DECEMBER 2019

A Monthly Update from the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee

The JLCC Newsletter

@PA_JLCC PA Joint Legislative Conservation Committee pa_jlcc Joint Legislative Conservation Committee

Highlighting a structure’s architectural integrity while still maintaining the beauty of its natural surroundings is not an easy endeavor – unless you have the vision and design of the famous and renowned American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Earlier this year, Pennsylvania received its second World Heritage Site designation from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. The landmark site is Wright’s Fallingwater located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

Designed in 1935 by Wright as a weekend getaway home for the Kaufmann family – owners of Kaufmann’s department stores which originated in Pittsburgh – the site is deemed as, “One of the greatest architectural triumphs of the 20th century.”

In order to gain a better visual about the home’s complementary features and tie-ins to nature, it is important to understand the landscape in which the home sits today.

According to information provided by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy on Fallingwater’s webpage, the landscape in which Fallingwater is situated was created and altered by two main elements – water and rock. This landscape, known as the Bear Run landscape, was formed approximately 300 million years ago when the

continental plate containing the Americas struck into the continental plate containing Africa. The Bear Run landscape is composed of several layers of rock including sandstone, limestone and shale that formed long parallel ridges. Over time, water flowing through the area eroded some of the rocks, specifically limestone and shale, therefore creating the Bear Run stream, which flows from some of the sandstone ledges, resulting in the creation of waterfalls.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania region where Fallingwater is located includes mountainous terrains, gorges and steep slopes. The Fallingwater property is surrounded by the Appalachian oak forest. Oak/hickory forests are the most prominent types of forests in Pennsylvania and account for

approximately 46 percent of the entire amount of forested land in the state.

The terrains, rock formations, water and diverse flora and fauna provided the perfect backdrop and natural enhancement for the design of Fallingwater. The Kaufmann family had a strong affinity for nature and the beauty surrounding the area, particularly Bear Run’s waterfalls that cascaded down freely. It was this element that would then become one of the most spectacular features of the home.

Fallingwater’s construction was completed in 1937. The structure is built directly over a waterfall towering more than 30 feet high. Pottsville sandstone was the main rock element used to build the home and stone floors are

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In ThIs IssueCommittee Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Notes from the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Research Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3• Using NASA Technology to Respond to Flooding• Millions of Americans Live Without Clean Water Access• Methlymercury Toxins Making it Back onto Land• North Carolina Has a Growing Poultry Problem

Did You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

This Month in Conservation History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

December 2019Volume 20, Number 12

Frank Lloyd Wright’s FallingwaterBy Sakura Ung, Project Manager

2 T h e J l c c N e w s l e T T e r

Bicycle helmets don’t prevent the things that cause a crash, but they do offer a last line of defense when things go wrong. Should wearing a bike helmet be required by law in all 50 states to stem an increase in bicycle deaths on U.S. roadways? That’s what the National Transportation Safety Board wants to see.

Sadly, in fact, many people today are still riding their bikes without a helmet. Research shows fewer than half of bicyclists wear helmets, according to the NTSB. The recommendation requiring bicyclists of all ages to wear helmets was among several issued by the agency after a recent hearing on bicycle safety.

Mandatory helmet laws might seem like an obvious solution. Yet there are proponents and opponents of mandatory bicycle helmet laws, and both sides have a number of valid points to consider. Even most opponents of mandatory helmet laws advocate helmet use, but they say that the negative consequences of helmet laws outweigh the benefits. They argue that mandating helmet use, particularly

for adults, decreases the number of people who ride bikes because it makes cycling less convenient.

Opponents also worry that mandatory helmet laws send a false message – that cycling is an inherently dangerous activity – when it’s an activity with well-known health benefits. They fear the gains made in recent years to grow bike commuting and travel may be halted by laws mandating helmet use.

Proponents of mandatory bicycling helmet laws argue that helmet use increases safety reducing the number of serious head injuries from collisions, which are the leading cause of death among cyclists. The stats on bicycle helmets are abundantly clear. According to the NTSB, helmet use reduces the likelihood of injuries by 48 percent, reduces serious injuries by 60 percent and reduces traumatic injuries by 53 percent.

There is no federal law requiring helmet use by bicyclists. Bike helmet usage has increased in recent years and is mandated for children under a certain age (ranging from 12 to 18) by law in about 20 states, including Pennsylvania. California was the first state to propose a helmet law in 1986. In 1994, the Pennsylvania legislature passed a law requiring children under the age of 12 to wear helmets at all times when riding bicycles on public roads. If you are an adult, it is perfectly legal to ride your bike in Pennsylvania without wearing a helmet. It is recommended, however, that all cyclists, regardless of age, should wear a helmet.

The NTSB said that research shows that helmet laws would be an effective tool in increasing their use. “A comprehensive national strategy to increase helmet use among riders of all ages is needed. The strategy should focus on evidence-based approaches for state and local governments to increase helmet use

among all bicyclists, such as a helmet requirement for bicyclists of all ages; helmet distribution programs; and effective educational campaigns.”

The NTSB recommendation was among several the agency issued recently following its first examination of bicycle safety in the U.S. since 1972. The NTSB also found that improved road designs, separate bicycle and vehicle traffic, the use of brightly colored clothing by bicyclists to improve visibility when riding day or night, as well as equipping bikes with reflectors and a highlight would reduce the number of cycling deaths.

Twenty-five percent of all fatal collisions involving cyclists occurred while a motorist was overtaking a bicyclist on stretches of road between intersections. Although intersection crashes are more frequent, the overtaking collisions were more likely to be fatal because vehicles tend to be traveling faster, according to the NTSB. These types of crashes are virtually eliminated by a protected bike lane.

Nearly 860 people on bikes or similar non-motorized vehicles were killed in 2018. That’s a 6.3 percent increase over 2017. The increase in cyclist deaths last year came even as overall traffic fatalities fell for the second straight year in 2018. The fatalities do not include solo bicycle crashes or incidents involving “dooring,” when a parked motorist opens a vehicle door in front of a passing cyclist.

The NTSB is best known for investigating plane crashes or major train derailments in an effort to stop them from happening again. It has no power to mandate that anyone wear a helmet, and holds little direct sway over what individual state governments choose to do.

Notes from the Director Tony Guerrieri, Executive Director

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9 3

Research Briefs

Space Age Disaster ResponseColeen Engvall, Research AnalystAs satellite imaging of the Earth’s surface becomes clearer and updates faster, scientists have been finding new applications for the technology. Traffic, animal migrations and even the presence of ancient ruins have all been seen from space. NASA now collects near real-time images, which can track weather patterns, ice cover and other critical data on the oceans and atmosphere.

But what about using it to save lives?

With the speed and reliability available now, NASA conducted a study to determine how satellite data could be used to help respond to major natural disasters, specifically flooding. With the major hurricanes and storms battering coastlines around the world in recent years, efficient and fast emergency response is more critical than ever.

NASA’s study, The Value of Near Real-Time Earth Observations for Improved Flood Disaster Response, was published in Frontiers in Environmental Science in September.

The images of Earth NASA gathers can do more than simply relay where flooding has occurred. Their data can also determine where flooding will reach dangerous depths, how dense the population of an area is and how resilient the infrastructure is.

All of this can help emergency responders to avoid danger, to help areas that are hardest hit and to allocate

their resources to help as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

So why isn’t this already being utilized?

First of all, the technology is still new and many of NASA’s inundation maps still require some time to be updated. In the past, these maps would have been too out of date by the time they were needed to be helpful. In addition, NASA had yet to determine whether these maps and data would be more effective than current methods used by emergency responders, such as helicopter reports or simple ground-level evaluations.

Earth observation technology may now be

fast and accurate enough to aid emergency relief in

near real time.In order to test the effectiveness of their maps and inundation algorithms, NASA applied them to hypothetical disasters based on real occurances to compare how their models would route the responders as opposed to how it actually happened. Their maps differentiate between flooded and highly flooded areas, and the difference to an ambulance or other rescue vehicle is critical.

Their three criteria for judging their algorithm are as follows:

• How does the presence of near real-time flood impact information affect the response times of emergency vehicles when compared to baseline routes?

• What model parameters are most important in determining vehicle response times?

• What is the potential social value of rapid earth observations when applied to a disaster scenario?

Better routing for responders not only leads to more lives saved, but also money. They estimated that, with accurate data from NASA’s maps, rescuers could save an average of nine minutes on their routes to victims. While this may seem trivial, nine minutes off of every trip throughout the year can mean the difference between life and death. Additionally, the researchers estimated that just nine minutes could be worth millions of dollars.

They do note however, that these improvements are entirely dependant upon the quality and speed of their inundation data.

The full article can be accessed at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2019.00127/full.

Each month, the Committee’s staff researches and prepares a number of “briefs” on several topics relevant to the Committee’s mission. Very often these briefs include references to reports and further research on the topics so that readers may pursue issues on their own. Please note that the information and opinions expressed in the Research Brief articles do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee, nor those of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

4 T h e J l c c N e w s l e T T e r

Millions in the U .S . Lack Access to Water and SanitationTony Guerrieri, Executive DirectorWhile most Americans take access to clean water for granted, clean, reliable running water and safe sanitations are out of reach for some of the most vulnerable communities in the United States, according to a report by the U.S. Water Alliance. In fact, the lack of access to safe potable water and basic indoor plumbing is more common across the country than previously thought.

The report, Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States: A National Action Plan, argues that the U.S. has one of the world’s most reliable water and wastewater systems, yet two million people live without access to running water and basic indoor plumbing. Many more live without sanitation.

To close this water gap, it is first important to understand it. The report analyzes the quantitative data from the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau as well as qualitative data from six regions that face water and sanitation access challenges. The report also includes recommendations.

The report finds that unlike other countries, the U.S. does not collect comprehensive data on water access, making it difficult to measure any

progress. This is particularly true for lower-income communities and communities of color without water access, which are undercounted in official datasets.

Someone’s race is the strongest indicator as to the likelihood of them living without access to safe water. Nationwide, Native American households are 19 times more likely than white households to lack access to complete plumbing, while African American and Latinx are nearly twice as likely. Poverty is a key obstacle to water access.

U.S. Water Alliance released a report on

Americans’ access to clean drinking water.

Income and location also serve as factors as to whether people have access to clean water, as does unemployment and education rates. Census tracts with lower than average household incomes had higher percentages of households lacking complete plumbing access, regardless of race. The same held true for tracts with higher percentages of residents without high school diplomas.

This crisis is not about isolated individuals or households living “off the grid” but instead about entire communities lacking access to clean water and safe sanitation. According to

the report, progress is uneven and some communities are even backsliding. For example, between 2000 and 2014, the number of people without access to water increased in Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, and Puerto Rico.

The report includes a section that highlights case studies from six locations around the United States including California’s Central Valley, the “four corners” area in the Southwest, border colonias in Texas, rural counties in Mississippi and Alabama, rural West Virginia, and Puerto Rico. Researchers spoke to families living without water and captured their stories of poor health and economic hardship. In the Southwest, for example, families drive for hours to haul barrels of water for their basic needs. In Alabama, parents warn their children not to play outside because their yards are flooded.

The report proposes an ambitious four-step action plan, highlighting strategies and practices that are improving water access for vulnerable communities organized around four main principles:

• Reimagining the solution by defining water access as a crisis.

• Deploying resources strategically, including building a domestic Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene sector.

• Building community power by using data to bring visibility to communities and supporting community water governance.

• Fostering creative collaboration by supporting system consolidation that benefits communities and bringing market expertise to places with water access challenges.

The goal of the report is to create a national response that ensures “safe, acceptable, accessible, affordable, and non-discriminatory access to water and wastewater services to all people.”

The 85-page U.S. Water Alliance report, Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States: A National Action Plan, is available at: http://www.urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Closing-the-Water-Access-Gap-in-the-United-States_compressed.pdf.

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9 5

Link Between Marine Fog and Mercury ContaminationColeen Engvall, Research AnalystMercury is found all across nature in varying concentrations, from land to rivers to oceans. Mercury in humans can severely impact the functioning of all organs, but the brain is particularly susceptible. Mercury exposure can cause neurological dysfunction, tremors, hallucinations, memory loss and even personality changes, depending on the severity. Many people, particularly children and pregnant women, limit their intake of certain foods to avoid the highly toxic metal.

In nature, mercury bioaccumulates in predators such as tuna and dolphins, concentrating environmental mercury into much higher levels in their bodies. Recently, a different predator was identified as having bioaccumulated mercury: pumas in Santa Cruz, California.

Pumas, otherwise known as mountain lions, are terrestrial animals. Yet researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz found that the local puma populations contained a mean of 1544 nanograms per gram-1, or 1,500 parts per billion of mercury. For reference, this is three times higher than mountain lions tested further inland. Santa Cruz is located in the Monterey Area which is a bay, but it is unlikely that the pumas were getting the mercury from hunting marine animals as their diet consists primarily of deer. So how are they coming into contact with mercury frequently enough to show such elevated levels?

The researchers analyzed data from the local flora and fauna, publishing their results in the journal Scientific Reports last month.

Mercury is distinct from other metals because of its low melting and boiling points. As a result, mercury can enter environments as a gas in the

atmosphere, settling into water or soil over time. Certain mercury compounds, primarily monomethylmercury, can travel to land from the ocean via fog. Methlymercury is one of the most dangerous forms of the metal.

Santa Cruz, which experiences regular fog events, represented a unique opportunity to test the efficiency of this vector. Researchers gathered samples of lace lichen, which is a reliable indicator of atmospheric mercury due to its lack of root systems where the plant may have absorbed mercury from the soil. They also tested mule deer, which are the primary pray of pumas, as well as the pumas themselves.

Marine fog may be acting as a vector for oceanic

mercury toxins to return to land, contaminating plants and wildlife, and

bioaccumulating in predators.

The study’s data suggests that the environmental mercury was being absorbed by lichen, which supports the theory that the mercury was travelling in the fog. The lichen was then eaten by deer and ultimately biaccumulating in the highest level of the food chain: in this case, the puma.

The Monterey Bay Area is circled by mountains which keep the fog from the bay from reaching further inland. The watershed on the other side of the mountain receives almost no marine fog. The researchers compared the data from this area to the same species that lived within the marine-based fog zone. In line with their findings, the inland plants and animals, which live in relative close proximity, showed mercury levels that were three times lower, which is a similar concentration to other inland species.

This is concerning for a few reasons. First of all, the concentrations of mercury may

be at a high enough concentration to be impairing the pumas neurologically, though there are no studies on pumas specifically that confirms this. With the Santa Cruz area pumas feeding almost exclusively on contaminated deer, this could put the already-strained population at risk.

The other issue is that, with mercury concentrating in plants then rising up the food chain, there are now more pathways for humans to ingest mercury and suffer from the toxic effects. Monitoring terrestrial food sources for mercury may become necessary depending on location and the amount of mercury present.

The report mentions that the amount of mercury evaporating into the atmosphere is expected to increase as temperatures continue to rise. This will increase plant, animal and human exposure to the dangerous metal.

The full article can be accessed at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-54056-7.pdf.

6 T h e J l c c N e w s l e T T e r

Poultry Farms Are Taking Over North CarolinaTony Guerrieri, Executive DirectorConcentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, now account for the dominant share of meat, dairy and eggs produced in the United States. North Carolina is among the top states in the nation in producing pork and poultry.

As the country’s demand for chicken has soared – Americans eat three times more chicken now than they did 50 years ago – North Carolina’s production has soared along with it. For decades, North Carolina has made headlines for its massive, corporate-scale hog production. However, a report by the non-profit Environmental Working Group finds poultry numbers are on the rise in the state. In fact, there are now more than twice as many large, concentrated poultry farms than hog farms.

The report raises concerns that poultry CAFOs are now a larger source of nutrient pollution to the state’s water than hogs. Many of these poultry CAFOs

are also in the same communities where hog CAFOs are clustered.

The report, done by combing through federal data, satellite images and site visits, comes as state policymakers are deciding how to permit and regulate the state’s industrial livestock industry and its waste.

New analysis finds there are now more than

twice as many large-scale poultry farms than industrial hog farms in

North Carolina, bringing about new pollution

concerns.According to the report, the recent and dramatic expansion of avian agribusiness and the threat these operations pose to the environment should be factored into regulators’ deliberations over the general swine permit. North Carolina currently has a moratorium on new CAFO hog farms, however, when it comes to poultry, the state’s not regulating this growth and is allowing this to happen

in areas already under extreme pressure from swine operations.

Broilers, fryers, roasters, turkey, chicken and eggs are the products of the poultry industry in North Carolina. The report estimates the state’s 4,700 poultry farms annually generate roughly five million tons of waste, which contains nitrogen and phosphorous that can pollute nearby waterways and people’s drinking water. That’s on top of the 2,100 swine operations.

The report estimated poultry farms create about 4.8 times more nitrogen waste than hog farms, and 4.1 times more phosphorous waste. State

data backs this up: the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality in 2014 found poultry generated about three times the nitrogen and six times the phosphorous as hogs.

The report highlights a sharp growth in poultry farms, especially over the past couple years:

• In 1997 there were 147 million birds farmed in the state. In 2018 that number was 516 million (there are about 9.7 million hogs).

• Between 2008 and 2016 more than 60 new large poultry farms were added per year.

• Between 2016 and 2018 more than 120 new large poultry farms were added per year.

• In total, between 2008 to 2018, 738 new industrial-scale poultry farms were added.

Much of the concern and focus on swine CAFOs has centered in southeastern North Carolina. The report found this region of the state – which already accounts for 43 percent of large hog farms – contains 23 percent of all the new large poultry farms.

The chickens and turkeys are sandwiched in this small area. According to the report, 93 percent of the poultry operations are within three miles of at least 20 other poultry or swine farms. This area contains an estimated 82 million chickens and turkeys along with four million hogs.

The Environmental Working Group report, Under the Radar: New Data Reveals N.C. Regulators Ignored Decade-Long Explosion of Poultry CAFOs, is available for download at: https://cdn3.ewg.org/sites/default/files/u352/EWG_NC-CAFO_Report_C05.pdf?_ga=2.4034998.709353176.1575305768-747487190.1575305768.

D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 9 7

67 Years Ago On December 12, 1952, a major nuclear accident occurred at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories in Ontario, Canada. The Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories was the first nuclear reactor that was built outside of the United States in 1945.

The nuclear accident occurred during the shutdown process of the reactor. While shutting down, a series of missteps by facility operators caused the reactor to double in its power, creating a massive explosion which wrecked the center of the reactor and released nuclear fuel. Following this initial explosion, several hydrogen eruptions ensued, propelling the dome of the reactor into the sky – which weighed four tons – and released thousands of radioactive particles into the air. One million liters of tainted water also flooded the basement of the facility.

While no fatalities occurred from the incident, thousands of citizens were exposed to harmful, highly radioactive waste. President Jimmy Carter, who was a nuclear engineer of the U.S. Navy at the time, was instructed to help with the nuclear reactor clean-up efforts which took several months to complete. Another accident occurred at the facility in 1958.

Bloody Red Shrimp Detected in Lake ErieFor the first time, Hemimysis anomala, or bloody red shrimp, as it is often referred to, was discovered in Pennsylvania’s waters.

The freshwater crustacean was first detected by students and professors from Penn State Behrend at the Lampe Marina Campground in Erie, Pennsylvania. The students and professors came across the shrimp species while they were examining the use of environmental DNA and testing ballast waters in order to find invasive species in Lake Erie. The study was made possible through a $177,000 grant they received from the Great Lakes Protection Fund.

The results of their study showed large amounts of the bloody red shrimp’s DNA in Lake Erie.

The species is native to the Black Sea, Azov Sea and Caspian Sea in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The non-native bloody red shrimp was first discovered in 2006 in the Great Lakes. The shrimp are tiny in size, approximately 2-3 mm in length, with large eyes and a mostly transparent body. It is postulated that given its size and coloring, the shrimp went easily unnoticed until recently in Pennsylvania’s waters.

Assessing the shrimp’s impact on Lake Erie’s ecosystem is still being closely examined. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the invasive species poses a high risk because of its ability to multiply at a rapid pace, in addition to its ability to decrease the algal and zooplankton biomass in waters where they are found. The crustacean can also change the feeding patterns of other species such as fish.

Learn more about this discovery at: https://news.psu.edu/story/594094/2019/10/22/research/behrend-students-discover-invasive-shrimp-species-lake-erie.

@PA_JLCC PA Joint Legislative Conservation Committee pa_jlcc Joint Legislative Conservation Committee

This Month in Conservation History A look back at the evolution of environmental stewardship

Did you Know? Get to know our Commonwealth

8 T h e J l c c N e w s l e T T e r

laid throughout that flow out onto the terraces. The cantilevered terraces allow for the house to appear as though it is floating above the waterfall. The glass windows also enable natural light to enter as well as unobstructed views of the great outdoors.

Fallingwater is one of Wright’s greatest depictions of his theories on “organic architecture.” In one of his writing pieces titled, In the Cause of Architecture, Wright states that, “A building should appear to grow easily from its site and be shaped to harmonize with its surroundings if nature is manifest there, and if not try to make it as quiet, substantial, and organic as she would have been were the opportunity hers.”

Wright’s design of Fallingwater harmoniously connects people to nature and the outdoors – which is clearly evidenced upon visiting the site. In 1964, Fallingwater was opened to the public as a museum. To date, more than 5.5 million people have visited Fallingwater. In addition to the breathtaking views and submersion into nature, Fallingwater also offers several educational programs for citizens to learn more about Wright’s architectural vision and designs.

Fallingwater has received numerous accolades over the years, including recognition as a National Historic Landmark in 1976; recognition as a Commonwealth Treasure by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission in 2000; and a designation as one of fifty “Places of a Lifetime” by the National Geographic Traveler Magazine.

According to UNESCO, in order to receive a World Heritage Site designation, a site

must meet at minimum, one of ten criteria. Two examples of selection criteria include: “to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change”; and “to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.”

Today, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy owns Fallingwater and is responsible for its maintenance, preservation and operation. The mission of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is to protect and restore our natural resources, wildlife, land, and natural bodies of water for current and future generations. In addition, the Conservancy is committed to enhancing our communities through initiatives such as community gardens and greenspace.

The only other World Heritage Site designation in Pennsylvania is Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

For more information about Fallingwater, please visit: https://fallingwater.org/.

Joint Legislative Conservation

Committee

Contact Information

Phone : 717.787.7570

Website : jcc .legis .state .pa .us

Location:Room 408

Finance BuildingHarrisburg, PA 17120

Mailing Address:Joint Legislative

Conservation CommitteePA House of Representatives

P.O. Box 202254Harrisburg, PA 17120-2254

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