Citizens Campaign for the Environment

CAMPAIGNS

PUBLIC HEALTH, TOXICS, & RECYCLING

Acid Rain:

Acid Rain
Acid Rain changes the pH of water and soil, ultimately killing aquatic life and altering soil chemistry, which plants and trees need to survive. Acid rain affects water quality in coastal estuaries such as the Long Island Sound, where nitric acids add to the problem of low dissolved oxygen, known as hypoxia. Acid rain also interferes with the growth of forests, negatively impacts agricultural productivity and damages monuments and buildings constructed with marble. For years, CCE has worked to put a stop to the devastation caused by acid rain. CCE has had victories at both the federal and state levels in reducing Nitrogen Oxide and Sulfur Dioxide emissions from power plants - the key pollutants that cause acid rain.

Artificial Turf:

Artificial Turf
Recent studies have shown that “crumb rubber” used in artificial turf contains carcinogens that may impact public health. CCE advocates refraining from building new artificial turf fields, especially if children will be using the fields, until further research is conducted.

Bottle Bill:

Expanding New York State's Bottle Bill to Benefit the Environment
The bottle bill, enacted in New York State in 1982, placed a 5-cent deposit on all carbonated beverage containers. It has been one of the most successful state laws for reducing curbside litter and promoting recycling. CCE is working to pass state legislation that would expand the 5-cent deposit to include non-carbonated beverage containers (i.e. water and Snapple bottles). CCE is also working to retain the unclaimed nickels to fund and expand New York's existing environmental and recycling programs.

Brookhaven National Laboratory:

Brookhaven National Laboratory
The Brookhaven National Laboratory is a world renowned research facility located on the east end of Long Island. The facility, owned by the US Department of Energy, was declared a federal superfund site due to extensive contamination of radionuclides, pesticides, heavy metals and other hazardous waste. CCE has been actively engaged since 1998 in working to clean up the site.

Manufactured Gas Plants on Long Island:

Manufactured Gas Plants on Long Island
Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs) have left a legacy of contamination on Long Island, with 25 sites identified. The vast majority of these sites have been allowed to languish and have yet to be investigated as to the extent and levels of contamination. CCE has been working with members of communities who live near the toxic plumes to establish a public participation program in order to keep the public informed and active in remediation efforts.

Mercury:

Mercury Pollution
Mercury is a bioaccumulative persistent toxic heavy metal, which leads to reproductive, developmental, central nervous system and brain damage in humans. Most mercury contamination originates from coal and oil fired power plant emissions depositing mercury into our rivers, lakes and oceans, where it enters the food chain. The public health threat posed by mercury is so significant that New York State and the State of Connecticut have been forced to issue fish consumption advisories on an increasing number of waterbodies. CCE works to reduce the mercury entering our environment in New York and throughout the nation.

Pesticides:

Human Pesticide Testing
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a guidance document, under the guise of “Protection for Human Subjects in Research” that allows for companies to test toxic chemicals and pesticides on humans. CCE is calling for the EPA to ban all studies that allow companies to test harmful pesticides on humans.

Lawn Pesticides: An Unacceptable Risk
Each year, American homeowners use approximately 70 million pounds of pesticides to maintain their lawns and gardens. However, evidence continues to uncover links between pesticide exposures and serious health problems. CCE actively works to educate the public on the dangers associated with lawn pesticides and educates citizens on safe organic alternatives.

Pesticide Free Schools
Pesticides are often used both indoors and outdoors at our schools, to kill insects, weeds, and fungus. Children are more sensitive to toxic exposure due their developing and smaller bodies. CCE is advocating for New York State legislation that would ban the use of all pesticides in school buildings and on school grounds, from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Pesticide Neighbor Notification
Passed in 2000, The New York State Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law allows counties to opt in to a common-sense measure that gives the public the right to know when toxic pesticides are sprayed on abutting properties. CCE has worked successfully to have Erie and Monroe Counties join Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Rockland, Albany and Tompkins Counties in requiring that residents are given 48-hour written notice before harmful pesticides are sprayed on abutting properties within 150 feet.

Reducing Pesticide Use for Mosquito Control / West Nile Virus
CCE has, for years, advocated for the reduction and elimination of chemical pesticides. The discovery of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the United States in 1999 put a great deal of focus on the issues of mosquito-borne illnesses and the use of chemical pesticides for mosquito control. CCE has monitored the virus since its discovery, and it has done a great deal of research on the nature of WNV and its effects on public health. CCE continues to monitor new developments and the latest information from public health agencies regarding the virus.

Plastics:

Plastic Bag Reduction
Plastic bags are ubiquitous and unsustainable litter that pollute our waterways, endanger marine and avian life, and clog gutters and sewers. Each year, Americans throw away some 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags, and only 0.6 percent of plastic bags are recycled, creating the need for plastic bag reduction and recycling initiatives. CCE is working throughout New York and Connecticut to educate the public about sustainable shopping practices and to implement plastic bag policies that protect wildlife.

Special Feature: Current Local Air Quality

Special Feature: Long Island Recycling