Light Bulb Warning

Montpelier, Vermont - February 25, 2008

Lots of people are buying compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs. But some environmental advocates are concerned about how people get rid of them if they break. That's because they contain small amounts of mercury.

"When the bulbs are broken that mercury vapor can be released into a home and it's obviously never a good idea to be exposed to mercury in your home. That is the primary concern," explains Charity Carbine of the Vt. Public Interest Research Group.

A study released Monday by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that mercury released by a broken CFL can pose a health risk. It issued guidelines for cleaning it up safely.

Read full article

VT Edition Interview: Steve Wark, Bob Young & James Moore on Vermont's energy future

Friday February 15, 2008

Montpelier, VT-- What should be the key elements of Vermont's energy future? More reliance on renewable sources, a new contract with Hydro Quebec, a contract extension for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant or perhaps a new natural gas fired facility in Chittenden County? Those are some of the questions VPR's Bob Kinzel had for Steve Wark from the Public Service Department, Bob Young, president of the Central Vermont Public Service Corporation and James Moore, energy specialist at the Vermont Public Interest Research Group

Listen to interview here

House passes new version of last year's energy bill

February 14, 2008

MONTPELIER – The Vermont House on Wednesday passed by a massive margin a new version of the energy bill shot down last year by Gov. James Douglas' veto.

But the Murphy's Law of legislating remained in place: If lawmakers make compromises to gain support on one side, they risk loosing the bill on the other.

So while the House version of the bill offered the Douglas administration some compromises compared to last year's measure, it may run into trouble when it heads back to the Senate, where those compromises might not be popular. And some renewable energy advocates were lukewarm in their support of the House version, at best.

(...)Advocates of wind power development said the bill, in fact, doesn't go far enough to encourage such alternative energy. The problem, they said, is the establishment of a minimum tax on wind projects based on their top potential capacity, whether they are running or not. If the turbines were running, the tax would be based on actual production.

That could especially be a problem for small and mid-sized projects of one or two turbines, such as might be put up by a town or village, said James Moore of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

"For that community, it could effectively triple their tax" if the turbines were not operating, Moore said.

The bill does not move far enough fast enough on implementing the new efficiency programs either, and gives too much say to the administration in how they are structured, Moore said.
More importantly, however, is the realization in the Statehouse that Vermonters want such a program, Moore said.

"Republicans, Democrats and Progressives all recognize that Vermonters want renewable energy and want help reducing their heating bills" he said.

Read full article

Bill would boost mammogram coverage

February 13, 2008

MONTPELIER — Cassandra LaRae-Perez was surprised when she found out she would have to pay out of pocket for a mammogram. She was even more shocked when she learned that — at 39 — she had breast cancer.

Now, having gone through surgery and still in radiation therapy, LaRae-Perez wanted to do something good with what she learned. By coincidence, as a lobbyist for one of the state's largest lobbying and law firms, she knew her way around the Statehouse.

"When something like this happens you want something good to come out of it," she said
Now a bill LaRae-Perez worked on with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group and was introduced by Sen. John Campbell, D-Windsor, is scheduled to be on the floor of the Senate today.

"This bill makes sure no woman in Vermont has to pay more than $25 out of pocket for a screening mammogram," said Stefanie Sidortsova of VPIRG.

Read full article

Panel hears pros and cons of junk mail

February 8, 2008

MONTPELIER -- Residents of the 22 towns in the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District probably receive 23 million pieces of junk mail a year, said Donna Barlow Casey, the district's executive director.

Whether it's recycled or ends up in a landfill, Casey said managing junk mail costs the district $168,000 annually.

"Junk mail is a waste," Casey told members of the House Commerce Committee on Thursday. "A waste of resources, a waste of time, a waste of money." She told lawmakers she welcomed a bill that would set up a registry for Vermonters who don't wish to receive unsolicited commercial mail.

"To me, the key question on the table is whether or not Vermonters have the right to control their own mailboxes," said Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

Burns noted that it's possible to contact businesses and ask them to stop sending advertisements. People can also register with a mail preference service run by the Direct Mail Association.
Burns asked the committee, "Why aren't we doing more to make it easy for people?"

He also questioned an economic model of direct mail, noting that responses to unsolicited advertising run around 3 percent.

"There has got to be a better way than having a 97 percent waste rate," Burns said. Mailers don't pay the full cost of this wasteful system, he added. It's the people who receive junk mail who incur the cost of disposing or recycling it.

Read full article

Douglas still not happy with campaign finance bill

February 8, 2008

MONTPELIER — The House Government Operations Committee gave Gov. Jim Douglas half of what he wanted in a revised campaign finance reform bill — but it may not be enough to avert a veto.

“We continue to have serious concerns about the bill,” Jason Gibbs, spokesman for Douglas, said today.

The House panel weighed whether to give Douglas everything he wanted, but lawmakers decided they were comfortable with the bill as they had written it. They voted 9-0 to send the bill to the full House for a vote Wednesday.

The bill, as written, would take effect immediately. That’s a problem, said Rob Roper, chairman of the Vermont Republican Party. “You are changing the rules in the middle of the campaign season.”

Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, sees minimal legal risk because the Legislature paid attention to the guidelines set out in the U.S. Supreme Court decision. He said, “It’s a common sense bill that allows fair participation in elections while preventing a few political action committees, corporations or individuals from dominating the process.”

Read full article

VPIRG works for the public

February 5, 2008

Jack McMullen criticized the public interest effort to prevent special interest money from taking over Vermont elections as it has elsewhere in America ("VPIRG's hold on Democratic Party," Jan. 30).

To his credit, McMullen noted that the Vermont Public Interest Research Group has a long history of success fighting in the public's interest for things like clear air, clean water and safe cars. He could also have added that in standing up for average Vermonters, VPIRG challenges some of the most powerful corporate interests in this country.

Read full piece