On Love Canal Anniversary, Regional Institute Looks at WNY's Environmental Burden

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Thirty years after a federal emergency was declared at Love Canal in Niagara Falls, Western New York still grapples with an environmental burden from inherited and ongoing pollution, according to the Regional Institute's latest policy brief, "Thirty Years from Love Canal."

In 2008, close to 600 active and inactive sites in the region are monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for past or present pollution, placing Western New York somewhat lower than many peer regions, including Detroit, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, in terms of site density -- at 3.4 sites per 100 sq. km. -- but relatively high in terms of sites per capita, with 3.8 sites per 10,000 residents.

Though concentrated in cities and other long-settled industrial areas, EPA-monitored sites are also found in numerous suburban and rural areas, resulting in a surprisingly weak correlation between the socioeconomic status of Western New Yorkers and their likelihood of living near these sites.

"Pollution and the burden of living near pollution is a pervasive issue in this region," said Kathryn A. Foster, institute director. "Few of these sites pose public health risks similar in severity to Love Canal, but they all demand sustained attention to minimize short- and long-term risks."

Though pollution disproportionately affects low income and minority populations in many parts of the U.S. and the world, environmental burdens are spread quite evenly in Western New York, despite the high concentrations of poverty in the region's older industrial communities, according to research by Aaron Krolikowski, a UB student of environmental studies and political science and a former institute research assistant.

The research shows a weak correlation between income and race and proximity to EPA sites, with the proportion of minority-dominant and low-income census block groups carrying above-average environmental burdens (as measured by the number of EPA sites) similar to that of all census block groups in the region.

"These findings suggest that environmental burdens are a shared concern, affecting Western New Yorkers regardless of income level and race," Krolikowski said.

The accountability lapses that triggered the Love Canal crisis in 1978 suggest that the regional nature of Western New York's environmental burdens requires a broad-based vigilance from governments, businesses, special interest groups and residents. This increasingly inclusive sense of environmental responsibility is visible on several fronts today, including efforts to minimize the threats posed by the disposal of old electronics.

"So-called 'e-waste' is a critical pollution issue right now, especially with the growing number of household electronic devices and their short life spans," said Peter A. Lombardi, an institute policy analyst and author of the policy brief.

A number of sectors are working to address the challenge, he added. More than a dozen states have recently passed laws to expand electronics recycling, manufacturers and retailers are becoming more proactive, and nonprofits are working to raise awareness and facilitate reuse.

"I think people are realizing that everyone plays a role," Lombardi said.

Rather than a top-down, punitive approach to pollution prevention and management, policies are increasingly being designed to spur innovation and reward the attainment of public goals, according to the brief. Many of the new electronics recycling laws, for example, require manufacturers to develop recycling plans, giving businesses the flexibility of devising their own strategies while creating positive pressure to develop more resource-efficient products.

"Thirty Years from Love Canal" is the institute's 15th policy brief since it launched the series in August 2006 to inform regional issues with timely, reliable data and analysis. All policy briefs are available online at http://regional-institute.buffalo.edu.

A major research and public policy center of the University at Buffalo, the Regional Institute plays a vital role in addressing key policy and governance issues for regions, with focused analysis of the Buffalo-Niagara region. A unit of the UB Law School, the institute leverages the resources of the university and binational community to pursue a wide range of scholarship, projects and initiatives that frame issues, inform decisions and guide change.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.