Take Action Today to Help Prevent Parkinson's disease in New York

Check out the latest NEWS of Toxics Targeting's New York Parkinson's Prevention Campaign

Toxics Targeting is pleased to report that we just expanded our Parkinson's Prevention Campaign to Upstate New York. Thanks to everyone who is supporting this unprecedented public health protection effort.

As you will see below, we generated extensive media coverage for a heartbreaking case involving a woman with Parkinson's disease who lives in a home in Ithaca, NY that is reportedly contaminated with Trichloroethylene (TCE) six-fold the State air guideline. Exposure to neurotoxic TCE is causally associated with up to a 500% increase in Parkinson's risk according to epidemiological investigations.

Trichloroethylene/Parkinson's Epidemiological Findings and NYS Parkinson's Mortality Data

The woman's home is downgradient of the former Ithaca Gun Factory site where TCE has been documented at 9,520 parts per billion in groundwater. This exceeds the State TCE groundwater remediation requirement by more than 1,900-fold. TCE reportedly migrated into a residential area where thousands of people live. A local elementary school has never been tested for TCE Soil Vapor Intrusion hazards.

Draft Selected Toxic Solvent Groundwater and Soil Vapor Contamination Identified In the Vicinity of the Proposed Lake Street Townhomes Project in Ithaca, NY

State Failed For More Than 10 Years to Protect a Family From TCE Reported in Their Home at Six-Fold the NYS Air Guideline

In 2014, State Health authorities reportedly identified TCE in "BASEMENT" "Indoor Air" at 12 micrograms/m³, or six-fold the State air guideline, in the home where the woman and her family live.

Health authorities inexplicably wrote the family, "Based on our review of your results, no actions are needed to address exposures related to soil vapor intrusion at your home (emphasis added)." This decision likely occurred due to a misreading of the test results.

See: Reported Ithaca, NY Basement Indoor Air Trichloroethylene result of 12 micrograms/cubic meter

Two years after TCE was reportedly identified in her home, the woman was diagnosed with Parkinson's. At that time, she had lived in her house for approximately eight years.

Ithaca Gun Exemplifies Governor Hochul's Failure to Safeguard Public Health From TCE Hazards

In the two weeks since the woman's Parkinson's/TCE plight gained national attention, Governor Hochul has failed to respond to my respectful request to safeguard this family from TCE Soil Vapor Intrusion that threatens their health. The lack of a formal response speaks volumes about the Governor.

Trichloroethylene Reportedly Documented on 5/28/14 by New York State Department of Health at 12 micrograms/m³ in the indoor air of a home in Ithaca, NY

Join the Parkinson's Prevention Campaign

Toxics Targeting revealed lead contamination at Ithaca Gun 24 years ago and spearheaded an organizing campaign that required the removal of massive amounts of lead pollution. Unfortunately, TCE Soil Vapor Intrusion hazards were not discovered until many years later.

We now know that TCE contamination problems are not limited to Ithaca or the Gowanus Canal Area of Brooklyn. TCE Soil Vapor Intrusion and people suffering from incurable Parkinson's exist in every major community in New York because State authorities fail to enforce the State mandate to restore toxic sites to "pre-disposal conditions, to the extent feasible."

Find Out If You Live On Or Near Documented Trichloroethylene Sites That Could Cause Or Contribute To Parkinson's Risk

Take Action Today to Require All TCE Hazards to be Comprehensively Cleaned Up

Our campaign aims to achieve comprehensive cleanups of all TCE hazards in Ithaca and across New York in order to help prevent incurable Parkinson's that took the lives of more than 21,000 State residents in the last 20 years.

Ithaca Gun and more than 50 Brownfields in the Gowanus Canal Area of Brooklyn are being redeveloped with tax incentives without being comprehensively remediated. Our goal is to impose a moratorium on new Brownfield approvals and require existing Brownfields to be restored to "pre-disposal conditions, to the extent feasible" by requiring the Governor to fulfill our:

Coalition Letter Request That Governor Hochul Help Prevent Parkinson's disease in New York By Remediating All Trichloroethylene (TCE) Environmental Health Hazards In Strict Compliance With Comprehensive State Cleanup Requirements

Thank you for all of your help. More shortly.

Onward and upward,

Walter

7/30/24: Toxics Targeting Documents Trichloroethylene Indoor Air Contamination Near Ithaca Gun

New York Regulators Found High Levels of TCE in Kindra Bell’s Ithaca Home. They Told Her Not to Worry - 7/22/2024

Ithaca Gun Factory Contaminants Spread to Fall Creek, Residents Potentially at Increased Risk of Parkinson’s and Cancer - 8-5-2024

Toxics Targeting calls for removal of chemicals at former Ithaca gun factory location - 7/30/2024

Toxics Targeting Wants More Done About Former Ithaca Gun Factory Site - 7-31-2024