Tag: Environment

Mar 28

2014

Buffalo’s harsh winter kills thousands of fowl

Published by

Many of us complained about this winter’s freezing cold. But we survived. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for a lot of birds. Thousands of ducks along the shores of Lake Erie and Niagara River died from starvation due to the brutal winter this year, the state Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed today. The widespread ice cover prevented the fowl from eating food in the water. State wildlife experts called the number of deaths “unprecedented.” DEC tests did not reveal any infectious diseases in the waterfowl, the agency said. Eastern Lake Erie and the Niagara River are habitats for 150,000 to[...]

Posted 11 years ago

Mar 26

2014

Air pollution a major killer

Published by

Air pollution killed 7 million worldwide last year, the World Health Organization reports. Put another way: dirty air is associated with one in eight deaths. While the problem is more prevalent in rapidly developing Third World nations, we in WNY deal with the problem, as well. A story from the New York Times.

Posted 11 years ago

Mar 21

2014

Scajaquada Creek: a Buffalo toilet

Published by

Scajaquada Creek meanders through Buffalo’s most-prized park and yet it reeks of sewage and chemicals. This creek is literally a toilet, especially after heavy rainfall. Don’t believe me? Have a look for yourself: I snapped this photograph last summer while riding my bike through Delaware Park near Hoyt Lake. I smelled something putrid and this was the source. The chemical trails made rainbows in the water. Fish, some several feet long, ate the decay and whatever else was in this mess. I came back 30 minutes later and a group of immigrants  had dropped their fishing lines near here. Raw sewage overflows[...]

Posted 11 years ago

Mar 20

2014

Tonawanda Coke sentence

Published by

A federal court judge Wednesday fined Tonawanda Coke $12.5 million and ordered it to underwrite studies that will cost the company up to an additional $12.2 million. The plant’s retired manager was sentenced to a year in prison. Some criticize the punishment as lenient. A report from The Buffalo News.

Posted 11 years ago

Mar 5

2014

Obama’s budget a setback to sewer upgrades

Published by

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[...]

Posted 11 years ago

Mar 4

2014

Tonawanda Coke neighbors voice concerns

Published by

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.

Posted 11 years ago

Feb 27

2014

Cuomo’s costly Peace Bridge purchase

Published by

  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[...]

Posted 11 years ago

Feb 19

2014

Peace Bridge: Radioactive roadway?

Published by

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[...]

Posted 11 years ago
Investigative Post