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We have an urgent crisis on our hands.
A federal attack on environmental justice is threatening Clean Air Coalition’s ability to continue its critical work—and we need your help today.

For years, Clean Air has fought alongside our community to hold polluters accountable and protect our neighbors from toxic air and environmental harm.

When traditional funders moved away from supporting environmental justice, we turned to federal funding, following advice from major institutions. Alongside our local partners, we secured a $20 million grant from the EPA—funding meant to help communities like ours prepare for the worsening effects of climate change.

But now, that funding is being blocked and withheld by the federal administration.

Our portion of these funds made up over half of our budget for 2025, and we had planned to draw from them by the end of March. Without immediate support, we face a serious cash flow crisis that threatens our ability to continue fighting for environmental justice.

That’s why we’re launching an emergency May Day Fundraiser—to raise $30,000 by May 1st.

Our work has never been more critical. Right now, we are fighting to stop cancer-causing chemicals from being released into our community by the Goodyear plant in Niagara Falls. We are defending our right to breathe clean air, even as institutions like the EPA are being defunded and gutted of experienced, nonpartisan scientists. These attacks are designed to make us feel powerless. But together, we are strong.

Will you stand with us today? Your donation—whether it’s $25, $50, or $250—will ensure that the Clean Air Coalition can continue protecting our community, holding polluters accountable, and fighting for a healthier future. 

Donate today to help us start our fundraising campaign off strong and stay tuned this month for related events, and join us on March 26 for our Annual Meeting – click here to register!

Thank you for standing with us in this critical moment.

With Bread and Roses,
Bridge, Chris, Cindy, Gia and Kiera 

PS – interested in helping plan our Annual Dinner?
Please reach out to Gia and our Events Committee!

The Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) is presently accepting public comments on a draft environmental impact study about building out electrical transmission capacity across the state to address years of disinvestment and modernize our grid for renewable energy projects.
While we are broadly in favor of this plan, we also see this as an opportunity to urge ORES to prioritize siting of projects on remediated industrial brownfields.
Please take a moment to sign our petition which we will be digitally delivering March 18 – click here to sign!

We will also be at the public hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, March 4 at 5:00 pm at the Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave in Buffalo, for the public hearing on this matter, and urge your attendance.

Clean Air is supporting grassroots organizers planning the Stand Up For Science, Buffalo! rally this Friday March 7 between 2-6pm at Niagara Square in Buffalo. Registration is not required, but is encouraged by rally organizers to help with headcounts and planning.

This is part of a national day of action to draw attention to the myriad impacts that the attacks on research and science are having on communities all across the US.

Also be sure to save Saturday April 5 on your calendar – Clean Air is part of a broad coalition of labor, community and faith groups planning a large scale rally and march to will kick off a new solidarity coalition. More info to come this month!

Clean Air supported residents in North Tonawanda in February who organized a large meeting in response to Digihost’s announcement that they are pursuing Advanced Nuclear for the Fortistar power facility for cryptocurrency mining.
There will likely be a vote on establishing North Tonawanda as a Nuclear-free Zone under municipal law on March 18 – please stay tuned for more information as this date draws nearer.

Our friends at the WEACT TCTAC are holding two free online workshops this month of note – 

Dismantling Injustice: Advocacy Tools to Fight Pollution and Protect Community Health, March 5, 2025 at 12:30 PM, click here to register

Designing a Resilience Hub, March 19, 2025  at 2:30 PM, click here to register

PUSH Buffalo is currently holding for it’s Brownfield careers training program – click learn more and connect about the next cohort!

Our friends with the Allies of the Seneca Nation continue to say no to data centers at STAMP – please sign the most recent petition! 

Also this month the Catalyst Projects is holding a webinar entitled Indigenous Resistance to Colonial Domination, March 4 at 6pm. Click here to register!

The AFL-CIO has launched two websites, the first for people to share their stories about how the Trump administration’s job cuts are affecting people personally, and the second a hub for all the efforts to protect the federal workforce.

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) has also sounded an alarm that the jobs of 640,000 U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees nationwide are under attack, and asks that all Americans make a call to House Speaker Mike Johnson (202-224-3121) to tell him HELL NO to dismantling the Postal Service!

Clean Air supported former TESLA workers this month in a #TESLATakedown demonstration outside the South Buffalo facility – this movement has sparked actions all across the nation and world, and has caused a staggering 27.6% drop in stock value!

Our congratulations to local organizers with the East Side Parkways Coalition on their big court win this month!

Labor unions, environmental organizations, and other movements are waging fights in the courts to protect foundational bills and our rights – click here to read about two of those lawsuits led by environmental advocacy organizations! 

We’re also applauding the work of organizers in Montana to stop a proposal to create a state “Bitcoin Reserve”. This makes Montana the fifth state to examine and reject proposals of this kind!

NYS DEC is still accepting surveys about the results of the Community Air Monitoring initiative – click here to learn more about the results of the study and to submit your comments.

NYS DEC also reminds residents that the annual burn ban begins March 16 and runs through May 14.

The Northland Beltline Brownfield Opportunity Area is holding a public meeting this Wednesday March 5 at 6:30pm at 683 Northland Ave in  Buffalo.

A public comment period related to the Northland brownfield development ends March 7.

 Finally, please save April 30 at 6pm for a public meeting at the Merriweather Library about draft Environmental Justice Siting Law Amendments to State Environmental Quality Review Act Regulations, ie, the Cumulative Impacts Law which passed in late 2022.

Erie County Department of Health is warning of a spike in flu cases and hospitalizations, and has shared guidance on how to best practices for stopping transmission. There’s still weeks to go in flu season, so if you have not yet been vaccinated, book a free appointment to protect yourself and our community!

Erie County has also launched the Low Income Program for Sustainable Energy​ (ECLIPSE), which seeks to support our community by reducing energy burden, promoting energy efficiency and weatherization, and increasing access to renewable energy. If you receive public benefits, you likely qualify to participate in a Community Solar program which will reduce your energy costs! Click here to learn more.

Grist.org

• ‘Plastics are awesome’: Inside the Energy Department’s partnership with the plastics industry by Joseph Winters & Emily Sanders
• Can solar power avoid Trump’s culture wars? by Kate Yoder
• Trump’s EPA wants to demolish the bedrock of US climate regulation. It won’t be easy. by Naveena Sadasivam

Inside Climate News 

• Climate and Environmental Justice Programs Stalled by Trump Freeze, Despite Court Orders by Marianne Lavelle, Dylan Baddour, Lisa Sorg, Nicholas Kusnetz
• A Lawsuit Against Greenpeace Is Meant to Bankrupt It and Deter Public Protests, Environmental Groups Warn by Nicholas Kusnetz
• A Third Generation Driller Transitions from Oil and Gas to Geothermal by Phil McKenna 

The Energy Mix – DeepSeek AI Upends Future Power Demand Projections, Consumes 1/50 the Resources of Competing Models by Mitchell Beer

CACWNY Events

• Annual Meeting – March 26, click here to register!

• Annual Dinner – May 1

• Community Air Monitoring game development team – this Wednesday March 5, 5:30pm, online, contact Bridge to learn more

• Tonawanda team Meetings – second and fourth Thursdays at 4:30, hybrid, contact Bridge

• Membership Team Meetings – Mondays 5-6, next meeting March 10, contact Gia for more information

• Events Committee – Fridays, 8:30-9:30, online, contact Gia

Upcoming Training Opportunities, Conferences and New Resources

Are you a Clean Air member or supporter who is engaged with a current campaign, and is there a training opportunity that you would like to pursue to strengthen your organizing? Please let a staff organizer know, as we budget to support leadership development! All Clean Air members and supporters also have free access to trainings from the Advocacy Institute.

• WE ACT TCTAC – resources, technical and policy trainings on demand, and numerous upcoming online trainings this month! 
• EPA Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information Center – multiple webinars, both live and on demand recordings
• EPA Superfund Training and Learning Center – multiple webinars, both live and on demand
  
• Little Sis – on demand webinar recordings

New This Month – 

• March 4 – Indigenous Resistance to Colonial Domination, 6pm, Click here to register
• March 20th – Advocacy Institute “How Policy Passes: the New York State Bill to Law Process”
• Every Wednesday – SURJ Protect & Resist: First 100 Days Action and Training Program

Community and Coalition Events

• March 7 – March for Science
• March 222 – WNYALF Annual Breakfast
• April 5 – Unity Coalition March and Rally

Public Comment Deadlines and Hearings

• March 4 – ORES public hearing, 5:00 pm at the Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave in Buffalo

• March 5 – Northland Beltline BOA meeting, 6:30pm, 683 Northland Ave. Buffalo 

• April 30 – EJ siting law public meeting, 6pm, Merriweather Library and online

Also see our regularly updated list of events at bit.ly/CleanAirEvents and linktr.ee/cleanairwny

You can also click here to join the Buffalo Snow Brigade. We also suggest checking out the resources at mutualaiddisasterrelief.org as well as their new website relieftoolkit.com. If interested in joining mutual aid efforts with Clean Air, particularly in the realm of community resiliency amid climate change,
please reach out to Bridge about trainings or to Gia about our events and membership committee.

Interested in connecting with CACWNY generally as an organization, have an emerging campaign or issue you’d like CACWNY to consider, or are you interested in joining our Peabody Street or  Lovejoy campaigns?
Do you know of a grant opportunity that might support our work?

Interested in joining our Tonawanda Just Transition campaign teams, our work to regulate cryptocurrency mining, our Energy Democracy work, or have a submission for this monthly newsletter?

Interested in supporting Clean Air’s grassroots fundraising efforts, or joining our events or membership committee, including our Rapid Response Team?

Want to join our American Axle campaign or support our work in the Delavan-Grider neighborhood and greater East Side, or support our statewide climate justice work with NYRenews,?

Interested in donating to support our work?