Embedded Files
greenburghtaskforce@gmail.com | (914) 989-1530
WHAT IS THE UPON REQUEST LAW?
"Upon REQUEST" public education campaign
"Upon REQUEST" public education campaign
To save our landfills, the Greenburgh Task Force and Greenburgh Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) is working with a growing group of organizations to launch a public education campaign to increase awareness of and compliance with Westchester County’s Upon Request Law 📢
The Upon Request Law saves businesses and consumers money by eliminating the purchase and disposal of stuff nobody uses or wants!
Join us on July 15th, as we launch a community-led initiative. Email: greenburghtaskforce@gmail.com
FREE LIVE WEBINAR!
Learn how your community can be a part of this campaign. We can all join the campaign launch to educate businesses and the public. To register, click here or visit wasspeekskill.org/UponRequest.
Few businesses are aware of this county law so compliance isn’t great. Join us as we launch a community initiative to educate businesses and the public about the law. We will be joined by County Legislator Erika Pierce (District 2) who sponsored the legislation which took effect in 2023!
PEEKSkill WIN-WASTE Incinerator
PEEKSkill WIN-WASTE Incinerator
It is settled science that air pollution, even at legally allowable levels, is harmful to human health. Asthma, COPD, low birth weight, heart attacks, cancers, etc. have proven links (causative, not just correlative) Molecular mechanisms are not fully understood and cumulative impacts are poorly understood.
How does the incinerator affect people's health?
How does the incinerator affect people's health?
Incinerators, such as Wheelabrator, operating within environmental justice communities put people’s health at risk, especially for those with limited access to health care to address the health effects of air pollution emitted by the incinerators. Lead, mercury, nitrogen oxides, PM2.5 (particulate matter), PFAS and other pollutants generated by the incinerator can be inhaled or absorbed through contaminated food and water.
According to the New York State Climate Justice Committee the census tract where the Wheelabrator incinerator is located has a higher environmental burden than 98% of the census tracts in New York State, and is more vulnerable than 84% of census tracts. Respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD as well as cardiovascular diseases are linked to the types of pollution generated by the incinerator. Rates of these diseases in Peekskill are higher than those of Westchester County and New York State. Confounding factors such as poverty and lack of health insurance, which are much higher in Peekskill than in surrounding towns, exacerbate these diseases. Peekskill residents have multiple sources of air and water pollution and toxic substances located within their community. By operating the incinerator in Peekskill, Westchester County is harming residents.
WHAT ARE PFAS?
This document is meant to be a resource for you to learn more about trash incineration, the harms to human health, the damage to the environment, and the alternatives that exist. WASS Fact Sheet
what substances does the incinerator emit?
what substances does the incinerator emit?
Incinerators emit PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, which accumulate in the body over time through ingestion and threaten health. These compounds are present in a variety of manufactured consumer materials, resist combustion in the incinerator, and evade proper emissions measurement even when measuring methods exist. In addition to harming health, they contribute to global warming at a rate much higher than carbon.
For example, in 2021 alone Wheelabrator/WIN-Waste burned 630,485 tons total/1,727 tons of solid waste per day, received and processed 597,000 tons of sewage treatment plant sludge producing 143,939 tons ash residue (Read more ). In 2023, Wheelabrator/WIN-Waste burned 701,348, producing 157,382 tons ash residue (Read Report ). As plastics and synthetic materials are increasingly used in the manufacturing of consumer products, these materials make up a greater proportion of the waste burned in incinerators and then end up contaminating nearby communities. Exposure to incinerator emissions has been linked to various types of cancer, reproductive issues, childbirth complications, and elevated toxin levels in the blood. Read NIH Report
THE COST OF BURNING TRASH
AIR AND CLIMATE POLLUTION
AIR AND CLIMATE POLLUTION
Waste incineration releases significant greenhouse gases into the atmosphere contributing to climate change. In 2018, MSW incinerators in the U.S. emitted 11 million tons of carbon dioxide and are nearly as carbon-intensive as burning coal. Despite these contributions to air and climate pollution, incinerators have tried to re-brand as “waste-to-energy” facilities, and in some states, lobbying has earned renewable energy status and taxpayer-funded subsidies, which helps keep them afloat. This preferential treatment uses money and resources that could be going towards true clean energy like solar and wind. Read Report
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse