Categories for GreenPost

Aug 13

2014

Scajaquada Jack revisited

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About that five feet of sewer sludge in sections of Scajaquada Creek. Yeah, I know, it’s gross, but I did find someone who has walked in it.  However, the details didn’t get into the main story about the badly polluted creek. Enter Frank Poincelot, a former Buffalo animal control officer. I tracked him down and here is what was cut from the final edit of the main story: Poincelot and his former colleagues were led on a wild four-day hunt for Scajaquada Jack, a four-foot caiman released into the creek in the summer of 2001. The caiman hunt garnered a ton[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Aug 8

2014

Toxic algae blooms not in eastern Lake Erie

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The toxic algae blooms in western Lake Erie that led to a shut down of the public water supply in Toledo, Ohio for a weekend have not reached the Buffalo area. That’s according to the Erie County Health Department, which this week tested a dozen spots, including four samples at two public water intakes. The health department says that microcystin, the toxin released from some algae blooms, was not detected at any of the 12 spots. Sites tested were: Sturgeon Point intakes (2), Buffalo intakes (2), Hamburg Beach, Woodlawn Beach, Evans (Lake Erie Beach, Evans Town Park, Bennett Beach, Wendt Beach), Brant[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jul 31

2014

Tonawanda Coke faces $161,100 in fines

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Tonawanda Coke faces $161,100 in fines for “disturbing” violations investigators said they discovered after a Jan. 31 explosion at the plant that rattled homes and businesses up to a mile away. In total, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the plant and Kirchner LLC, which supplies temporary workers, with 17 serious violations, including two repeat ones, plus three minor infractions. Some of the alleged violations put employees at risk of falls, amputations and crushing injuries, according to the agency’s press release. OSHA defines a serious violation as “when death or serious physical harm could result from hazards[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jul 3

2014

Air quality in Buffalo is improving

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Less than 10 years ago the Buffalo region’s nitrogen dioxide levels were on par with larger cities such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York and Denver. But the region’s smog has diminished quite a bit since then, including steep drops in nitrogen dioxide. The gas is one of numerous air pollutants that can agitate asthma, a respiratory disease that plagues neighborhoods in both east and west Buffalo, especially near the Peace Bridge. “The gas is produced primarily during the combustion of gasoline in vehicle engines and coal in power plants,” according to NASA. “It’s also a good proxy for the presence[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jun 16

2014

High bacteria levels close Bennett Beach

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The start of the swimming season at Bennett Beach is getting off with a bang—a bacterial bang, that is. The beach, which is 22 miles southwest of downtown Buffalo, opened for swimming Saturday. But health department officials closed it Monday for high levels of E. coli bacteria. The announcement of the closing didn’t reach all levels of county government fast enough, however. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz sent this Twitter post at 10:58 a.m.:   Two minutes later, the Twitter feed for Erie County Parks made the following announcement: Bennett Beach closed 15 times last season, according to data from the Environmental Protection[...]

Posted 10 years ago

Jun 5

2014

Recycling data ‘a mess’

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Comparing recycling rates community to community isn’t an easy task. In fact, data and reporting inconsistencies make it nearly impossible to make accurate comparisons. While localities can be faulted for the inconsistent way they track their recycling programs, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has been willing to accept it. As a result, it’s hard to measure progress and hold cities and towns accountable. “It’s a mess,” said Maggie Clarke, a zero waste consultant and researcher who has done work for the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling, “especially if you are trying to compare one city or[...]

Posted 10 years ago

May 14

2014

No swimming at Gallagher Beach

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The bottom line is there won’t be any swimming this summer at Gallagher Beach off Route 5 in South Buffalo. Instead, state officials announced Monday that testing will continue through the spring and summer. Last fall, Investigative Post reported about potential water contamination at Gallagher Beach, where U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Byron Brown had hoped to open for swimming this summer. Three weeks after the story aired, the state agreed to test the water, soil and harbor floor. The testing, which was conducted over just a few days in late October, found a couple of potential concerns.[...]

Posted 10 years ago
Investigative Post