On the Alert

•Lawn Care: For the first time since it was introduced several years ago, legislation to ban the use of certain dangerous pesticides for purely aesthetic purposes has sponsors in both houses of the state Legislature. A.5565 (DiNapoli, et al.)/S.6561 (LaValle) would prohibit the use of pesticides that meet certain hazard criteria, such as being classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a high risk for poisoning. Enactment of the legislation would make New York the first state in the nation to do so. Right now, A.5565 is poised for a vote on the Assembly floor, but S.6561 has yet to make it out of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. Call your state legislators and tell them you object to the use of toxic chemicals for ornamental and lawn care. Tell them to contact Assembly Speaker Silver and Senate Majority Leader Bruno to urge action this session. For more information, contact Audrey Thier, EANY, at 518-462-5526 ext.236 or athier@eany.org.

•Legal Adoption: Erie County has the opportunity to become the sixth New York county to adopt the Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law, which requires companies to notify nearby neighbors before they spray harmful pesticides on trees, shrubs, and lawns. Forty-eight hour advance notice would give neighbors time to take basic precautions to protect their family, pets and property from exposure to pesticides. The Erie County Legislature has scheduled a public hearing for June 11 (see calendar). Contact Michael Davoli, New York Public Interest Research Group, at 716-568-1039 or mdavoli@nypirg.org.

•BillÕs Birthday: While Mayor Bloomberg is attempting to repeal the state bottle bill in New York City, others are trying to expand it. State Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Thomas DiNapoli has introduced a bigger better bottle bill. This timely measure would help celebrate the bottle billÕs 20th anniversary this month by simultaneously bringing the container law up to date, providing much-needed money for solid waste efforts statewide, and keeping easily recyclable material from being landfilled or incinerated. The bill would expand the law to include noncarbonated beverages, such as water, juice and iced tea. It would also require that unclaimed deposits be returned to the state to fund municipal waste reduction and recycling projects, and specifies which materials must, at a minimum, be recycled. Urge your state legislators to support the bigger better bottle bill: A.11442 (DiNapoli). For more information, contact David Higby, EANY, at 518-462-5526 ext. 239.

•Urban Decay: New York is home to thousands of brownfield sites ø old industrial properties that are not toxic enough to be superfund sites, but remain abandoned because the owner and potential developers are afraid of dealing with contamination and future liability. New York is the only industrialized state that does not have a program to clean up and reuse the brownfields that blight our communities and cause new development to move ever outward, contributing to both urban decay and suburban sprawl. Tell policymakers in Albany that New York canÕt wait any longer. Visit www.eany.org to send a fax to Assembly Speaker Silver, Senate Majority Leader Bruno and Governor Pataki urging them to enact a comprehensive brownfields bill for New York.

For Your Information

Bad Air Days: The metropolitan region encompassing New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is among the countryÕs worst for ground-level ozone pollution, according to a report released by the American Lung Association (ALA). The region ranked as the 20th worst nationwide for ozone pollution, known as smog, which contributes to respiratory health problems. ALAÕs State of the Air 2002 report gives an F grade to 14 of the stateÕs monitored counties, including Staten Island, Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, Suffolk, Westchester, and Niagara. Visit www.lungusa.org to view the full report.

Design Invitation: The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) recently launched two initiatives to aide in the process of rebuilding Lower Manhattan. Rebuilding a Community (www.downtownnyc.org) is a web-based community design center that aims to give New Yorkers a say in the redevelopment of neighborhoods affected by the September 11th attacks. Rebuilding a Community is complemented by How to Turn a Place Around, a placemaking training course based in Lower Manhattan to be held on July 25. For more information, contact Harriet Festing at mailto:hfesting@pps.org or 212-620-5660, or visit www.pps.org.

Endangered Environment: The National Wildlife Federation recently joined with Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice and The Endangered Species Coalition to release a new report detailing rollbacks proposed by the Bush Administration that threaten wildlife protection and restoration efforts. The report deals with issues such as the AdministrationÕs failure to defend against challenges to endangered species/habitat protections and to its intentional distortion of scientific information. To view the full report, visit http://nwf.org/bushadministration/rollback.html.

Home Safe Home: The Clean Production Network (CPN) and WomenÕs Voices for the Earth have launched the Safe Hometowns Initiative in response to the continuing threat of a terrorist attack on chemical sites around the country. The goal of this national initiative is to make communities safer through public involvement in decisions about chemical site security. To get involved, call Alexandra McPherson, CPN, at 716-853-1797, or visit: www.safehometowns.org.

Activists' Corner

A Day in the Country: Saratoga Springs residents will have the opportunity this November to vote for the creation of a $5 million fund for land preservation. Passage of the 2002 City-in-the-Country Bond Act would make Saratoga Springs the first city in upstate NY to fund land preservation through a ballot initiative. Funds would be used to purchase recreational and environmentally-sensitive areas, improve public access to waterways, and develop pocket parks in the cityÕs urban core. Local citizens have formed the Coalition for the City-in-the-Country to inform voters about this opportunity for land preservation and advocate for the passage of the proposition. Contact the Coalition at bhershenhart@earthlink.net. The Coalition will have a web link available soon through the City of Saratoga Springs and the Saratoga Springs Open Space Project.

June

2: Governors Island Flotilla. Help return Governors Island to the people of New York. New York Harbor. 11:00AM-12:00PM. Plus afternoon festival at the Battery. Call Carter Craft at 212-935-9831.

6: Better Roads for New York State, workshop sponsored by the NY Bicycling Coalition. Includes presentations, bike ride, and discussion. Dennison County Office Building, Media Room, Hauppauge. 2:00PM-8:30PM. Also 6/19, Grand Army Plaza Library, Brooklyn. Visit: www.nybc.net/calendar for updates and more details. Call 518-505-9499 to RSVP.

6: Hudson River Environmental SocietyÕs Annual Meeting, featuring A ScientistÕs Perspective on Environmental Reporting: GE, PCBs, Acid Rain and the Visit of President Bush, Dina Cappiello, Albany Times Union environmental science reporter. Hillside Manor, Route 32, Kingston. 4:00PM-8:00PM. $35, $20 for students (includes dinner). Call Stephen Wilson at 518-861-8020.

6: Public meeting to discuss Unit Management Plans (UMP) for Blue Ridge Wilderness and Wakely Mountain Primitive Areas. Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake. 6:00PM-9:00PM. Contact Charles Butler, DEC Planning Coordinator, at 518-863-4545 or cabutler@gw.dec.state.ny.us.

7-9: Biojustice/Biodiversity 2002: The 6th International Grassroots Gathering on Genetic Engineering. Learn, strategize and network about genetic engineering. Toronto, Canada. $35; students, seniors and fixed income, $10. Call 800-387-7177, ext. 255, or visit: www.biodev.org to download a registration form.

8: Fundamentals of Solar Power, a workshop offered by Sun Mountain. Rosendale Rec Center, Route 32, Rosendale. 10:00AM-3:00PM. $20. Call 845-658-9435.

9: Off-road bike tour of the Stewart Buffer Lands to help the Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition save the 7,000-acre open space treasure next to Stewart Airport in Montgomery. Call Ralph Grimaldi at 845-496-9487

10: South Bronx Waterfront Walking Tour, sponsored by The Cherry Tree Association. 10:00AM-12:00PM. Call 718-292-8217.

11: Saving Energy and Increasing Profits, sponsored by NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Federated Conservationists of Westchester County (FCWC) and others. Learn about NYSERDAÕs technical assistance and incentive programs, new building codes, and more. Tarrytown Hilton, Tarrytown. 8:00AM-10:30AM. Call FCWC at 914-289-0537.

11: Public hearing on Pesticide Neighbor Notification Law for Erie County. Legislative Chambers, 7th Floor, County Legislative Office Bldg., 25 Delaware Ave., Buffalo. 6:00PM. Call Michael Davoli, NYPIRG, 716-568-1039. (See On the Alert.)

15-16: ClearwaterÕs Great Hudson River Revival. Over 90 performers, music, environmental programs, plays, sails on the Sloop Clearwater and more. Croton Point Park. 10:00AM-Dusk. Ticket prices vary; reserve now at 1-800-67-SLOOP.

18-23: Solar Splash 2002, 9th Annual Solar/Electric Boat Regatta sponsored by the Buffalo Science Museum. Hoyt Lake, Delaware Park, Buffalo. Visit www.solarsplash.com.

19: Case Studies in Recycling, technical session for solid waste professionals hosted by the Solid Waste Association of North America. West Point Club, US Military Academy. 8:00AM-2:45PM. Members $35; non-members $45. Call 908-668-4747.

25: Rethinking Amtrak - Can Better Intercity Rail Reduce Car Use?, Auto-Free NY Meeting featuring Anthony Perl, CUNY Institute for Urban Systems. Conference Rm., Downtown Police Station. 104 Washington St., Manhattan. 6:00PM-8:00PM. Call 212-475-3394.