Environment

Expert on Great Lakes fishing is doubtful Asian Carp will be prevented

By Ray Marks • Feb 24, 2012

The threat of Asian carp entering the Great Lakes, including Lake Erie and possibly destroying a multi-million dollar fishery, may be impossible to stop. WBFO News contributor Ray Marks spoke with one expert who has followed the issue for over 10 years. Tom Marks -- no relations to Ray Marks -- is director of the New York State Great Lakes Sports Fishing Council.

EPA begins removal of drums from Le Roy

By Mark Scott & Eileen Buckley • Feb 22, 2012

Western New York Congresswoman Kathy Hochul says the federal Environmental Protection Agency will remove drums of toxic waste from a Superfund site in Le Roy by the end of this week.

The waste will be disposed of at a landfill in Belleville, Michigan. There has been speculation in Le Roy that the waste may be responsible for an outbreak of a tic-like illness among some high school students. But most medical experts have dismissed that as the source.

The barrels were left from the Lehigh Railroad Derailment Superfund site in LeRoy.

LeRoy residents to hear results from chemical testing

By Chris Jamele • Feb 4, 2012

The LeRoy School District is expected to release a public assessment today on tests that have been performed at the LeRoy High School. The testing was conducted after eighteen students all suffered ticks and Tourette's-like symptoms. The District hired Leader Professional Services. The company will examine the testing and issue recommendations.

The review will be presented to parents from 9 to 10:00 this morning at the high school auditorium.

Lewiston will not receive waste from LeRoy clean up

By Chris Jamele • Feb 4, 2012

The proposed clean-up of the toxic spill site in LeRoy, which is at the center of investigations into a strange malady affecting eighteen students at the high school, must clear a hurdle.

Material from the spill site was planned for transfer to the CWM facility in Niagara County. That site is just one mile from the Lewiston-Porter School District.

Senator George Maziarz, Assemblyman John Ceretto and Superintendent Chris Roser have rejected that plan.

Superintendent of Le Roy schools is blasting environmentalist Erin Brockovich

By Eileen Buckley & Bert Gambini • Jan 31, 2012

Photo from Le Roy Central School District Website

The Superintendent of Le Roy Central School District in Genesee County is blasting environmentalist Erin Brockovich.

Superintendent Kim Cox said the attempt by Brockovich's investigators to collect soil samples from school grounds represents an intrusion to the district.

Brockovich entered the mystery that surrounds an indeterminent illness afflicting some students at the high school when she appeared on CNN. Brockovich said attributing anything to toxic contamination represented hearsay until soil and vapor testing proved otherwise.

A citizen starts a fund to protect residents from Tonawanda Coke

By Eileen Buckley • Jan 30, 2012

Tonawanda Coke on River Road continues to face several lawsuits for polluting the air.

A community activist continues to speak out against benzene and other toxic material that spews from the facility.

"Tonawanda Coke is still polluting," said Jackie James-Creedon, Kenmore resident and community activist in Kenmore-Tonawanda. She said high benzene levels have been reduced, but she wants them reduced even more.

"Benzene levels have been reduced. It's better, but as far as what I'm interested in, I'm interested in reducing levels even further," said James-Creedon.

NYPIRG critical of Honeywell for mercury emissions

By Jim Pastrick • Dec 22, 2011

Standing in the rain in front of Buffalo City Hall Wednesday morning, representatives of the New York Public Interest Research Group released a new report that takes Honeywell Corporation to task for its role in lobbying against legislation that would provide for capturing discarded mercury-containing thermostats in New York.

NYPIRG's Joseph Stelling told WBFO's Jim Pastrick that emissions data from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation point to an incinerator in Western New York as one that emits large quantities mercury into the air.

Amherst recycling to change helping environment and budget

By Sharon Osorio • Dec 21, 2011

The largest suburb in Western New York is making an overhaul of its garbage and recycling system. And like the City of Buffalo, Amherst will soon offer large totes to collect more material that can be recycled.

The Town Supervisor of Amherst says the new system will be good for the environment and the town's budget.

When Amherst Town Supervisor Barry Weinstein talks about the new contract for picking up trash and recycling that begins in January, one phrase keeps coming up: “And there’s more," said Weinstein.

Declining health of Lake Erie

By Ray Marks • Dec 15, 2011

Back in the 70’s Lake Erie was called a dead lake because of pollution that resulted in little or no oxygen in a large part of the lake.

Today the lake is in declining health again from a number of sources. WBFO contributor Ray Marks takes a look at the issue.

NPR's Poisoned Places in America Series: Tonawanda Coke

By Elizabeth Shogren • Nov 10, 2011

For decades, vast quantities of cancer-causing benzene and other toxic emissions emanated from the dilapidated Tonawanda Coke plant on the banks of Niagara River.

Thanks only to a group of sick people who live near the plant, federal and state regulators have started cracking down on this facility. High-tech monitoring shows benzene emissions were 30 times what the plant was reporting.

And that was after the plant had started to clean up.

Environment

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