Screening & Forum: Clean Water and Western New York's Future

WHAT: Film Screening - "Everybody Lives Downstream"

WHAT: Forum - Presentations by experts and stakeholders

WHEN: Saturday, February 25, 2pm-5pm

WHERE: Burchfield Penney Art Center, 1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo

This is the first in a series of forums on critical public policy choices. It begins with a showing of Anna Scime's film "Everybody Lives Downstream," a documentary tracing the roots of today's Army Corps of Engineers dredging project on the Buffalo River, a very troubled body of water.

The showing will be followed by brief presentations by experts and stakeholders who will address the environmental work that remains, the potential economic impact of restoring the health of the Buffalo River and its watershed, and the community benefit from taking a "green" approach to the challenge.

Confirmed participants in the panel include Buffalo State College Geography Professor Kim Irvine, and AFL-CIO Federation President Richard Lipsitz. 

Bruce Fisher will present a review of clean-water initiatives underway in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Syracuse, with special emphasis on how these communities bring federal and state funding sources together to help region-wide initiatives.

Elected and appointed officials with responsibility for water-quality issues have been invited and their participation has been assured.

The "Challenges and Choices" Forums are co-sponsored by Artvoice and the Center for Economic and Policy Studies at Buffalo State College.