Senator Clinton introduces Bill to Speed TCE-Contamination Cleanup Standards.

WPCNR THE DUMP NEWS. From Senator Hillary Clinton’s Press Office. August 1, 2007: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today introduced a bill which would provide funding to speed up  EPA assessment and setting of standards  on TCE-contaminated sites in New York State and the nation. The Senator in a news conference today characterizes TCE (Trichloralethylene) as a dangerous pollutant, saying “numerous scientific studies make it clear that TCE has the potential to cause cancer, damage the nervous and immune systems, and cause developmental effects in children.”


The City of White Plains currently is in the final phases of determining with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, if it will be required to remediate the TCE-tainted soils that have made the dump a source of unpleasant odors in the summer months for thirty years. Both the city and the DEC have been aware of the contamation for three decades. However, the White Plains site is not on the roster of TCE-contaminated sites in New York.


Here is the official news release announcing the Senator’s program:


Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today announced that she has introduced the “TCE Reduction Act” to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set tougher regulations to protect the public from exposure to the carcinogenic chemical Trichloroethylene (TCE).


 


Today’s announcement follows earlier efforts by Senator Clinton to urge the EPA to address the growing TCE contamination crisis in New York. http://clinton.senate.gov/documents/news/05_31_07_epa.html.  The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dole (R-NC), Boxer (D-CA), Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Kerry (D-MA).  Representatives Solis and Hinchey plan to introduce companion legislation in the United States House of Representatives.


 


TCE is one of the most widespread industrial water contaminants in the nation, and is found at many sites across New York.  Of the 86 federal Superfund sites in New York alone, more than 30 have been found by the EPA to have TCE contamination.  Endicott, Franklin Square, Garden City, Hopewell Junction, Ithaca, Norwich and Victor are a few of the communities throughout New York that are known to be contaminated with TCE.  Senator Clinton’s bill follows lengthy delays by EPA in setting a new standard in the face of growing scientific evidence and contamination that is more widespread.


 


“It is unacceptable that the EPA has failed to protect the public from TCE in the face of stronger scientific evidence that it causes cancer, and growing exposure problems in New York and across the country.  Numerous scientific studies make it clear that TCE has the potential to cause cancer, damage the nervous and immune systems, and cause developmental effects in children. Unfortunately, the EPA has ignored the science rather than taking action.  As a result of EPA delays, communities across New York continue to be exposed to potentially toxic levels of TCE,” Senator Clinton said. “The ‘TCE Reduction Act’ will force the EPA to protect children and other vulnerable populations from TCE in the water they drink and the air they breathe.” Senator Clinton said.


 


“The government has failed the people of New York who face the threat of TCE contamination,” Congressman Hinchey said. “This bill will help complement the legislation we recently passed in the House that directs additional funds to the EPA for the agency to expedite work on developing a revised and final TCE risk assessment as was recommended by the National Research Council. This will be one more weapon in our arsenal to get the federal government to focus its attention and make progress on preventing human health threats posed by the pervasive TCE contamination in parts of New York and throughout the nation.  I look forward to working with Vice Chairwoman Solis to draft the House version of Senator Clinton’s bill.”


 


A draft EPA Risk Assessment in 2001 found TCE to be as much as 40 times more carcinogenic than previously thought, but rather than using EPA science to set a more protective standard for TCE in drinking water, the Bush administration called for more study.  The National Research Council (NRC) was directed to conduct an in depth study the health studies involving TCE.  Far from repudiating EPA’s 2001 findings, the final NRC report, issued in 2006, found that “the evidence on carcinogenic risk and other health hazards from exposure to trichloroethylene has strengthened since 2001.” The report went on to say, “The committee recommends that federal agencies finalize their risk assessment with currently available data so that risk management decisions can be made expeditiously.”


 


Senator Clinton has previously pressed the EPA to set a standard based on the latest science, but the EPA has failed to act or set a timeline.  According to the EPA’s website, EPA does not plan to release a revised standard until the end of 2010.


 


The “TCE Reduction Act” would force EPA’s hand, requiring EPA to:


 



  • Issue a revised health advisory for TCE within 6 months of enactment.



  • Issue revised draft health standards for TCE in drinking water within 12 months of enactment, and final drinking water standards within 18 months.



  • Issue a health advisory standard for TCE vapor intrusion within 12 months of enactment.



  • Establish an Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) reference concentration (RfC) of TCE vapor within 18 months of enactment.



  • Ensure that all standards set under the bill fully protect susceptible populations (including pregnant women, infants, and children) from the adverse health affects of TCE.


To download a list of many of the confirmed TCE sites in New York, go to – http://clinton.senate.gov/documents/news/NPL.pdf


 

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Board of Elections Commishes Mull Corcoran Fate

WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. By John F. Bailey. August 1, 2007, UPDATED 10 AM EDT: Candyce Corcoran told the CitizeNetReporter last night that Board of Elections Commissioners Carolee Sunderland and Reginald LaFayette will rule on the validity or invalidity of the Democratic Primary Challenger’s petitions “within a couple of days.”



Sample Petition Taken from Westchester County Board of Elections website, shows circled area that Corcoran’s petitions did not fill out based on information told the candidate by a Board of Elections employee, Corcoran says.




The candidate learned through Registered letters from the Democratic Party Leadership in White Plains that her petitions lacked the information of city and county filled in on the “Witness Identification Information” line. Corcoran is particularly annoyed because she had asked a Board of Elections official, if she should fill in that line, and had been told “No, that is for the Notary.”


According to Corcoran this morning, the Board of Elections official told her about June 12, when she asked if she had to fill in the Witness Identification Information, he told her “anything below your signature (in the Statement of Witness Section), you do not have to fill out.”


She explained to WPCNR that she did not need a Notary to validae her petition because she was a registered Democrat.


Corcoran said Steve Levy, a Board of Elections Deputy Commissioner told her Sunderland and Lafayette would rule shortly on whether the alleged Board of Elections minsinformation would cost her her candidacy.


Asked if she would explore legal remedies, Corcoran said attorneys had advised her that filing for the necessary show cause orders and affidavitts required and paying the court fees would cost several thousand dollars. Corcoran said at this time she was not going to do that.



Corcoran finds the challenge absurd since she gathered all the signatures herself, and listed her home as White Plains in the “Statement of Witness” Section.


Another candidate, choosing not to be identified was going to the Board of Elections to get a ruling on their petitions to avoid a possible similar situation.


Corcoran, in addition, bitterly said she had pointed out unreadable signatures, and signatures without dates on other candidates’ petitions as being irregularities, but had chosen not to file objections because she felt the Democratic Voters should not be deprived of the opportunity to choose candidates.


Sixty-seven pages of signatures approaching 1,300 names, personally gathered by Corcoran stand to be thrown out on the “technicality,” should the Commissioners choose to do so, which would deny Corcoran a place on the September 18 Democratic Primary ballot.


                                                                            

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Corcoran Advised by Elections Official Petitions to Run in Primary Are Invalid

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WPCNR CAMPAIGN 2007. By John F. Bailey. July 31, 2007: Candyce Corcoran was informed this morning by a Westchester County Board of Elections official that virtually all of her 67 pages of signatures she had gathered to earn a place on the September 18 Democratic Primary, were in danger of being declared invalid, that they were all challenged.


Corcoran is challenging nominated incumbents Councilpersons Benjamin Boykin and Dennis Power and third nominee, Milagros Lequona in the Primary.


An incredulous Corcoran, explained to WPCNR, the area under the line, “Witness Identification Information” was not filled in with the location “White Plains,” and this was the reason she was told her petitions were invalid. Corcoran said she had asked the Board of Elections specifically about this area of the petition and had been told it was not her responsibility to complete that area, that it was “for the notary.”


Corcoran, should her petitions be denied, still will be on the ballot in November as the Conservative Candidate for Common Council.


Ms. Corcoran released this statement,


“The Democrats of White Plains and the people of White Plains deserve to have a choice and not have me thrown out on a technicality. My family has lived here for five generations. They know I am from White Plains.I worked extremely hard. I got all those signatures myself. I was alway there. I met every single one of those people. I can’t let those people down who believed enough in me to sign my petitions.


If this is how the Democratic Party wants to play the game. This shows how unscrupulous they really are. It is about time the people of White Plains to speak up and tell who they would like as their representative, and not the choice of the few district leaders. I got two certified objections from Liz Schollenberger and Tim James, (Leaders of the White Plains Democratic City Committee) the specifications of objection: “city missing. total number valid zero.”

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The Homeless Solution: The City Dump with FEMA Trailers

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WPCNR THE SUNDAY BAILEY. News & Comment By John F. Bailey. July 29, 2007: I was hanging around the television studio after Friday’s White Plains Week, when in jest it was suggested that, with the 85 Court Street Drop In Shelter closing August 6, why not house them at the City Dump?


Then another studio observer of the show, said why not get some spare FEMA Trailers to give each homeless person their own space, so to speak.



Typical FEMA Trailer.  Could house two to three White Plains Drop In Homeless after August 5. Ten would house the remnant homeless who will be given the County boot August 5 out of the 85 Court Street Drop In Shelter. What better place to house these unfortunates than the spiffed up dormant City Dump (below), under watchful eye of the White Plains Police?   Photo, RV Exchange.





It is not so far-fetched. After all, the Department of Environmental Conservation has forced the city to remove all the excess compost pile. The dump is not being used for dumping – all that may be left are the TCE’s that have been there for years – and, as far as anyone knows – those TCE’s haven’t killed anyone that we know of.



In the 30s, the hobos, the down-on-their-lucks, the drifters camped out near city dumps and railroad yards in shanty towns called Hoovervilles.


However, given the new sensibilities of 2007, rather than simply turn the thirty or so homeless who have not yet accepted the county’s generous offer of enroll in the Department of Social Services homeless program, turn over your disability checks and attend programs or else that takes effect August 6, the solution lies right under our noses – or specifically between Gedney Way and Ridgeway.


You’ve got acres of land fenced in – the City Dump. You can call up FEMA and grab some trailers – it should only take a month to get them here, or have some car dealership send some RVs.


The fact that the dump is fenced gives you built in security. You could have the Department of Public Works even hire the homeless to spruce up the dump – and make it attractive for a future subdivision.


I did not attend the Thursday evening Common Council Work Session where heated words were exchanged over the county’s failure to find an alternative site to house the homeless, and the Rita Malmud failure to persuade the county to find some place else.


But wait. As the peerless leader, Mayor Joseph Delfino often says, “There’s nothing we can’t accomplish if we work together.”


The Mayor has had numerous opportunities to take the high ground on the 85 Court Street Drop In Shelter closing. Now he can step in and take the useless dump – useless until a decision by the DEC comes down – and house the homeless in a more secure and friendly place using trailers.


The Mayor can even show the County how to run a shelter for the homeless: arrange jobs, activities during the day, issue identification cards, feed them breakfast, lunch, dinner with the assistance perhaps of some of the local churches – where’s Meals on Wheels when you need them?


 



Interior of typical FEMA Trailer. A little retrofitting, and it could house three cots. Hook up a flat screen TV, wire it for FIOS, and the homeless not only would have something to do at night other than roaming the streets, but the county could move the trailers to other town sites around the county — as Mayor Delfino suggests — cities sharing the burden. Photo, RV Exchange.


The new Drop In Shelter location could be the city dump – in trailers, which would at least contain showers, decent beds and a room of your own for the homeless individuals whose daily humiliation continues every day of their lives. You could expand the hours…add Verizon FIOS – some television sets in the trailors to let the homeless have something to do evenings instead of roam the White Plains streets.


Housing: FEMA Trailers. Or anybody’s Trailers, It’s a no-brainer


After all, one thing White Plains needs is a good trailer park, don’t you think?


Not only that, but the dump could be transformed into a revenue producer – after the homeless solution permanently has been found. It could be developed into a camping ground or – better yet – instant affordable housing. Anyone willing to settle in the dump could be granted a homestead – sort of like a replay of the Oklahoma Land Rush – and the city could provide trailers.


And another thing — the county could use this idea to solve the problem of the homeless all night invasion August 6. They could take some of the hundreds of acres the County Executive has purchased and put in trailers there to house the homeless — a lot cheaper than the county building in huge building complexes of brick and mortar — but alas, not enough patronage and government jobs doing that is there? They could even call the new trailer park for the homeless “Spanoville.”


However, Council President Malmud should seriously suggest this. Then she would be showing she has that ability to be a creative Mayor and problem-solver — a fitting successor to “America’s Favorite Mayor.” The temporary Malmud solution — trailers for the homeless in the City Dump could be called “RitaCity” or “Malmudville.” And, by this, I mean no disrespect.


But we need to get this done now.


The humiliation of the homeless will begin anew August 6 when the county and the city simply will allow them to roam wherever they choose to roam in White Plains.


Trailer shelters at the dump might be the solution. If they are good enough for New Orleans, they should work here for the 30 everyone has forgotten — except this reporter.


Enough kicking the homeless around like soccer balls between our do-nothing, finger-pointing, baiting political hacks.


Do something positive. Instead of Pompous Piloting.


What would Jesus do?


 


 

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