Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 12, 1995 TAG: 9506130017
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: EXTRA EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Larm's story and others will be told on "Frontline," airing at 9 p.m. Tuesday on PBS (WBRA-Channel 15). The hour-long program examines one of the toughest and most controversial public health issues of our time - electromagnetic fields, or EMFs. It's one of the chief concerns among residents in Virginia and West Virginia who are fighting a proposal by Appalachian Power Co. to build a 765,000-volt power line from Oceana, W.Va., to Cloverdale.
"Frontline" talks to people on both sides of the issue. According to a press release from the producers, the show finds a lack of evidence conclusively linking power lines to adverse health effects, and reveals that some EMF researchers "are simply choosing to ignore the negative results and to publish the positive results ..."
The gypsy moths are coming!
But they won't get here for another two years. So now's the time to prepare, says Charlie Blankenship, chairman of the Urban Forestry Council.
His group and Valley Beautiful members met with representatives of the Fifth District Planning Commission last month to start planning a strategy to cope with the voracious caterpillars that have devoured entire stands of hardwood trees in the Northeast. They don't just stay in the woods, but attack trees in back yards, front yards, parks and playgrounds.
The groups are coordinating with the U.S. Forest Service and the Virginia Department of Forestry, who have been fighting the pest in other parts of the state and country. A national environmental impact statement on the gypsy moth is available for review at the Roanoke County library on Va. 419.
For more information, call extension agent John Arbogast at 857-7915, or Blankenship at 774-6272.
All the colors of the rainbow
That's what you'll find if you go to the second annual Latex Paint Exchange, sponsored by the Montgomery County Improvement Council. Bring your old, usable paint for someone else to use, and it won't end up in the county landfill. Or, if you're in the market for paint, come by and pick up as much free paint as you want.
All paint must be latex based, in the original labeled container, and of usable quality. For example, paint that has been frozen is no longer usable. Also, paint from businesses, oil-based paints or other painting-related chemicals will be rejected.
The paint exchange is scheduled for June 24 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Christiansburg High School parking lot. For more information call 382-5793.
Timber in Appalachia
The U.S. Forest Service has been studying the supply and demand for timber in the Southern Appalachian forests, and invites the public to attend a meeting on the subject June 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The meeting will be held at the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests headquarters at Valleypointe in Roanoke.
The study is part of the Southern Appalachian Assessment, a cooperative venture among the leading resource management agencies in the Southeast. They are studying air pollution, water resources, wildlife and other resources in the mountains from Virginia to Alabama and Georgia. The overall assessment should be done in December.
The June 21 meeting will be a chance for the timber production team members to review the progress. The public will have opportunities to talk with the team and participate in discussions.
Cathryn McCue covers the environment for this newspaper. Green Scene runs every other Monday.
by CNB