75th Anniversary

Harriet Cornell, Chair, Rockland County Legislature

A Rockland County Legislator for 21 years, she has been a leader in addressing the County's social, environmental, health and education issues. She is the first woman to be elected Chair of the Rockland County Legislature.

Lunch will be provided by the Board of Directors.

winter -
trees turned orange in the sun
rise

- Leatrice Lifshitz

Membership dues for 2005 are payable at this time. A membership application and return envelope are enclosed.

RCCA has been advocating for the environment for 75 years. Our membership sustains and furthers our ability to deal with conservation concerns.

Dues and donations provide the only source of income for this nonprofit, volunteer organization. Your support is deeply appreciated. Many thanks.

Betty Hedges, President

Until now, the study to improve the 1-287 Tappan Zee Bridge Corridor has been in the hands of the New York State Thruway Authority and Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro North Railroad but 2005 brings changes.

Whoa! After years of regional meetings - participatory carrots to "shareholders"; a hundred-plus plan options; an ocean of paper and a tidal wave of electronic communications with studies, graphs, statistics, analyses, not to mention human confoundments, dreams and hopes of rescue from rush hour captivity on the bridge and roadway; the public has been advised that the New York State Department of Transportation will take over the 1-287 project.

May those who have despaired after years of roiling take heart again. Evidence that sagacity is available still in the halls of power is provided by the statement of DOT spokesman Peter Graves (Journal News, December 17, 2004). He noted the "multiple modes of transportation" involved and that "the feeling was to bring everything together, to have a single agency oversee the project." There's wisdom.

Firm, united oversight will face the jockeying of rivalries for money (real or potential, another unknown), space and capacity allocation on the bridge - including cars and trucks vs. rail and buses, ingress and egress on the corridor, accommodations by affected municipalities. Added are differences about what is feasible through engineering given the topography, navigational and riparian aspects and environmental and scenic considerations. It becomes evident why awaited decisions now have been projected out as far as middle year 2006.

Among Governor George Pataki's state of the state speech proposals on January 5th is the overhaul of public authorities. We suspect often authorities do their best with what they confront. But there are too many of them. They are insular with appetites whetted by their ability to borrow and spend. Because they are focused on defending their turf, perceived subordination in any decision makes consensus difficult to achieve no matter how crucial the need as the clock ticks and the public waits.

So now we get a mighty department of our beloved home Empire State taking charge. May it be the cavalry coming over the hill - perhaps just in time. It's a new year. Charge!

- Jeanne Nelson, Board of Directors, RCCA

Costs and Consequences

The amalgam in your teeth and dental office wastewater is linked to mercury found in waterways and sewage sludge. Dental amalgams, often called silver fillings, are actually in great part mercury. This material has been used for over 100 years. According to the American Dental Association (ADA) Statement Revised January 8, 2002, "Dental amalgam (silver filling) is considered a safe, affordable and durable material that has been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans." When guided by a cost-benefit analysis driven by expenses environmental exposures are often postured in efforts to mitigate, when in fact avoidance or elimination might be more appropriate. What is the life cycle of the conclusion, and who bears the ultimate cost are questions that should be considered.

The RCCA Spring 2004 Newsletter included an article "A Mad Tea-Party", Indeed. As indicated, the New York Department of Conservation (NYSDEC) was seeking comment on the Preliminary Draft Proposed Standards for the Management of Elemental Mercury on Dental Wastes at Dental Facilities. RCCA offered comments and those have been paraphrased and included without identity on the NYSDEC website at: http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dshm/redrecy/mercdent.htm

The NYSDEC in a COMMENT and DEC RESPONSE format address the expressed concerns for removing dental mercury from the environment. Amalgam separators elicited dissent based on cost. COMMENT #8: 'We do not believe that these draft regulations are based on scientific evidence. Our primary objection to the preliminary regulations is the mandate of amalgam separators were justified on a cost-benefit basis, we would support such a mandate. There has been no such showing. We have examined the data and have concluded that mandating amalgam separators is not justified on any basis and, therefore, we oppose the mandate. " COMMENT #9: "The mandating of amalgam separators in the waste lines of all dental offices places a huge expense (monetary and maintenance) plus- liability on dentists that is unfair and based on unproven evidence."

DEC RESPONSE: " Mercury is toxic at very low concentrations." ... "Clearly controlling mercury pollution is an issue of great concern. Efforts to reduce mercury pollution are ongoing on both state and national level and vary by source. Dentistry is one such source of mercury. Dental wastewater is known to contain high concentrations of total, dissolved, and methyl mercury, in some cases as much as 10 billion times New York's surface water quality standard.

Various studies have found that dentists are a primary contributor of mercury to publicly-owned treatment works (POTW) collection systems. POTWs are not designed to remove mercury from wastewater. While there is significant amount of incidental removal of mercury at POTWs, this removal is far from complete. As a result, POTWs typically discharge mercury at levels exceeding our water quality goals."...

... "While installation of amalgam separators is not expected to solve the Statewide mercury problem, it is certain to have a positive impact. "

The Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (AMSA) produced a report the "Evaluation of Domestic Sources of Mercury" August 2000.2 The conclusion states, "Although several sources contributing to the domestic mercury concentrations have been identified, human wastes (feces and urine) from amalgam loaded individuals are believed to be the most significant source. (>80%). "

An extensive study by The New York Academy of Sciences "Pollution Prevention and Management Strategies For Mercury in the New York/ New Jersey Harbor,3 reveals ... "the dental sector still accounts for more than two-fifths of the mercury entering the Harbor through wastewater. Mercury is released from dental facilities during placement and removal of amalgams containing mercury. "

The choice to use mercury in dentistry extends beyond teeth. NYSDEC has taken necessary steps to limit wastewater sources from dental offices, in recognition in its response to COMMENT #33: "Dental amalgams are not equated to elemental mercury entering the environment, rather, they are a potential source of mercury contamination which can be bioaccumulated. "

Is there something "fishy" about this story? Through understanding biomagnification (food chain toxicity) we recognize that warnings for consumption of fish are now commonplace. Scientific studies tell us that a known neurotoxin is present in the environment because of mercury in "silver" fillings. The cost and efficacy of removing mercury in POTWs is expensive and limited in efficacy.

The statement by the ADA about amalgams being "safe" and "affordable" must be revisited for the environmental costs and who must pay? Clearly the criticisms of the cost of wastewater treatment send a clarion message that old habits are hard to break. Other non-mercury materials are available for dental fillings. It is sound risk management practice to reduce risk by considering alternatives. Moreover, what are the consequences if we don't?

Dorice Madronero, 2nd vice-president RCCA

1 http://www.ada.org/prof7resources/positions/statements/amalgam.asp
2 http://www.amsa-cleanwater.org/pubs/mercury/mercury.pdf pp. 13
3 pp. 35

A RAMAPO RIVER WATERSHED STUDY

As the Rockland County Conservation Association celebrates its 75th Anniversary this year, a remarkable achievement, indeed, the Ramapo River Committee celebrates its 20th Anniversary and will be presenting its 10th Annual Ramapo River Watershed Conference this April at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

One of the presentations at the conference this year will be a Ramapo College environmental assessment class project on growth impacts to the Ramapo River watershed and how to best mitigate them. Geoff Welch, Chair of the Ramapo River Committee and Ramapo Director of the Rockland County Conservation Association, has agreed to be the primary client for the study. Course instructor Dr. Michael Edelstein, President of Orange Environment, will serve as the second client. David Church, Commissioner of Planning for Orange County, has agreed to be the client for issues particularly relating to traffic in the Route 17/86 Thruway (87) corridor

Because of continued growth in the Ramapo watershed, including commercial and traffic growth, the quality of the river has been increasingly challenged due to nonpoint source runoff from traffic and land uses as well as point sources related to sewer treatment systems and some commercial and industrial sources. Growth in traffic demand as far northwest as the planned location of five casinos and a major arts center in Sullivan County, New York, combined with the conversion of Route 17 into Interstate 86, promise to dramatically inflate and congest traffic moving through the Ramapo River pass. In addition, the impact from the rapid development of the Ramapo River watershed's headwaters in Orange County will be examined as well as watershed development proposals and preservation efforts in Rockland County.

The situation in New Jersey is also critical, with 1-287 and Route 202 directly impacting the river. Growth in Mahwah and Oakland, including the expansion of Ramapo College, places increased pressure on the river system. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been engaged in flood control projects along the New Jersey section of the Ramapo and involved with at least two New York studies in the Ramapo River watershed.

The class will conduct a Generic Environmental Impact Assessment for the River Corridor, particularly examining all impacts related to growth and land use changes within the Ramapo drainage basin and the impacts for the receiving streams. The study will consider the adequacy of current policies in the two states, four counties and multiple local jurisdictions. Concepts for protecting and restoring the river corridor and the quality and quantity of its waters, aquifers, wetlands, scenic values, recreation and biodiversity and for minimizing adverse effects to this system will be examined. We look forward to the results of the study.

Those wishing to attend or to support the 10th Annual Ramapo River Watershed Conference may contact Geoff Welch at (845) 504-5157 or gwelchl@optonline.net.

- Michael Edelstein and Geoff Welch

RCCA Newsletter - Betty Hedges - bhbettyhedges@,aol.com
Distribution - Faith Leigh, Ira Hedges

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