Jul 3
2013
Reports ProPublica: “Environmentalists see an agency (EPA) that is systematically disengaging from any research that could be perceived as questioning the safety of fracking or oil drilling.”
Jul 1
2013
Tests used to determine if water at beaches is safe to swim in may not be accurate, according to a new study from the University at Buffalo and Mercyhurst University. The problem: The most commonly used test fails to distinguish from toxic and more benign forms of contaminants. As a result, authorities sometimes close beaches when they don’t need to, or keep them open when they shouldn’t. Health departments in Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties take water samples from 22 beaches – Erie on a daily basis at six major beaches – and test for fecal coliform and E. coli.[...]
Jun 30
2013
Buffalo News columnist hits the nail on the head: “The governor didn’t so much ensure progress as threaten it.”
Jun 28
2013
Jun 26
2013
Jun 26
2013
Jessica Bagley of the Tonawanda News has done a top-notch story on the business dealings of JD Crane, owner of Tonawanda Coke. “The result is shockingly consistent — a string of broken laws and broken promises that add up to millions spent cleaning up mess after mess Crane left behind.”
Jun 26
2013
First Gov. Andrew Cuomo huffed. In October, he had his emissaries tell the Public Bridge Authority he wanted it to turn over control – along with $95 million – to New York State to redevelop the U.S. side of the bridge plaza. When that didn’t work, he puffed. The governor in April had a member of his senior staff write a caustic letter to a senior Canadian transport official accusing Canadian members of the bridge authority of “foot dragging” and a “lack of cooperation” and demanding the removal of general manager Ron Rienas who, you guessed it, is a Canadian.[...]
Jun 25
2013
Investigative Post agrees with Howard Zemsky that it’s going to take time to revitalize the region’s economy. But he finds claims made by Mayor Byron Brown to be “curious” and not supported by the facts.