Stay Cozy/Save Money – A Family Energy Fair
January 24, 2012
While it’s warm now, temperatures are about to drop and energy bills will skyrocket. What can you do to keep your family warm, while saving money?
This February, the Staying Cozy/Saving Money Family Energy Fair will help local homeowners and renters learn about the simple things they can do to reduce their energy use while saving money and the environment.
“Everyone wants to stay warm during winter, but not many people realize they can do this without impacting the environment or their pocketbooks,” said Susan Schwarz, a member of the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Council. “There are many quick and easy tips, and long-term investments, that families can utilize to save money in 2012.”
Information on lowering your electricity and heating bills will be presented by Con Edison, New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA), local contractors and Westchester-based organizations. There will also be tips for the whole family on saving gas, lowering waste, gardening, hiking & biking.
The event will be informational and entertaining for both adults and kids. Jilly Puppets will be performing with her puppets. There is a chance for kids to use a pedal-a-watt bicycle which will demonstrate just how much energy it takes to brighten a lightbulb. Flying Fingers will also hold a knitting workshop at noon for children and their parents. Refreshments will be available for all.
The fair will take place on Saturday, February 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the John Paulding School gym located at 154 North Broadway.
The fair is being organized by the Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Committee and the Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Committee and is being sponsored by the EPTA.
To see a pedal-a-watt in action, visit:
For More Information Contact:
Sean Roach – Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Committee
sean.h.roach@gmail.com
or
Susan Schwarz – Tarrytown Environmental Advisory Committee
sdschwarz@aol.com
Home: 914-332-1301
Public Hearing on Sleepy Hollow Water Reserves
January 11, 2012
If you had an issue with your water last weekend, you are likely wondering what the Village is going to do about the problem.
While this weekend’s water issues stemmed from a ruptured water main, it is also tied to the fact that the Village has inadequate water storage capacity. To ensure water security, and the infrastructure for future development, the village needs to address these water storage issues by creating additional capacity of 2.4 million gallons in reserve.
On January 17, at 7 p.m. in Village Hall, there will be a public hearing on the options the Village has to increase its water storage capacity. The meeting will cover the tank placement options, costs, the history of the project and the draft environmental findings.
You can read more about the the water storage discussion here: http://sleepyhollowny.gov/images/Documents/Notices/VSH%20Environmental%20Documentation%20Water%20Supply%20Improvement.pdf
We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
New State Law: Electronics Recycling
January 4, 2012
As of January 1st, municipalities can no longer pick up household electronics for disposal in landfills. This will prevent toxic chemicals from reaching the environment and will prevent useful materials from taking up space in waste disposal facilities. The system for recycling electronics partners retailers and government, and will provide free or low-cost ways to safely discard these materials.
See this Patch.com article for full information on the new law and on how to dispose of your electronics:
http://tarrytown.patch.com/articles/old-tvs-and-computers-no-longer-condemned-to-landfill-death
Updates on Mallory Battery Cleanup
November 16, 2011
On Monday, November 7, a meeting was held at the Sleepy Hollow High School Auditorium concerning the ongoing testing and eventual cleanup of Mercury left behind from the former Mallory Battery Plant in downtown Sleepy Hollow.
The purpose of the meeting was to show the extent of the contamination caused by the old Mallory battery plant’s fans which spread mercury into downtown Sleepy Hollow. The plant has long since been torn down and paved over to create a parking lot at the southeast corner of Elm Street and Andrews Lane. However, contaminants from the plant’s operations remain in the neighborhood.
In conjunction with the state, the Village of Sleepy Hollow and the Gillette corporation, testing has been conducted on a number of properties to gauge the extent of mercury and lead contamination in the area. As a result of the initial tests, state officials noted that 76 properties near the former plant will have to be cleaned of mercury. More soil tests will be conducted as part of a second phase of testing. The second phase will involve some houses within the phase one testing boundary (see photo below) and some residences outside of the phase one testing boundary. Those properties should receive notification from the state requesting permission to test their properties.
During the meeting state health and environmental officials announced that mercury levels will be cleaned to levels of 4.8 parts per million. This is higher that the state’s recommended mercury levels of 1.2 parts per million in soils, however, State Health officials said at the meeting that concentrations of mercury at 4.8ppm would not be considered a health risk. Lead contamination, which can not be attributed to the battery plant according to state officials, will not be cleaned. It will be up to individual property owners to clean the lead from their properties if they wish to do so. Health concerns about lead should be directed to the Department of Health.
If you have a property near the former Mallory Battery Plant, you are advised to get in touch with the Village who can in turn point you to the necessary officials in charge of soil testing. The Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Council encourages all concerned citizens in the area to reach out to the Village if they have questions regarding their property.
See photos below which were taken from the report presented on Nov. 7, 2011. You can find the whole report in downloadable form below, along with news articles about the meeting.
Location of the former Mallory Battery Plant in relation to the rest of the Village.
The phase 1 investigation included most of the properties within the yellow boundary indicated above. If your home is within this boundary, but was not tested, contact the Village of Sleepy Hollow.
This image show areas that were tested for lead and mercury contamination. Lead will not be cleaned up as part of the remedial work in the area. Those who are concerned about lead levels should consult the Department of Health.
SOURCE DOCUMENTS
You can download the entire 114mb report in .pdf form from the Village of Sleepy Hollow website. Click here to download the .pdf file. The document is also available at the Warner Library.
MORE INFO
Kingsland Point Park Volunteer Day: April 2nd, 2011.
March 17, 2011
Saturday, April 2nd, 2011, at 10am.
A morning of removing invasive vines, cleaning up trash, and assessing the condition of our park on the Hudson River!
All participants should park their cars in the park’s two lots, and not at the Metro-North train station. If you live in Sleepy Hollow or Tarrytown, please make this no-emissions event by walking or biking.
If you are interested in helping remove the porcelainberry, oriental bittersweet, and other invasives choking the trees between the park entrance and the new Scenic Hudson Katheryn Davis RiverWalk Center, bring your own pruners or loppers (but not hatchets, axes, or any other “swinging” tools, and no chain saws or other power tools), wear long sleeves and pants, and meet by the park entrance booth. Some gloves will be provided, but bring your own if you have them. For this work, adults and children over 12 only, please. For more on how we will control vines, see the Bronx River Conservancy’s VineCutter web site:
To clean trash, wear long clothes and bring gloves if you have them. Trash bags will be provided. Teams can clean the entire park. Please meet near the bathrooms near the parking lots. Younger children should be supervised by adults.
Teams assessing the condition of the park — looking for broken tables, holes in fences, etc. — should wear proper footwear. Younger children should be accompanied by adults.
Sleepy Hollow Environmental Advisory Council 