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West Side
Do you live close to a bus lot?
Do you have trucks that run their engines and speed in your neighborhood?
Are you worried about your kids playing close to a busy intersection or train tracks?
Do your kids and neighbors have asthma?
Upset about all the potholes in your neighborhood?
Children are welcome and snacks will be provided.
Interested in joining? Contact Natasha at 852-3813 or Natasha@cacwny.org
Folks who sign up will:
• Meet others from across the city who are
struggling with similar problems
• Identify the impacts of living in a
neighborhood with trucks, trains and buses
• Think critically about why transportation
hubs are located in our neighborhoods
• Identify the people who make decisions about
transportation hubs
• Identify solutions and plan for ACTION!
At the end of the class you’ll be ready to meet
with elected officials, talk with the media,
and build a strong movement to protect your
neighborhood from toxic fumes and convince
those in power to invest in your community.
The training is once a month from January til
June from 5:30 – 7:30. The training dates are:
Primeria Igelsia
Unida Metodista
62 Virginia Street
January 15
February 19
March 26
April 16
May 21
June 18
(Graduation!)
The West Side’s Asthma Epidemic
Years of academic research has convincingly demonstrated alarmingly high rates of asthma on Buffalo’s West Side.
A study conducted by Dr. Lwebuga- Mukasa, professor of Medicine at the University of Buffalo found that nearly 45% of West Side households reported at least one case of chronic respiratory illness or asthma. The study also shows there was no significant difference in the odds of having asthma on Buffalo’s West Side even after correcting for race/ethnicity, household triggers of asthma, and socioeconomic factors indicating the cause is the outdoor environment. Additionally, the New York State Department of Health operates a Cancer Registry which shows that incidence of both lung and bronchus cancers were elevated for residents of the zip code closest to the Peace Bridge.
The Clean Air Coalition has been working with residents on the West Side surrounding air quality issues. There are many misconceptions as to why so many people have asthma, but no-one is talking about the fact that 5 thousand trucks, and 20 thousand cars pass through the West Side everyday. That’s 5 thousand trucks emitting tons of diesel exhaust a day, exhaust that we know has 40 known toxic chemicals in it.
In order to improve health outcomes on Buffalo’s West Side, the public and policy makers must be educated and mobilized to implement effective public policy.
West Side Air Quality Studies:
-
Geographic Clustering of Adult Asthma Hospitalization and Residential Exposure to Pollution at a United States–Canada Border Crossing
BY: Tonny J. Oyana, PhD, Peter Rogerson, PhD, and Jamson S. Lwebuga-Mukasa, MD, PhD
Click these links for information on some solutions:
Natasha Soto, organizer for the West Side campaign, is collecting asthma pumps from schools, libraries, and community centers in the West Side. Want to donate? Call 852.3813 for locations!
