World Water Day Concert

March 22, 2013 is the UN's 'World Water Day,' and this year in support of Water.org a 'World Water Day Concert' is being held in New York. 

The event will be a celebration of water, with a breathtaking mix of New Age piano music, creation of multi-media relatedness, along with inspirational art & beauty. A portion of the proceeds will benefit 501(c)3 charity Water.org - one of the world's most effective water organizations - founded by the famed actor and philanthropist Matt Damon, and the world renowned water authority Gary White.

The highlight of the evening will be a performance by internationally acclaimed composer and concert pianist Quentin Fielding and other surprise guests at the Saint Peter's Church, fondly known as The Jazz Church, on 54th Street and Lexington Avenue in the heart of New York City and just a few blocks from the United Nations. 

There are three event sponsorship levels being offered: Water Hero (donate $10,000 or more), Water Champion (min $5,000 donation), Water Enthusiast (Official Sponsor and min. $2,500 donation), and Water Friend (min. $1,000 donation). Some current sponsors are WaterCheck.biz, SmartSocialBrand.com, and Eastern Energy Systems.

The doors to the event will open at 6:30pm. A Coctail Reception and Silent Auction will take place from 7:00 to 8:15. This will be followed by performances and multi-media presentations from 8:30 to 10:30, and the concert will end with Sweets Reception and Sales from 10:30 to 11:00.

Water.org is dedicated to to empowering people in the developing world to gain access to safe water and sanitation. It has already transformed hundreds of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Central America by providing access to safe water and sanitation.

Analytical Technologies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes analytical instruments based on electrochemical and optical sensors, specializing in the areas of toxic and combustible gas detection and water quality monitoring. ATI is headquartered in Collegeville, PA, and its products are supported by over 50 representatives throughout the U.S. and Canada. In addition, independent distributors in countries throughout the world provide application and installation support virtually anywhere.

Parker Water and Sanitation District Gets Wireless Data Communications Monitoring System

FreeWave Technologies, manufacturer of the most reliable high-performance spread spectrum and licensed radios for critical data transmission, recently announced that along with its technology solution partner, Process Control Dynamics, Inc., had installed wireless data radios for Parker Water and Sanitation District's communication network. The radios will help Parker Water keep live water monitoring of transmission data. This is to ensure high-quality and safe water for 17,000 single families across 43 acres in the Parker, Colorado community.

Parker Water is currently using several of FreeWave's radio models including the FGR serial radios that provide a wireless data communication. They are also using the HTPlus radio, which is ideal for idustrial grade, high-speed Ethernet communications, and the FGR2-IO that provides outstanding performance and versatility in wireless transmission of process-control signals.

According to Systems Administration Manager at Parker Water and Sanitation District, Kirk Magnusson, the radios were “easily integrated” into the existing system. They now have a “cohesive system that sends critical data in real-time.” There is also the added bonus of being able to run the radios from their desktops instead of driving out locally to fix it.

Source: Parker Water and Sanitation District Taps FreeWave to Automate Its Monitoring System with Wireless Data Communications

Analytical Technologies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and distributes analytical instruments based on electrochemical and optical sensors, specializing in the areas of toxic/ combustible gas detection and water quality monitoring. ATI is headquartered in Collegeville, PA, and its products are supported by over 50 representatives throughout the U.S. and Canada. In addition, independent distributors in countries throughout the world provide application and installation support virtually anywhere.

Livestock Waste Pollution & Remediation

Bion Environmental discusses their waste remediation & renewable energy production during an Exclusive Interview at the FSX Investment Conference.

(PRWEB) December 10, 2012 -- During this exclusive interview...Scott expanded on the livestock waste problem in the US. “You got 9 million dairy cows in this country, you got about a hundred million beef cattle and calves, about 60 million swine and about 2 billion chickens and turkeys,” says Scott “and they create far more organic waste than the humans in the United States. In the US we spend about $60 billion a year cleaning up our human waste and we spend essentially no money cleaning up that larger source.” He states the issue has been ignored so far but that at this point the US EPA has recognized the scope of the problem and is now working on incentivizing the agricultural industry to address the issue and save money for tax payers. He adds that Bion has taken the best aspects of municipal waste water treatment and scaled it down to a very specific application of treating the livestock waste stream at its source. Scott indicates this biological treatment system allows Bion to clean the problem up at the source instead of having to have a municipal waste water treatment plant make up for those reductions downstream at a much higher cost.

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EPA recommends new Recreational Water Quality Criteria

EPA recommends new Recreational Water Quality Criteria to better protect public health

WASHINGTON -- Pursuant to an order from a U.S. District Court and as required by the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health Act of 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today recommended new recreational water quality criteria for states that will help protect peoples’ health during visits to beaches and waters year round. The science-based criteria provide information to help states improve public health protection by addressing a broader range of illness symptoms, better accounting for pollution after heavy rainfall, providing more protective recommendations for coastal waters, encouraging early alerts to beachgoers and promoting rapid water testing. The criteria released today do not impose any new requirements; instead, they are a tool that states can choose to use in setting their own standards.

The criteria provide states and communities with the most up to date science and information that they can use to determine whether water quality is safe for the public and when to issue an advisory or a beach closure. EPA has provided a variety of other tools to help states evaluate and manage recreational waters.

The new criteria are based on several recent health studies and use a broader definition of illness to recognize that symptoms may occur without a fever, including a number of stomach ailments. EPA also narrowed from 90 days to 30 days the time period over which the results of monitoring samples may be averaged. This produces a more accurate picture of the water quality for that given time, allowing for improved notification time about water quality to the public. This shortened time period especially accounts for heavy rainfall that can wash pollution into rivers, lakes or the ocean or cause sewer overflows.

The strengthened recommendations include:
A short-term and long-term measure of bacteria levels that are to be used together to ensure that water quality is properly evaluated.
Stronger recommendations for coastal water quality so public health is protected similarly in both coastal and fresh waters.
A new rapid testing method that states can use to determine if water quality is safe within hours of water samples being taken.
An early-alert approach for states to use to quickly issue swimming advisories for the public.
Tools that allow states to predict water quality problems and identify sources of pollution, as well as to develop criteria for specific beaches.

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Strategic Business Initiative To Accelerate Organic Waste Management Solutions

Penton Waste Industry Group Launches Strategic Business Initiative To Accelerate Organic Waste Management Solutions

Centerpiece is wide-ranging content partnership with former US Composting Council leader, Dr. Stuart Buckner

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov. 27, 2012 /PR Newswire/ -- In response to rising public and private-sector demand for more sustainable management of organic waste, Penton's Waste Industry Group today announced a strategic business initiative to bring new information, insights and thought-leadership to this fast-growing global market segment.

The centerpiece of the initiative is an exclusive partnership with former US Composting Council Executive Director, Dr. Stuart Buckner, to create original content, promote professional education and lead a new industry conversation about innovation and opportunities to responsibly manage organics residuals.

Penton's Waste Industry Group is a network of business information services that includes WasteExpo, North America's largest solid waste and recycling tradeshow, and WasteAge/waste360.com, the online hub for the $75 billionsolid waste industry.

Dr. Buckner, who now heads Buckner Environmental Associates, will work with the Waste Age/waste360.com editorial staff to expand conference program workshops at the upcoming WasteExpo 2013 in New Orleans. He'll also produce a quarterly webcast and bi-monthly articles for Waste Age/waste360.com.

'From waste handlers and municipalities to business owners and environmentalists, the effective management of organic waste is rapidly becoming a major industrial issue,' said Waste Age/waste360.com Content Director and Editor, Steven Averett. 'The ongoing debate over how best to handle this material, be it through composting, anaerobic digestion or disposal in gas-to-energy landfills, will be a defining issue for the industry in the coming years. Our work with Dr. Buckner will frame the debate.'

Waste Industry Group Managing Director, Rita Ugianskisnoted the initiative adds a significant new leadership channel to the group's business.

'Now solid waste and organics professionals can gain the high-level education, training, equipment and product solutions and networking access they need across our entire service portfolio,' said Ugianskis. 'particularly at WasteExpo, which, beginning at our 2013 show in New Orleans, promises to become a one-stop event for the organics industry, too.'

'I'm excited to work with Penton's Waste Industry Group on this leadership initiative,' said Dr. Buckner. 'Our unique partnership will extend the reach of my life's work in composting and organics management to help more waste industry professionals better understand this critical area of our industry.'

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MUCKBUSTER Micro Anaerobic Digestion Technology

SEaB Energy’s MUCKBUSTER Micro Anaerobic Digestion Technology is Centrepiece for 6 leading UK University teams entering dynamo enterprise challenge 2012

SOUTHAMPTON, UK -- SEaB Energy (SEaB), the global market leader in on-site containerised anaerobic digestion is providing the technology content and business challenge to entrepreneurial students from universities in the South UK who are preparing to take part in a competition to hone their business skills and promote eco-friendly energy production. Sixty students from 6 universities will compete in this year’s Dynamo Enterprise Challenge 2012, sponsored by the University of Southampton Science Park and WSX Enterprise – Fusion.

Rosalind Davies from Career Destinations at the University of Southampton is organising the event in collaboration with local partner universities, says: “This is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in business and enterprise and gain valuable experience to show potential employers what they can achieve.”

The teams of young people from the universities of Bournemouth, Chichester, Portsmouth, Southampton, Southampton Solent and Winchester will be provided a set of challenges by SEaB to devise routes to market and compelling market propositions. Special emphasis will be in new ways to work with social media and the global “consumer empowerment” possibilities for recycling their food waste. Also the market disruption for transportation as the shift goes to a decentralised processing of organic waste and the elimination of the current carbon footprint for centralised organic waste disposal will be included. Presentations will feature MUCKBUSTER the on-site containerised anaerobic digestion solution – which turns manures, food and other organic waste into biogas, electricity, heat and high-grade organic fertiliser.

Sandra Sassow, CEO at SEaB, comments: “MUCKBUSTER is a game changing technology in waste management and decentralised green energy generation. It offers great customer benefits and huge export potential. We are really looking forward to seeing how the students would want to apply this technology in fresh and compelling ways.”

The students will also hear from guest speakers with expertise in entrepreneurship, marketing and business start-up. Peter Birkett, Chief Executive of the University of Southampton Science Park, adds: “The Science Park is all about enterprise and growing business. By hosting this event, we hope to enthuse and inspire a new generation of talent and perhaps meet some of the business leaders of the future.”

This year’s Dynamo Enterprise Challenge, an annual inter-university enterprise competition, will be hosted at the University of Southampton Science Park in Chilworth on Wednesday 14 November 2012, during Global Entrepreneurship Week (12-18 November).

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Hydrogen-gas leak shuts Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant

DTE Energy's Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant is shut down for an indefinite period because of a hydrogen gas leak in the plant’s water cooling system.

The cause is under investigation, Guy Cerullo, a DTE Energy spokesman, said Thursday. The utility will receive power from other plants until the problem is resolved, he said, adding, “There was no safety issue.” Officials shut down the plant at 9:21 a.m. Wednesday as a precautionary step to keep equipment from overheating.

The plant’s main generator is on the non-nuclear side of the plant and has two separate cooling systems — one uses water and the other uses hydrogen, Mr. Cerullo said. The problem is that a higher-than-normal level of hydrogen gas was leaking into the water cooling system and decreasing its effectiveness.

Viktoria Mitlyng, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said the situation is “not a safety concern for the public as far as nuclear energy goes.”

Source: http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/11/09/Hydrogen-gas-leak-shuts-Fermi-2-Nuclear-Power-Plant.html