CAMPAIGNS
PUBLIC
HEALTH AND TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION
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.
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
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.
Special Feature: Current Local Air Quality
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