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WEEK OF SEPTEMBER
18 2014
OURTOWNNY.COM
OurTownEastSide @OurTownNYC
OFFICIALS CALL FOR NEW PERMIT PROCESS FOR M.T.S.
In Brief MT. SINAI TO STUDY HEALTH EFFECTS FROM 9/11
NEWS Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and other East Side pols say the state needs to issue new environmental permits for the trash station UPPER EAST SIDE Elected officials gathered at Asphalt Green last week, the recreation center adjacent to the site of the future East 91st Street marine trash transfer station, to call on the state to issue new environmental permits for the site. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was joined by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, Assemblyman Dan Quart, Councilman Ben Kallos, Assembly candidate Rebecca Seawright, Pledge2Protect President Kelly Nimmo-Guenther and other community activists. The group is calling on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to hold a new hearing on the request by the Department of Sanitation of New York (DSNY) for a renewal of the permit for the Marine Transfer Station (MTS) due to significant changes since the permit was issued in 2009. “The permit for the MTS was issued before Superstorm Sandy, before new FEMA maps came out showing that the MTS’ platform is 5 ½ feet below base flood elevation, before small particulate monitoring was standard, before bike paths changed traffic patterns and before many new residential buildings and schools were built in this area,” Maloney said. “These changes are sufficient under state law to require a thorough re-evaluation and a public hearing. It is outrageous for DEC to consider rubber-stamping the renewal.” Maloney said that she and others are prepared to file an Article 78 lawsuit, CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
SUNFLOWERS BRIGHTEN UP EAST SIDE BLOCK BLOCK BY BLOCK A resident of East 92nd Street turned an empty tree pit into a small patch of garden STORY & PHOTO BY HANNAH GRIFFIN
UPPER EAST SIDE When the MTA began construction of the 2nd Avenue Subway in 2007, a surprising eyesore was created for some Upper East Side residents. As part of the construction, many trees housed inside sidewalk tree beds were cut down. Upper East Side resident Jane Foss, a ceramics student at Hunter College, hated the look of the empty tree beds as they became filled with garbage and debris thrown in by passersby. A large abandoned building at the intersec-
tion of East 92nd St. and 2nd Avenue filled with garbage, and rats did not do much to help the feel of the area. “It was a depressing time in the neighborhood,” Foss said. Three years ago, Foss took some initiative to improve the problem by planting sunflower seeds in one of the tree beds at the northeast corner of 92nd St. and 2nd Avenue. The active intersection is home to a Brazilian restaurant, a pizza shop, a tavern, a mechanic garage, and now a healthy plot of sunflowers. When she began, Foss did not know much about gardening, but says that the project is allowing her to learn more each year. Today the sunflowers are thriving, with several of the strongest stems measuring well over six feet; their bright flowering tops a welcome addition to the busy city street. Beside the
sunflowers grow a small patch of morning glories, and in the center of the bed hidden by the new growth is the original, gnarled tree stump with one of Foss’s ceramics on top. The sunflowers grow almost directly in front of A&A Imported Motors Inc., and some of the staff there play a key role in keeping the sunflowers healthy by watering the plants when they wash the sidewalks. Foss appreciates this help because it can be tricky to bring water down from her high-rise building. In the spring Foss would like to get to work on some empty tree bed lots on the other side of 92nd Street, and has her eye on some other potential participants. “I’m going to try to wheedle the parking garage attendants into watering,” she said.
Researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have received a $1.1 million grant from the World Trade Center Health Program to study the risks of kidney and heart disease among Ground Zero first-responders and volunteers exposed to the toxic dust-cloud created by the disaster 13 years ago. Responders and volunteers were exposed to varying levels of air filled with cement dust, smoke, glass fibers, and heavy metals during the 9/11 tragedy at Ground Zero. Mount Sinai researchers believe that high levels of exposure to the dust cloud may cause inflammation that can result in the development of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular damage. “We will investigate if exposure to high levels of inhaled particulate matter from 9/11 may be associated with chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular damage,” says Dr. Mary Ann McLaughlin, Medical Director of the Cardiac Health Program at The Mount Sinai Hospital and the study’s principal investigator. “Our long-term goal is to identify and minimize the risks for these conditions among individuals exposed to the inhaled toxins.” The Clinical Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai is a treatment and monitoring program for emergency responders, recovery workers, residents, and area workers who were affected by the terrorist attacks on9/11. The program identifies health problems needing timely treatment, monitors the development of symptoms, and analyzes data. Jewish women and girls light up the world by lighting the Shabbat and the Holiday candles. Friday September 19 - 6:40 pm. Rosh Hashanah eve, Wednesday September 24 - 6:32 pm For more information visit www.chabaduppereastside.com.