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In 1983, 150 community leaders battling local pollution problems met at a statewide conference and formed The Toxics In Your Community Coalition to share resources and skills. The Coalition was assisted by the New York Environmental Institute and participated in statewide campaigns to upgrade governmental programs established to address pollutants.

In 1990, our name was changed to the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition to reflect an expanded focus on cleaning-up landfills, pesticides, and radioactive and toxic waste, and reducing waste at generation. We hired staff and opened offices in Albany and Buffalo.

CEC coordinates the work of the Alliance for a Toxic Free Future formed in 2004 to protect human health and the environment from toxic chemicals by promoting market shifts and reforming government policies. The Alliance includes 70 groups working in six taskforces to win specific policy reforms.

CEC provides environmental advocacy, citizen assistance on environmental issues, and educational events, and publishes a statewide newsletter and series of reports and manuals.

Accomplishments

Preventing Pollution

• Helped citizens stop over 80 proposed hazardous landfills and incinerators.
• Instrumental in passage of NY Hazardous Waste Reduction Law requiring industry to reduce hazardous wastes by 50% in ten  years.
• Assisted with passage of Buffalo and Hudson resolution to reduce purchase of toxic products.
• Founded NY Mining Network to assist citizens.
• Established Buffalo Good Neighbor Agreement Task Force to prevent toxic spills & releases.
• Helped prevent statewide radioactive waste landfill.
• Coordinates the Alliance for a Toxic-Free Future, a coalition of 70 groups working to reform NY chemical policies.
• Convinced Governor Spitzer to include a new Pollution Prevention Institute in his first budget.

Protecting Health

• Aided over 4,400 citizens in obtaining health testing and community studies.
• Advocated for the creation of booklets for citizens on toxic exposures now produced by the NY Health Department.
• Contributed to creation of NY Healthy Schools Network helping establish the Environmental Quality Schools Policy Recommendations adopted by NY Board of Regents.

Cleaning Up Pollution

• Key to passage of NY Superfund to clean-up toxic waste sites and Toxic Crime Law to enforce penalties for dumping toxic waste.
• Advocated successfully to improve NY Superfund law and approve NY Brownfields Cleanup Program.
• Instrumental in requiring NY to conduct statewide hazardous site study finding 618 suspected toxic waste sites.
• Pushed the State to accelerate testing of 618 suspected toxic waste sites.
• Issues annual Dirty Dozen awards to gain media attention to NY’s biggest polluters

Citizen Participation

• Helped establish Superfund Citizen Participation Plan involving and informing citizens living near toxic dumps and include two citizens on Governor’s State Superfund Management Board.

Citizen Assistance and Education

• Supplied over 36,000 persons with fact sheets, reports & information packets.
• Educated over 6,000 students about water protection.
• Provided technical assistance to thousands on environmental problems.
• Held annual educational conferences.
• Publishes dozens of reports and citizen manuals, including Building Green.
• Publishes quarterly newsletter.

Others Say

“CEC provided us with step by step guidance to ensure a successful cleanup.”
-Shawn Lessord
Erie CANALKEEPER®

“I am particularly impressed by your efforts to empower, educate and assist individuals at the local level who are concerned about environmental issues. I hope that your efforts to build coalitions and develop grass roots support will serve as a model for citizen activism”.
-U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

“CEC plays an enormously important role ensuring that the perspectives of grassroots environmental advocates are heard in the halls of state government. CEC is savvy, aggressive and working hard to protect the health of millions of New Yorkers and our state’s precious natural resources.”
-NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

“CEC has stood up to powerful corporations and uncaring politicians to demand and win genuine toxic chemical cleanups and real pollution prevention on the state and local level.”
-Lois Gibbs, Director,
Center for Health, Environment & Justice
Co-Founder of Love Canal Homeowners Assn

“For 23 years, CEC has been the only group in New York State that works in partnership with grassroots groups to both clean up and prevent toxic pollution.”
- Barbara Warren, Project Director
NYC Zero Waste Campaign

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CEC'S Board of Directors

CEC's Board members are people who represent member groups and have worked with the organization on local or statewide campaigns. They come directly from the communities we work with and often started their activist interests by working with us on their local problem and then becoming involved in a statewide advocacy campaign.

Tom Ellis, Co-Chair
Coalition Against Riverfront Pollution
Albany, NY

Candace Lider
Troy Area Labor Council, NYSUT
Guilderland, NY

Louise Poindexter
Partnership for Onondaga Creek, and Syracuse United Neighbors

Anne Rabe, Co-Chair
CHEJ: BE SAFE Campaign Coordinator

James Travers, Treasurer
Save the Pinebush
Coeymans, NY

Job Opportunities

Academic Credit
At present we offer academic credit and volunteer intern opportunities.

To Apply
Send resume along with a brief writing sample and two references to:

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