The following is a list of environmental groups,
government agencies and other organizations CEC works with or uses as a
resource. Feel free to e-mail us if you have any suggested links for
this page.
HOME | Environmental Groups | Government Agencies and Other Institutions | Political Representatives
Environmental Groups
Be Safe PVC Campaign
The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) and a growing network
of organizations are launching PVC consumer campaigns to encourage major
corporations to phase out their use of PVC and to support policies that phase
out PVC. We have already convinced Microsoft, Johnson &
Johnson, Victoria’s Secret, and Bath and Body Works to phase out their use of
PVC in their packaging! We want to leverage these victories to build
momentum for further commitments to safer products in the year to come.
We would like you to be part of this successful effort by being part of the
campaign.
Burnbarrel.org
Information on the environmental and health impacts of burn barrels, backyard trash burning, open burning of waste.
Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) (formerly CCWH)
This national grassroots organization offers organizing and technical
assistance, expert referrals and numerous publications that are helpful
for people dealing with environmental contamination problems. Contact
CHEJ for a full publication list. They will take orders with MasterCard
or Visa. Sample publications include:
Everyone's Backyard, a quarterly newsletter with articles on
pollution and environmental health issues and reports from every state
on grassroots environmental activities. $25 with membership.
A Leaders Manual on how to start groups and organize. $7.50
Cheektowaga Citizens' Coalition
This site contains information pertaining to the possible environmental
disaster in Cheektowaga, New York. Industrial activity (i.e. Buffalo
Crushed Stone Quarry, BFI, Old Land Reclamation, Land Reclamation, and
Schultz Landfills) in an area coined as "The Toxic Triangle" is
suspected of causing severe health problems for nearby residents. The
SUNY at Buffalo's Center for Asthma and Environmental Exposure has
found abnormally high rates of asthma and health complications prevail.
Concerned Citizens of Cattaraugus County
Our Mission: To assure Cattaraugus County's air,
soil, water and environment is clean and healthful, and to
advocate with the public and governments that policies be
implemented and that laws be passed to assure such a clean
and healthful environment; to assure that local, state and
federal environmental protection laws are enforced; to
encourage skills for citizen advocacy for a clean and
healthful environment.
Concerned Citizens' of Hamburg
The Concerned Citizens' of Hamburg is working to investigate
environmental issues in the town of Hamburg and WNY area and make their
fundings available to other concerned citizens and government regulatory
agencies.
Environmental Background Information Center
The
Environmental Background Information Center provides grassroots groups
facing threats to their health and environment with three basic
services: the track record of corporate polluters, environmental
justice mapping (GIS) of pollution impacts and strategic assistance.
Environmental Advocates
This
statewide group focuses on environmental legislation and regulations.
For information on pesticides, contact Audrey Thier of their Pesticide
Right to Know and Reduction Project. They publish Green Sheet, a
monthly newsletter highlighting activities and events on a wide range
of environmental issues, and an annual Environmental Voter's Guide
tracking the environmental performance of the Governor and NYS
Legislature.
Environmental Research Foundation
This
national organization publishes Rachel's Environment and Health
Weekly, an excellent source of up-to-date information on scientific
studies and current issues in the environment and environmental health
movement. They also provide information on a wide variety of
environmental issues through their computer database for activists.
Subscription rates for the newsletter are from $15 to $40 per year or
you can receive it via e-mail. ERF also has a series of publications to
help citizens with technical issues and provide guidance on researching
corporations. For instance, You Don't Have to be a Scientist is a short document explaining how to deal with the numbers
used to express toxic concentrations, etc. It includes information on
how to make comparisons and a detailed chart for converting
measurements.
For A Clean Tonawanda Site (F.A.C.T.S.)
Over half a century ago, the United States embarked on one of the
greatest engineering projects of all time. This venture (under the
direction of the U.S. Army's "Manhattan Engineer District") had as its
goal the development of the world's first atomic bomb. In communities
across the United States, thousands of scientists, and ordinary
citizens alike, set about their task in complete secrecy. In most
cases, even those involved in the project were unaware of the true
nature of their work, or the dangers involved. One community involved
in this effort, was the Town of Tonawanda, New York. Hidden and largely
ignored, the remnants of a war-time uranium refinery remain here, its
radioactive secret still dangerous thousands of years into the future.
F.A.C.T.S. is committed to ensuring that we not pass this along as our
lethal legacy to countless future generations.
Friends of Rural NY
Friends
of Rural New York is a coalition of concerned citizens who have come
together to support local and state legislation to stop the rape of our
rural communities by livestock factories. We are farmers, rural
neighbors, urban supporters, fishermen, hikers, small business owners,
environmentalists, academics and other concerned friends of rural New
York who are working together to protect the health, the air and water
quality and the economies of the people who live in rural New York
State.
Good Neighbor Project for Sustainable Industries
This national group provides assistance to citizens concerned about
toxic emissions and chemical spills. They have facilitated "Good
Neighbor Agreements" between communities and industry, requiring
industry to institute pollution prevention practices, like spill
prevention.
Great Lakes Directory
The Great Lakes Directory (Great Lakes Environmental Directory)
provides information via an extensive online library of Great Lakes
environmental articles and organizations focused on the following:
Great Lakes environment, threatened and endangered species, pollution,
Great Lakes watershed issues, water quality, exotic species (alien
species), Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake
Ontario, Great Lakes ecology, air pollution, water pollution, water
export, gas and oil drilling, Great Lakes aquatic habitat issues,
mercury, wastewater/ sewage and septic issues, climate change
(greenhouse effect), acid rain, drinking water contamination, Great
Lakes wetlands protection, general EPA Region 5 and other Great Lakes
issues and information, including Great Lakes activist resources (Great
Lakes grants, free environmental software/ downloads, advocacy tools,
research, links, grassroots success stories, government information,
Great Lakes environmental events, jobs and other environmental/
ecological resources).
Greenpeace
This international organization provides reports, fact sheets, videos
and assistance on the issues of pesticides, dioxin, incineration, toxic
and nuclear waste, wildlife and ocean ecology. They publish alerts and
a quarterly newsletter and conduct direct action tactics to stop
illegal dumping of hazardous and nuclear wastes and incinerators.
Action Alert: "Urge Martha Stewart to go Independent of PVC"Numerous
products in the Martha Stewart Everyday line contain or are packaged in
PVC (polyvinyl chloride or vinyl). PVC is the most damaging plastic to
human health and the environment, and the largest source of the
cancer-causing chemical dioxin. Send an E-card to Martha, urging her to
stop using PVC's by visiting the Greenpeace Website
Groundscore
Ground Score is a monthly, environmental and political web magazine.
Beginning on paper in the Fall of 1998, Ground Score is news and views
by the people and for the people. We accept and encourage submissions
from our readers and from various organizations.
Health Care Without Harm Ð The Campaign for Environmentally Responsible Health Care
Health Care Without Harm's mission is to transform the health
care industry so it is no longer a source of environmental harm by
eliminating pollution in health care practices without compromising
safety or care. Their campaigns focus on eliminating incineration of
medical waste a leading source of dioxin and mercury pollution.
Hickory Woods Homeowners for a Clean Environment, Inc.
Hickory
Woods Homeowners for a Clean Environment was formed in late 1999 in
response to the growing concerns of the residents about the hazardous
waste materials found in the neighborhood. The goal of the Association
is to provide the residents of Hickory Woods with a venue for gathering
and disseminating information and to work together, as a community,
toward the resolution of this issue.
Hopewell Junction Citizens for Clean Water
The Hopewell Junction Citizens for Clean Water is a community group
working to address contamination from Hopewell Precision, a former sheet
metal manufacturing company, which led to significant trichloroethylene
groundwater contamination. Numerous wells near the site are contaminated.
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
This group focuses on environmental problems in the Hudson River
region. They provide assistance and information to citizens in the
Hudson Valley and publish a newsletter, fact sheets and reports on
environmental problems such as the PCB pollution in the Hudson River.
National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides
This
national group provides information and assistance on pesticide hazards
and alternatives. They publish a newsletter, Pesticides and You,
technical reports and a free pamphlet Pesticide Safety: Myths and
Facts.
New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG)
This
statewide group focuses on toxic air releases, lead, recycling,
incinerators, pesticides and other environmental issues in New York
State. They provide citizen assistance on some environmental issues and
have reports and fact sheets on lead, solid waste, toxic air releases
and pesticides. They publish a newsletter, NYPIRG Agenda.
New York Student Environmental Action Coalition (NYSEAC)
NY-SEAC
is region 15 of the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC). The
Student Environmental Action Coaltion, or SEAC as in "seeking", is the
largest student environmental organization in the country. They are a
national network of high school and college envrionmental groups
working collectively for environmental justice. For the past 12 years
we have helped students translate your concerns for environmental
issues into concrete action!
Nuclear Information and Resource Services
This national organization provides fact sheets, reports and citizen
assistance on radioactive waste and nuclear power issues. They publish
a quarterly newsletter, NIRS News.
Residents Environmentally Active for Change (REACh)
Reach
is an environmental group formed in 2000, as a result of the ongoing
chemical contamination problem left behind by 3M, GE and Black &
Decker. These companies are gone from Brockport, NY, however their
toxic chemical aftermath is still present in our environment. When we
discovered the toxicity and the extent of the chemical contamination,
we became more determined and more organized in the effort to finally
get a resolution to this ongoing problem. According to the DEC
(Department of Environmental Conservation) the levels of contamination
are many times over the New York State limitations for residential
areas. Reach feels that these companies should take full responsibility
for their environmental degradation, and cleanup our community.
Residents for Responsible Government
Residents for Responsible Government is a community group intent on
bringing information to the residents that live near western New York's
largest hazardous waste landfill, operated by Chemical Waste Management
(CWM). CWM's hazardous waste landfill is located in the Town of Porter
in Niagara County, New York.
Scenic Hudson
This regional group focuses on pollution and development problems in
the Hudson Valley. They provide information and assistance on Hudson
Valley environmental issues, such as the pollution of the Hudson River.
They publish a newsletter, reports and fact sheets on environmental
issues.
Sierra Club (National Site)
Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter
E-mail the Atlantic Chapter: atlantic.chapter@sierraclub.org
This
statewide chapter of the national Sierra Club lobbies in the state
legislature on a wide variety of environmental issues. They can provide
information on environmental legislative and regulatory issues, and
referrals and contacts on regional chapters throughout the state.
Tonawanda Nuclear Site Information
Few
American citizens are aware of the extensive harm done here at home by
Manhattan Project operations and the subsequent massive "Cold War"
atomic weapons buildup. The health and lives of tens of thousands of
unsuspecting workers and their families were sacrificed. Dozens of
communities where production facilities were located were carelessly
contaminated with radioactive materials and wastes, and still remain
so. Tonawanda, NY is one of these "legacy" communities. Today, some of
its citizens are fighting with their own government to rectify past
worker wrongs and to correct improper Army cleanup actions at the
contaminated properties. This web site is dedicated to advancing this
struggle.
www.toxicfreefuture.org
The Alliance for a Toxic-Free Future is a non-partisan collaboration comprised of environmental, labor, environmental justice, academic, health, community, faith-based, and other groups working together for a future in which our children are not exposed to toxic chemicals.
Working Group on Community Right-to-Know
This national organization focuses on toxic release information and
community right to know policies. They publish the Working Notes on
Community Right-to-Know.
Government Agencies and Other Institutions
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The
EPA provides information (free pamphlets, fact sheets and newsletters)
on a wide range of environmental issues. The Safe Drinking Water
Hotline provides general information on water pollution. If you want
information on a Federal Superfund toxic waste site or RBCA hazardous
waste site, contact the Superfund/RBCA hotline for site fact sheets,
Superfund publications, Superfund Community Relations Plan and the name
of the EPA site engineer working on the site you are concerned about.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
The
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is responsible for
addressing environmental problems in New York State. Usually, you need
to contact the Regional DEC office in your area to obtain more detailed
information on toxic dumps, landfills, pesticide permits and other
potential groundwater threats. The regional offices may be in the
government section of your phone book. Contact information for the
regional offices is also located on the DEC web site. The DEC also
provides a listing of the Contaminated Fish Advisories entitled
"Chemicals in Sportfish and Game" 2001-2002. Visit http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/environ/fish.htm to view the listing.
NYS Department of Health (DOH)
National Sanitation Foundation
This independent testing group sets voluntary standards for water
treatment systems. If a product meets the requirements, it can display
the NSF seal. Contact them for an informational packet on drinking
water treatment systems or faucets.
Political Representatives
Congress.org
Congress.org is a free, public service of Capitol Advantage. It is
powered by the award-winning CapWizª system. Congress.org allows
users to:
Identify and send messages to their elected leaders in Congress, The White House, and state legislatures
Communicate to their leaders via e-mail, letter, or fax
Post these letters online with Letters to Leaders and read what other Americans are saying to elected officials
Find and contact local and national media by ZIP code or by state with Media Guide
Have your representative's votes
sent to you weekly via e-mail with MegaVote Search alerts and take
action in the Issues and Action area (contact Capitol Advantage to get
your organization's alerts on Congress.org, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL and more
sites).
State and Local Government and Political Representatives
U.S. House of Representatives
US Senate
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