Happy Spring everyone! Hope everyone is ready to play outside and breath the fresh quality air we all deserve and love! Well, I wish that were true, but if you are familiar with our work at OUTRAGE and with our partners in New York City Environmental Justice Alliance and the Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods coalition, you know that we are dealing with an environmental and health injustice. Unfortunately, North Brooklyn's asthma rates are above the national average and the highest in New York City, just shy of our friends in the the Bronx. Still, there is no need to fret as OUTRAGE is here to the rescue in their work to improve air quality, reduce the waste burden, and advocate for traffic safety in our streets.

One way in which OUTRAGE has been advocating for community improvements around the burden of Waste Transfer Stations in our community is the Illegal Truck Enforcement Task Force, which both monitors areas where trucks drive down residential streets illegally, dump hazardous waste and debris, and idle outside of homes and schools beyond the time the law allows. The Task Force works with elected officials like Council Members Diana Reyna and Stephen Levin, NYPD and local Police Precincts, the Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of Transportation, Department of Environmental Protection, DSNY, Community Board 1, small businesses and local residents. What is so unique about this Task Force is that it promotes dialogue between agencies, businesses, and residents to raise concerns, address issues, and plan strategies and initiatives for enforcement. One tool in which we will be utilizing to address illegal idling, which no doubt has a detrimental impact on air quality and health for our residents, is the DEC I-Watch for Air Quality campaign. This will allow us to empower residents to identify the areas with the most illegal idling. We will keep you posted as this program evolves. The next task force meeting is as follows:

What: Illegal Truck Enforcement Task Force

Where: School Settlement Association Gym

     120 Jackson St. Brooklyn, NY 11211 (L at Graham)

When: Thursday April 11, 2013, 6:30- 8:00 PM

OUTRAGE is also actively working on introducing Capacity Reduction legislation alongside Council Member Diana Reyna and our coalition, Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods, with the goal of reducing the permitted capacity of waste handled in overburdened communities. This would not only reduce garbage in North Brooklyn, but lead the way for the City to implement the Solid Waste Management Plan as it would require garbage to begin utilizing rail and barge to export waste. In Brooklyn alone, the potential legislation would eliminate 6,200 tons of waste, 1,032 collection truck trips, and 538 long-haul truck trips every single day.

Please email Courtney Renken at crenken@stnicksalliance.org or call 718-388-2233 ext 124 if you have any questions about our work OR if you wish to get involved! We will continue to advocate for clean air, safe streets, and sustainable solid waste management in NYC. Happy spring and enjoy the weather!