Clean Air Coalition of Greater Ravena – Coeymans

Clean Air Coalition board member, Christine Primomo, made her debut on the local ABC affiliate, WTEN-TV 10 on Tuesday evening while speaking out at the weekly Tonko Tuesday event. Reporter Anya Tucker provided coverage, our new favorite station!

Primomo voiced her concerns about burning tires and other waste at the LaFarge Cement Plant in Ravena and how Tonko’s CLEAN Futures Act opens the door to subsidize incineration.

The weekly rallies are organized by PAUSE or People of Albany United for Safe Energy and attended by several local environmentalists advocating for a cleaner, greener tomorrow.

As Chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, Congressman Paul Tonko plays a pivotal role in the adoption of sustainable energy policy. Per his own words, it’s up to him to promote climate issues in Congress…strengthening the fight against our world’s greatest threat.

Listen to her and CAC member Fran Porter’s interview with Mark Dunlea here: MEDIA SANCTUARY

Link to Channel 10 story!

Link to Rick Karlin’s Times Union waste-to-fuel article that ran the same day with quotes provided by Primomo.

Waste incineration has no place in a green future! Join CAC organizer Christine Primomo every Tuesday as she reaches for the mic to convince local congressman Paul Tonko to revise his support for the CLEAN Future Bill. The wording in the Bill currently promotes waste incineration as a “clean” source of energy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

For details, refer to this poster created by one of our local advocates for clean air.

THIS EVENT WAS REGRETTABLY CANCELLED DUE TO PENDING STORMS

Attend the “Eat in the Streets” event to show support for an issue that, clearly, affects more than just Cohoes, NY!

NEW MEETING PLACE: Meet Cafe con Mel, 133 Remsen St, Cohoes

Friday, July 23rd at 6:30 pm, Remsen St, Cohoes, NY

Please join us! The Clean Air Coalition is inviting everyone to join “Lights Out Norlite” in Cohoes on their regular Friday night “Eat in the Streets” parade.  We will carry lit-up letters with the message, “We breathe what they burn!” to alert people to air quality issues from Norlite & Lafarge.

PLEASE RSVP & SHARE ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

Logistics
1) Park at Cohoes City Hall, 97 Mohawk St.
2) Walk to Remsen Street to buy some great food.
3) Look for the Clean Air sign at Cafe con Mel restaurant to meet up.
3) Everyone takes 1 letter, 1 sticker and 1 postcard & we walk together.

IN OTHER NEWS A bad law passed in June that the Clean Air Coalition was unable to stop: the passage of LECCLA, by the New York State Legislature.  The bill wants to use our tax dollars to offer financial incentives for using “low carbon concrete” in New York State projects.  On the surface, it might look like a good thing. On the contrary, it’s just another excuse for the cement industry to burn waste as fuel to operate their kilns. The State has put the Office of General Services and a Stakeholder Advisory Group of cement industry insiders in charge of the details. The Clean Air Coalition opposes this bill. It will not significantly lower CO2 from concrete & could encourage the use of waste as fuel. Last week, we sent a letter to Governor Cuomo asking him to veto the bill. Please contact the Governor, if you agree.

The following is a letter sent to the Governor and other State officials to help stop the passage of the LECCLA Law. Please call and voice your concerns about this bill as it will not achieve the goal of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere but rather help the cement industry profit from waste incineration putting us all at risk. 18 other environmental organizations signed the letter to show support for our effort.

READ THE ENTIRE LETTER BY CLICKING BELOW:

Joy Iafallo wants to make a difference, a big difference in the town she grew up in. With spackle and putty in hand, she sees the potential of what a little sweat equity can do for Main Street, Ravena. But, one thing stands in her way: big trucks and lots of them! Iafallo was in the process of rehabbing an abandoned building into a coffee shop when the CAC (Clean Air Coalition) caught up with her vision.