Tonawanda’s industrial zone has the highest concentration of air-regulated facilities in the state. Within a two mile area, the town had 53 facilities. Two major interstate highways intersect int he community and one holds a tollbooth were congestion is common. The town has 17 hazardous wastes sites, including 3 landfills. A 1992 study from the New York State Department of Health found that Tonawanda has elevated rates of breast, thyroid, bladder and brain cancer. Tonawanda has many environmental challenges and we want to hear your thoughts and concerns.

As part of our CARE Program, we will be holding listening sessions throughout the Town and City of Tonawanda. These sessions will gather feedback from residents about what environmental and health problems are the worst, and what changes you would like to see in your community. Your feedback is valuable, please join us on the following dates:

Thursday, May 17th 6PM at the Brighton Place Library (999 Brighton Rd.)

Thursday, May 24th 6:30PM at the Sheridan Parkside Community Center

More dates to come! Stay Tuned!

On Tuesday, May 22nd we will host a training that will teach you:

• what zoning is,
• what zone you live in
• what is allowed to be in the community where you live
• and how to change it

We need to send a strong message to the City of Buffalo that they can’t continue to put companies that make us sick into our neighborhoods!

Tuesday, May 22nd 6pm at the Niagara Branch Library at 280 Porter Avenue Buffalo

“Triple bottom line” was first coined in 1994 by author and entrepreneur John Elkington. Elkington’s argument was that companies should be preparing three different bottom lines. The triple bottom line consists of three “Ps”: profit, people and planet and aims to measure the financial, social and environmental performance of the corporation over a period of time.

“Triple bottom line businesses are the cornerstone of healthy communities, self-determined economies and a sustainable future. Such environmentally and socially conscious businesses, especially the newly effective NYS Benefit Corporation, are the driving force behind social entrepreneurship, innovation, job creation, and are the firm foundation upon which the New Economy is being built.” Sarah Bishop, Executive Director, Buffalo First.

Presenters on the 10^th include: Heather Van Dusen from B-Lab, and Bob Gilmour from John W. Danforth Company. B-Lab is the Philadelphia-based organization that works with progressive leaders in business to solve social and environmental problems. B-Lab has been featured in the New York Times as “inspiring leaders creating a new sector of the economy that redefines success in business.

Located in Tonawanda NY,  has grown over the last 125 years to be one of the largest mechanical contractors in the United States. John W. Danforth Company’s environmental mission is to provide environmental improvements that promote a sustainable future and lead to social and economical advancements in our community.

The event will highlight ways to increase your bottom line and help improve your environment and review the recent passage of Benefit Corporation Legislation. Companies classified as a Benefit Corporations would be required to pursue a general public benefit, defined as a positive material impact on society and the environment as assessed against a third party standard.

WHEN: Tuesday, April 10^th 6:30PM

WHERE: John W. Danforth Company, 300 Colvin Woods Parkway Tonawanda NY 14150

RSVP to Andrew Delmonte: Andrew@buffalofirst.org; 716.725.6100.

Some challenges are too difficult to face alone. The film You Are Where You Live by Vince Mistretta chronicles the story of The Clean Air Coalition’s fight for a right to a healthy environment in Tonawanda and the City of Buffalo by following Coalition members Ann Sciandra, Rosa Caraballo and Renata Pokrasky.

Vincenzo Mistretta is a filmmaker and visual artist who works in experimental film, documentary, installation and painting.  He has won numerous awards and grants in the United States and Italy and received a Fulbright Fellowship in 2006.

This documentary is a part of Squeaky Wheel’s Channels Series.

Commissioner Joe Martens

The two air monitors in Tonawanda were installed after Clean Air Coalition members did their own air monitoring and found high levels of benzene in the air. Since then, the air monitors found elevated levels of 6 hazardous air pollutants and identified Tonawanda Coke as the predominant source of benzene in the town. The data was used by NYS DEC and US EPA to guide their enforcement action at the company that has resulted in benzene reductions of 86%!

But our members know that our air pollution challenges are not over. Air monitoring is a critical piece of solving the problem. Air monitors help verify that companies are honest about their reporting to DEC, captures when there are “accidental” releases at facilities and allows us to track our progress over time.

The air monitors in Tonawanda were put there because of organized people and they will stay there because our membership is talented, committed to learning more, and growing. How did we make this win happen?

• Tonawanda residents led. People know what they need in their neighborhood. Our staff held trainings for Tonawanda residents to learn how to communicate effectively with policymakers. Then we shut up and let our members tell their stories and demand the air monitors stay in place.
• We demonstrated public support for the air monitors. Our members collected over 250 postcards from their neighbors and generated nearly 500 signatures on an online petition.
• We demonstrated public support from policymakers. Our membership met with the offices of elected to request they reach out to Commissioner Martens. As of today, 6 policy makers have sent letters to the Commissioner.
• We let policymakers take credit for their work. Many policymakers issued press releases announcing their support for the air monitors. Combined with interviews from Coalition staff and members, this generated over 15 media hits.

When our members make noise, people in power listen!

Our fight isn’t over. We still need Commissioner Martens to commit to placing an air monitor on Buffalo West Side, a known toxic hot spot due to the high volume of diesel trucks. If you haven’t already, sign the petition and stay tuned for more opportunities to make your voice heard!

Article X of the Power NY Act will have a stronger Environmental Justice component taking into consideration factors that the old legislation did not, like:

• Increased funding for local communities to hire legal and technical consultants that will enable them to participate effectively in power plant siting decisions;
• Requiring proposed power plants to avoid or minimize any cumulative impacts on air quality in the vicinity of the proposed power plant; and,
• Requiring proposed power plants that would result in or contribute to disproportionate impacts in an affected community to avoid, offset or mitigate these impacts within that community.

Clean Air Coalition has asked the DEC to take it a step further: on Wednesday, March 7th 6:30PM at Assumption of the Blessed Church at 435 Amherst Street in Buffalo, the DEC will hold a presentation on Article X, its new Environmental Justice component, as well as answer any questions residents have on the ruling.

The session at Assumption Church will allow citizens to learn from the DEC what the legislation includes and to have their questions answered before comments are accepted. True to their new push for Environmental Justice, the DEC is taking into consideration that normal citizens do not have access to information regarding legislation, and that a place for them to ask questions is not always provided. Western New York residents who are concerned with new and existing power generating facilities should feel free to attend one or both sessions. Feel free to call the Clean Air Coalition with any questions at 852.3813.

On the last Monday of every month from 1-4pm folks meet up at the Clean Air Coalition Headquarters (at 341 Delaware Ave- the big church on the corner of West Tupper and Delaware) to help with mailings, research, turn out calls, or other important work.

Member Mondays is a great way to meet other folks that care about their neighborhood, and do real work that pushes forward the change we want to see. We hope you stop by!

The Lois Gibbs Fellowship will provide rich training opportunities in the following areas:

• Developing effective messages and media outreach
• Strategic campaign planning and power mapping
• Holding elected officials accountable
• Grassroots lobbying
• New media
• Corporate and Government research
• Engaging faith-based communities

The Fellowship is open to anyone in Western New York. Applications may be found online or by calling the Coalition to request a paper application.

Individuals interested or working in environmental health and justice issues are strongly encouraged to apply. The application is open to people new to organizing as well as experienced folks looking to hone their skills. The Fellowship is designed as a part-time program that can accommodate people who are working full-time. Applications are due February 15th.

The program is named in honor of Lois Gibbs, a grassroots environmental justice advocate from Western New York. She is best known for her successful campaign to relocate families living on top of a toxic waste dump in Niagara Falls. Lois Gibbs is emblematic of the program’s philosophy: ordinary individuals can make an extraordinary difference when they organize.

DEC Air Monitor in Tonawanda

The two DEC air monitors in Tonawanda are located in the Brookside Terrance neighborhood and right next to the 290 off of Grand Island Blvd.  The monitors run 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. This raw data is then complied by DEC technical staff and reports are created for the public. Information from air monitors helps community groups like us identify which polluters are the worst.

On Buffalo’s West Side, The Coalition has been working with residents surrounding air quality issues. A study conducted by Dr. Lwebuga- Mukasa, found that nearly 45% of West Side households reported at least one case of chronic respiratory illness or asthma. 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 emitting tons of diesel exhaust that we know has 40 known toxic chemicals in it. Despite this, there are currently no air monitors on the West Side.

Due to budget cuts, DEC is completing their annual network review, which will be released in the spring of 2012. The network review may contain a proposal to shut down one or more monitoring sites at the end of the calendar year.

Tell the DEC we need to continue air monitoring in both Tonawanda locations, and start monitoring the air on Buffalo’s West Side. Sign the petition now!

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Aseguren los monitores de aire para que los contaminadores sean responsables

Enero, 17, 2012

El departamento de conservación ambiental (DEC) monita el aire continuamente para medir los contaminantes en el aire. El Clean Air Coalition usa la data de los monitores para asegurar que los contaminadores no se faltan, y para asegurar que emisiones son legales.

Hay dos monitores de aire en Tonawanda, uno en Brookside Terrace y la otra esta al lado del 290 y Grand Island Boulevard.  Los monitores corren 24 horas al día, 7 días de la semana.  Estos datos esta compilado del DEC y reportes están hechos para el público.  Esta información ayuda grupos como nosotros a identificar que contaminadores son peores.

En el West Side, el Coalition ha estado trabajando con residentes sobre la calidad del aire en su vecindario.  Un estudio conductivo por Dr. Lweguga- Mukasa encontró que casi 45% de los residentes en el West Side tienen un caso de asma o’ otra enfermedad respetaría. Hay muchos conceptos erróneos sobre porque tanta gente tienen asma, pero nadie habla sobre el facto que hay 5 mil camiones y 20 mil carros pasando por este vecindario cada día, imitando miles de toneladas de diesel que sabemos tiene 40 tóxicos conocidos.  A pesar de esto, no ha ni un monitor de aire en el West Side.

Por recortes presupuestarios, el DEC puede cerrar uno, o dos, de los monitores en Tonawanda al final del ano.

Dile al DEC que necesitamos continuar monitoreando el aire en los dos lugares in Tonawanda, y que empiecen a mónita el aire en el West Side. ! Firma le petición!