Herkimer County : An Environmental Diagnosis

Herkimer County : An Environmental Diagnosis

By Lily Fitzgerald, 7th Grade, Tamarac Secondary School

Mentored by Alexandra Evans

http://www.topix.com/album/detail/little-falls-ny/T13B1MO72R429D1M

LocationLocation Located in Located in

Central New Central New YorkYork

Longest Longest CountyCounty

Mohawk River Mohawk River flows through flows through southern southern portionportion

http://www.herkimernytrafficlawyer.com/

BackgroundBackground

Population – Population – 64, 519 people 64, 519 people

44.25 people 44.25 people per square mile per square mile

Mostly farm Mostly farm land – farms land – farms have increased have increased in sizein size

Part of Herkimer County was included in the Macomb’s Purchase, 4/23/1791

Onondaga was split off of Herkimer County, 1794Parts of Herkimer County were taken to help form St. Lawrence County, 1802

Erie Canal was created, 10/26/1825

Adirondack Scenic Railroad was created, 6/14/1905

Frankfort- Highland Airport was created, 1947

Herkimer County was created, 2/16/1791

Study on the Middleville Tannery Dump Site, 1989NYS Department of Health found inorganic contaminates at high levels at Crumb Trailer Park, 1996

Hiteman Leather was deemed a superfund site, 1999

Additional visit to Middleville Tannery Dump Site, 2004 EPA asked NYS Department of Health and the CDC to get

involved in the Middleville Tannery Dump Site, 2005Remediation plan was developed to clean up Hiteman Leather Site, 2006

Cleanup of Hiteman Leather Site completed, 2008

ATSDR released a statement concerning the 2005 EPA study, 2010

Residents sue over wind turbines, 11/27/2012

There were reports of four diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in children, 11/25/2013

Unusual cancer clusters publicized, 4/8/2014

Timeline of Herkimer County

WatershedsWatersheds Mohawk River Mohawk River

and Black and Black River River WatershedWatershed

Most in Black Most in Black River River Watershed – 1 Watershed – 1 % lakes good % lakes good water quality, water quality,

61 % overall 61 % overall poor water poor water qualityquality

http://www.hrbrrd.com/pdf/blackriverwatershed.pdf

WATERSHED HEALTH

Watershed name: Black River Watershed

What percentage of rivers have

poor water quality?

What percentage of lakes

have poor water quality?

Overall percentage with poor

water quality?

6 %

55 % 61 %

What percentage of rivers have

good water quality?

What percentage of lakes

has good water quality?

Overall percentage with good

water quality?

45 % 1 % 23 %

WATERSHED HEALTH

Watershed name: Mohawk River Watershed

What percentage of rivers have

poor water quality?

What percentage of lakes

have poor water quality?

Overall percentage with poor

water quality?

11 %

31 % 20 %

What percentage of rivers have

good water quality?

What percentage of lakes

has good water quality?

Overall percentage with good

water quality?

31 % 9 % 21 %

LeadLead

1.8 % blood 1.8 % blood lead levellead level

Average for Average for New York New York

Neighboring Neighboring counties have counties have highest levelshighest levels

http://www.oldhouseweb.com/how-to-advice/lead-poisoning-and-children-risks-in-old-house.shtml

Superfund SitesSuperfund Sites A superfund site is any land that has been A superfund site is any land that has been

contaminated by toxic waste and identified by the EPAcontaminated by toxic waste and identified by the EPA

Herkimer County has two superfund sitesHerkimer County has two superfund sites

Hiteman Leather – Hiteman Leather – chromium contamination in the soil and water, used to operate tannery

Crumb Trailer Park – collected the waste materials from the Hiteman tannery

http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/removal/crumbtrailerpark/

http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/hiteman/index.html

Cancer Clusters Cancer Clusters

Middleville Tannery Dump Site

Four recent diagnoses of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in children

Cancer clusters – geographic regions with higher than normal occurrence of cancer

Air QualityAir Quality The air quality is The air quality is

generally very generally very goodgood

In 2012, there In 2012, there were 0 unhealthy were 0 unhealthy air daysair days

Since 2003, the Since 2003, the air quality has air quality has improvedimproved

AIR QUALITY

  Unhealthy air days for

general population in 2012.

Unhealthy air days for

people with asthma in 2012

Since 2003, has air quality

for asthmatics improved or

gotten worse?

RENNSSELAER COUNTY

0 0 IMPROVED

ESSEX COUNTY

0

4 IMPROVED

NEW YORK COUNTY

0

2 IMPROVED

HERKIMER COUNTY

0 0 IMPROVED

SoilSoil

Two types of soil – Two types of soil – Sandy granite rock Sandy granite rock (N), Bedrock (S)(N), Bedrock (S)

Two main soil Two main soil concerns – Erosion concerns – Erosion and Compactionand Compaction

http://geology.com/state-map/maps/new-york-state-map.gif

Sociological AspectsSociological Aspects Population – generally Population – generally

steady of past 100 yearssteady of past 100 years

Industries and farms Industries and farms employed citizens – not employed citizens – not many small farmsmany small farms

Provides citizens with Provides citizens with opportunities, health care opportunities, health care facilitiesfacilities

Census Bureau – Census of Population and Housing

EnergyEnergyTypes of Fuel Mix's

NPCC Upstate NY

National

Non-Hydro Renewables

4.3 % 4 %

Hydro 28.2 % 6.2%

Nuclear 28.9 % 19.6 %

Oil 0.8 % 1 %

Gas 22.2 % 24 %

Coal 15.3 %44.8 %

http://oaspub.epa.gov/powpro/ept_pack.charts

http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2010/08/31/200-million-wind-project-construction-york/#.U1BDE_PD-70

The non-hydro renewables are mainly the wind farms. There has been lots of public resistance towards them. http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/herkimer_county_residents_sue.html

Education about the EnvironmentEducation about the Environment

Herkimer County Herkimer County Environmental Environmental Conservation – Conservation – Conservation Conservation Field Day, Farm Field Day, Farm and Home Safety and Home Safety DayDay

Envirothon – Envirothon – West Canada West Canada Valley High Valley High School School

http://www.herkimercountyswcd.com/

http://news.keuka.edu/featured-story/candor-retains-grip-on-envirothon-title

RecommendationsRecommendations

Continue to monitor the erosion and Continue to monitor the erosion and compaction in soilscompaction in soils

Try to reduce the pollutants entering the Try to reduce the pollutants entering the watershedswatersheds

Consider becoming a climate smart Consider becoming a climate smart communitycommunity

Bibliography U.S. Census Bureau. 2014. “United States Census Bureau : State and County QuickFacts : Herkimer County, New York.” January 6.http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/36043.html.

 “10 Reasons Why Coal Is a Good Energy Source:”http://www.coaleducation.org/q&a/10_reasons_why_coal.htm.

 Alexander, Lamar, Sen. “Top 10 Reasons Nuclear Power Will Be They Key to America’s Energy Future.”http://thehill.com/special-reports/energy-a-environment-september-2010/120419-top-10-reasons-nuclear-power-will-be-the-key-to-americas-energy-future .

“County Health Rankings.”http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/new-york/2013/herkimer/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot/by-rank .

 DeNoon, Daniel J. “Lead Poisoning: What It Is, How to Test, What to Do.” WebMD.http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20070815/lead-poisoning-and-kids.

 “Dioxin .” United States Environmental Protection Agency. http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/CFM/nceaQFind.cfm?keyword=Dioxin.

 “Dioxins and Their Effects on Human Health.” 2010.World Health Organization - Media Centre. May.http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs225/en/.

 Eisenstadt, Marnie. 2013. “Flooding: Twice- Flooded Residents in Herkimer Are Bracing for More Rain”, July 2.http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/07/flooding_twice-flooded_residen.html .

 Lallanilla, Marc. 2013. “What Are Greenhouse Gases?”, June 27. http://www.livescience.com/37821-greenhouse-gases.html.

 “National Association of Counties : Find A County .”http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.

 “OUR VIEW: Herkimer County Deserves Answers .”http://www.uticaod.com/x2132760595/OUR-VIEW-Herkimer-County-deserves-answers/?tag=2.

 “Scorecard.” Scorecard.http://scorecard.goodguide.com/env-releases/county.tcl?fips_county_code=36043#major_chemical_releases .

 Tim , Knauss. “Herkimer County Residents Sue Iberdrola over Wind Farm.”