ECO-BULLETIN FROM OTSEGO COUNTY CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION

November 11, 2011: Vol. 4, No. 27

Eco-bulletin headlines this issue:

PLEASE NOTE: The deadline to register for OCCA’s Annual Dinner and Silent Auction has been extended to Tuesday, November 15. Please e-mailadmin@occainfo.org or call (607) 547-4488 for details.

BASSETT MEDICAL CENTER, COOPERSTOWN NAMED 2011 OCCA ‘GREEN BUSINESS’

SOUTHERN TIER GROUNDWATER BASELINE INITIATIVE IS TOPIC OF NEXT WQCC MEETING

SILENT AUCTION OFFERS WIDE ARRAY OF MERCHANDISE, SERVICES

BASSETT MEDICAL CENTER, COOPERSTOWN NAMED 2011 OCCA ‘GREEN BUSINESS’: For 2011, OCCA will present four awards to businesses and individuals who have made a positive difference related to environmental protection, preservation or education in Otsego County. The “Green Business” Award, new this year, will be given to Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown for its initiatives to reduce, reuse, recycle or manage waste in more sustainable ways and to increase energy efficiency in existing or new processes.

The comprehensive impact of all of the steps Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown has taken to reduce its ecological footprint impressed OCCA Board members and earned Bassett this year’s “Green Business” Award. From upgrades on lighting, windows, motor drives, and electrical transformers, to reduction of paper, fuel, and electricity usage, to recycling of batteries, compression sleeves, and cardboard, Bassett’s green efforts represent a significant commitment to environmental protection.

Among Bassett’s conservation activities noted on the nomination form: electronic reporting saves 373,008 sheets of paper annually; 400 pounds of batteries were recycled in 2010; 57 tons of paper waste has been kept out of the landfill through the shredding and recycling program; and the hospital’s shuttle bus system reduces travel in the village by nearly 500 miles a day. Stacey Michael of the Pulmonology Department submitted the nomination.

“Bassett began its green efforts long before the greening of America’s hospitals hit high gear and it’s work our CEO and COO embrace,” said Vice President of Corporate Support Services and Facilities Planning Joe Middleton. “From considering sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, and waste reduction, we are continually seeking to be an even greener organization. As the region’s largest employer, we understand we have a responsibility to set the example in reducing our ecological footprint.”

In 2007, Bassett formalized its green efforts by establishing a volunteer Green Team made up of employees from various departments within the organization, including Housekeeping, Facilities, Food Service, Laboratory and Corporate Communications. The team, currently chaired by Brian Wrubleski, director of Food Service, leads the organization’s efforts to improve recycling and reduce waste at Bassett. Their work has also resulted in energy savings as well as a reduction in chemical and water use.

“We’re very proud of the action staff has taken to contribute to this effort by reducing waste, increasing recycling and offering suggestions for the further greening of Bassett,” said Brian Wrubleski.

Middleton and Wrubleski will accept the award on behalf of Bassett Medical Center.

Al Sosa is the recipient of this year’s Conservationist of the Year award. Sosa is being recognized for his dedication to bicycle and pedestrian trail building and maintenance, as well as for his leadership role in the fostering of natural resource appreciation and stewardship.

Golden Artist Colors, Inc. of New Berlin will receive the Business Conservation Award for keeping thousands of gallons of paint from landfill disposal for the last 13 years and Karen Sheckells of Friends of Glimmerglass State Park, Inc. has earned Special Recognition for Environmental Excellence for increasing and enhancing community awareness and participation in a diverse array of environmental education events.

Award recipients will be honored at OCCA’s Annual Dinner, to be held on Friday, November 18 at the Holiday Inn Oneonta/Cooperstown, 5206 State Highway 23 in Oneonta. 

“We are delighted to have such a diverse group of honorees this year,” said OCCA Acting Executive Director Darla M. Youngs. “Our award winners demonstrate in countless ways how both individuals and businesses can successfully work to protect and preserve our environment. More importantly, they’re doing a great job of it.”

Erin Heard, tributary strategy specialist for the Upper Susquehanna Coalition and outreach coordinator/river trail manager for the Headwaters River Trail, will give the keynote address at this year’s Annual Dinner.

Heard’s presentation will cover the history of the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, how USC came to manage the water trail, the partnership process, what has been accomplished, and where organizers hope to go in the future. She will also talk about the Susquehanna Sojourn – a multi-day, group-oriented annual paddling event emphasizing environmental and cultural education – which will embark from Otsego Lake in the summer of 2012.

OCCA’s Annual Dinner will feature a new Silent Auction component this year. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the Silent Auction preview – dinner attendees are encouraged to bring their checkbooks, and to bid early and often! Items must be paid for and taken at the end of the evening unless other arrangements are made; cash or check only.

Annual Dinner menu choices are roast prime rib of beef au jus, chicken Kiev or vegetarian stuffed peppers. All selections include salad, vegetables, potatoes or rice, rolls, dessert and tea or coffee. There will be a cash bar at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. Reservations, $35 per person, are required by Tuesday, November 15. For more information, visit www.occainfo.org or e-mail admin@occainfo.org

Otsego County’s oldest environmental conservation organization, OCCA is a private, non-profit membership group dedicated to promoting the appreciation and sustainable use of Otsego County’s natural resources through education, advocacy, resource management, research, and planning. For more information, or to donate, call (607) 547-4488 or visit www.occainfo.org

SOUTHERN TIER GROUNDWATER BASELINE INITIATIVE IS TOPIC OF NEXT WQCC MEETING: Stephen Penningroth, Community Science Institute, will talk about that organization’s recent initiative to establish a regional groundwater baseline before the possible advent of high volume hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in the Southern Tier at the next Otsego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee meeting on Wednesday, November 30. Penningroth, executive director of CSI and technical director of its certified water testing lab, will also discuss ongoing stream monitoring programs with volunteer groups.Penningroth’s presentation, titled “Water Quality in the Southern Tier: Establishing Pre-Drilling Surface Water and Groundwater Baselines Through Informal Monitoring Partnerships,” will highlight risks to surface water and groundwater from the shale gas industry. The use of “signature chemicals” to identify gas well impacts will be discussed, and Penningroth will outline strategies for partnering with concerned citizens to monitor surface water and groundwater quality, and summarize the results of thousands of baseline tests on stream and groundwater samples performed by the Community Science Institute’s certified lab in Ithaca. The Community Science Institute is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization whose mission is to empower local people to understand their environment and manage their resources sustainably, particularly water. According to the website, “baselines can serve as benchmarks for assessing both the cumulative impacts from the shale gas industry over the long term and the immediate impacts from catastrophic events such as accidental spills and well casing failures. CSI has offered baseline testing of private drinking water wells since 2009.” Penningroth’s presentation ties in directly with growing efforts in Otsego County by the Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District, Otsego County Conservation Association, SUNY-Oneonta and others to establish groundwater and surface water baseline characteristics here. The WQCC meeting, which begins at 1 p.m. in Classroom A, will be hosted by the Otsego County Planning Department at 140 County Hwy. 33, Cooperstown. This event is free and open to the public; pre-registration is required by Friday, November 25. Those interested in attending should e-mail admin@occainfo.org or call (607) 547-4488. This event is made possible thanks to the Otsego County WQCC which, in order to better satisfy the educational component of its mission, has restructured its monthly meetings to include public information sessions. The OCWQCC was established in 1992 as a sub-committee of the Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District. It is comprised of a diverse group of people representing state and local government agencies, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, and lake associations. These members have technical expertise and knowledge and are committed to working to improve and maintain the quality of water in Otsego County through the reduction of nonpoint source pollution within  its boundaries. For more information on the WQCC, visit www.otsegosoilandwater.com/waterqualitycc.html

SILENT AUCTION OFFERS WIDE ARRAY OF MERCHANDISE, SERVICES: OCCA’s Annual Dinner and Meeting, to be held on Friday, November 18 at the Holiday Inn Oneonta, will feature a new Silent Auction component this year. Among the items up for bid are a wind-activated garden sculpture by artist Lee Robins, a ceremonial baseball bat from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum engraved with the replica signatures of all living Hall of Famers, a one-hour massage from Essential Elements Day Spa, and Cooperstown Concert Series tickets. Other auction donations to date include: an original limited edition giclée print by David Kiehm of Dead Drift Studio; a two-hour barge tour of Otsego Lake (maximum 20 people); CSA package from Fox Falls Farm, New Lisbon; a pair of house seat tickets to “Wicked” on Broadway with signed poster; lunch for four at the Blue Mingo Grill; gift baskets from Savor New York, Exeter Veterinary Clinic, Big Sky Farms and Man in the Moon Herbs; four passes to the Joseph L. Popp, Jr. Butterfly Conservatory; the expertise of a botanist during a half-day visit to your property; pottery, jewelry, artwork and a host of other great services and merchandise. All Silent Auction proceeds will benefit OCCA’s programs to protect and preserve the environment. Items must be paid for at the end of the evening; cash or check only. Doors open to the Annual Dinner with a Silent Auction Preview and cocktail hour from 5:30-7 p.m. (cash bar). Dinner is a choice of roast prime rib au jus, chicken Kiev or vegetarian stuffed peppers. Admission is $35 per person. The deadline to register for the Annual Dinner has been extended to Tuesday, November 15. Please e-mail admin@occainfo.org or call (607) 547-4488 for more details.