receipts Tax and dedicate 60 percent of the revenues for public safety and 40% used for addressing homelessness.

-Councilors approved establishing an Albuquerque Tourism Marketing District which is a business improvement district aimed at expanding marketing and destination development to support and increase travel tourism for lodging businesses.

-Two projects received Local Economic Development Act funding. Aspen and Autumn, LLC, a food and beverage distributor, received $750,000 in state LEDA funds and $250,000 from the city’s LEDA funds. Pajarito Power received $275,000 from the state and $25,000 from the city’s LEDA coffer.

-Public comment centered around the plastic bag ban that the Council did away with at the last meeting. Comments were encouraging the Mayor to veto the bill because plastic bags damage the environment in many ways. There were no plastic bags on the agenda this time but maybe the bag veto will be a showdown at the next meeting.

-Four people stepped up to take seats on the city’s boards and commissions. Raven Begay will sit on the Commission on American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs; Marc Limmany to the Airport Advisory Board; Jane L. McGuigan to the Cable, Internet and PEG Advisory Board and Christopher Maestas to the Information Services Committee.

The next meeting of the City Council is set for a live in-person meeting at 5 pm on April 4. Attend in person or watch it at GOV-TV at cabq.gov or on Comcast Cable Channel 16 or on the city’s YouTube channel.

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Feed the Children Celebrates World Water Day

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Nonprofit works with partners around the world to provide safe, clean water

OKLAHOMA CITY, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Many Americans take clean water for granted, but nearly one-third of people – nearly 2.2 billion – around the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. While groundwater only provides 25 percent of the fresh water used in the United States, around the world, 2.5 billion people depend solely on this underground resource to satisfy their daily drinking and domestic water needs.

That’s why Feed the Children is celebrating World Water Day in hope of bringing awareness to this critical issue. The nonprofit recognizes the importance of access to clean water and works with corporate and community partners around the world to help maintain access to this vital resource.

While groundwater is invisible, its impact is visible everywhere. More than 30 percent of all freshwater on Earth is groundwater. As climate change progresses, researchers believe groundwater will become more and more critical.

Last year, Feed the Children drilled more than 100 boreholes to increase access to safe drinking water for more than 250,000 households. Throughout the countries where it works, nearly 320,000 households gained access to safe drinking water in 2021 alone.

Aisha, an 11-year-old in Tanzania, has seen first-hand the importance of this resource. Her district, Kisarawe, has suffered land degradation due to deforestation because of the high demand for charcoal and timber in neighboring cities. These changes have made the land very dry, and water resources have become scarce.

Before Feed the Children installed water catchment tanks, young girls and women walked long distances to collect water. Now they can collect rainwater and treat it with purifiers to make sure it’s safe to drink.

“Water tanks and hand washing stations have been a big help to us because now we don’t have to walk for a long distance in search of water,” Aisha said. “Feed the Children provided water tanks and rain harvesting technology which help to store water for school use. We can now focus more on our studies.”

Feed the Children’s Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in communities across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, the Philippines, Tanzania and Uganda are crucial in protecting children and their families from the illnesses caused by waterborne diseases, which can often be fatal – especially for children under the age of five. The nonprofit focuses on improving access to safe and clean water for parents and children and encourages the adoption of WASH practices through child-focused community development programs.

With help from corporate partner P&G, the nonprofit distributed 4 million point-of-use water purification packets last year. These were used to help maintain access to clean, safe water in international communities where it isn’t always readily available.

In the U.S., Feed the Children works with partners such as Niagara Bottling to ensure families have access to clean water following both man-made and natural disasters. In 2021, Niagara Bottling donated nearly 4,000 tons of its bottled water to aid the nonprofit’s disaster relief efforts. Other partners who supply water for Feed the Children’s work in the U.S. include Nestle Waters, Hint Water, Safeway, Waiakea Water, CVS and Taste Nirvana.

While Feed the Children’s work to support vulnerable children and families continues, it cannot be done alone. To learn how you can help make a difference, visit feedthechildren.org.

About Feed the Children

At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in eight countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships. Every dollar given goes eight times as far to provide food, hope, dignity and comfort.

For more information, visit feedthechildren.org

SOURCE Feed the Children

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Houseplants: ‘Important’ to control pests ‘quickly’ – how to get rid of common problem

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Problems with houseplants typically arise because of the growing conditions they are living in. This could include too little or too much humidity as well as a fluctuation in the temperature. However, there are lots of steps that can be taken to get rid of common pests, as well as preventing them altogether.

For extra precaution, owners can also sterilise the area by rubbing it with alcohol.

The next step is to use natural soaps and detergents to disinfect the houseplant.

Essential Living said: “Now wash the infested plant with insecticidal soap, or you can use a mild liquid soap, as soap can kill houseplant bugs on contact.

“Some contain degreasers and detergents that can harm sensitive plants, therefore be careful with the type you choose.

Houseplants are more susceptible to pest infestations during the winter months due to the change in temperature.

This means going forward, long-term plant protection should be used to ensure the pests do not return.

Essential Living said: “Your plants should be fully disinfested by now, however, to make sure they can restore a healthy condition and avoid an infestation going forward, you can treat the plant with neem oil which works as a long-term indoor plant pest control and prevention.

“Alternatively, you could use horticultural oil or a hot pepper wax concentrate which can protect up to two weeks per spray.”

For flying tests, the experts advised using yellow sticky fly traps to capture and kill tiny bugs, this can prevent them from flying to nearby plants too.

For larger bugs, you can use a vacuum cleaner to suck them up, getting them under control as quickly as possible before they spread even more.

The experts added: “Just be careful not to vacuum your plants in the process!”

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Wearing shoes in the house is just plain gross: The verdict from scientists who study indoor contaminants

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

By Mark Patrick Taylor, Macquarie University and Gabriel Filippelli, IUPUI [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission]

You probably clean your shoes if you step in something muddy or disgusting (please pick up after your dog!). But when you get home, do you always de-shoe at the door?

Plenty of Australians don’t. For many, what you drag in on the bottom of your shoes is the last thing on the mind as one gets home.

We are environmental chemists who have spent a decade examining the indoor environment and the contaminants people are exposed to in their own homes. Although our examination of the indoor environment, via our DustSafe program, is far from complete, on the question of whether to shoe or de-shoe in the home, the science leans toward the latter.

It is best to leave your filth outside the door.

What contaminants are in your home, and how did they get there?

People spend up to 90% of their time indoors, so the question of whether or not to wear shoes in the house is not a trivial one.

The policy focus is typically on the outdoor environment for soil, air quality and environmental public health risks. However, there is growing regulatory interest in the question of indoor air quality.

The matter building up inside your home includes not just dust and dirt from people and pets shedding hair and skin.

About a third of it is from outside, either blown in or tramped in on those offensive shoe bottoms.

Some of the microorganisms present on shoes and floors are drug-resistant pathogens, including hospital-associated infectious agents (germs) that are very difficult to treat.

Add in cancer-causing toxins from asphalt road residue and endocrine-disrupting lawn chemicals, and you might view the filth on your shoes in a new light.

A roll-call of indoor nasties

Our work has involved the measurement and assessment of exposure to a range of harmful substances found inside homes including:

A strong focus of our work has involved assessing levels of potentially toxic metals (such as arsenic, cadmium and lead) inside homes across 35 nations (including Australia).

These contaminants – and most importantly the dangerous neurotoxin lead – are odourless and colourless. So there is no way of knowing whether the dangers of lead exposure are only in your soils or your water pipes, or if they are also on your living room floor.

The science suggests a very strong connection between the lead inside your home and that in your yard soil.

The most likely reason for this connection is dirt blown in from your yard or trodden in on your shoes, and on the furry paws of your adorable pets.

This connection speaks to the priority of making sure matter from your outdoor environment stays exactly there (we have tips here).

A recent Wall Street Journal article argued shoes in the home aren’t so bad. The author made the point that E. coli – dangerous bacteria that develop in the intestines of many mammals, including humans – is so widely distributed that it’s pretty much everywhere. So it should be no surprise it can be swabbed on shoe bottoms (96% of shoe bottoms, as the article pointed out).

But let’s be clear. Although it’s nice to be scientific and stick with the term E. coli, this stuff is, put more simply, the bacteria associated with poo.

Whether it is ours or Fido’s, it has the potential to make us very sick if we are exposed at high levels. And let’s face it – it is just plain gross.

Why walk it around inside your house if you have a very simple alternative – to take your shoes off at the door?

On balance, shoeless wins

So are there disadvantages to having a shoe-free household?

Beyond the occasional stubbed toe, from an environmental health standpoint there aren’t many downsides to having a shoe-free house. Leaving your shoes at the entry mat also leaves potentially harmful pathogens there as well.

We all know prevention is far better than treatment and taking shoes off at the door is a basic and easy prevention activity for many of us.

Need shoes for foot support? Easy – just have some “indoor shoes” that never get worn outside.

There remains the issue of the “sterile house syndrome,” which refers to increased rates of allergies among children. Some argue it’s related to overly sterile households.

Indeed, some dirt is probably beneficial as studies have indicated it helps develop your immune system and reduce allergy risk.

But there are better and less gross ways to do that than walking around inside with your filthy shoes on. Get outside, go for a bushwalk, enjoy the great outdoors.

Just don’t bring the muckier parts of it inside to build up and contaminate our homes.

Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, Macquarie University and Gabriel Filippelli, Chancellor’s Professor of Earth Sciences and Executive Director, Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute, IUPUI

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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CentraCare To Close South Point COVID Vaccination Clinic

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

ST. CLOUD — CentraCare plans to close its main COVID-19 vaccination site next month.

The last day for vaccinations at CentraCare’s South Point location will be April 15.

For the past year, South Point has been open for vaccinations by appointment or for walk-in at no cost.

Jessica Miller is CentraCare’s COVID Operations Manager. She says they were pleased to be able to offer easy access to the vaccine.

Throughout the COVID-19 health emergency, CentraCare was pleased to be able to offer our community this free and easy access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Since its opening, our team has administered more than 100,800 doses of the vaccine.

After April 15th, you’re asked to call 320-200-3200 to schedule a vaccine at a CentraCare clinic. These clinics will charge a nominal administration fee as they do for any type of vaccination.

CentraCare says the decision to close the vaccination site is due to the continued decline in case numbers across the state.

The South Point vaccination clinic opened January 18th, 2021. Its busiest week was the first week of March 2021, when the team administered 11,000 doses of the vaccine.

KEEP READING: See 25 natural ways to boost your immune system

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Substance use disorder awareness, fire and emergency medical services, overdose programmatic collaboration funding opportunities

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Now open for applications: Substance use disorder awareness, fire and emergency medical services, overdose programmatic collaboration funding opportunities

Appropriations March 22, 2022 | 9:20 AM

STATE PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS:

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Intermediate Punishment Treatment Programs (Funding Source: General Fund)

Who May Apply: Counties.
Use: To support restrictive conditions that are imposed as part of a county probation sentence, needed drug and alcohol-related services, and mental health treatment and supportive services for eligible individuals.
Funds: Varies by county.
Application Deadline: April 25, 2022
More Information: Click on https://egrants.pccd.pa.gov/Public/OpenAnnouncements.aspx.

Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs/Life Unites Us: Life Unites Us Community Award Grant Program (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Who May Apply: Non-profit organizations.
Use: To promote knowledge about substance use disorder (SUD) and reduce the stigma associated with addiction by sharing stories from individuals and family members living in recovery and broadcasting a message of hope throughout the state.
Funds: Awards range between $5,000 and $15,000.
Application Deadline: April 13, 2022
More Information: Click on https://lifeunitesus.com/grant.

Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner: Fire and Emergency Medical Services Loan Program (Funding Source: Fire and Emergency Medical Services Loan Fund)

Who May Apply: Fire and emergency medical services companies.
Use: To support the acquisition, rehabilitation, or improvement of apparatuses, facilities, and equipment.
Funds: Loan amounts range between $25,000 and $400,000.
Application Deadline: No Deadline Provided
More Information: Click on https://www.osfc.pa.gov/GrantsandLoans/FEMSLP/Pages/default.aspx.

Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner: Emergency Medical Services COVID-19 Recovery Grant Program (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Who May Apply: Eligible emergency medical services agencies. The eligible list of applicants is listed by county here.
Use: To support Pennsylvania’s emergency services agencies.
Funds: Amounts vary by award.
Application Deadline: April 10, 2022
More Information: Click on https://www.osfc.pa.gov/GrantsandLoans/Pages/EMS-COVID19-Recovery-Grant-Program.aspx.

Pennsylvania Department of Health/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) Program (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Who May Apply: Local agencies that are responding to the opioid epidemic.
Use: To improve collaboration and data-sharing between state and local agencies that are responding to the opioid epidemic.
Funds: Up to $10,000 per award.
Application Deadline: March 28, 2022
More Information: Click on https://dingo.telicon.com/PA/library/2022/2022031766.PDF.

UPCOMING APPLICATION DEADLINES:

PCCD Support for Student Mental Health Needs Program: March 28, 2022 (Funding Source: General Fund)

Nonprofit organizations, school districts, and other school entities. – To propose programming and other services to address youth mental health needs that have become apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CFA Business in Our Sites: March 31, 2022 (Funding Source: Business in Our Sites Program Account – Loan repayments)

Municipalities, redevelopment authorities, municipal authorities, industrial development authorities and private developers. – For the acquisition and development of key sites for future use by businesses, private developers, and others. Funds must be used on previously utilized or undeveloped sites which demonstrate substantial likelihood of future use after the property is made shovel ready. The program is designed to create an inventory of shovel-ready sites so projects must be speculative.

PCCD Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Local Initiatives Funding: March 31, 2022 (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Local units of government and non-profit organizations. – To implement projects and programs that directly address the PCCD Objectives and Goals outlined in PCCD’s 2021-2025 Strategic Framework.

PCCD 2022 Resource Center for Prevention Program: April 4, 2022 (Funding Source: General Fund)

Any institution of higher education, nonprofit agency, or for-profit organization. – To support Pennsylvania’s Resource Center for Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Programs and Practices (Resource Center).

PCCD Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Funds: April 5, 2022 (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Accredited state, county, or local Forensic Crime Laboratories or those laboratories that will achieve accreditation within two years of receiving an award. – To improve the quality and timeliness of forensic services with an emphasis on the opioid crisis throughout Pennsylvania.

PCCD Regional Policing Assistance Program: April 5, 2022 (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Any municipality – a city, borough, township, home-rule municipality, or county. Applicants may also be a public or quasi-public body, or its representative, duly authorized to act on behalf of one or more municipality. – To assist in the formation of new regional police departments or for the expansion of established regional police departments by adding an additional municipality(s).

DCNR Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2): April 6, 2022 (Funding Source: Multiple State and Federal Sources)

Counties, municipalities, municipal agencies, nonprofit organizations, state heritage areas, prequalified land trusts, for-profit enterprises (for some grant types). – Planning, acquisition, and development of public parks, pools, indoor recreation facilities, playgrounds, motorized and walking trails, river conservation and access, stream buffers, open space conservation, and regional and statewide partnerships.

CDC Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program: April 11, 2022 (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Non-profit organizations. – To establish and strengthen collaborations to support the efforts of community coalitions working to prevent and reduce substance use among youth by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance use and promote the factors that minimize the risk of substance use.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants: April 18, 2022 (Funding Source: General Fund)

Artists. – To investigate, document, present, sustain, and promote the folk and traditional art of Pennsylvania in order to celebrate diverse heritage.

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission State Wildlife Grant Program: April 22, 2022 (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Any agency, organization, or entity desiring to participate in the planning or implementation of a state’s strategy. Partners can include, but are not limited to, federal agencies, state agencies, local agencies, native American tribes, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, industry groups, and private individuals. – To develop and implement conservation actions identified in their State Wildlife Action Plan.

DCNR Volunteer Fire Assistance Program: May 12, 2022 (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Local firefighting entities in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents. – To support training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting brush and forest fires.

CFA Act 13 Grant Programs: May 31, 2022 (Funding Source: Marcellus Legacy Fund)

Counties, municipalities and commonwealth agencies. – To support initiatives that will include abandoned mine drainage abatement; abandoned well plugging; sewage treatment; greenways, trails and recreation; baseline water quality data; watershed restoration; and flood control.

DEP Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebate Program: June 30, 2022 (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Pennsylvania agricultural producers. – Rebates for LED lighting (interior or exterior), variable frequency drives for milk vacuum pumps, and variable frequency drives for ventilation fans.

Agriculture Farm Vitality Planning Grants: Until funds are expended. (Funding Source: General Fund)

Farmers and prospective farmers. – Organic transition planning assistance, as well as professional services to assist with business planning, efficient transitions of farm ownership, strategic farm expansion, product diversification, and financial and technical expertise in order to enhance the long-term vitality of PA farms.

DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates: Until funds are expended. (Funding Source: Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants Fund)

Pennsylvania residents who purchase/lease a new or used alternative fuel vehicle with a purchase price of $50,000 or less. Businesses are not eligible. – To defray costs of purchasing a battery electric vehicle (BEV), hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, electric motorcycle, natural gas vehicle, or propane vehicle.

DEP Small Business Advantage Grant Program: Until funds are expended. (Funding Source: Recycling Fund & Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund)

Registered Pennsylvania for-profit businesses with 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and which are taxed as a for-profit business. – To purchase energy efficient or pollution prevention equipment or adopt waste reduction processes.

DHS Indoor Air Management Strategies for Long Term Care: Until funds are expended. (Funding Source: American Rescue Plan Act Funds)

Long term care nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and personal care homes. – Indoor air management strategies in long-term care facilities aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of and occupant exposure to COVID-19.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Statewide Creative Catalyst Grants: Until funds are expended. (Funding Source: General Fund)

Nonprofit, tax-exempt corporations, a unit of government; college or university; school district or non-arts nonprofit providing arts programming and/or arts services in Pennsylvania. – To strengthen Pennsylvania communities through the arts, connect and increase Pennsylvanians’ access to lifelong learning through the arts, and to champion public awareness and appreciation of the arts in Pennsylvania communities.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program: Until funds are expended. (Funding Source: General Fund)

Creative entrepreneurs must operate in the creative industry, be at least 18 years old, a current resident of PA for one year, and (if applicable) manage a business with gross revenue of less than $200,000. – To pair access to existing small business consulting services with financial resources for creative entrepreneurs who aspire to start their own for-profit business or who operate an existing for-profit micro business.

DHS Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP): No Deadline Provided (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Households that are in emergency situations maintain essential water access. Crisis situations include: past-due water bills; termination of water service; or, threat of termination of water service in the next 60 days. – To help families who have overdue water bills or at risk of losing water service for their home.

PA Governor’s Office/United Way of PA Local Innovations in Vaccine Equity in Pennsylvania project (LIVE PA): No Deadline Provided (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Any faith-based and non-profit organizations with a goal of administering COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as COVID-19 education and outreach. – To host and promote vaccination events. Additional vaccines may also be requested.

PEMA Public Assistance Program: No Deadline Provided (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

State agencies, local government organizations, and certain private nonprofit organizations that incurred costs or damages as a direct result of a federally declared disaster. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania serves as the direct liaison between the federal government and all applicants requesting federal disaster assistance. – To provide cost reimbursement aid for incurred costs or damages as a direct result of a federally declared disaster.

DHS American Rescue Plan Act Funding for Long-Term Care Providers: No Deadline Provided (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Nursing facilities, personal care homes, and assisted living residences in DHS’ Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) system. – For COVID-19-related costs.

PHFA Homeowners Assistance Fund: No Deadline Provided (Funding Source: Federal Funding)

Owner-occupied homeowners who experienced a financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic after January 21, 2020. – To assist Pennsylvania homeowners facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Calls for municipalities to uphold the quality of drinking water

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

DEPUTY President David Mabuza has called on municipalities to ensure that the quality of drinking water remains compliant with minimum standards.

Mabuza made the comments last week at the National Council of Provinces (NCOP).

“We urge municipalities to continue with ensuring that our country’s drinking water remains compliant with the set standards, while also fast-tracking efforts of improving the levels of access to water. With all these measures in place, we should not worry about the possibility of contamination of our drinking water,” he said.

Related story: Municipalities urged to conduct drinking water analysis amid typhoid cases

The deputy president said the Water and Sanitation Department has confirmed the country’s water quality remains compliant with the minimum standards for drinking water, as specified by the South African National Standards.

He said this has been further confirmed in the recent announcement by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) on reported cases of typhoid in different municipalities in parts of the country.

“The NICD has clarified that the detection of typhoid, between December 2021 and February of this year, was not linked to contaminated municipal water. Whereas there were reported cases of typhoid in the North West, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, the quality of water in these areas was found to be compliant with the national drinking water standards.”

Read Also: Satellite leak detector will address water challenges, says City

The deputy president said as an ongoing measure, the Department of Water and Sanitation will continue to monitor the processes that Water Services Authorities implement, and it will engage them where non-compliance is detected.

* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green ([email protected]) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff ([email protected]).

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Customer Places New 10 Vehicle Order with Tantech Subsidiary

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

LISHUI, China, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Tantech Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ: TANH) (“Tantech” or the “Company”), today announced that a customer placed a new 10 vehicle order with its subsidiary, Shangchi Automobile Co., Ltd. The latest international midibus order is scheduled to ship to Nigeria in the second quarter of 2022.

Shangchi Automobile’s fully customizable 5.4 meter, wide body midibus boasts a highly comfortable travel experience for up to 15 people. Tailored with dark grey privacy glass, sliding windows and USB charging ports, passengers can get to work, a social function or any other destination without downtime. The high-quality, feature rich, fuel efficient midibus comes standard with powerful air conditioning and heating, a state-of-the-art air purification system, and many enhanced safety features, including rear reverse radar, high mount brake lights, power windows, UV glass and LED lights, among other features.

Mr. Wangfeng Yan, Chief Executive Officer of Tantech, said, “This is a great win for us as we focus on larger volume orders to leverage the tailored designs we offer and our production assets. We have maintained our commitment to customers to provide high quality vehicles, with the unique features they want to make the travel experience even better. It has been challenging but our team has done a good job working with our supply chain partners to ensure we are able to meet a greater amount of the customer orders we are seeing. Our goal is to fulfil an increasing number of these orders as the supply chain environment eases, while working with our partners to reduce the impact of materials price increases that are hurting other auto companies. Overall, we are in a strong competitive position and are optimistic in our outlook for 2022 and beyond.”

About Tantech Holdings Ltd

For the past decade, Tantech has been a highly specialized high-tech enterprise producing, researching and developing bamboo charcoal-based products with an established domestic and international sales and distribution network. Since 2017, when the Company acquired 70% of Shangchi Automobile, a vehicle manufacturer based in Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, it has manufactured and sold vehicles. The Company established two new subsidiaries, Lishui Smart New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Shangchi New Energy Automobile Co., Ltd., in November 2020, to produce and sell street sweepers and other electric vehicles. The Company is fully ISO 90000 and ISO 14000 certified and has received a number of national, provincial and local honors, awards and certifications for its products and scientific research efforts. The Company’s subsidiary, First International Commercial Factoring (Shenzhen) Co., LTD, is engaged in commercial factoring for businesses in and related to its supply chain. For more information, please visit: http://ir.tantech.cn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning the sales, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulations, and other risks contained in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the Company, are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

SOURCE Tantech Holdings Ltd.

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Avian influenza forces St. Francis Wildlife to stop taking birds

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

Because of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), our local wildlife rehabilitation center, St. Francis Wildlife, temporarily will not accept injured, orphaned or sick wild birds. HPAI has just been confirmed in a duck that was brought to St. Francis Wildlife in Quincy, Florida.

Confirmed and presumptive cases of HPAI have recently been documented along the East Coast of Florida from Palm Beach County to Duval County and on the West Coast in Charlotte County.

Infected birds have been aquatic species (ducks, gulls, herons, terns and pelicans), raptors (great horned owls and bald eagles) and scavengers (vultures). Birds on their northern spring migration may have carried the virus into our area.

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Last year, the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza traveled from Europe into Canada. Then migratory waterfowl carried it down the Atlantic Flyway, infecting birds along the way.

An unprecedented outbreak

Two months ago, on Jan. 22, when a hunter showed up at a boat ramp in Palm Beach County with two blue-winged teal ducks, a USDA-Wildlife Services employee swabbed them. No one suspected the birds were sick; it was just routine surveillance. Their tests were positive for HPAI.

In February, dozens of dead lesser scaup ducks and other aquatic species, as well as birds that scarfed up those free meals — black vultures, bald eagles and great horned owls — were identified along Florida’s east coast and in Charlotte County with this extremely infectious new bird flu. It was reported that wildlife officials suspect there are “hundreds more” unconfirmed cases.

Some infected birds may be asymptomatic while others appear lethargic or show neurologic symptoms such as circling, tremors and seizures. Often birds are found dead with no signs of trauma or other causes.

This current outbreak of HPAI in Florida’s wild birds is unprecedented. And also extremely unsettling for Florida’s wildlife rehabilitators who care for thousands of injured, orphaned and sick wild animals every year but never experienced anything like this.

Case confirmed in Tallahassee duck

On Feb. 25, a woman on her morning commute to work noticed a duck in the middle of Georgia Street in Tallahassee. She stopped to check on it. Apparently injured, it did not fly away.

She was able to capture it and take it to nearby Northwood Animal Hospital. St. Francis Wildlife picked it up from there; admitted the bird, a lesser scaup, to our wildlife hospital; and began treatment for its injured leg.

When we were alerted that migratory birds may be carrying the very contagious virus as they flew back to their summer breeding territory — and we were on a flyway, our wildlife rehabilitator swabbed the duck and sent the sample to a Florida lab.

St. Francis is temporarily not accepting wild birds

Because HPAI is highly contagious and untreatable, St. Francis Wildlife and our two Tallahassee veterinary partners, Northwood and Allied Veterinary Hospitals, are temporarily not accepting any wild birds.

In 44 years, we’ve never turned away an injured, orphaned or sick wild animal, so we are deeply upset to be unable to help local birds in need at this time. But we must do all we can to help control this serious outbreak.

If you find a wild bird in need of assistance, call FWC Dispatch: 850-245-7716 or FWC 24-hour hotline: 888-404-3922. To prevent the spread of HPAI, do not handle a sick or dead bird, keep pets away and report it to FWC immediately so it can be tested for HPAI. Visit app.myfwc.com/FWRI/AvianMortality/.

This virus can spread through direct contact with infected birds or a contaminated surface, on which it can remain active for a long time.

All current avian patients at St. Francis Wildlife are being tested, every surface is being disinfected and protocols for dealing with this first-of-its-kind outbreak in Florida are being prepared with the assistance of state and national wildlife experts.

People who keep domestic birds

This virus, which is shed through all excretions (saliva, nasal secretions and feces), is highly transmissible to domestic chickens, ducks, turkeys, etc. and is often fatal.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends keeping birds indoors or in sheltered enclosures if HPAI is identified in your area. Locate songbird feeders away from chickens and pet birds.

People who maintain bird feeders

HPAI is not easily transmissible from birds to people, and, to date, there have been no known human infections in North America. Songbirds are generally at lower risk for hosting avian influenza; however, it is still possible that they could carry and/or transmit this pathogen.

To help prevent the spread of this virus, people who feed birds should follow common-sense precautions:

Clean and disinfect bird feeders and baths every week with a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach, rinse well and dry before refilling.
Wear disposable gloves while cleaning and then wash your wash hands with soap and water.

Wild mammals and reptiles

St. Francis Wildlife and our two veterinary partners in Tallahassee (Northwood and Allied Animal Hospitals) will continue to accept mammal and reptile species, although Northwood no longer accepts Rabies Vector Species (RVS) such as raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats.

If you find an RVS, please do not handle it; call St. Francis Wildlife at 850-627-4151. Florida’s squirrels, opossums and rabbits are rarely rabies vectors.

What to do if you find a bird

For updates on this developing situation as well as general information about what to do if you find wildlife in need, please check the St. Francis Wildlife website, stfranciswildlife.org, our Facebook page, facebook.com/Wildlife.Matters.to.Florida and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Avian Influenza page, myfwc.com/research/wildlife/health/avian/influenza.

Sandy Beck is the education director for St. Francis Wildlife. Contact her at [email protected].

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

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Originally Appeared Here

Contaminated Air and Groundwater Lead to Meeker Avenue Plume Superfund Designation

March 22, 2022 by Staff Reporter

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has finalized its decision to designate Greenpoint’s Meeker Avenue Plume a Superfund site, setting the stage for a federally supervised scrub of the site, possibly funded by the companies responsible for polluting the neighborhood.

Bounded roughly by Norman Avenue to the north, Kingsland Avenue to the west, the Newtown Creek to the east and Withers Street to the south, the roughly 50-block Plume is comprised of soil and groundwater contaminated with dangerous chlorinated volatile organic compounds, or CVOCs, left behind by now-shuttered businesses including metalsmiths and dry cleaners.

Two of the compounds in particular — tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene — are known carcinogens and can cause short-and-long term health issues with continued exposure.

Of particular concern to the EPA, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and community members, investigations have found contaminated air inside homes and businesses atop the Plume as a result of what’s known as “soil vapor intrusion.”

EPA officials proposed adding the Plume to the National Priorities List last September, after New York State referred the site to the agency “because groundwater and indoor air contaminated with CVOCs require cleanup to protect human health and the environment,” according to the site listing narrative.

The former Spic and Span Cleaners at 307-325 Kingsland Avenue in 2006, one of the sites identified by the state as contributing to the toxic Meeker Avenue Plume. Photo by Scott Bintner for Property Shark

“I strongly urged that the Meeker Avenue Plume be included as a Superfund cleanup site over a decade ago when I was working with the community to designate Newtown Creek,” said US Rep. Nydia Velázquez, in a release. “Working families have a right to live in a place that supports good public health, and I am thankful that EPA has put the Meeker Avenue Plume on the Superfund National Priorities List.”

While DEC has been investigating the Plume and installing mitigation systems to keep contaminated air out of affected homes and businesses since 2007, additional resources are needed to make the area safe. Additional state and federal cleanup options were considered, according to the listing narrative, but were not viable.

“Hundreds of residents and workers are exposed to the indoor air contamination that results from vapor intrusion into the structures,” the document states. “Contaminated groundwater in the underlying aquifer flows east northeast and possibly discharges to Newtown Creek, an arm of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary.”

Now that the site’s place on the list has been finalized, the EPA will begin a remedial investigation and feasibility study to identify the full extent of the contamination, assess potential threats to human health and the surrounding environment, and begin planning the eventual cleanup.

“Working collaboratively with DEC, our federal partners will deploy the best available science and resources to protect the Greenpoint and East Williamsburg communities by addressing the soil, soil vapor, and groundwater plume in the vicinity of Meeker Avenue, and continue the critical work of preventing potential exposure to the public,” said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos, in a release.

The Superfund program was founded in part to allow the federal government to identify the parties — often, large companies — responsible for the pollution and charge them for the cleanup, rather than paying for it themselves. Past investigations have named a number of businesses who contributed to the contamination, though it’s not clear whether any of them will be designated PRPs by the federal agency as they begin their own investigation.

“Our neighbors in Greenpoint and Williamsburg have been dealing with hazardous vapor intrusion for decades due to dumping and industrial manufacturing,” said local Councilmember Lincoln Restler. “Now, the EPA Superfund designation will ensure our health is finally prioritized with the overdue cleanup of our community.”

If PRPs are not named, or if the companies in question no longer exist, the site is considered an “orphan site,” and cleanup is fully paid for by the federal government. The federal infrastructure bill passed last year allocated $3.5 billion to cleaning up those sites.

In a visit to Newtown Creek, Greenpoint’s other Superfund site, earlier this month, Senator Chuck Schumer said he hoped the additional funding would be a boon toward the non-orphan sites as well, since it would increase the EPA’s strained resources.

The Plume is Brooklyn’s fourth Superfund site. The Wolff-Alport Chemical Company, which straddles the border of Bushwick and Ridgewood, Queens, is an “orphan” site, which has seen very little work since it was named to the NAPL in 2014. Newtown Creek, which directly abuts the Plume, has also been quiet — the EPA most recently said they expected to announce their cleanup plan for the body of water in 2024. The Gowanus Canal, a few miles south of the Plume, is probably the borough’s most well-known Superfund, and the one with the most activity — dredging and other cleanup activities have been ongoing since 2020.

The discovery
The state Department of Health and DEC first started their investigation of the Meeker Avenue Plume in 2007, after ongoing cleanup of the 1950 Greenpoint Oil Spill found CVOCs commonly used in dry cleaning and metalworking in the soil.

Two years later, DEC added the former site of Spic and Span Cleaners and Dryers on Kingsland Avenue to the Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site Program as part of the State Superfund program after identifying the lot as a source of the dangerous chemicals. Greenpoint is also home to a second, unrelated state Superfund, the former NuHart Plastics plant, which is being cleansed for redevelopment less than a mile north of the Plume.

The old NuHart Plastics factory is in the midst of an in-depth cleanup under both state Superfund and Brownfield cleanup programs. Photo by Susan De Vries

Neighbors and local groups, like the Newtown Creek Alliance, have been pushing for faster remediation for years, worried about the still-unclear ramifications of living and working in such a heavily-contaminated area. Last fall, they joined forces with North Brooklyn Neighbors to push for the EPA to include the site after the initial proposal, encouraging neighbors to submit comments in support of the addition to the EPA.

“We celebrate the designation as a critical step towards cleaning up the Plumes,” the Alliance said in a tweet. “The designation is a major step towards a thorough cleanup of this longstanding hazard and protecting the health of everyone who lives and works on top of these toxic Plumes.”

The investigation and planning processes are likely to take years — the Gowanus Canal sat mostly untouched for a decade before dredging started, and Newtown Creek is still waiting for a plan. In any case, the densely-populated nature of the neighborhood likely means the process will look quite different from the mostly in-water activity at the canal.

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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Originally Appeared Here