ESSEX COUNTY NEW YORK

An Environmental Health Diagnosis By Kora Fortun 8 th grade Tamarac Secondary

Essex County This poster will demonstrate the environmental health of Essex County, New York State. It aims to analyze many different issues facing Essex County. Information was obtained from various county, state, and national level government databases, online newspapers and journals, and non-profit organizations based in Essex County. This poster features a background section, indicators of environmental health, and four case studies, on lead, air quality, soil, and crude oil trains.

Lake Champlain Watershed Essex County

Crude Oil Train Derailment Lake Champlain Essex County Fair Adirondack High Peaks

Background Essex is the second largest county by area in NY state. Its population density is incredibly low, at people per square mile. The average household income is $43,863, comparatively lower than that of New York State ($57,683).

Background Essex County is entirely inside the Adirondack Park, and contains 44 of the 46 highest peaks of the mountain range. Essex County also contains Lake Champlain and the Olympic town of Lake Placid.

Lead Poisoning In Essex County, 0.06% of children under the age of two have elevated lead levels in their blood. This is 2% less than the national average. The county level Health Department worked with the Center for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department for Urban Housing and Development to participate in National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to raise awareness for the problem.

Soil The soil of Essex County can be classified as bouldery, slopes, or clay loam. The mountainous regions tend to have bouldery or slope soil. Areas surrounding towns had clay loam. Flooding has caused river bank erosion. The Soil and Water Conservation District has started soil field days and gathered volunteers to replant shrubbery.

Air Pollution Source of EmissionAmount of CO2 in Metric Tons Electricity66,342 Stationary Combustion82,428 Transportation330,469 These high levels can be attributed to Mid-western factories, whose smog, ozone, and CO2 have been carried by wind to the Northeast. Currently the United States government is hearing governors of the Northeastern states. These states wish to get regulations passed that restrict the emissions of the factories.

Crude Oil Trains Canadian Pacific Railway has begun to ship trains of crude oil from the Bakken shale through Essex, down to the Port of Albany. Through Essex County, Canadian Pacific Railway sends 20 trains weekly, with 100 cars, carrying 30,000 gallons per train. The oil is highly flammable, so explodes and burns if the trains derail. The NY Department of Environmental Conservation has permitted the refining company at the Port of Albany to increase its shipment from 450 million gallons of gas, ethanol, and oil (combined) to 1.8 billion gallons of crude oil alone. Campgrounds have developed evacuation plans. The government has stated that the oil industry has not provided requested information on the volatility of the oil.

About the program This research program is organized through a class, directed by Kim Fortun, on environmental and sustainable education. Undergraduate and Graduate students design the format and create guides and templates to guide the researchers. Also, researchers are assigned student mentor(s). The mentors aid the researchers and help them to come up with a slideshow, an oral presentation, a poster, and a fifteen page paper. The program encourages the advance of writing and researching skills at a young age and helps younger students learn about the world that they are a part of.

Sources NY DEC. “Lake Champlain Watershed.” N. p., n.d. Adirondack Council. “Adirondack Council Air & Water.” N. p., n.d. Adirondack Harvest Guide to Local Food in Essex County. N. p., American Lung Association. “Air Pollution Improves, but Many NY’ers Live in Counties with Failing Air.” N. p., Brown, Phil. “A Consensus Solution.” Adirondack Council. N. p., 1 Jan City Data. “Essex County.” N. p., “Courthouse History.” N. p., n.d. Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services. New York State Hazard Mitigation Plan. N. p., Ecology and Environment, Inc. Adirondack Park Greenhouse Gas Inventory. N. p., EPA. “Essex County Power Profile.” N. p., n.d. Essex County Historical Society. “Essex, Ny.” N. p., n.d. Essex County Public Health. Lead Poisoning Prevention. N. p. “Essex, New York.” Wikipedia. N. p., Kessler, Rebecca. “Lead-Based Decorative Paints.” Environmental Health Perspectives. N. p., Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board. Essex County Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Strategy. N. p. Lake Placid News. “Essex County Gets F in Ozone.” NY DEC. “Climate Smart Communities NY.” N. p., n.d. NYDEC. “Population Density NY.” N. p. 2000,. Revision Energy. “Propane Vs. Oil.” Rust, Susanne, and Matt Drange. “Cleanup of Silicon Valley Superfund Site Takes Environmental Toll.” United States Census Bureau. “Essex County, New York.” N. p., USA.com. “Essex County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes.” N. p., Visit Adirondacks. “The Adirondack Park.” N. p., Walsh, Bryan. “East Coast Governors Sick of Polluting Neighbors.” 9 Dec

Essex County Timeline 1 bya Adirondack Formation 7000 BCE Lake Champlain Formation c Mohawk and Abenaki March 1, 1799 Essex County Forms 1869 Adirondack Scenic Railroad Formation 1871 Saratoga & North Creek Railway Formation 1895 Canadian Pacific Railway Expands to Essex 1932 Winter Olympics July 1963 I-87 Expands through Essex 1980 Winter Olympics