Beautiful weather and pollution from our everyday car trips make the air quality lower than it has to be. We hope you become aware of the simple things we all can do to reduce the problems for ourselves and the especially vulnerable (such as kids, and people with asthma). We listed the ideas from Clean Air NY in a post below regarding July 8. Take a look, take a pick and feel great!
*************************************************************
PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - JULY 9, 2008
*************************************************************
Some of the leading environmental organizations in Rockland County have joined together with civic organizations in a growing coalition that is demanding a more thorough environmental and economic analysis by state and local agencies of United Water’s proposed desalination-filtration plant in Haverstraw. The Rockland Coalition for Sustainable Water is asking the question “Do Rocklanders want to drink Hudson River water? – and pay much higher water bills and taxes too?
The coalition urges all Rockland residents to attend the PUBLIC HEARING to be held at Haverstraw Town Hall on Monday, July 14 at 8pm to learn more about the proposal.
The coalition members, which include organizations and individuals that consider the United Water proposal a “shortsighted and expensive burden to taxpayers” are looking for a better solution that is more in keeping with Rockland’s actual water and energy needs. They say United Water is a subsidiary company wholly owned by GDF Suez, a French multinational corporation with a longstanding international reputation for disrergarding customer needs, while increasing their rates to shocking levels.
Coalition members question motives behind the United Water/Suez’ scheme to build a desalinization-filtration plant, pointing out that a ‘deal’ of this magnitude could be a corporate strategy, calculated to enrich United Water/Suez’ own coffers at residents’ expense. They see United Water/Suez strategizing to gain public and municipal support by taking advantage of local real estate development interests, and promising tax rateables to municipalities. The coalition warns it is questionable whether Rockland residents would benefit under the proposal – or whether Rockland residents will pay more for water that will forever be tied to skyrocketing energy rates and higher taxes to pay for tremendously higher energy and operational costs as well as improved infrastructure, drainage and sewage expense that come with more people, more traffic and more overdevelopment.
The United Water proposal must be more closely examined to identify environmental and economic concerns that remain unanswered, including:
1. Does drinking Hudson River water pose risks to human health?
Can United Water remove all legacy pollutants from Hudson River water, including strontium 90, cesium, tritium and radioactive nuclides that leak from Indian Point, PCBs, and more? While we have been warned for years that it is unhealthy to eat many of the fish in the Hudson River, suddenly, United Water wants to assure us that filtered drinking the water from the Hudson River will be safe. How do we know this is true? What additional negative impacts will water intake and discharge have on fish life in our Hudson River?
2. Should we pay significant rate increases, tied to skyrocketing energy prices?
Desalination is extremely energy intensive and comes with a high price tag for operational costs. United Water has been vague about the exact increase, which could be 200-300% and significantly higher water rates in Rockland will be forever pegged to rapidly rising energy costs. While everyone tries to reduce their carbon footprint of energy use, United Water’s plan will increase greenhouse gas emissions with increased energy use and expense for an expanded water resource that Rockland may not need.
3. “Unlimited” water lead to “unlimited” new development at ratepayer expense?
An over expanded water resource feeds United Water’s plan to provide much greater capacity for building in Rockland with taxpayers subsidizing more over development throughout Rockland. United Water’s plan will become a financial burden with taxpayers assuming costs to expand our local roads, drainage infrastructure, sewerage capacity, municipal services and schools.
4. Should Rockland residents pay higher rates and hidden costs as water is shipped to NJ?
Is the timing of the recent $1.8M bond for the Joint Regional Sewer System in Haverstraw merely a coincidence? Are improvements to waste capacity and treatment part of a bigger plan to clean expected toxic waste residues for river water filtration and in anticipation of new population growth? If so, this could constitute illegal segmentation of the SEQRA review. United Water expects Rockland residents to drink Hudson River water and pay higher rates for desalination-filtration, while our water is being shipped to Bergen County, NJ.
5. Why has United Water abandoned Ambrey Pond Reservoir in Stony Point?
Ambrey Pond Reservoir, on the books since the 1980s, would be both a welcomed tax ratable in Stony Point and a much cleaner, less expensive and more sustainable water source alternative for the needs of Rockland when we consider the tremendous operating costs for a desalination-filtration plant that will forever be driven by energy costs.
6. Aren’t limits to growth and water conservation the real alternatives needed?
Rockland needs regional water planning with sensible limits to growth, permitting growth only to the limit of our resources, along with policies that require water conservation.
For more information - contacts:
Dorice Madronero
Rock;and County Conservation Association
845-504-0034
dmadronero@gmail.com
Peggy Kurtz
Rockland SIerra Club
845-709-0802
pkurtz9@gmail.com
Michael Castelluccio
Preserve Ramapo
mcastelluccio@yahoo.com
Janet Burnet/Geoff Welch
Ramapo River Committee
Ramapo Watershed Intermunicipal Council
PHONE:
janetburnet@aol.com
geoffwelch@GMAIL.COM
Steven White
Spring Valley Concerned Citizen’s Coalition
845-664-3088
polanve@optimum.net
Bob Jackson
Nanuet Civic Association
845-623-5192
jaxfire1@verizon.net
George Potanovic, Jr./Susan FIlgueras
Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment (SPACE)
845-429-2020 - G
845-429-3229 - S
info@stonypointer.org
The New York State Department of Transportation has declared that
Ground-level ozone is a respiratory irritant that can trigger asthma attacks and aggravate emphysema, bronchitis and other respiratory ailments. Children, people with pre-existing respiratory or heart conditions, people doing strenuous outdoor work or exercise and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the effects of ozone.
As an employer, there are several steps you can take to help your employees reduce the formation of pollution and ensure their health and productivity:
The most important step is to let your employees know about the Air Quality Action Day by forwarding this e-mail to them.Encourage employees to take the following actions on Air Quality Action Days:
☺ Combine errands into a single trip, rather than separate trips. This can help save time and reduce pollution.
☺ Postpone unnecessary trips. Avoiding motor vehicle trips on Air Quality Action Days will prevent the formation of air pollution.
☺ Take the subway, bus or train to and from work or other destinations on Air Quality Action Days.
☺ Ride in a carpool if you know someone to share a ride with.
☺ Refuel your vehicle in the evening when it is cooler outside.
☺ Avoid letting your vehicle idle, such as at the fast food or bank teller drive-thru.
☺ Avoid operating gas-powered gardening equipment such as lawn mowers on Air Quality Action Days. Wait for a day when air quality is better.
☺ Develop a commuter benefits program and/or telecommute policy for your organization. It’s good for your employees and makes business sense.
☺ Refuel fleet vehicles in the evening when it is cooler outside on Air Quality Action Days.
☺ Avoid fleet vehicle idling every day and especially on Air Quality Action Days.
☺ Take our message home with you. Tell your friends and family about the upcoming Air Quality Action Day.
To learn more about improving air quality or developing a commuter benefits program, visit CleanAirNY.org or call 1-877-ILUVAIR (1-877-458-8247). Clean Air NY is sponsored by the New York State Department of Transportation in support of regionwide air-quality efforts. If you want to opt out of these Air Quality Action Day Bulletins, send an e-mail to info@CleanAirNY.org. To ensure the delivery of these Bulletins, please be sure to add info@CleanAirNY.org to your e-mail address book or safe list.
Check the post from yesterday and get those e-mails going, or pick up the phone and get your support counted by the county clerk!
T H A N K Y O U !!
Just a friendly reminder about the important public hearing in New City tomorrow night (see the previous post for more info).
To support this act:
You can do one or all of the things above - your support is greatly appreciated!
You might have seen a test map on the Open Green Map called Rockland Farm Alliance (RFA). The RFA is a wonderful county-wide endeavor to keep farms and farming active and to support new farms in the county. The test map will show sites important to the RFA to get an overview of farms and vendors that sell local food etc. Comments on the map can be forwarded to info@rocklandgreenmap.org, or use our on-line contact form. Please feel free to use the map to find fresh food that has been grown locally.
For more information on what we want to show on this test map, please visit http://www.greenmap.org/ogm/en/greenmap/rockland-farm-alliance and click on the orange i-symbol in the Hudson River, then click the + sign in the bubble to see the full description.
The RFA is now building a website at www.rocklandfarmalliance.org, so make sure to visit soon!
Something Can Be Done About It and you can be there to make it happen!
PUBLIC HEARING
For
THE ROCKLAND COUNTY NONTOXIC LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE ACT, 2008
Tuesday, June 17th 2008 8:00 PM
(sign in required before 8:00 for individual presentation)
at the
ROCKLAND COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING
11 New Hempstead Road, New City, NY 10956, Legislative Chambers
Sponsored by Connie Coker, Chairwoman Environmental Committee, coker@co.rockland.ny.us, 845-638-5100
Our Children Deserve To Be Protected. Please, come and show your support. If you cannot come, feel free to contact Rockland County Legislature to show your support! http://www.co.rockland.ny.us/Legislature/legislators.htm
Rose Marie Raccioppi / National Pesticide-Free Lawn Coalition / Organic Land Care Policy Workgroup / Rockland Green Map
The Open Green Map bubble appearance has recently changed. When you click on an icon or symbol you will get the basic information about the site. Then clicking the + sign upper right corner, will give you another bubble with all the info added so far. Explore the tabs to see any additional photos, directions or other information (coming soon).
Curious? Visit the map!
There are about 55 sites now on our map! Go see for yourself!
I am very proud to announce that we now listed in the Open Green Map together with 4 other green maps. Visit the site here: http://www.greenmap.org/ogm/ Click on our name, Rockland Green Map, on the left to zoom in on Rockland County. Filter options are in the box to the right (see previous post from April 15 for more information).
Found anything great, not so great or sites missing? Use the contact form or suggest-a-site form. Thank you!
Earth Day at the Rockland Community College was a blast. Great weather and many vendors with beautiful displays. We got new sites to add to the map! Now we are gearing up to tell YOU about our project in Nyack on Saturday (April 26, 12 to 2 pm in Memorial Park by the water). See you there!
