West Side Residents Unveil Common-Sense Solutions to Air Quality Problems

#EnviroJusticeNow!

“I was so happy to see that officials in Washington have acknowledged our air quality problems, and for the opportunity to start a conversation about what my neighbors and I need to breathe” said Tangia Delk, a west side resident and Clean Air member.

“We welcome the resources from Washington to help us on tackle the West Side’s asthma epidemic, but environmental justice requires that impacted residents must be in the drivers seat.  West Side residents and Clean Air members have been talking about solutions for years and we want an open an honest conversation led by affected residents on how to combat the poor air quality in the neighborhood” says Natasha Soto.

“We need a comprehensive plan for the Peace Bridge. We have the solutions to our air quality problems and we want the chance to see them implemented”, said Clean Air member Nicole Roberts who lives behind the Peace Bridge Plaza.

Members believe strongly that expanding the truck plaza further into this environmental justice neighborhood and continuing to build out trucking infrastructure will exacerbate the asthma crisis on the west side. This is a long-term fight that the Coalition is committed to. However, the community has several common-sense solutions that could be funded by the City of Buffalo, New York State, and the Federal Government today that would help make the west side a healthier neighborhood.

Common-Sense Solutions to the Air Quality Problems on the West Side

  Developed by the members of Clean Air: Organizing for Health and Justice who live, work and play on the lower west side of Buffalo.

The members believe strongly that expanding a truck plaza further into this environmental justice neighborhood and continuing to build trucking infrastructure will exacerbate the asthma crisis on the west side. This is a long-term fight that the Coalition is committed to. However, the community has several common-sense solutions that could be funded by the City of Buffalo, New York State, and the Federal Government today that would help make the west side a healthier neighborhood. Our public officials should:

1. Monitor for the chemicals we are most concerned about, in the places we are most concerned about. Extend the air monitoring project to the summer months, add more monitors, test for ultrafine particulates and let us have some control over the study design.
2. Invest in green buffers in high-traffic locations. Fund a pilot project for a green wall between us and high-traffic locations to buffer us from noise, diesel fumes and bright lights. We’d like to see the pilot take place in a high-traffic area in our neighborhood like the ramp off Virginia Street or the truck ramp that borders Front Park. This has been done in California very successfully.
3. Enforce anti-idling laws. The NYS DEC should make our neighborhood a priority and assign officers to spend more time in our neighborhood to prevent idling on side streets. The Peace Bridge Authority should increase enforcement on the plaza.
4. Plant trees. Work with us to identify the best locations and then fund tree plantings that are more than decorative and act as buffers.
5. Hire more customs agents.  Senator Schumer noted just a few months ago this wasn’t an infrastructure problem; this is a staffing problem.
6. Fund health clinics and asthma screenings. We don’t have enough doctors in our neighborhood. Invest in our health clinics and health care providers.
7. Fund air filtration systems for our community centers, churches and schools.
8. Treat us as equals. Stop talking about us and around us. Invite us to the table to talk about solutions, and make sure you all show up at the table. We mean all of you: Fed. Highway, NYS DOT, the PBA, the DEC, and our local elected officials like Councilman Rivera and Pridgen, Congressman Higgins, Assemblyman Ryan, and Senators Grisanti and Kennedy.
9. Make public meetings PUBLIC. We are proud of our neighborhood’s racial and linguistic diversity. Hold meetings in the languages we speak, and work with us to develop meetings that facilitate meaningful community input.
10. Invest in our neighborhoods ‘streets. Our streets and sidewalks are in bad shape from the 18-wheelers that run through our neighborhood daily. This makes walking to church and the grocery store dangerous for the many seniors who live in our community. And it makes it less likely our young people will play outside and receive the kind of exercise we need to be healthy. We need our roads paved, curbs fixed and better lighting in our neighborhood.
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Tags: Air Quality, Peace Bridge, Solutions, West Side