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R e p o r t www.citizenscampaign.org Citizens Campaign for the Environment Empowering Communities, Advocating Solutions Fall 2008 Demand Pesticide Free Schools W By Brian Smith Western New York Program Director hen we send our children off to school every morning, we expect that we are sending them to a safe environment. Unfortunately, most schools use toxic pesticides that threaten the health of our children, even when there is no evidence of need. According to a study by the New York State (NYS) Attorney General, 87% of schools in New York use dangerous pesticides. Pesticides are used both indoors and outdoors at our schools, to kill things like insects, weeds, and rodents. Of the 48 most commonly used toxic pesticides in schools: 81% are irritants 69% are neurotoxins 52% are linked to reproductive effects 50% are linked to cancer 69% are linked to kidney & liver damage www.beyondpesticides.org/ schools/publications/48 School Pesticides.pdf For the full report, visit: Children are more vulnerable to toxic exposure due to their smaller, developing bodies. The growing body of peer-reviewed scientific evidence links long-term, lowlevel pesticide exposure to serious adverse impacts, including lower IQ scores, immune system damage, and cancer. Shortterm pesticide exposure can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, seizures, and respiratory problems. Researchers have found, for example, that pesticide exposure can induce a poisoning effect linked to asthma. Asthma is the leading cause of school absenteeism due to chronic illness in the nation, accounting for 14 million lost days of school annually. Our schools must be a safe haven for our children to develop physically and mentally and are no place for toxic chemicals that decrease our kids’ ability to learn or cause them to miss valuable days of school. Fortunately, schools can eliminate their use of hazardous pesticides while successfully and costeffectively managing pest problems in school buildings and on school grounds. Numerous municipalities, school districts, individual schools, and some states have chosen to Regional Offices Long Island/Metro New York 225A Main Street Farmingdale, NY 11735 (516) 390-7150 Hudson Valley 19 Court Street, Lower Level White Plains, NY 10601 (914) 997-0946 Connecticut 129 Church Street, Suite 221 New Haven, CT 06510 (203) 785-9080 Capitol Region/North Country 744 Broadway Albany, NY 12207 (518) 434-8171 Central NY/Finger Lakes 466 Westcott Street, 2nd Floor Syracuse, NY 13210 (315) 472-1339 Western NY/Southern Tier 735 Delaware Road, Box 140 Buffalo, NY 14223 (716) 831-3206 Inside this issue: • Message from Executive Director • Long Island Recycling • Along our Coasts • Protecting Long Island Sound Ecosystems • Clean Water Solutions Continued on Page 7 - Pesticide Free Message from the Executive Director The Truth About Offshore Drilling Recycling Renaissance Needed First CCE Long Island Recycling Report Card finds almost 50% of municipal programs deficient or failing By Maureen Dolan Murphy Executive Programs Manager C onfused about all the rhetoric regarding offshore drilling for oil? That’s because Big Oil has their massive, highly paid media teams out in droves spewing lies to the American people in hopes of stealing our natural resources to increase their ever-mounting profits. CCE is calling on all members of the public - don’t believe it! Offshore drilling will not lower energy costs, nor will it lower the price of gasoline. Offshore drilling is not the magic pill that we should hold our nose for and swallow to make us all better. What offshore drilling will in fact do is add to the unprecedented profits of oil companies. Big Oil doesn’t want offshore drilling rights in order to save the public money. They want offshore drilling rights in order to make more money. It’s not the same thing. Here are the facts: Oil and gas companies already have available leases on 68 million acres of federal lands. Thirty-four million acres are offshore. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-28) put it this way: “Eighty-one percent of oil and gas resources on federal lands onshore and offshore are available for development. Congress is not stopping anyone from drilling on these lands. Oil companies are not investing in necessary equipment and research to support a domestic drilling industry. They use their record profits to buy their own stocks and make more money.” Offshore drilling in Louisiana has caused the digging of an estimated 10,000 miles of canals to transport oil and lay pipes. The canals crisscross the coastal wetlands and contribute to coastal erosion, removing a natural storm buffer and amplifying Hurricane Katrina’s damage. Contrary to Big Oil’s media spin, exploration and drilling cause pollution to oceans and shorelines. The extraction of oil from beneath the ocean floor causes other chemicals to go along for the ride, including benzene, arsenic, mercury, and lead. These toxics then can be discharged back into the ocean. The cost of a barrel of oil went to dramatic highs and then took a dramatic drop. Some say it was market forces. I say it was fear. Oil-rich countries and Big Oil witnessed an unprecedented change starting in America – a change to end our addiction to foreign fossil fuels – and it scared them big time. Well, let’s scare them some more. Ending this addiction has already begun. Don’t stop! Now is the time. We have begun to build traction for advancing In May of 2008, CCE’s Adrienne Esposito prerenewable energy technologies, alternative fuels, energy sented Nassau County Executive Thomas R. efficiency, and meaningful conservation practices. Some Suozzi with the 2008 Environmental Equinox national leaders are listening and acting. They will continue Award. Mr. Suozzi was recognized for his many to act if we all hold strong and do not fall victim to Big Oil’s environmental achievements, most notably prohoax that offshore drilling is the answer. F Adrienne Esposito Executive Director pelling the landmark project, Green Levittown. The project aims to reduce the carbon footprint of Levittown, America’s first suburb. Green Levittown is a successful national model that encourages public-private partnerships, together with local municipalities and communities, to be proactive in fighting climate change. Citiz ens Campaign for the Environment rom A to F, Long Island recycling programs range from “outstanding” to “unacceptable”. In June 2008, CCE released the first Long Island Recycling Report Card, thoroughly evaluating recycling programs in every town and city on Long Island, excluding Shelter Island. Recycling rates on Long Island peaked in 1997 and have since declined. From 2002 to 2004 the amount of residential waste per person increased by 2.9% while Long Islanders recycled 27% less over the same time period. To change the downward trend, towns and cities must reinvest and reinvigorate local recycling programs. CCE found the best recycling programs are those that make recycling easy and convenient for residents, remind residents of the benefits of recycling, and have robust and continual public education and outreach. Recycling is a win for the environment and a win for the economy. Recycling saves energy; reduces greenhouse gas emissions; prevents pollution; conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals; and reduces the need to landfill or incinerate garbage. Recycling provides direct financial benefits to taxpayers by avoiding the high cost of Every town has room for improvement— incinerating or trucking trash to a landfill, as well as especially when it comes to public education programs. by selling valuable curbside recyclables, including paper, cardboard, and aluminum, to secondary markets. Investing in robust recycling programs, towns and cities can maximize their solid waste budgets by increasing curbside recycling rates. To evaluate recycling programs on Long Island, CCE conducted thorough interviews with each municipality. CCE developed a master evaluation form and assigned a point system. Every town has room to improve, especially when it comes to public education programs. Currently, none of the towns and cities on Long Island has a comprehensive public education campaign on the benefits of recycling. Many municipalities do not mail literature to their residents, and over half of the municipalities have no program for new homeowners. Four municipalities do not have a public education budget, and two of the municipalities were unclear whether they had a public education budget. The report highlights the simple fact that we can do better. Towns and cities have pushed off the importance of recycling, underestimated and undervalued the benefits, and failed to implement comprehensive public education programs. Local governments need to look at their recycling programs and make changes: implement public education campaigns and re-engage both new and long-time residents. We can and must be increasing our recycling rates on Long Island. Let’s start today. To look at CCE’s full report on the state of Long Island recycling, please visit: www.citizenscampaign.org/li-recycling. Citiz ens Campaign for the Environment 3 2 A L O N G Protecting our Ocean, Estuaries, and Great Lakes O U R C O A S T S Great Lakes Compact at a Glance Bans large scale water diversions Requires water to be returned to source watershed Improves water conservation practices basin-wide Enhances legal protections for Earth’s largest freshwater ecosystem For more information, visit: Landmark National Victory for the Great Lakes Great Lakes enthusiasts from across the region celebrated on August 1 and September 23, 2008, when the United States Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, passed the Great Lakes St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact following passage by each of the eight Great Lakes states. As long-time, staunch advocates for the Great Lakes Compact, CCE members recognize that protecting Great Lakes water quantity is essential to Great Lakes water quality; abundant drinking water supplies; producing clean, renewable hydropower; and providing efficient transportation of goods. This consensus Compact earned over 1,300 “yeas” in state legislatures, swift action by Congress, and the express support of the President. CCE Great Lakes members played a crucial role in securing this landmark framework for sustainable Great Lakes water management for generations to come. Together we do make a difference! I n 2005, New York State passed the Ocean and Great Lakes Conservation Act, changing New York’s paradigm for protecting and restoring its waterways. Instead of considering threats and problems to waterways individually, a holistic approach is applied incorporating all ecosystem aspects, including humans. Two pilot projects are underway, in the Great South Bay on the South Shore of Long Island and on the Eastern Shore of Lake Ontario at Sandy Creek. CCE successfully advocated to increase New York State funding to $5 million for ecosystem-based management (EBM) projects, which require increased communication among agencies, scientists, and the public. The EBM draft plan is expected for a Fall 2008 release with an opportunity for a public comment period. For more information, please visit: www.citizenscampaign.org/oegl. Sailing to Save the Great Lakes this summer’s Healthy Lakes, Healthy Lives tour, featuring the Earth Voyager, the fastest sailboat on the Great Lakes. Sailing from Buffalo, visiting 11 other cities, and then returning to Rochester, NY, the Earth Voyager’s journey celebrated the Great Lakes and urged Congressional action and presidential candidate commitment to Great Lakes restoration. On the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, CCE was joined by elected officials, sportfishing and birding enthusiasts, sailors, parents, and children—all calling for the needed investment to end legacy toxic contamination, stop sewage from fouling our beaches, halt aquatic invasive species introduction, and restore fish and wildlife habitat. Buffalo proudly CCE’s Sarah Eckel, Brian Smith, and Dereth Glance join with Buffalo, NY Mayor Byron Brown to welcome the Earth Voyager to the Commercial Slip in Buffalo. sent the Earth Voyager off on its journey, and Rochester To highlight the need to protect and restore our Great warmly welcomed her back to New York for the grand Lakes, CCE coordinated the launch and grand finale of finale of the three-month tour. www.citizenscampaign.org/glcompact CCE Counts Horseshoe Crabs at Sandy Point In June 2008, CCE staff helped tag horseshoe crabs for tracking and research at Sandy Point in West Haven, CT. In 2006, CCE successfully advocated for Sandy Point to be protected as a horseshoe crab sanctuary. Sustainable Lobster Program Preserved! CCE advocated restoring funding to a successful and popular program to nurse Long Island Sound’s lobster population back to health. The funding goes to lobstermen who notch a “v” into the tails of mature female lobsters and release them. Lobstermen are not allowed to keep lobsters that already contain a “v-notch.” The so-called “V-Notch” program has allowed lobsters to grow and reproduce in a way that does not harm industry. 4 Environment Citiz ens Campaign for the Envi ronment Citiz ens Campaign for the Environment Protecting Long Island Sound’s Last Unprotected Ecosystems By Emmett Pepper Hudson Valley & Connecticut Program Director Millstone Power Station: Stop Killing Fish In 2007, an estimated 144.6 million winter flounder larvae were entrained at Millstone. American Millstone Nuclear Power Station Lobsters, Homarus americanus, in Waterford, CT sits on the Long are a cold-water species adversely Island Sound shore and generates impacted by increased water tem2,037 megawatts (MW) of power peratures, which can impede the for CT. Since 1975, Millstone has lobsters’ normal immune responses. used a “once-through cooling system” that takes in 2 billion gallons The Closed-cycle Solution of water per day from Long Island A closed-cycle system is proven Sound—enough to fill 3,370 Olym- technology that would draw water pic size swimming pools! The in for cooling, re-circulate it, and water is sent through condenser tubes expel the heat through cooling towand then discharged into the Sound ers instead of discharging it into at higher temperatures - as much as the Sound. Closed-cycle cooling 40°F warmer. Millstone’s outdat- reduces water intake by 90% and ed cooling technology has taken a dramatically decreases the number serious toll on the Sound’s ecosystem of fish, eggs, and larvae destroyed by once-through systems. Millstone by killing large quantities of aquatic has spent more than a decade dislife. Documented from 1976-2003, cussing and conducting two sepaMillstone has killed more than 159 rate feasibility studies on a closedbillon larvae, eggs, juveniles, and loop system, yet the CT Department adult fish, of the seven fish spe- of Environmental Protection (DEP) cies recorded. Mortalities from the recently announced that Millstone archaic cooling system result from could conduct another four year feaone of three causes: (1) Entrain- sibility study to determine if closedment – the capture of aquatic organ- cycle cooling is the best technology isms with the cooling water through available. Four years is too long! the intake; (2) Impingement – the Closed-cycle systems are the most fatal pinning of organisms too large protective, proven technology, and to fit through the mesh screens; upgrading Millstone’s cooling sysor (3) Thermal shock - shock due tem should be mandated by DEP. to elevated temperatures, causing CCE is empowering citizens on all altered habitat and fish migration pat- sides of the Sound to stop the cycle of destruction at Millstone and proterns. Millstone’s cooling system is tect lobsters, flounder, and the Sound located in a federally designat- as a whole. Millstone should no loned, essential fish habitat and is ger be able to procrastinate system impacting many species. The win- upgrades necessary to protect the ter flounder, a once commercially Sound’s marine life. viable species, is now devastated For more information on the Millfrom chronic overfishing, habitat stone campaign, please visit www. loss, pollution, and warmer waters. citizenscampaign.org/millstone. By Kasey Jacobs Special Projects Associate T hat famous quote about buying land is even more applicable to the shoreline of Long Island Sound: “they ain’t making any more of it.” Starting at its western tip, nestled in New York City and continuing east to New London, CT, Long Island Sound is lined with industrial and residential development. Seven percent of all Americans – over 20 million people – live within 50 miles of the Sound. Coastal parkland and beach access offer many benefits to the surrounding communities, ranging from preventing flood damage to boosting tourism to protecting property values. Nearly all of the Sound’s roughly 400 miles of shoreline is developed, dotted with some protected parkland. CCE is working to protect two significant parcels for the public and wildlife to enjoy. Connecticut’s Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport and Long Beach West in Stratford, which together comprise one parcel, and New York’s Davids Island in New Rochelle, the other parcel, are both in a legal limbo. Both the beaches and the island are rarely used, off limits, owned by local government, decaying, and badly in need of preservation and access for the public. Pleasure Beach and the adjoining Long Beach West form an approxi- A piping plover on the beach. mately 100-acre coastal barrier peninsula that holds the promise of being a beach where people can enjoy nature, as well as the sun and surf. Pleasure Beach and Long Beach West contain important wildlife habitats for threatened birds like piping plovers. Pleasure Beach, the larger of the two properties, is the A decrepit walkway leads to the Sound at Long Beach West. site of a former amusement park and has had limited use manage it for the public as a counover the past few decades. In 1996 ty park. Unfortunately, the City of the bridge from Bridgeport burned New Rochelle recently reversed its down, leaving the two-mile walk position as a willing seller to Westfrom Stratford the only access to chester County. New Rochelle’s the beach. Long Beach West, on the current mayor will only commit Stratford side, contains abandoned to “some” public access to the summer cottages that have fallen island. Any development on Davids into disrepair, including one cottage Island will contribute to the already burned to the ground in early 2008. degraded condition of western Long Island Sound through additional The Town of Stratford and City of sewage discharges and other polBridgeport mayors proposed selling lution fouling its waters. For more their respective beaches to the U.S. information on Davids Island, Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) to please visit www.citizenscampaign. manage and provide public access org/davidsisland. as a part of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Bridge- Protecting Pleasure Beach / Long port is currently in negotiations with Beach West and Davids Island the FWS and, as of this printing, presents opportunities to increase will likely complete negotiations in public access to a natural coastal early 2009. For the latest update on ecosystem in underserved, urbanthis, visit: www.citizenscampaign. ized areas. With their preservation, org/pleasurebeach. children and adults will be able to learn about and connect to nature Forty miles to the southwest, off- for generations to come. CCE conshore from New Rochelle, NY, is tinues to fight for public access and Davids Island, a 78-acre former protection for the coastal lands of U.S. Army base. The U.S. Army Long Island Sound and beyond. Corps of Engineers is in the process of documenting and demolishing the buildings that have decayed from years of vandalism and neglect. Environmentalists are advocating for the City of New Rochelle to sell the island to Westchester County to Citiz ens Campaign for the Environment Pesticide Free Continued from Front Page adopt policies that require schools to prohibit the use of toxic pesticides. Time and time again, schools that have eliminated toxic pesticide use are reporting effective pest management and significant longterm financial savings. In 2007, CCE successfully supported Connecticut legislation to ban pesticides in schools, grades K – 8. CCE is building support to enact even stronger legislation in New York that would ban nonessential pesticides in all schools, grades K – 12, as well as daycare facilities. The bill is known as the New York Pesticides-Free Schools Act (A. 10923). During the 2008 NYS legislative session, CCE spearheaded a campaign to protect New York’s kids in school, and generated strong public support, demonstrated by over 52,000 citizens signing petitions and 17,000 citizens writing their legislators urging a ban on pesticide use in schools. CCE continues to work to garner support for passage of the bill in the upcoming 2009 NYS legislative session. To learn more about what you can do to ban pesticides in our schools, go to www.citizenscampaign.org/ pesticides-schools. This newsletter is published by Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) with information and support from Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment (CCFE). CCFE is an education and research organization that shares CCE’s program objectives. Copies of CCE and CCFE annual financial reports are available by contacting the Farmingdale office or by writing the NYS Department of State, Office of Charities Registration, Albany, NY 12213. Citiz ens Campaign for the Environment 7 6 Creative Solutions for Clean Water: By Dereth Glance Executive Program Director Water Conservation & Green Infrastructure for a Day at the Beach from filtering naturally into the ground. Instead, these hard surfaces accelerate stormwater runoff that collects pollutants in its path to our rivers, Great Lakes, and ocean. To more effectively manage stormwater, communities are beginning to incorporate “green infrastructure” strategies. Green Lake Erie Beach infrastructure is designed to buffer, absorb, and slow polluted runoff using vegetative buffers, restored wetlands, porous or permeable pavement, green roofs, rain gardens, and rain barrels. These innovative designs filter pollutants, like pesticides and oil, prior to stormwater reaching the nearest tributary or storm drain. Green infrastructure designs improve stormwater quality while adding to the beauty of our neighborhoods, easing burdens on municipal wastewater treatment plants, and conserving energy. With abundant water resources, Northeasterners are among the world’s most wasteful water users. As a result, improvements to the region’s water conservation practices have become necessary to reduce the consumptive strain on our aquifers, rivers, and lakes, as well as provide much needed water quality benefits. In 2007, excessive beach closings persisted along the shores of the Great Lakes, Atlantic Ocean, and Long Island Sound, primarily caused by polluted stormwater and sewage contamination. The price tag for fixing aging and failing clean water infrastructure in New York is conservatively estimated at $32.6 billion (NYSDEC 3/2008). With tight budgets forecasted at the state and national level, finding creative, innovative, and inexpensive strategies to bridge the clean water gap is critical. Practical, cost-effective solutions Reducing the amount of water processed at sewage treatment plants is one way to ease the strain. Water conservation practices, including repairing leaking pipes and providing incentives for “grey water” capture and re-use, can reduce 50-60% of household water use, while easing the burden on our wastewater infrastructure. Grey water refers to nonpotable water (e.g. rain collected in barrels or captured dishwater) for non-drinking uses like watering the lawn or flushing toilets. Common practice in water scarce areas like Arizona, grey water systems and retrofits save energy and efficiently conserve water. As sprawling developments cover land with impervious surfaces like roofs, driveways, highways, and parking lots, rainfall is prevented Photo credit: Lyn Adams water and neighborhood beautification benefits. In the Onondaga Lake watershed, a sub-watershed of Lake Ontario, CCE is working to incorporate green infrastructure solutions to reduce combined sewer overflows and improve the urban water quality of Onondaga Creek, which flows through the heart of Syracuse. CCE was recently named to New York’s Clean Water Collaborative, tasked with finding funding solutions for the state’s mounting waste water and drinking water infrastructure needs. CCE continues to advocate for green infrastructure approaches, which ofTaking local and state action fer more affordable and beautiful soCCE is working with partners to lutions to keep our beaches open and incorporate green infrastructure our water clean. designs in urban planning for clean CCE’s sister organization, Citizens Campaign Fund for the Environment, is now a member of Earth Share NY. Earth Share provides vital funding to statewide campaigns on behalf of sixty local, national, and international environmental and conservation nonprofit organizations. By pledging an automatic payroll contribution from each paycheck, you can donate to CCFE through Earth Share. Your contribution will go toward environmental and health research, protecting endangered species, and public education. Find out if your company belongs to Earth Share today! For more information, please visit: www.citizenscampaign.org/earthshare.