Latest news with #CAMRA
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Somerset pub The Sheep and Penguin 'validated' by CAMRA award
The owners of a pub say being recognised with an award just two years after opening has been "validating".The Sheep and Penguin in Wells, Somerset, was named pub of the year by the Bath and Borders new owners bought the site - where the Mermaid previously traded before its closure about 13 years ago - in 2023, and gave it a complete overhaul to run it as a pub and accommodation James, the operations manager of the venue, said the pub's success was down to the team, the building's new fit-out and the range of drinks available. According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), nearly 300 pubs closed across England and Wales in 2024, the equivalent of six closures a about opening a pub in this climate, Mr James said his family were "confident" they could make a good go of it."We felt like we knew enough about pubs from frequenting them that we could create a good offering," he said."We can buck the trend and show that if you give pubs a bit of love and TLC, actually they can become key places in the community... and they can thrive."Part of this means the pub is trying to get in drinks from smaller, local independent breweries, rather than big brands. Mr James said: "The strength comes from our staff, and we're trying to become a community pub."He praised the pub's chef, housekeeper and front-of-house team, and said the general manager was "an encyclopaedia of all sorts of beers and liquors".Mr James added that the team hoped to "keep on building" on what they had achieved.A spokesperson for Bath & Borders CAMRA said they were "thrilled" to present the pub with the award, after a "stunning restoration" of the venue.
Western Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Western Telegraph
The Dyffryn Arms, Pembrokeshire, named Pub of the Week
The Dyffryn Arms, affectionately known as "Bessie's," in Pontfaen, Pembrokeshire, is a one-room pub with no bar counter. Beer is served through a sliding hatch, and the absence of Wi-Fi and TV makes conversation the main form of entertainment. Built as a house in 1845, the pub was later converted and has remained a central part of the secluded valley community. (Image: Supplied) It is listed in CAMRA's National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors and boasts a Grade II Listed status. The pub's interior, featuring a mix of high-back settles and benches, is described as having "outstanding national historic importance" by CAMRA. The Dyffryn Arms is one of only two pubs in Wales that serves beer from the cask via a jug, and offers Bass poured from a jug and a variety of bottled beers. The pub has retained its old-world charm and welcoming atmosphere, with its lack of food service and outside toilets. (Image: Supplied) Until December 2023, the pub was run by Bessie Davies, who had worked there for 72 years, and it is now managed by her children. Over the decades, Bessie became a beloved figure in the community, with her dedicated service and warm hospitality earning her the admiration of both locals and visitors. The pub, lovingly known as 'Bessie's' in her honour, is a testament to her enduring legacy. The Dyffryn Arms is a proud representation of the Gwaun Valley community, which has lived in relative isolation for centuries and continues to uphold old Welsh traditions that have disappeared in most parts of the country. The pub's unique aesthetic and charismatic landlord have gained it a loyal following. The Dyffryn Arms is open every day of the week (11 am - 10 pm, Sunday-Friday; 1 pm - 10 pm Saturdays) and is cash-only.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Ayrshire pub claims regional pub of the year award
The Village Inn in Fairlie has been chosen as the Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA Pub of the Year. An Ayrshire pub has been named as regional pub of the year for 2025 by CAMRA - the Campaign for Real Ale. Fairlie's Village Inn was selected following a rigorous judging process to be named the Ayrshire and Wigtownshire Pub of the Year. The popular pub will no go onto the national finals where it will represent Ayrshire and could be named Scottish CAMRA Pub of the Year. After a close-run competition, the Village Inn came out as the overall winner, with judges commending it for the quality of the real ales, friendly atmosphere and tasty home-cooked meals. Last week, Thursday, May 22, the pub was presented with its award by Lindsay Grant, Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA branch chair. A total of 26 CAMRA members from across the region turned out to celebrate the achievement and they were treated to a number of fine real ales. Currently, the Village Inn offers four ales including Jack Back and Stewart's 80/- from Stewart Brewing as well as Caledonian Brewery's Deuchars IPA and McGregor's by Five Kingdoms. Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson has also celebrated the achievement by submitting a motion to the Scottish Parliament which congratulates the pub and highlights "the contribution of owner Brian Flanagan and his team in achieving this recognition". A spokesperson for Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA said: "The Village Inn, Fairlie has been judged as Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year 2025. "A presentation was held recently on Thursday, May 22, to give licensee Brian Flanagan his award. "The Village Inn now goes forward to be judged against the other Scottish branch winners in this year's competition, with the overall Scottish Pub of the Year winner being announced at the end of July. "Thanks also to local MSP Kenneth Gibson for lodging a motion to the Scottish Parliament to congratulate the Village Inn, Fairlie for winning the Branch Pub of the Year 2025." The Ayrshire and Wigtownshire CAMRA branch holds regular socials every month to which anyone is welcome to attend and have a chat about anything whilst enjoying a pint of real ale. Recent socials have seen the enthusiasts enjoy the ales over in Fraser's Bar, Millport; the Weston Tavern, Kilmaurs; and the Harbour Bar, Troon. Full details of forthcoming events can be found online at The next North Ayrshire and Branch social will be held at the Glasgow Real Ale Festival held in the Briggait, Glasgow on Friday 20 June from 12pm.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Chilling and dangerous': Grassroots groups sue over Louisiana law that censors air quality data
For several years, Amy Stelly has been partnering with the Louisiana State University School of Public Health in New Orleans to monitor air quality next to the Claiborne Expressway, a busy highway that runs northwest of the city's iconic French Quarter. At a community meeting in April, Stelly, who runs an organization called the Claiborne Avenue Alliance Design Studio, was excited to unveil some of this data in a new interactive tool on the alliance's website. People would be able to see hot spots for particulate matter — a pollutant generated by heavy traffic and associated with health risks like heart attacks and aggravated asthma — near their homes, schools, and workplaces. The data would support her push for the expressway's removal and could be used by other neighborhood groups to advocate against highway expansion. But the data on her website was short-lived. Stelly had her webmaster remove it soon after the community meeting. She had gotten wind of a 2024 state law that made it illegal to share air pollution data generated from technologies not approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. Violations could incur hefty fines of up to $32,500 a day, with violations done 'intentionally, willfully, or knowingly' racking up an additional $1 million. 'It just didn't make sense to do a big push, given the fact that we were violating the law by even having a meeting,' Stelly said. 'I can't afford $32,500 a day. I don't have that, nor do I have the million dollars. So it just seemed more prudent to remain quiet for a while.' The Claiborne Avenue Alliance is part of a coalition of neighborhood and environmental groups that sued Louisiana regulators last week over the state's Community Air Monitoring Reliability Act, or CAMRA. The 2024 law was ostensibly meant to standardize community-based air monitoring programs throughout Louisiana, many of which had recently expanded thanks to funding from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. But the community groups — including The Concerned Citizens of St. John; The Descendants Project; Jefferson, Orleans, Irish Channel Neighbors for Clean Air; Micah 6:8 Mission; and Rise St. James; along with the Claiborne Avenue Alliance Design Studio — said the law is a de facto ban on the dissemination of their research and a violation of their First Amendment rights to free speech. 'It's pretty mind-boggling,' Stelly said. CAMRA was backed by petrochemical industry trade associations. It essentially says that if community groups want to monitor air pollution and share their data with the public, they have to use 'an [EPA]-approved or promulgated emission test or monitoring method,' based on the pollutant being monitored. CAMRA's requirements only apply to monitoring 'for the purpose of alleging violations or noncompliance' with federal, state, or local air quality laws. In other words, they only kick in for community groups trying to identify illegal levels of air pollution. Pollutants covered by CAMRA include six federally regulated 'criteria air pollutants' (carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide), 188 federally regulated 'hazardous air pollutants,' and 14 'toxic air pollutants' regulated by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. According to a Louisiana DEQ study from earlier this year, regulatory-grade monitors for these pollutants costs more than $791,000 each, plus up to $200,000 more for annual maintenance and operations. Those prohibitive costs are, in a way, the reason community air monitoring programs exist in the first place. By using less expensive equipment, they're able to deploy air monitors in places that would otherwise not be covered by the EPA's reference monitors and the 27 air monitoring sites within the National Air Toxics Trends Station Network. 'There is no need for these groups to spend $60,000, $80,000, $100,000 on equipment when in fact there is equipment that, for $200 or less, will give you perfectly adequate results for you to be able to tell your community, your family, whether or not the air they're breathing is safe,' said David Bookbinder, director of law and policy at the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project, at a press conference last week. Cynthia Roberts, executive director of the nonprofit Micah 6:8 Mission — one of the groups that brought the lawsuit — told reporters that CAMRA 'is not about protecting public health or ensuring good science. It's about silencing communities like mine.' She said her organization's air monitors near a Westlake Chemical complex in Sulphur, Louisiana, have frequently shown particulate matter concentrations higher than what the EPA considers unhealthy. Roberts used to post this information on Facebook. But now, she said, 'simply posting that kind of data could cost us $32,500 per day.' 'That's not just chilling,' she added. 'That's censorship, and it's dangerous.' None of the community groups that brought the lawsuit has been fined since CAMRA was enacted last year, but their leaders say the law has obstructed their work. Caitlion Hunter, research and policy coordinator for Rise St. James, said community air monitoring has been critical along the 85-mile stretch of the Mississippi River dubbed 'Cancer Alley' due to its density of petrochemical facilities and elevated cancer rate. People rely on her organization's data, she said, because federal regulators have failed to monitor for ethylene oxide, a human carcinogen. Joy Banner, who co-directs The Descendants Project, said she 'put a pause' on a planned program to publicize data from her nonprofit's air quality monitors in St. John the Baptist Parish, in the heart of Cancer Alley. CAMRA is 'scaring us away from being able to share the data with our community members who need it the most,' Banner said at the press conference. Read Next The unregulated link in a toxic supply chain Naveena Sadasivam & Lylla Younes Nandan Joshi, an attorney with the Public Citizen Litigation Group, which is representing the community groups alongside the Environmental Integrity Project, told Grist that CAMRA violates Louisianans' First Amendment rights to free speech in three ways: First, it seeks to broadly regulate any 'allegations' made against polluters — even if those allegations are made in an informal context, rather than in court. Second, it includes a provision requiring 'quality assurance certifications' to be published alongside certain air pollution analyses, even though it doesn't say what those certifications are. And third, it requires that any air pollution-related communications come with 'clear explanations' of the data interpretation and any relevant uncertainties. Joshi described this as compelled speech — an 'obvious' First Amendment violation — and said it wasn't clear what the regulators would consider to be a sufficient explanation. 'It's rare these days to see something so directly regulating speech,' Joshi said. The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a similar bill last year, but it died in the state senate. A law passed earlier this year in Kentucky limits community air monitoring data in rulemaking, but does not attempt to stymie the public sharing of that data. The Louisiana community groups' lawsuit also argues that CAMRA violates their First Amendment 'right to petition' — to use their air monitoring data when asking the Department of Environmental Quality or the EPA to step in when clean air laws have been violated. A third claim says CAMRA is in conflict with the Clean Air Act and the EPA's efforts under the Inflation Reduction Act to promote the use of community air sensors. The plaintiffs want the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the state attorney general's office to be barred from enforcing CAMRA. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality declined to comment. The state's attorney general, Liz Murrill, told Grist, 'I'm not sure how regulating community air monitoring programs 'violates their constitutional rights.' But we'll defend the lawsuit.' Stelly, with the Claiborne Avenue Alliance Design Studio, said she and her colleagues have found themselves in a confounding situation. In many cases, they obtained air sensors through EPA grants — but now they're being told that those sensors are insufficient. For Stelly specifically, her grant and partnership with Louisiana State University will eventually require her to submit a written report on the data she's collected, even though CAMRA suggests such a report could be illegal. CAMRA 'will force us into a position of noncompliance if we cannot provide that written report with that data,' she said. 'It's very weird.' This story was originally published by Grist with the headline 'Chilling and dangerous': Grassroots groups sue over Louisiana law that censors air quality data on May 29, 2025.
23-05-2025
- Politics
Louisiana stifles community air monitoring with threat of million-dollar fines, federal lawsuit says
NEW ORLEANS -- On days of heavy pollution in Sulphur, a southwest Louisiana town surrounded by more than 16 industrial plants, Cynthia 'Cindy' Robertson once flew a red flag outside her home so her community knew they faced health hazards from high levels of soot and other pollutants. But she stopped flying the flag after Louisiana passed a law last May that threatened fines of up to $1 million for sharing information about air quality that did not meet strict standards. On Thursday, Robertson's group Micah 6:8 Mission and other Louisiana environmental organizations sued the state in federal court over the law they say restricts their free speech and undermines their ability to promote public health in heavily industrialized communities. When neighbors asked where the flags went, "I'd tell them, 'The state of Louisiana says we can't tell y'all that stuff,' ' Robertson said. While the state has argued the law ensures that accurate data is shared with the public, environmental groups like Micah 6:8 Mission believed it was intended to censor them with 'onerous restrictions' and violates their free speech rights, according to the lawsuit. Despite having received Environmental Protection Agency funding to monitor Sulphur's pollution using high quality air monitors for several years, Michah 6:8 Mission stopped posting data on the group's social media after the law was signed last May, Robertson said. While federal law requires publicly disclosed monitoring of major pollutants, fence-line communities in Louisiana have long sought data on their exposure to hazardous and likely carcinogenic chemicals like chloroprene and ethylene oxide, which were not subject to these same regulations. Under the Biden administration, the EPA tightened regulations for these pollutants, though the Trump administration has committed to rolling them back. The Biden administration's EPA also injected funding to support community-based air monitoring, especially in neighborhoods on the 'fence-line' with industrial plants that emitted pollutants that they were not required to publicly monitor under federal law. Some groups say they lack confidence in the data the state does provide and embraced the chance to monitor the air themselves with federal funding. 'These programs help detect pollution levels in areas of the country not well served by traditional and costly air monitoring systems,' the lawsuit stated. In response to the influx of grassroots air monitoring, Louisiana's Legislature passed the Community Air Monitoring Reliability Act, or CAMRA, which requires that community groups that monitor pollutants 'for the purpose of alleging violations or noncompliance' of federal law must follow EPA standards, including approved equipment that can costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. 'You can't talk about air quality unless you're using the equipment that they want you to use,' said David Bookbinder, director of law and policy at the Environmental Integrity Project, which represents the plaintiffs. He added there was no need for community groups to purchase such expensive equipment when cheaper technology could provide 'perfectly adequate results ... to be able to tell your community, your family, whether or not the air they're breathing is safe.' Community groups sharing information based on cheaper air monitoring equipment that did not meet these requirements could face penalties of $32,500 a day and up to $1 million for intentional violations, according to analysis from the Environmental Integrity Project. 'We're a small nonprofit, we couldn't afford to pay one day's worth of that,' Robertson said. "And the way the law is written, it's so ambiguous, you don't really know what you can and can't do." There is no known instance in which the state has pursued these penalties, but community groups say the law has a chilling effect on their work. 'The purpose of this was very clear: to silence the science, preventing people from doing anything with it, sharing it in any form,' said Caitlion Hunter, director of research and policy for Rise St. James, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. 'I'm not sure how regulating community air monitoring programs 'violates their constitutional rights',' Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill countered in a written statement. Industry groups are excluded from the law's requirements, the lawsuit notes. The law presumes 'that air monitoring information lacks accuracy if disseminated by community air monitoring groups, but not by industry participants or the state,' the complaint states. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
