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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner issued a cease and desist order to Tonawanda Coke Corporation due to ongoing environmental violations and resident concerns. If Tonawanda Coke does not comply with the order, the DEC will revoke their air permits.
Basil Seggos, Commissioner of the NYS DEC, says this action is “to prevent potential harm to its workers, surrounding community, and the environment.” The DEC plans to initiate air monitoring in nearby communities.
“I’ve been pushing for action on this for years. It’s a public health issue. I’m thankful the DEC is stepping in to protect our residents,” Nate McMurray, Grand Island Town Supervisor said. McMurray will host a press conference on Saturday, July 21. Media invitations have been extended.
Scroll down for daily updates. Call 614-3386 to reach Republic Services.
Reminder: there is no garbage pickup on Wednesday, July 4 due to the holiday. All pickups on or after Wednesday of next week will be one day later than normal.
UPDATE: 7/5/18, 5 pm: Baseline (Whitehaven to Webb, Staley to Love, ext. near 190), Webb, and Grand Island Blvd. (Whitehaven to Webb) will be picked up in the morning.
UPDATE: 7/10/18, 6 pm: Bush (Baseline to W River, including Prospect and Summer), Ferry (South Pkwy to E Oakfield), East and West Oakfield (including Oak Harbor) will be picked up in the morning.
UPDATE: 7/17/18, 5pm: Glen Avon, Baseline (between Love and Fix, including side streets) Oak Ridge development, Royal Oak, East and West Oakfield, Baseline from Fix to West River (including side streets), and Bush and Ferry (South Pkwy to East Oakfield including side streets) will be picked up in the morning.
UPDATE: 7/18/18, 6pm: Baseline (north of GI Blvd), Long (from GI Blvd to Baseline), Huth (and south side streets), Havenwood/Pin Oak area, Morningside, South Ln, Gregory Pl, and Woodstream area will have recycling picked up in the morning.
UPDATE: 7/19/18, 5 pm: East River (Baseline to Stony) and the Sandy Beach area will be picked up in the morning.
Farming tradition in Grand Island
Farming became a prominent industry on Grand Island during the later half of the nineteenth century. Farmers struggled to clear the wooded land, but were rewarded: the soil proved ideal for fruit trees. Peaches, apples, pears, and cherries thrived.
During the 1870s and 1880s the farmers here were better off than farmers in surrounding areas, due to the many markets and diversity of crops (everything from hay to beef to fruit) produced on the Island. The Farmers Alliance was established during this time to advance the social and financial aspects of the farmers. Members of the Alliance started a stock company called the Grand Island Creamery Company, which processed aver 5,000 pounds of milk each day.
The cooperative farming community eventually began to decline, due to difficulty of transportation to the mainland and lack of young men to run the farms. But the agriculture movement remains entrenched in the community even today; many residents have farms of varying sizes, and some have been family-run for generations.
1) SUPPORT THE REGION: Purchasing local food keeps the money in our region, and boosts our economy by ensuring the livelihood of local families. It also preserves green space by keeping farms safe from development.
2) TASTE THE DIFFERENCE: Fresh, local foods taste better, and they’re better for you. Vine ripened in-season produce is higher in nutrient value than produce picked, packed, shipped, and artificially ripened by ethylene gas. Small farms often use less pesticides than industrial farms, too.
3) PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT: Local food travels less distance from the farm to the consumer, which cuts down on CO2 emissions. The average piece of fruit travels 1,500 miles before it hits your table—local food travels less than 100. Farmers markets promote sustainable packaging; no styrofoam and plastic wrapping here.
4) LEARN THE STORY: Farmers are always willing to talk about where and how their products are grown. They can give you recipe suggestions, let you know when crops come into season, and tell you about their farm. Farmers are some of the most salt-of-the-earth, hard-working, and selfless individuals I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, and they’ll make every visit a learning experience. Doesn’t that sound better than a supermarket?
Visit a farmers market today
There are two main markets on Grand Island this summer. First, a long-time favorite: Susie’s Fruit Stand—and yes, they sell vegetables too. You can find them at 2121 Grand Island Blvd. (across from Tops) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
New this year is the Grand Island Farms Inc. Market Mondays at 1841 Whitehaven Rd (at Knights of Columbus). This market is a full-blown event with lots of local vendors, live music, demonstrations, and exhibits. The vendor list is subject to change, but they have had fresh meats, kettle corn, eggs, milk and cheese, flatbread pizzas, honey, produce, jam and jelly, and baked goods. Stop by from 4-7 p.m. each Monday and prepare to be wowed by the variety.
There will be an information session regarding the Western New York Welcome Center sewer connection at 11am on Saturday, July 14 at the Grand Island Town Hall. All questions must be submitted in advance to pfrentzel@grand-island.ny.us no later than Wednesday, July 11. Details TBA.