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New York State is plagued with a legacy of industrial chemical facilities, leaking landfills, incinerators, waste dumps, and other industrial sources of pollution. These are often located in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color where people lack the financial and political clout to keep polluters out of their neighborhoods. In addition, these communities lack sufficient monitoring by government agencies and responsible parties to determine whether companies are in compliance or residents' health and well-being are at risk. The NY State Department of Environmental Conservation is laying off over 300 employees and is phasing out its on-site monitoring program. With less monitoring from state agencies and corporations, people must take power into their own hands by starting up "Bucket Brigades" in their local communities to press agencies and corporations to reduce and eliminate pollution. The Bucket Brigade is a community-based air monitoring tool, combining elements of environmental monitoring, community organizing and empowerment. The Citizens' Environmental Coalition, the Cheektowaga Citizens Coalition, the Kandid Coalition, the Refinery Reform Campaign, and Subra Inc., will work together to strengthen the capacity of communities to monitor aspects of their environments that affect their own health. Using the data, people can press for policies at the local and state-wide level to compel companies to reduce their pollution and support the public's right to know.
Citizens' Environmental Coalition
Buffalo, New York, United States
http://www.cectoxic.org
For more information about this grant, please contact the CEC Secretariat.
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United States