Royal Dutch Shell Oil is preparing to once again attempt to drill for oil in the Arctic. Shell has shown, year after year, that they are not "Arctic ready" and can not be trusted to operate responsibly in these icy, desolate seas. The last time they tried--in 2012--they had to suspend operations after two of their drilling ships suffered serious accidents, one of them washing ashore. Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard found numerous pollution control equipment violations on the ships after inspecting them. It was also found that they did not have adequate spill prevention and cleanup equipment available for potential spills. Shell isn't ready for the Arctic and the Arctic will never be ready for Shell.

A public hearing has been scheduled before the Division of Aquatic Resources on October 3, 2014, regarding the approval of rules for the Hā'ena Community Based Subsistence Fishing Area. The Hā'ena Rules propose to prohibit the taking of aquatic life for commercial purposes and to prohibit commercial activities disruptive to the natural environment. A copy of the proposed rules can be found at http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/files/2014/05/Haena_13-60.8dr.pdf.

In the past decade, protections for waters of the United States have been stripped away by the Supreme Court. EPA's rule will restore Clean Water Act protections that have been lost for 55% of Illinois waterways. Clean water is necessary for public health, recreation, business, and for our children's futures.

Millions of Illinoisans rely on Lake Michigan and other Illinois waterways for drinking water, yet the Lake continues to be treated like a personal sewer for the region’s largest polluters. EPA's rule will restore Clean Water Act protections necessary to public health, recreation, and business, that have been lost for 55% of Illinois waterways.

Bees play a crucial role in our food system -- producing 1 of every 3 bites of food we eat -- but out of control pesticide use is wiping them out and putting our food system at risk. That’s why thousands of concerned citizens are coming together to send the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency an urgent message to put an immediate stop to the use of bee-killing pesticides. The EPA is responsible for regulating the pesticides that are killing our bees—neonicotinoids—and they have so far fast-tracked the approval of these bee-killing chemicals instead of taking a hard look at their effects and protecting pollinators from their harms. Worse, they’ve ignored calls to take action on these pesticides from beekeepers, environmentalists, scientists, and even Members of Congress. That’s where we come in. Last Spring, Center for Food Safety and a coalition of beekeepers, environmental and consumer groups filed a lawsuit against the EPA for its failure to protect pollinators from these dangerous pesticides. But the EPA has still not responded to our legal action, so your pressure on the agency to take immediate action to protect our pollinators is critical! Honey bees and other pollinators are essential to a healthy food supply and environment. Right now, bee losses are unsustainable. It is urgent that our regulatory agencies take more aggressive action to prevent further declines of pollinators, and acknowledge the role that pesticides play. If we don’t come together to save our bees, who will?

New York state agencies are in the process of permitting several new gas-fired power plants such as the CPV Valley Energy Center in Orange County. These plants would be fueled by fracking in Pennsylvania and predicated on fracking in New York. This is the wrong road to take if we want a viable and sustainable energy policy that advances us toward 100% usage of renewable resources. Fracking is an inherently dangerous industrial process that is devastating communities in Pennsylvania as well as in New York, through its related infrastructure. We are opposed to the sale, transportation, and use of fracked gas. We demand that all New York state public officials as well as state agencies reject this project that depends on and facilitates fracking.

I already find it hard as it is to find quality food for my family. Having the option to use the USDA organic seal as a guide would be helpful if it were accurate to the presumption that it is truly safe of any harmful chemicals. The USDA has repeatedly permitted certifications of organizations known to not meet the legal requirement for said certification. Two examples are CCFO and Oregon Tilth. Organic Farming should entail requirements – Free of synthetic chemicals of any kind – Free of genetically modified organisms – Free of irradiation, pasteurization or sterilization – Produced in soils of enhanced biological activity – Produced via reputable farming strategies such as on crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, mechanical cultivation, approved mineral-bearing rocks and aspects of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity, to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, weeds and other pests. Our food supply needs to be properly labeled.

Duluth's unique Chester Bowl Park is under attack by corporate interests. In spite of public outcry, Duluth City Officials recently ordered the demolition of the historic Big Chester Ski Jump to make way for Sprint to erect a 75' stealth Mono-pole (cell tower). A 'Special Use Permit' is required since structures with high frequency radio magnetic emissions are forbidden in city parks! We strongly object to the city further desecrating our treasured Chester Bowl Park by issuing Sprint or any commercial entity permission to infringe on the health, safety and beauty of our public parks!

Facts: Bottled water costs 300 to 2,400 times as much as tap water; 1 bottle costs as much as a year of tap drinking water; bottles are petroleum products; producing bottled water consumes up to 2000 times more energy than tap water and produces annually as much CO2 as 475,000 cars; 80% of the bottles go to landfills. We should discourage the purchase of bottled water.

EPA issued a Final Rule to ban and phase out asbestos in 1998. Two years later the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned EPA's ruling. Every year for the past 10 years there has been a bill introduced to Congress that calls for a ban on Asbestos. It never makes it through the House of Representatives. It is time to act. We simply can no longer allow 10,000 more Americans to die this year.

On Sept 21st, the historic People's Climate March in NYC drew the line - the climate scientists have told us that 80% of the known carbon reserves must stay in the ground or it is "game over" for the planet. The fracking industry is the new carbon polluter in town. Please say "no" to their oily and gassy plans for Illinois. JCAR, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, can block the fracking industry for up to 180 days by prohibiting the rules for fracking at their next meeting, Oct 14th. (Prohibiting means the rules will go back to the IDNR for further work.) The rules for fracking are NOT going to keep Illinois residents safe. They are inadequate on many levels, but particularly insufficient for: induced earthquakes, radioactive waste water and debris, carcinogenic air pollution including silica sand, water contamination, and the industry's chemical "secrets". Also the fines for violations are a pittance. The frackers are gutting the rules right now in closed door sessions. We say, "No to back room deals - bring the rules out to the light of day and start public hearings - listen to the scientists and not the profiteers!" You can do 4 things to block fracking in the next 2 weeks: 1) Call all 12 JCAR members - you do not have to be their constituents - all calls are helpful. Please tell them, "No back room deals with the frackers! Protect the planet, and the people, animals, land, air and water of Illinois over the profits of the oil and natural gas industry - please prohibit the rules for fracking." http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/member.pdf (If you cannot open this pdf for any reason, please go to https://www.facebook.com/FrackFreeIllinois to see the top post with all phone numbers and emails addresses.) 2) Join us on Sat, Oct 11th to send a message to Sen. Don Harmon of Oak Park in person, for details and RSVP go to: https://actionnetwork.org/events/il-global-frackdown-defend-the-shawnee 3) Attend a press conference and the JCAR meeting on Tues, Oct 14th at -10:30am - press conference in front of the building -11:30am - meeting, Rm 600 C. MICHAEL A. BILANDIC BUILDING, 160 North LaSalle St., Chicago , IL 4) Sign and pass this petition, if you are a member of an environmental / community / business / not-for-profit organization, please have your organization sign onto it as well. Please spread the word and bring your friends and family to these events. It is up to us to demand our freedom from carbon pollution, and to kick start our renewable energy renaissance. More details below - thanks! Frack Free Illinois A) It is too dangerous to frack in the active earthquake zones! The rules for hydraulic fracturing should be prohibited because the rulemaking for seismicity constitutes a threat to the public interest, safety and welfare. The rules for seismicity are not protective against the proven threat of induced earthquakes from horizontal drilling and deep injection well disposal of waste water in the active earthquake zones of the New Madrid and Wabash Valley. We urge prohibition of these rules for seismicity. JCAR could then take the time to host public hearings where independent seismologists could testify as to the threat of this extreme extraction in the active earthquake zones. Fracking induced earthquakes are real and proven, they have been experienced in OK, AR, NM, OH, TX and other states where fracking has already taken place. Per recent polling in Southern Illinois, approximately 40% of the population fear the threat of induced earthquakes. Prohibit the rules for seismicity. B) Fracking accelerates climate change! The rules for hydraulic fracturing are a threat to the public interest, safety and welfare of all Illinois residents because they will accelerate climate change by facilitating the extraction of carbon emitting oil and natural gas. The climate scientists from around the world have been calling the alarm about the ever growing threats of climate change. Their dire predictions and warnings of collapsing ocean ecosystems, severe storms, droughts, food shortages, public health emergencies, forest fires, rising seas, and wars for resources are coming true. They are begging the industries and the governments of the world to leave 80% of ALL known carbon reserves in the ground to stave off run away global warming. JCAR members - pay attention to the proven planetary threat of climate change. Please vote to Prohibit the rules for fracking because they will open the door to the inevitable emissions of CO2, methane, volatile organic compounds and other green house gases associated with fracking, all of which will accelerate climate change. C) Back room deals undermine the public's interests and process. We ask that the rules for hydraulic fracturing be prohibited because the rulemaking process has now been taken behind closed doors, out of the sight of the public, undermining the largest public response on any issue in the history of the IDNR. Negotiations over these rules are now being conducted between IDNR, JCAR staff, and the Industry. The Industry has over 60 points of contention with the rules; we believe that they are targeting the few protections that the IDNR added to the rules since receiving well over 30,000 public comments. We, the residents of Illinois, deserve that this rulemaking process come back out under the watchful eyes of the public. Prohibit the rules and proceed to public hearings where all of Illinois can bear witness to the the Industry's comments and requests for changes. A public process is the only way for the residents to appropriately respond to the many dangerous issues that are associated with fracking.

As a resident of the City of San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, I believe there is NO benefit to having fluoride in our drinking water. Residents of this great city are not at all informed and many are horrified that this has not been made more public for a proper public response. At the very least, the ethical basis for exposing a whole population to a "therapeutic agent" without informed consent must be called into question. Santa Clara Valley Water District recently agreed to go ahead with fluoridation beginning this December: http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2016/10/25/south-bay-activists-threaten-to-sue-over-water-fluoridation/ "Seven decades since American cities began fluoridating public water supplies to prevent tooth decay, the South Bay remains something of a holdout. It’s the largest metropolitan region in the nation to not fluoridate its water. That’s about to change, but not without some pushback. Activists have threatened to sue the Santa Clara Valley Water District to prevent it from adding the mineral, which it planned to start doing this December." PER SCVWD: "Residents who have other dental or health related questions or concerns about fluoride should call 1-844-435-8420. For questions on drinking water safety, members of the public are encouraged to contact Drinking Water Toxicologist Bruce A. Macler, Ph.D., of the U.S. EPA, Region 9, at 415-972-3569. Comments or questions directed to Santa Clara Valley Water District can be submitted through our Access Valley Water system or by calling 408-630-2020."