Friday, May 25, 2018

Lung Association gave an 'F' to Erie and Chautauqua Counties for Ozone -- Increased Heat due to Climate Change is one Contributing Factor

Erie, Chautauqua counties receive 'F' in Lung Association's annual 'State of the Air'
  | Apr 18, 2018 | WBFO

The American Lung Association has released their 2018 “State of the Air” report citing air quality has worsened. It found 9.4 million New Yorkers are breathing unhealthy air.

Credit: American Lung Association
Chautauqua and Erie counties both received an "F" grade for high ozone days from 2014 to 2016. Ozone can have a major impact on children and older adults with asthma and other lung diseases. One of the reasons things look worse is because 2016 was the second hottest year in recorded history for most of America.  Increased heat often means increased ozone.

American Lung Association Vice President for National Policy Janice Nolen said great progress has been made over the past two decades, but rising seasonal temperatures could pose a problem in the future.

“With ozone it does vary a lot because of the relationship with the heat,” said Nolen. “It also means that we have to do more to clean it up because we are battling that heat that is growing as a result of climate change. It’s sort of a continuing struggle. When you look at the trend charts we’re heading in the right direction but we are not where we need to be yet.”

There is also a problem of pollution coming from other parts of the country and settling in certain areas. American Lung Association Vice President of Communications for the Northeast Michael Seilback said New York is part of a region that’s become known as the tailpipe of the nation.
“New York and Connecticut both filed comments with the EPA asking them to take action against a power plant in Pennsylvania, whose air pollution in the ozone is traveling and settling over our region,” said Seilback.

While a hot 2016 year caused serious ozone problems for the region, something New York got “A” grades for was short-term and year-round particle pollution maintenance.

Read more at WBFO 

The American Lung Associations's 'State of the Air 2018' report is here.

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How is Ozone formed at the Ground Level?

Ground-level Ozone ('bad' ozone) is created by chemical reactions between Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the presence of Heat and Sunlight.

Emissions from industrial facilities, electric utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of NOx and VOCs.

How can Ozone affect my Health?

If you have asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema, ozone can make your symptoms worse. Carefully follow your asthma management plan on days when ozone levels are high.

Ozone has also been linked to:

    - Coughing and pain when taking a deep breath
    - Lung and throat irritation
    - Wheezing and trouble breathing during exercise or outdoor activities


Who is most at risk?

Ozone can affect anyone, but it bothers some people more than others. People most likely to experience health effects caused by ozone include:
  • People with asthma or other lung diseases
  • Older adults
  • People of all ages who exercise or work hard outside
  • Babies and children

Protect Yourself and Your Family

The good news is there's a lot you can do to protect yourself and your family from the health effects caused by ground-level ozone. Start by learning about the Air Quality Index from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

See information at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 

See also the New York State DEC Air Monitoring Website

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Former Top EPA Official to Speak at Roosevelt Inauguration Site in Buffalo

EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck | AP Photo/Mike Groll

Judith Enck is a former top official in the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration. She previously served as New York’s deputy secretary for the environment. 

Enck has a lot to say about climate change, the assault on environmental regulations and more-talk-than-action involving renewable energy.

Jim Heaney, Investigative Post Editor, will interview Judith Enck.

WHEN: Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site, 641 Delaware Ave., Buffalo [Map]

TICKETS: $10 -- Click here


Attendance includes free admission to the inaugural site’s museum between 6 and 7 p.m., complete with docents to help you make the most of your visit. The museum tells the story of Roosevelt’s inauguration in Buffalo and his legacy as president and conservationist. 

Waste Tunnel Collapse at Tonawanda Coke Plant triggers Call for Government Investigation of Emissions


Tonawanda Coke Confirms Waste Tunnel Collapse

Last Friday, The Tonawanda Coke Corporation confirmed allegations by the Clean Air Coalition that the waste heat tunnel at their facility had collapsed, possibly causing toxic emissions to spew into the surrounding community.

The waste heat tunnel is a concrete tunnel that runs underground the length of the battery, all 60 coke manufacturing ovens. The main purpose of the waste heat tunnel is to collect the waste combustible heat from the ovens. Now that the tunnel has collapsed, gases can't normally flow into the facility's chimneys, and the company can't draw enough fresh air into the manufacturing process. Without enough fresh air drawn into the process, the coking process will possibly create toxic releases into the ambient air, and into the surrounding community.

One of the chemical's of concern is benzene, a known carcinogen linked to leukemia and other types of illnesses.

You can view the press coverage here from the Buffalo News, WIVB Channel 4, and WGRZ, Channel 2.

We call on the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Attorney General's Office and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to perform a full investigation of the incident. We are calling on state and federal agencies to determine the cause of the tunnel collapse, risks posed to workers, and risks posed to the surrounding community.

If you live or work in the area and are noticing dark smoke or odors coming from the facility, submit a complaint to the New York Department of Conservation by calling 851-7000 or completing and mailing in this complaint form.

The Clean Air Coalition of WNY will keep you posted as this situation progresses. 

Distinguished Lecture: Global Warming and a Call to Action - How ice foretells the next systemic transformation

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Global Warming and a Call to Action: 
How ice foretells the next systemic transformation

Thursday, June 7, 2018
2:30pm - 5:00pm
Hotel at the Lafayette - Marquis Ballroom
391 Washington St., Buffalo

Sebastian Copeland will chronicle some of his seminal expedition crossings, and share impressions on what it means to spend three months of isolated travel in the most remote polar environments. Illustrated with award winning photographs, his anecdotes range from close encounters with polar bears, falling through the ice into the frigid Arctic ocean, surviving hurricanes in a tent, and traveling with severe frostbites, broken bones and food shortage. Copeland will explore the meaning of living in a truly antagonistic environment and how he learned to love everything about survival to find epiphanies and discover the true essence of self. More pointedly, Copeland makes the case that climate transformations taking place in the polar regions foretell global systemic chaos from anthropogenic activities, and their geopolitical consequences.

Following the lecture there will be a Fireside Chat hosted by Prof. Richard Alley and a Distinguished Lecture Recognition

Limited space available
Please RSVP by June 6, 2018 - Click here