Findings
XI. Housing and the Environment
Community residents in focus groups and surveys indicated concern for housing and the environment. Residents say that they want a cleaner and greener environment with attention paid to the quality of the air, soil and water. They want Cortland history preserved in its old buildings and homes. Although residents want a comprehensive county plan for commercial and farm development, the County Planning Department only has the resources to create plans in piecemeal fashion. Other items frequently mentioned by citizens in the focus groups were:
- More planning needed
- More recycling: yearly big item and toxic waste pickup/household hazardous waste disposal
- Block grants for renovation of substandard housing
- Improving the gateways into the City of Cortland
- Creating a balance with nature, not influenced by dollars
- Implementing neighborhood pride campaigns
- Maintaining a more uniform and historical facade to downtowns
- Maintaining the “small town” rural atmosphere
- Limiting mall/paving over areas
- More attractive malls
Significant Environmental Findings
Superfund Sites and Brownfields
In 2003, after years of campaigning by NYPIRG and other groups concerned about toxic waste dumps in New York, the New York State Legislature and Governor Pataki enacted a law to refinance the State Superfund and create a new brownfields cleanup program.
The Rosen Site on South Main Street in the city was originally contaminated with PCBs and TCA and has been on the Superfund list since 1989. Clean up of 5-acres of the Rosen Site was recently completed with the installation of a Fiber & Gravel cap and cover. Next to that site is land formerly occupied by the Wickwire factory, now called Noss Park. The City, which holds the deeds to both the Rosen and Noss properties, gave the go ahead for cleanup of the Noss Site in September 2004.
Clean-up at the Smith Corona site is in an operational and maintenance phase although the water beneath the site remains undrinkable and remediation continues. The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for completing the cleanups; both properties can be developed when clean.
A $3.3 million Department of Environmental Conservation cleanup of contaminated soil, groundwater and sediment in the Tioughnioga River is slated for 2006. Benzene, toluene, cyanide, and other pollutants have emanated from the former New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) operated manufactured gas plant in Homer. This site is one of 300 manufactured gas plants contaminated sites throughout the state. Two-thirds of them have been cleaned.
Nitrate Contamination
There are two areas in Cortland County with elevated levels of nitrates in groundwater. Both places are agricultural areas. Nitrate is the number one chemical contaminant effecting drinking water supplies in Cortland County. Regardless of differing opinions on the source and health effects, the fact remains that it is an indicator of contamination. More research is needed to assess the causes of and possible solutions to these elevated levels.
Radon
Radon has been identified as a known environmental exposure risk factor. This odorless gas is a health hazard present in about 75% of all Cortland County homes, but only 6% of all homes in the U.S. A 3-year radon grant provides limited funding to address the issue in Cortland County which has the highest average radon levels in the state. The work plan includes efforts to encourage local municipalities to pass a local law requiring radon resistant construction in high radon areas.
Community efforts to reduce radon in air will also greatly reduce costs associated with the pending federal Radon Rule in drinking water. Although much has been done to encourage radon testing and remediation in the community, many residents within the county still have elevated radon levels in their home.
Greater educational outreach is needed. One of ten lung cancer deaths is attributable to radon gas in homes. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths, second only to cigarette smoking. Nationwide, radon is responsible for 15,000 - 22,000 lung cancer deaths annually. The risks are compounded for smokers living in homes with high levels of radon.
Other Environmental Health Risks
The Environmental Defense Fund (www.scorecard.org) compares Cortland County to the nation with regard to toxins released into the environment; cancer and non-cancer health risks from air and water; and pollution related to animal wastes. They use EPA data to look at Cortland ’s cancer risks. Eighty-two percent of the air cancer risk is from mobile sources – cars, trucks, and diesel emissions; 17% is from area sources.