Pennsylvania Environmental and Recycling Update

Pennsylvania is a crossroads state, the northernincreasingly scarce resource. And the only way to
side of the Mason-Dixon line. Philadelphia, in thekeep the greens green is with kilos of toxic
east, is part of the sprawling Northeast Atlanticchemicals. The Pennsylvania Department of
Coast megalopolis which runs from DC to Boston.Environmental Protection recently directed one of
On the West, Pittsburgh is part of the so-calledthe state's most prominent environmental
Rust Belt, the Industrial Midwest. In between is angroups-the Pennsylvania Environmental Council-to
expansive agricultural zone, home to the Amish asproduce a guide for green golf course
well as much of this country's agriculture.development and maintenance, a survey released
Environmental concerns have increased inthis month to the public.
Pennsylvania along with the rest of the UnitedWith input from an environmental consultant, the
States, and auto recycling and salvage is aguide promises to be of use to local government
significant component of all that. Here's the latestand green-minded course developers around the
environmental and recycling news from thecountry. Among its most valuable ideas is the use
Quaker State.of native vegetation to reduce water usage, a
Recycling Improves in Pittsburghstrategy used by homeowners everywhere now.
The famous steel city, Pittsburgh has made theThey also outline ways to preserving floodplains,
jump from heavy industry to high tech-some ofstreams, creeks and other watershed areas
the most innovative technology in the worldoften damaged by courses.
comes from Western PA's big city and itsThree Mile Island Nuclear Reactor Passes
universities. Still, despite all this invention andEnvironmental Review
creativity, Pittsburgh has been somewhat behindThree Mile Island has been synonymous with
in terms of recycling. The Pennsylvania Resourcesnuclear disaster ever since a partial meltdown in
Council aims to change that.1979 created the nation's closest nuclear power
The PRC is a longstanding environmentalclose call. No new nuclear plants have opened
organization in Ohio, one of the state's biggestsince, though several have begun construction in
advocates for recycling and other ecologicalrecent years. With new management, the
programs. They have recently deployed aenvironmental activist bugaboo still operates
program to simplify and promote recycling in thetoday.
city called "Zero Waste Pittsburgh." Among theAs part of the renewal process of its 20 year
most innovative features: recycling audits forpermit, the plant submitted to an environmental
businesses and homeowners, and recycling forreview from the federal Nuclear Regulatory
common hazardous materials like Cathode RayCommission this year, and was given a clean bill of
Tube monitors and TVs, other electronics andhealth this month. The permitting process rolls
compact fluorescent light bulbs.along, expected to be finished by the time their
State, Activists Join Forces to Turn Golf Greencurrent permit expires in 2014, but Pennsylvania
Golf courses have been anathema toresidents are glad to know things are safer at
environmental activists for years. The sprawlingThree Mile Island.
links consume inordinate levels of water, an