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News You
Can Use
From Senate Republican Policy Development & Research Office
August 10, 2007
Time to Update the Do Not Call List
Time flies when unwanted telemarketing calls are no
longer interrupting your dinner, but not for long if you
fail to act. According to the PA Office of Attorney
General, it has been almost five years since Pennsylvania
adopted a Do Not Call registry that expires on November 1,
2007 for those who registered before September 15, 2002.
Failing to re-register prior to the deadline means you
may receive unwanted phone calls for up to 120 days.
Registration is conducted on a quarterly basis as follows:
| Register before: |
Telemarketers cannot call you after: |
| September 15 |
November 1 |
| December 15 |
February 1 |
| March 15 |
May 1 |
| June 15 |
August 1 |
Verify your enrollment in the
Do
Not Call Program and you will receive an immediate
response. You will be informed of the date of your
enrollment, allowing you to determine if the 5-year
registration period is about to expire. In which case,
you
can re-enroll or enroll for the first time.
You may also contact the PA Do Not Call Center toll-free
at 1-888-777-3406 to register for the program. If you
prefer you may mail your name, complete mailing address,
telephone number and signature to:
Office of Attorney General
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Do Not Call List
Strawberry Square, 15th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Access
Frequently Asked Questions about the PA Do Not Call
Program.
Consumers can have the benefits of
being on both the federal and Pennsylvania Do Not Call lists
free-of-charge. The federal Do Not Call program began in
2003 and registrations for that program also expire after
five years. Information on the National Do Not Call list is
available online. The Federal
Trade Commission operates the national do-not-call registry,
also available at 1-888-382-1222.
PA Initiates Drought Watch List
Declining groundwater levels throughout
much of Pennsylvania have resulted in the declaration of a
drought watch in 58 of the state's 67 counties, according to
the Department of Environmental Protection. The move
follows two months of limited rainfall and the meeting of
other drought factors.
A drought watch is one of three drought
classifications; followed by a warning, then an emergency.
A watch calls for the voluntary reduction of water usage by
five percent, while a voluntary reduction of 10 – 15 percent
is requested with a drought warning. A drought emergency
entails the banning of nonessential water usage, such as
watering lawns, gardens, and shrubs; washing vehicles and
paved surfaces; filling swimming pools, and other ornamental
purposes.
DEP offers the following tips to help
your family achieve a reduction in water usage:
In the Bathroom:
- Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and
aerators on faucets;
- Check for household leaks – a leaking
toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day; and
- Take short showers instead of baths.
Kitchen/Laundry Areas:
- Replace older appliances with high
efficiency, front loading models that use about 30 percent
less water and 40-50 percent less energy;
- Run dishwashers and washing machines
only with full loads; and
- Keep water in the refrigerator to avoid
running water from a faucet until it is cold.
Outdoors:
- Water outdoors in the early morning or evening hours to cut down on evaporation;
- Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways, steps and sidewalks;
- Use soaker hoses and trickle irrigation systems to reduce water use by 20-50 percent; and
- Cover swimming pools to prevent evaporation.
Access the
statewide drought map
to see if your county is included in the drought watch.
For a
greater perspective on drought management in
Pennsylvania,
then consult "Drought Emergency Frequently Asked Questions,"
"Drought Management in PA"
and "Managing Water During a Drought Emergency."
Turn to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency on
Water Sense--Efficiency Made Easy
to help you comply with the voluntary reduction request.
Fly Out of PA Airports to Save Time
& Money
Utilizing the services of one of
Pennsylvania's 15 convenient airports may be the key to
savings for your travel budget, according to the state's
website IFlyPA.com. Since
2000, the average Pennsylvania airfare dropped more than 24
percent—one of the largest airfare declines of any state.
At 2006 fare levels, Pennsylvania residents spent $1.3
billion less than they would have at 2000 rates.
The savings go beyond the
ticket price. Compare travel for a one-week trip
flying from the Lancaster airport versus Baltimore.
Save 168 miles and 3 hours and 32 minutes on the road
traveling to the airport. Decreasing drive time saves
$81.48 in gas and another $56 in long-term parking fees for
a one week total savings of $137.48.
IFlyPA.com provides direct links to
each of the state's airports and more than 18 domestic and
international carriers. Travel facts and the latest in
Pennsylvania air service news are also available at
IFlyPA.com. Visit
IFlyPA.com before you
book your next flight from an airport outside of the state.
Link to the
Transportation Security Administration
for help with tips on packing, carry-on items, travel
attire, identification, and more.
Directory Assistance Charges
Increase
If you have been relying on
long distance directory assistance by dialing the area code
followed by 555-1212, you may want to seek lower or no cost
alternatives to retrieve unknown numbers, according to the
PA Office of Consumer Advocate.
The previous $1.99 charge was
increased, effective August 1, 2007, by 50 cents to $2.49
per call.
Rate increases were also
responsible for a 14-cent increase from $1.15 to $1.29 to
place calls using directory assistance.
Callers choosing local 411
directory assistance are charged 95 cents per call, after
the monthly two call allowance. A national 411 call
costs $1.25, while dialing the operator for directory
assistance costs $1.75.
In addition to free online directories,
callers may select 1-800-FREE-411. You will have to listen
to a brief advertisement before receiving the number but
your monthly bill will be free of directory assistance call
charges. Access the company's website.
Find more tips from the
Office of
Consumer Advocate.
Outdoor Enthusiasts to See Changes
at Fort Indiantown Gap
Changes await those who hunt, fish or
gather wood at Fort Indiantown Gap (FITG) during 2007-08.
A mandatory safety briefing and a $20 conservation fee are
among the changes.
Briefings are to be conducted August 21
at 7 p.m.; August 28 at 7 p.m., and September 23 at 2 p.m.
and will cover FITG's new hunting lottery system, the "earn
a buck" policy, and use of the conservation fee.
The Gap's lottery system will
be employed for deer season, requiring an additional $5 fee
to manage a program ensuring hunters do not exceed available
natural resources. The "earn a buck" policy will
require doe hunters to first harvest a doe before taking a
buck.
Those intending to hunt must bring a
valid hunting license, current driver's license, and vehicle
registration. Wood gatherers must bring a current driver's
license and vehicle registration. Photocopies are
acceptable. Individuals under the age of 18 are required to
be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Applicants
who attended a safety briefing in 2006 do not need to attend
this year. Call the Fort Indiantown Gap outdoor recreation
program coordinator at 717-861-2150. Visit the
FITG website
for more details.
Apply for a PA hunting license.
Apply for a PA driver's license and/or
register a vehicle.
Well Water and Your Home
Approximately half of Pennsylvania's
tested wells fail to meet at least one drinking water
standard, according to the College of Agricultural Sciences
(CAS) for Penn State University (PSU). With some 3.5
million rural Pennsylvanians relying on more than one
million private wells for their drinking water and about
20,000 new wells drilled annually, the CAS is encouraging
and facilitating water quality testing to safeguard the
health of people, crops and livestock.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has established primary and secondary
drinking-water standards. Primary standards apply to
contaminants -- such as coliform bacteria, nitrate and lead
-- that cause health problems. Secondary standards address
iron, manganese, chloride and other pollutants that cause
aesthetic problems, such as stains, odors or off-tastes.
Penn State's program will provide well owners with reports
detailing how their water-test results compare to these EPA
standards.
To submit a water sample for testing,
customers first must obtain a water-test kit from Penn
State's Ag Analytical Services Lab or from a participating
county office of Penn State Cooperative Extension. The kit
includes shipping materials, instructions on how to take a
sample and a submission form. Residents will choose from a
range of testing options available for each water type
(drinking, irrigation or livestock) and will send the kit,
with the appropriate fee, to the lab. Test results and
relevant fact sheets or recommendations typically will be
returned in two to three weeks. Locate your
County
Cooperative Extension Office or call 814-863-0841.
Water testing will be conducted for
livestock consumption and horticultural uses as well. See
the announcement
for details. Find more
Water Resources Publications.
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