Oil Spill Threatens Bird Sanctuary Off Staten Island

Oil from a barge spilled into the waters off Staten Island has spread, and continues to spread, to a bird sanctuary on an island in Newark Bay. The oil was in transfer when the workers noticed the water becoming increasingly darker. In response to this, workers placed a boom on the surface of the water to contain the oil, added absorbent materials and notified the authorities. 112,000 gallons was the total amount of oil being transfered. It is still unknown how much oil as spilled into the water or what caused the leak. However, Petty Officer Swanson said that the oil had also reached the Shooters Island Bird Sanctuary and the Richmond Terrace wetlands, both of which are controlled by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and are within several hundred yards of where the leak took place. Shooters Island is closed to the public and only visited by scientists and government employees. It is a breeding ground for several species of wading birds such as the glossy ibis, black-crowned night heron, and species like the snowy egret and great egret. The Miller Environmental Group, a Long Island company, plus workers from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the NJ Department of Environmental Protection all joined the cleanup efforts. 

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/oil-spill-threatens-bird-sanctuary-off-staten-island/?ref=earth

Water Piped to Denver Could Ease Stress on River

The Colorado River, which keeps at lease seven states and its citizens hydrated, has struggled to do so. And in response, the federal government has come up with many ways to enhance the flow such as decreasing demand through conservation and increasing supply through reuse or desalination projects. However, the most recent calls for building a pipeline from the Missouri River to Denver (about 600 miles to the west). Water would be taken out as needed along the route in Kansas, and the rest would be stored in reservoirs in the Denver area. The fact that such a plan has made it into the plan shows how bad the situation as gotten. The pipeline would provide the Colorado River basin with 600,000 acre-feet of water annually, which could serve roughly a million single-family homes. However this plan will face political opposition due to its high loss of water from the rivers (which require flows large enough to sustain large vessel navigation). 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/10/science/earth/federal-plans-for-colorado-river-include-pipeline.html?ref=earth

Invasive Grass Fuels Increased Fire Activity in the West

It has been proven that certain invasive grass species may be the cause for bigger and more frequent fires in certain areas of the western United States. This species is called cheatgrass, accidentally brought over in the 1800's. It is the main cause for bigger fires and accounts for 39 of the greatest 50 fires. This, researchers say, is too high for the overall area the grass occupies. From 2000 to 2009 the cheatgrass burned twice as much as any other vegetation. Cheatgrass is creating a novel grass-fire cycle that makes future fires more likely to occur because of the ability of cheatgrass to rapidly spread and fill in the ground between other plant species. And  such fires caused by cheatgrass make for a difficult management challenge. The fires can threaten agricultural lands and, since more people are building homes in the west, residential areas as well as habitat for threatened native wildlife, such as the greater sage grouse. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121205132357.htm