by Diana Wright PAUSE/Zero Waste partnered with the City of Albany on Saturday September 8 for the first (hopefully) annual Zero Waste Jazz Fest. Thank you to all those who volunteered to be ambassadors and work at the registration table. It was a great success. Attendees were very appreciative of our efforts to reduce waste and educate them on the importance of this issue. We have had several requests from other organizations to assist with their events to make them…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission (APBPC or Commission) Conservation Director Neil Gifford spoke at SPB’s June 19 dinner about the ongoing work of the the Com- mission and the proposed Pyramid Crossgates 222-unit apartment development on Rapp Road inGuilderland. He began saying that “in no small part do we [the Commission] owe our existence” to the work of Save the Pine Bush. At it’s best, he said the Pine Bush is a savanna with some…
by Diana Wright PAUSE/Zero Waste partnered with the City of Albany on Saturday September 8 for the first (hopefully) annual Zero Waste Jazz Fest. Thank you to all those who volunteered to be ambassadors and work at the registration table. It was a great success. Attendees were very appreciative of our efforts to reduce waste and educate them on the importance of this issue. We have had several requests from other organizations to assist with their events to make them…
The City of Albany is about to hold its first ever Zero Waste Festival! Albany’s Riverfront Jazz Festival is slated to celebrate its 17th anniversary on Saturday, September 8th from 1-9 pm at Jennings Landing. For the first time this festival will bring its attendees more than great music, Hudson River views and evening fireworks – the festival will also bring new hands-on insight into waste reduction, recycling and composting. To accomplish this, the City of Albany will be partnering with…
Download a PDF of the New Yorkers for Zero Waste Download a PDF of Jobs Fact Sheet Downlaod a PDF of the Waste Impacts on Climate Change The N.Y.S. Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has prepared a new State Solid Waste Plan that finally recognizes that materials in our waste stream are valuable and need to be preserved. We strongly endorse its preference for waste reduction, reuse, recycling and composting over disposal. The less waste we dispose of the more…
by Tom Ellis, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition Save the Pine Bush and friends won a partial victory in late February when Clough Harbour & Associates (CHA) revised the preliminary draft solid waste management plan it had issued in mid-December on behalf of a “steering committee” appointed by Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings. CHA faced considerable pressure from two steering committee members, SPB, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, and many others. During the past fifteen months, the city of Albany has been developing a long-range…
Speakers Include: Neil Seldman, Institute of Local Self Reliance Professor Paul Connett, International Waste Management Researcher Majora Carter, Environmental Justice Leader, Founder Sustainable South Bronx Barbara Warren, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition Why do we have so much garbage? What can we do to prevent it? Looking at the trash question as a resource issue and a problem of industrial design is ushering in bold alternatives to leaking landfills and polluting incinerators in forward-thinking cities and countries around the world. What can…
You are invited to the first statewide Zeroing Out Waste Conference Saturday, November 15, 2008, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM Westminster Presbyterian Church, Use entrance at 85 Chestnut St., Albany , NY 12210 Speakers Include: Neil Seldman, Institute of Local Self Reliance Professor Paul Connett, International Waste Management Researcher Majora Carter, Environmental Justice Leader, Founder Sustainable South Bronx Barbara Warren, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition Why do we have so much garbage? What can we do to prevent it? Looking at the…
by Tom Ellis Rensselaer city residents have intensified their efforts to stop nearly 100 large trucks per day from driving through the downtown. The trucks, which have 18, 22, 24, or 26 wheels. supposedly carry construction and demolition (C&D) debris wastes. They traverse Broadway and turn east onto Partition Street with its steep hill en-route to a C&D dump at the east end of Partition Street. The trucks arrive beginning at 6:30 each weekday morning; dozens go by before 7:30,…
Waste Reduction and Recycling: Neil Seldman, PhD. Director of Waste to Wealth Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (Washington, DC). Public Presentation and Workshop on Recycling and Waste Management in the Capitol Region Albany Public Library, Washington Avenue Branch: 161 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210 Presentation: How the Capital District can Transition from Landfills & Incineration to Zero Waste October 14th 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM History of US waste and recycling, restructuring of recycling, localization of solid waste…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY. NY: There is much to report on issues regarding solid wastes. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC or En Con)) DEC held a public hearing in Albany to receive comments on proposed revisions to its Part 360 regulations, DEC is assisting the Town of Colonie with its landfill expansion application,” and the City of Albany recently held a short public comment period on its proposals to (1) mechanize the collection of household wastes and recyclables,…
by Lynne Jackson The City of Albany has announced meetings to discuss the future of solid waste in Albany. The landfill in the Pine Bush is finally scheduled to close in 2023. We need to decide what to do with our garbage. When you receive this newsletter, you should still be able to attend one of the three of the next meetings scheduled to discuss solid waste. Please attend a meeting (see notice to the left) on June 6, June…
by Sheree Cammer, Troy Compost volunteer Easily compostable organic waste is generated at the rate of an estimated 3/4 pound per person per day in the USA, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Crisis or opportunity? It’s up to us. Inter-Municipal Organics Wate Initiative A resolution approving the City of Troy joining the Inter-Municipal Organics Waste Initiative (IOWI) and endorsing the IOWI Application to NYSERDA’s Cleaner, Greener Communities Program Phase II was passed by unanimous vote by the Troy City…
by Sheree At RPI, there are at least two food “waste” projects. One is a prototype small methane digester. The other is a dumpster composter, which digests its load in 7 days. Unfortunately, hardly anyone seems to want the compost, which they have been giving away free. It would be ideal if a farmer picked up the material and composted it on site. As of 2009, Sodexho at RPI was going to try to compost campus food “waste” but I…
by Tom Ellis The City of Albany is preparing an update to its 1992 long-range solid waste management plan (SWMP) for the years 2011-2030. A year ago, Mayor Jennings appointed a Steering Committee (SC) to help draft it. The SC met monthly during the last year. During December, the city’s solid waste consultant, Clough Harbour & Associates (CHA), released a draft of the plan that it prepared supposedly with the cooperation of the SC, although it appeared to me…
by Barbara Warren In January we expect the DRAFT State Solid Waste Management Plan to be released for public comment and hearings. Background you need to know: The Plan must be connected to Revised Solid Waste regulations but the DEC is still working on revising those and we have not seen them. The Plan must be connected to New Legislative authority and the state legislature will have to support and pass the needed revisions. Staffing levels at DEC are…
Entitled “Beyond Waste: A Sustainable Materials Management Strategy for New York State” the draft plan is now available for review. Everyone who cares about what to do with the garbage should send their comments. Save the Pine Bush’s position is this: 1) We need to move toward a zero-waste policy. Zero waste is achievable, its just a matter of planning and implementation 2) No more expansions of the landfill in the Pine Bush and 3) Incineration or any type…
Jim Travers, a resident of Coeymans, NY, attended the February 15 Save the Pine Bush dinner and heard Jack Lauber speak about Waste-to-Energy. These are Jim Travers’ comments. – Ed Please forward this email to all those on the Save The Pine Bush mail list. Feedback is welcomed. Thanks. Jim Travers I do not think incineration of garbage is healthy for anyone or our environment, whether it is used to create electricity or only to eliminate a portion of the…
by Tom Ellis Ed. Note: Here is the PowerPoint for the lecture. We are working on getting the audio from the lecture online in the coming weeks. ALBANY, NY: Tina Lieberman and Bill Reinhardt spoke remotely at an Earth Day April 20 SPB meeting about practical steps we can take to reduce carbon emissions and save our climate. Lynne introduced the program and Carole Waterman the speakers. Tina spoke first, then Bill, each then took turns, with finally a discussion…
On Wednesday, April 20, 2022, Tina Lieberman and Bill Reinhardt of the Capital District Community Energy delivered the following presentation, via Zoom to the Save the Pine Bush Virtual Meeting. Links and accessible text are available below. Down To Earth: Practical Steps You Can Take to Reduce Carbon Emissions & Save Our Climate Tina Lieberman, Vice Chair, Albany Sustainability Advisory Committee Bill Reinhardt, Albany County Legislator, Co-Chair Solarize Albany Founding Chairs, Capital District Community Energy, Inc. Notes: One main takeaway…
2020s 🦋 2010s 🦋 2000s 🦋 1990s Search Newsletter Archives: 2019 🦋 2018 🦋 2017 🦋 2016 🦋 2015 🦋 2014 🦋 2013 🦋 2012 🦋 2011 🦋 2010 2019 Newsletter 🦋 December/January 2019-20 Newsletter Download printable PDF version Listen to the Podcasts Merton Simpson — Fighting Environmental Racial Injustice, December/January 2019 Air Pollution in Albany’s South End, December/January 2019 Dunn Landfill — Stinks Up the School; Parents and Residents Protest, December/January 2019 Proposals in the Pine Bush December/January 2019…
Whereas, the applications and permitting to construct and operate an expansion of the City’s existing landfill located on Rapp Road in the City of Albany, together with mitigation related to the expansion, referred to as Eastern Expansion, is before the Common Council for deliberation; and Whereas, since 1990 there have been multiple expansions of the Rapp Road landfill, duly requiring the Common Council to approve certain financings, permitting and other actions attendant to these expansions to support construction and mitigation;…
ALBANY: Speakers from Citizens’ Environment Coalition, Environmental Advocates, NYPIRG and Sierra Club came to visit the April Save the Pine Bush vegetarian/vegan lasagna dinner at the First Presbyterian Church to celebrate Earth Week. A lot is going on in the environment, and the speakers gave Save the Pine Bush an update on issues they are working on. Barbara Warren of Citizens’ Environment Coalition (CEC) began by introducing herself as the new executive director. CEC began 24 years ago to work…
By Lynne Jackson ALBANY: The proposed landfill expansion in the Albany Pine Bush could be used by the new administration in the State of New York as a catalyst for change in solid waste policy in the state. Over the past year, Save the Pine Bush has had many speakers discussing the solid waste issue. We had some speakers that were not popular with environmentalists who spoke about Waste-to-Energy. It was after John Waffenschmidt, Vice-President of Business Development from Covanta…
By Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Michael McLaughlin, the Director of Research for Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, was the SPB dinner speaker on May 21, filling in for McCoy who was attending the convention of the NYS Democratic Party. He said he is involved in many of McCoy’s policies. Mr. McLaughlin said the Polystyrene ban signed by McCoy in December is a flawed law, the county executive is taking steps to strengthen it, McCoy wishes to extend it to all restaurants, the…
ALBANY, NY -At the April 20 dinner, speakers from four different organizations addressed a cause that united them: keeping hydrofracking out of New York State. Roger Downs represented the Sierra Club, a membership grass roots organization. He said that he has never seen a movement attract so many people. For example, at a rally last week, 450 people registered to lobby and saw 180 legislators. In a first draft environmental impact statement, Mr. Downs said that the DEC had not…
ALBANY: The City of Albany has applied for a permit to expand the landfill in the Pine Bush. The battle has begun! On Wednesday, February 21 at 7:00 PM at the Polish Community Center (255 Washington Avenue Extension, corner of Rapp Road), the NYS Department of Environmental Conversation will hold a Public Scoping Session on the proposed expansion. The purpose of the hearing is to allow the public to submit comments on the scope of issues to be covered in…
By Hank Pellissier, hpellissier@baycitizen.org San Francisco’s garbage dump, the Recology San Francisco Solid Waste Transfer and Recycling Center, does not throw out much trash. The majority of its rubbish gets productively recycled, at the transfer station at 501 Tunnel Avenue or the Pier 96 sorting facility. Recology, an employee-owned company, oversees the complex operation. Head of the Class -San Francisco diverts 77 percent of its waste, the best landfill-avoidance rate for any large city in the United States. The goal…
Save the Pine Bush Zoom Meeting February 22, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. Alÿcia Bacon Moms Out Front and Save the Pine Bush Volunteer, will speak about … How to Get Our Government to Protect the Remaining Pine Bush Organizing a Lobbying Campaign Alÿcia Bacon will give a presentation on creating an effecting lobbying campaign. The battle for Pine Bush preservation started 45 years ago this month. Up until now, Save the Pine Bush has mostly used litigation to stop development…
Background: As early as the end of March some of us in PAUSE (People of Albany United for Safe Energy) noticed that greenhouse gas emissions were going down around the world due to Covid 19. We thought this was a very good thing but knew unless direct action was taken to keep them low they’d pop right back up again. This pandemic has brought to the fore our vulnerability to the just-in-time global supply lines. The usual abundance at the…
Search Newsletter Archives: What is Full Protection, Partial Protection and who is the Pine Bush? – By Lynne Jackson – June / July 2022 Newsletter A Tribute To Lew Oliver, our wonderful lawyer The Pine Bush’s Most Famous Resident – The Karner Blue Butterfly Save the Pine Bush Victories and Fights The Thruway Authority Comes Across Royally, Dec 99/Jan 00Save the Pine Bush is 25!, Mar/Apr 03 Legislation regarding standing in court We Need the Environmental Access to Justice Act,…
2020s 🦋 2010s 🦋 2000s 🦋 1990s Search Newsletter Archives: 2009 🦋 2008 🦋 2007 🦋 2006 🦋 2005 🦋 2004 🦋 2003 🦋 2002 🦋 2001 🦋 2000 2009 October/November 2009 – Download printable PDF version Bringing Back Sustainable Karner Blue Populations, October/November, 2009 September Biogas Talk, October/November, 2009 Buckmoth Monitoring, October/November, 2009 Neither a Borrower or a Lender Be, October/November, 2009 Pesticide Reductions Won at Albany Common Council – We can fight City Hall and Win!, October/November, 2009…
by Tom Ellis RENSSELAER, NY: David Carpenter, a renowned local physician who studies the human health impacts of toxic materials, spoke at a December 2nd East Greenbush Town Board (EGTB) forum on the Dunn dump. He was the first presenter on a five-person panel. The Dunn construction and demolition debris dump, owned by Waste Connections, sits atop a hill next to the Rensselaer public school campus and the Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, and in between Rensselaer and East Greenbush neighborhoods. Odors…
Reprinted from The Guardian; Dominick Calsolaro notes that this article supports his call for a Resource Recovery Center – June/July 2021 Save the Pine Bush Newsletter Disc drives, circuit boards, fluorescent lamps and batteries for electric vehicles could be among affected products Rare elements such as indium, yttrium, neodymium, cobalt and lithium are vital for the production of low-carbon technology, but many are being thrown away because of the lack of a requirement to recycle them, industry experts have warned….
ALBANY: Val Washington, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Deputy Commissioner of the divisions of Solid and Hazardous Materials, Environmental Remediation and Mineral Resources, spoke at the July vegetarian/vegan lasanga dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Beginning her speech with kind words about Save the Pine Bush, Val outlined her priorities for solid waste at the Department of Environmental Conservation. Her priorities include going back to the basis of reduction, reuse, and recycling. She said the goal is to eliminate the…
by Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: David Ellis of Rensselaer Residents Against Toxic Dumping and Lou Sebesta of Stop Trucks Assaulting Rensselaer (STAR) spoke at the May 15th SPB dinner about “Done with Dunn Landfill: Negative Impacts of Dunn C/D Dump Operations” in Rensselaer, and their efforts to close it. Later in the evening, George Keleshian of Zeroenergy Buildings, Inc., finished the presentation he did not have enough time to complete at the April SPB dinner. Before they spoke, Lynne Jackson…
By Tom Ellis ALBANY, NY: Former Albany First Ward Common Council member Dominick Calsolaro spoke at the June 18 SPB dinner about Environmental Issues in Albany. He began thanking SPB President Rezsin Adams for her many years of friendship. During the US-Vietnam War, he said, Rezsin often came into his family’s restaurant. Dominick spoke about the many issues he worked on during his 12 years on the Albany Common Council, some of which he continues working on. He said the big issue in…
Subscribe to "Dinner with Save the Pine Bush" on iTunes! Table of Contents Dan Van Riper from albanyweblog.com speaks about The Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant in Lincoln Park, May 16, 2019 Anne Pope, Rev Sam Johnson and Stephanie Woodard speak about The Rapp Road Historical Association, January 16, 2019 Ward Stone, Former NYS Wildlife Pathologist and Keith Schue speak about Health Effects of the ANSWERS Plant Pollution and The Proposed Sheridan Hollow Gas-Fired Power Power Plant, February 20, 2019 Bruce Campbell Canadian author speaks about…
Subscribe to “Dinner with Save the Pine Bush” on iTunes! Table of Contents Dan Van Riper from albanyweblog.com speaks about The Proposed Sewage Treatment Plant in Lincoln Park, May 16, 2019 Anne Pope, Rev Sam Johnson and Stephanie Woodard speak about The Rapp Road Historical Association, January 16, 2019 Ward Stone, Former NYS Wildlife Pathologist and Keith Schue speak about Health Effects of the ANSWERS Plant Pollution and The Proposed Sheridan Hollow Gas-Fired Power Power Plant, February 20, 2019 Bruce Campbell Canadian author speaks about…