The EPA is ramping up cleanup activities at two former Orange County copper mines this month, the Journal-Opinion reports.

In August, the JO covered a public informational meeting in Vershire about plans at the Ely Mine. The EPA anticipated nearly 800 truck loads of material will be shipped to the site this fall to help construct a containment cell for mine waste.

In the construction area, the speed limit on South Vershire Road in Vershire has been lowered to 25 mph during cleanup activities. The EPA says it will suspend hauling during school bus activity on South Vershire Road and Beanville Road in West Fairlee.

In Corinth, contractors will continue preparing the local roads this week in the vicinity of the Pike Hill Mine. The EPA estimates some 240 truck loads of material will be delivered to that site this fall.

Both former copper mines are on the federal Superfund list although the properties are privately owned. Since 1950, activities at the site have included commercial timber management as well as hunting, snowmobile riding and horseback riding. The site also includes historic mining-related artifacts and provides habitat for several species of state and federal threatened and endangered bats.

Report turkey, deer kill online – Hunters will be able to report turkeys and some deer they harvest this fall online through the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website www.vtfishandwildlife.com.

Turkeys may be reported online or in-person at a regional big game reporting station.

Deer may be reported online or in-person during the archery and muzzleloader seasons, but deer must be reported in-person during the youth and novice deer hunting weekend on October 26-27 and during the regular deer season on November 16-December 1.  This in-person reporting requirement allows biologists to collect important information from deer during these seasons.

Bears must be reported in-person at a regional big game reporting station.  The hunter must also submit a premolar tooth from the bear at the time the bear is reported or within 30 days.  The tooth provides important data on the age structure and size of the bear population.  Envelopes for submitting teeth are available at all big game reporting stations.

Hunters are required to report deer, bear and wild turkeys they harvest during the hunting seasons within 48 hours.  Deer and bear must be field-dressed prior to reporting, and a hunter must take a warden to the kill site of a deer or bear if requested by a warden.

The online reporting link for deer and turkey as well as a map and list of big game reporting stations is available under “Hunt” on the left side of Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website. 

UVM to develop climate change impact measurement standards – The new Climate Measurements Center of Excellence (CMeC) at the University of Vermont (UVM) will standardize climate change measureement, thanks to a $2.7M investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The new Center at UVM will advance U.S. climate impact assessment and planning by providing national, state, tribal, and local governments with standardized methods and metrics, addressing a lack of standards in regional climate change measurement.

The Center will mobilize scientists and experts at UVM and nationally to measure and respond to the diverse ways that climate affects U.S. communities, water resources, human health, and food systems. Researchers will work with partners in 13 states and jurisdictions—including Alabama, Nebraska, and Washington—who will provide vital insights during the research and can implement solutions in their communities. More regions will be added over time.