Bronx

Aug 23, 2016

Youth in the Environment

Bronx, environmental education 0 Comments

By Dan D’Agostino

Small programs at EPA Region 2 can often have a meaningful impact for the local community. Each year, the Youth in the Environment Program (YEP) takes around 20 high-school and college aged young people from economically underprivileged communities around New York City and presents them with the opportunity to work in the environmental field for the summer. The participants get firsthand experience working at New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) facilities, performing critical lab work, field sampling, working in warehouses and running the billing system. The Youth in the Environment program fosters an understanding of the value of public service and the significance of protecting our local environmental resources.

EPA Region 2, the National Partnership for Environmental Technology Education (PETE) of the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), the Woodycrest Center for Human Development and NYCDEP partnered together to deliver this program to the community. Nationally, the Youth in the Environment Program here in Region 2 is the longest running youth program that PETE implements. The program represents a nexus between federal and local government and local communities. It is a great example of EPA Region 2 bringing people together with the goal of a healthier environment and increased economic opportunity for young New Yorkers.

Doug Pabst and Dan D’Agostino from EPA Region 2’s Clean Water Division present an award to a Youth in the Environment program graduate.

On August 18, 2016, this year’s program was capped off by the annual “Recognition Day” ceremony, where youth participants, community leaders, program organizers and program partners convened to celebrate the achievements of the young people involved. Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurelia Green addressed the participants and highlighted how fortunate they were to have the opportunity to work in the environmental field, stressing the potential to make a positive impact on the community. The Clean Water Division’s Doug Pabst delivered a keynote address in which he explained how many of us take New York City’s water infrastructure for granted- the only time we think about it is the rare occasion that is isn’t working 100% correctly. He praised the youth participants for all the hard work they did and for being a part of something so important to the daily lives of New Yorkers.

Perhaps the most compelling words were those of the youth participants themselves. All of them spoke of the program as a challenge; one that could be interpersonal, scientific or even physical in nature; but one that they all overcame with determination and hard work.

About the Author: Dan is with the Clean Water Division’s State Revolving Fund Program Section. He holds a MEng. in Environmental Engineering from Manhattan College. Dan has been with EPA Region 2 for six years and has worked on a variety of subject areas including sustainable infrastructure, climate change and trash free waters.

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Oct 20, 2014

Bronx Zoo Memories

baseball, Bronx, Derek Jeter, Golden Glove, New York Yankees, Roberto Clement Award, World Series, Yankee Stadium 0 Comments

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

By Elias Rodriguez

October memories bring me to declare a few words in commemoration of our just retired Yankees team captain, reliable #2, Derek Jeter. Babe Ruth was #3. Baseball season will soon be over and a new champion will be crowned. Our region is distinct and one source of pride is that we are home to the winningest team in professional baseball history. Sadly, for my beloved New York Yankees, the season is already over given their uncharacteristically poor hitting and anemic pitching this year. Ever optimistic, perhaps we will add to our 27 World Series championships next year?

I am not sure what El Capitán’s stance is on the environment, but he certainly warmed the earth with his obvious love for the game and changed the climate in professional sports with his on and off the field goodwill. There is no real need to review Jeter’s illustrious career but for the unfamiliar: on his way to helping the team win five championships, he was also named Rookie of Year in 1996, Sports Illustrated’s 2009 Sportsman of the Year, a five time winner of the Golden Glove (which you do not get for dropping the ball) and winner of the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given each year to the league player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.” Yep, our shortstop only played on one team during his career and he was a paragon in pinstripes. We lovingly refer to Yankee Stadium as the Bronx Zoo for its spectacular atmosphere and wild incidents.

Of course, becoming a world renowned competitor does not signify that you are an inherently positive role model. Yet, according to most accounts, Jeter leaves behind a legacy of professionalism, hard work and earned the respect of peers and fans alike.

We will sorely miss the Bronx Bomber. What legacy will you produce? Each of us can contribute to a better world and healthier environment. Switch to clean energy. Use less energy. Watch your water use. Reduce waste. You don’t have to be a professional athlete to bat in a run or score a point for planet Earth!

About the Author: Elias serves as EPA Region 2’s bilingual public information officer. Prior to joining EPA, the proud Nuyorican worked at Time Inc. conducting research for TIME, LIFE, FORTUNE and PEOPLE magazines. He is a graduate of Hunter College, Baruch College and the Theological Institute of the Assembly of Christian Churches in NYC.

May 7, 2014

Environmental Standouts Are Celebrated

asthma, Bronx, Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, Environmental Quality Awards, Hunts Point Awareness Committee, Ironbound Community Corporation, sustainability 0 Comments

By Mike McGowan

Eva Sanjurjo receives her award.

Recently, Region 2 honored its 2014 Environmental Quality Award winners, who work at improving the planet every day.

EQA winners from New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were hosted at R2 headquarters in lower Manhattan to showcase their good work. Among them:

Chris Bowser, who has made “glass eels” (young American eels migrating from the Atlantic Ocean into freshwater streams) the focus of an unique environmental education project that goes from building knowledge about eels to promoting stewardship of this fish and the habitats essential to its growth cycle;

Ironbound Community Corporation, which, since 1969, has worked to create a healthy and sustainable environment in one of Newark’s culturally rich neighborhoods. The ICC monitors air quality, provides environmental justice tours and organizes an active community to speak out for environmental protection in New Jersey’s largest city.
Dr. Ralph Spezio, a public school principal from Rochester, who helped found the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, an education and advisory group dedicated to eliminate lead poisoning in Monroe County, New York. His work has helped reduce blood lead levels in Rochester’s children.
Eva Sanjurjo, a founder of the Hunts Point Awareness Committee, took on polluters in her Bronx community in defense of all the neighborhood children who were suffering from asthma. Among other projects, she started an educational program called “Greening for Breathing” which planted hundreds of trees in the neighborhood.

These are just several of the awardees, all of whom made a special and lasting impact on the environment in the last year. We’ll be reporting on some of the other winners in subsequent blog posts.

About the Author: Mike is Chief of the R2 Intergovernmental and Community Affairs Branch in Public Affairs. He is a 10-year veteran of EPA.

Feb 3, 2014

The Bronx’s Via Verde Wins a Well-Deserved Smart Growth Achievement Award

Bronx, green living, Green Roofs, Manhattan, Melrose, mixed-income housing, smart growth, sustainable development, Via Verde 1 Comment

The exterior of Via Verde, showing off its stepped roof

By John Martin

For people old enough to remember, it’s hard to believe how far the Bronx has come since the 1970s.

Between 1970 and 1980, the South Bronx lost over 300,000 residents, as crime spiked and people made way for the suburbs. The borough became synonymous with urban decay, a stigma it continues to fight decades after it began its dramatic rebound.

Today, the Bronx is flourishing, as the public and private sectors continue to make the borough a healthier and more pleasant place to live. It’s hard to find a better example of how far the borough has come than Via Verde— the mixed-income housing development in the Melrose neighborhood that opened in 2012. Since then, it has earned international acclaim for its bold design and its focus on creating a green urban environment for its residents.

The project, which sits on a cleaned-up former rail yard, provides 222 units of living space, views of the Manhattan skyline, and healthy-living amenities galore. A string of green roofs dot the building’s terraces, as do solar panels, which provide electricity to all the building’s common spaces. Residents have access to shared gardening beds, a children’s playground, a fitness center, and an outdoor amphitheater. Throw in the building’s easy access to subway and bus lines and it becomes easy to understand why Via Verde has been held up as a model for environmentally sustainable development.

As of today, we can add the EPA to the list of those who have officially recognized Via Verde’s accomplishments. This morning, the EPA announced that Via Verde received an Honorable Mention for the 2013 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement in the category of Built Projects. Of the 77 Smart Growth Achievement applications the EPA received from across the country, Via Verde was just one of seven to be recognized.

For a borough that has come so far and fought so long to create livable, thriving communities, Via Verde is a crowning achievement and an inspiration to urban areas everywhere.

To read more about Via Verde and the other projects receiving National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, visit: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/awards.htm.