Great to see so many activists last Thursday who want to protect Elmira, NY from toxic hazards

Please call Governor Cuomo at 518 474 8390 to request that he clean up documented toxic hazards at Elmira High School on a comprehensive basis without further delay. This site is indicative of more than 1,000 Legacy Toxic Sites across New York that have never been cleaned up to applicable state standards.

See Toxics Targeting's latest news coverage and toxic data disclosures at: Legacy Toxic Dump Clean up Campaign

Greetings Fractivists,

It was an intense experience last Thursday evening to see so many former Elmira High School students and their parents, concerned local residents, government officials and candidates for elected office show up at a public meeting to discuss the school's wide array of documented toxic hazards that have neither been comprehensively investigated nor cleaned up for more than 20 years.

The meeting received widespread media coverage and marks the beginning of what will likely be a brutally hard fight to clean up Elmira High School and many other legacy toxic site hazards in Elmira, NY. I am pleased to express my deep appreciation to all those who reported or attended this landmark event.

It is beyond dispute that Elmira High School is built directly on top of a former heavy industrial factory site that operated for more than a century. A wide range of known chemical contamination hazards has never been cleaned up to applicable standards.

See: Elmira High School Selected Toxic Site Profiles and Map

Historic 1950 Map and 2018 Satellite Image of Elmira High School in Elmira, NY

Sperry Remington- site numbers 808022, 808043, and 808049 Hazardous Inactive Site Fact Sheet

Multiple toxic chemicals, including trichloroethylene, a potential cancer-causing agent, have reportedly been detected in the air inside the school. This analytical finding belies school administration assurances that the school is safe for students, faculty and staff because a "positive pressure" system prevents toxics from intruding into the school.

Moreover, huge areas of Elmira High School's grounds are documented to be toxic contaminated, but have yet to be cleaned up.

Disclosures of health problems involving former Elmira High students, historic dumping practices and toxic pollution hazards that were never cleaned up for more than 20 years are almost too shocking to bear. Elmira High School exemplifies the vast legacy of toxic industrial sites across New York that have never been remediated and continue to pose grave public health concerns.

I commend the efforts of Andy Patros, a parent of a former Elmira High student who endured and, fortunately, survived life-threatening health problems. Andy is a life-long Elmira resident and a former Chemung County Legislator who worked hard to organize the event at his own expense. He exemplifies all those who, in the epic words of Ithaca environmental activist Lisa Sanfilippo, believe that their New York communities are "worth fighting for."

Hear, hear. I could not agree more. Toxics Targeting is working with great dedication to assist all those stalwart activists.

Please Call Governor Cuomo Today at 518 474 8390 to Request that Elmira High School be Cleaned up on a Comprehensive Basis Without Further Delay

The Governor must answer why the Elmira High School site still exceeds applicable toxic clean up standards decades after enormously widespread hazards came to light circa 1995. He must explain why there still is no comprehensive plan to clean up the wide range of contamination hazards at the North and South portions of this huge polluted site.

If the Governor cannot fulfill this obligation, he must be held accountable for failing to safeguard the public heath of New Yorkers in Elmira. NY. Similar toxic sites exist across New York where local residents rely on government authorities to clean up toxic hazards that exceed applicable standards.

Much more to come very shortly about this critical concern.

Cheers,

Walter