University at Buffalo: Reporter

UB center to manage environmental fund

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM
News Services Editor

The New York State Center for Hazardous Waste Management at UB has been selected by the Office of the Attorney General and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to administer the $2.5 million Niagara County Environmental Fund.

It is the only part of the Love Canal settlement between New York State and Occidental Chemical Corp. that is being channeled directly to local organizations in Niagara County.

The fund will support projects by citizens' groups, neighborhood clubs, schools and other organizations to restore, care for and increase public enjoyment of Niagara County's natural resources, particularly its shorelines and open spaces. It also will support efforts to educate the public about environmental problems through schools, museums and other institutions and through teacher-training programs.

Projects to be funded emphasize environmental education and restoration, but not remediation. For example, the fund might support such projects as nature walks, habitat restorations, cleanups, canal paths and walkways, and bikepaths.

"Our participation in channeling these resources to local groups shows an expanding mission for the center," said A. Scott Weber, executive director of the center and UB professor of civil engineering. "With our role in this fund, we will be taking a much more active role in environmental stewardship."

He said that past disposal of toxic wastes has degraded the ecosystem of Niagara County, causing significant deterioration of soils and water, as well as negatively affecting fish and wildlife. "The purpose of the fund is to help repair the damage to land, air, water and soil that the citizens of Niagara County have endured over many years," Weber explained.

[Current Issue] [ Table of Contents ] [ Search Reporter ] [Talk to Reporter]