Tue 20 Oct 2009

Obesity in Harlem is Linked to Beverage Choice and Consumption

Posted by dianeeex3 under Beats, Harlem
[3] Comments

With obesity on the rise in New York City, it comes as no surprise that poorer neighborhoods, such as Harlem, would be affected most. Various factors contribute to the 25% adult and child obesity rate in Harlem, particularly beverage availability, choice and consumption.

In comparison to Harlem, the Upper East Side has a 7 % obesity rate – the lowest in all of New York City. Yet the Upper East Side is only a few steps away from Harlem. The disparity is due to a variety of environmental factors – income, resource availability, education, diet and more.

On 103rd Street between Lexington and Park Avenue, there are three deli stores, one Chinese food restaurant, and one liquor store. All four stores carry alcohol and are conveniently located in between residential buildings. The three delis carry various chips, sodas and candy. One carries fruits and vegetables.

In contrast, there are no food stores on 79th street between Lexington and Park Avenue. But there is a healthy alternative – Vitamin Shoppe.

Adding on to the lack of economic resources for Harlem residents, it doesn’t help that West and East Harlem combined has only 17 gyms, whereas the Upper East side, 60th – 96th St has fifty-seven gyms.

103rd Street and 79th Street are typical of Harlem and the Upper East Side, respectively. The Upper East Side has many more supermarkets and grocery stores, whereas Harlem is bombarded with corner stores, bodegas and fast food restaurants.

For the Harlem resident, the local store has limited choices – Red Bull, Tropicana orange juice, Top Pop and other soft drinks. When Tropicana costs $2.75 and Top Pop is only $1.25, consumers usually purchase the sugary soft drink.

“I can’t give my kids five dollars everyday to buy a protein shake,” says Darnell Delince, a Harlem resident, “but with two dollars you can buy two bags of chips and a soda. That keeps them happy.”

“The main problem with sugary soft drinks is calories,” said Dr. Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, “People who drink a lot of them tend to have worse diets, take in more calories, and weigh more than people who don’t.”

Even Harlem’s major supermarkets, such as C-Town, market sugary drinks to their customers. C-Town’s circular markets Hawaiian Punch for ninety-nine cents very heavily but fails to offer healthier alternatives. Hawaiian Punch contains less than 2% juice.

A popular supermarket on the Upper East Side  – D’Agostino – does not offer Hawaiian punch. Instead, their circulars contain advertisements for 3 Liters of Poland Spring water for ninety-nine cents.

Harlem residents are more likely to consume excessive amounts of unhealthy beverages, due to the different choices available to them in their local corner store.

Poor beverage choice and availability does not necessarily result in obesity. However, people who consume such beverages are less likely to make healthy diet choices.

According to Dr. Arlene Spark, “It’s totally unrealistic to expect to find anyone who is that diet conscious and health savvy who gets all the nutrients he needs in 450 calories less than he needs (to make room for the 450 he’d get from the soft drinks) who would also be drinking a lot of soda.” 

Assuming a person consumes 450 calories in soft drinks (3 cans) per day, is it possible to maintain a healthy weight?

If someone were to attempt this, Dr. Spark says, “He gains weight because of the extra calories he’s ingesting. Or he under-eats 450 calories to make room for the soda. That would mean he needs to get all the nutrients in 450 less calories, which can’t happen. Or the third possibility is he’ll get only a fraction of the nutrients he needs in a diet deficient in 450 calories in order to make room for the soda. That would results in nutrient deficiencies.”

However, few Harlem residents have the education necessary to make healthy decisions about beverage consumption.

“We are overweight,” says Delince, “but the city should educate us or at least let us know what drinks we shouldn’t drink.”

Dr. Joel Brind, a professor of biology disagrees. “I think the present city administration is going too far in regulating the sale of beverages–or trans fats, for that matter–in the city at large. This is way too intrusive on free enterprise, and it puts government in the role of deciding what is harmful and what is not.”

Community organizations are attempting to fight the obesity epidemic in Harlem. Mt. Sinai Hospital conducts cholesterol checks and hosts cardiac arrest fairs where residents can learn how to use defibrillators and CPR. The Community Healthcare Network offers Heart Health Program, a five week education program, specifically targeted for those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and who are overweight or obese.

However, the best way to combat obesity due to improper consumption of sugary beverages still is, and always will be, water.

After all, “ NYC has a terrific-tasting water supply directly from the Catskill Mountains. It’s a lot less expensive than soda. And it contains fluoride – I happen to believe in its protective effects,” said Dr. Spark.

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Tue 20 Oct 2009

H1N1 Flu and the New Vaccine

Posted by heajungyang under Beats, H1N1 Virus in NYC, Uncategorized
Comments Off on H1N1 Flu and the New Vaccine

H1N1 Flu is a new strain of the common influenza virus that started with an outbreak in April 2009. According to an article from Associated Content written on May 18, 2009, the first death in New York City occurred on May 17, 2009 to a 55 year old man named Mitchell Weiner in Queens.

When asked for information about the spread of H1N1 Flu in New York City, Legislative Analyst of Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Jason Hansen provided a PowerPoint presentation that stated that there were 930 identified hospitalizations and 54 identified deaths in New York City from April 2009 to September 1, 2009.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the symptoms of the H1N1 flu includes include a fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Because the H1N1 flu has been spreading very fast all around the world, people everywhere is anticipating the vaccine for the flu. According to CDC the vaccine is being distributed starting October 2009.

The H1N1 vaccine will be made using the same method as the regular influenza vaccine. According to CDC there are two types of flu vaccines. The first type is the flu shot, which is injecting at inactivated virus, a version of the virus that is dead, into the body with a shot. The second type is a nasal spray vaccine, which is spraying into the nose a weakened version of the flu virus. Both types of the vaccines are supposed to create antibodies in the body, which will fight off the virus when someone actually contracts it.

Both types of the vaccine will be available for the H1N1 flu. According to the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, the flu shot is recommended for pregnant women, all health care workers, anyone between the age of 6 months and 24 years old, anyone between the age of 25 and 64 that have health conditions that may increase the complications of the H1N1 virus, and anyone that cares for babies under the age of 6 months. But according to Fox News, the nasal-spray shot should only be administered to healthy people between the ages of 2 and 49. Pregnant women, babies and the elderly should not receive these sprays because the sprays are a weakened virus and not the dead version, making it potentially dangerous.

The vaccines will be distributed in separate batches in the United States. According to the New York State Department of Health, about 16 million of the total 250 million vaccines will be distributed in New York. Department of Health & Mental Hygiene says that the vaccines in New York City will be available in doctors’ offices, 60 hospitals who will distribute to health care workers, inpatients and outpatient clinics, more than 100 community health centers, health department immunization clinics and some pharmacies.

As the vaccines are on the verge of arriving, there seems to be a controversy brewing in New York City about the safety of these new vaccines. All vaccines have side effects because you are injecting a version of the virus in to your body, but this vaccine is especially being criticized because it was made in a very short period. People are wondering if the vaccine passed enough clinical trials to be safe. One pharmacist, who wished to remain anonymous, stated although we cannot determine the safety of the vaccine yet, “vaccines take 7 years to make but this one was rushed to the market in 7 months, you decide how safe it is”.

Many people are very worried about the H1N1 virus and they cannot wait for the vaccine. Another pharmacist, Luba Soroker, said that people come in everyday asking about the H1N1 flu and the vaccine for it. When asked if the virus was as serious as people made it, she said she thinks that the flu is more similar to the seasonal flu. Ms. Soroker said that she would recommend the vaccine to the patients that fall in the recommended groups but not specifically for the healthy 25-64 year olds, who do not fall in the groups.

Another reason that the people are not sure of the vaccine is because the new vaccine contains mercury. According to an article from Associated Content, H1N1 Flu Vaccine Will Contain Mercury written on August 01, 2009, it has been proven that mercury in vaccines causes a rise in the number of cases of autism in children and Multiple Neurological Complications. People are afraid that the mercury in the vaccine will harm the children because a major group receiving the vaccine will be children.

Another controversy surrounding the new vaccine is the fact that the vaccine will be mandatory for health care workers in New York City. According to CBS News, the idea is that the health care workers come into contact with patients that have weakened immune systems, so the health care workers should be vaccinated so they cannot spread the disease.

According to a New York Times article, New York Health Care Workers Resist Flu Vaccine Rule, written on September 20, 2009 by Donald G. MCneil Jr., the health care workers that wanted the vaccine are happy that they are first in line for the vaccine but, many people are protesting this decision because they are worried about the side effects mentioned in this article. Also the unions do not want the vaccinations to be mandatory because they do not want companies firing their union workers for not getting vaccinated.

Angela Chu, a volunteer at Bellevue hospital in New York City, said that the health care workers at Bellevue hospital are divided in the rule that every worker has to be immunized. Some hospital staff sees the H1N1 virus as just another flu and others find it very serious.

We do not know the side effects of the new vaccine for the H1N1 flu yet, but we will soon find out because the vaccine is scheduled to come out on October 06, 2009. We have to just hope that it will do more good than harm.

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Sun 18 Oct 2009

Rats, rats, rats

Posted by Mark Bochever under Beats, East Village
[4] Comments

The city that never sleeps has a problem that never sleeps—rats.

The furry creatures greet New Yorkers on the subway ride to work, in the park during lunch and at home in the evening.  Many feel that there is nowhere to turn for a rest.

Enter Bobby Corrigan. Three years ago, Mr. Corrigan, who holds a PhD in pest control, was hired by the city to restructure its pest control system. Under his guidance, Pest Control Services—a division of the Department of Health—has shifted its plan of attack against rodents and promoted education for residents and business owners on how to combat the vermin.

New York City rat history has several important dates. At the turn of the eighteenth century, sailors brought the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) with them from Northern Europe. The Norway rat, separated from other rats by its ability to swim, willingness to eat just about anything and fondness of necrophilia, has since dug a niche for itself in New York and other cities on the Eastern seaboard. Consequently, all rats found in the five boroughs are Norway rats.

In 1949, Dave Davis, an ecologist from Johns Hopkins University, studied the rat population in New York City and determined it to be around 250,000—not nearly the one rat per man that urban storytellers will have you believe. Subsequent research has shown that the rat population has not grown much since.

The city enjoyed its glory days in the world of rat management between World War II and 1981 when President Reagan decreased federal aid to cities. By 1999 the city budget for dealing with rats had been cut down to $5 million.

That all changed in 2000 when Mayor Giuliani was crossed (quite literally) by a rat. After the rodent ran over his foot on the steps of Gracie Mansion, Giuliani boosted the budget to $13 million and called for a “rat summit” to be held at Columbia University. Out of the summit came a “rat czar”—then Deputy Mayor Joseph Lhota and a determination to make the urban environment less rat friendly.

But the rats prevailed. Partially because of increased construction during the boom years after September 11 that forced them out of their underground burrows and partially because of the increased amounts of garbage disposed of during those prosperous times, rats returned to the limelight of NYC public health. After the remodeling of City Hall Park in 2007, the city’s rats found a new home on the park’s very visible lawn. Tourists and natives were not thrilled.

Perhaps the greatest embarrassment came when video of rats taking over a Greenwich Village KFC-Taco Bell restaurant surfaced on YouTube after making the rounds on local TV stations in early 2007. Reporters soon discovered that a Department of Health employee inspected the restaurant in question just one day before. The city forced all of its inspectors to take the training course again.

That same year, Bobby Corrigan took over from Lhota as “rat czar.”

Corrigan was an obvious choice. For four years, he split time between consulting the city on rats and working for his pest management firm in Richmond, Indiana. Before that he taught at his alma mater, Purdue University. Earlier in his career, Corrigan worked for a Long Island company tackling home and business owners’ pest problems.

Corrigan was given control of the Department of Health’s Pest Control Services program. Fighting through bureaucracy—he still has to work with 19 other departments and sacrifice a large part of his time to interfacing with important decision makers—Corrigan has revitalized the program and in turn the fight against rats.

For a long time, especially after the budget cuts of the 80s, the city’s main weapon against rats was baiting. Often this meant using pesticides that when ingested by pets and children proved detrimental and even fatal to health. The prolonged use of pesticides has also increased the rats’ immunities to poisons—although new poisons are being developed faster than rats can become immune to them. Many individuals are also concerned that they cannot retrieve rat carcasses after they have been poisoned (as rats typically return to their burrows to die).

Pest Control Services now take a different approach. They focus on a system carried over from agriculture called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Developed by entomologists after WWII, IPM focuses on changing the pest’s environment instead of exterminating it. A large part of a pest manager’s day is spent monitoring the unwanted population. If it is deemed to be outside acceptable levels, the pest manager takes action—first through mechanical, then biological and finally chemical means.

Applied to NYC’s rat problem, IPM means a lot of data gathering. In Pest Control Services’ flagship program, inspectors move through the Bronx block by block analyzing both public and private properties for signs of rats. These include tracks on the ground, gnaw marks on the undersides of doors and burrows in back and front yards. Inspectors contact property owners and schedule follow up inspections that, if failed, carry monetary fines for owners. Inspectors are also permitted to apply controls to violating properties.

PCS have also made information available to New Yorkers. Their website contains a booklet that details common myths about rats (e.g. that they can grow to be the size of alley cats; most weigh in at a mere 23 ounces) and tips on how to deal with rodents. There is also an interactive map that displays citywide rat statistics. Corrigan personally runs a three-day class for public and private pest inspectors popularly deemed “Rat Academy.”

Soon, PCS and Corrigan will add another weapon to their arsenal. The program hopes to get a body count on exterminated rats by installing baited boxes (so that the rats cannot run away after they are poisoned) throughout the city. This will give Corrigan another vital piece of information.

But all of this data is useless unless the city and its residents change their everyday habits. Instead of putting out and collecting trash at night (when rats are out and about the most), the city should collect it in the morning, argues Bruce Colvin, an expert on the topic. New Yorkers should also abstain from littering and leaving their trash exposed in plastic garbage bags that rats can easily chew through.

When he wants to make an impression on someone, Corrigan pulls out the dead rat in his book bag and quips “at least we got one.”  Although he knows that we will never get rid of them all, Corrigan still thinks the fight is worthwhile.

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Sun 18 Oct 2009

Yan Davydov – Long Island City – Newtown Creek & Health Concerns

Posted by Yan Davydov under Long Island City, Uncategorized
Comments Off on Yan Davydov – Long Island City – Newtown Creek & Health Concerns

Newtown Creek: Health Effects on Nearby Residents

By Yan Davydov

Newtown Creek, a murky green and brown waterway located directly between Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Long Island City, Queens, has been the illegal dumpsite for countless tons of industrial and residential waste since the mid-19th Century. Since then, Newtown Creek has become the most polluted waterway in America, even though it is right in our own backyard.

Newtown Creek holds this record because it contains the largest variety and quantity of contaminants, all of which settle together at the bottom of the creek to form what is believed to be a 15-foot-thick stagnant mix known as “black mayonnaise” at the bottom.

This black mayonnaise mix is composed of concentrations of mercury, a record 17 million tons of leaked petroleum oil, tons of raw sewage, metal compounds, coal tar, pesticides, industrial waste from factories and shipyards that used to operate on the waterfront, and even rotting animal carcasses from a 19th Century Jell-O gelatin factory.

Unfortunately, the pollution problem is an old and seemingly irresolvable one because proper treatment is slow in coming. An article in The New York Times, dated December 12, 1894, declares “Five Factories Ordered Closed” and “Gov. Flower Says that Newtown Creek Must Be Purified.” Keep in mind that this article was published more than one hundred years ago, and yet Newtown Creek remains incredibly polluted.

Although many more of the factories have since closed down and been replaced by the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, the plant can only treat new sewage and waste. In other words, the 15-plus feet of stagnant black mayonnaise at the bottom of the creek cannot be cleaned out simply by pouring treated water into the creek.

Another shortcoming of the purification plant is that it is only as effective as the weather is good. If, for example, it rains in New York, the plant overflows and out of necessity spills out untreated excess sewage and rain water right into Newtown Creek, which only further contributes to the Creek’s pollution and odor.

Local fireman Steve I., 56, who has been at his ladder located on the waterfront for more than a decade, has a clear view of the plant every morning. He said in an interview that, “in the summer months, when the air doesn’t move much, the smell hit’s you pretty hard, like, [fart noise].” His partner, Mike K., age 54, admits that all he knows about the creek is that “it smells, and it’s really polluted… but I haven’t given much thought about it and my health, though.”

Other locals, on the other hand, feel that health ailments due to living near Newtown Creek are imminent. “Well, I’m pretty sure we’re all going to develop cancer in a few decades,” said Williamsburg resident Noah K., 28, calmly. He and his friends, Eric L., 21, and Morgan L., 22, spent the day on the Waterfront Nature Walk that was built in 2007 along the creek, as they often do. They seem to love the neighborhood too much to be worried.

Similarly, Mr. Ricardo R., age 46, was bicycling from his home in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn and ended up at the Waterfront Nature Walk. “I noticed the smell as soon as I reached the bike ramp,” said Ricardo R. He wanted to scope out Newtown Creek and the Waterfront Nature Walk  area as a potential bike route. Like many non-locals, he was not prepared for the stench and filth of the water. “I’m not personally worried about any health problems for me, and I’ll definitely be coming back around here from time to time just to check up on the progress of the cleaning efforts,” finished Ricardo R.

In actuality, the relationship between living near Newtown Creek and long term health effects such as cancer are relatively unknown. While studies performed by the Department of Health do show that there is a 25% increase in asthma, emphysema and bronchitis rates in Newtown and nearby neighborhoods than in the rest of the city, there haven’t been many studies done on long term illness connections.

That’s where Rachel Weiss, 29, and the Newtown Creek Alliance, come in. Weiss, who was unavailable for an interview, was granted $46,000 earlier this year from the government in order to investigate the relationship between the pollution and local residents’ health woes, which is the first direct study of its kind.

An April 2009 article from the Queen’s Chronicle managed to interview Weiss and quoted her as saying, “I got this sense that people had these stories [pets dying, family members with cancer] and they were frustrated.”

Weiss’s colleague, Teresa Toro, was also interviewed in the article and added that the study “has no predetermined notions of what it will find; rather, [we] want to see what rises to the surface. It may be something as big as noticing a high number of cancers, or something smaller like identifying strange smells at certain times of the day.”

The hope is that after the NCA’s study, which has not yet been released, conclusive data of detrimental health effects will prompt the Environmental Protection Agency to approve Newtown Creek as a superfund site, making it eligible for millions in government dollars towards effective and thorough clean up.

Whatever correlations may be discovered by Weiss and the NCA, the fact remains that Newtown Creek is in desperate need of purification and rejuvenation.

On-site Primary Sources:

1. Firemen Steve I., 56, and Mike K., 54

2. Williamsburg residents Eric L., 21,

Morgan L., 22, and Noah K., 28

3. Bicyclist Ricardo R., 46

Potential Source who has yet to reply:

1. Rachel Weiss, 29, (718) 577-1359,

newtowncreekstudy@gmail.com

Link to study at: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20291481&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574901&rfi=6

Secondary Sources:

http://www.newtowncreekalliance.org/

http://www.pbs.org/pov/borders/2004/water/water_creek.html

http://www.thirteen.org/thecityconcealed/2008/12/12/newtown-creek-clean-up-efforts/

http://www.riverkeeper.org/news-events/news/press-release-rvk-supports-epas-proposal-to-consider-newtown-creek-for-superfund-status/

http://amandacongdon.com/roadblog/2006/09/23/newtown-creek

http://newtownpentacle.com/tag/newtown-creek/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenpoint_oil_spill

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=980CE7D81730E033A25751C1A9649D94659ED7CF

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29581/story.htm

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Sun 18 Oct 2009

Astoria: Air Pollution

Posted by Rolanda under Astoria
[2] Comments

As with any community, Astoria faces many different environmental problems. One of the main problems it has is air pollution. Many communities with high density are often faced with the problem of air pollution. Because there are a lot of cars, businesses, residents, and mass transit in one condensed area, air pollution is quite common.  The pollution problem is evident to some residents as one resident remarked that in certain areas of the neighborhood “it just stinks”. He discusses that he is unsure of why there is such an odor in the area and made sure to note that he lived a block away from the smelliest part of town.  There are many things that may be a contributor to the problem. Some of these things may include the proximity to the airport, the outdated public transportation, and local factories and plants. (more…)

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Sun 18 Oct 2009

Air Tours: Nuisance or Necessity?

Posted by raman under Chelsea
[8] Comments

Ramandeep Singh

Air Tours: Nuisance or Necessity?

Joy Held, 67- President of the Helicopter Noise Coalition

Brian Tolbert, 22- Manager of W 30th Street Heliport

Richard Gottfried, 62- Assembly Member of 75th Assembly District 

On August 8, 2009, a small aircraft and sight-seeing helicopter crashed over the Hudson River, claiming the lives of all onboard. This tragedy could have been prevented if tourist flights at the W 30th Street Heliport had been phased out as recommended in Mayor Rudy Guiliani’s 1999 Heliport and Helicopter Master Plan. It would have also saved the breath of Chelsea residents, elected officials and civic organizations who for years have been expressing their outrage over the problems caused by the helicopters, mainly the elevated noise. The loss of nine innocent lives only highlighted security faux pas in the tourist flights industry and there has been greater public outcry to shut down the W30th Street heliport immediately.

Joy Held, president of the Helicopter Noise Coalition, detailed in an interview the problems she experienced first hand while living near the heliport.

“The noise gives people headaches, raises their blood pressure, causes gastrointestinal disorder, makes them depressed- you have no control, can’t live in your apartment, enjoy your property and you definitely cannot get a good night’s sleep!”

Held has been vocalizing her frustration regarding the noise disturbance since the Coalition incorporated in New York in 1997.  The organization seeks to reduce helicopter noise impact by eliminating nonemergency helicopters from the land and waterways of the five boroughs. On August 11, Held released a report in which she states that New York City has the highest nonmilitary helicopter traffic in the world, of which tours account for half.

Held explained that Mayor Giuliani had banned helicopter air tours during his term. The W 30th Street Heliport was slated to close when its lease expired in 2001 and the land reverted to the Hudson River Park. However, Mayor Bloomberg decided to keep the heliport open and allow sightseeing flights to continue. The city has been leasing the property on a month-to-month basis since.

“Bloomberg touts that it’s good for business,” Held added, “He’s a pilot himself and execs like flying in and out. He’s on the economic side and doesn’t care about the impact on local people.”

In 2007, the Friends of the Hudson River Park, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the Park, filed a lawsuit against the companies operating through the W30th Street Heliport. According to the Hudson River Park Act of 1998, it is illegal for sightseeing flights to operate from the W 30th Street Heliport. On June 20, 2008, the parties involved reached a settlement in which tourist flights will completely end by April 1, 2010 and the current amount of such excursions lowered by thousands. The heliport will be completely closed by December 31, 2012 given that a new location would be provided for helicopter companies to continue certain operations. The land will then be reverted to the Hudson River Park.

Held expressed satisfaction with the result, mentioning that people at the park will finally enjoy the experience without being hassled by unpleasant noise and fumes from helicopters.  Since the August 8th crash however, her organization has been petitioning elected official and City Council members to close the heliport immediately. The Coalition lobbied the Federal Aviation Administration to ban air tours right away, due to safety concerns and the unnecessary noise levels.

“There are other ways to see the city, without imposing hearing impairment on the residents and shaking the buildings” Held expressed.

Brian Tolbert, manager of the W 30th Street Heliport, sympathizes with residents living in the area but asserts that measures have been taken to reduce noise. For instance, sound barriers have been installed and really made a difference in the environment outside the gate. However, sound travels over the top and there is nothing the heliport can implement to eliminate the sound when helicopters fly through the air.

In regards to the settlement, Tolbert said that limiting tour flights are reducing the revenue.

“It makes our business much lower because tours are what we run here most of the time,” he clarified, “Charter planes come once in a while but helicopter tours are really popular. They are what bring people and money to this area.”

A component of the settlement was to conduct sightseeing flights only between 9:00am to 6:30 pm. Because of the time restrictions, Tolbert is forced to turn away potential customers, which generates less revenue.  He believes that with slower business, some workers might get laid off.

He explained that although air tours end in April 2010 at the W 30th Street Heliport, they would resume at the Wall Street heliport. Held’s organization is working to eliminate sightseeing helicopters completely in New York City.

Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, who represents the 75th Assembly District that includes the W 30th Heliport, testified before the City Council Committee with other elected official regarding the air traffic. He agrees with Held’s views that ending the helicopter sightseeing flights would be beneficial to the community and there are other ways for tourists to enjoy their visit to New York City. He is angered that Mayor Bloomberg lifted the ban on air tours, which could have ended them years ago and thus prevented the tragic crash on August 8. Gottfried supports the decision to terminate such flights at the W 30th Street Heliport but believes shifting them to the Wall Street heliport is a step backward. To appease the tenants living in that area from the disturbances and safety issues, the Assemblyman urged the City Council to ban helicopter tours, a view completely in line with the Helicopter Noise Coalition. 

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Sun 18 Oct 2009

Sweet History that Left Bitterness [Miji doesn’t have access to the blog yet so she couldn’t post this]

Posted by Jennie Liu under Greenpoint / Williamsburg
[2] Comments

Ever since the entrepreneur Neziah Bliss purchased majority of the land in Greenpoint in the 1830s, Greenpoint has never been the same: ferry services were established, public turnpikes were opened, and industrialization by the waterfront began. Greenpoint soon thrived with shipbuilding industry and petroleum refineries. Oddly enough, after hundred years, what has brought wealth into Greenpoint became the source of major health concerns.

The petroleum industry can date back to 140 years ago when petroleum-refining operations began with kerosene as the major product. By 1870, 50 refineries were built and few decades’ later, gasoline and fuel oils became the dominant product refined. Some of the refineries were recorded to have the capacity to refine 33,000 barrels of crude oil.1 All the refining of oils brought business and workers to Greenpoint, but in return, the environment was sacrificed.

The refineries were juxtaposed alongside the Newtown Creek, a core area of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary. During 1978 the United States Coast Guard reported seepage of petroleum into Newtown Creek. Further investigation found that approximately 17 million gallons of contaminants were released into the Creek.2The released products were mixture of oil, kerosene, and gasoline. This mixture is known as a free product: any petroleum based product that does not mix with water and floats on top of the water due to its lighter weight. While some residents still enjoy their recreational activities such as fishing and kayaking, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that various water samples showed “potentially harmful” substances for people. Riverkeeper, New York’s clean water advocate, identified the environmental threats of the spill: the water supply beneath Greenpoint is destroyed due to the presence of carcinogenic hydrocarbons in the aquifer, the growth of aquatic life is hindered, and the oil soaked-soil produced a fire hazardous area.

Michael Heimbinder, founder and executive director of HabitatMap (an environmental health justice organization), emphasized the crucial reasons why the conditions of Newtown Creek should not be neglected. He stated that as an estuary boarding Queens and Brooklyn, Newtown Creek is “the center of New York City.” He explained that Newtown Creek has the largest sewer system that dumps everything into the river including toilet water and garbage, oil and gas from the infrastructures, and ethanol. In result, the water is contaminated creating a public health hazard. Mr. Heimbinder, therefore, underscored the need for the EPA to add Newtown Creek to its Superfund List, which will provide government funding to perform a long-term, clean up programs.

The toxic plume also contaminated nearby soil and underground water, which rests about 30 feet below the ground surface in residential areas. The soil vapor intrusion data summary prepared by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) determined the current BP property as the source of the petroleum free product plume. They stated that chlorinated solvents such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) were found in soil vapor, soil and groundwater. The indoor air concentration of PCE ranged from 0.73 µg/m3 to 12 µg/m3 and the indoor air concentration of TCE ranged from not detected to 13 µg/m3. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment stated the TCE level of 1.6 µg/m3 or higher is enough amount to require the responsible party to provide an adequate ventilation, but the level of TCE found in some area far exceeded that amount indicating the health risk of the residents who were exposed to toxic air for many years. In contradictory, a recent Department of Environmental Conservation report tested indoor air of residential area above the oil spillage and concluded that it does not have dangerous vapors. Although no hard data is provided, TCE is concluded as ”highly likely” toxin to cause cancer, birth defects and infertility.3 Michael Heimbinder linked the air pollution with an increase in asthma rate in the vicinity of industrialized area.

Despite the variance among test results on the effect of contaminants, every environmental organization, advocate groups, and alliances are pursuing consistent cleaning up of Newtown Creek. Major project is a petroleum remediation project aimed to remove any untreated petroleum products and purify contaminated water. As of January 2009, approximately 10 million gallons of petroleum product has been recovered and over 3.5 billion gallons of groundwater has been treated.4ExxonMobil Terminal, former Paragon Terminal, and BP Terminal are main focus of the remediation project. As for TCE and PCE, Spic and Span Cleaners and Dyer, Klink Cosmo Cleaners and Acme Steel are accused of polluting soil and groundwater. These polluters will be hunt down by New York State to either fund the cleanups or reimburse New York State for our costs to perform these cleanups.5

Greenpoint residents also demand an increase in clean up projects. Laura Hofmann believes that it was more than a coincidence that her mother developed a brain cancer and that her father had degenerative brain disorder. 6 Her epiphany came when she realized that the grey ashes on her tomatoes every morning were from former Greenpoint Incinerator. She concluded that her children have been eating food from soil contaminated with cancer causing toxins. Similar stories of Laura are currently recorded as part of the Newtown Creek Community Health and Harm Narratives. This study aims to document the public health concerns of Newtown Creek area residents.7

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Sat 17 Oct 2009

More Than Just Airplanes

Posted by Allison Louie under Beats, Howard Beach
[3] Comments

John F. Kennedy International Airport has been a source of headaches for Howard Beach, Queens residents – figuratively and literally – ever since it opened in 1948. Originally planned as a 1,000-acre airport, Kennedy Airport now covers 4,930 acres, serving more than 40 million passengers each year. To this day, inhabitants continue to grapple with numerous environmental concerns caused by their proximity to the airport, including noise, air, and water pollution. (more…)

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Fri 16 Oct 2009

Rags Among Riches: Hamilton Beach’s stalled development in the face of modern Howard Beach

Posted by K S under Beats, Howard Beach, Uncategorized
[2] Comments

Enter New Howard Beach, a posh section of Greater Howard Beach on the West side of the Shellbank Basin. Cross over the Basin to the East side and you end up in a similar landscape: clean blocks, updated real estate, and the presence of community interaction. Move a little bit more to the east over the Hawtree Basin into another part of Greater Howard Beach, however, and you’ll find yourself in a divergent atmosphere. (more…)

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Thu 15 Oct 2009

H1N1 in NYC

Posted by morrisd under Beats
[5] Comments

Well ladies and gentlemen it’s that time of year again.  The air is becoming crisp and the foliage is changing colors… That’s right it’s flu season.  Earlier this year the H1N1 virus or “swine flu” spread around the country and caused many deaths and an ensuing media frenzy.  According to a Fox News report in July, more than nine hundred New Yorkers have been hospitalized with swine flu since April and a staggering forty-seven have died as a result of the flu.

What is the H1N1 virus and how is it different than the standard seasonal influenza?  H1N1, which was referred to as “swine flu” because it contains many of the same genes as influenza viruses that occur in pigs, was first detected in the United States in April of 2009.  Further studies on the H1N1 strain showed that it contained two genes from pig influenza, and one gene from bird and human influenza strains.  Scientists call such a virus a “quadruple reassortant” virus.  The fact that it is a triple hybrid makes the H1N1 strain extra virulent.  The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on June 11th, 2009 that a pandemic of H1N1 was imminent.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), an average of 36,000 people in the United States die from influenza related complications and 200,000 people are hospitalized with flu-like symptoms.  Over ninety percent of the deaths occur in people above the age of sixty-five years old.  After the CDC analyzed their data about the 2009 outbreak of H1N1 they deduced that the H1N1 strain “caused greater disease burden in people younger than twenty-five years of age than older people.  At this time, there are few cases and few deaths reported in people older than sixty-four years old, which is unusual when compared to seasonal flu.”

The H1N1 virus is contagious and spreads easily from human to human.  People may contract the virus by being in close contact with a virus carrier.  Coughing and sneezing by an infected person may spread the virus.  People who touch contaminated surfaces and then touch their nose or mouth may also contract the virus.  Infected people may spread the virus to others from one day before getting sick up to about a week after getting sick.

There has been speculation that the H1N1 strain has perhaps mutated since cases of swine flu have been popping up at a faster rate than earlier this year and deaths seem to be increasing.  New wave swine flu fears first arose when a Cornell University student died from complications associated with the virus in early September.  Cornell reported that over five hundred students had come down with flu-like symptoms in the first few weeks of classes.  It is only a matter of time before this “new wave” makes its way to New York City’s limits.  In early September, the WHO reported that in the week preceding their report six hundred and twenty five people died from swine flu across the globe.  That number equates to more than twenty percent of the 2,837 known deaths since the virus first emerged in Mexico and the United States this past April.  The United Nations agency in charge of monitoring the strain for any mutations reports that, “There is no sense that the virus has mutated or changed in any sense.  We are continuing to see many more deaths because we are seeing many, many more cases.”  We are fortunate that the swine flu showed no signs of mutation because with flu season fast approaching scientists will be able to work better with their current samples to produce an effective vaccine.

Focusing on New York City, we seem to be more prone to a severe outbreak because of our high population density.  The CDC estimated that by this past July, over half a million New York City residents had been infected by the H1N1 virus.  They make this claim using statistical models and say that the number of infections is much greater than the actual number of reported cases.

To preempt flu season, schools all over the city are distributing flu vaccines to students, and ads on trains urge people to avoid public transportation if they have flu like symptoms.  Baruch College, located in the Flatiron district of Manhattan, seems to be doing a good job in preventing an outbreak of the flu within their student body.  At Baruch there have been no reported cases of H1N1 last spring or to date, this fall.  When asked about this “new wave” of swine flu, nurse practitioner Juliette Blount, who works at the Baruch College student Health Center said, “there have not been any reports of clusters [more than six confirmed cases in one location] here in New York city to my knowledge, to date this fall.

There are many simple steps New Yorkers can take to ensure they don’t get infected.  One of the best things people can do to prevent the spread of the flu is to cover their mouths’ with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and avoid coughing or sneezing into their hands.  People should often wash their hands with soap and water or use alcohol based hand sanitizers after coughing or sneezing.  Avoid people who are sick, and avoid contact with others if you are sick yourself.  To stress the severity of swine flu, a 19 year old Brooklyn resident who suffered from the disease in June told me “As far as I can remember, it [having swine flu] was hands down the worst I have ever felt in my entire life.  It was the worst week ever.”

As we approach flu season I urge all New Yorkers to get vaccinated at a local clinic or school.  One may find the nearest clinic to their homes at www.nyc.gov/flu.  Everyone should make sure to maintain sound hygienic practices to ensure the good health of your fellow New Yorkers and say “Fuhgeddaboudit” to swine flu.

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