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Preventing foot-and-mouth in the U.S.

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman provided details of the Bush Administration's FY 2002 agriculture budget, which included responsible increases for plant pests and animal disease programs, food safety, trade programs, and other important department activities. Veneman also announced that she has authorized an additional $32 million in FY 2001/2002 to increase inspection personnel to protect against animal and plant diseases like foot-and-mouth at major U.S. ports of entry.

"This budget funds key priorities within this department," said Veneman. "It helps protect our borders against plant pests and animal diseases, provides full funding for food safety programs, and funds important programs to increase trade activity for U.S. agriculture."

The FY 2002 budget provides $849 million in program funding for USDA's Animal Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS), an increase of $174 million since 2001. The budget also strengthens the Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Program (AQI), which helps protect the U.S. against animal diseases like foot-and-mouth.

In response to the recent foot-and-mouth outbreak, the USDA has announced increased measures to protect American agriculture. This includes prohibiting shipments of products from high-risk countries; increasing personnel and surveillance at ports of entry; tightening regulatory enforcement; strengthening federal, state and industry coordination; implementing education campaigns; and dispatching experts to Great Britain to assist containment efforts. Veneman stressed that the Department continues to review current programs to ensure appropriate resources are maintained.

New cooperatives help to market specialty crops and businesses

Downstate farmers looking to set up new co-ops to serve new needs are getting some help from rural enterprise experts at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

"For more than 150 years, cooperatives have offered a solution to the adverse conditions farmers face," said Sue Kohler, associate director of SlUC's Office of Economic and Regional Development.

Over the last six months, Kohler's team has worked with nine groups of farmers interested in creating cooperatives for resources as varied as water and radio stations.

"We help with everything from setting up steering committees to conducting feasibility studies to recruiting members and hiring staff," Kohler said.

For example, while more farmers are growing organic crops, they lack an adequate marketing system, Kohler said. A separate $58,000 grant, awarded through the USDA's Federal State Marketing Improvement Program, will help locate organic grain buyers, find out what they need in terms of quantity and quality, and come up with some strategies for moving the crops from farm to market.

For more on SlUC's READ! project, go to www.siu.edu/-readi. For more on the 1-FARRM project, go to www.siu.edu/-i-farrm.

Improving enforcement of animal welfare laws

Studies have found a direct correlation between animal abuse and criminal behavior, including domestic violence, vandalism and drug use. The Illinois Department of Agriculture and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals want to make sure this clue is not missed.

The two organizations are joining with law enforcement to make sure officers understand this problem and the law. "Animal abusers are five times more likely to commit crimes of violence against people, four times more likely commit property crimes, and three times more likely to commit drug-related crimes," Ledy VanKavage of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said. "The problem is animal laws are not contained in the Illinois criminal code so, unfortunately, many police officers aren't aware they even exist."

Seminars were held early this year that included instruction about the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act, the Illinois Dangerous Animals Act, and the Illinois Dead Animal Disposal Act, as well as investigative techniques for animal abuse cases and the psychological profile of animal abusers.

Source: Illinois Department of Agriculture

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Bright ideas that will lower your electric bill

Lighting accounts for 20 to 25 percent of all electricity sold in the United States. You can help yourself, the environment and the economy by taking some simple steps to conserve energy.

Here are four tips from the Leviton Institute that can take the effort out of saving dollars on your electric bill.

1. Install dimmer switches. A light bulb at 50 percent brightness uses approximately 40 percent less electricity. A dimmer switch also extends the life of your bulbs. A bulb at 50 percent brightness will last approximately 20 times longer.

2. Install occupancy sensors. An occupancy sensor automatically turns lights on when someone enters a room, and then turns them off after the person leaves the area. They're ideal for closets, hallways, the laundry room and garages.

3. Install motion detectors outside. Many homeowners know that good outdoor lighting makes their home less appealing to a burglar. But keeping outdoor floodlights on all night can be expensive. Instead, install a motion detector to control your outdoor security lights.

4. Install digital timers. If anyone in your family has left a bathroom exhaust fan or a heat lamp on all day, you'll appreciate the convenience of timers. The latest digital timers are installed right in the wall and offer programmable time settings.

For more energy saving ideas contact your local electric cooperative.

Source: Leviton Institute

FTC questions electric deregulation without added protection

In the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) new 65-page report, "Competition and Consumer Protection Perspectives on Electric Power Regulatory Reform," the FTC echoes the fears of some consumer groups.

The FTC anticipates that "as the electric power industry deregulates, the number of mergers is expected to increase as firms respond differently to new competitive opportunities."

For example, Philadelphia's Peco Energy Co. and Unicorn Corp. of Chicago have officially merged into one company. The $7.8 billion merger was approved in October. The newly combined company, Exelon Corp., will be among the largest energy providers in the country, with 5 million customers and more than $12 billion in annual revenues. In addition, the companies generate almost 20 percent of the nation's nuclear power.

Source: Martha Edgeworth, Electric Cooperative Today. The FTC report is available at www.ftc.gov/be/v000009.htm

Geothermal heat pump installed at co-op headquarters

You should practice what you preach. That is exactly what the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC), headquartered in Springfield, did when it was decided that the association's ancient air-to-air heat pump should be replaced with a new geothermal heat pump.

Two five-ton WaterFurnace Premier E Series geothermal heat pumps were installed in May. The new units use zero ozone depleting R410-A refrigerant and were the first of the new units to be installed anywhere.

"We replaced air-source heat pumps, that were originally installed in the mid-1960s, with the latest, state-of-the-art geothermal heat pumps," says John Freitag, vice president of operations for the AIEC. Freitag is a true believer in the technology and recently installed a geothermal heat pump in his home, replacing an old gas furnace and air conditioning system.

"If you are looking at any kind of payback it becomes obvious that geothermal pays for itself," says Freitag. He says many electric cooperatives have rebates and electric rates that make geothermal heat pumps an even better value. After installing his own geothermal heat pump last winter, Freitag says that, in addition to the energy savings, the new geothermal heat pump is very quiet and cleaner than his old unit.

"Our system will pay for itself in five years and we will be on easy street after that," says Freitag.

"Anyone who has had a geothermal heat pump for very long also says they go on efficiently forever and need few, if any, repairs," says Freitag. Hot water is also produced basically for free as a byproduct of the system. He says the geothermal heat pump is so efficient that it is almost coasting all the time.

"I used to be the one in our family who waited until it got really hot to turn on our air conditioner. Now the energy use is almost so small it is irrelevant. Turn it on and be comfortable," says Freitag. He adds that the unit is so quiet that if you make an adjustment on the thermostat you will hear it click, but then you can't tell the system is on unless you go to the air registers and feel the air movement.

Even though the energy savings are important to

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AUGUST 2001 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 7


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Gary Evans of Evans Excavating, Inc. Mt Vernon, isn't drilling for oil, but he is drilling for geothermal energy. Evans installed the closed loop pipe for the geothermal heat pumps at the AIEC. He says the geothermal heat pump business has increased 90 percent because of increased natural gas prices. Snell Heat and Air of Springfield installed the inside units and ductworlc.

(Continued from page 7)

Freitag, safety is probably the most important reason he chose a geothermal heat pump. "I have two boys in bedrooms near the old gas water heater and furnace. I had carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors, but I was never comfortable with that. I'm not scared of gas, but I was always uneasy. Now I don't have to worry about that."

New refrigerants environmentally safe Government restrictions on the future production of refrigerants with CFCs has forced companies to phase out the R-22 refrigerant with a refrigerant that is safer for the environment. WaterFurnace has been evaluating alternative refrigerants for the past few years and is most impressed with the results of R410-A.

"The R410-A refrigerant is by far the best long-term HCFC replacement and it is more efficient than R-22," explained David Ray, WaterFurnace engineering manager, advanced development. "R410-A is a chlorine-free, zero ozone depleting blend of two HCFC refrigerants that's safe and easy to use. It also seems to be the refrigerant that many HVAC companies are choosing for high performance."

R410-A has up to 6 percent greater refrigeration capacity than R-22 and its Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is 5-6 percent higher, offering improved performance in addition to its environmental benefits. The Premier E geothermal heat pump also uses far less refrigerant than air to air heat pumps or air conditioners.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, geothermal heating and cooling systems are the most energy efficient, environmentally clean and cost effective space conditioning systems available. They operate by "moving" the renewable heat energy stored in the earth instead of "creating" it to lower energy bills while providing safe, reliable, year-round comfort without flames, fumes or a threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.

New geothermal heat pump perfect for retrofit

ClimateMaster has introduced a new geothermal heat pump called the Paradigm. It is the first split geothermal heating and cooling unit with outside installation options resulting in low installation costs and unit flexibility suitable for a broad range of residential applications.

Ideal for the retrofit market, the Paradigm significantly lowers installation costs by utilizing the major components of a homeowner's existing air handler or furnace with only minimal changes.

For more information on geothermal heat pumps call your local electric cooperative, see the ads in this magazine, or go to www.geoexchange.org, www.igshpa.okstate.edu, www.waterfurnace.com or www.climatemaster.com.

You may receive a co-op survey this summer

We always welcome your opinions and feedback, but this summer a group of randomly chosen co-op members will receive a survey. Your response will help your cooperative's board and management make decisions about the co-op's operations and services to you.

The survey is only conducted every three years and is coordinated by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. If you receive one of the surveys, it is important that you answer the questions and return the survey as soon as possible.

The survey is being conducted by Satisfaction Development Systems (SDS), a Salt Lake City, Utah company owned by a group of cooperatives. SDS is specialized in surveys for cooperatives. We appreciate everyone's cooperation with this survey. As an added incentive, a drawing for five $100 credits toward members' monthly electric bills will be held.

8 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING AUGUST 2001


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