The Clean Air Coalition has been sounding the alarm on the truck traffic crisis for years. Today, it came as a relief to see it finally addressed on a local TV station. We commend ABC News 10 and reporter Dan Passante for listening to community concerns that focus on the dangers and damages of increased truck traffic on Route 144. However, there’s much more to this story than what was reported.
Diesel truck exhaust is a major source of air pollution, releasing harmful pollutants like fine particulate matter (soot), nitrogen oxides, and toxic compounds like benzene. These emissions are linked to serious health issues like asthma, heart/lung disease, cancer, and premature death.
Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable to these emissions. With over 200 heavy-duty diesel trucks running through the Village of Ravena/Town of Coeymans every day, hundreds of families and dozens of businesses are at risk of dirty, dusty and toxic emissions.
If you live near heavy truck traffic, you can help monitor your air by installing a small Purple Air Monitor. PurpleAir monitors are highly effective, reliable, and widely trusted low-cost sensors for measuring particulate matter. The CAC can help you install one for free. These truly are critical for monitoring our public health. They offer real-time, hyper-local data that captures air quality trends, such as wildfire smoke and truck traffic.
Heavy truck traffic is coming through our town from the quarries of the Ravena cement plant, the Coeymans Industrial Park, and the Port of Coeymans. Some neighbours see 200-300 large industrial trucks in a day. All this traffic may be good for business, but local people are paying the price for business profits. Our roads are worse and our air quality is suffering. A REGIONAL rerouting has been needed for years. Thanks to New Baltimore Councilwoman, Deb Sottolano, and Coeymans Town Supervisor, Stephen Donnelly, for helping us all.