Environmental Groups
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) and a growing network of organizations are launching PVC consumer campaigns to encourage major corporations to phase out their use of PVC and to support policies that phase out PVC. We have already convinced Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, Victoria’s Secret, and Bath and Body Works to phase out their use of PVC in their packaging! We want to leverage these victories to build momentum for further commitments to safer products in the year to come. We would like you to be part of this successful effort by being part of the campaign.
Information on the environmental and health impacts of burn barrels, backyard trash burning, open burning of waste.
This national grassroots organization offers organizing and technical assistance, expert referrals and numerous publications that are helpful for people dealing with environmental contamination problems. Contact CHEJ for a full publication list. They will take orders with MasterCard or Visa. Sample publications include:
- Everyone's Backyard, a quarterly newsletter with articles on pollution and environmental health issues and reports from every state on grassroots environmental activities. $25 with membership.
- A Leaders Manual on how to start groups and organize. $7.50
This site contains information pertaining to the possible environmental disaster in Cheektowaga, New York. Industrial activity (i.e. Buffalo Crushed Stone Quarry, BFI, Old Land Reclamation, Land Reclamation, and Schultz Landfills) in an area coined as "The Toxic Triangle" is suspected of causing severe health problems for nearby residents. The SUNY at Buffalo's Center for Asthma and Environmental Exposure has found abnormally high rates of asthma and health complications prevail.
Our Mission: To assure Cattaraugus County's air, soil, water and environment is clean and healthful, and to advocate with the public and governments that policies be implemented and that laws be passed to assure such a clean and healthful environment; to assure that local, state and federal environmental protection laws are enforced; to encourage skills for citizen advocacy for a clean and healthful environment.
Environmental Advocates of New York is the state's government watchdog, holding lawmakers and agencies accountable for enacting and enforcing laws that protect our natural resources and safeguard public health. Environmental Advocates works alone and in coalitions and has more than 7,000 individual and 130 organizational members. The tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is also the New York affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.
This national organization publishes Rachel's Environment and Health Weekly, an excellent source of up-to-date information on scientific studies and current issues in the environment and environmental health movement. They also provide information on a wide variety of environmental issues through their computer database for activists. Subscription rates for the newsletter are from $15 to $40 per year or you can receive it via e-mail. ERF also has a series of publications to help citizens with technical issues and provide guidance on researching corporations. For instance, You Don't Have to be a Scientist is a short document explaining how to deal with the numbers used to express toxic concentrations, etc. It includes information on how to make comparisons and a detailed chart for converting measurements.
Over half a century ago, the United States embarked on one of the greatest engineering projects of all time. This venture (under the direction of the U.S. Army's "Manhattan Engineer District") had as its goal the development of the world's first atomic bomb. In communities across the United States, thousands of scientists, and ordinary citizens alike, set about their task in complete secrecy. In most cases, even those involved in the project were unaware of the true nature of their work, or the dangers involved. One community involved in this effort, was the Town of Tonawanda, New York. Hidden and largely ignored, the remnants of a war-time uranium refinery remain here, its radioactive secret still dangerous thousands of years into the future. F.A.C.T.S. is committed to ensuring that we not pass this along as our lethal legacy to countless future generations.
This national group provides assistance to citizens concerned about toxic emissions and chemical spills. They have facilitated "Good Neighbor Agreements" between communities and industry, requiring industry to institute pollution prevention practices, like spill prevention.
This international organization provides reports, fact sheets, videos and assistance on the issues of pesticides, dioxin, incineration, toxic and nuclear waste, wildlife and ocean ecology. They publish alerts and a quarterly newsletter and conduct direct action tactics to stop illegal dumping of hazardous and nuclear wastes and incinerators.
Action Alert: "Urge Martha Stewart to go Independent of PVC"Numerous products in the Martha Stewart Everyday line contain or are packaged in PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl). PVC is the most damaging plastic to human health and the environment, and the largest source of the cancer-causing chemical dioxin. Send an E-card to Martha, urging her to stop using PVC's by visiting the Greenpeace Website
Ground Score is a monthly, environmental and political web magazine. Beginning on paper in the Fall of 1998, Ground Score is news and views by the people and for the people. We accept and encourage submissions from our readers and from various organizations.
Health Care Without Harm's mission is to transform the health care industry so it is no longer a source of environmental harm by eliminating pollution in health care practices without compromising safety or care. Their campaigns focus on eliminating incineration of medical waste a leading source of dioxin and mercury pollution.
This group focuses on environmental problems in the Hudson River region. They provide assistance and information to citizens in the Hudson Valley and publish a newsletter, fact sheets and reports on environmental problems such as the PCB pollution in the Hudson River.
This statewide group focuses on toxic air releases, lead, recycling, incinerators, pesticides and other environmental issues in New York State. They provide citizen assistance on some environmental issues and have reports and fact sheets on lead, solid waste, toxic air releases and pesticides. They publish a newsletter, NYPIRG Agenda.
This national organization provides fact sheets, reports and citizen assistance on radioactive waste and nuclear power issues. They publish a quarterly newsletter, NIRS News.
A volunteer, not-for-profit organization dedicated to saving the Albany Pine Bush and Karner Blue habitat in New York State, a globally rare ecosystem in New York State.
This regional group focuses on pollution and development problems in the Hudson Valley. They provide information and assistance on Hudson Valley environmental issues, such as the pollution of the Hudson River. They publish a newsletter, reports and fact sheets on environmental issues.
E-mail the Atlantic Chapter: atlantic.chapter@sierraclub.org
This statewide chapter of the national Sierra Club lobbies in the state legislature on a wide variety of environmental issues. They can provide information on environmental legislative and regulatory issues, and referrals and contacts on regional chapters throughout the state.
Few American citizens are aware of the extensive harm done here at home by Manhattan Project operations and the subsequent massive "Cold War" atomic weapons buildup. The health and lives of tens of thousands of unsuspecting workers and their families were sacrificed. Dozens of communities where production facilities were located were carelessly contaminated with radioactive materials and wastes, and still remain so. Tonawanda, NY is one of these "legacy" communities. Today, some of its citizens are fighting with their own government to rectify past worker wrongs and to correct improper Army cleanup actions at the contaminated properties. This web site is dedicated to advancing this struggle.
The Alliance for a Toxic-Free Future is a non-partisan collaboration comprised of environmental, labor, environmental justice, academic, health, community, faith-based, and other groups working together for a future in which our children are not exposed to toxic chemicals.
This national organization focuses on toxic release information and community right to know policies. They publish the Working Notes on Community Right-to-Know.
Government Agencies and Other Institutions
The EPA provides information (free pamphlets, fact sheets and newsletters) on a wide range of environmental issues. The Safe Drinking Water Hotline provides general information on water pollution. If you want information on a Federal Superfund toxic waste site or RBCA hazardous waste site, contact the Superfund/RBCA hotline for site fact sheets, Superfund publications, Superfund Community Relations Plan and the name of the EPA site engineer working on the site you are concerned about.
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible for addressing environmental problems in New York State. Usually, you need to contact the Regional DEC office in your area to obtain more detailed information on toxic dumps, landfills, pesticide permits and other potential groundwater threats. The regional offices may be in the government section of your phone book. Contact information for the regional offices is also located on the DEC web site. The DEC also provides a listing of the Contaminated Fish Advisories entitled "Chemicals in Sportfish and Game" 2001-2002. Visit http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/environ/fish.htm to view the listing.
This independent testing group sets voluntary standards for water treatment systems. If a product meets the requirements, it can display the NSF seal. Contact them for an informational packet on drinking water treatment systems or faucets.
Political Representitives
Congress.org is a free, public service of Capitol Advantage. It is powered by the award-winning CapWizª system. Congress.org allows users to:
- Identify and send messages to their elected leaders in Congress, The White House, and state legislatures
- Communicate to their leaders via e-mail, letter, or fax Post these letters online with Letters to Leaders and read what other Americans are saying to elected officials
- Find and contact local and national media by ZIP code or by state with Media Guide
- Have your representative's votes sent to you weekly via e-mail with MegaVote Search alerts and take action in the Issues and Action area (contact Capitol Advantage to get your organization's alerts on Congress.org, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL and more sites).
