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LES Breathe

Posted on October 15, 2020December 29, 2020 by East River Park ACTION

We have a new air and soil watchdog

One of the hundreds of dogs costumed for the Halloween Dog Parade in East River Park, 2019. We need a watchdog to keep us healthy during the pandemic when the city is going to demolish the park that saves our lives. And we need to maintain a clean-air park so people can walk their dogs. And kids.

Air

In this neighborhood with high asthma rates, we need to know what’s we are breathing now before the city starts tearing up East River Park. The East Side Coastal Resiliency project will take down 1,000 trees that cleanse the air. The demolition will release particulate matter in the air. We need to be able to compare it to what happens after bulldozers roll in.

Soil

What is the City going to dig up when they start demolishing East River Park? We know there’s an excess of lead under the Williamsburg Bridge. (see our post, “Soil Test.” What else is there?

Information, please

Here’s a letter sent 10/15/20 asking questions: Dear CB3 (Community Board 3 where East River Park is located) Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency Committee

LES Breathe, a new community committee within the nonprofit East River Park Action, requests that all data related to air quality and soil quality already collected in and around the ESCR (East Side Coastal Resiliency) area be made public and released immediately, through the CAG (Community Advistory Group) or otherwise.

This request is not controversial. Considering that we are in the middle of a respiratory pandemic, more people are spending time at home and need to access green open space for wellbeing.

Trees in East River Park in spring. Thanks for the air and the blossoms.

This is a matter of environmental justice in an area with an underserved, vulnerable  population.  

With public health, transparency and awareness our goal, we are planning a citizen science project to monitor air quality. Test monitoring begins next week; we will also be sharing the outcomes of soil testing done last month as part of our initial outreach. 

We request the release of information on construction locations, the number of construction vehicles, trucks and barges, as well as any planned mitigation measures. 

Please contact East River Park Action – lesbreathe@gmail.com with the data and any questions, thank you!

Sincerely,

Wendy Brawer, member 

  • #SAVEEASTRIVERPARK
  • air
  • monitoring
  • quality
  • soil
  • testing
  • 4 thoughts on “LES Breathe”

    1. Amy Berkov says:
      October 15, 2020 at 4:36 pm

      The city, as it prepares to remove plants and all biodiversity from the East River Park, says that they will install and test air quality equipment. For many areas South of 14th Street, this is INTENDED to happen in Spring 2021 (or in Feb, which isn’t quite Spring). They DO NOT say that they will install and test air quality equipment as part of the preparation for the “Early Package”, which is INTENDED to take place this fall and will also involve plant removal– from the LESEC Compost Yard.

      Reply
    2. judith says:
      October 22, 2020 at 10:50 am

      this looks great!

      Reply
    3. Pingback: East Side Storm Protection Is Delayed As Covid Increases Demand For Parkland - Bedford + Bowery
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    This Lenapehoking Land

    This wonderful park we are trying to preserve is forever Indigenous land of Lenapehoking. We hope to honor and respect the land of this park by advocating its use as a resilient flood-absorbing sponge working with the river-side ecosystem, rather than in defiance of it. We oppose the ESCR project that continues assault on the land and recognize it adds a layer of injury to the ongoing systemic oppression of the original stewards of this land, the Lenapeyok People.

    NYS Constitutional Amendment for Environmental Rights: "Each person shall have a right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment.”

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