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We hope you had a restful Labor Day holiday!
Clean Air is hosting several events this month that we hope we will see you at – There are also several public comment periods that are currently open related to NY’s energy policy, and closing this month – be sure to scroll down to read more about these and to use the one-click digital comment toolkits, and join us tomorrow, Wednesday September 3rd, from 5-7pm at the Buffalo Public Hearing on the state energy plan at the Buffalo Central Library (1 Lafayette Sq)! With Bread and Roses,
Bridge, Chris, Cindy, Gia and Kiera |
Data Centers Power MAGA but
Solar Power Fights Fascism! |
Clean Air led a rally outside of Governor Hochul’s birthday fundraiser to urge the Governor to use NY’s energy and economic policies to fight fascism and the MAGA agenda. Governor Hochul has recently spoken out about how she is in favor of using NY’s congressional districting process to ensure equitable representation, and we hope she will also pivot her economic development policies to center renewable energy projects rather than data centers. We also highlighted that the event was being held at one of Jon Williams’ properties, and Williams’ connections to cryptomining as well as his support for MAGA candidates. We handed flyers to attendees of the event as they entered, and delivered a giant birthday card with our message for the Governor – click here to read more! |
Multiple Public Comment Periods
Use Your Voice Today! |
Part of the intent of the rally outside of the Governor’s fundraiser was to raise awareness of several public comment periods – please take a moment to submit comments on these! The NFTA Metro Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Draft EIS for the Metro Rail expansion has been released. We suggest reading Chapter Six, Comparison of Alternatives, and urge mentioning how the Tonawanda Tomorrow Plan specifically calls for greater east-west bus connectivity and frequency from the riverfront to the proposed Metro expansion area, or use LIUNA’s one-click digital toolkit. Comments are due next Monday September 8 and can be submitted by emailing transitexpansion@nfta.com. NYPA’s Renewable Energy Plan NYPA has released their revised Renewable Energy Plan which can be read here. The revised plan doubles the original commitment of 3.5GW to 7GW of renewables buildout, which is a big win, but this is still far short of the demand for 15GW that we and partners in labor and environmental justice organizations are calling for. Comments are due on Friday September 12 and can either be submitted by using this form on NYPA’s website, or by using this digital toolkit from our friends at Public Power NY. Cryptomining Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in consultation with the New York State Department of Public Service (DPS), has prepared a Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) on cryptocurrency mining. Comments are being accepted until Thursday September 25 and can be emailed to climatechange@dec.ny.gov with the subject line “Crypto Draft GEIS.”
We have also prepared a simple one-click digital toolkit to submit comments, and urge you to take a moment to send a letter now! NYS Draft Energy Plan Every five years, NYS revises it’s statewide energy plan, and the current draft lays groundwork for NY’s energy planning through 2040. We urge taking a moment to review the plan, to join us this Wednesday September 3rd between 5-7pm at the Buffalo Hearing at the downtown library (1 1 Lafayette Square in Buffalo), and submit a comment using the digital toolkit our friends at NY for Clean Power developed before the October 6 deadline. |
We were saddened this month to hear of the deaths of two workers and injuries of ten others due to an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works outside of Pittsburgh. United Steelworkers District 10 Director Bernie Hall issued this statement in response to the news: “The USW has occupational health and safety experts and other representatives on the ground at the Clairton Works assessing the situation and aiding our members. While we are still determining the scope of the tragedy, we are aware that multiple workers are receiving medical treatment for their injuries. In the coming days, we will work with the appropriate authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and to see that our members get the support they need.” The Allegheny Front, a local publication, interviewed several workers about the explosion. We also want to flag two opportunities for Clean Air members to show solidarity this month with our friends in labor – - Hyatt workers represented by Workers United will be picketing at 2 Fountain Plaza in Buffalo today-Thursday from 10-2 and this Friday from 3-6
- CWA workers at the Catholic Health System are preparing for a potential strike this month, with a strike vote scheduled for September 8, and are having a press conference today at 11:30 at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo.
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Save the US Chemical Safety Board |
Free Back-to-School Vaccination Clinics for Buffalo Public School Students |
The Erie County Department of Health, Buffalo Public Schools, and the University at Buffalo School of Nursing are partnering for a series of for back-to-school vaccine clinics for BPS students. Vaccines offered include all required school immunizations: DTap, DTP, Tdap, Td; Tdap; Polio; MMR, Hep B, Varicella, Meningococcal, Hib, and PCV (pneumococcal). Students must be up to date on vaccines by September 17 to remain in school, as required by New York State Public Health Law 2164. Families are asked to bring their child’s health insurance information to the clinic. There will be no out-of-pocket cost to the family for required vaccines, regardless of insurance status. While pre-registration is encouraged, walk-ins will be accepted based on availability. These clinics are for Buffalo Public Schools students only. Parents and guardians should bring their child’s immunization record if available. Buffalo Public Schools students must bring a completed and signed consent form that includes any health insurance information to the clinic. Parents or guardians do not need to be present for their child to receive a vaccination. Clinic dates and locations include: Friday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at BPS 95 Waterfront, 95 Fourth Street
Thursday, September 18, from 2-6 p.m. at BPS 309 East Community High School, 820 Northampton
Friday, September 19, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at BPS 363/415 Lewis J. Bennett/Middle Early College, 2885 Main Street For more information: https://www.buffaloschools.org/o/bps/article/2333754 |
We all remember the horror of Katrina, and if you have a chance to visit NOLA today, you can still see the fingerprints of the devastation affecting the residents today. Last week, groups across the US paused to recognize the 20th Anniversary, perhaps most notably the Katrina 20 (K20) coalition. Clean Air is a member of the US Climate Action Network, and participates in the Gulf Coast to Appalachia convenings, which are core organizers for this effort, and we urge taking time to review these materials, and to discuss with peers not only their reflections on Katrina at 20, but also how the climate crisis, the old fossil fuel-based economy, and the poor disaster preparedness and response culture in the US that puts most onus on individuals rather than foster a culture of mutual aid and system change has also caused harm to us here in WNY. Relatedly, here are two articles from Grist about Katrina and how climate change exacerbated the storm, and NOLA’s preparedness today. We now know just how much climate change supercharged Hurricane Katrina 20 years after Katrina, New Orleans’ levees are sinking and short on money |
We want to recognize some key wins this month!
Locally, two organizations are celebrating some big wins – Providence Farm Collective here in Buffalo, represented by EarthJustice, is among several organizations which have had their USDA grants reinstated after the Trump administration attempted to cancel their funding! The Coalition for Responsible Economic Development for Grand Island (CRED4GI) won a revised M1 zoning law in a Town Board Vote, limiting the total size of buildings to 350,000 square feet and requiring a special permit for warehouses! This law also disallows distribution centers. In national news, you might have missed that “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida has been ordered to CLOSE within 60 days after the Miccosukee Tribe and local environmental justice organizations challenged the building of the concentration camp under the National Environmental Policy Act! While reports are that people incarcerated at the site as well as equipment are already being relocated, this story is far from over, and we must continue to fight against the Trump administration’s unjust and illegal deportations, but this win should be celebrated as a major milestone! Finally, we wanted to share this article about a recent report on how local environmental and climate wins have massive ripple effects – the offshore wind farm in Long Island, for instance, will keep 7.7 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent out of the atmosphere by 2030! |
Headlines in Environmental Justice, Climate Justice, and the Just Transition |
CACWNY Events 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. New This Month – Community and Coalition Events Public Comment Deadlines and Hearings Also see our regularly updated list of events at bit.ly/CleanAirEvents and linktr.ee/cleanairwny |
Do you need a N95 mask? We have a limited supply available at the office for our members – send us a quick email and we’ll send a few your way! We encourage wearing masks at our in-person events, particularly during seasons of peak COVID transmission. Be sure to check out the Buffalo Mutual Aid Network Facebook page. |
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?
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The Clean Air Coalition of WNY 371 Delaware Avenue Suite 6 Buffalo NY 14202 |
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