Tag: Environment

Nov 5

2012

Recycling lessons from San Francisco

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San Francisco isn’t just a world champion in major league baseball. The City by the Bay’s recycling program is also world class. San Francisco has tripled its recycling rate since 1996 to about 78 percent. It’s one of the highest recycling rates in the nation and light years ahead of Buffalo’s, which fluctuates in the 12 to 16 percent range. How did San Francisco do it? Officials constantly educate the public and businesses, offer almost two dozen different recycling programs that are customized for each neighborhood district, and enforce the mandates in a way that could result in someone’s trash[...]

Posted 11 years ago

Oct 31

2012

Sandy and the global warming connection

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Usually a hurricane loses intensity as it moves north over colder water — unless it’s the  “Frankenstorm.” Sandy’s getting a lot of media attention for its size and intensity, but not so much attention is being made to its connection to global warming. “This is a beyond-strange situation. It’s unprecedented and bizarre,” wrote The Weather Channel’s hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross on his Facebook page. The fact of the matter is that the Atlantic Ocean isn’t as cold as it used to be. The water is 5 degrees higher than average and that translates into stronger storms farther north. Warmer water[...]

Posted 11 years ago

Oct 26

2012

The 800 pound gorilla: ultrafine particles

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Al Carlacci, the regional air pollutant control engineer for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said he doesn’t need a meter or an air quality monitor to tell him that there’s some dirty air in the West Side near the Peace Bridge, where studies have shown high levels of asthma. “The more cars you have the more ultrafine particles you have,” he said during a presentation Wednesday night at the Niagara Street Library hosted by the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York. “The problem is what’s enough? “Any health person would tell you, and I am the same way, if[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 18

2012

Long draws laughter on hydrofracking comments

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U.S. Senate hopeful Wendy Long didn’t shy away from her strong support of hydrofracking during Wednesday night’s debate hosted by YNN at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs. In fact, she was quite bold about her opinions. The hydrofracking portion of the debate begins at about the 50:30 mark of the video on YNN’s website. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said drilling for natural gas presents a significant economic opportunity and can be a potential clean source of energy. However, she wants more study of the chemical concentrations used in hydrofracking and what, if any, health impacts they have. The senator said there[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 15

2012

EPA reports fire is out at Hillcrest Industries

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The EPA reports there are no detectable levels of volatile organic compounds near Hillcrest Industries in Attica, where a huge pile of unprocessed recyclable glass and plastic caught fire. The fire was officially extinguished Sunday, according to an EPA press release. Now, the EPA is reducing the size of the 40-foot, 50,000-ton pile into more manageable piles. The EPA will monitor the temperature of the pile until the material is either used or removed from the property. The fire was discovered in May after residents started reporting an odor coming from the property. The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the EPA have been working[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 11

2012

Godzilla of invasive species strikes local creek

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Local biologists said yesterday that one of the most invasive aquatic plants in North America has spread over portions of a 13.5-mile stretch of Tonawanda Creek, which could pose serious problems for native plants, animals and recreation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Michael Goehle first discovered the Hydrilla plant on Sept. 7 in North Tonawanda by the boat ramp on Sweeney Street. Since then, Goehle’s coworker, biologist Denise Clay, has been working with six other agencies to inspect 46 miles of waterways, including the Niagara River, to see how far the Hydrilla has spread.  Hydrilla, a native plant of Southeast Asia, grows[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 10

2012

4 billion gallons of sewage goes where?

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Buffalo is one of the few Great Lakes cities that doesn’t have an EPA-approved long-term control plan that takes advantage of green technologies for its wastewater. And mayors across the nation—minus Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and a bunch of others—were in the nation’s capital last week to discuss how the federal regulations will cost municipalities billions to improve their wastewater treatment systems. Mike DeGeorge, the mayor’s spokesman, did not return messages seeking comment. Buffalo Sewer Authority dumps 4 billion gallons of untreated wastewater into local waterways each year, typically after heavy rainstorms  overburden the system. Yes, that’s 4 BILLION GALLONS. According to EPA Regional Administrator[...]

Posted 12 years ago

Oct 1

2012

Hillcrest fire could take week to extinguish

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The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the lead in responding to a fire at Hillcrest Industries in Attica and the agency reports progress is being made in extinguishing the fire and controlling the odors that led neighbors to complain for several months. The source of the fire is a 40-foot, 50,000-ton pile of plastic, glass and other materials. The pile, which has been smoldering and steaming since May, is 1-acre in circumference, said EPA spokesman Mike Basile today. The company uses the glass to make road-stripping beads, Basile said. “The number one priority for the EPA is to put this fire out,”[...]

Posted 12 years ago
Investigative Post

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