Dan Telvock is Investigate Post's environmental reporter. A native of the Finger Lakes region, he was an award-winning newspaper reporter in Virginia for 13 years, including stints at The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg and The Winchester Star, before joining Investigative Post. He founded and operated The Landry Hat, a blog that covered the Dallas Cowboys, from 2005 to 2008, while also working as a reporter.
Mar 12
2014
Asian carp found breeding in the Upper Mississippi. That means they are spreading much faster than any scientist had originally thought. The biggest fear is when these voracious eaters with no known predators will reach the Great Lakes. A story from National Geographic.
Mar 5
2014
Projects that keep billions of gallons of raw sewage out of Western New York waterways are at risk if Congress approves a budget that slashes aid for states burdened with antiquated sewer infrastructure. Cities and suburbs with outdated sewer systems require billions of dollars in improvements to combat the pollution from sewer overflows usually caused by heavy rain or snowmelt. In Buffalo, anywhere from 1.7 billion to 4 billion gallons of raw sewage polluted local waterways each of the past three years. In comparison, the bankrupt city of Detroit dumped 7 billion gallons of raw sewage into waterways in 2011. Cleveland[...]
Mar 4
2014
Residents breathing air by Tonawanda Coke were put at risk for years because the company released dangerous amounts of toxic chemicals. Preliminary residential soil tests also turned up contamination. The company and an employee were convicted last year. Residents, some with cancer, want a portion of the fines for comprehensive studies. A story from WGRZ.
Feb 27
2014
The property was a mess — contaminated, mired in debt and depreciating in value — but Gov. Andrew Cuomo wanted it bad. As it turns out, as much as $27 million bad. To buy the abandoned Episcopal Church Home, a property considered essential to an expansion of the Peace Bridge plaza, state government under Cuomo’s direction paid a premium and inherited a costly environmental cleanup. The Cuomo administration also orchestrated moves that cost state and federal taxpayers millions more. The final tab hasn’t been tallied, but it could run as high as $27 million, for a property appraisers hired[...]
Feb 21
2014
Shredd & Ragan of 103.3, The Edge, spoke with Investigative Post’s Dan Telvock about his exclusive reporting of events surrounding the Jan. 31 explosion and fire at Tonawanda Coke.
Feb 19
2014
West Side residents have long complained about trucks crossing the Peace Bridge because of diesel fumes that have been linked to respiratory illnesses. They now have another reason to be uncomfortable with truck traffic: rigs carrying high-level radioactive cargo. Federal authorities in May gave approval for a company to truck spent nuclear fuel over the Peace Bridge. They say there haven’t been any leaks or other problems involving similar shipments elsewhere. But some experts and activists are concerned the route approval is a prelude to shipping highly radioactive liquid waste. This would be unprecedented for North America, let alone the Peace[...]
Feb 17
2014
How does this sound for New Yorkers: saving $2,000 in annual energy costs. Or saving $4,100 per person in energy, health and climate costs each year? Those are just two estimates the Solutions Project presents if New York were to rely 100 percent on renewable energy by 2050. Sound crazy? Well, it isn’t. At least not to Mark Jacobson, a senior fellow at Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, who partnered with scientists at Cornell University and University of California-Davis to research how feasible it would be to convert New York’s energy infrastructure to renewable wind, water and solar. Their[...]
Feb 12
2014
Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic in over 100 beauty and cosmetic products. Toxic chemicals attach to the beads and fish eat them. Research led by SUNY Fredonia’s Assistant Professor of Chemistry Professor Sherri Mason found high levels of microbeads in Lake Erie. Now, lawmakers and the attorney general want them banned.